| Phoenix Winterborn | |
|---|---|
| |
| Birth name | Phoenix Alex Winterborn |
| Born | Moline, Illinois |
| Resides | Evanston, IL |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | "The American Revolutionary" Phoenix Winterborn |
| Billed height | 6'3" |
| Billed weight | 229lbs |
| Billed from | The Windy City of Chicago, Illinois |
| Trained by | Rudy Boy Gonzalez |
| Debut | March 2000 |
Phoenix Alex Winterborn(born December 28, 1980) is an American professional wrestler currently working for Elite Answers Wrestling (EAW).
Early Life[]
Phoenix Peterson was born on December 28, 1980 in Moline, Illinois to Miley and Robert Peterson. Growing up, Phoenix was constantly injury-prone and clumsy, stumbling over himself and getting into various mishaps. Through all his injuries as a child, somehow he never broke any bones or had to even stay overnight in a hospital. Phoenix's parents decided that they had wanted a daughter around the time Phoenix was 11, so they adopted a 7-year old girl named Kasey Vidales, whose parents had been killed in a train derailment two years prior. Phoenix and Kasey quickly became inseparable due mainly to the fact they were both addicted to the world of professional wrestling. Kasey's parents were a couple in charge of an independent promotion in the northwest before their untimely deaths. After Phoenix graduated Galesburg High School in Galesburg, Illinois in 1998, he jumped onto the independent wrestling scene, with Kasey following in 2002 after she too graduated. Phoenix had come to the conclusion that Phoenix Peterson was not a very good name for a wrestler, so in early 2000, he legally changed his last name from Peterson to Winterborn.
World's Greatest E-Federation (WGEF) 2005-2008[]
In the middle of 2005, Phoenix signed an exclusive contract with the World's Greatest E-Federation. During his tenure, he captured the WGEF TNA Television title, which he held for a month before losing the gold in a Fatal 4-way Steel Cage Match against Daryl Morton, Sean Stratus, and Jason James with Sean Stratus winning the title. Phoenix would have to take a four month leave to repair a broken tailbone stemming from a legdrop from the top of a cage in a title match. Making his return in January 2006, Phoenix set his sights on the WGEF Undisputed Championship. Phoenix tried on several occasions, failing each time. Eventually, family issues forced Phoenix to make the decision to retire. Phoenix challenged then WGEF Undisputed Champion Jason James to one last match in a losing effort. In July 2007, rumors had been circulating about Phoenix Winterborn making a return to the WGEF. The rumors proved to be true, when Phoenix Winterborn made his return to the WGEF in September 2007, instantly shaking things up in the promotion, and challenging Jason James once again to a shot at the WGEF Undisputed Championship. He was denied, instead being thrown in a tournament for the WGEF United States Championship. He survived a brutal first round, defeating Mr. Nyman in a Barbwire Steel Cage match, the first of its kind in the WGEF. The second round proved not so fruitful, as Phoenix was defeated by Triple H, the eventual winner of the tournament. Phoenix continued on, until November 2007, when he was challenged by an old enemy, the returning Ravyn Crow to a series of matches, with Phoenix coming out victorious in every meeting. In late 2007, Phoenix was falsely accused of defamation of character towards WGEF management, and was fired from the company.
Phoenix Winterborn made his comeback to WGEF in the middle of May 2008, instantly challenging WGEF Champion Deacon Havok, and accepting an open challenge from Steve Kella, making him tap out to Phoenix's submission, the Failed Redemption. The following Friday night on Smackdown, Phoenix improved his record to 2-0 after making Kendrick Renton also tap out to the Failed Redemption. Before he could continue on his winning streak however, Phoenix was called home on a family emergency, and had not been heard from for a month...Phoenix came back a month later, picking up where he left off with two more victories before coming up against Kat Sanders in the semi-finals of the WGEF King of the Ring. After a hard-fought match, Phoenix came up on the losing end. After KotR, he issued a challenge to the new WGEF Champion, Chris McKenzie. For the seven months, the two engaged in a series of mindgames, culminating with Chris McKenzie dropping the WGEF Championship and leaving the company. Before the company finally closed it's doors, Winterborn was engaged in a program with final WGEF Champion Ryan Payne and his stable, "The Golden Age".
