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George Murdoch (born February 21, 1973) is an American cable news personality, actor, and former
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 ...
known by his ring/stage name Tyrus. As a wrestler, he was formerly signed to the
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
(NWA), where he is a former NWA World's Heavyweight Champion. As a cable news personality, he appears on
Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
, and its sister streaming service
Fox Nation Fox Nation is an American subscription video on demand service. Announced on February 20, 2018, and launching on November 27 of that year, it is a companion to Fox News Channel carrying programming of interest to its audience, including origin ...
, primarily as a co-host/panelist on the late-night talk show ''
Gutfeld! ''Gutfeld!'', known as ''The Greg Gutfeld Show'' from 2015 to 2021, is an American conservative news News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, prin ...
'', as well as a contributor/fill-in host on other programs. In 2024, Tyrus was named host of ''Maintaining with Tyrus'' on the streaming platform OutKick, which is owned by Fox. After training in WWE's developmental territories, such as
Deep South Wrestling Deep South Wrestling (DSW) is a professional wrestling promotion in the state of Georgia. Deep South worked in tandem with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a developmental territory from September 1, 2005, until April 18, 2007. Deep South w ...
(DSW) and
Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until ...
(FCW), Murdoch under the ring name Brodus Clay debuted during the fourth season of '' NXT'', a WWE television show where rookies were paired with established WWE wrestlers as mentors. He debuted on the main roster as
Alberto Del Rio José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where h ...
's bodyguard. During 2012, WWE changed his gimmick to The Funkusaurus, a funk dancer accompanied by his backup dancers the Funkadactyls. He wrestled in WWE until his departure in 2014. From 2014 to 2017, Murdoch wrestled in
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
(TNA) under the ring name of Tyrus. In 2021, he joined the NWA, where he won the
NWA World Television Championship The NWA World Television Championship is a Championship (professional wrestling)#Television championships, world television championship owned and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion National Wrestling Allianc ...
, and later the promotion's primary title — the World's Heavyweight Championship. His 2022 autobiography ''Just Tyrus: A Memoir'' was a ''New York Times'' bestseller. His second book ''Nuff Said'' was released in 2023.


Early life

Murdoch is biracial; his father is black and his mother is white. He has stated that when he was born, his father was 19 years old and his mother was 15. In 2018, Murdoch disclosed a childhood incident in which his abusive father damaged his eye by hitting him; this incident led his mother to leave his father. While Murdoch's mother moved back to her parents' home, Murdoch has stated that he and his brother were not welcome there because they were part black. According to Murdoch, he and his brother lived with a foster family for many years; during this time, Murdoch was "obsessed" with changing his skin color, thinking that this would allow him to be reunited with his family. Murdoch and his brother eventually lived with their mother again, but Murdoch left home at age 15. In 1990, Murdoch attended
Quartz Hill High School Quartz Hill High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Quartz Hill, California. Founded in 1964, it is the third oldest comprehensive high school in the Antelope Valley Union High School District. Campus The basic layout of Q ...
in
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, and then in 1992,
Antelope Valley College Antelope Valley College (AVC) is a Public college, public Community colleges in the United States, community college in Lancaster, California. It is part of the California Community College system. It is operated by the Antelope Valley Communi ...
in
Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...
. By 1995, he was attending the
University of Nebraska at Kearney The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is a campus of the public University of Nebraska system and located in Kearney, Nebraska. It was founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney. History In March 1903 the Nebraska S ...
, where he studied to become a teacher, and played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the Lopers. However, Murdoch has stated that his football career ended when surgery to remove a
ruptured appendix Appendicitis is inflammation of the Appendix (anatomy), appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and anorexia (symptom), decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these t ...
severed nerve endings in his leg, leaving him with a permanent limp. Murdoch has worked as a bodyguard for
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
. Murdoch married his longtime girlfriend Ingrid Rinck Herbert on January 7, 2024. She is an entrepreneur and fitness trainer. Together they have a daughter named Georgia born on May 7, 2014.


