 Gibson in 2018 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jack Rea (1990-08-08)8 August 1990 (age 35) Liverpool, England |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Zack Diamond Zack Diamond Gibson Zack Gibson Rip Fowler |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (190 cm)[1][2] |
| Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | Liverpool, England[1][2] |
| Trained by | Alex Shane[1] Andy Baker[1] |
| Debut | 2009[1] |
Jack Rea (born 8 August 1990), better known by thering nameZack Gibson, is an Englishprofessional wrestler and promoter. He is signed toAEW, where he is one-half ofGrizzled Young Veterans withJames Drake. He has also known tenure for inWWE'sNXTbrand, where he performed under thering nameRip Fowler as a member of The Dyad. He formed Grizzled Young Veterans in 2017 with Drake, becoming the inauguralNXT UK Tag Team Champions and three-timeProgress Tag Team Champions. He has also previous appeared forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Since 2024, Gibson and Drake run a wrestling promotion called Burning Heart Pro Wrestling.[3]
Rea began his professional wrestling career in 2009 after being trained by Alex Shane. He would compete in various promotions including FutureShock Wrestling,Grand Pro Wrestling,5 Star Wrestling, andWhatCulture Pro Wrestling/Defiant Wrestling. InProgress Wrestling, he formed a tag team called Grizzled Young Veterans with James Drake and won the Progress tag team championship. He also wrestled inInsane Championship Wrestling andRevolution Pro Wrestling. In 2018, Gibson joined WWE'sNXT UK brand after competing, where he and Drake became the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions. They later transitioned to NXT in 2020 and competed in theDusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, where they became runners-up. Rea left WWE in 2023 after his contract expired, and began performing as a freelancer.
Jack Rea was born inLiverpool on 8 August 1990.[1] He grew up in nearbyMaghull, where he attendedDeyes High School.[4] He graduated fromLiverpool John Moores University in 2011 with a degree in accounting and finance.[5] Rea playedfootball during his youth, and worked as an accountant during the early stages of his professional wrestling career.[1]
After being trained byAlex Shane, Rea made his pro-wrestling debut in 2009 for English promotion, FutureShock Wrestling asZack Diamond.[6] For FSW, he would become a three-time FSW Heavyweight Champion in a series of matches withNoam Dar,Jack Gallagher, Andy Wild,Rampage Brown,Fabian Aichner,Ashton Smith and others.[7][8][9]
In March 2010, Rea started using the ring name ofZack Gibson.[10] Gibson entered the FutureShock Trophy Tournament 2011 making it to the finals only to lose to CJ Banks.[11] In 2010, Rea made his debut forGrand Pro Wrestling as Zack Diamond losing to Jack Gallagher.[12] Diamond became GPW British Champion after defeating former champion CJ Banks, Gallagher and Martin Kirby in a four-way scramble match.[13] A year later after his GPW debut, Diamond teamed with Xander Cooper,Mikey Whiplash andDanny Hope where they defeated Gallagher, Bruce Sheila, William Gaylord and Noam Dar.[14] At GPW Heroes & Villains, Diamond lost the championship to Jack Gallagher.[15] In 2015, Gibson unsuccessfully challenged Kid Fite for the Union of European Wrestling Alliances European Cruiserweight Championship for Infinite Promotions.[16]
In 2016, Gibson made his debut for5 Star Wrestling, losing toBig Damo.[17] In 2018, before the promotion's closure, Gibson made his return to 5 Star losing toRey Mysterio by disqualification after hitting Mysterio with alow blow.[18][19]
In March 2017 Gibson made his debut forWhatCulture Pro Wrestling (later Defiant Wrestling) as part of the Pro Wrestling World Cup English qualifiers, losing toJimmy Havoc in the first round.[20] He began wrestling on Defiant's weekly programLoaded in late 2017 into 2018. He defeatedRampage Brown at the 18 February 2018 event Chain Reaction. His final match for the promotion before leaving for WWE, would be in March 2018, with Gibson losing a Magnificent 7 qualifying match.[21]
