Matt Sydal
Encyclopedia
Matthew Joseph Korklan is an American professional wrestler
, also known as Matt Sydal and Evan Bourne. He is signed with WWE and wrestles on its Raw
brand
under the ring name
Evan Bourne, where he is currently one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions
with Kofi Kingston
as Air Boom
.
Before signing with WWE, Korklan wrestled on the independent circuit
for promotions
such as IWA-Mid South
, Ring of Honor
and the Japan
ese promotion Dragon Gate
under the ring name Matt Sydal. Korklan also had a tenure in the short-lived Wrestling Society X
promotion and was featured on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
's early pay-per-view
(PPV) events. Korklan is known for his high flying and lucha libre
-inspired style of wrestling.
's wrestling team. While he was a senior in high school, Korklan began training with the St. Louis, Missouri
-based Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW) promotion. After three months of training, Korklan began wrestling for GCW on October 20, 2000, becoming the first person under the age of 18 to receive a wrestler's license in Missouri. Prior to this, Korklan had briefly performed under the ring name Lance Sydal in the Saint Peters Wrestling Organization.
In 2003, Korklan (now using the ring name Matt and forgoing a surname) formed a stable in GCW, known as Operation: Shamrock. In addition, Korklan and fellow stable member Billy McNeil formed a tag team
. Operation: Shamrock maintained a feud
with the villainous
Ministry of Hate faction, led by Nikki Strychnine.
Korklan debuted in Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
in November 2003, combining two of his old ring names into a new one, Matt Sydal. He won his first championship, the IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship
, on January 17, 2004, defeating J.C. Bailey. Sydal lost the title to rival Delirious
, on June 26, 2004. Sydal joined National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) Midwest that same year, on July 30, he defeated Justin Kage for the NWA Midwest X Division Championship
, which he also lost to Delirious after holding the belt for nearly a year. Korklan won the title back when he teamed with Daizee Haze
in an intergender
tag team match
against Delirious and MsChif
. A unique rule of the match was that the male wrestler on the winning team would be champion at the match's end. Haze pinned MsChif to win Delirious's title for Sydal. Sydal lost the title to Jayson Strife roughly four months later before leaving the promotion.
Sydal wrestled several top independent stars during his time as a regular in IWA. He lost three matches to A.J. Styles
during a short-lived feud. He also faced men such as CM Punk
, Chris Sabin
and Nate Webb
. On September 24, 2005, Sydal won the fifth Ted Petty Invitational
tournament. During the tournament, he defeated El Generico
, Tyler Black
, and Sabin to secure himself a place in the finals. He faced Kevin Steen
and Arik Cannon
in the final match and came out victorious. Since then, Sydal has only appeared in IWA on a few occasions, the last being in August 2007.
's (TNA) first three-hour pay-per-view event, Victory Road
as a participant of a twenty-man X Division
Gauntlet for the Gold
match, a match where two wrestlers begin the match, and are replaced whenever one is eliminated, with the last person standing being named the winner of the contest. Sydal also was part of an online poll for the Sacrifice event. The winner of the poll would meet Christopher Daniels
for the TNA X Division Championship
. Sydal, however, lost the poll. During his tenure with TNA, Sydal was mainly utilized as a jobber, a wrestler who is rarely or never booked to win a match.
at Reborn: Stage One on April 23, 2004, defeating his recurring nemesis, Delirious. Following a brief feud with Trent Acid
, Sydal teamed with Fast Eddie Vegas as the "Air Devils" (a name voted on by the ROH fans). They only teamed once, after which Eddie turned on him on at the Third Anniversary Celebration: Part 2 on February 25, 2005, joining the villainous
stable The Embassy. On August 12, 2005, Sydal and Haze joined Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans
as the fourth member of Generation Next
, a group who was in the midst of a feud with The Embassy. In late 2005, Daizee Haze turned on Sydal, leaving him and Generation Next to join The Embassy. Generation Next fought The Embassy in numerous multi-man tag matches, culminating in a Steel Cage Warfare match on December 3, 2005, with Generation Next emerging victorious.
After wrestling A.J. Styles at Hell Freezes Over, the two teamed up to challenge his Generation Next stable mates Austin Aries and Roderick Strong for ROH World Tag Team Championship
. Sydal also teamed with Samoa Joe
and Jack Evans to try and win the championship. Sydal went to the finals of the 2006 Survival of the Fittest event, before losing to Delirious. Sydal and Delirious brought their rivalry back to ROH as they engaged in several matches during mid-2006.
After several matches against each other throughout the year, Sydal teamed up with Christopher Daniels in another attempt to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship. The two feuded with then-champions the Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero
and Claudio Castagnoli
), before winning the championship at Dethroned. Sydal and Daniels successfully defendeded their championship against the likes of CIMA
and Shingo
, and former champions Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, before losing the title to the Briscoe Brothers
(Jay and Mark Briscoe) at the Fifth Year Festival: Chicago. During their title reign, Sydal would begin to show a cocky
, villainous-like attitude. After coming up unsuccessful in attempts to win the title back along with Castagnoli, Sydal joined Larry Sweeney
's villain stable Sweet n' Sour Inc., which also included Chris Hero, Sara Del Rey
and Tank Toland
. Sydal, who in real life was receiving offers from World Wrestling Entertainment
, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Dragon Gate
, joined Sweet n' Sour Inc. to further Sweeney's gimmick as a "super agent
". When Sydal eventually signed with WWE, it was said that Sweeney had "sold him up the river to Vince
". At Man Up
, Sydal wrestled his final match for ROH, losing to long-time rival Delirious.
in May 2006. While there he aligned himself with CIMA, Don Fuji, and Jack Evans to form the New Blood Generation International. He also became a part of CIMA's Typhoon faction. During Dragon Gate's Wrestlejam event, Sydal teamed with Generation Next stable mate Roderick Strong to win the $10,000 Tag Team Challenge.
