Alex Zayne

Last updated
Alex Zayne
Alex Zayne on GCW 2023.jpg
Zayne in April 2023
Birth nameAlex Zayne Brandenburg [1]
Born (1986-10-28) October 28, 1986 (age 37)
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Alex Zayne
Andras Vidal
Ari Sterling [2] [3]
Zayne
Billed height6 ft 1 in (185 cm) [4]
Billed weight185 lb (84 kg) [4]
Billed fromLexington, Kentucky [4]
DebutMarch 31, 2007

Alex Zayne Brandenburg (born October 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler currently working on the independent circuit under the ring name Alex Zayne. He is best known for his tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). [5] He has also appeared on Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor (ROH), [6] Game Changer Wrestling, [7] and WWE, where he performed under the ring name Ari Sterling.

Contents

Professional wrestling career

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2019-2021; 2021-present)

Zayne made his debut in NJPW on November 11, 2019 at New Japan Showdown, in a tag team match, where he and Aaron Solow lost against Amazing Red and T. J. Perkins. Since March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Zayne was unable to work on NJPW events in Japan, leading him to take part in NJPW Strong series. His big matches and performances led him to a WWE Try-out, which he passed, leading him to leave NJPW and sign with WWE in the spring of 2021.

In the fall of 2021, Zayne was released from WWE as part of budget cuts relating to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and returned to NJPW Strong, and made his return match at New Japan Showdown defeating Ariya Davari. Zayne then later faced Will Ospreay on November 17, at the second NJPW's XTRA show in a losing effort. On May 1, Zayne was announced to take part in the 2022 Best of the Super Juniors in Japan. At the tournament, Zayne finished the tournament with a record of four wins and five losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. During the tournament, Zayne formed a tag team with Ace Austin. However, on June 3, Austin joined the Bullet Club, this led Zayne questioning Austin's actions before being laid out by Austin and the Bullet Club. On the June 20th episode of IMPACT, Austin defeated Zayne with the help of Chris Bey.

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenta Kobayashi</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Kenta Kobayashi, known mononymously as Kenta, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable. A former amateur kickboxer, Kobayashi's wrestling style is based upon strong kicks and strikes. Kobayashi pioneered both the Go 2 Sleep and Busaiku Knee kick finishing manoeuvres, later popularized by CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogul Embassy</span> Professional wrestling stable

Mogul Embassy or simply the Embassy is a villainous professional wrestling stable appearing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), led by Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana. The remaining members, Brian Cage, Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun are former two-time ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Finlay (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

David Stephen Finlay III is a German-born Irish-American professional wrestler who performs under the ring name David Finlay. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and is the seventh and current leader of Bullet Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Fish</span> American professional wrestler

Robert "Bobby" Anthony Fish is an American professional wrestler currently performing for Major League Wrestling (MLW). He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand and was a member of The Undisputed Era. In WWE, he is a former 2-time NXT Tag Team Champion alongside his tag team partner Kyle O'Reilly. He is also known for his time with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) from 2021 to 2022 and Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2013 to 2017, where he wrestled as one-half of the tag team reDRagon and held the ROH World Tag Team Championship three times and the ROH World Television Championship once. He is also known for his appearances in Japan both for Pro Wrestling Noah and for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kushida (wrestler)</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Yujiro Kushida is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, better known by his mononymous ring name Kushida. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ACH (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

Albert Christian Hardie Jr. is an American professional wrestler, currently known by his ring name ACH.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

Raymond Rowe Sr. is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Erik. He is currently out of action due to a neck injury. He performs in a tag team with Todd Smith called The Viking Raiders, managed by his real-life wife, who performs as Valhalla. Rowe is best known for his work in Ring of Honor (ROH), where he and Smith, then known as War Machine are former ROH World Tag Team Champions and made appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where they are former two time IWGP Tag Team Champions, as well as having won tag team championships in various independent promotions across the USA and England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Viking Raiders</span> Professional wrestling stable

The Viking Raiders are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Erik and Ivar, and are managed by Valhalla. The team is currently performing in WWE on the Raw brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariya Daivari</span> American professional wrestler

Ariya Daivari is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Ari Daivari. He is best known for his time in WWE, Ring of Honor (ROH), New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and has made brief appearances for Global Force Wrestling and Impact Wrestling's project Ring Ka King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay White</span> New Zealand professional wrestler

