Outside of wrestling, Hennigan has also worked in the film and television industry. In film, he has mainly worked as an actor, producer and stuntman. He also competed as a contestant on the37th season of the competitive reality showSurvivor.
On the March 1 episode ofRaw, Hennigan debuted on the main roster as a heel under thering name "Johnny Blaze". Hisgimmick was that he was the apprentice and assistant of the Raw General Manager,Eric Bischoff.[26] The next week his name was changed to "Johnny Spade",[27] and three weeks after that it was changed to "Johnny Nitro".[28] The Nitro name, which finally stuck, was a reference toWCW Monday Nitro, the flagship show ofWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) for which Bischoff had previously worked, using theNitro theme as hisring entrance music.[29] Nitro acted as Bischoff's apprentice and assistant until June, when he was sent back to OVW. To explain his departure, Nitro lost a match on the June 7 episode ofRaw againstEugene, which carried the stipulation that upon his loss, he also lost his job, but was actually returned to OVW.[30]
Upon his return to OVW, Nitro was put into afeud with Matt Cappotelli. During the course of the feud,Melina was brought into the company as Nitro's ex-girlfriend and an ally of Cappotelli, only toturn on him and side with Nitro. Not long after, Nitro and Melina were joined byJoey Mercury, forming thestableMNM. MNM wrestled in OVW for around a year, holding theOVW Southern Tag Team Championship once, before losing the titles to Cappotelli andJohnny Jeter in January 2005.[31] They were soon called up to the mainSmackDown!brand in April that same year.[32]
In their debut match on the main roster, MNM won theWWE Tag Team Championship fromEddie Guerrero andRey Mysterio on the April 21 episode ofSmackDown!.[33] MNM held the titles for three months, having successful defenses against the teams of Guerrero and Mysterio,[34] andCharlie Haas andHardcore Holly on May 22 atJudgment Day,[35] before dropping them to theLegion of Doom on July 24 atThe Great American Bash.[36] They won the titles again on the October 28 episode ofSmackDown! in afour-way match defeating Legion of Doom, TheMexicools, andWilliam Regal andPaul Burchill,[37] but lost them to Rey Mysterio andBatista on the December 16 episode ofSmackDown! two days beforeArmageddon.[38] Due to help fromMark Henry, MNM defeated Mysterio and Batista in a rematch on the December 30 episode ofSmackDown! to win the championship for the third time.[39] They began a rivalry with the team ofPaul London and Brian Kendrick that lasted over three months,[40] until they dropped the championship to London and Kendrick atJudgment Day on May 21, 2006, with the storyline leading to Nitro and Melina suddenlyturning on Mercury after the match, breaking up the group.[41] Melina and Nitro left the SmackDown! brand by losing their jobs inkayfabe.[42]
Singles competition and championship success (2006–2007)
The next week, Nitro, along with Melina, debuted on theRaw brand in a loss toWWE ChampionJohn Cena.[43] Nitro was immediately placed in theIntercontinental Championship picture, and atVengeance on June 25, he defeated championShelton Benjamin in atriple threat match also involvingCarlito to win the title.[42] Nitro held the championship for four months, retaining againstJeff Hardy on September 17 atUnforgiven,[44] before losing the title back to Hardy on the October 2 episode ofRaw.[45] Nitro recaptured the Intercontinental Championship from Hardy on the November 6 episode ofRaw,[46] but lost it back to Hardy on the following week'sRaw.[47] Also around this time, Nitro entered into a partnership with rapperKevin Federline, with the duo antagonizing and beginning a rivalry withWWE ChampionJohn Cena.[48] Federline was then, in storyline, trained by Nitro for a match with Cena, which he won after interference fromUmaga.[49]
After Mercury's departure, Nitro also ended his association with Melina.[58][59] Nitro was placed in a tag team withKenny Dykstra,[60][61] until the2007 WWE draft, during which Nitro was drafted to theECW brand.[62] Nitro made his debut for the brand on the June 19 episode ofECW, with a win overNunzio,[63] and few days later, on June 24, atVengeance: Night of Champions, he won the vacantECW World Heavyweight Championship by defeatingCM Punk, replacing the absentChris Benoit due to the latter'sdouble-murder suicide.[64] A few weeks after winning the title, Nitro was repackaged as John Morrison, a reference to musicianJim Morrison, to whom Hennigan bears a strong physical resemblance.[65] Morrison retained the title against Punk atThe Great American Bash on July 22,[66] and on August 26 atSummerSlam.[67] Punk would again challenge for the championship on the September 4 episode ofECW, in which Morrison lost the championship to Punk, ending his reign at 69 days.[68][69] Morrison was then suspended for thirty days for violating WWE'sWellness Program,[citation needed] renewing his feud with Punk upon his return, as well as competing againstThe Miz for the number one contendership to the title.[70][71][72]
