TJ Nicholson

Ring Names
 Height
 Weight
 Born
 Hometown
 Alignment
 Trainer(s)
 Debut
 Retired

**Travis Jonathan Nicholson** (born April 28, 1992) is an American CAW wrestler, better known by his abbreviated ring name **TJ Nicholson**. Currently signed to EMPIRE, OPW, and the Thunder Grappling Association, Nicholson regularly appears in other promotions as well.

As a singles competitor, Nicholson is a five-time world champion. He is also a prolific team wrestler, most notably as the leader of Los Proscritos and its sub-group, The Nicholsons, which he forms with his younger brother Eddie and their cousin ACE. He's also known as one-third of The Crusade, alongside Joe Omega and Norm Dailey.

## Early Career

Nicholson received his wrestling training at the Thunder Academy in Denver, Colorado. Graduating in late 2011, he received additional training from Ryan Rostock at his school in San Francisco, where Nicholson also made his wrestling debut against AJ Cole in January 2012. For several months, Nicholson wrestled solely in his father's shows held at their ranch, until being signed by Joe Omega to OPW.

## Empire Wrestling (2018-present)

Nicholson debuted in Empire Wrestling at Backlash, easily defeating Curt Hawkins. Later on the same show, Nicholson viciously attacked Daniel Bryan in the parking lot, powerbombing him through a car windshield. At the following Empire episode, Nicholson defeated Hawkins again, this time by submission, but was then given chase to by a retaliating Daniel Bryan. Nicholson would go on to defeat Bryan several times. He then took part in the Conquest Rumble, entering at number 30 and lasting until the final three, but was eliminated by Tyson Gore.

At Empire 18, Nicholson defeated Mustafa Ali before being confronted by Gore. It was then announced Nicholson and Gore would face off at No Escape for a world championship opportunity. Upon the match's beginning, it was joined by Al Cabrera, but Gore was victorious. During the match, Nicholson was attacked and laid unconscious by Troy Saint.

Nicholson then stated his intention was to compete in the Emperor's Climb Ladder Match at Empire Strikes Back. On Empire 22, Nicholson qualified for the match by defeating CAW veteran Matt Eichorn. Nicholson was impressed in the ladder match at the grand event, but the match was eventually won by Nicholson's rival Troy Saint.

### World Title Hunt

On the debut episode of Empire Atlantic, Nicholson defeated Adam Cole and advanced in a four-man tournament held to decide a new number one contender to the Empire World Championship. At Empire's collaboration show with OPW, Nicholson teamed up with the Empire World Champion Tyson Gore and the Empire Tag Team Champions Matthew Stone & Ryan Evans against a team composed of Troy Saint, Hugo, Shane Corson, and Sakamoto. Nicholson would win the match for his team by pinning Hugo after *The Gallows Bird*. Soon, Nicholson would defeat Aleister Black, becoming the number one contender in the process. Nicholson received his championship match against Tyson Gore at No Mercy but lost. Nicholson then entered the Empirical Quest Tournament, and eventually went on to defeat Tommy Walker in the finals to win the tournament. This marked the second tournament win in Nicholson's Empire career.

## OPW: Omega Pro Wrestling (2013-present)

### Debut

It was reported in early 2013, that Nicholson had signed a short time contract with OPW, a CAW company owned by Joe Omega. In his first match in OPW, he defeated his long-time idol CM Punk due to interference by The Undertaker. Later, he was the special referee in a Hell In A Cell Match between the two of them at OPW Absolute Zero, which was won by The Undertaker.

Soon, Nicholson became the first-ever OPW TV Champion, but the title was deactivated soon after, and at the same time he suffered a strained Achilles tendon against Rain Lopez and went out with an injury.

### Return

In June 2013, it was rumored that Nicholson would make his re-debut in OPW sometime soon. The month after, it was reported he had signed a new contract with the company. He finally returned on the August 6th episode of OPW Warzone to take part in the Death or Glory series and beat Mick Foley on his first match back. On the first episode of OPW Superstars, Nicholson had a match against John Depp but lost via submission. He was then injured again and was scheduled to be out of action for approx. 6 months again.

Nicholson re-debuted in OPW on December 1, 2013 to fight Rey Mysterio. He viciously attacked Mysterio on the outside before defeating him via pinfall. On OPW Red on December 4, Nicholson saved Norm Dailey from an attack by Bray Wyatt, forming a tag team with Dailey. At OPW Wrestlemania, the team took part in a tag team gauntlet for the Tag Team Championships and survived until the end, before being defeated by the Dudley Boyz.

On OPW's Red second season premiere, Nicholson took part in the main event to determine the number one contender to the OPW Championship. Even eliminating John Cena, he was a part of the final two but was eliminated by Batista. Two days later it was announced online that he would face CM Punk in a number one contenders match at OPW Backlash, the winner of this match would win the #1 contendership to the major championship of their brand.

