Shaun Edward Ricker (born November 1, 1982) is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
and actor. He is signed to
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
, where he performs on the
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
under the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname 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 ...
LA Knight.
Ricker began his professional wrestling career on the
independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...
in 2003 and he joined the
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
(NWA) affiliated
Championship Wrestling from Hollywood
Championship Wrestling (formally known as Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH)) is an American professional wrestling promotion and television program created by David Marquez, who serves as the promotion's president and on-camera intervi ...
(CW) in 2010. Ricker signed with WWE in 2013 and performed as an enhancement talent under the ring name Slate Randall until being released in 2014. After adopting the ring name Eli Drake, Ricker signed with
TNA TNA may refer to:
Organisations
* Tamil National Alliance, a political coalition in Sri Lanka
* The National Alliance, a political party in Kenya
* The National Archives (United Kingdom), a UK public body
* Tonga Nurses' Association, a trade union ...
in 2015 and won the
TNA World Championship
The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
(with
Scott Steiner
Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler.
Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett ...
) once each and twice won the Feast or Fired briefcase.
Ricker departed TNA in 2019 and rejoined the NWA, winning the
NWA World Tag Team Championship
The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed List of National Wrestling Alliance territories ...
(with
James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
). He re-signed with WWE in 2021 under the ring name LA Knight and won the
Million Dollar Championship
The Million Dollar Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the American promotion WWE. The title was originally introduced in 1989 by "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who was unable to win or purchase the WWF Championship ...
once. Ricker was then repackaged as a manager and renamed Max Dupri in 2022 but later reverted to his original ring name. He gained increased popularity in early 2023 and won the WWE United States Championship twice, firstly at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
the following year.
Outside of wrestling, Ricker appeared on the reality television series '' The Hero'' and the comedy series ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
''. He has provided
motion capture
Motion capture (sometimes referred as mocap or mo-cap, for short) is the process of recording high-resolution motion (physics), movement of objects or people into a computer system. It is used in Military science, military, entertainment, sports ...
for other WWE wrestlers for the ''
WWE 2K
''WWE 2K'', formerly released as ''WWF SmackDown!'', ''WWE SmackDown!'', ''WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw'', ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw'', ''WWE'', and ''Exciting Pro Wrestling'' in Japan, is a series of professional wrestling sports simulation video game ...
'' video game series and voiced a fictional character in ''
WWE 2K22
''WWE 2K22'' is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the eighth game under the ''WWE 2K'' banner, a ...
''.
Early life
Shaun Edward Ricker was born in
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. The population was 43,527 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's List of municipalities in Maryland, sixth-most popu ...
, on November 1, 1982. He has two older siblings and started watching professional wrestling at the age of three. He graduated from North Hagerstown High School.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (2003–2010)
Ricker moved to
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
and began training at the age of 20 on March 17, 2003, supporting himself with work at a lumber mill and a Ruby Tuesday restaurant. He began working regularly for the
Heartland Wrestling Association
The Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) was a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wres ...
(HWA) later that year under the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname 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 ...
Brian Cage
Brian Christopher Joseph Buttontag 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 establis ...
and winning the NWA Heritage Tag Team Championship from The RockNES Monsters on December 8. After holding the titles for over 200 days, The Natural Selection lost them to The Tribe when Cage missed the event, causing the match to become a
handicap match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. Ricker then feuded with Cage for several months, staying even on victories until he defeated Cage to end their feud in late 2012.
On December 24, Ricker unsuccessfully challenged
Adam Pearce
Adam John Pearce (born June 24, 1978) is an American retired professional wrestler and executive employed by WWE as Director of Live Events, producer, trainer, and on-screen general manager of the Raw brand.
Pearce is a former five-time NW ...
for the
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professiona ...
. However, he won the Percy Pringle III Cup, where the winner earned a shot at any championship at any time and place. On May 5, 2013, Ricker won the 30-Man Red Carpet Rumble for the CWFH Heritage Heavyweight Championship in homage to his late friend and
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Percy Pringle. That same night, he successfully defended the title against Ryan Taylor.
Ricker would lose the championship to
Scorpio Sky
Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former two-time AEW TNT Champion and ...
in a Loser Leaves Hollywood match later that night; this match was scheduled to air on June 2, on tape delay, but was never aired due to the controversial finish. After the cameras went off, Ricker got on the microphone and thanked all of the fans for coming out, saying it would be the last time he would be seen in a ring for Championship Wrestling from Hollywood. All of the wrestlers came out from the back and gave Ricker a standing ovation. However, he made one more final television appearance, defeating Sky's fellow Experience members Big Duke and Xtian Cole.
WWE (2013–2014)
In May 2013, Ricker was one of many independent wrestlers undergoing the necessary medical testing required to be signed by
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
before he reported to the
WWE Performance Center
WWE Performance Center (WWE PC) is a group of professional wrestling schools owned by American company WWE. They serve as tryout and training facilities for WWE, and also contain sports science and medical facilities as well as live events and ...
. He had previously made sporadic appearances in WWE over the years; he teamed with Jonathan Good in a losing effort against
Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
in a
dark
Darkness is the condition resulting from a lack of illumination, or an absence of visible light.
Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low luminance because the hue-sensitive photoreceptor cells on the retina are ...
handicap match in May 2006, teamed with
Gene Snitsky
Eugene Alan Snisky (born January 14, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Gene Snitsky, who is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment. He played college football at the Universit ...
in a losing effort against Cryme Tyme ( JTG and Shad Gaspard) on '' ECW'' in 2008, and played a security guard during a segment featuring
CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
and
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor, podcaster and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Ac ...
on '' Raw'' in August 2011.
