Carlito

Katie Lea Burchill

Mickie James

Jesse / Slam Master J

The son of Terry Gordy was signed to WWE developmental territory Deep South Wrestling in August 2005. He debuted with a rapper gimmick, going by the name of Ray Geezy. He primarily teamed with Damian Steele and Henry Godwinn. With the former he reformed The Godwinns and changed his name to Cousin Ray.

He was moved to the Smackdown roster in May 2007. Promos began to air for several weeks hyping up the debut of “Jesse and Festus”. They had a country gimmick, but Jesse also had to escort Festus around as he had a gimmick in which he was unresponsive until the ring bell rang.

After defeating a series of jobbers they got their big victory against the team of Elijah Burke and Nunzio on their ECW debut. Their first loss came in November in a 10-man tag team battle royal to become number one contenders for the titles to Deuce ‘n Domino.

They remained in the tag team title picture by facing the tag team champions The Miz and John Morrison, twice in quick succession, however they were on the losing side on both occasions.

In February, 2008, their push continued as they defeated Deuce ‘n Domino and The Miz and John Morrison, which led to them earning a tag team title match. However, they lost chance to win the gold on the March 21 edition of Smackdown.

When Smackdown moved networks Jesse and Festus briefly came to the ring wearing removal gear. Over the next two weeks they were attacked by Kenny Dykstra and Ryan Braddock on separate occasions and put them in cardboard boxes and sent them away.

As part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft, the team was broken up when Festus was drafted to Raw in April.

In June, he reprised his rapper gimmick he used in DSW, but this time he went by the name of Slam Master J. He introduced the gimmick on television for the first time when he interrupted Cryme Tyme’s ‘Word Up’. He debuted when he defeated Charlie Haas. Slam Master J then formed a short lived tag team with Jimmy Wang Yang, the only victory they ever got was against Charlie Haas and Mike Knox.

His last appearance came at Wrestlemania XXVI when he competed in a 26-man battle royal before the pay-per-view began, the match was won by Yoshi Tatsu.

He was released from his contract on April 22, 2010.

Jimmy Wang Yang

Funaki

Funaki debuted in WWE in March 1998, as part of Kaientai, along with Mens Teioh and Dick Togo. They initially feuded Taka Michinoku at Over the Edge with his tag team partner Justin Bradshaw and then at King of the Ring when he team with The Headbangers.

During the summer of 1998, Michinoku turned heel and joined the group. Shortly afterwards Togo and Teioh were given their releases from the company and the stable became a tag team.

Although they remained a heel tag team, they became comedic, miming to pre-recorded English voiceovers. Funaki would end every promo by miming the word ‘indeed’.

Funaki made his Wrestlemania debut in 2000, taking part in a 15-minute hardcore battle royal for the Hardcore Title which was won by Hardcore Holly. He competed in the same match at Unforgiven, but was unsuccessful as the match was won by Steve Blackman.

Kaientai mostly became jobbers in dark matches before PPV’s until Michinoku left the WWE due to shoulder injuries.

Funaki then got a new non-wrestling gimmicks in which he became primarily an interviewer and he called himself ‘Smackdown’s number one announcer’.

He drifted into obscurity during the invasion storyline and the next few years, during which he was drafted to Smackdown! in the inaugural draft in 2001.

In 2003, Funaki started competing in the Cruiserweight division in matches againstthe likes of Billy Kidman, Jamie Noble, Ultimo Dragon, Tajiri and Rey Mysterio. This led to a Cruiserweight Open at Wrestlemania XX which Funaki lost as he was pinned by Noble.

Funaki got his big break when he won an over-the-top rope number one contenders match for the Cruiserweight Title. He then defeated Spike Dudley at Armageddon to win the title for the first time. He went on to defend the title against Spike Dudley, Akio, Nunzio and Chavo Guerrero.

He later formed a tag team with Scotty 2 Hotty, where they drifted between Smackdown! and Velocity, where they mainly jobbed to new tag teams.

Between 2007-2008, he fell in and out of the Cruiserweight Championship picture losing to his main rivals Gregory Helms, Kid Kash, Chavo Guerrero and even Hornswoggle. When he wasn’t losing to his peers he was being put in squash matches against Mark Henry and Edge.

In October 2008, he was repackaged as ‘Kung Fu Naki’ with a Kung Fu gimmick. This led to a strong push at first, with him scoring pin fall victories over MVP and Shelton Benjamin, until a loss to Edge which ended it abruptly.

His final major appearance for the company was at Wrestlemania XXVI when he competed in a battle royal which was won by Yoshi Tatsu.

He was released by the company on April 22, 2010, after 12 years with the WWE.

While wrestling in Japan he still works for WWE as an overseas talent scout and official ambassador for WWE.

Shelton Benjamin

John Morrison

John Morrison joined WWE in 2002 when he won Tough Enough III along with Matt Cappotelli. After a few appearances on TV in which he appeared as an assistant to then General Manager Eric Bischoff, he frequently changed his name from Johnny Nitro to Johnny Spade he was then moved to OVW.

While he was there he alligned himself with Melina Perez, he soon became his real life girlfriend. Joey Mercury soon joined them and together they formed a stable called MNM and won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship and where soon called up to Smackdown.

His most succesful period came when he formed a tag team with The Miz, after a short rivalry with each other, they had a long run as the Tag Team Champions. As well as a successful WWE.com show called The Dirt Sheet.

The “Shaman of Sexy” had the dubious honour of being the first person to be future endeavoured on television by John Laurinaitis on the November 28, 2011 edition of Raw.

For fans of Morrison, don’t worry, as JR expects him to return to WWE Television in the future.

DH Smith

Gail Kim