At NXT Takeover: Philadelphia in early-2018, the WWE Universe received a pleasant surprise as the cameras honed in on EC3 sitting ringside as the announcement was then made that EC3 had indeed signed with the company. However, this is not EC3's first run as a WWE signee. In fact, EC3 spent almost 4 years with the company from 2009-to-2013 when he was known by his former moniker "Derrick Bateman." After a moderately successful run with the WWE's developmental system, he was released in May of 2013.
After leaving NXT, EC3 went on to have a dynamite run with TNA's Impact Wrestling. EC3 was initially introduced as a member of Dixie Carter's authority stable, which is where his career really started to take off. He would continue to rise as one of TNA's top main-eventers. His career would climax during a July 2016 taping of TNA Impact Wrestling where he defeated former Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle to become the new TNA Champ.
Jonathan Carpenter is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda. After obtaining a degree in political science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he started writing WWE articles in 2016. Jonathan believes integrity is vital in journalism and ensures his work is high on accuracy. He conducts in-depth research and verifies information from various sources before curating a feature.
Jonathan has engaged in many meaningful conversations with prominent pro wrestling personalities like Drew McIntyre and DDP. He grew up in Memphis, admiring Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan during WWE’s Golden Era in the ‘80s. He has attended many pro wrestling events and credits The Hulkster for making his childhood memorable.
Jonathan, a big fan of Bray Wyatt, would like to see the latter's brother, Bo Dallas, continue his legacy as Uncle Howdy. If he were to work on the storyline, Jonathan would book the return of Erick Rowan as Howdy’s muscle. He thinks it would be a great way to honor the former Universal Champion.
When not writing pro wrestling features, Jonathan likes to collect sports memorabilia and has amassed a large collection of event-used and autographed relics over the years.