Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983), better known by the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or project ...
Matt Sydal, 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 ...
currently signed to
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, ...
(AEW).
Prior to signing with AEW, Sydal wrestled in
WWE as Evan Bourne, and was a
one-time WWE Tag Team Champion, with
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
. Sydal is also known for his time in
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 promo ...
where he is a former
Impact Grand Champion and
Impact X Division Champion, and in
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 s ...
(ROH), where he is a former
ROH World Tag Team Champion. He has also wrestled 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 sha ...
(NJPW), where he is a former two-time
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Jun ...
and a one-time
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion.
Korklan has also wrestled on the independent circuit, for
promotions including
NWA Midwest,
IWA-Mid South,, winning both singles and tag team championships. He also wrestled for the short-lived
Wrestling Society X . Beginning in 2005, he wrestled for
Dragon Gate in Japan, and won the
Open the Brave Gate Championship in early 2007.
Korklan is known for his high flying but hybrid ''
lucha libre
Lucha libre (, meaning "freestyle wrestling" or literally translated as "free fight") is the term used in Latin America for professional wrestling. Since its introduction to Mexico in the early 20th century, it has developed into a unique form ...
'' and ''
puroresu
is the predominant style of professional wrestling that has developed in Japan. The term comes from the Japanese pronunciation of , which is shortened to puroresu. The term became popular among English-speaking fans due to Hisaharu Tanabe's ac ...
'' styles of wrestling and was named the ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
''s
Best Flying Wrestler
This is a list of both active and inactive ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' awards created by professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) journalist Dave Meltzer. The first fourteen awards were created in 1980 as an informal poll between ...
in 2008.
Professional wrestling career
Training and independent circuit (2000–2007)
Korklan was on his
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...
team, he did
Taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
when he was younger as well.
While a senior in high school, Korklan began training with the
St. Louis, Missouri-based Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW) promotion. After three months of training, Korklan began wrestling for GCW in October 2000, becoming the first person under the age of 18 to receive a wrestler's license in Missouri.
Prior to this, Korklan had briefly wrestled as Lance Sydal in the
backyard wrestling
Backyard wrestling (BYW), also referred to as yarding or backyarding, is an underground hobby and sport involving untrained practices of Professional wrestling, professional-style wrestling, typically in a low-budget environment, such as a backy ...
promotion, Saint Peters Wrestling Organization.
In 2003, Korklan (now known as Matt, forgoing a surname) formed a
stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
in GCW, known as Operation: Shamrock. In addition, Korklan and fellow stable member Billy McNeil formed a
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 ...
. Operation: Shamrock maintained a
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 par ...
with the
villainous Ministry of Hate faction, led by Nikki Strychnine.
![Matt Sydal at a Chikara show](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Matt_Sydal_at_a_Chikara_show.jpg)
Korklan debuted in
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 ...
(IWA Mid-South) in November 2003, combining two of his old ring names into a new one, Matt Sydal.
He won his first championship, the
IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship, on January 17, 2004, by defeating
J.C. Bailey.
Sydal lost the title to
Delirious
Delirious may refer to:
* A state of delirium
Film and television
* ''Delirious'' (1991 film), an American comedy directed by Tom Mankiewicz, starring John Candy
* ''Delirious'' (2006 film), an American comedy-drama directed by Tom DiCillo, sta ...
on June 26, 2004.
[ Sydal joined NWA Midwest that same year. On July 30, he defeated Justin Kage for the ]NWA Midwest X Division Championship
The Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a title defended in Pro Wrestling Zero1's American affiliate Zero1 USA. The title was previously defended in the Midwest territory of the National Wrestling Alliance as the NWA Midwest X Divis ...
, which he lost to Delirious after holding it for nearly a year. Sydal teamed with Daizee Haze in an intergender
Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...
tag team 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 ...
against Delirious and MsChif, of which the male wrestler on the winning team would become champion. Haze pinned MsChif to win the title for Sydal.[ Sydal lost the title to Jaysin Strife roughly four months later][ before leaving the promotion.
Sydal wrestled several top independent stars during his time as a regular in IWA. He lost three matches to A.J. Styles during a short-lived feud. He also faced ]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 f ...
, Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by his ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, and is also known for his work in Ring of Honor.
After being trained by Scot ...
and Nate Webb. On September 24, 2005, Sydal won the fifth Ted Petty Invitational tournament, defeating 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 ...
, Tyler Black, and Sabin to reach the final match, where he defeated Kevin Steen and Arik Cannon.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2005)
Sydal wrestled 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 prom ...
(TNA)'s first monthly pay-per-view event, Victory Road. He participated in a twenty-man 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 ...
Gauntlet for the Gold
A Gauntlet for the Gold match is a professional wrestling match used in Impact Wrestling.
Match format
Different from the other gauntlet matches, in which one competitor faces several others in turn, the Gauntlet for the Gold match is very sim ...
match. Sydal was a candidate in an online poll to determine who would meet 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 kn ...
for 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 ...
at Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exis ...
, but was not chosen.
Ring of Honor (2004–2007)
Sydal (along with his valet, Daizee Haze) debuted in 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 s ...
at ''Reborn: Stage One'' on April 23, 2004, defeating his nemesis, Delirious. Following a brief feud with Trent Acid
Michael Verdi (November 12, 1980 – June 18, 2010), best known by his ring name Trent Acid, was an American professional wrestler.
He worked as a tag team wrestler for most of his career, primarily as part of The Backseat Boyz with Johnny Kashm ...
, Sydal teamed with Fast Eddie Vegas as The Air Devils, a name chosen by ROH fans. They only teamed once, on February 25, 2005, at ''3rd Anniversary: Part 2'', defeating The Ring Crew Express. After the match, Vegas turned on Sydal and joined the 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 leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive forces exer ...
stable, The Embassy. On August 12, Sydal and Haze joined Austin Aries, 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 Jack Evans in Generation Next Generation Next may refer to:
* Generation Next (professional wrestling), a professional wrestling stable
* ''Generation Next'' (album), the debut album from Aventura
* Generation Next (comics), a Marvel Comics team and eponymous series
* '' Gener ...
