Samuel Robert Shaw (born January 17, 1984) 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

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

, where he performs on the

SmackDown brand SmackDown is a WWE brand extension, brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was established on March 25, 2002. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand ex ...

under the ring name Dexter Lumis ( ) and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction. He is also known for his time with

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), where he performed as Samuel Shaw from 2010 to 2015. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Shaw started his professional wrestling career in 2007 on the

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

. In 2010, he signed with TNA where he won the

TNA Gut Check In professional wrestling, the TNA Gut Check (formerly known as the Impact Wrestling Gut Check) was a tryout program turned indy wrestling rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a pr ...

challenge in 2012 before spending a stint in its then-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 ...

, later returning in 2013. Upon departing TNA in 2015, Shaw returned to the independent wrestling scene for the next 5 years until signing with WWE in 2019. He was released in April 2022, and returned once more to the independent circuit before returning to WWE in August 2022.

Early life

Shaw was born in January 1984, in Jacksonville, Florida. He attended Allen D. Nease High School in

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Jacksonville, the city is on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spani ...

, and graduated from the

Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United ...

in 2006. Shaw made his way to

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

to work as an illustrator for Universal Studios, after which he returned to his hometown of Jacksonville and began working for the Riverside Arts Market drawing caricatures, with a side business creating "pet ornaments", drawing pictures of people's pets on Christmas ornaments.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (2007–2012)

After training with

Curtis Hughes Curtis Hughes (born December 7, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, also known by the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. He also worked for the Americ ...

at the WWA4 Wrestling School, Shaw made his professional wrestling debut on September 21, 2007, at

World League Wrestling NWA World League Wrestling is a Troy, Missouri-based professional wrestling promotion affiliated with Harley Race's Wrestling Academy school. It was established in 1999 by former World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race. The promotion is part of ...

, where he teamed up with Tookie Tucker to defeat Marco Cordova and Otis Idol in a tag team match. Shaw lost to Bruce Santee on August 3, 2009, at

Full Impact Pro Full Impact Pro (FIP) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is currently part of the World Wrestling Network (WWN) along with Shine Wrestling. Sal Hamaoui founded the company and serves as the president, while Trevin Adams is the ...

. On August 21, 2010, he took on VSK at Victory Pro Wrestling in a match for VPW New York State Championship. Shaw was also part of a Gold Rush Rumble. He lost both matches. On May 18 Shaw teamed up with Q. T. Marshall in a losing effort to the

Briscoe Brothers The Briscoe Brothers, also called The Briscoes, were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of American brothers Jay Briscoe (Jamin Pugh, 1984–2023) and Mark Briscoe (Mark Pugh, born 1985). They were known for their 20-year tenure with th ...

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 ...

. He has also wrestled sporadically for Pro Wrestling Extreme. On April 18, 2009, Shaw debuted for Vintage Wrestling defeating Nooie Lee on his debut. Just over a month later on May 30, Shaw defeated

Glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

to become the first Vintage Heavyweight Champion. Over the months, Shaw would defend his championship on multiple occasions against the likes of

Tyson Tomko Travis David Tomko (born March 23, 1976) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2003 to 2006 under the ring name Tyson Tomko, with New Japan Pro-Wrestling f ...

and

Jesse Neal Jesse Neal (born April 10, 1980)
Profightdb.com. Retrieved on August 5, 2010. is an American

. Shaw would finally lose the championship to Thomas Marr on February 2, 2011. On April 17, Shaw would become a second-time champion after winning the vacant Vintage Heavyweight Championship and would lose it to Jesse Neal on September 11. In 2011, Shaw participated in the King Of The State tournament and reached the finals before losing to

Francisco Ciatso Frank Caiazzo (November 5, 1975 – January 20, 2024), better known by his ring name Francisco Ciatso, was an American professional wrestler, known for his time with the National Wrestling Alliance, Deep South Wrestling, and brief appearances wi ...

