Wesley Blake Explained

Wesley Blake
Birthname:Cory James Weston
Birth Date:4 September 1987
Birth Place:San Marcos, Texas, U.S.
Alma Mater:Texas State University
Spouse:[1]
Children:3
Names:Blake
Cory Weston
Wesley Blake
Westin Blake
Height:[2]
Weight:240 lbs
Billed:San Antonio, Texas
Trainer:Dory Funk Jr.[3]
Debut:2011

Cory James Weston (born September 4, 1987) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE where he works as a producer on the NXT brand and coach at the WWE Performance Center.[4] He is best known for his time in WWE as an active wrestler, where he performed under the ring name Wesley Blake.

Weston debuted in 2011 under his real name on the Florida independent circuit, most notably for Dory Funk Jr.'s Funking Conservatory. He signed with WWE in 2013, portraying a cowboy gimmick in NXT during his first year. He later formed a tag team with Buddy Murphy, and the two, managed by Alexa Bliss, won the NXT Tag Team Championship once. After several years, he formed a stable with Jaxson Ryker and Steve Cutler called The Forgotten Sons. In 2020, the stable began working on SmackDown. He was released from WWE on April 15, 2021. Soon after, he announced on his social media that his new ring name would be Westin Blake. In 2024, Blake returned to WWE as a producer for the NXT brand and coach at the WWE Performance Center.

Early life

Cory James Weston was born on September 4, 1987, in San Marcos, Texas. He was brought up by his single mother. Weston played football at the all-state high school level, including for the Medina Valley Panthers in 2005,[5] where he played as the middle linebacker.[6] He graduated from Texas State University,[7] where he was a strength instructor and also played college football.

Professional wrestling career

Funking Conservatory (2011–2013)

Weston wanted to be a professional wrestler since the age of 3.[8] [9] He eventually became a student of Dory Funk Jr.'s professional wrestling school, the Funking Conservatory,[9] appearing on the school's !Bang! TV show under his real name.[10] Immediately after graduating from university, Weston moved to Ocala, Florida in 2011, where the Funking Conservatory was located.[9] Documented to have been wrestling there since May 2011,[11] [12] Weston managed to become the FC Heavyweight Champion,[13] as well as the European Champion and the Florida Champion.[11] [14] Weston wrestled against Jerry Lawler in an eight-person tag team match in May 2013, which was Lawler's first match since suffering a heart attack in September 2012.[15] [16]

WWE

Blake and Murphy (2013–2016)

See main article: Blake and Murphy. Weston signed with WWE in June 2013[17] and reported to NXT in July 2013 when the WWE Performance Center opened; at the same time as his future NXT tag team partner Buddy Murphy.[18] Weston made his television debut as Wesley Blake on the January 22, 2014 episode of NXT with the character of a cowboy and lost his debut match to Adrian Neville.[19] [20] Blake continued in his jobber role with losses in singles matches to the likes of Adam Rose, Mason Ryan and Sin Cara, as well as a loss in a tag-team match against the Ascension with Cal Bishop as his partner.[21] [22] [23] [24]

In August 2014, Blake abandoned the cowboy character and formed a tag team with Buddy Murphy. On the August 14 episode of NXT, Blake and Murphy were defeated in the first round of a number one contender's tag team tournament by Kalisto and Sin Cara,[25] later known as The Lucha Dragons. For the rest of 2014, Blake and Murphy lost multiple matches to teams such as The Lucha Dragons and The Vaudevillains (Aiden English and Simon Gotch).[26] [27] [28] [29] Also in October 2014, Blake and Murphy were involved in a tag-team battle royal to determine the number one contenders to the NXT Tag Team Championship; they were eliminated from the match by The Ascension.[30]

Blake and Murphy defeated The Vaudevillains on the January 21, 2015 episode of NXT[31] [32] and a week later, defeated The Lucha Dragons to win the NXT Tag Team Championship.[33] [34] At, Blake and Murphy, now billed simply by their last names, defeated The Lucha Dragons in a rematch for the titles.[35] Following that, Blake and Murphy started a feud with Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady, who were intent on capturing the tag titles.[36] At, they retained their NXT Tag Team Championship against Amore and Cassady after interference from Alexa Bliss, who then aligned herself with them.[37] After several successful title defenses, Blake and Murphy lost the championships to The Vaudevillians at, ending their reign at 219 days.[38]

On the May 18, 2016 episode of NXT, after losing to Shinsuke Nakamura and Austin Aries, Bliss and Blake walked away from Murphy, teasing a split for the team. Following Bliss's main roster call-up in the 2016 WWE draft, Blake was used sporadically on NXT television as an enhancement talent, with his final televised appearance being a match against Murphy on the October 12 episode of NXT, which quickly ended in a no-contest as both men were attacked by an interfering Samoa Joe.[39]

The Forgotten Sons and departure (2017–2021)

After a long absence from television, Blake returned on the May 10, 2017 episode of NXT, confronting Drew McIntyre in a backstage segment. On the May 24, 2017 episode of NXT, returning to his previous cowboy gimmick, Blake lost in a match against McIntyre.[40] He was then absent from television for the remainder of 2017, forming a tag team with Steve Cutler at NXT live events as "The Forgotten Sons".