, a stable in the midst of a feud with The Embassy. In late 2005, Haze turned on Sydal, leaving him and Generation Next and joining The Embassy. Generation Next fought The Embassy in several multi-man tag matches, culminating in a Steel Cage Warfare match on December 3, which Generation Next won.[
After wrestling A.J. Styles at ''Hell Freezes Over'', the two teamed to unsuccessfully challenge Sydal's Generation Next stablemates, Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, for the ]ROH World Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, i ...
. Sydal also teamed with 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 AE ...
and Jack Evans to chase the title. Sydal went to the finals of the 2006 Survival of the Fittest tournament, before losing to Delirious. Sydal and Delirious renewed their rivalry in ROH, wrestling several matches in mid-2006.[
After several matches against each other in 2006, Sydal teamed with Christopher Daniels in another attempt to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship. They feuded with the champions, The Kings of Wrestling, before winning the championship at ''Dethroned''. Sydal and Daniels successfully defended the title against CIMA and ]Shingo Shingo can refer to:
Religion
*Shingon Buddhism
Locations
*Shingō, Okayama (神郷町), a town located in Atetsu District, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
*Shingō, Aomori
is a village located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the village has an estima ...
, and former champions Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, before losing it to The 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). an ...
at the ''Fifth Year Festival: Chicago''. During their title reign, Sydal developed a cocky, heelish attitude. After unsuccessful attempts (with 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 Honor ...
) to regain the title, Sydal joined Larry Sweeney's heel stable Sweet n' Sour Inc. (which also included Chris Hero, Sara Del Rey and Tank Toland). At Man Up, Sydal wrestled his final match for ROH, losing to long-time rival Delirious.[
]
Dragon Gate and Wrestling Society X (2006–2007)
Sydal began touring Japan with Dragon Gate in May 2006. There, he aligned with CIMA, Don Fuji, and Jack Evans to form the stable New Blood Generation International. He also became a part of CIMA's Typhoon stable. At Wrestlejam, Sydal teamed with Generation Next stablemate Roderick Strong to win the $10,000 Tag Team Challenge.[
On February 12, 2007, Sydal won the Dragon Gate Open the Brave Gate Championship from ]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 t ...
, becoming the first gaijin
is a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically being applied to foreigners of non-Japanese ethnicity and those from the Japanese diaspora who are not Japanese citizens. The word is composed of two kanji: and ...
to hold the championship. He held it for just over a month, successfully defending it against Yoshino in Hyogo and against Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his ...
at Ring of Honor's ''Fifth Year Festival: Dayton''. He dropped the title to Genki Horiguchi on March 25.
Sydal was a part of the short-lived 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 ...
promotion, Wrestling Society X, where he competed as a 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 leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive forces exer ...
against Jack Evans, Scorpio Sky and the 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 independent ...
.[ He began a feud with Syxx-Pac over Sydal's ]valet
A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "valet ...
and on-screen girlfriend Lizzy Valentine, but WSX folded before they ever had a match.[
]
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Developmental territories (2007–2008)
Following the expiration of his WSX contract and the close of the promotion, Korklan signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Sydal debuted in 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) at its October 10, 2007 TV taping, defeating Jamin Olivencia. In December, Sydal defeated Mike Kruel to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship. On February 7, 2008, WWE announced it had ended its affiliation with OVW. As a result, Sydal lost the OVW Heavyweight Championship to Jay Bradley
Bradley Thomas Jay (born November 17, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in Impact Wrestling under the ring names of Jay Bradley and Aiden O'Shea, and WWE as Ryan Braddock.
Professional wrestling career Earl ...
.[
Sydal joined WWE's new developmental territory ]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 ...
, debuting on March 22, 2008, and defeating TJ Wilson
Theodore James "TJ" Wilson (born July 11, 1980) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tyson Kidd. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a producer.
The final graduate of the Hart Dungeon, Wilson w ...
. He was then called up to WWE's main roster.
Singles competition (2008–2011)
Sydal made his debut for the ECW brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
on June 3, 2008, as a 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 ...
character. He lost a match by countout
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 ...
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 ...
, after he was thrown at guest commentator Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
. The following week on '' ECW'', he was renamed as Evan Bourne, and teamed with Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
to defeat Benjamin and Mike Knox. In the following weeks, Bourne defeated Matt Striker
Matthew Kaye (born June 26, 1974) is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling commentator, actor and former high school teacher, using the ring name Matt Striker. During his career he has worked for WWE, Impact Wrestling, Luc ...
, Nunzio, and Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Salvador Guerrero IV (born October 20, 1970) better known by his ring names Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr., is an American professional wrestler. He has previously worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federatio ...
, using the shooting star press as his finishing maneuver.[
]
At Cyber Sunday in October, WWE fans chose Bourne to face Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE.
With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
for the ECW Championship
The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and later, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the original world title of the ECW ...
. He was pinned after Hardy performed a Twist of Fate on him. Two days later, during a six-man tag match on ''ECW'', Bourne landed a dive from the ring on his right ankle, dislocating it and tearing his deltoid ligament. Surgery was not necessary, but Bourne was not medically cleared to return to the ring until March 17. On December 8, he won the "Best Finishing Maneuver" Slammy award for his shooting star press.
On June 29, Bourne was traded to the Raw brand, and made his debut that night as the first of three wrestlers in a Gauntlet 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 ...
against WWE Champion
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDow ...
Randy Orton. On the November 2 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 ...
'', Bourne lost a United States Championship match to The Miz. On the December 29 episode of ''ECW'', he defeated Mike Knox in an "ECW Homecoming" match to qualify for the "Homecoming Battle Royal", which would decide the opponent for ECW Champion Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
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 ...
.
Bourne lost a non-title match to WWE Champion 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 i ...
on the January 4, 2010, episode of ''Raw''. The following week on ''ECW'', he competed in the "Homecoming Battle Royal" but was the first man eliminated. On the March 8 episode of ''Raw'', he defeated 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 ...
to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI (also written as WrestleMania 26) was the 26th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDo ...
, which was won by Jack Swagger
Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
.
