Adam Birch (born July 18, 1979), better known by the
ring names Joey Mercury and Joey Matthews, 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 ...
who is best known for his two tenures in
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
. Birch was most recently signed to
Ring of Honor, where he worked as a producer, trainer, and member of the creative team.
Birch was trained by fellow wrestler
Jimmy Cicero
Matthew Bowman (born January 2, 1969) is an American professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Wiseguy" Jimmy Cicero, who has worked for the United States Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federa ...
and made his wrestling debut in October 1996, using the name Joey Matthews as he wrestled in ECW
Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
. The following year, he began competing for
Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation
The Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation was a Mid-Atlantic independent professional wrestling promotion based in Essex, Maryland. Founded by promoter Dennis Wippercht and wrestler Tim "Lucifer" Burke in 1991, the MEWF was one of the leading independ ...
(MEWF), where he began competing in
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
competition and captured the
MEWF Tag Team Championship
This is a chronological list of MEWF tag team champions. The MEWF Tag Team Championship is the oldest championship title in the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation having been established when the Lords of Darkness (Pain and Agony) defeated Cream T ...
, alongside
Christian York
Jason Spence (born April 13, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. Ch ...
. Throughout the late-1990s, Birch competed in various independent promotions, where he and York continued to work as a team. It was also during that time that he won various championships in singles and tag team competition.
In 2004, Birch signed with
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
and was assigned to their
developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
(OVW) in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
under the name Joey Mercury. While situated at OVW, he was placed in tag team competition, alongside
Johnny Nitro, in which they won the
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Tag Team Championship formerly known as the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. There have been 177 reigns shared b ...
on one occasion. It was also during this time that he and Nitro, alongside their
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
Melina, were known as the stable
MNM. The group were called up to the
SmackDown! roster and on their debut in April 2005, Mercury and Nitro went on to win the
WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
. After their
third
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
and final reign ended in May 2006, Nitro and Melina
turned on Mercury, thus ending their faction. However, in November 2006, the team reunited for a brief period, before Mercury was let go from his contract in March 2007.
Following his stint with WWE, Birch continued his wrestling career, appearing at several independent promotions, including competing at
Ring of Honor events. In March 2008, he returned to OVW, where he won the
OVW Television Championship
The OVW Television Championship was the secondary championship of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), started on January 5, 2005. When the title was originally conceived, the champion defended against randomly selected opponents, with the winner receivin ...
on one occasion. In October 2008, Birch announced his retirement from professional wrestling, following an injury, but later returned to wrestling in 2010, working for WWE as a
producer and making a brief in-ring return as part of
CM Punk's
Straight Edge Society
The Straight Edge Society was a villainous professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that appeared on its SmackDown brand.
The concept behind the group was the straight edge lifestyle, which promotes and abides to dis ...
. He returned to TV once again in 2014 alongside
Jamie Noble
James Gibson (born December 23, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Jamie Noble. He is currently signed to WWE as a producer. In addition to his appearances with WWE, Noble is known for his appeara ...
, (known as J&J Security) as an on screen security guard for the WWE World Heavyweight Champion
Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
as part of
The Authority faction.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1996–2001)
After being trained by fellow professional wrestler
Jimmy Cicero
Matthew Bowman (born January 2, 1969) is an American professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Wiseguy" Jimmy Cicero, who has worked for the United States Wrestling Association, Extreme Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federa ...
, Birch made his debut in October 1996 under the name Joey Matthews.
In 1997, approximately a year after his debut, Matthews began competing for the
Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation
The Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation was a Mid-Atlantic independent professional wrestling promotion based in Essex, Maryland. Founded by promoter Dennis Wippercht and wrestler Tim "Lucifer" Burke in 1991, the MEWF was one of the leading independ ...
(MEWF)
promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
, where he won the
MEWF Tag Team Championship
This is a chronological list of MEWF tag team champions. The MEWF Tag Team Championship is the oldest championship title in the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation having been established when the Lords of Darkness (Pain and Agony) defeated Cream T ...
with
Christian York
Jason Spence (born April 13, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. Ch ...
.
Matthews defeated York on May 8, 1998, to regain the Southern Championship Wrestling Junior Heavyweight Championship in
Wendell, North Carolina
Wendell is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. It is a satellite town of Raleigh, the state capital. The population was 5,845 at the 2010 census.
