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Joseph Ryan Meehan (born November 7, 1979), is an American retired
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 or ...
and promoter. During his early years as a professional wrestler, he founded the Southern California promotion
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
(PWG) with five other wrestlers, where he held the PWG World and
PWG World Tag Team Championship The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & Ca ...
s. He later appeared on the
independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
, wrestling for promotions such as
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
,
Wrestling Society X Wrestling Society X (WSX) is a short-lived American professional wrestling promotion and professional wrestling-based television series created in 2006 by Big Vision Entertainment. The weekly television series formerly aired on MTV, MTV2, MTV Tr3 ...
,
Major League Wrestling Major League Wrestling (MLW), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...
and
DDT Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
(where he held the
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship The is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the Japanese promotion CyberFight in its DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand. Open to anyone, regardless of gender or DDT employment status, the championship is defended " 24/7", as i ...
43 times). Ryan also wrestled for the TV series
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
,
Impact 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 promot ...
and the
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
(NWA), becoming
NWA World Tag Team Champion 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 Worl ...
with
Karl Anderson Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980), better known by the ring name Karl Anderson, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE where he performs on the Raw brand. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), whe ...
in the latter. In
NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH) is an American professional wrestling promotion and television program that airs on KDOC-TV Los Angeles and carried in first-run syndication in the United States. The television series premiered on ...
, Ryan served as head booker, and he was the promoter of Bar Wrestling. He was known for using his penis as part of his moves, most notably, the YouPorn-Plex. During the
Speaking Out movement The Speaking Out movement is a social movement against emotional, physical and sexual abuse in the professional wrestling industry, where people publicize their allegations of misconduct committed by powerful and/or prominent individuals. Similar ...
in June 2020, Meehan was accused by several women of sexual misconduct and he was subsequently released from Impact Wrestling. He has denied the accusations and filed lawsuits against some of his accusers and Impact Wrestling.


Professional wrestling career


Training and early years (2000–2006)

Meehan is the youngest of three brothers and he remembers watching WrestleMania 2, when Jake Roberts used his snake. His favourite wrestlers were Hulk Hogan, Ricky Steamboat and the British Bulldogs. However, he didn't watch wrestling until the 1990s, because his school friends were fans. When WWF came to Anaheim, a man gave them tickets to an independent show. After watching the show, he decided to train. Meehan started his professional wrestling training in February 2000 with
Jesse Hernandez Jesse Lizarraga (born August 25, 1950), known by the ring name Jesse Hernandez, is an American professional wrestler, referee, trainer, and actor. He is the owner of the independent wrestling organization Empire Wrestling Federation, based in Sa ...
's
Empire Wrestling Federation The Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) is an independent wrestling promotion based in Covina, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez. The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, ''The School Of Hard Knocks''. The EWF is t ...
in San Bernardino, CA under Bobby Bradley. During this time, Ryan (billed as Joey Shadow) was part of a gothic stable, teaming with fellow trainees Sid Shadow and Stitches. He then went on to Rick Bassman's
Ultimate Pro Wrestling Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) was a California-based independent pro wrestling company owned and operated by Rick Bassman, that operated from 1999 to 2007. The company had working relationships with Pro Wrestling Zero1 and World Wrestling Entertai ...
in 2001 in Huntington Beach, CA and later El Segundo, CA where he trained under Tom Howard and
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE. Kendrick is also known for his appearances with Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), New Japan Pro-Wrestli ...
to whom he credits with most of his training. He returned to training in 2004 at the Inoki Dojo in Santa Monica, CA under
Bryan Danielson Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he worked fro ...
. During his early years, Ryan became a regular at many southern California promotions including EWF and UPW where he trained, as well as Revolution Pro Wrestling where he had his first matches against
Super Dragon Daniel Caine Lyon (born June 8, 1980), better known by his ring name Super Dragon, is an American professional wrestler. Beginning his career in 1997, he has worked for companies such as All Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of ...
and also competed against
Mike Quackenbush Michael Spillane (born March 18, 1976), is an American podcaster, author, professional wrestling trainer, professional wrestling promoter, and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Mike Quackenbush. He has hosted several p ...
and had his first inter-gender matches with
Sara Del Rey Sara Ann Amato (born November 13, 1980) is an American professional wrestling trainer and retired professional wrestler, best known by her ring name Sara Del Rey. She was a mainstay for Chikara and Shimmer, but also appeared for many other inde ...
. His first national exposure came when he was brought into Gary Yap's EPIC Pro Wrestling where he has matches against
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 ...
(XPW) alum The Messiah,
Frankie Kazarian Frank Benedict Gerdelman (born August 4, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and musician currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), performing under the ring name Frankie Kazarian. In addition, Kazarian also pe ...
and
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE. Kendrick is also known for his appearances with Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), New Japan Pro-Wrestli ...
on high profiled cards featuring names like Sabu,
New Jack Jerome Young (January 3, 1963 – May 14, 2021) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name New Jack. He was best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he became notorious for his willingnes ...
,
Vampiro Ian Richard Hodgkinson (born May 31, 1967), better known by his ring name Vampiro, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler who most recently served as director of talent for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He also worked for Lucha Unde ...
,
Christopher Daniels Daniel Christopher Covell (born March 24, 1970), better known by the ring name Christopher Daniels, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is the Head of Talent Relations. He is best kno ...
,
Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AEW ...
and Bryan Danielson. After training at the Inoki Dojo, Ryan received his first television exposure from NJPW-USA Toukon Fighting Spirit. Although mostly used as an enhancement talent, he was able to get exposure by competing in matches against Bryan Danielson with
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...
on commentary. On May 19, 2006, he competed in The Best of American Super Juniors Tournament, however losing to
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 to ...
in the first round.


Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2003–2015)

Joey Ryan is one of the six founders of SoCal promotion
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
, collectively known as the "PWG Six". PWG was formed when the founders grew tired of arguing with promoters, feeling they knew more about the inner workings of professional wrestling and could therefore promote and book shows more effectively. Meehan said that they went in with low expectations, never exceeding more than one show but if enough money was attained, the production of a second show would be the goal. He began in PWG as part of the X-Foundation with Funky Billy Kim and "The Professional" Scott Lost. They teamed together at PWG's first show, losing to the team of
Adam Pearce Adam John Pearce (born June 24, 1978) is an American professional wrestling executive and former professional wrestler. He is currently employed by WWE as Director of Live Events, producer, trainer, coach, and on-screen authority figure. He is ...
, Hardcore Kidd, and Al Katrazz. Ryan then took part in the Bad Ass Mother 3000 tournament to determine the first PWG Champion. Ryan made it to the finals, but lost to
Frankie Kazarian Frank Benedict Gerdelman (born August 4, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and musician currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), performing under the ring name Frankie Kazarian. In addition, Kazarian also pe ...
. Ryan then teamed with Scott Lost in the Tango & Cash Invitational tournament for the
PWG Tag Team Championship The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & C ...
. They made it to the semi-finals, but lost to
Super Dragon Daniel Caine Lyon (born June 8, 1980), better known by his ring name Super Dragon, is an American professional wrestler. Beginning his career in 1997, he has worked for companies such as All Pro Wrestling, Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of ...
and American Dragon. Ryan and Lost won the titles at the next show by defeating inaugural champions
Homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
and
B-Boy Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in ...
, but lost them in their first defense against Quicksilver and
Chris Bosh Christopher Wesson Bosh (born March 24, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. A Texas Mr. Basketball in high school, he played one season of college basketball for Georgia Tech before declaring for the 2003 NBA draft. Bos ...
. Ryan continued teaming with the X-Foundation, and regained the tag team titles with Scott Lost on June 19, 2004, at ''Rocktoberfest''. Problems began within the X-Foundation, leading to a ladder match between Joey Ryan and Scott Lost for the titles. Scott Lost won the match and chose Chris Bosh as his new partner. At ''Use Your Illusion 4'', Ryan lost a 60 Minute Iron Man match to Super Dragon. After a brief absence, Ryan began teaming with Scott Lost and Chris Bosh, leading to uncertainty over his actions. He would then set out to prove that he is the best technical wrestler. He challenged and defeated wrestlers known for their great technical skills, such as
Alex Shelley Patrick Kenneth Martin (born May 23, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and physical therapy clinician, better known by the ring name, Alex Shelley, makes appearances with Impact Wrestling (formerly known as Total Nonstop Action Wrestl ...
,
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
,
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 ...
, and
Chris Hero Chris Spradlin (born December 24, 1979), better known by his ring name Chris Hero, is an American professional wrestler and trainer. He is currently signed to Ring of Honor as a producer. Hero has worked for a number of independent wrestling pr ...
. Though he won the matches, Ryan had to cheat and use help from Lost or Bosh to win, since he would usually be outwrestled each match. On December 3, 2005, at ''Chanukah Chaos (The C's Are Silent)'', Joey Ryan beat
Kevin Steen Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens. Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in la ...
for the PWG Championship after Super Dragon, who was feuding with the Champion, gave Steen two Psycho Drivers. He made his first defense at CZW's ''Cage of Death 7'' against
El Generico Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline. Prior to joi ...
. Ryan began defeating a number of wrestlers using some under handed tactic or a sheer stroke of luck on his behalf. It was around this time that Ryan changed his appearance to resemble
Tom Selleck Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations f ...
from
Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...
, which included a big moustache. He even changed his finisher name from the Duff Drop to the Moustache Ride. Some of the wrestlers he has defeated include
Chris Kanyon Christopher Morgan Klucsarits (January 4, 1970 – April 2, 2010) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1994 to 200 ...
,
Human Tornado Craig Williams (born May 1, 1983), better known by his ring name, Human Tornado, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. His character was that of a 1970s blaxploitation street pimp. He performed primarily on the California independen ...
, Chris Bosh,
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 ...
, Emil Sitoci,
Jonny Storm Jonathan Whitcombe (born 19 April 1977) is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jonny Storm. He has worked for many independent promotions across the United Kingdom, including the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, Real Q ...
, Kevin Steen, Chris Sabin, Super Dragon,
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, Pro W ...
, Frankie Kazarian,
Davey Richards Wesley David Richards (born March 1, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW), under the ring name Davey Richards, and is the current MLW National Openweight Champion in his first reign. ...
