Paul London
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Paul Michael London (born April 16, 1980) 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 currently signed to
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), where he performs as a wrestler and a producer. He is best known for his tenure in
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, ...
. After being trained at the Texas Wrestling Academy, London began competing 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 ...
where his high-risk offensive moves made him a fan favorite. He later competed for
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 ...
,
Pro Wrestling Zero-One , often referred to simply as Zero1 and sometimes referred to as Pro Wrestling Zero1 Catch as Catch Can (stylized as ZERO1 and PRO WRESTLING ZERO1 CATCH AS CATCH CAN, respectively), is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001 ...
, and various
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
promotions, winning numerous championships and won the
ECWA Super 8 Tournament The Super 8 Tournament is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by the East Coast Wrestling Association. The tournament is contested by eight wrestlers in a one-night single-elimination tournament, single-elimination format. History T ...
in 2003. London made his debut in WWE in late 2003. In 2004 he began teaming with fellow cruiserweight Billy Kidman and they eventually went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. After Kidman retired from active competition, London formed a
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
with
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE. He is also known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
. After their split, London began competing in the cruiserweight division and won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. In late 2006, Kendrick returned and the two reformed as a team. London and Kendrick were managed by Ashley Massaro. London and Kendrick won the
WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE ...
, becoming the longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions since the title's creation and the
World Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
. The team split when Kendrick was drafted to the SmackDown brand in June 2008 and London was released later that year. In 2009, he returned to the independent circuit, competing 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 ...
, where he was one half of the former
PWG World Tag Team Champions The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. The championship was created and d ...
with partner El Generico under the team name ¡Peligro Abejas!.


Early life

London was born in Austin, Texas, and has two older brothers, Daniel and Jonathan. In 1996, Daniel was killed by a drunk driver at the age of nineteen. Jonathan is a
music video director A music video director is the head, overseer or facilitator of music video production. The director conceives of videos' artistic and dramatic aspects while instructing the musical act, technical crew, actors, models, and dancers. They may or ...
. London attended Westlake High School in Texas. He helped create the school's first-ever wrestling team where he was the captain, first
varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. A person who ...
man and previously held the record for the fastest pinfall time of 7.4 seconds but was broken by 2x State Champion and Austin Westlake Great Justin Wood at 6.9 seconds.


Professional wrestling career


Early career (2000–2003)

After graduating from high school, London trained at several wrestling schools, including a trailer park in West Memphis, Arkansas and a school run by Ivan Putski in North Austin, Texas. He debuted in 2000. London made his first appearance at WCW Greed on March 18, 2001, as an audience member during the Diamond Dallas Page and Scott Steiner WCW World Heavyweight Championship match. He later enrolled in
Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels (born Michael Shawn Hickenbottom on July 22, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is the Senior Vice President of Talent Development, Creative, and oversees the creative aspects of th ...
' wrestling school, the Texas Wrestling Academy, where he was trained by Rudy Gonzales. Early in his career, London made brief appearances in Japanese promotion
Pro Wrestling Zero-One , often referred to simply as Zero1 and sometimes referred to as Pro Wrestling Zero1 Catch as Catch Can (stylized as ZERO1 and PRO WRESTLING ZERO1 CATCH AS CATCH CAN, respectively), is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001 ...
(Zero1) and
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). London competed in Zero1 for several months on a match-by-match basis, beginning in January 2003, before turning down a contract. London was contacted by TNA after ROH's one-year anniversary show, and told that they were interested in him doing some matches on a try-out basis. On February 12, 2003, he made his TNA debut in a Gauntlet match against
Jerry Lynn Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. Lynn has worked for professional wrestling promotion, promotions ...
, which he lost. London competed mainly in the company's
X Division The X Division is a professional wrestling division utilized by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion and used historically in several National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) member promotions. The division is intended to emphasize a fas ...
, even earning shots at the NWA TNA X Division Championship. His last appearance in TNA was on June 18, 2003, at the TNA Anniversary show. He wrestled X Division Champion
Chris Sabin Joshua Harter (born February 4, 1982), better known by the ring name Chris Sabin, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 f ...
for the title, only to lose due to interference from
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand. Regarded as ...
. London has said that he viewed his time in TNA as a "stepping stone", but knew that he did not want to be there long-term. London also made several appearances for
East Coast Wrestling Association East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 1967 by promoter Jim Kettner. It is home to the annual Super 8 Tournament, one of the longest-running independent wrestling tournaments in the co ...
and won the 7th Annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament.


