Matt Bentley
Encyclopedia
Matthew James "Matt" Bentley (born December 10, 1979) is an American
professional wrestler
best known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA) by the ring name
Michael Shane. He was trained by his cousin, former World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) wrestler Shawn Michaels
, and he took the name Michael Shane as a play on his cousin's name. Additionally, Bentley utilizes Michaels' signature superkick maneuver as his own finisher.
, Bentley competed in Japan for the Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
promotion. He also briefly worked for Extreme Championship Wrestling
(ECW) from October 2000 to the final show of the promotion on January 13, 2001. After ECW closed Bentley returned to Japan, where he wrestled under a mask as Omega Verfian. During this time he also made appearances for both World Wrestling Entertainment
and World Championship Wrestling
in dark matches. He also worked as a jobber on WWE's programs Velocity
and Sunday Night Heat
. He is also a former Ring of Honor
(ROH) wrestler, with his breakout match occurring against Paul London
at the Unscripted event in September 2002, that concluded with London hitting the shooting star press off a ladder. ROH later described the match as a "match of the year candidate". He was also a member of The Group faction in ROH, with Samoa Joe
and C.W. Anderson
, but they were forced to disband after losing to The Prophecy
at Night of Grudges on June 14, 2003. He later wrestled for Major League Wrestling
, where he was managed by Francine
, and returned to Japan to compete for Zero-One Wrestling.
in the first ever Ultimate X match. Later in 2003, Bentley formed a stable with Shane Douglas
and Traci
known as "The New Franchise". In January 2004 he lost the title to Chris Sabin in Ultimate X2. The New Franchise disbanded in April 2004 when Bentley turned on Douglas. Traci ended up staying with Bentley as a valet. In June, A.J. Styles returned to the X Division and won the championship from Kazarian
. In an effort to eliminate Styles from the X Division, Bentley and Traci formed a tag team
with Kazarian (informally known by the portmanteau of their last names, Shazarian). On July 28, 2004, Bentley and Kazarian defeated Styles in an Ultimate X match when they both pulled down the championship. Surprisingly, the duo was declared co-champions, a first for the X-Division Championship. They lost the title in a Gauntlet for the Gold
match two weeks later. Shazarian split up in early 2005 when Kazarian left TNA and signed with WWE
.
Traci quietly left Bentley in 2005 to become an assistant for TNA Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes
, and later joined with Chris Sabin
. In turn, Trinity
became Bentley's valet. At Hard Justice, however, in a match between Bentley and Trinity and Sabin and Traci, Bentley and Traci turned on their partners and reunited. In July 2005, Bentley was forced to refrain from using the "Michael Shane" alias, which he had used for his entire career, following threats of legal action from World Wrestling Entertainment
, the employers of Mike Shane, who had trademarked his name, something which Bentley had neglected to do. After going simply by the name Michael, Bentley decided to go by his real name. All TNA DVD releases featuring matches with Bentley as "Michael Shane" have had the on-screen graphics altered and commentary completely replaced to reflect the name change. One such DVD is the pay-per-view Lockdown (2005)
, included in the "TNA Anthology: The Epic Set" box set, in which you can still see the name "Michael Shane" on the entrance video playing in the background when he makes his entrance.
After a disappearance from television due to contract renegotiations and a few matches in the X Division, Bentley and Traci turned into fan favorites
, largely because of the crowd, which was doing the "Bentley Bounce" at the time. On a February 2006 edition of Xplosion
, Bentley and his partner Lance Hoyt
had some miscommunication during their tag team against the Diamonds in the Rough
. After the match, Bentley snapped and attacked Hoyt, thus turning him into a villain. The next week on Impact! in an interview Bentley announced he was a "Maverick", and thus became "Maverick Matt". He continued feduing with Hoyt, and lost to him at Destination X. He would then wrestle a few more matches, most being 6-man tag team matches, losing every time. Bentley did not appear on TNA television for the next four months. He returned on the July 20 edition of Impact!, teaming with former partner Frankie Kazarian
, who had returned earlier in the week, in a loss against The Naturals
. Traci did not return with Bentley, instead becoming Ms. Brooks, Robert Roode's new valet.