Upon signing with WWE, Ricker was given the ring name Slate Randall and made his debut by defeating
Yoshi Tatsu
is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Yoshi Tatsu.
Yamamoto started his professional wrestling career under his real name in October 2002 with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he remaine ...
in a dark match during an October 2013 taping of '' NXT''. Following that victory, he competed as a jobber for NXT, losing to names such as
Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 14, 1984) is an American professional wrestler, Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner, former professional football player and former amateur boxer. He is wrestling as a freelancer under the ring name Bishop Dyer, appea ...
,
Mojo Rawley
Dean Muhtadi (; born July 17, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former American football player. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Mojo Rawley. He has also become known in football bettin ...
, and
Mason Ryan
Barri Griffiths (born 13 January 1982) is a Welsh stunt performer, actor, and former Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE, where he performed under the ring name Mason Ryan from 2009 to 2014. He j ...
. He was released from his WWE contract on August 1, 2014.
Return to the independent circuit (2014–2019)
After his release from WWE, Ricker returned to wrestling on the
independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...
and began competing under the ring name Eli Drake. On September 5, at
Full Impact Pro
Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...
's ''Fallout'', he participated in a trios tournament along with
Mason Ryan
Barri Griffiths (born 13 January 1982) is a Welsh stunt performer, actor, and former Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE, where he performed under the ring name Mason Ryan from 2009 to 2014. He j ...
and
Michael Tarver
Tyrone Evans (born March 8, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and rapper known as Michael Tarver. He is best known for his time with WWE where he appeared on the first season of ''WWE NXT'' and later debuted as a member of the faction ...
, but they were defeated by the Full Impact Puerto Ricans (
Lince Dorado
José Rafael Cordero (born May 11, 1987), better known by the ring name Lince Dorado (Spanish for Golden Lynx), is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a wrestler and a trainer at the WWE Performance Center.
Cordero began h ...
, Jay Cruz, and Jay Rios) in the semifinals. On November 21, Ricker defeated Kenny King at FSW Luck of the Draw.
On May 11, 2019, Drake lost a fatal four-way match at a Maverick Pro Wrestling event. He made his debut for
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council (WWC; Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha") is a professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón, Victor Jovica, and Goril ...
in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling / Impact Wrestling (2015–2019)
The Rising (2015–2016)
On February 16, 2015, Drake participated in
TNA One Night Only
''One Night Only'' was a series of professional wrestling events held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) launched in April 2013. The concept was announced on January 11, 2013 by then-Total Nonstop Action (TNA) President Dixie Carter (wrestlin ...
's
TNA Gut Check
In professional wrestling, the TNA Gut Check (formerly known as the Impact Wrestling Gut Check) was a tryout program turned indy wrestling rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a pr ...
tournament, defeating
Crazzy Steve
Steven Scott (born March 4, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler under the ring name Crazzy Steve. He is best known for his tenures in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former TNA Digital Media Champion and a former TNA World ...
to qualify for a five-way elimination match won by Tevita Fifita. On the March 27 episode of ''
Impact Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
'', he joined
Drew Galloway
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began his career in 2001 in the United Kingdom wit ...
and Micah to form The Rising, defeating The Beat Down Clan in his debut. On the July 1 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', The Beat Down Clan defeated The Rising in a 4-on-3 handicap match, forcing The Rising to dissolve.
On the July 15 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake turned
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 exerted ...
when he cost Galloway a match against
TNA World Heavyweight Champion
The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
Ethan Carter III
Michael Hutter (born March 18, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Ethan Carter III (or simply EC3). He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a f ...
. Drake defeated Galloway at No Surrender on August 5 but lost a No Disqualification rematch on August 19 at Turning Point. At Bound for Glory on October 4, Drake competed in the Bound For Gold Gauntlet, which was won by Tyrus. He then participated in the TNA World Title Series as a member of group Future 4, along with
Jessie Godderz
Jessie Godderz (born April 23, 1986), also known as Mr. PEC-Tacular, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He competes for Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he is a two-time OVW National Heavyweight Champion, one-time OVW Television ...
, Micah and
Crimson
Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple.
It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, '' Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red col ...
, advancing in the round of 16 along with Godderz, where he lost in the round of 16 to
Mahabali Shera
Amanpreet Singh Randhawa (born 2 May 1990) is an Indian professional wrestler signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and Ohio Valley Wrestling where he performs under the ring name Mahabali Shera or simply Shera. He also had a brief stint ...
, being eliminated from the tournament. At TNA One Night Only: Live! on January 8, 2016, Drake and Godderz competed in a 3-Way
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
match, which The Wolves won.
On January 26, 2016, Drake won the Feast or Fired match and the briefcase that contained a title shot for the future
TNA King Of The Mountain Championship TNA may refer to:
Organisations
* Tamil National Alliance, a political coalition in Sri Lanka
* The National Alliance, a political party in Kenya
* The National Archives (United Kingdom), a UK public body
* Tonga Nurses' Association, a trade uni ...
. On the February 9 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake was attacked by
Grado
Grado may refer to:
People
* Cristina Grado (1939–2016), Italian film actress
* Jonathan Grado (born 1991), American entrepreneur and photographer
* Francesco De Grado (fl. 1694–1730), Italian engraver
* Gaetano Grado, Italian mafioso
* Grad ...
, who had been fired after his Feast or Fired briefcase contained the pink slip. Later that night, Drake interrupted him backstage, telling him "he better shut up about whatever he thinks he knows" and attacked Grado again, having him escorted out of the building through the tunnel. On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake lost to Grado, who was masked as Odarg the Great. On the March 15 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', he faced Grado in a
ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
with Grado's career on the line, but was defeated.
