 Knox in 2009 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Shawn Hettinga[8][6] (1978-07-17)July 17, 1978 (age 47)[6][9][10] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Knox Knux[1] Mike Hettinga[2] Mike Knox Mike Knoxx[3] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm)[4] |
| Billed weight | 293 lb (133 kg)[4] |
| Billed from | Phoenix, Arizona[5] |
| Trained by | Navajo Warrior[6] |
| Debut | 1998[7] |
Michael Shawn Hettinga (born July 17, 1978) is an Americanprofessional wrestler best known under the ring nameMike Knox. He is signed to theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Hettinga is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and also performed inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring nameKnux.
Hettinga worked forUltimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) in 2000. He tagged withSamoa Joe at UPW Proving Ground on December 12, 2000, in the Galaxy Theatre ofSanta Ana, California and defeated the debutingAl Katrazz with Basil. He also wrestled at UPW live against the boss Samoa Joe for the Heavyweight Championship, but was unable to win the title.
After being trained by Steve "Navajo Warrior" Islas,[6] Knox started wrestling for Islas' organization Impact Zone Wrestling in 2002. He wasbooked to win the Heavyweight Championship on two occasions[12] and the Tag Team Championship with friend and rivalDerek Neikirk on one occasion.[12]
Knox was signed to aWorld Wrestling Entertainment developmental deal in February 2005,[7] and made a handful of appearances on WWE shows, including one appearance as a masked "jihadist" forMuhammad Hassan,[13] in the infamous segment that led to Hassan's ousting from WWE. He mainly wrestled for their Atlanta, Georgia-based developmental territory,Deep South Wrestling.
Knox debuted on the June 20, 2006 episode ofECW as aheel by interfering inKelly Kelly'sstriptease segment, coming from the backstage area and covering her with a towel before escorting her off stage, though he was unnamed on-screen at the time.[14] It was later revealed that Kelly was Knox'son-screen girlfriend, and he informed her that he did not appreciate her stripping in front of anyone but him. For his in-ring debut, a win overDanny Doring, Kelly accompanied him to the ringside acting as avalet.[15] Knox was pushed strongly, interfering in matches, andsquashing his opponents. He later formed a short-lived tag team withTest[16][17] before starting afeud withCM Punk, after growing jealous of Kelly Kelly's admiration towards Punk.[18] Punk won every match in the feud, including a qualifying match forDecember to Dismember'sExtreme Elimination Chamber match for theECW World Championship.[19]
Knox made hispay-per-view debut atSurvivor Series where he teamed up withTeam Rated-RKO to take onTeam DX, but was the first man eliminated after taking asuperkick fromShawn Michaels, a match Team Rated-RKO would lose. Upon his elimination, he was subsequently mocked by DX, as he was virtually unknown compared to the other participants.[20] His next pay-per-view appearance saw him abandon Kelly Kelly during amixed tag team match againstKevin Thorn andAriel at December to Dismember, resulting in his team's loss.[21] He then attacked her on the nextECW episode, breaking the duo up for good.[22]
After being taken off television, Knox returned on February 13, 2007, episode ofECW, where helost easily to CM Punk.[23] Knox was again taken off television for several months in order to return to Deep South Wrestling. On March 1, Knox andDerek Neikirk, the reformed Team Elite, werebooked to win theTag Team Championship after defeating theMajor Brothers.[24] After DSW closed, however, Knox was sent to WWE's Florida-based territoryFlorida Championship Wrestling.
Knox returned on the September 11 episode ofECW, defeatingBalls Mahoney.[25] The next week, he lost in a rematch to Mahoney.[26] He theneasily defeatedNunzio the week after.[27] The next week Knox wrestled againstECW ChampionCM Punk, again losing to Punk after aGo To Sleep from Punk.[28] After months without any notable storylines, he began a feud withTommy Dreamer whom he defeated in a series of matches, including anExtreme Rules match on the 100th episode ofECW.[29] He then began a feud withFinlay. After weeks of confrontations between the two, they finally had a match on the August 26 edition ofECW, where they had anECW Championship scramble qualifying match, which was won by Finlay.[30]
On the October 27 and November 3, 2008, episodes ofRaw, two vignettes were aired to promote his arrival on theRaw brand. His look drastically changed as well from his previous clean-cut look to long unkempt hair and a long beard. He debuted the following week, on November 10, defeatingD-Lo Brown.[31] He attackedRey Mysterio two times over a period of three weeks.[32][33] After losing to Mysterio, Knox attacked Mysterio once again. InterviewerTodd Grisham asked Knox why he attacked Mysterio and Knox answered saying he did not know why. In ahouse show atCape Girardeau, Missouri, Knox won abattle royal to become an entrant at theWorld Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match atNo Way Out. At No Way Out, he was eliminated byChris Jericho and was the second competitor eliminated overall.