Professional wrestling career


World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE


Developmental territories (2006–2008)

After signing a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Murdoch was assigned to
Deep South Wrestling Deep South Wrestling (DSW) is a professional wrestling promotion in the state of Georgia. Deep South worked in tandem with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a developmental territory from September 1, 2005, until April 18, 2007. Deep South w ...
(DSW), a WWE
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 ...
, where he worked as G-Rilla, adopting the
gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...
of a street thug. He worked in DSW until June 2007, when he was assigned to
Florida Championship Wrestling Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until ...
, another WWE developmental territory. Murdoch worked in FCW, wrestling for the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship against Harry Smith on September 25, but lost via disqualification, but he was released from his contract on February 4, 2008.


NXT and alliance with Alberto Del Rio (2010–2011)

After a two year hiatus, in January 2010, Murdoch re-signed with WWE and returned to FCW. While he started with the G-Rilla ringname, he began to use the name of Brodus Clay, a play on Snoop Dogg's real name (Calvin Cordozar Broadus), in May 2010. During the finale of
season three A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar ...
of '' NXT'', Clay was named part of the fourth season, with Ted DiBiase and
Maryse Maryse is a given name. Notable persons with this name include: *Maryse Alberti, cinematographer *Maryse Condé, author *Maryse Dauvray, actress *Maryse Lassonde, neuropsychologist *Maryse Liburdi (formerly Maryse Thomas), CEO *Maryse Marpsat, soci ...
as his Pros. He made his in-ring debut on ''NXT'' on the December 14, 2010, episode, teaming with DiBiase to defeat
Byron Saxton Bryan Jesús Kelly (born August 20, 1981) is an American professional wrestling Sports commentator, commentator, ring announcer, and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he works as a backstage interviewer on ''WWE SmackDown, ...
and his mentor
Chris Masters Christopher Todd Mordetzky (born January 8, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, currently wrestling under the ring name Chris Adonis. He is a former two-time National Champion in NWA. He is best known for his time in WWE, under the ri ...
. During the season, he won a four-way elimination match on the January 25 episode of ''NXT'', earning the right to choose a new Pro, picking
Alberto Del Rio José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where h ...
. In the season finale, Clay ended the competition in second place, losing to Curtis. Following his stint in NXT, on the March 7 episode of '' Raw'', Clay debuted as Del Rio's new bodyguard. As Del Rio was feuding with Edge and Christian, Clay faced off with single matches against them and also teamed with Del Rio to face
Edge & Christian Edge (wrestler), Edge & Christian Cage, Christian (E&C) were a Canadian professional wrestling tag team best known for their time in the World Wrestling Entertainment, World Wrestling Federation (WWF), later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment ( ...
. Clay accompanied Del Rio to the ring at
WrestleMania XXVII WrestleMania XXVII was a 2011 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming supercards, event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the 27th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 3, 20 ...
for his match with Edge. On the April 25 episode of ''Raw'', Del Rio was drafted to Raw, while Clay remained on SmackDown. Clay's final appearance with Del Rio occurred on May 1 at Extreme Rules, when he interfered on Del Rio's behalf as Del Rio faced Christian in a ladder match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Despite this, Del Rio was unsuccessful in winning the match. After a three-month absence due to the filming of the movie '' No One Lives'', Clay reappeared on the August 4, 2011, episode of ''
Superstars A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity. Superstar or superstars may also refer to: People * "Superstar" Krishna (1943–2022), Indian film actor, director and producer in Telugu cinema * "Superstar" Mahesh Babu (born 1975), Indian actor * ...
'', where he defeated Pat Silva. Over the next few weeks, Clay continued to squash various jobbers on ''Superstars''.


