Paul Soren Gruber (born October 26, 1996) is an American
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), where he performs 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 ...
Wheeler Yuta and is a member of the
Death Riders
The Death Riders are a villainous professional wrestling stable that performs in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Ring of Honor (ROH). The stable consists of the leader Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, ...
, formerly known as the
Blackpool Combat Club
The Death Riders are a Heel (professional wrestling), villainous professional wrestling stable that performs in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Ring of Honor (ROH). The stable consists of the leader Jon Moxley, Cla ...
. He is a former
AEW World Trios Champion
The AEW World Trios Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It is a specialized tag team championship, being contested by teams of three ...
. He also makes appearances for AEW's sister promotion
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH), where he is a former three-time
ROH Pure Champion, and
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 ...
(NJPW), where he was a member of the
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Science, technology, and astronomy
* '' Chaos: Making a New Science'', a 1987 book by James Gleick
* Chaos (company), a Bulgarian rendering and simulation software company
* ''Chaos'' (genus), a genus of amoebae
* ...
stable.
Early life
Paul Soren Gruber
was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, on October 26, 1996, the son of a Japanese mother and an American father from Philadelphia.
His parents met while his father was on tour as a
master chief petty officer
A master chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards, usually above some grade of petty officer.
United States
Master chief petty officer (MCPO) is the ninth (just below the rank of MCPON) enliste ...
in the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
.
He moved with his parents to
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, where he graduated from
Carolina Forest High School
Carolina Forest High School is located in Horry County, South Carolina, United States, in the Carolina Forest attendance area. The school is one of nine high schools within Horry County Schools. The school serves parts of Myrtle Beach and easter ...
.
The family then settled in Philadelphia, where he earned a degree from
Villanova University
Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...
.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (2014–2020)
Yuta debuted in 2014.
He made his
Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by John Zandig. Commonly associated with the 2000s hardcore wrestling genre, early CZW shows showcased a brand of wrestling dubbed by the p ...
(CZW) debut in late 2015 and consistently appeared for CZW until late 2016. On October 5, 2017, at
One Shot, he made his debut for
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 ...
(MLW) in a losing effort to
MJF. His last match for the promotion would be in 2019 against
Low-Ki
Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Low Ki. He is known for his time with TNA Wrestling, Ring of Honor and Major League Wrestling as Low Ki and Senshi and with WWE as K ...
.
All Elite Wrestling / Ring of Honor (2020–present)
Beginnings; Best Friends (2020–2022)
On September 11, 2020 episode of ''
Ring of Honor Wrestling
''Ring of Honor Wrestling'' (also known as ''ROH Honor Club TV'', and often shortened as ''ROH Wrestling TV'', ''ROH TV'', ''ROH TV on HonorClub'', or ''ROH on HonorClub'') is an American professional wrestling television series produced by Rin ...
'', Yuta made his debut for
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
(ROH) in the first round of the
ROH Pure Tournament
The ROH Pure Tournament was a single-elimination professional wrestling tournament produced by Ring of Honor Wrestling. The tournament, originally scheduled to start on April 12, commenced on September 12, 2020 and ended on October 31, 2020. It fe ...
, where he was defeated by
Jonathan Gresham
Jonathan Gresham (born March 20, 1988) is an American professional wrestler. He performs on the independent circuit. He has previously wrestled for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former ROH World Champion, ROH Pure ...
. At
Final Battle
Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002.
It is held in December, and is the promotion's last show of the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ...
, Yuta teamed with
Fred Yehi
Fred Yehi is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in Full Impact Pro, Major League Wrestling, Evolve, Combat Zone Wrestling, Revolution Pro Wrestling and Ring Of Honor.
Professional wrestling career
Evolve an ...
against The Foundation (
Rhett Titus
Everett Lawrence Titus (born September 15, 1987) is an American professional wrestler working for Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former ROH World Television Champion, an overall two-time ROH Tag Team Champion individually, as well as winning ...
and
Tracy Williams
Tracy Williams (born December 18, 1988) is an American professional wrestler. Best known under his nickname "Hot Sauce", he currently performs for Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former ROH World Tag Team Champion and former ROH World Telev ...
) in the first-ever Pure Rules tag team match. Yuta and Yehi lost the match.
On the June 29, 2021 episode of ''
Dark: Elevation'', Yuta made his debut for
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) against
Karl Anderson
Chad Allegra (born January 20, 1980) known by the ring name Karl Anderson , is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is primarily performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is also known for his time in WWE.