Bytch's Ultimate Domain/The Domain (BUD) 2008-2010[]
Phoenix signed a contract with The Domain (formerly Bytches' Ultimate Domain) in September 2008, joining old friends Ravyn and Midnight Crow in a power struggle against The Dark Carnival, ending with both the DWO and The Dark Carnival splitting up, leaving Phoenix to fend for himself. His quest for single's glory came to fruition in December of that year, when he captured the Evolution Championship from Leaky Format at the annual Krystmas Kaos. He would go on to hold the championship for a record-setting 102 days before losing it to SinDee in a Triple Threat Barbwire Steel Cage match that also included Drew Stevenson. Since then, Phoenix had been struggling in the mid-card until he recently defeated Duke Andrews to earn a shot at the BUDvision Championship, currently held by Kit Black, at the Domain PPV Moment of Silence.
Phoenix would go on to become a two-time Domain Heavyweight Champion, defeating Duke Andrews on both occasions before the company closed it's doors in 2011.
World Elite Wrestling (WEW) 2013[]
After taking some time away from the national scene to focus on outside projects, Phoenix made his return to professional wrestling 2015 for World Elite Wrestling, forming a partnership with Brian James as American Prominence, capturing the WEW Tag Team Championships in December of 2013 on Animosity, only to lose the titles a month later to the tag team of Neffeteria Jones and Deidra Johnson, collectively known as the Divas of Harlem. Shortly after, Phoenix and WEW parted ways, and he returned to the independent scene for a time, competing mainly in Japan for NOAH and New Japan.
Elite Answers Wrestling[]
In October of 2015, Phoenix signed a new exclusive contract with Elite Answers Wrestling to be assigned to their Voltage brand. Phoenix made a quick impact, capturing his first big win at the Voltage exclusive Free-Per-View (FPV) Fighting Spirit 2 as he won the Open Fight Gauntlet match, finally pinning ONI after his trademark Flight of the Phoenix moonsault to secure himself a future shot at the brand's champion, which was then the Answers World Championship. Phoenix would go on to impress management, who would eventually offer him a shot at new champion Ares Vendetta on an episode of Voltage. Although lasting over 55 minutes with Ares, Phoenix came up short in his bid to become champion. Since then, Phoenix has been building himself back up in hopes of a future title shot against the EAW Champion Aren Mstislav. At Territorial Invasion, Phoenix is scheduled to compete in a Hardcore Invitational the become number one contender to Nathan Fiora's Hardcore championship.
Signature Moves[]
Signature Moves
- Reign of Fire (series of three back spinning heel kicks)
- FireStorm (180 degree spinning Downward Spiral)
- The Failed Redemption [1](modified Haas of Pain)
- Eruption (Superkick followed by three stomps to the face)
- Eternal Ashes (2nd rope Tornado DDT roll through into spinning Falcon Arrow into Cross Armbreaker)
Trademark Finishers
- Light of the Apocalypse (Island Driver)
- Final Flight (Twisting 630 Moonsault)
- Judgment Day (D.O.A. roll-through into a Sitdown Powerbomb)
Titles and Accomplishments[]
- WWE_Life United States Championship
- WWE_Life Undisputed Championship
- XWA United States Championship
- XWO Tag-Team Championship (with Gemini)
- MWF World Heavyweight Championship
- MWF Intercontinental Championship
- MWF Tag-Team Championship (with Gemini)
- IWF Intercontinental Championship
- IWF Hardcore Championship
- WGEF TNA Television Championship
- SWA International Championship
- WGEF Power 15 #6 Week of 5/20/2008
- WGEF Power 15 #11 Week of 5/27/2008
- WGEF Power 15 #7 Week of 7/15/2008
- WGEF Power 15 #3 Week of 8/27/2008
- The Domain's Evolution Champion
- UWR WireZone General Manager
- IWF Hardcore Champion
- IWF Champion
- The Domain 2008 Most Beloved Hero
- The Domain BUDvision Champion
- WGEF Tag-Team Champion (with Trish Stratus)
- WGEF World Heavyweight Champion
- EE WTF! Champion (first-ever, only)
- Domain Heavyweight Champion 2x
- WWoW WTF! Champion (2x)
- SKCW Tag-Team Champion (with Drew Stevenson)
- WEW Tag Team Champion (with Brian James as American Prominence)
- EAW Rising Star of the week 3/10/2016
- EAW Rising Star of the Week 5/29/2016
List of Themes[]
- "Locking Up the Sun" - Poets of the Fall (current)
- "It's Our Time" - Raphael Lake (EAW 2015)
- "Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits (Independents)