Matthew Adams (born 26 September 1988) is an Australian

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

. He is signed to

All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...

(AEW) under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

Buddy Matthews and is a member of the stable Hounds of Hell. He is a former one-time AEW World Trios Champion. Adams also makes appearances on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...

and is best known for his time with

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

where he performed under the ring name Buddy Murphy (later shortened to Murphy). Prior to joining WWE, Adams wrestled primarily in his native Australia under the ring name Matt Silva, appearing with promotions such as Professional Championship Wrestling (PCW) and Melbourne City Wrestling (MCW). In 2013, he relocated to the United States to work for WWE, starting out in its

developmental territory Development of the human body is the process of growth to maturity. The process begins with fertilization, where an egg released from the ovary of a female is penetrated by a sperm cell from a male. The resulting zygote develops through mitos ...

NXT. During his time in NXT, he formed a

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...

with Wesley Blake that won the

NXT Tag Team Championship The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's Professional wrestling championship, professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT ...

on one occasion, making him the first Australian national to win a championship in WWE. In 2018, Adams was moved to WWE's main roster, appearing on '' 205 Live''; he won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship later that year. He was moved to '' SmackDown'' in April 2019 and then to '' Raw'' in October 2019, where he aligned himself with

Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986), better known by the ring name Seth Rollins, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and ...

, leading to the duo winning the

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship The World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand exte ...

. Adams was released from WWE in June 2021, and subsequently started wrestling for

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...

and

Major League Wrestling Major League Wrestling (MLW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in New Rochelle, New York. The promotion was founded in 2002 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by former WWE writer Court Bauer. The promotion markets its product as ...

as "Buddy Matthews". He then made his debut for

in February 2022.

Early life

Matthew Adams was born on 26 September 1988 in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Victoria. He attended Berwick Secondary College, where he graduated in 2006.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (2007–2013)

Adams was trained by Carlo Cannon. He made his debut on 8 September 2007 as "Matt Silva", at Professional Championship Wrestling (PCW), where he teamed with Jacko Lantern to defeat Adam Brooks and Diaz. He won the PCW State Championship by defeating Danny Psycho on 3 December 2010. He was also a mainstay in Melbourne City Wrestling (MCW), where he won the MCW World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Slex on 28 January 2012. He held the championship for 293 days.

WWE (2013–2021)

Blake and Murphy (2013–2017)

On 17 March 2013, Adams signed a developmental contract with

and was assigned to their

NXT. On 23 November, he debuted as Buddy Murphy at an NXT

house show A house show (also commonly called a live event) is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in o ...

, teaming with Sawyer Fulton and Troy McClain against

Angelo Dawkins Gary Gordon (born July 24, 1990) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Angelo Dawkins. He is one- ...

, Colin Cassady, and Wesley Blake. On 15 May 2014 episode of '' NXT'', he teamed with Elias Samson in a losing effort against The Ascension. In August 2014, Murphy formed a tag team with Wesley Blake. On 14 August episode of ''NXT'', they were defeated in the first round of a number one contender tag team tournament by The Lucha Dragons ( Kalisto and Sin Cara). For the rest of 2014, they lost multiple matches to The Lucha Dragons and The Vaudevillains (

Aiden English Matthew Thomas Rehwoldt (born October 7, 1987) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as a color commentator, alongside Tom Hannifan. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he p ...

and Simon Gotch). Also in October 2014, they lost a number one contender tag team battle royal, being eliminated by The Ascension. On 21 January 2015 episode of ''NXT'', Blake and Murphy defeated The Vaudevillains and quickly challenged The Lucha Dragons to a title match. On 28 January episode of ''NXT'', Blake and Murphy defeated the champions to win the

, making Murphy the first Australian to hold a championship in WWE. At NXT TakeOver: Rival, Blake and Murphy, now billed simply by their surnames, defeated the Lucha Dragons in a rematch for the title. Following that in March, Blake and Murphy began a feud with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, who were intent on capturing the tag titles. Blake and Murphy attempted to woo Carmella on several occasions. On 13 May episode of ''NXT'', Blake and Murphy distracted Carmella during her match with

Alexa Bliss Alexis Cabrera ( Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was assigne ...