History
Incorporated in 1903, Wendell was settled in the 1850s, when farmers in ...
. Matthews and York, soon teamed up again, however, and won the
Steel City Wrestling
Steel City Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1994 by Norm Connors. It was the top promotion in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area during the 1990s, along with the National Wrestling A ...
Tag Team Championship on December 20, 1998.
Less than a month later, Matthews defeated York to win the
Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance
The Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (IPWA, sometimes shortened to the Independent Pro Wrestling Alliance) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, ...
Light Heavyweight Championship on January 9, 1999.
He was also a member of the
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
based
Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA) run by
Matt and
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...
, where he defeated York to win the
OMEGA Light Heavyweight Championship on January 29, 1999.
He was signed to a
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
contract in 1999; Birch did not make any appearances for the promotion during the seven months he was signed to a contract.
A few months later, while competing in singles competition at
Maryland Championship Wrestling
MCW Pro Wrestling (formerly known as Maryland Championship Wrestling) is a regional independent wrestling promotion based in Joppa, Maryland. It has regularly run events in the Mid-Atlantic region since the late 1990s.
History
Maryland Champion ...
(MCW), he once again defeated York to win the
MCW Cruiserweight Championship on May 21.
Matthews and York soon began teaming again, and, sometimes using
The Bad Street Boys
The Bad Street Boys was a professional wrestling tag team in the independent circuit. It was initially formed as a stable, consisting of Gregory Helms, Shannon Moore, Joey Matthews and Christian York. The stable later became a tag team when Hel ...
as a tag team name, they won numerous tag team championships, including the Atlantic Terror Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship on January 15, 2000 and the
MCW Tag Team Championship
The MCW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the MCW Pro Wrestling promotion. The title was created and debuted on August 18, 1998, at a MCW live event.
The inaugural champions were The Headbangers (Mo ...
on May 17, 2000.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (2000–2001)
In late 2000, Matthews and York joined
Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
(ECW), and lost to
Danny Doring and Roadkill
Danny Doring and Roadkill were a tag team in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1996 to 2001. They were the final ECW World Tag Team Champions, holding the titles until the promotion closed in 2001.
History Extreme Championship Wrestling
In De ...
at
Anarchy Rulz. They then began a
feud with
Simon and Swinger
Simon Diamond and Swinger were a professional wrestling tag team in Extreme Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. During their time in ECW, they were managed by Dawn Marie. The duo have won both the NWA World Tag Team Cham ...
, whom they lost to at
November to Remember
November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadca ...
, but defeated at
Massacre on 34th Street
Massacre on 34th Street was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on December 3, 2000, from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, and was the second to last pay-pe ...
. They competed in ECW for approximately six months, until the promotion closed in January 2001 and were on the company's final
pay-per-view Guilty as Charged, where they suffered a loss to
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. He has worked for promotions such as World Championship ...
and
Cyrus
Cyrus ( Persian: کوروش) is a male given name. It is the given name of a number of Persian kings. Most notably it refers to Cyrus the Great ( BC). Cyrus is also the name of Cyrus I of Anshan ( BC), King of Persia and the grandfather of Cyrus ...
.
After the closure of ECW, they returned to the
independent circuit, where, on February 3, 2001, the Bad Street Boys defeated
Rick Michaels
Rick Michaels (born September 8, 1974) is a retired American professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling career
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1992–1993)
Michaels debuted for Extreme Championship Wrestling on June 23, 1992, under the gimmic ...
and
David Young to become the
NWA World Tag Team Champions, a championship that they held for two weeks.
They won the MCW Tag Team Championship for the second time on November 3 by defeating Earl the Pearl and Rich Myers, and later won the
Virginia Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship on December 1, 2001.
Independent circuit (2001–2004)
In 2002, Matthews and York competed in
Ring of Honor (ROH), and teamed together on several occasions, before Matthews joined a faction called Special K, of which he was a member until 2004.
He also worked for various independent organizations such as
Xtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling (XPW) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion owned by Rob Zicari.
Zicari originally ran the promotion out of Los Angeles from 1999 to 2003. He appeared on shows as the on-camera owner under the name Ro ...
, Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW) and
Phoenix Championship Wrestling
Phoenix Championship Wrestling was a short-lived American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Toms River, New Jersey. It was founded by twin brothers Don and Mike Bucci in 2001 and promoted by Don Bucci until its close two year ...
