"War changed me" - When The Bloodline's former WWE rival detailed his experience fighting in Afghanistan
Nearly 11 years before making his WWE NXT debut in 2019, Hit Row's Ashante Adonis joined the United States Army after graduating high school. About two years later, a 19-year-old Adonis got deployed to Afghanistan.
The 33-year-old opened up about his experience serving in the combat zone in an Instagram post in 2020. He revealed that his platoon suffered many casualties, stating that he was one of the lucky ones.
"July 5th & July 10th 2010 were the worst days in my entire life. I was deployed in Afghanistan and on those days my platoon suffered many casualties. I was one of the lucky ones. War changed me, and this is the reason I am who I am today. This is why I'm a different breed. I did not let my past take control of my future. 10 years later, I am proud to say I am a WWE Superstar," he wrote.
Adonis spent five years in the military before leaving service in 2013. About five years later, he kicked off his professional wrestling career.
Ashante Adonis is one of five current WWE Superstars who have served in the United States military. Check out the full list here.
Adonis is currently active on WWE SmackDown
Ashante Adonis spent nearly two years as an active competitor on NXT and 205 Live, during which he joined forces with Top Dolla, B-Fab, and Isaiah "Swerve" Scott to form Hit Row. In October 2021, the group made its main roster debut, joining SmackDown. However, all members were released from their contracts nearly a month later.
Last August, Hit Row returned to the Stamford-based company without Scott. They are currently active on SmackDown. Adonis and Top Dolla challenged The Usos for the Undisputed Tag Team Championships last December. However, they came up short against The Bloodline members.
A wrestling veteran feels that Triple H has lost interest in Hit Row. Check out his comments here.