The Maverick (RLS CAS)

Adam Duncan Sharp1 (born 11th March 1983 in Leeds, West Yorkshire) is an English professional wrestler currently signed to UNION Wrestling under the name The Maverick, where he is the Head of Training both at the main promotion's base in Sheffield and the Academy in Gateshead. He is currently teaming with Mayhem as The Deck.
A twenty year veteran of the business, Sharp is not only famous for his storied and title-laden career, but also for training several high-profile names in alternative wrestling, including Ace, Mayhem, Lara Grey, Nancy Warren and Jack Fry.
== Career ==
=== Early Career (2000-2005) ===
Sharp had little interest in pro wrestling when he began training under Leeds-based trainer Carey Eccles at the turn of the Millennium, preferring to pursue a career in kickboxing, but several lost sparring matches later decided he would give the business a try. Eccles, however, soon noticed several downsides to Sharp's physique, most notably his proneness to knee injuries, that limited his hype and saw him struggle to break out in the local wrestling scene.
In early 2005, however, he was signed to Eddie Hamer Presents: Pro Wrestling, in Texas, where he would meet and train Ace2 and Mayhem, relationships that would define the trios careers for years to come. He passed both onto names in mainstream wrestling for supplemental training in the next couple of years, though both cite Sharp as their mentor in pro wrestling.
In this period, he wrestled occasionally as Adam Maverick, giving birth to the name that he would make his identity for the rest of his career.
=== BWF (2005-2014) ===
Sharp would become something of a shock signing for BWF in 2005, with his pedigree as a trainer sometimes overshadowing his impressive in-ring work. He wrestled now under his "The Maverick" gimmick. He would continue to work independently during this time, forming the infamous Deck stable with Ace and Mayhem (and briefly Hungarian wrestler Sehova), which would win championships and accolades in almost all promotions. BWF, however, would be uncertain about the team, due in part to the stable's importance to other promotions.
Maverick was in-and-around the main event scene without incident until May 2011, where he defeated Darius to claim his first BWF Championship. He held the title for five months before dropping it to Shay at BWF Fans The Flames 2011. He took a hiatus at this time, to train some more prospective talent and once again heal his knees, before returning in 2012 to reform The Deck with Ace and claim the Tag Championships three times before he turned on his protégé to pursue- and win- a second BWF Championship from Rafe Daniels in 2013. He held the title for little over a month before a botched Middle Rope Elbow Drop saw him once more severely injure both knees. He quietly let his contract run down before announcing his probable retirement in early 20143.
During his "retirement", Sharp had several operations on his knees to little avail, and instead threw himself back into training future performers4, including the promising Lara Grey on the advice of friend Rebecca Marin. In early 2015, Sharp described Grey as "the most naturally gifted wrestler I've ever seen, she has crazy levels of skill for someone so new to the business".
=== PWU/UNION Wrestling (2015-2018) ===
He shockingly returned from retirement to wrestle part-time for PWU/UNION Wrestling during it's beginnings, taking part initially just in the World Championship Tournament (in which he was defeated by Rafe Daniels) before better than expected scans on his knees allowed him to return pretty much full-time5. He debuted the "From The Ashes" gimmick at this time, as a face blessed at being able to have a second crack at wrestling that has endured throughout his UW run.
Sharp wrestled a squash match at Hardcore Brawl 2016, losing in minutes to a dominant Broderick. His next Live Event appearance was in the Banker Ladder Match at PWU Money In The Bank 2017, where he came within seconds of victory only to be powerbombed by eventual winner Virgil Baker. Sharp then replaced Eddie Hamer as on-air GM (albeit on a temporary basis) following the Texan being written out by Broderick. Sharp and Broderick have feuded on/off since his appointment, with Maverick unimpressed by the attempts from the World Champion to intimidate him.
At Heavy Metal 2017, Maverick challenged Broderick for the title in the Main Event, only to be defeated. However, this was part of his plan, and he soon revealed he was just weakening the champ for Banker Virgil Baker to cash in on him. He hit a new finisher, the Phoenix Fall, before leaving the arena arms raised.
The reveal of the new authority figure for UNION Wrestling, Rob Neale, saw Maverick confirmed to be removed from his temporary position. Neale was allowed to decide the fate of his predecessor, but chose to reinstate him to the roster, not really disapproving of his methods, and expecting Broderick to want to get his hands on him anyway.
Maverick and Broderick would fight on the debut episode of UNION Charged, with the match ending in an impromptu double count-out after the latter was legitimately, accidentally bust open by an errant strike from the former6. They'd meet again a week later, with Maverick getting the win following a roll-up, with more brawling following the bell. The brawling would continue in the following shows before meeting in a Blood & Steel (a cage match with a first blood stipulation) match at Uneasy Alliance 2017, where Maverick would win after cleverly donning a metal hockey mask to protect his face, and metal knee braces to facilitate busting his opponent open.
Their feud would continue after this, being merged into the UNION Championship picture, and culminating in a Four Corners Deadly Weapons match at Deadly Weapons 2017, where champion Virgil Baker would retain in a match also featuring WWE Hall of Famer Mankind. He'd be locked into a feud with the champion, as the challenger in that match who came closest to winning besides him, which was thrown up in the air when Mikey Ace walked out on the promotion in February 2018. 