, causing her to lose. At NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, during Amore and Cassady's NXT Tag Team Championship match against Blake and Murphy, Alexa Bliss came out mid-match and attacked Carmella and Amore, ensuring the win for Blake and Murphy. After making several successful title defences, Blake and Murphy lost the championships to the Vaudevillians at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, ending their reign at 219 days. On 18 May 2016 episode of ''NXT'', after losing to

Austin Aries Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, where he is a t ...

and

Shinsuke Nakamura is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his first rei ...

, Bliss and then Blake walked away from Murphy, teasing a split for the team. On 1 June episode of ''NXT'', his ring name was reverted to Buddy Murphy, where he was defeated by Tye Dillinger. On 15 June episode of ''NXT'', Blake and Murphy reunited, but after a miscommunication between the two, they were defeated by TM-61 ( Nick Miller and Shane Thorne). The following week, Murphy announced himself as a singles competitor by interrupting Shinsuke Nakamura, leading to a match with Nakamura, which Murphy lost. On 4 January 2017 episode of ''NXT'', Murphy teamed with Tye Dillinger to defeat

Bobby Roode Robert Francis Roode Jr. (born May 11, 1976) is a Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a Producer (professional wrestling), producer and was formerly an in-ring performer. Roode is known ...

and Elias Samson, and this turned out to be Murphy's last televised appearance in NXT, before being called up to main roster.

Cruiserweight Champion (2018–2019)

In early 2018, Murphy lost about 25 pounds and asked to compete on the 205 Live brand. On 20 February episode of '' 205 Live'', he made his debut as a participant in the Cruiserweight Championship tournament, defeating Ariya Daivari in the first round but lost to

Mustafa Ali Adeel Alam (born March 28, 1986) better known by his ring name Mustafa Ali ( ), is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former TNA X Division Champion. He also makes appearances ...

in the quarterfinals. On 27 March episode of ''205 Live'', Murphy defeated TJP,

Akira Tozawa Akira Tozawa (戸澤陽, ''Tozawa Akira'', born July 22, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler. As of 2016, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and is a member of the Alpha Academy St ...

, Kalisto in a fatal four-way match for a future shot at the Cruiserweight Championship. On 10 April episode of ''205 Live'', Murphy attacked new WWE Cruiserweight Champion

Cedric Alexander Cedric Alexander Johnson (born August 16, 1989) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Ring of Honor (ROH). Alexander worked for ROH ...

from behind, starting a feud between the two. However, Murphy failed his mandatory weigh-in and was removed from the match and the ''205 Live'' roster until he met the weight requirement. On 8 May episode of ''205 Live'', Murphy defeated Ali in a rematch from their Cruiserweight Championship tournament quarterfinal match. He started a storyline where he had to lose weight, challenging Alexander for the title on 29 May episode of ''205 Live'', where he failed to win the title. The following week, he had a match with Mustafa Ali that ended in a no-contest after both men were attacked by Hideo Itami, who won a triple threat match against both men the following week. On 3 July episode of ''205 Live'', he lost to Ali in a

No Disqualification match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...

. He then went on to form a tag team with

Tony Nese Anthony Nese (born August 6, 1985) is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He also appears for AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor, where he is a member of The Premier Athletes stable. He is best known for his ...

and they subsequently feuded with Lucha House Party ( Gran Metalik,

Lince Dorado José Rafael Cordero (born May 11, 1987), better known by the ring name Lince Dorado (Spanish for Golden Lynx), is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a wrestler and a trainer at the WWE Performance Center. Cordero began h ...

and Kalisto). On 6 October at Super Show-Down in his hometown of Melbourne, Murphy defeated Alexander to win the Cruiserweight Championship, his first singles title in WWE, the first Australian man to accomplish this feat. Murphy subsequently retained the title against Mustafa Ali at

Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...

and Alexander at

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

, respectively. On 27 January 2019, Murphy successfully defended his title in a fatal four-way match against Akira Tozawa, Kalisto and Hideo Itami at the

Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified Battle royal (professional wre ...