, and B-Boy. Ryan became at the time the longest reigning champion, and made the title a World title in the process by defending it in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. He went on to form a stable known as The Dynasty, consisting of himself,
Scorpio Sky Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Andrews is also known for his appearances with Ring of ...
, Scott Lost, and Chris Bosh. The four screwed the then PWG World Tag Team Champs Super Dragon and Davey Richards, ending their dominant reign as tag champs. Ryan would proceed to give Super Dragon a Mustache Ride through two tables, putting him on the shelf. After holding the PWG title for a little over a year, winning usually due to cheating and interference, Ryan lost the title to Human Tornado in a Guerrilla Warfare match on January 13, 2007, at ''Based on a True Story''. On January 27, 2008, Ryan and Scott Lost were awarded the PWG World Tag Team Championship after the titles were stripped off Super Dragon and Davey Richards. They eventually lost the belts to
El Generico Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline. Prior to joi ...
and
Kevin Steen Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens. Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in la ...
on March 21 at ''1.21 Gigawatts''. During the summer of 2009, Ryan attempted to stop Chris Hero's reign as the PWG World Champion in order to retain his record as the longest reigning PWG World Champion in history, but after he failed to regain the title in two separate title matches, Hero broke Ryan's record on August 17, 2009. Shortly afterwards Ryan turned
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
and on September 5, entered the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles, defeating Chuck Taylor in his first round match. The following night Ryan defeated
Austin Aries Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his time with Impact Wrest ...
and Claudio Castagnoli to advance to the finals, where he defeated Chris Hero to win the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles. After his win, Ryan dubbed himself "The Hollywood Submission Machine" and adopted a new submission finishing maneuver, the ''End Scene''. When Davey Richards was after the tournament stripped of the PWG World Championship, Ryan and the three other Battle of Los Angeles semi-finalists,
Brandon Gatson Brandon Gatson (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional wrestler. He has worked for several independent promotions throughout the southwest United States and has appeared on several episodes of WWE and NWA television as both enhancement ta ...
, Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli, were placed in a four-way match to determine a new champion. On October 9, 2010, at ''The Curse of Guerrilla Island'', Ryan failed in his attempt to regain the PWG World Championship, when he was defeated by Claudio Castagnoli. Ryan received a one–on–one shot at the PWG World Championship on April 9, 2011, but was again defeated by Castagnoli. Afterwards, Ryan began regularly teaming with the returning Scorpio Sky and on August 20, the two defeated the RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime and Johnny Yuma) to become the number one contenders to the PWG World Tag Team Championship. On September 10, Ryan and Sky failed to capture the PWG World Tag Team Championship from
The Young Bucks The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team and promoters, consisting of brothers Matthew and Nicholas Massie, who are known by their ring names Matt and Nick Jackson, respectively. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW ...
(Matt and Nick Jackson). After signing a contract with
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 promot ...
(TNA), Ryan wrestled his PWG farewell match on December 1, 2012, where he was defeated by Scorpio Sky. Following his release from TNA, Ryan returned to PWG at the promotion's tenth anniversary event on August 9, 2013, teaming with
Peter Avalon Peter Hernandez (born June 14, 1989), better known by the ring name "Pretty" Peter Avalon, is a Cuban-American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his appearances in Championship Wrestling from Hollywo ...
and Ryan Taylor in a six-person opener, where they were defeated by B-Boy,
Candice LeRae Candice LeRae Gargano (''née'' Dawson; born September 29, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand. She is a former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion and was a member of The Way. LeRa ...
and
Willie Mack Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack, currently appearing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide. He is best known for his tenure with Impact Wrestling, where he is a ...
. On August 30, Ryan entered the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles, but was eliminated from the tournament in his first round match by
Drake Younger Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
. The following day, Ryan formed the Best Friends stable with Chuck Taylor and Trent? as the three defeated B-Boy,
Tommaso Ciampa Tommaso Whitney (born May 8, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Tommaso Ciampa. Whitney began his career in 2005, working on several independent pro ...
and Willie Mack in a six-man tag team match. Ryan also formed a partnership with Candice LeRae, which led to the two unsuccessfully challenging The Young Bucks for the PWG World Tag Team Championship on October 19. On July 27, 2014, Ryan and LeRae defeated The Young Bucks in a Guerrilla Warfare match to become the new PWG World Tag Team Champions. They lost the title to Monster Mafia (
Ethan Page Julian Micevski (born September 20, 1989), better known by his ring name Ethan Page, is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Firm. Page is best known for his work in Impact ...
and
Josh Alexander Joshua Lemay (born May 29, 1987) is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he performs under the ring name Josh Alexander. He is a two-time Impact World Champion, with his second reign being the longest reig ...
) on May 22, 2015, in the opening round of the 2015 DDT4.


