Curt Hawkins Brian Myers ( April 20 , 1985 ) is an American professional wrestler , previously signed to World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) as Curt Hawkins from 2006 - 2014 . Myers has recently re - signed with the WWE , beginning his second tenure as of August 2016 . He was assigned to the Smackdown brand on October 4 , 2016 . For the majority of his career , Myers teamed with Zack Ryder , and they won several tag team championships together , including the WWE Tag Team Championship . With Ryder pursuing a singles career and being put out of commission , Myers briefly tagged with Vance Archer before finally forming a power duo with Reks . Professional wrestling career . New York Wrestling Connection ( 2004 - 2006 ) . After being trained by Mikey Whipwreck , Myers made his debut in 2004 , using his real name . He wrestled for the New York Wrestling Connection ( NYWC ) promotion , and on June 4 , 2005 , he teamed with Bret Matthews to win the NYWC Tag Team Championship when they defeated Dickie Rodz and Mason Raige . They held the championship until August 27 , when they were defeated The Dead Presidents ( Boogalou and Low – Ryda ) . Myers and Matthews regained the championship on January 25 , 2006 , by defeating Team Tremendous ( Dan Barry and Ken Scampi ) , and held the championship for two months before losing it to The B . S . Xpress ( Tony Burma and Mike Spinelli ) on March 26 . World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE . Tag team ; SmackDown ! and La Familia ( 2006 – 2009 ) . On February 24 , 2006 , Brian Myers signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) . He was given the ring name Brian Majors and teamed up with his former tag team partner Bret Matthews , who was renamed Brett Majors , to form the tag team the Majors Brothers . Together they won the Deep South Wrestling DSW Tag Team Championship on two occasions . They later won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship once . The team was moved from the developmental league to the main roster , changing their last names from " Majors " to " Major " . The team worked on WWE ' s ECW brand . The team won their first match but since then failed to win any matches in ECW , in either singles or tag team competition They moved from ECW to SmackDown ! on June 17 , 2007 , as the eighth pick in the 2007 Supplemental Draft . On SmackDown the team had only slightly more success than on the ECW brand , defeating the team of Chavo Guerrero and Jamie Noble . On November 9 , 2007 , they received a tag title match after winning a number one contender ' s battle royal , but could not defeat the champions , Montel Vontavious Porter and Matt Hardy . At Armageddon , the duo dressed up like Edge and interfered in the World Heavyweight Championship match , replacing Edge at several points along the match to help him win the title and thus turning heel for the first time in their WWE career . On December 21 , 2007 , the Major Brothers were revealed as acquaintances to Edge and his lover , SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero . The Major Brothers were repackaged and renamed as Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder , with Brian Major becoming " Curt Hawkins " and Brett Major now " Zack Ryder " . Hawkins and Ryder were also , occasionally referred as " The Rated - R Entourage " by commentators Michael Cole and John " Bradshaw " Layfield . Occasionally , the pair teamed with their mentor Edge and / or their " La Familia " associate Chavo Guerrero on " SmackDown " on several occasions . At The Great American Bash on July 20 , 2008 , Hawkins and Ryder won the WWE Tag Team Championship from John Morrison and The Miz in a fatal four - way match which also featured Jesse and Festus and Finlay and Hornswoggle after Hawkins pinned Jesse . Their victory meant that they were the youngest tag team champions in WWE history . At SummerSlam , La Familia seemed to have ended when a returning Undertaker sent Edge to Hell and then refused to forgive Vickie – prompting all the members to abandon Vickie , who would later align with Big Show . On the September 26 , 2008 airing of " SmackDown " , Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder lost the titles to Carlito and Primo Colón in their first televised title defense . On April 15 , 2009 , Ryder was drafted back to the ECW brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft , separating the team . Florida Championship Wrestling ( 2009 – 2010 ) . Following the draft , Hawkins would spend months on hiatus from television before voluntarily leaving the main roster and going to Florida Championship Wrestling ( FCW ) for more training . He made his debut losing to Dawson Alexander . In the following weeks , Hawkins would go on to win an 8 - man battle royal to become the number one contender for Justin Angel ' s FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship but subsequently lost the championship match . He would later join a stable called " The Dude Busters " alongside Caylen Croft and Trent Barreta on November 1 , 2009 . In late November , Hawkins and Croft won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship . While they were champions , Croft and Hawkins would defend the title with Barreta via the Freebird Rule . On January 14 , 2010 at an FCW television taping , The Dude Busters lost the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship to The Fortunate Sons ( Brett DiBiase and Joe Hennig ) . Return to SmackDown ( 2010 – 2011 ) . Hawkins returned to the SmackDown roster in May 2010 , forming a tag team with Vance Archer . They made their television debut as a team on the May 13 edition of " WWE Superstars " , defeating