On the October 26 edition of Impact!, Bentley appeared in the "Raven's Perch" section of the Impact Zone bleachers, debuting a goth
look. Weeks later, Bentley and Kazarian, along with Johnny Devine
, formed the stable Serotonin, with Raven
as their leader. As part of the new group Bentley's name was changed to Martyr, who along with Kaz and Havok (Devine) portrayed a strange rocker type look and would not win a lot of matches - as a matter of fact, even if they won, Raven would come out, make them get on their knees and beat them with a Kendo stick (as part of a system dubbed "torture breeds success"). In August 2007, Bentley's TNA contract expired and was not renewed.
.
pinned Jimmy Yang
in a three–way first round match of an X-Division tournament, where the winner of the tournament would receive a TNA contract.
1Shane and Frankie Kazarian
were declared co-champions after defeating A.J. Styles
in an Ultimate X match at the weekly pay-per-view #104 by grabbing the belt at the same time. This co-reign was the second time that both men had won the championship.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
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...
best known for his work in 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...
(TNA) by 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:...
Michael Shane. He was trained by his cousin, former 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...
(WWE) wrestler Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
, and he took the name Michael Shane as a play on his cousin's name. Additionally, Bentley utilizes Michaels' signature superkick maneuver as his own finisher.
Career
After being trained at Shawn Michaels' Texas Wrestling AcademyTexas Wrestling Academy
The Texas Wrestling Academy is a professional wrestling training school that was operated by Shawn Michaels and Rudy Boy Gonzalez...
, Bentley competed in Japan for the Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989 by Atsushi Onita that specialized in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their first show on October 6, 1989...
promotion. He also briefly worked for Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
(ECW) from October 2000 to the final show of the promotion on January 13, 2001. After ECW closed Bentley returned to Japan, where he wrestled under a mask as Omega Verfian. During this time he also made appearances for both 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...
and World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
in dark matches. He also worked as a jobber on WWE's programs Velocity
WWE Velocity
WWE Velocity was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It replaced two syndicated WWE shows, Jakked/Metal. Once a weekly Saturday night show on Spike TV and on Sky Sports 2 in the UK on Sunday mornings, Velocity became a webcast from 2005 to 2006...
and Sunday Night Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
. He is also a former 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...
(ROH) wrestler, with his breakout match occurring against Paul London
Paul London
Paul Michael London is an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment ....
at the Unscripted event in September 2002, that concluded with London hitting the shooting star press off a ladder. ROH later described the match as a "match of the year candidate". He was also a member of The Group faction in ROH, 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 C.W. Anderson
C.W. Anderson
Chris Wright is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name, C.W. Anderson. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Early life:...
, but they were forced to disband after losing to The Prophecy
The Prophecy (professional wrestling)
The Prophecy was a villainous alliance in the Ring of Honor wrestling promotion, led by Christopher Daniels, whose goal was to break down Ring of Honor and rebuild in their own image...
at Night of Grudges on June 14, 2003. He later wrestled for Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment...
, where he was managed by Francine
Francine Fournier
Francine Fournier , known simply as Francine, is an American former professional wrestling valet most known for her work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
, and returned to Japan to compete for Zero-One Wrestling.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003–2007)
Bentley joined TNA in 2003. He competed in the X Division, quickly winning the X Division ChampionshipTNA 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...
in the first ever Ultimate X match. Later in 2003, Bentley formed a stable with Shane Douglas
Shane Douglas
Troy Alan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly...
and Traci
Tracy Brookshaw
Tracy Brookshaw is a Canadian professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet and professional wrestling referee, better known by her ring name Traci Brooks. She is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she has spent most of her career.-Early life:Brookshaw grew up on a...
