Matthew Kaye
Encyclopedia
Matthew Kaye is an American
actor
, wrestling commentator
and semi-retired professional wrestler
, better known by his ring name
Matt Striker. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the host of WWE NXT
.
After obtaining a Master's degree
in educational psychology
, Kaye began working as a high-school teacher. He also began a career in professional wrestling, and made his debut in 2000 after being trained by Johnny Rodz
. In his first year as a wrestler he won 10 different championships
, and went on to become a mainstay on the independent circuit
in the New York
region. He toured Japan
with the Pro Wrestling Zero1 promotion
in late 2004 and early 2005. In early 2005, Kaye quit his full-time teaching job at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, when the school board found out that he had been using sick days as a way to pursue his wrestling career.
Kaye signed a contract with WWE in mid-2005, calling himself Matt Striker, and quickly developed a persona of a heel (villainous)
teacher. He started out on the Raw
brand, where he hosted a segment known as Matt Striker's Classroom, before moving to the ECW brand in 2006. There he joined the New Breed
alliance and was involved in a scripted rivalry
with the ECW Originals
. After this, he began managing
wrestler Big Daddy V
until 2008. In August 2008, Striker began working as the color commentator on ECW and, alongside his commentary partner Todd Grisham
, won the 2008 Slammy Award for Announce Team of the Year. Striker was then moved to the SmackDown brand where he commentated from October 2009 to January 2011.
in educational psychology
, Kaye began working as a high school teacher. He worked part-time as a substitute
, filling in when other teachers were on leave. In mid-2004, he was hired full-time as a social studies
teacher at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Queens, New York, but continued to wrestle part-time during his vacation time and on weekends. He resigned from his position as a teacher, however, when the school found out that he was using sick days as an excuse to keep up with his wrestling commitments. According to the school system's Special Commissioner of Investigation, Kaye falsely claimed 11 sick days in December 2004 and February 2005, during which time he was actually wrestling in Japan
. Kaye later said in an interview that he would have taken personal days instead of sick days, but he "didn't know there was a difference". The school system's Special Commissioner of Investigation recommended Kaye's dismissal and also recommended that he should be considered ineligible for future employment in schools, and as a result, Kaye chose to resign in April 2005 upon advice from his lawyer.
at Gleason's Gym
in New York City
, Kaye made his debut in 2000. He initially worked for small independent
promotions
and quickly achieved success, winning 10 different championships during his first year.
He also participated in the King of the Ring 2002 commercials.
He wrestled for World of Unpredictable Wrestling (WUW), where he won the WUW Continental Championship, Total Professional Wrestling, where he won the Light Heavyweight Championship and held the Tag Team Championship with Red Flair, and the East Coast Wrestling Association
, where he won the ECWA Tag Team Championship
with Ace Darling in February 2003. The pair held the championship for seven months, until losing it in September. He also worked for Connecticut Championship Wrestling, and won the promotion's main championship in February 2004, by winning a tournament. Also in early 2004, he teamed with Josh Daniels to win the PWF Tag Team Championship, and with Simon Diamond
to win the USA Pro Wrestling's tag team championship. On June 19, Striker and Diamond lost the USA Pro Wrestling Tag Team Championship at a USA Pro Wrestling Show. A few hours later that same night, he appeared at a Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling (3PW) show as "The Ultimate Striker", an impersonation of the Ultimate Warrior
and teamed with Rob Eckos
in a loss to "Slyck" Wager Brown
and April Hunter
. He also appeared for 3PW impersonating "The Macho Man" Randy Savage
, The Sandman
, Sabu, Hulk Hogan
, and Ric Flair
. On August 21, 2004, he and Eckos entered a tag team battle royal
as The Bushwhackers
, the Road Warriors
, and the team of the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff
.
While working full-time as a teacher in 2004, he continued to wrestle during his vacation time and weekends, and using sick days. On December 16, 2004, Striker began a tour of Japan
with Pro Wrestling Zero1, and was later invited back for an extended tour in early 2005. After resigning from his teaching position, he continued to wrestle around New York
, and on April 30, 2005, won the New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC)'s Heavyweight Championship by defeating Mike Mondo. A few weeks later, on May 21, while still the Heavyweight Champion, he defeated Joey Braggiol to win the NYWC Interstate Championship, but only held the championship for two weeks, before losing it back to Braggiol on June 4. He made a few appearances for Ring of Honor
in mid-2005, before returning to NYWC to lose the Heavyweight Championship to Jerry Lynn
on July 30, after holding it for four months. He continued to wrestle for independent promotions throughout mid-2005, until he signed a contract with WWE.
Kaye wrestled Kurt Angle
, using the name Matt Martel, in an invitational match on the February 24, 2005 episode of WWE SmackDown! in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. After the revelation that Kaye was a teacher appeared in mainstream news publications, Kaye made a WWE second appearance on the July 11, 2005 episode of Raw
to face Angle for a second time, again using the name Matt Martel. His news coverage was played up by Angle, who told the audience that Martel was really Striker, and Angle defeated him again in under three minutes. The following week, he appeared on Raw again, still claiming to be called Matt Martel, and challenged Angle again. Angle exposed him as Matt Striker again, before defeating him for the third consecutive time. Striker went on to compete on Heat
and appear in WWE's developmental territory, Deep South Wrestling.