Sydal was also part of the short-lived MTV
promotion, Wrestling Society X
, where he competed as a villain
against the likes of Jack Evans, Scorpio Sky
and the Human Tornado
. There was the start of a storyline that would have him feuding with Syxx-Pac
over Sydal's valet and on-screen girlfriend Lizzy Valentine, but they never actually wrestled before WSX shut down.
In the spring of 2007, Sydal returned to Dragon Gate. During his tenure there he won the Dragon Gate Open the Brave Gate Championship
from Masato Yoshino
, thus becoming the first gaijin
to win the title. He held the title for slightly over a month, making a successful title defense against Yoshino, as well as against Austin Aries
at Ring of Honor's Fifth Year Festival: Dayton, before dropping it to Genki Horiguchi
.
(WWE). Sydal made his WWE developmental debut in Ohio Valley Wrestling
(OVW), at the October 10, 2007 OVW taping, defeating Jamin Olivencia. In December of that year, Sydal defeated Mike Kruel
to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship
. It was announced on February 7, 2008 that WWE had ceased affiliation with OVW. As a result, Sydal lost the OVW Heavyweight Championship to Jay Bradley
. Sydal was moved to Florida Championship Wrestling
and made his debut on March 22, 2008, defeating TJ Wilson, before being called up to WWE's main roster.
Sydal made his WWE debut as a fan favorite
on the June 3, 2008 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, losing a match by count out to Shelton Benjamin
after he was thrown at guest commentator Kofi Kingston
. The following week on ECW, Sydal, now an official member of the ECW roster under the ring name Evan Bourne, teamed with Kofi Kingston to defeat Mike Knox
and Benjamin in a tag team match. In the following weeks, Bourne defeated Matt Striker, Nunzio
, and Chavo Guerrero
using the shooting star press as his finishing maneuver.
Bourne also made appearances on the Raw
brand
, saving Rey Mysterio from an assault by Kane
. The two successfully defeated John Morrison and The Miz
the following week. In October at Cyber Sunday
, Bourne was chosen by the fans to face Matt Hardy
for the ECW Championship, but lost the match after Hardy performed a Twist of Fate. Two days later on ECW, Bourne was injured attempting a suicide senton during a six-man tag match, when he landed on his right ankle, dislocating it and tearing his deltoid ligament. After further examination, it was determined that surgery would not be necessary, but was not cleared to return to the ring. On December 8, 2008, Bourne won a Slammy Award for "Best Finishing Maneuver" for his shooting star press.
On the March 10, 2009 edition of ECW a promo was aired for Bourne's return to ECW on March 17. In his return, Bourne defeated Jamie Noble
.
, in which he was eliminated. On the November 2 episode of Raw
, Bourne received a United States Championship match against The Miz, which he failed to win. Bourne made a special appearance on the December 29 episode of ECW, defeating Mike Knox in an ECW Homecoming qualifying match to advance to a battle royal where the winner would face ECW Champion Christian at the Royal Rumble
for the ECW Championship.
Bourne lost a non-title match against WWE Champion Sheamus on the January 4, 2010 episode of Raw. On the January 12 episode of ECW, Bourne competed in the "Homecoming Battle Royal" but was the first to be eliminated. On the March 8 episode of Raw, Bourne defeated William Regal to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match
at WrestleMania XXVI
, which was won by Jack Swagger.
The May 31, 2010 episode of Raw opened with Bourne being the victim of an assault by Edge after Bourne had challenged him for his spot in the WWE Championship
match at Fatal 4-Way
. Later in the show, as John Cena
's scheduled tag team partner, Randy Orton, was injured by Edge before the main event, Cena chose Bourne to replace him in a match against Edge and Sheamus. Bourne pinned Sheamus to earn the victory for his team. Two weeks later, Bourne fought Chris Jericho
in a match, which he won by disqualification when Jericho threatened the referee and attacked Bourne while he was in the ropes. At the Fatal 4-Way
pay-per-view, he faced Jericho in a rematch, which Bourne won by pinfall. The following night on Raw, Jericho challenged Bourne to a third match stating that if he did not win, he would leave WWE. Jericho defeated Bourne by pinfall. Their feud continued on the July 5 episode of Raw, where Bourne teamed up with Randy Orton to defeat Jericho and Edge. Bourne was announced as one of the participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match
for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on July 18, but he was unsuccessful.
On September 19, at the Night of Champions
pay-per-view, Bourne teamed up with Mark Henry in the Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
, but they failed to win the titles when they were the last team eliminated in the match by Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. On the October 11 edition of Raw, Bourne competed in a match against CM Punk
to qualify for Team Raw at Bragging Rights
, but was unsuccessful in winning and was assaulted by Punk after the match. This was put in place as Bourne (in reality) required shoulder surgery and was expected to be out of action for an estimated four months.