Ander ...
, and would consistently appear on AEW's YouTube shows throughout the coming months. He also joined the
Best Friends stable, filling in for the injured
Trent Beretta
Gregory Marasciulo (born March 30, 1987), better known by the ring name Trent Beretta, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Don Callis Family and one-half of Roppongi Vice wi ...
in trios matches. On the November 10 episode of ''Dynamite'',
Rocky Romero
John Raymond Rivera (born October 28, 1982), better known by his ring name Rocky Romero (ロッキー・ロメロ, ''Rokkī Romero''), is a Cuban-American professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Elite Wrest ...
announced that Best Friends would become a sub-group within the NJPW stable
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Science, technology, and astronomy
* '' Chaos: Making a New Science'', a 1987 book by James Gleick
* Chaos (company), a Bulgarian rendering and simulation software company
* ''Chaos'' (genus), a genus of amoebae
* ...
and would represent Chaos in AEW.
Blackpool Combat Club (2022–2024)
After losing to
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs on a part time basis. He is also known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under t ...
on the March 30, 2022 episode of ''Dynamite'', Yuta walked away from his Best Friends teammates and teased a potential alliance with Danielson's
Blackpool Combat Club
The Death Riders are a Heel (professional wrestling), villainous professional wrestling stable that performs in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Ring of Honor (ROH). The stable consists of the leader Jon Moxley, Cla ...
faction. After AEW owner
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 ...
's purchase of ROH, it was announced that Yuta would return to the promotion at the revived
Supercard of Honor XV
Supercard of Honor XV was a professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by American promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). It took place on April 1, 2022, at the Curtis Culwell Center in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas. It was the fifteenth event in ...
to challenge
Josh Woods for the
ROH Pure Championship
The ROH Pure Championship is a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). The reigning champion is Lee Moriarty in his first reign.
History
The title was originally ...
. At the event, Yuta defeated Woods to win the title. On the April 8 episode of ''Rampage'', Yuta was defeated by Blackpool Combat Club member
Jon Moxley
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley and is the current AEW World Championship, AEW World Champion in his ...
in a hard-fought match that saw him earn the group's respect. After the match, he was accepted into the group by its creator and then-manager
William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he serves as the vice-president of Global Talent Development. He is also known for ...
. On the May 24, 2022 episode of ''
Dark
Darkness is the condition resulting from a lack of illumination, or an absence of visible light.
Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low luminance because the hue-sensitive photoreceptor cells on the retina are ...
'', which aired almost two months after their bout at Supercard of Honor XV, Yuta would successfully defend the ROH Pure Championship against Woods in a rematch. Yuta once again defended the title on the June 29 episode of ''Dark'', defeating
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 ...
. After the match, Yuta was attacked by
2point0
Angelo Parker and Matt Menard, also formerly known as 2.0 (stylized as 2point0) and 3.0, and later Ever-Rise in WWE, are a Canadian professional wrestling tag team signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), both as wrestlers and, in Menard's case, an o ...
and
Daniel Garcia. This led to a match between Garcia and Yuta for the title at
Death Before Dishonor, in which Yuta successfully retained the championship. Yuta lost the title on the September 7 episode of ''
AEW Dynamite
''AEW Dynamite'', also known as ''Wednesday Night Dynamite'' or simply ''Dynamite'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American Professional wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It air ...
'' to Garcia, ending his reign at 159 days. On December 10, Yuta regained the ROH Pure Championship from Garcia at
Final Battle
Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002.
It is held in December, and is the promotion's last show of the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ...
, in turn becoming the first person to hold the title on multiple occasions.
On January 18, 2023 Yuta made his first title defense against
Hagane Shinno
(born December 12, 1983) is a Japanese professional wrestler better known by the ring name . He is mostly known for his work in Kaientai Dojo and currently works for Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) under the name .he also makes Sporadic Appearanc ...
at
The Jay Briscoe Celebration of Life. Following the start of ROH programming on
Honor Club
Honor Club is an OTT streaming service owned by professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). Development of a VOD service was announced on November 9, 2017 by ROH COO Joe Koff. Honor Club was formally announced on February 2, 2018 and ...
, Yuta successfully defended the title against
Timothy Thatcher
Timothy Andrew Moura (born March 17, 1983), better known by the ring name Timothy Thatcher, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as a trainer for the WWE ID program and as in-ring performer on the Evolve brand; he is best ...
