Christopher Daniels | |
|---|---|
 Daniels in 2011 | |
| Born | Christopher Daniel Covell[1] (1970-03-24)March 24, 1970 (age 55)[2] |
| Alma mater | Methodist College |
| Employer | All Elite Wrestling |
| Title | Head of Talent Relations |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Chris Daniels[3] Christopher Daniels[1] Conquistador Dos[4] Curry Man[1] Daniels[3] Suicide[3] The Fallen Angel |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[5] |
| Billed weight | 209 lb (95 kg)[5] 232 lb (105 kg) as Curry Man[6] |
| Billed from | "The City of Angels"[7][8] USA (as Curry Man) Los Angeles, California (TNA)[9] "Parts Unknown" (as Suicide)[10] "Sin City"[3] Tokyo, Japan (as Curry Man)[6] "Beautiful" Southern California[11] |
| Trained by | Sam DeCero[3] Windy City Pro Wrestling[3] Hunter Haas[3] Kevin Quinn[3] Inoki Dojo |
| Debut | April 1993[3] |
| Retired | January 18, 2025 |
Christopher Daniel Covell[1] (born March 24, 1970),[2] better known by thering nameChristopher Daniels, is an American retiredprofessional wrestler.[12][13][14] He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he works as the Head of Talent Relations and is the on-screen manager for Sky Flight (Dante Martin,Darius Martin,Leila Grey, andScorpio Sky).[15] He is best known for his time inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) andRing of Honor (ROH), as well as extensive time on theindependent circuit; he is known as the "King of Indies" for his work with independent promotions across the world, includingFrontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA),International Wrestling Cartel (IWC), andPro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG).[3]
Daniels has won 20 total championships between Impact, ROH, andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), with three reigns asImpact X Division Champion, six reigns asNWA World Tag Team Champion, and two reigns asImpact World Tag Team Champion during his time with Impact Wrestling; one reign asROH World Champion, one reign asROH World Television Champion, four reigns asROH World Tag Team Champion, and one reign asROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion while wrestling for ROH; and one reign asIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion in NJPW.
Daniels retired from in-ring competition in January 2025.[12][13][14]
Christopher Daniel Covell was born inKalamazoo,Michigan, on March 24, 1970.[1][2] When Covell was three, his family relocated toFayetteville,North Carolina, where he became an avid fan ofMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. After he graduated fromMethodist College with adegree intheater, Covell and his wife moved toChicago,Illinois, where he planned to become anactor.[16][17]
After being trained by Sam DeCero, Mike Anthony and Kevin Quinn, Daniels made his debut forWindy City Pro Wrestling in April 1993, losing a tag match with Titan to The Manson Brothers (Ripper and Skull). The following month he defeated Trevor Blanchard for the WCPW Light Heavyweight Championship, and shortly thereafter won the WCPW Tag Team Championship with Kevin Quinn.[1] Daniels subsequently traveled to Puerto Rico to wrestle for theWorld Wrestling Council, and on October 22, 1995, teamed with Kevin Quinn (as the team of Overkill) to defeat Huracán Castillo Jr. andInvader I for theWWC World Tag Team Championship. They lost the titles a month later to The Canadian Glamour Boys (Val Venis andShane Sewell).[18] Back in Windy City, Daniels defeated Bret Sanders for the WCPW Middleweight Championship, losing it to Brandon Bishop 17 days later.[19] Around this time, he also wrestled for the Empire Wrestling Federation, where he won theEWF Heavyweight Championship.[19]
Daniels teamed with Kevin Quinn to defeat Danny Dominion and Ace Steele at the NWA's 50th Anniversary show in October 1998 to become the first NWA Midwest Tag Team Champions.[20] He participated in the 3rd Annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament, reaching the finals where he lost to Steve Bradley. After a short stint inExtreme Championship Wrestling he traveled to Japan, where he developed his masked persona, Curry Man, and competed in the Masked Man League, finishing third.[1]
On December 19, 1999, he defeatedMinoru Fujita inMichinoku Pro Wrestling for theBritish Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship.[19] Back in the U.S., he defeatedMichael Modest for theAPW Worldwide Internet Championship in All Pro Wrestling and won the 4th Annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament.[19] He then won APW's King of the Indies tournament, the WCPW League Championship, and the UPW Heavyweight Championship.[1]
In 1998, Daniels signed a developmental deal with theWorld Wrestling Federation and trained atDory Funk Jr.'s Funkin' Dojo.[1] He made his WWF debut on January 19, 1998, losing a dark match to Mick Tierney, and went on to be used as ajobber on the WWF'sB-shows,Sunday Night Heat andWWF Shotgun Saturday Night, throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.[21]
In 2000, he donned a mask and teamed (asDos) withAaron Aguilera (Uno) asLos Conquistadores, as part ofThe Hardy Boyz' feud withEdge and Christian.[4] He also appeared as one of theLos Conquistadores alongside Aaron Aguilera where they competed in theAPA's bar room brawl at theWWE Vengeance pay-per-view event in 2003.
He made several appearances onWWF Jakked during the spring of 2001, including a singles loss toJerry Lynn and a tag team loss to Kaientai withScoot Andrews as his partner.
On January 14, 2000, Daniels received a tryout match withWorld Championship Wrestling, defeating Mikey Henderson. The original idea was for Daniels to portrayVampiro's dark master, Syndrome, but his WCW debut was continually postponed, and he eventually returned to the independent scene.[1]
On the June 17, 2000, episode ofWCW WorldWide, Daniels lost toChris Candido and on the October 21 episode ofWorldWide, Daniels lost toKwee Wee. On the January 22, 2001, episode ofWCW Monday Nitro, Daniels wrestledMichael Modest. During the match, he attempted aspringboard moonsault, but his left foot missed the ring rope. Unable to sufficiently push off to complete the rotation, hebotched the move and landed on his head, damaging his neck.[3] Though he was able to finish the match, his left arm was impaired throughout it.[3] Afterwards, Daniels and Modest signed 90-day contracts, but Daniels was released before he had another match.[3]
Throughout 2001 and 2002, he continued wrestling on the independent circuit, winning multiple titles and tournaments and debuting in Canada and the United Kingdom.