On April 15, Knox was drafted to theSmackDown brand as part of the2009 Supplemental Draft.[34] He made his debut for the brand on the May 8, 2009 episode ofSmackDown, defeatingR-Truth in a singles match.[35] This was his last win on television for WWE; from late May 2009 until his release in April 2010, Knox lost all the 30 televised matches he wrestled on eitherSmackDown orWWE Superstars, whether it be in singles, tag, or multi-man matches.[36]On the August 14 episode ofSmackDown, Knox debuted new elements to hischaracter that included knowledge of biology and the human anatomy, using this knowledge to methodically inflict pain upon his opponents.[37] Knox's final match was a loss to JTG on the April 23, 2010 edition ofSmackDown, on the same day WWE announced that Knox had been released from his contract.[38]
Mike Knox competed againstCorporal Robinson andRaven atJCWBloodymania IV.[12] Corporal Robinson won the match. In July 2012, he wrestled three times at American Pro Wrestling Alliance, winning the APWA Hardcore Cup.[39] On October 6, 2012, Knox wrestled in the main event ofHouse of Hardcore's first show asMike Knoxx, losing toCarlito in a three-way match for theFWE Heavyweight Championship, which also includedTommy Dreamer.[40] He won the American Pro Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship in 2012 withD.O.C., but they were later stripped of the titles, as they were made inactive, on March 1, 2013. He appeared for Pro Wrestling Syndicate with D.O.C, andD'Lo Brown on May 18, 2013.[41] On June 18, 2013, he won the River City Wrestling Tag Team Championships. D.O.C. and Knux lost the RCW Tag Team Championships on September 7, 2013, toHernandez and Michael Faith. on November 16, 2014, Knox competed for Alpha Omega Wrestling (AOW) where Knox lost to Jerome Robinson by disqualification. on March 20, 2015, Knox faced AOW heavyweight champion Blake Grayson for the title but lost the match.
In May 2012, Knox competed in adark match forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) against theTelevision ChampionDevon.[42] Successively Knux began working as a masked member of theAces & Eights stable. AtBound for Glory,D.O.C. and Knux (still masked) defeatedBully Ray andSting to gain full access to the Impact Zone.
Knox made his official television debut on the January 3, 2013, episode ofImpact Wrestling, being revealed as a member of the villainousAces & Eights stable after being unmasked byKurt Angle.[43] Knox gained his revenge on Angle the following week, hitting him in the neck with aball-peen hammer. After Angle was stretchered away, Knox lost his debut match toSting and was afterwards, attacked with his own hammer.[44] On March 10 atLockdown, Aces & Eights, consisting of Knox, now billed as Knux, Devon,D.O.C.,Garett Bischoff, andMr. Anderson were defeated by Team TNA, consisting ofEric Young,James Storm,Magnus, Samoa Joe, and Sting in aLethal Lockdown match, with Young pinning Knux for the win.[1] On March 18, 2013, Knux was part of theWorld Cup of Wrestling, teaming withD.O.C., in a winning effort againstPetey Williams andFunaki. On March 19, 2013, Knux took part in a six-man tag team match at aHardcore Justice 2, teaming withD.O.C. andWes Brisco, in a losing effort, being defeated byJames Storm,Hardcore Holly, andMagnus. On the November 21 edition ofTurning Point, Knux,Garett Bischoff,Bully Ray, andTaz (remaining members of Aces & Eights) were forced to disband the Aces & Eights after Bully Ray lost a match againstMr. Anderson with their memberships on the line against the TNA career of Mr. Anderson.[45]