The team (now featuring Jaxson Ryker) debuted on the August 29, 2018 episode of NXT in a segment with general manager William Regal.[41] Their in-ring debuts took place the following week when Blake and Cutler defeated The Street Profits after a distraction from Shane Thorne.[42] On the October 3 episode of NXT, the group defeated the team of Vinny Mixon, Cesar Rise & Torrey Kirsh.[43] Blake and Cutler represented the group in the 2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic. They defeated Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan in the first-round[44] and Moustache Mountain in the second-round[45] before losing to Aleister Black and Ricochet in the finals.[46] Blake and Cutler competed in a fatal four-way ladder match for the vacant NXT Tag Team Championship at . Despite interference from Ryker, the two were unsuccessful in winning.[47] The group entered the 2020 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, but were eliminated in the first round by Imperium.[48]

The trio debuted on SmackDown on the April 10, 2020 episode, defeating Lucha House Party.[49] They appeared on the April 24 episode of SmackDown when they attacked Lucha House Party and SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day.[50] The group made their main roster in-ring debut on the May 1 episode, defeating The New Day in a non-title match.[51] They then began portraying themselves as American patriots with Cutler and Ryker highlighting their services in the marines. However, the gimmick was dropped due to a tweet by Jaxson Ryker supporting President Donald Trump which led to serious backstage heat and backlash from many on social media and within the fan base. This resulted in The Forgotten Sons being taken off television.[52] On the December 4 episode of SmackDown, Blake and Cutler, now known as The Knights of the Lone Wolf, made their return accompanying King Corbin to the ring as they helped him defeat Murphy. However, the storyline was aborted since, on February 4, 2021, Cutler was released. On April 15, 2021, Blake was also released from his WWE contract.[53]

Control Your Narrative (2021–2022)

Westin debuted at the Ring of Honor pay-per-view Final Battle, where he, EC3, and Adam Scherr formed the new Control Your Narrative stable and attacked Eli Isom, Dak Draper and Brian Johnson.[54]

In February 2022, it was announced Blake was joining the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion created by EC3 and Adam Scherr. The promotion held its last event on July 31.

Blake made his All Elite Wrestling debut on the August 23 episode of Dark, losing to Daniel Garcia.[55]

Return to WWE (2024-present)

In April 2024, it was reported that Blake had returned to WWE as a producer for the NXT brand and coach at the WWE Performance Center.[56] [57]

Other media

As Blake, he made his video game debut as a playable character in WWE 2K16 (as a downloadable character) and also appears in WWE 2K17.[58] [59]

Personal life

On December 30, 2017, Weston married fellow professional wrestler Sara Lee.[60] They had a daughter and two sons.[60] Lee died on October 5, 2022.