The Funkasaurus (2012–2014)

WWE ran vignettes promoting his return to television on the November 7, 2011, episode of ''Raw''. However, Clay's television return was continuously delayed by authority figure
John Laurinaitis John Hodger Laurinaitis (born July 31, 1962), also known by his former ring name Johnny Ace, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and business executive. He has wrestled for such promotions as World Championship ...
to be "next week", with this trend continuing all the way into January 2012. Around this time, Clay was informed by management that he would be portraying a dancing face character upon his return. He was hesitant to follow through with their request, but gained the confidence to try it with encouragement from
Dusty Rhodes Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who worked for the National Wrestling Alliance ...
. Clay made his television return on the January 9, 2012, episode of ''Raw'' as a face (heroic character) with a fun-loving,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
dancing
gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...
, with the nickname "The Funkasaurus" and began using Ernest "The Cat" Miller's theme song "Somebody Call My Momma". Now accompanied by The Funkadactyls (
Naomi Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (born 1977 ...
and
Cameron Cameron may refer to: People * Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan * Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) ;Mononym * Cam'ron (born 19 ...
) and announced as hailing from "Planet Funk", Clay incorporated gyrations and dance moves into his various squash wins on both ''Raw'' and ''SmackDown''. Clay made his pay-per-view singles debut 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 ...
on January 29, quickly defeating
Drew McIntyre Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. Galloway began ...
. At
WrestleMania XXVIII WrestleMania XXVIII was a 2012 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It was the 28th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 1, 2012, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. This was the first WrestleMani ...
, Clay made an on-stage appearance, calling and dancing with Momma Clay. The following night on ''Raw'', Clay started a feud with
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he performs under his real name, stylized as Nic Nemeth, where he is one-half of the TNA World Tag ...
and
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently performs on the independent circ ...
when he saved
Santino Marella Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1974), better known by the ring name Santino Marella, is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he works as the on-screen director of authority. He is best kn ...
from them. Clay and Marella beat Ziggler and Swagger on the April 9 episode of ''Raw''. On the April 20 episode of ''SmackDown'', Clay began a brief association with
Hornswoggle Dylan Mark Postl (born May 29, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is best known under the ring name Hornswoggle. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract and performs on the independent circuit, sometimes under the ...
. At Extreme Rules, Clay defeated Ziggler. By May, Clay was on a 21-match winning streak since adopting the Funkasaurus gimmick. On the May 28 episode of ''Raw'',
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
justified his recent heel turn by blaming Clay. Hearing this, Clay then challenged Big Show to a match that night. Before the match could start, Big Show attacked Clay at ringside and brutally assaulted him. On the June 8 episode of ''SmackDown'', Clay was banned by General Manager John Laurinaitis from appearing on ''Raw'' "to protect him from Big Show" so he was transferred to SmackDown. Big Show's attack also led Clay to vow to be more aggressive in the ring. At No Way Out, Clay defeated
David Otunga David Daniel Otunga (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and former professional wrestler and lawyer. He is best known for his tenure in WWE from 2009 to 2015. Otunga was the runner-up on the first season of ''WWE NXT'' and later an origina ...
in the pre-show match. Later during the pay-per-view, Clay interfered in the main event steel cage match, costing Big Show the match to
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...
and as per the match stipulation, causing the firing of John Laurinaitis. Big Show then made an appearance on the June 22 episode of ''SmackDown'', leading to Clay physically confronting him. With Laurinaitis fired, Clay was allowed to return to Raw from June 25, where he faced Big Show; Big Show defeated Clay to end Clay's 24-match winning streak. Clay then began a feud with
Damien Sandow Aron Steven Haddad (born August 3, 1982) is an American retired professional wrestler working as a manager in the National Wrestling Alliance under the name Aron Stevens. He is best known for wrestling with WWE under the ring name Damien Sandow ...
on the July 30 episode of ''Raw''; Sandow attacked Clay when he laughed at a video of Sandow's beatdown at the hands of DX. Clay and Sandow finally faced off on the August 20 episode of ''Raw'', where Sandow won, but he was attacked by Clay after the match. At the
