Mike Knox Michael Shawn Hettinga ( July 17 , 1978 ) is an American professional wrestler . He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox . He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he wrestles under the ring - name of Knux where he is the leader of a group called The Menagerie . Professional wrestling career . Independent circuit ( 2000 – 2005 ) . Hettinga worked for Ultimate Pro Wrestling ( UPW ) in 2000 . He tagged with Samoa Joe at UPW Proving Ground on December 12 , 2000 in the Galaxy Theatre of Santa Ana , California and defeated the debuting Al Katrazz with Basil . He also wrestled at UPW live against Samoa Joe for the Heavyweight Championship , but was unable to win the title . After being trained by Steve " Navajo Warrior " Islas , Knox started wrestling for Islas ' organization Impact Zone Wrestling in 2002 . He was booked to win the Heavyweight Championship on two occasions and the Tag Team Championship with friend and rival Derek Neikirk on one occasion . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2005 – 2010 ) . Knox was signed to a World Wrestling Entertainment developmental deal in February 2005 , and made a handful of appearances on WWE shows , including one appearance as a masked " jihadist " for Muhammad Hassan , in the infamous segment that led to Hassan ' s ousting from WWE . ECW ( 2006 – 2008 ) . Knox debuted on the June 20 , 2006 episode of " ECW " as a heel by interfering in Kelly Kelly ' s striptease segment , coming from the backstage area and covering her with a towel before escorting her off stage , though he was unnamed on - screen at the time . It was later revealed that Kelly was Knox ' s on - screen girlfriend , and he informed her that he did not appreciate her stripping in front of anyone but him . For his in - ring debut , a win over Danny Doring , Kelly accompanied him to the ringside acting as a valet . Knox was pushed strongly , interfering in matches , and squashing his opponents . He later formed a short - lived tag team with Test before starting a feud with CM Punk , after growing jealous of Kelly Kelly ' s admiration towards Punk . CM Punk won every match in the feud , including a qualifying match for December to Dismember ' s Elimination Chamber match . Knox made his pay - per - view debut at Survivor Series where he teamed up with Rated - RKO , but was the first man eliminated after taking a superkick from Shawn Michaels . Upon his elimination , he was subsequently mocked by D - Generation X , as he was virtually unknown compared to the other participants . His next pay - per - view appearance saw him abandon Kelly Kelly during a mixed tag team match against Kevin Thorn and Ariel at December to Dismember , resulting in his team ' s loss . He then attacked her on the next " ECW " episode , breaking the duo up for good . After being taken off television , Knox returned on February 13 , 2007 episode " ECW " , where he lost easily to CM Punk . Knox was again taken off television for several months in order to return to Deep South Wrestling . On March 1 , Knox and Derek Neikirk , the reformed Team Elite , were booked to win the Tag Team Championship after defeating the Major Brothers . After DSW closed , however , Knox was sent to WWE ' s Florida - based territory Florida Championship Wrestling . Knox returned on the September 11 episode of " ECW " , defeating Balls Mahoney . The next week , he lost in a rematch to Mahoney . He then easily defeated Nunzio the week after . The next week Knox wrestled against ECW Champion CM Punk , again losing to Punk after a Go To Sleep from Punk . After months without any notable storylines , he began a feud with Tommy Dreamer whom he defeated in a series of matches , including an Extreme Rules match on the 100th episode of " ECW " . He then began a feud with Finlay . After weeks of confrontations between the two , they finally had a match on the September 26 edition of " ECW " , where they had an ECW Championship scramble qualifying match , which was won by Finlay . Raw ( 2008 – 2009 ) . On the October 27 and November 3 , 2008 episodes of " Raw " , two vignettes were aired to promote his arrival on the brand . His look drastically changed as well from his previous clean cut look to long unkempt hair and a long beard . He debuted the following week , on November 10 , defeating D - Lo Brown . He attacked Rey Mysterio two times over a period of three weeks . After losing to Mysterio , Knox attacked Rey once again . Interviewer Todd Grisham , asked Knox why he attacked Rey Mysterio and he answered saying he didn ' t know why . In a house show at Cape Girardeau , Missouri , Knox won a battle royal to become an entrant at the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out . At the event , he was eliminated by Chris Jericho and was the second competitor eliminated overall . SmackDown ( 2009 – 2010 ) . On April 15 , Knox was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft . He made his debut for the brand on the May 8 , 2009 episode of " SmackDown " , defeating R - Truth in a singles match . This was his last win on Smackdown as after that he occasionally