“Listen In With KNN” sports talk/podcast hosted by media personality Kelsey Nicole Nelson recently welcomed Wesley “Two Scoops” Berry to the show. Berry is a 3- time American Gladiator Champion and 2-time international champion. His athleticism and charisma quickly made him popular on the hit reality sports show. Berry set many records throughout that are still to be unmatched still today.
Nelson began the conversation reminiscing with Berry and taking a trip down memory lane when they first met. “Everything is blessed. You know it’s a pleasure. I always tell people like the Bible says your gift will make room for you and it’ll bring you before great people so we are able to have this opportunity because me and you we met in New Orleans in the lobby at Essence Fest we have been connected ever since,” Berry said.
Berry was on security guard detail with his company at the annual musical festival deemed “the party with a purpose.” Nelson asked Berry about his past work as a bodyguard which has included working for many celebrities and influential figures. “I was a bodyguard for Pepper (of Salt-N-Pepa ), Dr. Martin Luther King III, Angela Bassett, Yolanda Adams, Bruno Mars, Terry Crews and the list goes on,” Berry said.
Faith, Dawn Staley and Winning
Turning to current events, Nelson asked Berry about South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. Some people took issue with Staley sharing her religious beliefs after the championship win. Staley said, “We serve an unbelievable God,” Satley said. Ahead of South Carolina women’s basketball Final Four game Staley had said “something’s wrong with you if you don’t believe in God.” Nelson asked Berry his thoughts on the situation and the “uncommon favor” Coach Staley referred to.
I always tell people God doesn’t get involved with sports wins and losses. What he does is give you the ability to play at your highest level and whatever outcome happens based upon what you put in, is not based upon God. Because if it was then all of God’s people would always have winning tickets,” Berry said. Berry added that people assume God gives us a victory. In fact, he said, it is the same ability God gave the other person. The question is did you leave it all on court and if you did then the outcome is gonna be the outcome has nothing to do with how much you prayed.
His New Book and Documentary
Shifting back to Berry and his accolades, Nelson asked him to share his news with listeners. His new documentary is currently being shopped around. He shared what fans can look forward to seeing. He began discussing ESPN’s two-part “The American Gladiators Documentary,” which aired under the 30 for 30 banner. “Well, from the ESPN show special 30 for 30, we received insight on our reunion of a 25-year run and it was a phenomenal show that started which was like the first reality TV show unscripted. We were really fighting and the David and Goliath was really real so when they had the 25-year anniversary of the 30 for 30 that puts us in a whole ‘nother bracket with the Micheal Jordan’s, Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods so to have a 30 for 30 is a real big move” Berry said.
Berry elaborated saying “But the door is now opening because there’s a lot of behind the scenes about my life that people just don’t know. Google wasn’t out yet. YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and MySpace, none of those people exist, but with that being said there’s parts of my life when I was a part of the police department where things happened during the death row era that many people will hear about.
Things that I was involved in that had to do with politics and laws being passed by the Hispanic community where I stood up for the injustice in that. Also talk about me being involved in a car explosion, what the lifestyle is really like with gang banging and drugs, dealing with the police department and court system. So what people are going to hear what I had to go through is going to be shell-shocking.”
Looking Back on His Career
Speaking of Berry’s career, the conversation shifted to Berry’s work as an author of “A Way Out” and a new book he is releasing soon. “What people can find in this book is that my book is like a daily bread. You can open up my book and if you are facing a hard time you can go to any chapter in my book and pick what it is your dealing with and then I will give you insight on how to deal with that in that moment. These are short quick readings, some that will fill you up. Give you that boost to help you push past that adversity” Berry said.
The interview shifts into Berry’s dominating career as an American Gladiator. Nelson asked Berry what the show did for him. She also asked if it helped propel what he sees as his purpose in life. “I think the hustle got me to where I am. The gladiators opened up for me to go to schools, talk to kids which I was always doing before the gladiators. So the gladiators can’t really get all of the credit for what became because I was already a community guy before gladiators, so I was a little David going against Goliath.
If you remember nobody was demanding and dominating in that arena as I did, I took all of the gladiators fans and made them mine because of my personality so again if gladiators haven’t been around during the time of social media it would be a whole ‘nother’ story. But it did open up the door for me to do the 1996 commercial. I was the stunt man who jumped over a Ferrari from front to back for Micheal Powell, the long jump champion. The second video I was a stuntman for Kobe Bryant, who jumped over a car and dunked it at the Los Angeles Forum arena,” Berry said. .
Finding His Purpose
With the interview moving forward Nelson asked Berry about the beginning of his journey. “I’m originally from Shreveport, Louisiana and I moved to Del Rey, California. It is considered the Los Angeles area. We have a small community but we had great athletes. I grew up in the 60’s when again you had to put up or shut up. And now I encourage kids to put the phones down and let’s start interacting with each other some face to face time where we don’t have these phones at the tables, at the movie theater.
You can’t even go to dinner with everybody, without everybody texting at the table. I think it’s so disrespectful but you know I think when people start to connect with me, they’re going to find I am multi-dimensional because of the blessings that came from God. I’m a pastor, a security specialist, author and the list goes on” said Berry. You can watch the full show below.