Bourne returned on the February 28, 2011, edition of Raw, defeating Sheamus, after Sheamus had been attacked by Triple H
before the match. From May 23, Bourne would feud with Jack Swagger, with both men trading victories in several episodes of Raw. Bourne emerged victorious against Swagger at WWE Capitol Punishment
.
On November 1, WWE announced via the company website that they had suspended Korklan for 30 days for his first violation of the company’s wellness policy, effective immediately.
video game. Korklan is available for download on PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
in a pack along with other downloadable superstars and content. He also appeared in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
, and WWE '12
without the need for download.
Image Entertainment, Inc. released a DVD titled "Before They Were Stars: Matt Sydal: Bourne Is Born" on January 20, 2009, which features every match from Wrestling Society X
Korklan participated in as well as various promos and a music video.
. He attended Parkway West High School
in St. Louis. In 2001, Korklan enrolled at the University of Missouri
, studying marketing
, as he was unsure whether he could earn a living from wrestling. He continued to wrestle, attending college three days a week, while wrestling mid-week and on weekends. He graduated with a bachelor's degree
in 2005, and began working as a sales and marketing vice president
for a small mailbox company in St. Louis, although he continued to wrestle.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, also known as Matt Sydal and Evan Bourne. He is signed with WWE and wrestles on its Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Evan Bourne, where he is currently one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
with Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
as Air Boom
Air Boom
Air Boom is a WWE professional wrestling tag team consisting of Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston, both of whom compete on WWE's Raw brand where they are the current reigning WWE Tag Team Champions. Their team name "Air Boom" was voted upon by fans on WWE's website...
.
Before signing with WWE, Korklan wrestled on the independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
for promotions
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
such as IWA-Mid South
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky.- History :...
, Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
and the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese promotion Dragon Gate
Dragon Gate
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling,...
under the ring name Matt Sydal. Korklan also had a tenure in the short-lived Wrestling Society X
Wrestling Society X
Wrestling Society X was a short-lived professional wrestling-based television series produced in 2006 by Big Vision Entertainment. The weekly television series formerly aired on MTV, MTV2, MTV Tr3s, and over a dozen other MTV outlets throughout the world...
promotion and was featured on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
's early pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
(PPV) events. Korklan is known for his high flying and lucha libre
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
-inspired style of wrestling.
Early career
Korklan was on his high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
's wrestling team. While he was a senior in high school, Korklan began training with the St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
-based Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW) promotion. After three months of training, Korklan began wrestling for GCW on October 20, 2000, becoming the first person under the age of 18 to receive a wrestler's license in Missouri. Prior to this, Korklan had briefly performed under the ring name Lance Sydal in the Saint Peters Wrestling Organization.
In 2003, Korklan (now using the ring name Matt and forgoing a surname) formed a stable in GCW, known as Operation: Shamrock. In addition, Korklan and fellow stable member Billy McNeil formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
. Operation: Shamrock maintained a feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with the villainous
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
Ministry of Hate faction, led by Nikki Strychnine.
Independent circuit
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky.- History :...
in November 2003, combining two of his old ring names into a new one, Matt Sydal. He won his first championship, the IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship
IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship
The IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship was one of the major titles in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South. The title debuted as the Lightweight Title in 1996, evolving to the current weight class in 1998....
, on January 17, 2004, defeating J.C. Bailey. Sydal lost the title to rival Delirious
Delirious (wrestler)
Hunter Johnston is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Delirious. He is currently wrestling for Ring of Honor, International Wrestling Cartel, Chikara, Pro Wrestling Noah, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
, on June 26, 2004. Sydal joined National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) Midwest that same year, on July 30, he defeated Justin Kage for the NWA Midwest X Division Championship
NWA Midwest X Division Championship
The NWA Midwest X Division Championship is a title defended in the Midwest territory of the National Wrestling Alliance. The current champion is Oliver Cain who won it on January 29, 2011.-Title history:...
, which he also lost to Delirious after holding the belt for nearly a year. Korklan won the title back when he teamed with Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze is an American professional wrestler. Whilst wrestling for many companies Daizee Haze is also the head trainer for the Shimmer Women Athletes promotion.-Training and Gateway Championship Wrestling:...
in an intergender
Intergender wrestling
Intergender wrestling, also known as mixed wrestling is a type of professional wrestling match between a man and a woman, and may also refer to tag team matches with both men and women on each team....
tag team match
Professional wrestling tag team match types
Much like singles matches, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace...
against Delirious and MsChif
MsChif
Rachel Collins is an American professional wrestler who is better known by her ring name MsChif. She has been wrestling since 2001 and in that time has worked for several independent promotions across the United States, with guest matches in England and Japan...
. A unique rule of the match was that the male wrestler on the winning team would be champion at the match's end. Haze pinned MsChif to win Delirious's title for Sydal. Sydal lost the title to Jayson Strife roughly four months later before leaving the promotion.