. After the match, Yuta called out the NJPW LA Dojo, causing dojo graduate
Clark Connors
Connor Deutsch (born October 6, 1993), better known by his ring name Clark Connors, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable and ...
to confront Yuta seeking a title shot, which Yuta granted. The following week, Yuta defeated Connors to retain the Pure title. Post-match Yuta called out LA Dojo trainer,
Katsuyori Shibata
}
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer, and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Opps and is one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions with Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs. ...
. On the March 8, episode of ''Dynamite'', after his Blackpool Combat Club teammates Moxley and
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Death Riders and a former AEW World Trios Championship, AEW World Trios Champion. He also per ...
defeated
The Dark Order
The Dark Order is a professional wrestling stable signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The stable consists of Evil Uno, John Silver (wrestler), John Silver, Alex Reynolds, and Brodie Lee Jr., Brodie Lee Jr. The stable previously utilized masked h ...
members
John Silver and
Alex Reynolds
Alex Reynolds and John Silver, formerly known as the Beaver Boys, are an American professional wrestling tag team. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as members of The Dark Order. They are also known for their appearances in Combat Zone ...
, Yuta joined them in beating down
"Hangman" Adam Page
Stephen Blake Woltz (born July 27, 1991), better known by his ring name "Hangman" Adam Page, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he is a former AEW World Champion and AEW ...
, turning heel for the first time in his AEW career. On March 30, after successfully retaining the title against
Leon Ruff
Dartanyon Ruffin is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE where he performed under the ring name Leon Ruff, and was a one-time NXT North American Champion.
Professional wrestling career
Evolve (2018–2020) ...
in, Yuta was confronted by Shibata, setting up their title match the following day at
Supercard of Honor
Supercard of Honor was the first Supercard of Honor professional wrestling event produced by Ring of Honor (ROH), which took place on March 31, 2006 at Frontier Fieldhouse in Chicago Ridge, Illinois. As with other Supercard of Honor events, it to ...
. At the event, Yuta lost the Pure Championship to Shibata, ending his second reign at 111 days. At
Double or Nothing
Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either cancellation of a debt ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It can be seen as a gentleman's ag ...
, the Blackpool Combat Club 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 ...
, Page,
Matt Jackson, and
Nick Jackson
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...
) in an
Anarchy in the Arena match after Yuta pinned its leader Omega. At the
Forbidden Door Forbidden Door or ''The Forbidden Door'' may refer to:
* ''The Forbidden Door'', professional wrestling term referring to working agreement between promotions
* AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, professional wrestling joint events:
** Forbidden Door ( ...
event on June 25, Yuta, Moxley and Castagnoli teamed with
Konosuke Takeshita
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to American Wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Don Callis Family and one-half of the tag team Protoshita with Kyle Fletcher. He is a former AEW ...
and
Shota Umino
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Early life
Umino was born on April 13, 1997, in the special ward of Setagaya in Tokyo, Japan. He is the son of NJPW referee Hiroyuki Umino (also known under h ...
to take on Page, The Young Bucks,
Eddie Kingston
Edward Moore (born December 12, 1981), better known by the ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is out of in-ring action because of a leg injury, but continues to mak ...
and
Tomohiro Ishii
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is currently a double champion: being the Strong Openweight Champion in his first reign, and one-half of the current IWGP Tag Team Champions with Ta ...
in a ten-man tag team match, but were defeated. On July 19 at
Blood and Guts, the Blackpool Combat Club, Takeshita, and
Pac
Pac or PAC may refer to:
Aviation
* IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama
* Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft:
** PAC 750XL
** PAC Cresco
** PAC CT/4
** PA ...
were defeated by The Elite in a
Blood and Guts match. On August 27 at
All In, the Blackpool Combat Club along with
Mike Santana and Ortiz were defeated by Best Friends, Eddie Kingston, and
Penta El Zero Miedo
Penta may refer to:
Places
* , an Italian hamlet (') of Fisciano, Salerno
* Penta-di-Casinca, a French municipality of Corsica
* Penta, Chhattisgarh, a town in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India
* , a small river in Lithuania
Other
* Pen ...
in a
Stadium Stampede match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
. On the November 25 episode of ''
AEW Rampage
''AEW Rampage'', also known as ''Friday Night Rampage'' or simply ''Rampage'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW), running from August 13, 2021, to Dece ...
