 Cross in 2012 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Matthew Capiccioni[1][6] (1980-12-31)December 31, 1980 (age 44)[7][8] Brecksville, Ohio, U.S.[6] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The 18th Amendment[1] M-Dogg 20 Matt Cross[1] Raptor[2] Son of Havoc[3] Spartan 3000 B.C.[4] Spartan 3000[1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[5] |
| Billed weight | 177 lb (80 kg)[5] |
| Billed from | Cleveland, Ohio The Open Road Sparta[4] |
| Trained by | J.T. Lightning[1] Cleveland All Pro Training Center[1] |
| Debut | August 21, 2001[5] |
Matthew Capiccioni (born December 31, 1980)[7] is an Americanprofessional wrestler, better known by hisring namesM-Dogg 20,Matt Cross andSon of Havoc. He currently competes on theindependent circuit, most notablyJuggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) where he is a formerJCW Heavyweight Champion. Cross has also worked for prominent promotions such asRing of Honor,Lucha Underground,Chikara and the short-livedWrestling Society X. His maingimmick is that of an adherent of thestraight edge lifestyle, a culture which he follows inreal life.[6][9] In 2011, Capiccioni joined the cast of the fifth season ofWWE Tough Enough.
Capiccioni, of descent from the country ofSan Marino, participated in competitivegymnastics for ten years.[6] In 1999, he wongold medals in both therings and thevault at theAAU Junior Olympic Games.[6][10]
A fan ofExtreme Championship Wrestling, Capiccioni was involved inbackyard wrestling before enrolling at theCleveland Pro Wrestling training school under the tutelage of J.T. Lightning.[5][10][11] Upon completing his training, he took on the ring name M-Dogg 20, and began competing on theindependent circuit.
He wrestled for promotions including the Union of Independent Professional Wrestlers, where he defeatedJerry Lynn to win the vacant UIPW Championship on October 11, 2003. He formed a regulartag team with Piscura (who wrestled asJosh Prohibition) known as Youthanazia, and the pair won Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling (CAPW)'s North American Tag Team Championship twice,Xtreme Pro Wrestling'sWorld Tag Team Championship twice, the International Wrestling Cartel's Tag Team Championship twice, and the NWA Upstate Tag Team Championship once. M-Dogg 20 also won the CAPW Junior Heavyweight Championship on November 9, 2003, by defeating H8 Pac. Youthanzia also wrestled for theIndependent Wrestling Association Mid-South andJersey All Pro Wrestling in 2004.[1]
In 2006 he made his debut for Hawaii-based promotion Action Zone Wrestling at their one-year anniversary show in a match against another indy star in Super Hentai in 2006. The two would later return and team up at AZW's "Battleclash 2" in December. Matt returned to Hawaii and AZW in June 2011 for Anniversary Annihilation 6 where Matt took on AZW Heavyweight Champion (and 2004 Olympian) "Mr. Athletic"Jeff Cobb.
Capiccioni also wrestled for UWA Hardcore Wrestling as M-Dogg 20. He debuted as part of the company's second show.[12] On February 16, 2007, M-Dogg unsuccessfully challenged Josh Prohibition for the UWA Canadian Championship, in a three-match also involving Sonjay Dutt.[13] He defeatedPUMA to win the UWA Canadian Championship at theReturn of the Dragon show on July 28, 2007. Although he missed night one of UWA Hardcore's annual GP tournament, he made a surprise return on the second night of the tournament during the main event steel cage match. M-Dogg 20's return ultimately helped Osiris andJerry Lynn win the match over the Prohibition Wrestling Alliance, astable led by his former tag team partner Josh Prohibition. As a stipulation of the match, control of the company reverted from Prohibition back to Osiris, the original owner of the company. One month later at UWA'sReturn of the Phoenix event, M-Dogg 20 lost the Canadian Championship to Prohibition in agauntlet match also featuring Rip Impact.