. On May 14, Shaw would win his third Vintage Heavyweight Championship by defeating Aaron Epic. On September 3, Shaw was part of a title vs title match where the Vintage Heavyweight Championship and the Vintage Internet Championship were on the line, Shaw won the match after Simon Sez was disqualified which also meant the championship would not change hands. He lost the Vintage Heavyweight Championship to Francisco Ciatso on June 6, 2012. His last match for the company took place a month later in a fatal four-way match for the Vintage Heavyweight Championship which Milo Beasley won. On August 8, 2011, in his debut match for Florida Underground Wrestling, he took on Romeo Razel and Sideshow in a three-way match and won, this would lead to a shot at the FUW Heavyweight Champion, Bruce Santee, which Shaw lost. On June 28, 2012, he took on Wes Brisco FUW Cuban Heavyweight Championship, where he lost. His last match for FUW came in the form of a win on June 30 against James Alexander.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2010–2015)

Gut Check (2010–2013)

Shaw's first appearance for

(TNA) was on August 8, 2010, in

Hardcore Justice Hardcore Justice, originally known as Hard Justice, was an annual professional wrestling Impact Plus event produced by Impact Wrestling. It was originally introduced as a pay-per-view (PPV) event held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in ...

as Lupus, Shaw attacked

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 ...

in his match against

Raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

before he was attacked by special referee

Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and author. He is signed to WWE, under a Legends contract while also serving as an ambassador. Foley worked for many wrestling promotions, including the W ...

with a Mandible Claw. Shaw's first match for TNA came on August 9, 2010, in a dark match against Jesse Neal which he lost. On the December 30 episode of ''

TNA Impact! ''TNA Impact!'' (stylized as ''TNA iMPACT!'') is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) that debuted on June 4, 2004. It also features wrestlers from WWE's ...

'', Shaw accompanied

Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he both wrestles and serves as Director of Business Development. He is also ...

to the ring as part of his entourage in his $100,000 Double J MMA Challenge against Little Red. In 2012, Shaw was a participant in the monthly Gut Check on ''IMPACT''. Although his chances were nearly ruined after he was attacked by

Aces & Eights Aces & Eights were a Heel (professional wrestling), villainous Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable, stable in the American Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, later Impact Wrestling), initi ...

, Shaw got a second chance the following week and was defeated by Doug Williams in his Gut Check match. The Gut Check judges were impressed and awarded Shaw a contract and a spot on the TNA roster. In actuality, Shaw was signed to a developmental contract. Shaw returned to ''Impact Wrestling'' on November 22, defeating fellow Gut Check winner Alex Silva. On January 12, 2013, Shaw appeared at TNA X-Travaganza, wrestling in a seven-man

Xscape match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...

, which was won by

Christian York Jason Spence (born April 13, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling ...

, that aired on April 5, 2013. On March 17, 2013, Shaw appeared at TNA Hardcore Justice 2 where he was part of a nine-man Hardcore Gauntlet Battle Royal, which was won by

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 ...

, that aired on July 5, 2013. Shaw returned on the May 23 edition of ''Impact Wrestling'' defeating Alex Silva (by decision since Aces & Eights attacked Silva) to advance into the finals of the Bound for Glory Series tournament to face

Jay Bradley Bradley Thomas Jay (born November 17, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in Impact Wrestling under the ring names of Jay Bradley and Aiden O'Shea, and WWE as Ryan Braddock. Professional wrestling career Earl ...

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 ...

. Shaw lost to Bradley at Slammiversary.

Ohio Valley Wrestling (2012–2013)

Shaw was then assigned to TNA's

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 ...

(OVW), making his televised debut on October 13, 2012. He then began teaming with Alex Silva, forming a regular tag team over the coming weeks. On December 1, Shaw and Silva defeated

Jessie Godderz Jessie Godderz (born April 23, 1986), also known as Mr. PEC-Tacular, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He competes for Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he is a two-time OVW National Heavyweight Champion, one-time OVW Television ...

and Rudy Switchblade to win the

OVW Southern Tag Team Championship The OVW Tag Team Championship formerly known as the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship is the tag team titles of Ohio Valley Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promoti ...