Kickoff Show after pinning Itami. On 17 February, Murphy retained his title against Tozawa at

Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was created by Triple H, and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure which ...

. At the

WrestleMania 35 WrestleMania 35 was a 2019 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by WWE. It was the 35th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 7, 2019, at MetLife ...

Kickoff Show, he lost his title to former partner Tony Nese, ending his reign at 183 days. Prior to this loss, Murphy had been undefeated in televised singles matches dating back to July 2018. On 9 April episode of ''205 Live'', Murphy was again defeated by Nese in a rematch for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

Brand switches (2019–2020)

On 16 April, Murphy was drafted to the SmackDown

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

as part of the Superstar Shake-up. He participated in the 51-Man Battle Royal at Super ShowDown, but was unsuccessful. On 30 July episode of '' SmackDown'', a stack of scaffolding fell onto

Roman Reigns Leati Joseph Anoaʻi ( ; born May 25, 1985), better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former gridiron football, football player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he performs on the Sm ...

backstage. Murphy was shown in the background of the event. The following week, Reigns confronted Murphy about his involvement in the event. After being physically intimidated by Reigns, Murphy revealed that

Rowan The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus'' of the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the Himalaya ...

was Reigns' mystery attacker. At

SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by the world's largest professional wrestling promotion, WWE. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's second biggest event of the year behind th ...

, Murphy defeated Apollo Crews by disqualification, after Rowan attacked him mid-match. On 19 August, Murphy was announced as one of sixteen competitors in the

King of the Ring King and Queen of the Ring, formerly and still commonly known as simply King of the Ring, was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The event was established in 1993 and originally c ...

tournament. Murphy faced

in the first round on 27 August episode of ''SmackDown Live'', where he was eliminated. On 14 October, Murphy was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2019 draft. Over the following weeks, Murphy developed a winning streak, defeating the likes of

R-Truth Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under his real name, stylized as Ron Killings and R-Truth. Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) ...

, Cedric Alexander,

Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he a former List of TNA World Tag Team Champions, three time TNA Wor ...

, and

Zack Ryder Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is a freelancer who competes on the independent circuit as well as making in ring appearances for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), All Elite Wrestling (AEW) ...

. He entered in a 20-man battle royal at Crown Jewel on 31 October to determine who would face

AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (or A.J. Styles), is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, ...

for the United States Championship later in the night, but he failed to win. Murphy engaged in a feud with Aleister Black towards the end of 2019. However, he lost to Black at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, the 30 December episode of ''Raw'' and the 13 January 2020 episode of ''Raw''.

Storyline with Seth Rollins (2020–2021)

Starting 2020, Murphy began to work with

under the character of his disciple, winning the

. On 7 February, his ring name was shortened back to simply ''Murphy'' after he requested when WWE producer Michael Hayes told him the name Buddy sounds too friendly. Murphy and Rollins successfully defended their titles against The

Street Profits The Street Profits are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford. They are signed to WWE, where they perform on the SmackDown brand, and are the current WWE Tag Team Champions in their second rei ...

at Super ShowDown on 27 February, but eventually lost the titles to them in a rematch on 2 March episode of ''Raw''. Their reign ended at 42 days. Murphy and Rollins failed to reclaim the championship from the team at

six days later. In May, Murphy and Rollins started a feud with Rey Mysterio and his family, as well as Aleister Black. At Payback, Murphy and Rollins lost to Mysterio and his son

Dominik Mysterio Dominik Óscar Gutiérrez (born April 5, 1997) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Dominik Mysterio, and he is a member of The Judgment Day stable. He is the current ...