Sydal wrestled several top independent stars during his time as a regular in IWA. He lost three matches to A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
during a short-lived feud. He also faced men such as CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
, Chris Sabin
Chris Sabin
Joshua Harter is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Sabin. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he currently teams with Alex Shelley as The Motor City Machine Guns.After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 for...
and Nate Webb
Nate Webb
Nathan "Nate" Webb is an American professional wrestler and semi-pro football player, best known for his appearances in Combat Zone Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Ring of Honor and MTV's Wrestling Society X. On April 22, 2008, Webb was notified that he had made the roster...
. On September 24, 2005, Sydal won the fifth Ted Petty Invitational
Ted Petty Invitational
The Ted Petty Invitational tournament is an independent wrestling tournament in North America, run and promoted by Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South. Created as the Sweet Science Sixteen in 2000 by Ian Rotten, the tournament was originally supposed to showcase the top technical...
tournament. During the tournament, he defeated El Generico
El Generico
Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name El Generico. Sebei uses the gimmick of a luchador from Mexico...
, Tyler Black
Tyler Black
Colby Lopez is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tyler Black. He is signed to a contract with WWE, where he competes in their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling as Seth Rollins. He is a former FCW 15 Champion and FCW Florida Tag Team Champion with...
, and Sabin to secure himself a place in the finals. He faced Kevin Steen
Kevin Steen
Kevin Steen is a Canadian professional wrestler, currently performing for various promotions on the independent circuit, most notably California-based Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Ring of Honor.-Professional wrestling career:...
and Arik Cannon
Arik Cannon
Arik Cannon is a professional wrestler known for competing in companies such as Chikara, Dragon Gate USA, IWA Mid-South, All American Wrestling and Wrestling Society X.-Career:...
in the final match and came out victorious. Since then, Sydal has only appeared in IWA on a few occasions, the last being in August 2007.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2005)
Sydal was featured on Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
's (TNA) first three-hour pay-per-view event, Victory Road
Victory Road (2004)
Victory Road was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on November 7, 2004 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the first event under the Victory Road chronology, which became an annual event in 2006...
as a participant of a twenty-man X Division
X Division
The X Division is a high-flying, high-risk, fast-paced style of professional wrestling seen originally in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and since then in various NWA member promotions...
Gauntlet for the Gold
Gauntlet for the Gold
The Gauntlet match as defined by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, is a battle royal-style match. When it involves title implications, such as a title on the line or contendership for a title, it is called a Gauntlet for the Gold...
match, a match where two wrestlers begin the match, and are replaced whenever one is eliminated, with the last person standing being named the winner of the contest. Sydal also was part of an online poll for the Sacrifice event. The winner of the poll would meet Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
for the TNA X Division Championship
TNA X Division Championship
The TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...
. Sydal, however, lost the poll. During his tenure with TNA, Sydal was mainly utilized as a jobber, a wrestler who is rarely or never booked to win a match.
Ring of Honor (2004–2007)
Sydal, along with valet Daizee Haze, debuted in Ring of HonorRing of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
at Reborn: Stage One on April 23, 2004, defeating his recurring nemesis, Delirious. Following a brief feud with Trent Acid
Trent Acid
Michael Verdi was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Trent Acid. Verdi had worked as a tag team wrestler for most of his career, primarily as part of The Backseat Boyz with Johnny Kashmere, in several independent promotions in America, including Combat Zone Wrestling,...
, Sydal teamed with Fast Eddie Vegas as the "Air Devils" (a name voted on by the ROH fans). They only teamed once, after which Eddie turned on him on at the Third Anniversary Celebration: Part 2 on February 25, 2005, joining the villainous
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
stable The Embassy. On August 12, 2005, Sydal and Haze joined Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans
Jack Evans
Jack Edward Miller is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jack Evans. He currently performs for the Mexican-based promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, where he is the current World Cruiserweight Champion and a former World Tag Team Champion. He is the cousin...
as the fourth member of Generation Next
Generation Next
Generation Next was a professional wrestling stable in the Ring of Honor promotion. Formed in Philadelphia, PA at the event Generation Next, on May 22, 2004, by Alex Shelley, the original Generation Next consisted of Shelley, Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans...
, a group who was in the midst of a feud with The Embassy. In late 2005, Daizee Haze turned on Sydal, leaving him and Generation Next to join The Embassy. Generation Next fought The Embassy in numerous multi-man tag matches, culminating in a Steel Cage Warfare match on December 3, 2005, with Generation Next emerging victorious.
After wrestling A.J. Styles at Hell Freezes Over, the two teamed up to challenge his Generation Next stable mates Austin Aries and Roderick Strong for ROH World Tag Team Championship
ROH World Tag Team Championship
The Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participants usually execute...
. Sydal also teamed with Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
and Jack Evans to try and win the championship. Sydal went to the finals of the 2006 Survival of the Fittest event, before losing to Delirious. Sydal and Delirious brought their rivalry back to ROH as they engaged in several matches during mid-2006.
After several matches against each other throughout the year, Sydal teamed up with Christopher Daniels in another attempt to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship. The two feuded with then-champions the Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero
Chris Hero
Chris Spradlin is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Hero. He is a mainstay of many independent wrestling promotions, including Ring of Honor, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as well as Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
and Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, working in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Antonio Cesaro...