The May 31, 2010 episode of ''Raw'' opened with Bourne being assaulted by Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
, after Bourne proposed Edge put his spot in the WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
match at Fatal 4-Way on the line in a match. Later in the show, 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 ...
chose Bourne to replace his scheduled tag team partner, Randy Orton (who was earlier "injured" by Edge), in a match against Edge and Sheamus. Bourne pinned Sheamus to earn the victory for his team. Two weeks later, Bourne defeated Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
by disqualification. Jericho had threatened the referee and attacked Bourne while he was in the ropes. At Fatal 4-Way, he pinned Jericho in a rematch. The following night on ''Raw'', Jericho challenged Bourne to a third match, stating he would leave WWE if he lost; Jericho pinned Bourne to win the match and stay with the company. On the July 5 ''Raw'', Bourne teamed with Randy Orton to defeat Jericho and Edge. Bourne competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was established ...
at Money in the Bank on July 18, but lost.
On September 19, at Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, Bourne teamed with Mark Henry in the Tag Team Turmoil match for 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 ...
. They were the final team eliminated, by Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, one-time WWE I ...
and Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
. On the October 11 ''Raw'', he lost a match (to decide who would be on Team Raw at Bragging Rights
Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities.
Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves thei ...
) to 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 f ...
, and was subsequently assaulted. This assault was the storyline reason to remove Bourne from television. In reality, he had shoulder surgery.
Bourne returned on the February 28, 2011 episode of ''Raw'', defeating Sheamus after Sheamus was attacked by 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 on ...
before the match. On May 23, he began feuding with Jack Swagger, with the two trading victories on several episodes of ''Raw''. Bourne then defeated Swagger at WWE Capitol Punishment to end the feud.
Air Boom (2011–2012)
On the August 22, 2011, episode of ''Raw'', Bourne won his first championship in WWE. He and Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
defeated David Otunga
David Daniel Otunga''Lawyer ' (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Otunga is best known for his time working with WWE. He was the runner-up on the first season of ''NXT''. He is also an original member of ...
and Michael McGillicutty for the WWE Tag Team Championship. On the August 29 ''Raw'', the team was named Air Boom and made their first title defense, defeating Otunga and McGillicutty in a rematch. At Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, Air Boom retained the title against The Miz and R-Truth when The Miz was disqualified for attacking the referee. At both Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
and Vengeance, Air Boom retained the title against 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 ...
and Jack Swagger.
On November 1, WWE announced it had suspended Korklan for 30 days for his first violation of the company's wellness policy. Bourne returned to television on December 5. On December 18, at Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Air Boom retained the Tag Team Championship by defeating Primo & Epico
Primo and Epico Colón are a Puerto Rican professional wrestling tag team. The team, composed of real-life cousins, are former WWE Tag Team Champions, with the title won during their first run as Primo and Epico from 2011 to 2013. They also for ...
. On January 15, 2012, Air Boom lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Primo and Epico at a house show. The following night on ''Raw'', Air Boom was awarded a rematch, but failed to regain the championship. The following day on January 17, Korklan was suspended for 60 days for his second failure of a wellness test.
Injury and departure (2012–2014)
In March 2012, Korklan was involved in a motorcycle accident which broke his foot in four places and dislocated it in five. After a year-long absence, Bourne returned on March 28, 2013, at a NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
live event, defeating Sami Zayn
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 jo ...
. The following year, on June 12, WWE announced that Korklan had been released from his contract, without him reappearing on television.
Return to ROH (2014–2017)
Sydal made his return to Ring of Honor on September 27, 2014, losing to A.J. Styles at the ''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 tapings. In November, he was part of the 2014 Survival of the Fittest tournament, won by Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
C ...
. He unsuccessfully challenged Jay Lethal for the ROH World Television Championship
The ROH World Television Championship is a professional wrestling world television championship in the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion. With the introduction of the ROH World Television Championship, the television type championship returned to n ...
at Final Battle 2014
Final Battle 2014 was the 13th Final Battle professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place on December 7, 2014 at the Terminal 5 in New York City, New York.
Storylines
Final Battle 2014 featured eight ...
. At Supercard of Honor IX Sydal defeated Moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
, 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 ...
, Caprice Coleman
Caprice Coleman (born March 20, 1977) is an American professional wrestler who competes or has competed in Mid-Atlantic and Southern independent promotions including Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, NWA Wildside, Ring of Honor and, in recent year ...
, Cedric Alexander
Cedric Alexander Johnson (born August 16, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand.
Alexander worked for Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2010 until 2016. He started as part of C&C Factory, ...
, and Andrew Everett
Andrew Everett Wenkel (born July 9, 1992) better known by the ring name Andrew Everett, is an American professional wrestler best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he was a former Impact World Tag Team Champion. He's also wrestlin ...
in a Six-man mayhem match. On August 21, 2015, Sydal defeated 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 sha ...
's IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
The is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may ho ...
Kushida
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, better known by his mononymous ring name Kushida. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as Impact Wrestling.
He is best known for his tenure in NJP ...
in a non-title match, after which Kushida accepted his challenge for a title match. At Survival of the Fittest
"Survival of the fittest" is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection. The biological concept of fitness is defined as reproductive success. In Darwinian terms, th ...
Sydal was defeated by A. C. H.
Albert Christian Hardie Jr. (born December 7, 1987), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently known by his ring name A. C. H.
He has wrestled for several American promotions, like Ring of Honor, Ring of Honor Wrestl ...
in 5 match in the Best of 5 Series. The next night Sydal was defeated by A.J. Styles. At Final Battle
Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002, and is traditionally ROH's last show in the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ROH's first internet ...
Sydal teamed with Alex Shelley and A. C. H.
Albert Christian Hardie Jr. (born December 7, 1987), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently known by his ring name A. C. H.
He has wrestled for several American promotions, like Ring of Honor, Ring of Honor Wrestl ...
and defeated The Addiction
''The Addiction'' is a 1995 American vampire horror film directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken and Annabella Sciorra. Edie Falco and Kathryn Erbe appear in supporting roles. The film was written by Ferrara's frequ ...
and Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by his ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, and is also known for his work in Ring of Honor.
