Matt Morgan

REAL NAME: MATTHEW THOMAS MORGAN
NICKNAMES: "Blueprint" Matt Morgan, Gomorrah (HUSTLE), Beast (American Gladiators)
SIZE: 7-foot-0, 320 pounds
BORN: September 10, 1976 in Fairfield, Connecticut

Matt Morgan, simply put, is an athletically gifted giant.

He played college basketball, getting to the 1996 NCAA Tournament with Monmouth University's squad, before finishing his college career at Chaminade University. After being cut from tryouts with the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors, Morgan decided on another career where his size and athleticism could allow him to flourish: professional wrestling.

He made his first wrestling appearance on WWE's Tough Enough II, but had to drop out early because of a torn ligament in his right knee. Obviously, however, he made enough of an impression as he garnered a development deal in April 2002. He was sent down to Ohio Valley Wrestling and made his TV debut there in October. A year later, he was called up to SmackDown.

Morgan would join Team Lesnar, which was already made up of super heavyweights Brock Lesnar, Big Show, A-Train, and Nathan Jones. In spite of all that size, the group lost to Kurt Angle's team in a 10-man elimination tag match at 2003's Survivor Series. Morgan thereafter teamed with Lesnar when Jones quit WWE. He also participated in the 2004 Royal Rumble, which was won by Chris Benoit.

When Lesnar decided to leave WWE, Morgan's career took a step back as he was returned to OVW. There, he would become a two-time OVW Heavyweight Champion before returning to Smackdown in April 2005.

His gimmick changed as he was now portrayed as a stutterer. He teamed for awhile with Carlito, more or less serving as his enforcer/bodyguard/back-up, take your pick. But when Carlito was drafted to Raw, Morgan soon found himself released in early July 2005.

Japan lured Morgan overseas, and he ended up touring with New Japan, All Japan, and HUSTLE. He also worked in Italy and Austria, before returning to North America and debuting in TNA in August 2007. He again acted as back-up, this time for TNA Director Jim Cornette, and was chosen as special enforcer at Bound For Glory to ensure a fair match between Samoa Joe and Christian Cage.

Morgan's TV face time picked up in 2008 as he joined a now babyface Team Cage and became a regular character on American Gladiators. By autumn, Morgan was teaming with Abyss in search of the TNA World Tag Team titles. Beer Money Inc., (Robert Roode and James Storm), however, continually stymied the duo, and eventually Morgan turned on Abyss. The two went on to have several matches, with Abyss taking the first confrontation at 2009's Against All Odds. Morgan, however, avenged his loss with two wins, first in a 10,000 Thumbtacks match at Destination X, and then in a Doomsday Chamber of Blood contest at Lockdown.

Following these bloody trials, Morgan offered his services to the Main Event Mafia, and challenged Sting for his position in the group. But Sting was able to get the better of Morgan at Slammiversary. Undeterred, Morgan tried to help the Mafia by taking on its enemies, like AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. Still, his goal didn't get in the way of his ambition to get to the top, and he took on Heavyweight Champion Angle and Sting at Hard Justice.

Angle would prevail, and thereafter he and Morgan joined forces. But a series of miscommunications would be fatal to their success and the two would soon start fighting. Still, both set aside their differences,, albeit briefly, at No Surrender, where Angle faced Morgan, Sting, Styles and Hernandez in a five-way title match. Angle and Morgan stuck together until, of course, it all blew up again, and Styles eventually came out the victor and new champion.

--compiled by Richard Kamchen