Corey Graves

Sep 3, 2017 - by Jamie Cruickshank

Real name: Matthew Polinsky
Date of birth: February 24, 1984
Billed from: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pro debut: March 22, 2000
Retired: December 11, 2014
Trained by: Quinn Magnum, Dory Funk Jr., & Mad Mike

– Polinsky began his career as ‘Sterling James Keenan’, a tribute to Sterling Sharpe and Maynard James Keenan, two of Polinsky’s idols.
– On April 26, 2002, SJK & Mad Mike defeated The Premiere Players (Daron Smythe & Dash Bennett) to win the NWA East Tag Team Titles
– On September 7, Wet Dreams (SJK & CJ Sensation) defeated The Golden Triangle (Crusher Hansen & Dennis Gregory) to win the CWF Tag Team Titles
– On November 2, Wet Dreams defeated Brett Paradise & Glenn Spectre to retain the CWF Tag Team Titles
– On April 26, 2003, SJK made an appearance for ROH, teaming with EZ Money in a Tag Team Scramble Match
– On October 11, SJK defeated Fabulous in a Ladder Match to win the UIPW Keystone State Cruiserweight Title
– On November 1, SJK defeated Dennis Gregory to win the IWC World Title
– On November 22, SJK defeated Gregory to retain the IWC World Title
– On December 12, SJK defeated CM Punk to retain the IWC World Title
– On January 31, 2004, SJK defeated Dean Radford to retain the IWC World Title
– On February 28, SJK again defeated Dean Radford to retain the IWC World Title
– On March 6, SJK defeated Super Hentai to retain the IWC World Title
– On December 11, SJK defeated John McChesney, Petey Williams & Josh Prohibition to win the vacant IWC Super Indy Title
– On February 26, 2005, SJK defeated AJ Styles to retain the IWC Super Indy Title. He retained against Claudio Castagnoli the next day
– On April 9, SJK defeated Nate Webb to retain the IWC Super Indy Title
– On August 20, SJK defeated John McChesney at a ROH event to retain the IWC Super Indy Title
– On June 6, 2006, Polinsky (as Sterling Keenan) made an appearance on WWE Velocity, teaming with Jon Bolen in a loss to The Pitbulls (Kid Kash & Jamie Noble)
– On June 10, SJK fought NWA Upstate Champion Brodie Lee to a no-contest
– In early August 2007, SJK returned to WWE, losing to Val Venis on Heat, then Mark Henry on Smackdown
– On August 18, SJK defeated 1PW World Champion Ulf Herman by DQ
– On August 23, SJK defeated Samoa Joe & Kishi to win the Natural Heavyweight Title
– On October 13, SJK defeated Ulf Herman in a Cage Match to win the 1PW World Title
– On November 2, SJK won a 20-Man Battle Royal to win the vacant FNW Heavyweight Title
– On January 25, 2008, SJK defeated Doug Williams to retain the 1PW World Title. He retained in a 4-Way Match against Darren Burridge, Abyss & Martin Stone the next night
– On January 28, SJK defeated Scott Fowler to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– On February 2, SJK defeated Julio Dinero to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– On February 24, SJK won a 30-Man Gauntlet For The Gold Match to win the vacant AIW Absolute Title
– On March 1, SJK defeated Scottie Gash to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title and win the NWA East Heavyweight Title
– On March 7, SJK defeated Seth James to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– The next day, SJK defeated Mr Wrestling 3 to win the ZERO-1 US Openweight Title
– On March 14, SJK defeated Chris Cronus to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– A week later, SJK defeated Al Snow to retain the AIW Absolute Title
– On April 5, SJK defeated Chris Taylor & Scottie Gash to retain the NWA East Heavyweight Title
– On April 19, SJK defeated Martin Stone to retain the 1PW World Title
– On May 3, SJK defeated Chris LeRusso to retain the NWA East Heavyweight Title
– On May 9, SJK defeated Jake Manning to retain the 1PW World Title and win the ZERO-1 US Heavyweight Title
– On May 23, SJK defeated Julio Dinero to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– On June 6, SJK defeated Sami Callihan to retain the NWA East Heavyweight Title