Fact of Life and Namer of Dummies (2016–2017)
On the May 31 episode of ''Impact on
Pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
'', Drake cashed in his Feast or Fired briefcase for his shot at the TNA King of the Mountain Championship, defeating
Bram
Bram may refer to:
People
* Bram (given name)
* Bram (surname)
* Thom Latimer (born 1986), English professional wrestler better known as his former ring name ″Bram″
* Bram Tchaikovsky (born 1950), stage name of British musician Peter Bramall
* ...
, who was just viciously attacked by Lashley, winning his first title in TNA. He successfully defended the title against Bram on June 12 at
Slammiversary
Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of TNA pay-per-view events, event produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. It is one of TNA's “Big Four” PPV events (along with TNA Hard To Kill, Hard ...
. On the June 28 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake hosted a ''Fact of Life'' segment, inviting
James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
as his guest and insulting him; Storm eventually hit Drake with the
Last Call
In a Bar (establishment), bar, a last call (last orders) is an Wiktionary:announcement, announcement made shortly before the bar closes for the night, informing patrons of their last chance to buy alcoholic beverages. There are various means to ...
, igniting a feud between the two. On the July 5 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake defended the King of the Mountain Championship against Storm, but intentionally disqualified himself to save the title. On the August 4 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake lost the championship to Storm. He entered the
Impact Grand Championship
The Impact Grand Championship was a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Gimmick/style championships, championship owned by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Impact Wrestling.
History
The title was introduced at the August 1 ...
tournament, defeating Godderz in the first round but lost to Aron Rex in the semi-finals.
At Bound for Glory on October 2, Drake won the Bound for Gold Gauntlet by last eliminating Tyrus. After this, Drake started a feud against
Ethan Carter III
Michael Hutter (born March 18, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Ethan Carter III (or simply EC3). He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a f ...
. On the November 10 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake cashed in his Bound for Gold opportunity, but failed to win the
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
from Eddie Edwards. On the November 24 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake faced EC3 in a title shot vs. voice match where if Ethan lost, he would lose his heavyweight title shot, and if Drake lost, he would not be able to talk for the rest of 2016; EC3 won by submission.
At One Night Only: Live! on January 6, 2017, Drake and Tyrus unsuccessfully challenged The Broken Hardys for the TNA World Tag Team Championship. Tyrus helped Drake take the red case during the Race for the Case on the January 19 episode of ''Impact Wrestling''. On the February 2 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake cashed in his Race for the Case briefcase for a match against Ethan Carter III, but lost. After the match, he and Tyrus attacked EC3, but were assaulted by the Death Crew Council. On the following episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake abandoned Tyrus during their handicap match against The Death Crew Council, causing them to lose. A match was scheduled between Drake and Tyrus two weeks later, which ended in a disqualification victory for Tyrus. After the match, Drake proposed more money to Tyrus for keeping him as a bodyguard, which Tyrus accepted.
On the May 11 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', with help from Tyrus and Chris Adonis, he attacked Impact Grand Champion
Moose
The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...
after his match against
Marshe Rockett
Marshé Rockett (born January 5, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he performs under the ring name Carnage as a member of Blunt Force Trauma, and is a former ...
. On the June 1 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake failed to win the Impact Grand Championship from Moose. At
Slammiversary
Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of TNA pay-per-view events, event produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. It is one of TNA's “Big Four” PPV events (along with TNA Hard To Kill, Hard ...
on July 2, Drake and Adonis lost to Moose and
DeAngelo Williams
DeAngelo Chondon Williams (born April 25, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Memphis Tigers, earning first-team All-Am ...
.
Impact Global Champion (2017–2018)
On the August 24 episode of ''Impact!'', Drake won a 20-man gauntlet match, as the second entrant, to win the vacant GFW Global Championship for the first time; it was later renamed to the Impact Global Championship. This was Drake's first world title reign from a major wrestling promotion in his career. He would retain the title against
Matt Sydal
Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983), better known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his tenure with WWE from 2008 to 2014 under the ring nam ...
on ''Impact'', and against
Cody Hall
Cody Taylor Hall (born May 31, 1991) is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a former member of the Bullet Club stable. Hall is a second generation wrestler, as ...
in Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah. Drake successfully defended the title against
Johnny Impact
John Randall Hennigan (born October 3, 1979), better known by his ring name John Morrison, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Johnny TV. He also perfo ...
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
on January 25, 2018 in a Six Sides of Steel match also involving Alberto El Patron. He lost his renamed Impact World Championship on the February 1 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' against the returning
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. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...
, ending his reign at 146 days. On the February 15 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake failed to regain the title from Aries.
On the March 15 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake won a briefcase during the Feast or Fired containing an opportunity for an
Impact World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion. The current champions are The Nemeth Brothers ( Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth), ...
match, which he refused as he no longer had a tag team partner. He defeated Moose for his World Championship briefcase on the April 5 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' after interference from
Ohio Versus Everything
Ohio Versus Everything (oVe) was a professional wrestling stable in Impact Wrestling that consisted of Sami Callihan, Jake Crist, and Madman Fulton and Rich Swann.
The group's name was based on a majority of the members over the faction's lif ...
. At Redemption on April 22, Drake and his tag team partner
Scott Steiner
Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler.
Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett ...
defeated
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 succ ...
to win the Impact World Tag Team Championship. On the April 26 episode of ''Impact!'', Drake and Steiner defeated LAX in a rematch to retain the titles. Two weeks later, Drake cashed in his World Championship briefcase against Pentagón Jr., but failed to win the title. After losing the titles to D&E ( DJZ and
Andrew Everett
Drew Everett Wenkel (born July 9, 1992), better known by the ring name Andrew Everett, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he was a former Impact World Tag Team ...