In March 2014, Knux started a new storyline where he returns to his flood-ravaged hometown with his father's carnival having been ruined and the relationship with his father soured because Knux has no intention to follow his father's footsteps and to own the family operated carnival, as well as salvaging it.[46] The following month, Knux debuted his new stable calledThe Menagerie, composed of himself,Rebel,Crazzy Steve andThe Freak.[47][48] On the May 8 episode ofImpact Wrestling, he would defeatKazarian in his return match. On the September 24 edition of Impact Wrestling, Knux took part in the Gold Rush tournament for a potential title opportunity facingAustin Aries in a losing effort. on the November 12 edition of Impact Wrestling, Knux, Crazzy Steve and Rebel defeated Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, andJessie Godderz in an inter-gender elimination match. on December 5 at Victory Road, The Menagerie (Knux and The Freak) faced James Storm and Kazarian in a losing effort in a Tag team match to qualify for the Gauntlet Battle Royal match later that night. on February 16, 2015, at TNA Classic, Knux competed in a 16-man tournament where the winner will be crowned the winner of the TNA Classic. Knux defeatedKenny King but lost to Rockstar Spud in the following round. On March 6 at Joker's Wild III, Knux and Tyrus facedEthan Carter III and Crazzy Steve in a losing effort. On March 6 (Taped February 14) at Knockouts Knockdown 3, The Menagerie (Knux, Crazzy Steve, Rebel) defeated The BroMans (Jessie Godderz, Robbie E) and Angelina Love in a Six-person intergender tag team match. On May 19, 2015, Knux officially left TNA.
On April 11, 2015, Hettinga, working under the ring name Knux, made his debut for Japanese promotionInoki Genome Federation, losing to Wang Bin.[10] He picked up his first win in the promotion on May 5 overDaichi Hashimoto.[10] On June 27, Knux formed an "anti-IGF" stable withHideki Suzuki, Erik Hammer and Kevin Kross.[49]
Around 2016, he wrestled forThe Great Khali's promotion,Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE) in a series of 'The Great Khali returns'.[50]
On November 9, 2021, in the second part ofNWA Power: By Any Means Necessary, Mike Knox made his in-company debut by attackingNWA World's Heavyweight ChampionTrevor Murdoch in steel cage during event. On November 16, 2021, in NWA Power, it was announced that Knox would face Murdoch for the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship atHard Times 2. On December 4, 2021, in the Hard Times 2, Knox was defeated byTrevor Murdoch and failed to win the title.[51][52]
During night one of theCrockett Cup, Knox teamed with VSK under the name "The Cardonas" to compete in the namesake tournament, defeatingDa Pope and Mims in the first round and The Fixers (Jay Bradley and Wrecking Ball Legursky) in the quarterfinals[53] but lost to TheBriscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe andMark Briscoe) in the semifinal on night two.[54] On the June 14 episode ofNWA Powerrr, Knox and VSK confrontedBully Ray. Knox initially acted in kind to Ray, due to their past as members ofAces & Eights inImpact Wrestling. However, after accusing Ray of "leaving him high and dry" in Impact, Knox and VSK would attack him before putting him through a table.[55][56] On August 27 atNWA 74th Anniversary Show, Knox was defeated by Ray in aTables match.[57]
On the March 21 episode of NWA Powerrr, Knox saved Trevor Murdoch from Daisy Kill and Talos.[58] On April 7 atNWA 312 Pre-Show, Knox and Murdoch defeated Daisy Kill and Talos.[59] On the April 25 episode of NWA Powerrr, Knox and Murdoch defeated The Fixers (Jay Bradley & Wrecking Ball Legursky) in aCrockett Cup 2023 qualifying match.[60] Knox and Murdoch defeated Magnum Muscle (Dak Draper and Mims) in the second round, The Mortons (Ricky Morton andKerry Morton) in the quarterfinal, The Midnight Riders (Tyrus andChris Adonis) in the semifinal and Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage andDamage) in the tournament final, winning theCrockett Cup.[61]
On September 3, 2024 atNWA Back to the Territories, Knox and Murdoch defeated Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage and Damage) to win theNWA World Tag Team Championship for the first time.[62]
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