On Superstars on December 19, Nicholson defeated the Legends Champion Razor Ramon in a non-title match. He got a title match for the championship on Kryptonite the following day, but Ramon was able to retain. He then took on a rivalry with CM Punk, which culminated at Backlash at a #1 Contender's Match for the OPW title, which Punk won. Nicholson then had brief encounters with European Champion Seth Rollins, and they were supposed to face for the belt at OPW Judgement Day. However, before the match started, Nicholson was attacked by Roman Reigns and in kayfabe, injured. Out of storyline, he wanted to take time off OPW. Despite him being out of action, he has voted the Breakout Star at OPW's first-anniversary show in February 2014.

### Against the system

Nicholson returned to OPW on April 22 to take part in the King of the Ring tournament. In the first round, he defeated Sheamus and advanced to the next round. There, he would defeat Crystal 1 via count-out and advance to the semi-finals. The rest of the tournament took place at the namesake pay-per-view, where Nicholson would first beat Seth Rollins to advance to the final round. There, he would ultimately defeat the winner of the first King of the Ring tournament, Norm Dailey, and was crowned King of the Ring. A few weeks later, he was arbitrarily forced to defend the crown on Episode 120, inside a Steel Cage against John Cena. Cena would win the crown from Nicholson, who was then attacked by the Crusade, Nicholson turning face in the process.

Treating Nicholson unfairly would continue in the following episodes. He would manage to beat Victor by submission, but after the match, his SummerSlam opponent was announced to be Brock Lesnar. Lesnar attacked Nicholson and knocked him out with three F5's. At OPW SummerSlam, with a little help from The Undertaker, Nicholson beat Lesnar in an epic match. The Authority continued to put him in impossible situations and soon, he faced John Cena again. Nicholson beat Cena by Disqualification after Cena hit him with the steel steps. After the match, Triple H attacked Nicholson with his signature sledgehammer, before hitting him with a Pedigree. He was then added as the sixth participant to the 6-man Hell In A Cell Match for the OPW Championship at Absolute Zero 2 - this being his first-ever world title opportunity. Triple H announced that this way he would make sure Nicholson never walk again.

A couple of weeks later on July 15, Nicholson defeated the Intercontinental Champion Shawn Dynasty in a Non-Title Match. On the next episode, he was defeated by one of the participants of his upcoming Hell In A Cell Match, The Rock. At Absolute Zero 2, Nicholson lost as champion Chris Jericho retained the OPW Championship. At Royal Rumble 2, Nicholson entered at number 38 and went on to win the Rumble match. The following night on Episode 140, he beat Randy in a Steel Cage Match. A few weeks later, he interrupted Triple H's rant and as a result, Nicholson was banned from wrestling in OPW until High Octane 2, where he would have to defend his Wrestlemania main event match contract - that he earned by winning the Royal Rumble - against Batista. At High Octane, Nicholson beat Batista in a Last Man Standing Match to keep his Wrestlemania spot.

At the following episode on October 18, TJ was attacked backstage by Cyrus Perizma to make him unable to wrestle at Wrestlemania 2 in the title match that also would include Perizma's friend John Depp. On November 1, at Wrestlemania 2, Nicholson defeated Brock Lesnar and John Depp to become the OPW Champion, winning his first world championship. However, only one minute later, Mr. Money in the Bank, Daniel Bryan, cashed in his contract and ended Nicholson's reign before it properly started. A few weeks later on November 11, Nicholson announced that he would take time off OPW. He was confronted by Triple H, who immediately put Nicholson into a match against Ace Justice. Nicholson lost to Justice, and after the show, he told the press that he would stay away for a rather long time.

### 2015 Return

In January 2015, at OPW Overhaul, Nicholson returned after the match between OPW Champion Daniel Bryan and Norm Dailey but was then attacked by the debuting Diablous. In his first match back, Nicholson was beaten by Norm Dailey. A week later, Nicholson fought JDP in an Extreme Rules Match, a match that Nicholson won. Soon after, Nicholson's contract with OPW expired. He made a special appearance on OPW television on September 27, losing to the debuting Krow. Afterward, Nicholson stated he would like to return to OPW full-time in the near future. However, Nicholson soon announced his official departure from the promotion.

### Third Return

In May 2018, Nicholson made his unannounced return to OPW at Warzone, easily defeating Cyrus Perizma. The next day, Nicholson stated he had signed a non-exclusive "multi-year, multi-million contract", although the accuracy of this announcement has yet to be confirmed by OPW officials.

After being permanently drafted to Warzone, Nicholson joined forces with Devon Erik, Neville, and Viktor Armada to form Los Proscritos. The group took part in a Four-on-Four Tag Team Match, winning after Nicholson eliminated all of their opponents by himself. The following week, Nicholson suffered his first loss after returning, getting pinned by Diablous in singles competition. Nicholson then faced Norm Dailey in a losing effort. The next week, Nicholson took part in a Six-Man Over-The-Top Battle Royal and made it into the final two, but was ultimately eliminated by Seth Rollins.

At OPW Overhaul 2, Nicholson unsuccessfully challenged Diablous for the OPW All-Asia Championship. It was later reported Nicholson worked through the match with an undisclosed shoulder injury, which would keep him out of action for a short period of time. He returned to action at OPW Fatal Fortune in an Elimination Chamber Match but was unsuccessful in capturing the reinstated OPW Intercontinental Championship.