On February 23, 2002, Daniels wrestled in thetriple threat main event of Ring of Honor's first show,The Era of Honor Begins, againstLow Ki andBryan Danielson. He lost the match, then refused to shake hands with his opponents, breaking ROH's "Code of Honor", which mandated that all wrestlers shake hands before and after a match.[22] He then took the mic and challenged Low Ki and Danielson to a round robin tournament at ROH's second show,Round Robin Challenge. Daniels defeated Danielson in the first match, then forced him to shake his hand.[22] He next submitted to Low Ki's Dragon Clutch, but again refused to shake hands and said he would have won if he had not already wrestled that night, vowing to not wrestle Low Ki again unless theROH World Championship was on the line.[22]
At Ring of Honor's third show,A Night of Appreciation, Daniels lost toDonovan Morgan, with both men showing mutual respect.[22] The two men formed a partnership, eventually adding other members and growing into thestable known as The Prophecy. Daniels defeatedAJ Styles on June 22, to qualify for the firstROH World Championship match, a one-hourIron Man match againstSpanky,Doug Williams, and Low Ki.[22] In this title match, Daniels scored a pin on the eventual winner, Low Ki, and was the only wrestler not to lose a fall by pin or submission.[22]
Two months later, Low Ki defended the title againstXavier. During the match, Daniels came to the ring to distract Low Ki, allowing Xavier to attack the champion with a chair and pin him for the title. Xavier was subsequently announced as the newest member of The Prophecy.[22] Later that night, Daniels and Morgan defeated Danielson andMichael Modest to become the inauguralROH Tag Team Champions, giving The Prophecy possession of all championships in Ring of Honor.[23]
At Glory By Honor, Daniels defeated Doug Williams, who was consequently banned from shaking hands in ROH.[22] The Prophecy recruited the debutingSamoa Joe to take out Low Ki in the first everFight Without Honor, a match that does not follow ROH's Code of Honor rules.[22] Low Ki won the match and shook Joe's hand.[22]
On March 13, 2003, A.J. Styles andAmazing Red defeated Daniels and Xavier (substituting for Morgan) for the ROH Tag Team Championship.[22] At the next show, The Prophecy also lost the ROH Championship, when former member Samoa Joe defeated Xavier.[22] On April 26, Daniels won the second Round Robin Challenge by defeating Amazing Red andPaul London in singles matches.[22] On June 14, The Prophecy put their existence in ROH on the line in a six-man tag team match against The Group (Samoa Joe,C. W. Anderson, andMichael Shane). The Prophecy won, and The Group was forced to disband.[22] Daniels defeated the returning Xavier on August 16 to become number one contender for the ROH World Championship, only to be defeated by champion Samoa Joe on September 20.[22]
AfterCM Punk declined an offer to join The Prophecy, someone assaulted his girlfriendLucy backstage, forcing her out of ROH.[22] On December 23, 2003, Daniels revealed thatB. J. Whitmer, the newest member of The Prophecy, had attacked Lucy, starting a rivalry between The Prophecy and Punk's stable,The Second City Saints.[22] On January 10, 2004, atBattle Lines are Drawn, The Prophecy (Daniels, Whitmer, andDan Maff) faced The Second City Saints (Punk,Colt Cabana, andAce Steel) in a six-man tag team main event. The Prophecy was disqualified when Whitmer accidentally hit the referee with a chair. After the match, Punk dropped Daniels from the ropes through a table with the Pepsi Plunge, putting him out of ROH.[22]
In reality, Daniels' exit was a result ofTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) not allowing their contracted wrestlers to work ROH shows, in light of a scandal surrounding ROH promoter Rob Feinstein.[citation needed]
In the summer of 2005, Ring of Honor announced that, after a sixteen-month absence, Daniels would return on July 8.[24] However, on June 18, at Death Before Dishonor III, he made a surprise early return, confronting and challenging the new ROH World Champion, CM Punk, who had threatened to leave forWorld Wrestling Entertainment with the title. Punk refused the challenge and fled the arena.[24] At the next show,Sign of Dishonor, Daniels defeated Punk's stablemate, Colt Cabana, when Punk attempted to hit Daniels with a steel chain, but instead hit Cabana.[22] AtFate of an Angel, Daniels lost to the debutingMatt Hardy after Punk interfered. Later that night, after Punk's successful defense againstJames Gibson, Daniels stole the belt and was granted a title shot.[22]
On July 23, atThe Homecoming, Daniels wrestled Punk to a one-hour time limit draw; the time expired just as Daniels hit hisAngel's Wings finisher.[22] At the next show on August 12,Redemption, Daniels, Gibson and Samoa Joe challenged CM Punk for the title in aFour-Way Elimination match. While Joe had Daniels in a submission move, Daniels put his foot on the rope to force a break. Punk knocked it off before the referee noticed, and Daniels submitted.[25] Daniels tried to get revenge, but inadvertently helped Punk eliminate Joe.[25]
Daniels remained a regular member of the ROH roster, while also working other promotions. He made his U.S. debut asCurry Man on August 27, againstShingo Takagi atDragon Gate Invasion[22]
After defeatingMatt Sydal in two singles matches and losing to him in a third, they became tag team partners in the summer of 2006.[22] On August 26, they failed in their first shot at the ROH World Tag Team Championship, againstAustin Aries andRoderick Strong. On November 25, they defeatedChris Hero andClaudio Castagnoli for the title, making Daniels a two-time champion.[23] After defending againstCIMA and Shingo, Austin Aries and Roderick Strong andJack Evans and Shingo, Daniels and Sydal lost the title toThe Briscoe Brothers on February 24, 2007.[22]
AtGood Times, Great Memories on April 28, Daniels wrestled a fifteen-minute time-limit draw with Erick Stevens. Following the match, Daniels turnedheel and quit ROH.[22]
Daniels joined the newly foundedTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2002. He debuted for TNA at a weekly pay-per-view event on July 10, where he participated in a six-way elimination match to determine the #1 contender for theX Division Championship, where he was the runner-up, being eliminated byLow Ki. The following week, on July 17, Daniels teamed withElix Skipper for the first time in a losing effort against The Flying Elvises (Jorge Estrada andSonny Siaki). After a long hiatus, Daniels returned to TNA on December 18 and joinedVince Russo'sSports Entertainment Xtreme stable, along with Low Ki and Elix Skipper by attackingCurt Hennig. Later in the night, the trio defeatedAmazing Red andThe S.A.T. in a six-man tag team match. On January 8, the trio of Daniels, Ki and Skipper was named Triple X as all three members competed againstJeff Jarrett for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship in a gauntlet match but failed to win. On January 22, Ki and Skipper defeatedAmerica's Most Wanted (Chris Harris andJames Storm) to win theNWA World Tag Team Championship.[26] Daniels was recognized as the champion as well with any two of the three members defending the tag team titles via theTriple X Rule. The titles were vacated via a double pin againstThe Harris Brothers on February 5. On March 12, Daniels and Low Ki defeated America's Most Wanted to win the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship, beginning the trio's second reign with the tag team titles.