(villainous) teacher gimmick, calling WWE his school and hosting a segment called Matt Striker's Classroom on Raw, which debuted on December 12. During the segment he ridiculed the audience, and treated the crowd as intellectual inferiors. During a match against Lance Cade
at an untelevised event
on December 18, Striker suffered a shoulder injury. He was out of action until January 23, 2006, when he continued his Classroom segments once again, and then appeared mainly on Heat for several weeks.
Striker would reappear on Raw on April 17 for another classroom segment where he claimed that "school is cool". Carlito, another wrestler, took exception to Striker's statement, and spat an apple in Striker's face, in keeping with Carlito's gimmick. Striker returned to Raw in-ring action on April 24 and participated in a six-man tag team match, in which he, Chris Masters
and Shelton Benjamin
were defeated by Carlito, Rob Van Dam
, and Charlie Haas
. During the Backlash
pay-per-view
, Striker hosted an edition of his classroom segment, with Eugene
, who in storyline
was mentally impaired, as his guest. Eugene attacked Striker during the segment, which led to Striker attacking Eugene with a dictionary
the following night on Raw. The scripted feud
between the two also involved Carlito, who attacked both Eugene and Striker after Eugene inadvertently caused Carlito to lose a match to Striker by Disqualification on the May 8 episode of Raw. The feud between the two ended when Eugene gained a mentor in "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
and defeated Striker, after losing to him only two weeks before. Following his loss to Eugene, Striker attacked him, but was stopped by Duggan, and ran away.
Striker appeared only rarely on Raw throughout June and July, and his final match for the brand
was on July 31, when he was quickly defeated by John Cena
.
as Striker insulted him. During one Classroom segment on September 5, 2006, however, Striker made a controversial remark that alluded to the death of Australia
n wildlife expert Steve Irwin
, who had been killed by a stingray
36 hours earlier. Due to the outrage caused by the remark, the incident was edited out of the replayed Australian broadcast and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon
released a public apology on WWE's official website following the incident. Striker made his in-ring debut for the brand on the September 19, 2006 episode of ECW, teaming up with Mike Knox
and Test to face Tommy Dreamer
, Sabu, and The Sandman. Striker, Knox, and Test lost the match by disqualification due to Test pushing the referee. Striker continued his feud with The Sandman until the October 17 episode of ECW, when The Sandman defeated Striker in a Singapore Cane on a Pole match. At the December to Dismember pay-per-view, Striker faced Balls Mahoney
in a "Striker's Rules" match, which meant that no eye gouging, hair pulling, top rope attacks, or foul language was allowed. Despite the match being of his own creation, Striker was pinned by Mahoney. Striker and Mahoney continued their rivalry until December 19, when Striker defeated Mahoney on ECW.
On February 6, Striker aligned himself with Mr. McMahon's
New Breed
stable (faction), along with Elijah Burke
, Kevin Thorn
, and Marcus Cor Von
. The New Breed immediately engaged themselves in a feud with the ECW Originals
(Rob Van Dam
, Tommy Dreamer
, Sabu and The Sandman). Different members of the New Breeds wrestled members of the ECW originals over several weeks, leading up to WrestleMania 23
. At WrestleMania, the New Breed was defeated by the ECW Originals in an 8-man tag team match, but won a rematch on the following episode of ECW. In the midst of the feud with the ECW Originals, tension began to appear between the leader Elijah Burke
and Striker, after Striker and Cor Von were defeated by the debuting Major Brothers
. As a result, Striker began trying to avenge the loss to the Major Brothers, and defeated Brett Major on the May 22 episode of ECW. The feud with the Originals lost momentum, however, as Sabu was released from his WWE contract in mid-May, and at the One Night Stand
pay-per-view, the feud ended when Striker, Cor Von, and Burke lost to Dreamer, Sandman, and CM Punk
in a tables match.
On June 12, Striker was defeated by The Boogeyman
in a singles match, and two weeks later, The Boogeyman attacked him during an edition of Piper's Pit
, both times dropping worm
s from his mouth into Striker's. On July 10, Striker invited Boogeyman to the ring to educate him on worms, only to bring out the debuting Big Daddy V
to attack Boogeyman. Striker then formed an alliance with Big Daddy V that lasted until March 2008, and acted as Big Daddy V's manager
, regularly accompanying him to the ring. In November, Striker and Big Daddy V started a feud with Kane
, after Kane attacked Striker. The feud saw Striker and Big Daddy V take on Kane in a handicap match, and also saw the pair align briefly with Mark Henry
. Henry helped Big Daddy V win a match against Kane on the November 27 episode of ECW, and in return, Striker refereed
a match between Henry and The Undertaker, and refused to count a pinfall against Henry.
