Nick Miller

Mikey Nicholls

Professional wrestling career

Early career (2001–2011)

Nicholls started training inPerth at the Dynamite Factory, the wrestling school ofExplosive Pro Wrestling. he moved toCalifornia and started working for promotions in the United States, such asPro Wrestling Guerrilla,NWA Pro Wrestling, andWorld League Wrestling.

Nicholls has trained at theNew Japan Pro Wrestling's L.A. Dojo, based in Los Angeles. He wrestled for NJPW in Tokyo in 2006. Also in 2006, Nicholls unsuccessfully challenged for theNWA British Commonwealth Championship.

In June 2007, after theNWA split withTNA, Nicholls was involved in theReclaiming the Glory tournament to crown a newNWA World Heavyweight Champion, but was defeated in the tournament byFergal Devitt. In September 2007, Nicholls defeated championKarl Anderson andRyan Taylor in a 30-minute Iron Man match for the Empire Wrestling Federation American Championship. In 2009, Nicholls wrestled forRing of Honor.

Pro Wrestling NOAH (2011–2016)

On 23 February 2011 Haste made his debut inPro Wrestling NOAH as he had a try-out match against his teammateShane Haste. A month after the try-out match both men started to work full-time with the Japanese promotion. Nicholls competed in both the 2012 and 2013 Global League tournaments as a singles competitor. On 7 July 2013 Haste and Nicholls, known together asThe Mighty Don't Kneel (TMDK), won theGHC Tag Team Championship after they defeatedToru Yano andTakashi Iizuka. On 16 September, Nicholls unsuccessfully challengedKenta for Noah's top title, theGHC Heavyweight Championship. At the end of 2013, theTokyo Sports magazine named Nicholls and Haste the tag team of the year, making them the first foreign team to win the award sinceStan Hansen andVader in 1998. Nicholls and Haste lost the GHC Tag Team Championship toMaybach Taniguchi andTakeshi Morishima on 25 January 2014. They regained the title fromDangan Yankies (Masato Tanaka andTakashi Sugiura) on 10 January 2015. They lost the title toK.E.S. (Davey Boy Smith Jr.,Lance Archer) on 11 February. On 28 December 2015, Noah announced that Nicholls and Haste would leave the promotion following their contracts expiring at the end of the year. On 11 February 2016, Noah announced that Nicholls and Haste would return to the promotion the following month to take part in a five-show-long farewell tour, entitled "Departure to the World". Their final Noah match took place on 10 March and saw them defeatNaomichi Marufuji and Mitsuhiro Kitamiya.

Other promotions (2012–2016)

After starting out in Noah, Nicholls returned to the United States and Ring of Honor in February 2012. He and Haste won a tournament at ROH Rise & Prove, defeating two other teams to qualify for a match againstthe Briscoe Brothers. At the ROH Showdown in the SuniPPV in March 2012, the Briscoe Brothers defeated Nicholls and Haste in a Proving Ground match.

Also in February 2012, Nicholls and Haste wrestled television matches forChampionship Wrestling From Hollywood. Also in March 2012, Nicholls and Haste started wrestling forOhio Valley Wrestling, during their stint there, they were defeated in a title match for theOVW Southern Tag Team Championship by Rudy Switchblade andJessie Godderz.

On 20 December 2014, Nicholls and Haste made their debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling, when they, along with Naomichi Marufuji, were revealed as Toru Yano's tag team partners atWrestle Kingdom IX on 4 January 2015. At the event, the four defeatedSuzuki-gun (Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer,Shelton X Benjamin and Takashi Iizuka) in an eight-man tag team match.

World Wrestling Entertainment

NXT (2015-2018)

In June 2015, Nicholls and Haste took part in aWWE tryout camp. In February 2016, it was reported that Nicholls and Haste were scheduled to join WWE'sNXT brand following their Noah farewell tour.

On 25 March 2016, WWE confirmed the signings of both Nicholls and his tag team partner, Shane Haste. They will begin training at theWWE Performance Center in April, while working for the promotion's developmental branch NXT. During the19 May NXT tapings, Nicholls and Haste were renamed Nick Miller andShane Thorne, respectively, while TMDK was renamedTM-61. They debuted on the25 May episode, losing to Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa. Returning for the15 June episode, TM-61 defeatedBlake &Murphy. TM-61 went to return during the July 13 NXT Tapings, where they wrestled twice. Their first match aired on the27 July episode, where they defeatedAdrian Nails &Rob Ryzin. Their second match aired on the3 August episode, where they lost toThe Revival (Dash Wilder &Scott Dawson). During the 20 August NXT Tapings aired on the24 August episode, TM-61 lost toThe Authors Of Pain (Akam &Rezar). On the7 September episode, TM-61 defeated the team ofAriya Daivari &Tony Nese. Beginning on the12 October episode of NXT, thesecond annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament was held. In the first rounds of the tournament, TM-61 advanced after eliminatingRiddick Moss &Tino Sabbatelli. TM-61 received their first title opportunity during the16 September house show, challengingThe Revival (Dash Wilder &Scott Dawson) for theNXT Tag Team Championship. During the13 October Tapings, TM-61 returned for the semifinals of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, aired on NXT's9 November episode, where they eliminated teamSAnitY membersAlexander Wolfe &Sawyer Fulton. Three days later on 19 November atNXT TakeOver: Toronto, TM-61 returned to compete in the finals of the Tag Team Classic, where they were defeated byThe Authors Of Pain. They went on to finish the year with a match during the13 December house show in Sydney, Australia, where they defeatedRiddick Moss &Tino Sabbatelli.

