Post by Matt Slater on May 1, 2014 23:26:16 GMT -6
MATT SLATER
PERSONAL INFORMATION
PICTURE BASE
Garrett Hedlund
NICK NAME(S)
None
HEIGHT
6'1"
WEIGHT
220lbs
D.O.B
April 2nd 1984
HOMETOWN
Manchester, England
BILLED FROM
Manchester, England
RESIDES IN
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
ALIGNMENT
Tweener
TRAINED BY
Joe Griffin
Manchester Wrestling Academy
MANAGER(S)
None
CURRENT ACCOLADE(S)
None
APPEARANCE
RING ATTIRE
Slater commonly wears padded cut-off gloves, light blue, royal red, black or silver wrestling trunks, and black boots with kickpads that are attached to knee pads. His entrance attire consists of a blue, black or white zip-up hoodie.
Outside the ring, Slater normally wears smart casual clothing.
Slater periodically wore a mask to protect his face after suffering the deadly Red Mist from Seth Iser. It was black and silver with blue lenses and golden pattern edging. After retiring from in-ring competition, Slater's face fully healed, allowing him to remove the mask completely.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
Although not designed to be a tattoo, there remain faint scars on Slater's stomach that spell the word "TAINTED", inflicted by Cera during the duo's partnership as Merciless Demise. Having expressed his displeasure with being known as a tainted specimen - a mark he proudly wore as an ironic declaration during his cold, depressive period - Slater paid to surgically disguise the scars with skin-grafting. Although successful, the word can still be made out in specific lighting.
CAREER INJURIES
Matt Slater has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, a Semi-Compound Fracture in his right arm, various burns, a broken nose and two broken ribs. He was also in intensive care for two weeks after suffering substantial head trauma. Through therapy and psychological examinations, Slater was able to make a full recovery.
His most notable injuries, however, are several left shoulder dislocations and a neck injury after being spiked on his head twice by Seth Iser's "Black Magic" Tombstone Piledriver. It was these injuries that prompted him to retire for over a year, and although he has returned to in-ring competition, he is much slower and less mobile than he used to be.
PERSONALITY AND AFFILIATED CHARACTERS
PERSONALITY
Due to recent events, the entire spectrum of Slater's personality has finally been revealed. The stages he has gone through are as follows.
"Fun/Heinous" Status
Slater has always been a somewhat intelligent person, managing to read between the lines while sometimes using symbolism to convey his points. However, throughout his teenage and young adult years, Slater was a much different person. He was sociable, fun-loving and adventurous, but he was also a chaotic miscreant, starting fights for his own entertainment and to test his durability. He would also make wise-ass, sarcastic remarks, swore frequently, consume vast amounts of alcohol, and pursue various women in order to quence his sexual urges, never settling for one in particular. As far as women went, those who possessed an attractive gothic or rock-type look were deep-rooted as a preference, based on his adoration of progressive rock and metal music.
After being group-attacked outside a night club due to his reckless behaviour, Slater spent two weeks recovering in the hospital, whereby psychological tests buried the aspects of himself he later deemed "heinous". This was seen as a coping mechanism, cleansing him of his issues and elevating the positive attributes he contained.
"Samaritan" Status
No longer brash and immature, Slater channelled forth his positive values to subdue the parts of his personality he wanted to restrain. He did not want to become this type of person again, despite knowing that these behavioural attributes would never leave his system. He became respectful, courteous and trustworthy, valuing the essence of other's lives as well as his own. This also made him want to see the good in others - primarily to help them change as he had done - but this sometimes caused him to walk into betrayals and deceptive schemes. Because of this, at least as of recently, Slater chooses who to trust and who to support very carefully.
Interestingly enough, Slater's affiliation with Falcon - a former wrestler who seemed to embrace the type of life that Slater wanted to eliminate - may have been formed as a way to see what he would become if he failed to keep his old life subdued.
"Cold" Status
Slater's strict refusal to balance his personality traits caused him to adopt notable flaws. He became boring and introverted, and he suppressed his grief and anger, which formed clinical depression when he was unable and/or unwilling to release his sadness. After absorbing the deaths of his brother and parents, he gradually exposed another side of himself he had never tried to control: his cold and merciless side. Eventually, Slater did begin to mentally battle against his coldness, utilizing his positive values as much as he could to restore what he believed people wanted him to be.
"Silver Knight" Status
This in turn, however, caused Slater to overcompensate for his myriad of failures in recent years. He forced himself to protect what he had left with obsessive, sometimes unhealthy loyalty, and also forced himself to help others so that he could amend his previous mistakes. He wanted to fight for the impoverished and vulnerable as well as his family, friends and useful charities, becoming a "Silver Knight" to them as he pursued justice with honor and nobility; not just in Professional Wrestling, but in everyday life.
Additionally - although not exactly a personality trait - Slater stubbornly valued the old-school traditions of professional wrestling and aimed to keep sportsmanship and respect alive in the industry. While embraced for his pure devotion to the sport, he has also been criticized for his out-of-touch beliefs, citing the hardcore style as a stain on professional wrestling's canvas. This was due to relying on the goodness in himself so that he could not be tempted to use weapons and bend some rules that his former self would have done, even for the sake of justice and vindication.
Due to this obsession and his perceived stubbornness, his devotion to helping Cera started a chain reaction that cost him dearly; his coaching job at Simcoe Wrestling Club, his second-chance relationship with his ex-wife Amy Frankfort, and the parental guidance of his son Gabriel on a frequent basis.
"True" Status
Once Cera passed away after she went into cardiac arrest, and with Professional Wrestling becoming a shambolic mess, Slater mentally crashed. After going into a deep distress for days on end, whereby he isolated himself from the public and everyone he knew, his mind and the barriers he installed figuratively broke apart, unable to handle the grief and rage he contained for everyone and everything, including himself. This episode has now meshed all of his personality traits together into an enhanced, unpredictable bundle, making him what could be deemed his "true" self. It is unclear how he will be at any given time, which means substantial trauma, combined with the remnants of his depression, is a possible cause of this reaction.
Currently, Slater is in the "True" status stage, which combines his "Fun/Heinous", "Samaritan" and "Cold" personality traits into one, disorganized form.
CURRENT AFFILIATIONS
Gabriel Slater
Slater's son. He was born on November 18th 2009 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
FORMER AFFILIATIONS
Amy Frankfort
Picture Base: Elisha Cuthbert
Born on January 6th 1985 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Amy Frankfort worked as a Journalist for a local news station when she met Slater for the first time in early 2008. A standard interview about his career and an upcoming wrestling show in Canada quickly led to a chance-meeting between the two afterwards, at which point they got to know each other properly. Slater and Amy would date for a few months before they got into a serious relationship. In 2009, Slater discovered Amy was pregnant, rushing them into a marriage that Slater and Amy hoped would have come about later in time.
Deciding to stay home with Gabriel - and with Slater travelling constantly to wrestle - Amy ended her Journalist work and became a Legal Secretary. The three of them lived in Toronto, Ontario from 2009 onwards, whereby Slater was allocated a Canadian visa. As of 2013, Slater became a certified Canadian citizen.
Unfortunately, problems with their relationship began to emerge in late 2010. After dealing with the untimely deaths of his parents and his brother, Slater became cold and bitter about the constant backstabbing he was receiving in professional wrestling. However, not only was this attitude change an issue to Amy, but Slater's future affiliation with Cera and their subsequent Tag Team brought about jealousy and anger. With the two constantly at odds and unable to compromise, they eventually agreed to separate. Sadly, this meant Amy earned complete custody of Gabriel, whom Amy kept away from Slater until he amended his attitude and his priorities. Slater and Cera became an item shortly after the divorce was confirmed.
By February 2012, Slater and Cera's relationship broke apart when Slater began to miss his son, deciding to leave the wrestling industry for a while so he could fix his flaws. After months of therapy and re-gaining the respect and adulation of his supporters and peers, Slater was finally able to see Gabriel again, under strict supervision from Amy. Amy, still holding a grudge, maintained coldness towards him. This eventually began to change over the months that followed, seeing Slater become the person he used to be and the one she fell in love with.
As of late 2014, Amy and Slater decided to get back together, mainly due to aiding Gabriel's upbringing and giving him a family childhood. The two of them do not share the same love they used to, but there is compassion and care for each other as a couple.
Unfortunately, history would repeat itself in late 2015. Slater not only returned to professional wrestling - which Amy pleaded with him not to do - but he also accepted the request from Jen Ryette to help Cera with her recent troubles, saying that deep inside she wanted someone who knew her to be there for her. Understandably enraged, Amy questioned Slater's heart and his objectives, ultimately telling him that "it's either her or me".
After Gabriel was kidnapped by hired officials - an event that was delivered to Slater via video message - Amy blamed Slater once again for endangering their son. Despite Gabriel coming to no harm, Slater decided that enough was enough, breaking up with Amy after she rudely questioned his parental skills.
Matt Falcon
Picture Base: Doug Williams
Born on November 26th 1981 in Manchester, England, Matt "The Guvna" Falcon used to be a professional wrestler from 1998 to 2007. He is known for his tendency to wear outlandish, flamboyantly-coloured suits and other pieces of clothing that match his unorthodox style. He is a devout supporter of anything British, and is fond of pop-culture references. partying until the early hours of the morning and having countless hours of fun. He will also get into fights with people if they insult him, and he isn't ashamed to let loose. He is a smoker, a drinker and a constant pursuer of women, making him a complete opposite of Slater in many regards. He will also pull pranks on people to affect them mentally. But whilst his personality and behaviour can be crude, obnoxious and strange, Falcon does care about his friends, and he will do anything to help them in times of need, even if his plans and ideas are ridiculous or back-fire horribly.
After Slater retired, Falcon went back to Chicago, Illinois to live with a Nurse named Claire, the same Nurse that helped him recover from his coma at the hands of Johnny Stylez' associates. The two are still together as of this writing.
Falcon's Signature Moves
Now That's What I Call British [Northern Lights Driver]
Crooked Teeth [Implant DDT]
Falcon Punch
Falcon's Championship and Achievement History
AcW World Tag Team Champion w/ Danny Rage (x4)
HcW Storm Champion
WWX Revolution Champion
EUWC United States Champion (x3)
WCSF International Champion
Cera
A former partner as part of the Dark Horse Society and later Merciless Demise. They were very successful as a team, winning the NEW World Tag Team Championships and becoming the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in the company's history. After Slater and Amy ended their marriage, he and Cera became a couple in secret. Eventually the public became wise to their bond, and as it became harder for the two to keep it under wraps, they were forced to accept that it was now common knowledge. By February 2012, when the two seemed to be inseparable, Slater began to have a change of heart regarding his cold attitude and stepped away from professional wrestling to mend himself. He attempted to keep in contact with Cera, but unfortunately, due to her historical abandonment issues, Cera ignored his messages, bitter and upset at his departure and feeling he had stopped caring about her.
Throughout the years, Slater tried to repair their broken bridge to no avail, showing he still had feelings for her and wanted to keep her safe from her inner demons. Finally, upon Slater's return from retirement, Jen Ryette asked Slater for support in helping Cera, saying she was mentally fading and becoming a danger to herself. Slater vowed to do whatever he could to help her, which ultimately cost him everything he had in his life. After Gabriel was kidnapped, Slater snapped and blamed Cera. Even though she was innocent, he still challenged her to a match at Double Jeopardy 2016 to prove he could handle her problems. Slater won the match, but immediately afterwards, Cera was attacked by a deranged fan and was rushed to the hospital, where she later died after going into cardiac arrest.
Jen Ryette
Associated with Slater due to being Cera's manager. Slater played an instrumetal part in persuading Jen to stop injecting Cera with a substance that badly affected her mentality, but it was Cera that ultimately stopped the injections from taking place. Jen asked for Slater's help in fixing Cera, a request that Slater fondly accepted, until she tragically passed away after heart failure.
Vanessa
A former ally as part of The Revolution and later The Court, which Vanessa founded. Gave Slater the moniker of The Silver Knight, a name that has been associated with him ever since. They also formed the Tag Team Golden Remedy in 2014 and became close friends. After VoW's Nothing Else Matters, Vanessa has not been seen since.
Reya Serra
A former ally as part of The Court. Slater was also considered a Janason family friend to Reya and deemed "Lionheart", as signified by the shield ornament in his house that Reya bought him as a gift, featuring a lion crest in its center.
Judas Dathyn
A former protégé until jealousy and paranoia caused him to attack Slater, ending their friendship. The two have been at odds ever since, with Dathyn even breaking Slater's arm with a Kimura Lock in 2012.
Dawn Ashby
Associated with Slater due to being Vanessa's manager. After Vanessa fired her, she became Slater's manager for a short time until Slater was forced to retire. Dawn has not been seen since. It is also rumoured she withheld a crush on him, but this has never been confirmed.
Brian Seles
Long-time opponent and ally; both men formed Worth Any Price in TEW and were the last TEW World Tag Team Champions. Slater defeated Seles in the latter's last match before retirement at TEW's Eye of the Storm PPV.
ENTRANCE
ENTRANCE THEME
"Morning Glory" by Oasis
ENTRANCE DESCRIPTION
The crowd react loudly as "Morning Glory" by Oasis begins to play, prompting powerful blue and white lights to circle around the arena. These lights continue to spread in a distinctive pattern as the song fully kicks in, at which point Matt Slater introduces himself, walking out from behind the curtain in his customary wrestling gear and an additional zip-up hoodie. Slater scans the crowd from the stage before he nods and looks towards the ring, eventually embarking on a slow walk down the ramp.
Slater reaches the ringside area and uses the stairs to ascend onto the apron. Looking around momentarily, Slater leaps up onto the top turnbuckle from the corner, keeping one foot on the top rope and the other on the middle rope. He surveys the crowd again in silence, absorbing the atmosphere of the moment before he jumps down into the ring. The crowd continue to cheer him as he gazes at the canvas deeply, only to dramatically spin and bound towards the hard camera with his arms outstretched, prompting the crowd to roar louder. Eventually, he smiles as he unzips his hoodie and removes it, passing it to a staff member at ringside shortly thereafter and getting one last warm up in.
WRESTLING INFORMATION
WRESTLING STYLE
Strong Style / European Technician
WRESTLING PERSONALITY
Formerly, Slater would stick with mat-based grapples, preferably chain wrestling, submissions and legal strikes. With his European Technician style, he would remain on the ground, and he wouldn't take critical risks often.
However, with Slater currently in his "True" personality status, wrestling a clean match no longer matters to him. He will now take more risks, attempt more aerial attacks and strike opponents when necessary. He will also use weapons when necessary and will bend the rules to exact revenge and gain vindication on those who have aggravated him.
Nonetheless, please keep in mind that he still has the "Silver Knight" status, which is part of the "True" status. This means he is likely to shake hands with a respectable opponent after a match if they have impressed him or earned a decent victory.
STRENGTHS
Technician - Slater is highly experienced with counters and defensive strategies, making him tough to hold down on the ground. He will also avoid obvious traps and deceptive ruses most of the time.
Iron Man - Due to his high level of cardio, he is capable of lasting long in a match in terms of stamina. He has the benefit of tiring larger opponents out, but this strategy will not work against lighter, faster opponents.
Courage - He is not easily beatable and should not be underestimated; his endurance and courage keeps him going.
Chain Wrestling - As has been noted, he is able to link moves and submission holds together, preferably on the ground in order to subdue opponents and keep the match at a desirable pace.
WEAKNESSES
Depression - Mind Games, if effective, will weaken his mentality and cause him to make more mistakes through anger or hesitation. However, they can also cause him to snap and adopt a stiffer, more risky game-plan; he will hurt the opponent more, but he will also be more susceptible to counters and make more mistakes.
Risk Taker - Given his recent mindset, Slater will now perform more risky moves, which can be a detriment at times. As a consequence of sticking to a safer game-plan, if he does go for a risky move, it will usually never pay off as intended.
Hardcore Style - He is immediately at a disadvantage in hardcore environments, due to his lack of experience with weapons. Chairs, Tables and Ladders are the only exceptions to this rule.
Career Fatigue - His neck and left shoulder are his weak points. At this point in his career, he is more likely to pass out or tap out from a submission aimed at his neck or left shoulder. He will also stay down easier if his neck suffers substantial damage.