Though rivals,Morrison and The Miz faced the dysfunctional tag team of Matt Hardy andMontel Vontavious Porter (MVP) on the November 16 episode ofSmackDown! for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a winning effort, marking Morrison's fourth WWE Tag Team Championship reign.[73] AtSurvivor Series two days later, Morrison and The Miz were both defeated by CM Punk in a triple threat match for theECW Championship.[74] After the defeat, the rivalry aspect of Morrison and The Miz's relationship faded, as they were now portrayed as trusting friends. Morrison competed in the2008 Royal Rumble match on January 27, but failed to win after being eliminated byKane.[75] In February 2008, Morrison and The Miz were given astreaming segment on WWE.com namedThe Dirt Sheet in which they mocked other wrestlers and facets of pop culture. Morrison and The Miz co-wrote each episode ofThe Dirt Sheet each week, and Morrison credits his time in college studying film with contributing to the success of the show.[17] On March 30 atWrestleMania XXIV, Morrison competed in theMoney in the Bank ladder match, which was won by CM Punk. Despite being unsuccessful, Morrison had a standout performance in the match, in which he performed a moonsault from the top rope to the outside of the ring while holding onto a ladder.[76]
Morrison and The Miz engaged themselves in a feud withThe Colóns (Carlito andPrimo), who were the reigning WWE Tag Team Champions, which resulted in both teams defending their respective championships successfully in separate matches. Their feud culminated in a tag teamlumberjack match where both titles were on the line at theWrestleMania 25, but it was The Colóns who would unify the championships with a win.[85] On April 13, as part of the2009 WWE Draft, The Miz was drafted to the Raw brand to split up the team, and as a result, The Miz attacked Morrison.[86]
After Morrison was separated from The Miz and drafted to SmackDown, he won his third Intercontinental Championship.
On April 15, Morrison was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the2009 Supplemental Draft.[87] On the April 17 episode ofSmackDown, he defeatedR-Truth.[88] On the May 1 episode ofSmackDown, Morrison engaged in a backstage fight withChris Jericho after Jericho slapped him, turningface in the process for the first time in his career.[89] Later that same night, Morrison defeatedShelton Benjamin, beginning a feud between the two. On the May 7 episode ofSuperstars, Morrison lost a match to Jericho after a distraction by Benjamin.[90] Morrison continued to score victories over Benjamin in singles and tag team matches before defeating him on May 17 atJudgment Day.[91]
On the September 4 episode ofSmackDown, Morrison defeated Rey Mysterio to win his third Intercontinental Championship.[92] Morrison then began a feud withDolph Ziggler, retaining the title against Ziggler on October 4 atHell in a Cell,[93] and again on the following episode ofSmackDown. The feud between Morrison and Ziggler continued throughout the next month, with the two wrestling to a double countout for the Intercontinental Championship on the November 13 episode ofSmackDown and Morrison retaining the championship in a two-out-of-three falls match the following week to end the feud. AtBragging Rights on October 25, Morrison lost to his former tag team partner then-United States Champion The Miz in an interbrand Champion vs. Champion match.[94] Their rivalry continued after both were announced as opposing team captains forSurvivor Series on November 22, where Miz's team defeated Morrison's team.[95] Morrison then went on to feud with newcomerDrew McIntyre, who defeated Morrison in a non-title match on the December 4 episode ofSmackDown, thus earning a championship opportunity against Morrison.[96] AtTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, Morrison lost the Intercontinental Championship to McIntyre, ending his reign at 103 days.[97] Morrison later won anElimination Chamber qualifying match[98] and participated in theElimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship on February 21, 2010, but was eliminated byThe Undertaker.[99] On the March 5 episode ofSmackDown, Morrison teamed with R-Truth to defeat Cryme Tyme andThe Hart Dynasty to earn a Unified WWE Tag Team Championship match againstShoMiz (Big Show and The Miz).[100] AtWrestleMania XXVI on March 28, they failed to win the championship.[101]
Morrison atWWE Tribute to the Troops in December 2010Morrison's highly acclaimed spot in the Royal Rumble match