.
On January 29, 2003, Matthews defeated
Romeo Valentino
Romeo Valentino (born July 8, 1968Pro Wrestling Illustrated. "Statistics for Professional Wrestlers." ''PWI 2001 Wrestling Almanac and Book of Facts''. Vol. IV. No. 1. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Co., 2001. (pg. 53)) is a reti ...
to win the
MCW Rage Television Championship, but lost it four months later to Doug Delicious on May 15.
On the April 14, 2003, episode of
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
(WWE)'s ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', one of WWE's primary television programs, Matthews and York teamed up to defeat Phil Brown and Pat Cusick in a
dark match
Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...
. In the months that followed, Matthews wrestled for
North America's three largest wrestling promotions, WWE,
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promo ...
(TNA), and ROH.
His early months in WWE saw him taking on
Lance Storm and
Crowbar in dark matches, and Matt Hardy,
Último Dragón
(born December 12, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and actor, better known as . In addition to having trained in Japan, Asai learned to wrestle in the lucha libre style while working in Mexico. He is credited with popularizing the " A ...
and
A-Train
is a series of business simulation video games developed and published by Japanese game developer Artdink in Japan. The first game in the series was published in 1985. The first release in the United States was ''Take the A-Train II'', published ...
on ''
Velocity
Velocity is the directional speed of an object in motion as an indication of its rate of change in position as observed from a particular frame of reference and as measured by a particular standard of time (e.g. northbound). Velocity i ...
''.
On July 19, 2003, at ''Death Before Dishonor'', a Ring of Honor event, he teamed with
Krazy K in a loss to Jeff Hardy in a
handicap 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 ...
. In August 2003, Matthews lost to
Chris Sabin on an episode of ''
TNA Xplosion
''Xplosion'' was a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the Impact Wrestling promotion. Launched in 2002, the show featured highlights from Impact's flagship television program, exclusive taped matches, and other conte ...
''.
After spending some time at the
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
(OVW) training center in 2003, Matthews made several appearances in
Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling
Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, or 3PW, was a hardcore professional wrestling promotion based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It ran many shows from the former ECW Arena. Following the close of Extreme Championship Wrestling, many former ECW veterans, su ...
(3PW), defeating
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
, before defeating Jerry Lynn and
Sabu to become the number one contender to the
3PW Heavyweight Championship. On April 17, 2004, he defeated
Raven to win the championship, a title he retained until August 21 of that year, when he lost it to
Christopher Daniels in a
four-way elimination 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 ...
, also involving A.J. Styles and Chris Sabin.
Meanwhile, Matthews was still active in WWE, and lost to
Rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
and
Maven
MAVEN is an American spacecraft orbiting Mars to study the loss of its atmospheric gases to space, providing insight into the history of
the planet's climate and water. The spacecraft name is an acronym for "Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolu ...
on ''
Sunday Night Heat''. He was also still competing in TNA's
X Division
The X Division is a high-flying, high-risk, fast-paced style of professional wrestling seen in Impact Wrestling (formerly Total Nonstop Action Wrestling) and since then in various NWA member promotions. Its tagline is that "It's not about weight ...
, and in August, he took part in a 20-Man Gauntlet match, in which
Petey Williams
Peter Williams III (born August 26, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE as a backstage producer. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he is a two-time X Division Champion. He is also ...
won the
X Division title. Afterwards, Matthews competed for
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
's
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...
(WWC), losing to
Eddie Colón
Eddie or Eddy may refer to:
Science and technology
*Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle
*Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Linu ...
in September, and exchanging victories with Alex Montalvo in November.
World Wrestling Entertainment
MNM (2004–2006)
Matthews wrestled in dark matches before being signed to a developmental deal by WWE in 2004; he moved to
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
to the Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW)
farm territory.
There he formed a faction with
Johnny Nitro; along with
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
Melina, they were known as "
MNM".
MNM wrestled in OVW for around a year, winning the
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Tag Team Championship formerly known as the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. There have been 177 reigns shared b ...
once, before being called up to the main ''SmackDown!'' roster, where Matthews was renamed Joey Mercury.
![MNM 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/MNM_2006.jpg)
In their first match for the
SmackDown brand, in April 2005, they won the
WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
from
Rey Mysterio
Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest prof ...
and
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...
.