After being trained by Scot ...
in a Six-man tag team match. On February 6, Sydal scored an impressive victory over former ROH World Champion Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
C ...
. At ROH 14th Anniversary Show Sydal teamed with Kushida
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, better known by his mononymous ring name Kushida. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as Impact Wrestling.
He is best known for his tenure in NJP ...
and A. C. H.
Albert Christian Hardie Jr. (born December 7, 1987), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently known by his ring name A. C. H.
He has wrestled for several American promotions, like Ring of Honor, Ring of Honor Wrestl ...
as they were defeated by The Elite (Kenny Omega
Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name Kenny Omega, is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. Omega is an executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he also performs. Omega is a former one-ti ...
and 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 ...
) for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion.
The title was announced on December 21, 2015, with the first champions crowned on January 4, 2016. Through NJPW's relationship with Ring of Honor ...
. At Global Wars (2016)
Global Wars (2016) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event co-produced by the American Ring of Honor (ROH) and Japanese New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotions. The event took place on May 8, 2016, at the Frontier Fieldhouse in ...
Sydal teamed with Kushida
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, better known by his mononymous ring name Kushida. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), as well as Impact Wrestling.
He is best known for his tenure in NJP ...
and 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 ...
as they was defeated by Bullet Club
(stylised as BULLET CLUB), sometimes shortened to BC, is a professional wrestling stable primarily appearing in the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). In the United States, the group currently appears on NJPW events run by the co ...
(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 ...
, Tama Tonga
Alipate Aloisio Leone (born October 15, 1982) is a Tongan-American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tama Tonga (タマ・トンガ ''Tama Tonga''). He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known a ...
and Tanga Loa
Tevita Tu'amoeloa Fetaiakimoeata Fifita (born May 7, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), under the ring name Tanga Loa (タンガ・ロア ''Tanga Roa'') (originally Tanga Roa).
Fif ...
) in an eight-man tag team match. At War Of The Worlds, Sydal was defeated by Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He works primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, his accolades in NJPW include a record setting eight reigns as IWGP Heavywei ...
.
On April 15, 2017, Sydal made his return saving Frankie Kazarian
Frank Benedict Gerdelman (born August 4, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), performing under the ring name Frankie Kazarian. In addition, Kazarian also performs for Impact Wrest ...
from Marty Scurll
Martin Scurll (born 26 July 1988) is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor (ROH) as the leader of the stable Villain Enterprises, where he was a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship and a o ...
and Hangman Page
Stephen Blake Woltz (born July 27, 1991), better known by his ring name "Hangman" Adam Page, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former AEW World Champion and AEW World Tag Team Champ ...
. On May 12, during the third night of the War of the Worlds
''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...
tour, Sydal was unsuccessful at winning the ROH World Television Championship
The ROH World Television Championship is a professional wrestling world television championship in the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion. With the introduction of the ROH World Television Championship, the television type championship returned to n ...
against Marty Scurll. The match marked Sydal's final appearance for ROH.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2014–2017)
Sydal made his PWG debut at PWG Battle Of Los Angeles 2014 Night 2 by Chris Hero in the First Round of the Battle Of Los Angeles, Then Sydal was then defeated by Kenny Omega
Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name Kenny Omega, is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. Omega is an executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he also performs. Omega is a former one-ti ...
on Night 2. At PWG Black Cole Sun Sydal would team with Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by his ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, and is also known for his work in Ring of Honor.
After being trained by Scot ...
as they defeated 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 ...
. At PWG From Out Of Nowhere Sydal was defeated by this tag team partners Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
. At PWG Don't Sweat The Technique Sydal and Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by his ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, and is also known for his work in Ring of Honor.
After being trained by Scot ...
defeated The 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 Imp ...
& 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 ...
). At PWG Battle Of Los Angeles 2015 – Night 1 Sydal defeated Fenix in the First Round of the Battle Of Los Angeles, The next night Sydal was defeated by Will Ospreay
William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler who is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in his first reign and leader of the ...
in the Second round. At PWG All Star Weekend 11 – Night 1 Sydal was unsuccessfully at winning the PWG World Championship
The PWG World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) professional wrestling promotion. It was first introduced in 2003 as the PWG Championship. The inaugural champion was Frankie Kazarian. ...
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 ...
, The night Sydal was defeated by Trevor Lee :not to be confused with actress Camryn Grimes who voices Mrs. Claus in Mickey Saves Christmas
Trevor Lee Caddell (born September 30, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under t ...
. At PWG All Star Weekend 12 – Night 1 Sydal teamed with Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
as they were unsuccessfully against 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 ...
for the 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 & C ...
.
At PWG Battle Of Los Angeles 2016 – Night 2 Sydal teamed with Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
and Will Ospreay
William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler who is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in his first reign and leader of the ...
as they defeated Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
C ...
and 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 ...
, The match was given a 5 star by Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
. At PWG Mystery Vortex IV Sydal defeated Pete Dunne
Peter Thomas England (born 9 November 1993) is an English Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Butc ...
. On March 18, 2017 Sydal and Ricochet was involved in a triple threat tag team 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 ...
which was won by Penta el 0M
Penta may refer to:
Places
* , an Italian hamlet (') of Fisciano, Salerno
* Penta-di-Casinca, a French municipality of Corsica
* Penta, Chhattisgarh, a town in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India
* , a small river in Lithuania
Other
* Pent ...
& Rey Fenix Rey may refer to:
*Rey (given name), a given name
*Rey (surname), a surname
* Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films
* Rey, Iran, a city in Iran
* Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran
* ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film
*The ...
. On June 16, at Man On The Silver Mountain, Sydal was defeated by Sami Callihan
Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by the ring name Sami Callihan, currently signed with Impact Wrestling and is a former Impact World Champion. He also wrestled for Luch ...
. Sydal entered the 2017 Battle Of Los Angeles being eliminated in the first round by Penta El Zero M
Penta may refer to:
Places
* , an Italian hamlet (') of Fisciano, Salerno
* Penta-di-Casinca, a French municipality of Corsica
* Penta, Chhattisgarh, a town in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India
* , a small river in Lithuania
Other
* P ...