. They lost the title to Crimson and Jason Wayne on January 16, 2013. But regained the titles having their second reign on February 27, 2013. However, they lost the titles to The Coalition on April 3, 2013. The following week, Shaw was attacked backstage by the Coalition. Shaw would return to OVW TV on May 4 after revealing that he had been under the mask of the Coalition's Gillyman for several weeks and was put in a one-on-one match against Jason Wayne at the May 11 Saturday Night Special. He would have his in-ring return the following week one-on-one against Godderz. Shaw would continue his war with the Coalition in a victory over Jason Wayne at the May 11 Saturday Night Special and a victory over

Crimson Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, '' Kermes vermilio'', but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red col ...

on the May 18 episode of OVW TV.

Samuel Shaw (2013–2015)

On November 21 during '' Impact Wrestling: Turning Point'', Shaw appeared in an at home interview with

Christy Hemme Christina Lee Hemme ( ; born October 28, 1980) is an American wrestling executive and retired professional wrestler, ring announcer, backstage interviewer, singer and model (person), model. She was previously signed to Total Nonstop Action Wre ...

. During the interview, he asked to be called "Samuel Shaw" and also portrayed a character similar to

Patrick Bateman Patrick Bateman is a fictional character created by novelist Bret Easton Ellis. He is the villain protagonist and unreliable narrator of Ellis's 1991 novel ''American Psycho'' and is played by Christian Bale in the 2000 film adaptation of th ...

of the

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

and book ''

American Psycho ''American Psycho'' is a black comedy horror novel by American writer Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the First-person narrative, first-person by Patrick Bateman, a wealthy, narcissistic, and vain Manhattan investmen ...

'', as well as a ring attire similar to the clothes worn by

Dexter Morgan Dexter Morgan (born Dexter Moser), also known as The Bay Harbor Butcher, is a fictional serial killer and the antihero protagonist of the ''Dexter'' book series written by Jeff Lindsay (writer), Jeff Lindsay, as well as the Dexter (TV series), tel ...

. On the January 2, 2014 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Shaw made his debut as a

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 ...

by defeating Norv Fernum via submission, during which he made continuous glares at Hemme who was at ringside. Shaw later became an obsessed fan of Hemme, and started asking her on dates, including one in his house where it was shown how Shaw had a room full of posters and pictures of Hemme. On the February 6 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Hemme confronted Shaw about the mannequin and the room full of posters. On the February 20 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Shaw attacked Mr. Anderson in a rage after watching Hemme and Anderson converse for several minutes. Shaw then carried Hemme away after she was accidentally caught up in the ruckus and injured. On the February 27 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Shaw would confront Hemme in an attempt to explain himself. After failing and being interrupted by Mr. Anderson, Shaw would solidify himself as a heel after using Hemme as a shield to fend off Mr. Anderson who was attempting to exact revenge for the previous week. Shaw would use his ''

kata gatame is one of the seven mat holds, Osaekomi-waza, of Kodokan Judo.Mifune, Kyuzo: ''The Canon of Judo'', Kodansha International Ltd. (Tokyo) 2004, , p. It is also one of the 25 techniques of Danzan Ryu's constriction arts, Shimete, list. In grappl ...

'' finishing move to choke out Mr. Anderson. On the March 6 edition of ''Impact Wrestling,'' Shaw faced off against Eric Young with Mr. Anderson replacing Hemme as the ring announcer for the match. Anderson's presence at ringside ultimately cost Shaw the match as he would be disqualified due to Anderson's distraction. After the match, Shaw would choke out Anderson like last week then claim he was "going to claim what was rightfully his," heading for the backstage area where Hemme had been watching via a ring monitor. Three days later, 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 ...