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 ( ...
pay-per-view, Clay took part in 10 man elimination tag team match alongside
Tyson Kidd Theodore James "TJ" Wilson (born July 11, 1980), better known by the ring name Tyson Kidd, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he works as a road agent (professional wrestling), producer. The final graduate o ...
,
Justin Gabriel Phillip Paul Lloyd (born 3 March 1981) is a South African-American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, under the ring name Justin Gabriel. He is currently wrestling under the ring name P. J. Black. A second-generation w ...
,
Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Widely regarded as both one of the greatest '' luch ...
and Sin Cara, but he was the first man out after being eliminated by Tensai. In January 2013, Clay competed in the 2013 Royal Rumble match and was eliminated by five men. Tensai was embarrassed after a dance contest, but Clay encouraged him to dance and have fun because "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". Tensai, with Clay's encouragement, began using several "silly dance moves". Two days later on ''
WWE Main Event ''WWE Main Event'' is an American professional wrestling streaming television program produced by WWE. Premiering on October 3, 2012, the hour-long program features mid-to-low-card wrestlers from WWE's Raw brand and SmackDown brand, while als ...
'', Clay came out to support Tensai during his match with
Titus O'Neil Thaddeus Michael Bullard (born April 29, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and former arena football player. He is signed to WWE as a Global Ambassador. Described by the company as "one of the most philanthropic superstars in WWE hist ...
. Following this, Clay and Tensai formed a tag team and went on to defeat established teams such as Primo & Epico,
Heath Slater Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Heath Slater. He also performed in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Impact Wrestling ...
and
Jinder Mahal Yuvraj Singh Dhesi (born July 19, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit under his real name, stylized as Raj Dhesi. He is best known for his tenures in WWE, where he performed under the ring nam ...
of 3MB and Team Rhodes Scholars (
Cody Rhodes Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (born June 30, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. As of April 2022, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown brand. He is also known for co-fou ...
and Damien Sandow). On the March 22 episode of ''SmackDown'', Tensai and Clay were defeated by Team Rhodes Scholars after an interference from
The Bella Twins The Bella Twins are an American former professional wrestling tag team that performed in WWE and consisted of identical twin sisters Nikki Bella and Brie Bella. Each of the Bella Twins are former WWE Divas Champions. Brie was the first twin in ...
. Tensai and Clay announced their official tag-team name "Tons of Funk" on the March 27 episode of ''Main Event'', where they accompanied The Funkadactyls to ring in a losing effort to The Bella Twins. The two teams were originally booked to face each other in an eight-person mixed tag team match on April 7 at
WrestleMania 29 WrestleMania 29, also promoted as WrestleMania NY/NJ, was a 2013 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It was the 29th annual WrestleMania and took place on April 7, 2013, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New J ...
, but their match was cut due to time constraints. The match instead took place the following night on ''Raw'', where Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls emerged victorious. In November 2013, Clay started a storyline where he became angry and jealous of the debuting
Xavier Woods Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Xavier Woods and is part of The New Day and is one-half of the current World ...
, who "borrowed" Clay's music and The Funkadactyls for his entrance. Clay thus began to exhibit more villainous tendencies, such as repeatedly attacking Woods, after he had defeated Woods in a match. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Clay faced Woods' partner,
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) ...
and continually assaulted Truth instead of going for a win, so Tensai and the Funkadactyls left in protest and Clay lost the match. On the next day on ''Raw'', Clay completed his
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
turn by abandoning Tensai to lose their tag match and attacking Tensai after the match. Clay found no immediate success, as he went on to lose to Tensai, Woods and Truth in singles matches. On the April 17 episode ''NXT'', Clay would lose by countout against
Adrian Neville Benjamin Satterley (born 22 August 1986), better known by his ring name Pac (sometimes stylised in ''all caps''), is an English professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of Death Riders. He is a fo ...
in a non-title match. His final match was he lost to Adrian Neville for the NXT Champion in no disqualification match. On June 12, 2014, Clay was released by WWE.