. The next day he and Ricochet were defeated by The Leaders Of The New School(Zack Sabre Jr.
Lucas Eatwell (born 24 July 1987), better known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. (Katakana: ザック・セイバーJr, ''Zakku Seibā Jr.''), is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Outsid ...
& Marty Scurll
Martin Scurll (born 26 July 1988) is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor (ROH) as the leader of the stable Villain Enterprises, where he was a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship and a o ...
). On night two of PWG All Star Weekend 13, Sydal was defeated by Trent? in a three-way match also including Rey Horus.
Return to the independent circuit (2014–2019)
Sydal became active in the UK scene in 2014, most notably in Revolution Pro Wrestling
Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro/RPW) is a British professional wrestling promotion founded on 26 August 2012 by Andy Quildan after separating from International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom.
Revolution Pro Wrestling currently has partnershi ...
(RevPro), feuding with Will Ospreay
William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler who is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in his first reign and leader of the ...
. On July 20, 2014, he made his in-ring return to Dragon Gate, tagging with Cima to take on Ricochet and 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 t ...
. They came up short in the bout, when Cima tapped out to Yoshino. After another year away from Dragon Gate, Sydal made a surprise return to the promotion on June 28, 2015. On July 20, Sydal and Ricochet unsuccessfully challenged Naruki Doi
is a Japanese wrestler for Dragon Gate. He also wrestled for Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA); in the former promotion, he was a one-time World Tag Team Champion with Shingo Takagi.
Career
Toryumon
Doi debuted in ...
and Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
for the Open the Twin Gate Championship
The Open the Twin Gate Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title created and promoted by the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Dragon Gate had used the WAR IJ Tag Team Championship since 2006, until 2007 when Masato Yoshino and Nar ...
.
On February 7, 2015, Sydal debuted For Family Wrestling Entertainment
Family Wrestling Entertainment, also known as FWE, was an independent professional wrestling promotion. The company was based and ran shows in New York. They hosted a show about every four months. All of their shows are available on iPPV and also ...
(FWE), unsuccessfully challenging Paul London
Paul Michael London (born April 16, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his time with WWE.
After being trained at the Texas Wrestling Academy, London began competing for Ring of Hon ...
for the FWE Tri-Borough Championship. On October 3, 2015, at a show in South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, Sydal briefly held the PWF Lord Of The World Championship, defeating Namsuk Kim, before being defeated in an immediate rematch. This was his first singles championship since leaving WWE.
In March 2018, Sydal competed in Westside Xtreme Wrestling
Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its eve ...
's 16 Carat Gold 2018 Tournament. He lost in the first round to Lucky Kidd. Sydal competed for the Border City Wrestling
Border City Wrestling (BCW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion owned and booked by Scott D'Amore, and based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Many of the promotion's employees were trained at the ''Can-Am'' wrestling school. Aft ...
Heavyweight Title in a fatal four-way that included Cody Deaner
Christopher Gray (born March 7, 1982), better known by his ring name Cody Deaner, is a Canadian professional wrestler signed with Impact Wrestling, where he competes under the ring name Deaner (a shortened version of his previous ring name) and ...
, Johnny Impact
John Randall Hennigan (born October 3, 1979) is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by the ring name John Morrison. He is best known for his time in WWE, Impact Wrestling and Lucha Underground. Hennigan currently makes ap ...
and Kongo Kong
Steven Wilson (born August 10, 1979) is an American professional wrestler best known under the ring name Kongo Kong. He is best known for his time with Global Force Wrestling and Impact Wrestling.
Early career
Wilson went to Saginaw Valley Stat ...
. This took place at the October 6, 2018
BCW/Impact Wrestling event BCW 25th Anniversary. At 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 ...
's event AAW Unstoppable 2018 on November 24, 2018, Sydal teamed with Colt Cabana in a losing effort against David Starr 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 numerou ...
. Sydal would then face Marty Scurll
Martin Scurll (born 26 July 1988) is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Ring of Honor (ROH) as the leader of the stable Villain Enterprises, where he was a one-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship and a o ...
at CWA Christmas Showdown 2018 in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
.
In November 2018, Sydal took some time off to have surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee with an estimated recovery time of six months. At the same time, Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
of the Wrestling Observer
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...
reported that Sydal was no longer signed to Impact Wrestling as of January 1, 2019, and that there was interest from WWE and 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, ...
to sign Sydal. In April 2019, Sydal won the IPWA Heavyweight Championship in a match against Gery Roif at Israeli Pro Wrestling Association
Israeli Pro Wrestling Association is an independent wrestling promotion, operating from Israel.
History
IPWA was founded on October 17, 2001 by Gery Roif and ran a few exhibition matches on national TV before holding the initial ''Summer Splash' ...
's Passover Bash. His next appearance for a major promotion would be at RevPro's Epic Encounter 2019 in May, where he would defeat A-Kid. He has since defended the title against local wrestler Yuval Goldshmit and WWE Hall of Famer "Bad Ass" Billy Gunn
Monty Kip Sopp (born November 1, 1963), better known by his ring name Billy Gunn, although he is currently finding renewed popularity under the ring name Daddy Ass, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wres ...
.
Evolve (2014)
On August 8, 2014, Sydal made his debut for Evolve, defeating Johnny Gargano
John Anthony Nicholas Gargano (born August 14, 1987) is an American professional wrestler best known under the ring name Johnny Gargano. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is best known for his time in NXT, wh ...
. The following night, Sydal unsuccessfully challenged Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
for the Open the Freedom Gate Championship
The Open the Freedom Gate Championship was the major title in the promotion Dragon Gate USA. The first holder of the title was crowned following a 14-man tournament held at DGUSA Freedom Fight on November 28, 2009. The title was recognized by Dra ...
in the main-event of Evolve 32.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2015–2016)
On September 23, 2015, Sydal made his debut for NJPW at Destruction in Okayaka, teaming with Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He works primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, his accolades in NJPW include a record setting eight reigns as IWGP Heavywei ...
in a tag team match, where they defeated Bad Luck Fale
Simi Taitoko Fale (born 8 January 1982) is a Tongan-New Zealand professional wrestler and former rugby union player. He currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as . In NJPW, he is a three-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champio ...
and Tama Tonga
Alipate Aloisio Leone (born October 15, 1982) is a Tongan-American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tama Tonga (タマ・トンガ ''Tama Tonga''). He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known a ...
