Profile of Michael Shane on Famous Like Me

Matthew (Matt) Bentley (born December 10, 1979 in Clinton, Iowa), formerly known professionally as Michael Shane, is an American professional wrestler, currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Career

A former Ring Of Honor wrestler, Bentley's breakout match came in a match there against Paul London, in which a ladder was used (although not a ladder match) which concluded in London hitting the Shooting Star Press off the ladder. His cousin is Shawn Michaels, and he took the name Michael Shane as a play on that name. He also sometimes uses the Superkick, which he called the Sweet Shane Music when he was known as Michael Shane.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Bentley joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2003. He competed in the X Division, holding the TNA X Division Championship on one occasion, before forming a stable with Shane Douglas and Traci known as The New Franchise. The stable disbanded in 2004, and Bentley formed a tag team with Frankie Kazarian (informally known by the portmanteau of their last names, Shazarian) which split in 2005 when Kazarian left TNA.

Bentley claims to be the pioneer of the Ultimate X match, and has won Ultimate X matches twice, both times winning the TNA X Division Championship. He won the first Ultimate X on August 20, 2003. The second time, on July 28, 2004, he and ally Frankie Kazarian both landed on the mat while holding the X Division title belt. It was ruled that they both were winners, and they both were considered TNA X Division Champions, having defeated then-champion A.J. Styles.

Bentley was forced to refrain from using the "Michael Shane" alias, which he had used for his entire career, in 2005 following threats of legal action from WWE, the employers of Mike Shane (who had trademarked his name, something which Bentley had neglected to do).

Bentley was removed from television on August 15, 2005, during a period of contract renegotiations. After signing a new contract, he made his return on September 11 at Unbreakable, attacking Chris Sabin and Petey Williams after their match, and announcing his intention to bring the Ultimate X match to Bound For Glory on October 23.

Profile

• Height: 6 ft (185 cm)
• Weight: 221 lb (100 kg)
• Birthday: December 10, 1979
• Hometown: Clinton, Iowa
• Resides: Tampa, Florida
• Billed from: San Antonio, Texas
• Trained By: Paul Diamond, Rudy Boy Gonzales, Shawn Michaels
• Debut: 1999

Previous identities

• Matt Bentley
• Michael
• Michael Shane
• Omega Griffin
• The Pit Bull

Previous managers

• Shane Douglas
• Francine
• Traci Brooks
• Trinity

Finishing and signature moves

• Superkick / Sweet Shane Music (Superkick)
• Picture Perfect Elbow Drop (Diving elbow drop)
• Fisherman DDT

Championships and accomplishments

Main Event Championship Wrestling

• 1-time MECW Light Heavyweight Champion

New Wave Championship Wrestling

• 1-time NWCW Light Heavyweight Champion

Texas Wrestling Alliance

• 1-time TWA Television Champion

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

• 2-time X Division Champion

This content from Wikipedia is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Michael Shane