Total Nonstop Action Wrestling / Impact Wrestling (2014–2018)

On September 16, 2014, Murdoch debuted for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Tyrus at TNA's television tapings, aligning himself with
Ethan Carter III Michael Hutter (born March 18, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Ethan Carter III (or simply EC3). He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a f ...
(EC3). Moments after EC3 introduced him, he had his first wrestling match on the October 15 episode of ''
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
'' against
Shark Boy Dean Matthew Roll (born January 28, 1975) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Shark Boy. Prior to his appearances in TNA, Roll competed on the independe ...
, which he won. Together they entered the
TNA World Tag Team Championship The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
number one contenders tournament, defeating Eric Young and
Rockstar Spud James Michael Curtin (born 30 January 1983) is an English former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a writer on Raw. During his time as an on screen performer in the company, he worked under the ring name Drake Maverick. He has also ...
in the quarterfinals, only to lose to
The Hardy Boyz The Hardy Boyz are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Jeff Hardy, Jeff and Matt Hardy. They are both signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where they are former three time TNA Tag Team Championship, TNA ...
on the October 29 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' in the semifinals, when Tyrus was pinned by
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 ...
. At
Lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...
, Tyrus defeated Spud and Mark Andrews in a 2-on-1 Six Sides of Steel match. At Joker's Wild 2015, Tyrus and Knux lost to
Ethan Carter III Michael Hutter (born March 18, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Ethan Carter III (or simply EC3). He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a f ...
and
Crazzy Steve Steven Scott (born March 4, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler under the ring name Crazzy Steve. He is best known for his tenures in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former TNA Digital Media Champion and a former TNA World ...
. At Hardcore Justice 2015. Tyrus competed in a 12-man Hardcore Gauntlet Battle Royal which was won by
James Storm James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He currently competes on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He sta ...
. On May 15, 2015, episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Tyrus lost to Mr. Anderson. At
Slammiversary Slammiversary is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of TNA pay-per-view events, event produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. It is one of TNA's “Big Four” PPV events (along with TNA Hard To Kill, Hard ...
, Carter and Tyrus defeated Lashley and Mr. Anderson in the co-main event. At World Cup 2015, Tyrus (representing Team EC3) defeated Team Hardy's Gunner and later in the main event Team Hardy defeated Team EC3 in a Six-on-Six Elimination Tag Team match failing to win the world cup. At Turning Point, Tyrus lost to Matt Hardy. On October 4, 2015, at Bound For Glory, Tyrus won a gauntlet for the gold match to become the number one contender for the
TNA World Heavyweight Championship The TNA World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). It is the promotion's principal championship. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won ...
. On April 26, 2016, at TNA Sacrifice (2016) Tyrus would get his championship match but lost to
Drew Galloway Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. Galloway began his career in 2001 in the United Kingdom wit ...
. At One Night Only: Live!, Tyrus lost to Lashley. At Joker's Wild 2016, Tyrus and
Jade Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or Ornament (art), ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in t ...
defeated Lashley and