. During the same event, the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
The is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may ho ...
Kenny Omega
Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name Kenny Omega, is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. Omega is an executive vice president of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), in which he also performs. Omega is a former one-ti ...
nominated Sydal as the first challenger for his title. On October 12, at King of Pro-Wrestling
King of Pro-Wrestling is an annual professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event has been held every October since 2012 and aired domestically as a pay-per-view (PPV). The event also aired internationally as ...
, Sydal unsuccessfully challenged Omega for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. On October 24, Sydal and Ricochet entered the 2015 Super Jr. Tag Tournament, defeating Time Splitters ( Alex Shelley and Kushida) in their first round match. On November 1, Sydal and Ricochet defeated 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) to advance to the finals of the tournament. On November 7, at Power Struggle
In political science and political history, the term power vacuum, also known as a power void, is an analogy between a physical vacuum to the political condition "when someone in a place of power, has lost control of something and no one has repla ...
, Sydal and Ricochet defeated Roppongi Vice
Roppongi Vice (sometimes stylized as RPG Vice) is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Trent Baretta and Rocky Romero who currently compete for All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
They are best known for their work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (N ...
(Beretta
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (; "Pietro Beretta Weapon Factory") is a privately held Italian firearms manufacturing company operating in several countries. Its firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and milita ...
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 ...
) in the finals to win the 2015 Super Jr. Tag Tournament. On January 4, 2016, at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome
Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on January 4, 2016, in Tokyo, Japan, at the Tokyo Dome. It was the 25th January 4 Tokyo Dome S ...
, Sydal and Ricochet took part in a four-way match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Juni ...
, but were defeated by The Young Bucks. On February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka
The New Beginning is an annual professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event has been held since 2011 as a pay-per-view (PPV). From 2013 to 2014, the event also aired outside Japan as an internet pay-per-view ...
, Sydal and Ricochet defeated The Young Bucks and reDRagon (Bobby Fish
Robert Anthony Fish (born October 27, 1976) is an American professional wrestler currently appearing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand and was a member of The Undisputed E ...
and Kyle O'Reilly
Kyle Edward Greenwood (born March 1, 1987) is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs under the ring name Kyle O'Reilly. He is also known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2009 to 20 ...
) in a three-way match to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. They lost the title to Roppongi Vice on April 10 at Invasion Attack 2016
Invasion Attack 2016 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on April 10, 2016, in Tokyo at Ryōgoku Kokugikan, and featured nine matches, six of which were contested fo ...
, before regaining the title on May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2016. Later in the month, Sydal entered the 2016 Best of the Super Juniors. He finished the tournament with five wins and two losses, tied with Ryusuke Taguchi
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trained by and currently performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, seven-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and three-time NEVER ...
, but failed to advance to the finals due to losing to Taguchi in their head-to-head match. On June 19 at Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall, Sydal and Ricochet lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to The Young Bucks in a four-way elimination match, also involving reDRagon and Roppongi Vice.
On July 3, Sydal and Ricochet teamed up with Satoshi Kojima
is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but makes appearances for Pro Wrestling Noah. Considered to be one of the greatest Japanese professional wrestlers of the 21st century and of all-time, he was the first wrest ...
to defeat The Elite for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship. On July 20, Sydal, representing ROH, entered the 2016 Super J-Cup, defeating Kaientai Dojo
Active Advance Pro Wrestling (2AW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion and training facility originally owned and promoted by Taka Michinoku. The promotion places emphasis on a style of puroresu that combines high-flying, technical wr ...
's Kaji Tomato in his first round match. On August 21, Sydal defeated Will Ospreay in the second round of the tournament, before being eliminated in the semifinals by Pro Wrestling Noah
(stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
's Yoshinobu Kanemaru
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he also works as a backstage producer. Kanemaru is best known for his work in Pro Wrestling Noah, where he holds the records for the most reigns with the GHC ...
. On September 25, Sydal, Ricochet and Kojima were stripped of the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship due to Sydal failing to make a scheduled title defense at Destruction in Kobe. Sydal missed two shows over three days, officially due to "travel issues". It was later revealed that he had actually been arrested upon entering the country ( see below). He was replaced at Destruction in Kobe by David Finlay, who afterwards also took his spot as Ricochet's regular tag team partner. Sydal's profile has since been removed from NJPW official site.
Return to Impact Wrestling
Championship reigns (2017–2018)
Sydal made his return to 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 promo ...
on the April 27, 2017 ''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 ...
'' TV taping, defeating Trevor Lee :not to be confused with actress Camryn Grimes who voices Mrs. Claus in Mickey Saves Christmas
Trevor Lee Caddell (born September 30, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under t ...
in his first match. On the May 4 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal defeated Eddie Edwards and after the match they shook hands. On the May 11 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal competed in a fatal four-way match which was won by Andrew Everett
Andrew Everett Wenkel (born July 9, 1992) better known by the ring name Andrew Everett, is an American professional wrestler best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he was a former Impact World Tag Team Champion. He's also wrestlin ...
. On the June 22 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal won The Sony SIX Way X-Division Elimination Match. On the June 29 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal and Sonjay Dutt
Retesh Bhalla (born April 7, 1982) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a producer and manager. He is best known for his time with Total Nonstop ActionImpact Wrestling under the ring name Sonjay ...
defeated Low-Ki and Trevor Lee :not to be confused with actress Camryn Grimes who voices Mrs. Claus in Mickey Saves Christmas
Trevor Lee Caddell (born September 30, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under t ...
.
On the July 6 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal defeated Braxton Sutter
Jesse Guilmette (born June 3, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name The Blade. He is best known for his tag team work with The Butcher under the name The Butcher and the Bl ...
