Editing Travis Tomko (section)

== Professional wrestling career ==

=== World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2006) ===

==== Ohio Valley Wrestling (2002–2003) ====
Tomko was signed to a [[World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF) developmental contract in April 2002 and assigned to [[Ohio Valley Wrestling]] (OVW) to sharpen his skills.<ref name=OWOW/> While in OVW he was a member of the Disciples of Synn [[glossary of professional wrestling terms#Stable|stable]] and along with stablemate [[Kevin Thorn|Seven]] captured the [[OVW Southern Tag Team Championship]], on March 5, 2003, though they lost them less than a month later to the [[Acolytes Protection Agency]] (APA).<ref name=OWOW/><ref name=OVW>{{cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ovsttnwa.html|access-date=2008-06-21|last=Dupree|first=Jim|title=NWA - National Wrestling Alliance NWA Ohio Valley Wrestling Southern Tag Team Title History|publisher=Solie}}</ref>

==== Raw (2003–2006) ====
In July 2003, Tomko began working [[glossary of professional wrestling terms#dark match|dark matches]] for the [[Raw (WWE brand)|Raw]] [[WWE Brand Extension|brand]].<ref name=OWOW/> He made his television debut on the April 19, 2004, ''Raw'', in [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada, interfering in a [[Christian Cage|Christian]] versus [[Chris Jericho]] match on Christian's behalf and helping him pick up the win.<ref name=OWOW/> His [[gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] was that of "The Problem Solver", and acting as an "[[Enforcer (professional wrestling)|enforcer]] for hire" for Christian and his kayfabe girlfriend [[Trish Stratus]] in their feud with Chris Jericho.<ref name=OWOW/> His singles matches were few and far between; his main goal was ensuring victory for his clients, usually by interfering. When Christian suffered a [[Legit (professional wrestling)|legit]] back injury, Tomko continued to stand by Stratus and aid her in gaining an advantage in feuds against Jericho, [[Lisa Marie Varon|Victoria]], and [[Stevie Richards|Steven Richards]], among others.<ref name=OWOW/> The duo occasionally paired together for [[Professional wrestling tag team match types#Mixed tag team match|mixed tag team matches]].<ref name=OWOW/> Upon Christian's return, Tomko immediately paired with him again, filling the same role as before.<ref name=OWOW/> Following the on-screen split between Stratus and Christian (their dispute was seemingly over Tomko's services), Tomko remained Christian's enforcer. The duo also wrestled as a [[tag team]] on occasion, sometimes aligning themselves with Christian's [[Edge and Christian|former tag team partner and real-life friend]] [[Edge (wrestler)|Edge]].<ref name=OWOW/> In June 2005, Tomko, Christian, and Edge joined forces with [[Eric Bischoff]] in his crusade against [[Extreme Championship Wrestling]] (ECW).<ref name=OWOW/>

Tomko and Christian were separated in June 2005 when Christian was [[WWE Draft|drafted]] to [[SmackDown (WWE brand)|SmackDown!]]. Now on his own, Tomko was [[Push (professional wrestling)|pushed]] as a "[[Heel (professional wrestling)|monster heel]]", winning singles matches against many [[Job (professional wrestling)#Jobbers|jobbers]] by ([[kayfabe]]) [[knock out]] after hitting a [[Professional wrestling attacks#Big boot|big boot]] to the back of the head. On ''Raw'', he knocked out both World Tag Team Champions, [[The Hurricane and Rosey]]. His winning streak ended after he was pinned by [[John Cena]] on ''Raw'' two weeks in a row.<ref name=OWOW/> Tomko then went on to form a tag team with [[Gene Snitsky|Snitsky]], however, they were not given much of a push.<ref name=OWOW/>

On April 3, 2006, Tomko quit WWE on good terms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/archive/tomokoreleased |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304002931/http://www.wwe.com/inside/news/archive/tomokoreleased |archive-date=4 March 2009 |title=Tomko looks to hone his skills during "lull" in WWE career |last=Denbaum |first=Evan |publisher=[[WWE|World Wrestling Entertainment]] |date=4 April 2006 |accessdate=1 February 2023}}</ref> He then began to work in [[Professional wrestling in Japan|Japan]].<ref name=OWOW/>

===New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2006–2008)===
Tomko debuted in [[New Japan Pro-Wrestling]] (NJPW) on July 1, 2006, participating in an eight-man tag match which he won. A few days later, Tomko and [[Matt Bloom|Giant Bernard]] took part in a tournament to determine the interim [[IWGP Tag Team Champions]] and reached the finals before losing to [[Shiro Koshinaka]] and [[Togi Makabe]]. Tomko participated in a tournament for the vacant [[IWGP Heavyweight Championship]], which had been vacated by [[Brock Lesnar]], and lost in the first round to [[Yuji Nagata]]. He also participated in [[G1 Tag League#2006|G1 Tag League 2006]] in block B with Giant Bernard and reached the semi-final before losing to the eventual winners, [[Masahiro Chono]] and [[Shinsuke Nakamura]].