, Shaw defeated Mr. Anderson after escaping the cage following the use of Christy Hemme as a distraction by pulling Hemme through the camera cut-out of the steel cage, Anderson successfully rescued Hemme but was caught in Shaw's kata gatame. The previously unconscious referee only saw Shaw escape the cage thus declaring him the winner. Shaw lost a rematch against Anderson on the following ''Impact Wrestling'' bringing a mannequin dressed as Christy Hemme to the ring. On the April 3 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Shaw defeated Mr. Anderson in a

Straitjacket A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with long sleeves that surpass the tips of the wearer's fingers. Its most typical use is restraining people who may cause harm to themselves or others. Once the wearer's arms are in the sleeves, ...

match after rendering him unconscious following two kata gatame attempts. At

Sacrifice Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...

, Anderson defeated Shaw in a Committed match, whereby he put Shaw into a van heading for a psychiatric facility for intervention. The next time Shaw appeared on TV was on the May 22 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' at the psychiatric facility. A man walked in and said that Shaw had a visitor who was later revealed to be Gunner. Gunner said he was going to help him with his obsession with Hemme and with his insanity. Over the weeks following, segments were shown in which Gunner tried to help Shaw in various ways by explaining to Shaw why he understood what Shaw was going through and participating in various activities like going through Shaw's drawings & playing Go Fish with Shaw, which eventually led to Shaw being released under Gunner's supervision on June 26 episode of ''Impact''. On July 3, he returned and apologized to Christy Hemme as well as to Mr. Anderson, who gave Samuel Shaw another chance to be friends with him as long as he followed Gunner's supervision, seemingly turning

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 ...

. On October 22, 2014, episode on Impact, Shaw reverted to a villain after he hit Gunner with a steel chair and aligned with

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

. The alliance between Shaw and Brittany ended after she did not re-sign with TNA. His final TNA match took place on June 19, 2015, against

TNA Xplosion ''TNA Xplosion'' is a professional wrestling television program that is produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Launched in 2002, the show features highlights from TNA's flagship television program ''Impact!'', exclusive taped matches ...

. During the Christy Hemme storyline, he was dubbed as the 'creepy bastard'. On June 21, 2015, Shaw officially announced his departure from the company.

Independent circuit (2015–2019)

In May 2015, Shaw returned to Vintage Wrestling. In his first match back, on May 16, 2015, Shaw defeated Nick Fame and the next day on May 17, 2015, Shaw, BeastMode (Biff Slater & Don Maximo), Leo Gold and Mike Cruz faced The Dark City Fight Club ( Jon Davis and

Kory Chavis Kory Chavis is an American professional wrestler, also known by the ring name Rainman. He works for several independent promotions, including Dragon Gate USA, Full Impact Pro, and Evolve. Chavis wrestled with tag team partner Jon Davis as Th ...

), Francisco Ciatso, Simon Sez & The Afro Boy in a losing effort. In September 2016, Shaw debuted for Full Throttle Pro Wrestling. In his first match on September 17, 2016, Shaw defeated

Shannon Moore Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for ...

. On June 23, 2018, Shaw defeated M.V.P. and Papadon to win the vacant FTPW Championship. He would lose the title on October 20, 2018, against Barrington Hughes in a match that also included Shannon Moore. On March 18, 2017, at Tried N True/

Global Force Wrestling Global Force Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2014 by Jeff Jarrett, the co-founder and former President of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and his wife Karen Jarrett. It was owned and operated via its parent ...

The Art Of War II, Shaw defeated Crimson to become the inaugural TNT Champion. Shaw held the title 658 days until he lost it to

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 the NWA Pop-Up Event on January 5, 2019. On October 21, 2018, at 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 70th Anniversary Show The NWA 70th Anniversary Show was a professional wrestling supercard that took place on October 21, 2018 at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. It was the first event produced under the NWA banner since William Patric ...

, Shaw defeated

Colt Cabana Scott Colton (born May 6, 1980), better known by the ring name Colt Cabana, is an American professional wrestler, color commentator, and podcaster. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a wrestler and as a coach, and he performs the same ...