WWE appearances (2005, 2011, 2013)

Ryan has appeared in several matches as enhancement talent for the
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 vario ...
(WWE), competing against Rosey,
Sylvan Sylvan or Sylvans (from the Latin ''silva'': "forest, woods") may refer to: Places United States * Sylvan, Illinois, a former settlement * Sylvan, Wisconsin, a town ** Sylvan (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated area in the town * Sylvan ...
,
The Gymini The Shane Twins (born December 21, 1967) are a professional wrestling tag team that consist of twin brothers Mike and Todd Shane. They were best known for their appearances in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Gymini. History Independe ...
,
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 ...
, John Morrison,
Super Crazy Francisco Islas Rueda (born December 3, 1973), better known by his ring name Super Crazy, is a Mexican ''luchador'' (or professional wrestler). In Mexico, Islas has worked for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) and made appearances f ...
and two times against
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 August 14, 2011, Ryan made an appearance 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 ...
, portraying a fan during a match between
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 ...
and
Sheamus Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sheamus. Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on the European indep ...
. Two days later, Ryan wrestled 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 ...
at the ''SmackDown'' tapings in
Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...
, losing to Bo Rotunda.


Wrestling Society X (2006–2007)

Wrestling Society X Wrestling Society X (WSX) is a short-lived American professional wrestling promotion and professional wrestling-based television series created in 2006 by Big Vision Entertainment. The weekly television series formerly aired on MTV, MTV2, MTV Tr3 ...
(WSX) was a short-lived
professional wrestling 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 ...
-based television series produced in 2006 by Big Vision Entertainment. The weekly television series formerly aired on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
,
MTV2 MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. The channel launched initially as an all-music video service, once the original MTV had started to sh ...
, MTV Tr3s, and over a dozen other MTV outlets throughout the world. WSXtra, an extra program featuring WSX matches and interviews not broadcast on television, was available on the promotion's MTV website and
Video on Demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
. Ryan was featured in a team with
Disco Machine Michael Mondragon is an American former professional wrestler best known under the ring name Disco Machine. He was one of the six founders of the Southern Californian independent promotion, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Professional wrestling career D ...
and together they formed That 70's Team. The duo instantly became cult favorites of the fans of the show. Ryan is most noted for his applying of
baby oil Baby oil is, in general terms, an inert oil for the purpose of keeping skin soft and supple. It is often used on babies for the purpose of maintaining "baby-soft" skin, but it is also often used by adults for skincare and massage. The skin of an ...
, use of his inhaler and getting his wrestling trunks pulled down revealing his thong underwear all while in the ring during the show. The team is featured on episode 2 against Team Dragon Gate (
Masato Yoshino is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, best known for working in Dragon Gate, where he was known as ''Speed Star''. Dragon Gate's second Grand Slam champion, having been a record six-time Open the Brave Gate Champion, four-time Open the ...
and
Genki Horiguchi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . He is currently a full-time wrestler for Dragon Gate. He has also competed in Wrestling Society X and Ring of Honor. When Horiguchi's hairline began receding, the fans began t ...
), on episode 3 against D.I.F.H. (
Jimmy Jacobs Christopher Scoville (born February 17, 1984) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He was recently signed to Impact Wrestling as a member of the creative team and producer. He is best known for his 1 ...
and
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 ...
), on episode 4 against Ruckus and
Babi Slymm Tony Drake is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the short-lived Wrestling Society X. He currently competes on the independent circuit using the ring name Babi Slymm. Professional wrestling career A defensive ...
, on episode 6 against D.I.F.H. (
Jimmy Jacobs Christopher Scoville (born February 17, 1984) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He was recently signed to Impact Wrestling as a member of the creative team and producer. He is best known for his 1 ...
and
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 ...
), on episode 8 against Trailer Park Boys (Nate Webb and
Josh Raymond Joshua Raymond (born April 13, 1984), better known by his ring name Josh Abercrombie, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, Ring of ...
) and Quicksilver &
Matt Classic Scott Colton (born May 6, 1980), better known by the ring name Colt Cabana, is an American professional wrestler, color commentator, and podcaster. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and as a coach, and he performs the same d ...
and on episode 9 against D.I.F.H. (
Jimmy Jacobs Christopher Scoville (born February 17, 1984) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He was recently signed to Impact Wrestling as a member of the creative team and producer. He is best known for his 1 ...
and
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 ...
).


National Wrestling Alliance (2006–2012)

In 2006, Ryan began regularly working for David Marquez's NWA brand, teaming with
Karl Anderson Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980), better known by the ring name Karl Anderson, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE where he performs on the Raw brand. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), whe ...
to form The Real American Heroes. Ryan and Anderson entered into the Copa de Lucha tournament for the NWA in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
representing
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and reaching the finals before losing to the
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
team of
Los Luchas Los Luchas is a Mexican professional wrestling tag team that consists of Phoenix Star and Zokre. They are best known for their reign as NWA World Tag Team Champions and their tenure in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (between 2003 and 2009). History Ori ...
which began a feud between the two teams that lasted nearly two years. The return match in Las Vegas at the Fiesta Lucha event was a Flag Match that saw Ryan and Anderson align themselves with
Adam Pearce Adam John Pearce (born June 24, 1978) is an American professional wrestling executive and former professional wrestler. He is currently employed by WWE as Director of Live Events, producer, trainer, coach, and on-screen authority figure. He is ...
and his manager C. Edward Vander Pyle. The Real American Heroes and Los Luchas faced off in Cage Matches,
First Blood 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 ...
es and more at events in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
,
Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...
,
Kissimmee, Florida Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...
and throughout Texas and California. At times, The Real American Heroes incited near riots from the crowds, most notably in Las Vegas, NV and in Houston, TX. On July 7, 2007, Ryan and Anderson defeated the teams of
Billy Kidman Peter Alan Gruner Jr. (born May 11, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Billy Kidman. He is currently employed by WWE as a producer. As a wrestler, Kidman is best known for his work with World Champi ...
and
Sean Waltman Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his appearances for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the ring names 1–2–3 ...
and
Sicodelico Jr. Aaron Rodríguez (born June 13, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Sicodelico Jr. Rodríguez is the son of Sicodelico and the nephew of Mil Máscaras and Dos Caras, and the cousin of Alberto Del Rio (Dos Car ...
and Incognito to become the first post- TNA-era NWA World Tag Team Champions. After several attempts, Los Luchas captured the titles away from Ryan and Anderson on February 10, 2008, in Las Vegas. Soon after losing the titles, Anderson began working full-time for
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling 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 Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
and Ryan went on as a singles competitor in the NWA. He has had multiple shots at the
NWA World Heavyweight Championship The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. The current champion is Tyrus, who is in ...
facing off against the likes of
Blue Demon Jr. Blue Demon Jr. (born July 19, 1966) is a Mexican professional wrestler. He is the adopted son of the original Blue Demon and is the first Mexican and the second masked wrestler to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship thus making him a one- ...
, Adam Pearce and
Colt Cabana Scott Colton (born May 6, 1980), better known by the ring name Colt Cabana, is an American professional wrestler, color commentator, and podcaster. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and as a coach, and he performs the same d ...
only to fall short each time. In 2010, he was a part of the launch of
NWA Championship Wrestling from Hollywood Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH) is an American professional wrestling promotion and television program that airs on KDOC-TV Los Angeles and carried in first-run syndication in the United States. The television series premiered on ...
and heavily featured with standout matches against
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 ...
and
Scorpio Sky Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Andrews is also known for his appearances with Ring of ...
. In early 2011, he took over booking for the TV show which lasted until August when he had a falling out and left the company. He returned to the company in late 2011. In 2012, Ryan seemingly rejoined the tag team ranks in the NWA by forming an alliance with Johnny Goodtime.