STRIKE MOVES
Knife Edge Chop
Mid-Section Kick
Leg Kick
Knee Strike to Body
Knee Strike to Face
Forearm Smash
Rolling Elbow
Standing Lariat
FRONT GRAPPLE MOVES
Headlock Takeover
Snapmare
Arm Drag
Armbar Takedown
Divorce Court Armbreaker
Dragon Screw Leg Whip
Double Leg Takedown
Spinning Drop Toe Hold
Snap Suplex
Vertical Suplex
Gutwrench Suplex
Butterfly Suplex
Northern Lights Suplex
Overhead Belly-to-Belly Suplex
T-Bone Suplex
Swinging Neckbreaker
Neckbreaker to Knee
Shoulderbreaker
Gutbuster
Small Package
BACK GRAPPLE MOVES
Back Side Slam
Side Backbreaker
Back Suplex
German Suplex
Cross-Arm German Suplex
Abdominal Stretch
Sleeper Hold - Sometimes with a Body Scissors
GROUND MOVES
Knee Drop
Elbow Drop
Clubbing Axe Handle
Side Headlock
Front Facelock
Hammerlock
Sleeper Hold
Reverse Chin Lock
Figure Four Neck Lock
Stepover Armlock
Crucifix Armbar
Bridging Fujiwara Armbar
Heel Hook
Reverse Heel Hook
Indian Deathlock
Single Leg Crab
Mahistrol Cradle Pin
CORNER MOVES
Superplex
Super Belly-to-Belly Suplex
Super Back Suplex
Super German Suplex
AERIAL MOVES
Suicide Dive
Diving Crossbody
Missile Dropkick
Elbow Drop
RUNNING MOVES
Clothesline
Flying Forearm Smash
Knee Lift (Kitchen Sink)
Diving Swinging Neckbreaker
Twisting Backslide Pin
RUNNING COUNTER MOVES
Standing Dropkick
Arm Drag
Drop Toe Hold
Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker
Belly-to-Belly Suplex
SIGNATURE MOVES
Triple German Suplex
Grapevine Ankle Lock
Butterfly Backbreaker
Butterfly Neckbreaker
Shining Force [Fisherman Driver]
Raining Shadows [Jumping Double Knee Facebuster]
Zero Tolerance [Sharpshooter]
FINISHING MOVES
Shockwave [Fireman's Carry Cutter]
Justice Granted [STF]
SUPER FINISHING MOVES
Another Brick In The Wall [One-Handed Electric Chair Driver]
Zero Tolerance II [Rivera Cloverleaf]
RARE MOVES - PPV OR BIG MATCHES ONLY
Iron Will [Tiger Suplex]
Moonsault
Romero Special
Muta Lock
CHAMPIONSHIPS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
CHAMPIONSHIPS
ACW World Tag Team Champion
CWX World Heavyweight Champion
GWF Pride Champion (x2)
TEW Ultimate Chance Contract
TEW World Tag Team Champion (Last Ever w/ Brian Seles)
TEW Continental Champion (Last Ever; Unified with the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship vs. Jason Scene)
NEW World Tag Team Champion (x2)
NEW Youngblood Champion
NEW World Heavyweight Champion
NEW Trans-Atlantic Champion
New Era No Limits Champion
AWARDS
G-Fed Face of the Year [2008]
G-Fed Match of the Year - vs. Mike Park in a Steel Cage Match at CWX: Rage In The Cage [2008]
Mr. CWX Trophy Award [2009]
NEW Best Newcomer of the Year [2010]
NEW Best Tag Team of the Year [Merciless Demise w/ Cera] [2011]
NEW Best World Heavyweight Champion of the Year [2013]
NEW Best Face of the Year [2013]
NEW Hall of Fame [2013]
GWF Hall of Fame [2013]
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
ACW:U Graduate [2008]
NEW World War X Stable Wars Sole Survivor [2012]
NEW Terrordome Match Winner [2013]
Undefeated in Hell in a Cell Matches - 4-0
BIOGRAPHY
PERSONAL INFORMATION
PICTURE BASE
Garrett Hedlund
NICK NAME(S)
None
HEIGHT
6'1"
WEIGHT
220lbs
D.O.B
April 2nd 1984
HOMETOWN
Manchester, England
BILLED FROM
Manchester, England
RESIDES IN
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
ALIGNMENT
Tweener
TRAINED BY
Joe Griffin
Manchester Wrestling Academy
MANAGER(S)
None
CURRENT ACCOLADE(S)
None
APPEARANCE
RING ATTIRE
Slater commonly wears padded cut-off gloves, light blue, royal red, black or silver wrestling trunks, and black boots with kickpads that are attached to knee pads. His entrance attire consists of a blue, black or white zip-up hoodie.
Outside the ring, Slater normally wears smart casual clothing.
Slater periodically wore a mask to protect his face after suffering the deadly Red Mist from Seth Iser. It was black and silver with blue lenses and golden pattern edging. After retiring from in-ring competition, Slater's face fully healed, allowing him to remove the mask completely.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
Although not designed to be a tattoo, there remain faint scars on Slater's stomach that spell the word "TAINTED", inflicted by Cera during the duo's partnership as Merciless Demise. Having expressed his displeasure with being known as a tainted specimen - a mark he proudly wore as an ironic declaration during his cold, depressive period - Slater paid to surgically disguise the scars with skin-grafting. Although successful, the word can still be made out in specific lighting.
CAREER INJURIES
Matt Slater has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, a Semi-Compound Fracture in his right arm, various burns, a broken nose and two broken ribs. He was also in intensive care for two weeks after suffering substantial head trauma. Through therapy and psychological examinations, Slater was able to make a full recovery.
His most notable injuries, however, are several left shoulder dislocations and a neck injury after being spiked on his head twice by Seth Iser's "Black Magic" Tombstone Piledriver. It was these injuries that prompted him to retire for over a year, and although he has returned to in-ring competition, he is much slower and less mobile than he used to be.
PERSONALITY AND AFFILIATED CHARACTERS
PERSONALITY
Due to recent events, the entire spectrum of Slater's personality has finally been revealed. The stages he has gone through are as follows.
"Fun/Heinous" Status
Slater has always been a somewhat intelligent person, managing to read between the lines while sometimes using symbolism to convey his points. However, throughout his teenage and young adult years, Slater was a much different person. He was sociable, fun-loving and adventurous, but he was also a chaotic miscreant, starting fights for his own entertainment and to test his durability. He would also make wise-ass, sarcastic remarks, swore frequently, consume vast amounts of alcohol, and pursue various women in order to quence his sexual urges, never settling for one in particular. As far as women went, those who possessed an attractive gothic or rock-type look were deep-rooted as a preference, based on his adoration of progressive rock and metal music.
After being group-attacked outside a night club due to his reckless behaviour, Slater spent two weeks recovering in the hospital, whereby psychological tests buried the aspects of himself he later deemed "heinous". This was seen as a coping mechanism, cleansing him of his issues and elevating the positive attributes he contained.
"Samaritan" Status
No longer brash and immature, Slater channelled forth his positive values to subdue the parts of his personality he wanted to restrain. He did not want to become this type of person again, despite knowing that these behavioural attributes would never leave his system. He became respectful, courteous and trustworthy, valuing the essence of other's lives as well as his own. This also made him want to see the good in others - primarily to help them change as he had done - but this sometimes caused him to walk into betrayals and deceptive schemes. Because of this, at least as of recently, Slater chooses who to trust and who to support very carefully.
Interestingly enough, Slater's affiliation with Falcon - a former wrestler who seemed to embrace the type of life that Slater wanted to eliminate - may have been formed as a way to see what he would become if he failed to keep his old life subdued.
"Cold" Status
Slater's strict refusal to balance his personality traits caused him to adopt notable flaws. He became boring and introverted, and he suppressed his grief and anger, which formed clinical depression when he was unable and/or unwilling to release his sadness. After absorbing the deaths of his brother and parents, he gradually exposed another side of himself he had never tried to control: his cold and merciless side. Eventually, Slater did begin to mentally battle against his coldness, utilizing his positive values as much as he could to restore what he believed people wanted him to be.
"Silver Knight" Status
This in turn, however, caused Slater to overcompensate for his myriad of failures in recent years. He forced himself to protect what he had left with obsessive, sometimes unhealthy loyalty, and also forced himself to help others so that he could amend his previous mistakes. He wanted to fight for the impoverished and vulnerable as well as his family, friends and useful charities, becoming a "Silver Knight" to them as he pursued justice with honor and nobility; not just in Professional Wrestling, but in everyday life.
Additionally - although not exactly a personality trait - Slater stubbornly valued the old-school traditions of professional wrestling and aimed to keep sportsmanship and respect alive in the industry. While embraced for his pure devotion to the sport, he has also been criticized for his out-of-touch beliefs, citing the hardcore style as a stain on professional wrestling's canvas. This was due to relying on the goodness in himself so that he could not be tempted to use weapons and bend some rules that his former self would have done, even for the sake of justice and vindication.
Due to this obsession and his perceived stubbornness, his devotion to helping Cera started a chain reaction that cost him dearly; his coaching job at Simcoe Wrestling Club, his second-chance relationship with his ex-wife Amy Frankfort, and the parental guidance of his son Gabriel on a frequent basis.
"True" Status
Once Cera passed away after she went into cardiac arrest, and with Professional Wrestling becoming a shambolic mess, Slater mentally crashed. After going into a deep distress for days on end, whereby he isolated himself from the public and everyone he knew, his mind and the barriers he installed figuratively broke apart, unable to handle the grief and rage he contained for everyone and everything, including himself. This episode has now meshed all of his personality traits together into an enhanced, unpredictable bundle, making him what could be deemed his "true" self. It is unclear how he will be at any given time, which means substantial trauma, combined with the remnants of his depression, is a possible cause of this reaction.
Currently, Slater is in the "True" status stage, which combines his "Fun/Heinous", "Samaritan" and "Cold" personality traits into one, disorganized form.
CURRENT AFFILIATIONS
Gabriel Slater
Slater's son. He was born on November 18th 2009 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
FORMER AFFILIATIONS
Amy Frankfort
Picture Base: Elisha Cuthbert
Born on January 6th 1985 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Amy Frankfort worked as a Journalist for a local news station when she met Slater for the first time in early 2008. A standard interview about his career and an upcoming wrestling show in Canada quickly led to a chance-meeting between the two afterwards, at which point they got to know each other properly. Slater and Amy would date for a few months before they got into a serious relationship. In 2009, Slater discovered Amy was pregnant, rushing them into a marriage that Slater and Amy hoped would have come about later in time.
Deciding to stay home with Gabriel - and with Slater travelling constantly to wrestle - Amy ended her Journalist work and became a Legal Secretary. The three of them lived in Toronto, Ontario from 2009 onwards, whereby Slater was allocated a Canadian visa. As of 2013, Slater became a certified Canadian citizen.
Unfortunately, problems with their relationship began to emerge in late 2010. After dealing with the untimely deaths of his parents and his brother, Slater became cold and bitter about the constant backstabbing he was receiving in professional wrestling. However, not only was this attitude change an issue to Amy, but Slater's future affiliation with Cera and their subsequent Tag Team brought about jealousy and anger. With the two constantly at odds and unable to compromise, they eventually agreed to separate. Sadly, this meant Amy earned complete custody of Gabriel, whom Amy kept away from Slater until he amended his attitude and his priorities. Slater and Cera became an item shortly after the divorce was confirmed.
By February 2012, Slater and Cera's relationship broke apart when Slater began to miss his son, deciding to leave the wrestling industry for a while so he could fix his flaws. After months of therapy and re-gaining the respect and adulation of his supporters and peers, Slater was finally able to see Gabriel again, under strict supervision from Amy. Amy, still holding a grudge, maintained coldness towards him. This eventually began to change over the months that followed, seeing Slater become the person he used to be and the one she fell in love with.
As of late 2014, Amy and Slater decided to get back together, mainly due to aiding Gabriel's upbringing and giving him a family childhood. The two of them do not share the same love they used to, but there is compassion and care for each other as a couple.
Unfortunately, history would repeat itself in late 2015. Slater not only returned to professional wrestling - which Amy pleaded with him not to do - but he also accepted the request from Jen Ryette to help Cera with her recent troubles, saying that deep inside she wanted someone who knew her to be there for her. Understandably enraged, Amy questioned Slater's heart and his objectives, ultimately telling him that "it's either her or me".
After Gabriel was kidnapped by hired officials - an event that was delivered to Slater via video message - Amy blamed Slater once again for endangering their son. Despite Gabriel coming to no harm, Slater decided that enough was enough, breaking up with Amy after she rudely questioned his parental skills.
Matt Falcon
Picture Base: Doug Williams
Born on November 26th 1981 in Manchester, England, Matt "The Guvna" Falcon used to be a professional wrestler from 1998 to 2007. He is known for his tendency to wear outlandish, flamboyantly-coloured suits and other pieces of clothing that match his unorthodox style. He is a devout supporter of anything British, and is fond of pop-culture references. partying until the early hours of the morning and having countless hours of fun. He will also get into fights with people if they insult him, and he isn't ashamed to let loose. He is a smoker, a drinker and a constant pursuer of women, making him a complete opposite of Slater in many regards. He will also pull pranks on people to affect them mentally. But whilst his personality and behaviour can be crude, obnoxious and strange, Falcon does care about his friends, and he will do anything to help them in times of need, even if his plans and ideas are ridiculous or back-fire horribly.
After Slater retired, Falcon went back to Chicago, Illinois to live with a Nurse named Claire, the same Nurse that helped him recover from his coma at the hands of Johnny Stylez' associates. The two are still together as of this writing.
Falcon's Signature Moves
Now That's What I Call British [Northern Lights Driver]
Crooked Teeth [Implant DDT]
Falcon Punch
Falcon's Championship and Achievement History
AcW World Tag Team Champion w/ Danny Rage (x4)
HcW Storm Champion
WWX Revolution Champion
EUWC United States Champion (x3)
WCSF International Champion
Cera
A former partner as part of the Dark Horse Society and later Merciless Demise. They were very successful as a team, winning the NEW World Tag Team Championships and becoming the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in the company's history. After Slater and Amy ended their marriage, he and Cera became a couple in secret. Eventually the public became wise to their bond, and as it became harder for the two to keep it under wraps, they were forced to accept that it was now common knowledge. By February 2012, when the two seemed to be inseparable, Slater began to have a change of heart regarding his cold attitude and stepped away from professional wrestling to mend himself. He attempted to keep in contact with Cera, but unfortunately, due to her historical abandonment issues, Cera ignored his messages, bitter and upset at his departure and feeling he had stopped caring about her.
Throughout the years, Slater tried to repair their broken bridge to no avail, showing he still had feelings for her and wanted to keep her safe from her inner demons. Finally, upon Slater's return from retirement, Jen Ryette asked Slater for support in helping Cera, saying she was mentally fading and becoming a danger to herself. Slater vowed to do whatever he could to help her, which ultimately cost him everything he had in his life. After Gabriel was kidnapped, Slater snapped and blamed Cera. Even though she was innocent, he still challenged her to a match at Double Jeopardy 2016 to prove he could handle her problems. Slater won the match, but immediately afterwards, Cera was attacked by a deranged fan and was rushed to the hospital, where she later died after going into cardiac arrest.
Jen Ryette
Associated with Slater due to being Cera's manager. Slater played an instrumetal part in persuading Jen to stop injecting Cera with a substance that badly affected her mentality, but it was Cera that ultimately stopped the injections from taking place. Jen asked for Slater's help in fixing Cera, a request that Slater fondly accepted, until she tragically passed away after heart failure.
Vanessa
A former ally as part of The Revolution and later The Court, which Vanessa founded. Gave Slater the moniker of The Silver Knight, a name that has been associated with him ever since. They also formed the Tag Team Golden Remedy in 2014 and became close friends. After VoW's Nothing Else Matters, Vanessa has not been seen since.
Reya Serra
A former ally as part of The Court. Slater was also considered a Janason family friend to Reya and deemed "Lionheart", as signified by the shield ornament in his house that Reya bought him as a gift, featuring a lion crest in its center.
Judas Dathyn
A former protégé until jealousy and paranoia caused him to attack Slater, ending their friendship. The two have been at odds ever since, with Dathyn even breaking Slater's arm with a Kimura Lock in 2012.
Dawn Ashby
Associated with Slater due to being Vanessa's manager. After Vanessa fired her, she became Slater's manager for a short time until Slater was forced to retire. Dawn has not been seen since. It is also rumoured she withheld a crush on him, but this has never been confirmed.
Brian Seles
Long-time opponent and ally; both men formed Worth Any Price in TEW and were the last TEW World Tag Team Champions. Slater defeated Seles in the latter's last match before retirement at TEW's Eye of the Storm PPV.
ENTRANCE
ENTRANCE THEME
"Morning Glory" by Oasis
ENTRANCE DESCRIPTION
The crowd react loudly as "Morning Glory" by Oasis begins to play, prompting powerful blue and white lights to circle around the arena. These lights continue to spread in a distinctive pattern as the song fully kicks in, at which point Matt Slater introduces himself, walking out from behind the curtain in his customary wrestling gear and an additional zip-up hoodie. Slater scans the crowd from the stage before he nods and looks towards the ring, eventually embarking on a slow walk down the ramp.
Slater reaches the ringside area and uses the stairs to ascend onto the apron. Looking around momentarily, Slater leaps up onto the top turnbuckle from the corner, keeping one foot on the top rope and the other on the middle rope. He surveys the crowd again in silence, absorbing the atmosphere of the moment before he jumps down into the ring. The crowd continue to cheer him as he gazes at the canvas deeply, only to dramatically spin and bound towards the hard camera with his arms outstretched, prompting the crowd to roar louder. Eventually, he smiles as he unzips his hoodie and removes it, passing it to a staff member at ringside shortly thereafter and getting one last warm up in.
WRESTLING INFORMATION
WRESTLING STYLE
Strong Style / European Technician
WRESTLING PERSONALITY
Formerly, Slater would stick with mat-based grapples, preferably chain wrestling, submissions and legal strikes. With his European Technician style, he would remain on the ground, and he wouldn't take critical risks often.
However, with Slater currently in his "True" personality status, wrestling a clean match no longer matters to him. He will now take more risks, attempt more aerial attacks and strike opponents when necessary. He will also use weapons when necessary and will bend the rules to exact revenge and gain vindication on those who have aggravated him.
Nonetheless, please keep in mind that he still has the "Silver Knight" status, which is part of the "True" status. This means he is likely to shake hands with a respectable opponent after a match if they have impressed him or earned a decent victory.
STRENGTHS
Technician - Slater is highly experienced with counters and defensive strategies, making him tough to hold down on the ground. He will also avoid obvious traps and deceptive ruses most of the time.
Iron Man - Due to his high level of cardio, he is capable of lasting long in a match in terms of stamina. He has the benefit of tiring larger opponents out, but this strategy will not work against lighter, faster opponents.
Courage - He is not easily beatable and should not be underestimated; his endurance and courage keeps him going.