In 2012, Gibson made hisProgress Wrestling debut at the debut show for Progress.[22]In 2014, Gibson returned to Progress at Chapter Twelve, defeatingWill Ospreay.[23] In 2017, Gibson andJames Drake formedvillainous a tag team calledGrizzled Young Veterans. Grizzled Young Veterans defeatedChris Brookes andKid Lykos of CCK to become theProgress tag team champions.[24] They successfully defended the titles againstAussie Open at Progress Chapter 59.[25] At Chapter 61, Grizzled Young Veterans defeatedMoustache Mountain (Trent Seven andTyler Bate)to retain their championships.[26] In 2018, Gibson took part of theSuper Strong Style 16 Tournament, defeatingJoey Janela in the first round andPete Dunne by disqualification in the quarter finals before he was eliminated byKassius Ohno in the semi-finals.[27][28]
Gibson debuted forInsane Championship Wrestling in 2015 during the Road to Fear and Loathing tour losing an eight-man tag team match to the New Age Kliq.[29] In 2015, he challengedGrado for theICW World Heavyweight Championship in a three-way match withDave Mastiff where Grado retained.[30]
On 20 November 2016 atICW: Fear & Loathing IX, Gibson entered the Seven Man Stairway to Heaven match for theICW Zero-G Championship, he faced Aaron Echo,Lionheart, Liam Thomson, Iestyn Rees andKenny Williams but was first eliminated.[31][32]
In 2017 atICW:Fear & Loathing X, Gibson andRob Van Dam were defeated by Lionheart in a three-way elimination match.[33] On 16 June 2017 Gibson defeated Kenny Williams in a falls count anywhere match to win the ICW Zero-G Championship.[34] Gibson lost the championship back to Williams the following month in aladder match.[35]
Gibson was defeated by Trent Seven in hisRevolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) debut match.[36] At RevPro Epic Encounter 2017, Gibson was defeated byHirooki Goto.[37] In June, Gibson defeatedAngélico.[38] At Summer Sizzler, Gibson defeatedDalton Castle.[39] Gibson took part of RevPro andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling's joint show,Global Wars UK losing toYuji Nagata on night one andToru Yano on night two.[40][41][42] Gibson and Josh Bodom defeated Aussie Open to become number one contenders for theRevPro Undisputed British Tag Team Championships. Gibson and Bodom lost to RevPro tag team champions, Moustache Mountain.[43][44]
Gibson was announced forWWE'sWrestleMania Axxess duringWrestleMania 34 weekend as part of aWWE United Kingdom Championship invitational where he lost toMark Andrews in the first round.[45] On day four of axxess, Grizzled Young Veterans retained their Progress tag team championships by disqualification againstHeavy Machinery (Tucker Knight andOtis Dozovic).[46] Around this time, it was revealed byWrestling Observer that Gibson was signed to a WWE contract.[4][47]
On 16 May 2018, it was announced that Gibson would be one of the 16 participants in the upcomingWWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament with the winner of the tournament facing Pete Dunne for the United Kingdom Championship.[48] Gibson defeated Amir Jordan in the opening round.[49] He would go on to defeat Gentleman Jack Gallagher andFlash Morgan Webster in the second round and semi-finals, respectively. He would then defeatTravis Banks in the finals and would go on to challenge WWE United Kingdom Champion, Pete Dunne, the next night in a losing effort.[50][51]
In 2019, they defeated Moustache Mountain atNXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool in the finals of a tournament to become the inauguralNXT UK Tag Team Champions.[52] After some defences, they would lose the titles to Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster atNXT Takeover: Cardiff in a triple-threat tag team also involvingGallus. On 11 September Drake and Gibson unsuccessfully challenged Andrews and Webster in a rematch. They would have another title match atNXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II against the new champions Gallus, Andrews & Webster and Imperium (Fabian Aichner andMarcel Barthel) in a ladder match where the champions retained.[53]