'', Yuta defeated Katsuyori Shibata to win the ROH Pure Championship for a record-setting third time.
Yuta retained the title against
Tom Lawlor
Thomas Joseph Lawlor (born May 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and podcast host. He is signed to both New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was the inaugural and longest reigning NJPW Strong Openw ...
at
Final Battle
Final Battle is a professional wrestling event, held annually by the Ring of Honor promotion. The event was initially held in 2002.
It is held in December, and is the promotion's last show of the calendar year. The 2009 edition of the show was ...
.
Between February 2024 and June 2024, Yuta was sidelined by an injury. Yuta returned to action in AEW on the June 5 edition of ''Dynamite,'' teaming with his BCC teammates to defeat
Esfinge
Esfinge (born June 14, 1993, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico) is the ring name of a Mexican ''Luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler, working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), where he is the current Mexican National Li ...
,
Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
,
Rugido
Rugido (Spanish for roar; born February 26, 1991) is a Mexican ''luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler. He is currently working with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), where he is the one-half of current Mexican National Tag ...
, and
Volador Jr.
Ramón Ibarra Rivera (born January 26, 1981), better known by his ring name Volador Jr., is a Mexican ''luchador'' (or professional wrestler), who works for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). He portrays a '' técnico'' ("good guy") wrestli ...
. Yuta lost the Pure Championship to
Lee Moriarty
Julian Lee Moriarty (born June 6, 1994) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Lee Moriarty and is a member of Shane Taylor Promotions. He also performs for its siste ...
at
Death Before Dishonor, ending his third reign at 244 days.
Death Riders (2024–present)
On August 25 at
All In, Yuta and Castagnoli teamed with Pac in the
Four-way London Ladder match for 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 ...
, which they won. The trio later appeared in show after the main event to celebrate Bryan Danielson winning the
AEW World Championship
The AEW World Championship is a men's professional wrestling World championship (professional wrestling), world championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion, promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Unveiled on ...
.
On September 7 at
All Out, Yuta and Castagnoli unsuccessfully challenged The Young Bucks for the
AEW World Tag Team Championships. Later in show, Castagnoli and Moxley turned on Danielson after his successful title defense. Yuta did not participate in the turn as he was held back by Pac.
Over the following weeks, Yuta was left conflicted over which side to choose before making his choice on October 12 at
WrestleDream
AEW WrestleDream is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Established in 2023, it is held annually in October as a memorial show to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) founder ...
, where he joined the BCC in attacking Danielson after Moxley defeated Danielson for his title.
In November 2024, the BCC was renamed to Death Riders with Pac and
Marina Shafir
Marina Shafir (; born 14 April 1988) is a Moldovan professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. As a wrestler, she is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a member of Death Riders, a villainous stable formerly known as Bla ...
joining the group.
During his time in the Death Riders, Yuta and the other members would constantly interfere in Moxley's title defenses to help him win. On April 6 at
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others.
H ...
, Yuta, Castagnoli, and Pac successfully defended their titles against
Rated FTR
FTR (often stylized as #FTR) is an American professional wrestling tag team of Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood with Stokely as their manager. They are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and are former two-time AEW World Tag Team Champions. Befor ...
. On April 16 at
''Dynamite'': Spring BreakThru, Yuta and Castagnoli with Moxley filling in for an injured Pac lost the trios titles to
Powerhouse Hobbs
William Hobson (born January 23, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Powerhouse Hobbs and is a member of The Opps. He is one-third of the current AEW World ...
and The Opps (
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
and
Katsuyori Shibata
}
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer, and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Opps and is one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions with Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs. ...
), ending their reign at 234 days. On May 25 at
Double or Nothing
Double or nothing (UK often double or quits) is a gamble to decide whether a loss or debt should be doubled. The result of a "double or nothing" bet is either cancellation of a debt ''or'' the doubling of a debt. It can be seen as a gentleman's ag ...
, the Death Riders teamed with
The Young Bucks
The Young Bucks are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Matthew Massie and Nicholas Massie, who perform under the ring names Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson. , they are signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), whe ...
, losing to
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 ...
,
Swerve Strickland
Stephon Strickland (born September 30, 1990) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Swerve Strickland. He also appears on the independent circuit.
Strickl ...
,
Willow Nightingale
Danielle Paultre (born January 25, 1994), better known by the ring name Willow Nightingale, is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a current member of The Conglomeration and a former AEW T ...
, and
The Opps
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW World ...