Chain Wrestling - As has been noted, he is able to link moves and submission holds together, preferably on the ground in order to subdue opponents and keep the match at a desirable pace.
WEAKNESSES
Depression - Mind Games, if effective, will weaken his mentality and cause him to make more mistakes through anger or hesitation. However, they can also cause him to snap and adopt a stiffer, more risky game-plan; he will hurt the opponent more, but he will also be more susceptible to counters and make more mistakes.
Risk Taker - Given his recent mindset, Slater will now perform more risky moves, which can be a detriment at times. As a consequence of sticking to a safer game-plan, if he does go for a risky move, it will usually never pay off as intended.
Hardcore Style - He is immediately at a disadvantage in hardcore environments, due to his lack of experience with weapons. Chairs, Tables and Ladders are the only exceptions to this rule.
Career Fatigue - His neck and left shoulder are his weak points. At this point in his career, he is more likely to pass out or tap out from a submission aimed at his neck or left shoulder. He will also stay down easier if his neck suffers substantial damage.
STRIKE MOVES
Knife Edge Chop
Mid-Section Kick
Leg Kick
Knee Strike to Body
Knee Strike to Face
Forearm Smash
Rolling Elbow
Standing Lariat
FRONT GRAPPLE MOVES
Headlock Takeover
Snapmare
Arm Drag
Armbar Takedown
Divorce Court Armbreaker
Dragon Screw Leg Whip
Double Leg Takedown
Spinning Drop Toe Hold
Snap Suplex
Vertical Suplex
Gutwrench Suplex
Butterfly Suplex
Northern Lights Suplex
Overhead Belly-to-Belly Suplex
T-Bone Suplex
Swinging Neckbreaker
Neckbreaker to Knee
Shoulderbreaker
Gutbuster
Small Package
BACK GRAPPLE MOVES
Back Side Slam
Side Backbreaker
Back Suplex
German Suplex
Cross-Arm German Suplex
Abdominal Stretch
Sleeper Hold - Sometimes with a Body Scissors
GROUND MOVES
Knee Drop
Elbow Drop
Clubbing Axe Handle
Side Headlock
Front Facelock
Hammerlock
Sleeper Hold
Reverse Chin Lock
Figure Four Neck Lock
Stepover Armlock
Crucifix Armbar
Bridging Fujiwara Armbar
Heel Hook
Reverse Heel Hook
Indian Deathlock
Single Leg Crab
Mahistrol Cradle Pin
CORNER MOVES
Superplex
Super Belly-to-Belly Suplex
Super Back Suplex
Super German Suplex
AERIAL MOVES
Suicide Dive
Diving Crossbody
Missile Dropkick
Elbow Drop
RUNNING MOVES
Clothesline
Flying Forearm Smash
Knee Lift (Kitchen Sink)
Diving Swinging Neckbreaker
Twisting Backslide Pin
RUNNING COUNTER MOVES
Standing Dropkick
Arm Drag
Drop Toe Hold
Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker
Belly-to-Belly Suplex
SIGNATURE MOVES
Triple German Suplex
Grapevine Ankle Lock
Butterfly Backbreaker
Butterfly Neckbreaker
Shining Force [Fisherman Driver]
Raining Shadows [Jumping Double Knee Facebuster]
Zero Tolerance [Sharpshooter]
FINISHING MOVES
Shockwave [Fireman's Carry Cutter]
Justice Granted [STF]
SUPER FINISHING MOVES
Another Brick In The Wall [One-Handed Electric Chair Driver]
Zero Tolerance II [Rivera Cloverleaf]
RARE MOVES - PPV OR BIG MATCHES ONLY
Iron Will [Tiger Suplex]
Moonsault
Romero Special
Muta Lock
CHAMPIONSHIPS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
CHAMPIONSHIPS
ACW World Tag Team Champion
CWX World Heavyweight Champion
GWF Pride Champion (x2)
TEW Ultimate Chance Contract
TEW World Tag Team Champion (Last Ever w/ Brian Seles)
TEW Continental Champion (Last Ever; Unified with the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship vs. Jason Scene)
NEW World Tag Team Champion (x2)
NEW Youngblood Champion
NEW World Heavyweight Champion
NEW Trans-Atlantic Champion
New Era No Limits Champion
AWARDS
G-Fed Face of the Year [2008]
G-Fed Match of the Year - vs. Mike Park in a Steel Cage Match at CWX: Rage In The Cage [2008]
Mr. CWX Trophy Award [2009]
NEW Best Newcomer of the Year [2010]
NEW Best Tag Team of the Year [Merciless Demise w/ Cera] [2011]
NEW Best World Heavyweight Champion of the Year [2013]
NEW Best Face of the Year [2013]
NEW Hall of Fame [2013]
GWF Hall of Fame [2013]
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
ACW:U Graduate [2008]
NEW World War X Stable Wars Sole Survivor [2012]
NEW Terrordome Match Winner [2013]
Undefeated in Hell in a Cell Matches - 4-0
BIOGRAPHY
Matt Slater was born in Manchester, England to a working class family. Although he was brought up to be mature and disciplined, Slater's rebellious attitude surfaced during his young adult years. Experimenting with drugs and consuming excessive amounts of alcohol became a weekly occurrence, and Slater often got into trouble because of his behaviour. However, after an altercation outside a Night Club in 2000, an altercation that put him into intensive care for two weeks after suffering head trauma and substantial blood loss, Slater gradually recovered and began to get his life back on track. He stopped taking drugs and drinking on a constant basis, although his smoking habit continued into his later years.
After modifying his lifestyle for the better, Slater attended and successfully graduated Open University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Language and Literature before becoming a Public Administrator, a role that also gave him the chance to work in Human Resources. Although he considered a career in Business Administration a more beneficial route, Slater couldn't keep himself from pursuing Professional Wrestling, an aspiration he had long since dreamed about since the age of nine. His ambitions were further strengthened by the influential stories of his Grandfather, Bernard Slater, a man who had wrestled during the sixties and seventies.
Deciding to pursue his dream in Professional Wrestling, Slater learned his craft in the Manchester Wrestling Academy in 2003. Slater would then make his professional debut in 2004 in United Kingdom Pro (UK:Pro). Sadly, Slater's Grandfather passed away before he had the chance to witness his grandson compete for the first time in the ring, but he did leave him with a family heirloom before his death; a golden pendant that Slater constantly wore on his person as a reminder of the past, yet as a guide for his unwritten future.
Slater would continue to wrestle for the promotion throughout the United Kingdom, but he would also hone his craft and gain exposure across Europe, working overseas cross-promotional tours in Germany, France, Italy and Russia. Slater would also go on tours to Japan, further adding to his repertoire and gaining a cult following. In 2008, Slater received a call from a Talent Scout in the United States, working for a promotion called Augusta Championship Wrestling. Believing this to be a positive step, Slater accepted the invitation, shared his information, and journeyed across the Atlantic for the first time.
Signed under the University brand, Slater made his debut against another debuting competitor that would soon become one of his closest allies and mutual rivals: Brian Seles. The two would excite and amaze the crowd at ACW:U Spring Breakout in Miami Beach, Florida with their technical skills and abilities, making it quite possibly the best match on the show, which Brian Seles won. Following his disappointing defeat, Slater would impressively rebound, becoming the No.1 Contender to the ACW:U Championship. Slater's championship opportunity would come at ACW:U Free Fall, competing against ACW:U Champion Jordan Lagrove, Brian Seles, Saint Joey and Camron Creed. Unfortunately Slater was eliminated by Saint Joey during the match, which would later be won by Camron Creed. Slater damaged his ankle during this contest, resulting in a one month rest that abruptly-halted Slater's growing momentum.
During his time-off, Slater would meet Amy Frankfort, working as a Canadian Journalist, for the first time. The two became fully attached after Slater graduated to the main roster of Augusta Championship Wrestling, and they would later get engaged and marry during Slater's time in Championship Wrestling X. They would have their first and only child, Gabriel James Slater, on November 18th 2009.
After returning from injury, Slater continued his rise up the ranks. This would lead to the biggest match of Slater's career up to this point: fighting for graduation against three other hungry challengers. Competing against Saint Joey, Paul Smith and Brian Seles in a Four Way Ladder Match at ACW:U Cage Wars, Slater managed to achieve his goal of graduating to the main roster of Augusta Championship Wrestling, unhooking one of the three briefcases that were available for acquisition.
One week later, Slater would make his debut in Augusta Championship Wrestling against then-LVCW World Heavyweight Champion Jayson Burr, a man representing the final remnants of the defunct Las Vegas Championship Wrestling - a subsidiary promotion of ACW - before he would unify the championship against ACW World Heavyweight Champion Deathstroke. Not only would Slater defeat Burr, but he would make the resilient champion submit, cementing Slater's placement on the main roster in the process.
Eventually, Slater would align himself with the two other graduates of ACW:U. Known as Genesis, the faction of Slater, Saint Joey and Paul Smith announced that they were driven more than ever to make an impact. However, the group didn't last very long; in fact, it lasted a total of two weeks. After Saint Joey was released from his contract due to his issues with management, Slater and Paul Smith kept the name Genesis for their formulated Tag Team.
At ACW Blood Battle, Slater would win his first championship as he and Paul Smith competed against then-ACW General Manager Super Maniac and George Cassidy, unseating them from their collective thrones and becoming the new ACW Tag Team Champions. Their reign would be a disappointment though, only lasting one week before they were defeated by Deathstroke and Brian Hart.
Despite the loss of gold, Slater had the chance to win another. Being selected as a potential contender to the ACW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship, Slater competed against Paul Smith on what would be ACW's final show in a match that would qualify the winner as an entrant into an Elimination Chamber Match. Frustration would surface for both men as they reached a time-limit draw, meaning that neither of them would enter the colossal structure and fight to become the champion. Slater would sign with Championship Wrestling X (CWX) shortly thereafter, a company that would push Slater into the limelight and expose his talents more than ever before.
Upon entering Championship Wrestling X, Slater would establish what would become the start of his respectable legacy in the promotion. Impressed by Slater's work ethic and attitude, CWX Owner Enforcer decided to give his new acquisition a chance at ultimate glory, putting him against Kris Obelix for the CWX World Heavyweight Championship. At CWX Operation California in Davis, California, Slater became the talk of the wrestling world when he defeated Kris Obelix, becoming the new CWX World Heavyweight Champion.
With his loyalties growing for CWX, Slater vowed that he would never defect and would stand proud as a CWX soldier, protecting the promotion from being overrun and corrupted. Another man who made these promises was then-CWX North American Champion Jason Blade, a man that Slater would defeat in a classic match at the following event with the CWX World Heavyweight Championship on the line.
At the 2nd Anniversary Show, Slater and Enforcer took on Ironman and Cross in a Tag Team Match. Plague would make his presence known at this time, joining Ironman and Cross and creating an alliance known as The Movement. However, another wrestler would shockingly appear and decimate Slater after he and Enforcer won the match, a man that Slater had the utmost respect for after meeting him in Augusta Championship Wrestling: the legendary Mike Park. The two had agreed to one day have a wrestling match, but since that time, Park's mentality had changed, making him dark and unstable. After brutalizing Slater in the ring, Enforcer took charge and announced that Slater and Park would battle for the first time ever in a Steel Cage Match.
In a match that would be voted the Best Match of the Year in 2008, Slater defeated Park inside the unforgiving cage. During the match, Slater dislocated his left shoulder to avoid losing; an injury that would continue to occur during his career from then on.
At the beginning of 2009, for a Tribute to the Troops show in Iraq, Slater would once again defend his title, this time against the longest-reigning champion in the company's history, Mike Savior. Throughout this time The Movement were becoming a thorn in CWX's side more than ever, inciting riots and causing immense bloodshed with their violent tactics. They also brought more unique personalities into their ranks, such as Ice, Demon and Tha Joka. Cross also declared he would take the CWX Title away from Slater's grasp, but the champion wasn't about to cower away from the monstrous leader of the sadistic group.
Slater was given the chance to punish Cross in Manchester, England, taking him on in a Three Way Match that included CWX Legend Nick Manning for the CWX World Heavyweight Championship. Once again Slater retained the championship, but this only spurned on Cross' callous nature more and more.
Cross would get his second chance at the gold a month later in a match that would end in controversial fashion. After being busted open by a foreign object when the referee was down, Slater fought back against Cross and locked him in a Figure Four Leg Lock. However, the referee was concerned for Slater's health and stopped the match. Slater attempted to reason with the referee, but it was to no avail. Cross was declared the new CWX World Heavyweight Champion, putting an end to Slater's six month title reign. This would also mark Slater's first loss in the promotion since he joined in 2008.
Unfortunately, Slater's bitterness would increase as Ironman, who took control of CWX in Enforcer's injured absence, ended Slater's contract and sent him packing. With Slater unceremoniously released from CWX and with The Movement taking charge, his former alcoholism returned, causing a distressing rift between himself and Amy in the process. He would eventually find the strength to stop drinking, to repair his relationship with Amy and to get his head back in the game.
Slater returned to CWX to get his revenge against Cross and The Movement. Along with some of CWX's loyal soldiers, Slater cleared them from the ring with a steel chair, putting an end to a dark ceremony that chronicled their success in the company. Enforcer also returned and, as the majority owner of CWX, reinstated Slater, setting up a rematch between Slater and Cross in a Casket Match.
At CWX Back to Basix, one of CWX's biggest events of the year, Slater's retribution came to pass, locking Cross inside the Casket. But The Movement were still relatively strong, ending the night with a brawl against Slater, Jared Fox and Mike Savior that resulted in plenty of blood being spilled.
This would lead to one of Slater's last matches in the CWX as the company dealt with financial problems, losing against Ice due to some underhanded tactics. Finally, in Slater's last match before his contract expired, Slater lost a Three Way Match against eventual winner CWX World Heavyweight Champion Jared Fox and Chris Rayge. The Movement would eventually collapse in Slater's absence, but unfortunately, the CWX would also close before the year's end.
In the summer of 2009, Slater was awarded the Mr CWX Trophy for his incredible services, becoming only the second man to achieve the award after Mike Savior.
Whilst being signed with CWX in 2009, Slater was granted the privilege to extend his wrestling duties, signing a lucrative contract with the newly-formed promotion Global Wrestling Federation. While there, Slater would once again compete against the man he had beaten the previous year in a bloody Steel Cage Match: Mike Park. Park had dealt with his personal demons and appeared to be reformed, but Slater still remembered what had happened in CWX. This time however, Park garnered the victory. Despite losing against Park, Slater would accomplish something extraordinary at the next event. He would defeat the undefeated GWF World Heavyweight Champion Volcano Samson in a non-title match, which automatically made Slater a top contender for the gold.
Soon after, Slater would add another championship to his resume, defeating Mike Park for the GWF Pride Championship in a Last Man Standing Match. However, Slater would soon relinquish the championship. This was due to the state of his health after being unfairly released from Championship Wrestling X, which brought upon bitterness and alcoholism.
Upon returning to GWF a few months later, Slater would start off where he finished previously: holding the GWF Pride Championship for the second time after once again defeating Mike Park. Brian Hart also got involved in the contest, making it a Three Way. Afterward, Slater would team with John Bronson, and the pair would defeat Mike Park and Kyle Sync, known collectively as Street Light People. Unfortunately, Slater and Bronson would fail to win the GWF World Tag Team Championships a couple months later, once again facing the Street Light People and losing.
Following this, Slater would compete in a special six-person tournament for the vacant GWF World Heavyweight Championship. Two teams of three wrestlers were assigned, with Slater teaming with Nathan Schweekintou and Vice. On the other team were Mike Park, Kyle Sync and John Bronson. The first stage of the Tournament was simple: the team with the most victories would advance to the second round. Despite losing his match against John Bronson, Slater's team still advanced to the second round, with Vice defeating Kyle Sync and Schweekintou defeating Park. In the next round, Slater faced Vice and Schweekintou in a Three Way Match. The individual that was pinned would be eliminated from the Tournament, and the remaining two men would face each other for the GWF World Heavyweight Championship. Slater eliminated Schweekintou, setting up his anticipated match against Vice. At GWF Rude Awakening, Slater failed to win the GWF World Heavyweight Championship, being defeated by Vice after two Piledrivers.
After the PPV, Slater would once again have a fierce rivalry with Mike Park, a man that had once again succumbed unto his inner demons. However, the two men would fail to conclude their rivalry in the GWF. The company would shut its doors in the Autumn of 2009, resulting in Slater moving to a company that would build the foundations of his career on a grander stage.
After taking a break from wrestling, Slater would make his unannounced debut at Total Extreme Wrestling’s Blood Bath, hoping to stop the vicious war going on between Hunter Valentyne and Dave McDave that was bound to end in a Death Match. This in turn would result in a three-year long feud between Slater and Hunter, a man that would depart the TEW immediately after Blood Bath. Slater would make his official in-ring debut the week after TEW Blood Bath on Revitalize, defeating General Koz in a classic match that was deemed an early Match of the Year candidate.
Following his moral interruption at Blood Bath, Slater would proceed to help McDave with his inner demons, but he would also be embroiled in a rivalry with Timothy Eric Wilson, Hunter's illegitimate son. Destiny, Timothy's girlfriend, would also get involved, attempting to deceive Slater with promises of lust as her lover sought vengeance against the man that denied his father from being supreme.
Before TEW Warfare, Slater would form a team with his mutual rival and ally Brian Seles, a man that would join the company shortly after Slater's arrival.
At TEW Warfare, the duo would win the TEW World Tag Team Championships, becoming the last team to ever hold the championships after dethroning The Red Dragon and Last Chance. Slater and Seles would also take part in the Warfare Match, a match that Slater would enter at no.3. After dealing with Wilson and eliminating him from the match, Slater set his sights on claiming the vacant TEW World Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, Slater would fall at the very last hurdle, being eliminated by The Red Dragon and earning a Runner-Up spot.