On April 16, Daniels and Skipper lost the titles toJerry Lynn and Amazing Red. On April 23, Triple X defeated America's Most Wanted to earn a rematch for the tag team titles. However, Daniels lost a match to Lynn on April 30 and as per pre-match stipulation, Lynn and Red would have to defend the titles against one member of Triple X of their choosing and Daniels was chosen. The subsequenthandicap match took place on May 7, where Daniels defeated Lynn and Red via disqualification to win Triple X's third NWA World Tag Team Championship and becoming the first person to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship individually. Shortly after, Low Ki left TNA while Daniels and Skipper continued to team as Triple X and defend the tag team titles until losing them to America's Most Wanted in asteel cage match on June 25. Following the title loss, Triple X disbanded as both men went their separate ways.
Daniels briefly feuded with Jeff Jarrett in the summer of 2003. He then regularly wrestled in theX Division and pursued the X Division Championship before briefly reuniting Triple X with the returning Low Ki in March 2004 as they participated in a tournament for the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship by defeating The New Franchise (Michael Shane andShane Douglas) andThe Naturals (Andy Douglas andChase Stevens) before losing toKid Kash andDallas in the tournament final. Ki left TNA shortly after. On April 21, Daniels defeated Michael Shane to qualify forTeam USA for the2004 World X Cup, where Daniels was reunited with his Triple X teammate Elix Skipper as they defeatedTeam Canada membersBobby Roode andJohnny Devine. After the World X Cup, Daniels reunited Triple X with Skipper and they participated in a Best of Three Series against America's Most Wanted with the winning team earning the #1 contendership for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. After both teams won the first and second matches respectively, the third match ended in a no contest after interference by The Naturals. A rematch between both teams on the August 27 episode ofImpact! would turn into a singles match between Daniels and Harris after Storm suffered an injury. The match ended in a ten-minute time limit draw, resulting in AMW and Triple X both unsuccessfully challenging Naturals for the tag team titles in a three-way on September 1.
On September 8, Harris and Skipper won the tag team titles after both Daniels and Storm were injured by The Naturals. On the September 24 episode ofImpact!, Daniels and Storm defeated Harris and Skipper to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship, marking Daniels' fourth reign. They lost the titles to Team Canada's Bobby Roode andEric Young on the October 15 episode ofImpact!. Triple X would resume their feud with America's Most Wanted after the title loss, which led to alast man standing match between the two teams at TNA's first-ever monthly pay-per-viewVictory Road on November 7, which Triple X lost. The following month, atTurning Point, Triple X lost to AMW in a Six Sides of Steel match, which forced Triple X to disband.[27]
On the January 14, 2005, episode ofImpact!, Daniels lost toChris Sabin in a qualifier for theUltimate X match atFinal Resolution. However, Daniels competed at the event as he teamed withMichael Shane and Kazarian against3Live Kru in a losing effort. On the January 21 episode ofImpact!, Daniels lasted ten minutes withA.J. Styles, thus earning a title shot against Styles for the TNA X Division Championship atAgainst All Odds, where Daniels failed to win the title. This marked the beginning of a lengthy feud between Daniels and Styles over the X Division Championship. On the March 11 episode ofImpact!, Daniels defeated Chris Sabin to qualify for theUltimate X Challenge atDestination X against Styles,Ron Killings and Elix Skipper. The match ended in ascrewjob. Styles had retrieved the belt, but the referee was unconscious. Daniels hit Styles with anAngel's Wings and took the belt when the ref woke, thus winning his first X Division Championship.[28] Daniels successfully defended the title against Skipper in a Six Sides of Steel match atLockdown. Daniels successfully defended the title againstShocker atHard Justice, Chris Sabin and Michael Shane in a three-way match atSlammiversary andPetey Williams atNo Surrender. After defeatingAustin Aries in a non-title match atSacrifice, Daniels lost the title to Styles in a three-way dance also involvingSamoa Joe atUnbreakable on September 11 when Styles reversed anAngel's Wings attempt into a pin.[29] This match received a 5-star rating fromDave Meltzer.[30] Daniels set the record for the longest reign at the time, ending at 150 days. Daniels unsuccessfully challenged Styles for the title in anIron Man match atBound for Glory.
On November 13 atGenesis, Daniels teamed withAlex Shelley,Roderick Strong and Samoa Joe to defeat Austin Aries, Chris Sabin, Matt Bentley andSonjay Dutt in anElimination X match. After the match, Joe attacked Daniels and hit him with aMuscle Buster onto a chair, leading to Daniels sustaining a (storyline) concussion.[31] AtTurning Point, when Joe tried to similarly injure A.J. Styles after winning the X Division Championship from him, Daniels returned and attacked Joe, enabling security guards to protect Styles and restrain Joe.[32] AtFinal Resolution, Daniels challenged Joe for the title but lost when Styles threw in the towel to protect Daniels, badly beaten and defenseless, from further damage.[33] The next week, Daniels accused Styles of doing this to get the number one contendership for the X Division Championship. That night, he cost Styles a match againstShannon Moore by throwing in the towel. AtAgainst All Odds, Joe retained the title in a three-way match against Daniels and Styles.[34] The following month, atDestination X, Daniels defeated Joe and Styles in anUltimate X match to win his second X Division Championship,[35] before losing the title to Joe on the April 13 episode ofImpact! after taking a second ropeIsland Driver.[36]
Daniels was then scheduled to faceJushin Thunder Liger in a cage match atLockdown, but Liger pulled out of the match. Instead, he faced a mystery opponent, who turned out to be the returning Low Ki (now named Senshi), who defeated him.[37] Daniels turnedface by teaming with A.J. Styles and becoming the number one contender for the NWA World Tag Team Championship, held by America's Most Wanted. Daniels and Styles unsuccessfully challenged AMW for the titles atSacrifice, before beating them in a rematch atSlammiversary, marking Daniels' fifth reign with the title.[26][38] AtVictory Road, Daniels and Styles teamed withSirelda to defeatGail Kim and AMW in a six-person mixed tag team match to retain the titles. They then feuded withThe Latin American Xchange (Homicide andHernandez). AtHard Justice, Styles and Daniels successfully defended the titles against LAX. However, on the August 24 episode ofImpact!, Styles and Daniels lost the titles to LAX in aBorder Brawl. AtNo Surrender, Styles and Daniels defeated LAX in an Ultimate X match to win their second NWA World Tag Team Championship as a team and marked Daniels' sixth individual reign. AtBound for Glory, Styles and Daniels lost the titles to LAX in a Six Sides of Steel match to end the rivalry.
