Chris Sabin Joshua Harter ( February 4 , 1982 ) is an American professional wrestler , better known by his ring name Chris Sabin . He is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) , as one half of the former TNA World Tag Team Champions with partner Alex Shelley as The Motor City Machine Guns . After being trained by Scott D ' Amore , Sabin debuted in 2000 for Border City Wrestling , and quickly began competing for numerous other independent promotions . In 2003 , Sabin joined TNA , and quickly won the TNA X Division Championship , which he later unified with the WWA International Cruiserweight Championship . In 2004 , he also wrestled for Ring of Honor . In 2005 Chris wrestled in the UK at International Showdown for The Wrestling Channel ' s first year anniversary at a sold out Coventry Skydome . Throughout the next few years , Sabin competed mainly in TNA ' s X Division , until forming the Motor City Machine Guns with Alex Shelley in mid - 2007 . Throughout his career , Sabin has held numerous championships , and was the last WWA International Cruiserweight Champion . He has also held titles in Border City Wrestling and Maryland Championship Wrestling . In Pro Wrestling Zero1 - Max , he held the ZERO - 1 MAX International Lightweight Tag Team Championship , and in TNA he is a former four - time X Division Champion . In 2007 , Sabin won the All Japan Pro Wrestling Junior League Tournament , and also won the TNA Super X Cup in 2003 . He was a member of the winning team in the TNA X Cup Tournaments in 2004 , and 2006 . Career . Harter began training as a wrestler in Michigan at the NWA Great Lakes Pro Wrestling School . After the school began experiencing difficulties , he travelled to Windsor , Ontario and completed his training under Scott D ' Amore and " Amazing " N8 Mattson at the Can - Am Wrestling School . He debuted in 2000 after four months training as " Chris Sabin " , and began working for D ' Amore ' s Border City Wrestling promotion and for independent promotions in Michigan . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( 2002 – present ) . Singles Run ( 2003 – 2007 ) . Sabin joined Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2003 as a heel and won the TNA X Division Championship . His reign ended after three months when he lost to Michael Shane in the first ever Ultimate X match on August 20 . On September 3 of that year , Sabin , now a face , won the 2003 Super X Cup , thus becoming the number one contender to the X Division Championship . He regained the X Division Championship on January 7 , 2004 , defeating Shane , Christopher Daniels and Low Ki in the second Ultimate X match . After returning from injury , Sabin took part in the World X Cup in May 2004 , forming Team TNA with Jerry Lynn , Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper . On May 26 , Team USA defeated Team Mexico , Team Canada and Team Japan in a two - hour pay - per - view event which saw the teams fight one another in a variety of matches . The finals saw Sabin wrestle the Canadian Petey Williams and the Mexican Héctor Garza in an Ultimate X match , which Sabin won when he retrieved a large red " X " which had been suspended above the ring on steel cables . For the remainder of 2004 , Sabin contended for the X Division Championship . He won another Ultimate X match on November 9 to win a title shot at Petey Williams . At Turning Point 2004 on December 5 , however , Williams was able to secure a victory with the help of a pair of brass knuckles . Sabin got another shot at the title at Final Resolution on January 16 , 2005 , in an Ultimate X match with Williams and A . J . Styles , but the match and title were won by Styles . Throughout 2005 , Sabin feuded with Michael Shane , by now wrestling as Matt Bentley . In September 2005 he began a feud with Shocker that was killed when Shocker was unable to return from Mexico for their scheduled match at Unbreakable on September 11 , instead Sabin faced Petey Williams and won after hitting the Cradleshock . In 2006 , Sabin mostly teamed up with Sonjay Dutt , to great effect , beating Team Canada in a number one contenders tag team tournament on " TNA Impact ! " . At the Against All Odds pay - per - view event Sabin and Dutt were beaten by Chris Harris and James Storm ( America ' s Most Wanted ) in a bout for the NWA World Tag Team Championships . On March 11 , Chris Sabin defeated Alex Shelley and Sonjay Dutt in a 3 - way match to represent both the USA in the " International X Division Showcase " at Destination X 2006 as well as joining Jay Lethal on Team TNA in the upcoming World X Cup Tournament . Later that month , Sabin was hospitalized with a severe concussion after taking four blows to the head during a show for the Northeast Wrestling ( NEW ) promotion on March 25 in Bristol , Connecticut . He was released after undergoing a CAT scan . Sabin acted as the captain of Team USA at World X Cup 2006 , defeating Puma of Team Mexico , earning 3 points , and on May 18 , defeating Petey Williams in a sudden death tiebreaker singles match , winning the World X Cup for Team USA . On the June 1 , 2006 