Eventually, Slater would face his Tag Team partner Brian Seles for the second time, and just like in ACW:U, Slater fell in defeat to his Canadian counterpart. But despite another excruciating loss, Slater would once again rebound from failure, securing the TEW Ultimate Chance Contract after winning a 10-Man Over The Top Rope Battle Royal. The Contract gave Slater the opportunity to have a TEW World Heavyweight Championship Match at any event of his choice in the next six months.
Biding his time, Slater wanted to keep a firm hold of the Contract. However, his rivalry with Mike Park interfered with his plan, and Slater was pressured into defending the contract against Park at Cruise Control. Competing in a Ladder Match, Slater and Park ended up grabbing the contract at the same time, resulting in both men falling with the contract in end. The referees and officials could not work out which man had won, therefore Franco Cruz, the TEW Owner, improvised and declared that both men would each have a contract that they could cash-in in the next six months.
Slater would use his Contract to get into the Main Event of War of Ages, TEW's biggest event of the year, where he would compete against The Red Dragon, Dave McDave and Mike Park, who also opted to use his Contract for this exact purpose, for the TEW World Heavyweight Championship. Competing in a Four Way Iron Man Match, Slater sought to win his second World Title. Unfortunately, Slater missed a flying Moonsault onto The Red Dragon and Dave McDave, instead crashing through the announce table at ringside and knocking himself out. This mistake also resulted in a broken arm, forcing him out of the contest and putting him onto the sidelines for four months.
Upon returning to TEW, Slater set his sights on the recently-vacated TEW United States Championship. Participating in a mini-Tournament, Slater would make his way to the Final, where he would face Al Envy for the prestigious prize in a Ladder Match. Slater lost the match, resulting in Al Envy capturing the US Title for a record fourth time.
Despite the upsetting defeat, an old friend would return to brighten Slater's spirits: Brian Seles. Having been TEW World Champion in Slater's absence, Seles talked Slater into reforming their tag team, Worth Any Price. Word spread that the defunct Tag Team Titles could be reinstated, and since both men had been the last Tag Team Champions before Slater's injury, the duo were shoe-ins to contend for the gold. Revealing their plans to the world on Revitalize, Slater and Seles were ready to embark on a fresh journey of tag team opportunity. That was until the unthinkable happened: Seles blind-sided Slater with a Shining Wizard, laying his partner and friend out in a shocking turn of events.
Seles revealed his explanation the following week. Slater had never been able to defeat the Canadian Tornado, but no matter how much success Seles garnered, the people supported Slater more than him. Riled by pure jealousy, Seles wanted to prove once and for all that he was the better man. The next week, Seles challenged Slater to a match at Eye of the Storm. With nothing to lose, Slater accepted the challenge, only to be struck down yet again by Seles' Shining Wizard and a brutal steel chair shot.
At Eye of the Storm, which would turn out to not only be Brian Seles' last match in Professional Wrestling but TEW's last event before their sudden, startling closure, Slater finally defeated Brian Seles in the Main Event, needing to use three Shockwaves to put his former friend down. After the match, the two men seemed to share the same feeling of respect and closure, embracing as friends once more in front of the London, England crowd.
Once TEW announced its imminent collapse, Slater's contract was invalidated, making him able to sign with a new company. Seeking the best talent the world had to offer, Slater journeyed to Chicago to meet Jesse Styles and struck a deal to exclusively compete in New Edge Wrestling.
Almost immediately, Slater was thrust into a noteworthy challenge as the latest signing for New Edge Wrestling. His first opponent would be Adrien Specter, at the time the NEW Xtreme Champion and a former NEW Ignite World Heavyweight Champion a few weeks prior. On his debut, Slater turned a lot of heads when he defeated Specter, effectively putting the roster on notice. That included a man Slater had not seen for almost a year: Hunter Valentyne, who leapt at the opportunity to make Slater's life a living hell after what happened to his illegitimate son in TEW.
Slater soon aligned himself with Ryan Pugh and Inkt - collectively known as Tat N' Fat - and Roger Wright to get their revenge on the power-hungry Styles Mafia, which Hunter was a part of. However, at the now infamous Vodka and Violence PPV, Slater was betrayed by Roger Wright, helping Johnny Stylez to cave his head in with a Shovel after giving him the Wright Stuff. Slater would not be the only one to leave on a stretcher though, as Ryan Pugh also turned on his friend Inkt, bringing him down with his own shovel and giving the NEW World Tag Team Championships to Johnny and Hunter. The world were in shock and demanded an answer, especially Matt Slater.
Heading towards Tension in Texas, Slater set all of his energies on the group known as The Business - taking the place of the Styles Mafia - starting with the man that betrayed him through corruption, Roger Wright. Slater would also join a group called The Revolution, led by Adrien Specter, as a counter to The Business. The group also consisted of Al Envy - having made his return after the Vodka and Violence Main Event to attack Johnny Stylez - Apathy, Custard Creamer and Vanessa, a woman that Slater would become good friends and partners with over the course of his career.
Seen as a dream match by the fans, Slater and Roger made their match official with a Contract Signing after a sit-down interview, leading to a brawl that NEW Security had to break up. At the illustrious event, Slater seemingly had Roger beaten until Johnny Stylez showed up. Instead of attacking Slater, Johnny punched Roger in an act that appeared staged, giving Roger the win via Disqualification.
Knowing a rebellion was in full-swing, Jesse Styles came up with a gruesome concept to deal with their assorted enemies at World War X. It would be known as Stable Wars, a mass War Games-style Match that would pit five groups of four against each other with elimination-rules in effect.
Although Slater had allies to take down The Business and SIX, another group that was beginning to turn NEW into their personal horror show, there was no denying the string of attacks and betrayals were affecting his mentality. Throughout his career, Slater had been a man of justice and honor, but the accumulated betrayals over the years were making him wonder if the sport was worth saving from corruption. It didn't help matters that before World War X, Slater began to converse with Vanessa's sister Cera, a malevolent woman that adored pain and suffering, unlike her coffee-obsessed sibling. Not only was Cera transforming Slater's mind, but a man by the name of Xavier Xannon Xanders, otherwise known as Triple X, would get into Slater's ear, making him see that in the wrestling business, no one could truly be trusted.
At World War X, Slater entered Stable Wars as the third entrant for The Revolution, competing against The Business, SIX, The Ronin and the Dark Horse Society, led by Triple X. After being savagely double-teamed by Hunter Valentyne and Alexander Koresh, better known as Nocturnal and the co-leader of SIX, Slater was eliminated by his nemesis. The fans thought that was the end for Slater that evening, but the fans were in for another shock, this time one that would have tragic consequences in months to come. Before the event, DHS had teased a new member known only as The Masked Man. The Masked Man appeared as promised during the match, but whilst he was there, a second Masked Man entered the fray. The second Masked Man targeted Specter and gave him Slater's Shockwave, raising numerous eyebrows in the building. Once Triple X dispatched of Specter, he revealed the two Masked Men. One was Nick Haute, and the other, to everyone's awe, was Matt Slater. Slater had taken Triple X's word to heart and joined the ranks of the Dark Horse Society, featuring other alumni Jason Scene and Psycho, a group that would win Stable Wars as Triple X left the cage as the Soul Survivor.
Over the next couple of months, Slater's cold transformation would take its toll. He could no longer trust anyone except those who watched their own ilk, such as Cera, Scene and Triple X. The DHS eventually accepted Cera into their ranks, bringing her and Slater closer together.
Soon enough, Slater focused on NEW's biggest event of the year, Justice 3. His sole purpose was to destroy Hunter Valentyne in one-on-one action, but Hunter would take things way too far in a short amount of time. Hunter would soon be suspended indefinitely by the company, cancelling his match with Slater at Justice 3 and instead putting Slater in the Main Event Match: Terrordome.
With the chance of becoming the Undisputed NEW World Heavyweight Champion - the Ignite and Collision World Titles were set to be unified at the event - Slater knew his time had finally come. But he was so mentally warped and deluded before Justice 3 that he threw his family heirloom into the Indianapolis River, seeing it as a detrimental weakness. Contending with Johnny Stylez, Roger Wright, Adrien Specter, Nocturnal, Aaron Abraham and Vanessa, Slater fought his way to the top of the Terrordome, something that needed to be done in order to capture the NEW World Heavyweight Championship hanging high above. By the end, only three men remained; Slater, Triple X and Johnny Stylez. With Triple X nearing the World Title, kneeling precariously on the supportive scaffold underneath it, Slater had a career-defining choice to make; he could shove Triple X off and take the title for himself, or he could take Johnny Stylez out of the equation. With both Slater and Johnny on a ladder next to the scaffold, Slater made his choice. He grabbed Johnny and gave him a Shockwave off the ladder onto the steel floor below, sacrificing himself so that Triple X and DHS could reign supreme. Triple X won the match, but because of his selfless act, Slater received the old NEW Ignite World Heavyweight Championship as a gift from the DHS leader, a title that Slater would keep around for a short time until he destroyed it to symbolize Roger Wright's downfall later on.
Following this sacrificial act, Slater continued to battle for the Dark Horse Society. That was until the end of the Better Than You PPV, whereby Triple X stepped down as the leader of the DHS in order to lead the cRu, a group consisting of Johnny Stylez, Ryan Pugh, Inkt and Al Envy that would begin to re-shape the landscape of the company with their manipulative influence and brutal attacks. Once Scene departed what remained of the DHS to concentrate on his own affairs, Slater and Cera opted to form a Tag Team known as Merciless Demise, bringing an end to the group. Still, this did not change the fact that Slater and Triple X had been worthy companions, and Slater was primed to be the sixth member of the cRu for that very reason.
It appeared Slater's inclusion in the group was a certainty… until Triple X blasted Slater in the back of the head with the NEW World Heavyweight Championship belt, starting a gang-style beat-down on Slater that ended with Triple X laying out Slater with the Cataclysm. As Triple X would later mention, he manipulated Slater's mindset in order to keep him on top of the wrestling business, using his hatred of The Business to fuel his loyalty towards the Dark Horse Society. Once the cRu formed, there was no more use for the naive, foolish Slater, a man that would never amount to anything in the cRu's world.
Despite being battered and bruised from the beat-down, Slater valiantly fought for the NEW World Heavyweight Championship in a Steel Cage Match against Triple X. The match was hailed as a Match of the Year Candidate, and for the first time since March, Triple X was on the verge of losing the gold. However, as both men attempted to escape the cage at the same time - Slater scaling the cage and Triple X crawling towards the door - Ryan Pugh showed up to block Slater's escape. Slater jumped onto Pugh to take him out and land on the floor to win the match in dramatic fashion, but instead Pugh caught him and held on, waiting until Triple X hit the floor and retained his title before giving Slater a Powerbomb onto the steel cage.
Meanwhile, the partnership between Slater and Cera was starting to turn into something different. What had been mutual ambition was slowly turning into forbidden intimacy. Due to his cold behaviour and anger issues, Amy finally left Slater and divorced him during the summer. Seemingly unaffected by the loss of his wife and son, Slater spent more time with Cera, eventually forming an official loving relationship that would last several months. Cera would also brand Slater by carving "TAINTED" into his flesh with her knife, a mark that Cera also carved into Reya Serra to eternalise her connection with.
Slater and Cera would soon defeat Triple X and Johnny Stylez for the NEW World Tag Team Championships in a Tables Match, then held under Freebird Rules by the tyrannical group. Slater would once again get one over on the former DHS leader, putting Triple X through a table with a Death Valley Driver to seal his first championship in New Edge Wrestling. Slater and Cera would break the record for the longest reign any team had reached in New Edge history, defending the gold along the way against such teams as Al Envy and Johnny Stylez in a Ladder Match and the Misfits, a team comprising of Tommy Kain and Chip Shiller.
However, even as a champion in New Edge, Slater was still not immune to injury, nor was he immune to sneak attacks from old enemies. Slater was targeted by Aaron Abraham, having returned from injury after Slater put him on the shelf inside the Terrordome at Justice 3. Abraham wasted no time exacting his revenge, bashing Slater to oblivion with a chair before he crushed his arm with the chair and a Phoenix Splash, damaging the same arm Slater had broken in TEW. Slater was forced to sit on the sidelines as his arm healed, but fortunately he and Cera were not stripped of the World Tag Team Championships due to these circumstances.
At iSunday, during an Escape From Africa Match between Abraham and Cera for the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship whereby each combatant had to reach a Cargo Plane at the Airport first, Abraham was set to enter the plane until he was struck backward and down the stairs by a baseball bat. It was soon revealed to be Slater disguised in a black hood, watching Abraham from the hold as Cera entered the plane without aid and won the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship from one of her toughest rivals.
This led to Slater and Abraham agreeing to a match at Cold Front, a contest that would become a TLC Match for the Golden Contract Briefcase. Abraham would win the match at Cold Front, trapping Slater underneath the ladder and forcing him to watch Abraham's ascent to glory. Slater was willing to let this loss go, but once Slater discovered that Abraham was being groomed as the latest member of the cRu by Johnny Stylez, Slater's fury kicked into overdrive.
Knowing what had to be done, Slater aligned himself with The Court to take down the cRu once and for all, a group consisting of Adrien Specter, Vanessa, Reya Serra, Judas Dathan and Frank Finelli. It was not surprising that Slater's inclusion met distrust from Specter, remembering what happened at World War X. Even Cera was wary of her partner and future boyfriend's decision to join The Court, given her resentment of Specter and Vanessa and seeing the group as weaklings in a war that would have plenty of casualties. Nonetheless, Slater was christened as a Silver Knight by Vanessa, a chosen role that would evolve into Slater becoming the embodiment of honor and justice in later years.
Unfortunately, Slater's attempts at bringing down the cRu were futile, as he suffered a devastating loss to Ryan Pugh at Hallows Night Fight in a Casino Match for the vacant NEW Xtreme Championship. By the end of the year, Slater and Cera were in line to face Aaron Abraham for the NEW World Title after losing their World Tag Team Titles to Shane Sparx and Jarek Whitaker. Once Cera failed to capture the World Title, it was up to Slater to avenge the other half of Merciless Demise. At Convicted, Slater competed against Abraham, but not only did he lose the match, Abraham forced Slater to tap out, something that Slater had not done in two years of fierce competition. Humiliated by this loss, Slater took a short time to recover, only to return and fight his way to the NEW Youngblood Championship, which he pried from Kenath Israel's hands in decisive fashion.
Unfortunately, a pressing matter was coming up that Slater needed to consider. His contract was set to expire after World War X, and without renewal Slater would be stripped of the Youngblood Championship. Since Convicted, Slater had begun to question the darkness that dwelled within himself, beginning to realize that he was not the same person he had once been. Opting not to renew his contract, Slater teamed up with Cera, Roger Wright and Matthew Carter as part of Team NEW to take on Team PCW and the cRu in Stable Wars at the next World War X. Not only did Slater eliminate last year's sole survivor Triple X, but Slater would win the match for Team NEW, last eliminating Inkt and becoming the Sole Survivor for his team.
After this victory, Slater departed the company to repair himself, an act that would strain his relationship with Cera until they broke apart due to her abandonment issues, citing he no longer cared about her, when in reality he wanted to stay by her side.
After fixing himself, Slater did not return to New Edge. Instead he joined Ascension Championship Wrestling, wanting to have a fresh start in the wrestling world. But even before he arrived, he knew that he was not as beloved or supported as he had once been. He made his debut at Initiative [3], defeating Vanessa in a hard-fought match. The following week, Slater would compete against a man named Kyushin Krisis. Slater lost the match, but he was so impressed by Krisis' talents that he offered the young man a handshake after the match. Once Krisis accepted the handshake, he kicked Slater in the groin, revealing himself to be Judas Dathan.
Ever since NEW, Dathan had been taken under Slater’s wing, looking up to the Brit as his mentor. But jealousy would manifest inside his mind for a man that would constantly beat him in matches. Holding a secret grudge against Slater, a man he felt he was now better than after beating him to the NEW World Heavyweight Championship, he had concocted a plan to get his ultimate revenge.
After an extended time away, Slater came back with a vengeance. The fans were starting to see that Slater was returning to his old self, and so the support began to grow again, encouraging Slater to take down Dathan as his lone enemy.
At the same time, Slater would participate in New Era Wrestling on a trial-run basis, even winning the newly-created No Limits Championship in a Mystery Tournament by last eliminating Thug Sadistic in the Final. Two months into his trial-run, Slater would decide to stick with Ascension Championship Wrestling, vacating the No Limits Championship after one defence. Furthermore, Slater would be an entrant in APW’s annual Survive and Conquer Match, a multi-person Rumble Match that would reach epic proportions as the years went on. Slater would outlast 70 other competitors and reach the final ten, only to be eliminated by eventual Third Place competitor Rex Evans. Despite his loss, Slater would be ranked as the second longest-lasting competitor in the match, falling behind Rex Evans as the Iron Man of the Match.
Back in ACW, Dathan would not be a pushover. He tormented Slater at every turn, affecting his mentality as others had done before him. In Slater's final match in the promotion on their Christmas Special Show, Slater finally faced Dathan one-on-one. In the end, it was Dathan that would put his demons to rest by conquering Slater, forcing the Silver Knight to tap out to a Kimura Lock after dislocating his former mentor’s shoulder.
Due to yet another injury, Slater was forced onto the sidelines, where he could do nothing but watch ACW merge with New Edge Wrestling and put his contract into the hands of Jesse Styles again. Slater could have chosen to terminate his contract, but instead he chose to return to New Edge, now with a clearer mindset and a true mission. After seeing what his old promotion had become, Slater was determined to purify New Edge, no matter how challenging this endeavour would be.
