Tyler Rust
Real Name: Russell Gene Taylor
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 210 lbs.
Date of Birth: January 26, 1987
Hometown: Phelan, California
Pro Debut: March 27, 2004
Trained By: Jesse Hernandez
Finishing Move: The SoCal Effect
Biography
– Taylor began his career in the So-Cal area as ‘Ryan Taylor’
– On June 9, 2006, Taylor defeated Joey Harder to win the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On July 7, Taylor defeated Joey Harder & Justin Jackson to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On July 16, Taylor defeated Mike Arsenal to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On September 8, Taylor defeated Ray Kejimura to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On September 23, Taylor defeated Tarantula to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On October 27, Taylor defeated Shawn Bateman to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On October 29, Taylor defeated Mike Arsenal to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On November 8, Taylor defeated Ron Kilbourn to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On November 21, Taylor defeated TJ Perkins to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On November 24, Taylor defeated Max Martin to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On January 19, 2007, Taylor defeated Liger Rivera to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On January 26, Taylor defeated Sonny Samson to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On February 9, Taylor defeated Jerome Robinson to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On March 4, Taylor defeated Kid Karnage to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On March 18, Taylor again defeated Kid Karnage to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On April 13, Taylor defeated Damian Slater to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On April 26, Taylor defeated The Irish Icon, Markus Riot, Kid Karnage & Jay Law to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On May 5, Taylor defeated Hook Bomberry to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On May 11, Taylor defeated Kid Karnage & Webster Dauphiney to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On June 8, Taylor defeated Markus Riot to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On June 10, Taylor again defeated Markus Riot to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On June 22, Taylor defeated Webster Dauphiney to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On July 13, Taylor lost the EWF Cruiserweight Title to Markus Riot, but regained it on August 10
– On August 18, Taylor defeated JT Blackstar to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On August 24, Taylor defeated Maximo to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On October 21, Taylor defeated Iron Sky to retain the EWF Cruiserweight Title
– On August 23, 2008, Taylor defeated Vizzion to win the EWF American Title
– On October 11, Taylor defeated Vizzion to retain the EWF American Title
– Taylor appeared on the October 14, 2008 episode of WWE Smackdown, losing to The Big Show
– On October 24, Taylor defeated Nick Jackson to retain the EWF American Title
– On November 7, Taylor defeated Liger Rivera to retain the EWF American Title
– On November 15, Taylor defeated Shane Haste to retain the EWF American Title
– On December 12, Taylor defeated TJ Perkins in a Belt On A Pole Match to win the NWA Heritage Title
– On December 21, Taylor defeated Brandon Gatson, Scott Lost & TJ Perkins to retain the NWA Heritage Title
– On January 9, 2009, Taylor defeated Brandon Gatson to retain the NWA Heritage Title
– On January 23, Taylor defeated Damian Slater to retain the NWA Heritage Title
– On February 15, Taylor defeated Damian Slater to retain the EWF American Title
– On February 27, Taylor defeated Boombala to retain the NWA Heritage Title
– On March 28, Taylor defeated Mr Wrestling IV to retain the NWA Heritage Title
– In June 2009, Taylor travelled to Japan to train at the Kaientai Dojo
– On October 30, Taylor defeated Brandon Gatson to win the EWF Heavyweight Title
– The next day, Taylor defeated Aaron Bolo to win the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– On November 13, Taylor defeated Extreme Loco to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On November 22, Taylor defeated Aaron Bolo to retain the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– On November 27, Taylor defeated SoCal Crazy to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On December 27, Taylor defeated Human Tornado to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On February 12, 2010, Taylor defeated Extreme Loco to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On March 7, Taylor defeated Mondo Vega to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On March 19, Taylor defeated Roger Ruiz by DQ to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– The next day, Taylor defeated Draven Vargas to retain the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– On April 6, Taylor defeated Roger Ruiz in a Lumberjack Match to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On April 11, Taylor defeated Johnny Paradise to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On April 17, Taylor defeated Mike Santiago to retain the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– The next day, Taylor defeated Brandon Gatson to retain the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– On May 1, Taylor defeated Chris Kadillak to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On May 21, Taylor defeated Scorpio Sky to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On May 23, Taylor defeated Brandon Gatson by DQ to retain the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– On June 5, Taylor defeated El Tucson to retain the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– On June 13, Taylor defeated HJ Starr to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On June 26, Taylor defeated Exile to retain the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– The next day, Taylor defeated Dr Kliever to retain the WCWC Heavyweight Title