On April 26, Morrison was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the2010 WWE draft, and lost his first match back for the brand later that night toJack Swagger.[102] In his final match onSmackDown, he lost toCody Rhodes.[103] On June 1, Morrison announced that he would be mentoring Eli Cottonwood in the second season ofNXT.[104][105] Cottonwood, however, was the second person eliminated from the competition, and was eliminated on the July 27 episode ofNXT.[106] Morrison then went on to participate in the main event ofSummerSlam on August 15, in which he and six teammates (John Cena, Edge, Chris Jericho,Bret Hart, R-Truth, andDaniel Bryan) were victorious in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match againstThe Nexus.[107] In October, Morrison began a feud withSheamus after he helpedSantino Marella earn an upset win during a one-sided match against Sheamus. Within the following weeks, Morrison continued to save Marella from attacks by Sheamus. AtSurvivor Series on November 21, Morrison defeated Sheamus.[108] Morrison entered the2010 edition of theKing of the Ring tournament, defeatingTyson Kidd, Cody Rhodes, andAlberto Del Rio but lost to Sheamus in the final round.[109][110] He continued to feud with Sheamus and defeated him in aWWE Championship number one contender's ladder match atTables, Ladders & Chairs on December 19.[111] Morrison received his WWE Championship match on the January 3, 2011 episode ofRaw, but lost to reigning champion The Miz in afalls count anywhere match.[112] Morrison participated in the Royal Rumble match atRoyal Rumble on January 30, 2011 and despite not winning, he had a stand-out moment which was praised by critics as "arguably the spot of the decade" when Morrison was knocked off of the ring apron and performed a cat leap onto the barricade to avoid having his feet touch the floor and then went on to precision jump onto the ring steps and re-enter the ring.[113] On February 20, Morrison participated in the Elimination Chamber match atElimination Chamber, but was eliminated by CM Punk.[114] During the match, Morrison climbed to the top of the cage while inside the cage before dropping to deliver a crossbody on and eliminate Sheamus.[115][116] AtWrestleMania XXVII on April 3, Morrison,Trish Stratus andJersey Shore guest starSnooki defeated Dolph Ziggler andLayCool (Layla andMichelle McCool) in a mixed tag team match.[117]
Morrison participated in feuds for various championships before departing from WWE in 2011.
On the April 11 episode ofRaw, Morrison participated in a five-man gauntlet match for the #1 contender's spot for the WWE Championship, but was eliminated by R-Truth.[118] The next week onRaw, Morrison challenged R-Truth to a match with the stipulation that if Morrison won, he would take R-Truth's place in the steel cage match atExtreme Rules. R-Truth accepted and lost the match, making Morrison the new #1 contender.[119] After the match, R-Truth viciously attacked Morrison.[120] At Extreme Rules on May 1, R-Truth interfered in the WWE Championship steel cage match, attacking Morrison to prevent him from winning the match.[121] The next night onRaw, Morrison was attacked by R-Truth again, prior to a scheduled match between the two which did not happen as a result.[122] Morrison then underwent surgery to correct a legitimately pinched nerve in his neck.[123] Morrison initially returned on the June 13 episode ofRaw, but R-Truth attacked him again prior to their scheduled match, re-injuring him.[124] Morrison returned again on the July 25 episode ofRaw, attacking R-Truth.[125] AtSummerSlam on August 14, Morrison, Kofi Kingston and Rey Mysterio defeated R-Truth, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz.[126] The following night onRaw, Morrison defeated R-Truth in a falls count anywhere match to end their feud. AtNight of Champions on September 18, Morrison competed in a fatal four-way match for theUnited States Championship, also involvingAlex Riley, Dolph Ziggler, and Jack Swagger, with Ziggler retaining his title.[127] Morrison then challenged Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship atHell in a Cell on October 2, but failed to win the title.[128] Following this, Morrison went on a losing streak, lasting a number of weeks.[129] On the November 7 episode ofRaw SuperShow, Morrison picked up his first victory in three months, defeating United States Champion Dolph Ziggler in a non-title match. Morrison challenged Ziggler for the championship atSurvivor Series on November 20 but lost.[130]