Deciding to put immediate pressure on Slater, Jesse Styles ordered him to qualify for the Terrordome Match at Kamikaze, otherwise his career in New Edge Wrestling would be over. With no alternative, Slater accepted the challenge.
Becoming aware of Slater’s alliance with his estranged wife Scarlet and her United clan, Jesse ordered the Styles Mafia members to attack Slater after his match with Molly Mayhem in the Second Qualifying Round, officially becoming a participant in the Terrordome Match. Unfortunately for Jesse, United came out to defend their ally, and even with the monstrous-yet-intelligent Hazard in the Mafia’s ranks, a NEW Hall of Famer who had recently returned to the promotion, United were able to get rid of the Styles Mafia for the time being.
With the Terrordome coming up fast, Slater swore he would not make the same mistakes that plagued his career in 2011. This time he was going to fight for victory, doing everything he could in order to help his loyal cause for the future of the company. With his nemesis Hunter Valentyne in the match as well, it was not going to take much to drive Slater into the zone to prevent his old enemy from winning. But instead of fighting for the NEW World Heavyweight Championship, the participants were fighting for the chance to Main Event Justice 5 against the World Champion Inkt. Slater versus Inkt was a match the fans truly wanted to see, given their dramatic conflicts and the fact both men had scores to settle in order to determine just who was the better man between them.
At Kamikaze, Slater managed to conquer the demons of his past by winning the Terrordome Match against Hunter Valentyne, Valora, Scarlet, Ryan Omega and Patrick Jones. His Main Event at Justice 5 against Inkt had been sealed, much to the annoyance of Jesse Styles and the rest of the Styles Mafia.
On the following Ignite, Jesse placed Slater inside a Steel Cage Match against Hazard, wanting to utterly eviscerate Slater before Justice 5 was even a spark on the horizon. To the amazement of the fans, Slater survived the dreaded conditions against Hazard, escaping from the monster and winning the match.
Building up toJustice 5, Slater teamed up with United ally Kronin to take on Domestik Disturbance, winning the NEW World Tag Team Championships for the second time. Unfortunately, this reign would not last long at all, culminating a mere two weeks later when Slater and Kronin lost the titles to Unstable, consisting of Nocturnal and Seth Iser, in a Three Way Tag Team Match that also featured Domestik Disturbance.
The Main Event of Justice 5 would drastically change at NEW’s 4th Anniversary Show as well. Inkt would lose the NEW World Heavyweight Championship to Hunter Valentyne, effectively bringing Slater and Hunter together in a war three years in the making. And so it was that at Justice 5 in Boston at the historical Fenway Park that Slater would attain ultimate redemption, successfully taking the NEW World Heavyweight Championship away from Hunter Valentyne. In that one moment, every sacrifice Slater had made had been justified. A new era in NEW’s illustrious history had truly begun.
But as Slater celebrated his monumental win in front of the capacity crowd, Bobby Backdoor would interrupt the festivities with mocking applause. As Slater concentrated on Backdoor, Last Chance would enter the ring from the crowd, a man that was not employed with New Edge Wrestling and a man that Slater had not seen since the days of TEW’s international dominance. The two intruders would then attack Slater, bringing out Kronin to save his friend. However, as he did so, Jason Scene would enter the fray, attacking Kronin and making the odds uneven again. As a new United member would come out to aid their allies, a new enemy would emerge in the form of Aurora Deadwood, Tha Joka and even Davey Dynamo, who would betray United to side with the nefarious Backdoor. In the end, the new World Champion was the last one moving, only to be driven down to the canvas for the last time by Backdoor. Slater’s celebration at Justice 5 had been ruined forever at the hands of this group with unclear intentions, marking a dark period in NEW’s history that would blemish the purification Slater sought to bring with his reign. Phoenix had arrived to cause anarchy and chaos in a company that deserved to die, as Bobby Backdoor would bitterly say a few weeks later.
Slater’s first order of business as the NEW World Champion would be to declare an uprising against Backdoor and his cohorts on the Ignite following Justice 5, wanting everyone to band together and rid the company of this menace before the virus could spread. This would create an unlikely alliance between Slater and Jesse Styles despite their previous altercations, but the future of NEW needed to be maintained for all intents and purposes.
Hunter Valentyne would soon attack Slater again, telling him that his rematch clause would be used in an Xtreme Submission Match. In their second encounter, Slater successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Hunter, forcing the Myth Killer to submit to his STF. This defeat would cause Hunter to leave the company, not being seen again until several months later.
With no time to rest up, Slater would then defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Nocturnal the following week in a match where Jesse Styles and Ryan Pugh could change the rules on a whim. Astonishingly, Slater would become the first person in NEW history to successfully defend the World Heavyweight Championship on two consecutive shows, putting Nocturnal away with the Shockwave to set up his next defence at Annihilation. The Annihilation PPV would be the last time Slater would walk out as NEW World Champion, losing the title to Valora in a classic encounter in her home country of Mexico. Sadly, the burning flames of Phoenix would consume the promotion after Annihilation. The group would add Jarek Whitaker and Vanessa into their ranks, and the former would be responsible for putting Slater out of commission for nearly three months, incapacitating the Silver Knight before a scheduled match.
Slater would make a full recovery and return to action, taking on Jasper at Vodka and Violence. Instead of using his rematch clause for the NEW World Heavyweight Championship, Slater opted to use it for the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship, informing Jesse Styles of his decision before his scheduled return. But as expected, Slater failed to capture the Trans-Atlantic Championship from Jasper, being caught in a roll-up as Jasper used the ropes for added leverage. A month later, Slater would win the Trans-Atlantic Championship from Jasper in a Two out of Three Falls Match at Moonshine and Mayhem, meaning Slater was now added to an exclusive list of Triple Crown Winners.
At this time, rumors began to circulate around the wrestling world about a possible TEW resurgence, hyping an inevitable war between TEW and NEW. In actuality, TEW was only being resurrected for a one night only show under the NEW banner, creating a show that would be titled NEW/TEW When World’s Collide. This became very apparent when Jason Scene would confront Slater, proposing a Champion vs. Champion Match at the event. As the last TEW Continental Champion, Scene was ready and willing to put his title up for grabs against Slater, but only if Slater put up the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship in return. Slater accepted these conditions, setting up a technical classic in Madison Square Garden. After a long, arduous battle, Slater triumphed over Scene, unifying the Trans-Atlantic Championship with the Continental Championship and officially becoming the last TEW Continental Champion.
Slater’s Trans-Atlantic Championship reign would continue until the NEW Christmas Special, where Slater would lose the title to Hunter Valentyne after being knocked out with a loaded elbow pad. Following this crushing defeat, Slater would be attacked by Seth Iser, falling victim to a Tombstone Piledriver from the Deity of Destruction. In Iser’s words, he hated what Slater stood for, advocating people that refused to support Iser as he fought through injury after injury, torment after torment. However, in an interesting spin, Iser claimed that Slater was living a lie; he was not the man everyone had come to respect and adore. Darkness and chaos existed within him, and Iser vowed to reveal the hypocrisy of the Silver Knight, claiming that his values as a man were obsolete after he had abandoned his wife and son, committed adultery and bludgeoned other wrestlers for his own selfish gain. These of course took place when Slater was mentally twisted through stricken grief, but being a master of mind games, Iser was willing to push Slater over the edge in order to reveal his target’s true colors.
At World War X, Slater fought to reclaim the Trans-Atlantic Championship in a Four Way Match against Hunter, Nocturnal and Iser, but it would be Iser that left the victor, subsequently tarnishing the title in Slater’s eyes. Adding to Slater’s increasing fury, Iser would lure Slater into a trap that would result in him receiving a Deprivation DDT on the concrete floor, all done at an event that was celebrating Slater’s birthday.
But even with Iser to get revenge on, Slater still sought to repair the damage that the likes of Phoenix, Ryan Pugh and Unstable had done to the promotion. Teaming up with Vanessa, calling themselves Golden Remedy, the duo went after the NEW World Tag Team Championships. Slater would also catch the eye of Vanessa’s manager Dawn Ashby, leading people to believe that she withheld intimate feelings for the Silver Knight that would never truly come out.
Eventually, Slater would find himself alone in the ring against Seth Iser at Kamikaze. Although the Trans-Atlantic Championship was not a factor - Iser lost the title to Ricky Cassels a week prior - the two engaged in a ferocious battle for respect and vengeance. In a shocking turn of events, Iser would spray Slater in the face with Red Mist, sadistically burning the Silver Knight before spiking Slater’s neck with a jumping Tombstone Piledriver, leading to Slater’s depressing defeat. More depressing would be the sight of Slater being taken away on a stretcher by the medics, his face covered in a towel as a brace was put around his neck.
The state of Slater’s health was uncertain, but everyone knew who was responsible, a man that callously celebrated his achievement the following week by announcing Slater’s demise.
Slater would not continue his career in New Edge Wrestling however, as his contract would expire without renewal as he recovered in solitude. Slater was unable to compete anyway, recovering from his injuries as Iser’s words affected his mind. That was until the formation of Visionaries of Wrestling, granting Slater a new outlet to continue his career while pursuing the man that caused this damage in the exact same company.
Returning from the injury he suffered in New Edge Wrestling, Slater adorned a mask to protect his face after the horrific Red Mist incident. Despite knowing it would help him, Slater became more aggravated and furious with the mask, taking his anger out on his friends and associates, much to Seth Iser's joy. He also employed Dawn Ashby as his manager during this period, much to Vanessa's chagrin, having fired the voluptious Dawn from her services a short time beforehand.
Slater made his debut at Breakthrough #2, defeating Alexander Oliver. At Breakthrough #4, Slater was defeated by Casanova English, who capitalized on Slater's emotions during a time when Slater was reaching his breaking point. Slater would have his final match in VoW at Breakthrough #5, defeating Logan Rourke Keegan in the Main Event.
Slater was supposed to have a match at VoW's first PPV event, Exposure, against Drake Blake, but the match was cancelled due to medical concerns regarding Slater's health. After completing a physical examination, the doctors informed Slater that he could risk paralysis or permanent nerve damage in his arms if he continued to wrestle. With no other choice, Slater officially retired from active competition.
During his year-long retirement, Slater made some changes to his life. He is currently employed as the Head Wrestling Coach and Fitness Instructor at Simcoe Wrestling Club, headed by owner Brian York. Slater has also mended his relationship with Amy Frankfort, beginning a second run together and looking after their son Gabriel.
At Breakthrough #33, it was announced from a video package that Matt Slater would return to wrestling at Armed and Dangerous. Slater did in fact make his return, defeating Calvin Harris with a rare "Iron Will" Tiger Suplex.
Following the event, Slater signed up to be part of VoW's UK Tour, visiting the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, the burdens of Slater's past quickly returned after meeting with General Manager Sky Sangue: He would be competing against his former protege Judas Dathan and former partner Cera in a Tag Team Match. At Breakthrough #34, Slater teamed with Patrick Jones to wrestle the sociopathic tandem, but they lost the match when Jones was rolled-up by Dathan, having been trying to avoid an armlock submission. Slater was also present in welcoming Joanna Thade to the company, as well as looking out for Stacy Jones after she was found unconscious backstage under mysterious yet concerning circumstances.
At Breakthrough #36, Slater achieved the unthinkable by defeating Casanova English with a pinning counter to his "Silence of the Lamb" Triangle Choke. Meanwhile, citing a worrying change in Cera, Jen Ryette pleaded with Slater to help her and mend their tarnished bridge, which Slater accidentally caused. This followed Slater inadvertently bumping into the pair backstage at Breakthrough #35, whereby he apologized to Cera personally about their past. Cera harshly dismissed his apology before walking away, although Jen assured Slater that her mentality was slowly fading and that he was the only one left who could significantly save her.
At the Darkest Hour PPV in Sheffield, England, Slater was scheduled to compete against Artemis Kaiser. However, due to unknown circumstances, Artemis was not available to compete and the match was officially cancelled. Disappointed, Slater asked for a replacement opponent, leading to Seth Iser confronting him for the first time in over a year. The two men failed to act inside the ring, but the moment was interrupted by Ace Watson, who blindsided Iser with a chop block to his bad knee. All three men were escorted away by security. Later that evening, Slater shared his disgust at Matthew Robinson's vile actions, having watched Seifer Black get sent to the hospital in an ambulance.
Unfortunately, things would only get worse for Slater at this event. Having been helping Joanna Thade through her psychological issues voluntarily, she was revealed to be one of the hooded figures that had been attacking members of the roster for several weeks, doing so alongside her former associate Emma Carlisle.
Slater continued to try and help Cera, which only led to further negatives. Meanwhile, Joanna sought to make Slater see the truth about humanity, wanting to make him realize that no one can be saved from themselves and tha chaos will always exist. Also during this time, Slater palm struck one of his class students out of anger after being insulted and disrespected by the young man, leading to Slater being suspended from his coaching duties until further notice.
At Breakthrough #38, Slater confronted Cera after his son Gabriel was kidnapped - although he was returned later with no injuries or scars - driving Slater over the edge. He physically manhandled Cera, assuming she was the one behind it. Only until he realized what he was doing did he stop, but Cera still retaliated and punched him in the face. At that point, he told her it was up to her if she wanted his help or not. Later that same evening, Slater lost to Zahara Matisse in a match that he was not properly focused for.
At Breakthrough #39, Slater once again lost a match, this time against fellow Mancunian Constance Chapin. The match was affected by the interruption of Ryder Blade, but his attention-seeking ways only served to help Constance and Slater take a break before they fought again.
Before Double Jeopardy 2016, Slater blamed himself for everything that had gone wrong, and accepted the fact he could not change what VoW had become. Furthermore, based on his worsened psyche, Slater officially discarded his role as "The Silver Knight", getting rid of this highly-esteemed moniker.
At Double Jeopardy, Slater fought Cera in an emotional No Disqualification Match. At one point, Slater had Cera set up for a Sharpshooter, but he could not bring himself to apply the move, allowing Cera to escape. Furthermore, after hitting his Shockwave, Slater was more concerned with her well-being than winning the match, checking her head and neck afterwards. Still, Slater managed to win the match with a surprise roll-up, although he was cut open by a kick moments prior. Shockingly, following his victory, Cera was attacked by a deranged fan amidst a lighting fault, causing her to bleed profusely and suffer some kind of breathing issue. She was stabilised and Slater accompanied her to the hospital, but she later passed away after suffering a heart attack, which was later determined to be caused by years of stress-related issues, smoking cigarettes and consuming painkillers.
Following this shocking and tragic incident, Slater disappeared for a good length of time until he returned to VoW at Nothing Else Matters a changed man. No longer showing complete nobility and honor, he confronted Seth Iser to accept the latter's open challenge for Fate of the Gods II, a response which Iser respectfully declined. Making it a mission to get Iser to accept the match, Slater attacked Vincent Moretti and played mind games with the Deity of Destruction, much like Seth had done to him years prior. Eventually, after being called inferior next to Mike Park, Iser bitterly accepted the match, stating that Slater now had to pay the price for his actions. Strangely, Slater seemed to accept whatever Iser would do to him, as if this was his desired wish all along.
At Fate of the Gods II, VoW's grandest event in their young history, Slater made it a point to emasculate Iser further, slapping him in the face and treating him as a minnow. Iser would snap and pummel Slater, leading to a thoroughly intense match. By the end, Iser struck Slater with his Deprivation DDT, to the shock of everyone, Slater valiantly kicked out at one. Beyond control, Iser then gave Slater a Piledriver as a means to put him on the shelf for good, a move that people thought Iser was not allowed to use along with his Black Magic. Iser got the three count and the win in controversial fashion, with Seth later claiming that nowhere in the clause did it say a regular Piledriver was off-limits.
At the following Breakthrough #47, Slater ran out to attack Seth Iser during one of the latter's bitter diatribes. This resulted in considerable damage being done to technical equipment and a popcorn concession stand until the two were separated by security and other staff. Leaving him no alternative, the newly-appointed General Manager Ryan Omega suspended both men and docked their payment, forcing them to miss Breakthrough #48.
In summary from there, Iser accepted a rematch between the two at Heatstroke 2016, with it being a Submission Match with no other rules. This allowed Iser's banned "Black Magic" Tombstone Piledriver to be used. With Slater bloody after an intense, violent contest, the conclusion saw Slater block Iser's Red Mist with a steel chair before he struck Iser with it, busting his nemesis open. He then revealed Cera's Warhammer from underneath the ring, but he changed his mind and decided not to use it, dropping it in front of the Deity of Destruction. Instead, Slater picked Iser up for his own Tombstone Piledriver, giving Seth the deadly finishing move that he used to injure Slater over a year ago that forced him to retire. A "Justice Granted" STF submission later and Seth was forced to tap out.
After modifying his lifestyle for the better, Slater attended and successfully graduated Open University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Language and Literature before becoming a Public Administrator, a role that also gave him the chance to work in Human Resources. Although he considered a career in Business Administration a more beneficial route, Slater couldn't keep himself from pursuing Professional Wrestling, an aspiration he had long since dreamed about since the age of nine. His ambitions were further strengthened by the influential stories of his Grandfather, Bernard Slater, a man who had wrestled during the sixties and seventies.
Deciding to pursue his dream in Professional Wrestling, Slater learned his craft in the Manchester Wrestling Academy in 2003. Slater would then make his professional debut in 2004 in United Kingdom Pro (UK:Pro). Sadly, Slater's Grandfather passed away before he had the chance to witness his grandson compete for the first time in the ring, but he did leave him with a family heirloom before his death; a golden pendant that Slater constantly wore on his person as a reminder of the past, yet as a guide for his unwritten future.