edition of " TNA Impact ! " , Sabin rushed to the ring to clear out Alex Shelley and Kevin Nash , who were attacking Jay Lethal in another of Nash ' s X Division beatdowns . Nash would avoid a physical confrontation with Sabin , only to be challenged to a match by Sabin at Slammiversary 2006 which Nash was able to win . Sabin later became the number one contender for the TNA X Division Championship by defeating Alex Shelley at TNA Hard Justice 2006 . Sabin would enter into an angle with fellow X - Division wrestlers to promote the Jackass : Number Two movie by imitating stunts performed on the film to display the lighter side of the X - Division , something then champion Senshi disapproved of . Since then , Sabin would attempt to take Senshi ' s title on several occasions . On October 22 , 2006 , Sabin defeated Senshi after using an inside cradle to become a 3 time X - Division Champion at Bound for Glory 2006 . On the November 2 , 2006 edition of " TNA Impact ! " , he lost the title to A . J . Styles in the " Fight for the Right " tournament . Prior to the match , Sabin showed signs of turning heel when he expressed his disdain for X - Division pioneer , and face , Jerry Lynn for doubting his focus in an interview with Christy Hemme . Sabin completed his heel turn two weeks later when he refused to help fellow X - Division star Sonjay Dutt from an assault from Samoa Joe . Sabin went on to challenge Christopher Daniels at Genesis for the X - division championship but failed . After winning a triple - threat match against former allies Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal for a number one contender ' s match , he once again challenged Daniels at Turning Point but lost . At Final Resolution 2007 , Sabin won the X Division Championship from then champion Christopher Daniels in a triple threat match which also involved Jerry Lynn . Sabin went on to feud with Lynn over the title ; defeating him at Against All Odds 2007 by using the ring ropes for leverage . At Destination X , Sabin defeated Lynn in a two out of three falls match to retain the X Division Championship . After the match , however , a masked man , who was later revealed to be Christopher Daniels , attacked both Sabin and Lynn . At Lockdown Sabin retained his title against Alex Shelley , Sonjay Dutt , Jay Lethal , and Shark Boy in a Six Sides of Steel Xscape match . At Sacrifice he retained his title against Sonjay Dutt , and Jay Lethal , by pinning Dutt . Sabin lost his title at Slammiversary , however , to Lethal . Sabin received a rematch on " Impact ! " against Lethal and Samoa Joe , but Sabin was pinned after Joe hit a Muscle Buster . Motor City Machine Guns ( 2007 – present ) . In the summer of 2007 Sabin formed a tag team with Alex Shelley , known as the Motor City Machine Guns . The two had been teaming in several independent promotions prior to their formation as a team in TNA . Sabin and Shelley started a feud with Team 3D , turning face , which stemmed from Team 3D constantly attacking the X division every week . He competed in TNA ' s World X Cup as a part of Team USA / TNA along with Alex Shelley and went undefeated as a tag team throughout winning two tag team matches and the 12 man elimination tag team match . Sabin and Shelley turned heel , when , after a match with B . G . James and Eric Young , Sabin slapped James in the face . Sabin and Shelley lost a TNA World Tag Team Championship match at Turning Point to Beer Money , Inc . Sabin and Shelley turned face then joined The Frontline . During December 2008 Sabin qualified for the finals in the X Division title tournament after defeating Sonjay Dutt and Kiyoshi . On January 11 , 2009 , at the Genesis pay - per - view , Sabin was defeated by his tag team partner Alex Shelley for the X Division title . Sabin and Shelley floated through various storylines , not seen or heard for a while . Sabin and Shelley eventually began popping up in the crowd with various signs , such as " Yes , we still work here " . Sabin and Shelley would then be given their own broadcast table and would occasionally do commentary for various matches . On the October 22 edition of " Impact ! " , Sabin and Shelley would win an Ultimate X match against Lethal Consequences to become the number one contenders for the TNA World Tag Team Championship . On the October 29 edition of " Impact ! " , Sabin suffered a concussion during a match with Team 3D after landing on his head , but it was announced he was not injured . At Turning Point The British Invasion ( Doug Williams and Brutus Magnus ) defeated Sabin and Shelley and Beer Money , Inc . in a three - way match to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles . The following month at Final Resolution the British Invasion defeated Sabin and Shelley to once again retain their titles . At Destination X Sabin and Shelley defeated Generation Me ( Jeremy Buck and Max Buck ) in an Ultimate X match to earn another shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship . Sabin and Shelley received their title shot on the April 12 edition of " Impact ! " , but were defeated by World Tag Team