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James Drake (wrestler)

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James Drake
Drake in April 2019
Birth nameJames Dowell[1]
Born (1993-03-04) 4 March 1993 (age 31)[1]
Blackpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)James Drake
JD Sassoon[2]
Jagger Reid
Billed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3]
Billed weight181 lb (82 kg)[3]
Billed fromBlackpool, England[3]
Debut2010[2]

James Dowell (born 4 March 1993), better known under the ring name James Drake, is an English professional wrestler and promoter. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and also performs on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in WWE NXT where he performed under the ring names James Drake and Jagger Reid. He formed the tag team Grizzled Young Veterans with Zack Gibson in 2017, becoming the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions and three-time Progress Tag Team Champions. He and Gibson run a wrestling promotion called Burning Heart Pro Wrestling.[4]

Professional wrestling career

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Progress Wrestling (2016–2019)

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In 2017, Drake and Zack Gibson formed a villainous tag team called Grizzled Young Veterans in Progress Wrestling. Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Chris Brookes and Kid Lykos of CCK to become the Progress tag team champions.[5] They successfully defended the titles against Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) at Progress Chapter 59.[6] At Chapter 61, Grizzled Young Veterans defeated Moustache Mountain (Tyler Bate and Trent Seven) to retain their championships.[7]

WWE

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NXT UK (2017–2020)

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In January 2017, Drake participated in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament to crown the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Champion, losing to Joseph Conners in the first round.[8] On 12 January 2019 Drake and Gibson defeated Moustache Mountain in a tournament final at NXT UK's debut TakeOver event in Blackpool, to become the inaugural NXT UK Tag Team Champions.[9] Grizzled Young Veterans would defend their titles against, Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch, Amir Jordan and Kenny Willams, & Moustache Mountain before losing it to Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster at NXT UK Takeover: Cardiff in a triple-threat tag team also involving Gallus. On the September 11 episode of NXT UK, Grizzled Young Veterans unsuccessfully challenged Andrews & Webster in a rematch. On the November 7 episode of NXT UK, during the Grizzled Young Veterans match against Andrews and Webster, Gallus and Imperium interfered. On the November 28 episode of NXT UK, Grizzled Young Veterans and Andrews & Webster interfered during Gallus' title match against Imperium and Grizzled Young Veterans took the titles and ran but the general managers came and announced that Gallus would defend their titles at NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II against Grizzled Young Veterans, Andrews & Webster and Imperium for the titles in a ladder match. At the event, Grizzled Young Veterans lost the match. Grizzled Young Veterans also competed in the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Classic and they defeated Kushida and Alex Shelley in the quarterfinals and NXT Tag Team Champions the Undisputed Era in the semifinals due to a distraction by Imperium.

NXT (2020–2023)

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On the 19 February 2020 episode of NXT, the Grizzled Young Veterans joined the NXT brand, defeating Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde before announcing their intent to take over NXT's tag team division, establishing themselves as tweeners.[10] At the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, The Grizzled Young Veterans made it all the way to the finals before losing to MSK. At NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver, The Grizzled Young Veterans were defeated by MSK for the vacant NXT Tag Team Championship also involving Fantasma. On the August 3, 2021 edition of NXT, The Grizzled Young Veterans defeated LA Knight and Cameron Grimes. On the July 19, 2022 edition of NXT, him and Zack Gibson were revealed as Joe Gacy's Dyad, being renamed to Jagger Reid and Rip Fowler, respectively. On 14 October 2023, both Drake and Gibson announced that their WWE contracts have expired and they would take independent bookings.[11]

Independent circuit (2023–present)

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On October 14, 2023, both Drake and Gibson announced that they would take independent bookings.[11] The following day, they made their first independent appearance since being released at Deadlock Pro-Wrestling's Live 3 event where they answered an open challenge set by DPW's tag team champions, The Workhorsemen.[12]

On April 25, 2024, Drake and Gibson announced the launch of their professional wrestling promotion, Burning Heart Wrestling. The promotion's first event will take place on June 21.[13]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2024)

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On December 26, 2023, it was revealed that Gibson and Drake will make their TNA Wrestling debuts at Hard To Kill.[14] They were later announced as challenging for the TNA World Tag Team Championship, along with The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz and Trey Miguel) and Speedball Mountain (Mike Bailey and Trent Seven), against champions ABC (Chris Bey and Ace Austin), which was won by ABC.[15][16] Director of Authority Santino Marella would then make a best of three series between the two teams over the titles, with GYV winning the first match[17] and ABC winning the second.[18] GYV lost the third and decisive match at No Surrender.[18][19]