During this time, Striker hosted a weekly segment on WWE's official website called "Best WWEek Worst WWEek".
, Mick Foley, was storyline
injured by Edge, however, Tazz moved to SmackDown to fill in for Foley, who had actually left the WWE in real life, and Striker returned to ECW to take over Tazz's duties as color commentator, thus turning Striker face and ending his in ring career at the same time. He made his commentary debut on the August 5 episode of ECW. Striker and his commentary partner, Todd Grisham
, won the 2008 Slammy Award for the Announce Team of the Year. On the April 7, 2009 episode of ECW, Grisham and Striker's commentary partnership came to an end when Josh Mathews debuted as the new play-by-play commentator, to replace Grisham who was moved to the SmackDown brand. In addition to commentating on ECW on SyFy and ECW pay-per-view matches, Striker and Mathews represented the ECW brand
on WWE Superstars
every week, which started with the inaugural episode on April 16, 2009.
On October 27, 2009 it was announced that Striker would move from commentary on ECW to SmackDown, reuniting with Grisham. The move was made to help accommodate Jim Ross
, who had been taking time off to deal with his recent Bell's palsy
attack. In November, Striker replaced Jerry Lawler
on commentary for Raw for one night, after Lawler was attacked by Sheamus, and in storyline, was unable to continue.
On June 7, 2010, Striker appeared on Raw for the "viewers choice" episode, announcing the results of the votes. At the end of the show, Striker was attacked by the season one NXT rookies, along with the commentators and Justin Roberts
, the ring announcer
. In October, Striker and Grisham were joined by Michael Cole
on SmackDown, forming a three-man announce team. Striker remained a SmackDown commentator until he was replaced in early February 2011 by Booker T.
on February 23, 2010, Striker was announced as the host of the show and he conducted an interview with wrestler Daniel Bryan
. As well as interviewing the wrestlers, Striker's host role resulted in him acting as the Master of Ceremonies
for the Pro's Poll and for the various challenges each week, explaining the rules and announcing the winners.
In March 2011, Striker gained a co-host for the fifth season of NXT in the form of Maryse
. On the June 2 edition of WWE Superstars, he appeared as the new agent
of Tyson Kidd and managed Kidd for the evening before advising Kidd to continue his search for a manager.
Striker wrestled his first match in three years, teaming with Titus O'Neil
in a winning effort against Derrick Bateman
and Darren Young in a tag team
match
on the August 2, 2011 episode of NXT
turning face
for the first time since his debut. He fought Young in the next two weeks, but lost both times. On the August 23 edition of NXT, Striker would try and work things out with Young, but Young would attack Striker after they shook hands. On the September 6 edition of NXT, Striker would stop JTG from interfering a match between Young and William Regal, which Regal would win. After the match, Striker would challenge JTG to a fight just before the show went off the air. A week later, Striker would team with Regal in a losing effort against Young and JTG.
On the October 14 edition of SmackDown, Striker competed in the 41-man Battle Royal for a chance to win a shot at any of the WWE world championships of their choosing that same night, but Striker was unsuccessful.
He was reunited with his former ECW and Smackdown broadcast partner Josh Mathews on the November 10, 2011 episode of WWE Superstars, commentating on both the Raw and SmackDown portions of the show, Striker and Mathews also called the ECW portion of Superstars at its inception. The Mathews/Striker tandem are the only announce team to call Superstars for all brands Raw, Smackdown and the former ECW brand since the show's inception in April 2009. Mathews and Striker also called the November 9, 2011 broadcast of WWE NXT, thus marking Mathews's second return to the program.
and football
. In college, Kaye earned a Bachelor's degree
in History
, and went on to obtain a Master's degree
in educational psychology
.
, and had roles in the films Wise Guys
and Child Savers
. In 2011, Kaye appeared in the films Big Fat Gyspy Gangster and Tezz in uncredited roles.
Kaye will also co-star in the 2012 crime drama Stainless Steel, alongside fellow wrestlers The Miz and Layla El
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, wrestling commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
and semi-retired 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...
, better known by his 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:...
Matt Striker. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the host of WWE NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
.
After obtaining a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in educational psychology
Educational psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
, Kaye began working as a high-school teacher. He also began a career in professional wrestling, and made his debut in 2000 after being trained by Johnny Rodz
Johnny Rodz
Johnny Rodriguez is a retired American professional wrestler. He has previously worked as a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Rodz.-World Wide Wrestling Federation:...
. In his first year as a wrestler he won 10 different championships
Championship (professional wrestling)
A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...
, and went on to become a mainstay 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...
in the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
region. He toured 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...
with the Pro Wrestling Zero1 promotion
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...
in late 2004 and early 2005. In early 2005, Kaye quit his full-time teaching job at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, when the school board found out that he had been using sick days as a way to pursue his wrestling career.