Gail Kim Gail Kim-Irvine (born February 20, 1977) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenures in TNA Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). In TNA, she was the inaugural and record setting seven-tim ...
to qualify for the Gauntlet Battle Royal match later that night where
Drew Galloway Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June, 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre. Galloway began his career in 2001 in the United Kingdom wit ...
won the 14-person intergender Joker's Wild gauntlet battle royal. On a June 28, 2016, taping of ''Impact Wrestling'', Tyrus returned as a "fixer" for hire, siding with
Grado Grado may refer to: People * Cristina Grado (1939–2016), Italian film actress * Jonathan Grado (born 1991), American entrepreneur and photographer * Francesco De Grado (fl. 1694–1730), Italian engraver * Gaetano Grado, Italian mafioso * Grad ...
and
Mahabali Shera Amanpreet Singh Randhawa (born 2 May 1990) is an Indian professional wrestler signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and Ohio Valley Wrestling where he performs under the ring name Mahabali Shera or simply Shera. He also had a brief stint ...
in a match against The Tribunal and
Al Snow Allen Ray Sarven (born July 18, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Al Snow. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation/ World Wrestling Entertainm ...
. Since then, TNA began airing vignettes for the "fixer" gimmick on ''Impact Wrestling'' on a weekly basis. At One Night Only: September 2016, Tyrus defeated
Crazzy Steve Steven Scott (born March 4, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler under the ring name Crazzy Steve. He is best known for his tenures in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former TNA Digital Media Champion and a former TNA World ...
. This was his first singles victory since Bound for Glory. At Against All Odds (aired November 4, 2016), Tyrus defeated Trevor Lee. At Bound for Glory, Tyrus competed in a 10-Man Bound for Gold Gauntlet match which was won by
Eli Drake Shaun Edward Ricker (born November 1, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name LA ...
. Tyrus returned to Impact Wrestling and began aligning himself with
Eli Drake Shaun Edward Ricker (born November 1, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name LA ...
. At Joker's Wild 2017, Tyrus and Crazzy Steve lost to Mike Bennett and
Braxton Sutter Jesse Guilmette (born June 3, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) with the ring name The Blade. He is known for his tag team work with Andy Williams (guitarist), The Butch ...
. On January 6, 2017, Tyrus and
Eli Drake Shaun Edward Ricker (born November 1, 1982) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name LA ...
unsuccessfully challenged The Broken Hardys (
Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and also appears on partner promotion WWE on its NXT (WWE brand), NXT brand. He is re ...
and
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 ...
) for the
TNA World Tag Team Championship The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling #World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship (professional wrestling), championship which is owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) professional wrestlin ...
s at TNA One Night Only: Live!. On August 18, 2017, the promotion announced that Tyrus was granted his release from his contract. Murdoch explained that he didn't feel comfortable with Jeff Jarrett returning to Impact, since Murdoch decided in the past to stay with TNA and didn't sign a contract with GFW. At Impact's January 2018 tapings, he returned to defeat his former boss
Ethan Carter III Michael Hutter (born March 18, 1983) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Ethan Carter III (or simply EC3). He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a f ...
after turning on him. However, his return was short-lived when, on April 18, 2018, Tyrus left Impact once again, confirming his release and departure from the company. Murdoch claimed that poor booking decisions involving his character would hurt his reputation, so he left the promotion again.


