WWE Raw’s Rusev and Gangrel have opened the KECH Pro Wrestling Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, with Gangrel announcing via his Instagram on Tuesday that the school is ready for orientation and training scheduling.
“Prepared and ready to open up today for orientation and training scheduling looking forward to seeing everyone!” Gangrel wrote, tagging the school’s @kechprowrestling account.
The school, which officially opened on March 1, takes its name from the Bulgarian word for professional wrestling, nodding to Rusev’s heritage. It offers training for children and adults at all levels, from beginners learning fundamentals to experienced wrestlers looking to refine their craft. Rusev announced the school earlier this year via the academy’s Instagram.
“We’re opening a new pro wrestling school for adults and kids. Real pro wrestling training, from fundamentals to character work,” Rusev said in the announcement. “Also, we’ll have advanced training sessions for experienced wrestlers only. The ring is on the way. The building is locked in. If you ever wanted to train like a pro, now is your chance.”
The partnership carries its own history. Rusev, now 40, originally trained under Gangrel and Rikishi at the Knokx Pro Wrestling Academy in California before signing with WWE in 2010. He revealed Gangrel’s involvement on the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast, and described what Gangrel brings to the school.
“His training is great. It’s very old-school training and maybe some people don’t want to hear that, but he’s real. He’s going to keep it real. He’s going to teach you real. He’s not going to be like, ‘Hey, let’s do a little bit of this, a little bit of that.’ No.”
Rusev also said Gangrel relocated from Florida to Nashville specifically for the project, calling out what he saw as years of broken promises from others in the business.
“He’s been screwed so many times by all these people who promise him things. And he’s helped me so much. So it was time for me and him to do something that he’ll be able to finally be like, ‘Hey, this is it.’ He’s great, man.”
Gangrel previously served as head trainer at Coastal Championship Wrestling in Florida before joining Rusev in Nashville. Rusev returned to WWE in April 2025 following a run in AEW and is currently assigned to WWE Raw. Anyone interested in training can DM “TRAIN” to @kechprowrestling on Instagram.