Kaye signed a contract with WWE in mid-2005, calling himself Matt Striker, and quickly developed a persona of a heel (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...
teacher. He started out 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, where he hosted a segment known as Matt Striker's Classroom, before moving to the ECW brand in 2006. There he joined the New Breed
New Breed (ECW)
The New Breed was a professional wrestling stable that appeared on the ECW brand of World Wrestling Entertainment in 2007. It was initially composed of Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, Kevin Thorn, and Ariel...
alliance and was involved in a scripted rivalry
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 ECW Originals
ECW Originals
The ECW Originals was a professional wrestling stable that made sporadic appearances in various wrestling promotions, including World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
. After this, he began managing
Manager (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...
wrestler Big Daddy V
Nelson Frazier, Jr.
Nelson Frazier, Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Mabel, Viscera, Big Daddy V, and King V. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
until 2008. In August 2008, Striker began working as the color commentator on ECW and, alongside his commentary partner Todd Grisham
Todd Grisham
Todd Grisham is an American presenter/announcer who is best known for his time in the WWE as a backstage interviewer, play-by-play commentator and occasional ring announcer...
, won the 2008 Slammy Award for Announce Team of the Year. Striker was then moved to the SmackDown brand where he commentated from October 2009 to January 2011.
Teaching career
After obtaining a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in educational psychology
Educational psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
, Kaye began working as a high school teacher. He worked part-time as a substitute
Substitute teacher
A substitute teacher is a person who teaches a school class when the regular teacher is unavailable; e.g., because of illness, personal leave, or other reasons. "Substitute teacher" is the most commonly used phrase in the United States, Canada and Ireland, while supply teacher is the most commonly...
, filling in when other teachers were on leave. In mid-2004, he was hired full-time as a social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
teacher at Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Queens, New York, but continued to wrestle part-time during his vacation time and on weekends. He resigned from his position as a teacher, however, when the school found out that he was using sick days as an excuse to keep up with his wrestling commitments. According to the school system's Special Commissioner of Investigation, Kaye falsely claimed 11 sick days in December 2004 and February 2005, during which time he was actually wrestling in 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...
. Kaye later said in an interview that he would have taken personal days instead of sick days, but he "didn't know there was a difference". The school system's Special Commissioner of Investigation recommended Kaye's dismissal and also recommended that he should be considered ineligible for future employment in schools, and as a result, Kaye chose to resign in April 2005 upon advice from his lawyer.
Early career (2000–2005)
After being trained by Johnny RodzJohnny Rodz
Johnny Rodriguez is a retired American professional wrestler. He has previously worked as a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Rodz.-World Wide Wrestling Federation:...
at Gleason's Gym
Gleason's Gym
Gleason's is a boxing gym located on the Brooklyn waterfront. Since 1937, when the gym was founded in the Bronx, boxers with their eyes on Olympic glory or a shot at the title have been training at Gleason's. Fighters who trained at the gym include Jake LaMotta, Roberto Durán, Benny "Kid" Paret,...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Kaye made his debut in 2000. He initially worked for small independent
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...
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...
and quickly achieved success, winning 10 different championships during his first year.
He also participated in the King of the Ring 2002 commercials.
He wrestled for World of Unpredictable Wrestling (WUW), where he won the WUW Continental Championship, Total Professional Wrestling, where he won the Light Heavyweight Championship and held the Tag Team Championship with Red Flair, and the East Coast Wrestling Association
East Coast Wrestling Association
East Coast Wrestling Association is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded by promoter Jim Kettner in 1967. It is home to the annual Super 8 Tournament, one of the longest-running independent wrestling tournaments in the country...
, where he won the ECWA Tag Team Championship
ECWA Tag Team Championship
ECWA Tag Team Championship are the tag team titles contested in the independent professional wrestling promotion, East Coast Wrestling Association.- Title history :...
with Ace Darling in February 2003. The pair held the championship for seven months, until losing it in September. He also worked for Connecticut Championship Wrestling, and won the promotion's main championship in February 2004, by winning a tournament. Also in early 2004, he teamed with Josh Daniels to win the PWF Tag Team Championship, and with Simon Diamond
Pat Kenney
Patrick Joseph Michael "Pat" Kenney , known also by his ring name, Simon Diamond, is a retired American professional wrestler, currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent...
to win the USA Pro Wrestling's tag team championship. On June 19, Striker and Diamond lost the USA Pro Wrestling Tag Team Championship at a USA Pro Wrestling Show. A few hours later that same night, he appeared at a Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling (3PW) show as "The Ultimate Striker", an impersonation of the Ultimate Warrior
Warrior (wrestler)
Also see Warrior .Warrior is an American retired professional wrestler who notably performed under the ring names The Ultimate Warrior and Warrior...
and teamed with Rob Eckos
Rob Strauss
Robert "Rob" Strauss is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Robbie E. He is the current TNA Television Champion and a former TNA X Division Champion...
in a loss to "Slyck" Wager Brown
Wagner Brown
Wagner Brown is a professional wrestler better known by his ring name of Slyck Wagner Brown. He currently wrestles in the independent circuit in the Northeastern United States....
and April Hunter
April Hunter
April Hunter is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet and fitness and glamour model. She has appeared in many publications, from MuscleMag International to Playboy Magazine and even has her own comic book series, Code Red by Pickle Press.-World Championship Wrestling :In...
