.jpg) Nana at aRing of Honor show in 2011 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nana Osei Bandoh (1979-08-01)August 1, 1979 (age 46) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Nana[1] Prince Nana |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 235 lb (107 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | "Ghana, West Africa"[2] |
| Trained by | Angel Medina Vito LoGrasso[2] D-Von Dudley[2] Johnny Rodz[2] Mr. Fabian Street[2] |
| Debut | 1996[2] |
Nana Osei Bandoh (born August 1, 1979), better known by hisring name,Prince Nana, is an Americanprofessional wrestling manager and formerprofessional wrestler ofGhanaian descent. He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he serves as the on-screen manager ofSwerve Strickland. He is also known for his tenure inRing of Honor (ROH), where he was the founder and on-screen manager ofThe Embassystable.
Although Nana was born in the United States, he claims that he is the son of anAshanti tribe member with royal heritage and the heir to the throne ofAshanti in Ghana.[3][4] When Nana was three, his family relocated to Ghana for five years, returning so that Nana could be educated in America. As a teenager, he relocated toNew York City inAmerica as anexchange student. In 1992, at the age of twelve, Nana watchedWrestleMania VIII, and was inspired by theWWF Championship match between"Macho Man" Randy Savage andRic Flair to become a wrestler. A year later, he wrote to theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF; renamed WWE in 2002) and asked their advice as to whichprofessional wrestling school he should attend. The WWF recommended that he train underLarry Sharpe inNew Jersey, but Nana felt that Sharpe's school was too far away. Instead, Nana became aphotographer for Johnny Rodz, who operated Gleason's Gym in New York. Nana worked for Rodz until he turned eighteen, when Rodz began training him as a wrestler.
Nana debuted in 1996, wrestling in achurch inSpanish Harlem.[3][5][6][7]
Nana worked regularly for theEast Coast Wrestling Association inDelaware and USA Pro Wrestling in New York, as well as making appearances with the WWF and withPro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX inJapan.
In 2002, Nana joined the upstartRing of Honorpromotion, where in 2004 he formed aheelstable known asThe Embassy. In storylines, Nana used his wealth gained from the taxes of people ofGhana to hire wrestlers to wrestle his opponents and rivals. Under his management,John Walters defended hisROH Pure Championship andJimmy Rave,Alex Shelley andAbyss won the Trios Tournament in 2006. He remained with Ring of Honor until September 2006, when he gave his notice.[8]
On October 24, 2008, inDanbury, Connecticut, Nana made a surprise return to Ring of Honor, saying he had no more riches or crown and just wanted a job, before he was dragged away by security. The next night, Nana made an appearance at Ring of Honor'sEdison, New Jersey show where he was removed in the same fashion. The next time ROH was in Edison on January 17, 2009, Nana again appeared, only to be dragged away by security. He would then be featured in segments on the ROH Video Wire. In a March edition of the Video Wire, Nana revealed that he had regained his riches due toPresident Obama's stimulus package, and had been directingBison Smith's attacks on ROH wrestlers.On March 20, at the ROH show in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, Nana declared that he had officially reformed the Embassy, with himself, Bison Smith and Ernie Osiris.[9] The next day in New York City they were joined by the returning Jimmy Rave. Other members of the stable came to includeClaudio Castagnoli,Joey Ryan,Erick Stevens,Shawn Daivari andNecro Butcher, but by October 2010 all of them, except Osiris, had left the group. On January 22, 2011, Nana debuted the latest version of the Embassy, consisting of Ernesto Osiris,Mia Yim,R.D. Evans, andTommaso Ciampa, who would take over Jimmy Rave's former role as Nana's number one wrestler.[10] The following April and June, bothDave Taylor andRhino made appearances representing the Embassy.[11][12] On the July 28, 2012 episode ofRing of Honor Wrestling, The Embassy disbanded, when Ciampa turned on Nana, after R.D. Evans had revealed his deal withTruth Martini, which had cost Ciampa theROH World Television Championship.[13]
On Monday, June 3, 2013, Nana received a tryout with WWE. Nana commented on the tryout on Facebook, writing, "Great day with the WWE...The future may be bright....Fools."
In mid-2013, Nana was given the new on-screen role of ROH Talent Scout.[14] In late 2014, Nana formed yet another version of the Embassy withMoose,Stokely Hathaway andVeda Scott, which was later disbanded.[15]
Nana was the manager ofDonovan Dijak, after he sent him some envelopes every time he wrestled, until he finally departed fromThe House of Truth that took place on February 25, 2016 episode of ROH tapings.[16]
On July 23, 2022, atDeath Before Dishonor, Prince Nana returned and announced he had purchasedTully Blanchard Enterprises and reformed The Embassy, withBrian Cage,Bishop Kaun andToa Liona.[17] The trio would go on to defeat the team ofAlex Zayne,Blake Christian andTony Deppen during the preshow.[18] AtFinal Battle, Cage, Liona and Kaun, defeatedDalton Castle andThe Boys, to win theROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championships, under Nana's guidance.[19] This victory marked the first time in his 20-year history with the company that Prince Nana had managed his Embassy clientele to ROH gold.
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On the April 7, 2023 episode ofAEW Rampage, Prince Nana began managingSwerve Strickland as a part ofMogul Embassy, formerly 'The Embassy' in ROH, after Strickland announced he was merging his 'Mogul Affiliates' stable with The Embassy.
On April 21, 2024 atDynasty, Strickland defeatedSamoa Joe to win theAEW World Championship. This marked the first time that Prince Nana had managed an Embassy client to any singles championship, and specifically to a world championship. On the May 8 episode ofDynamite, Mogul Embassy was disbanded after Brian Cage, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun attacked Strickland and broke away to form their own stable,Cage of Agony. Despite this, Nana continued to manage Strickland without the Mogul Embassy banner.
Nana managed Strickland for his successful title defenses againstChristian Cage atDouble or Nothing later that month and againstWill Ospreay atForbidden Door in June 2024. AtAll In in August 2024, Strickland lost the AEW World Championship toBryan Danielson. In September 2024 atGrand Slam, Nana was scheduled to give an update on Strickland's condition after hislights outsteel cage match with"Hangman" Adam Page atAll Out. However, he would be interrupted by a debutingMVP, who blamed Nana for Strickland's losses at All In and All Out and offered to take over as Strickland's manager. In October 2024 atWrestleDream, Strickland rejected MVP's offer and remained loyal to Nana.
I was born in the U.S., but when I turned three we went back to Ghana for five years. I came back to go to school. My Father is part of the Ashanti tribe in Ghana, West Africa with Royal Heritage. I am part of that because of my relation to the existing chiefs of the Ashanti tribe. If my uncle is to pass away, because he is the chief uncle, legally I will be the next King.
...it was the classic feud between Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Flair that culminated at Wrestlemania 8 that changed his life.
A year later I was looking into schools and I wrote to the WWE, who told me to go to Larry Sharpe's school. It was too far away because I was living in New York City as an exchange student from Ghana. After a few months I found Gleason's gym on Front Street. I started as a photographer for Johnny Rodz...
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