At [[January 4 Dome Show|Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome]], Tomko teamed up with [[D'Lo Brown]] and [[Barry Buchanan|Buchanan]] to take on [[Tomohiro Ishii]], [[Togi Makabe]] and [[Toru Yano]], Makabe pinned Buchanan. Tomko lost to Togi Makabe in the first round of the [[New Japan Cup|New Japan Cup 2007]]. On March 11, 2007, Tomko and [[Matt Bloom|Giant Bernard]] defeated [[Manabu Nakanishi]] and [[Takao Omori]] to win the [[IWGP Tag Team Championship]].<ref name=IWGP>{{cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ttiwgp.html|access-date=2008-06-21|last=Duncan|first=Royal|title=I.W.G.P. - New Japan International Grand Prix I.W.P.G. Tag Team Title History|publisher=Solie}}</ref>  Tomko and Bernard joined Masahiro Chono's BLACK faction and would eventually defect to RISE. The pair won [[G1 Tag League#2007|G1 Tag League 2007]] by defeating [[Hiroshi Tanahashi]] and [[Koji Kanemoto]].

At [[January 4 Dome Show|Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome II]], Tomko and Bernard defeated [[The Steiner Brothers]]. They lost the titles on February 2, 2008, to Great Bash Heel members [[Togi Makabe]] and [[Toru Yano]]. Tomko was released early in March 2008 after NJPW decided not to renew his contract. NJPW were struggling financially and could not afford to keep him going. They did however, re-sign his tag team partner Giant Bernard.

=== Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2006–2008) ===

==== Christian's Coalition (2006–2007) ====
{{Main|Christian's Coalition}}
[[Image:Christian cage 2.JPG|thumb|Tomko (left) with [[Christian Cage]] in August 2007.]]

On the November 23, 2006 episode of ''[[Impact! (TV series)|TNA Impact!]]'', Tomko made his debut in a [[glossary of professional wrestling terms#run-in|run-in]] during a [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]] number one contender's match between Christian Cage and [[Sting (wrestler)|Sting]], attacking Sting and siding with Cage, once again acting as Christian's enforcer.<ref name=OWOW/> On the January 11, 2007 episode of ''Impact!'', Tomko went one on one against [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship|NWA World Heavyweight Champion]] [[Abyss (wrestler)|Abyss]] in a non-title match. To avoid interference, [[Jim Cornette]] locked Christian in a cage, and also had [[Kurt Angle]] at ringside. During the bout, Angle got into a brawl with [[Samoa Joe]], leaving Cage to escape the cage and interfere in the match, causing a disqualification.<ref name=OWOW/> On the March 1 edition of ''Impact!'' he beat Samoa Joe for a chance for an NWA title shot against Cage.<ref name=OWOW/>

On the March 8 edition of ''Impact!'', Christian's Coalition lost to Kurt Angle, [[Rhyno|Rhino]] and Samoa Joe by [[Professional wrestling#Disqualification|disqualification]] after interference from Abyss who [[Powerslam#Spinning side slam|Black Hole slammed]] Angle.<ref name=OWOW/> At [[Destination X (2007)|Destination X]], while getting out of the limo onto the black and blue carpet, Christian Cage received a telegram from Tomko stating that Tomko was in Japan and would come back if Cage would give him a title shot. Once Tomko returned from Japan, Cage offered Tomko a spot on Team Cage at [[Lockdown (2007)|Lockdown]], but Tomko said he would not choose a team until he got a title shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. It ended up being that Jim Cornette came out and said that the main event on ''Impact!'' that night would be one member from Team Cage fighting one member from Team Angle. Whichever team member won, Tomko would go to the team the member was from. It would be Abyss from Team Cage fighting Kurt Angle from Team Angle. In the end, Kurt Angle won by pinfall, but after the match, Tomko signed on to Team Cage instead of Team Angle, making him the final member of Team Cage to fight Team Angle at Lockdown along with Abyss, [[A.J. Styles]], [[Scott Steiner]], and Christian Cage.<ref name=OWOW/> A match was held to see who would go into the cage first. It would be a match between Samoa Joe and Styles, [[Jeff Jarrett]] interfered to become the fifth member of team Angle. Tomko entered that match as the third member, and was successful, until being gored through the cage door. In the end Jeff Jarrett hit Abyss with a guitar full of tacks, and Sting got the pin.

