Robbie Eagles

Eagles in April 2023

###

Jonestown, New South Wales, Australia

**James McMath** (born February 13, 1990) is an Australian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name **Robbie Eagles**, where he currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion.

McMathus began his professional wrestling career in the Australian independent scene working for promotions such as Professional Wrestling Alliance, Melbourne City Wrestling and World Series Wrestling. After gaining recognition in Australia, Eagles began working on the international independent circuit as a freelancer appearing for promotions such as Progress Wrestling in the United Kingdom and Chikara and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in the United States, before signing with New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2019.

## Professional wrestling career

### Pro Wrestling Zero1 (2012)

In 2012, McMathaus made his debut in Pro Wrestling Zero1 under the ringname **Robby Eagle**. In his debut, Eagles and Marcus Bean defeated Craig Classic and Yoshikazu Yokoyama. In June, Eagle and Ikuto Hidaka defeated Bean and Classic. On July 1st, Eagle, now again named Robbie Eagles and Hidaka defeated Jonathan Gresham and Classic. On July 20, Eagles, Gresham, and Hikada defeated Mineo Fujita, Takuya Sugawara and Jonny Vandal.

### New Japan Pro Wrestling (2018–Present)

#### Bullet Club (2018–2019)

In February 2018, Eagles made his debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the Fallout Down Under tour in Australia. Eagles made his in-ring debut for the promotion on February 17, teaming with Mick Moretti in a losing effort against TMDK (Damian Slater and Marcius Pitt). He finished the tour with the promotion on February 19, taking part in a three-way match against Cody and Will Ospreay in a losing effort. On October 8, Eagles were announced as the newest member of the Bullet Club OG and it was also announced that he would be teaming with Taiji Ishimori in the 2018 Super Jr. Tag League. Eagles and Ishimori finished the tournament with a record of three wins and four losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. From May to June 3, 2019, Eagles took part in 2019 Best of the Super Juniors, finishing the tournament with a record of six wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. During the tournament, Eagles began feuding with the newest Bullet Club member El Phantasmo, after he helped him to defeat Will Ospreay, despite Eagles didn't need it and also challenging with Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, despite Eagles being Ishimori's partner. He grew increasingly more distant from the stable as Phantasmo's behavior clashed with Eagles' sense of sportsmanship. In June, Ospreay nominated Eagles to be his first challenger for his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. The two faced each other for the first time on August 11, 2017 at a Pro Wrestling Australia event, where Eagles defeated Ospreay. After the match, Opsreay offered him to work in Japan. Leading to the match Ospreay proclaimed that he wanted Eagles to return to his old self. On June 29 on the first night of the Southern Showdown, Eagles unsuccessfully challenged Ospreay for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Afterwards, Phantasmo entered the ring to show him support, leading Eagles to attack him and shake hands with Ospreay. The following day, Eagles defected from the Bullet Club and joined CHAOS, after he refused to attack Will Ospreay.

#### CHAOS (2019–2023)

On August 22, Eagles, representing CHAOS, entered the 2019 Super J-Cup, losing to El Phntasmo in his first round match, after he cheated to win the match. On August 31 at Royal Quest, Eagles and Ospreay formed a team named "Birds of Prey" and the two defeated Phantasmo and Ishimori in a non-title match. Afterwards, Eagles and Ospreay held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and challenged them to a rematch for their titles. On September 15 at Destruction in Kagoshima, Eagles, and Ospreay unsuccessfully challenged Phatasmo and Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. From October 16 until November 1, 2019, Eagles and Ospreay took part in the 2019 Super Jr. Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record of four wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. Eagles and Ospreay entered their final match with a chance to reach the finals, but BUSHI who had previously challenged Ospreay to match for his title cost them their final match against Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru).