) on the May 17 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake and Steiner had a match on May 31 at
Under Pressure
"Under Pressure" is a song by the British rock band Queen and singer David Bowie. Originally released as a single in October 1981, it was later included on Queen's tenth studio album ''Hot Space'' (1982). The song reached number one on the U ...
, which Drake won after a chair shot.
On the June 7 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', during his ''Fact of Life'' segment, Drake ranked Moose number one in his top five dummies in Impact. Moose confronted Drake later and challenged him for a match to determine the number one contender to the
Impact World Championship
The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like mo ...
at Slammiversary XVI. Drake accepted the challenge and attacked Moose. The following week at ''House of Hardcore'', Drake lost to Moose. On June 25, Eli Drake signed a new contract with Impact Wrestling. On the July 12 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake flirted with
Grado
Grado may refer to:
People
* Cristina Grado (1939–2016), Italian film actress
* Jonathan Grado (born 1991), American entrepreneur and photographer
* Francesco De Grado (fl. 1694–1730), Italian engraver
* Gaetano Grado, Italian mafioso
* Grad ...
's girlfriend, Katarina, during a backstage segment. This led to a match between Drake and Grado later that night, which was won by Drake. After the match, he tried again to flirt with Katarina, but Drake was stopped by
Joe Hendry
Joe Hendry (born 1 May 1988) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and musician. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), while also making appearances for partner promotion WWE on its NXT (WWE brand), NXT WW ...
. On the August 2 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake aligned himself with the Cult of Lee ( Trevor Lee and Caleb Konley) and defeated Hendry and Grado. Drake issued various open challenges by this time, including one at Bound for Glory. At the event on October 14, Drake defeated James Ellsworth. After the match, Drake asked for a new challenger, a "Hall of Fame material" which resulted in
Abyss
Abyss may refer to:
Religion
* Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld
* Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema
Film and television
* ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...
Feuding with hardcore wrestlers and departure (2018–2019)
On the October 18 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake "sued" Impact Wrestling management for "unsafe working environment" after the attack of Abyss at Bound for Glory. On the November 8 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake betrayed his lawyer Joseph Park after a low-blow. The following week, Drake criticized hardcore wrestling before being confronted by
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestli ...
. Two weeks later, Drake lost to Dreamer via count-out after walking away from the match. However, the match was restarted by Impact Wrestling management and became a No Disqualification match, which Drake won. On the January 3, 2019 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake was confronted and attacked by Dreamer and
Raven
A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
. At
Impact Wrestling Homecoming
Homecoming is a professional wrestling event held by Impact Wrestling. The first event was held in 2019 and saw the promotion's return to its initial home arena, The Asylum in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the ...
three days later, Drake defeated Abyss in a
Monster's Ball match
A Monster's Ball match is a professional wrestling, hardcore match type that originated in and is primarily staged by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA - known as Impact Wrestling from 2017–2023).
The key premise of the match is that all cont ...
.
On the January 11 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Drake confronted Eddie Edwards, talking down about his hardcore style, leading to a match on the February 22 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', where Edwards defeated Drake with a roll-up. Shortly after, Drake formed a tag team with Edwards, challenging the
Lucha Bros
The Lucha Brothers were a Mexican professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Penta and Rey Fénix. They are signed to WWE, where Penta performs on the Raw brand while Fénix performs on the SmackDown brand. They are appeared in All ...
for the Impact World Tag Team Championship on the April 19 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' in a losing effort.
During this time, a match was booked between Drake and
Tessa Blanchard
Tessa Blanchard (born July 26, 1995) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where she is a former Impact World Champion, and a former Impact Knockouts Champion. She previously performed for ...
at United We Stand. However, he legitimately refused to partake in the match and criticized
intergender wrestling
Intergender wrestling, also known as mixed wrestling, is a type of professional wrestling (staged and choreographed) match between a man and a woman and may also refer to tag team matches with both men and women on each team. History
For most of ...
, and was replaced in the match by Joey Ryan. After his comments, as well as statements he had made disparaging Impact's booking of him, Drake was fired via email on April 7, ending his four-year tenure with the promotion. Following this, Impact tried to lock him into a non-compete clause due to breach of contract. On June 4, Drake released a statement speaking positively about his time at Impact and announced that he was now a free agent.
Return to NWA (2019–2021)
On June 28, 2019, Ricker (as Eli Drake) appeared at the
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; the promotion was subs ...
Nick Aldis
Nicholas Harry Aldis (born 6 November 1986) is an English professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a producer and the on-screen general manager of the SmackDown brand. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wres ...
and the newest person to sign an exclusive deal with the
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
(NWA). At Hard Times on January 24, 2020, Drake and
James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
defeated
The Rock 'n' Roll Express
The Rock 'n' Roll Express is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of professional wrestlers Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton. The duo began teaming together in Memphis in the early 1980s, followed by Mid-South Wrestling (later to be known a ...
(
Ricky Morton
Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an American professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit. For most of his career, Morton has performed with Robert Gibson (wrestler), Robert Gibson as the Rock 'n' Roll ...
Thom Latimer
Thomas Raymond Latimer (born 6 August 1986) is an English professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is the current NWA World's Heavyweight Champion in his first reign.
Latimer began his ...
UWN Primetime Live
''UWN Primetime Live'' was a weekly professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) produced by the United Wrestling Network (UWN) and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
History
On August 10, 2020, the United Wrestling Network (UWN) released a ...
, Drake and Storm would drop the titles to
Aron Stevens
Aron Steven Haddad (born August 3, 1982) is an American retired professional wrestler working as a manager in the National Wrestling Alliance under the name Aron Stevens.