Champion Matt Morgan and Amazing Red , who replaced the injured Hernandez in the match . The following month at Sacrifice the Motor City Machine Guns defeated Beer Money , Inc . and Team 3D in a three - way match to earn another shot at the Tag Team Championship . On July 11 at Victory Road the Motor City Machine Guns defeated Beer Money , Inc . to win the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship for the first time . After Victory Road the Motor City Machine Guns entered a Best of Five Series with Beer Money , Inc . , contested for the TNA World Tag Team Championship . Beer Money won the first two matches , a ladder match and a Street Fight , after knocking their opponents out with beer bottles . However , Sabin and Shelley came back to win the two following matches , a steel cage match and an Ultimate X match , to even the score to 2 – 2 and set up a deciding match for the August 12 edition of " Impact ! " . On the August 12 edition of " Impact ! " the Motor City Machine Guns defeated Beer Money , Inc . in a Two Out of Three Falls match to win the Best of Five Series and retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship . The following month at No Surrender , the Motor City Machine Guns retained their titles in a match against Generation Me . After the match Generation Me turned heel by attacking the Machine Guns and injuring Shelley . Injuries and Championship reigns ( 2012 – 2013 ) . Sabin made his first appearance since Shelley ' s departure from TNA on the live May 31 episode of " Impact Wrestling " , unsuccessfully challenging Austin Aries for the X Division Championship . On the June 14 episode of " Impact Wrestling " , Sabin unsuccessfully challenged Aries for the X Division Championship in an Ultimate X match , which also included Zema Ion , during which Sabin appeared to injure his left knee . The following day , it was announced that Sabin had torn his left ACL during the match . On the July 5 episode of " Impact Wrestling " , Sabin returned to talk about his injury , but was interrupted and eventually attacked by TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode . Sabin underwent surgery on his ACL the following day . Sabin returned to " Impact Wrestling " on May 2 , 2013 , defeating Sonjay Dutt and Zema Ion in a number one contender ' s match for the X Division Championship . Sabin received his title shot on the May 16 episode of " Impact Wrestling " , but was defeated by defending champion Kenny King in a three - way match , also involving Petey Williams . On June 2 at Slammiversary XI , Sabin defeated King and Suicide in an Ultimate X match to win his fifth X Division Championship . Afterwards , Hulk Hogan came out and announced to Sabin that sometime during the summer he may trade in the X Division title for a World Heavyweight Championship match . On the June 27 episode of " Impact Wrestling " , he lost the X Division title to an impostor Suicide ( who was later revealed to be Austin Aries ) in a three - way match , which also included Kenny King , but defeated Aries and the newly christened Manik the following week , to regain the title for a record - tying sixth time . On the July 11 episode of " Impact Wrestling " , Sabin vacated the title in exchange for a shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship . The following week , Sabin defeated Bully Ray on the Destination X episode of " Impact Wrestling " , to win the World Heavyweight Championship , making him TNA ' s sixth Triple Crown Champion in the process . However , Sabin though it was too soon to give him the title . On August 15 at " Impact Wrestling : Hardcore Justice " , Sabin lost the World Heavyweight Championship back to Ray in his first title defense , contested inside a steel cage , following interference from Mr . Anderson and Tito Ortiz . Storyline with Velvet Sky ( 2013 – 2014 ) . On the September 19 episode of " Impact Wrestling " , Sabin turned heel after he attacked X Division Champion Manik after a match before being chased off by Jeff Hardy . The following week , Sabin unsuccessfully challenged Manik for his title . On October 20 at Bound for Glory , Sabin defeated Austin Aries , Jeff Hardy , Manik , and Samoa Joe in an Ultimate X Match to win the X Division Championship for a record - breaking seventh time . Sabin lost the X Division title to Austin Aries at the November 23 , 2013 " Impact Wrestling " tapings ( airing December 12 ) , but then won it back in a rematch at the December 5 , 2013 tapings ( airing January 2 , 2014 ) for his record breaking eighth reign . However , he lost the title against Aries on TNA Impact Wrestling : Genesis , on January 16 , 2014 , after Velvet Sky turned on him . During the TNA Maximun Impact tour , Sabin attacked Sky , aligned himself with Alpha Female . Then , he disappeared from TV until May 9 , 2014 , when his departure from the promotion was confirmed . Ring of Honor ( 2003 – 2010 ) . Sabin made his debut for Ring of Honor on June 14 , 2003 , in a four - way match , won by Homicide . He would wrestle for the company sporadically before leaving in February 2004 . He would return