competed on Smackdown and WWE Superstars , always putting over other talent . On the August 14 episode of " SmackDown " , Knox debuted new elements to his character that included knowledge of biology and the human anatomy , using this knowledge to methodically inflict pain upon his opponents . His final PPV appearance was at Wrestlemania XXVI , where Knox competed in a 26 - man Battle Royal ( a dark match ) and finished fourth . On April 23 , 2010 , WWE announced that Knox had been released from his contract . Return to Independent circuit ( 2010 – present ) . Mike Knox competed against Corporal Robinson and Raven at Bloodymania IV . Corporal Robinson won the match . On July 2012 , he wrestled three times at American Pro Wrestling Alliance , winning the APWA Hardcore Cup . On October 6 , 2012 , Knox wrestled in the main event of House of Hardcore ' s first show as Mike Knoxx , losing to Carlito in a three - way match for the FWE Heavyweight Championship , which also included Tommy Dreamer . He won the American Pro Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship in 2012 with D . O . C . , but they were later stripped of the titles , as they were made inactive , on March 1 , 2013 . He appeared for Pro Wrestling Syndicate with D . O . C , and D ' Lo Brown on May 18 , 2013 . On June 18 , 2013 , he won the River City Wrestling Tag Team Championships . D . O . C . and Knux lost the RCW Tag Team Championships on September 7 , 2013 to Hernandez and Michael Faith . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( 2012 – 2015 ) . Aces & Eights ( 2012 – 2013 ) . In May 2012 , Knox competed in a dark match for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling against the Television Champion Devon . Knox made his television debut on the January 3 , 2013 , episode of Impact Wrestling , being revealed as a member of the villainous Aces & Eights stable after being unmasked by Kurt Angle . Knox gained his revenge on Angle the following week , hitting him in the neck with a ball - peen hammer . After Angle was stretchered away , Knox lost his debut match to Sting and was afterwards , attacked with his own hammer . On March 10 at Lockdown , Aces & Eights , consisting of Knox , now billed as Knux , Devon , DOC , Garett Bischoff , and Mr . Anderson were defeated by Team TNA , consisting of Eric Young , James Storm , Magnus , Samoa Joe , and Sting in a Lethal Lockdown match , with Young pinning Knux for the win . The Menagerie ( 2014 – 2015 ) . In March 2014 , Knux started a new storyline where he returns to his flood - ravaged hometown with his father ' s carnival having been ruined and the relationship with his father soured because Knux has no intention to follow his father ' s footsteps and to own the family operated carnival , as well as salvaging it . The following month , Knux debuted his new stable called " The Menagerie " , composed of himself , Rebel , Crazzy Steve and The Freak . On the May 8th episode of " Impact Wrestling " , he would defeat Kazarian in his return match . On the September 24 edition of Impact Wrestling , Knux took part in the Gold Rush tournament for a potential title opportunity facing Austin Aries in a losing effort . on the November 12 edition of Impact Wrestling , Knux , Crazzy Steve and Rebel defeated Angelina Love , Velvet Sky , and Jessie Godderz in an inter - gender elimination match . on December 5 at Victory Road , The Menagerie ( Knux and The Freak ) faced James Storm and Kazarian in a losing effort in a Tag team match to qualify for the Gauntlet Battle Royal match later that night . on February 16 , 2015 at TNA Classic , Knux competed in a 16 - man tournament where the winner will be crowned the winner of the TNA Classic . Knux defeated Kenny King but lost to Rockstar Spud in the following round . On March 6 at Joker ' s Wild III , Knux and Tyrus faced Ethan Carter III and Crazzy Steve in a losing effort . On March 6 ( Taped February 14 ) at Knockouts Knockdown 3 , The Menagerie ( Knux , Crazzy Steve , Rebel ) defeated The BroMans ( Jessie Godderz , Robbie E ) and Angelina Love in a Six - person intergender tag team match . On May 19 , 2015 , Knux left TNA . Inoki Genome Federation ( 2015 – present ) . On April 11 , 2015 , Hettinga , working under the ring name Knux , made his debut for Japanese promotion Inoki Genome Federation , losing to Wang Bin . He picked up his first win in the promotion on May 5 over Daichi Hashimoto . On June 27 , Knux formed an " anti - IGF " stable with Hideki Suzuki , Erik Hammer and Kevin Kross . Personal life . On April 7 , 2008 , a child in Locust Grove , Georgia discovered a stash of steroids , testosterone , human growth hormones , receipts for travel and science lab information hidden in the attic of her family ' s home which Hettinga used to occupy with another wrestler . Also found was a contract from the WWE , and a memorandum to WWE wrestlers in 2004 about their new dress code policy . Hettinga has given a statement to the police to the effect that the items were not his . Other Media . The Video Games he has appeared in are WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010 and 2011 .