During November 2009, Capiccioni participated in the Hulkamania tour of Australia, using the ring name Spartan 3000 and took part in a best of three match series for a prize of US$25,000 withShannon Moore. Spartan won the first match on November 21, and Moore won the second on November 24.[14][15] The rubber match ended in adraw on November 26, resulting in a ladder match for the final match of the tour two days later, which Spartan won.[16][17]
He made hisCombat Zone Wrestling (CZW) debut in 2002, appearing atProcess of Elimination in April, and defeating Prohibition to qualify for the annualBest of the Best tournament.[18] At the tournament itself on June 8, M-Dogg 20 made it to the second round, where he was defeated byTrent Acid, the eventual winner of the tournament.[19] M-Dogg returned to CZW that September, and defeated Prohibition in a Tables and Ladders match atUltraviolent Freedom Of Expression.[20] AtNight Of Infamy in November, atag team match between the team of M-Dogg 20 andNick Mondo and the team of Acid andJohnny Kashmere ended in ano contest.[21] The following month, M-Dogg facedSonjay Dutt andRuckus in athree-way match to determine the number one contender to theCZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship, but the match was won by Dutt.[22]
AtBest of the Best 4 on July 10, 2004, M-Dogg 20 returned to CZW, attacking CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion Sonjay Dutt and stealing his championship belt.[23] He attacked Dutt again atPossession in August, before he teamed withJimmy Rave to defeat Dutt andAmazing Red atHigh Stakes 2: Always Bet On Black.[24][25] AtNight of Infamy 3 in November, Dutt defeated both M-Dogg 20 and Rave in a three-way match.[26] AtCage of Death 6, M-Dogg lost to Dutt in a match for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship, forcing M-Dogg to leave the company per the pre-match stipulation.[27]
Capiccioni, as Matt Cross, made his debut inRing of Honor (ROH) on October 7, 2006, atMotor City Madness in asix-man mayhem match, which was won by Pelle Primeau and also involved Jimmy Rave, Shane Hagadorn, andDave and Jake Crist. His second appearance came the following month, when he lost toChristopher Daniels atThe Bitter End. He faced Daniels again atThe Chicago Spectacular Night 1 on December 8, in afour-corner survival match, which was won byB. J. Whitmer and also includedDavey Richards. The following night, Cross and Daniels teamed together in a loss toAustin Aries and Roderick Strong. He returned to ROH in February 2007, losing a six-man mayhem match atFifth Year Festival: Dayton.[28]
The following night atFifth Year Festival: Chicago however, Cross won his first match in ROH when he was victorious in a four-corner survival match, defeatingShingo,CJ Otis, andTrik Davis.[28] Following the match, Cross was approached byAustin Aries, who asked Cross to team with him later night against theNo Remorse Corps (NRC) to which Cross agreed. The pair were then attacked by NRC membersRoderick Strong and Davey Richards.[29] Cross and Aries won the tag team encounter, but during the match Cross performed aspringboardplancha outside the ring, landing on the guardrail and sustaining several cuts.[28][29] The team of Aries and Cross were later joined byErick Stevens, with the three being named The Resilience.[11] AtThis Means War II in April, The Resilience lost asix-man elimination match to the NRC (Strong, Richards, andRocky Romero). AtReborn Again in May, Cross and Stevens teamed withBryan Danielson in a loss to the NRC in asix-man tag team match. In June, Cross, Stevens, andDelirious defeated the NRC in a six-man tag team match, before Cross lost the Richards in a singles match the following night atDomination. Cross appeared at theDrivenpay-per-view on June 22, when he, Stevens, and Delirious lost to the NRC. AtDeath Before Dishonor V: Night 2 in August, The Resilience and Delirious lost aPhiladelphia Street Fight to the NRC andMatt Sydal. The Resilience went on to defeat Richards,Jason Blade, andEddie Edwards, before Cross and Stevens defeatedMike Quackenbush andJigsaw atManhattan Mayhem II.[28] AtMotor City Madness 2007 on September 14, Cross and Aries unsuccessfully challenged theBriscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark) for theROH World Tag Team Championship.[28][30] At theMan Up pay-per-view taping the following night, Cross lost to NRC member Romero in a singles match. The next month, at the taping ofUndeniable, Cross and Stevens lost a tag team match to Romero and Richards.[28] The match carried the stipulation that whoever was pinned would be suspended, and because Cross was pinned, he was suspended from ROH for two months.