In his last advertised WWE appearance on the November 28 episode ofRaw SuperShow,[131] Morrison faced The Miz in a Falls Count Anywhere match; The Miz won the match by delivering the Skull-Crushing Finale on the steel entrance stage, giving Morrison a (kayfabe) injury. This was used to write Morrison off television, even being stretchered out of the arena after the match.[132] On November 29, WWE acknowledged the end of Morrison's contract,[133] and moved his profile to the alumni section of its website.[14] In a video published on December 9, 2011, via Hennigan's personal YouTube channel, Hennigan claimed that he was taking time off to heal and retrain for a possible return to wrestling in the future.[134] In 2015, Hennigan revealed onStone Cold Steve Austin's podcast that WWE wanted him to sign another multi-year contract, but due to a neck injury, residual pain, and creative frustrations, he decided to not renew his contract, wanting "more control over [his] time".[135]
After leaving WWE, Hennigan began wrestling on theindependent circuit under his real name, as well as his previous ring name John Morrison.[136] On his first post-WWE wrestling appearance, Hennigan rekindled an old feud, facing off againstShelton Benjamin in the main event of the World Wrestling Fan Xperience (WWFX) Champions Showcase Tour inManila, Philippines on February 4, 2012. Hennigan won the match to become the inaugural WWFX Heavyweight Champion. On August 12, 2012, Hennigan appeared atJuggalo Championship Wrestling'sBloodymania 6 event, defeatingMatt Hardy and Breyer Wellington in a three-way match.[137] On January 25, 2013, Morrison appeared atDragon Gate USA's Open the Golden Gate, defeatingAkira Tozawa in the main event of the show.[138] Hennigan took part in the WrestleMania weekend, wrestling for the Pro Wrestling Syndicate. On April 4, Hennigan defeatedElijah Burke and on April 5, Morrison defeated Japanese legendJushin Thunder Liger in an "International Dream Match" at a Pro Wrestling Syndicate (PWS) event.[139]
On June 21, 2013, Hennigan defeatedCarlito Caribbean Cool in FWE Welcome to the Rumble II, winning the FWE Heavyweight Championship.[140] The next day, Hennigan defended the title againstToo Cold Scorpio at House of Hardcore 2.[141] On October 12, 2013, at FWE Grand Prix, Hennigan defeatedMatt Morgan, retaining the FWE Heavyweight Championship.[142] On March 11, 2015, Hennigan lost theFWE Heavyweight Championship toA.J. Styles.[143]
On January 28, 2017, Morrison won a tournament at a5 Star Wrestling event for the 5 Star Wrestling Championship, defeatingMoose,Drew Galloway, andRey Mysterio to win the title.[147] On February 8, 2018, he lost the title againstJake Hager after over a year as champion.
On September 22, Morrison reunited with formerMNM tag team partnerJoey Mercury after ten years, defeatingReno Scum.[148]
In September 2014, it was reported that Hennigan had signed with theEl Rey network's new television series,Lucha Underground,[149] where he wrestled under the ring name Johnny Mundo.[5] Mundo wrestled in the main event of the debut episode ofLucha Underground on October 29, 2014, defeatingPrince Puma and winning one hundred thousand dollars, which was then taken away from him by promoter Dario Cueto, setting up several feuds.[150] He then teamed with Prince Puma during the November 5, 2014 episode, defeatingCortez Castro and Mr. Cisco. On the November 19 episode, Mundo defeatedBig Ryck by disqualification after interference by Castro and Cisco.[151] Mundo then defeated Prince Puma and Big Ryck in the main event of the December 10, 2014 episode, which was a three-way ladder match, to finally win the hundred thousand dollars he was denied in theLucha Underground debut.[152]
On January 7, 2015, Mundo participated in a 20-man "Aztec Warfare" battle royal for theLucha Underground Championship. He was the secondluchador to enter the ring, but was the last man eliminated by Prince Puma who won the Championship.King Cuerno attacked Mundo on the February 4 episode, beginning a feud between them; the second installment took place on the episode which aired March 11, where Mundo and Cuerno wrestled in a Steel Cage match, which was won by Mundo. On May 13, Mundo turned into avillain when he attackedAlberto El Patrón in his match againstHernandez, throwing him through the window of Dario Cueto's office. Mundo subsequently tossed El Patrón back into the ring, giving Hernandez the win.[153] On the June 17, episode ofLucha Underground, Johnny Mundo unsuccessfully challengedPrince Puma for theLucha Underground Championship in an Iron Man match. On August 5, 2015, atUltima Lucha, Mundo defeated Alberto El Patrón after an interference by his girlfriendMelina Perez.[154]