known as "The New Franchise". In January 2004 he lost the title to Chris Sabin in Ultimate X2. The New Franchise disbanded in April 2004 when Bentley turned on Douglas. Traci ended up staying with Bentley as a valet. In June, A.J. Styles returned to the X Division and won the championship from Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. In an effort to eliminate Styles from the X Division, Bentley and Traci 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...
with Kazarian (informally known by the portmanteau of their last names, Shazarian). On July 28, 2004, Bentley and Kazarian defeated Styles in an Ultimate X match when they both pulled down the championship. Surprisingly, the duo was declared co-champions, a first for the X-Division Championship. They lost the title in a 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 two weeks later. Shazarian split up in early 2005 when Kazarian left TNA and signed with WWE
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...
.
Traci quietly left Bentley in 2005 to become an assistant for TNA Director of Authority Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
, and later joined with 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...
. In turn, Trinity
Stephanie Finochio
Stephanie Finochio is an American stuntwoman and retired professional wrestler and valet better known by her ring name Trinity...
became Bentley's valet. At Hard Justice, however, in a match between Bentley and Trinity and Sabin and Traci, Bentley and Traci turned on their partners and reunited. In July 2005, Bentley was forced to refrain from using the "Michael Shane" alias, which he had used for his entire career, following threats of legal action 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...
, the employers of Mike Shane, who had trademarked his name, something which Bentley had neglected to do. After going simply by the name Michael, Bentley decided to go by his real name. All TNA DVD releases featuring matches with Bentley as "Michael Shane" have had the on-screen graphics altered and commentary completely replaced to reflect the name change. One such DVD is the pay-per-view Lockdown (2005)
Lockdown (2005)
Lockdown was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on April 24, 2005 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the first event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event in the 2005 TNA PPV schedule...
, included in the "TNA Anthology: The Epic Set" box set, in which you can still see the name "Michael Shane" on the entrance video playing in the background when he makes his entrance.
After a disappearance from television due to contract renegotiations and a few matches in the X Division, Bentley and Traci turned into fan favorites
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...
, largely because of the crowd, which was doing the "Bentley Bounce" at the time. On a February 2006 edition of Xplosion
TNA Xplosion
TNA Xplosion is a television program produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , featuring both highlights from Impact Wrestling and exclusive taped matches. It is now produced only for international markets, no longer airing in the United States...
, Bentley and his partner Lance Hoyt
Lance Hoyt
Lance Hoyt is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling as Lance Archer. He is best known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a two time NWA World Tag Team Champion with Kid Kash while the title was under the TNA banner...
had some miscommunication during their tag team against the Diamonds in the Rough
The Diamonds in the Rough
The Diamonds in the Rough was a professional wrestling stable in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, led by the eponymous Simon Diamond and consisting primarily of lower- to mid-card wrestlers...
. After the match, Bentley snapped and attacked Hoyt, thus turning him into a villain. The next week on Impact! in an interview Bentley announced he was a "Maverick", and thus became "Maverick Matt". He continued feduing with Hoyt, and lost to him at Destination X. He would then wrestle a few more matches, most being 6-man tag team matches, losing every time. Bentley did not appear on TNA television for the next four months. He returned on the July 20 edition of Impact!, teaming with former partner Frankie Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, who had returned earlier in the week, in a loss against The Naturals
The Naturals
The Naturals were a professional wrestling tag team made up of Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens. They are best known for their work in TNA, where they are multi-time former tag team champions.- History :...
. Traci did not return with Bentley, instead becoming Ms. Brooks, Robert Roode's new valet.
On the October 26 edition of Impact!, Bentley appeared in the "Raven's Perch" section of the Impact Zone bleachers, debuting a goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
look. Weeks later, Bentley and Kazarian, along with Johnny Devine
Johnny Devine
John Peter "J.P." Parsonage is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Hot Shot" Johnny Devine...
