Former WWE star brings anti-bullying message to youth
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on June 20, 2018 5:50 AM
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Former WWE wrestling star Chris Hollyfield during his visit to the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County
At 4-foot-4, Chris Hollyfield was shorter than most of the youth who surrounded him during a recent visit to the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County.
But it soon became apparent that his stature has not held him back from starring large wherever he goes.
That wasn't always the case for the former WWE Smackdown superstar known as "Lil Boogeyman," turned motivational speaker.
An "undersized man in an oversized world," he brought his anti-bullying message to the Royall Avenue club on June 15, officials said.
It was a lesson that was personal to him in his formative years, he said.
He told the audience he had endured a lifetime of jokes made at this expense -- sharing how he felt when he got off the school bus the first day of classes when he reached middle school. Some classmates suggested he was too short to go to that school.
Flipping the script on the experience, he had two pieces of advice for the youth during his Got Respect Tour -- "Be the best you" and "love who you are."
He encouraged the boys and girls to be confident in themselves and respect others, as doors will open and their lives change for the better.
Hollyfield speaks from experience. He has gone on to hold the world record for being the strongest man his size and at just 100 pounds, he lifted more than 300 pounds to defend his title.
He has also been a WWE Smackdown wrestler, starred in several wrestling films and been featured on ESPN as well as "60 Minutes," "Dateline NBC" and recently released his first book, "Big Message, Short Story."
The founder of 3D T.E.A.M., he takes his message of hope around the country, in an attempt to deter bullying and encourage students to respect one another despite their differences.
He also encourages kids to do their best at everything they do.
In addition to speaking to the club members and staff, he also encouraged audience questions. Afterward, he took the "Anti-Bullying Pledge" with the youth, having each sign their names to the pledge, and then signed autographs for the crowd.
Hollyfield started out a professional wrestler quickly moving up to the WWE in the late 1980s where his fan base exploded.
After wrestling, Hollyfield made the rounds with the talk show circuit. He is a motivational speaker, actor and business owner.