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Luther Reigns

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Luther Reigns
Reigns in 2008
Birth nameMatthew Robert Wiese
Born (1971-09-22) September 22, 1971 (age 53)
New York City, U.S.[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Horshu[2]
Inspector Impact[2]
Inspector Max Impact[2]
Luther Reigns[3]
Billed height6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[3]
Billed weight285 lb (129 kg)[3]
Billed fromPhoenix, Arizona[3]
Trained byNavajo Warrior[2]
WCW Power Plant[1]
Debut1997[2]
RetiredSeptember 16, 2006[4]

Matthew Robert Wiese[5] (born September 22, 1971) is an American retired professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Luther Reigns.

Professional wrestling career

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World Championship Wrestling (1997–1998)

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In 1996, Wiese tried out for the Power Plant, World Championship Wrestling (WCW)'s professional wrestling school.[1] Upon completing his training, Wiese started his wrestling career as an enhancement talent in WCW in 1997 using the ring name Horshu.[5] He was among six wrestlers who "auditioned" for an anti-New World Order faction called Piper's Family on the March 3, 1997 episode of Monday Nitro, spearheaded by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. After being tested in a 30-second impromptu match with Piper, Wiese was quickly defeated via sleeper hold after attempting to use dirty tactics to defeat Piper.[6]

AWA Superstars of Wrestling (1999–2003)

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After his stint in WCW, Wiese made his way to Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) for more training. He then debuted in AWA Superstars of Wrestling as Horshu, winning their World Heavyweight Championship and holding the title for a total of nine months. However, he was stripped of the title due to missing mandatory title defenses, and left the promotion shortly afterwards.[7]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2003–2005)

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In June 2003, he signed a developmental contract from World Wrestling Entertainment and was sent to wrestle in their then-developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) under the ring name Inspector Max Impact. After a few non-televised matches before Raw in 2003 and 2004, Wiese was promoted to the main roster in April 2004 under the name Luther Reigns, where he became the "assistant" to then-SmackDown! general manager Kurt Angle.[3][1] Reigns made his in-ring debut on the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, defeating Funaki.[8] He made his pay-per-view debut at The Great American Bash on June 27, defeating Charlie Haas in a singles match.[9]

Reigns and Angle introduced the newly drafted Mark Jindrak as a new member of their team during their tag team match against Big Show and Eddie Guerrero in September.[10] The two assisted Angle in his feuds and helped him win most of his matches. On October 3 at No Mercy, Reigns lost to Guerrero.[11] At Survivor Series on November 14, he took part in a 4-on-4 Survivor Series elimination match with Jindrak, Angle and Carlito Carribbean Cool, losing to Guerrero, Big Show, John Cena and Rob Van Dam.[12] Reigns, Jindrak and Angle then lost to Big Show in a handicap match at Armageddon on December 12.[13]

Reigns and Mark Jindrak at a house show in January 2005

Their faction split in February 2005 as Reigns and Jindrak went off on their own to feud with The Undertaker.[14][15][16] At No Way Out on February 20, Reigns lost to The Undertaker.[17] After Reigns and Jindrak lost to The Undertaker in a "Double Jeopardy" handicap match on the February 24 edition of SmackDown!, they briefly argued before coming to blows and had to be pulled apart by officials.[18] The following week, they failed to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. After the match, Jindrak tried to help Reigns up to his feet, but Reigns smacked Jindrak in response. The two argued until Jindrak knocked Reigns out with a left hook.[19] Reigns lost to Jindrak on the March 10 episode of SmackDown!, effectively ending their team.[20]

Reigns in April 2005

After this, Reigns resumed his feud with Big Show after saying that Big Show embarrassed the SmackDown! brand at WrestleMania 21 when Show lost to Akebono in a sumo match. Reigns unsuccessfully tried to tip over a Jeep to prove he was stronger than Show, who then successfully tipped the Jeep over.[21][22] On April 7, in his final appearance on SmackDown!, Reigns lost to Big Show.[23] Reigns then wrestled mainly on Velocity until he requested and was granted his release from WWE on May 11, 2005.[24]

Late career (2005–2006)