on November 4 , 2005 , to unsuccessfully challenge Bryan Danielson for the ROH World Championship . He returned to ROH along with tag team partner Alex Shelley on March 30 , 2007 , following the Briscoe Brothers winning the ROH World Tag Team Championship . The two challenged Jay Briscoe for a shot at the title on April 28 in Chicago , then attacked him after he accepted . The two would ultimately lose the match and leave the company . They also worked for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla , and challenged for the PWG World Tag Team Championship , although they never won . In April 2008 Sabin and Shelley returned to ROH , losing to The Age of the Fall ( Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black ) and defeating the Briscoe Brothers ( Jay and Mark ) on the 18 and 19 respectively . In August 2008 Sabin and Shelley once again returned to ROH , wrestling Austin Aries and Bryan Danielson to a 25 - minute time limit draw and losing to Kevin Steen and El Generico on the 1st and 2nd respectively . They were scheduled to return to ROH on October 24 and 25 , but were pulled from the events by TNA and replaced by The Latin American Xchange . On February 13 , 2010 , Ring of Honor announced at their 8th Anniversary Show that the Motor City Machine Guns would return to the company on May 8 in New York City . On May 8 the Motor City Machine Guns were defeated by the ROH World Tag Team Champions Kings of Wrestling ( Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli ) via disqualification , when the Briscoe Brothers interfered in the match . Pro Wrestling Zero and New Japan ( 2006 – 2010 ) . On August 25 , 2006 at Korauken Hall ' s ZERO - 1 MAX show , Sabin and Alex Shelley became ZERO - 1 MAX International Lightweight Tag Team Champions , when they defeated former champions , Ikuto Hidaka and Minoru Fujita . They held the titles for nearly two years , before dropping them to Minoru Fujita , and his new tag team partner , Takuya Sugawara , on April 6 , 2008 . On January 4 , 2009 , Sabin and Shelley defeated No Limit ( Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro ) at New Japan Pro Wrestling ' s " Wrestle Kingdom III " to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship . After three successful title defenses , two of which took place in TNA , Sabin and Shelley lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles to Apollo 55 ( Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi ) on July 5 , 2009 , at New Japan Pro Wrestling ' s " Circuit 2009 New Japan Soul " . On November 8 , 2010 , New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that the Motor City Machine Guns would be returning to the promotion the following month , competing at events on December 11 and 12 . On December 11 the Motor City Machine Guns were defeated by No Limit in their New Japan return match . The following day they defeated Apollo 55 in the fourth match between the two teams . Return to Ring of Honor ( 2015 – present ) . Sabin would return to Ring of Honor in early 2015 during some of their TV tapings . On the April 25 episode of Ring of Honor television , Sabin was revealed to be a member of the Knights of the Rising Dawn ( KRD ) a group that have been interfering in championship matches in Ring of Honor in early 2015 . He helped The Addiction ( Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian ) defeat reDRagon to become the new ROH World Tag Team Champions . On the May 9 episode of Ring of Honor , Sabin made his in - ring return to ROH in a match against Kyle O ' Reilly . Sabin would win the match with help from both Daniels and Kazarian . Global Force Wrestling ( 2015 – present ) . On May 18 , 2015 , Sabin was announced as part of the roster of the Global Force Wrestling ( GFW ) promotion . Personal life . Harter was inspired by Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart and Rob Van Dam calling himself Josh Van Dam as a child . Harter used the money he earned from working at Subway to pay to attend a wrestling school , but also took classes at a community college . Harter and tag team partner Patrick Martin ( Alex Shelley ) are best friends in real - life , with Harter once joking that Martin was his " heterosexual life mate " . Harter plays bass in a band called The High Crusade , which also includes Martin , former TNA wrestler Petey Williams and their friends Adam Tatro and Chris Plumb . The band released their debut album , " It ’ s Not What You Think " , on September 7 , 2010 . His ring name is derived from the character Sabin Rene Figaro from the video game " Final Fantasy VI " ( originally released in America as " Final Fantasy III " ) . In 2008 , Sabin , along with Alex Shelley , appeared in an episode of MTV MADE , teaching a school boy the basics of professional wrestling . Harter is a big fan of the band 311 and has used songs by the band as his entrance themes on numerous occasions . At Destination X 2007 , held on March 11 , a day known to the fans of the band as " 311 Day " , Harter referenced the occasion on his wrist band . He has also mentioned the band on TNA ' s web program TNA Today .