– On June 20, SJK defeated Kato to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– On July 5, SJK defeated Chris Taylor to retain the NWA East Heavyweight Title
– On August 2, SJK defeated Ashton Amherst to retain the NWA East Heavyweight Title
– On August 6, SJK defeated Bill Collier to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– On August 23, SJK defeated James Ross to retain the NWA East Heavyweight Title
– On September 6, SJK & Brandon K defeated The Wrong Crowd (Bad Boy BA & Paul Atlas) to win the NWA North American Tag Team Titles
– On September 21, SJK defeated The Duke to retain the AIW Absolute Title
– On October 18, SJK defeated Raven to retain the 1PW World Title
– On December 13, SJK & Brandon K defeated Jon Kronica & Robert Beverly to retain the NWA North American Tag Team Titles
– On December 19, SJK defeated The Duke in a Title vs. Career Match to retain the AIW Absolute Title
– On April 25, 2009, SJK defeated Josh Raymond to win the vacant WPW Title
– On September 19, SJK defeated Stryder to win the RWA Heavyweight Title
– On October 9, SJK defeated Mad Man Pondo & Scott Fowler in a TLC Match to win the vacant FNW Heavyweight Title
– On November 20, SJK defeated Jimmy Vegas to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– On December 5, SJK defeated Ryan Mitchell in a Best of 3 Falls Match to retain the RWA Heavyweight Title
– On January 29, 2010, SJK defeated Shiima Xion to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– On February 12, SJK defeated Bubba The Bulldog to retain the FNW Heavyweight Title
– On May 2, 2011, Polinsky (as James Keenan) wrestled a TNA dark match, losing to Doug Williams
– In mid-2011, Polinsky signed a WWE development deal and was assigned to FCW
– On September 1, Polinsky (now as Corey Graves) made his FCW TV debut, losing to Erick Rowan
– On March 15, 2012, Graves & Jake Carter defeated Bo Rotundo & Husky Harris to win the FCW Tag Team Titles
– On April 5, Graves & Carter defeated CJ Parker & Mike Dalton to retain the FCW Tag Team Titles
– On April 26, Graves & Carter defeated The Ascension (Conor O’Brian & Kenneth Cameron) to retain the FCW Tag Team Titles
– In May 2012, Graves began appearing on NXT shows
– On June 7, Graves & Carter defeated CJ Parker & Mike Dalton to retain the FCW Tag Team Titles
– The next day, Graves & Carter defeated Parker & Kassius Ohno to retain the FCW Tag Team Titles
– On December 6, Graves defeated NXT Champion Seth Rollins by DQ
– On June 20, 2013, Graves & Adrian Neville defeated The Wyatt Family (Luke Harper & Erick Rowan) to win the NXT Tag Team Titles, but would lose them to The Ascension in their first televised defense
– On March 22, 2014, Graves wrestled what would be his final match, defeating Solomon Crowe at an NXT live event. Shortly afterwards, he would suffer a concussion which would force his retirement from in-ring duties
– At Takeover R:Evolution, Graves officially announced his in-ring retirement and that he would be joining the NXT commentary team
– Later that year, Graves began hosting Culture Shock on the WWE network
– Following the 2016 draft, it was announced that Graves would be joining the Raw announce team, alongside Michael Cole & Byron Saxton
– Following Takeover: San Antonio, Graves handed over his NXT duties to Nigel McGuinness
– In November 2016, Graves joined the announce team for 205 Live alongside Mauro Ranallo & Austin Aries
– On September 4, 2017, it was announced that Graves would replace the departing JBL on Smackdown Live, whilst continuing in his existing role on Raw. As a result, his 205 Live duties were taken over by Nigel McGuinness.
– In September 2019, Graves became exclusive to the Smackdown brand following WWE’s shakeup of their announce teams
– Following WrestleMania 37, the WWE announce teams were shaken up again, with Graves returning to the Raw brand, replacing the departing Samoa Joe
– In November 2021, Graves briefly held the WWE 24/7 Title, pinning Akira Tozawa before immediately losing it to fellow announcer Byron Saxton

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