Championships and accomplishments

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wesley Blake on Twitter. September 17, 2020. Twitter.
  2. Web site: Wesley Blake Bio. WWE. January 16, 2015.
  3. Web site: Past meets future at wrestling's Funking Conservatory.
  4. Web site: Backstage Report Indicates WWE NXT Star Also Working As Producer. "The report listed Wesley Blake, Matt Bloom, and Oney Lorcan as fellow former WWE stars now producing for NXT". April 17, 2024. June 16, 2024. Wrestling Inc.
  5. Web site: District 28-4A Preview. Texas HS Football. January 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150119062446/http://www.texashsfootball.com/guide/previews/2005/districts/dist284a.htm. January 19, 2015.
  6. Web site: Johnson. Mike. !Bang! updates. pwinsiderxtra.com. January 19, 2015. April 18, 2012.
  7. Web site: Mooneyham. Mike. Local wrestler Pete Kaasa keeping the dream alive. The Post and Courier. January 19, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150119044202/http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120513/PC20/120519731. January 19, 2015.
  8. Web site: NXT Star Wesley Blake Refuses to Take Breath Test After DUI Arrest . November 26, 2015 . YouTube.
  9. Web site: Mooneyham. Mike. Past meets future at wrestling's Funking Conservatory. The Post and Courier. January 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150119044316/http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120729/PC20/120729225. January 19, 2015.
  10. Web site: Dory Funk Jr.. !BANG! TV Super H-Q Features Dory Funk's Friend and Blue Chipper Cory "Wild" Weston. January 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150118143333/http://www.dory-funk.com/crown4.html. January 18, 2015.
  11. Web site: Johnson. Mike. !Bang! TV results. pwinsiderxtra.com. January 19, 2015.
  12. Web site: Sun. Update: Big shows today, Hardy digging himself deeper, Flair not going to jail, Marquardt. f4wonline.com. January 18, 2015.
  13. Web site: A Night of Comedy with Mick Foley on 7/12 in Ocala, FL. wrestleview.com. January 18, 2014.
  14. Web site: Johnson. Mike. !Bang! TV update. pwinsiderxtra.com. January 19, 2015. October 10, 2011.
  15. Web site: Show Results - 5/25 Jerry Lawler return match in Ocala, Fla.: Details on Lawler's first match since heart attack, Lawler comments on the match, full results from Bang TV taping. PWTorch.com. January 18, 2015.
  16. Web site: Chhibber. Ranjan. Lawler returns to the ring. https://archive.today/20150119031853/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2013/05/26/pf-20849816.html. usurped. January 19, 2015. Canoe.ca. Slam Wrestling. January 18, 2015.
  17. Web site: Martin. Adam. WWE back in Canada for TV tapings, Lawler's in-ring return. wrestleview.com. January 17, 2015.
  18. Web site: Blake and Murphy's improbable dream. WWE. February 10, 2015. Saxton. Byron.
  19. Web site: Johnson. Mike. WWE NXT: What Worked, What Didn't & What We Learned. PWInsider.com. January 16, 2015. January 24, 2014.
  20. Web site: Witner. Emerson. WWE TV Report: watch NXT Champion Bo Dallas vs. Adrian Neville, Antonio Cesaro. f4wonline.com. January 17, 2015.
  21. Web site: Witner. Emerson. WWE NXT TV Report: Adrian Neville battles Brodus Clay, Great Khali runs wild!. f4wonline.com. January 17, 2015.
  22. Web site: Howell. Nolan. NXT: Zayn returns to battle a disgruntled Graves. https://archive.today/20150119031858/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/03/06/21517341.html. usurped. January 19, 2015. Canoe.ca. Slam Wrestling. January 17, 2015.
  23. Web site: Witner. Emerson. WWE NXT TV Report: Bo Dallas' Road To NXTmania begins. f4wonline.com. January 17, 2015.
  24. Web site: Witner. Emerson. WWE NXT TV Report: Adrian Neville/Sami Zayn vs. Tyson Kidd/Justin Gabriel. f4wonline.com. January 17, 2015.
  25. Web site: James. Justin. James's WWE NXT report 8/14 Week 111: Neville defends NXT Title vs. Breeze, tournament continues, #1 contender to Women's Title; Overall Reax. PWTorch.com. January 16, 2015.
  26. Web site: Asher. Matthew. NXT: Badda-Bing! Realist chick in the ring Carmella makes her debut. https://archive.today/20141024093321/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/10/16/22011956.html. usurped. October 24, 2014. Canoe.ca. Slam Wrestling. January 19, 2015.
  27. Web site: Justin. Justin. James's WWE NXT report 10/23: Neville defends NXT Title against Titus O'Neil, Tyler Breeze, Ascension, more; Overall Reax. PWTorch.com. January 19, 2015.
  28. Web site: Howell. Nolan. NXT: Neville gives Zayn another big loss. https://archive.today/20141115033214/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/11/13/22070461.html. usurped. November 15, 2014. Canoe.ca. Slam Wrestling. January 19, 2015.
  29. Web site: Howell. Nolan. NXT: Zayn and Neville face-to-face. https://archive.today/20150119080349/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2014/12/04/22113741.html. usurped. January 19, 2015. Canoe.ca. Slam Wrestling. January 19, 2015.
  30. Web site: Namako. Jason. WWE NXT Results - 10/30/14 (O'Neil VS. Zayn II). wrestleview.com. January 19, 2015.
  31. Web site: Witner. Emerson. WWE NXT TV Report: Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd, Blake/Murphy vs. Lucha Dragons. f4wonline.com. January 30, 2015.