On the following episode of ''Impact!'', Tomko took part in Team Cage's attack on Abyss for being a liability to the team's success after Abyss and Cage failed to win the [[NWA World Tag Team Championship]] from [[The Dudley Boyz|Team 3D]].<ref name=OWOW/> One week later, Tomko and Scott Steiner were given a tag team title shot of their own, but failed thanks to botched interference from [[The Latin American Xchange]] (LAX).<ref name=OWOW/> At [[Sacrifice (2007)|Sacrifice]], Tomko and Steiner met LAX and 3D in a three-way match for the title, but failed again.<ref name=OWOW/>

After this loss, [[Rick Steiner]] debuted in TNA and helped Scott attack Tomko.<ref name=OWOW/> Tomko remained in what was from then on once again known as Christian's Coalition, once again focused on aiding Cage. Some friction did set in after Cage cost Tomko his May 31, 2007 [[King of the Mountain match|King of the Mountain]] qualifying match by distracting him with a chair. Tomko had been placed in the match against fellow Coalition member A.J. Styles because original contestant Jeff Jarrett no-showed (due to his wife's death). Christian was able to convince Tomko to continue on as his ally, which later came in handy as Tomko would go on to do much of the brunt work in the Coalition's feud against the returned Abyss and Sting, though he would be twice pinned by Abyss at PPV's after taking a Black Hole Slam each time.<ref name=OWOW/> However, the Coalition finally avenged these losses with another bloody beatdown of Abyss which also featured the laying-out of Sting on the July 26 ''Impact!''.<ref name=OWOW/>

On the PPV that followed, [[Hard Justice (2007)|Hard Justice]], Tomko, along with Styles and Christian, had taken part in a "Doomsday Chamber of Blood Match", which Abyss picked a week after winning the contract to make it. The match was a barbed-wire six sides of steel cage match in which the objective was to make an opponent bleed and pin that opponent. The Coalition was able to lock Sting out for a while, but after he appeared in the ring, Tomko would be the first man busted open. After a long match, Christian would escape the cage, and Styles was pinned by Abyss.<ref name=OWOW/>

====Teaming with Styles (2007)====
{{Main|A.J. Styles and Tomko}}
At [[No Surrender (2007)|No Surrender]] he and Styles won a 10-tag team gauntlet match to win title shots at [[Bound For Glory (2007)|Bound For Glory]].<ref name=OWOW/> At Bound for Glory on October 14, A.J. Styles and Tomko won the [[TNA World Tag Team Championship]] from [[Team Pacman]].<ref name=TNA>{{cite web|url=http://www.tnawrestling.com/roster/tna-world-title-histories|access-date=2008-06-21|title=TNA official title history|publisher=TNA Wrestling|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307061608/http://www.tnawrestling.com/roster/tna-world-title-histories|archive-date=March 7, 2010}}</ref>

Styles and Tomko defeated LAX on the November 1 edition of ''Impact!'' to retain the TNA Tag Team title.<ref name=OWOW/> Styles and Tomko's success led to some uncertainty within the Coalition, causing Tomko to ask Christian what the chain of command was. Christian said that when he wasn't around, it was Styles - disappointing Tomko. AJ would go on to make some foolish decisions without Tomko's advice or help, starting with a take-down match against Scott Steiner that night. The last major choice Styles made for the Coalition was to join forces with Kurt Angle, forming the [[Angle Alliance]] at [[Genesis (2007)|Genesis]] by assisting Angle in retaining his [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship]]. This plan quickly fell apart, as Christian and Angles could not cooperate, leaving them to fight over Styles and Tomko. The tension between Christian and Kurt would make Styles doubt himself, and he'd often turn to Tomko for advice, which Tomko would not give, telling Styles that he got into this mess himself since he was the one in charge. Tomko's continued distancing of himself from both groups would lead him to separate from the Alliance two weeks before Final Resolution on an episode of ''Impact!'', stating that from now on he works for Tomko. He and A.J. Styles defeated [[Kevin Nash]] and [[Samoa Joe]] to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship at [[Final Resolution (January 2008)|Final Resolution]].<ref name=OWOW/> When Styles interfered on behalf of Kurt Angle to help him retain the [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship]] against Christian Cage, staying with the Angle Alliance and turning his back on Cage, Tomko was not present with him, leaving both Christian and Angle, staying true to his word.