In parallel to their NXT UK Tag Team Championship pursuit at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II, Drake and Gibson competed in the2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. They defeatedKushida and Alex Shelley in the quarterfinals andNXT Tag Team ChampionsBobby Fish andKyle O'Reilly ofThe Undisputed Era in the semifinals, before losing to The BroserWeights (Matt Riddle and Pete Dunne) in the finals.[54][55]
On 19 February 2020 episode ofNXT, the Grizzled Young Veterans joined theNXT brand, defeatingRaul Mendoza andJoaquin Wilde before announcing their intent to take over NXT's tag team division, establishing themselves astweeners.[56] At the Dusty Rhodes tag team classic The Grizzled Young Veterans got to the finals before losing toMSK. AtNXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver The Grizzled Young Veterans were defeated by MSK for the vacant NXT Tag Team Championship also involvingLegado Del Fantasma. On 21 July episode of NXT The Grizzled Young Veterans defeatedLA Knight andCameron Grimes. On 19 July 2022 edition of NXT, Drake and Gibson were revealed asJoe Gacy's Dyad, being renamed to Jagger Reid and Rip Fowler, respectively.On 14 October 2023, both Drake and Gibson announced that their WWE contracts have expired and they would take independent bookings.[57]
On 14 October 2023, both Gibson and Drake announced that they would take independent bookings.[57] The following day, they made their first independent appearance since being released atDeadlock Pro-Wrestling's Live 3 event where they answered an open challenge set by DPW's tag team champions, The Workhorsemen.[58]
On 25 April 2024, Gibson and Drake announced the launch of their professional wrestling promotion, Burning Heart Wrestling. The promotion's first event will take place on 21 June.[59]
On 26 December 2023, it was revealed that Gibson and Drake will make theirTNA Wrestling debuts atHard To Kill.[60] They were later announced as challenging for theTNA World Tag Team Championship, along withThe Rascalz (Zachary Wentz andTrey Miguel) and Speedball Mountain (Mike Bailey andTrent Seven), against championsABC (Chris Bey andAce Austin), which was won by ABC.[61][62] Director of AuthoritySantino Marella would then make abest of three series between the two teams over the titles, with GYV winning the first match[63] and ABC winning the second.[63] GYV lost the third and decisive match atNo Surrender.[64][65]
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Gibson and Drake made theirAll Elite Wrestling debut on the 27 April 2024 episode ofCollision, losing toThe Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens andMax Caster).[66][67] AtAll In on 25 August 2024, the Grizzled Young Veterans made their return to AEW and stared downAEW World Tag Team Champions theYoung Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) before attackingFTR (Cash Wheeler andDax Harwood).[68] Grizzled Young Veterans made their debut for AEW's sister promotionRing of Honor on 14 November in afour-way tag.[69] Grizzled Young Veterans then began a feud with FTR, which ended in a defeat for Grizzled Young Veterans on the 12 December episode ofCollision.[70]
The Grizzled Young Veterans made theirNew Japan Pro-Wrestling on 30 August 2024 atCapital Collision, losing a three-way tag team match toTomohiro Ishii andHiroshi Tanahashi to determine the #1 contenders to theStrong Openweight Tag Team Championship.[71] On 8 November atFighting Spirit Unleashed, Grizzled Young Veterans defeatedTMDK (Mikey Nicholls andShane Haste) to win the Strong Openweight Tag Championships,[72] only to lose it toWest Coast Wrecking Crew a month later atStrong Style Evolved.[73]
Rea is a lifelong supporter ofLiverpool F.C. and fan ofThe Beatles. He named his submission hold, and signature and finishing moves to reference both respectively: akimura lock called theShankly Gates, aspinebuster calledHelter Skelter and anover-the-shoulder double knee facebreaker called theTicket to Ride.[74]
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database