Sammy Guevara Samuel Guevara (born July 28, 1993) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Sons of Texas and is a record tying three-time former AEW TNT Champion. He also appears in AEW's sist ...

and

Scorpio Sky Schuyler Andrews (born April 2, 1983), better known by the ring name Scorpio Sky, is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former two-time AEW TNT Champion and ...

in a fatal four-way elimination to go on to a match for the vacant NWA National Championship later that night. However, he was defeated by

Willie Mack Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack, currently appearing in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling, Major League Wres ...

in the finals. On December 9, Shaw was defeated in a championship rematch by Mack at

Championship Wrestling From Hollywood Championship Wrestling (formally known as Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH)) is an American professional wrestling promotion and television program created by David Marquez, who serves as the promotion's president and on-camera intervi ...

WWE

Beginnings (2019–2020)

On February 11, 2019, it was announced that Shaw had signed a contract with

and that he would report to the

WWE Performance Center WWE Performance Center (WWE PC) is a group of professional wrestling schools owned by American company WWE. They serve as tryout and training facilities for WWE, and also contain sports science and medical facilities as well as live events and ...

. He made his debut at an NXT

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

on March 16, losing to

Fabian Aichner Fabian Aichner (born 21 July 1990) is an Italian professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Giovanni Vinci. Aichner signed with WWE in 2017 and joined the group Imperium, becoming a two-t ...

. After debuting under his real name, his ring name was changed to "Dexter Lumis" in June. In the same month, it was announced that Lumis would compete in a tournament named the

NXT Breakout Tournament The NXT Breakout Tournament is a professional wrestling single elimination tournament produced by WWE for the NXT brand. It was first introduced in 2019 and features eight wrestlers who are new arrivals on NXT (usually WWE Performance Center recr ...

. On the July 17 episode of ''NXT'', Lumis lost in the first round of the tournament to

Bronson Reed Jermaine Haley (born 25 August 1988) is an Australian professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Bronson Reed. In WWE, he is a former NXT North American Champion and the winner of the ...

. On the March 25, 2020 episode of ''NXT'', a

vignette Vignette may refer to: * Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy * Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters * Vignette (literature), short, i ...

aired promoting Lumis' return. The following week, he defeated

Jake Atlas Kenny Sanchez Marquez (born October 5, 1994), known by his ring name Jake Atlas, is an American former professional wrestler known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and WWE. Professional wrestling career As a native resident of Los Angel ...

. On the April 22 episode of ''NXT'', he assisted

Velveteen Dream Patrick Clark Jr. (born August 19, 1995) is an American professional wrestler. He is performing on the independent circuit under his real name and the ring name Velveteen Man. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ri ...

in defeating

The Undisputed Era The Paragon, known previously as The Undisputed Era, are a professional wrestling stable consisting of Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong. The group is currently performing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The group is widely known for th ...

in a tag team match after Dream's partner, Keith Lee, was taken out by

Damian Priest Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Damian Priest and is a former one-time World Heavyweight Champion. He is also know ...

, establishing himself as a face. On the May 6 episode of ''NXT'', Lumis once again attempted to assist Dream in his NXT Championship match against

Adam Cole Austin Kirk Jenkins (born July 5, 1989), known by the ring name Adam Cole, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Paragon (professional wrestling), ...

, but accidentally knocked out the referee, thus costing Dream the match and the title. On the June 3 episode of ''NXT'', Lumis debuted a new artist element of his gimmick as he brought out an art easel and drew a sketch depicting himself driving a car with the Undisputed Era trapped in the rear deck. This led to the "Tortured Artist" becoming a nickname for Lumis. At TakeOver: In Your House, Lumis would interfere in the Backlot Brawl match between Cole and Dream as he attacked

Roderick Strong Christopher Lindsey (born July 26, 1983), better known by his ring name Roderick Strong, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Paragon stable and is a former one-time AEW I ...

and

Bobby Fish Robert Anthony Fish (born October 27, 1976) is an American professional wrestler performing for Major League Wrestling (MLW). He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand and was a member of The Undisputed Era. ...