Slater would continue to wrestle for the promotion throughout the United Kingdom, but he would also hone his craft and gain exposure across Europe, working overseas cross-promotional tours in Germany, France, Italy and Russia. Slater would also go on tours to Japan, further adding to his repertoire and gaining a cult following. In 2008, Slater received a call from a Talent Scout in the United States, working for a promotion called Augusta Championship Wrestling. Believing this to be a positive step, Slater accepted the invitation, shared his information, and journeyed across the Atlantic for the first time.
Signed under the University brand, Slater made his debut against another debuting competitor that would soon become one of his closest allies and mutual rivals: Brian Seles. The two would excite and amaze the crowd at ACW:U Spring Breakout in Miami Beach, Florida with their technical skills and abilities, making it quite possibly the best match on the show, which Brian Seles won. Following his disappointing defeat, Slater would impressively rebound, becoming the No.1 Contender to the ACW:U Championship. Slater's championship opportunity would come at ACW:U Free Fall, competing against ACW:U Champion Jordan Lagrove, Brian Seles, Saint Joey and Camron Creed. Unfortunately Slater was eliminated by Saint Joey during the match, which would later be won by Camron Creed. Slater damaged his ankle during this contest, resulting in a one month rest that abruptly-halted Slater's growing momentum.
During his time-off, Slater would meet Amy Frankfort, working as a Canadian Journalist, for the first time. The two became fully attached after Slater graduated to the main roster of Augusta Championship Wrestling, and they would later get engaged and marry during Slater's time in Championship Wrestling X. They would have their first and only child, Gabriel James Slater, on November 18th 2009.
After returning from injury, Slater continued his rise up the ranks. This would lead to the biggest match of Slater's career up to this point: fighting for graduation against three other hungry challengers. Competing against Saint Joey, Paul Smith and Brian Seles in a Four Way Ladder Match at ACW:U Cage Wars, Slater managed to achieve his goal of graduating to the main roster of Augusta Championship Wrestling, unhooking one of the three briefcases that were available for acquisition.
One week later, Slater would make his debut in Augusta Championship Wrestling against then-LVCW World Heavyweight Champion Jayson Burr, a man representing the final remnants of the defunct Las Vegas Championship Wrestling - a subsidiary promotion of ACW - before he would unify the championship against ACW World Heavyweight Champion Deathstroke. Not only would Slater defeat Burr, but he would make the resilient champion submit, cementing Slater's placement on the main roster in the process.
Eventually, Slater would align himself with the two other graduates of ACW:U. Known as Genesis, the faction of Slater, Saint Joey and Paul Smith announced that they were driven more than ever to make an impact. However, the group didn't last very long; in fact, it lasted a total of two weeks. After Saint Joey was released from his contract due to his issues with management, Slater and Paul Smith kept the name Genesis for their formulated Tag Team.
At ACW Blood Battle, Slater would win his first championship as he and Paul Smith competed against then-ACW General Manager Super Maniac and George Cassidy, unseating them from their collective thrones and becoming the new ACW Tag Team Champions. Their reign would be a disappointment though, only lasting one week before they were defeated by Deathstroke and Brian Hart.
Despite the loss of gold, Slater had the chance to win another. Being selected as a potential contender to the ACW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship, Slater competed against Paul Smith on what would be ACW's final show in a match that would qualify the winner as an entrant into an Elimination Chamber Match. Frustration would surface for both men as they reached a time-limit draw, meaning that neither of them would enter the colossal structure and fight to become the champion. Slater would sign with Championship Wrestling X (CWX) shortly thereafter, a company that would push Slater into the limelight and expose his talents more than ever before.
Upon entering Championship Wrestling X, Slater would establish what would become the start of his respectable legacy in the promotion. Impressed by Slater's work ethic and attitude, CWX Owner Enforcer decided to give his new acquisition a chance at ultimate glory, putting him against Kris Obelix for the CWX World Heavyweight Championship. At CWX Operation California in Davis, California, Slater became the talk of the wrestling world when he defeated Kris Obelix, becoming the new CWX World Heavyweight Champion.
With his loyalties growing for CWX, Slater vowed that he would never defect and would stand proud as a CWX soldier, protecting the promotion from being overrun and corrupted. Another man who made these promises was then-CWX North American Champion Jason Blade, a man that Slater would defeat in a classic match at the following event with the CWX World Heavyweight Championship on the line.
At the 2nd Anniversary Show, Slater and Enforcer took on Ironman and Cross in a Tag Team Match. Plague would make his presence known at this time, joining Ironman and Cross and creating an alliance known as The Movement. However, another wrestler would shockingly appear and decimate Slater after he and Enforcer won the match, a man that Slater had the utmost respect for after meeting him in Augusta Championship Wrestling: the legendary Mike Park. The two had agreed to one day have a wrestling match, but since that time, Park's mentality had changed, making him dark and unstable. After brutalizing Slater in the ring, Enforcer took charge and announced that Slater and Park would battle for the first time ever in a Steel Cage Match.
In a match that would be voted the Best Match of the Year in 2008, Slater defeated Park inside the unforgiving cage. During the match, Slater dislocated his left shoulder to avoid losing; an injury that would continue to occur during his career from then on.
At the beginning of 2009, for a Tribute to the Troops show in Iraq, Slater would once again defend his title, this time against the longest-reigning champion in the company's history, Mike Savior. Throughout this time The Movement were becoming a thorn in CWX's side more than ever, inciting riots and causing immense bloodshed with their violent tactics. They also brought more unique personalities into their ranks, such as Ice, Demon and Tha Joka. Cross also declared he would take the CWX Title away from Slater's grasp, but the champion wasn't about to cower away from the monstrous leader of the sadistic group.
Slater was given the chance to punish Cross in Manchester, England, taking him on in a Three Way Match that included CWX Legend Nick Manning for the CWX World Heavyweight Championship. Once again Slater retained the championship, but this only spurned on Cross' callous nature more and more.
Cross would get his second chance at the gold a month later in a match that would end in controversial fashion. After being busted open by a foreign object when the referee was down, Slater fought back against Cross and locked him in a Figure Four Leg Lock. However, the referee was concerned for Slater's health and stopped the match. Slater attempted to reason with the referee, but it was to no avail. Cross was declared the new CWX World Heavyweight Champion, putting an end to Slater's six month title reign. This would also mark Slater's first loss in the promotion since he joined in 2008.
Unfortunately, Slater's bitterness would increase as Ironman, who took control of CWX in Enforcer's injured absence, ended Slater's contract and sent him packing. With Slater unceremoniously released from CWX and with The Movement taking charge, his former alcoholism returned, causing a distressing rift between himself and Amy in the process. He would eventually find the strength to stop drinking, to repair his relationship with Amy and to get his head back in the game.
Slater returned to CWX to get his revenge against Cross and The Movement. Along with some of CWX's loyal soldiers, Slater cleared them from the ring with a steel chair, putting an end to a dark ceremony that chronicled their success in the company. Enforcer also returned and, as the majority owner of CWX, reinstated Slater, setting up a rematch between Slater and Cross in a Casket Match.
At CWX Back to Basix, one of CWX's biggest events of the year, Slater's retribution came to pass, locking Cross inside the Casket. But The Movement were still relatively strong, ending the night with a brawl against Slater, Jared Fox and Mike Savior that resulted in plenty of blood being spilled.
This would lead to one of Slater's last matches in the CWX as the company dealt with financial problems, losing against Ice due to some underhanded tactics. Finally, in Slater's last match before his contract expired, Slater lost a Three Way Match against eventual winner CWX World Heavyweight Champion Jared Fox and Chris Rayge. The Movement would eventually collapse in Slater's absence, but unfortunately, the CWX would also close before the year's end.
In the summer of 2009, Slater was awarded the Mr CWX Trophy for his incredible services, becoming only the second man to achieve the award after Mike Savior.
Whilst being signed with CWX in 2009, Slater was granted the privilege to extend his wrestling duties, signing a lucrative contract with the newly-formed promotion Global Wrestling Federation. While there, Slater would once again compete against the man he had beaten the previous year in a bloody Steel Cage Match: Mike Park. Park had dealt with his personal demons and appeared to be reformed, but Slater still remembered what had happened in CWX. This time however, Park garnered the victory. Despite losing against Park, Slater would accomplish something extraordinary at the next event. He would defeat the undefeated GWF World Heavyweight Champion Volcano Samson in a non-title match, which automatically made Slater a top contender for the gold.
Soon after, Slater would add another championship to his resume, defeating Mike Park for the GWF Pride Championship in a Last Man Standing Match. However, Slater would soon relinquish the championship. This was due to the state of his health after being unfairly released from Championship Wrestling X, which brought upon bitterness and alcoholism.
Upon returning to GWF a few months later, Slater would start off where he finished previously: holding the GWF Pride Championship for the second time after once again defeating Mike Park. Brian Hart also got involved in the contest, making it a Three Way. Afterward, Slater would team with John Bronson, and the pair would defeat Mike Park and Kyle Sync, known collectively as Street Light People. Unfortunately, Slater and Bronson would fail to win the GWF World Tag Team Championships a couple months later, once again facing the Street Light People and losing.
Following this, Slater would compete in a special six-person tournament for the vacant GWF World Heavyweight Championship. Two teams of three wrestlers were assigned, with Slater teaming with Nathan Schweekintou and Vice. On the other team were Mike Park, Kyle Sync and John Bronson. The first stage of the Tournament was simple: the team with the most victories would advance to the second round. Despite losing his match against John Bronson, Slater's team still advanced to the second round, with Vice defeating Kyle Sync and Schweekintou defeating Park. In the next round, Slater faced Vice and Schweekintou in a Three Way Match. The individual that was pinned would be eliminated from the Tournament, and the remaining two men would face each other for the GWF World Heavyweight Championship. Slater eliminated Schweekintou, setting up his anticipated match against Vice. At GWF Rude Awakening, Slater failed to win the GWF World Heavyweight Championship, being defeated by Vice after two Piledrivers.
After the PPV, Slater would once again have a fierce rivalry with Mike Park, a man that had once again succumbed unto his inner demons. However, the two men would fail to conclude their rivalry in the GWF. The company would shut its doors in the Autumn of 2009, resulting in Slater moving to a company that would build the foundations of his career on a grander stage.
After taking a break from wrestling, Slater would make his unannounced debut at Total Extreme Wrestling’s Blood Bath, hoping to stop the vicious war going on between Hunter Valentyne and Dave McDave that was bound to end in a Death Match. This in turn would result in a three-year long feud between Slater and Hunter, a man that would depart the TEW immediately after Blood Bath. Slater would make his official in-ring debut the week after TEW Blood Bath on Revitalize, defeating General Koz in a classic match that was deemed an early Match of the Year candidate.
Following his moral interruption at Blood Bath, Slater would proceed to help McDave with his inner demons, but he would also be embroiled in a rivalry with Timothy Eric Wilson, Hunter's illegitimate son. Destiny, Timothy's girlfriend, would also get involved, attempting to deceive Slater with promises of lust as her lover sought vengeance against the man that denied his father from being supreme.
Before TEW Warfare, Slater would form a team with his mutual rival and ally Brian Seles, a man that would join the company shortly after Slater's arrival.
At TEW Warfare, the duo would win the TEW World Tag Team Championships, becoming the last team to ever hold the championships after dethroning The Red Dragon and Last Chance. Slater and Seles would also take part in the Warfare Match, a match that Slater would enter at no.3. After dealing with Wilson and eliminating him from the match, Slater set his sights on claiming the vacant TEW World Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, Slater would fall at the very last hurdle, being eliminated by The Red Dragon and earning a Runner-Up spot.
Eventually, Slater would face his Tag Team partner Brian Seles for the second time, and just like in ACW:U, Slater fell in defeat to his Canadian counterpart. But despite another excruciating loss, Slater would once again rebound from failure, securing the TEW Ultimate Chance Contract after winning a 10-Man Over The Top Rope Battle Royal. The Contract gave Slater the opportunity to have a TEW World Heavyweight Championship Match at any event of his choice in the next six months.
Biding his time, Slater wanted to keep a firm hold of the Contract. However, his rivalry with Mike Park interfered with his plan, and Slater was pressured into defending the contract against Park at Cruise Control. Competing in a Ladder Match, Slater and Park ended up grabbing the contract at the same time, resulting in both men falling with the contract in end. The referees and officials could not work out which man had won, therefore Franco Cruz, the TEW Owner, improvised and declared that both men would each have a contract that they could cash-in in the next six months.
Slater would use his Contract to get into the Main Event of War of Ages, TEW's biggest event of the year, where he would compete against The Red Dragon, Dave McDave and Mike Park, who also opted to use his Contract for this exact purpose, for the TEW World Heavyweight Championship. Competing in a Four Way Iron Man Match, Slater sought to win his second World Title. Unfortunately, Slater missed a flying Moonsault onto The Red Dragon and Dave McDave, instead crashing through the announce table at ringside and knocking himself out. This mistake also resulted in a broken arm, forcing him out of the contest and putting him onto the sidelines for four months.
Upon returning to TEW, Slater set his sights on the recently-vacated TEW United States Championship. Participating in a mini-Tournament, Slater would make his way to the Final, where he would face Al Envy for the prestigious prize in a Ladder Match. Slater lost the match, resulting in Al Envy capturing the US Title for a record fourth time.
Despite the upsetting defeat, an old friend would return to brighten Slater's spirits: Brian Seles. Having been TEW World Champion in Slater's absence, Seles talked Slater into reforming their tag team, Worth Any Price. Word spread that the defunct Tag Team Titles could be reinstated, and since both men had been the last Tag Team Champions before Slater's injury, the duo were shoe-ins to contend for the gold. Revealing their plans to the world on Revitalize, Slater and Seles were ready to embark on a fresh journey of tag team opportunity. That was until the unthinkable happened: Seles blind-sided Slater with a Shining Wizard, laying his partner and friend out in a shocking turn of events.
Seles revealed his explanation the following week. Slater had never been able to defeat the Canadian Tornado, but no matter how much success Seles garnered, the people supported Slater more than him. Riled by pure jealousy, Seles wanted to prove once and for all that he was the better man. The next week, Seles challenged Slater to a match at Eye of the Storm. With nothing to lose, Slater accepted the challenge, only to be struck down yet again by Seles' Shining Wizard and a brutal steel chair shot.
At Eye of the Storm, which would turn out to not only be Brian Seles' last match in Professional Wrestling but TEW's last event before their sudden, startling closure, Slater finally defeated Brian Seles in the Main Event, needing to use three Shockwaves to put his former friend down. After the match, the two men seemed to share the same feeling of respect and closure, embracing as friends once more in front of the London, England crowd.
Once TEW announced its imminent collapse, Slater's contract was invalidated, making him able to sign with a new company. Seeking the best talent the world had to offer, Slater journeyed to Chicago to meet Jesse Styles and struck a deal to exclusively compete in New Edge Wrestling.
Almost immediately, Slater was thrust into a noteworthy challenge as the latest signing for New Edge Wrestling. His first opponent would be Adrien Specter, at the time the NEW Xtreme Champion and a former NEW Ignite World Heavyweight Champion a few weeks prior. On his debut, Slater turned a lot of heads when he defeated Specter, effectively putting the roster on notice. That included a man Slater had not seen for almost a year: Hunter Valentyne, who leapt at the opportunity to make Slater's life a living hell after what happened to his illegitimate son in TEW.
Slater soon aligned himself with Ryan Pugh and Inkt - collectively known as Tat N' Fat - and Roger Wright to get their revenge on the power-hungry Styles Mafia, which Hunter was a part of. However, at the now infamous Vodka and Violence PPV, Slater was betrayed by Roger Wright, helping Johnny Stylez to cave his head in with a Shovel after giving him the Wright Stuff. Slater would not be the only one to leave on a stretcher though, as Ryan Pugh also turned on his friend Inkt, bringing him down with his own shovel and giving the NEW World Tag Team Championships to Johnny and Hunter. The world were in shock and demanded an answer, especially Matt Slater.
Heading towards Tension in Texas, Slater set all of his energies on the group known as The Business - taking the place of the Styles Mafia - starting with the man that betrayed him through corruption, Roger Wright. Slater would also join a group called The Revolution, led by Adrien Specter, as a counter to The Business. The group also consisted of Al Envy - having made his return after the Vodka and Violence Main Event to attack Johnny Stylez - Apathy, Custard Creamer and Vanessa, a woman that Slater would become good friends and partners with over the course of his career.
Seen as a dream match by the fans, Slater and Roger made their match official with a Contract Signing after a sit-down interview, leading to a brawl that NEW Security had to break up. At the illustrious event, Slater seemingly had Roger beaten until Johnny Stylez showed up. Instead of attacking Slater, Johnny punched Roger in an act that appeared staged, giving Roger the win via Disqualification.
Knowing a rebellion was in full-swing, Jesse Styles came up with a gruesome concept to deal with their assorted enemies at World War X. It would be known as Stable Wars, a mass War Games-style Match that would pit five groups of four against each other with elimination-rules in effect.
Although Slater had allies to take down The Business and SIX, another group that was beginning to turn NEW into their personal horror show, there was no denying the string of attacks and betrayals were affecting his mentality. Throughout his career, Slater had been a man of justice and honor, but the accumulated betrayals over the years were making him wonder if the sport was worth saving from corruption. It didn't help matters that before World War X, Slater began to converse with Vanessa's sister Cera, a malevolent woman that adored pain and suffering, unlike her coffee-obsessed sibling. Not only was Cera transforming Slater's mind, but a man by the name of Xavier Xannon Xanders, otherwise known as Triple X, would get into Slater's ear, making him see that in the wrestling business, no one could truly be trusted.