They held the titles for three months, having successful titles defenses against the teams of Mysterio and Guerrero and
Hardcore Holly
Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former auto racer and wrestling trainer/ host, better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly or Bob Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career wit ...
and
Charlie Haas
Charles Doyle Haas II (born March 27, 1972) is an American professional and former amateur wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2000-2009 and Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2010-2013. In WWE he was a me ...
, before
dropping them to the
new Legion of Doom (LOD) at
The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event currently produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was established in 1985 and was originally produced by the National Wr ...
in July 2005. They recaptured the titles in 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 ...
defeating
The Mexicools,
William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his t ...
and
Paul Burchill
Paul Birchall (born 8 October 1979), better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English retired professional wrestler best known for his time with WWE. Prior to joining WWE, Burchill wrestled for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance and oth ...
, and LOD,
but lost them to Mysterio and
Batista
Batista is a Spanish or Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include:
* Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player
* Dave Bautista, American actor and professional wrestler, also known as Batista
* Edina Alves Batis ...
days before the
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
pay-per-view in December. Due to help from
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
, they defeated Mysterio and Batista in a rematch on December 30 to win the Championship for the third time.
Split with Nitro and Melina, reformation and departure (2006–2007)
They began a rivalry with the team of
Paul London and Brian Kendrick
Paul London and Brian Kendrick were an American professional wrestling tag team for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). They are former WWE Tag Team Champions and World Tag Team Champions. Their 2006-2007 reign as WWE Tag Team Champions was th ...
that lasted over three months, until the
Judgment Day pay-per-view on May 21, 2006, where MNM lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to London and Kendrick. Nitro and Melina suddenly
turned on Mercury, attacking him and breaking up the group. Later that night Nitro and Melina were fired from the SmackDown! brand in storyline, to facilitate their move to
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
, where they reappeared the following week. The
legitimate reason for the team's sudden split was later revealed to be Mercury failing a
WWE Wellness Policy
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., doing business as, d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including WWE Studios, fil ...
drug test and being forced to serve a 30-day suspension.
Mercury stayed off WWE television for six months. Mercury made a surprise return on the November 27, 2006 episode of ''Raw'', temporarily reforming MNM with Nitro and Melina to take up the also recently reunited
Hardys (Matt and Jeff) "open challenge" for
December to Dismember. The Hardys went on to win the match at December to Dismember,
but the feud continued across all three brands (
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
, ECW, and SmackDown!), and in a fatal-four way
ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship at December's
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
event, also involving London and Kendrick, and
Dave Taylor and William Regal. During the ladder match, Mercury suffered a legitimate injury when he was struck in the face with a ladder, breaking his nose and orbital bone. He immediately left the match and was rushed to an
emergency room where he received more than thirty stitches.
As a result, Nitro continued the match on his own.
After missing a few weeks, Mercury returned wearing a protective face mask and his injury was worked into the
angle
In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the '' sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the '' vertex'' of the angle.
Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. Angles a ...
, with both he and Nitro attempting to injure the Hardys in various ways for revenge. MNM lost to The Hardys at the
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
, and again in a six-man tag team match in which they teamed with
Montel Vontavious Porter
Hassan Hamin Assad (born Alvin Antonio Burke Jr.; October 28, 1973) is an American professional wrestler and manager currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name MVP (standing for Montel Vontavious Porter) a ...
(
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...
teamed with The Hardys) at the
No Way Out pay-per-view in February which concluded the feud. He also wrestled in singles competition on ''SmackDown!'' until he was released from his WWE contract on March 26, 2007.
Return to the independent circuit and Ring of Honor (2007–2008)
![JoeyMatthewsXavier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/JoeyMatthewsXavier.png)
Birch's first appearance after his WWE release was on April 21 for Northeast Wrestling as Joey Matthews, when he and
Romeo Roselli
Giovanni "Johnny" Roselli (born September 23, 1980) is a professional wrestler and actor better known as Romeo Roselli. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment, on its RAW brand, as one half of the tag team "The Heart Thr ...
defeated The NOW.
He went on to make appearances for MCW,
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association (IWA) Mid-South (also known as IWA Mid-South, IWA-MS, and IWA Mid South Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in New Albany, Indiana. It was formed by Ian Rotten in 199 ...