He is best known for wrestling with WWE under the ring name Damien Sandow ...
and JR Kratos. On February 14, 2021, it was announced that Ricker had been quietly released from the NWA in late 2020 after only signing a new deal with the company a few months beforehand.
Return to WWE (2021–present)
Million Dollar Champion and Maximum Male Models (2021–2022)
On February 14, 2021, it was reported that Ricker had re-signed with
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
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 exerted ...
under the new
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname 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 ...
NXT North American Championship
The NXT North American Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended as the secondary men's championship of NXT, the promotion's developmental brand. The current champi ...
match, eliminating
Dexter Lumis
Samuel Robert Shaw (born January 17, 1984) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Dexter Lumis ( ) and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction. He is also known fo ...
before being eliminated by Bronson Reed.
Knight aligned himself with
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (; born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator. He is signed to WWE as of 2024, where he works in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship succ ...
on the May 25 episode of ''NXT'' after attacking
Cameron Grimes
Trevor Lee Caddell (born September 30, 1993) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE as Cameron Grimes and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Impact Wrestling as Trevor Lee.
Caddell mad ...
during their segment. This culminated in a
ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
between the two for the re-introduced
Million Dollar Championship
The Million Dollar Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the American promotion WWE. The title was originally introduced in 1989 by "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who was unable to win or purchase the WWF Championship ...
at TakeOver: In Your House on June 13, which was won by Knight. During the championship ceremony on the following episode of ''NXT'', Knight turned on DiBiase, attacking him before being driven off by Grimes. On the June 29 episode of ''NXT'', Grimes challenged Knight for the title at
The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event held during the summer and has been produced by the American promotion WWE since 2004; since 2020, it has been held as an annual event for WWE's developmental brand, NXT. Created by Dus ...
, which he accepted on the condition that if Grimes lost, he would become Knight's personal butler. At The Great American Bash on July 6, Knight retained the title against Grimes, who became Knight's butler per the stipulation. On the August 10 episode of ''NXT'', Knight agreed to defend the championship against Grimes at
NXT TakeOver 36
NXT TakeOver 36 was the 36th and final NXT TakeOver professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place on August 22, 2021, ...
on the condition that DiBiase would replace Grimes as Knight's butler if Knight won. At the event on August 22, Knight lost the title to Grimes following interference from DiBiase, ending his reign at 70 days.
On the November 23 episode of ''NXT'', Knight turned
face
The face is the front of the 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 affect th ...
by confronting Grayson Waller, who had turned heel by berating the fans. At
WarGames
''WarGames'' is a 1983 American techno-thriller film directed by John Badham, written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes, and starring Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood and Ally Sheedy. Broderick plays David Lightman, a ...
on December 5, Knight teamed with
Johnny Gargano
John Anthony Nicholas Gargano (born August 14, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is one-half of #DIY with Tommaso Ciampa. Gargano is known for his time in NXT, where ...
,
Pete Dunne
Peter Thomas England (born 9 November 1993) is an English professional wrestler best known under the ring name Pete Dunne. As of April 2017, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, and is one-half of the New Catch Republic wit ...
, and
Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Whitney (born May 8, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Tommaso Ciampa () and ...
as Team Black & Gold, where they were defeated by Team 2.0 (
Bron Breakker
Bronson Rechsteiner (born October 24, 1997) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Bron Breakker. He is a former two-time WWE Intercontinenta ...
,
Carmelo Hayes
Christian Brigham (born August 1, 1994) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Carmelo Hayes. He ...
, Waller, and
Tony D'Angelo
Joseph Ariola (born June 9, 1995) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT (WWE brand), NXT WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Tony D'Angelo. Working with a American Mafia, mafia gimmick ...
) in a
WarGames match
WarGames is a specialized steel cage match in professional wrestling. The match usually involves two teams of four or more wrestlers locked inside a steel cage that encompasses two rings placed side by side. The cage may or may not have a roof, de ...
. On March 8, 2022, at
Roadblock
A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:
* Roadworks
*Temporary road closure during special events
* Police chase
*Robbery
* Sobriety checkpoint
* Protests
In peaceful ...
, Knight lost to Waller in a
Last Man Standing match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. The following week on ''NXT'', he faced
Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he performs under his real name, stylized as Nic Nemeth, where he is one-half of the TNA World Tag ...
for the
NXT Championship
The NXT Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended as the top men's championship of NXT (WWE brand), NXT, the promotion's Farm team, de ...
in a losing effort. After this, Knight started a brief feud with
Gunther
Gundaharius or Gundahar (died 437), better known by his legendary names Gunther () or Gunnar (), was a historical King of the Burgundians in the early 5th century. Gundahar is attested as ruling his people shortly after they crossed the Rhine ...
, culminating in a match at NXT Stand & Deliver on April 2, which he lost in what would be his final NXT match.
Knight made his first main roster appearance on the January 24, 2022 episode of '' Raw'', participating in a backstage segment with The Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler and
Robert Roode
Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a Producer (professional wrestling), producer and was formerly an in-ring performer.
Roode is known ...
). In a dark segment before the April 15 episode of ''
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'', Knight appeared as a heel
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
by announcing his new stable, "Knight Model Management", and became the manager of Mace and
Mansoor
Mansour (, Manṣūr); also spelled Mounsor, Monsur (Bengali), Mansoor, Manser, Mansur, Mansyur (Indonesian) or Mensur (Turkish), is a male Arabic name that means "He who is victorious", from the Arabic root '' naṣr'' (نصر), meaning "victory ...
