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Franklin, Tennessee
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm currently contracted to WWE's Raw brand.
Storm is a one-time WWE Intercontinental Champion. In 2013, Storm formed a tag team with Gunner dubbing themselves Southern Justice.
Primarily a tag team wrestler, Storm has held 11 tag team championships during his time with TNA, winning the NWA World Tag Team Championship seven times and the TNA World Tag Team Championship four times, mostly as a member of the tag teams America's Most Wanted, alongside "Wildcat" Chris Harris, and Beer Money, Inc., alongside Bobby Roode.
After being a mainstay on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Storm left TNA and signed with the WWE in 2011 being brought in as a member of Planet Jarrett along with AJ Styles and Chase Stevens. It wouldn't be long before Storm would leave the group and leave the WWE all together returning to TNA where he won his first World Title, when he defeated Kurt Angle to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in October 2011. His reign would only last eight days as he lost it to his tag team partner, Bobby Roode thus dissolving Beer Money Inc. After a brief feud with Kurt Angle, Storm feuded with Roode over the World Heavyweight Championship and challenged him for the title at Lockdown however he lost after accidentally superkicking Roode out of the cage for the win. Storm would take a two-month sabbatical after this to focus on his family.
After a two-month break from TNA, Storm returned on June 10 at Slammiversary, answering Crimson's open challenge, defeating him in a singles match and ending his undefeated streak in TNA. Storm would then enter the 2012 Bound for Glory Series to get another shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, defeating ten other men to win a gauntlet match and take the early lead in the tournament. Storm would get eliminated in the semi-finals losing to Bully Ray after interference from Roode, thus reigniting their feud from earlier in the year. The rivalry between Storm and Roode culminated on October 14 at Bound for Glory in a Street Fight, with King Mo serving as the special guest enforcer, which was won by Storm.
Early life
James Cox was an amateur wrestler while in high school. In addition, he was a talented basketball player, and was awarded a scholarship to Austin Peay State University (which he was forced to relinquish after injuring his shoulder).
Professional wrestling career
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002–2011)
America's Most Wanted (2002–2006)
Storm wrestled his future tag team partner, Chris Harris, on a "Legends Night" show on June 1, 2002. As a result of the match, both wrestlers were hired by the upstart Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion. The pair were expected to wrestle as singles wrestlers, but were instead placed into a tag team. They named themselves "America's Most Wanted" because, according to Storm the name was a reference to his "little trouble with the law". Storm made his TNA debut along with Psicosis vs The Johnsons.
Storm appeared on the inaugural TNA pay-per-view on June 19, 2002, and the team wrestled for the first time on the second ever TNA pay-per-view on June 26, 2002. The team quickly became mainstays of the promotion, and teamed regularly over the next few years. Splits were teased in early 2003 and again in 2004, but nothing came of them.
Storm, along with Harris, turned heel in late-2005 by helping Jeff Jarrett defeat Raven for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. They went on to join Jarrett's Army, acquiring the managerial skills of Gail Kim in the process. Storm's penchant for wearing cowboy hats resulted in the team being often jeered as "Brokeback Mountain", a reference to the movie about homosexual cowboys, during their heel run. In mid-2006, they would again tease their split due to miscommunication during their matches, most notably when Harris accidentally hit Storm with a garbage can during a No Disqualification match against Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon). During their run as a team, the duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship six times.
On the December 14, 2006 episode of Impact!, the team came to an end after a feud ending match with The Latin American Xchange (Homicide and Hernandez) when Storm hit Harris with a beer bottle "blinding" Harris's right eye. Storm would go on to feud with Petey Williams before turning on Gail Kim and aligning himself with the returning Jacqueline Moore. He then went on a huge winning streak winning the majority of his matches over Petey Williams, Eric Young and even his own former partner Harris in his return match among several others. At the Sacrifice pay-per view, Storm was defeated by his former tag team partner Harris in a Texas Death Match, which ended his long running winning streak. The two faced off again in a King of the Mountain qualifying match where both men hit each other with weapons and caused each other to bleed from the head. Harris would spear Storm through the tunnel wall which would give the referee no other choice but to count both of them out.
