Brodus Clay George Murdoch ( February 21 , 1973 ) is an American professional wrestler , actor and political commentator who works for Impact Wrestling ( formerly Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ) under the ring name Tyrus . He is perhaps best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Brodus Clay , where he was the runner - up on the fourth season of " NXT " which ran from late 2010 to 2011 . Following that , he wrestled on WWE ' s main roster until his release in 2014 . Murdoch is also a Fox News contributor , appearing regularly as a political commentator on " The Greg Gutfeld Show " , and other select programs under his Tyrus ring name . Early life . Prior to becoming a professional wrestler , Murdoch worked as a bodyguard for Snoop Dogg . Professional wrestling career . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2006 – 2008 ) . Deep South Wrestling ( 2006 – 2007 ) . After signing a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) , Murdoch was assigned to Deep South Wrestling ( DSW ) , a WWE developmental territory . He debuted in September 2006 , and began using the ring name G - Rilla along with adopting the gimmick of a gangsta thug . In his first match for the promotion , he defeated Big Bully Douglas in a dark match on September 7 . The following month , he became the enforcer for Urban Assault , a tag team composed of Eric Pérez and Sonny Siaki . On December 14 , Urban Assault was joined by Afa Jr . , and the following week , Perez , Siaki , and Afa Jr . attacked Murdoch , throwing him out of the group . The same month , Murdoch wrestled in two dark matches against Scotty 2 Hotty at SmackDown ! house show s while using his real name , winning the first but losing the second . In early January 2007 , G - Rilla feuded with Urban Assault , attacking the members during matches . He then formed a tag team with the Freakin ' Deacon , with the pair defeating Urban Assault in their first match together . They went on to defeat teams including Frankie Coverdale and Bob Hoskins , the Samoan Fight Club of Siaki and Afa Jr . , Shawn Osborne and Jon Bolen , and Robert Anthony and Johnny Curtis . In March , they faced and defeated the DSW Tag Team Champions , Team Elite ( Mike Knox and Derrick Neikirk ) in two successive non - title matches . Florida Championship Wrestling ( 2007 – 2008 ) . In June 2007 , Murdoch was moved to the Florida Championship Wrestling ( FCW ) develiopmental territory . He made his debut at FCW ' s inaugural show on June 26 , using the name G - Rilla and defeating Shawn Osborne . Three months later , on September 15 , G - Rilla won a battle royal to become the number one contender to the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship by last eliminating Teddy Hart . He challenged Harry Smith for the championship on September 25 , but lost via disqualification which meant that Smith retained the championship . The following month , G - Rilla continued to feud with Smith and Hart , who had formed The Hart Dynasty with TJ Wilson and Ted DiBiase , Jr . , allying himself with Osborne , Jake Hager and Afa , Jr . G - Rilla briefly formed a tag team with Robert Anthony in December 2007 , but on February 4 , 2008 , Murdoch was released from his contract with WWE . Return to WWE ( 2010 – 2014 ) . Florida Championship Wrestling ( 2010 – 2011 ) . In January 2010 , Murdoch re - signed with WWE and was assigned to FCW . In March , Murdoch , once again using the name G - Rilla , formed an alliance with The Uso Brothers , Tamina , and Donny Marlow . He went on to defeat both Jacob Novak and Rudy Parker , before changing his ring name to Brodus Clay , a play on Snoop Dogg ' s real name ( Calvin Cordozar Broadus ) , in May 2010 . On June 16 , Clay and Marlow challenged Los Aviadores ( Hunico and Epico ) for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship , but were unsuccessful . That same month , Clay and Marlow began referring to themselves as The Colossal Connection . The Colossal Connection challenged Los Aviadores for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship again on July 1 , and won by disqualification when The Usos interfered , allowing Los Aviadores to retain the championship . Later that same night , The Colossal Connection defeated The Usos by disqualification to become the number one contenders to the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship after Los Aviadores interfered . On August 6 , The Colossal Connection competed in a four - way elimination match for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship , but Los Aviadores won to retain their title . At the television tapings on August 12 , Johnny Curtis and Derrick Bateman won a three - way tag team match over The Colossal Connection and Los Aviadores to win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship . Clay and Marlow unsuccessfully challenged Curtis and Bateman for the championship throughout August and September . In October , Clay appeared at a WWE house show , where he lost to JTG . NXT and bodyguard for Del Rio ( 2010 – 2011 ) . During the finale of season three of " NXT " , it was announced that Clay would be part of the fourth season , with Ted DiBiase and Maryse , as his mentors . He made his in - ring debut on " NXT " on the December 14 , 2010 , episode , teaming with DiBiase to defeat Byron Saxton and his mentor Chris Masters . He suffered his first loss the following week , when he , DiBiase , and Maryse were defeated by Saxton , Masters , and Natalya in a six - person mixed tag team match . Clay won a four - way elimination match on the January 25 episode of " NXT " , earning the right to choose a new Pro . He picked Alberto Del Rio as his new pro , and then attacked DiBiase . The following week , Clay defeated DiBiase in a singles match . On the February 8 episode of " NXT " , Clay won both a match and a challenge to earn three immunity points , his first of the season . Both he and Johnny Curtis were tied on immunity points at the end of the show , and an audience vote determined that Curtis was immune from elimination . Clay survived when Byron Saxton was eliminated . In the season finale on March 1 , Clay ended the competition in second place , losing out to Curtis . On the March 7 episode of " Raw " , Clay debuted as Del Rio ' s new bodyguard and replaced him in his match against Christian in a losing effort . As Del Rio was feuding with Edge and Christian , Clay faced off with single matches against them and also teamed with Del Rio to face Edge and Christian . Clay accompanied Del Rio to the ring at WrestleMania XXVII . On the April 25 episode of " Raw " , Del Rio was drafted to Raw , while Clay remained on SmackDown . Clay ' s final appearance with Del Rio occurred on May 1 at Extreme Rules , when he interfered on Del Rio ' s behalf as Del Rio faced Christian in a ladder match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship . Despite this , Del Rio was unsuccessful in winning the match . Clay was seen bleeding on PPV due to suffering a deep cut in his head following a ladder shot from Christian , and he required staples put in his head to close the wound . After a three - month absence due to the filming of " No One Lives " , Clay reappeared on the August 4 , 2011 episode of " Superstars " , where he defeated Pat Silva . During the next few weeks , Clay would continue to squash various jobbers on " Superstars " . The Funkasaurus & Tons Of Funk ( 2012 - 2013 ) . After nine consecutive squash victories on " Superstars " , WWE ran vignettes promoting his return to television on the November 7 , 2011 episode of " Raw " . However , Clay ' s television return was continuously delayed by authority figure John Laurinaitis to be " next week " , with this trend continuing all the way into January 2012 . Clay made his television return on the January 9 , 2012 episode of " Raw " with a fun - loving , funk dancing gimmick , with the nickname " The Funkasaurus " . Now accompanied by the " Funkadactyls " Naomi and Cameron and announced as hailing from " Planet Funk " , Clay incorporated gyrations and dance moves into his various squash wins on both " Raw " and " SmackDown " . At the Royal Rumble event , Clay squashed Drew McIntyre . Clay then was absent from WWE programming for nearly two months before his reappearance on the March 12 episode of " Raw " . At WrestleMania 28 , Clay made an on - stage appearance , calling and dancing with Momma Clay . The following night on Raw , Clay saved Santino Marella from Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger . Through the summer of 2012 , Clay would be used periodicly on RAW and Smackdown , making rare appearances , such as on the June 8 edition of Smackdown , Clay was banned from Raw by John