Virgil Baker (RLS CAS)

Benji Jeffries (born 20th April 1986 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American professional wrestler currently on a sabbatical from UNION Wrestling, where he performs under the name Virgil Baker, and is a three-time UNION World Champion. 
He is currently the only person to have held the highest championship in the promotion more than once, as well as being the only person to hold a championship three times, being the first UNION World Champion, later winning the rebranded title which he held until it's deactivation in 2020, and finally winning the reactivated title in 2022, in 2023, he also became the first to subsequently lose the title more than once. 
== Career ==
=== Early career (2006-2012) ===
Jeffries debuted in several US-based promotions such as Eddie Hamer Presents: Pro Wrestling and Fort Wayne Wrestling Championships after a prolonged period of training at the Arsonist Wrestling Centre in Alabama, under Bill Arson specifically. He was mainly used as a heel for the mid-card babyfaces to feud with as they transitioned to a higher place in the card, especially in FWWC. He was used in his capacity in 2010 to help get perennial mid-card man Brent Blake into the main event scene, which would prove to be his last angle in FWWC before leaving the US for Canada, and Exhibition Wrestling, in early 2011.
Now known as Mr. Jeffries, he would debut at EW: Toronto Gets Terrorised as a surprise entry in a Battle Royal to determine the #1 Contender to the Canadian Championship, lasting eleven minutes before being eliminated by Hiram Maine. He'd float around the mid-card in EW: Canada for several months, until deciding to take an extended break in March 2012.
=== WWE Backlash Wrestling Tour (2014-2015) ===
Jeffries would debut under his current moniker of Virgil Baker on the short-lived WWE Backlash Wrestling Tour in 2014 and 2015, feuding with and defeating Mikey Ace, Dirty L.A and Mark Henry before departing along with Eddie Hamer to start a new England-based promotion.
=== PWU/UNION Wrestling (2015-2020) ===
Baker would debut at the very beginning of PWU's initial tour, lasting right through until the tourney to crown the first World Champion, which he won by last defeating Rafe Daniels. Baker, trusted by Eddie Hamer and Mikey Ace due to his work-rate and willingness to plan matches in detail, held the title throughout the tour, before dropping it to Ryan Burton at Hardcore Brawl 2016. Following a second loss to Burton at Capitol Punishment 2017, Baker would take time off due to injury. 
Baker would return at Money in the Bank 2017, shockingly winning the Ladder Match to become the UNION Banker. He'd later cash in this contract on a prone Broderick to win the title back at Heavy Metal 2017 to end the first series as champion once again. 
Baker would continue to hold the title right through the stop-start second series, and again once the promotion moved to a more touring, light schedule to cut costs. Although he almost lost the title to The Cowpoke in 2019, Baker was booked as fairly dominant manner until the title was deactivated, and the promotion's activities put on indefinite hold, due to the COVID-19 pandemic1. 
When UNION Wrestling held their Return Show in November 2021, Baker was rewarded for his long service with the promotion by being placed in the main event with fellow tenured superstar Bobby the Fan, winning the bout before being confronted by Japan MIGHTY! Wrestling star Hubris. After contracting COVID in December, he'd miss the next few shows before defeating Hubris at the Touchdown '22 show in January 2022. 
At the UNION Bring Down The House event in March 2022, Baker defeated Hubris in a match for the vacant UNION World Championship, breaking out of the Nemesis Choke and pinning his rival following an Alabama Slam. On the debut episode of UNION Charged, he'd team with Jackie Compton in a losing effort against Hubris and WOTU World Champion Lara Grey, having his neck injured at ringside by Hubris before that was used to force him to tap out to the Nemesis Choke. He'd end his feud with Hubris at Bring Down the House '23, winning and retaining the championship. 
For the new season of UNION programming, Baker would be challenged by Rafe Daniels to a match at Uneasy Alliance 2023. He'd accept by beating down Daniels, and after a month of the two trading blows on most shows, they'd settle it in the ring at the Live Event. Despite coming closer than anyone had in a long time, Daniels would fall short, but both men were given a rousing reception by the crowd, turning him face. 
After INVICTA won the Uneasy Alliance 2023 main event, Mikey Ace was able to trigger a UNION World Championship clause in his contract, giving him the right to challenge Baker at Hardcore Brawl 2023. Despite throwing everything he had at Ace, he'd ultimately, and quite shockingly, lose the match and the championship. Ace allowed him a rematch, under the condition that his loss would mean not being able to challenge again while Ace was champion, which led to a feud finale at London Calling 2024. Baker lost again, and had to be helped out of the ring by UNION staff, though this was clarified by UW to be a kayfabe injury to facilitate some much need time off. 
== In-Wrestling ==
=== Signature Moves ===
Fallaway Samoan Drop
Belly to Belly 6
=== Finishing Moves ===
Alabama Slam (Alabama Slam 1)
=== Nicknames ===
The Alabama Slammer
=== Theme(s) ===
Bodybuilder
== Accomplishments ==
3x UNION/UNION World Champion
UNION Banker
SCI Male Superstar of the Year 2017
== Trivia ==
* Jeffries was tasked by Eddie Hamer to come up with a new name and persona for the Backlash Wrestling Tour, and struggled so much finding a name that he ended up using a "Wrestling Name Generator" on the internet2.
== Behind-the-Scenes/Notes ==
# In truth, I moved away from UNION Wrestling stuff when my PS4 died, creating a new promotion on PC. UNION's reduction in size and scope is actually a way of easily justifying any potential future reboot.
# This is true, I did do this. I don't actually know why I didn't just continue using him as Benji Jeffries.
Category:CAWs
Category:ReVerse 2.0