On the February 3, 2016 episode ofLucha Underground, Mundo facedKillshot in a winning effort. After the match, Mundo taunted Lucha Underground ChampionMil Muertes, only to be confronted byCage.[155] Mundo defeated Cage on February 24, after interference from the debutingTaya, subsequently becoming Mundo's valet.[156] On the May 25 episode ofLucha Underground, Taya revealed toP. J. Black andJack Evans that their partnerFénix was injured by Mundo. As Mundo revealed himself as Fénix's replacement for their match, Black and Evans allied with the two. Later that night in the main event, Mundo, Black and Evans defeatedRey Mysterio Jr., Prince Puma andDragon Azteca Jr. to win theLucha Underground Trios Championship, the first championship for each inLucha Underground.[157] The week after, Mundo, Black and Evans, now collectively billed as Worldwide Underground, retained their championships in a rematch via disqualification.[158][159] Worldwide Underground lost their titles toAero Star,Drago andFénix at the third and final partUltima Lucha Dos, which aired on July 20.[160]
On the October 26 episode ofLucha Underground, Mundo defeatedSexy Star to win theLucha Underground Gift of the Gods Championship after he knocked out Sexy Star withbrass knuckles while the referee was unaware.[161][162] On the November 23 episode ofLucha Underground, he cashed in his Gift of the Gods Championship on Sexy Star before defeating her to win the Lucha Underground Championship, becoming the secondTriple Crown Champion in Lucha Underground history.[163] On the December 21 episode ofLucha Underground, Mundo successfully defended his championship in a rematch against Sexy Star inside a steel cage. He lost the title to Prince Puma atUltima Lucha Tres.[164]
Mundo made his return on the fourth season's premiere, competing in Aztec Warfare entering at number 11. Mundo eliminatedRicky Mundo andDaga before getting eliminated byMarty Martinez and being attacked by the Reptile Tribe. On November 17, 2018, Mundo wrestled on the final episode of Lucha Underground,Ultima Lucha Cuatro, defeatingMatanza Cueto in a Sacrifice to the Gods match.[citation needed]
In July 2017, Mundo and his fiancée Kira Forster, known asTaya, were involved in controversy with AAA and its Director of TalentVampiro, which led to Taya's departure from the company. According toWrestling Observer, AAA asked Mundo to turn in Taya'sReina de Reinas Championship for a photo shoot the day prior to an event on July 1. A few weeks later, Vampiro addressed to the live crowd that Forster was stripped of the title due to not appearing to defend her title, despite not being scheduled to appear.[177]
On August 26, atTriplemanía XXV, Mundo successfully defended his three championships against Fantasma and Texano in aTables, Ladders and Chairs match. On October 1 atHéroes Inmortales XI, Mundo wrestled in three matches, retaining the Mega Championship againstRey Wagner, but losing the Latin American Championship to Fantasma in the annualCopa Antonio Peñabattle royal, and the World Cruiserweight Championship to Lanzelot in a ten-way match, ending his triple championship reign at 196 days.[178]
In August 2017, despite not being signed to the promotion at the time,[179] Hennigan appeared forImpact Wrestling at some live events.[180] On August 17, a video package was shown atDestination X revealing his ring name as Johnny Impact.[4] His first feud in the promotion was withEli Drake, when Impact made his televised in-ring debut on the August 24 episode ofImpact!, participating in aGauntlet for the Gold match for the vacantGlobal Championship, but was eliminated by eventual winnerEli Drake. Impact would face Drake for the title atVictory Road on September 28[181] andBound for Glory on November 5, where he failed to win the title.[182] Since the Bound for Glory match ended after Alberto El Patrón made an interference, Impact, Alberto and Drake had a three-wayLast ChanceSix Sides of Steel match on the January 25, 2018 episode ofImpact!, where Drake retained the title.[183]
After Drake lost the renamed Impact World Championship toAustin Aries, Impact began pursuit of Aries's championship, facing him atCrossroads special on March 8, where he lost again. On the April 19 episode ofImpact!, Johnny Impact was attacked and injured byKongo Kong, which was performed to write him off television in order to film forreality television showSurvivor.[184] Impact returned atSlammiversary XVI on July 22, when he won a four-way match againstFenix,Taiji Ishimori, andPetey Williams.[185]
Impact began a feud with the Impact World Champion Austin Aries, which led to a match atBound for Glory.[186] As the PPV moved closer, the feud started to blur the lines between awork (something scripted) andshoot (something real), beginning with the two wrestlers trading insults onTwitter that they appeared to take personal, with Aries later deleting many of his tweets.[187] Specifically, Impact mocked Aries' short stature and the champion responded by making fun ofhis wife's weight. Aries and Impact both alleged in the media that they authentically took issue with comments.[188]TMZ Live alsopushed the angle "like [it] was a shoot".[189] The two wrestlers got in a brawl the night before Bound for Glory duringAbyss'sImpact Hall of Fame induction.[190] At the event on October 14, Impact defeated Aries to win the Impact World Championship. Throughout the following weeks, Impact successfully defended his title against Fénix, Killer Kross, andMatt Sydal. AtHomecoming on January 6, 2019, Impact defeatedBrian Cage to retain his championship.[191]