. He also appeared for 3PW impersonating "The Macho Man" Randy Savage
Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
, The Sandman
Jim Fullington
James "Jim" Fullington better known by his ring name Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling , where he developed into a "Hardcore Icon"...
, Sabu, Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, and Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
. On August 21, 2004, he and Eckos entered a tag team battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
as The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a nearly 40 year run on the independent wrestling circuit...
, the Road Warriors
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
, and the team of the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff
Nikolai Volkoff
Josip Nikolai Peruzović , better known by his ring name of Nikolai Volkoff, is a professional wrestler who is best known for his performances for the World Wrestling Federation...
.
While working full-time as a teacher in 2004, he continued to wrestle during his vacation time and weekends, and using sick days. On December 16, 2004, Striker began a tour of 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...
with Pro Wrestling Zero1, and was later invited back for an extended tour in early 2005. After resigning from his teaching position, he continued to wrestle around New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and on April 30, 2005, won the New York Wrestling Connection (NYWC)'s Heavyweight Championship by defeating Mike Mondo. A few weeks later, on May 21, while still the Heavyweight Champion, he defeated Joey Braggiol to win the NYWC Interstate Championship, but only held the championship for two weeks, before losing it back to Braggiol on June 4. He made a few appearances for 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...
in mid-2005, before returning to NYWC to lose the Heavyweight Championship to Jerry Lynn
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
on July 30, after holding it for four months. He continued to wrestle for independent promotions throughout mid-2005, until he signed a contract with WWE.
Early appearances (2005)
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
, using the name Matt Martel, in an invitational match on the February 24, 2005 episode of WWE SmackDown! in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. After the revelation that Kaye was a teacher appeared in mainstream news publications, Kaye made a WWE second appearance on the July 11, 2005 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...
to face Angle for a second time, again using the name Matt Martel. His news coverage was played up by Angle, who told the audience that Martel was really Striker, and Angle defeated him again in under three minutes. The following week, he appeared on Raw again, still claiming to be called Matt Martel, and challenged Angle again. Angle exposed him as Matt Striker again, before defeating him for the third consecutive time. Striker went on to compete on Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
and appear in WWE's developmental territory, Deep South Wrestling.
Raw (2005–2006)
Striker developed a heelHeel (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...
(villainous) teacher gimmick, calling WWE his school and hosting a segment called Matt Striker's Classroom on Raw, which debuted on December 12. During the segment he ridiculed the audience, and treated the crowd as intellectual inferiors. During a match against Lance Cade
Lance Cade
Lance Kurtis McNaught was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade....
at an untelevised event
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
on December 18, Striker suffered a shoulder injury. He was out of action until January 23, 2006, when he continued his Classroom segments once again, and then appeared mainly on Heat for several weeks.
Striker would reappear on Raw on April 17 for another classroom segment where he claimed that "school is cool". Carlito, another wrestler, took exception to Striker's statement, and spat an apple in Striker's face, in keeping with Carlito's gimmick. Striker returned to Raw in-ring action on April 24 and participated in a six-man tag team match, in which he, Chris Masters
Chris Masters
Christopher Todd Mordetzky is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Chris Masters. He is best known for his tenure with WWE.-Early career:...
and 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...
were defeated by Carlito, Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, and Charlie Haas
Charlie Haas
Charles "Charlie" Doyle Haas II is an American professional wrestler and former collegiate amateur wrestler. He competes on the independent circuit, and is signed to Ring of Honor , where he is one-half of the reigning ROH World Tag Team Champions with Shelton Benjamin...
. During the Backlash
Backlash (2006)
Backlash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on April 30, 2006 at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky...
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...
, Striker hosted an edition of his classroom segment, with Eugene
Nick Dinsmore
Nicholas "Nick" Dinsmore , better known by his ring names Eugene and U-Gene, is an American professional wrestler...
, who in storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
was mentally impaired, as his guest. Eugene attacked Striker during the segment, which led to Striker attacking Eugene with a dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
the following night on Raw. The scripted 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...
between the two also involved Carlito, who attacked both Eugene and Striker after Eugene inadvertently caused Carlito to lose a match to Striker by Disqualification on the May 8 episode of Raw. The feud between the two ended when Eugene gained a mentor in "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan , better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s, when it was known as World Wrestling Federation , and World Championship Wrestling...
and defeated Striker, after losing to him only two weeks before. Following his loss to Eugene, Striker attacked him, but was stopped by Duggan, and ran away.
Striker appeared only rarely on Raw throughout June and July, and his final match for the 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...
was on July 31, when he was quickly defeated by 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....
.
