Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock is an American professional wrestler, Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner, former professional football player and former amateur boxer. He is signed to Major League Wrestling, where he performs under the ring name Bishop Dyer and is one-half of the MLW World Tag Team Champions with Donovan Dijak in their first reign, and also appears on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Baron Corbin.
Pestock was an offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals of the NFL, as well as a two-time Golden Gloves boxing regional champion. He signed with WWE in 2012 and was assigned to their developmental brand NXT under the ring name Baron Corbin, portraying a villainous character nicknamed the "Lone Wolf". He debuted on the main roster at WrestleMania 32, winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. In 2017, he won the Money in the Bank Briefcase and the WWE United States Championship In 2018, he became "Constable Corbin", an on-screen authority figure of Raw and started a feud with Kurt Angle which culminated at WrestleMania 35, with Corbin emerging victorious in Angle's retirement match. A few months later, he won the 2019 King of the Ring tournament, thus changing his name to King Corbin until 2021, when he lost his crown and adopted the character of a destitute man who had lost everything. Two months later, he adopted the name Happy Corbin and began portraying a cheerful character who had become extremely wealthy from gambling.
From September 2021 to April 2022, Corbin formed an alliance with Madcap Moss. In October 2022, he began using the Baron Corbin name again and was managed by JBL until 2023, when he returned to NXT and formed a tag team with Bron Breakker; they won the NXT Tag Team Championship and the 2024 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic together. Corbin returned to the main roster in April 2024, then left WWE when his contract expired in November.
Early life
Thomas Pestock was born in Lenexa, Kansas on September 13, 1984. He has trained extensively in boxing and by 2007, he was a two-time Golden Gloves regional amateur boxing champion. He participated in the 2008 Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions in the super heavyweight division, defeating Chaen Chess in the preliminaries and losing to Andrae Cathron in the quarter-finals.Football career
College
Pestock attended NCAA Division II college Northwest Missouri State University, where he played offensive guard, and he became a starter his junior year in 2007. Pestock was named honorable mention all-MIAA in 2007 and first-team all-MIAA in 2008. He was part of teams that went to four consecutive Division II National Championships and lost each time.Professional
Pestock signed with the Indianapolis Colts on April 27, 2009, after going undrafted in the 2009 NFL draft. While with the Colts, he was roommates with future All-Pro punter and professional wrestler Pat McAfee, a fact that would be central to a feud between the two of them in WWE 13 years later. He was released by the Colts on August 13 and re-signed by the team on August 19. He was again released by the Colts on September 5.Pestock joined the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad on December 24, 2009. He was re-signed to a futures contract on January 18, 2010, and was noted for throwing uppercuts in a team scuffle in training camp. He was released by the Cardinals on September 3 and signed to the team's practice squad on September 6. On January 4, 2011, he was again signed to a futures contract with the Cardinals. He was again released on September 2, 2011.
Professional wrestling career
WWE (2012–2024)
NXT (2012–2016)
Pestock signed with WWE's developmental system NXT in August 2012. Using the ring name Baron Corbin, he made his in-ring debut on October 18 at a house show, losing to Dante Dash. He would work in several NXT events, usually as an enhancement talent.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. Corbin then won numerous singles matches against enhancement talents, each in a short amount of time, until crossing paths with Bull Dempsey, who was also winning his matches quickly, beginning a feud between the two. After a staredown at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11, 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. Corbin again defeated Dempsey in the first round of a number #1 contender's tournament for the NXT Championship, but was eliminated by Adrian Neville in the semi-finals, ending Corbin's undefeated streak. At NXT TakeOver: Rival on February 11, Corbin defeated Dempsey in a No Disqualification match to end their feud.
In the following weeks, the crowd turned on him and on the May 14 episode of NXT, Corbin turned heel by showing a cocky and banterous persona. He started a feud with Rhyno, whom he defeated at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable on May 20. Corbin lost to Samoa Joe at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on August 22. In September, Corbin formed a tag team with former rival Rhyno to take place in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, defeating The Ascension in the first round, and Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa in the second round. 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. After the event, a battle royal was held to determine the number #1 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 in a match at NXT TakeOver: London on December 16, where Corbin defeated Crews.
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 #1 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. 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 in a match at NXT TakeOver: Dallas on April 1, where Corbin lost to Aries. On the April 13 episode of NXT, Corbin defeated Tucker Knight in his final NXT appearance.
Main roster beginnings (2016–2017)
Corbin made his main roster debut at WrestleMania 32, winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal by last eliminating Kane. The following night on Raw, he attacked Dolph Ziggler after their match, beginning a feud between the two. Corbin was defeated by Ziggler at the Payback pre-show on May 1 and was eliminated by him from a battle royal on Raw. Corbin defeated Ziggler on the May 9 episode of Raw and in a no disqualification match at the Extreme Rules pre-show on May 22. Ziggler then challenged Corbin to a technical wrestling match, which ended in a disqualification after Ziggler hit Corbin with a low blow. At Money in the Bank on June 19, Corbin defeated Ziggler to end their feud.At the 2016 WWE draft on July 19, Corbin was drafted to the SmackDown brand. After Apollo Crews earned a match for the Intercontinental Championship by defeating Corbin and Kalisto in a triple threat match, Corbin repeatedly assaulted Kalisto, eventually putting him out of action with a injury. He defeated Crews at the Backlash pre-show on September 11. At No Mercy on October 9, he defeated Jack Swagger as well on the October 18 episode of SmackDown. On the November 8 episode of SmackDown, the returning Kalisto attacked Corbin, causing a injury and forcing Corbin to drop out of SmackDown's Survivor Series team. After retaliating by costing Kalisto the Cruiserweight Championship at Survivor Series, Kalisto attacked Corbin with a chair during a match on the November 22 episode of SmackDown, leading to a chairs match between the two at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 4, which Corbin won.
On the December 20 episode of SmackDown, Corbin confronted Dolph Ziggler, who had just earned a title match against WWE Champion AJ Styles. A match between the two, with Ziggler's title opportunity on the line, ended in a double countout; as a result, Corbin was added to the title match, giving Corbin his first world title opportunity in WWE. On December 27, Styles won the match by pinning Ziggler. At the Royal Rumble on January 29, Corbin entered the Royal Rumble match at #13, eliminating Braun Strowman and lasting over 32 minutes before being eliminated by The Undertaker. At Elimination Chamber on February 12, Corbin competed in the namesake match for the WWE Championship. Immediately after being eliminated by Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose, Corbin attacked Ambrose, causing the latter's elimination. Corbin attacked Ambrose on the March 7 episode of SmackDown with metal pipe and a forklift. On March 21, Ambrose retaliated by distracting Corbin in a match against Randy Orton. Corbin unsuccessfully challenged Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship at the WrestleMania 33 pre-show on April 2 but defeated Ambrose in a non-title Street Fight on SmackDown. On the April 17 episode of SmackDown, Corbin failed to win a title opportunity for the United States Championship in a triple threat match against AJ Styles and Sami Zayn. After the show, Corbin attacked Zayn and also shoved an official, for which he was suspended and fined by SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon. At Backlash on May 21, Corbin lost to Zayn.