Born in Carson, California to Ernest Sutton Jr. and his wife Yvonne, Ernest Sutton III was an active child. A fun loving spirit, Ernie was extremely active in multiple sports throughout his high school career. He was a wide receiver on the football team, the point guard for the school basketball team, and even spent time as a keeper for his high school's soccer team. Throughout most of his life, however, wrestling never played a significant role until Jared James, who was currently under contract for Connecticut Forum Wrestling, saw the young man at a local football game. James had heard of this three sport superstar, and approached Sutton following the game about coming to Des Moines, Iowa with the promise that he would turn the young man into a wrestling phenomena.