. The angle went to television on the May 20 episode of ''SmackDown'', when he made his televised debut on the
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
under the ring name Max Dupri, adopting the character of a talent agent. On the July 1 episode of ''SmackDown'', Dupri announced Mace and Mansoor, under the tweaked names "ma.çé" and "mån.sôör", as Maximum Male Models. Later that month, he was joined by his storyline sister Maxxine Dupri. Dupri ended his relationship with Maximum Male Models on the September 30 episode of ''SmackDown''. The following week, he beat down Mace and Mansoor and reverted to his LA Knight persona.
Rise in popularity (2022–2024)
After a brief feud 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 ...
, Knight became involved in a feud with
Bray Wyatt
Windham Lawrence Rotunda (May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023), better known by his ring name Bray Wyatt, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023.
Rotunda was a third-generati ...
in November and lost to Wyatt in a
Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries and colloquially known as Dew in some areas, is a soft drink brand owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage Bottler (company), bottlers Barney and A ...
Pitch Black match at the
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on January 28, 2023; this was Wyatt's final WWE match before his death seven months later.
Over the next few months, Knight’s popularity stayed with the fans even though he had a poor win-loss record. On the June 2 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knight defeated
Montez Ford
Kenneth Crawford (born May 31, 1990) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Montez Ford. He is one ...
ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
Damian Priest
Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Damian Priest and is a former one-time World Heavyweight Champion. He is also know ...
, who threw Knight off the ladder to grab the briefcase. On the July 28 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knight was confirmed to be an entrant in the Slim Jim
Battle Royal
Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
match at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 5, which he won by last eliminating
Sheamus
Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand under the ring name Sheamus.
Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on th ...
. Two nights later on ''Raw'', after months of performing as a tweener, he turned
face
The face is the front of the 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 affect th ...
when he began a feud with
The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fame a ...
. At Payback on September 2, Knight defeated Miz with
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
as the surprise special guest referee. Two weeks later on the September 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knight defeated Miz in a rematch, ending their feud.
On the September 29 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knight assisted Cena against
Jimmy Uso
Jonathan Solofa Fatu (born August 22, 1985), better known by his ring name Jimmy Uso, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand. He is a member ...
and
Solo Sikoa
Joseph Yokozuna Fatu (born March 18, 1993) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Solo Sikoa and is the second leader of The Bloodline.
After Fatu played college ...
AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (or A.J. Styles), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, ...
who had been injured by Jimmy and Solo. At Fastlane on October 7, Knight and Cena defeated Jimmy and Solo after Knight pinned Uso. Three days later, Knight returned to ''NXT'' as the special guest referee for the
NXT Championship
The NXT Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended as the top men's championship of NXT (WWE brand), NXT, the promotion's Farm team, de ...
match between
Ilja Dragunov
Ilja Rukober (; born 10 October 1993), known by his ring name Ilja Dragunov (), is a Russian-born, German- naturalised professional wrestler. As of January 2019, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is currently inacti ...
and
NXT North American Champion
The NXT North American Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended as the secondary men's championship of NXT, the promotion's developmental brand. The current champio ...
Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Óscar Gutiérrez (born April 5, 1997) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Dominik Mysterio, and he is a member of The Judgment Day stable. He is the current ...
. Knight would then enter into a feud with
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion
The American professional wrestling promotion WWE has maintained several men's Professional wrestling world championship, world championships since Capitol Wrestling Corporation seceded from the National Wrestling Alliance in 1963 to become the ...
Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph Anoaʻi ( ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former gridiron football, football player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he performs on the Sm ...
, leading to a title match being announced for Crown Jewel on November 4, where Knight lost to Reigns after interference from Jimmy. At ''SmackDown'': New Year's Revolution on January 5, 2024, Knight faced
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
and Styles in a triple threat match to determine who would face Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, which ended in a no contest after The Bloodline took out all three competitors. SmackDown General Manager
Nick Aldis
Nicholas Harry Aldis (born 6 November 1986) is an English professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a producer and the on-screen general manager of the SmackDown brand. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wres ...
then announced that Reigns would defend his title in a fatal-four way match against Knight, Styles, and Orton at the Royal Rumble on January 27, which Reigns won by pinning Styles.
Knight competed in the men's
Elimination Chamber match
Elimination may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Elimination reaction, an organic reaction in which two functional groups split to form an organic product
*Bodily waste elimination, discharging feces, urine, or foreign substances from the body ...
at the titular event on February 24, where he was eliminated by
Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began ...
after Styles interrupted the match and attacked him. On the March 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knight challenged Styles to a match at
WrestleMania XL
WrestleMania XL was a 2024 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 40th annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturd ...
, which Styles accepted. On Night 2 of WrestleMania XL on April 7, Knight defeated Styles. The following week on ''SmackDown'', Knight participated in the Undisputed WWE Championship Eliminator Tournament, defeating
Bobby Lashley
Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and is one-half of the AEW World Tag Team C ...
and Santos Escobar in the semifinals. Knight was defeated by Styles in the finals on the April 19 episode of ''SmackDown'', ending their feud. In May, Knight entered the
King of the Ring tournament
The King of the Ring tournament is a men's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1985, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Don Mur ...
, defeating Santos Escobar in the first round at a live event in
Chattanooga
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
but lost to
Tama Tonga
Alipate Aloisio Fifita Leone (born October 15, 1982), better known by his ring name Tama Tonga (), is a Tongan-American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand where he is a former WWE Tag Team Ch ...
Logan Paul
Logan Alexander Paul (born April 1, 1995) is an American influencer, professional wrestler, Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, boxing, boxer, and actor. He has over 23 million subscribers on his YouTube channel ''Logan Paul Vlogs'' and has ranked ...