During the February tapings for Impact Wrestling, Impact defended his title in a four-way contest involving Killer Kross, Moose and Brian Cage. Impact hit his finisher on Moose, barely seconds prior to Cage hitting hisDrill Claw finisher on Killer Kross. As Impact was able to cover his opponent first the referee was able to provide the count and therefore Impact won the match as Brian Cage went to cover his opponent.[citation needed] On the March 15 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Impact's wife Taya Valkyrie would low blow Cage, which allowed Impact to attack Cage, turning into a villain.[192] AtUnited We Stand on April 4, Impact won a five-wayUltimate X match to become the number one contender for theImpact X Division Championship. Throughout April, Impact successfully defended his title from Cage, often with interferences from Valkyrie and former referee John E Bravo.[193] AtRebellion on April 28, Impact, accompanied by Valkyrie and Bravo, lost the title to Cage in a match whereLance Storm was special guest referee; this left Impact's reign to end at 196 days, leaving it the longest reign sinceBobby Roode's 2011–2012 reign, and therefore the longest reign in seven years, as well as the third-longest reign in history.[194][195]
On the May 31 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Impact challenged X Division ChampionRich Swann to a title match atSlammiversary XVII. Later that night, he teamed withMichael Elgin to face Swann andWillie Mack in a tag team match, in which Swann pinned Impact.[196] At Slammiversary XVII on July 7, Impact lost to Swann.[197] On July 8,Pro Wrestling Insider reported that Hennigan's contract with Impact Wrestling had expired several weeks prior to the event, and the two sides agreed to have Hennigan work until Slammiversary.[198]
On September 26, 2019, it was reported by Mike Johnson ofPro Wrestling Insider that Hennigan had re-signed with WWE, which was officially confirmed by the company on December 3 duringWWE Backstage.[202][203][204] He made his return on January 3, 2020 episode ofSmackDown under his John Morrison ring name and resumed his partnership withThe Miz, thus re-establishing him as aheel for the first time in WWE since 2009.[205][206] They would feud with the SmackDown Tag Team Champions,The New Day, with Morrison winning singles matches againstBig E andKofi Kingston.[207][208] AtRoyal Rumble on January 26, 2020, Morrison participated in the Royal Rumble match as the fifth entrant, but he was eliminated byBrock Lesnar.[209] AtSuper ShowDown on February 27, The Miz and Morrison won theSmackDown Tag Team Championship from The New Day.[210][211][212][213]
On March 8, Morrison and The Miz had their first title defense in a tag team Elimination Chamber match atElimination Chamber, successfully defending their titles against The New Day,The Usos, Heavy Machinery (Otis andTucker), Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik andLince Dorado), andDolph Ziggler andRobert Roode.[214] On the first night ofWrestleMania 36 on April 4, after The Miz's absence due to illness,[215] Morrison defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championships by himself in a ladder match against Kofi Kingston and Jimmy Uso, in which he was successful.[216] On the April 17 episode ofSmackDown, the duo lost the titles back to The New Day after The Miz unsuccessfully defended the titles by himself in a triple threat match against Big E and Jey Uso ending their reign at 50 days.[217] AtMoney in the Bank on May 10, Morrison and The Miz unsuccessfully attempted to regain the championship in a fatal four-way tag team match also involving Lucha House Party (Gran Metalik andLince Dorado) and The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler andWesley Blake).[218] Morrison and The Miz then started a rivalry withUniversal ChampionBraun Strowman.[219][220] AtBacklash on June 14, the duo competed for Strowman's title in a two-on-onehandicap match, but lost.[221] As part of the2020 Draft in October, both Morrison and The Miz were drafted to theRawbrand.[222] Prior to the draft, Morrison and The Miz entered a feud withOtis for hisMoney in the Bank contract. AtHell in a Cell on October 25, Morrison accompanied The Miz in his match against Otis for the contract, which Miz won.[223][224]
"He's come back and he's kind of been, like, thehandyman. He ain't the handyman ... Put some respect on his name because John Morrison is a superstar when given the right opportunity."