, throwing them in the rear deck of a car and driving off with them. On the June 10 episode of ''NXT'', Lumis lost to Cole in a non-title match after a distraction by Strong and Fish. After the match, Lumis attacked Strong and chased him to the back. On the July 1 episode of NXT: Great American Bash, Lumis defeated Strong in a

strap match A strap, sometimes also called strop, is an elongated flap or ribbon, usually of leather or other flexible materials. Thin straps are used as part of clothing or baggage, or bedding such as a sleeping bag. See for example spaghetti strap, should ...

. On the July 29 episode of ''NXT'', Lumis defeated

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 ...

and

Finn Bálor Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. As of May 2014, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (). He is a member of The Judgment Day stable. Devitt began his car ...

to qualify for a

NXT North American Championship The NXT North American Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended as the secondary men's championship of NXT, the promotion's developmental brand. The current champi ...

opportunity at

NXT TakeOver XXX NXT TakeOver XXX (originally NXT TakeOver: Boston) was the 30th NXT TakeOver professional wrestling livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held exclusively for wrestlers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The event took place on Aug ...

. However, he sustained an ankle injury, removing him from the match. Lumis made his TV return on the September 30 episode of ''NXT'', appearing in a backstage segment with

Cameron Grimes Trevor Lee Caddell (born September 30, 1993) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE as Cameron Grimes and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, Impact Wrestling as Trevor Lee. Caddell mad ...

. He defeated

Austin Theory Austin Tyler White (born August 2, 1997) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Bodybuilding, bodybuilder. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring nam ...

in the following week but was attacked by Grimes after the match. On the October 14 episode of ''NXT'', Lumis challenged Damian Priest for the

but lost after Grimes came out and stomped him on the apron while the referee was checking on Priest. Lumis went on to defeat Grimes in a Haunted House of Terror match at NXT: Halloween Havoc. On the November 11 episode of ''NXT'', Lumis faced Timothy Thatcher in a match after the latter threw August Grey into a

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...

that was painted by Lumis backstage. Lumis would lose that match after Grimes interfered again with a distraction. Grimes subsequently wrapped Lumis's head in a

burlap sack Hessian (, ), burlap in North America, or crocus in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, is a woven fabric made of vegetable fibres, usually the skin of the jute plant or sisal leaves. It is generally used (in the crude tow form known as gunny) ...

and attacked him. The following week, they faced off in a blindfold match which ended in an apparent

no contest ''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an ...

after Grimes unknowingly knocked the referee unconscious and eventually ran off. Lumis then defeated Grimes in a

on December 6 at NXT TakeOver: WarGames.

The Way (2021–2022)

On January 6, 2021, Lumis hosted NXT: New Year's Evil. On the following week's ''NXT'', he lost to

Johnny Gargano John Anthony Nicholas Gargano (born August 14, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. , he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is one-half of #DIY with Tommaso Ciampa. Gargano is known for his time in NXT, where ...

in a non-title match after interference from Austin Theory. During NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day, Lumis abducted Theory from The Way before Gargano's North American title match. On the February 24 episode of ''NXT'', Lumis defeated Gargano in a non-title bout where Theory hesitated to hit him with a chair, and

Indi Hartwell Samantha De Martin (born 17 August 1996), better known by the ring name Indi Hartwell, is an Australian professional wrestler. She is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). She is best known for her tenure in WWE from 2019 to 2024, wh ...

starts to develop an attraction towards him. On April 7, during Night 1 of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver, he took part in a six-man Gauntlet Eliminator match where the winner gets to challenge for the North American Championship on Night 2, but was eliminated second by

L. A. Knight 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 ...

. On the following week's ''NXT'', Lumis teamed with Bronson Reed and the

NXT Women's Tag Team Champion The NXT Women's Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling Women's professional wrestling championship, women's tag team championship created and promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE. It w ...

