Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Happy Corbin.
Pestock is a former offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL), as well as a three-time Golden Gloves champion and former grappling champion.[3] Pestock signed with WWE in 2012 and was assigned to their developmental brand NXT as Baron Corbin. He debuted on the main roster at WrestleMania 32, winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He went on to win the 2017 Money in the Bank men’s ladder match[4] and WWE United States Championship once. In 2018, he was made the General Manager of Raw and started a feud with Kurt Angle which culminated at WrestleMania 35, with defeating him in his retirement match. A few months later, he won the 2019 King of the Ring tournament, thus changing his ring name to King Corbin until June 2021. In June 2021, he lost his crown and subsequently became destitute.
Pestock signed with the Indianapolis Colts on April 27, 2009 after going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft.[16] While with the Colts, he was roommates with future All-Pro punter and professional wrestler Pat McAfee. He was released by the Colts on August 13 and re-signed by the team on August 19.[16][17] He was again released by the Colts on September 5.[16]
Pestock signed a futures contract with the Arizona Cardinals on January 18, 2010 and he was noted for throwing uppercuts in a team scuffle in training camp.[16][18][19] He was released by the Cardinals on September 3 and signed to the team’s practice squad on September 6.[16][20] On January 4, 2011 he was again signed to a futures contract with the Cardinals.[16] He was again released on September 2, 2011.[16]
Pestock signed with WWE’s developmental system NXT in .[21] Using the ring name Baron Corbin, he made his in work in several NXT events, usually as an enhancement talent.[22][23][24]
On September 11, 2014, at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, Corbin re-debuted as a face with a new look and ring character to defeat CJ Parker.[25] Corbin then won numerous singles matches against enhancement talents, each in a short amount of time,[26][27][28] until crossing paths with Bull Dempsey, who was also winning his matches quickly, beginning a feud between the two.[29][30] After a staredown at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution,[31] Corbin won their highly anticipated one-on-one match on the January 14, 2015 episode of NXT, breaking Dempsey’s undefeated streak in the process.[32] Corbin again defeated Dempsey in the first round of a number one contender’s tournament for the NXT Championship, but then was eliminated by Adrian Neville in the semi-final, ending Corbin’s undefeated streak.[33] At NXT TakeOver: Rival on February 11, Corbin defeated Dempsey in a No Disqualification match to end their feud.[34]
In the following weeks, the crowd turned on him and on the May 13 episode of NXT, Corbin turned heel by showing a cocky and banterous persona.[35] He started a feud with Rhyno and defeated him at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable.[36] Corbin lost to Samoa Joe at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.[37] Corbin then teamed up with his former rival Rhyno as a tag team to take place in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament.[38] On the September 2 episode of NXT, they defeated The Ascension in the first round.[39] They then defeated the team of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa in the second round.[40] At NXT TakeOver: Respect on October 7, Corbin and Rhyno defeated Chad Gable and Jason Jordan to advance to the finals of the tournament, where they lost to Finn Bálor and Samoa Joe.[41] After the event, a battle royal was held to determine the number one contender for the NXT Championship, which saw Corbin being lastly eliminated by Apollo Crews, who Corbin attacked during his title match to cost him the title, thus igniting a feud between the two that culminated at NXT TakeOver: London on December 16, where Corbin defeated Crews.[42]
In January 2016, Corbin was involved in a triple threat match between Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe on the January 27 episode of NXT to determine the number contender for Finn Bálor’s NXT Championship, but Corbin lost after Zayn and Joe both applied their submission holds on Corbin at the same time, with Corbin submitting.[43] NXT General Manager William Regal did not give Corbin another title opportunity, leading to Corbin stating Regal would “regret” his decision, which culminated on the March 2 episode of NXT when Corbin attacked Austin Aries from behind after Regal introduced him, beginning a feud between the two that culminated at NXT TakeOver: Dallas on April 1, where Corbin lost to Aries.[44] On the April 13 episode of NXT, Corbin defeated Tucker Knight in his final NXT appearance.[45][46]