After The Miz suffered an injury atWrestleMania Backlash on May 16, Morrison would embark on a singles run, starting by defeatingJeff Hardy on the June 14 episode ofRaw. The following week, Morrison defeatedRandy Orton to qualify for theMoney in the Bank ladder match at thenamesake pay-per-view event on July 18,[235] which was won byBig E.[236] On the August 23 episode ofRaw, The Miz turned on Morrison by attacking him, thus turning Morrisonface and setting up a feud between the pair.[237] However, the feud abruptly ended after the Miz took a hiatus to compete onDancing with the Stars.[238] On November 18, as part of an eighth round of layoffs due to budget cuts stemming from theCOVID-19 pandemic, Morrison was released from his WWE contract.[239]
On March 23, 2025, Hennigan appeared at the Beynefit for Bey event hosted by Future Stars of Wrestling (FSW), a benefit show in support ofChris Bey. At the event, he wrestled under his John Morrison name in a three-way match againstAce Austin andLio Rush, which was won by Austin.[252]
All Elite Wrestling / Ring of Honor (2022–present)
On the May 18, 2022 episode ofDynamite, under the ring name "Johnny Elite", Hennigan debuted forAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) as the surprise "Joker" entrant in theOwen Hart Cup Memorial Tournament's quarterfinals, being defeated bySamoa Joe.[253] After the match, it was reported that Hennigan had not signed a contract with AEW, but that "the door is open" for him to return.[254] On the May 27 episode ofAEW Dark, Elite scored his first victory by defeatingMarq Quen.[255] On the June 1 episode ofDynamite, he issued an "open contract" challenge which was answered by a returningMiro, who defeated Elite.[256]
On the June 23, 2023 episode ofRampage, under the new ring name "Johnny TV", Hennigan returned to AEW as the newest member ofQ. T. Marshall's stable QTV after attackingBilly Gunn.[257][258] The following week onRampage, TV and Marshall defeatedMatt Hardy andIsiah Kassidy in their debut match as a team.[259] On the August 11 episode ofRampage, TV unsuccessfully challengedOrange Cassidy for theAEW International Championship.[260] After Marshall announced his departure from AEW in November,[261] Johnny TV began appearing for the company's sister promotionRing of Honor (ROH). AtFinal Battle on December 15, TV interfered in theSurvival of the Fittest match for the vacantROH World Television Championship by attackingDalton Castle. In the following weeks, TV and Castle appeared in various segments in which the latter attempted to have a match with TV, but would be rebuffed until February 2024, when TV agreed to a match for the custody of Castle's teammatesThe Boys (Brandon and Brent Tate). On the February 29 episode ofRing of Honor Wrestling, Johnny TV defeated Castle and gained custody of The Boys.[262] AtSupercard of Honor, Castle defeated Johnny TV in aFight Without Honor with assistance from several people disguised as The Boys, includingJack Cartwheel andPaul Walter Hauser.[263] AtDeath Before Dishonor on July 26, Johnny TV participated in a Survival of the Fittest match for the ROH World Television Championship againstBrian Cage,Lee Johnson,Lio Rush,Shane Taylor, and reigning championAtlantis Jr., making it to the final three before being eliminated by Cage.[264]
My movement background is different from everyone on the roster. I was an amateurcollegiate wrestler atUC Davis. I also did gymnastics at UC Davis. I've studiedkung fu,boxing,capoeira,stunt fighting, parkour—I am a master at all those disciplines. Applying those movement patterns is what I do in the ring.[278]
Alongside his team MNM, Hennigan debuted on WWE television as Johnny Nitro, presenting himself as an arrogant wrestler with "elite Hollywood status".[279] After winning theECW World Championship in 2007, he changed his ring name to John Morrison and hisgimmick was tweaked to be even more conceited and self-aggrandizing[280] — in addition to being modeled after Jim Morrison, the legendary frontman of the 1960s rock bandThe Doors, to whom he bears a strong resemblance.[65] Following his return to WWE and reunion with his tag team partnerthe Miz in 2020, Hennigan added a comedic aspect to his villainous character, with WWE describing him as using "quirkiness and quick wit to shine every time he is on screen".[14] He also began to refer to himself as "Johnny Drip Drip", a reference to the song "Drip" by rapperCardi B.[235]
Outside of WWE, Hennigan began referring to himself as the "Mayor of Slamtown", a fictional town he first coined inLucha Underground in 2015. Hennigan filed to trademark the term "Slamtown" in November 2020.[281]
