Connor Deutsch (born October 6, 1993), better known by the ring name Clark Connors is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
. He is currently signed to
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...
(NJPW), where he was the winner of the 2020 Lion's Break Crown.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (2017–2018)
Connors made his debut on April 15, 2017, working mainly for Canadian independent promotions such as
All-Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling (ASW) is a British professional wrestling promotion operated by Brian Dixon and based in Birkenhead, England. Founded as Wrestling Enterprises of Birkenhead in October 1970, it has also been known over the years as All Star P ...
and
West Coast Wrestling Connection
The West Coast Wrestling Connection (WCWC) is a professional wrestling organization based in Salem, Oregon.
The WCWC was founded by Jeff Manning and Pat Kelley in 2005.
History
The WCWC had its inaugural show in Salem, Oregon on March 20, 2005. ...
. He also appeared for DEFY Wrestling, in his home state of
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
in the United States.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2018–present)
Young Lion (2018–2019)
In 2018, Connors entered the
New Japan Pro-Wrestling LA Dojo, as the first class along with
Karl Fredericks
Karl Fredericks (born July 15, 1990) is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on NXT. He is known for his stint in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was the winner of the 2019 Young Lion Cup.
Professional wr ...
and
Alex Coughlin
Alex Coughlin (born December 3, 1993), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), mainly competing on their American show, NJPW Strong.
Professional wrestling career Early career (2018)
Coughl ...
, training under
Katsuyori Shibata
is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and professional wrestling trainer. In professional wrestling, he is known for his hard hitting offense. He is currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In NJPW, he is a f ...
. Connors made his in-ring debut beating Coughlin in a dark match at
Fighting Spirit Unleashed
Fighting Spirit Unleashed is a series of professional wrestling events produced annually in September by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, in the United States. NJPW first produced the event in 2018 and ha ...
. Connors visited Japan for the first time as a representative of the LA Dojo at the
Young Lion Cup
__NOTOC__
The is an infrequent professional wrestling tournament promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a means of showcasing the younger talent on their roster. The tournament is the successor to the Karl Gotch Cup that NJPW promoted in t ...
held in September 2019 and came third in the tournament along with Coughlin with 8 points.
Over the next few months, Connors would lose to many New Japan wrestlers and draw to his fellow young lions, which is common for young lions during their training. Through New Japan's partenership's with other promtions, Connors was also able to make appearances for
Ring of Honor and
Revolution Pro Wrestling
Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro/RPW) is a British professional wrestling promotion founded on 26 August 2012 by Andy Quildan after separating from International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom.
Revolution Pro Wrestling currently has partnershi ...
.
In July and August 2019, Connors and Fredericks teamed up with Shibata's close friend
KENTA
Kenta (written: , , , or in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese baseball player
*, Japanese film director
*, Japanese kickboxer
*, Japanese professional wrestler
*, Japanese profession ...
in tag team matches during the
G1 Climax 29
The G1 Climax 29 was a professional wrestling tournament promoted by the Japan-based New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The tournament commenced on July 6 and concluded on August 12, 2019. It is the twenty-ninth edition of G1 Climax, and forty-fifth ...
tournament, in which KENTA was competing. This led to a feud with young lions
Ren Narita
Ren Narita (成田 蓮 ''Narita Ren'', born November 29, 1997) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Early life
Narita has played several sports before becoming a wrestler, including baseball and ...
and
Yota Tsuji
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Early life
Before wrestling, Tsuji had played baseball, American football and had done Taekwondo.
In March 2012, he graduated from Yokohama Tateno high-sch ...
, who were young lions training in the Japanese New Japan Dojo. On the final day, Connors and Fredericks defeated Narita and Tsuji in a tag team match. Connors returned to the US to compete in the
Super-J Cup, but was defeated in the first round by
T. J. Perkins
Theodore James Perkins (born September 3, 1984) is an American professional wrestler of Filipino descent, better known by the ring name T. J. Perkins (or simply TJP) currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling where he is a member of the Unite ...