Cross returned atRising Above on December 29, where he competed in a four-way match won by theNecro Butcher. The following night atFinal Battle, Cross andBobby Fish lost toRuckus and Jigsaw in a tag team match. AtBreakout on January 25, 2008, Cross and Jigsaw lost to the Briscoe Brothers. The next Cross appeared in ROH was atSteel City Clash on March 20, 2009, when he teamed with Stevens in a loss toRhett Titus andKenny King. AtA Cut Above the following month, he made his final appearance in ROH as he competed in a four-corner survival match, which was won byClaudio Castagnoli.[28]
In 2007, whenMTV launched its new wrestling programWrestling Society X, Capiccioni was signed to the project under his Matt Cross ring name, and he formed a tag team with Teddy Hart called The Filth and The Fury. As part of the television tapings, The Filth and The Fury defeated The Trailer Park Boyz (Nate Webb andJosh Raymond) and TeamDragon Gate (Yoshino andHoriguchi) before losing to Los Pochos Guapos (Kaos andAguilera).[31][32]
In March 2005, M-Dogg 20 traveled toIreland, where he wrestled for theIrish Whip Wrestling promotion, competing againstJonny Storm,Jody Fleisch, Darren Burridge, andRed Vinny.[1] In May 2007, Capiccioni returned to Europe when he was booked by the Queens of Chaos promotion inFrance. He wrestled in front of 72,000 people, which is the 2007 record for a wrestling show. As Matt Cross, he debuted in German Stampede Wrestling in 2007, and was part of a four-way for the Breakthrough Championship against Germany's Thumbtack Jack, Steve Douglas and X-Dream, who eventually won the match. In April 2010, Cross was a surprise guests (along withChris Hero,Claudio Castagnoli,Douglas Williams andAres) for GSW's final show. He lost another Breakthrough Championship match in a three-way againstEmil Sitoci and X-Dream on Saturday, and then teamed with X-Dream in a GSW Tag Team Championship scramble match on Sunday, but was again unsuccessful. When GSW reopened with a new structure a few months later, Cross received another match for the Breakthrough Championship, and won by defeating Sitoci. He held the championship through the next three television tapings and successfully defended it againstZack Sabre Jr. At theUnstoppable internet pay-per-view, he lost the championship to X-Dream.[33] In 2008, Capiccioni began competing for theItaly-based Nu-Wrestling Evolution as "Spartan 3000 b.C.", aSpartan warrior inspired by the popular movie300.[4] The same year, Capiccioni wrestled in several matches forPro Wrestling Noah under amask as "Raptor".