On November 16, Daniels defeated Styles and Chris Sabin in a three-way match on the primetime debut ofImpact! onSpike TV, by pinning Sabin, to win his third TNA X Division Championship.[39] Daniels successfully defended the title against Sabin atGenesis andTurning Point before losing the title to Sabin in a three-way match atFinal Resolution on January 14, 2007, also involvingJerry Lynn.[40] Daniels then took time off from TNA. He made his return, as a heel, atDestination X,[41] distracting Lynn during his match with Sabin.[41] After the match, the newly bearded Daniels, sporting tribal-styled paint on one side of his face, hit Sabin with the Angel's Wings and Lynn with the X Division title belt.[41] AtLockdown, Daniels pinned Jerry Lynn in a cage match.[42] AtSacrifice, Daniels pinnedRhino after hitting him with a baseball bat.[43]
Daniels began feuded withSting, costing him aKing of the Mountain match qualifier by hitting him with a baseball bat. Sting attacked him the next week onImpact!. On June 17 atSlammiversary, Sting pinned him after theScorpion Death Drop.[44] According to Daniels, the feud ended before the start because Vince Russo did not know what to do with his Fallen Angel gimmick.[45]
AtVictory Road, Daniels won a ten-manUltimate X Gauntlet match with the assistance of Senshi and Elix Skipper, thus reuniting Triple X in the process.[46] AtHard Justice, Daniels and Senshi competed againstJay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt andMotor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) in a three-way dance which Lethal and Dutt won. AtNo Surrender, Daniels and Senshi participated in a gauntlet match for a futureTNA World Tag Team Championship opportunity but failed to win. AtBound for Glory on October 14, Daniels unsuccessfully challenged for Jay Lethal for the X Division Championship.[47] AtTurning Point, Daniels participated in the inauguralFeast or Fired but failed to win any briefcase. On the December 6 episode ofImpact!, Daniels beat Senshi in a match for his "Feast or Fired" briefcase, refereed by Elix Skipper.[3] The next week, the briefcase was revealed to contain a pink slip, meaning Daniels was fired from TNA.[3]
One month after Daniels was fired, Covell returned to TNA as the colourful, masked Curry Man, who soon became allied withShark Boy.[3][48] Unlike the brooding serious nature of his "Fallen Angel" persona, Curry Man was a dancing, cartoonish comedy act. He and Shark Boy feuded withTeam 3D, and won a "Fish Market Street Fight" against them atDestination X.[3] On the March 13, 2008Impact!, Curry Man beatPetey Williams to qualify for theXscape match for the X Division Title atLockdown,[3] along with Jay Lethal,Sonjay Dutt, Shark Boy,Consequences Creed, andJohnny Devine.[49] He eliminated Creed from the match after hitting his Spice Rack finisher, and was eliminated by Devine after theDevine Intervention.[49]
In June, Curry Man representedTeam TNA in the2008 World X Cup. After losing to Team International'sAlex Koslov in a preview match, he lost toTeam Japan'sMilano Collection A.T. in the tournament.[3] AtVictory Road, Curry Man wrestled in a four-team, twelve-man elimination tag match; he was eliminated byTeam Mexico'sÚltimo Guerrero.[50]
Curry Man and Shark Boy then allied withSuper Eric to form a comedic superhero-themed stable calledThe Prince Justice Brotherhood.[3] AtFinal Resolution, Curry Man was one of the four participants in the "Feast or Fired" match (along with Jay Lethal, Homicide and Hernandez) to retrieve a briefcase. His contained a pink slip, meaning he was fired.[51]
In early 2009, Covell began playing the role of the maskedSuicide, whileFrankie Kazarian (the original Suicide) recovered from injury. As Suicide, he won the X Division Championship in an Ultimate X match atDestination X.[52]
Christopher Daniels returned to TNA television as a face, under his "Fallen Angel" gimmick (his name shortened to justDaniels afterwards) on the April 16TNA Impact!. He defeatedKurt Angle to giveJeff Jarrett's team the first-man advantage inLethal Lockdown, atLockdown. He was then announced as a member of Team Jarrett. The win was overturned by Jeff Jarrett, after he noticed Angle's shoulder was up during the pinfall and Daniels' shoulders were down.[3] AtLockdown, Team Jarrett defeated Team Angle.[3]
Daniels then feuded withAlex Shelley and Chris Sabin (The Motor City Machine Guns), who, on the April 30Impact!, accused him of being Suicide.[3] On the May 7Impact!, Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed echoed the accusations.[3] On the May 14Impact!, Daniels helped Suicide clear the ring of Shelley, Sabin, Lethal, and Creed after they attempted to unmask him.[3] AtSacrifice, Daniels defeated Suicide to win the TNA X Division Championship. After the match, Daniels saw a replay of the finish, involving Alex Shelley's interference. He said he didn't want to win the belt like that and asked for five extra minutes. The five minutes expired in a draw, and Suicide kept the title.[53]
AtSlammiversary, Daniels pinnedShane Douglas in a match with Daniels' job on the line, after hitting the Best Moonsault Ever.[54]
AtVictory Road, Wrestling Observer's Worst Show of the Year, Daniels lost toMatt Morgan.[55]
AtHard Justice, Daniels won theSteel Asylum match to become the number one contender for the X Division Championship, reigniting his feud with champion Samoa Joe.[56] Daniels lost to Joe atNo Surrender, then lost a three-way match (also involving Homicide) to him on the followingImpact.[3][57]
AtBound for Glory, Daniels wrestled a six-man Ultimate X match for the X Division Championship, also featuring Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Suicide, Homicide and successfully defending champion, Amazing Red.[58]
On the November 5Impact!, Daniels confronted theTNA World Heavyweight Champion, A.J. Styles, and claiming he was just as good a wrestler as Styles, but was not given the same breaks by TNA, which he said was pampering, coddling and spoiling Styles.[59] AtTurning Point, Styles retained his title in a three-way match against Daniels and Samoa Joe by pinning Joe.[60] On the November 19Impact!, Daniels completed his heel turn and teamed withDesmond Wolfe against Styles and Kurt Angle, pinning Styles.[61] AtFinal Resolution, Daniels unsuccessfully challenged Styles for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.[62]
The following month atGenesis, Daniels lost toSean Morley in Morley's TNA debut.[63]
On the March 8Impact!, Daniels vowed to re-ignite the flame of the X Division. That night, he was pinned by X Division ChampionDoug Williams in a three-way title match, also involving Kazarian.[64]
AtDestination X, Daniels competed in a four-wayladder match for the number one contendership for the X Division title, and was defeated by Kazarian.[65] Two days later, Daniels defeatedKazuchika Okada in adark match at theImpact! taping.[66]