ECW (2006–2008)
At the end of August 2006, Striker left the Raw brand to join ECW, making his debut on August 23. He continued his Classroom segment on ECW, which provoked a feud with The SandmanJim Fullington
James "Jim" Fullington better known by his ring name Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling , where he developed into a "Hardcore Icon"...
as Striker insulted him. During one Classroom segment on September 5, 2006, however, Striker made a controversial remark that alluded to the death of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n wildlife expert Steve Irwin
Steve Irwin
Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin , nicknamed "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian television personality, wildlife expert, and conservationist. Irwin achieved worldwide fame from the television series The Crocodile Hunter, an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series which he co-hosted...
, who had been killed by a stingray
Stingray
The stingrays are a group of rays, which are cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes, and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae , Plesiobatidae , Urolophidae , Urotrygonidae , Dasyatidae , Potamotrygonidae The...
36 hours earlier. Due to the outrage caused by the remark, the incident was edited out of the replayed Australian broadcast and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon
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...
released a public apology on WWE's official website following the incident. Striker made his in-ring debut for the brand on the September 19, 2006 episode of ECW, teaming up with 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 Test to face Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
, Sabu, and The Sandman. Striker, Knox, and Test lost the match by disqualification due to Test pushing the referee. Striker continued his feud with The Sandman until the October 17 episode of ECW, when The Sandman defeated Striker in a Singapore Cane on a Pole match. At the December to Dismember pay-per-view, Striker faced Balls Mahoney
Balls Mahoney
Jonathan Rechner better known by his ring name Balls Mahoney , is an American professional wrestler...
in a "Striker's Rules" match, which meant that no eye gouging, hair pulling, top rope attacks, or foul language was allowed. Despite the match being of his own creation, Striker was pinned by Mahoney. Striker and Mahoney continued their rivalry until December 19, when Striker defeated Mahoney on ECW.
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...
New Breed
New Breed (ECW)
The New Breed was a professional wrestling stable that appeared on the ECW brand of World Wrestling Entertainment in 2007. It was initially composed of Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, Kevin Thorn, and Ariel...
stable (faction), along with Elijah Burke
Elijah Burke
Elijah Samuel Burke is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the name of "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero; a gimmick in which he portrays a Harlem street preacher...
, Kevin Thorn
Kevin Fertig
Kevin Matthew Fertig is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring names Mordecai and Kevin Thorn....
, and Marcus Cor Von
Monty Brown
Monty Brown is an American professional wrestler and former National Football League linebacker, also known as Marcus Cor Von. He is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled on its ECW brand under the ring name Marcus Cor Von...
. The New Breed immediately engaged themselves in a feud with the ECW Originals
ECW Originals
The ECW Originals was a professional wrestling stable that made sporadic appearances in various wrestling promotions, including World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
(Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
, Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
, Sabu and The Sandman). Different members of the New Breeds wrestled members of the ECW originals over several weeks, leading up to WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
. At WrestleMania, the New Breed was defeated by the ECW Originals in an 8-man tag team match, but won a rematch on the following episode of ECW. In the midst of the feud with the ECW Originals, tension began to appear between the leader Elijah Burke
Elijah Burke
Elijah Samuel Burke is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the name of "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero; a gimmick in which he portrays a Harlem street preacher...
and Striker, after Striker and Cor Von were defeated by the debuting Major Brothers
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder were a American professional wrestling tag team who appeared on the independent circuit and WWE under a variety of evolving names....
. As a result, Striker began trying to avenge the loss to the Major Brothers, and defeated Brett Major on the May 22 episode of ECW. The feud with the Originals lost momentum, however, as Sabu was released from his WWE contract in mid-May, and at the One Night Stand
One Night Stand (2007)
One Night Stand was the third annual One Night Stand professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 3, 2007 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
pay-per-view, the feud ended when Striker, Cor Von, and Burke lost to Dreamer, Sandman, and 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....
in a tables match.
On June 12, Striker was defeated by The Boogeyman
Marty Wright
Martin "Marty" Wright is an American professional wrestler and actor best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name The Boogeyman.-Tough Enough:...
in a singles match, and two weeks later, The Boogeyman attacked him during an edition of Piper's Pit
Piper's Pit
Piper's Pit was an interview segment featuring Roddy Piper which was a mainstay of WWF/WWE television from 1984 to 1987, and then returned briefly in 1989. Also, Piper hosted similar segments while wrestling for other promotions in 2003 - 2011....
, both times dropping worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
s from his mouth into Striker's. On July 10, Striker invited Boogeyman to the ring to educate him on worms, only to bring out the debuting Big Daddy V
Nelson Frazier, Jr.
Nelson Frazier, Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Mabel, Viscera, Big Daddy V, and King V. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
to attack Boogeyman. Striker then formed an alliance with Big Daddy V that lasted until March 2008, and acted as Big Daddy V's manager
Manager (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...
, regularly accompanying him to the ring. In November, Striker and Big Daddy V started a feud with 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....
