Wes Watson, a former self-proclaimed white prison gang shot caller, rose to fame as an arguably reformed ex-con. But did he really change, or rather, did this prison background help him make his way on social media? Whatever the case may be, this ex-con hasn’t been able to stay out of the public eye for long. In addition to glorifying prison life, prison gangs, and the constant threat of violence, Mr. Watson has also made a substantial amount of money selling self-help / manhood programs. These programs run the gamut, from health to diet to living a more positive lifestyle. It’s ironic, because Watson is a walking contradiction. This has been proven by the excellent coverage of journalists and whistleblowers like Jon Bravo Films and BallerBusters.
Sadly, the fitness industry has become overrun by jailbirds looking to reinvent prison life as a means of getting people in shape and creating an ironclad mindset. This wouldn’t work in any other sport. Basketball enthusiasts, for example, sign up for clinics, they join gyms, and they play scrimmages on courts across the country. They don’t glorify ex-cons who talk about waking up at 4AM to train with towels and do burpees to be a better ball player. For some bizarre reason, these clowns have found a niche within certain bodybuilding circles. I still don’t know who actually likes to follow these momos (a term created by Gregg Valentino), but these dopes make the money. Otherwise, they would have left for gone a long time ago.
“The jury is still out with regards to looks up to these losers.” – Christian Duque
The question as to whether Watson is a racist or not, is a lot easier. Racist rants aren’t totally foreign to bodybuilding. Just a few years ago, the late great Rich Piana was caught on tape by his loving Icelandic wife. Piana thought his then-wife was either flirting with an African American fitness star or that the star was hitting on her. At the time, Rich was probably high, more than likely under slept, and probably exhausted. None of these factors excuse what he said, but he had a life full of contradictions to being a racist. He loved black people, loved rap and hip hop, and had a tremendously multicultural team. Rich wasn’t a racist; however, things got heated, he was jealous, and he went on a racist rant. Thankfully, Dave Palumbo of RX Muscle gave Rich a chance to clear the air on a very intense interview where Palumbo took off the proverbial gloves. Rich PIana was not a racist. Wes Watson, on the other hand, probably is.
Even though Wes’s first big interview was with BIG HERC of THE FRESH OUT series, a black YouTuber who did hard time, Watson’s links to “the woodpile” stand out. The “wood pile” is code for The Woods (or Peckerwoods). According to the Anti-Defamation League:
“[i]n California, the term [Peckerwood] spread from the prison to the streets in the form of so-called peckerwood gangs, white gangs that mix elements of street gang, prison gang, and racist skinhead gang. Their white supremacy is more often crude than sophisticated and they have a high association with traditional criminal activity, such as drugs. They tend to organize geographically, such as San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods, Inland Empire Peckerwoods, High Desert Peckerwoods, etc.” Source
As a self-proclaimed shot caller within California’s white prison gangs, Watson separates himself from the average inmate perhaps forced into the gang(s) due to peer pressure and/or over safety concerns. Rising to the top of a white prison gang, however, suggests hardened racist character. Moreover, the lingo that Watson used in leaked audio shows a fusion of racist prison lingo along with historic racist terms. What’s even more telling is the fact that Watson dropped N-bombs during the gang beating of a black special needs man at Elev8tion Fitness in Miami, FL. Watson is facing felony battery charges for that attack and is being sued civilly by the victim.
Do you think Wes Watson is a racist? Are you basing it on circumstancial evidence (e.g. his prison activity and past)? Are you basing on direct evidence (what Watson said during the Elev8tion Fitness battery in December 2024 and on the leaked audio in 2025)? Or are you basing your answer on what’s known as the totality of the circumstances?
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