Covell was released from his TNA contract on March 31, 2010, after nearly eight years with the company.[67][68][69]
Daniels returned to Ring of Honor on April 3, 2010, at its second live pay-per-view,The Big Bang!, challengingDavey Richards to a match.[70] On May 7, atCivil Warfare, Daniels defeatedKevin Steen in his return match and so took his #2 spot in thePick 6 standings.[71] The following day, atSupercard Of Honor V, Daniels defeatedROH World Television Champion and Richards' tag team partner,Eddie Edwards, in a non-title match.[72] On May 21, Daniels participated in his firstRing of Honor Wrestling taping, teaming with Roderick Strong in a losing effort againstThe American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards).[73]
On June 19, Daniels made his ROH pay-per-view wrestling debut atDeath Before Dishonor VIII, successfully defending his #2 Pick 6 spot againstKenny Omega and rupturing an eardrum in the process.[74][75] At the next PPV,Glory By Honor IX, Daniels defeated Austin Aries.[76] On October 16, Daniels finally received his match with Davey Richards, but lost via submission.[77] Three days later Ring of Honor announced that Daniels had officially signed a contract with the promotion.[78] On November 13, Daniels received a shot at the ROH World Championship, but lost to the champion, Roderick Strong.[79]
At the December 10 taping ofRing of Honor Wrestling inLouisville, Kentucky, Daniels beat Eddie Edwards for the ROH World Television Championship.[80] Eight days later, atFinal Battle 2010, Daniels lost to Homicide in a non–title number one contender's match.[81] At the net pay-per-view,9th Anniversary Show, on February 26, 2011, Daniels wrestled Eddie Edwards to a thirty-minute time limit draw in aTwo Out of Three Falls rematch for the Television title.[82] Afterwards, it was announced that Daniels would challenge for the ROH World Championship at the following pay-per-view on April 1.[83] On March 18, Daniels successfully defended the Television title againstMike Bennett.[84]
In preparation for his World Championship match against Roderick Strong, Daniels stole "The Book of Truth" from Strong's manager,Truth Martini, to learn his match strategy. He was forced to shift his focus when, on March 19, Strong lost the title to Eddie Edwards.[85] On April 1, atHonor Takes Center Stage, Daniels unsuccessfully challenged Edwards for the World Championship, and afterwards teased a heel turn by refusing to shake his hand.[86] The next day (the second of the Honor Takes Center Stage weekend), Daniels completed his heel turn by attackingEl Generico with "The Book of Truth" and aligning himself with Truth Martini, Roderick Strong andMichael Elgin, a stable calledThe House of Truth.[87]
On June 26, atBest in the World 2011, Daniels lost the Television title to El Generico.[88] This was his last appearance in ROH before rejoining TNA full-time.[89]
Curry Man replaced the injuredCassandro to team with Los Ice Creams (El Hijo del Ice Cream and Ice Cream Jr.) inChikara's2010 King of Trios tournament, which started on April 23, 2010.[90] The trio lost in the first round to TeamPerros del Mal (El Alebrije, Cuije andEl Oriental).[91] The following day, Christopher Daniels defeatedHallowicked in a singles match.[92] On the third night of the event, Daniels lost toEddie Kingston.[93]
On April 30, 2010, Christopher Daniels debuted for the major Mexican promotion,AAA, as a surprise member of therudoLa Legión Extranjera (Foreign Legion) stable. In a six-man tag match, he,Alex Koslov andJoe Líder defeatedExtreme Tiger, Jack Evans andRocky Romero when Daniels pinned theAAA Cruiserweight Champion, Extreme Tiger.[94]
On June 6, atTriplemanía XVIII, Daniels lost to Jack Evans in a four-way elimination match for the Cruiserweight Championship, along with Extreme Tiger andNosawa.[95]
On August 4, 2018, in the promotion, Pura Raza Daniels unsuccessfully challengedHechicero ofConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre for theNWA World Historic Light Heavyweight Champion.[96]
Covell returned to TNA at the January 31, 2011, taping ofXplosion, as Suicide.[97] Still contracted to Ring of Honor, he received the promotion's blessing for the return, provided he not work as Christopher Daniels until the contract expired.[98] On February 10, Suicide returned toImpact!, losing a three–way X Division number one contender's tournament match, also involvingBrian Kendrick, toRobbie E.[99]
On March 16, at the tapings of the March 31Impact!, Covell made his TNA return under the Christopher Daniels character, savingFortune members James Storm, Kazarian andRobert Roode from a four–on–three beatdown inside a steel cage at the hands ofImmortal, in the process establishing himself as a face. In his return Daniels targeted especiallyBully Ray, who had sidelined Fortune leader A.J. Styles with an injury two weeks earlier.[100][101][102] On the April 7Impact!, Daniels proclaimed his loyalty to Styles and announced that he would be taking his place alongside Kazarian, Roode and Storm in the Lethal Lockdown match atLockdown, where they will face Immortal representativesAbyss, Bully Ray, Matt Hardy andRic Flair. Later that same evening Daniels wrestled his TNA return match, losing to Bully Ray in aLumberjack match, where Fortune and Immortal worked as lumberjacks, after Immortal leaderHulk Hogan interfered and hit him with a chain.[103] Despite his return as Daniels, Covell also kept performing as Suicide and on the same April 7Impact!, teamed with Brian Kendrick and Chris Sabin in a six-man tag team match, where they defeatedGeneration Me and Robbie E.[103][104] Soon after this Suicide's profile was removed from TNA's roster page. On April 17 at Lockdown, Daniels and Fortune defeated Immortal in a Lethal Lockdown match.[105] On the nextImpact!, Daniels was officially named a member of Fortune.[106] On the May 26Impact Wrestling, Daniels and Styles defeated Bully Ray and his new partner,Tommy Dreamer, in a No Disqualification Street Fight.[107]
On July 10 atDestination X, TNA's first ever all X Division pay-per-view, Daniels faced fellow Fortune member A.J. Styles in the main event of the evening in a losing effort. During the event Daniels also made a brief appearance as Curry Man, in a segment where Eric Young was looking for a tag team partner to face Generation Me.[108] After weeks of Daniels asking for a rematch, Styles finally granted him one on the September 1Impact Wrestling, which Daniels won. After the match, Daniels refused to shake hands with Styles.[109] On the September 22 episode, Daniels refused to return the favor and give Styles a rematch, which led to them brawling. When they were separated by Kazarian, Daniels kicked Styles in the groin, completing his heel turn and signifying his departure from Fortune.[110] At Daniels' request, he faced Styles atBound for Glory on October 16 in an"I Quit" match;[111] Daniels lost the match after being threatened with a screwdriver, but continued the feud by attacking Styles after the match.[112]