In 2009, Hennigan andMaryse Ouellet were interviewed onEurosport.[282] In 2009, Hennigan appeared on two episodes ofAre You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, which were both aired on September 29.[283][284] Hennigan is the subject of a WWEDVD, calledJohn Morrison – Rock Star, which was released on February 16, 2010.[17][285] The DVD covers his career from his name change to John Morrison up until his Intercontinental Championship win in September 2009.[17][285] He appeared on an episode ofDestroy Build Destroy on March 3, 2010.[286] Hennigan was on the cover ofMuscle & Fitness in June 2010, with the issue also featuring an interview and photo shoot.[287] In 2016, Hennigan,Rey Mysterio, andKing Cuerno appeared onESPN to promote the second season ofLucha Underground.[288]
After leaving WWE in 2011, Hennigan pursued a career in the film industry as an actor and filmmaker. In 2013, he appeared in20 Feet Below: The Darkness Descending withDanny Trejo, as well as served as co-producer of the film.[293] In 2017, Hennigan released his first feature film titledBoone: The Bounty Hunter, which he starred in, co-wrote, and served as executive producer of. Hennigan sold his house in order to finance the film.[294]
On October 31, 2022, Hennigan announced the release of his directorial debut, acomedy horror short film titledThe Iron Sheik Massacre which he also produced and co-wrote with his wife Kira Forster.[295] The film stars Hennigan and Forster alongside fellow wrestlersKarrion Kross,PJ Black,Holly Meowy, Super Panda, and the voice ofThe Iron Sheik,[296][297] and had its first screening on November 5, 2022 at the Los Angeles International Film Festival.[298]
Hennigan was a contestant on the 37th season ofSurvivor,Survivor: David vs. Goliath where he was originally part of the Goliath tribe and later the Tiva tribe before making it to the merged tribe Kalokalo. He finished 12th out of 20 contestants and became the second member of the jury after the former members of the Goliath tribe were blindsided at tribal council; two contestants used hidden immunity idols, causing Hennigan to be eliminated despite only having three elimination votes, as Christian Hubicki, who received seven, was immune.[299]
Hennigan's performance as a contestant and the episode of his elimination received critical acclaim. Chris Chase ofUSA Today praised Hennigan for being "true to everything we've seen from him this season, [and] a class act after his shock defeat".[300] Writing forPeople, formerSurvivor contestant Stephen Fishbach highlighted that "in a tribal council that was meant to take out the Davidest David [Christian Hubicki], it was really the Goliath of the Goliaths [Hennigan] who fell. How perfectly Biblical."[301] The show's executive producer and hostJeff Probst was "so impressed" with Hennigan, describing him as "the guy who catches the winning touchdown pass in the final moments of theSuper Bowl, and then, instead of some crazy celebration, he casually tosses the ball to the ref, kisses his wife and hugs his kids", alongside stating that he would "absolutely" have Hennigan back on the show.[302]
Hennigan was involved in anon-off relationship with former WWE Diva and on-screen managerMelina Perez from 2003 to 2015. The pair met during the auditions forTough Enough III, in which Perez was cut and Hennigan eventually won.[313] Since 2016, Hennigan has been in a relationship with Kira Forster, better known asTaya Valkyrie.[314] The pair met through the affiliation between AAA and Lucha Underground, with Forster becoming Hennigan's on-screen partner in the latter promotion prior to their real-life relationship.[315] They became engaged on June 14, 2017,[316] and were married on June 1, 2018.[317]
^On theindependent circuit, Hennigan has used several names depending on the associated wrestling promotion, including Johnny Blackcraft,[8] Johnny Downunder,[9] Johnny Foxwoods,[10] Johnny Progress,[11] and Johnny Ultra.[12] As a rookie in Supreme Pro Wrestling, he wrestled under the name Johnny Onyx.[13]
^Mihaly, John (August 2007). "Called On The Carpet!". WWE Magazine. p. 29.
^ab"MTV On Air – Tough Enough". MTV. Archived fromthe original on August 9, 2001. RetrievedApril 8, 2007.In the end, Matt and John were chosen to be the winners of Tough Enough 3.
^"OVW results – April 23, 2003". Online World of Wrestling. RetrievedApril 8, 2007.Matt and John from Tough Enough III were shown sitting ringside.. They said that they have been continuing their training here in OVW..[sic]
^Tylwalk, Nick (March 2, 2004)."Raw: Rock and Sock return".Slam! Sports.Canoe.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. RetrievedFebruary 23, 2009.
^Tylwalk, Nick (April 13, 2004)."Raw: Backlash beckons".Slam! Sports.Canoe.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. RetrievedFebruary 23, 2009.Johnny Nitro comes to the ring to the old WCW Monday Nitro theme music
^Sokol, Chris (June 8, 2004)."Raw: High in the skybox".Slam! Sports.Canoe.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. RetrievedFebruary 23, 2009.
^Kapur, Bob (July 25, 2005)."JBL reigns at a dull Bash".Slam! Sports.Canoe.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. RetrievedFebruary 23, 2009.
^Plummer, Dale; Tylwalk, Nick (November 19, 2007)."Survivor Series ends with an Edge".Slam! Sports.Canoe.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. RetrievedNovember 18, 2008.
.jpg)