Since March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Australia, Eagles along with several NJPW wrestlers were unable to work on NJPW events in Japan, leading him to make his return in November to take part of the 2020 Best of the Super Juniors. From November 15 until December 6, Eagles took part in the tournament, finishing it with a record of three wins and six losses, failling advance to the finals of the tournament. Due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Australia, Eagles was forced to miss several more events, before returning to the promotion in July 2021, appearing in a pre-taped vignette, challenging El Desperado to a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. At the title match, on July 24 at Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Eagles defeated Desperado to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time, becoming the first Australian IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. In August, Eagles and Tiger Mask formed a team named "Flying Tiger" and took part in the 2021 Super Jr. Tag League, failing to win the tournament, after a record of three wins and two losses. On October 26, Eagles and Tiger Mask defeated El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, thus becoming a double crown champion. On November 6 at Power Struggle, Eagles lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship back to El Desperado. From November 13 until December 11, Eagles took part in the 2021 Best of the Super Juniors, finishing the tournament with a record of six wins and five losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament.

On February 19, 2022, Eagles and Tiger lost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi in a match also involving Bullet Club Cutest Tag Team (El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori) and Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru). In May, Eagles took part in the 2022 Best of the Super Juniors, finishing the tournament with a record of five wins and four losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. From November 21 until December 11, Eagles and Tiger took part in the 2022 Super Jr. Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record two wins and seven losses, failing to win the tournament. After the tournament was over Flying Tiger disbanded with Eagles and Tiger going both their seprate ways afterwards.

#### TMDK (2023–Present)

On March 23, in a pre-taped vignette, Eagles was revealed as the newest member of TMDK, challenging Hiromu Takahashi to a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. On April 8 at Sakura Genesis, Eagles unsuccessfully Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. The following month, Eagles took part in the 2023 Best of the Super Juniors, finishing the tournament with a record of five wins and four losses, failing to advance to the semifinals of the tournament. From October 21 to November 2, Eagles and TMDK stablemate Kosei Fujita took part in the 2023 Super Jr. Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record four wins and five losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *Ron Miller Special* (Inside toe hold figure four leglock sometimes transitioned to a chicken wing facelock)
	+ *Trigger* (Running shining wizard to a kneeling opponent)
* **Signature moves**
	+ Ace Crusher
	+ *Hi-Ya!* (Tiger feint from the ring apron followed by a high kick/superkick/corkscrew roundhouse kick combination)
	+ Hurricarrana
	+ Inverted shiranui into a DDT
	+ Michinoku Driver
	+ Missle Dropkick
	+ Middle rope somersault
	+ Moonsault slam
	+ *Pelé Kick* (Overhead Kick)
	+ Poison rana
	+ *Pulse Drop* (Shiranui)
	+ Snap suplex
	+ Step-up gamengiri to a rising opponent's face
	+ *Turbo Backpack* (Leghook backpack flipped forward into a sitout scoop slam piledriver)
	+ *UltraKill* (Backbreaker rack transitioned into a spike double underhook piledriver)
	+ *Warp 4.5* (450° splash)
* **Nicknames**
	+ **"Sniper of the Skies"**
	+ **"Sekai Saikyō no Tori"** (Japanese for "The World Strongest Bird")
	+ **"Limb Reaper"**
* **Entrance themes**
	+ **"Afterglow"** by In Hearts Wake

## Championships and accomplishments

* **New Japan Pro Wrestling**
	+ IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tiger Mask
* **Pro Wrestling Illustrated**
	+ Ranked No. 347 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2013.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Cagematch`
2. ↑ https://www.cagematch.net//?id=2&nr=11463&page=4&year=2012&promotion=13
3. ↑ ZERO1 BEACH PRO-WRESTLING ~ CHAPTER 5 . Cagematch. Retrieved on 2018-06-21.
4. ↑ ZERO1 Midsummer Festival ~ Fire Festival 2012 - Tag 1 . Retrieved on 2018-06-21.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `AUS`
6. ↑ Robbie Eagles . Cagematch. Retrieved on 2018-06-21.
7. ↑ https://www.cagematch.net//?id=2&nr=11463&page=12