), before winning the championship at Dethroned. Sydal and Daniels successfully defendeded their championship against the likes of CIMA
Nobuhiko Oshima
, better known by his ring name Cima , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently wrestles for Dragon Gate and its international expansion Dragon Gate USA...
and Shingo
Shingo Takagi
Shingo Takagi is a former Japanese bodybuilder, turned professional wrestler. Shingo is currently competing for the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate and American promotion Dragon Gate USA...
, and former champions Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, before losing the title to the Briscoe Brothers
Briscoe Brothers
The Briscoe Brothers are the professional wrestling tag team of Jay and Mark Briscoe. They are currently wrestling for the American promotions Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as occasionally for the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah.Their wrestling careers have...
(Jay and Mark Briscoe) at the Fifth Year Festival: Chicago. During their title reign, Sydal would begin to show a cocky
Self-confidence
The socio-psychological concept of self-confidence relates to self-assuredness in one's personal judgment, ability, power, etc., sometimes manifested excessively.Being confident in yourself is infectious if you present yourself well, others will want to follow in your foot steps towards...
, villainous-like attitude. After coming up unsuccessful in attempts to win the title back along with Castagnoli, Sydal joined Larry Sweeney
Larry Sweeney
Alexander K. Whybrow was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney...
's villain stable Sweet n' Sour Inc., which also included Chris Hero, Sara Del Rey
Sara Del Rey
Sara Amato is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name, Sara Del Rey. She is a mainstay for Chikara and Shimmer Women Athletes. She has also appeared for many other independent promotions in the United States, including Ring of Honor, IWA Mid-South, All Pro Wrestling, as...
and Tank Toland
John Toland (wrestler)
John Michael Toland is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in independent promotion Ring of Honor, under the name Tank Toland...
. Sydal, who in real life was receiving offers from World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Dragon Gate
Dragon Gate
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling,...
, joined Sweet n' Sour Inc. to further Sweeney's gimmick as a "super agent
Sports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
". When Sydal eventually signed with WWE, it was said that Sweeney had "sold him up the river to Vince
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
". At Man Up
ROH Man Up
Man Up was a professional wrestling pay-per-view promoted by Ring of Honor. It took place on September 15, 2007 at the Frontier Fieldhouse in Chicago Ridge, Illinois, the site of the second Pay-per-view taping Driven, and first aired on November 30...
, Sydal wrestled his final match for ROH, losing to long-time rival Delirious.
Dragon Gate and Wrestling Society X (2006–2007)
Sydal began touring Japan with Dragon GateDragon Gate
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling,...
in May 2006. While there he aligned himself with CIMA, Don Fuji, and Jack Evans to form the New Blood Generation International. He also became a part of CIMA's Typhoon faction. During Dragon Gate's Wrestlejam event, Sydal teamed with Generation Next stable mate Roderick Strong to win the $10,000 Tag Team Challenge.
Sydal was also part of the short-lived MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
promotion, Wrestling Society X
Wrestling Society X
Wrestling Society X was a short-lived professional wrestling-based television series produced in 2006 by Big Vision Entertainment. The weekly television series formerly aired on MTV, MTV2, MTV Tr3s, and over a dozen other MTV outlets throughout the world...
, where he competed as a villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
against the likes of Jack Evans, Scorpio Sky
Scorpio Sky
Schuyler Andrews, better known as Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is best known for his appearances on MTV's Wrestling Society X, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Lucha Vavoom, but has also worked in Japan, Germany and England. Sky has held titles in the...
and the Human Tornado
Human Tornado
Craig Williams , better known by his ring name, Human Tornado, is an American retired professional wrestler. His character was that of a stereotypical 1970s blaxploitation street pimp. He performed primarily on the Californian independent circuit, most prominently for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, the...
. There was the start of a storyline that would have him feuding with Syxx-Pac
Sean Waltman
Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...
over Sydal's valet and on-screen girlfriend Lizzy Valentine, but they never actually wrestled before WSX shut down.
In the spring of 2007, Sydal returned to Dragon Gate. During his tenure there he won the Dragon Gate Open the Brave Gate Championship
Dragon Gate Open the Brave Gate Championship
The Open the Brave Gate Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion Dragon Gate; it has a weight limit of , though it has been defended against heavier wrestlers in the past. It can be considered the secondary singles title in Dragon Gate and is more of a light heavyweight...
from Masato Yoshino
Masato Yoshino
Masato Yoshino is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for the Dragon Gate wrestling promotion.-Toryumon:...
, thus becoming the first gaijin
Gaijin
is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"...
to win the title. He held the title for slightly over a month, making a successful title defense against Yoshino, as well as against Austin Aries
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...
at Ring of Honor's Fifth Year Festival: Dayton, before dropping it to Genki Horiguchi
Genki Horiguchi
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently a full time wrestler and booker for Dragon Gate, where he is currently a member of the Blood Warriors stable. He has also competed in Wrestling Society X and Ring of Honor....
.
Developmental territories (2007–2008)
After becoming a free agent again following the expiration of his WSX contract and the close of the promotion, Sydal signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE). Sydal made his WWE developmental debut in Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
(OVW), at the October 10, 2007 OVW taping, defeating Jamin Olivencia. In December of that year, Sydal defeated Mike Kruel
Mike Kruel
Michael "Mike" Mayo, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Mike Kruel. He began his career in the independent circuit, wrestling in Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor, East Coast Wrestling Association and USA Pro Wrestling, while occasionally making...
to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship
OVW Heavyweight Championship
The OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion. The title was introduced on August 17, 1997 at an OVW live event, then known as the NWA-OVW Heavyweight Championship due to OVW's relationship with the National...