### Formation of the Nicholsons

Shortly after the OPW debut of TJ's brother Eddie Nicholson, it was announced Eddie would be joining Los Proscritos. TJ then stated the Nicholsons were planning on challenging stablemates Devon Erik & Herculan for the OPW Tag Team Championship. The match came to fruition at Starmageddon, where the Nicholsons captured the championships in their very first official match as a team.

Nicholson would still continue a hunt for singles glory, entering the 2018 Death or Glory series. In his first match, he was defeated by Tyson Gore, followed by a loss to Lemarcus Carter in the second match. He would then defeat Samoa Joe in his third match, before taking part in the Final 4-Way that also involved his three previous opponents. The match was however won by Carter.

The Nicholsons eventually lost the tag team championship to Hulk Hogan & Roman Reigns. Followingly, Nicholson became the #1 contender to the OPW United Kingdom Championship. He challenged Bart Balousek for the championship at OPW's top event, Golden Kingdom, but was unsuccessful.

### Static

Nicholson was then drafted to OPW's Static brand, along with his fellow stablemates. With and without their help, Nicholson defeated AJ Styles three times in a row. He then took part in the second annual Liverpool Gauntlet but lost to The Undertaker. On Static 34, Nicholson defeated Styles again, this time via submission. He would then defeat Braun Strowman in a Tables Match, becoming the #1 Contender to the OPW Action-Zone Championship in the process. During the match Nicholson displayed a feat of inhuman strength, powerbombing Strowman through a table for the win.

At Phoenix Rebirth 2, Nicholson challenged champion, Shane Corson, for the title. After three Bone Through's, Nicholson claimed the second world title of his career, defeating Corson to become the new OPW Action-Zone Champion. A week later at OPW Clash of the Conquerors, Nicholson made his first successful defense against Ryan Evans in a quick match. He made another successful defense against former arch-rival Rain Lopez at OPW One Night Stand in a match that many considered a classic.

At Clash of the Conquerors, Nicholson successfully defended the title against Al Cabrera. He'd then go on to lose the championship to Shinsuke Nakamura at Starmageddon, ending Nicholson's reign at 102 days.

### Rivalry with the Industry

After losing the championship, Nicholson was re-assigned to the Warzone brand. Nicholson then qualified for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Fatal Fortune 3 and won. Nicholson then continued his earlier rivalry with AJ Styles, culminating in a Singles Match at Golden Kingdom II where Nicholson was victorious. His Money in the Bank cash-in attempt was however thwarted by Biff Andreas and Daeon, causing Nicholson to lose the briefcase.

On the road to 2020, Nicholson continued teaming with his brother, picking up a victory over Moustache Mountain on Kryptonite. On the following episode, Nicholson lost to a debuting Matt Riddle.

Nicholson would next face Industry rival Daeon at Winter Contagion but did not emerge victoriously.

The Nicholson brothers then took part in the King of Teams tournament - on the first day of the tournament, they defeated Authors of Pain. In the following round, the Nicholsons were defeated by Aaron Omega & John Depp. They were then also defeated by Shane Corson & Troy Saint, before being victorious over Gallows & Anderson.

With the help of John Mortanius, Nicholson defeated Daeon in a rematch, earning an OPW Classic Championship match in the process. The match occurred at Warzone 329, where Nicholson defeated Biff Andreas to win the OPW Classic Championship.

Nicholson held the title and defended it successfully for the better part of two months before losing it to Norm Dailey, in a Triple Threat Ladder Match at Golden Kingdom III that also involved Smokey.

## Thunder Grappling Association (2020-present)

### Season 1

Following the TGA's establishment as a wrestling promotion in addition to a network, Nicholson was one of the first announced roster members. His TGA debut occurred at Battle of the Alamo in an 8-Man Elimination Match for the Undisputed TGA World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship, eliminating his brother Eddie in the process, but was unsuccessful in winning due to being eliminated himself by Tommy Walker.

He then defeated Dante Salazar at Live From Denver. The Nicholsons would then take on Salazar's stable, The Cartel in a 3-on-3 Elimination Match at Civil War. At the event, the Nicholsons were victorious.

### Season 2

Nicholson took part in the TGA's second season premiere, the Supercard Tournament. In his first-round match, he defeated Adrian Snyder and advanced to the second round, where he infamously pinned Sebastian Quinn in 23 seconds.

## Other promotions

### Apex Wrestling Syndicate (2019-present)

In December 2019, TJ Nicholson was announced as the first major signing of the newly founded and vastly funded promotion AWS. Nicholson publicly declared his excitement for the new promotion and stated his contract was an extensive, non-exclusive multi-year deal.

Nicholson made his first appearance at the debut episode of AWS SmackDown, where he was defeated by his brother Eddie in the main event. In the next episode, the Nicholsons teamed up to defeat Sebastian Quinn & Shane Saxton. The following week, Nicholson victoriously faced Quinn in a Singles Match. At Armageddon, the Nicholsons defeated Jam Session, becoming the #1 Contenders to the AWS Tag Team Championship in the process. They received their championship match at New Year's Revolution, where they won the titles from Sudden Impact. AWS was then placed on a hiatus.

