John Hall

Brian Bennett (born April 23, 1989), better known by his ring names John Hall and Unknown, was a professional wrestler, most notably working for the World Wrestling Xistence promotion. He was notorious for being controversial and problematic in his promos and backstage towards management.

Early Life
Bennett was born in Middletown, New York, and was raised by his parents for the first two years of his life until moving to Harriman, New York (to which his finishing move, the Harriman Driver, was named in tribute) with his grandparents, because his biological parents were unable to take care of him due to mental illness. When he was seven, he moved to Tampa, Florida with his grandparents to be closer to family.

After graduating high school, Bennett enrolled at the University of Chicago to study computer science. However after his second semester of school, he dropped out to pursue a career in professional wrestling.

Early Career
Bennett was trained at the Elite Wrestling Association Wrestling Academy in Chicago, by Jack Squat and Josh Storm. After graduating, he joined the Elite Wrestling Association, based in Chicago, and immediately began teaming with his trainer Josh Storm, under the name Unknown. Known as the Faith Breakers (having Atheist gimmicks), the two quickly began feuding with the Atomic Punks, Travis Vans and Cowboy, in a feud that would last almost two years. It was in EWA where he met Valerie Knot, who became wrestling manager (and future real-life wife). Ironically, he played a mute character in EWA and never spoke a word during his entire two year tenure; Storm and Knot always spoke for him.

WWX
In October of 2010, Bennett was signed a contract to World Wrestling Xistence, where he had to change his name to John Hall due to there already being a man named Unknown in WWX. He received his first match in a dark match at Hall of Pain, in a "Newcomers Challenge" 8-Man Fray, which also included most notably Ellis X. Sille and Mark Woodbridge.

Hall didn't receive another match until the next pay-per-view, Phase Out, where he competed in an 8-man, four ring match, where two men faced in individual rings, each with their own special stipulation, and the four winners from each ring would meet in a fifth ring to determine the first ever Conquest Champion. Hall made it to the fifth ring, but was eliminated by Napalm Steele (who later went on to win the match).

The Rise of the X-Army
Hall wandered in obscurity for the next month, sparingly receiving matches on episodes of Ravage. As Hall stated in an interview, "it was awkward after the Conquest Title match. I didn't really do anything for a month or so." In February, Hall became one of the original members of the new X-Army, a stable of relative rookies led by WWX legend Shard. They immediately targeted the Global Champion, Apocalypse, and mutual foe David GS. It was around this time where Hall began to become "controversial," as he began to argue with bookers about decisions being made about the X-Army.

In the February pay-per-view, Aftershock, Hall was a part of a six-man Electrified Hell in a Cell match for the Global Title, which included three other members of the X-Army - Shard, Jimmy Love and Sparrow - David GS, and Apocalypse. This match was a turning point in his WWX career, in that it was his first main event and Global Title shot, and also it was the beginning of his "hardcore" attitude and ring-style. Hall was electrocuted twice in the match (more times than any other competitor), and was legitimately injured from it. He did not miss any dates from the injury, but he vowed to never do a match with electricity again. This was also another source of his backstage bickering, as he complained that the more experienced competitors (DGS and Apocalypse) took advantage of him.

King of the Deathmatches
In March, the first annual WWX King of the Deathmatches tournament was announced, with Hall as one of the participants. In the first round, Hall defeated Spider (a wrestler who was brought in to job to Hall in the first round), in an Into the Wild Deathmatch (barefoot thumbtacks, sandspurs, pinecones, salt and torches). He went on to Armada, to face Steven PS in the second round in a Barbed Wire Cage, Fans Bring the Weapons Deathmatch. It was in this match where most will say Hall made a name for himself, by almost beating SPS. In the finishing spot, Hall hit the Harriman Driver off of a scaffold that was on top of the cage, legitimately fifteen feet high, through four tables to the concrete floor. Although he executed the move, after the fall, SPS landed with his arm on top of him and pinned Hall. It was also in this match where Hall received the infamous scar on his right bicep, after a spot where he was thrown through a barbed wire part of the cage, and it ripped open the muscle. Hall taped the arm up and continued the match, but had to be rushed to the hospital immediately after the match to close the wound.