, after Kane attacked Striker. The feud saw Striker and Big Daddy V take on Kane in a handicap match, and also saw the pair align briefly with Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
. Henry helped Big Daddy V win a match against Kane on the November 27 episode of ECW, and in return, Striker refereed
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
a match between Henry and The Undertaker, and refused to count a pinfall against Henry.
During this time, Striker hosted a weekly segment on WWE's official website called "Best WWEek Worst WWEek".
Commentator (2008–2011)
As part of the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft in June 2008, Striker was drafted back to the Raw brand. Once the SmackDown color commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
, Mick Foley, was storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
injured by Edge, however, Tazz moved to SmackDown to fill in for Foley, who had actually left the WWE in real life, and Striker returned to ECW to take over Tazz's duties as color commentator, thus turning Striker face and ending his in ring career at the same time. He made his commentary debut on the August 5 episode of ECW. Striker and his commentary partner, Todd Grisham
Todd Grisham
Todd Grisham is an American presenter/announcer who is best known for his time in the WWE as a backstage interviewer, play-by-play commentator and occasional ring announcer...
, won the 2008 Slammy Award for the Announce Team of the Year. On the April 7, 2009 episode of ECW, Grisham and Striker's commentary partnership came to an end when Josh Mathews debuted as the new play-by-play commentator, to replace Grisham who was moved to the SmackDown brand. In addition to commentating on ECW on SyFy and ECW pay-per-view matches, Striker and Mathews represented the ECW 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...
on WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that originally aired on WGN America in the United States. It debuted on April 16, 2009 and ended its domestic broadcasting on April 7, 2011...
every week, which started with the inaugural episode on April 16, 2009.
On October 27, 2009 it was announced that Striker would move from commentary on ECW to SmackDown, reuniting with Grisham. The move was made to help accommodate Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
, who had been taking time off to deal with his recent Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Several conditions can cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease. However, if no specific cause...
attack. In November, Striker replaced Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
on commentary for Raw for one night, after Lawler was attacked by Sheamus, and in storyline, was unable to continue.
On June 7, 2010, Striker appeared on Raw for the "viewers choice" episode, announcing the results of the votes. At the end of the show, Striker was attacked by the season one NXT rookies, along with the commentators and Justin Roberts
Justin Roberts
Justin Jason Roberts is an American professional wrestling ring announcer, currently working for WWE appearing on its Raw brand.-Career:...
, the ring announcer
Ring announcer
A ring announcer is a paid in-ring employee for a boxing, professional wrestling, or mixed martial arts event or promotion...
. In October, Striker and Grisham were joined by Michael Cole
Michael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
on SmackDown, forming a three-man announce team. Striker remained a SmackDown commentator until he was replaced in early February 2011 by Booker T.
NXT Host; Feud with Darren Young and JTG (2010–present)
On the inaugural episode of NXTWWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
on February 23, 2010, Striker was announced as the host of the show and he conducted an interview with wrestler Daniel Bryan
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
. As well as interviewing the wrestlers, Striker's host role resulted in him acting as the Master of Ceremonies
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
for the Pro's Poll and for the various challenges each week, explaining the rules and announcing the winners.
In March 2011, Striker gained a co-host for the fifth season of NXT in the form of Maryse
Maryse Ouellet
Maryse Ouellet is a Professional Glamour Model and a former professional wrestler, better known simply as Maryse. She most recently worked for WWE...
. On the June 2 edition of WWE Superstars, he appeared as the new 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...
of Tyson Kidd and managed Kidd for the evening before advising Kidd to continue his search for a manager.
Striker wrestled his first match in three years, teaming with Titus O'Neil
Thaddeus Bullard
Thaddeus Michael Bullard is an American professional wrestler and former college and professional football player. Bullard played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally in the Arena Football League. Bullard is a professional wrestler, and is signed...
in a winning effort against Derrick Bateman
Michael Hutter
Michael Hutter is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, under the ring name Derrick Bateman...
and Darren Young in 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...
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...
on the August 2, 2011 episode of NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
turning face
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...
for the first time since his debut. He fought Young in the next two weeks, but lost both times. On the August 23 edition of NXT, Striker would try and work things out with Young, but Young would attack Striker after they shook hands. On the September 6 edition of NXT, Striker would stop JTG from interfering a match between Young and William Regal, which Regal would win. After the match, Striker would challenge JTG to a fight just before the show went off the air. A week later, Striker would team with Regal in a losing effort against Young and JTG.
On the October 14 edition of SmackDown, Striker competed in the 41-man Battle Royal for a chance to win a shot at any of the WWE world championships of their choosing that same night, but Striker was unsuccessful.
He was reunited with his former ECW and Smackdown broadcast partner Josh Mathews on the November 10, 2011 episode of WWE Superstars, commentating on both the Raw and SmackDown portions of the show, Striker and Mathews also called the ECW portion of Superstars at its inception. The Mathews/Striker tandem are the only announce team to call Superstars for all brands Raw, Smackdown and the former ECW brand since the show's inception in April 2009. Mathews and Striker also called the November 9, 2011 broadcast of WWE NXT, thus marking Mathews's second return to the program.