Ring of Honor (2002–2003; 2013–2014)

He made his debut in
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) on March 30, 2002, in a match against Chris Marvel. He began a lengthy
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
with Michael Shane during a
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
match for ROH contracts on July 27, 2002. During the bout, both Shane and London made simultaneous pinfalls on their opponent's partners. The referee only counted for Shane, giving his team the victory, which led to London and Shane brawling. The two continued to feud over the next several months in matches such as Street Fights (where the crowd chanted "please don't die" due to London's high-risk offense), a Triple Threat match and a Gauntlet match. On December 7, 2002, London won a tournament to capture the ROH Number One Contender's Trophy, guaranteeing a match for the ROH Championship. He lost the match three weeks later to then-champion Xavier. On February 8, 2003, London competed in a Triple Threat match for the Number One Contender's Trophy, pinning A.J. Styles for the win. After the match, Xavier informed London that he would compete for the title immediately. London again lost to the champion. London's final match in ROH was for the title against
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 ...
on July 19, 2003, in which he lost. On May 4, 2013, London made his first appearance for ROH in a decade, facing Davey Richards in a losing effort at Border Wars 2013. London suffered a
stinger A stinger (or sting) is a sharp organ found in various animals (typically insects and other arthropods) capable of injecting venom, usually by piercing the epidermis of another animal. An insect sting is complicated by its introduction of ve ...
and concussion during the match and was as a result forced to pull out of the following day's tapings of '' Ring of Honor Wrestling''. London returned to ROH on August 3, losing to
Michael Elgin Aaron Michael Frobel (born December 13, 1986) is a Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Michael Elgin. He is known for his work with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a List of IWGP Intercontinent ...
in the first round of a tournament for the ROH World Championship. London returned once again at Glory By Honor XII to defeat Roderick Strong. London would make four additional appearances for ROH in 2014; London competed on the Supershow of Honor events in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.


World Wrestling Entertainment (2003–2008)


Debut/Cruiserweight Division (2003–2005)

London signed with
World Wrestling Entertainment 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, ...
(WWE) in mid–2003, working a few dark matches before being sent to the company's developmental territory,
Ohio Valley Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promotion and former developmental territory based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow, Matt Jones (radio host), Ma ...
, on August 30. London made his official WWE television debut on the
SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
, losing to
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler and professional American football player. As a ...
in a match for the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown bran ...
on October 9. After the match, Lesnar continued to attack London until fellow cruiserweight Spanky (Brian Kendrick) made the save. The two competed as a
tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
on ''
SmackDown! ''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
''s sister show ''
Velocity Velocity is a measurement of speed in a certain direction of motion. It is a fundamental concept in kinematics, the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of physical objects. Velocity is a vector (geometry), vector Physical q ...
'' until Spanky left the company in January 2004. London then began a tag team with Billy Kidman on the January 29 episode of ''SmackDown!''. On the July 8 episode of ''SmackDown!'', the duo won the
WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE ...
from the
Dudley Boyz The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley. The team was also joined by various Dudley family members, notably Spike Dudley and ...
. They defended the title against the Dudley Boyz and the
Basham Brothers The Basham Brothers were a professional wrestling tag team, composed of Doug Basham and Danny Basham. The team is best known for their tenures in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). History Ohio Valle ...
on several occasions before losing the championship to René Duprée and Kenzo Suzuki on the September 9 episode of ''SmackDown!'', due to Kidman leaving London to fight by himself. ( Billy Kidman accidentally injured Chavo Guerrero using the shooting star press during a tag team match involving Jamie Noble and Paul London. Kidman felt guilty about using the finishing maneuver until people accused him of being a quitter and before turning heel.) Kidman's
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 led to a feud between the two, which culminated at No Mercy on October 3 where Kidman defeated London with a shooting star press. After the match, London was bleeding from the mouth and being stretchered when Kidman pulled him back into the ring with the stretcher and delivered another shooting star press to London's injured ribs. This storyline was put in place after London had broken his nose wrestling
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 194 ...
and needed time off to recuperate. London returned on November 27, wrestling on ''Velocity'' until the end of the year. On the March 10, 2005 episode of ''SmackDown!'', London became the number one contender for Chavo Guerrero's WWE Cruiserweight Championship, which he later won in a cruiserweight
battle royal Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
on the March 31 episode of ''SmackDown!''. Guerrero challenged London for the title at
Judgment Day The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
on May 22, where London emerged victorious. During another title match with Guerrero on the June 23 episode of ''SmackDown!'', The Mexicools stormed the ring, attacking both London and Guerrero. On the July 14 episode of ''SmackDown!'', London teamed with Scotty 2 Hotty and Funaki to face The Mexicools. The ending of the match saw Juventud perform the
450° splash Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are performance techniques used in professional wrestling for simulated assault on opponents. The techniques involve jumping from the ring's posts and ropes, demonstrating the speed and agility o ...
on London for the win, but landed his knee onto London's face and legitimately broke his nose in the process. London lost the Cruiserweight Championship on the August 6 episode of ''Velocity'' to Nunzio. Later in the night, London cut a heel
promo PROMO (Promoting Missouri) is a Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territ ...
encouraging the fans to protest his title loss. London went on a losing streak before returning as a
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
and teaming with the newly rehired Brian Kendrick.