(
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...
,
Powerhouse Hobbs
William Hobson (born January 23, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Powerhouse Hobbs and is a member of The Opps. He is one-third of the current AEW World ...
, and
Katsuyori Shibata
}
is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer, and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Opps and is one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions with Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs. ...
) in an
Anarchy in the Arena match.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2021–present)
In April 2021, Yuta made his debut 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 ...
(NJPW) with the promotion's American subsidiary, appearing on ''
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 ...
''. On May 1, 2022, Yuta was announced to be competing in the 29th
Best of the Super Juniors
The Best of the Super Juniors (stylized as the BEST OF THE SUPER Jr. and often abbreviated BOSJ) is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), typically in May or June. Originally known as Top of the Supe ...
tournament as part of the B Block. Yuta finished with a record of five wins and four losses, resulting in 10 points, failing to advance to the finals. On the tournament finals day, Yuta,
Ace Austin
Austin James Highley (born February 28, 1997), better known by the ring name Ace Austin, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time TNA X Division C ...
,
Alex Zayne
Alex Zayne Brandenburg (born October 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler primarily working on the independent circuit under the ring name Alex Zayne. He is best known for his tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He has also ap ...
and
El Lindaman
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently working for Gleat, where he was the inaugural G-Rex Champion. He also makes appearances for American Promotions All Elite Wrestling, DEFY Wrestling and Japanes ...
defeated
Robbie Eagles
James McMath (born 13 February 1990), better known by his ring name Robbie Eagles (ロビー・イーグルス ''Robī Īgurusu''), is an Australian Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) ...
,
Yoh,
Clark Connors
Connor Deutsch (born October 6, 1993), better known by his ring name Clark Connors, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable and ...
and
Titán in a tag-team match.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2022–present)
In January 2022, Yuta made his debut for
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles, California. As of 2024, it is on an extended hiatus. It was created by pro wrestlers Disco Machine, Excalibur, Scott Lost, Joey Ryan, Super ...
(PWG) at the
Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles, also known as the Great Los Angeles Air Raid, is the name given by contemporary sources to a rumored attack on the continental United States by Imperial Japan and the subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage which ...
. He defeated
Blake Christian
Christian Hubble (born July 22, 1997), better known by his ring name Blake Christian, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He also makes appearances for its sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) and on ...
in the first round, but would lose the second round match to
Mike Bailey.
Personal life
In his spare time, Gruber enjoys playing
steel drums
The steelpan (also known as a pan or steel drum) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago from Afro-Trinidadians. Steelpan musicians are called pannists.
In 1992, the steelpan was declared Trinidad and Tobago’s national in ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
Yuta as ">thumb
The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front), the thumb is the outermost digit. The Medical Latin English noun for thumb ...
*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 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 ...
( 1 time) – with
Pac
Pac or PAC may refer to:
Aviation
* IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama
* Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft:
** PAC 750XL
** PAC Cresco
** PAC CT/4
** PA ...
and,
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli ( ; born 27 December 1980) is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Death Riders and a former AEW World Trios Championship, AEW World Trios Champion. He also per ...
*
Chikara
**
Chikara Young Lions Cup
The Young Lions Cup was a professional wrestling championship (professional wrestling), championship contested for in the United States, American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion Chikara (professional wrestling), ...
(1 time)
*
Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by John Zandig. Commonly associated with the 2000s hardcore wrestling genre, early CZW shows showcased a brand of wrestling dubbed by the p ...
**Dramatic Destination Series (2016)
**Trifecta (2018)
*Dojo Pro Wrestling
**Dojo Pro White Belt Championship (1 time)
*''
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
''
**Ranked No. 20 of the 30 best Pro Wrestlers Under 30 in 2023
*
NOVA Pro Wrestling
**Men's Commonwealth Cup (2018)
*''
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. 43 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 2022
*Powerbomb.tv
**IWTV Independent Wrestling World Championship (1 time)
*
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...
**
ROH Pure Championship
The ROH Pure Championship is a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). The reigning champion is Lee Moriarty in his first reign.
History
The title was originally ...
(
3 times)
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuta, Wheeler
1996 births
Living people
Professional wrestlers from Philadelphia
American male professional wrestlers
American sportspeople of Japanese descent
All Elite Wrestling personnel
AEW World Trios Champions
21st-century male professional wrestlers
21st-century American professional wrestlers
Villanova University alumni
ROH Pure Champions