### Anarchy Wrestling Association Of CAW (2019-present)

TJ debuted for A.W.A.C. on Liberty #4 on August 8, 2019, defeating the also-debuting Nick Gemini. 2 weeks later on August 24 at the Raven's Dark Ass Summer Vacation special event, TJ competed in an 8-Man Scramble Match for the A.W.A.C. All Out War Championship, but was unsuccessful in winning the title. Afterward, TJ wrestled almost exclusively on untelevised house shows and dark matches before Liberty for the remainder of 2019.

On February 1, 2020, TJ entered the Rebel Eight Tournament. In Round 1, he defeated War Bacon to become the new All Out War Champion. He then went on the defeat Nazareth in the semi-finals and Hush in the finals, all while defending his newly-won title each round. As a result of his tournament victory, he became the #1 contender for Armor King's A.W.A.C. Online Championship. On March 30, on Liberty #8, TJ defeated Hush in a rematch of the Rebel Eight Tournament finals to retain the All Out War Championship. On April 7 at No Guts, No Mercy 2K20, TJ defeated Armor King in a Double Title Winner-Take-All All Out War Match to win the Online Title while also successfully retaining his All Out War Title. The victory marked the first time TJ had held two belts in one company at the same time. During this tenure as a double crown champion, holding two belts simultaneously, TJ was affectionately nicknamed as "TJ 2 Belts".

On April 14, on Liberty #11, after an untelevised dark match, TBO confronted TJ backstage, stating that he is taking TJ's Online Title. TBO then beat up TJ in the hallway. As a result of this, Liberty General Manager Hugo Strange sanctioned the title match for Descendance. On the same date, the next episode of Liberty (Episode 12), TJ once again successfully retaining his All Out War Title against TBO's partner William Wallace. On April 21, 2020 at Descendance, TJ defeated TBO to retain his Online Championship. On May 15 on Liberty #14, UCWL's Gordon Ramsay randomly appeared and knocked out TJ backstage, winning his All Out War Title in the process due to the title's 24/7 rule. On May 10, on Liberty #13, TJ defeated Armor King to retain the Online Title and also qualify for the Men's Match Beyond at Above And Beyond.

On September 17 at Above And Beyond, TJ entered the Men's Match Beyond at #15, where he almost exclusive fought with #8 entrant Cell. TJ was later eliminated by #20 entrant John Wick, who made his A.W.A.C. debut during the match. On January 27, 2021, on Liberty #19, TJ interrupted Cell's promo about the Online Championship. TJ called Cell a "walking, living, breathing scam" for wanting to win the title so he can relive his glory days. The two then agreed to meet each other at Anarchy Rulz 3 for TJ's Online Championship. On February 2, 2021, TJ defeated Bane in a Non-Title Match. On July 15, 2021, Night 1 of Anarchy Rulz 3, Cell defeated TJ to win the Online Title.

On September 19, on Anarchy #78, TJ defeated Ori Kahn to retain his Kenny McCormick Deathmatch Title.

On August 2, 2021, TJ Nicholson competed in an Ultimate ZERO1 Match for the A.W.A.C. ZERO1 Championship with champion Gregory Andrews and second challenger DS Juego at Undisputed Universe. DS Juego went on to win the title. On November 14, TJ Nicholson defeated Ori Kahn in a Dark Match before Anarchy #66 went live. At the end of the show, TJ attacked Gregory Andrews after he won the A.W.A.C. ZERO1 Title. TJ then challenged Andrews for the title at Collateral Damage. On November 18, on Anarchy #67, TJ pinned Tank Davis (due to the 24/7 Rule) to become the new A.W.A.C. All Out War Champion for the second time. On November 21, at Collateral Damage (in his hometown of Denver, CO), TJ defeated Gregory Andrews to win the ZERO1 Championship.

On November 28, 2021, on Anarchy #68, TJ Nicholson cut a promo backstage. TJ called the state of California "a dump" (ironically, TJ currently resides in Los Angeles, CA despite his birthplace being Colorado) and renamed A.W.A.C. to "Anarchy Wrestling Association Of Colorado". He stated that A.W.A.C. didn't give those from other states a chance and that his new A.W.A.C. deserves a champion it could be proud of. TJ then went on to reveal new designs for the A.W.A.C. ZERO1 and All Out War Championship belts. The ZERO1 Title is now renamed to the Avalanche 29 Division Championship, named after NHL player Nathan MacKinnon, number 29 on the Colorado Avalanche NHL team. The All Out War Title is now renamed to the Kenny McCormick Deathmatch Championship, named after the titular character from the animated TV show *South Park* which is set in Colorado*.* TJ also adds that all matches contested for the Kenny McCormick Deathmatch belt will defended in "Kenny McCormick Deathmatches".

On December 4, on Anarchy #69, TJ Nicholson defeated Yoshimitsu in a Non-Title Match. After the match, TJ was going to attack Yoshimitsu with a steel chair but Ryu Hayabusa ran out and made the save. Ryu then cut a promo on TJ saying that TJ "brought shame to the ZERO1 Championship" by calling it something else in his (TJ's) own image. Ryu then challenged TJ for the title at Resonance which TJ accepted. On December 20, at Resonance, TJ defeated Ryu to retain his title. On April 2, 2022, at Superfight, TJ defeated Ryu Hayabusa and Yoshimitsu in a Triple Threat Match to retain his Avalanche 29 Division Title. Later in the event, TJ walked up to the new A.W.A.C. Intercontinental Champion Anakin backstage. TJ said that he will win the Intercontinental Championship from Anakin soon before leaving.