Teaming with Brian Kendrick (2005–2008)

On the December 16 episode of ''Velocity'', London and Kendrick remade their image, wearing
theatrical Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communic ...
mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...
s to the ring and matching
vest A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit) or vest ( US and Canada) is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. It ...
s and
shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ar ...
. On the April 7, 2006, episode of ''SmackDown!'', London and Kendrick defeated WWE Tag Team Champions MNM in a non-title match. They developed a winning streak over the champions, including singles victories for both Kendrick and London over Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury, respectively. London and Kendrick won the WWE Tag Team Championship at
Judgment Day The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
on May 21, marking consecutive victories for London and Kendrick over MNM. On the August 11 episode of ''SmackDown!'', K. C. James and Idol Stevens defeated the champions in a non-title match, igniting a feud between the two teams. During the rivalry, WWE Diva Ashley Massaro began accompanying London and Kendrick to the ring to act as a
valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, ''valet de chambre'' was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "va ...
and combat the actions of James and Stevens' manager Michelle McCool. They soon began a losing streak to the team of William Regal and Dave Taylor. Regal defeated both team members in singles matches and on the December 8 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Kendrick and London lost a tag team match to the pair. As a result, they were scheduled to defend the championship against Regal and Taylor at
Armageddon Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
on December 17; at Armageddon, the match was changed to a four-way ladder match also involving MNM and The Hardys. London and Kendrick won the match and retained the championship. On the January 12, 2007, episode of ''SmackDown!'' London and Kendrick successfully retained their championship against Regal and Taylor in a traditional tag team match. On the February 2 episode of ''SmackDown!'', London and Kendrick suffered a non-title loss to the
rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience, a rookie is typically considered needing more tra ...
team Deuce 'n Domino. A further tag team match loss and a singles loss for Kendrick to Deuce led to a championship match at No Way Out on February 18, in which London and Kendrick were victorious. They retained the championship against MNM on the March 23 episode of ''SmackDown!'', and then retained the championship against Deuce 'n Domino again on the April 13 episode of ''SmackDown!'', after Deuce 'n Domino were disqualified. In a rematch the following week on the April 20 episode of ''SmackDown!'', London and Kendrick lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Deuce 'n Domino. During the match London missed a
moonsault A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a Professional wrestling aerial techniques, professional wrestling aerial technique. It was innovated by Mando Guerrero. Much of its popularity in both Puroresu, Japanese and professional wrestl ...
from the ring apron to the floor (
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
) injuring his ribs, leaving Kendrick to battle Deuce 'n Domino alone. London and Kendrick's reign was the longest in the championship's history at 331 days until it was surpassed by The New Day in 2016.
Selling Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...
his storyline injured ribs, London was absent from physical action until the May 11 episode of ''SmackDown!'', when he defeated Domino in singles competition. London and Kendrick unsuccessfully competed for the titles on the June 1 episode of ''SmackDown!'' in a triple threat tag team match, which also involved Regal and Taylor, and lost a rematch on the June 15 episode of ''SmackDown!'' in a standard tag team match. Both London and Kendrick were drafted to the Raw
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
on June 17, during the Supplemental Draft. They won their debut match on ''Raw'' against The World's Greatest Tag Team on June 18. Throughout July and August, they wrestled against The World's Greatest Tag Team and Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch on ''Raw'', and on September 3, they won a number one contender's match for Cade and Murdoch's
World Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
. At a
house show A house show (also commonly called a live event) is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in o ...
in South Africa on September 5, London and Kendrick defeated Cade and Murdoch to win the World Tag Team Championship, only to lose it back in a rematch three days later. At the end of 2007, he was inactive due to a foot injury. London returned on the February 4, 2008, episode of ''Raw'', when he and Kendrick lost to the team of Carlito and Santino Marella. On the March 17 episode of ''Raw'', London and Kendrick faced Umaga in a handicap match. During the match, Kendrick walked out and left London to get pinned; no dissension came of the incident, and London and Kendrick continued to team together. They unsuccessfully challenged
Hardcore Holly Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Hardcore Holly. After debuting in 1987, Holly worked for ...
and
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 ...
for the World Tag Team Championship on May 26. The team came to an end when Kendrick was drafted back to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft in June. The following month, London was briefly involved in a storyline between Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho and Lance Cade, when Jericho and Cade used London as an example of what happened to those who idolized Michaels. London lost singles matches to both Jericho and Cade on ''Raw'', before disappearing from television. London was released from his WWE contract on November 7, 2008.


