Lars Sullivan

Last updated

Lars Sullivan
Lars Sullivan NXT TakeOver New Orleans.jpg
Sullivan in April 2018
Birth nameDylan Miley
Born (1988-07-06) July 6, 1988 (age 36)
Westminster, Colorado, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Dylan Miley
Lars Sullivan
Billed height6 ft 3 in (191 cm) [1]
Billed weight330 lb (150 kg) [1]
Billed from Rocky Mountains [1]
Trained by WWE Performance Center
DebutMarch 29, 2015
RetiredApril 11, 2021

Dylan Miley (born July 6, 1988) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Lars Sullivan. He joined WWE in 2013 and spent several years training at the WWE Performance Center before making his debut on the NXT brand in April 2017. He made his main roster debut on Raw in April 2019, before being moved to SmackDown later that month. Following a tenure plagued by injuries, mental health issues, and the resurfacing of controversial online posts, he requested and was granted his release from WWE in early 2021.

Contents

Professional wrestling career

Miley reported to the WWE Performance Center by October 2014. He wrestled his first recorded match on March 29, 2015, defeating Marcus Louis in a showcase match at WrestleMania Axxess. [2] He then made sporadic appearances at NXT live events over the following two years. Miley made his television debut on the April 12, 2017 episode of NXT under his real name, teaming with Michael Blais in a loss to DIY. Following the match, Miley attacked Blais. [3] In May 2017, he adopted the ring name Lars Sullivan. [4]

After several similar tag team appearances which resulted in him attacking his partner, Sullivan made his first appearance as a singles performer on the August 23 episode of NXT, attacking No Way Jose before a scheduled match. [5] His first televised singles match and victory took place on the September 6 episode of NXT, defeating three jobbers in a three-on-one handicap match. [6] Following weeks of squash matches, Sullivan defeated Kassius Ohno at NXT TakeOver: WarGames on November 18, 2017. [7] In December, he competed in a tournament to determine NXT Champion Andrade Cien Almas' opponent for NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia that was won by Johnny Gargano. [8] At NXT TakeOver: New Orleans on April 7, 2018, Sullivan took part in a six-man ladder match for the NXT North American Championship, which was won by Adam Cole. [9] Sullivan wrestled his final televised NXT match on June 16, 2018 at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II, unsuccessfully challenging NXT Champion Aleister Black; the loss marked his first pinfall defeat in NXT. [10]

In November 2018, vignettes began airing for Sullivan's main roster debut on both Raw and SmackDown . [11] He was scheduled to appear on Raw on January 14, 2019, but reportedly walked out due to an anxiety attack. [12] On the April 8 episode of Raw, Sullivan made his debut by attacking Kurt Angle, who had retired at WrestleMania 35 the previous night. [13] Pushed as a monstrous villain by WWE, he went on to attack high-profile wrestlers such as Rey Mysterio and The Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy). [14] As part of the Superstar Shake-up on April 16, he moved to the SmackDown brand. [15] He began feuding with Lucha House Party (Kalisto, Gran Metalik, and Lince Dorado), defeating them via disqualification in a three-on-one handicap match at Super ShowDown. [16] During a rematch with Lucha House Party on the June 10 episode of Raw, he sustained a severe knee injury with a predicted recovery time of six to nine months. [17]

Sullivan returned on the October 9, 2020 episode of SmackDown, attacking Jeff Hardy, Matt Riddle, and The Miz. [18] On the October 23 episode of SmackDown, he defeated Shorty G in what would be Sullivan's final match in WWE. [19] In January 2021, Miley was quietly released from his WWE contract after being removed from programming. [20] [21] [22] It was revealed by Miley that he had asked for his release after informing WWE that he was done with pro wrestling due to his ongoing anxiety issues. [23] In an interview conducted with Fightful on February 3, 2021, Miley stated that he is "likely done" with professional wrestling. [24]

Personal life

In May 2019, it was revealed that Miley had used multiple accounts on the Bodybuilding.com forum to write what Sports Illustrated described as "a slew of racist, sexist, homophobic, and otherwise offensive posts" between 2007 and 2013. Some of the posts were directed towards WWE employees and were written after Miley had joined WWE. Paste wrote that the posts showed "a long history of repeated behavior" and noted that some of them had insulted foreigners and the mentally ill. In response to the accusations, Miley stated, "There is no excuse for the inappropriate remarks that I made years ago. They do not reflect my personal beliefs nor who I am today, and I apologize to anyone I offended." [25] [26] He was fined $100,000 by WWE and required to complete sensitivity training. [27]

In December 2019, it was reported that Miley had performed in gay pornography under the name Mitch Bennett years earlier. [28] [29]

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sami Zayn</span> Canadian professional wrestler (born 1984)

Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler signed to WWE since January 2013, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sami Zayn. He is the current WWE Intercontinental Champion in his fourth reign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kofi Kingston</span> Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler

Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston and is part of The New Day.