All Elite Wrestling (2024)

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On April 25, 2024, it was revealed that Gibson and Drake will make their All Elite Wrestling Debut on the April 27 episode of Collision,[20] where they were defeated by The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster).[21]

At All In on August 25, Drake and Gibson made their return to AEW and stared down AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks (Nicholas Jackson and Matthew Jackson) before attacking FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood), officially establishing the two as heels for the company.[22]

Championships and accomplishments

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Drake as NXT UK Tag Team Champion

References

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  1. ^ a b c "James Drake News, Pictures, Videos and Biography". Wrestling Inc.
  2. ^ a b c "James Drake « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  3. ^ a b c "James Drake". WWE.
  4. ^ Currier, Joseph (25 April 2024). "Grizzled Young Veterans launching new wrestling promotion". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  5. ^ "PROGRESS Chapter 58: Live Your Best Life". Cagematch. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  6. ^ "PROGRESS Chapter 59: Whatever People Say We Are, That's What We're Not". Cagematch. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  7. ^ "PROGRESS Chapter 61: Don't Touch Me ... Don't ... Don't Touch Me". Cagematch. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  8. ^ "SOUCek's WWE UK CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT REPORT 1/14: Ongoing coverage of night one of UK Championship tournament". 14 January 2017.
  9. ^ "Moustache Mountain battles Zack Gibson & James Drake to crown the first-ever NXT UK Tag Team Champions". WWE.
  10. ^ Garretson, Jordan (19 February 2020). "The Grizzled Young Veterans def. Raul Mendoza & Joaquin Wilde". WWE. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  11. ^ a b Lambert, Jeremy (14 October 2023). "Grizzled Young Veterans Are Officially Free Agents | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  12. ^ Thompson, Andrew (16 October 2023). "Grizzled Young Veterans appear at DEADLOCK Pro Wrestling's 10/15 event". POST Wrestling. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  13. ^ Lowson, Thomas (25 April 2024). "Burning Heart Pro Wrestling: Promotion Launched By Grizzled Young Veterans to Host First Show in June". sescoops. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Grizzled Young Veterans Are Coming to TNA Hard To Kill & Snake Eyes". Impact Wrestling. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Santino Marella Makes Huge TNA World Tag Team Title Match for Hard To Kill". Impact Wrestling. Impact Wrestling Staff. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  16. ^ Powell, Jason (13 January 2024). "TNA Hard To Kill results: Powell's live review of Alex Shelley vs. Moose for the TNA Title, Trinity vs. Jordynne Grace for the Knockouts Title, Josh Alexander vs. Alex Hammerstone". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  17. ^ Moore, John (2 February 2024). "TNA Impact results (2/1): Moore's review of ABC vs. Grizzled Young Veterans in the first match of the best of three series for the TNA Tag Titles, Nic Nemeth vs. Trey Miguel". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  18. ^ a b TNA Wrestling Staff (15 February 2024). "ABC & GYV Settle the Score in Final Match of Best of 3 Series at No Surrender". TNA Wrestling. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  19. ^ "TNA No Surrender 2024". Cagematch. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  20. ^ Carey, Ian (25 April 2024). "Grizzled Young Veterans to make AEW debut on Collision". Wrestling Observer. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  21. ^ "AEW Collision #43". Cagematch. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  22. ^ Powell, Jason (25 August 2024). "AEW All In results: Powell's live review of Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Championship, Toni Storm vs. Mariah May for the AEW Women's Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Titles « James Drake « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". cagematch.net.
  24. ^ "Titles « BWP World Tag Team Championship « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". cagematch.net.
  25. ^ "Titles « FSW Adrenaline Championship « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". cagematch.net.
  26. ^ "Titles « FSW Tag Team Championship « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". cagematch.net.
  27. ^ "Titles « GPW Heavyweight Championship « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". cagematch.net.
  28. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2019 - the Internet Wrestling Database".
  29. ^ "The 2023 Tag Team 100". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 45 (2): 41. March 2024.
  30. ^ "NXT UK Tag Team Championship". WWE. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
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