Though Maverick and Mayhem were initially reported to have walked out in solidarity with Ace, alongside Wroe, Koldskador, Sitara, The Coalition, and Miss Deeds, UNION would deny these claims and confirm both were still tied to the promotion going forward. Mayhem, however, would be fired after posing with a fan holding an "Eddie Screwed Ace" sign live on Charged, which saw Maverick isolated and treated with suspicion despite being a consummate professional7.
He'd wrestle only sporadically over the next few months, focussing on training new superstars- including the non-UNION sanctioned training of Jack Fry, and was included in the January 2019 round of releases from the promotion, being replaced as Head of Training by Martyn "MC" Cooper.
=== Exhibition Wrestling (2018-2019) ===
He'd freelance for Exhibition Wrestling whenever possible following his UNION release, showing up in Canada and Mexico several times and feuding with the likes of CJ Starr, Mayhem and Brujo Rojo. A resurgence of his old knee problems facilitated him staying in one place in 2019, however, and he moved to a completely part-time schedule and focussed on his duties as a trainer while healing up.
=== Indy scene (2019-present) ===
Maverick would make a shock return at the Indy Wrestling Lives shows, beginning in 2019, usually facing Fite Man Wright in and around the main event spot. He'd appeal to Mikey Ace to come out of retirement in 2020, so they could have "one more match" together before his own retirement, but stated in an interview with Squared Circle Insider in 2021 that he never heard back from his former mentee8.
He's slated to return to touring in August 20219.
=== UNION Wrestling return (2022-2023, 2024-present) ===
Maverick would be confirmed to take part in a "Deck ReUNION" as part of the first episode of UNION Charged in April 2022, alongside the recently re-signed Mayhem, to cover the absence of the retired Mikey Ace. On the show, it looked as though the reunion would be spoiled in an unsanctioned match against all three members of INVICTA, before the shock return of Ace turned the tide and allowed The Deck to win. On the first UNION Unleashed that Friday, Maverick and Mayhem were prevented from facing Adder and Bane by a pre-match attack by them. Ace would turn on the group, however, and join INVICTA in the run up to Uneasy Alliance 2023, where The Deck (with Mav's protégé Jack Fry and debuting Pete Hook) would lose to them and depart the promotion.
The Deck would shockingly return at UNION Open Challenge 2024 to win the UNION Tag Team Championships from INVICTA in March 2024, confirming a full-time return to the promotion. They'd retain the titles at UNION Bring Down The House '24, before interference from Brody Shires allowed INVICTA to win them back at UNION Uneasy Alliance 2024.
== In-Wrestling ==
=== Signatures ===
Legbreaker
Deck Drop (Tiger Bomb, previously called so) (2004-present)
End of Days (Suplex Powerbomb) (2000-2012) Also used as a finisher in EHP and BWF
=== Finishers ===
Dead Man's Hand (Kneeling Chokeslam) (2012-present)
Ace of Spades (Modified Sharpshooter) (2000-present)
End of Days (Suplex Powerbomb) (2005, 2010, 2011)
=== Nicknames ===
Mav
SuperMav
The General Mavager (while temporary GM of UNION Wrestling)
=== Themes ===
Super Hero
=== Wrestlers Trained ===
Ace
Jack Fry
Lara Grey
Mayhem 
Nancy Warren
== Accomplishments ==
1x EHP Super Battle Royal Winner: 2006
2x BWF Championship
1x FWK King Championship
20+ Different Tag Team Reigns with The Deck
== Trivia ==
* Sharp is the alternative wrestling scene's most decorated tag team wrestler, closely followed by Ace and Mayhem, who were his partners either together or separately throughout his reigns.
* His role as Head of Training in UNION Wrestling sees him keeping the main roster in good shape and also overseeing the training of the young talent at the Academy.10
* The Maverick was written out of EHP by Ace in a now acclaimed I Quit Match in which Ace withstood everything only to force his mentor to quit with his own Ace of Spades finisher. This not only lead to Ace adopting the move full-time but also his eventual choice of name for his new gimmick.11
== Behind-The-Scenes ==
# The Maverick was created by my elder brother as his personal CAW for our adventures together from SmackDown! through to Just Bring It. Upon outgrowing the series personally, he gave me permission to use the character myself, and has come on quite the journey so far.
#There is a kind of art-imitates-life to him being my personal CAWs mentor, because said elder brother was the one to teach me how to play SmackDown!.
#I did plan to stop using the character and Mayhem, as well as creating a new personal CAW, for WWE 2K15, onwards. Things changed from 2K16, however.
#Having him train new talent was a way to keep his name relevant in my universe.
#I just wanted to bring him back, in reality.
#This is kind of true, I forgot to turn Blood back to Off after messing around in Exhibition.
#I initially wanted to take the other member of the Deck with me, but decided against it. The added narrative detail of Mayhem being unprofessional and Maverick maintaining his professionalism is just how I'd imagine their reactions to be, based on the personalities I'd given them over the years.
#The potential rift between Mav and Ace was something I think could play a part in any future talking head interviews featuring the latter in his retirement, that has now become a part of the wider narrative post-Ace's un-retirement.
#I did plan to record some little shows in August, featuring Mav among others.
#This is just narrative fluff that I think makes sense given his "elder statesman" status among my CASs.
# The aforementioned I Quit Match, amusingly, was said brother's attempt to get rid of me (knowing he was a far superior player at the time) for a while so he could play alone. I couldn't stop laughing upon defeating him, especially when he announced his return minutes later as- wait for it- The Masked Maverick. 
Category:CAWs
Category:ReVerse 2.0