Shotzi Blackheart Ashley Louise Alfaro (née Urbanski; born March 14, 1992), better known by the ring name Shotzi Blackheart, is an American professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Shotzi and is a fo ...

and

Ember Moon Adrienne Palmer (née Reese; born August 31, 1988) is an American professional wrestler. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Athena. She primarily appears in AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), where she is the ...

in an eight-person mixed tag team match against The Way, where he carried a falsely unconscious Hartwell away from the ring. On August 17, 2021,

proposed to Lumis after the pair won a match on NXT, and Lumis accepted. Lumis and Hartwell had their wedding on the September 14 edition of NXT. During the ceremony Lumis choked out the priest allowing a recently ordained

Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), better known as Beth Phoenix, is an American retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's ...

to take over. Lumis also spoke his very first words in WWE by saying "I do". On the December 7 episode on NXT, The Way disbanded after Johnny Gargano opted to leave when his contract expired. On April 29, 2022, Lumis was released from his WWE contract.

Return to the independent circuit (2022)

Shaw made his first appearance since leaving WWE on June 11, 2022, at the

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...

Alwayz Ready. He competed in a

fatal four-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...

for the vacant

NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professiona ...

against

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 ...

Nick Aldis Nicholas Harry Aldis (born 6 November 1986) is an English professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a producer and the on-screen general manager of the SmackDown brand. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wres ...

, and

Thom Latimer Thomas Raymond Latimer (born 6 August 1986) is an English professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is the current NWA World's Heavyweight Champion in his first reign. Latimer began his ...

; the bout was won by Murdoch. Two days later he defeated Mercurio on an 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 ...

''. On June 26, 2022, Shaw appeared with USA Pro Wrestling, defeating Ryzin at the "USA Pro Wrestle War 2022" event. On July 23, 2022, he appeared with

MCW Pro Wrestling MCW Pro Wrestling (formerly known as Maryland Championship Wrestling) is a regional independent wrestling promotion based in Joppa, Maryland. It has regularly run events in the Mid-Atlantic region since the late 1990s. History Maryland Champions ...

at the 21st Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup; substituting for Pat Brink, he teamed with Alec Odin to unsuccessfully challenge the Trade (Eric Martin and Robert Locke) for the

MCW Tag Team Championship The MCW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the MCW Pro Wrestling promotion. The titles were created and debuted on August 18, 1998, at a MCW live event. The current champions are Clay Jacobs and AK B ...

Return to WWE

Main roster debut (2022–2023)

On the August 8, 2022 episode of '' Raw'', Shaw, reprising his Dexter Lumis character, made his unannounced return to the company; he was shown in the crowd being taken away by security while

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

celebrated his victory against

The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fame a ...

as the show ended. The following week, Lumis appeared during Styles' match against

Bobby Lashley Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and is one-half of the AEW World Tag Team C ...

. He climbed the barricade while The Miz attacked Styles, but was quickly escorted out by security. On the August 22 episode of ''Raw'', Lumis appeared in the crowd and abducted The Miz during a tag team match involving Styles, Lashley and Ciampa. The following night on '' NXT'', Lumis reunited with his (kayfabe) wife

in an in-ring segment; the two kissed and Lumis carried Hartwell backstage. He handed her a drawing that read "Goodbye, Indi (for now). I love you" before being arrested by police. On the September 5 episode of ''Raw'', Lumis distracted Miz during a

steel cage 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 ...

against Lashley for the United States Championship, costing Miz the match and title. Lumis entered the ring after the match and choked him out. He continued to torment Miz over the next few weeks, including stalking him at his home and attacking him backstage. On the October 17 episode of ''Raw,'' Lumis was attacked by Miz before their match which then did not take place. On the October 31 episode of ''Raw,''

was interviewed backstage and showed footage of a conversation between The Miz and Lumis where, Miz paid Lumis to stage attacks on him, and now Lumis was coming to get the money that is owed to him. On the November 29 episode of ''Raw'', Lumis defeated Miz in an Anything Goes match, earning himself a WWE contract and the money Miz owed him. On the December 19 episode of ''Raw,'' Lumis put his money on the line against Miz in a

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

, which he lost after interference from the returning

, ending their feud. Lumis appeared at ''

NXT Stand & Deliver Stand & Deliver is a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 2021, it is held for the promotion's developmental brand NXT and takes place annually during WrestleMania wee ...