At World War X, Slater entered Stable Wars as the third entrant for The Revolution, competing against The Business, SIX, The Ronin and the Dark Horse Society, led by Triple X. After being savagely double-teamed by Hunter Valentyne and Alexander Koresh, better known as Nocturnal and the co-leader of SIX, Slater was eliminated by his nemesis. The fans thought that was the end for Slater that evening, but the fans were in for another shock, this time one that would have tragic consequences in months to come. Before the event, DHS had teased a new member known only as The Masked Man. The Masked Man appeared as promised during the match, but whilst he was there, a second Masked Man entered the fray. The second Masked Man targeted Specter and gave him Slater's Shockwave, raising numerous eyebrows in the building. Once Triple X dispatched of Specter, he revealed the two Masked Men. One was Nick Haute, and the other, to everyone's awe, was Matt Slater. Slater had taken Triple X's word to heart and joined the ranks of the Dark Horse Society, featuring other alumni Jason Scene and Psycho, a group that would win Stable Wars as Triple X left the cage as the Soul Survivor.
Over the next couple of months, Slater's cold transformation would take its toll. He could no longer trust anyone except those who watched their own ilk, such as Cera, Scene and Triple X. The DHS eventually accepted Cera into their ranks, bringing her and Slater closer together.
Soon enough, Slater focused on NEW's biggest event of the year, Justice 3. His sole purpose was to destroy Hunter Valentyne in one-on-one action, but Hunter would take things way too far in a short amount of time. Hunter would soon be suspended indefinitely by the company, cancelling his match with Slater at Justice 3 and instead putting Slater in the Main Event Match: Terrordome.
With the chance of becoming the Undisputed NEW World Heavyweight Champion - the Ignite and Collision World Titles were set to be unified at the event - Slater knew his time had finally come. But he was so mentally warped and deluded before Justice 3 that he threw his family heirloom into the Indianapolis River, seeing it as a detrimental weakness. Contending with Johnny Stylez, Roger Wright, Adrien Specter, Nocturnal, Aaron Abraham and Vanessa, Slater fought his way to the top of the Terrordome, something that needed to be done in order to capture the NEW World Heavyweight Championship hanging high above. By the end, only three men remained; Slater, Triple X and Johnny Stylez. With Triple X nearing the World Title, kneeling precariously on the supportive scaffold underneath it, Slater had a career-defining choice to make; he could shove Triple X off and take the title for himself, or he could take Johnny Stylez out of the equation. With both Slater and Johnny on a ladder next to the scaffold, Slater made his choice. He grabbed Johnny and gave him a Shockwave off the ladder onto the steel floor below, sacrificing himself so that Triple X and DHS could reign supreme. Triple X won the match, but because of his selfless act, Slater received the old NEW Ignite World Heavyweight Championship as a gift from the DHS leader, a title that Slater would keep around for a short time until he destroyed it to symbolize Roger Wright's downfall later on.
Following this sacrificial act, Slater continued to battle for the Dark Horse Society. That was until the end of the Better Than You PPV, whereby Triple X stepped down as the leader of the DHS in order to lead the cRu, a group consisting of Johnny Stylez, Ryan Pugh, Inkt and Al Envy that would begin to re-shape the landscape of the company with their manipulative influence and brutal attacks. Once Scene departed what remained of the DHS to concentrate on his own affairs, Slater and Cera opted to form a Tag Team known as Merciless Demise, bringing an end to the group. Still, this did not change the fact that Slater and Triple X had been worthy companions, and Slater was primed to be the sixth member of the cRu for that very reason.
It appeared Slater's inclusion in the group was a certainty… until Triple X blasted Slater in the back of the head with the NEW World Heavyweight Championship belt, starting a gang-style beat-down on Slater that ended with Triple X laying out Slater with the Cataclysm. As Triple X would later mention, he manipulated Slater's mindset in order to keep him on top of the wrestling business, using his hatred of The Business to fuel his loyalty towards the Dark Horse Society. Once the cRu formed, there was no more use for the naive, foolish Slater, a man that would never amount to anything in the cRu's world.
Despite being battered and bruised from the beat-down, Slater valiantly fought for the NEW World Heavyweight Championship in a Steel Cage Match against Triple X. The match was hailed as a Match of the Year Candidate, and for the first time since March, Triple X was on the verge of losing the gold. However, as both men attempted to escape the cage at the same time - Slater scaling the cage and Triple X crawling towards the door - Ryan Pugh showed up to block Slater's escape. Slater jumped onto Pugh to take him out and land on the floor to win the match in dramatic fashion, but instead Pugh caught him and held on, waiting until Triple X hit the floor and retained his title before giving Slater a Powerbomb onto the steel cage.
Meanwhile, the partnership between Slater and Cera was starting to turn into something different. What had been mutual ambition was slowly turning into forbidden intimacy. Due to his cold behaviour and anger issues, Amy finally left Slater and divorced him during the summer. Seemingly unaffected by the loss of his wife and son, Slater spent more time with Cera, eventually forming an official loving relationship that would last several months. Cera would also brand Slater by carving "TAINTED" into his flesh with her knife, a mark that Cera also carved into Reya Serra to eternalise her connection with.
Slater and Cera would soon defeat Triple X and Johnny Stylez for the NEW World Tag Team Championships in a Tables Match, then held under Freebird Rules by the tyrannical group. Slater would once again get one over on the former DHS leader, putting Triple X through a table with a Death Valley Driver to seal his first championship in New Edge Wrestling. Slater and Cera would break the record for the longest reign any team had reached in New Edge history, defending the gold along the way against such teams as Al Envy and Johnny Stylez in a Ladder Match and the Misfits, a team comprising of Tommy Kain and Chip Shiller.
However, even as a champion in New Edge, Slater was still not immune to injury, nor was he immune to sneak attacks from old enemies. Slater was targeted by Aaron Abraham, having returned from injury after Slater put him on the shelf inside the Terrordome at Justice 3. Abraham wasted no time exacting his revenge, bashing Slater to oblivion with a chair before he crushed his arm with the chair and a Phoenix Splash, damaging the same arm Slater had broken in TEW. Slater was forced to sit on the sidelines as his arm healed, but fortunately he and Cera were not stripped of the World Tag Team Championships due to these circumstances.
At iSunday, during an Escape From Africa Match between Abraham and Cera for the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship whereby each combatant had to reach a Cargo Plane at the Airport first, Abraham was set to enter the plane until he was struck backward and down the stairs by a baseball bat. It was soon revealed to be Slater disguised in a black hood, watching Abraham from the hold as Cera entered the plane without aid and won the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship from one of her toughest rivals.
This led to Slater and Abraham agreeing to a match at Cold Front, a contest that would become a TLC Match for the Golden Contract Briefcase. Abraham would win the match at Cold Front, trapping Slater underneath the ladder and forcing him to watch Abraham's ascent to glory. Slater was willing to let this loss go, but once Slater discovered that Abraham was being groomed as the latest member of the cRu by Johnny Stylez, Slater's fury kicked into overdrive.
Knowing what had to be done, Slater aligned himself with The Court to take down the cRu once and for all, a group consisting of Adrien Specter, Vanessa, Reya Serra, Judas Dathan and Frank Finelli. It was not surprising that Slater's inclusion met distrust from Specter, remembering what happened at World War X. Even Cera was wary of her partner and future boyfriend's decision to join The Court, given her resentment of Specter and Vanessa and seeing the group as weaklings in a war that would have plenty of casualties. Nonetheless, Slater was christened as a Silver Knight by Vanessa, a chosen role that would evolve into Slater becoming the embodiment of honor and justice in later years.
Unfortunately, Slater's attempts at bringing down the cRu were futile, as he suffered a devastating loss to Ryan Pugh at Hallows Night Fight in a Casino Match for the vacant NEW Xtreme Championship. By the end of the year, Slater and Cera were in line to face Aaron Abraham for the NEW World Title after losing their World Tag Team Titles to Shane Sparx and Jarek Whitaker. Once Cera failed to capture the World Title, it was up to Slater to avenge the other half of Merciless Demise. At Convicted, Slater competed against Abraham, but not only did he lose the match, Abraham forced Slater to tap out, something that Slater had not done in two years of fierce competition. Humiliated by this loss, Slater took a short time to recover, only to return and fight his way to the NEW Youngblood Championship, which he pried from Kenath Israel's hands in decisive fashion.
Unfortunately, a pressing matter was coming up that Slater needed to consider. His contract was set to expire after World War X, and without renewal Slater would be stripped of the Youngblood Championship. Since Convicted, Slater had begun to question the darkness that dwelled within himself, beginning to realize that he was not the same person he had once been. Opting not to renew his contract, Slater teamed up with Cera, Roger Wright and Matthew Carter as part of Team NEW to take on Team PCW and the cRu in Stable Wars at the next World War X. Not only did Slater eliminate last year's sole survivor Triple X, but Slater would win the match for Team NEW, last eliminating Inkt and becoming the Sole Survivor for his team.
After this victory, Slater departed the company to repair himself, an act that would strain his relationship with Cera until they broke apart due to her abandonment issues, citing he no longer cared about her, when in reality he wanted to stay by her side.
After fixing himself, Slater did not return to New Edge. Instead he joined Ascension Championship Wrestling, wanting to have a fresh start in the wrestling world. But even before he arrived, he knew that he was not as beloved or supported as he had once been. He made his debut at Initiative [3], defeating Vanessa in a hard-fought match. The following week, Slater would compete against a man named Kyushin Krisis. Slater lost the match, but he was so impressed by Krisis' talents that he offered the young man a handshake after the match. Once Krisis accepted the handshake, he kicked Slater in the groin, revealing himself to be Judas Dathan.
Ever since NEW, Dathan had been taken under Slater’s wing, looking up to the Brit as his mentor. But jealousy would manifest inside his mind for a man that would constantly beat him in matches. Holding a secret grudge against Slater, a man he felt he was now better than after beating him to the NEW World Heavyweight Championship, he had concocted a plan to get his ultimate revenge.
After an extended time away, Slater came back with a vengeance. The fans were starting to see that Slater was returning to his old self, and so the support began to grow again, encouraging Slater to take down Dathan as his lone enemy.
At the same time, Slater would participate in New Era Wrestling on a trial-run basis, even winning the newly-created No Limits Championship in a Mystery Tournament by last eliminating Thug Sadistic in the Final. Two months into his trial-run, Slater would decide to stick with Ascension Championship Wrestling, vacating the No Limits Championship after one defence. Furthermore, Slater would be an entrant in APW’s annual Survive and Conquer Match, a multi-person Rumble Match that would reach epic proportions as the years went on. Slater would outlast 70 other competitors and reach the final ten, only to be eliminated by eventual Third Place competitor Rex Evans. Despite his loss, Slater would be ranked as the second longest-lasting competitor in the match, falling behind Rex Evans as the Iron Man of the Match.
Back in ACW, Dathan would not be a pushover. He tormented Slater at every turn, affecting his mentality as others had done before him. In Slater's final match in the promotion on their Christmas Special Show, Slater finally faced Dathan one-on-one. In the end, it was Dathan that would put his demons to rest by conquering Slater, forcing the Silver Knight to tap out to a Kimura Lock after dislocating his former mentor’s shoulder.
Due to yet another injury, Slater was forced onto the sidelines, where he could do nothing but watch ACW merge with New Edge Wrestling and put his contract into the hands of Jesse Styles again. Slater could have chosen to terminate his contract, but instead he chose to return to New Edge, now with a clearer mindset and a true mission. After seeing what his old promotion had become, Slater was determined to purify New Edge, no matter how challenging this endeavour would be.
Deciding to put immediate pressure on Slater, Jesse Styles ordered him to qualify for the Terrordome Match at Kamikaze, otherwise his career in New Edge Wrestling would be over. With no alternative, Slater accepted the challenge.
Becoming aware of Slater’s alliance with his estranged wife Scarlet and her United clan, Jesse ordered the Styles Mafia members to attack Slater after his match with Molly Mayhem in the Second Qualifying Round, officially becoming a participant in the Terrordome Match. Unfortunately for Jesse, United came out to defend their ally, and even with the monstrous-yet-intelligent Hazard in the Mafia’s ranks, a NEW Hall of Famer who had recently returned to the promotion, United were able to get rid of the Styles Mafia for the time being.
With the Terrordome coming up fast, Slater swore he would not make the same mistakes that plagued his career in 2011. This time he was going to fight for victory, doing everything he could in order to help his loyal cause for the future of the company. With his nemesis Hunter Valentyne in the match as well, it was not going to take much to drive Slater into the zone to prevent his old enemy from winning. But instead of fighting for the NEW World Heavyweight Championship, the participants were fighting for the chance to Main Event Justice 5 against the World Champion Inkt. Slater versus Inkt was a match the fans truly wanted to see, given their dramatic conflicts and the fact both men had scores to settle in order to determine just who was the better man between them.
At Kamikaze, Slater managed to conquer the demons of his past by winning the Terrordome Match against Hunter Valentyne, Valora, Scarlet, Ryan Omega and Patrick Jones. His Main Event at Justice 5 against Inkt had been sealed, much to the annoyance of Jesse Styles and the rest of the Styles Mafia.
On the following Ignite, Jesse placed Slater inside a Steel Cage Match against Hazard, wanting to utterly eviscerate Slater before Justice 5 was even a spark on the horizon. To the amazement of the fans, Slater survived the dreaded conditions against Hazard, escaping from the monster and winning the match.
Building up toJustice 5, Slater teamed up with United ally Kronin to take on Domestik Disturbance, winning the NEW World Tag Team Championships for the second time. Unfortunately, this reign would not last long at all, culminating a mere two weeks later when Slater and Kronin lost the titles to Unstable, consisting of Nocturnal and Seth Iser, in a Three Way Tag Team Match that also featured Domestik Disturbance.
The Main Event of Justice 5 would drastically change at NEW’s 4th Anniversary Show as well. Inkt would lose the NEW World Heavyweight Championship to Hunter Valentyne, effectively bringing Slater and Hunter together in a war three years in the making. And so it was that at Justice 5 in Boston at the historical Fenway Park that Slater would attain ultimate redemption, successfully taking the NEW World Heavyweight Championship away from Hunter Valentyne. In that one moment, every sacrifice Slater had made had been justified. A new era in NEW’s illustrious history had truly begun.
But as Slater celebrated his monumental win in front of the capacity crowd, Bobby Backdoor would interrupt the festivities with mocking applause. As Slater concentrated on Backdoor, Last Chance would enter the ring from the crowd, a man that was not employed with New Edge Wrestling and a man that Slater had not seen since the days of TEW’s international dominance. The two intruders would then attack Slater, bringing out Kronin to save his friend. However, as he did so, Jason Scene would enter the fray, attacking Kronin and making the odds uneven again. As a new United member would come out to aid their allies, a new enemy would emerge in the form of Aurora Deadwood, Tha Joka and even Davey Dynamo, who would betray United to side with the nefarious Backdoor. In the end, the new World Champion was the last one moving, only to be driven down to the canvas for the last time by Backdoor. Slater’s celebration at Justice 5 had been ruined forever at the hands of this group with unclear intentions, marking a dark period in NEW’s history that would blemish the purification Slater sought to bring with his reign. Phoenix had arrived to cause anarchy and chaos in a company that deserved to die, as Bobby Backdoor would bitterly say a few weeks later.
Slater’s first order of business as the NEW World Champion would be to declare an uprising against Backdoor and his cohorts on the Ignite following Justice 5, wanting everyone to band together and rid the company of this menace before the virus could spread. This would create an unlikely alliance between Slater and Jesse Styles despite their previous altercations, but the future of NEW needed to be maintained for all intents and purposes.
Hunter Valentyne would soon attack Slater again, telling him that his rematch clause would be used in an Xtreme Submission Match. In their second encounter, Slater successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Hunter, forcing the Myth Killer to submit to his STF. This defeat would cause Hunter to leave the company, not being seen again until several months later.
With no time to rest up, Slater would then defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Nocturnal the following week in a match where Jesse Styles and Ryan Pugh could change the rules on a whim. Astonishingly, Slater would become the first person in NEW history to successfully defend the World Heavyweight Championship on two consecutive shows, putting Nocturnal away with the Shockwave to set up his next defence at Annihilation. The Annihilation PPV would be the last time Slater would walk out as NEW World Champion, losing the title to Valora in a classic encounter in her home country of Mexico. Sadly, the burning flames of Phoenix would consume the promotion after Annihilation. The group would add Jarek Whitaker and Vanessa into their ranks, and the former would be responsible for putting Slater out of commission for nearly three months, incapacitating the Silver Knight before a scheduled match.
Slater would make a full recovery and return to action, taking on Jasper at Vodka and Violence. Instead of using his rematch clause for the NEW World Heavyweight Championship, Slater opted to use it for the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship, informing Jesse Styles of his decision before his scheduled return. But as expected, Slater failed to capture the Trans-Atlantic Championship from Jasper, being caught in a roll-up as Jasper used the ropes for added leverage. A month later, Slater would win the Trans-Atlantic Championship from Jasper in a Two out of Three Falls Match at Moonshine and Mayhem, meaning Slater was now added to an exclusive list of Triple Crown Winners.
At this time, rumors began to circulate around the wrestling world about a possible TEW resurgence, hyping an inevitable war between TEW and NEW. In actuality, TEW was only being resurrected for a one night only show under the NEW banner, creating a show that would be titled NEW/TEW When World’s Collide. This became very apparent when Jason Scene would confront Slater, proposing a Champion vs. Champion Match at the event. As the last TEW Continental Champion, Scene was ready and willing to put his title up for grabs against Slater, but only if Slater put up the NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship in return. Slater accepted these conditions, setting up a technical classic in Madison Square Garden. After a long, arduous battle, Slater triumphed over Scene, unifying the Trans-Atlantic Championship with the Continental Championship and officially becoming the last TEW Continental Champion.