. On the July 20 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal defeated El Hijo del Fantasma and Low Ki in a 3-way dance. On the August 10 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal, Alberto El Patrón
José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
and Sonjay Dutt lost a six-man tag team match to Lashley, Low-Ki and Trevor Lee. On Augustv 17 at Destination X, Sydal defeated Lashley. On the September 7 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal was defeated by Eli Drake
Shaun Ricker (born November 1, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name LA Knight. Ricker is known for his time in Impact Wrestling as Eli Drake. Rick ...
in a match for the GFW IMPACT World Heavyweight title.
At Bound for Glory, Sydal competed in a Six-way lucha rules match for the Impact X Division Championship but failed to win the title. On November 10, 2017, Sydal defeated Ethan Carter III to win the Impact Grand Championship. On March 8, 2018, Sydal defeated Taiji Ishimori
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he wrestles as part of the Bullet Club. He is the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in his third reign, and is also a one-time NEVER Openweight ...
to win the Impact X Division Championship in a match that Sydal's Grand Championship was also on the line, thus becoming a dual champion. On March 15, it was revealed that Josh Matthews was his “spirit guide” thus allying himself with Matthews and turning him heel. On March 29, Sydal lost the Impact Grand Championship to Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his ...
in a match that Aries’ Impact World Championship
The Impact World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Impact Wrestling. It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won via the result ...
was also on the line. On April 12 episode of Impact, he attacked 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 ...
during Williams’ match with Matthews causing a disqualification loss for Matthews. At Impact Wrestling Redemption
Redemption was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Impact Wrestling that took place on April 22, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. It was the first event under the Redemption chronology and the first event in the 2018 Impact Wres ...
, Sydal defeated Petey Williams to retain the Impact X Division Championship.
Alliance with Ethan Page and departure (2018–2019)
On the April 26 episode of Impact Wrestling, Sydal successfully defended his Impact X Division Championship against by count out. However, Sydal would end up losing the title to Cage at Slammiversary XVI
Slammiversary XVI was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of TNA pay-per-view events, event produced by Impact Wrestling. The event took place on July 22, 2018, at Rebel (entertainment complex), The Rebel Complex in Toronto, Ontario, ...
in July. He would lose a rematch for the title at the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling''.
Following his loss he attempted to recruit Rich Swann
Richard Allen Swann (born February 15, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling. He is a former Impact World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Impact X Division Champion and Impact Digital Media Cha ...
to be his partner, however Swann denied him. This resulted in a feud between the two. Sydal would beat Swann in their first encounter due to interference from the debuting 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 Imp ...
. Sydal would go on to form a team with Page based around following Sydal's teachings of "seeing through your third eye
The third eye (also called the mind's eye or inner eye) is a mystical invisible eye, usually depicted as located on the forehead, which provides perception beyond ordinary sight. In Hinduism, the third eye refers to the ajna (or brow) chakra. In ...
." Their team would lose to Rich Swann and his surprise partner NWA National Champion 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 ...
at Bound for Glory. On the November 1 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Sydal and Page lost a Tag Team Championship match against The Latin American Xchange
The Latin American Xchange (LAX) is a professional wrestling stable that has wrestled in various incarnations primarily for Total Nonstop Action / Impact Wrestling and currently in Major League Wrestling (MLW).
The group achieved initial succe ...
. Sydal later lost a X-Division championship qualifying match to Page. Korklan left Impact when his contract expired on January 1, 2019.
Return to Evolve (2019–2020)
On October 25, 2019, it was announced that Sydal would return to Evolve under his WWE ring name "Evan Bourne". Despite speculation, he denied that he would be returning to WWE. On November 9, Sydal was defeated by Leon Ruff due to count out in his return match after Sydal suffered an injury during the match. He returned the next month unsuccessfully challenging A. R. Fox
Thomas James "T. J." Ballester (born September 5, 1987), better known by his ring name A. R. Fox, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling. He is also known for his work in promotions like Combat Zone Wrestlin ...
and Leon Ruff for the Evolve Tag Team Championship
The Evolve Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the Evolve promotion. The inaugural champions were crowned on January 24, 2016, at the end of an eight-team tournament.
Like most professional wrestli ...
alongside Andrew Everett
Andrew Everett Wenkel (born July 9, 1992) better known by the ring name Andrew Everett, is an American professional wrestler best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he was a former Impact World Tag Team Champion. He's also wrestlin ...
.
All Elite Wrestling (2020–present)
At All Out, Sydal was a surprise entrant in the Casino Battle Royale drawing in as the Joker. During the match, Sydal botched his Shooting Star Press finishing move as he slipped on the ropes and landed on his head (kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged ...
caused by Michael Nakazawa oiling up the turnbuckle). Despite this, he was able to continue the match and was eventually eliminated by 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 numerou ...
. On the September 22 episode of Late Night Dynamite, Sydal faced Shawn Spears
Ronnie William Arneill (born February 19, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Shawn Spears, where he is a current member of The Pinnac ...
in the main event where he was defeated. On the October 6 episode of ''AEW Dark'', Sydal picked up his first victory in AEW when he defeated Michael Nakazawa
, better known by the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler and judoka signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Early life
Nakazawa attended Tokai University before studying abroad in the United States were he obtained an MSc Sports Scienc ...
. On the November 11, 2020 episode of ''AEW Dynamite'', Sydal, who had been on a four match winning streak, fought Brian Cage in a FTW title match, losing for the first time in five matches. On November 17, 2020, after months of appearing at AEW shows despite not being under contract with the company, AEW confirmed that Sydal was now officially signed with the company.
On September 7th,2022 AEW Dynamite AEW or aew may refer to:
* Airborne early warning, airborne radar system for detecting aircraft
* Aerosvit Airlines, an airline based in Kyiv, Ukraine (ICAO airline designator: AEW)
* AEW Capital Management, a property investment management company
...
, he was a judge for ROH Pure Championship
The ROH Pure Championship is a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participant ...
.
Other media
Image Entertainment, Inc. released a DVD titled "Before They Were Stars: Matt Sydal: Bourne Is Born" on January 20, 2009, which features every match from Wrestling Society X Korklan participated in as well as various promos and a music video.
