Chuck Taylor Dustin Howard ( April 22 , 1986 ) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chuck Taylor . He most notably wrestles for Chikara , Dragon Gate USA , Evolve Wrestling , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla . He also serves as an assistant trainer at The Wrestle Factory , operated by Chikara founder Mike Quackenbush . Professional wrestling career . Howard began his wrestling training at age 15 under the tutelage of Brandon Walker at the Old School Wrestling Training Academy in Hardin , Kentucky . Due to age requirements for wrestling licenses in Kentucky , he was unable to wrestle during shows in - state until age 18 , during which time he wrestled for promotions in Tennessee and Illinois . The most prominent of these was the then - newly restarted Chaos Pro Wrestling in Brookport , Illinois , where he began an awkward relationship with Ricochet . Chikara . Debut and the Kings of Wrestling . Howard , under the ring name Chuck Taylor , made his Chikara debut on June 24 , 2006 , at the Young Lions Cup IV tournament , defeating his rival Ricochet in the first round before being eliminated in the six - way semi - final round by Andy Sumner . The next night , he teamed up with Cloudy to defeat Ricochet and Player Uno in a non - tournament tag team match , with the four receiving a standing ovation after the match . However , Taylor would quickly become a villain during his match with Eddie Kingston at the " Brick " event on November 17 , gaining an upset victory with some help from an interfering Larry Sweeney . After impressing Sweeney , Taylor was allowed to replace Chris Hero in the 2007 King of Trios tournament , joining Team F . I . S . T . ( Icarus and Gran Akuma ) on the Kings of Wrestling team . The Kings made it to the semi - final round before losing to the team of Miyawaki , Yoshiaki Yago and Kudo . During this match , Taylor ' s adoptive father James Todd Smith was in attendance . Team F . I . S . T . and championship success . Despite the loss , Taylor rebounded by entering the first - ever Rey de Voladores tournament on April 22 , 2007 , defeating the likes of PAC , Ricochet , Retail Dragon en route to the finals of the tournament , where he defeated Lince Dorado . However , problems in the Kings of Wrestling arose as Chris Hero , the man he replaced at King of Trios , had split the Kings of Wrestling stable in two , with Hero , Sweeney , and Claudio Castagnoli comprising the Kings of Wrestling while Team F . I . S . T . ( Taylor , Akuma , and Icarus ) once again became a separate team . At the " Aniversario ! " event in May , the Kings and F . I . S . T . met in a six - man tag team match , which F . I . S . T . won . Despite losing , the Kings reunited with F . I . S . T . and the Kings of Wrestling became the top stable in Chikara , later recruiting Mitch Ryder , Max Boyer and Shayne Hawke to their ranks . Using this momentum , Taylor went on to win the Young Lions Cup V , beating Cabana Man Dan , Lince Dorado , MosCOW the Communist Bovine , Player Uno , Ice Cream , Jr . and Amigo Suzuki on the first night and Arik Cannon in the semifinals on the second night , before beating longtime rival Ricochet in the finals . After a successful title defense against Drake Younger , Taylor put the cup on the line against Ricochet on August 18 at the " 2007 International Invaders " weekend , with Ricochet putting his career on the line . Taylor would win the match , seemingly ridding his rival for good . However , Taylor ' s momentum would come to a halt after he was eliminated in the Torneo Cibernetico match by Lince Dorado . A month later , he was defeated by Claudio Castagnoli in singles competition at the October 26 event " Bruised " . Later that night , Taylor replaced an inactive Icarus to team with Akuma in a Campeonatos de Parejas title defense against Incoherence ( Delirious and Hallowicked ) , which Taylor and Akuma lost . The next night , Taylor lost his Young Lions Cup to the debuting newcomer , Helios , who bore a striking resemblance to Ricochet . However , Taylor managed to regain some success before the end of 2007 by defeating Shane Storm and Passion Hasegawa , respectively in singles matches before teaming up with Team F . I . S . T . to beat the team of Tim Donst and Los Ice