Suicide (wrestling)

Suicide is a professional wrestling persona, used by multiple wrestlers in Impact Wrestling (formerly Total Nonstop Action Wrestling; TNA). Suicide first appeared as a fictional character from the video game ''TNA Impact!''. In December 2008, the Suicide character was introduced on television as a real-life wrestler. Originally portrayed by Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels held the role for a time in early 2009 and went on to win the X Division Championship. In June 2010, Kiyoshi became the third man to use the gimmick. In October 2010, the gimmick was dropped, but made a brief return in January 2011, once again being portrayed by Christopher Daniels, before being dropped once again in April 2011. Suicide returned to television in May 2013 portrayed by T. J. Perkins. Austin Aries wrestled under the Suicide gimmick on the episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' which aired on June 27, 2013 and won the TNA X Division Championship. Suicide was "revealed" to be Perkins, who claimed Aries stole his ring gear, on the June 30, 2013, episode of '' Impact Wrestling''. His ring name was changed to ''Manik'', using a slightly altered version of the Suicide gear, with new music. Perkins remains the only man to have wrestled under the Manik persona. The Suicide persona returned in July 2016 for TNA One Night Only X-Travaganza 2016, portrayed by Jonathan Gresham. In March 2017, Caleb Konley became the man behind the mask.

Video game

Suicide was originally created by Midway Games as an original character for the ''TNA Impact!'' video game, released on September 9, 2008. As an original character, Midway had full license with how to use him, unlike with the other characters, who were either trademarked by TNA or by the respective wrestler. The character is voiced by Low Ki, who also did motion capture for the game and appears as himself.

In the game, Suicide is a professional wrestler moving up the ranks of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, when prior to his match for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, he is approached by The Latin American Xchange, who tell him to throw the match. Suicide does not comply and instead goes on to win the title, resulting in him beaten up beyond recognition by LAX and left for dead in Mexico. Doctors find him alive, but suffering from amnesia, and aid in his recovery while offering free plastic surgery as well. This allows the player to create their own look for Suicide, establishing his new identity in the process.

From there, Suicide (under his new identity) finds that he has a knack for professional wrestling. After success in Mexico and a U.S. Army Base, Kevin Nash recruits Suicide for the TNA roster. After conquering the X Division and the tag team division, the latter of which with Eric Young as his partner to form the tag team known collectively as Salty Biscuits, LAX kidnaps Young and orders Suicide to go and win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Kurt Angle and then drop the title to Jeff Jarrett. After regaining the World Heavyweight Championship Suicide remembers his past and finds out that it was Jarrett who called the hit on him. After Nash and Samoa Joe are able to save Young from LAX, Suicide gains revenge on Jarrett by defeating him in the match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

History

Debut and X Division Champion (2008–2011)

During every episode of TNA's primary television program, '' Impact!'', after August 14, 2008, the words "whoissuicide.com" flashed on the screen for less than a second. On the website, it showed that Suicide was being taken from the game to real life television. At Final Resolution, Suicide made his debut by attacking Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley, the Motor City Machine Guns. At Destination X, Christopher Daniels won the X Division Championship in an Ultimate X match, while using the Suicide gimmick, having replaced the injured Frankie Kazarian. On the May 14, 2009, episode of TNA, after weeks of accusing Daniels of being Suicide, the Motor City Machine Guns and Lethal Consequences (Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed) looked to remove the mask of Suicide. This prompted Daniels to come out and save Suicide from being exposed. Suicide wrestled Daniels at the Sacrifice pay-per-view event, in which Suicide retained via time limit draw after Daniels refused a victory assisted by the Motor City Machine Guns.

At Slammiversary, Suicide retained the X Division Championship against Shelley, Sabin, Lethal, and Creed in a King of the Mountain match. On July 16, Suicide lost his championship to Homicide after he cashed in his "Feast or Fired" briefcase. After not being seen for a few weeks, Suicide made his return at Hard Justice to compete in the Steel Asylum match, which he lost because of D'Angelo Dinero. On the August 20 edition of ''Impact!'' Suicide attacked Dinero after his match with Consequences Creed. On the September 17 edition of ''Impact!'' Dinero defeated Suicide in a grudge match. At No Surrender Dinero defeated Suicide again, this time in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The following week on ''Impact!'' Suicide finally defeated Dinero, by doing the Suicide Solution on a trash can in a street fight. On the October 15 edition of ''Impact!'' Homicide stole Suicide's costume and claims to now know his true identity. On the December 3 edition ''Impact!'' Suicide made peace with Dinero and joined him, Matt Morgan and Hernandez in their war with Rhino, Team 3D and Jesse Neal