| Clark Connors | |
|---|---|
 Connors in April 2024 | |
| Birth name | Connor Deutsch |
| Born | (1993-10-06)October 6, 1993 (age 31) Snoqualmie, Washington, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Clark Connors |
| Billed height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 202 lb (92 kg)[1] |
| Trained by |
|
| Debut | April 15, 2017[2] |
Connor Deutsch (born October 6, 1993), better known by hisring nameClark Connors, is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is signed toNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW, where he is a member of theBullet Club stable and itsWar Dogs subgroup. He is the currentDEFY World Champion, as well as a former 2-timeIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions with his tag partner,Drilla Moloney. Also in NJPW, Connors was the winner of the 2020Lion's Break Crown.
Connors made his debut on April 15, 2017, working mainly for Canadian independent promotions such asAll-Star Wrestling andWest Coast Wrestling Connection. He also appeared forDEFY Wrestling, in his home state ofWashington in the United States.[2]
In 2018, Connors entered theNew Japan Pro-Wrestling LA Dojo, as the first class along withKarl Fredericks andAlex Coughlin, training underKatsuyori Shibata. Connors made his in-ring debut beating Coughlin in a dark match atFighting Spirit Unleashed. Connors visited Japan for the first time as a representative of the LA Dojo at theYoung Lion Cup held in September 2019 and came third in the tournament along with Coughlin with 8 points.[3][4] Over the next few months, Connors would lose to many New Japan wrestlers and draw to his fellow young lions, which is common for young lions during their training. Through New Japan's partnership's with other promotions, Connors was also able to make appearances forRing of Honor andRevolution Pro Wrestling.
In July and August 2019, Connors and Fredericks teamed up with Shibata's close friendKenta in tag team matches during theG1 Climax 29 tournament, in which Kenta was competing. This led to a feud with young lionsRen Narita andYota Tsuji, who were young lions training in the Japanese New Japan Dojo. On the final day, Connors and Fredericks defeated Narita and Tsuji in a tag team match.[5] Connors returned to the US to compete in theSuper-J Cup, but was defeated in the first round byT. J. Perkins.[6] After the tournament, Connors began to team frequently with TJP, including in that yearsSuper Junior Tag League, where the team finished with 2 points, with a record of 1 win and 6 losses, only beating the team ofTiger Mask andYuya Uemura, therefore failing to advance to the tournament finals.[7] On January 4, 2020, atWrestle Kingdom 14, Connors, Fredericks, Coughlin andToa Henare defeatedTencozy (Satoshi Kojima andHiroyoshi Tenzan), Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura in an eight-man tag-team match.[8]
In March 2020, New Japan suspended all of its activities, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, causing American-based talent, such as Connors to not be able to travel to Japan. Therefore, Connors appeared primarily on New Japan's new American-based showNJPW Strong. In September, Connors participated in theLion's Break Crown. He defeated Jordan Clearwater in the first round and Logan Riegal in the semi-finals. In the tournament finals, he defeatedDanny Limelight to win the tournament, his first tournament win in his New Japan career.[9] Connors again participated in theSuper-J Cup but was once again defeated in the first round, this time byChris Bey.[10] During this time, Connors began referring to himself as a "Wild Rhino" and it was confirmed by Shibata he was no longer a young lion.[11][12]
The following year in March, Connors defeated TJP to qualify for a place in theNew Japan Cup USA tournament, however he was defeated byLio Rush in the first round.[13] Connors then entered New Japan's Tag Team Turbulence Tournament, once again teaming with TJP, but they lost to eventual winnersThe Good Brothers, in the first round.[14] In October, during NJPW Strong'sAutumn Attack, TJP turned on the LA Dojo and joinedUnited Empire, this led to the LA Dojo beginning a feud, where they would mainly lose to the group on Strong. This ended when in January 2022, atNew Beginning in USA, where Connors defeated TJP.[15] Connors challenged for theStrong Openweight Championship atStrong Style Evolved but was defeated by championTom Lawlor.[16] In March, the LA Dojo, which was still represented by graduates like Connors, Coughlin and Fredericks, began a feud withAll Elite Wrestling'sThe Factory as they fought over which was the superior wrestling developmental system. This led to a match atWindy City Riot, in which Connors, Fredericks andYuya Uemura, lost to The Factory'sAaron Solo,Nick Comoroto andQ. T. Marshall.[17] Soon after, Connors and other LA Dojo members made their debuts on the May 10 episode ofDark, saving the LA Dojo's The DKC andKevin Knight from a post-match attack by The Factory. The following week, LA Dojo members defeated The Factory in a ten-man tag team match.[18]