Jamie White, better known by the ring name Jay White, is a New Zealand-Dutch professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of Bullet Club Gold with stablemates The Gunns and Juice Robinson. With the Gunns, White is currently one-third of the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions in AEW’s sister promotion, Ring of Honor (ROH) in their first reign. Prior to signing with AEW, White had a decorated career in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as the first ever NJPW Grand Slam Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robbie Eagles</span> Australian professional wrestler

James McMath, better known by his ring name Robbie Eagles, is an Australian professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of The Mighty Don't Kneel. He is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and was one-half of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions with his partner Tiger Mask IV. Eagles is also a former member of Bullet Club and Chaos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Gunn</span> American professional wrestler

Austin Sopp, better known by the ring name Austin Gunn, is an American professional wrestler and reality television personality, currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he and his brother, Colten, team up as The Gunns and are former AEW World Tag Team Champions. The Gunns are also members of the Bullet Club Gold stable, and currently hold the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Bullet Club Gold leader Jay White. Gunn is a second-generation professional wrestler, as he is the son of professional wrestler Billy Gunn.

Alex Coughlin is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a member of Bullet Club and a former Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion, alongside Bullet Club stablemate Gabe Kidd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FinJuice</span> Professional wrestling tag team

FinJuice was an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of David Finlay and Juice Robinson. The team name consists of Finlay's surname and Robinson’s first name Juice. Trained in the dojo of the New Japan Pro-Wrestling promotion, the two came together as a team, in August 2017. In December 2019, the duo won the 2019 World Tag League, followed by the IWGP Tag Team Championship in January 2020 at Wrestle Kingdom 14. FinJuice have also worked for Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling, where they are former Impact World Tag Team Champions. As of 2023, both Finlay and Robinson are currently members of Bullet Club branches in different promotions, with David Finlay being currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as the leader of Bullet Club War Dogs and Juice Robinson to All Elite Wrestling as a member of Bullet Club Gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Fletcher</span> Australian professional wrestler (born 1998)

Kyle Fletcher is an Australian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Don Callis Family stable. He also performs in its sister company Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is the current ROH World Television Champion in his first reign, and a former one-time ROH World Tag Team Champion. Fletcher also appears regularly for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion and inaugural and record-setting two-time Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion, and British promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), where he is a two-time Undisputed British Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheeler Yuta</span> American professional wrestler (born 1996)

Paul Gruber is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Wheeler Yuta and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He also makes appearances for AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is the current ROH Pure Champion with his record-setting third reign, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a member of the Chaos stable.

Connor Deutsch, better known by his ring name Clark Connors, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable and is one-half of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions alongside Drilla Moloney, in their second reign. Also in NJPW, Connors was the winner of the 2020 Lion's Break Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Davis (wrestler)</span> Professional wrestler

Davis Passfield, better known by his in-ring name Mark Davis, is an Australian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He also appears in its sister company Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former one-time ROH World Tag Team Champion. He also appears for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion, and record-setting and inaugural two-time Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion and Revolution Pro Wrestling, where he is a former two-time Undisputed British Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aussie Open (professional wrestling)</span> Professional wrestling tag team

Aussie Open are an Australian professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher. They are currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and also wrestle for AEW’s sister company Ring of Honor (ROH), where they are former ROH World Tag Team Champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Christian</span> American professional wrestler

Christian Hubble is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Ring of Honor (ROH) under the ring name Blake Christian. He also makes appearances on the independent circuit, for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), where he is the current GCW World Champion in his first reign. He is known for his tenure with WWE under the ring name Trey Baxter.

References

  1. "Dezmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz, Alex Zayne among new recruits reporting to WWE Performance Center". WWE. December 2, 2020.
  2. "Former WWE NXT Star Earns Future ROH World Title Shot". Wrestling Inc. 12 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  3. "Alex Zayne To Debut As Ari Sterling On 205 Live | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ari Sterling WWE profile". WWE. December 2, 2020.
  5. NJPW. "Alex Zayne-アレックス・ゼイン | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  6. P, Dominic (2021-09-12). "Alex Zayne Returns to ROH". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  7. Rathi, Ishaan (4 October 2021). "Alex Zayne returns to Game Changer Wrestling following his WWE release » FirstSportz". firstsportz.com. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  8. cite web|url= https://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=5176
  9. cite web|url= https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=21715&page=12