. It was announced on February 7, 2008 that WWE had ceased affiliation with OVW. As a result, Sydal lost the OVW Heavyweight Championship to Jay Bradley
Brad Bradley
Brad Bradley is an American professional wrestler, best known for working for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Ryan Braddock.-Early career:...
. Sydal was moved to Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
and made his debut on March 22, 2008, defeating TJ Wilson, before being called up to WWE's main roster.
ECW (2008–2009)
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
on the June 3, 2008 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, losing a match by count out to Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
after he was thrown at guest commentator Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
. The following week on ECW, Sydal, now an official member of the ECW roster under the ring name Evan Bourne, teamed with Kofi Kingston to defeat Mike Knox
Mike Knox
Michael Shawn Hettinga is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.-Independent circuit :...
and Benjamin in a tag team match. In the following weeks, Bourne defeated Matt Striker, Nunzio
James Maritato
James Maritato is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, currently working on the independent circuit. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Little Guido Maritato and Nunzio.-Starting out:While...
, and Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
using the shooting star press as his finishing maneuver.
Bourne also made appearances on the Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
, saving Rey Mysterio from an assault by Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
. The two successfully defeated John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz were a professional wrestling tag team and former WWE Tough Enough contestants. The team worked for World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, but also appeared on the SmackDown and Raw brands due to ECW's talent exchanges with those brands during their tenure as a team...
the following week. In October at Cyber Sunday
Cyber Sunday (2008)
Cyber Sunday was the fifth and final Cyber Sunday professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on October 26, 2008 at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. It featured wrestlers from the Raw, ECW, and SmackDown brands...
, Bourne was chosen by the fans to face Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
for the ECW Championship, but lost the match after Hardy performed a Twist of Fate. Two days later on ECW, Bourne was injured attempting a suicide senton during a six-man tag match, when he landed on his right ankle, dislocating it and tearing his deltoid ligament. After further examination, it was determined that surgery would not be necessary, but was not cleared to return to the ring. On December 8, 2008, Bourne won a Slammy Award for "Best Finishing Maneuver" for his shooting star press.
On the March 10, 2009 edition of ECW a promo was aired for Bourne's return to ECW on March 17. In his return, Bourne defeated Jamie Noble
Jamie Noble
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler currently working for WWE as a trainer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition...
.
Raw (2009–2011)
On June 29, Bourne was traded to the Raw brand, and made his debut that night as the first of the three wrestlers that were part of a Gauntlet match against Randy OrtonRandy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
, in which he was eliminated. On the November 2 episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Bourne received a United States Championship match against The Miz, which he failed to win. Bourne made a special appearance on the December 29 episode of ECW, defeating Mike Knox in an ECW Homecoming qualifying match to advance to a battle royal where the winner would face ECW Champion Christian at the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2010)
Royal Rumble was the twenty-third annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 31, 2010 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
for the ECW Championship.
Bourne lost a non-title match against WWE Champion Sheamus on the January 4, 2010 episode of Raw. On the January 12 episode of ECW, Bourne competed in the "Homecoming Battle Royal" but was the first to be eliminated. On the March 8 episode of Raw, Bourne defeated William Regal to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
at WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI
WrestleMania XXVI was the twenty-sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. This was the fourth WrestleMania to...
, which was won by Jack Swagger.
The May 31, 2010 episode of Raw opened with Bourne being the victim of an assault by Edge after Bourne had challenged him for his spot in the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
match at Fatal 4-Way
WWE Fatal 4-Way
Fatal 4-Way was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 20, 2010 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York...
. Later in the show, as John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
's scheduled tag team partner, Randy Orton, was injured by Edge before the main event, Cena chose Bourne to replace him in a match against Edge and Sheamus. Bourne pinned Sheamus to earn the victory for his team. Two weeks later, Bourne fought Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
in a match, which he won by disqualification when Jericho threatened the referee and attacked Bourne while he was in the ropes. At the Fatal 4-Way
WWE Fatal 4-Way
Fatal 4-Way was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 20, 2010 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York...
pay-per-view, he faced Jericho in a rematch, which Bourne won by pinfall. The following night on Raw, Jericho challenged Bourne to a third match stating that if he did not win, he would leave WWE. Jericho defeated Bourne by pinfall. Their feud continued on the July 5 episode of Raw, where Bourne teamed up with Randy Orton to defeat Jericho and Edge. Bourne was announced as one of the participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on July 18, but he was unsuccessful.
On September 19, at the Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2010)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on September 19, 2010 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. It was the third annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the tenth...
pay-per-view, Bourne teamed up with Mark Henry in the Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
, but they failed to win the titles when they were the last team eliminated in the match by Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. On the October 11 edition of Raw, Bourne competed in a match against CM Punk
CM Punk
Phillip Jack "Phil" Brooks , better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE and working on its Raw brand currently serving his second title reign as WWE Champion....
to qualify for Team Raw at Bragging Rights
Bragging Rights (2010)
Bragging Rights was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on October 24, 2010 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the second and final Bragging Rights event. Seven matches took place at the event...