On May 1, Connors was announced for the 2022 edition of theBest of the Super Juniors, making his return to Japan since his graduation. He competed in the A-Block, finishing with a record of 4 wins and 5 losses, resulting in 8 points, therefore failing to advance to the finals.[19][20] On the day of the finals, Connors teamed withTitán,Yoh andRobbie Eagles in a losing effort toWheeler Yuta,El Lindaman,Ace Austin andAlex Zayne.[21]
Connors was scheduled to compete at Music City Mayhem in late July, challenging for theMLW National Openweight Championship against championDavey Richards, however, it was revealed Connors was injured and suffering from aherniated disc in his back, therefore he was replaced byRocky Romero.[22] Connors returned 3 months later atRumble on 44th Street. After being escorted to the ring byKen Shamrock, Connors lost toMinoru Suzuki.[23] Connors returned to Japan, teaming withRyusuke Taguchi in theSuper Junior Tag League. The duo finished with a record of 6 points, failing to advance to the finals.[24]
On February 18 atBattle in the Valley, Connors facedZack Sabre Jr. for theNJPW World Television Championship, but was defeated.[25] On the March 9 episode ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Connors returned toRing of Honor for the first time in 4 years, challengingWheeler Yuta to a match for hisROH Pure Championship, after Yuta had called out the LA Dojo members, which Yuta accepted.[26] The following week, Yuta defeated Connors to retain the Pure title.[27] On March 30, Connors competed atMultiverse United, a co-produced event between NJPW andImpact Wrestling, where he competed in a Six-wayScramble match for theImpact X Division Championship, but failed to win the title.[28]
On April 15 atCapital Collision, Connors teamed withChaos'Chuck Taylor,Lio Rush andRocky Romero and LA Dojo teammateThe DKC in a ten-man tag-team match, losing toKevin Knight,Kushida,Gabriel Kidd,Mike Bailey andVolador Jr. After the match, Connors attacked The DKC, thus turningheel for the first time in NJPW. Later at the event, Connors joinedBullet Club leaderDavid Finlay in the ring, where he officially joined the stable.[29] The following day at Collision in Philadelphia, Connors defeated The DKC.[30]
Connors returned to Japan in May to compete in the 2023Best of the Super Juniors tournament, competing in the B block.[31] Connors finished with a tally of 8 points, failing to advance to the semi-finals.[32] AtDominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall, Connors confronted newIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira and TJP), only for theirUnited Empire stablemateDan Moloney to attack the duo from behind, joining Connors in Bullet Club.[33] On July 4 on Night 1 ofNJPW Independence Day, Connors and Moloney defeated Catch 2/2 to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, marking both men's first NJPW championships.[34] The following night, the duo made their first title defence, defeating Chaos (Rocky Romero and Yoh).[35] The duo made another successful title defence atDestruction in Ryōgoku on October 9, defeating Intergactic Jet Setters (Kushida andKevin Knight).[36] 5 days later, the duo made another successful defence againstLeon Slater and Cameron Khai, atRoyal Quest III.[37] Later in the month, Connors and Moloney entered theSuper Junior Tag League.[38] The duo finished their tournament campaign with 10 points, failing to advance to the finals.[39] Following the tournament final, the duo attacked tournament winners Catch 2/2, ahead of their scheduled title defence against the duo atWrestle Kingdom 18.[40] Ahead of the match at Wrestle Kingdom, the two teams faced off in NJPW's first evercoffin match, which was won by Bullet Club, after they locked TJP in the coffin.[41] At the event, Akira and TJP defeated Connors and Moloney, ending the duo's reign at 184 days,[42]
Connors attempted to rebound from his loss at Wrestle Kingdom, teaming with Alex Coughlin on January 13 to challengeGuerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo andEl Phantasmo) for theStrong Openweight Tag Team Championships, but they were defeated.[43] On February 4, Connors and Moloney defeated Catch 2/2 to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.[44] On October 14, they would lose the titles to Intergalactic Jet Setters atKing of Pro-Wrestling.
Connors was announced to be in the NJPW qualifying bracket for a chance to advance toForbidden Door to be a part of afour-way match to crown the inauguralAEW All-Atlantic Champion. In the first qualifier Connors defeatedTomoaki Honma, but lost in the final qualifier toTomohiro Ishii, who advanced to the PPV.[45] However, it was later revealed that Ishii had suffered a left knee injury, therefore Connors took his place at the PPV, facingPac,Malakai Black andMiro for the All-Atlantic championship in a losing effort.[46][47]
Connors returned to AEW on the March 1, 2025 episode ofCollision, losing toSwerve Strickland.[48]