, and the New York Wrestling Connection, competing against wrestlers including
Alex Shelley,
Tyler Black
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
, and
Brother Runt. Matthew's wrestled in
All American Wrestling
AAW Wrestling (AAW) or AAW: Professional Wrestling Redefined and formerly known as All American Wrestling, is an American independent professional wrestling promotion, based in the Chicago area - originally holding shows in Berwyn, Illinois, a ...
(AAW) in July 2007, where he lost to
Eric Priest
Eric Ronald Priest (born 7 November 1943) is Emeritus Professor at St Andrews University, where he previously held the Gregory Chair of Mathematics and a Bishop Wardlaw Professorship.
Career and research
Priest is a recognised authority in sol ...
in a match for the AAW Heritage Championship. He made another appearance on September 29, reuniting with Christian York, in a losing effort against the AAW Tag Team Champions,
The Motor City Machine Guns
The Motor City Machine Guns is an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. They are currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where they are three-time and current Impact World Tag Team Champions. The tea ...
(
Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley).
In September 2007, Matthews began working for OVW as a trainer for the intermediate class.
He also competed in dark matches at the OVW television tapings. At TNA's
Bound for Glory pay-per-view in October 2007, he competed in a dark match, where he teamed with
Johnny Swinger
Joseph Dorgan (born July 3, 1975) is an American professional wrestler currently under contract to Impact Wrestling, using the ring name Johnny Swinger. Dorgan is also known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Champ ...
in a losing effort to The Motor City Machineguns. For the remainder of 2007, Matthews worked for independent promotions, including Pro Wrestling Unplugged and the United Wrestling Federation.
On January 25, 2008, Matthews returned to ROH as the newest member of
The Age of the Fall
The Age of the Fall was an American professional wrestling stable, primarily in Ring of Honor and its sister promotion Full Impact Pro, but also in other independent promotions such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.
History Ring of Honor
2007 ...
(AotF), where he partnered with Jimmy Jacobs in a losing effort against
Roderick Strong
Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand, as the leader of Diamond Mine, but is currently inactive due t ...
and
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 ...
of the
No Remorse Corps
No Remorse Corps (often abbreviated to N.R.C.) was a professional wrestling stable, made up of Davey Richards, Rocky Romero and Roderick Strong. The stable worked for Ring of Honor (ROH) between 2007 and 2008, with Richards and Romero capturing t ...
. The following night, Matthews lost to
Mark Briscoe
Mark Pugh (born January 18, 1985) is an American professional wrestler best known as Mark Briscoe. He is currently signed with Ring of Honor, where he is the current one-half of ROH World Tag Team Champions with Jay Briscoe in their thirtee ...
. Matthews was mainly utilized in a tag team role as a member of the AotF, teaming with fellow faction members
Tyler Black
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
and
Necro Butcher
Dylan Keith Summers (born July 13, 1973), better known by the ring name Necro Butcher, is an American professional wrestler. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA Mid-South, Pr ...
. During this time, he continued to work for other promotions, and on March 12, at an OVW television taping, he defeated
Jamin Olivencia to win the
OVW Television Championship
The OVW Television Championship was the secondary championship of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), started on January 5, 2005. When the title was originally conceived, the champion defended against randomly selected opponents, with the winner receivin ...
. After successful defenses against Olivencia, he dropped the title to Tommy McNailer a month later on April 16.
He continued to wrestle for ROH until Battle For Supremacy in June, when he and Jimmy Jacobs lost to
Kevin Steen and El Generico
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn were a Canadian professional wrestling tag team. Prior to signing with WWE, El Generico and Kevin Steen teamed in Ring of Honor (ROH) and across the independent circuit, nicknamed "Steenerico" by fans.
History Ring ...
, in what was his last ROH wrestling match.
He continued to wrestle for OVW, and also made appearances for MCW and German Stampede Wrestling. In October 2008, Birch announced his retirement from professional wrestling due to injury.
Return to WWE (2010–2017)
In 2010, Birch came out of retirement and returned to WWE at the ''SmackDown'' tapings on April 20, where he lost to
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin (born July 9, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under his real name.
He is also known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wres ...
in a dark match. On April 25 at
Extreme Rules, he reappeared on television as a masked member of
CM Punk's
The Straight Edge Society stable and interfered in Punk's match with
Rey Mysterio
Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest prof ...
, helping him pick up the win. Birch continued to interfere in Punk's matches during the following months, before being unmasked by
Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
on the July 23 episode of ''SmackDown''. This led to a handicap match at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
where Big Show defeated the entire Society.