Independent circuit (2008–2020)

Joey Ryan is a well traveled veteran of the independent scene and along with those mentioned above, he has also made multiple appearances for such promotions as Revolution Pro Wrestling (Rev Pro),
All Pro Wrestling All Pro Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion and training school, based in Hayward, California. The company was founded by Roland Alexander and managed by him until his death on November 5, 2013. It is located 45 miles so ...
(APW),
Combat Zone Wrestling Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1998, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain, along with trainer Jon Dahmer, began to run professional wrestling sh ...
(CZW),
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 1996 ...
(IWA-MS), Chikara, Anarchy Championship Wrestling (ACW),
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 ...
(XPW),
Full Impact Pro Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the President while Trevin Adams is the ...
(FIP), Mach One Wrestling (M1W), International Wrestling Cartel (IWC),
Juggalo Championship Wrestling Juggalo Championship Wrestling (formerly Juggalo Championshit Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler), better known as the hip-hop duo In ...
(JCW), Pro Wrestling Bushido and more. In 2008, Joey Ryan became an instructor at Rick Bassman's Ultimate University, the wrestling school for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW). Ryan was brought in as an assistant trainer on the CMT television series
Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling ''Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling'' was an American reality television program, which ran for eight episodes on CMT in 2008. The first episode aired on October 18. In Australia, it premiered in July 2009 on the FOX8 channel. It w ...
. In 2009, he became a trainer at Mach One Wrestling's Wrestling 101. Ryan has also become a staple at Lucha Va Voom, a hybrid variety show of wrestling, burlesque dancing and comedy based out of Los Angeles. In addition to their regular Los Angeles shows, he has toured the country with the company including Chicago, New York, Boston, Baltimore, Seattle among other stops. Ryan plays a variation of his "Magnum" character but uses Rupert Holmes' "
Escape (The Piña Colada Song) "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" is a song written and recorded by British-born American singer Rupert Holmes for his album '' Partners in Crime''. As the lead single for the album, the pop song was recommended by ''Billboard'' for radio broadc ...
" as his entrance music and smokes cigarettes during matches and applies baby oil to his body before he competes. In 2011, Ryan was featured as a trainer on
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
Season 4, Episode 2. In October 2011, Meehan took part in the first season tapings of
Wrestling Retribution Project Wrestling Retribution Project was a planned professional wrestling television program developed by Jeff Katz. Founded in 2011, the Professional wrestling promotion, promotion was based on a 13-week Serial (radio and television), serial schedule. ...
(WRP), where he performed as Chase Walker, with actress Trish LaFache as his valet. Meehan traveled to India in late 2011 and early 2012 to take part in
Ring Ka King Ring Ka King (English: King of the Ring) was an Indian professional wrestling brand of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, now known as Impact Wrestling). Filming for the promotion's television product began in December 2011 with the backing o ...
, which was created by
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father J ...
and backed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where Dave Lagana (both worked in CWFH and ROH) worked. In the promotion he performed as Joey Hollywood, often teaming with Tony Broadway. On July 28, 2012, Ryan participated in a Vendetta Pro Wrestling event in
Lompoc, California Lompoc ( ; Chumash: ''Lum Poc'') is a city in Santa Barbara County, California. Located on the Central Coast, Lompoc has a population of 43,834 as of July 2021. Lompoc has been inhabited for thousands of years by the Chumash people, who called ...
, participating in the main event for the vacant Vendetta Pro Heavyweight title, losing to Chavo Guerrero Jr. On December 7, 2012, he lost the EWF Heavyweight Championship to Brandon Gaston. On July 21, 2013, Ryan returned to
Championship Wrestling from Hollywood Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH) is an American professional wrestling promotion and television program that airs on KDOC-TV Los Angeles and carried in first-run syndication in the United States. The television series premiered on ...
(now, outside NWA) as the
CWFH International Television Championship The United Wrestling Network (UWN) Television Championship is a title controlled by, and defended in Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, sanctioned by the governing body United Wrestling Network. On July 10, 2011, Scorpio Sky pinned So Cal Cr ...
(also MAV Television Championship). On November 3, 2013, Ryan defeated Drake Younger to retain the title. Ryan lost the title against Ryan Taylor on May 11, 2014. However, he regained the title at Red Carpet Rumble on June 15, 2014. on June 14, 2014, at House of Hardcore 6, Ryan defeated Tommasco Ciampa. On June 21, 2015, Ryan traveled to Australia, where he competed in an 8-man tournament for the Queensland Wrestling Alliance to crown the QWA Global Champion, which Ryan won.http://www.pro-wrestling.com/news/viewNews/australasia-australasian-results-from-last-weekend_2 On September 19, 2015, Ryan made his Japanese debut for the
DDT Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
promotion, defeating Tomomitsu Matsunaga. During his tour of DDT, Ryan took part in a comedy spot, where he used his
penis A penis (plural ''penises'' or ''penes'' () is the primary sexual organ that male animals use to inseminate females (or hermaphrodites) during copulation. Such organs occur in many animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, but males do n ...
to overpower
Danshoku Dino , better known by his ring name , also written Danshoku Dieno, is a Japanese professional wrestler. Dino has spent most of his career competing for DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where he plays an overly exaggerated homosexual character. His ring nam ...
. Video of the spot went viral and led to Ryan being featured on the ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'', ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' and ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
'', while also getting him a sponsorship deal with YouPorn Sports. Ryan returned to DDT in May 2016, winning the comedic
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship The is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the Japanese promotion CyberFight in its DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand. Open to anyone, regardless of gender or DDT employment status, the championship is defended " 24/7", as i ...
, which he then took on an extended tour of the United States, losing and winning it multiple times over the following months. When Ryan returned to Japan in August 2016, he was a 22-time Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion. He has since won the title multiple times, including once on March 20, 2017, at Judgement 2017: DDT 20th Anniversary. In March 2017, Ryan brought the title back to the United States for a tour. Ryan founded his own promotion, Bar Wrestling, in 2017. On April 5, 2019, Ryan hosted a
WrestleCon WrestleCon is a professional wrestling fan convention held annually each Spring since 2013 by Highspots, a digital professional wrestling retailer. The event features guest appearances, question-and-answer sessions, and live matches. Traditional ...
-branded show called ''Joey Ryan's Penis Party''. On November 10, 2019, Ryan won the vacant Kansas Wrestling Revolution Championship by defeating King Money in the main event of ''"Wrestleversary"'' The promotion's one year anniversary show. During the match Ryan flipped 7 people (One Percent members, King Money, Merrick McMichaels, Havoc, The Outlaw, Prince Mahalli, Colt Killbane, and Trixie) using his signature move "The Dick Flip".