====Kurt Angle's henchman (2008)====
On the January 3 ''Impact!'' clarified Tomko's new outlook. While Styles worried about Christian's wrath in Kurt Angle's dressing room, Tomko explained to him that he's on his own.<ref name=OWOW/> The following week, in an interview, Tomko said Styles got himself into the situation - matter of fact, he created it - and that Tomko knew it was no-win, generally stayed out of it, and now is making his own decisions. That same night, Tomko had his first singles match since becoming independent against [[Shark Boy]], who in storyline was injured, and [[Squash (professional wrestling)|quickly defeated]] him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gerweck.net/news/1200032786.shtml|title=January 10 iMPACT Results|date=2008-01-10|quote=Recap of the January 10 iMPACT Results|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112063603/http://www.gerweck.net/news/1200032786.shtml|archive-date=2008-01-12}}</ref> At [[Against All Odds (2008)|Against All Odds]] Tomko cost Christian the world title, then reluctantly aligned with Kurt Angle, following Styles' example so they could stay partners - with no intention of being a team player to the point of becoming a lapdog again.<ref name=OWOW/> He also became frustrated with Styles constant attraction to [[Karen Angle]], claiming it's hurting the team's focus and even exploding on Styles on an episode of ''Impact!''.

At the 2008 [[Lockdown (2008)|Lockdown]] PPV, Tomko was captain of his own team in the [[Lethal Lockdown match]], though his team lost to Team Cage after [[Rhyno|Rhino]] pinned [[James Storm]].<ref name=OWOW/> The following episode of ''Impact'', Styles and Tomko lost the TNA Tag Team Titles to [[Eric Young (wrestler)|Eric Young]] and [[Frankie Kazarian|Kaz]] in controversial fashion relating to Young's alter-ego of "Super Eric".<ref name=OWOW/> This resulted in the titles being vacated<ref name=OWOW/> and put on the line in a tournament at [[Sacrifice (2008)|Sacrifice]], which was won by [[The Latin American Xchange]]. Following the tournament, Tomko returned from a storyline injury suffered in Japan, and expressed unhappiness towards Styles for participating in the tournament with Super Eric, who was responsible for their title loss in the first place. Styles, in turn, expressed frustration over having to follow others for the past months and wanted to break out on his own. Following that, Tomko wished Styles the best of luck and officially disbanded their tag team.

Tomko continued to act as Kurt Angle's henchman, notably harassing [[Karen Angle]] on the debut of her interview segment ''Karen's Angle'' on the July 31 episode of ''Impact!''.<ref name=OWOW/> He was then scheduled to feud with [[Matt Morgan (wrestler)|Matt Morgan]] but the program was cut short when Tomko parted ways with TNA in late July 2008, with reports circulating that he was unhappy with management. His final television appearance was on the August 7 edition of ''Impact!'' in an 8-man gauntlet in which he was pinned by Samoa Joe.<ref name=OWOW/>

Tomko had planned on working regularly for the [[Inoki Genome Federation]] in Japan but they cancelled many of their upcoming shows, opening up his schedule to appear one last time with TNA on a non-contractual basis. On the September 11, 2008, edition of ''Impact!'' he appeared as the third of three challengers to Samoa Joe as a part of Kevin Nash's challenge.<ref name=OWOW/>

=== Hustle (2009) ===
Tomko debuted in June 2009 under a mask and the ring name Arma in the [[Japan]]ese wrestling promotion [[Hustle (professional wrestling)|Hustle]], where he formed a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|villainous]] tag team called "Armageddon" with fellow former WWE star [[René Duprée]], who served as his partner Geddon.<ref name="OWOW" /><ref name="CageHustle">{{cite web|url=http://cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=583&view=matches&gimmick=&jahr=&liga=48&region=&land=&art=&artmatches=&partner=Partner&gegner=Gegner&suchbegriff=Suchbegriff#matches|title=Hustle match list|access-date=2010-02-03}}</ref> This team would disband shortly thereafter when Geddon turned face and changed his ring name back to René Bonaparte. On July 30, 2009, Bonaparte defeated Arma in Tomko's final Hustle appearance.<ref name="CageHustle" />