On the October 27Impact Wrestling, Daniels lost toRob Van Dam by disqualification after hitting him with a toolbox.[113] On the November 10Impact Wrestling, Daniels was defeated by A.J. Styles, after Van Dam prevented Daniels from using a screwdriver.[114] On November 13 atTurning Point, Daniels lost to Van Dam in a No Disqualification match.[115] In retaliation, Daniels interfered and cost Van Dam his match for theTNA Television Championship on the December 1Impact Wrestling.[116] This led to a singles match on December 11 atFinal Resolution on December 11, where Van Dam was victorious.[117]
Daniels then returned to his rivalry with A.J. Styles, managing to convince Kazarian to turn on him on the January 5, 2012Impact Wrestling.[118] On the February 9Impact Wrestling, Daniels defeated Styles in a singles match with help from Kazarian, who was now showing signs that Daniels was holding something over his head and had forced him to turn on Styles against his will.[119] On March 18 atVictory Road, Daniels and Kazarian were defeated in a tag team match by Styles andMr. Anderson.[120] The rivalry continued on April 15 atLockdown, where the two duos were on opposing teams in the annual Lethal Lockdown match. Styles' and Anderson's team, led byGarett Bischoff, ended up defeating Daniels' and Kazarian's team, led byEric Bischoff.[121]
During Styles' absence fromImpact Wrestling, Daniels and Kazarian set their sights on theTNA World Tag Team Championship, attacking championsMagnus and Samoa Joe on the April 26 episode.[122] On the May 10Impact Wrestling, Kazarian revealed that he originally aligned himself with Daniels to keep him from revealing Styles' secret, but changed his mind after learning what the secret was. Daniels then revealed the secret, a series of photographs insinuating a relationship between Styles and TNA presidentDixie Carter.[123] Three days later atSacrifice, Daniels and Kazarian defeated Magnus and Samoa Joe to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the first time.[124] Later in the event, Daniels and Kazarian cost A.J. Styles his match with Kurt Angle, who afterwards turned on the two, saving Styles from a beatdown.[124] On May 31, Daniels main evented a live episode ofImpact Wrestling, losing to A.J. Styles in a singles grudge match. After the match, Daniels and Kazarian attacked both Styles and Angle, who attempted to make the save, before rolling an audio of a phone conversation to prove an affair between Styles and Carter. The tape was abruptly cut short by Carter ending the show.[125] On June 10 atSlammiversary, Daniels and Kazarian lost the TNA World Tag Team Championship to Styles and Angle.[126] On the nextImpact Wrestling, Daniels entered the2012 Bound for Glory Series, taking part in the openinggauntlet match, from which he eliminated both Styles and Angle, before being eliminated himself by James Storm.[127]
On the June 21Impact Wrestling, Styles and Carter proved that Daniels and Kazarian had been lying about their relationship by producing a pregnant woman named Claire, whom they had been helping overcome her addictions.[128] The following week, Kazarian teased dissension with Daniels, claiming that he had been lied to. However, in the main event of the evening, Kazarian revealed that he was still on Daniels' side, when the two defeated Styles and Angle, after Kazarian hit Styles with a steel chair, to regain the TNA World Tag Team Championship. Following the win, Daniels admitted that Styles and Carter had told the truth about Claire, but claimed that they had left out the part about Styles being the father of her unborn baby.[129] On July 8 atDestination X, Daniels was defeated by Styles in aLast Man Standing match.[130] On the August 8Impact Wrestling, Daniels and Kazarian, billing themselves as "The World Tag Team Champions of the World",[131] made their first televised defense of the TNA World Tag Team Championship, defeatingDevon and Garett Bischoff.[132] Daniels' participation in the 2012 Bound for Glory Series ended on the followingImpact Wrestling with a loss against A.J. Styles, leaving him outside a spot in the semifinals.[133] As a result of the win, Styles also earned a paternity test, which revealed that Claire was not pregnant at all. The storyline ended with Claire, through her attorney, revealing Daniels' and Kazarian's plot to blackmail Styles with her fake pregnancy.[134] On September 6 as part of the first "Championship Thursday", Daniels and Kazarian successfully defended the TNA World Tag Team Championship againstChavo Guerrero Jr. and Hernandez.[135] Three days later atNo Surrender, Daniels and Kazarian made another successful title defense against previous champions, A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle.[136] On October 14 atBound for Glory, Daniels and Kazarian lost the TNA World Tag Team Championship to Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Hernandez in a three-way match, which also included A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle.[137] Daniels and Kazarian received their rematch on November 11 atTurning Point, but were again defeated by Guerrero and Hernandez.[138]
On December 9 atFinal Resolution, Daniels defeated A.J. Styles in what was billed as their "final match", after hitting Styles with his ownStyles Clash finisher.[139] Following this, Daniels and Kazarian dubbed their tag team Bad Influence, and Daniels tweaked his "Fallen Angel" character into that of avice-ridden heel to fit his new "Ring General" nickname for the team's new name. Bad Influence then began a rivalry with James Storm after he defeated Kazarian at Final Resolution,[139] and again on the January 3, 2013Impact Wrestling.[140] On January 13 atGenesis, Daniels defeated Storm in a number one contenders match for theTNA World Heavyweight Championship.[141] Daniels received his title shot on the January 24Impact Wrestling, but was defeated by defending championJeff Hardy.[142] On March 10 atLockdown, Bad Influence unsuccessfully challenged Austin Aries and Bobby Roode for the TNA World Tag Team Championship in a three-way match, also involving Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Hernandez.[143] In April, Daniels and Kazarian began teasing a Fortune reunion to battle theAces & Eights stable, however, this plan was foiled by A.J. Styles and Bobby Roode both turning down offers to join them.[144][145] Bad Influence faced Austin Aries and Bobby Roode in a number one contenders match on the May 9Impact Wrestling, however, the match ended in a no contest after special guest referee James Storm superkicked Daniels and Aries and walked out on the match.[146] On June 2 atSlammiversary XI, Bad Influence failed to capture the TNA World Tag Team Championship from Chavo Guerrero Jr. and Hernandez in a fatal four-way elimination match, which also included Austin Aries and Bobby Roode and was won byGunner and James Storm.[147] On the June 13Impact Wrestling, Daniels and Kazarian defeated Gunner and Storm in a non-title match to qualify for the2013 Bound for Glory Series.[148] The following week, Daniels defeated Hernandez in his first BFG series match via pinfall to earn seven points in the tournament.[149] On the August 8Impact Wrestling, Daniels and Kazarian faced off in a BFG series match. Despite teasing tension earlier in the night, they both intentionally got counted out to gain two points each. Afterward, they allied with Bobby Roode, in hopes it would help one of them win the tournament.[150]
