Baron Corbin

Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player.

He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Baron Corbin and is one-half of the current NXT Tag Team Champions with Bron Breakker in their first reign.

Thomas Pestock was born in Lenexa, Kansas, on September 13, 1984.

He has trained extensively in boxing and by 2007, he was a two-time Golden Gloves regional amateur boxing champion.

Pestock attended NCAA Division II college Northwest Missouri State University, where he played offensive guard, and he became a starter his junior year in 2007.

Pestock was named honorable mention all-MIAA in 2007 and first-team all-MIAA in 2008.

He was part of teams that went to four consecutive Division II National Championships and lost each time.

A former offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL), Pestock also competed in the 2008 Golden Gloves tournament.

He participated in the 2008 Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions in the super heavyweight division, defeating Chaen Chess in the preliminaries and losing to Andrae Cathron in the quarter-finals.

Pestock signed with the Indianapolis Colts on April 27, 2009, after going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft.

While with the Colts, he was roommates with future All-Pro punter and professional wrestler Pat McAfee, a fact that was central to a feud between the two of them in WWE 13 years later.

He was released by the Colts on August 13 and re-signed by the team on August 19.

He was again released by the Colts on September 5.

Pestock joined the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad on December 24, 2009.

He was re-signed to a futures contract on January 18, 2010, and was noted for throwing uppercuts in a team scuffle in training camp.

He was released by the Cardinals on September 3 and signed to the team's practice squad on September 6.

On January 4, 2011, he was again signed to a futures contract with the Cardinals.

He was again released on September 2, 2011.

He signed with WWE in 2012 and was assigned to their developmental brand NXT under the ring name Baron Corbin, portraying a villainous character nicknamed the "Lone Wolf".

He debuted on the main roster at WrestleMania 32, winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Pestock signed with WWE's developmental system NXT in August 2012.

Using the ring name Baron Corbin, he made his in-ring debut on October 18 at a house show, losing to Dante Dash.

He would work in several NXT events, usually as an enhancement talent.

On September 11, 2014, at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, Corbin re-debuted as a face with a new look and ring character to defeat CJ Parker.

Corbin then won numerous singles matches against enhancement talents, each in a short amount of time, until crossing paths with Bull Dempsey, who was also winning his matches quickly, beginning a feud between the two.

After a staredown at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11, Corbin won their highly anticipated one-on-one match on the January 14, 2015, episode of NXT, breaking Dempsey's undefeated streak in the process.

Corbin again defeated Dempsey in the first round of a number #1 contender's tournament for the NXT Championship, but was eliminated by Adrian Neville in the semi-finals, ending Corbin's undefeated streak.

At NXT TakeOver: Rival on February 11, Corbin defeated Dempsey in a No Disqualification match to end their feud.

In the following weeks, the crowd turned on him and on the May 13 episode of NXT, Corbin turned heel by showing a cocky and banterous persona.

He started a feud with Rhyno, whom he defeated at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable on May 20.

Corbin lost to Samoa Joe at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on August 22.

In September, Corbin formed a tag team with former rival Rhyno to take place in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, defeating The Ascension in the first round, and Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa in the second round.

At NXT TakeOver: Respect on October 7, Corbin and Rhyno defeated Chad Gable and Jason Jordan to advance to the finals of the tournament, where they lost to Finn Bálor and Samoa Joe.

After the event, a battle royal was held to determine the number #1 contender for the NXT Championship, which saw Corbin being lastly eliminated by Apollo Crews, who Corbin attacked during his title match to cost him the title, thus igniting a feud between the two that culminated in a match at NXT TakeOver: London on December 16, where Corbin defeated Crews.

He went on to win the 2017 Money in the Bank men's ladder match and WWE United States Championship once.

In 2018, he was appointed the Constable of Raw and started a feud with Kurt Angle which culminated at WrestleMania 35, with Corbin emerging victorious in Angle's retirement match.

A few months later, he won the 2019 King of the Ring tournament, thus changing his name to King Corbin until 2021, when he lost his crown and became destitute.

Two months later, he adopted the name Happy Corbin and began portraying a happy-go-lucky character who had become extremely wealthy.

He then started a brief alliance with Madcap Moss.

In 2022, he returned to the Baron Corbin name and was managed by JBL until 2023, after which he returned to NXT.