Independent circuit (2009–2018)

London made his debut in Big Time Wrestling on February 28, 2009, defeating the BTW Champion Jason Styles by disqualification. At the event, he also debuted a new gimmick, described as "a nerdy blend of 1970s band
Devo Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 ...
and a nerdy Air Force cadet with flight jacket and goofy, oversized sunglasses". On November 13, 2009, London defeated Jason Blade to win the Northeast Wrestling Championship. On July 10, 2010, London defeated Joey Silvia in a two out of three falls match to become the new Pro Wrestling Xperience Heavyweight Champion. On March 26, 2010, London made his debut for
Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) is an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, served as the promotion's Vice Presi ...
in a tag team match, where he and Jimmy Jacobs were defeated by Brian Kendrick and
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 ...
. After the match, Kendrick turned on Moxley and re-formed his team with London, which led to a Loser Leaves Company tag team match between London and Kendrick and Jacobs and Jack Evans at the following day's tapings of the ''Mercury Rising'' pay-per-view. In the end Jacobs forced Kendrick to tap out and as a result he was forced to leave Dragon Gate USA for good. After the match London was assaulted by
Teddy Hart Edward Ellsworth Annis (born February 2, 1980) is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He currently wrestles on the independent circuit. He is one-half of the RCW (Real Canadian Wrestling) Tag Tea ...
. In December 2010, London began working for
Lucha Libre USA Lucha Libre USA (LLUSA) was an American ''Lucha Libre'' promotion owned by Steven Ship. The promotion was most notable for producing the ''Lucha Libre USA: Masked Warriors'' television program, which initially aired on the MTV2 broadcast channel ...
as the masked Sydistiko, taking over the role previously held by T. J. Perkins. He teamed up with Rellik to defeat Dinastia ( El Oriental and Tinieblas Jr.) on December 12, 2010. The pair participated in three way match to decide the new LLUSA Tag Team Championship but this time El Oriental and Tinieblas Jr. would get the better of the pair. As Sydistiko, he would go on to lose all his matches including LLUSA Championship number one contendership lucha roulette elimination. On July 30, 2011, London competed at Vanguard Championship Wrestling (VCW)'s ''Liberty Lottery 2011'' event. He faced John Kermon, the VCW Liberty Champion, and defeated him to become the Liberty Champion. On February 16, 2013, London defeated Brian Kendrick at Family Wrestling Entertainment's No Limit, winning a title match against the Tri-Borough Champion Damian Darling. The same night, London defeated Darling, winning the title. On June 21, 2013, London defeated Akio to retain the title. The next day, London and Kendrick were defeated by The Young Bucks at House of Hardcore 2. London spent the majority of 2014 wrestling abroad, including in Australia, Europe, and South America. In Scotland's Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW), London and Brian Kendrick won the ICW Tag Team Championship in October 2014. After a 28 day reign, they lost the championship to Polo Promotions (Mark Coffey and Jackie Polo) on November 2. Following this title loss, London would then unsuccessfully challenge Kenny Williams for the ICW Zero-G Championship. On November 19, 2016, London wrestled for Target Wrestling, where he answered Shady Nattrass' High Octane Division Championship open challenge. London defeated Nattrass in the match and subsequently won the title. On April 20, 2017, London vacated the title due to a knee injury sustained while wrestling in San Diego. On July 29, 2017, it was announced that he would return to Target on August 18 to face Turbo Josh Terry for the High Octane Division Championship he vacated in April.


Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2009–2010; 2013)

London made his return to the independent circuit by making his
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) debut on February 21, 2009, at ''Express Written Consent''. He wrestled in a six man tag team main event where he and
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 ...
(Nick and Matt Jackson) defeated The Dynasty ( Joey Ryan, Scott Lost and
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 ...
). He later formed an alliance with
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 ...
and Roderick Strong, known as the "Hybrid Dolphins". On January 30, 2010, London re-formed his partnership with Brian Kendrick in PWG and together the two of them defeated the
PWG World Tag Team Champions The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. The championship was created and d ...
Generation Me in a non-title match. On April 10, 2010, London defeated PWG mainstay El Generico in a singles match. On May 9, the two men teamed up to form a duo introduced as ¡Peligro Abejas! (literally translated as The Danger Bees) in the fourth annual '' DDT4'' eight-team tag tournament. After defeating "The Professional" Scott Lost and Chuck Taylor in the first round and Jay and Mark Briscoe in the semifinals, London and Generico defeated the Young Bucks in the finals of the tournament to win both DDT4 and the PWG World Tag Team Championship. Later in the year on December 11, 2010, ¡Peligro Abejas! successfully defended the PWG World Tag Team Championship against the
ROH World Tag Team Champions The ROH World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. The championship was created and debuted on September 21, 2 ...
The Kings of Wrestling ( Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli). On April 9, 2011, London was forced to miss a PWG event, during which El Generico and London's replacement,
Ricochet A ricochet ( ; ) is a rebound, bounce, or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Most ricochets are caused by accident and while the force of the deflection decelerates the projectile, it can still be energetic and almost ...
, lost the PWG World Tag Team Championship back to The Young Bucks. After a two-year absence from PWG, London returned to the promotion on March 22, 2013, defeating Kevin Steen during the first night of the ''All Star Weekend 9''. During the second night, he defeated Trent? in another singles match. At PWG's tenth anniversary show ''TEN'' he teamed with long-time partner
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE. He is also known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
in a loss to Chuck Taylor and Johnny Gargano.


Lucha Underground (2016–2019)

On November 23, 2016, London debuted in
Lucha Underground Lucha Underground was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by United Artists, United Artists Media Group. ''Lucha Underground'' also refers to its weekly television program, which featured List of former Lucha Underground p ...
, appearing on the program's third season. He is the leader of the Trios Team known as "The Rabbit Tribe", together with Mala Suerte and Saltador. Their gimmick is a psychedelic drug take on the 1865
novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...
by
Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet, mathematician, photographer and reluctant Anglicanism, Anglican deacon. His most notable works are ''Alice ...
. During the third season, the Rabbit Tribe considered Mascarita Sagrada as their God "The White Rabbit". On Episode 20 of Season 3, the Rabbit Tribe defeated Worldwide Underground to win three of the Aztec Medallions.


Impact Wrestling (2019)

In 2019, London returned to TNA, now known as
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 ...
. It was reported in September that he worked backstage as a producer on Impact television tapings in February.