Independent circuit (2018)

Tyrus made his debut for
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestli ...
's
House of Hardcore House of Hardcore (HOH) was an American wrestling promotion founded by Professional wrestling, professional wrestler Tommy Dreamer. Its slogan is "No Politics, No BS, Just Wrestling." In its history, HOH has run events in twelve states and thre ...
at House of Hardcore 52 on December 8, teaming with Robert Strauss to unsuccessfully face
David Arquette David Arquette (; born September 8, 1971) is an American actor, producer, and retired professional wrestler. Arquette's breakout came with his starring role as Dewey Riley in the slasher film '' Scream'' (1996), a role which he later reprised i ...
and
RJ City RJ Skinner (born July 18, 1988), better known by his ring name RJ City, is a Canadian-American former professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a writer, occasional on-screen interviewer, host of AEW's YouTube ...
.


National Wrestling Alliance (2021–2023)

On March 11, 2021,
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
announced on their social media that Tyrus would make his NWA debut at Back For The Attack defeating Kratos. On the April 20 episode of
NWA Powerrr ''NWA Powerrr'' is a professional wrestling streaming television program produced by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that premiered on October 8, 2019. , the series streams on X. Beginning July 29, 2025, the program will move to The Roku C ...
, Tyrus defeated
Marshe Rockett Marshé Rockett (born January 5, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he performs under the ring name Carnage as a member of Blunt Force Trauma, and is a former ...
and Matt Cross to become number one contender for the
NWA World Television Championship The NWA World Television Championship is a Championship (professional wrestling)#Television championships, world television championship owned and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion National Wrestling Allianc ...
. The next week, Tyrus and
The Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...
fought to a 6-minute time limit draw for the NWA Television Championship. On June 6 at When Our Shadows Fall, Tyrus defeated The Pope in a non-title match. On the August 6 episode of ''Powerrr'', Tyrus defeated The Pope to win the NWA World Television Championship. Tyrus successfully defended his title in his first title defense against
BLK Jeez Darnell Kittrell (born April 25, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He performs for the National Wrestling Alliance under the ring name BLK Jeez (pronounced "Black Jeez"). Professional wrestling career Debut (2000–2003) After comple ...
. During his reign, Tyrus successfully defended the NWA World Television Championship against various contenders, such as
Jordan Clearwater Jordan Leonard (born February 15, 1997) is an American professional wrestler, and bodybuilder, known under his ring name, Jordan Clearwater. He is currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) where he is a former NWA World Televisi ...
, Cyon, Jaden Roller,
Rodney Mack Rodney Begnaud (born October 12, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, better known by the ring name Rodney Mack. He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he performs under the ring name Damage ...
, Mims and Odinson. Tyrus unsuccessfully challenged
Trevor Murdoch William Theodore Mueller (born September 10, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Trevor Murdoch. He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is one-half of the current NWA World Tag Team ...
for the
NWA World's Heavyweight Championship The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. Although formally established i ...
at NWA 74th Anniversary Show on August 28, 2022. On the September 24, 2022, episode of
NWA USA ''NWA USA'' is a professional wrestling streaming television program produced by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that premiered on January 8, 2022 on YouTube. A companion series to ''NWA Powerrr'', ''USA'' primarily revolves around the NW ...
, Tyrus vacated the NWA World Television Championship using the "Lucky 7" rule to challenge Murdoch and
Matt Cardona Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American Professional wrestling, 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), Al ...
for the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship at NWA Hard Times 3. At the event on November 12, Tyrus pinned Murdoch to win the title, marking his first world championship in his career. On February 11, 2023, at Nuff Said, Tyrus successfully defended his title in his first title defense against Matt Cardona, with the help from
Bully Ray Mark LoMonaco (born July 14, 1971), known by his ring name Bubba Ray Dudley (also spelled Buh-Buh Ray Dudley), is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for being one-half of the Dudley B ...
, whom he promised to give a title shot anytime he wanted afterwards. Tyrus, holding the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship belt, was featured in a commercial for Fox News Channel's talk show 'Gutfeld!' during
Super Bowl LVII Super Bowl LVII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Confere ...
. On April 7 at NWA 312, Tyrus successfully defended the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship against Chris Adonis. On June 3, during night one of the
Crockett Cup The Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament (also known simply as the Crockett Cup) is a professional wrestling event produced annually by the professional wrestling promotion, National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The event features a tag ...
, Tyrus teamed with Adonis under the name "The Midnight Riders" to compete in the namesake tournament, defeating The Warriors from the Wasteland ( Judais and Max the Impaler) in the second round, and The Immortals ( Kratos and Odinson) in the quarterfinal but lost to Knox and Murdoch in the semifinal. On the July 11 episode of ''Powerrr'', after EC3 successfully defended the
NWA National Heavyweight Championship The NWA National Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the U.S.-based, National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The championship was established in January 1980 as the top singles title of Georgia Cha ...
, he dropped the title in the ring, officially relinquishing it to challenge Tyrus for the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship at
NWA 75th Anniversary Show The NWA 75th Anniversary Show (also simply called NWA 75) was a two-day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). It was held on August 26 and 27, 2023, at the Chase's Khorassan Ballroom in St. ...
(NWA 75). Over two weeks later, Tyrus requested that the match be made a bullrope match given the history between him and EC3 stemming across
Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...
and
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, ...
. He also proposed the stipulation that he would retire should he lose the match. On August 27, at NWA 75, Tyrus lost the NWA World title Bullrope match to EC3, thus he was forced to retire. After the match, he said his good byes and thanked his family, the NWA and
Billy Corgan William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, singer, and only constant member of alter ...
; and the NWA locker room came out to embrace Tyrus.


