Mike Sydal

Sydal in February 2021

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St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

**Michael Joseph "Mike" Korklan**, better known as **Mike Sydal**, is an American professional wrestler. He currently wrestles in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) while also training at the Dragon Gate Dojo. He is the younger brother of former Open The Brave Gate Champion Matt Sydal.

## Career

### Early Career and DGUSA

Korklan became a professional wrestler in 2008 just as his elder brother was months away from making his debut in World Wrestling Entertainment. He spent his first couple of years wrestling for the Iowa-based 3XWrestling along with training under Delirious at the Ring of Honor Wrestling Academy. He would occasionally wrestle on ROH shows as a "Do or Die" talent, whose opportunities to compete on the main roster was dependent on his win/loss record in dark and lower card matches.

After his first departure from Ring of Honor in 2011, he participated in the Open Invitational Elimination Match at the Dragon Gate USA show Chasing The Dragon on September 9, 2011. He would be the first eliminated by the eventual winner Brodie Lee. Korklan would later return to both 3XWrestling and Ring of Honor going into 2012.

On the weekdays, Korklan maintained a living as a reference librarian at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley in Kansas City, Missouri. He began to win some championships, including the 3XWrestling Tag Team Championship with Zach Thompson and the Metro Pro Wrestling Kansas Heavyweight Championship. He would form a short-lived tag team with Zizou Middoux called #PartyBoys during the summer of 2013 in ROH before leaving the company for a second time.

### Dragon Gate

Going into the fall of 2013, Dragon Gate officials offered Korklan the rare opportunity of being a gaijin trainee at the Dragon Gate Dojo. While gaijin talent had freely honed their skills at the dojo during their numerous tours, he would presumably be an official trainee living at the dojo during his stay. Sydal was introduced to the Dragon Gate fans by the group that would become known as the MONSTER EXPRESS on September 23 ahead of his September 26 in-ring debut teaming with Shingo Takagi against Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! and Jimmy Susumu.

The majority of his Dragon Gate matches to date have seen him team with members of the MONSTER EXPRESS, though he has also teamed with members of We Are Team Veteran in a couple matches. On November 7, he wrestled on the semi-main event of the show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, teaming with MONSTER EXPRESS members Akira Tozawa, Shingo Takagi, Shachihoko BOY, and Anthony Nese in a Six-on-Five Handicap Match against MAD BLANKEY of YAMATO, BxB Hulk, Naruki Doi, Kzy, Mondai Ryu, and Cyber Kong. Sydal lost the match for his team after falling to Hulk's First Flash.

Korkland continued to train at the dojo and compete on Dragon Gate shows, largely in dark matches and NEX shows. His final match was a loss to Kzy on December 10, which was coincidentally the last Dragon Gate show to be held at the Red Brick Warehouse in Kanagawa, Yokohama as the venue would cease to host wrestling events after January 2014. Korkland himself would return to the United States the following day.

## In Wrestling

* **Finishing Moves**
	+ *Explosion Moonsault* (Standing tuck moonsault)
	+ *Shackler's Revenge* (Muta Lock with floating bridge)
	+ *Say Hello to Heaven* (Top rope moonsault)
* **Nicknames**
	+ Rock 'n Roll
* **Entrance Themes**
	+ "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses

## Championships and Accomplishments

* **Pro Wrestling Illustrated**
	+ Rookie of the Year (2009)
	+ PWI ranked him **#482** of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2009
	+ PWI ranked him **#447** of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010
	+ PWI ranked him **#369** of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011