two local competitors . After the match , Hawkins stated that he and Archer had been given a 30 - day contract to " make an impact " . The team made its " SmackDown " debut on the May 21 episode , winning another squash match . In an attempt to make an impact , the duo attacked Montel Vontavious Porter and Christian on consecutive episodes of " SmackDown " on June 4 and June 11 , which they followed up on by defeating both in a tag team match on June 18 . The next week the duo was officially named " The Gatecrashers " . The pair also competed in a battle royal on the June 4 episode of " SmackDown " to replace The Undertaker in the World Heavyweight Championship fatal four - way match at Fatal 4 - Way . Hawkins was one of the four final participants in the match , but was eliminated by the eventual winner , Rey Mysterio . After their 30 - day contract expired , they were signed to new long - term contracts in storyline . The team came to an end on the October 7 airing of " Superstars " after a match between Archer and Chris Masters . Archer accidentally struck Hawkins outside the ring after which the two argued and a distracted Archer lost the match . Afterwards , Hawkins assaulted Archer . Hawkins moved to singles competition the following week , defeating Trent Barreta . A rivalry then began between the two shortly after , with Barreta getting the win on the November 18 edition of " Superstars " . In a rematch the next week , Hawkins defeated Barreta , claiming Barreta ' s win the week before was a fluke . Raw and reunion with Zack Ryder ( 2011 ) . On April 26 , Hawkins was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft . On the May 12 edition of " WWE Superstars " , Hawkins helped Zack Ryder pick up a victory against Vladimir Kozlov . The following week on " WWE Superstars " , Hawkins teamed up with Ryder in a losing effort against Kozlov and Santino Marella . Teaming with Tyler on NXT Redemption and others ( 2011 - 12 ) . The pair began tagging in 2011 on Superstars . Moving to NXT , they claim they are neglected and have been feuding with the Usos and Matt Striker . Announcer William Regal admires their tenacity . After MCM was hired as guards , the duo later were moved onto Raw and Smackdown until they broke up in August 2012 when Reks quit to spend time with family . Singles competition ( 2013 - 2014 ) . He was released from the WWE on June 12 , 2014 . Return to independent circuit ( 2014 - present ) . Pro Championship Syndicate ( 2014 ) . In June 2014 , Hawkins signed with Pro Wrestling Syndicate . Global Force Wrestling ( 2015 – present ) . On July 9 , 2015 , Myers was announced as part of the roster of the Global Force Wrestling ( GFW ) promotion . Myers first wrestled on January 22 , 2016 at GFW Amped Live , in a six - man tag team match with Andrew Everett & Nick Aldis , defeating Kevin Matthews , Pat Buck & The Amazing Red . Eight days later on January 30 , Myers wrestled a GFW / Pro Wrestling Syndicate event , defending PWS Television Championship in a successful Falls Count Anywhere title match against Chris Payne . Four months later on May 13 , Myers wrestled in a MCW Pro Wrestling / GFW event known as MCW / GFW Collision Course , losing a title match against the GFW Global Champion Nick Aldis . On May 15 at GFW / AML Confrontation 2016 , Brian Myers teamed with The Washington Bullets ( Jon Williams & Trey Williams ) defeating The Heatseekers ( Elliot Russell & Sigmon ) & Kevin Matthews in a six - man tag team match . Myers wrestled his latest match on June 11 at WrestlePro / GFW in a ten - man elimination match won by CPA . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( 2015 – present ) . Myers made his Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) debut on the July 27 , 2015 episode of " Impact Wrestling " , where he teamed with Trevor Lee and lost to The Wolves . Create A Pro Wrestling ( 2014 - present ) . Myers operates the training school called Create A Pro Wrestling Academy with fellow WWE alumni Pat Buck . Both Myers and Buck serve as the academy ' s head trainers and members of the academy ' s roster . Myers wrestled his first CAP match on February 13 , 2015 at CAP Create A Pro Wrestling Show , where he and Pat Buck wrestled in a three way tag team match won by The Beaver Boys ( Alex Reynolds & John Silver ) . Myers and Pat Buck teamed with Max Caster to defeat Jared Evans , Joe Bronson & Maxwell Jacob Feinstein in a six man tag team match at CAP Create A Pro Wrestling Show II on April 3 . On May 31 at CAP Create A Pro Wrestling Show III . At CAP Create A Pro Wrestling Show IV , Myers defeated Maxwell Jacob Feinstein . At CAP The Good Fight , Myers also defeated Dickie Rodz . At CAP The Places That You ' ve Come To Fear The Most , Myers teamed with Pat Buck & Vinny Spano in a six man tag team match won by Dickie Rodz , Mark Sterling & Matt Striker . Myers finished out 2015 in CAP with a tag team victory shared with Pat Buck against Cliff Compton & Dickie Rodz at CAP The Best Deception . On January 31 , 2016 at CAP Cap Bowl , Myers teamed with Pat Buck to wrestle in a " Cap Bowl Ten Team Gauntlet " match won by the team of Massage NV ( Dorian Graves & VSK ) . At CAP Create A Bro held on March 13 , Myers & Buck defeated the team of The Reynolds Brothers ( Alex Reynolds & Kyle Reynolds ) . On June 5 , Myers was set to wrestle Maximus Sex Power . Return to WWE ( 2016 – present ) . On July 21 , 2016 , Myers resigned with WWE . Myers , was backstage of the August 2nd episode of SmackDown Live and his return under the Curt Hawkins ring name was announced via vignettes beginning on the August 16 episode . Personal life . In August 2014 Myers got engaged to his girlfriend , Elizabeth Karch .