Television commentary career

In November 2016,
Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
host
Greg Gutfeld Gregory John Gutfeld (born September 12, 1964) is an American television host, political commentator, comedian, and author. He is the host of the late-night comedy talk show ''Gutfeld!'', and hosted a Saturday night edition of ''Gutfeld!'' ca ...
invited Murdoch to appear as a guest commentator on ''
The Greg Gutfeld Show ''Gutfeld!'', known as ''The Greg Gutfeld Show'' from 2015 to 2021, is an American conservative news and political satire talk show on Fox News Channel, created and presented by Greg Gutfeld. It airs at 10:00 P.M. ET on weeknights. In the even ...
''; after Murdoch's first appearance, Gutfeld offered to have him back on the show – using his stage name "Tyrus" – twice a month. He then began making guest appearances on various programs on Fox News Channel, including '' The Five''. Gutfeld has jokingly referred to Tyrus as his "massive sidekick." Subsequently, he became a regular contributor on Fox News host
Dana Perino Dana Marie Perino (born May 9, 1972) is an American political commentator and author who was the 26th White House Press Secretary, under President George W. Bush from September 14, 2007, to January 20, 2009. She was the second female White House ...
's former daytime news show, ''The Daily Briefing''. Since April 2021, Tyrus has been a regular panelist on Gutfeld's relaunched 10 p.m. show, ''
Gutfeld! ''Gutfeld!'', known as ''The Greg Gutfeld Show'' from 2015 to 2021, is an American conservative news News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, prin ...
''. Though a supporter of President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, he did not vote in 2016 and it is unclear whether he did in the subsequent elections. From 2018 to 2019, he was a co-host of the show ''Un-PC'' on Fox News's streaming channel,
Fox Nation Fox Nation is an American subscription video on demand service. Announced on February 20, 2018, and launching on November 27 of that year, it is a companion to Fox News Channel carrying programming of interest to its audience, including origin ...
. In June 2019, he premiered a new Fox Nation show, ''Nuff Said''. In June 2023, Tyrus hosted the premiere episode of '' Fox News Saturday Night'', where he served as an interim host throughout the year. In 2024, Tyrus helmed a new series for the streaming platform OutKick entitled ''Maintaining with Tyrus'', debuting on February 1.


Sexual harassment allegation

In 2019, ''Un-PC'' co-host
Britt McHenry Brittany May "Britt" McHenry (born May 28, 1986) is a television personality. She is the host of a show on WTTG Fox 5 in Washington, D.C. McHenry was formerly an ESPN correspondent and a commentator on Fox Nation. Personal McHenry, the daugh ...
accused Murdoch of
sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
after he allegedly sent her a series of lewd text messages. According to Fox News, the matter was investigated and resolved. However, on December 10, 2019, McHenry filed a sexual harassment suit against Fox News and Murdoch. Subsequently, McHenry claimed that she lost the phone containing text messages she said were central to her claims. In July 2021, she voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit and left the Fox network, apparently as part of a legal settlement.


Filmography


Film


Television


Championships and accomplishments

*
National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...
**
NWA World's Heavyweight Championship The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. Although formally established i ...
( 1 time) **
NWA World Television Championship The NWA World Television Championship is a Championship (professional wrestling)#Television championships, world television championship owned and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion National Wrestling Allianc ...
( 1 time) * Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling ** PPW Heavyweight 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. 58 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 2023 *
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
** Bound for Gold (
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
) *
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, ...
**
Slammy Award The Slammy Awards, also known as the Slammys, is a concept used by WWE, where awards, similar to the Academy and Grammy Awards, are given to professional wrestlers and other individuals within WWE, such as commentators and managers. Introduced i ...
(1 time) *** Best Dancer of the Year (
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
)


Books

*''Just Tyrus: A Memoir'' (2022), Post Hill Press *''Nuff Said'' (2023), Post Hill Press


References


External links

* * * *
Brodus Clay WWE.Com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyrus 1973 births 20th-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers African-American professional wrestlers Antelope Valley College alumni Black conservatism in the United States Bodyguards Fox News people OutKick people Living people Nebraska–Kearney Lopers football players NWA World Heavyweight Champions NWA World Television Champions Professional wrestlers from Boston Professional wrestlers from California Sportspeople from Pasadena, California