| Matthew Wiese | |
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Horshu Inspector Max Impact Luther Reigns |
| Billed height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Billed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) |
| Born | September 22 1971 Hell's Kitchen, New York City |
| Resides | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Billed from | Hell's Kitchen, New York Phoenix, Arizona |
| Trained by | WCW Power Plant |
| Debut | 1997 |
Matthew "Matt" Wiese (September 22, 1971) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in World Wrestling Entertainment as Luther Reigns. Wiese is currently working for Wild West Championship Wrestling under his WCW ring name Horshu.
Contents |
Career
World Championship Wrestling (1997-1998)
Wiese started his career as a jobber in World Championship Wrestling in 1997 using the ring name Horshu. To compliment the name, his hair was shaved into a horseshoe pattern and he would try to work the word "shu" into his promos (eg. There's no business like "shu" business!). He also "auditioned" for an anti-nWo stable called Piper's Family, headed by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, which was quietly axed. However, he did make an appearance on WCW Nitro in an improptu match with Piper where he was locked into Piper's signature sleeper hold and lost.
AWA Superstars (1999-2003)
After WCW, Wiese made his way to the second version of the American Wrestling Association, known as the American Superstars of Wrestling. During his time there, he won the AWA World Heavyweight Champion and held the title for a total 9 months in his first reign. Unfortunately, Reigns was stripped of his championship after missing too many title defenses. After being fired from the AWA, Wiese received a WWE contract in 2003 and went to wrestle in Ohio Valley Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory, where he was known as Inspector Max Impact.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2004-2005)
In April 2004, he was brought into WWE under the name Luther Reigns, the "assistant" to (then) general manager Kurt Angle. Reigns made his WWE pay-per-view debut at the Great American Bash in June 2004, defeating Charlie Haas. In September, 2004, Reigns and Angle brought Mark Jindrak into their team during a tag team match of Reigns and Angle vs. The Big Show and Eddie Guerrero. Jindrak hit the ring attacking Big Show, and Angle, Reigns, and Jindrak beat down Big Show and shaved his head bald. This led to a 4 month feud with The Big Show. Reigns, Jindrak, and Angle formed the new Team Angle with Kurt Angle as the leader. From September 2004 until Mid-Februay 2005, Reigns and Jindrak helped Kurt Angle win most of his matches as well as taking care of Angle's enemies. Reigns and Jindrak served as Kurt Angle's bodyguards as well, and also wrestled for the WWE Tag Team Championships on occasion. Then, in mid-February 2005, Reigns and Jindrak went off on their own to feud with The Undertaker. On the February 17, 2005 edition of Smackdown!, Undertaker defeated Mark Jindrak, after which Luther Reigns smashed a television camera over the Undertaker's head. Then on February 20, 2005 Luther Reigns wrestled perhaps the biggest match in his career by going up against The Undertaker at No Way Out. Mark Jindrak was thrown out before the match started and although Reigns put up a good fight, Undertaker gained the victory. After this, the team of Reigns and Jindrak began to have a falling out. Reigns got upset at Jindrak for tapping out in a "Double Jeopardy" handicap match against the Undertaker on the February 24, 2005 edition of Smackdown! when Reigns refused to tag in. After the match, Reigns and Jindrak briefly argued before coming to blows, and had to be pulled apart by officials. Then the following week on the March 3, 2005 edition of SmackDown!, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio beat Jindrak and Reigns to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships. After the match, Jindrak tried to help up Reigns after he got pinned and Luther Reigns smacked Jindrak. The two argued until Jindrak knocked Reigns out with a left hook to the head, leading to Jindrak's face turn. On the March 10, 2005 edition of SmackDown!, Jindrak and Reigns went head to head in a singles match, which ended with Jindrak pinning Reigns after his left hook punch, ending their tag team. After this, Reigns would resume his feud with The Big Show once again after saying that Big Show embarrassed SmackDown! at WrestleMania 21 when Big Show lost to Akebono in a sumo match. Reigns would then unsuccessfully try to tip over a Jeep to prove he was stronger than Show. However, Big Show then successfully tipped the Jeep over, thus showing that he was stronger than Reigns. Big Show would then defeat Reigns in a 1-on-1 match on the following SmackDown!. Luther would then wrestle in matches mostly on WWE Velocity, losing to Booker T but then defeating Funaki in his final match. On May 11, he was released from his contract. By all reports, he left on very good terms with Vince McMahon.
Independent circuit (2006-Current)
In mid to late 2006, Wiese returned to the U.S. independent circuit for several independent federations. On Scott Norton's official website, Wiese was confirmed to appear for Norton's new promotion Wild West Championship Wrestling under his Horshu name and gimmick.
Other work
In early 2006, Wiese began working as a bodyguard. He was spotted at the AVN porn convention in Las Vegas working as a bodyguard. This may have been because his wife, Chanel St. James, is a porn star. Wiese appeared in the movie The Girl Next Door as "Mule". He also had an uncredtied role in the movie Daredevil as one of the Kingpin's bodyguards. Wiese is also an actor on the Playboy TV show "Totally Busted", which is a "candid-camera" type show. In this show, he goes under his old WCW name Horshu. He also appears in several Playboy television shows\. One is "Playboy Prime" a composite show, him appearing in a regular skit titled "Conoga Park", a comedy-based mini-series in which he is known as "Jackamo", a [fake] porn-fashion designer.
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
Championships and accomplishments
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- AWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Personal life
Wiese has lead a troubled life from his upbringing in the infamous Hell's Kitchen. Wiese has been to prison (according to Wiese himself, he was in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day), he also had his throat slashed from ear to ear and was left for dead but eventually recovered. Matt was even stabbed in the chest. Shockingly, however, the stabbing was only 2 centimeters away from his heart. He also appeared under the Horshu name on an episode of The Jenny Jones Show (titled "From Geek to Bad Ass Physique") as one of the guests that had gone from an ordinary and plain look in their early years to a dramatically different appearance.