, but was unsuccessful in winning and was assaulted by Punk after the match. This was put in place as Bourne (in reality) required shoulder surgery and was expected to be out of action for an estimated four months.
Bourne returned on the February 28, 2011, edition of Raw, defeating Sheamus, after Sheamus had been attacked by Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
before the match. From May 23, Bourne would feud with Jack Swagger, with both men trading victories in several episodes of Raw. Bourne emerged victorious against Swagger at WWE Capitol Punishment
WWE Capitol Punishment
Capitol Punishment was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE, which took place on June 19, 2011 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C....
.
Air Boom; Tag Team Champion (2011)
On the August 22 edition of Raw, Bourne would win his first championship in WWE, when he and Kingston again defeated Otunga and McGilicutty, this time for the WWE Tag Team Championships. On the August 29 edition of Raw, the duo was called "Air Boom", and they had their first successful title defense when they defeated Otunga and McGillicutty in a rematch. At Night of Champions, Air Boom retained their titles against The Miz & R-Truth by disqualification after Miz attacked a WWE referee. At Hell in a Cell and Vengeance, Air Boom retained their titles against Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger.On November 1, WWE announced via the company website that they had suspended Korklan for 30 days for his first violation of the company’s wellness policy, effective immediately.
Other media
As Bourne, Korklan is featured as a downloadable superstar for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Wii, and Xbox 360 video game consoles. It is the tenth video game in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series, and is the...
video game. Korklan is available for download on PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in a pack along with other downloadable superstars and content. He also appeared in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 , is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's, and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Portable , Wii, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the eleventh video game in the WWE SmackDown vs...
, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 , PlayStation 3 , PlayStation Portable , Wii and Xbox 360 systems. It is the seventh game in the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw series and the final game under the SmackDown vs...
, and WWE '12
WWE '12
WWE '12 is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 systems. It is the first game in the WWE series and the fourteenth overall in the combined series. It is the sequel to WWE SmackDown vs...
without the need for download.
Image Entertainment, Inc. released a DVD titled "Before They Were Stars: Matt Sydal: Bourne Is Born" on January 20, 2009, which features every match from Wrestling Society X
Wrestling Society X
Wrestling Society X was a short-lived professional wrestling-based television series produced in 2006 by Big Vision Entertainment. The weekly television series formerly aired on MTV, MTV2, MTV Tr3s, and over a dozen other MTV outlets throughout the world...
Korklan participated in as well as various promos and a music video.
Personal life
Both of Korklan's parents are school teachers. He has a younger brother Mike, who wrestles under the name "Mike Sydal" in Ring of HonorRing of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
. He attended Parkway West High School
Parkway West High School
Parkway West High School is a fully accredited public high school, serving students in grades 9-12 of the Parkway School District, located in Ballwin, Missouri. Parkway West is one of four high schools in the Parkway School District. The school mascot is the Longhorn and the school colors are...
in St. Louis. In 2001, Korklan enrolled at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, studying marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, as he was unsure whether he could earn a living from wrestling. He continued to wrestle, attending college three days a week, while wrestling mid-week and on weekends. He graduated with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 2005, and began working as a sales and marketing vice president
Director (business)
Director refers to a rank in management. A director is a person who leads, or supervises a certain area of a company, a program, or a project. Usually companies, which use this title commonly have large numbers of people with the title of director with different categories...
for a small mailbox company in St. Louis, although he continued to wrestle.
In wrestling
- WWE
- Finishing moves
-
-
- Air Bourne (Shooting star press) — 2008–present
- Signature moves
- Arm drag, sometimes a diving or wheelbarrow version
- Catapult followed by a corner dropkick
- Corkscrew plancha
- Crucifix driver
- Diving double knee drop to a standing opponent's shoulders
- Frankensteiner, sometimes to an opponent on the top rope
- Headscissors takedown
- High knee
- Hurricanrana driver
- Multiple kick variations
- DropkickDropkickA dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...
, sometimes from the top rope - Enzuigiri
- Gamengiri / Jumping high
- Jumping back
- RoundhouseRoundhouse kickA roundhouse kick is a kick in which the attacker swings his leg around in a semicircular motion, striking with the front of the leg or foot. This type of kick is utilized in many different martial arts and is popular in both non-contact and full-contact martial arts competitions...
- Shoot
- Spinning back
- Spinning heel
- Dropkick
- Standing moonsault, sometimes from the top ropeMoonsaultA moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
- Standing shiranui
- Suicide dive
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "Air" Bourne
- Entrance musicMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Axeman" by Damian Wes, Lenny Charles and Sparky Buddha (June 10, 2008–July 23, 2009)
- "Born to Win" by Mutiny Within and Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(July 27, 2009–present) - "Born to SOS" by Mutiny WithinMutiny WithinMutiny Within was a metal band from Edison, New Jersey. The band was formed in 2002 by bassist Andrew Jacobs originally as a Children of Bodom cover band. They disbanded in 2011.-Formation :...
and Collie BuddzCollie BuddzCollie Buddz is a Bermudian reggae and dancehall artist best known for his single "Come Around". Although born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he was raised in Bermuda. He performed on Shaggy's 2007 album Intoxication on the track "Mad Mad World". In 2008, he performed the song "SOS" on WWE The Music,...