Slater’s Trans-Atlantic Championship reign would continue until the NEW Christmas Special, where Slater would lose the title to Hunter Valentyne after being knocked out with a loaded elbow pad. Following this crushing defeat, Slater would be attacked by Seth Iser, falling victim to a Tombstone Piledriver from the Deity of Destruction. In Iser’s words, he hated what Slater stood for, advocating people that refused to support Iser as he fought through injury after injury, torment after torment. However, in an interesting spin, Iser claimed that Slater was living a lie; he was not the man everyone had come to respect and adore. Darkness and chaos existed within him, and Iser vowed to reveal the hypocrisy of the Silver Knight, claiming that his values as a man were obsolete after he had abandoned his wife and son, committed adultery and bludgeoned other wrestlers for his own selfish gain. These of course took place when Slater was mentally twisted through stricken grief, but being a master of mind games, Iser was willing to push Slater over the edge in order to reveal his target’s true colors.
At World War X, Slater fought to reclaim the Trans-Atlantic Championship in a Four Way Match against Hunter, Nocturnal and Iser, but it would be Iser that left the victor, subsequently tarnishing the title in Slater’s eyes. Adding to Slater’s increasing fury, Iser would lure Slater into a trap that would result in him receiving a Deprivation DDT on the concrete floor, all done at an event that was celebrating Slater’s birthday.
But even with Iser to get revenge on, Slater still sought to repair the damage that the likes of Phoenix, Ryan Pugh and Unstable had done to the promotion. Teaming up with Vanessa, calling themselves Golden Remedy, the duo went after the NEW World Tag Team Championships. Slater would also catch the eye of Vanessa’s manager Dawn Ashby, leading people to believe that she withheld intimate feelings for the Silver Knight that would never truly come out.
Eventually, Slater would find himself alone in the ring against Seth Iser at Kamikaze. Although the Trans-Atlantic Championship was not a factor - Iser lost the title to Ricky Cassels a week prior - the two engaged in a ferocious battle for respect and vengeance. In a shocking turn of events, Iser would spray Slater in the face with Red Mist, sadistically burning the Silver Knight before spiking Slater’s neck with a jumping Tombstone Piledriver, leading to Slater’s depressing defeat. More depressing would be the sight of Slater being taken away on a stretcher by the medics, his face covered in a towel as a brace was put around his neck.
The state of Slater’s health was uncertain, but everyone knew who was responsible, a man that callously celebrated his achievement the following week by announcing Slater’s demise.
Slater would not continue his career in New Edge Wrestling however, as his contract would expire without renewal as he recovered in solitude. Slater was unable to compete anyway, recovering from his injuries as Iser’s words affected his mind. That was until the formation of Visionaries of Wrestling, granting Slater a new outlet to continue his career while pursuing the man that caused this damage in the exact same company.
Returning from the injury he suffered in New Edge Wrestling, Slater adorned a mask to protect his face after the horrific Red Mist incident. Despite knowing it would help him, Slater became more aggravated and furious with the mask, taking his anger out on his friends and associates, much to Seth Iser's joy. He also employed Dawn Ashby as his manager during this period, much to Vanessa's chagrin, having fired the voluptious Dawn from her services a short time beforehand.
Slater made his debut at Breakthrough #2, defeating Alexander Oliver. At Breakthrough #4, Slater was defeated by Casanova English, who capitalized on Slater's emotions during a time when Slater was reaching his breaking point. Slater would have his final match in VoW at Breakthrough #5, defeating Logan Rourke Keegan in the Main Event.
Slater was supposed to have a match at VoW's first PPV event, Exposure, against Drake Blake, but the match was cancelled due to medical concerns regarding Slater's health. After completing a physical examination, the doctors informed Slater that he could risk paralysis or permanent nerve damage in his arms if he continued to wrestle. With no other choice, Slater officially retired from active competition.
During his year-long retirement, Slater made some changes to his life. He is currently employed as the Head Wrestling Coach and Fitness Instructor at Simcoe Wrestling Club, headed by owner Brian York. Slater has also mended his relationship with Amy Frankfort, beginning a second run together and looking after their son Gabriel.
At Breakthrough #33, it was announced from a video package that Matt Slater would return to wrestling at Armed and Dangerous. Slater did in fact make his return, defeating Calvin Harris with a rare "Iron Will" Tiger Suplex.
Following the event, Slater signed up to be part of VoW's UK Tour, visiting the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, the burdens of Slater's past quickly returned after meeting with General Manager Sky Sangue: He would be competing against his former protege Judas Dathan and former partner Cera in a Tag Team Match. At Breakthrough #34, Slater teamed with Patrick Jones to wrestle the sociopathic tandem, but they lost the match when Jones was rolled-up by Dathan, having been trying to avoid an armlock submission. Slater was also present in welcoming Joanna Thade to the company, as well as looking out for Stacy Jones after she was found unconscious backstage under mysterious yet concerning circumstances.
At Breakthrough #36, Slater achieved the unthinkable by defeating Casanova English with a pinning counter to his "Silence of the Lamb" Triangle Choke. Meanwhile, citing a worrying change in Cera, Jen Ryette pleaded with Slater to help her and mend their tarnished bridge, which Slater accidentally caused. This followed Slater inadvertently bumping into the pair backstage at Breakthrough #35, whereby he apologized to Cera personally about their past. Cera harshly dismissed his apology before walking away, although Jen assured Slater that her mentality was slowly fading and that he was the only one left who could significantly save her.
At the Darkest Hour PPV in Sheffield, England, Slater was scheduled to compete against Artemis Kaiser. However, due to unknown circumstances, Artemis was not available to compete and the match was officially cancelled. Disappointed, Slater asked for a replacement opponent, leading to Seth Iser confronting him for the first time in over a year. The two men failed to act inside the ring, but the moment was interrupted by Ace Watson, who blindsided Iser with a chop block to his bad knee. All three men were escorted away by security. Later that evening, Slater shared his disgust at Matthew Robinson's vile actions, having watched Seifer Black get sent to the hospital in an ambulance.
Unfortunately, things would only get worse for Slater at this event. Having been helping Joanna Thade through her psychological issues voluntarily, she was revealed to be one of the hooded figures that had been attacking members of the roster for several weeks, doing so alongside her former associate Emma Carlisle.
Slater continued to try and help Cera, which only led to further negatives. Meanwhile, Joanna sought to make Slater see the truth about humanity, wanting to make him realize that no one can be saved from themselves and tha chaos will always exist. Also during this time, Slater palm struck one of his class students out of anger after being insulted and disrespected by the young man, leading to Slater being suspended from his coaching duties until further notice.
At Breakthrough #38, Slater confronted Cera after his son Gabriel was kidnapped - although he was returned later with no injuries or scars - driving Slater over the edge. He physically manhandled Cera, assuming she was the one behind it. Only until he realized what he was doing did he stop, but Cera still retaliated and punched him in the face. At that point, he told her it was up to her if she wanted his help or not. Later that same evening, Slater lost to Zahara Matisse in a match that he was not properly focused for.
At Breakthrough #39, Slater once again lost a match, this time against fellow Mancunian Constance Chapin. The match was affected by the interruption of Ryder Blade, but his attention-seeking ways only served to help Constance and Slater take a break before they fought again.
Before Double Jeopardy 2016, Slater blamed himself for everything that had gone wrong, and accepted the fact he could not change what VoW had become. Furthermore, based on his worsened psyche, Slater officially discarded his role as "The Silver Knight", getting rid of this highly-esteemed moniker.
At Double Jeopardy, Slater fought Cera in an emotional No Disqualification Match. At one point, Slater had Cera set up for a Sharpshooter, but he could not bring himself to apply the move, allowing Cera to escape. Furthermore, after hitting his Shockwave, Slater was more concerned with her well-being than winning the match, checking her head and neck afterwards. Still, Slater managed to win the match with a surprise roll-up, although he was cut open by a kick moments prior. Shockingly, following his victory, Cera was attacked by a deranged fan amidst a lighting fault, causing her to bleed profusely and suffer some kind of breathing issue. She was stabilised and Slater accompanied her to the hospital, but she later passed away after suffering a heart attack, which was later determined to be caused by years of stress-related issues, smoking cigarettes and consuming painkillers.
Following this shocking and tragic incident, Slater disappeared for a good length of time until he returned to VoW at Nothing Else Matters a changed man. No longer showing complete nobility and honor, he confronted Seth Iser to accept the latter's open challenge for Fate of the Gods II, a response which Iser respectfully declined. Making it a mission to get Iser to accept the match, Slater attacked Vincent Moretti and played mind games with the Deity of Destruction, much like Seth had done to him years prior. Eventually, after being called inferior next to Mike Park, Iser bitterly accepted the match, stating that Slater now had to pay the price for his actions. Strangely, Slater seemed to accept whatever Iser would do to him, as if this was his desired wish all along.
At Fate of the Gods II, VoW's grandest event in their young history, Slater made it a point to emasculate Iser further, slapping him in the face and treating him as a minnow. Iser would snap and pummel Slater, leading to a thoroughly intense match. By the end, Iser struck Slater with his Deprivation DDT, to the shock of everyone, Slater valiantly kicked out at one. Beyond control, Iser then gave Slater a Piledriver as a means to put him on the shelf for good, a move that people thought Iser was not allowed to use along with his Black Magic. Iser got the three count and the win in controversial fashion, with Seth later claiming that nowhere in the clause did it say a regular Piledriver was off-limits.
At the following Breakthrough #47, Slater ran out to attack Seth Iser during one of the latter's bitter diatribes. This resulted in considerable damage being done to technical equipment and a popcorn concession stand until the two were separated by security and other staff. Leaving him no alternative, the newly-appointed General Manager Ryan Omega suspended both men and docked their payment, forcing them to miss Breakthrough #48.
In summary from there, Iser accepted a rematch between the two at Heatstroke 2016, with it being a Submission Match with no other rules. This allowed Iser's banned "Black Magic" Tombstone Piledriver to be used. With Slater bloody after an intense, violent contest, the conclusion saw Slater block Iser's Red Mist with a steel chair before he struck Iser with it, busting his nemesis open. He then revealed Cera's Warhammer from underneath the ring, but he changed his mind and decided not to use it, dropping it in front of the Deity of Destruction. Instead, Slater picked Iser up for his own Tombstone Piledriver, giving Seth the deadly finishing move that he used to injure Slater over a year ago that forced him to retire. A "Justice Granted" STF submission later and Seth was forced to tap out.
Notable Feuds
Brian Seles
Mike Park
Cross and The Movement
Hunter Valentyne
Jesse Styles
Johnny Stylez
Nocturnal
Ryan Pugh
Inkt
Triple X
Aaron Abraham
Judas Dathyn
Bobby Backdoor and Phoenix
Seth Iser
Notable Matches
Matt Slater vs. Brian Seles - ACW:U Spring Breakout 2008 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Paul Smith vs. Saint Joey vs. Brian Seles - Four Way Ladder Match for 3x Graduation Briefcases - Winners Graduate to ACW from University - ACW: U Cage Wars 2008 - Won; Paul Smith and Saint Joey also graduated
Matt Slater vs. Kris Obellix - CWX World Heavyweight Championship - CWX Operation California 2008 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Mike Park - Steel Cage Match - CWX World Heavyweight Championship - CWX Rage In The Cage 2008 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Volcano Samson - GWF Pride #5 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Vice - GWF World Heavyweight Championship - GWF Rude Awakening 2009 - Lost
30-Man Warfare Match - TEW World Heavyweight Championship - TEW Warfare 2010 - Lost; Finished Runner-Up after entering at No.3; Match won by The Red Dragon
Matt Slater vs. Mike Park vs. Dave McDave vs. The Red Dragon - Four Way 60-Minute Iron Man Match - TEW World Heavyweight Championship - TEW War of Ages 2010 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Brian Seles - TEW Eye of the Storm 2010 - Won
Terrordome Match - NEW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship - NEW Justice 3 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Triple X - Steel Cage Match - NEW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship - NEW Ignite #79 - Lost
Merciless Demise (Matt Slater and Cera) vs. The cRu (Triple X and Johnny Stylez) - NEW World Tag Team Championships - NEW Ignite #83 - Won
Team NEW vs. Team PCW vs. Team cRu - Stable Wars Match - NEW World War X 2012 - Won; Sole Survivor for Team NEW, last eliminated Inkt from Team cRu
Matt Slater vs. Judas Dathyn - ACW Christmas Special 2012 - Lost
Terrordome Match - Winner to get NEW World Heavyweight Championship Match at Justice 5 - NEW Kamikaze 2013 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Hunter Valentyne - Two Falls of Honor Match - NEW World Heavyweight Championship - NEW Justice 5 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Valora - NEW World Heavyweight Championship - NEW Annihilation 2013 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Jason Scene - 30 Minute Time-Limit Match - NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship and TEW Continental Championship Unification - NEW/TEW When World’s Collide 2013 - Won
100-Person Survive & Conquer Match - APW Survive & Conquer 2014: 5th Anniversary - Lost; finished in 10th place after entering at no. 32; Match won by Terry Marvin
Matt Slater vs. Seth Iser - NEW Kamikaze 2014 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Casanova English - VoW Breakthrough #4 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Casanova English - VoW Breakthrough #36 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Cera - No Disqualification Match - VoW Double Jeopardy 2016 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Seth Iser - VoW Fate of the Gods II - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Seth Iser - Submission Match - VoW Heatstroke 2016 - Won
Tag Team History
Genesis w/ Paul Smith (2008)
w/ John Bronson (2009)
Worth Any Price w/ Brian Seles (2010)
Slated For GooDness w/ Triple X (2011)
Merciless Demise w/ Cera (2011 - 2012)
w/ Kronin (2013)
Golden Remedy w/ Vanessa (2013 - 2014)
Stable and Faction History
Genesis (2008)
The Revolution (2010 - 2011)
Dark Horse Society (2011)
The Court (2011 - 2013)
United (2013)
Brian Seles
Mike Park
Cross and The Movement
Hunter Valentyne
Jesse Styles
Johnny Stylez
Nocturnal
Ryan Pugh
Inkt
Triple X
Aaron Abraham
Judas Dathyn
Bobby Backdoor and Phoenix
Seth Iser
Notable Matches
Matt Slater vs. Brian Seles - ACW:U Spring Breakout 2008 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Paul Smith vs. Saint Joey vs. Brian Seles - Four Way Ladder Match for 3x Graduation Briefcases - Winners Graduate to ACW from University - ACW: U Cage Wars 2008 - Won; Paul Smith and Saint Joey also graduated
Matt Slater vs. Kris Obellix - CWX World Heavyweight Championship - CWX Operation California 2008 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Mike Park - Steel Cage Match - CWX World Heavyweight Championship - CWX Rage In The Cage 2008 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Volcano Samson - GWF Pride #5 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Vice - GWF World Heavyweight Championship - GWF Rude Awakening 2009 - Lost
30-Man Warfare Match - TEW World Heavyweight Championship - TEW Warfare 2010 - Lost; Finished Runner-Up after entering at No.3; Match won by The Red Dragon
Matt Slater vs. Mike Park vs. Dave McDave vs. The Red Dragon - Four Way 60-Minute Iron Man Match - TEW World Heavyweight Championship - TEW War of Ages 2010 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Brian Seles - TEW Eye of the Storm 2010 - Won
Terrordome Match - NEW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship - NEW Justice 3 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Triple X - Steel Cage Match - NEW Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship - NEW Ignite #79 - Lost
Merciless Demise (Matt Slater and Cera) vs. The cRu (Triple X and Johnny Stylez) - NEW World Tag Team Championships - NEW Ignite #83 - Won
Team NEW vs. Team PCW vs. Team cRu - Stable Wars Match - NEW World War X 2012 - Won; Sole Survivor for Team NEW, last eliminated Inkt from Team cRu
Matt Slater vs. Judas Dathyn - ACW Christmas Special 2012 - Lost
Terrordome Match - Winner to get NEW World Heavyweight Championship Match at Justice 5 - NEW Kamikaze 2013 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Hunter Valentyne - Two Falls of Honor Match - NEW World Heavyweight Championship - NEW Justice 5 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Valora - NEW World Heavyweight Championship - NEW Annihilation 2013 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Jason Scene - 30 Minute Time-Limit Match - NEW Trans-Atlantic Championship and TEW Continental Championship Unification - NEW/TEW When World’s Collide 2013 - Won
100-Person Survive & Conquer Match - APW Survive & Conquer 2014: 5th Anniversary - Lost; finished in 10th place after entering at no. 32; Match won by Terry Marvin
Matt Slater vs. Seth Iser - NEW Kamikaze 2014 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Casanova English - VoW Breakthrough #4 - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Casanova English - VoW Breakthrough #36 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Cera - No Disqualification Match - VoW Double Jeopardy 2016 - Won
Matt Slater vs. Seth Iser - VoW Fate of the Gods II - Lost
Matt Slater vs. Seth Iser - Submission Match - VoW Heatstroke 2016 - Won
Tag Team History
Genesis w/ Paul Smith (2008)
w/ John Bronson (2009)
Worth Any Price w/ Brian Seles (2010)
Slated For GooDness w/ Triple X (2011)
Merciless Demise w/ Cera (2011 - 2012)
w/ Kronin (2013)
Golden Remedy w/ Vanessa (2013 - 2014)
Stable and Faction History
Genesis (2008)
The Revolution (2010 - 2011)
Dark Horse Society (2011)
The Court (2011 - 2013)
United (2013)