On August 23, on Anarchy #73, after Anakin defeated Holly Rood to retain the A.W.A.C. Intercontinental Championship, TJ Nicholson ran out and attacked Anakin, before challenging him for the Intercontinental Championship on the next episode of Anarchy. On August 29, on Anarchy #75, TJ defeated Anakin to win the title. After the match, in according to the 2 other belts he currently has, TJ renamed the A.W.A.C. Intercontinental Championship to the "A.W.A.C. Centennial Championship". On September 10, at In Your House: All Night Long, TJ defeated Ori Kahn to retain his Avalanche 29 Division Title. After the match, he was powerbombed through a flaming table by Anakin. On September 18, on Anarchy #77, TJ defeated Anakin in a Falls Count Anywhere Match to retain his Centennial Title. On October 16, on Anarchy #80, TJ helped the War Horsemen win the A.W.A.C. World Tag Team Titles from Los Tranquilos (Fernando Striker & El Noveno. De facto leader TBO also announced that all members of the Horsemen were champions and would defend the belts under the Freebird Rule. On December 22, in a dark match before Anarchy #81 went on the air, TJ defeated Rick Grimes. On the episode itself, TJ was seen helping Colt Draven after Draven lost his Intercommonwealth Title to Ishmael because of Fernando Striker who broke 2 of his ribs. TJ offered to take Draven's place to the title rematch which Draven accepted due to his injuries.

On February 15, 2023, on Anarchy #82, TJ defeated Ishmael to become the new champion. After the match, he renamed and rebranded the Intercommonwealth Title to the Rocky Mountain National Title. A.W.A.C. COO Revy then came out and punished TJ for renaming yet another belt. She announced that since TJ holds four belts, he will defend all four belts as long as he is champion from now on. Revy then booked TJ against Ishmael, Tank Davis, and Zack Bateley in a Four Belt Massacre Match for all four titles at Saturday Night's Maine Event. On February 18, 2023, at A.W.A.C. presents Saturday Night's Maine Event, TJ defeated all 4 men to retain all 4 belts.

### CAW/NAWverse (2018-present)

Following his re-signing with New-NAW in June 2018, Nicholson was announced as a participant in the CAW/NAWverse Best of the Super Middleweights Tour Round Robin Tournament and inserted into the A Block. Nicholson's first match in the tournament took place on the second day of competition, which saw him defeat Lemarcus Carter. The next two matches were less fortunate, as Nicholson lost to White Panther and rival Al Cabrera.

Nicholson then appeared at the pre-show of Cawllision 2018, unsuccessfully challenging Steve Rourke for the FORCE World Championship.

### FORCE Wrestling (2018-present)

Nicholson made his first FORCE appearance at the promotion's debut show, Gold Rush, and took part in an 8-Man Single Elimination Tournament to determine the inaugural FORCE World Champion. He defeated Hayden Matthews in the first round but was eliminated by eventual tournament winner Steve Rourke in the semi-finals. Shortly afterward, it was announced Nicholson had signed a five-year contract with the promotion. At Second Coming, Nicholson faced off against his former ASJ mentor and rival Hajime Suzuki, finally defeating him after failing to do so in their two previous encounters. The following week at Locked and Loaded, Nicholson went one-on-one with Adrian Snyder but was defeated after being busted open and hit with three Zonderling's. His next appearance took place two weeks later at Ace of Maples, where he defeated old ASJ rival, John Porter. At King of the Cruiserweights, Nicholson defeated Ryan Henderson before teaming with his brother Eddie to defeat Al Cabrera and Ryan Evans.

In the debut episode of FORCE's regular program Match Night, the Nicholson's defeated the team of Helenius, Jayce Flame, and FORCE World Champion Jack Logan, with Nicholson pinning Helenius after introducing his new finishing maneuver, *The Smoking Gun*. TJ would then defeat his brother Eddie's arch-rival, Flame in singles action at Match Night 5. On Match Night 9, Nicholson faced Lewis Blackwell in a winning effort. Several months later, at Match Night 25, Nicholson was allowed to compete for the #1 Contendership in a Triple Threat Match against Jack Logan and Steve Rourke. Nicholson would go on to win the match and become the Number One Contender to the FORCE World Championship. The status of his championship match was however left unknown as FORCE Wrestling entered a prolonged period of hiatus.

### Pro Wrestling Seishin (2020-present)

Nicholson debuted at Pro Wrestling Seishin's initial event, defeating long-time rival Al Cabrera via Countout after viciously attacking him at ringside. At the following event, Nicholson clashed with Akuma Santos over the Seishin Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. Nicholson would go on to defeat Santos and become the inaugural champion. His first successful defense occurred at a joint event with OPW, which saw Nicholson defeat Nensho Nikushimi. He defended the title successfully on multiple occasions before eventually losing it to Tarzan Takada at Limit Break.

