Navajo (RLS CAW)

Navajo at a PRIZE House Show in August 2018.

**Joseph Riley "Joe" Cody** *(born 22nd August 1991 in Holbrook, Arizona)* was1 an American professional wrestler most recently to Exhibition Wrestling's Mexican brand, where he performed as Navajo1 in the tag team Los Parias with El Jefe. He also appeared alongside his partner in PRIZE Wrestling League due to an agreement between the two promotions, where they were known as Invasion.

Cody was a Navajo Native American, something which has played a huge part of his wrestling persona. He claimed his faith in the religious culture of his people to have been a "major blessing" during what he saw as a sometimes difficult career.

After being ill for several months, in March 2020 Cody unfortunately passed away while being cared for by his family in Arizona.

## Career:

### Training, FWWC (2007-2013)

Cody, wrestling under his real name, was trained by Canadian former wrestler Yuri Shevchenko in Phoenix, Arizona, before his trainer passed him on to Fort Wayne Wrestling Championships in Indiana for use as an enhancement talent.

He soon found himself on the right side of management due to his placid, personable nature, and they repackaged him slightly as Joe Riley in early 2008. He would win big matches against Brent Blake and Dante around this time, before injury would rule him out for the remainder of the year.

He returned in mid-2009, picking up where he left off by beating Craig Arson and Infinite in high profile feuds for the promotion. He would be injured again in 2010, this time more severely, which would lead to him becoming colour commentator for the promotion's web stream for much of the remainder of his FWWC career.

### EW: Japan (2013-2015)

Cody joined Exhibition Wrestling following the end of his FWWC contract, desiring to be medically cleared to compete again. The new promotion did so, assigning him to their Japan brand under the name Navajo.

He would, during this time, win some big matches against Suzuki Ryo and JMW-bound Naito Yamada.

### PWU/UNION Wrestling (2015-2017)

Navajo joined PWU/UNION Wrestling in 2015, where he first began teaming with El Jefe as The Misfits, winning the Tag Team belts from Team Bring It (The Rock & Zodiak) during PWU's Canadian Tour, holding the titles for almost a year before dropping them to the Dudley Boyz at Capitol Punishment 2017. Soon after, El Jefe was injured and Navajo placed on leave following a series of disagreements on his proposed singles run. The duo left after refusing new contracts in early-May 2017.

### Exhibition Wrestling: Mexico (2017-*present*)

The duo then moved to EW: Mexico, billed as Los Parias, and won the EW Tag Championships from EW: Canada team ArtForm in late-2017. They lost the belts to Nacho & Ocho in March 2018.

## PRIZE Wrestling League (2018)

The team debuted in PRIZE at the first August house show, now calling themselves Invasion, where they attacked the Kenny Bros., ruling them out of the PRIZE London Special 2018. Their challenge to replace them in the match with CrossBones was accepted a day later by PRIZE.

## In-Wrestling

### Signatures:

**Half-Nelson Choke Suplex**

**Snap Swing Neckbreaker**

## Accomplishments

**UNION Tag Team Championships** *(with El Jefe as The Misfits)*

**EW Tag Championships** *(with El Jefe as Los Parias)*

## Trivia

* Despite being given the ring-game Navajo in EW: Japan, Cody had previously been known as "The Navajo" informally in FWWC, while wrestling as Joe Riley.
* Cody was a vegetarian, but has admitted to lapsing on occasion, especially when injured.

## Behind-the-Scenes/Notes:

1. This is because I no longer plan to use the CAW in the future, due to wanting to push El Jefe somewhere, at some point, and figured that it could be a poignant trait for the latter to have, and also a touch of realism given the amount of CAWs I have. **Any mention of the death will be done so with the utmost delicacy and in the least triggering ways.**
2. Despite Navajo, like El Jefe, being in the call-name list on WWE 2K, Navajo was called such before this on other games, due to my fascination with Native American culture, and Navajo religious culture in particular.