In early September it was reported that Mercury had undergone surgery on a torn
pectoral muscle
Pectoral muscles (colloquially referred to as "pecs") are the muscles that connect the front of the human chest with the bones of the upper arm and shoulder. This region contains four muscles that provide movements to the upper limbs or ribs.
P ...
.
In order to rehabilitate his injury, he began training at
Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
, WWE's developmental territory. He later began working there as a trainer. Following this, he moved into a producer role for the main roster.
![Rollins and J&J Security](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Rollins_and_J%26J_Security.jpg)
On the September 29, 2014 episode of ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', Mercury and fellow producer
Jamie Noble
James Gibson (born December 23, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Jamie Noble. He is currently signed to WWE as a producer. In addition to his appearances with WWE, Noble is known for his appeara ...
aligned themselves with
The Authority. Dubbed "J&J Security", Mercury and Noble began acting as bodyguards to Authority member
Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
.
On the November 24 episode of ''Raw'', J&J Security wrestled the first televised matches for each man in several years, partnering with Rollins in a
three-on-two handicap match against
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
and
Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
, which they lost. On the March 16, 2015 episode of ''Raw'', both Mercury and Noble seemingly left The Authority due to Rollins not listening them. Later that night, it was revealed to be a ruse, with all The Authority members coming out to help Rollins take out
Randy Orton, but they were stopped by
Sting, who made a surprise appearance and helped Orton fight off The Authority. On the June 22 episode of ''Raw'', J&J Security reconciled with Rollins when the three of them and
Kane attacked
Brock Lesnar. On the July 6 episode of ''Raw'', Mercury was viciously beaten by Lesnar, who after destroying his and fellow J&J Security member Jamie Noble's prized Cadillac car, which had been gifted to them by Seth Rollins the week before, picked him up and tossed him onto the then unbroken windshield of it. On July 7, it was reported that Mercury suffered mild contusions as a result of the attack and both members of J&J Security would be out of action indefinitely.
Mercury appeared on the March 14, 2016 episode of ''Raw'' breaking up the brawl between
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
and
Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
. In January 2017, it was reported that Birch had been released from WWE.
Second return to the independent circuit (2017–present)
Birch, performing once again as Joey Matthews, announced his return as an active independent wrestler. Matthews won the
MCW Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup.
On September 30, 2017 he won the MCW Heavyweight Championship. In July 2018 he made four appearances on
House of Hardcore
House of Hardcore (HOH) is an American wrestling promotion founded by professional wrestler Tommy Dreamer. Its slogan is "No Politics, No BS, Just Wrestling." In its history, HOH has run events in twelve states and three countries.
History
O ...
's Australian tour. He would lose to the likes of
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) prom ...
,
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven (born July 18, 1963) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Al Snow. He is best known as a wrestler for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment. Sn ...
and
Swoggle on the shows.
He also appeared in Lucha Underground in August 2018 as Joey Wrestling, as part of former tag team partner Johnny Mundo's (previously Johnny Nitro) stable Worldwide Underground. The following week, he lost his only Lucha Underground match to Matanza Cueto, after which he was "sacrificed to the gods," killing off his character in the show. That is the last match he has competed in to date.
Return to ROH (2018–2019)
On May 19, 2018, he became one of the trainers at ROH's Baltimore Dojo a training school for the Ring of Honor promotion. Later on February 2, 2019 it was revealed that he would now be working as a producer, trainer and a member of the creative team for Ring of Honor going forward. In October 2019, he departed from Ring Of Honor as a producer.
Personal life
During an interview in late 2007, Birch revealed that he had been using drugs since he was 15 and had mixed cocaine, crack, and heroin with alcohol: "I've been a drug addict and
alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
since I was 15 years old, right before I started in wrestling – so that's the better part of 15 years."
As a result of this, Birch has overdosed three times and wrecked ten cars.
He entered rehab in 2006 and missed six months of work.
Due to the facial injury he suffered at
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
in December 2006, Birch then became addicted to painkillers.
After a direct intervention by
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
, Birch was released from the WWE and he credits this with helping him to address his addictions.
After his release,
CM Punk helped pay for his house, which was on the verge of foreclosure after losing his job.
Birch had a three-and-a-half year relationship with
Mickie James, and they lived together in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
before breaking up.