### WWC (2020-present)

In January 2020, it was announced Nicholson had signed a two-year, multi-million dollar contract with WWC. He made his debut for the promotion at Warzone 57, where he was defeated in the main event by Benjamin Cage. In the next episode, Nicholson took part in a Fatal 4-Way Match which was however won by Dashon Walton. At Warzone 59, he was involved in another Fatal 4-Way but came up short.

At the Royal Battle event, Nicholson first fought Tom Doyle into a draw before entering the namesake match at number 28. He survived into the final three before being eliminated by eventual winner Lance Romance. At February Massacre, Nicholson defeated Dashon Walton to win the WWC Intercontinental Championship, and successfully defended it at WrestleStar 3 in a 4-Way Ladder Match. On the following episode, he was defeated by Sylar Jordan in a Non-Title Match. Nicholson then lost the Intercontinental Championship to Erek Rose on Warzone 66 but defeated Jacob Black in a Ladder Match to win the WWC Television Championship on the following episode.

## Former promotions

### All Star Japan (2013-2017)

Nicholson made an appearance at All Star Japan in 2013 on December 2, at ASJ Kings of Puroresu. There he would challenge Hajime Suzuki for the ASJ World Championship but lost. Nearly a year later on October 16, Nicholson wrestled a tag team match at ASJ Road to Bunka no Hi. The match saw him team up with KAKE against the stable of John Porter and Tajumi Sosa. Nicholson's team was victorious when TJ made Porter submit to a cross armbar. Nicholson wrestled another match at ASJ's supershow on October 21, defeating Porter with a top rope Face Foetal. On January 3 at New Year Combat 2015, he lost to KAKE in a singles match. Nicholson would then return to ASJ on December 5 to defeat Shinichi Mouri. At ASJ's final event in 2017 on July 2, Nicholson faced off against Hajime Suzuki once more in a losing effort.

### Elitist Pro Wrestling (2018)

Nicholson appeared on the debut episode of EPW, defeating Alex Striker.

### Extreme Society Wrestling (2014)

Nicholson made an appearance in EWS on October 14 at Breakcodes 4. He defeated Josh Thorn via submission in a quick match.

### New-NAW (2014, 2018-2020)

Nicholson made a guest appearance at New-NAW Wrestlefest in December 2014, challenging for the New-NAW Hardcore Championship in a 20-man Battle Royal but came up short. At New-NAW Aggression, Nicholson made his official debut by helping former OPW tag partner Norm Dailey defeat Monty Brown for the Intercontinental Championship. It was revealed he had joined The Crusade. Nicholson however was soon released from his contract due to prior commitments with ASJ and OPW that prevented him from appearing in New-NAW as scheduled.

In June 2018, Nicholson returned to New-NAW, representing OPW in an 8-Man Over-The-Top-Rope Elimination Match. He was fairly quickly eliminated by fellow rising OPW star, Bart Balousek. A few days later, New-NAW management confirmed on their official Twitter page that Nicholson had signed a new contract in co-operation with OPW officials to ensure no scheduling issues would arise again.

Nicholson made his official New-NAW re-debut on Page 17, defeating fellow newcomer Al Cabrera in a match that was praised as an instant classic. The two faced off again at Page 19 in a Fatal 4-Way Match that also involved Mike Valander and Nick Gemini. Nicholson went on to win the match by pinning Gemini after a Cutrope. At Chapter 5, Nicholson was involved in another 4-Way, this time an Elimination Match for the newly created Mountain Range Championship. Nicholson outlasted OPW rival Joe Omega and CAW legend Tyler King but was eventually rolled up and pinned by Butch Simpson.

Following New-NAW being split into two brands, Nicholson was assigned to the West brand. On Page 21, he faced off against Mike Valander but was defeated after Valander hit Nicholson in the eyes. On the next episode, Nicholson faced Al Cabrera once more, this time defeating him by submission. The two would face again in a rematch on the next episode, a match Nicholson lost. Their feud continued in a Last Man Standing Match that Nicholson won after hitting a Hailstone on Cabrera. At Chapter 6, Nicholson interfered in the Mountain Range Championship match between Butch Simpson and Joe Omega, allowing Omega to capture the victory and thus reforming the Crusade. Their first match back together took place at Page 25 against rivals Cabrera and Simpson as Simpson would again roll up Nicholson for the pinfall victory. The following week, Nicholson & Omega lost the rematch as well. In the team's third consecutive encounter, Nicholson scored the decisive pinfall over Butch Simpson. The two faced in a Singles Match at the next episode, a match that Nicholson lost. At the return of NAW Velocity, Nicholson defeated The Crippler.

With this gained momentum, Nicholson & Omega challenged for the tag team championships once more and were successful in winning the titles. The two defended their titles multiple times, before engaging in a singles match that Nicholson won. He'd then face both Mason Kronik and Steven Raden in a Triple Threat Match in the main event of Voltage 8 but was pinned by Raden. At Page 36, Nicholson took part in a six-man elimination match, eliminating Zach Starr and making it to the final three until he was again pinned by Raden. Nicholson was then featured in an Elimination Chamber match for the West Coast Championship at Chapter 9 and was one of the final two before being defeated by Omega. At Voltage 9, Nicholson & Omega lost their tag team championships to Aussie Andy & Tasmanian Tiger Mask. In a rematch at Page 38, the Crusade lost again. After the match, Omega left Nicholson alone in the ring, disbanding the team. The two then faced off in a bloody Hardcore Match at Chapter 10, where Nicholson lost to Omega.