On July 15, 2010, Capiccioni, under his Matt Cross ring name, wrestled a try-out match alongsideJamin Canseco against The Gatecrashers (Vance Archer andCurt Hawkins) on an episode ofSuperstars.[1]
In 2011, Capiccioni joined the cast of the revivedWWE Tough Enough series, which premiered on April 4.[34] He was eliminated from the competition in the second week.[35]
On April 24, 2010, Capiccioni, under his Matt Cross ring name, made his debut for Philadelphia-basedChikara.[36] In his first match, a four-way elimination match in theRey de Voladores (King of the Fliers) tournament, Cross defeated Flip Kendrick, Malachi Jackson andAmasis to advance to the finals.[37] The following day, Cross was defeated in the finals byOphidian.[38]
On March 2, 2012, Cross' former tag team partner Josh Prohibition came out of retirement to reform Youthanazia, and together they defeated Aeroform (Flip Kendrick and Louis Lyndon) to win the Absolute Intense Wrestling Tag Team Championship.[33] Youthanazia made their first successful title defense on April 6 by defeatingThe Irish Airborne.[33] On October 20, 2013, Cross defeated Matthew Justice to win the Prime Television Championship.[39]
Cross debuted for UK promotionProgress Wrestling in May 2016 at their annual Super Strong Style 16 tournament. He lost toSami Callihan in the first round[40] and later participated in the ten man scramble redemption match on Night 2.[41] At Chapter 38, Cross was victorious overMark Andrews, gaining the number one contendership for the Smash Wrestling Championship.[42]
On September 1, 2018, Matt Cross wrestled in the opening contest of independent wrestling super-showAll In againstMaxwell Jacob Friedman.[43][44]
In 2024, Cross wrestled heavily forJuggalo Championship Wrestling. He wrestled multiple times for theJCW Heavyweight Championship, winning the title on August 16, 2024 by defeatingWillie Mack. Successful title defenses followed against opponents includingJames Storm,Kongo Kong andMecha Wolf, andSimon Gotch, before dropping the title back to Willie Mack in a 3-way match that included Mecha Wolf, on October 30, 2024.[45]
In September 2014, it was reported that Capiccioni had signed with theEl Rey network's new television series,Lucha Underground.[46] He assumed a masked character by the ring name ofSon of Havoc, and wrestled during the first episode ofLucha Underground on October 29, defeatingSexy Star.[47] The following weeks, Havoc was defeated by Mascarita Sagrada and Pimpinela Escarlata, asking for real competition. On January 17, Havoc was defeated by Angélico and by Johnny Mundo. Finally, on January 25, Havoc broke up with Ivelisse and defeated Angélico, his first singles win since his debut. On February 8, 2015, Son of Havoc,Angélico andIvelisse won a tournament to become the inauguralLucha Underground Trios Champions.[48] On the May 20 episode ofLucha Underground, Ivelisse, Havoc and Angélico successfully retained their championships in aladder match against The Crew (Cortez Castro, Mr. Cisco andBael).[49] They lost the titles to The Disciples of Death on the first night ofUltima Lucha, but managed to regain them in the show's second season before losing them again in the finals of anotherTrios Tournament.
On June 13, 2018, Lucha Underground Trios champion Dante Fox did not appear, and was pronounced 'Missing in Action', Havoc was named champion in his place, alongside The Mack and Killshot[50]
Cross appeared at aNational Wrestling Alliance event on January 5, 2019. He wrestledWillie Mack atNWA New Years Clash for theNWA National Heavyweight Championship in a losing effort.[51]
Cross returned to the National Wrestling Alliance on January 24, 2020, at theirHard Times PPV, competing in theTV Title tournament.[52]
Capiccioni was featured on Season 6 ofAmerican Ninja Warrior,[53] participating in theSt. Louis, Missouri, qualifying round but failed to qualify.
He appeared inBackyard Wrestling: A Passion for Pain (DVD, 2003) which featured early wrestling matches and humorous stunts.
He appeared as a character in the 2003 video gameBackyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home.
In 2017, Capiccioni started the clothing company Wrestling Is Forever.
In 2020, he starred as a fictionalized version of himself in the Indiegogo crowdfunded wrestling suspense thriller filmPowerbomb.[54]
Capiccioni's grandfather was fromSan Marino and he has dual nationality as a result.[55] Capiccioni attendedCleveland State University, where he earned hisBachelor of Arts in communications.[6] He is alsostraight edge.[6]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Son of Havoc (mask) | Killshot (mask) | Ultima Lucha Cuatro | Aired on October 31, 2018 |
Today's birthdays: Japanese wrestler Ryan Sakoda, who had a cup of coffee stint in WWE, turns 40; independent star Matt "M-Dogg 20" Cross turns 34.