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Following his departure from WWE, Wiese operated a salon and attempted to become a real estate salesman.[25] In mid-2005, Wiese returned to wrestling as Horshu for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (JPW), unsuccessfully challenging Tom Howard for the UPW Heavyweight Championship.[4] On October 13, Horshu lost to The Patriot in a match for Impact Zone Wrestling, before defeating Sheik Hussein in an impromptu match in his debut for Scott Norton's Wild West Championship Wrestling on June 17. He returned to WWCW on September 16, where he wrestled Aaron Aguilera to a no contest after Norton interfered. Later that night, Horshu teamed with Heidenreich in a losing effort to Norton and Aguilera in what turned out to be Wiese's final match.[4]

Other media

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Filmography

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Television

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Personal life

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Wiese has worked as a bodyguard, including for the AVN pornography convention in Las Vegas, and performed tour security for touring rock bands.[1][26]

On April 19, 2010, it was reported that Wiese had suffered a stroke in December 2009. Wiese stated that he believed his steroid use, which began during his time at Arizona State University, and the painkiller addiction he developed from wrestling were contributing factors to the cause of the stroke.[5]

On April 10, 2015, several media outlets reported that Wiese, along with Russ McCullough and fellow WWE alumnus Ryan Sakoda, had filed a class action lawsuit against WWE, alleging, among other things, that "the WWE has known for years  ... the brutality in the ring has resulted in dementia, Alzheimer's disease and a lot more".[27] The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE. The lawsuit was dismissed by Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant in March 2016.[28]

Championships and accomplishments

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Driscoll, Eugene (February 28, 2005). "WWE star survives own SmackDown". The News-Times. Danbury, Connecticut. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Luther Reigns". Cagematch.net. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Luther Reigns bio". WWE. Archived from the original on March 31, 2005. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Luther Reigns (p.2)". Cagematch.net. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Quizon, Derek (April 19, 2010). "Former WWE star Luther Reigns recovering from stroke in Glendale". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on April 22, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  6. ^ "This Week in The WCW - 3/1/97 - 3/3/97". DDTDigest.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 1998. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  8. ^ Keller, Wade (June 17, 2004). "6/17 WWE Smackdown review: Keller's ongoing "virtual time" coverage of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  9. ^ "The Great American Bash 2004 results". WWE. Archived from the original on July 19, 2006. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  10. ^ Keller, Wade (September 23, 2004). "9/23 WWE Smackdown review: Keller's ongoing "virtual time" analysis of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  11. ^ "No Mercy 2004 results". WWE. Archived from the original on November 25, 2006. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  12. ^ "Survivor Series 2004 results". WWE. Archived from the original on May 26, 2007. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  13. ^ "Armageddon 2004 results". WWE. Archived from the original on March 23, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  14. ^ Keller, Wade (February 3, 2005). "Keller's 2/3 WWE Smackdown Review: Ongoing "virtual time" analysis of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on May 28, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  15. ^ Keller, Wade (February 11, 2005). "Keller's SmackDown Report 2/10: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  16. ^ Keller, Wade (February 17, 2005). "Keller's 2/17 WWE Smackdown Review: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  17. ^ "No Way Out 2005 results". WWE. Archived from the original on April 2, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  18. ^ Keller, Wade (February 24, 2005). "Keller's 2/24 Smackdown Review: Ongoing "virtual time" analysis of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  19. ^ Keller, Wade (March 3, 2005). "Keller's 3/3 WWE Smackdown Report: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  20. ^ Keller, Wade (March 10, 2005). "Keller's SmackDown Report 3/10: Ongoing "virtual time" analysis of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  21. ^ Keller, Wade (March 24, 2005). "Keller's SmackDown Report 3/24: Ongoing "virtual time" analysis of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  22. ^ Keller, Wade (March 31, 2005). "Keller's SmackDown Report 3/31: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of broadcast". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  23. ^ "New Champ is here". WWE. April 7, 2005. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  24. ^ Keller, Wade (May 11, 2005). "WWE News: Former Kurt Angle bodyguard, Luther Reigns, released by WWE". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  25. ^ Keller, Wade (May 12, 2005). "WWE News: Quotes from Reigns about his departure, Cena appearances, ECW PPV in UK". Pro Wrestling Torch. TDH Communications Inc. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  26. ^ a b Jaffer, Murtz (August 22, 2004). "WWE News: Interesting Note On Luther Reigns". Inside Pulse. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  27. ^ "WWE Wrestlers Sue -- We're Badgered, Brutalized and Brain Damaged". TMZ.com. April 10, 2015. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  28. ^ Bieler, Des (July 19, 2016). "Dozens of wrestlers sue WWE over CTE, effects of traumatic brain injuries". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  29. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2004". Internet Wrestling Database. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
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