Creams ( El Hijo del Ice Cream and Ice Cream , Jr . ) . Taylor once again teamed up with Icarus and Akuma in the 2008 King of Trios tournament , this time making it to the quarterfinal round before being knocked out by The Colony ( Fire Ant , Worker Ant , and Soldier Ant ) . Following the King of Trios , Taylor returned singles competition but still remained a member of F . I . S . T . , occasionally tagging with either Akuma or Icarus . For the first half of 2009 , Taylor , Icarus and Akuma feuded with The Colony , defeating them on February 20 in a King of Trios qualifying match . After the match Taylor gave Worker Ant the Awful Waffle on the floor of the arena , which in kayfabe was the reason for his retirement following the match . On March 27 F . I . S . T . entered their third King of Trios , defeating The Death Match Kings ( Brain Damage , Necro Butcher and Toby Klein ) in the first round of the tournament . After defeating The F1rst Family ( Arik Cannon , Darin Corbin and Ryan Cruz ) in the quarter - finals , F . I . S . T . advanced to the semifinals of the tournament , where they would defeat the team of Equinox , Lince Dorado and Helios , the team known collectively as The Future is Now . On March 29 , 2009 , F . I . S . T . defeated Team Uppercut ( Bryan Danielson , Claudio Castagnoli and Dave Taylor ) in the finals , when Taylor forced Danielson to tap out to the Cross Crab , to win the 2009 King of Trios . On May 24 , 2009 , at " Aniversario Yang " F . I . S . T . ended their feud with The Colony , when Taylor and Icarus lost a " Double Mask vs . Double Hair " match against Fire Ant and Soldier Ant , and were both shaved bald . On April 23 , 2010 , F . I . S . T . entered the 2010 King of Trios tournament , attempting to become the first two - time King of Trios winners . After defeating The Throwbacks ( Dasher Hatfield , Sugar Dunkerton and Matt Classic ) in the first round , F . I . S . T . was eliminated in the quarter - finals by Team Osaka Pro ( Atsushi Kotoge , Daisuke Harada and Tadasuke ) . During the tournament F . I . S . T . was observed by Johnny Gargano , a self admitted fan of the team , who managed to stir up problems between its members by suggesting that the team had a weak link , which led to Taylor , who had been pinned in the match against Osaka Pro , pointing out Akuma and Akuma retaliating by claiming that Icarus was and always had been the weak link . Taylor caused even more dissension in F . I . S . T . by offering himself to Dragon Gate USA ' s World – 1 stable , a competitor of Kamikaze USA , Gran Akuma ' s stable in the company . On July 26 at " Chikarasaurus Rex : King of Show " F . I . S . T . was defeated in a six - man tag team match by CIMA , Masaaki Mochizuki and Super Shenglong , when CIMA pinned Akuma . After the match Taylor and Icarus turned on Akuma , kicked him out of both F . I . S . T . and Chikara and gave his spot in the stable to Johnny Gargano . With Gargano as a member , the new F . I . S . T . ended their losing streak by defeating Da Soul Touchaz ( Acid Jaz , Marshe Rockett and Willie Richardson ) and 3 . 0 ( Scott Parker and Shane Matthews ) and Soldier Ant in six man tag team matches on September 18 and 19 . On April 15 , 2011 , F . I . S . T . entered the 2011 King of Trios , defeating Team Australia ( Kabel , Percy T and Tama Williams ) in their first round match . The following day F . I . S . T . defeated Team Osaka Pro ( Atsushi Kotoge , Daisuke Harada and Ultimate Spider Jr . ) , avenging their loss from the previous year and advancing to the semifinals of the tournament . On April 17 , F . I . S . T . scored a major upset in the semifinals of the King of Trios tournament by defeating Team Michinoku Pro ( Dick Togo , Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki ) , when Icarus rolled up Sasuke for the win , after Taylor had blinded him with powder . Later that same day , F . I . S . T . was defeated in the finals of the tournament by The Colony ( Fire Ant , Green Ant and Soldier Ant ) . In June and July , Taylor and Gargano gained three points and the right to challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas with victories over the teams of The Colony ( Green Ant and Soldier Ant ) , Incoherence ( Frightmare and Hallowicked ) and Atlantis and