. After the tournament, Connors began to team frequently with TJP, including in that years
Super Junior Tag League
The Super Junior Tag League is a professional wrestling tag team tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Established in 2010, but preceded by the G1 Climax Junior Heavyweight Tag League in 2001 (won by El Samurai and Jushin Thunder L ...
, where the team finished with 2 points, with a record of 1 win and 6 losses, only beating the team of
Tiger Mask
is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's ''Bokura Magazine'' from 1968 to 1970 and was later published in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1970 to ...
and
Yuya Uemura
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Early life
In March 2013, Uemura graduated from Imabari Technical High-school. He wrestled collegiately before he started his professional wrestling care ...
, therefore failing to advance to the tournament finals.
NJPW Strong and Wild Rhino (2020–Present)
In March 2020, New Japan suspended all of its activities, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, causing American-based talent, such as Connors to not be able to travel to Japan. Therefore, Connors appeared primarily on New Japan's new American based show
NJPW Strong
''NJPW Strong'' is a professional wrestling television series produced by Japanese professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) which debuted on August 7, 2020. It currently airs Saturday at 8pm ET on NJPW World and FITE TV.
...
. In September, Connors participated in the
Lion's Break Crown. He defeated Jordan Clearwater in the first round and Logan Riegal in the semi-finals. In the tournament finals, he defeated Danny Limelight to win the tournament, his first tournament win in his New Japan career. Connors again participated in the
Super-J Cup but was once again defeated in the first round, this time by
Chris Bey
Chris Bey (born February 13, 1996) is an American professional wrestler currently signed with Impact Wrestling, where he is a former one-time X Division Champion. He is also known for his work on the independent scene. He has also made appearan ...
. During this time, Connors began referring to himself as a 'Wild Rhino' and it was confirmed by Shibata he was no longer a young lion.
The following year in March, Connors defeated TJP to qualify for a place in the
New Japan Cup USA
New Japan Cup USA is an annual professional wrestling tournament produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The tournament is a spin-off of NJPW's annual New Japan Cup introduced in 2020. The tournament was promoted under NJPW's North American ...
tournament, however he was defeated by
Lio Rush
Lionel Gerard Green (born November 11, 1994), better known by the ring name Lio Rush, is an American professional wrestler and musician currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Chaos stable. He has also a ...
in the first round. Connors then entered New Japan's Tag Team Turbulence Tournament, once again teaming with TJP, but they lost to eventual winners
The Good Brothers
The Good Brothers are a Canadian country, bluegrass and folk music group originating from Richmond Hill, Ontario. The band's core members are Brian Good (guitar), his twin brother Bruce Good (autoharp) and younger brother Larry Good (banjo).
B ...
, in the first round. In October, during NJPW Strong's
Autumn Attack, TJP turned on the LA Dojo and joined
United Empire
, originally , is a professional wrestling faction, performing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and RevPro, the faction is led by Will Ospreay.
The group was formed in October 2020 by Ospreay and Great-O-Khan, when Ospreay turned on his Chao ...
, this led to the LA Dojo beginning a feud, where they would mainly lose to the group on Strong. This ended when in January 2022, at
New Beginning in USA, where Connors defeated TJP. Connors challenged for the
Strong Openweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. The title was officially announced on April 2, 2021. The title is exclusively featured on NJPW's American television program ''NJPW St ...
at
Strong Style Evolved but was defeated by champion
Tom Lawlor
Thomas Joseph Lawlor (born May 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and podcast host. He is best known for his time in Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he was a former one-time MLW World Heavyweight Cham ...
. In March, the LA Dojo, which was still represented by graduates like Connors, Coughlin and Fredericks, began a feud with
All Elite Wrestling's The Factory
The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's superstar ...
as they fought over which was the superior wrestling developmental system. This led to a match at
Windy City Riot, in which Connors, Fredericks and
Yuya Uemura
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Early life
In March 2013, Uemura graduated from Imabari Technical High-school. He wrestled collegiately before he started his professional wrestling care ...