=== Return to TNA Wrestling (2009–2010) ===
On the November 19, 2009, edition of ''Impact!'' Tomko officially returned to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in an interview with [[Lauren Brooke (interviewer)|Lauren]], seemingly as a [[Face (professional wrestling)|face]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_36883.shtml|title=PARKS' TNA IMPACT REPORT 11/19: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the post-Turning Point show|last=Parks|first=Greg|date=2009-11-19|work=PWTorch|access-date=2009-11-20}}</ref> He made his in-ring return on the December 17 edition of ''Impact!'', where he, A.J. Styles, Kurt Angle, Abyss and [[Bobby Lashley]] defeated Scott Steiner, [[Doug Williams (wrestler)|Doug Williams]], [[Nick Aldis|Brutus Magnus]], [[Stevie Richards|Dr. Stevie]] and [[Raven (wrestler)|Raven]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_37474.shtml|title=CALDWELL'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 12/17: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV show - final build-up to Final Resolution PPV|last=Caldwell|first=James|date=2009-12-17|work=PWTorch|access-date=2009-12-18}}</ref> On the January 14 edition of ''Impact!'' Tomko turned heel as he was revealed as the man who had attacked Styles multiple times during the past three months, successfully scoring a match for Styles' [[TNA World Heavyweight Championship]] later that night as a result. However, Styles defeated him to retain the title.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_38126.shtml|title=WILKENFELD'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 1/14: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|date=2010-01-14|access-date=2010-01-15|work=PWTorch}}</ref> On the February 4 edition of ''Impact!'', Tomko lost to Kurt Angle in an [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling tournaments#8 Card Stud Tournament|8 Card Stud Tournament]] Qualifying match. On  the March 4 edition of ''Impact!'', Tomko lost to [[Jeff Jarrett]]. On the March 22 edition of ''Impact!'', Tomko was defeated by [[Rob Terry]] in a match for the [[TNA Television Championship|TNA Global Championship]]. He was seen in a group of heels Eric Bischoff had directed to remove Abyss' mask, and on the May 13 edition of ''Impact!'', Tomko lost to [[Orlando Jordan]] via submission which turned out to be his last match in TNA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_40040.shtml|title=WILKENFELD'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 3/22: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|date=2010-03-22|access-date=2010-05-18|publisher=PWTorch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_41298.shtml|title=Wilkenfeld's TNA Impact Report 5/13: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast|date=2010-05-13|last=Wilkenfeld|first=Daniel|access-date=2010-05-18|publisher=Pro Wrestling Torch}}</ref> On August 19, 2010, Tomko's profile was placed in the alumni section on TNA's official website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/149899/More-Various-News:-Winnipeg-Supershow-Lineup,-TNA-Removes-Names-From-Roster,-More.htm|title=More Various News: Winnipeg Supershow Lineup, TNA Removes Names From Roster, More|last=Lansdell|first=Chris|date=2010-08-19|access-date=2010-08-20|work=411Mania}}</ref>

===Independent circuit (2013–2016)===
On September 4, 2013, Tomko made his debut in [[Ring Warriors]], where he claimed to be the next Ring Warriors Grand Champion. The following week, Tomko defeated Michael Sain. On November 2, 2013, Tomko challenged Bruce Santee for the NWA FUW Bruiserweight Championship, but the match ended in no contest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cagematch.de/?id=1&nr=102992 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104151126/http://www.cagematch.de/?id=1&nr=102992 |archive-date=2013-11-04 |title=NWA FUW Throwdown 8 - The Silver Screen Showdown « Event-Datenbank « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database}}</ref> On February 1, 2014, Tomko wrestled [[Francisco Ciatso]] at the USA PRO WRESTLING 20th Anniversary Show in Orlando, Florida. Tomko won by disqualification when Ciatso introduced a chair into the match. On January 21, 2016, Tomko made a tweet on Twitter that he his returning to the ring. Tomko faced Locke and QT Santee at FHW Wrestling in [[Palm Beach, Florida]]. on January 22, 2016. On February 13, 2016, Tomko faced Tommy Vandal at Independent Championship Wrestling in [[Miami, Florida]]. On February 22, 2016, Tomko faced James "The Kid" Sabin at Florida Hardcore Wrestling and ended up in a disqualification when Sabin hit the referee with the chair.