AtBound for Glory, Bad Influence were defeated by Eric Young and Joseph Park in a Gauntlet match. After being eliminated, both attacked Park and made him bleed. The same night, Abyss appeared and attacked Bad Influence. On December 12, 2013, Bad Influence were defeated by Parks and Eric Young when Young made Park bleed. On December 26, 2013, Bad Influence were defeated again by Park in a Monster's Ball match. On March 2, 2014, Bad Influence were part of a group of TNA wrestlers that took part inWrestle-1'sKaisen: Outbreak event inTokyo, Japan, defeating Junior Stars (Koji Kanemoto andMinoru Tanaka) in a tag team match.[151] On April 23, 2014, Daniels announced his departure from TNA.[152]
While Bad Influence were in TNA, they appeared in other promotions. On January 24, 2014, Bad Influences appeared at Big Time Wrestling's Battle Royal, where they defeated The Ballard Brothers (Shane & Shannon).[153] On April 5, Bad Influences appeared in two events. First, they defeatedThe Bravado Brothers (Harlem Bravado & Lancelot Bravado) atDragon Gate USA's Mercury Rising.[154] After, they defeatedThe Irish Airborne (Dave Crist & Jake Crist) at WrestleCon.[155] On June 6, 2014, Bad Influence made their debuts in Tommy Dreamer'sHouse of Hardcore, defeating Outlaw Inc. (Eddie Kingston and Homicide).[156] On June 7, 2014, Bad Influence returned to House of Hardcore at HOH 5, defeatingPetey Williams andTony Nese.[157] on July 4, 2014, at a WrestleCentre Voltage TV taping, Daniels defeated Titus to win the Vacant IFWA Heavyweight Championship. Daniels went on to hold the title for over a year, defeating Lance Storm, AJ Styles, JP Simms, Riddick Stone, and Samoa Joe. He would lose the IFWA Title on July 3, 2015, to Simms, who was a replacement for an injured Julien Young. In November and December 2015, The Addiction took part inNew Japan Pro-Wrestling's2015 World Tag League, where they finished with a record of three wins and three losses, failing to advance from their block.[158]
On March 20, 2017, at WCPW Bulletproof: Championship Showdown Daniels successfully defended theROH Championship againstAdam Cole andZack Sabre Jr. in a triple threat match.On March 21, 2017, at WCPW Pro Wrestling World Cup Daniels successfully defended theROH Championship againstEl Ligero in a singles match.
On May 17, 2014, Daniels made an appearance atWar of the Worlds, announcing his return to ROH atBest in the World 2014 on June 22.[159] Frankie Kazarian subsequently joined the company as well, with the duo continuing to team under the name ofThe Addiction.
AtSupercard of Honor IX Daniels was defeated byRoderick Strong. On April 4, 2015, during theRing of Honor Wrestling tapings, Daniels and Kazarian defeatedreDRagon (Kyle O'Reilly andBobby Fish) to becomeROH World Tag Team Champions. It was also revealed that fellow TNA alumChris Sabin had joined Daniels and Kazarian to form a new stable called KRD.[160] Daniels and Kazarian held the ROH Tag Team Championships untilAll Star Extravaganza VII on September 18, 2015, when they were defeated byThe Kingdom in a match also involvingThe Young Bucks.[161] AtField of Honor Daniels was defeated byAdam Cole.
AtSurvival of the Fittest Daniels defeatedMark Briscoe,Hanson andKenny King in a Survival of the Fittest tournament match. The next night Daniels was involved in the Survival of the Fittest tournament final where the winner faces theROH World Championship where he eliminatedA. C. H. after Daniels was eliminated byJay Briscoe. AtROH 14th Anniversary Show Daniels was defeated byAlex Shelley. On May 9, 2016, atWar of the Worlds, The Addiction defeatedWar Machine to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship for the second time.[162] On September 30 atAll Star Extravaganza VIII, The Addiction lost the ROH World Tag Team Championship to The Young Bucks in a three-way ladder match, which also included The Motor City Machine Guns.[163]
In early 2017, Daniels began feuding withBullet Club, turning face in the process. On January 14, 2017, Daniels defeatedJay Briscoe in the finals of the Decade of Excellence tournament to become the number one contender for the ROH World Championship at the15th Anniversary Show.[164] On February 11, Kazarian turned on Daniels, joined Bullet Club and disbanded The Addiction.[165] On March 10 at ROH's15th Anniversary Show, Daniels defeated Adam Cole with help from Frankie Kazarian, whose heel turn was actually a ruse to dupe Cole, to become ROH World Champion for the first time. The victory made Daniels the fourth Triple Crown Champion in ROH.[166][167] On April 1, atSupercard of Honor XI Daniels defeatedDalton Castle for theROH World Championship, after the match Daniels was attacked byCody. On May 10 atROH/NJPW War of the Worlds Daniels retained the ROH World Championship against Jay Lethal and Cody. On June 23 atBest in the World, he lost the title to Cody.[168]
On March 9, 2018, at theROH 16th Anniversary Show, SoCal Uncensored defeatedThe Young Bucks to win theROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. As a result of the win, Daniels became the first ROH Grand Slam champion in company history. At War of the Worlds: Lowell, they lost the Six-Man Tag Team Title to The Kingdom. The day after Final Batte, SoCal Uncensored left ROH.[169]
On the firstRing of Honor Wrestling episode of 2019, Daniels was shown being offered a new contract with ROH before being attacked by Shane Taylor, who ultimately ripped up the contract.[170]
In January 2019 it was revealed that Daniels, alongside Sky and Kazarian, would be one of the first signees toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), a new wrestling promotion started by wrestlersCody Rhodes andThe Young Bucks.[171][172][173] It was later revealed onBeing the Elite that Daniels would also serve as head of Talent Relations for AEW.[174] At AEW's inaugural pay-per-view eventDouble or Nothing on May 25, SoCal Uncensored defeated Strong Hearts (Cima,T-Hawk, andEl Lindaman).[175] The following month atFyter Fest, Daniels faced Cima in a losing effort.[176] SoCal Uncensored then went onto defeat theJurassic Express (Jungle Boy,Luchasaurus andMarko Stunt) atAll Out on August 31.[177] In October, Daniels suffered apinched nerve, injuring him for a short time.[178] He returned at theFull Gear pay-per-view on November 9, assisting Kazarian and Sky from an attack by theLucha Brothers (Pentagón Jr. andRey Fénix).[179]