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

The Usos were an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Joshua and Jonathan Fatu, better known as Jey and Jimmy Uso, signed with the WWE. The team disbanded after Jimmy turned on Jey, who was later traded to the Raw brand whereas Jimmy remained on the SmackDown brand as a former member of villainous stable The Bloodline. They are the three-time Raw Tag Team Champions and five-time SmackDown Tag Team Champions, making their team overall eight-time champions and holding the record for the longest male tag team championship reign in WWE history at 622 days. The Usos are members of the renowned Anoaʻi family of Samoan wrestlers.

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

Ettore Ewen is an American professional wrestler and former powerlifter. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Big E; he appears only in non-wrestling capacities due to a broken neck he suffered in March 2022. In addition to his singles career, he is a decorated tag team wrestler as part of The New Day with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Gable</span> American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler (born 1986)

Charles Edward Betts is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler. He is now signed to WWE, where he works on the Raw brand under the ring name Chad Gable. He is a four-time tag team champion in WWE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayley (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (born 1989)

Pamela Rose Martinez is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bayley, and is the current WWE Women's Champion in her second reign. Bayley's 380-day reign as WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, tied with Rhea Ripley, stands as the longest in the championship's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexa Bliss</span> American professional wrestler (born 1991)

Alexis Cabrera is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs under the ring name Alexa Bliss. She is currently inactive due to maternity leave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmella (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler, dancer and model

Leah Van Dale is an American professional wrestler, dancer and model. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs under the ring name Carmella. She is a former WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, WWE Women's Tag Team Champion and WWE 24/7 Champion. She is currently inactive due to maternity leave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Corbin</span> American professional wrestler

Thomas Pestock is an American professional wrestler, former professional football player, and former amateur boxer. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Baron Corbin. He is a former one-time WWE United States Champion and one-time NXT Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Jordan</span> American professional wrestler

Nathan Everhart is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jason Jordan. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as the lead producer for Raw and SmackDown. He has not wrestled since suffering a neck injury in January 2018.

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

Levi Rolla Cooper is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Tucker. After signing with WWE in 2013, he was assigned to their developmental brand NXT, under the ring name Tucker Knight. He is best known for his partnership with Otis, as part of Heavy Machinery. They were promoted to WWE's main roster in 2019, and disbanded in 2020 as a result of the WWE Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikki Cross</span> Scottish professional wrestler (born 1989)

NicolaGlencross is a Scottish professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Nikki Cross and a member of The Wyatt Sicks. She is a one-time Raw Women's Champion, a three-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, and an 11-time and the final WWE 24/7 Champion.

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

Nikola Bogojević is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Otis and is a member of the Alpha Academy stable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austin Theory</span> American professional wrestler (born 1997)

Austin Tyler White is an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Austin Theory. He is in a tag team with Grayson Waller as A-Town Down Under and is a former one-time WWE Tag Team Champion.

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

The Street Profits are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. The team is now working in WWE on the SmackDown brand as a part of The Pride stable, which also includes Bobby Lashley and B-Fab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominik Mysterio</span> American professional wrestler (born 1997)

Dominik Óscar Gutiérrez is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, where he is a member of The Judgment Day stable. He is a former two-time NXT North American Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 WWE Draft</span> WWEs intra-brand draft

The 2020 WWE Draft was the 15th WWE Draft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE between their Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The two-night event began on the October 9 episode of Friday Night SmackDown and concluded on the October 12 episode of Monday Night Raw. Both shows were broadcast from the WWE ThunderDome, hosted at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, with SmackDown airing on FOX and Raw on USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode</span> Professional wrestling tag team

Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, sometimes referred to as The Dirty Dawgs or The Dirty Dogs, were a professional wrestling tag team performed in WWE, where they are former one-time WWE Raw Tag Team Champions and one-time WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champions.