– On July 2, Taylor defeated Shaun Ricker to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– The next day, Taylor defeated Mike Mountain to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On July 11, Taylor again defeated Mike Mountain to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On July 16, Taylor defeated Mondo Vega to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On September 3, Taylor defeated Terex to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On September 11, Taylor again defeated Terex to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On September 17, Taylor defeated Johnny Starr to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– The next day, Taylor defeated Mondo Vega to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On September 24, Taylor defeated Roger Ruiz to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On October 29, Taylor defeated Extreme Loco to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On December 10, Taylor defeated Liger Rivera to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On February 25, 2011, Taylor defeated Scorpio Sky to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On April 29, Taylor fought Johnny Starr to a no-contest to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On August 12, Taylor defeated Johnny Starr to regain the EWF Heavyweight Title, having lost it in May, but would lose it to Shaun Ricker two weeks later
– On December 3, Taylor defeated Scorpio Sky to retain the MPW Title
– Taylor won the 2012 Percy Pringle III Cup, defeating Shaun Ricker in the final
– On July 13, The Fallen Empire (Taylor & Mondo Vega) defeated The Von Dooms (The Vintage Dragon & Cyanide) to win the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On August 2, The Fallen Empire defeated Ridiculously Bigg (Biggie Biggs & El Ridiculoso) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On December 6, The Fallen Empire won a 6-team Gauntlet Match to regain the EWF Tag Team Titles, having lost them in October
– On January 3, 2014, The Fallen Empire defeated The Working Dead (Tyler Bateman & Chris Kadillak) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On January 11, The Fallen Empire defeated The A-List (Jeremy Jaeger & Roger Ruiz) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On March 14, The Fallen Empire defeated The Working Dead (Chris Kadillak & B-Boy) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On April 5, The Fallen Empire defeated Los Maravillas (Uno & Dos) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On May 2, The Fallen Empire defeated The Von Dooms (The Vintage Dragon & Cyanide) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On May 10, The Fallen Empire defeated Misterioso Jr & Maravilla Dos to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– The next day, Taylor defeated Joey Ryan to win the CWFH International Television Title
– On May 18, The Fallen Empire (Taylor & Mondo Vega) defeated Anchors Away (David E Jones & Ryan Stone) to regain the EWF Tag Team Titles, having lost them two days earlier
– On June 6, The Fallen Empire defeated Footloose (Daniel Joseph & Todd Chandler) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On September 5, The Fallen Empire defeated The Triangle Of Terror (Uday Ukleja & Raccid Najjar) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On October 18, The Fallen Empire defeated Connected (Tommy Wilson & Tyshaun Prince) to retain the EWF Tag Team Titles
– On August 7, 2015, Taylor (as ‘The Man In Black’) defeated Mike Maze to win the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On January 8, 2016, The Man In Black defeated TJ Perkins to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– On February 5, The Man In Black defeated Ty Ray to retain the EWF Heavyweight Title
– In mid-2016, Taylor abadoned the Man In Black gimmick
– Taylor made a pair of WWE appearances in June 2019, competing on Raw and 205 Live
– On July 28, The Soul Burners (Taylor & Tomaste) defeated Reno SCUM (Adam Thornstowe & Luster The Legend) to win the UWN Tag Team Titles
– On December 8, The Soul Burners defeated Wasted Youth (Adriel Noctis & Sketch) to retain the UWN Tag Team Titles
– On December 16, The Soul Burners defeated Fidel Bravo & Pinx to retain the UWN Tag Team Titles
– In December 2020, Taylor signed with WWE and reported to the Performance Center
– Taylor debuted for NXT under the name ‘Tyler Rust’ on the December 2 episode, aligning himself with Timothy Thatcher
– In June 2021, Rust joined the Diamond Mine stable
– Rust was released by WWE on August 6, 2021
– ‘Taylor Rust’ made his first post-WWE appearance at ROH Death Before Dishonor 2021, defeating Jake Atlas
– At Honor For All 2021, Rust defeated Tracy Williams
– Rust made a pair of appearances for AEW in mid-2022
– Rust seemingly left the wrestling business in 2023