Rey Bucanero . On September 18 , Taylor and Gargano defeated Jigsaw and Mike Quackenbush to win the Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas for the first time . Taylor and Gargano made their first title defense on October 7 , defeating Momo no Seishun Tag ( Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada ) with help from Icarus in the third match between F . I . S . T . and the Osaka Pro Wrestling representatives . On October 30 , Taylor and Icarus , who replaced Gargano who was unable to attend the event due to traveling issues , succssfully defended the Campeonatos de Parejas against the Throwbacks ( Dasher Hatfield and Sugar Dunkerton ) . F . I . S . T . made their third successful title defense on December 2 , during Chikara ' s special post - season " JoshiMania " weekend , defeating The Colony . On February 25 , 2012 , Icarus again replaced an injured Gargano in a title defense , where F . I . S . T . defeated the Spectral Envoy ( Hallowicked and UltraMantis Black ) . On March 24 , Taylor and Icarus lost the Campeonatos de Parejas to 3 . 0 . After earning three points in a four - way elimination match on April 14 , Taylor and Gargano defeated 3 . 0 in a rematch on April 29 to regain the title and become the first two - time Campeones de Parejas . On June 2 at Chikarasaurus Rex : How to Hatch a Dinosaur , F . I . S . T . lost the title to The Young Bucks ( Matt and Nick Jackson ) in their first title defense . On August 2 , Chikara ' s Director of Fun , Wink Vavasseur , named Sugar Dunkerton , who had announced his wish to join a stable , the fourth member of F . I . S . T . The other members , however , refused to accept Dunkerton as a full - fledged member , instead referring to him as their " water boy " . On September 14 , F . I . S . T . , represented by Taylor , Icarus and Gargano , entered the 2012 King of Trios tournament , defeating Team Osaka Pro ( Ebessan , Kikutaro and Takoyakida ) in their first round match . The following day , F . I . S . T . defeated the all - female Team JWP ( Command Bolshoi , Kaori Yoneyama and Tsubasa Kuragaki ) to advance to the semifinals of the tournament . On the third and final day of the tournament , F . I . S . T . was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by the Spectral Envoy ( Frightmare , Hallowicked and UltraMantis Black ) , who went on to win the entire tournament . In early 2013 , the members of F . I . S . T . began having problems with each other , leading to Icarus turning on Gargano on May 3 over his treatment of Sugar Dunkerton . Chuck Taylor continues to wrestle matches for Chikara , often switching between tecnico and rudo . In 2013 , Chuck began wrestling as a new character , Mr . Azerbaijan , for the promotion Wrestling is Fun ! . He began teaming with The Proletariat Boar of Moldova , Prakash Sabar , The Brown Morning of Belarus , and The Polar Baron as The Bloc Party . On January 25 , 2015 , Taylor received his first shot at the Chikara Grand Championship , but was defeated by the defending champion , his former F . I . S . T . stablemate Icarus . Pro Wrestling Guerrilla ( 2008 – present ) . On August 30 , 2008 , Taylor made his Pro Wrestling Guerrilla debut at " All Star Weekend 7 " , defeating female wrestler Candice LeRae in a specialty match . The next night , he teamed with fellow Chikara mainstay and his real life second cousin Vin Gerard to take on The Dynasty ( Scott Lost and Joey Ryan ) in a losing effort . Less than a month later , Taylor was invited to participate in the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles , which notably had seven less competitors ( almost a third of the usual number ) than it did the year before . He originally defeated T . J . Perkins in the first round , but the decision was reversed after the referee caught Taylor with brass knuckles in his hand . Starting in 2009 , Taylor began a heated rivalry with popular regular El Generico , stemming from his dream of opening an orphanage called " " Los Angelitos de El Generico " " and Taylor ' s hatred of orphans . After he was unable to secure a singles victory , Taylor acquired the help of fellow PWG newcomer Kenny Omega , a fellow orphan hater who also faced , and subsequently lost , a singles match to Generico the next month . Taylor ' s brief losing streak would continue with a memorable defeat at the hands of Bryan Danielson at " Ninety - Nine " . On May 22 , 2009 , Taylor and Omega teamed up for the annual " DDT4 " tag team tournament . In the quarterfinals , they overcame the team of Dark & Lovely ( Scorpio Sky and Human Tornado ) , who were substituting for scheduled opponents Los Luchas . Becoming a sensation with fans overnight , they next faced World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks in a title match , losing in controversial fashion . The makeshift team ' s sudden popularity had a major hand in causing the champions to get booed post - match and for the duration of the evening . Now referred to as " Men of Low Moral Fiber " , Taylor and Omega were scheduled to face Danielson and Roderick Strong ( Hybrid Dolphins ) in June , but a staph infection kept the former out of action . At " Threemendous II " , after 2 Skinny Black Guys ( Generico and Tornado ) reunited to beat The Young Bucks in a non - title match , Taylor attacked Generico and challenged him to a Reseda Street Fight , the winning man ' s team becoming the number one contenders for the championship . Taylor won the match and his team made the challenge at " Against the Grain " , losing yet again . It was revealed at the end of the defense that senior referee Rick Knox had been paid by the Bucks to fix their recent bouts . With Omega winning the World Championship at the 2009 BOLA , Taylor and new tag team partner Tornado ( having parted ways with Generico after a brief reunion ) , known collectively as the " 2 Skinny Black Guys of Low Moral Fiber " , were scheduled to take on the Bucks for the Tag Team championship on January 30 , 2010 at " WrestleReunion 4 " , however , due to a snowstorm Taylor was forced to miss the event . The match was rescheduled for PWG ' s next show , " As the Worm Turns " , but due to Tornado ' s sudden retirement from professional wrestling , Taylor would instead partner with Tornado ' s former partner , and Taylor ' s former rival , El Generico . They reprised the name 2 Skinny Black Guys of Low Moral Fiber . At the event the Young Bucks defeated Taylor and Generico to retain the Tag Team Titles . While Kenny Omega began spending increased amount of time in Japan , away from PWG , Chuck Taylor went on to form a new alliance in September 2010 , called the Fightin ' Taylor Boys , with Ryan Taylor and Brian Cage ( who would adopt the ring name Brian Cage - Taylor ) . Following the folding of the stable , after Brian Cage went solo , Taylor formed a new stable named Best Friends with Joey Ryan and Trent ? in August 2013 . On January 31 , 2014 , Taylor and Trent ? defeated three other teams . In the first round defeating the Rockness Monsters ( Johnny Yuma and Johnny Goodtime ) . In the Semi - finals the Best Friends upset Cole Steen Cole ( Adam Cole and Kevin Steen ) with an assist from Candice Lerae . In the finals the Best Friends defeated the Inner City Machine Guns ( Rich Swann and Ricochet ) to win the 2014 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament . As a result , Taylor and Trent ? received a shot at the PWG World Tag Team Championship on March 28 , but were defeated by the defending champions , The Young Bucks . Evolve Wrestling ( 2010 – present ) . On January 16 , 2010 , Taylor participated in Evolve Wrestling ' s first show , defeating Cheech in a qualifying match to earn a spot in the promotion ' s roster . After defeating Ricochet on March 13 , Taylor earned himself a main event spot on Evolve ' s third show on May 1 , in which he defeated Claudio Castagnoli . At the fourth show on July 23 , Taylor defeated Jimmy Jacobs . Taylor ' s winning streak came to an end on September 11 , when he was defeated by Mike Quackenbush . At the following event on November 20 , Taylor was defeated in the main event of the evening by Austin Aries . At the end of the year , Taylor was named both Breakout Star and MVP of 2010 . On April 19 , 2011 , at Evolve ' s first live internet pay - per - view , Taylor defeated Akira Tozawa . However , immediately following the match , Taylor was placed in a tiebreaker match against Johnny Gargano to determine Evolve ' s wins leader . Gargano won the match , after Reby Sky threw in the towel for Taylor . Taylor and Gargano had a rematch on July 26 at " Evolve 9 " , which was won by Taylor . Dragon Gate USA ( 2010 – present ) . After offering himself to face stable World – 1 , Taylor made his debut for Dragon Gate USA on July 24 at Enter the Dragon 2010 , defeating Adam Cole , Arik Cannon and Ricochet in a four – way match . At the following event on September 25 , Taylor won another four – way match , this time defeating Drake Younger , Johnny Gargano and Rich Swann . The following day Taylor suffered his first loss in Dragon Gate USA , losing to CIMA in a singles match . On October 29 at Dragon Gate USA ' s first live pay - per - view , Bushido : Code of the Warrior , Taylor defeated Arik Cannon , Johnny Gargano and Ricochet in a four - way match . After the match CIMA offered him a spot in his Warriors International stable , but Taylor turned the offer down . Later in the night Taylor , Gargano and Rich Swann attacked CIMA and Ricochet and announced that they would be forming their own stable called Ronin . At the following day ' s tapings of Freedom Fight 2010 , Ronin defeated Austin Aries , Genki Horiguchi and Ricochet in a six - man tag team match . On January 29 , 2011 , Taylor and Gargano entered a three - day - long tournament to determine the first ever Open the United Gate Champions . In their first tournament match , they defeated Blood Warriors representatives Naruki Doi and Ricochet and followed that up by defeating another Blood Warriors team of CIMA and Dragon Kid the following day . On January 30 Taylor and Gargano were defeated in the finals of the tournament by World – 1 representatives Masato Yoshino and PAC . On March 1 , 2011 , Ronin started their first three - week - long tour of Japanese promotion Dragon Gate . In their first match of the tour , Taylor , Gargano and Swann defeated Blood Warriors representatives CIMA , Naruki Doi and Naoki Tanisaki in a six - man tag team match . On April 2 at DGUSA Mercury Rising 2011 , Ronin , now working as a face group , was defeated in the main event six man tag team match by the Blood Warriors team of CIMA , Naruki Doi and Ricochet . On September 10 at Untouchable 2011 , Taylor defeated Masato Yoshino , Naruki Doi and Sami Callihan to earn a match of his choosing for Ronin . He then announced that Gargano and Swann would be challenging Yoshino and PAC for the Open the United Gate Championship . However , when Gargano defeated Naruki Doi at the following day ' s Way of the Ronin 2011 PPV , he announced his intention of going for the Open the Freedom Gate Championship and suggested that Taylor and Swann challenge for the Open the United Gate Championship instead . This , however , led to Taylor proclaiming that he was not interested in the tag team championship and instead announced that he was using his right to book himself a match for the Open the Freedom Gate Championship . On November 12 at Bushido 2011 , Taylor unsuccessfully challenged YAMATO for the Open the Freedom Gate Championship . At one point Taylor seemingly had won the match with a pinfall , but the referee decided to restart the match after Johnny Gargano admitted that YAMATO ' s foot was on the rope during the pinfall . After the match Taylor stole the Open the Freedom Gate Championship belt and ran out of the arena . The following day at Freedom Fight 2011 , Taylor handed the belt to new champion , Ronin stablemate Johnny Gargano , seemingly putting their past differences aside . However , after failing to win the Open the United Gate Championship on March 30 , 2012 , Taylor turned on Gargano , ending the partnership . Following his turn , Taylor formed the Gentleman ' s Club with Drew Gulak and Jake Manning . On June 29 , Taylor unsuccessfully challenged Gargano for the Open the Freedom Gate Championship . On July 29 at Enter the Dragon 2012 , Dragon Gate USA ' s third anniversary event , Taylor was defeated by Gargano in an " I Quit " match . On November 4 at Freedom Fight 2012 , Taylor was defeated by former Ronin stablemate Rich Swann in a No Disqualification grudge match . The following week , Taylor signed a two - year contract with Dragon Gate USA and Evolve . Global Force Wrestling ( 2015 – present ) . On May 13 , 2015 , Global Force Wrestling ( GFW ) announced Taylor as part of their roster .