Ring of Honor (2009–2010)

In April 2009, Ryan appeared in several ROH Video Wires, promoting his debut. Ryan made his official debut as a part of The Embassy on May 9, teaming with
Jimmy Rave James Michael Guffey (December 8, 1982 – December 12, 2021), better known by the ring name Jimmy Rave, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Ear ...
and
Claudio Castagnoli Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club stable. Castagnoli also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Ho ...
to defeat
Brent Albright Brent Albright (born November 28, 1978) is an American retired professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment, during which he appeared on ''SmackDown!'' as Gunner Scott. Aside from WWE, Albright is a o ...
,
Colt Cabana Scott Colton (born May 6, 1980), better known by the ring name Colt Cabana, is an American professional wrestler, color commentator, and podcaster. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and as a coach, and he performs the same d ...
and
Erick Stevens Eric Koenreich (born March 12, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is known by his ring name Erick Stevens and for his time in Ring of Honor. Career NWA Florida (2003–2004) Stevens debuted in May 2003 after completing his training ...
. He made his first appearance on ''
Ring of Honor Wrestling ''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', often shortened as ''ROH Wrestling TV'' or ''ROH TV'', is an American professional wrestling television series produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). The series featured professional wrestlers competing in matches and condu ...
'' television on September 18, losing to Cabana. Ryan would then go on to defeat
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 to ...
in his second match on ROH on HDNet, with help from
Prince Nana Nana Osei Bandoh is an American professional wrestler and manager of Ghanaian extraction, better known by his ring name, Prince Nana. He has stated that he is an Ashanti prince. Early life Although Nana was born in the United States, he clai ...
. He would go on to
feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
with Colt Cabana and on several occasions join fellow Embassy member Claudio Castagnoli battling against his rival Brent Albright. Ryan would eventually begin a rivalry with
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, Pro W ...
including a
No Disqualification 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 ...
on November 6, 2009. During his feud with Necro Butcher, Erick Stevens would turn
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...
and join The Embassy and Ryan and Stevens would be frequently featured as a team in tag team matches. The Ryan and Stevens duo faced teams such as
Briscoe Brothers The Briscoe Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Jay Briscoe (Jamin "Jay" Pugh) and Mark Briscoe (Mark Pugh). They are known for their 19-year tenure with the American promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). and ...
and
Player Uno Player may refer to: Role or adjective * Player (game), a participant in a game or sport ** Gamer, a player in video and tabletop games ** Athlete, a player in sports ** Player character, a character in a video game or role playing game who is ...
and
Player Dos Marc Dionne (born January 25, 1989), better known by the ring name Stu Grayson, is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he was a member of the Dark Order stable. Formerly known as St ...
but their most prolific matches came against the team of Necro Butcher and
Eddie Kingston Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by his ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Kingston started his wrestling career in 2002, and has wrestled for numerous ...
including a Street Fight at the 8th anniversary show on February 13, 2010.


Impact Wrestling (2012–2013, 2019–2020)

After Ring Ka King, his friend Dave Lagana presented him to
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
Bruce Prichard Bruce Prichard (born March 7, 1963) is an American professional wrestling executive, booker, and producer and a former manager, commentator, and occasional professional wrestler. In addition to his corporate roles with WWE, Prichard has also a ...
, who decided to use him in Gut Check. On May 24, 2012, Ryan made an appearance on
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 promot ...
's (TNA) ''
Impact 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 promot ...
'' television program, losing to Austin Aries in a Gut Check Challenge. The following week, the Gut Check judges decided not to sign Ryan to a TNA contract based on his performance. Before the match, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff told him that they like him and he want to use him in the future. He was a heel in the promo and insulted Taz, who was upset due to his attitude. Ryan returned to TNA on the June 28 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', interrupting
Taeler Hendrix Taeler Conrad-Mellen is an American professional wrestler and valet, better known by the ring name Taeler Hendrix. She is best known for her work in Ring of Honor (ROH). Starting her career in 2007, she spent her first years working on the indep ...
's Gut Check evaluation, before being escorted out of the arena. On the July 3 edition of Vendetta Pro Wrestling's "Vendetta Pro Radio", Ryan was a guest host, when he was confronted live on air by TNA Gut Check judge
Taz Taz or TAZ may refer to: Geography *Taz (river), a river in western Siberia, Russia *Taz Estuary, the estuary of the river Taz in Russia People * Taz people, an ethnic group in Russia ** Taz language, a form of Northeastern Mandarin spoken by ...
. Ryan made his next appearance on July 26, punching Gut Check judge
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 ...
during another Gut Check Challenge match. Ryan again appeared on the August 30 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', confronting Snow with a megaphone and throwing a drink in his face, before being chased out of the building. Ryan and Snow had another confrontation the following week, which ended with Snow slapping Ryan. On the October 4 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Ryan met Snow in the ring and received an apology for the slap, before signing what he thought was a TNA contract. Snow then revealed that Ryan had actually signed a contract for a match between the two at Bound for Glory. On October 14 at Bound for Glory, Ryan defeated Snow, following interference from
Matt Morgan Matthew Thomas Morgan (born September 10, 1976) is an American politician, actor and retired professional wrestler. He is a current City Commissioner in Longwood, Florida. He is known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is ...
, to earn a TNA contract. On the October 25 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Ryan and Morgan entered the ring, after
Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
had successfully defended the
TNA X Division Championship The Impact X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It debuted on June 19, 2002, at the taping of then-TNA's second weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The current champion is Trey M ...
against
Zema Ion Michael Paris (born October 5, 1986) is a American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Smackdown brand, under the ring name Joaquin Wilde. He is a member of Legado Del Fantasma. Paris began his career in 2004, ...
, with Morgan hitting him with the ''
Carbon Footprint A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...
'', after which Ryan posed with his title belt. The following week, Ryan defeated Van Dam in a non-title match with help from Morgan. On November 11 at
Turning Point A turning point, or climax, is the point of highest tension in a narrative work. Turning Point or Turning Points may refer to: Film * ''The Turning Point'', a 1914 silent film starring Caroline Cooke * ''The Turning Point'' (1920 film), an Ame ...
, Ryan unsuccessfully challenged Van Dam for the X Division Championship. On December 9 at
Final Resolution Final Resolution is a professional wrestling Impact Plus event held by Impact Wrestling in December. Initially introduced as a pay-per-view by TNA in 2005, the event originally took place in January until 2008, when TNA moved the event to Decem ...
, Ryan and Morgan unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Hernandez for the
TNA World Tag Team Championship TNA may refer to: Organisations * Tamil National Alliance, a political coalition in Sri Lanka * The National Alliance, a political party in Kenya * The National Archives (United Kingdom), a UK public body * Tonga Nurses' Association, a trade union ...
, after losing to them via disqualification. Ryan and Morgan challenged Guerrero and Hernandez again on January 13, 2013, at
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
, but were again unsuccessful in winning their titles. After not being seen for several weeks, Ryan returned on March 10 at
Lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...
, losing to Joseph Park in a singles match. On July 3, 2013, Ryan was released from his contract, along with several other TNA talents including
Crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, ''Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colo ...
,
Madison Rayne Ashley Nichole Lomberger (née Simmons; born February 5, 1986) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling under the ring name Madison Rayne, where she is also the coach of the women's division. She is best known ...
and
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. C ...
. On October 21, 2019, Ryan re-signed with the company after appearing in the Bound for Gold gauntlet match at Bound for Glory. During the following months, he started a stable with Rob Van Dam and Keira Forbes called Cancel Culture, changing his ring name to Joseph P Ryan. On June 22, 2020, it was announced that Ryan's contract with Impact was terminated following sexual assault allegations against him.