Laurinaitis to " protect him from Big Show " after Show ' s attack on Clay . At No Way Out , Clay and several other superstars kept Big Show from escaping the cage to make sure John Laurinitus was fired , ending Clay ' s ban on Raw , following this , Clay ' s 25 match win streak would come to an end at the hands of the Big Show . In July and August 2012 , Clay would have feuds with David Otugna and Damien Sandow . Through the latter half of 2012 , Brodus would become a jobber , losing to various stars like Antonio Cesaro and former mentor Alberto Del Rio . Brodus competed in the 2013 Royal Rumble and was eliminated by five men . After Tensai was ment to do a dance off with Brodus on a Las Vegas themed edition of " Raw " , Brodus teamed up with Tensai and began a winning streak . After a few months , the duo began using the name Tons of Funk and were set to compete at WrestleMania XXIX in an eight - person mixed tag team match . However duo to time restraints , the match was cut . The match instead took place the following night on " Raw " , where Tons of Funk and The Funkadactyls emerged victorious . The Main Event Playa / Return To " NXT " ( 2013 - 2014 ) . In November 2013 , Clay started a storyline where he became angry and jealous of the debuting Xavier Woods . Clay thus began to exhibit more villainous tendencies , such as repeatedly picking - on and attacking Woods , after he had defeated Woods in a match . At Clay faced Woods ' partner , R - Truth and continually punished Truth instead of going for a win , so Tensai and the Funkadactyls left in protest and Clay lost the match . On the next Raw , Clay completed his heel turn by abandoning Tensai during their tag match against RybAxel and attacking Tensai after the match , signalling the end of Tons of Funk . On the December 30th episode of " Raw " , Clay lost to R - Truth after a distraction from Xavier Woods and the Funkadactyls . On January 1 edition of " Main Event " , Clay debuted a new look and theme song . Soon after , he began appearing regularly on " NXT " in singles matches in the summer . He faced Xavier Woods many times , and began a short - lived rivalry with then " NXT " champion Adrian Neville . He challenged Neville for the title , but was unsuccessful in doing so . He was soon after released from WWE on June 12 , 2014 . Independent circuit ( 2014 – present ) . On July 20 , 2014 , Clay defeated Tommy Suede to win Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling ' s PPW Heavyweight Championship , his first pro wrestling title , which he lost at the next event . On Tuesday 26 August 2014 Clay attended VPW , Varsity Pro Wrestling , The UK ' s No . 1 Sports Entertainment Company ' s event in Portsmouth at the Guildhall where he wrestled under the ring name Monster B . C . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( 2014 – present ) . n September 16 , 2014 , Murdoch debuted for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) under the ring name Tyrus at TNA ' s television tapings , aligning himself with Ethan Carter III . Moments after EC3 introduced him , he had his first wrestling match on the October 15 episode of " Impact " against Shark Boy , which he won . This aired on the October 15 episode of " Impact " . Together they entered the TNA World Tag Team Championship number one contenders tournament , defeating Eric Young and Rockstar Spud in the quarterfinals , only to lose to the The Hardys on the October 29 episode of " Impact " in the semifinals , when Tyrus was pinned by Matt Hardy . At Lockdown , Tyrus defeated Mark Andrews and Rockstar Spud in a 2 on 1 Six Sides of Steel match . On June 28 , 2015 , on the May 15 episode of Impact , Tyrus faced Mr . Anderson in a losing effort . at Slammiversary XIII , Carter and Tyrus defeated Mr . Anderson and Lashley in the co - main event . On October 4 , 2015 , at Bound For Glory , Tyrus won a gauntlet for the gold match to become the number one contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship . On January 8 , 2016 , Tyrus turned on EC3 and joined Matt Hardy , costing to Carter the TNA World Heavyweight Championship . Other media . Murdoch made his motion picture debut in a supporting role as Ethan in the WWE Studios horror movie titled " No One Lives " . Murdoch is also a playable character in " WWE ' 12 " as downloadable content , and a playable character in WWE ' 13 and WWE 2K14