He also briefly dated
Christy Hemme
Christina Lee Hemme ( ; born October 28, 1980) is an American former professional wrestler, singer and model. She is best known for her time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now known as Impact Wrestling) as a ring announcer and one of the o ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
*Atlantic Terror Championship Wrestling
**ATCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with
Christian York
Jason Spence (born April 13, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. Ch ...
*American Wrestling Council
**AWC Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Dynamite Championship Wrestling
**DCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Christian York
*
Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance
The Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (IPWA, sometimes shortened to the Independent Pro Wrestling Alliance) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, ...
**
IPWA Light Heavyweight Championship
The IPWA Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling Cruiserweight (professional wrestling), light heavyweight Championship (professional wrestling)#Weight class championships, championship in Independent Professional Wrestling All ...
(
2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
)
*
MCW Pro Wrestling
**
MCW Cruiserweight Championship (
1 time)
**
MCW Heavyweight Championship
The MCW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the MCW Pro Wrestling (MCW) promotion. The title was created and debuted on October 11, 1998, at a MCW live event. In 2003, MCW ceased operations; at ...
(
4 times
"4 Times" (stylized as "4 TIMES") is the 50th single by pop/ R&B singer Koda Kumi. It was released on August 17, 2011 and debuted at No. 6, remaining on the Oricon charts for nine consecutive weeks. In commemoration of it being the fiftieth singl ...
)
**
MCW Rage Television Championship (
1 time)
**
MCW Tag Team Championship
The MCW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the MCW Pro Wrestling promotion. The title was created and debuted on August 18, 1998, at a MCW live event.
The inaugural champions were The Headbangers (Mo ...
(
2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with Christian York
**
Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup (2001, 2017)
*
Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation
The Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation was a Mid-Atlantic independent professional wrestling promotion based in Essex, Maryland. Founded by promoter Dennis Wippercht and wrestler Tim "Lucifer" Burke in 1991, the MEWF was one of the leading independ ...
**
MEWF Tag Team Championship
This is a chronological list of MEWF tag team champions. The MEWF Tag Team Championship is the oldest championship title in the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation having been established when the Lords of Darkness (Pain and Agony) defeated Cream T ...
(
1 time) – with Christian York
*National Championship Wrestling
**NCW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*
National Wrestling Alliance
**NWA Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**
NWA World Tag Team Championship
The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed member promotions to create their own territorial version of the "NWA World ...
(
1 time) – with Christian York
*New York Wrestling Connection
**NYWC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*
Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
**
OMEGA Light Heavyweight Championship (
2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
)
*
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
**
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship
The OVW Tag Team Championship formerly known as the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Created in 1997, the first champions were Nick Dinsmore and Flash Flanagan. There have been 177 reigns shared b ...
(
1 time) – with
Johnny Nitro
**
OVW Television Championship
The OVW Television Championship was the secondary championship of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), started on January 5, 2005. When the title was originally conceived, the champion defended against randomly selected opponents, with the winner receivin ...
(
1 time)
*
Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling
Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, or 3PW, was a hardcore professional wrestling promotion based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It ran many shows from the former ECW Arena. Following the close of Extreme Championship Wrestling, many former ECW veterans, su ...
**3PW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*''
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 ...
''
**
Tag Team of the Year (2005) - with Johnny Nitro
**PWI ranked him No. 74 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 2005
*
Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorj ...
**
SCW Junior Heavyweight Championship (
3 times)
*
Steel City Wrestling
Steel City Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1994 by Norm Connors. It was the top promotion in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area during the 1990s, along with the National Wrestling A ...
**
SCW Television Championship (1 time)
**
SCW Tag Team Championship
The SCW Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship in Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW). It remained active until November 20, 2004 when SCW was closed.
The inaugural champions were The Rat Pack ( Jimmy Cicero an ...
(1 time) – with Christian York
*Ultimate Championship Wrestling
**UCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Vanguard Championship Wrestling
**VCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Christian York
*
Virginia Championship Wrestling
**VCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Christian York
*
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
**
WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
(
3 times) – with Johnny Nitro
References
External links
*
*
Online World Of Wrestling profile*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercury, Joey
1979 births
Professional wrestling managers and valets
American male professional wrestlers
The Authority (professional wrestling) members
Living people
Masked wrestlers
Sportspeople from Fairfax, Virginia
Professional wrestlers from Virginia
Professional wrestling trainers