In an EXCLUSIVE interaction with Pinkvilla, ex-WWE wrestler No Way Jose reveals to us as to why he adores BTS so much, how overwhelmed he is by the support of ARMY towards him and how his Bang Bang Con experience was.

As a huge WWE fan, who recently became a part of ARMY after being introduced to the hysteria that was loving BTS, watching No Way Jose fanboying over the K-pop band was a pleasant surprise for me! Moreover, seeing him use BTS as a medium to cheer himself up post his recent WWE release was proof of the global effect that the septet's music has on ARMY and how they help them get through trials and tribulations. Hence, I started chasing Levis Valenzuela to understand his love for BTS and what got him to the fandom in the first place.

After a quick back and forth chat, I finally got what I was looking for! In an EXCLUSIVE conversation with No Way Jose, Levis spoke candidly about how it was BTS' message to 'love yourself' that resonated with him the most. "I fell in love with K-pop a few years ago while I was teaching in South Korea shortly after college. I found myself dancing to it and it always seemed to put a smile on my face. It’s so upbeat and catchy! With BTS, their energy and choreography are just captivating. Not to mention using their platform to not just talk about themselves, but to talk about their message of 'love yourself' which speaks to so many people in the world from all walks of life, myself included," Valenzuela revealed

"I know it was something that I connected with when I was down about certain things in my life and they helped lift my spirits. Then there’s their story which is amazing and one to admire. Believing in who they were and blocking out all the naysayers in order to become the global phenomenon that they are. Gotta respect that!," No Way Jose added.

If you glance through Levis' colourful Twitter page, it almost seems like a fan club for BTS! Moreover, the former WWE wrestler has found solace and support from ARMY at an overwhelming level, though he initially has apprehensions of his own. "First and foremost, I'm still overwhelmed by the amount of love and respect ARMY has for not only BTS but for anyone in ARMY. I remember the first time I mentioned BTS, I was nervous because it was something that was so far away from my normal fan interaction. I put my phone down immediately and doubted as to how wrestling fans would say this or that about it which filled my head. It was a part of my life I was never vocal about to most people. Needless to say when the love and support came in from ARMY I was blown away and still am to this day," Valenzuela confessed.

"I can sit here and talk about something I really enjoy and connect with, in my own way and people are constantly interacting. I try to keep up and it’s beyond awesome! Now, I can confidently say this is me! Some people love video games, rock and roll, anime or whatever it is, but I love K-pop and BTS and I'm happy with that. ARMY helped me be confident with that. So I purple ARMY, I really do."

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: ARMY share how BTS is helping them cope with anxiety during the lockdown period due to COVID 19

Given the cancelled dates and delayed schedule of BTS' highly awaited Map of the Soul Tour, for which No Way Jose had tickets for, the boys made sure to not make ARMY feel alone with their recently hosted online weekend concert, Bang Bang Con. Amongst the 50 million views, Levis was a part of ARMY who tuned in to watch Bang Bang Con. "It was one of my favorite experiences in recent memory, honestly! I think there were like 50 million+ views worldwide and everyone was turnt all the way up! Especially during Cypher Medley! Interacting with everyone live was awesome and so positive," Valenzuela recalled.

"I was supposed to go to a concert on their recent tour, and unfortunately, with the current pandemic going on, it was postponed. But when I tell you that now more than ever I can't wait to go to a concert and experience that energy live, I absolutely mean it. I mean I got up and started dancing in my living room for crying out loud! It was awesome!," No Way Jose concluded.

Credits :Pinkvilla

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