TM-61's televised return was aired during the4 January 2017 episode held in their home country of Australia, where they challenged once more for the Tag Team titles held by new champions team#DIY (Johnny Gargano &Tommaso Ciampa), but did not succeed in winning the titles, despite exchanging significant offense with the champions including high-risk maneuvers in their bid to become new Tag Team Champions. On the18 January episode of NXT, TM-61 defeatedThe Revival. The team would not return to NXT television until the18 October episode, although it was a dark match in which they defeatedSteve Cutler &Wesley Blake. For much of the early months of 2017, Miller wrestled in singles matches during house shows, against opponents includingWesley Blake,Tian Bing,Lars Sullivan,Chad Lail,Marcel Barthel,Sawyer Fulton andThe Velveteen Dream. During the final months of November and December, TM-61 wrestled in house shows against teams includingDanny Burch &Oney Lorcan, teamsSAnitY,Trent Seven &Tyler Bate (later namedMoustache Mountain),Heavy Machinery (Otis Dozovic &Tucker Knight) and TheStreet Profits (Angelo Dawkins &Montez Ford).Returning in 2018, TM-61 challenged for the NXT Tag Team Championship during the25 January house show against reigning champions and members ofThe Undisputed ERABobby Fish &Kyle O'Reilly. During the 7 March episode of NXT, TM-61 joined the opening rounds of thethird annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament, where they were eliminated byThe Authors Of Pain. On 6 April during the second night of the 2018 WrestleMania Axxess weekend event, TM-61 competed in the NXT Tag Team Title Invitational, advancing in the opening rounds after eliminatingDanny Burch &Oney Lorcan. The following night of the Axxess event, TM-61 advanced in the semifinals after eliminatingThe Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler &Wesley Blake). They returned to NXT programming on the2 May episode, defeating TheStreet Profits. Throughout mid-2018 between house shows and televised programs, TM-61 met teams including theWar Raiders,Heavy Machinery andDanny Burch &Oney Lorcan. By June 2018, Miller and Thorne's team were renamed The Mighty. Debuting under their name during the14 June house show, they lost a tag match against the War Raiders. The Mighty made their televised debut on the20 June episode, in a rematch lost against the War Raiders. The team returned for the4 July episode winning their first victory under their new team name, in a two-on-one handicap match, defeating one-half of teamHeavy MachineryOtis Dozovic. On the13 July house show, Miller competed in a number one contendership triple threat match for the NXT Tag Team Championship, representing TM-61 againstMontez Ford of theStreet Profits andWesley Blake ofThe Forgotten Sons. The match concluded with Miller as the winner, earning TM-61 the right to challenge reigning Tag Team ChampionsKyle O'Reilly &Roderick Strong ofThe Undisputed ERA later on during the show. TM-61 however did not succeed in defeating the champions. They returned for the1 August episode, losing a match againstHeavy Machinery. On the26 September episode, The Mighty returned to defeat theStreet Profits. Beginning the next month with a match during the6 October house show, TM-61 lost to the War Raiders.

On December 14, Miller requested and was granted his release from WWE. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Miller asked for his release in order to spend more time with his family inAustralia.

Return to Independent circuit (2019-present)

Four months after his departure from WWE, Nicholls returned to the ring under his real name on 2 February 2019. He made his return toMelbourne City Wrestling atMCW Uprising, defeatingJK Moody. He went on to wrestle in events forNew Japan Pro Wrestling, including matches in the 2019 New Japan Cup Tournament. In addition to his continuous work in NJPW, Nicholls also wrestled in matches in his home country for the promotionExplosive Pro Wrestling.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Blue Vengeance (Moonsault) – 2014-present
  • Mikey Bomb (Spin-out powerbomb)
  • Shooting star press - NOAH

• Signature moves
  • Southern Cross Stretch (Modified figure-four leglock)
  • Diving crossbody
  • Corner Clothesline
  • Lifting spinebuster
  • Sliding lariat to seated opponent

• Nicknames
  • "Mean Machine"
  • ”Mad”

• Entrance music
  • "Joker & the Thief" by Wolfmother
  • "Stand Tall" by CFO$

Championships and accomplishments

• Empire Wrestling Federation
  • EWF American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Explosive Professional Wrestling
  • EPW Championship (2 time)
  • EPW Tag Team Championship (2 times) - withShane Haste
  • EPW Wrestler of the Year (2004, 2005)
  • EPW Best Wrestler of the first five Years (2006)
  • EPW Match of the Year (2002) - vs. Jimmy Payne at Retribution
  • EPW Telethon Rumble winner (2009)

• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time) - withShane Haste
  • NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship (2 times) - withShane Haste

• NWA Pro Wrestling
  • NWA Australian National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Australian National Championship Tournament winner (2007)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #185 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in thePWI 500 in 2015

• Pro Wrestling NOAH
  • GHC Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Shane Haste
  • Global Tag League Fighting Spirit Award (2015) – with Shane Haste

• Ring of Honor
  • Rise and Prove Tournament (2012) – with Shane Haste

• Tokyo Sports
  • Best Tag Team Award (2013) – with Shane Haste

• Westside Pro Wrestling
  • EPW Match of the Year (2012) -TMDK vs. Team Victoria at State of Origin
  • International Impact Award (2009, 2011 co-winner)
  • Tag Team of the Year (2010) - TMDK

• Other
  • The Grand Slam Club (2011)

External links

• WWE.com Profile
• Profile
• Twitter