Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He currently competing for independent circuit – But predominantly for Atomic Legacy Wrestling (ALW), where he is the former four-times ALW Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with WWE (WWE) for several years in the 2000s. He has also previously worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
Moore befriended Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy as a child, and they later trained him to wrestle. He debuted in 1995 and competed for several North Carolina–based promotions, winning several Light Heavyweight Championships. He also wrestled for Hardy Boyz' promotion, Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA), where he won the OMEGA Light Heavyweight Championship twice and the OMEGA New Frontiers Championship once. In 1999, he signed with WCW, and became part of 3 Count, a boy band parody. The three members of 3 Count jointly won the WCW Hardcore Championship in 2000. In 2001, he briefly held the NWA Wildside Tag Team Championship with Gregory Helms.
He later joined the then-WWF in 2001 and was assigned to Heartland Wrestling Association, a developmental territory, where he won the HWA Tag Team Championship with Evan Karagias. After debuting on the SmackDown brand, he became a follower of 'Mattitude' and appeared regularly as Matt Hardy's sidekick. Between late 2003 and 2005, Moore was used mainly in WWE's cruiserweight division, until his release in July 2005. After a stint on the independent circuit, Moore joined TNA in December 2005. In March 2006, he re-signed with WWE, initially appearing on the ECW brand, before returning to SmackDown in 2007. He formed a tag team with Jimmy Yang, and the pair challenged unsuccessfully for the WWE Tag Team Championship on several occasions. Following his release in August 2008, he once again returned to the independent circuit, before rejoining TNA in January 2010. He soon formed a tag team, known as Ink Inc., with Jesse Neal in April.
Aside from wrestling, Moore is also a tattoo artist and owned a tattoo parlor known as Gas Chamber Ink in Southern Pines, North Carolina. He is also a musician, having written his own entrance music, and was part of the band Peroxwhy?gen with Jeff Hardy.
3 Count were not involved in the Millionaire's Club versus The New Blood angle that took place in mid-2000 because Helms was legitimately sidelined with a broken nose. When the team reconvened late in the summer of 2000, they began performing a new song, "Dance With 3 Count". In storyline, Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial artist Tank Abbott became an avid fan of 3 Count, and he began protecting them during their performances, attacking anyone who disrupted them, eventually acting as their talent manager and occasional inserting himself as a back-up dancer. 3 Count were involved with a long-running feud (scripted rivalry) with The Jung Dragons, with the Dragons attempting to steal 3 Count's fictional recording contract. This led to a ladder match between the two teams at New Blood Rising, which 3 Count won due to Abbott's interference. As a result, Abbott claimed that he should be the lead singer of 3 Count, and was kicked out by the other three members, leading to a feud. Following this, 3 Count briefly feuded with Misfits In Action.
In late 2000, 3 Count began to fall apart, with Moore and Helms kicking Karagias out of the group for continually stealing the spotlight. Karagias joined forces with former Jung Dragons member Jamie Noble and the three teams met in a Triangle match at Mayhem, which 3 Count won. At Starrcade, the six men faced off in a ladder match for the number contendership to the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. Both Moore and Helms grabbed the contract at the same time, and later wrestled for the opportunity to face the champion, which Helms won.
In 2001, Moore and Helms briefly appeared in NWA Wildside, where they held the NWA Wildside Tag Team Championship for a single day, after defeating Suicidal Tendencies (John Phoenix and Adam Jacobs) on January 19, 2001. Moore and Helms both participated in a cruiserweight elimination match at SuperBrawl Revenge on February 18, in which Helms eliminated Moore and went on to win the match. Following the match, Moore and former partner Karagias attacked Helms. Moore and Karagias joined forces once again to take part in a tournament for the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship, but were eliminated by Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio
On March 21 he suffered a concussion and whiplash after his Hummer was involved in a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by an inebriated United States Army Sergeant in Fort Liberty. He quickly recovered from his injuries, but was released by WWE on July 5.
During this time, Moore opened a professional wrestling school known as the "School of Punk".
On the December 31 episode, Moore was seen standing on the stage once again, before he attacked AJ Styles during a tag team match on the special midnight episode of Impact!, preventing him from winning the NWA World Tag Team Championship with Christopher Daniels. This attack prompted a feud between Moore and Styles, with Moore stalking Styles, attacking him and stealing his "Mr. TNA" award plaque. This led to a street fight between the two, which Moore won. On the February 18 episode of Impact!, Moore faced Roderick Strong and Jay Lethal in a three-way match for a place on Team USA, but the match was won by Lethal. Moore then teamed with Samoa Joe to defeat Styles and Daniels. Moore's final match as part of TNA aired on the March 18 episode of Impact!, when he, America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) and Alex Shelley lost to Styles, Daniels, R-Truth, and Rhyno.
On the February 16, 2007, episode of WWE SmackDown Moore suddenly switched brands, appearing in an in-ring brawl with other SmackDown! cruiserweights, which was a prelude to a Cruiserweight Open at No Way Out. Moore was eliminated from the Cruiserweight Open by the defending WWE Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms. Moore then established himself as a fan favorite by teaming with Scotty 2 Hotty and Jimmy Yang to defeat Helms, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and Shawn Daivari in a six-man tag team match.