Lucha Underground (2015–2019)

On December 14, 2015, it was announced that Ryan signed with
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists Media Group. Partly owned by Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured c ...
and would appear on the show's second season. His character was introduced as an undercover Los Angeles police officer, and the new partner of fellow undercover officer Cortez Castro (although their cover will be that they are enemies). He lost his debut match on the February 17, 2016 episode of ''Lucha Underground'' against
Cage A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayin ...
. On the May 25 episode of ''Lucha Underground'', Ryan defeated
Mascarita Sagrada :''At least three wrestlers have wrestled under the name "Mascarita Sagrada". This article is about the original.'' Mascarita Sagrada (Spanish for Little Sacred Mask, real name not known, born January 11, 1965) is a Mexican Mini-Estrella, Mini Luc ...
. During the third season, Ryan allied himself with Dario Cuerto, revealing Castro is a cop. They started a feud, ending in a Police match with an Aztec Medallion on the line. During season 4, Ryan turned face and worked with Ivelisse and Sonny Kiss. He was released on March 26, 2019.


Comeback attempt (2021)

In March 2021, a poster for an event called Wrestling 4 Women Charity circulated online featuring Ryan and several other wrestlers. It was subsequently revealed that Ryan's Bar Wrestling was involved with promoting the event.
All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE. AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, w ...
(AEW) promoter
Tony Khan Antony Rafiq Khan (born October 10, 1982) is an American businessman, promoter, and sports executive. He is known for his involvement in American football, professional wrestling and soccer. He is best known as the founder and co-owner of All E ...
stated that he would not allow AEW talent to appear if Ryan was involved. A
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account for the event stated that
FITE TV Fite (stylized as FITE by Triller) is an American digital video streaming service launched on May 20, 2012, that is dedicated to combat sports-related programming (including boxing, mixed martial arts, and professional wrestling). The network dist ...
would be airing the show, however the organization said on Twitter that they were not carrying the event. It subsequently issued an apology, cancelled the event and deleted the account. Ryan denied that he was "trying to come back to wrestling" and said he had been asked to "wrestle a good friend as a way to go out and gain some closure".


Professional wrestling style and persona

Ryan's wrestling persona was described by the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' as a "macho, mustachioed playboy who wore Speedos and sunglasses." Ryan uses the "
YouPorn YouPorn is a free pornographic video sharing website and one of the 100 most accessed websites in the world. Since launching in August 2006, it grew to become one of the most popular pornographic website on the internet, and, in November 2007 ...
Plex" as a signature move, a Suplex#Crotch clutch suplex, crotch flip with theatrics. The move, also known as the penis flip, sees the opponent grab Ryan's crotch before Ryan supposedly uses his penis to flip them over. Ryan stated on episodes 251 of the Dude Soup podcast that his persona's look is inspired by 1980s characters such as Magnum P.I.


Personal life

In February 2016, Meehan got engaged to his girlfriend, fellow wrestler Laura James (wrestler), Laura James, after proposing to her during their Intergender wrestling, intergender match at Finest City Wrestling in San Diego. The couple married in November 2016. Meehan and James separated in October 2018, before filing for divorce in June 2019. Meehan worked at Disneyland for three months in a "probationary status" before he was dismissed in June 2022.


Class action lawsuit against Lucha Underground

On February 6, 2019, it was reported that Joey Ryan, Ivelisse Vélez, Thunder Rosa and El Hijo del Fantasma (King Cuerno) had collectively filed a class-action lawsuit in California against the El Rey Network and the Baba-G production company behind Lucha Underground. The group claimed that their Lucha Underground contracts were not legal under California law, unfairly restricting their ability to work in their chosen profession. On March 28, 2019, it was reported that the lawsuit was settled with the plaintiffs released from Lucha Underground.


