Martin Stone (wrestler)

Martin Stone
File:Martin Stone.jpg Martin Stone in May 2010
Birth name	Martin Harris
Born	(1981-12-31) 31 December 1981
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Danny Burch Joe Riot Martin Stone
Billed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Billed weight	213 lb (97 kg)
Billed from	London, England
Trained by	Dropkixx
Debut	2003

Martin Harris is a British professional wrestler better known by his ring name Martin Stone. Stone works in the British independent circuit with promotions such as Insane Championship Wrestling, Frontier Wrestling Alliance and International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom. Between 2011 and 2014, he was signed with professional wrestling promotion WWE and worked in its developmental territory, WWE NXT, under the ring name Danny Burch.

Professional wrestling career

European independent circuit (2003–2012)

Harris trained in the FWA Academy and Dropkixx Academy in 2003/04; competing under the ring name Joe Riot in various shows, including a match for All Star Wrestling in Croydon in Summer 2003; making his first appearance at FWA:A's Revenge – Chapter IV in losing effort to Leroy Kincaide on 29 November 2003 in Portsmouth. Harris made his first main roster appearance under the name "Martin Stone" on 4 September 2004, in a losing effort to Jack Xavier at a Live in Morecambe show. Stone would soon be paired with fellow FWA:A trainee Stixx and manager "Twisted Genius" Dean Ayass to form the tag team Stixx and Stone.

While still in the FWA, Stone travelled all over the United Kingdom, competing in several other promotions including: IPW:UK, One Pro Wrestling, LDN Wrestling, and Real Quality Wrestling. Stone won several top titles in these promotions the most notable of which would be his 15 month title reign as IPW:UK Champion.

Back in the FWA, Stixx and Stone would quickly capture the FWA Tag Team Championships from the team of Hampton Court (Duke of Danger and Simmons) on 18 June 2005 at FWA NOAH Limits. Stone would be stripped of the title 16 months later after being unable to make a mandatory title defence on 19 November 2006 due to commitments with IPW:UK.

The tag title strip happened at the height of FWA's "Civil War" with IPW:UK, which would quickly see then-IPW:UK champion Stone officially leave FWA to stay on the side of IPW:UK. Stone would lead the war against the FWA and is in preparation to face semi-retired FWA star Alex Shane in a Promotion v Promotion – Winner Takes All Match at Broxbourne on 16 March 2007. This match however ended up taking place in Orpington several weeks later, with Flash Barker replacing an injured Alex Shane.

In late April 2007, Stone represented Real Quality Wrestling in the prestigious King of Europe Cup where he was defeated by Go Shiozaki in the first round.

During this time Stone would compete in and win an RQW tournament at Not Just For Christmas to become RQW's Heavyweight Champion. Stone defeated Iceman and Aviv Maayan in the first two rounds before defeating PAC in the final to win the vacant championship.

In September 2007, Stone began to compete regularly for the German promotion westside Xtreme wrestling. On 26 July 2008, Stone won the wXw Tag Team Championship alongside Doug Williams when the pair beat AbLas (Absolute Andy and Steve Douglas) at wXw Broken Rulz VIII in Oberhausen.

In February 2008, Stone competed Chikara's King of Trios tournament in Philadelphia, United States, teaming with The Kartel as Team IPW:UK, but were defeated in the second round of the tournament by the Golden Trio (Delirious, Hallowicked and Helios). On 28 August 2008, Stone defeated Eamon O'Neill and James Tighe to win the Premier Promotions Worthing Trophy.

On 13 February 2010 at the British Uproar event in Broxbourne, Martin Stone defeated Andy Simmonz in the tournament finals to become the first FWA World Heavyweight Champion. In a speech after the match he turned against the fans and claimed that he was only using British wrestling as a stepping stone to a big-money contract in the US. A month later he became the leader of "The Agenda", a faction of FWA wrestlers with aims along the same lines.

On 14 March 2010 at PW101 Unstoppable at The Hubs in Sheffield. Martin Stone defeated 11 other men in the 101 Championship Rush match last defeating Martin Kirby to become Pro Wrestling 101's first and only Heavyweight Champion. Upon returning to Britain in 2014, Stone challenged for Jack Jester's ICW Heavyweight Championship but was defeated.

WWE (2011–2014)

In late 2011, Harris signed with WWE and reported to its developmental territory in June 2012. He was given the ring name Danny Burch, and he made his televised debut for NXT Wrestling on 15 May 2013, episode of NXT with a loss to Bray Wyatt. From then on, Burch was used sporadically as enhancement talent until it was reported on 30 April 2014 that he was released by WWE.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2014–2015)

In 2014, Harris under his Martin Stone name, appeared on the second season of TNA British Boot Camp. On February 16, 2015, Harris competed at the TNA One Night Only: Gut Check, where he defeated Jessie Godderz to qualify for the final match later that night. He then competed in a five-way elimination match where the winner of that match would earn an appearance on the next episode of Impact Wrestling, though he was unsuccessful as the match was won by Tevita Fifita.

Return to WWE (2015–present)

On July 16, 2015, though not resigned to WWE, Stone made an appearance on an NXT television taping, where he lost to Kevin Owens. He made a second appearance on the August 13, 2015, taping of NXT, where he lost to Apollo Crews. He made a third appearance on September 16, where he was referred to as his old NXT name Danny Burch, losing to Tye Dillinger. He made a fourth appearance on October 21, 2015, taping of NXT, where he lost to James Storm. Burch made a further appearance on Nxt in January 2016, in a losing effort against Tomasso Ciampa

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • London Bridge (Rope hung spike DDT)

• Signature moves
  • Lariat
  • Lou Thesz Press

• Managers
  • Dean Ayass

• Nicknames
  • "The Enforcer"
  • "The Guv'nor"

Championships and accomplishments

File:Martin Stone champion.jpg

Burch with the FWA World Heavyweight Championship in May 2010.

• Best of British Wrestling
  • BOBW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Frontier Wrestling Alliance
  • FWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Stixx
  • FWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• German Stampede Wrestling
  • GSW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Vaughn

• International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom

• IPW:UK Championship (3 times)

• LDN Wrestling
  • LDN Championship (2 times)

• NWA Florida Underground Wrestling
  • NWA FUW Flash Championship (1 time, current)

• One Pro Wrestling
  • 1PW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • 1PW Openweight Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #182 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010

• Real Quality Wrestling
  • RQW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Premier Promotions
  • Worthing Trophy (2008)

• Revolution Pro Wrestling (UK)
  • RPW British Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Joel Redman

• Rock and Metal Wrestling Action
  • RAMWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• United States Wrestling Alliance (Jacksonville, FL)
  • 2016 USWA Wrestle Bowl champion (defeated Eric Wayne, Kameron Kade and Jason Cade in an eight man, single elimination tournament) (1 time - current)

• The Wrestling League
  • Wrestling League World Championship (1 time)

• Westside Xtreme Wrestling
  • wXw World Wrestling Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Doug Williams

• World Xtreme Wrestling
  • WXW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jody Kristofferson

External links

• Online World of Wrestling profile

• Shows featuring Joe Riot from the cagematch.net show database. Retrieved 17/12/06.
• GSW Night In Motion XVIII – Royal Business (German)
• http://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=2201
• http://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=1977