, after Murphy accidentally kicked Rollins, costing them the match. On 15 September episode of ''Raw'', Rollins attacked Murphy after Murphy cost Rollins in a steel cage match against Dominik, leading to Murphy getting closer with Rey Mysterio's daughter, Aalyah. As part of the 2020 Draft in October, Murphy was drafted to the SmackDown brand. The storyline continued when after Aalyah kissed Murphy. On 13 November episode of ''SmackDown'', Murphy turned on Rollins, thus turning him

face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...

. Murphy defeated Rollins the following week on ''SmackDown'' to end the feud. The love storyline between Murphy and Aalyah was dropped shortly after, and Murphy was taken off television. Murphy returned on 5 March 2021 episode of ''SmackDown'', trying to reunite with Seth Rollins against Cesaro to which Rollins rebuffed. Murphy then lost a match against Cesaro. Murphy's last WWE appearance took place on 9 April 2021, WrestleMania Edition of SmackDown in the

André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal The André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is a namesake battle royal held as part of WrestleMania Weekend by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match receives the André the Giant Memorial Trophy. The inaugura ...

having been eliminated by King Corbin. On 2 June 2021, Murphy was released from his WWE contract.

Independent circuit (2021–present)

On 16 October 2021, a video aired during ''

NJPW Strong NJPW Strong is a brand name utilized by Japanese professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and its New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA) subsidiary. In its original incarnation, ''NJPW Strong'' was the name of a weekly ...

'' announcing that Murphy, now going by "Buddy Matthews", would make his

(NJPW) debut at the Battle in the Valley event on 13 November. At the event, he lost to

Kazuchika Okada (born November 8, 1987) is a Japanese professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is a member of the Don Callis Family stable and is the current AEW Continental Champion in his first reign. Known as the , he is b ...

. On 21 January 2022, Matthews wrestled for

(MLW) at their Blood & Thunder event, losing to TJP. In 2022, Matthews returned to Melbourne City Wrestling in the Ballroom Brawl event, winning the right to face Mitch Waterman for the MCW World Heavyweight Championship. Matthews then defeated Mitch Waterman to win his second MCW World Heavyweight Championship, at The House Always Wins event.

All Elite Wrestling (2022–present)

Matthews made his debut for

on 23 February 2022 episode of ''

Dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...

'' aligning himself with Malakai Black and

Brody King Nathan Troy Blauvelt (born March 17, 1987), better known by his ring name Brody King, is an American professional wrestler, singer, and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Hounds of Hell and is a form ...

of the

House of Black The Hounds of Hell, formerly known as the House of Black, is a professional wrestling stable, performing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The group consists of Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart. The group was formerly led by Malakai Bl ...

. After his debut, AEW president

Tony Khan Antony Rafiq Khan (born October 10, 1982) is an American businessman, sports executive, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the founder, co-owner, president, CEO, executive producer, and head booker of All Elite Wrestling ...

announced Matthews's signing with the company. At

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

on 5 March 2023, The House of Black defeated The Elite (

Kenny Omega Tyson Smith (born October 16, 1983), better known by the ring name , is a Canadian-born professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the current AEW International Champion in his first reign. He also works as an ...

, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson) to become the

AEW World Trios Championship The AEW World Trios Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It is a specialized tag team ...

. In the summer of 2023, Matthews feuded

Andrade El Idolo Manuel Alfonso Andrade Oropeza (born November 3, 1989) is a Mexican professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the WWE SmackDown (brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Andrade (formerly Andrad ...

on ''

Collision In physics, a collision is any event in which two or more bodies exert forces on each other in a relatively short time. Although the most common use of the word ''collision'' refers to incidents in which two or more objects collide with great for ...