, lost to The Factory's
Aaron Solo,
Nick Comoroto
Nicholas Comoroto (born April 22, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Comoroto began his career in 2013 on the independent circuit. In 2019, he signed a development contract with WWE, but was ...
and
Q. T. Marshall
Michael Cuellari (born July 16, 1985), better known by the ring name Q. T. Marshall, is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a performer and producer. He is a co-owner and trainer of The Nightmare Factory (form ...
. Soon after, Connors and other LA Dojo members made their debuts on the May 10 edition of
AEW Dark AEW or aew may refer to:
* Airborne early warning, airborne radar system for detecting aircraft
* Aerosvit Airlines, an airline based in Kyiv, Ukraine (ICAO airline designator: AEW)
* AEW Capital Management, a property investment management company
...
, saving the LA Dojo’s The DKC and Kevin Knight from a post-match attack by The Factory. The following week, LA Dojo members defeated The Factory in a ten-man tag team match.
On May 1, Connors was announced for the 2022 edition of the
Best of the Super Juniors
The Best of the Super Juniors (often abbreviated BOSJ) is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), typically in May or June. Originally known as Top of the Super Juniors, the first tournament was held in ...
, making his return to Japan since his graduation. He competed in the A-Block, finishing with a record of 4 wins and 5 losses, resulting in 8 points, therefore failing to advance to the finals. On the day of the finals, Connors teamed with
Titán,
Yoh and
Robbie Eagles in a losing effort to
Wheeler Yuta
Paul Gruber (born October 26, 1996), is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Wheeler Yuta (sometimes stylized as Wheeler YUTA). He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current ROH Pure Cha ...
,
El Lindaman,
Ace Austin
Austin James Highley (born February 28, 1997), better known by the ring name Ace Austin, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he is a former three-time X Division Champion. He also makes appearan ...
and
Alex Zayne
Alex Zayne is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with WWE where he wrestled on the NXT and WWE 205 Live brands under the ring name Ari Sterling.
He has also appeared on Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, NJPW Stron ...
.
Connors was announced to be in the NJPW qualifying bracket for a chance to advance to
AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door to be a part of a
four-way match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to crown the inaugural
AEW All-Atlantic Champion. In the first qualifier Connors defeated
Tomoaki Honma
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In NJPW, he is a former one-time IWGP Tag Team Champion and a two-time World Tag League winner with Togi Makabe.
Professional wrestling career
Big Jap ...
, but lost in the final qualifier to
Tomohiro Ishii
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He also makes additional appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his work with the independent Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling ( ...
, who advanced to the PPV. However, it was later revealed that Ishii had suffered a left knee injury, therefore Connors took his place at the PPV, facing
Pac,
Malakai Black
Tom Budgen (born 19 May 1985) is a Dutch professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Malakai Black. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Aleister Black from 201 ...
and
Miro for the All-Atlantic championship in a losing effort.
Connors was scheduled to compete at Music City Mayhem in late July, challenging for the
MLW National Openweight Championship
The MLW National Openweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion Major League Wrestling (MLW). The title was unveiled on April 18, 2019. The title's openweig ...
against champion
Davey Richards, however it was revealed Connors was injured and suffering from a
herniated disc
Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical ...
in his back, therefore he was replaced by
Rocky Romero
John R. Rivera (born October 28, 1982) is a Puerto Rican-American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed non-exclusively to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッ ...
. Connors returned 3 months later at
Rumble on 44th Street
Rumble on 44th Street was a professional wrestling event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on October 28, 2022, in New York City at the Palladium Times Square. The event was preceded by a Halloween inspired event named ''Th ...
. After being escorted to the ring by
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Cha ...
, Connors lost to
Minoru Suzuki
(born June 17, 1968) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a freelancer. In NJPW, Suzuki has held the IWGP Intercontinental Championship as well as twice hol ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
*
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV ...
**
Lion’s Break Crown (2020)
*''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
''
**Ranked No. 261 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' in 2022
References
External links
*
*https://www.njpw1972.com/profile/36497
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connors, Clark
1993 births
Living people
People from Snoqualmie, Washington
American male professional wrestlers