'' in April 2023, assisting Hartwell in her

to win the

NXT Women's Championship The NXT Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on NXT, the promotion's developmental brand. The current champion is Jacy Jayne, who is in her fi ...

. He again appeared on the May 2 NXT show in a segment with Hartwell.

The Wyatt Sicks (2024–present)

On the June 17, 2024 episode of '' Raw,'' after over a year since last appearing on television, Lumis made his return as a part of a new stable under the leadership of Uncle Howdy called The Wyatt Sicks. Lumis would sport a

buzzard Buzzard is the common name of several species of birds of prey. ''Buteo'' species * Archer's buzzard (''Buteo archeri'') * Augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') * Broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') * Common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') * Easte ...

mask, resembling Mercy the Buzzard from

Bray Wyatt Windham Lawrence Rotunda (May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023), better known by his ring name Bray Wyatt, was an American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in WWE from 2009 until his death in 2023. Rotunda was a third-generati ...

's "Firefly Funhouse". On the July 29, 2024 episode of '' Raw'', Lumis along the Wyatt Sicks stable unmasked themselves, sporting a new look with long beard and long dreaded hair. On the August 5 episode of Raw, Lumis teamed with stablemates

Joe Gacy Joseph Ruby (born August 8, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. As of August 2020, he is signed to WWE, on the WWE SmackDown, SmackDown brand, where he performs under the ring name Joe Gacy and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction. Gac ...

and

Erick Rowan Joseph Ruud (born November 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Erick Rowan. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand and is a member of The Wyatt Sicks. Having previously wrestled ...

to defeat the newly formed team " American Made" (Chad Gable and the

Creed Brothers The Creed Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Brutus Creed (Drew Kasper; born May 13, 1996) and Julius Creed (Jacob Kasper; born October 3, 1994). they are signed to the professional wrestling promotion ...

). On the September 9 episode of ''Raw'', the Wyatt Sicks defeated American Made in a Street Fight, ending their feud. The Wyatt Sicks' next feud was against

and

The Final Testament Kevin Robert Kesar (born July 19, 1985) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Karrion Kross. Prior to his time at WWE, Kesar performed for Impact Wrestling, Lucha Libre ...

, facing each other on the December 9 episode of ''Raw'', where the Wyatt Sicks suffered their first loss as a stable in an eight-man tag team match. The stable was drafted to the SmackDown brand, but didn't appear on television due to an injury to Uncle Howdy. The stable returned to television on the May 23 episode of ''SmackDown'', attacking

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

Fraxiom Axiom and Nathan Frazer, also known as Fraxiom, are a professional wrestling tag team. They are signed to WWE, where they perform on the SmackDown brand. They are a former two-time NXT Tag Team Champions. History WWE (2023–present) NXT (20 ...

and DIY.

Acting career

Shaw had a guest role as Dex, in an August 2023 episode of the

TruTV TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable Television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts reruns of Television comedy, comedy, Reality television, docusoaps and reality shows, with a rec ...

comedy series ''

Tacoma FD ''Tacoma FD'' is an American television sitcom set in a firehouse in Tacoma, Washington. The series premiered on March 28, 2019, on truTV. In November 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth season, premiering on July 20, 2023. In February 2024 ...

''.

Filmography

Television

Video games

Championships and accomplishments

*Full Throttle Pro Wrestling **FTPW Championship (1 time) *

(

2 times "2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...

) – with Alex Silva *''

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. 142 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 2021 *

winner *Tried-N-True Pro **TNT Championship (1 time, inaugural) **TNT Championship Tournament (2017) *United States Wrestling Alliance **USWA Championship (1 time) *Vintage Wrestling **Vintage Heavyweight Championship (3 times) * ''

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 ...

'' ** Worst Feud of the Year (2022) vs.

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) *** WTF Moment of the Year (

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lumis, Dexter American male film actors American male professional wrestlers 1984 births 21st-century American sportsmen Living people People from Jacksonville Beach, Florida Professional wrestlers from Florida Savannah College of Art and Design alumni OVW Tag Team Champions WWE personnel