, who he pinned in a triple threat match on the June 28 episode of ''SmackDown'' 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 performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate WWE Money in the Bank, Money in the Bank event w ...
on July 6, which was won by McIntyre. At
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
on August 3, Knight defeated Paul to win the United States Championship. Throughout his reign, he successfully defended the title on ''SmackDown'' against Santos Escobar, against Ludwig Kaiser in Kaiser's home country of
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and in a triple threat match against
Andrade
Andrade (/ɐ̃ˈdɾa.d͡ʒi/ (Brazil), �̃ˈdɾa.ðɨ(Portugal), or �n̪ˈd̪ɾa.ð̞e(Spanish)) is a surname of Kingdom of Galicia, Galician origin, which emerged in the 12th century as the family name of the knights and lords of the sma ...
and
Carmelo Hayes
Christian Brigham (born August 1, 1994) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Carmelo Hayes. He ...
at Crown Jewel on November 2.On the November 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knight retained the title against Berto, after which he was attacked by a returning
Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand.
Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his first rei ...
. At Survivor Series: WarGames on November 30, Knight lost the United States Championship to Nakamura, ending his reign at 119 days. He received his rematch for the title on the January 10, 2025 episode of ''SmackDown'', winning via disqualification after being attacked by
Tama Tonga
Alipate Aloisio Fifita Leone (born October 15, 1982), better known by his ring name Tama Tonga (), is a Tongan-American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand where he is a former WWE Tag Team Ch ...
and
Jacob Fatu
Jacob Fatu (born April 18, 1992) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand and is the WWE United States Champion in his List of WWE United States Champions, first re ...
of The Bloodline (led by
Solo Sikoa
Joseph Yokozuna Fatu (born March 18, 1993) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Solo Sikoa and is the second leader of The Bloodline.
After Fatu played college ...
, who replaced Reigns' leadership in mid-2024). However, Nakamura remained champion as titles do not change hands via disqualification unless stipulated. At
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
on February 1, Knight entered his first
Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic battle royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
at number 29, where he eliminated
Damian Priest
Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Damian Priest and is a former one-time World Heavyweight Champion. He is also know ...
before being eliminated by the returning AJ Styles. On the March 7 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knight defeated Nakamura in a rematch to win his second United States Championship. On Night 1 of
WrestleMania 41
WrestleMania 41, also promoted as WrestleMania Vegas, was a 2025 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 41st annual WrestleMania and to ...
on April 19, Knight lost the title to Jacob Fatu, ending his second reign at 43 days.
Championship pursuits (2025–present)
On the May 23 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knight competed in a
triple threat match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called " 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 storyline. ...
against Shinsuke Nakamura and
Aleister Black
Tom Büdgen (born 19 May 1985) is a Dutch professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Aleister Black.
Before signing with WWE, Büdgen was known for his extensive work on the indep ...
ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...
, but failed to win the match at the namesake event on June 7.
Professional wrestling persona and popularity
Many fans have favorably likened Knight's brash gimmick and promo style to that of The Rock or
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson and later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, producer and retired Professional wrestling, profes ...
, complimenting his recognizable catchphrases and considering his charismatic trash-talking character a throwback to the
Attitude Era
The Attitude Era was a major era of professional wrestling within the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The term "WWF Attitude" was used to describe its programming from November 9, 1997 to May 6, 2002. It began during the Monday Ni ...
. The same comparison has also been made in a negative fashion, notably by former wrestler
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor, podcaster and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is also known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Ac ...
.
Knight began to gain a notable amount of popularity in early 2023; despite his feud with
Bray Wyatt
Windham Lawrence Rotunda (May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023), better known by his ring name Bray Wyatt, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023.
Rotunda was a third-generati ...
being written to re-establish the returning Wyatt as a monster character, Knight's ability to hold his own verbally throughout the feud led fans to start siding with him. In an interview with
Chris Van Vliet
Christopher Van Vliet (born May 19, 1983) is a Canadian television/radio personality and YouTuber currently living in Studio City, Los Angeles. He was born and raised in Pickering, Ontario.
He is an entertainment reporter for FOX affiliate WSV ...
, he stated that he first noticed how fast his popularity was growing when the crowd cheered loudly as his entrance music began upon walking out to confront
Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
Galloway began ...
and
Sheamus
Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand under the ring name Sheamus.
Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on th ...
on ''
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'' on March 3, 2023.
Since early 2023, fans and critics alike have been vocal about WWE's poor booking of Knight; this includes his high rate of losses since joining the main roster, not appearing at
WrestleMania 39
WrestleMania 39, also promoted as WrestleMania Goes Hollywood, was a 2023 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 39th annual WrestleM ...
despite WWE promising an "LA Knight moment" at the event, and losing the 2023 Money in the Bank ladder match after WWE acknowledged him as the clear favorite to win by allowing him more promo time than the other competitors in the weeks leading up to the match. Many former wrestlers and wrestling personalities, such as
Konnan
Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. On ...
and
Jim Cornette
James Mark Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author, sports historian, and podcaster who previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, photographer, promoter, tra ...
, have been critical of WWE's poor treatment of Knight and failure to capitalize on him despite his popularity continuing to grow among fans.
Paul "Triple H" Levesque
Paul Michael Levesque (; born July 27, 1969), also known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as its chief content officer.
Levesque began his wre ...
, WWE's chief content officer and the head of its creative team, acknowledged Knight's popularity during the Money in the Bank post-show press conference and said that "great things come to those who wait". Cornette named Knight his "Wrestler of the Year" for 2023.
Knight's overall presentation began to improve when he was elevated to main event scene following
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
in August of 2023, as he entered a program with then-reigning
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion
The American professional wrestling promotion WWE has maintained several men's Professional wrestling world championship, world championships since Capitol Wrestling Corporation seceded from the National Wrestling Alliance in 1963 to become the ...
Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph Anoaʻi ( ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former gridiron football, football player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he performs on the Sm ...
and his family in the Bloodline. Following his and
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
's victory over
Jimmy Uso
Jonathan Solofa Fatu (born August 22, 1985), better known by his ring name Jimmy Uso, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand. He is a member ...
and
Solo Sikoa
Joseph Yokozuna Fatu (born March 18, 1993) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Solo Sikoa and is the second leader of The Bloodline.
After Fatu played college ...
, Knight would unsuccessfully challenge Reigns at both Crown Jewel and
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...
, the latter of which also featured
AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (or A.J. Styles), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, ...
and
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He has been signed to WWE since 2000, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. Orton is widely regarded as one of t ...
.
Other media
In 2013, Ricker appeared on the
TNT
Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on a part-time basis. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional w ...
.
In 2015, Ricker appeared in the ''
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
'' episode "Boyle-Linetti Wedding" in a non-speaking role as Mario, a male bodybuilder who is getting married in a gym with Detective Terry Jeffords (
Terry Crews
Terry Alan Crews (born July 30, 1968) is an American actor, television host, and former professional American football, football player. He played Julius Rock in the UPN/The CW Television Network, CW sitcom ''Everybody Hates Chris'', which air ...
) officiating.
In January 2020, Ricker shot scenes for the fourth season of the
Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
dramedy '' GLOW'' as a character named DJ Henderson, but the show was cancelled before the season could air.
In 2021, Ricker appeared in a CarShield commercial as The Overcharger, 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 exerted ...
wrestler dressed like an automotive repair technician and defiantly bragging about how nobody can stop him from unfairly charging used-vehicle-owning customers for repair work. He is instantly struck down by
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years.
He is ...
, the ad campaign's star and
pitchman
A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationa ...
.
As well as voicing "Paragon Jay Pierce" in the MyRise mode of ''WWE 2K22'', he performed the
motion capture
Motion capture (sometimes referred as mocap or mo-cap, for short) is the process of recording high-resolution motion (physics), movement of objects or people into a computer system. It is used in Military science, military, entertainment, sports ...
for other WWE wrestlers in many of the ''
WWE 2K
''WWE 2K'', formerly released as ''WWF SmackDown!'', ''WWE SmackDown!'', ''WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw'', ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw'', ''WWE'', and ''Exciting Pro Wrestling'' in Japan, is a series of professional wrestling sports simulation video game ...
'' games.
Video games
Personal life
Ricker has been in a relationship with fitness model Michelle Yavulla since 2018. They have two dogs and reside in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
.
On December 23, 2023, Ricker received the Key to the City in his hometown of
Hagerstown, Maryland
Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. The population was 43,527 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's List of municipalities in Maryland, sixth-most popu ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
*
Championship Wrestling from Hollywood
Championship Wrestling (formally known as Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH)) is an American professional wrestling promotion and television program created by David Marquez, who serves as the promotion's president and on-camera intervi ...
2 times
"2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...
) – with
Brian Cage
Brian Christopher Joseph Button
** Red Carpet Rumble (2013)
*
DDT Pro-Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name is an initialism of Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's original name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the p ...
**
Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship
The is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the Japanese promotion CyberFight in its DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) brand. Open to anyone, regardless of gender or DDT employment status, the championship is defended "24/7", as in ...
Empire Wrestling Federation
The Empire Wrestling Federation (EWF) is an professional wrestling promotion, independent wrestling promotion based in Covina, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez. The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, ''The Scho ...
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
''
** Breakthrough Wrestler of the Year (2023)
* Future Stars of Wrestling
** FSW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
** Great Goliath Battle Royal (2011) – with Josh Dunbar
*
Heartland Wrestling Association
The Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) was a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wres ...
** HWA Television Championship ( 1 time)
* Mach One Wrestling
** M1W Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Brian Cage
** M1W Tag Team Championship Tournament (2010) – with Brian Cage
*
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc.
Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
**
NWA World Tag Team Championship
The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed List of National Wrestling Alliance territories ...
James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
He sta ...
* ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative
daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
''
** Male Breakout Wrestler of the Year (2023)
* ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''
**
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year
This is a list of both active and inactive ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' awards which are voted on by ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') readers every year from 1972 onwards, expanding to more categories in later years.
Unlike other wrestling ...
(2023)
** Ranked No. 27 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
Impact World Championship
The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like mo ...
Impact World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion. The current champions are The Nemeth Brothers ( Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth), ...
Scott Steiner
Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler.
Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and has also wrestled for Jim Crockett ...
**
TNA King of the Mountain Championship TNA may refer to:
Organisations
* Tamil National Alliance, a political coalition in Sri Lanka
* The National Alliance, a political party in Kenya
* The National Archives (United Kingdom), a UK public body
* Tonga Nurses' Association, a trade uni ...
Gauntlet for the Gold
A Gauntlet for the Gold match is a professional wrestling match used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA - though from 2017-2024 it was known as Impact Wrestling).
Match format
Different from the other gauntlet matches, in which one competito ...
(2016, 2017 – Heavyweight)
** Race for the Case (2017 – Red Case)
** Feast or Fired (2016 – TNA King of the Mountain Championship contract)
** Feast or Fired (2018 – Impact World Tag Team Championship contract)
*Ultimate Championship Wrestling
**UCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* ''
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 Wee ...
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
**
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defend ...
(
2 times
"2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...
)
**
Million Dollar Championship
The Million Dollar Championship was a professional wrestling championship in the American promotion WWE. The title was originally introduced in 1989 by "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, who was unable to win or purchase the WWF Championship ...
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
Slammy Award
The Slammy Awards, also known as the Slammys, 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 i ...
(2 times)
*** Breakout Superstar of the Year (
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
)
*** Fan Chant of the Year (
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...