| Matthew Justice | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Justice in October 2019 | |
| Birth name | Matthew Hannan |
| Born | March 23, 1988 Middlefield, Ohio |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Mack Hetfield Matthew Justice Matt Justice Matthew Busch Mike Stevens |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Billed weight | 221 lb (100 kg) |
| Billed from | Venice Beach, California |
| Trained by | J.T. Lightning |
| Debut | 2006 |
Matthew Hannan (born March 23, 1988) is an American professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit and for Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he is one-half of the current MLW World Tag Team Champions (with 1 Called Manders); under the ring name, Matthew Justice.
Hannan grew up in Streetsboro, Ohio. As a child, he enjoyed watching professional wrestling. His father, Tom Hannan, was the coach for the football team at Crestwood High School, but Justice was not interested in sports. He would play in local bands, but was looking for a different calling.
During his junior and senior years of high school, Hannan began professional wrestling when he found out about a training school in Cleveland run by a local veteran of the ring, J.T. Lightning. The school was about 25 miles from where Hannan lived so he started going there a few days a week.
His ring name, Matthew Justice, originated from his first name and "Justice" from Hannan's love for the heavy metal band Metallica's album ...And Justice for All. The nickname "One Man Militia" came from Hannan's friend and lifting partner.
He would perform in shows throughout Northeast Ohio. He would later graduate from Streetsboro High School in 2007.
He notes wrestler Rob Van Dam as an idol and the main reason that he became a wrestler.[1][2]
Hannan debuted in Pro Wrestling Ohio in an interview segment. He soon teamed with Charles "White Socks" Johnson under the team name "Socks of Justice." The two defeated the team of Brian Bender and Ernie Ballz (The Clash). Later, Johnson was assaulted backstage by Bender and Ballz having Justice duel against both competitors unsuccessfully in a 2-on-1 handicap match. Johnson returned a week later as Socks of Justice defeated The Clash in a tag team match. Socks of Justice disbanded for Justice defeated Jimmy DeMarco on his own.[3]
Eventually, Justice formed another tag team with Morty Rackem, calling themselves "Pirate Justice." The team defeated The Clash and V-Squared (Virus and Virus Grande) on multiple occasions. At the first annual Wrestlelution, Pirate Justice unsuccessfully became the first ever PWO Tag Team Champions against Jake Crist and Vincent Nothing and V-Squared. A few weeks later, Justice defeated Benjamin Boone and unsuccessfully faced against Michael Montecarlo.[3]
Going into 2009, Justice was defeated by Bill Collier, Super Hentai, and Benjamin Boone. Pirate Justice later lost to the team of Greg Valentine and Jim Neidhart for the PWO Tag Team Titles. At Wrestlelution 2, Justice defeated Rackem in a Pirate Rules match. Later in 2011, prior to his departure, Justice would be defeated by Bobby Beverly for the PWO Television Title.[3]
Justice returned to PWO on December 13, 2011. The following week, Justice defeated Benjamin Boone. Justice would seek revenge on The Dead Wrestling Society, leading up to him being defeated by Kirst at Wrestlelution 5.
On the February 10, 2013 edition of Prime Wrestling, Hannan returned once again being announced as the third man in a six-man tag team match at the upcoming Internet pay-per-view, Pressure Rising.[4]
At Pressure Rising, Justice turned heel on Prime Wrestling Commissioner, Justin LaBar, Matt Cross, and Gregory Iron as he pretended to suffer a knee injury during the match, making it a 3-on-1 handicap match, only to later come out and assault Cross with LaBar's stolen laptop to allow Vic Travagliante to become the new permanent Commissioner.[5][6]
On the April 21, 2013 edition of Prime Wrestling, Justice defeated Facade for the Prime Television Championship due to an interference by Justice's girlfriend, Marti Belle. The two had a celebratory kiss afterward. At Wrestlelution 6 on October 20, Justice lost the Prime Television Title to Matt Cross.
On the May 10, 2010 edition of Raw at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Hannan lost in a dark match against Dos Caras, Jr.[7] Hannan made his WWE television debut as a jobber on the June 13, 2010 episode of WWE Superstars where he faced the team of Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins under the ring name Matthew Busch.[8] Hannan once again appeared on the January 28, 2011 edition of WWE Smackdown, again facing off against Alberto Del Rio in an exhibition Royal Rumble match under the ring name Mike Stevens.[9]
On March 18, 2011, Hannan signed a WWE developmental contract, and was assigned to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) located in Tampa, Florida under the ring name Mack Hetfield. After spending six months in Florida, he was released in September 2011.[10]
Hannan has also appeared as an extra in three feature films: Abduction, starring Taylor Lautner and Sigourney Weaver; Warrior, starring Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte; and Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise.
Hannan is also featured in the Cleveland, Ohio based alternative metal band Mushroomhead's music video for their single "Come On" from the album Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children.[11] The video aired on MTV2's Headbangers Ball.[12]