Allegations of sexual misconduct

In June 2020, at least 17 women accused Meehan of sexual assault and harassment. After initial accusations surfaced, Meehan posted a lengthy message on his Twitter account, apologizing for invading people’s personal space. After that message was posted, a number of women posted on Twitter allegations of misconduct. Wrestlers Joey Janela and Ryan Nemeth (former roommate of Meehan), who previously worked for Meehan at Bar Wrestling, have spoken against Meehan. Bar Wrestling's venue, Bootleg Theater, ended their relationship with the company due to the allegations. Several people told the ''SoCalUncensored.com, SoCal Uncensored'' website the promotion has ceased operations. On June 23, 2020, Impact Wrestling announced they terminated his contract as a result of the allegations. He was also edited out of every episode of ''Being the Elite'' in which he appeared. Meehan addressed the allegations in an hour-long video posted on July 18, 2020. He has denied nearly every accusation against him, showing messages between himself and the women which he says shows evidence to dispute the claims made. On September 24, Meehan filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against three of his accusers for defamation, in which he has stated he has lost upwards of $20,000 a month. The lawsuit includes loss of followers on social media, loss of revenue from various projects, merchandise, wrestling, and various other revenue streams; and multi-million dollar monetary relief. The lawsuit also states that Meehan wants defamatory statements retracted and or deleted. He filed another lawsuit in October, suing Impact Wrestling for $10 million for allegedly breaching his contract for firing him after the allegations were made against him. Meehan won a default judgment against one of his accusers on January 20, 2021, but a judge dismissed the lawsuit involving all three accusers without prejudice in February due to lack service, meaning Meehan retains the right to file against them again. However, Meehan dropped some of the lawsuits and stated that the only lawsuit he intends to pursue is the one against Impact. On March 8, 2021 in a statement released to SoCal Uncensored (website), SoCal Uncensored, Meehan stated for the past eight months, he has been attending weekly Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous meetings both in-person and on Zoom (software), Zoom for his addictions of intrigue and validation and the emotional high he gets from pursuing women.


Filmography


Championships and accomplishments

*Alternative Wrestling Show **AWS Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Scott Lost *Attack! Pro Wrestling **Attack! 24/7 Championship (1 time) *California Wrestling Alliance **CWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scott Lost *
Championship Wrestling from Hollywood Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH) is an American professional wrestling promotion and television program that airs on KDOC-TV Los Angeles and carried in first-run syndication in the United States. The television series premiered on ...
**MAV Television Championship, CWFH International/MAV Television Championship (2 times) **CWFH Heritage Tag Team Championship (CWFH Heritage Tag Team Championship#title history, 1 time) – with Ryan Taylor * Compound Pro Wrestling **ComPro Oklahoma X Division Championship (1 time) *
DDT Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
**
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship The is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the Japanese promotion CyberFight in its DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand. Open to anyone, regardless of gender or DDT employment status, the championship is defended " 24/7", as i ...
(Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship#Title history, 43 times) *Dreamwave Wrestling **Dreamwave Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with
Candice LeRae Candice LeRae Gargano (''née'' Dawson; born September 29, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand. She is a former NXT Women's Tag Team Champion and was a member of The Way. LeRa ...
*
Empire Wrestling Federation The Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) is an independent wrestling promotion based in Covina, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez. The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, ''The School Of Hard Knocks''. The EWF is t ...
**EWF Heavyweight Championship (EWF Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time) **Empire Wrestling Federation#Great Goliath Battle Royal, Great Goliath Battle Royal (2012) *Fighting Spirit Pro Wrestling **FSP Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Candice LeRae *FIST Combat **FIST Championship (2 times) *Hoodslam **Intergalactic Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Shotzi Blackheart, Joey Ryan's Penis *Insane Wrestling League **IWL Anarchy Championship (1 time) *
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA ...
**NWA World Tag Team Championship (List of NWA World Tag Team Champions, 1 time) – with
Karl Anderson Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980), better known by the ring name Karl Anderson, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE where he performs on the Raw brand. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), whe ...
*Pacific Coast Wrestling **PCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **PCW MAXimum Championship (1 time) **PCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scott Lost *Pro Wrestling Magic **PWM Dark Arts Championship (1 time) *Pro Wrestling Revolver **PRW Scramble Championship (1 time) *Paragon Pro Wrestling **PPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Pro Wrestling Bushido **PWB Television Championship (1 time) **Warrior's Way Tournament (2011) *
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned and operated by wrestlers themselves, having been created by Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super Drago ...
**PWG World Championship (List of PWG World Champions, 1 time) **
PWG World Tag Team Championship The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & Ca ...
(List of PWG World Tag Team Champions, 4 times) – with Scott Lost (3) and Candice LeRae (1) **Battle of Los Angeles (professional wrestling), Battle of Los Angeles (Battle of Los Angeles (professional wrestling)#2010, 2010) *''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' **PWI ranked him No. 120 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2018 *SoCalUncensored.com **Southern California Tag Team of the Year (2002) with Scott Lost **Southern California Match of the Year (2004) vs. Super Dragon, October 23, 2004 **Southern California Wrestler of the Year (2006) *Queensland Wrestling Alliance **QWA Global Championship (1 time) *West Coast Wrestling Company **ACW Open World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *West Coast Wrestling Connection **WCWC Legacy Championship (1 time) *World Class Wrestling Alliance **WCWA California Championship (1 time) **WCWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scott Lost *World Power Wrestling **WPW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time) **WPW Hardcore Championship (1 time) **WPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Scott Lost *World Series Wrestling **WSW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Concrete Davidson *WrestleCircus **WC Sideshow Championship (4 times) *Kansas Wrestling Revolution **KWR Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *World Wrestling Alliance **WWA Hardcore Championship (1 time)


References


External links


Impact Wrestling profile
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Joey 1979 births 21st-century professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers American television writers Living people American male television writers Professional wrestlers from California Sportspeople from Los Angeles Professional wrestling trainers Professional wrestling announcers Professional wrestling promoters Professional wrestling writers TNA Gut Check contestants PWG World Champions PWG World Tag Team Champions Ironman Heavymetalweight Champions NWA World Tag Team Champions