Korklan appeared in WWE video games WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009'' (sometimes subtitled with ''featuring ECW'') is a professional wrestling video game Video game developer, developed by Yuke's and video game publisher, published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStat ...
(as DLC), WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, Smackdown vs RAW 2011 and WWE '12
''WWE '12'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. It was released on November 22, 2011, in North America, November 25 in Europe, and on January 26, 2012, in Japan. ...
.
Personal life
Both of Korklan's parents are school teachers. He has a younger brother Mike, who wrestles under the name "Mike Sydal" in addition to his older brother Daniel who does not wrestle. He attended Parkway West High School near St. Louis. In 2001, Korklan enrolled at the University of Missouri
The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...
, studying marketing
Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...
, as he was unsure whether he could earn a living from wrestling. He continued to wrestle, attending college three days a week, while wrestling mid-week and on weekends. He graduated with a bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in 2005, and began working as a sales and marketing vice president
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
for a small mailbox company in St. Louis, although he continued to wrestle.
Korklan is Jewish. He resides in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2020 census, the city had a populat ...
.
He dealt with self confidence issues for most of his career. The weekend of his WWE release he went to an ayahuasca
AyahuascaPronounced as in the UK and in the US. Also occasionally known in English as ''ayaguasca'' (Spanish-derived), ''aioasca'' (Brazilian Portuguese-derived), or as ''yagé'', pronounced or . Etymologically, all forms but ''yagé'' descen ...
retreat in Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, the ayahuasca didn’t work but he was next given Echinopsis pachanoi, legally and medicinally from a monk, this caused his spiritual rebirth.
He is a Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
, his spiritual influences are Alan Watts
Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was an English writer, speaker and self-styled "philosophical entertainer", known for interpreting and popularising Japanese, Chinese and Indian traditions of Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu ...
and Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...
.
Politically he is a progressive who supports Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
.
Legal issues
On September 23, 2016, Korklan was arrested at the Kansai International Airport
Kansai International Airport ( ja, 関西国際空港, Kansai Kokusai Kūkō) commonly known as is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and ...
under suspicion of marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
smuggling. According to local authorities, Korklan had 2.12 grams of liquid marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
hidden within an electronic cigarette. Korklan was convicted in Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
on October 13. On December 1, it was reported that Korklan had pled guilty to the charges and accepted three years of probation as his sentence. After a verdict the following week, Korklan was released from prison and returned to the United States on December 12.
Championships and accomplishments
*''The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
''
**Newcomer of the Year (2008)
* Dragon Gate
** Open the Brave Gate Championship ( 1 time)[
*]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 promo ...
**Impact Grand Championship
The Impact Grand Championship was a professional wrestling championship owned by Impact Wrestling.
History
The title was introduced at the August 13, 2016, tapings of TNA's television program '' Impact Wrestling'', after then-TNA President Bil ...
( 1 time)
**Impact 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 ...
( 1 time)
**Sony SIX X Division Invitational Trophy (2017)
*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 ...
** IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time)[
** Ted Petty Invitational (]2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
)[
*]Israeli Pro Wrestling Association
Israeli Pro Wrestling Association is an independent wrestling promotion, operating from Israel.
History
IPWA was founded on October 17, 2001 by Gery Roif and ran a few exhibition matches on national TV before holding the initial ''Summer Splash' ...
** IPWA Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time, current)
*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 sha ...
**IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the . The title was introduced on August 8, 1998, at an NJPW live event. The IWGP Juni ...
(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 Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
[
**]NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion.
The title was announced on December 21, 2015, with the first champions crowned on January 4, 2016. Through NJPW's relationship with Ring of Honor ...
( 1 time) – with Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
and Satoshi Kojima
is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but makes appearances for Pro Wrestling Noah. Considered to be one of the greatest Japanese professional wrestlers of the 21st century and of all-time, he was the first wrest ...
[
** Super Jr. Tag Tournament (]2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
) – with Ricochet
A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
[
* NWA Midwest
**]NWA Midwest X Division Championship
The Zero1 USA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a title defended in Pro Wrestling Zero1's American affiliate Zero1 USA. The title was previously defended in the Midwest territory of the National Wrestling Alliance as the NWA Midwest X Divi ...
(2 times)[
*]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 Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time)[
*Pro Wrestling Fit
**PWF Lord Of The World 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 Publish ...
''
**Ranked No. 63 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 2009 and 2010
*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 s ...
**ROH World Tag Team Championship
The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, i ...
( 1 time) – with 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 kn ...
*''SoCal Uncensored''
**Match of the Year (2016) with Ricochet and Will Ospreay
William Peter Charles Ospreay (born 7 May 1993) is an English professional wrestler who is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion in his first reign and leader of the ...
vs. Adam Cole
Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Adam Cole. He is also known for his tenures with WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH).
C ...
and 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 Jackson and Nick Jackson) on September 3
* World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
**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 ...
( 1 time) – with Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
**Slammy Award
The Slammy Awards is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced in 1986, there have been 13 e ...
(1 time)
*** Finishing Maneuver of the Year ( 2008) –
*''Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
''
**Best Flying Wrestler
This is a list of both active and inactive ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' awards created by professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) journalist Dave Meltzer. The first fourteen awards were created in 1980 as an informal poll between ...
(2008)
** Best Wrestling Maneuver (2008) Shooting star press
Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...
** Most Underrated (2009)
See also
* List of Jewish professional wrestlers
This list of Jewish athletes in sports contains athletes who are Jewish and have attained outstanding achievements in sports. The topic of Jewish participation in sports is discussed extensively in academic and popular literature (See also: Lis ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sydal, Matt
1983 births
All Elite Wrestling personnel
American male professional wrestlers
American Buddhists
American people convicted of drug offenses
American sportspeople
Living people
Professional wrestlers from Missouri
Sportspeople from St. Louis
University of Missouri alumni
21st-century American Jews
American expatriate sportspeople in Japan
21st-century professional wrestlers
ROH World Tag Team Champions
TNA/Impact X Division Champions
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions
Open the Brave Gate Champions
OVW Heavyweight Champions
Impact Grand Champions