Personal life
He played hockeyHockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. In college, Kaye earned 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 History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, and went on to obtain a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in educational psychology
Educational psychology
Educational psychology is the study of how humans learn in educational settings, the effectiveness of educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social psychology of schools as organizations. Educational psychology is concerned with how students learn and develop, often focusing...
.
Other media
Kaye was a child actorChild actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
, and had roles in the films Wise Guys
Wise Guys (film)
Wise Guys is a 1986 feature film directed by Brian De Palma and starring Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo. A comedy revolving around two small-time mobsters from Newark, New Jersey, it also features Harvey Keitel, Lou Albano, Dan Hedaya, and Frank Vincent....
and Child Savers
Child savers
The child-saving movement emerged in the United States during the nineteenth century and influenced the development of the juvenile justice system. Child-savers stressed the value of redemption and prevention through early identification of deviance and intervention in the form of education and...
. In 2011, Kaye appeared in the films Big Fat Gyspy Gangster and Tezz in uncredited roles.
Kaye will also co-star in the 2012 crime drama Stainless Steel, alongside fellow wrestlers The Miz and Layla El
Layla El
Layla El is an English dancer, model and professional wrestler of Moroccan and Spanish descent. She is employed by WWE as a WWE Diva and appears on the SmackDown brand as Layla...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Golden Rule (Inverted overdrive) – 2006–2008
- Happy Monkey Submission (Rear naked choke) – 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...
- Overdrive – 2005–2006, 2011–present
- Signature moves
-
- Big boot
- Double knee backbreaker
- Fujiwara armbar
- Gory bomb
- Neck snap
- Rope hung swinging neckbreaker
- Schoolboy
- Single leg Boston crab
- Skayde Lock (Standing STF)
- Sunset flip
- Wrestlers managedManager (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...
- Big Daddy VNelson Frazier, Jr.Nelson Frazier, Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Mabel, Viscera, Big Daddy V, and King V. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
- Mark HenryMark HenryMark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
- Tyson Kidd
- Big Daddy V
- 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- "The Modern Marvel" (MLWMajor League WrestlingMajor 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...
) - "Hot Stuff" (3PW)
- "Macho ManRandy SavageRandall Mario Poffo , better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling .Savage held twenty championships during his professional wrestling career and was a...
" (3PW) - Your Teacher (WWE)
- "The Modern Marvel" (MLW
- 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...
- "Teacher" 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...
(WWE; December 12, 2005–present)
- "Teacher" by Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- Assault Championship WrestlingAssault Championship WrestlingAssault Championship Wrestling was an American independent wrestling promotion based in Connecticut and promoted by Jason Knight, a retired wrestler and manager, during the early 2000s...
- ACW Tag Team ChampionshipACW Tag Team ChampionshipThe ACW Tag Team Championship was the top professional wrestling tag team championship title in the American independent promotion Assault Championship Wrestling. The first champions were Heavy Artillery who defeated Mind and Matter the finals of a championship tournament held in Meriden,...
(1 time) – with Scotty CharismaScott Wright (wrestler)Scott Wright is an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder, better known by his ring name Scotty Charisma. He currently performs on the independent circuit under his real name or as Mr. Scott Wright.-Early career:...
- ACW Tag Team Championship
- Connecticut Championship Wrestling
- CCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- East Coast Wrestling AssociationEast Coast Wrestling AssociationEast Coast Wrestling Association is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded by promoter Jim Kettner in 1967. It is home to the annual Super 8 Tournament, one of the longest-running independent wrestling tournaments in the country...
- ECWA Tag Team ChampionshipECWA Tag Team ChampionshipECWA Tag Team Championship are the tag team titles contested in the independent professional wrestling promotion, East Coast Wrestling Association.- Title history :...
(1 time) – with Ace Darling
- ECWA Tag Team Championship
- New York Wrestling Connection
- NYWC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NYWC Interstate Championship (1 time)
- Premier Wrestling Federation
- PWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Josh Daniels
- 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 #166 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006
- Total Professional Wrestling
- TPW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- TPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Red Flair
- USA Pro Wrestling
- USA Pro New York State Championship (1 time)
- USA Pro Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Simon DiamondPat KenneyPatrick Joseph Michael "Pat" Kenney , known also by his ring name, Simon Diamond, is a retired American professional wrestler, currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent...
- World of Unpredictable Wrestling
- WUW Continental Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- Slammy Award for Announce Team of the Year (2008) – with Todd GrishamTodd GrishamTodd Grisham is an American presenter/announcer who is best known for his time in the WWE as a backstage interviewer, play-by-play commentator and occasional ring announcer...
- Slammy Award for Announce Team of the Year (2008) – with Todd Grisham
- WrestleSlam Awards
- Announcer of the Year (2009)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Television Announcer (2008)