'', which concluded in a

ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself become ...

for Andrade's mask, where Matthews lost. House of Black lost the trios titles to The Acclaimed and

Billy Gunn Monty Kip Sopp (born November 1, 1963), better known by his ring name Billy Gunn, is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to the WWE under a Legends contract and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also perfo ...

at All In in August 2023. On 1 May 2024 episode of ''Dynamite'', Matthews unsuccessfully challenged Adam Copeland for the AEW TNT Championship. On 15 June episode of ''Collision'', the House of Black won a #1 contenders' match for The Patriarchy's AEW World Trios Championships. After the match, Patriarchy leader

Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Christian Cage and is the leader of The Patriarch ...

appeared on the titantron and revealed that they had attacked Matthews with a con-chair-to, turning the entire House of Black stable face for the first time. On 25 August at All In, the House of Black participated in the ladder match for the AEW World Trios Championships, but failed to win. On 22 January 2025 episode of ''Dynamite'', a vignette aired of King, Matthews and Julia Hart silently kicking Black out of the group and as leader, stating "that they are done living in the shadows and that it is time to honor themselves with no leaders, no masters, no gods". On 25 January episode of ''Collision'', the group was renamed to the "Hounds of Hell". On 15 February at Grand Slam Australia, Matthews unsuccessfully challenged

for the AEW Continental Championship.

Other media

Adams as Buddy Murphy made his

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

debut as a playable character in ''

WWE 2K16 ''WWE 2K16'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is the sequel to ''WWE 2K15'', and was succeeded by '' WWE 2K17''. It w ...

'' (as a downloadable character) and also appears in ''

WWE 2K17 ''WWE 2K17'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. It is the eighteenth game in the ''WWE'' game series (fourth under the '' ...

'', ''

WWE 2K20 ''WWE 2K20'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment of the ...

'' and ''

WWE 2K22 ''WWE 2K22'' is a 2022 professional wrestling sports video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. It is the twenty-second overall installment of the video game series based on WWE, the eighth game under the ''WWE 2K'' banner, a ...

''. He appeared on an episode of the reality show ''

Total Divas ''Total Divas'' is an American reality television series that aired from July 28, 2013, to December 10, 2019, on E!. The series gave viewers an inside look into the lives of female WWE wrestlers from their work within WWE to their person ...

'' in January 2018.

Personal life

Adams was engaged to American professional wrestler Alexis Cabrera, better known by the ring name

. It was reported that the two ended their engagement in September 2018, but still remain friends. He later began a relationship with fellow Australian wrestler Demi Bennett, known professionally as

Rhea Ripley Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. As of July 2017, she is signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley. She is a List of Women ...

. They married in June 2024. Adams has a background in

extreme sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...

, particularly

bungee jumping Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...

rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...

, and swimming with great whales. He is a supporter of his hometown

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

club, the

Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club based at Princes Park (stadium), Princes Park in Carlton North, Victoria, Carlton North, an inner suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The c ...

; his WWE

is a reference to former Carlton

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

Marc Murphy.

Championships and accomplishments

( 1 time) – with

and Malakai Black * Ballarat Pro Wrestling ** BPW Australian Championship (1 time) *

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the American sports programming division of Paramount Global that is responsible for sports broadcasts carried by its broadcast network CBS and streaming service Paramount+, as well as the operator of its cable channel CBS Sports N ...

**Breakthrough Wrestler of the Year (2018) * Melbourne City Wrestling ** MCW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) **MCW Ballroom Brawl (2022) * Professional Championship Wrestling ** PCW State Championship (1 time) * ''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' ** Ranked No. 33 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' in 2019 *

** WWE Cruiserweight Championship ( 1 time) **

( 1 time) – with

( 1 time) – with Wesley Blake/Blake

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Buddy 1988 births All Elite Wrestling personnel Australian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Australian male professional wrestlers Expatriate professional wrestlers Living people Sportsmen from Victoria (state) Professional wrestlers from Melbourne 21st-century male professional wrestlers House of Black members AEW World Trios Champions NXT Tag Team Champions NXT/WWE Cruiserweight Champions World Tag Team Champions (WWE) 21st-century Australian sportsmen