Soon after, Nicholson was agitated by Omega's younger brother Aaron, later challenging him to a match at Chapter 11. At the event, Nicholson defeated Aaron. At Page 43, Nicholson was defeated by Aaron in a rematch.

It was soon announced that Nicholson's brother Eddie would make his New-NAW debut at Conquest of Duos, a tag team tournament. The Nicholsons would go on to defeat Sudden Impact in the first round.

At Page 44, Nicholson defeated Aaron Omega once more in an Extreme Rules Match. This catapulted him into world championship contention, culminating in a Triple Threat Match between the Crusade members at Final Chapter II. Nicholson went on to win the match, winning the New-NAW West Coast Championship for the first time in his career. Soon afterward, however, the promotion went under multiple changes and Nicholson exited, leaving the status of the championship in the air.

### New-NXT (2013)

Nicholson debuted on the first episode of New-NXT in August 2013. He defeated Austin Aries by pinfall, but after the match, he got a low blow from Aries. On the following episode, he was defeated by Joe Omega after Aries tossed a steel chair to Omega while the referee was distracted. Nicholson and Aries were scheduled for a match the next week, but the federation was defunct before then due to financial issues.

### North American Elite Wrestling (2019-2020)

In October 2019, TJ Nicholson was announced as having signed with Danny Jackpot's new promotion, NAEW. In the promotion's debut show, Upstart, Nicholson faced CAW legend Biff Andreas and captured an upset victory.

He'd later continue his winning ways at Second in Command, in a Six-Man Tag Team Match with Aussie Andy & Al Cabrera against Andreas, Connor James, & Lester Barkley. During the match, Nicholson would however not take a noticeable part in his team's efforts, raising suspicion. Later the same night, those suspicions came to fruition as Nicholson, alongside Joe Omega & Norm Dailey, attacked Mason Kronik, reforming The Crusade. Over the next several weeks, Nicholson & Crusade took part in a tournament to crown the first-ever NAEW United States Tag Team Champions. With Nicholson scoring many decisive pinfalls, Crusade eventually advanced to the finals where they defeated the team of Lester Barkley & XtremeTony to win the championship.

At NAEW Christmas Showdown, Nicholson competed in a Mixed Tag Team Match with his wife Cheryl, who made her wrestling debut that night. The two were however defeated by Biff Andreas & Lilith. Nicholson then took part in the New Year's Rumble, entering at number 23 and eliminating Alex Snow, Connor James, and Evan O'Shea before being thrown out by Andrew Hunter. Later that same night, Nicholson and his Crusade stablemates Joe Omega & Norm Dailey attacked former NAEW Champion Mason Kronik, severely injuring him. At the pilot season finale, Sixth Sense, Nicholson & Dailey retained the United States Tag Team Championship against Andrew Hunter & Smokey. That same night, Joe Omega won the NAEW Championship, marking the first time all members of the Crusade held championship gold at the same time; the event closed with the trio celebrating together.

A few weeks later, Nicholson & Dailey retained their titles in a steel cage match against Butch Simpson & Mike Valander. Soon after, they had another successful title defense against Alex Snow & Isaiah Ice. They were then challenged for the titles by Hugo Sullivan & Jay Montero, who defeated the Crusade, ending their reign. Nicholson was soon afterward released from his contract.

## Personal Life

* A second-generation wrestler, Nicholson is the oldest son of Finnish-American CAW wrestling legend Tommy "Thunder" Nicholson. Nicholson's younger brother Edward and cousin Andrew are both wrestlers as well. Nicholson has been engaged to an English actress, Cheryl Coventry, since 2015, with whom he resides in Los Angeles. Cheryl has occasionally managed members of the Nicholson family and made her wrestling debut in 2019.
* Nicholson was born left-handed but is gradually considered ambidextrous. Alongside English, he is fluent in Finnish, Swedish, and French.
* In May 2009, Nicholson enlisted in the United States Air Force. He received his training at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where he was trained as a Security Forces Airman. He was briefly stationed in South Korea, before serving in security and trainer duty at the Academy. Nicholson has stated that he requested the transfer in order to be able to train as a wrestler simultaneously. Nicholson was honorably discharged from the Air Force in mid-2013 at the rank of Staff Sergeant.
* Although straight edge in his youth, Nicholson has later dropped the habit. He notes Scotch whisky as his favorite, owning shares in the Laphroaig brand. Nicholson takes great pride in a sophisticated lifestyle, presenting himself as a professional in and outside the ring.
* Nicholson is a fan of both classic and electronic rock music, as well as soft metal, jazz, and country. He enjoys action and western films, claiming Die Hard and Once Upon a Time in the West as his favorite movies. Nicholson is also a self-proclaimed sports fanatic and cites rock climbing as one of his favorite past-times. He especially closely follows ice hockey, supporting both his hometown NHL team Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings.