Following a hiatus from television, Moore returned on the June 15 episode of SmackDown!, competing in a fatal four-way number one contender match for the Cruiserweight Championship, which was won by Wang Yang and also involved Daivari and Jamie Noble. The following week, Moore teamed with Wang Yang in a losing effort against Guerrero and Noble. Moore competed in the 20-man battle royal for the World Heavyweight Championship in July, but was the third person to be eliminated. He also competed in the "Cruiserweight Open" at The Great American Bash along with Noble, Shoichi Funaki, Wang Yang, and Guerrero. The match was inadvertently won by Hornswoggle. He also faced Noble and Guerrero, in losing efforts. Moore began feuding with Noble, appearing in several backstage vignettes together, where he mocked Noble for his obsession with Hornswoggle. Moore defeated Noble on the September 14 episode of SmackDown!, by pretending that Hornswoggle was at ringside, distracting Noble and allowing Moore to pin him for the victory. In a rematch two weeks later, Noble pinned Moore.
After this feud ended, Moore was rarely utilized. On August 8, 2008, WWE announced that Moore had been released from his WWE contract.
In mid-2009, Moore took a six-month hiatus from wrestling.
During November, Moore participated in the Hulkamania tour of Australia, where he took part in a best of three match series for a prize of US$25,000 with Spartan 3000. Spartan won the first match on November 21, and Moore won the second on November 24. The rubber match ended in a draw on November 26, resulting in a ladder match for the final match of the tour, which Spartan won.
In April, Moore insulted the TNA World Tag Team Champion Matt Morgan, provoking a rivalry between the two. The following week Morgan cost Moore his shot at the TNA X Division Championship, and later attacked his tag team partner Jesse Neal. Moore aided Neal, prompting the pair to form a tag team known as Ink Inc. At Sacrifice Ink Inc. failed in their attempt to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship from The Band (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall), when Neal's trainer Brother Ray interfered in the match and attacked Neal. The following month, on the June 17 episode of Impact!, Ink Inc. defeated The Band (Kevin Nash and Eric Young) to advance to the finals of a tournament for the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship. In the final, Ink Inc. was defeated by Beer Money, Inc. when Brother Ray attacked Neal backstage prior to the match. At Bound for Glory, Ink Inc. defeated Eric Young and Orlando Jordan. On the October 28 episode of Impact!, Ink Inc. received a match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship against The Motor City Machine Guns in a three-way match, which also included Generation Me (Max and Jeremy Buck), but failed to win the championship. On December 5 at the Final Resolution pay-per-view, Ink Inc. lost to Beer Money, Inc. in a number one contender's match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship. Ink Inc. received a match for Beer Money's TNA World Tag Team Championship at Victory Road in March 2011, but were unsuccessful. After the match Moore turned heel by refusing to shake hands with the champions and instead spat beer in Storm's face. On April 17 at Lockdown, Ink Inc. defeated The British Invasion (Douglas Williams and Nick Aldis), Crimson and Scott Steiner and Eric Young and Orlando Jordan in a four team steel cage match to become the number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship. The following month at Sacrifice, Ink Inc. was defeated by Mexican America (Matt Barela and Hernandez). During the match, Neal suffered a neck injury, which sidelined him for the next four months.
As a result, Moore returned to singles competition and on July 10 at Destination X, Moore participated in his first Ultimate X match, for a shot at the X Division Championship, but was defeated by Alex Shelley in the match, which also included Amazing Red and Robbie E. Ink Inc. returned on the September 22 episode of Impact Wrestling, attacking Mexican America, now the TNA World Tag Team Champions, at a tattoo parlour. On the October 13 episode of Impact Wrestling, Toxxin aligned herself with Ink Inc. by saving them from Mexican America. On October 16, during the Bound for Glory pre-show, Ink Inc. unsuccessfully challenged Mexican America for the TNA World Tag Team Championship and at Turning Point the following month, they again failed to win the championship in a six-person tag team match, which also included Toxxin and Mexican America's Sarah Stock. In December, Neal parted ways with TNA, effectively dissolving Ink Inc.
On the December 22 episode of Impact Wrestling, Moore teamed up with Anarquia in the Wild Card Tournament but lost to Eric Young and ODB. Following a brief hiatus, Moore returned on February 12, 2012, at Against All Odds, answering Robbie E's open invitational and unsuccessfully challenging him for the TNA Television Championship. On May 31, Moore announced that he would not be returning to TNA due to a neck injury.
Moore has known Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy since around 1987. Moore cites Shawn Michaels, The Rock 'n' Roll Express, André the Giant, and The Ultimate Warrior as his influences.
Moore has multiple tattoos including one on the inside of his lip that says "extinct". He also has two tattoos across his fingers saying "Hard Knox" and "Made 1979". In 2005, he had 2BME tattooed on his stomach. He operated a tattoo shop called Gas Chamber Ink in Southern Pines, North Carolina. He also has a total of three piercings; one in each ear and one in his septum.
Independent circuit (2005–2006)
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2005–2006)
Return to WWE (2006–2008)
Prince of Punk (2006–2007)
Teaming with Jimmy Wang Yang and Departure (2007–2008)
Return to independent circuit (2008–2009)
Return to TNA (2010–2012)
Second return to independent circuit (2012–present)
Other media
Personal life
Championships and accomplishments
Footnotes
External links
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