Who is David Otunga?
David Otunga is a multi-talented personality, being a professional wrestler, actor and lawyer. Otunga was famous for being a part of “The Nexus” from 2010 to 2011.
David was an important part of World Wrestling Entertainment from 2008 to 2019.
He is a very skilled actor, having worked in several movies and television shows. Otunga’s ability to deliver great promos made him a favourite with fans. Many pro wrestling fans felt that Otunga could have been utilised well.
David Otunga’s Basics
- David Otunga is a 1980 born.
- On 7 April, he celebrates his birthday.
- Otunga was active as a pro wrestler from 2009 to 2015.
- Dawson Alexander was his other, lesser-known in-ring name.
- Otunga is 6 feet tall.
- He has a strong, muscular build, with his body weight around 95 kg at present.
- David has brown hair and dark brown eyes.
- His foot size is 10 (US).
- Taking a protein-rich diet, gymming, and swimming are crucial parts of his life.
Early Life: Most crucial details
- In Elgin, Illinois, Otunga was born.
- His parents, Billie and Moses Otunga, are retired teachers.
- David holds mixed ethnicity: Kenyan father and white mother (American).
- Lisha and Rob are David’s siblings.
- At Larkin High School, he earned his graduation.
- He then went to the University of Illinois, and got a degree in psychology.
- He then moved to the Cognitive Neuroscience Center at Columbia University and started to work as a laboratory manager.
- After graduating from Harvard Law School, Otunga passed the bar exam in Illinois.
- Otunga loved playing baseball, basketball and football as a kid.
- In the 1990s, watching pro wrestling was his favourite pastime.
- Michael Jordan had a great influence on Otunga.
David Otunga’s Love Life
- Jennifer Hudson was David’s partner.
- In 2007, he met the famous singer and actress.
- In 2008, they got engaged.
- David Daniel Otunga Jr (their son) was born on August 10, 2009.
- In November 2017, they separated.
As a Lawyer
- David Otunga graduated from Harvard Law School in 2006.
- For a short period, he worked at Sidley Austin from May 2005 to October 2007.
- However, getting acting and wrestling opportunities made him leave his active law career behind.
David’s Acting and TV Career
- “I Love New York 2” was David’s debut series. He acted as Punk.
- “The Call”, in 2013, was his first film.
- In 2012, he made his first late-night show appearance at “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”.
- In the 2012-13 season, he appeared twice on The Wendy Williams Show.
- From 2013 to 2016, he appeared multiple times on the Steve Harvey Show.
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Call | Officer Jake Devans |
| 2016 | What Happen Last Night | Tiny |
| 2017 | Days Like This | Lance |
| 2017 | Live To Tell | Michael Ortega |
| 2017 | Sandy Wexler | A Reporter |
| 2019 | A Madea Family Funeral | Will |
| Year | TV Appearances | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | I Love New York 2 | Punk |
| 2012 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Himself |
| 2012-13 | The Wendy Williams Show | Himself (2 EP) |
| 2013-16 | Steve Harvey Show | Himself (Many times) |
| 2013 | The Haves and the Have Nots | Officer Mason |
| 2014 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Himself |
| 2014 | General Hospital | Himself |
| 2017 | Criminal Minds | Dwayne Jerrard |
| 2018 | Family Time | Alvin |
| 2022 | She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Derek |
| 2023 | Power Book IV: Force | Gang Chief |
- David is not a box office attraction, but he has delivered some great performances.
Professional Wrestling Career
- In 2008, Otunga signed a deal with the WWE.
- In May 2009, he made his first wrestling appearance.
- From 2008 to 2009, he polished his wrestling skills at the Florida Championship Wrestling.
- He was given the in-ring name, Dawson Alexander, in FCW.
- In 2010, he went ahead to join NXT and became a part of The Nexus.
- Wade Barrett was the leader of The Nexus.
- In the 2010-11 season, Otunga played a major role as a mamaber of The Nexus.
- They were playing a major negative role in WWE storylines.
- From 2011 to 2019, he played the persona of a wrestler and lawyer.
- He won the WWE Tag Team Championship twice (John Cena 1 and Michael McGillicutty 1)
- In 2020, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, WWE offloaded him due to financial issues.
After leaving WWE, he didn’t join any other wrestling promotion.
David Otunga’s Persona
David Otunga had that chocolate man persona. He looked amazing and had the power to compete against high-profile names.
Due to WWE’s approach, he was not able to be a leader of the company. But in the 2010s, he served the brand in multiple ways. At first, he had to play the negative persona. But later, he became a fan favourite.
Social Media
- David Otunga’s YouTube channel is @ddotunga.
- He brings pro wrestling updates and legality around it.
- On Instagram, he promotes his acting work and provides wrestling updates.
- Otunga’s following is on X and Facebook.
| Platorm | IDs |
|---|---|
| @davidotunga | |
| YouTube | @ddotunga |
| X | @DavidOtunga |
| @davidotunga |
Net Worth
- David Otunga’s net worth is USD 10 million.
- In the 2010s, he made massive sums in WWE.
- David’s earning sources are acting and social media brand deals.
- David has invested over 5 million USD in equity.
- He likes driving top-end cars.
- David has over 15 luxury watches.
FAQs
Jennifer Hudson was not happy with David Otunga’s aggressive behaviour. This is why they parted ways in 2017.
David Otunga is a lawyer. Before starting his acting and pro wrestling career in the late 2000s, he worked full-time as a lawyer.
David Otunga lives in Burr Ridge.
In 2020, due to the global financial battle, WWE released David Otunga.
Trivia
- David Otunga is the only Harvard-educated lawyer who has won the WWE titles.
- He is also known as a Reality TV star.
- Otunga is a lifelong fan of the Chicago Bulls (NBA).
- Heath Slater, Wade Barrett, John Cena and CJ Perry are his very close friends.
- Otunga loves lifting weights.
- He has a deep love for dogs.
- David is a massive high-end watch admirer.
- As a kid, he aimed to be a basketball star.
- Otunga could be played in several WWE video games of the 2010s editions.
- Due to his loyalty to WWE, he never tried to make a move to AEW.
- Tom Prichard and Norman Smiley trained him in pro wrestling.
- He was billed from Hollywood, California.
- “The Verdict” was his finishing move. It was a spinebuster.
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