Return to wrestling (2022–present)

London made his return to wrestling on September 24, 2022. On August 19, 2023, London appeared at Imperial Pro Wrestling in Bristol, Tennessee. He wrestled up and comer Axton Ray in a losing effort. On December 14, 2023, London appeared at Timebomb Pro in Fargo, North Dakota, wrestling for the Timebomb Pro Sanctuary title in a losing effort to Connor Hopkins. London made his entrance singing the theme to James Bond movie ''Thunderball''.


Filmography


Other media

London appeared in ASAP Ferg's "Jet Lag" music video released on December 10, 2019.


Personal life

London is half- Mexican on his mother's side. He is also
bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...
, speaking both English and Spanish.


Championships and accomplishments

*All Action Wrestling Perth **AAW Championship (1 time) **ACW Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Jack Jameson (1), Darin Childs (1) *Anarchy Championship Wrestling **ACW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Darin Childs *Arizona Wrestling Federation **AWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *
East Coast Wrestling Association East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 1967 by promoter Jim Kettner. It is home to the annual Super 8 Tournament, one of the longest-running independent wrestling tournaments in the co ...
**
ECWA Super 8 Tournament The Super 8 Tournament is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by the East Coast Wrestling Association. The tournament is contested by eight wrestlers in a one-night single-elimination tournament, single-elimination format. History T ...
(
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
) *Extreme Texas Wrestling **ETW Television Championship (1 time) * Family Wrestling Entertainment ** FWE Tri-Borough Championship ( 1 time, final) * Funking Conservatory **FC United States Championship (1 time) **FC Television Championship (1 time) **FC Hardcore Championship (1 time) **FC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Adam Windsor * Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame ** Class of 2023 * Insane Championship Wrestling ** ICW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE. He is also known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
*Insane Wrestling League **IWL World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *
Northeast Wrestling Northeast Wrestling (NEW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in the Northeastern United States and has promoted events since 1996. It is currently owned and operated by promoter Mike Lombardi and is one of the top indepen ...
** NEW Championship (1 time) *NWA Wrestling Revolution **NWA Grand Warrior Championship (1 time) * NWA Southwest **NWA Texas Television Championship (1 time) *Primos Pro Wrestling **Primos 303 Championship (1 time) *Professional Championship Wrestling **PCW Television Championship (1 time) *Pro Wrestling Allstars **PWA European Allstar Championship (1 time) *Pro Wrestling Bushido **PWB Television Championship (1 time) *
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 World Tag Team Championship The PWG World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship contested for in the tag team division of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion. It was created and debuted on January 25, 2004, at PWG's Tango & C ...
( 1 time) – with El Generico **
Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament The Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament (''DDT4'') was an annual professional wrestling tag team tournament produced by Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) between 2007 and 2015. The inaugural tournament was contested for the vacant PWG World ...
(
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
) – with El Generico *''
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 ...
'' ** Tag Team of the Year (2007) with
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE. He is also known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
**Ranked No. 36 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of 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 2005 *Pro Wrestling Xperience **PWX Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current) *
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 ...
**Number 1 Contender's Trophy Tournament (2002) *Target Wrestling **High Octane Division Championship (1 time) *Vanguard Championship Wrestling **VCW United States Liberty Championship (1 time) *Wrecking Ball Wrestling **Wrecking Ball Wrestling- 2013 Tag Team of the year (1 time) – with Paige Turner **2013 Match of the year with Paige Turner vs James Johnson and Angel Blue **2013 Superstar of the year *
World Wrestling Entertainment 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, ...
**
World Tag Team Championship In professional wrestling, a championship or title is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations. Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
( 1 time) – with
Brian Kendrick Brian David Kendrick (born May 29, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE. He is also known for his time in Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...
**
WWE Tag Team Championship The WWE Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling world tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE ...
( 2 times) – with Billy Kidman (1) and Brian Kendrick (1) ** WWE Cruiserweight Championship ( 1 time) *''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
'' ** Most Underrated (2004) *Xtreme Italian Wrestling **XIW Italian Championship (1 time)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:London, Paul 1980 births 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers American professional wrestlers of Mexican descent Living people Professional wrestlers from Texas Professional wrestling podcasters Sportspeople from Austin, Texas Westlake High School (Texas) alumni PWG World Tag Team Champions WCW/WWE Cruiserweight Champions World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010) World Tag Team Champions (WWE) ICW Tag Team Champions