  32. Web site: Howell. Nolan. NXT: NXT Championship contender tourney kicks off. https://archive.today/20150130082023/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2015/01/22/22195341.html. usurped. January 30, 2015. Canoe.ca. Slam Wrestling. January 30, 2015.
  33. Web site: NXT News: Next live special announced, full spoiler results from Thursday's NXT TV tapings. PWTorch.com. January 16, 2015.
  34. Web site: James. Justin. WWE NXT Report 1/28 - Week 137: Zayn-Owens contract signing for "Takeover," #1 contender tourney continues, Emma returns, Charlotte in tag action; Overall Reax. PWTorch.com. January 30, 2015.
  35. Web site: Meltzer. Dave. WWE NXT Takeover Rival results & recap: Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens, Finn Balor vs. Adrian Neville. f4wonline.com. 13 February 2015.
  36. Web site: Howell. Nolan. NXT: Owens runs through Riley. https://archive.today/20150406083145/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2015/03/18/22295651.html. usurped. April 6, 2015. Canoe.ca. 21 March 2015.
  37. Web site: Live ongoing WWE NXT TakeOver Unstoppable report: Bayley and Charlotte versus Dana Brooke and Emma. Trionfo, Richard. PWInsider. May 20, 2015. May 20, 2015.
  38. Web site: Ongoing NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn Blog. Scherer, Dave. PWInsider. August 22, 2015. August 22, 2015.
  39. Web site: KELLER’S NXT TV REVIEW 10/12: Blake vs. Murphy interrupted by a frothing Samoa Joe wanting either Nakamura or his title, Dusty Tag Tourney with Glorious 10.
  40. Web site: Drew McIntyre and Wesley Blake settle their differences. WWE. en. 2019-02-09.
  41. Web site: Rueter . Sean . NXT results, live blog (Aug. 29, 2018): Undisputed ERA vs. Ricochet & Pete Dunne . Cageside Seats . August 29, 2018 . August 29, 2018.
  42. Web site: Clapp . John . The Forgotten Sons def. The Street Profits . WWE.com . September 5, 2018.
  43. Web site: Bristout . Ralph . The Forgotten Sons def. Vinny Mixon, Cesar Rise & Torrey Kirsh . WWE.com . October 3, 2018.
  44. Web site: Bristout . Ralph . The Forgotten Sons def. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch . WWE.com . March 6, 2019.
  45. Web site: Clapp . John . Forgotten Sons def. Moustache Mountain in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Semifinals . WWE.com . March 13, 2019.
  46. Web site: Clapp . John . Aleister Black & Ricochet def. The Forgotten Sons to win the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic . WWE.com . March 27, 2019.
  47. Web site: Bristout . Ralph . Street Profits won a Fatal 4-Way Ladder Match to capture the vacant NXT Tag Team Championship . WWE.com . June 1, 2019.
  48. Web site: Garretson . Jordan . Imperium def. Forgotten Sons in the first round of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic . WWE.com . January 8, 2020.
  49. Web site: Pappolla . Ryan . The Forgotten Sons def. The Lucha House Party . WWE.com . April 10, 2020.
  50. Web site: Brookhouse . Brent . WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Awkward Triple H celebration brings down an otherwise solid show . CBS Sports . April 24, 2020.
  51. Web site: Friday Night SmackDown results - May 1, 2020 . WWE.com . May 1, 2020.
  52. Web site: Details On Forgotten Sons Being Removed From WWE TV, Backstage Reaction. Fightful.
  53. Web site: 2021-04-15. Samoa Joe, Billie Kay, Mickie James and other Superstars released. 2021-04-15. wwe.com. en-US.
  54. Web site: Pizzazz . Manolo Has . 2021-12-11 . ROH Final Battle 2021 live results: The End of an Era . 2023-04-18 . Cageside Seats . en.
  55. Web site: stevejuon . 2022-08-23 . AEW Dark recap (Aug. 23, 2022): Max Caster, rap master . 2023-04-18 . Cageside Seats . en.
  56. Web site: Backstage Report Indicates WWE NXT Star Also Working As Producer. "The report listed Wesley Blake, Matt Bloom, and Oney Lorcan as fellow former WWE stars now producing for NXT". April 17, 2024. June 16, 2024. Wrestling Inc.
  57. Web site: Steve Maclin On Westin (Wesley) Blake: He's My Brother; He's One Of The Best Workers Out There. "Steve Maclin would praise Blake as a professional wrestler and as a coach now that Blake has gotten the opportunity to coach at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida... He’s in a position now where he’s possibly training the future of this business. I don’t know if I can say that. But I said it. So he’s in a position right now where he’s going to be giving back to wrestling in a different way. Who better? Because he’s one of the absolute best.". April 27, 2023. June 16, 2024. Fightful.
  58. Web site: The Complete WWE 2K16 Wrestler Roster. GameSpot. September 15, 2015. September 7, 2018.
  59. Web site: WWE 2K17 Roster. IGN. September 7, 2018.
  60. Web site: Beltran. William. Sara Lee and Wesley Blake welcome their second child. Súper Luchas. March 4, 2019. September 17, 2020.
  61. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2015. October 5, 2015. The Internet Wrestling Database.
  62. Web site: REVOLVER Swerve's House - Pay Per View @ Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa, USA. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. April 16, 2022. July 10, 2022.
  63. Web site: REVOLVER Cage Of Horrors - Pay Per View @ Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa, USA. Philip. Kreikenbohm. Cagematch - The Internet Wrestling Database. July 9, 2022. July 10, 2022.
  64. Web site: Official NXT Tag Team Championship Title History. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

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