, formed the stable Serotonin, with Raven
Scott Levy
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
as their leader. As part of the new group Bentley's name was changed to Martyr, who along with Kaz and Havok (Devine) portrayed a strange rocker type look and would not win a lot of matches - as a matter of fact, even if they won, Raven would come out, make them get on their knees and beat them with a Kendo stick (as part of a system dubbed "torture breeds success"). In August 2007, Bentley's TNA contract expired and was not renewed.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2008)
On April 4, 2008, Bentley made an appearance on Friday Night SmackDown in a squash match, losing to the debuting Vladimir KozlovOleg Prudius
Oleg Aleksandrovich Prudius is a Ukrainian American professional wrestler, also known by his ring name Vladimir Kozlov . Since competing for WWE, he won the WWE Tag Team Championships with Santino Marella on one occasion...
.
Semi–retirement
Following his WWE appearance, Bentley temporarily left wrestling in order to create a band named "Lost in Chaos" with his friends. They are currently located in Orlando and participating in numerous gigs. The band was recently nominated for Florida's Best Band on a local rock station website. On June 27, 2011, Bentley made a one night return to TNA at the tapings of the June 30 edition of Impact Wrestling, losing an opportunity at earning a TNA contract when Low KiLow Ki
Brandon Silvestry is an American professional wrestler. He is best known under his ring names Low Ki, Senshi in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Kaval in World Wrestling Entertainment. He is a former one-time PWG World Champion and a former ROH Champion...
pinned Jimmy Yang
James Yun
James Carson Yun is an American professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jimmy Wang Yang, in World Championship Wrestling as one-third of the Jung Dragons as Yang, and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit...
in a three–way first round match of an X-Division tournament, where the winner of the tournament would receive a TNA contract.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Diving elbow drop / Picture Perfect Elbow – adopted from his cousin Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
- Fisherman DDT
- Superkick / Sweet Shane Music – adopted from his cousin Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
- Diving elbow drop / Picture Perfect Elbow – adopted from his cousin Shawn Michaels
- Signature moves
- Bow and arrow stretch
- Belly to belly suplex
- Springboard corkscrew plancha
- Suicide dive
- With Frankie KazarianFrankie KazarianFrank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
- Modern Art (Superkick by Bentley followed into a bridging German suplex by Kazarian)
- Xtreme Elimination (Simulateneous superkick (Bentley) / legsweep (Kazarian) combination)
- ManagerManager (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...
s- FrancineFrancine FournierFrancine Fournier , known simply as Francine, is an American former professional wrestling valet most known for her work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
- TraciTracy BrookshawTracy Brookshaw is a Canadian professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet and professional wrestling referee, better known by her ring name Traci Brooks. She is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where she has spent most of her career.-Early life:Brookshaw grew up on a...
- Francine
Championships and accomplishments
- CyberSpace Wrestling Federation
- CSWF Cruiser X Championship (1 time)
- Florida Professional Wrestling Association
- FPWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Southern Tennessee Wrestling Federation
- STWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Greg Buchanan
- Texas Wrestling AllianceTexas Wrestling AcademyThe Texas Wrestling Academy is a professional wrestling training school that was operated by Shawn Michaels and Rudy Boy Gonzalez...
- TWA Television Championship (1 time)
- Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal 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...
- TNA X Division ChampionshipTNA X Division ChampionshipThe 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...
(2 times)1 - Match of the Year (2003) vs. Chris SabinChris SabinJoshua 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 Frankie KazarianFrankie KazarianFrank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, August 20, 2003 - Memorable Moment of the Year (2003) The first Ultimate X matchUltimate X matchThe Ultimate X match is a type of professional wrestling match created by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , mainly used in their X Division. It is considered the "signature match of the X Division," as stated numerous times by Mike Tenay right before an Ultimate X match begins.-Match...
- X Division Star of the Year (2003)
- TNA X Division Championship
1Shane and Frankie Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
were declared co-champions after defeating 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...
in an Ultimate X match at the weekly pay-per-view #104 by grabbing the belt at the same time. This co-reign was the second time that both men had won the championship.