## In Wrestling

### Finisher(s)

* *Smoking Gun* (Stormbreaker) - 2019-present
* *High Noon* (Inverted Phoenix Splash)
* *Bonnie & Clyde* (Last Shot)
* *Bone Through* (Back-to-Back Double Underhook Piledriver) - 2014-2019; used occasionally thereafter
* *Face Foetal* (Fireman's Carry Cutter) - 2012-2015; used as a signature move thereafter
* *Gallows Bird* (Diving Corkscrew Shooting Star Press) - used rarely
* *Hailstone* (Front Facelock Cutter)
* *Nicholson Deathlock* (Arm-Trap Crossface)

### Signatures

* Frog Splash (Adopted from his father Tommy Thunder)
* *Avalanche* (Sling Blade)
* *Sixth Sense* (Spider Suplex from the top rope, often followed by a Frog Splash)
* *Cutrope* (Jumping Reverse Bulldog)
* *Dead or Alive* (Pumphandle Powerbomb)
* *Nigel* (Pendulum Lariat)
* *Outdrawn* (Spinning High-Impact Roundhouse Kick)
* *Pike's Peak* (Springboard Forearm Smash, often to the outside)
* Bicycle Knee Strike
* Crossface
* Corkscrew Shooting Star Plancha to the outside
* Diving Elbow Drop
* Emerald Flowsion
* Kneeling Powerbomb
* Lifting Sitout Reverse DDT
* Multiple Suplex Variations
	+ Back
	+ German, sometimes rolling, straight-jacket or transitioned from a back
	+ Lifted and dropped into a Knee Strike
	+ Rolling Snap
	+ Sitout Slam
* Springboard 450° Splash
* Springboard High-Angle Senton Bomb
* Springboard Roundhouse Kick, sometimes from the apron into the ring
* Suicide Dive
* Superkick, often off a faint leg feed
* *Tiger Driver '92* (Kneeling Double Underhook Release Powerbomb) - used rarely
* Tilt-A-Whirl Backbreaker

### Nicknames

* "Iron Beard"
* "John Wayne Kinda Mayne"
* "TJ 2 Belts" (while holding both the All Out War and Online Championships simultaneously)
* "The Denver Desperado"
* "The Fastest Gun"
* "The Last Gunslinger"
* "The Outlaw/El Proscrito"
* "The Professional"
* "The Rocky Mountain Renegade"
* "The Scotch Man"
* "The Shooter"
* "Son of Thunder"
* "Tremendous"
* "Wanted Dead"
* "The Belt Collector"
* "The Quad King/Quad Crown Champion"

### Entrance Themes

* "Move" by Thousand Foot Krutch (July 2013 - November 2013)
* "I Don't Wanna Stop" by Ozzy Osbourne (November 2013 - November 2014)
* **"Ultranumb"** by Blue Stahli (November 2014 - present)
* **"Ecstasy of Gold"** by Ennio Morricone (September 2018 - present)
* **"Blueprint 2 (Instrumental)"** by Jay-Z (December 2021 - present)

### Championships and Accomplishments

* **Anarchy Wrestling Association of CAW**
	+ A.W.A.C. Intercontinental Championship (1x, current)
		- During his reign, the title was redesigned and renamed to the A.W.A.C. Centennial Championship.
	+ A.W.A.C. Intercommonwealth Championship (1x, current)
		- During his reign, the title was redesigned and renamed to the A.W.A.C. Rocky Mountain National Championship.
	+ A.W.A.C. Online Championship (1x)
	+ A.W.A.C. ZERO1 Championship (1x, current)
		- During his reign, the title was redesigned and renamed to the A.W.A.C. Avalanche 29 Division Championship.
	+ A.W.A.C. World Tag Team Championship (1x, current) - with TBO, William Wallace, Kjetill Björnsson, Colt Draven & Ori Kahn
		- The titles are defended under the Freebird Rule.
	+ A.W.A.C. All Out War Championship (2x, current)
		- During his second reign, the title was redesigned and renamed to the A.W.A.C. Kenny McCormick Deathmatch Championship.
	+ Rebel Eight Tournament (2020)

* **Apex Wrestling Syndicate**
	+ AWS Tag Team Championship (1x, current) - with Eddie Nicholson

* **EMPIRE Wrestling**
	+ EMPIRE Atlantic World Championship (1x)
	+ EMPIRE #1C Tournament (2019)
	+ EMPIRE Empirical Quest Tournament (2020)

* **New-NAW**
	+ New-NAW West Coast Championship (1x)
	+ New-NAW Western Tag Team Championship (1x) - with Joe Omega

* **North American Elite Wrestling**
	+ NAEW United States Tag Team Championship (1x, inaugural) - with Norm Dailey

* **Omega Pro Wrestling**
	+ OPW Action-Zone Championship (1x)
	+ OPW Championship (2x)
	+ OPW Legends Championship (1x)
	+ OPW Tag Championship (2x) - with Norm Dailey (1), with Eddie Nicholson (1)
	+ Royal Rumble (2014)
	+ King of the Ring (2014)
	+ Money in the Bank (2019)

* **Pro Wrestling Seishin**
	+ Seishin Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (1x, inaugural)

* **WWC**
	+ WWC Intercontinental Championship (1x)
	+ WWC Television Championship (1x)