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

The B-Team was a professional wrestling tag team in WWE, composed of Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel. The team are former one-time WWE Raw Tag Team Champions. They also formerly performed as The Social Outcasts and The Miztourage from 2016 to 2018 before assuming their recent tag team name The B-Team.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lars Sullivan". WWE.com. WWE. 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
  2. ↑ "WWE WrestleMania Axxess 2015". Cagematch.net. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ Moore, John (April 12, 2017). "4/12 Moore's NXT TV Review". ProWrestling.net.
  4. ↑ Williams, J.J. (May 7, 2017). "NXT St. Petersburg, FL, live results: Dylan Miley gets a new name". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Lars Sullivan destroyed No Way Jose". WWE.com. WWE . Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  6. ↑ Witner, Arya (September 6, 2017). "WWE NXT results: Asuka says goodbye to NXT". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Retrieved June 7, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Kassius Ohno runs into a Freak Accident at WarGames". WWE.com. WWE.
  8. ↑ "Johnny Gargano def. Aleister Black, Lars Sullivan and Killian Dain in a No. 1 Contender's Fatal 4-Way Match". WWE.com. WWE . Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  9. ↑ Benigno, Anthony. "Adam Cole def. EC3, The Velveteen Dream, Lars Sullivan, Killian Dain and Ricochet to become the first-ever NXT North American Champion". WWE.com. WWE . Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  10. ↑ Pappolla, Ryan. "NXT Champion Aleister Black def. Lars Sullivan". WWE.com. WWE . Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ McClead, Michael (November 18, 2018). "NXT star headed to WWE main roster". Wrestlezone.com. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  12. ↑ Johnson, Mike; Jordan, Paul (January 15, 2019). "WWE call-ups, Lars Sullivan, WWF Superstars coming to WWE Network, Kevin Owens, Booker T and more". PWInsider.com. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  13. ↑ Powell, Jason (April 8, 2019). "4/8 Powell's WWE Raw TV Review: The night after WrestleMania 35 edition featuring new Raw and Smackdown Women's Champion Becky Lynch, new WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins, new Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor, and new Raw Tag Champions Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  14. ↑ Powell, Jason (April 23, 2019). "4/23 WWE Smackdown Live results". ProWrestling.net. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  15. ↑ Barnett, Jake (April 16, 2019). "4/16 WWE Smackdown Live Results". ProWrestling.net. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  16. ↑ Holloway, Henry (May 20, 2019). "WWE blasted as 'tone deaf' over Lars Sullivan beating up 3 luchadores after racist storm". The Daily Star .
  17. ↑ Martínez, Sebastián (June 20, 2019). "Lars Sullivan podría no volver a luchar en WWE hasta 2020" (in Spanish).
  18. ↑ Powell, Jason (October 9, 2020). "10/9 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Powell's review of the 2020 WWE Draft night one, Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the Smackdown Women's Championship, The Fiend vs. Kevin Owens, Big E vs. Sheamus in a Falls Count Anywhere match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  19. ↑ Barnett, Jake (October 23, 2020). "10/23 WWE Friday Night Smackdown results: Barnett's review of the final push for Hell in a Cell, Roman Reigns reveals the consequences for his match with Jey Uso, Otis goes to court". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  20. ↑ Mrosko, Geno (February 2, 2021). "Lars Sullivan reportedly released by WWE". Cageside Seats. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  21. ↑ Johnson, Mike (February 2, 2021). "SmackDown star gone from WWE". PWInsider. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  22. ↑ Powell, Jason (February 2, 2021). "Lars Sullivan reportedly released by WWE". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  23. ↑ Lee, Joseph (February 3, 2021). "Lars Sullivan Says He Told WWE He Was Done With Wrestling Due To Anxiety". 411 Mania. He added that his anxiety issues had become so bad that he wasn't able to eat on days he was set to appear on TV and had trouble sleeping... He said he likely wouldn't wrestle anymore and called his past actions "idiocy" and "selfish behavior"
  24. ↑ Nason, Josh (February 3, 2021). "LARS SULLIVAN LIKELY DONE WITH PRO WRESTLING FOLLOWING WWE RELEASE". F4WOnline.com. Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  25. ↑ Gartland, Dan (May 10, 2019). "Lars Sullivan apologizes for history of racist, sexist and homophobic remarks". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  26. ↑ Martin, Garrett (May 9, 2019). "WWE Wrestler Lars Sullivan acknowledges history of racist, misogynistic and homophobic online comments". Paste . Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  27. ↑ Sapp, Sean. "WWE fines Lars Sullivan $100,000 for controversial remarks". Fightful.com.
  28. ↑ Grant, David (January 2, 2020). "Fans discover homophobic WWE wrestler's gay adult film past". Queerty.
  29. ↑ "Homophobic WWE wrestler Lars Sullivan reportedly starred in gay adult films". Metro Weekly. January 3, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2018". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2018". Cagematch.net. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.