(WWE; September 5, 2011–October 3; Used as part of Air BoomAir BoomAir Boom is a WWE professional wrestling tag team consisting of Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston, both of whom compete on WWE's Raw brand where they are the current reigning WWE Tag Team Champions. Their team name "Air Boom" was voted upon by fans on WWE's website...
) - "Boom" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(October 7 2011- Present; Used while a part of Air BoomAir BoomAir Boom is a WWE professional wrestling tag team consisting of Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston, both of whom compete on WWE's Raw brand where they are the current reigning WWE Tag Team Champions. Their team name "Air Boom" was voted upon by fans on WWE's website...
)
-
- Independent circuitIndependent circuitIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
- Finishing moves
- Aftershock (Gory neckbreaker)
- Cyclorama (Independent circuit) / Sydal Special (Dragon Gate) (Belly to belly moonsault slam)
- Double Helix (Springboard corkscrew moonsault)
- Here It Is Driver / Here We Go Driver (Pumphandle half nelson driver)
- Shooting Sydal Press (Shooting star press)
- Signature moves
- Finishing moves
-
-
- Cannonball (Diving leg dropLeg dropA leg drop or legdrop refers to an attack used in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler will jump and land his leg across a fallen opponent's chest, throat, face or head or in some cases, the groin/lower-abdominal area...
) - Catapult followed by a corner dropkick
- Corkscrew plancha
- Cradle suplex
- Diving double knee drop to a standing opponent's shoulders
- Dragonrana
- Enzuigiri
- Hurricanrana, sometimes to an opponent seated on the top turnbuckle
- Inverted leg drop bulldog into a pin
- Shining wizard to a cornered opponent
- Springboard into either a 450° splash or a corkscrew senton
- Standing moonsault
- Suicide dive
- Cannonball (Diving leg drop
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Daizee HazeDaizee HazeDaizee Haze is an American professional wrestler. Whilst wrestling for many companies Daizee Haze is also the head trainer for the Shimmer Women Athletes promotion.-Training and Gateway Championship Wrestling:...
- Jade ChungJade ChungJade Chung is a Canadian professional wrestler and wrestling manager who has appeared in Border City Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, the National Wrestling Alliance, Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla...
- Allison Danger
- Lizzy Valentine
- Larry SweeneyLarry SweeneyAlexander K. Whybrow was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by his ring name Larry Sweeney...
- Daizee Haze
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "ClavicleGoddamnitGoddamnit is the debut album by the Chicago-based punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released October 13, 1998 through Asian Man Records.- Reception :...
" by Alkaline TrioAlkaline TrioAlkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...
- "Clavicle
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Championships and accomplishments
- Dragon GateDragon Gateis a Japanese professional wrestling promotion formerly known as Toryumon Japan. Most of Dragon Gate's wrestlers are graduates from Último Dragón's Toryumon Gym, and thus the promotion is based on a Junior Heavyweight style with varying emphasis on high flying maneuvers, flashy technical grappling,...
- Open The Brave Gate ChampionshipDragon Gate Open the Brave Gate ChampionshipThe Open the Brave Gate Championship is a professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion Dragon Gate; it has a weight limit of , though it has been defended against heavier wrestlers in the past. It can be considered the secondary singles title in Dragon Gate and is more of a light heavyweight...
(1 time)
- Open The Brave Gate Championship
- Independent Wrestling Association Mid-SouthIndependent Wrestling Association Mid-SouthIndependent Wrestling Association Mid-South is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky.- History :...
- IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight ChampionshipIWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight ChampionshipThe IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship was one of the major titles in the Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South. The title debuted as the Lightweight Title in 1996, evolving to the current weight class in 1998....
(1 time) - Ted Petty InvitationalTed Petty InvitationalThe Ted Petty Invitational tournament is an independent wrestling tournament in North America, run and promoted by Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South. Created as the Sweet Science Sixteen in 2000 by Ian Rotten, the tournament was originally supposed to showcase the top technical...
(2005)
- IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship
- NWA MidwestNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Midwest X Division ChampionshipNWA Midwest X Division ChampionshipThe NWA Midwest X Division Championship is a title defended in the Midwest territory of the National Wrestling Alliance. The current champion is Oliver Cain who won it on January 29, 2011.-Title history:...
(2 times)
- NWA Midwest X Division Championship
- Ohio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
- OVW Heavyweight ChampionshipOVW Heavyweight ChampionshipThe OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion. The title was introduced on August 17, 1997 at an OVW live event, then known as the NWA-OVW Heavyweight Championship due to OVW's relationship with the National...
(1 time)
- OVW Heavyweight Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #63 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 2009 and 2010
- Ring of HonorRing of HonorRing of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
- ROH World Tag Team ChampionshipROH World Tag Team ChampionshipThe Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor. The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participants usually execute...
(1 time) – with Christopher DanielsChristopher DanielsDaniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
- ROH World Tag Team Championship
- World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- WWE Tag Team ChampionshipWWE Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
(1 time, current) – with Kofi KingstonKofi KingstonKofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom... - Slammy Award for Best Finishing Maneuver (2008)
- WWE Tag Team Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Flying Wrestler (2008)
- Best Wrestling Maneuver (2008) Shooting Star Press
- Most Underrated (2009)