In January 2020, SCU began a rivalry withThe Dark Order (Evil Uno,Stu Grayson,Alex Reynolds and John Silver) when the latter group tried to recruit Daniels.[180] SCU andColt Cabana defeated The Dark Order on the March 4 episode ofDynamite.[181] On May 14, 2021, Daniels and his longtime partnerFrankie Kazarian were forced to split up from SCU following their defeat toThe Young Bucks on episode 84 ofAEW Dynamite.[182]
In April 2022, Daniels returned to Ring of Honor, now the sister promotion of AEW, as a judge atSupercard of Honor XV forROH Pure Championship. Daniels was rumoured to be briefly suspended by AEW in September 2022 following his alleged presence at a fight betweenCM Punk andAce Steel on one side andKenny Omega andThe Young Bucks on the other. The fight was reportedly triggered by disparaging remarks Punk made during the media scrum that followedAll Out. The suspension was reportedly lifted when an independent investigation commissioned by AEW concluded that Daniels was trying to break up the fight.[183] On December 10, 2022, he returned as a judge during the ROH Pure Championship match atFinal Battle. Daniels reformed his tag team withMatt Sydal, defeatingThe Outrunners (Truth Magnum andTurbo Floyd) on the February 26, 2023, episode of Ring of Honor.[184]
On the May 15, 2024 episode ofDynamite, Daniels teamed with Matt Sydal against The Young Bucks, in a losing effort. After the match. Daniels was (kayfabe) fired by The Young Bucks.[185] On the May 29 episode ofDynamite, Daniels returned and announced that he had been promoted to become the new interim executive vice president by AEW presidentTony Khan.[186] On December 28 atWorlds End, Daniels announced that he was no longer an executive vice president before introducing a returningKenny Omega.[187] In late 2024, Daniels began a feud with"Hangman" Adam Page,[188] the feud culminated in aTexas Death match on the January 18, 2025 (taped January 16)Maximum Carnage special episode ofCollision, which Page won.[189] After the match, Daniels announced his retirement as an in-ring performer but will continue his role in AEW as Head of Talent Relations.[12][13][14][190]
In July 2025, Daniels began managing his former SCU stablemate Scorpio Sky andTop Flight (Dante Martin,Darius Martin, andLeila Grey) in a stable called "Sky Flight".[191][192]
On the September 23, 2021, episode ofImpact, Daniels made his return to TNA, now known asImpact Wrestling, savingChristian Cage andJosh Alexander from an attack byAce Austin andMadman Fulton.[193][194][195] The following week onImpact!, Daniels defeated Fulton in his return match.[196]
In December 2021, Daniels made his return toNew Japan Pro-Wrestling, for the first time in 5 years, on theNJPW Strong special episodeNemesis, unsuccessfully challengingJay White's "U-S-of-Jay" open challenge.[197] In February 2022,Rivals, Daniels defeatedKarl Fredericks.[198]
In June, Daniels was set to team with Fredericks in theStrong Openweight Tag Team Championship tournament, but Fredericks was replaced byYuya Uemura.[199] In the tournament, the team defeatedAaron Solo andNick Comoroto in the first round andTMDK in the semi-finals. In the finals, Daniels and Uemura were defeated byAussie Open.[200] AtFighting Spirit Unleashed Daniels and Uemura lost to TMDK. After the match, Daniels attacked Uemura, turing heel and breaking up the team.[201] At Autumn Action in September, Uemura defeated Daniels, in a grudge match.[202]
He appeared in the video gameTNA Impact! as Christopher Daniels and Curry Man as adownloadable character.[203]
Covell appeared in two episodes ofDistraction as Curry Man, with fellow wrestlers Frankie Kazarian and Samoa Joe. He made aChef Boyardee commercial withJeff and Matt Hardy and a guest appearance onNumb3rs withmixed martial artistTito Ortiz.
He competed on the January 18, 2008, episode ofMerv Griffin's Crosswords, coming in at the beginning of the second round as a "Spoiler". He made it to the front row once, temporarily winning a trip toReno, Nevada, but ended the show back as a Spoiler, therefore leaving with only theconsolation prize.
In April 1999, he appeared on the NBC late night talk showLater in the episode withBret Hart. He would be introduced as "Fallen Angel", to help Hart demonstrate wrestling moves, including taking a clothesline from hostRita Sever.[204][205]
He appears uncredited in the 1999 documentary film,Beyond the Mat.
Christopher Daniels was credited as the masked wrestler "Slither" inExposed! Pro Wrestling's Greatest Secrets, a 1998 documentary about professional wrestling. It was first aired on NBC television on November 1, 1998, and released on VHS on September 22, 1999. However, Daniels denied that he played this role in an October 2022 edition of Hey! (EW) on YouTube.[206]
He appeared wearing part of his Curryman outfit in episode 5 Debbie Does Something of theNetflix original seriesGLOW with fellow wrestlerFrankie Kazarian.
He also appeared uncredited in the 2013parody film,30 Nights of Paranormal Activity with the Devil Inside the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo asBane.[207]
Covell appeared in the episode "Deadpool Vs. The Punisher" of thestop-motion animatedweb seriesMarvel Superheroes: What the--?! as thePunisher.[208]
In 2017 Covell worked as a stunt performer for Universal Studios Hollywood. In the Water World Stuntacular show, he played the Deacon while away from Ring of Honor, a live-action show based on the film Water World in an arena in a 1.4 million gallon pool with pyrotechnics and live motor stunts.[209]
Covell married his college sweetheart, a substitute teacher named Lisa, in June 1993. They have two children.[citation needed]
Covell earned a degree in theater fromMethodist College inFayetteville, North Carolina,[3][210] and initially planned on becoming an actor before ultimately deciding to pursue a professional wrestling career.[16][17]
Covell is a comic book fan, having readMarvel Comics since he was a child, and his favorite character isWolverine. He trades comics with other wrestlers, includingSamoa Joe,Alex Shelley, andHomicide.[211] Covell has also co-written a comic book based on his wrestling persona which was published by Aw Yeah Comics on April 23, 2014.[152]
Covell's best friend and fellow professional wrestlerAJ Styles' first son's middle name was taken after him, that being Ajay Covell Jones (with Styles' real name being Allen Jones).
I was born March 24th, 1970.
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