Singles competition (2007–2008)
After this, he teamed with Robert Roode to defeat Eric Young and Rhino. He and Jacqueline would celebrate a tag team victory against Rhino by pouring beer into his mouth, which set off Rhino due to the instant reminder of a history of alcohol abuse that he overcame, thus sparking a feud between them. As the weeks continued, Storm would mockingly taunt Rhino about "knowing he likes alcohol" every chance he got, and continue to try and pour beer in Rhino's mouth any time he defeated him. Storm was able to defeat Rhino at the Victory Road 2007 after hitting Rhino with a beer bottle. Their feud continued with Storm again defeating Rhino in a Bar Room Brawl at Hard Justice. For several weeks, Storm would be included in vignettes where he would try to find Rhino at local bars. Rhino then challenged Storm to a match at No Surrender. Rhino defeated Storm by pinfall after he gored Storm through a table.
After Rhino was injured, Storm started a feud with Eric Young over who was the better drinker. Young won Storm's World Beer Drinking Championship (a title unrecognised by TNA, actually a WWE Championship toy belt decorated with beer bottles) and held it for two months before losing it back to Storm in a ladder match. Following this, Rhino made his return from injury and proceeded to deliver a Gore to Storm, challenging him to an Elevation X match. As the ladder match with Eric Young had demonstrated, Storm has a (kayfabe) fear of heights, a major disadvantage in Elevation-X. After teasing a walk-out Storm did in fact compete in the match and after attempting to hide inside of the scaffold structure, Storm ended up losing the match and falling through a table in the ring below. Following a couple of weeks off to (kayfabe) heal his injuries, Storm returned on the live March 27 episode of Impact! and attacked Sting with a beer bottle. On the April 4 episode of Impact!, Matt Morgan allowed Storm to join Team Tomko making it a five on four match (until Matt Morgan himself joined Team Cage). At Lockdown, Storm, along with Team Tomko lost their match against Team Cage. Storm was then announced as one of the "Egotistical Eight" to participate in the Deuces Wild Tournament, and he would have to team up with a random partner, who was later to be revealed as his bitter rival, Sting. Storm then faced Sting in a "No Disqualification" match that Sting won. At Sacrifice, Sting and Storm lost to Team 3D.
Beer Money Inc. (2008–2011)
On the June 12 episode of Impact, Storm, alongside Robert Roode, challenged LAX for the TNA World Tag Team Championship. Storm and Roode were successful in winning the match following a Last Call from Storm to Hernandez with a belt wrapped around his boot. Hector Guerrero (LAX's manager), who was at ringside however, informed the referee about what happened and the match was restarted. LAX ended up retaining the titles following a Border Toss from Hernandez to Storm. After the match, Storm, Roode and Jacqueline handcuffed LAX to the ring posts, and then proceeded to whip them with leather belts. The next week on Impact!, LAX challenged Storm and Roode to a Fan's Revenge Match at Victory Road for the titles. The team of Storm and Roode (now known as "Beer Money") lost to The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) in one match and Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash in another match later in the July 3 episode of Impact!. At Victory Road, LAX retained the titles. At Hard Justice, Beer Money defeated LAX after Storm hit Homicide with a beer bottle and won the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the first time individually and as a team. At No Surrender Beer Money, Inc. defeated LAX to retain the titles and two weeks later on Impact! they defeated LAX in a six person tag team match and as a result Hector Guerrero was forced to leave LAX. At Bound for Glory IV, Beer Money, Inc. won the Monster's Ball Match against Matt Morgan and Abyss, Team 3D and LAX to retain the titles. On the January 8 episode of Impact! they lost the titles to Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed, after Lethal cashed in his "Feast or Fired" briefcase.
At Genesis Beer Money Inc. won back the TNA World Tag Team Championships when James Storm and Robert Roode defeated Matt Morgan and Abyss and Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed in a 3-way match. Beer Money, Inc. faced Creed and Jay Lethal at Against All Odds, after Lethal and Creed won a number one contenders match against Matt Morgan and Abyss. Eventually Beer Money retained the titles after Storm hit the Last Call on Lethal. At Lockdown 2009, Beer Money lost the TNA Tag Team titles to Team 3D in a Philadelphia Street Fight, where Team 3D's IWGP Tag Team Titles were also on the line.
On May 15, 2009, Jeremy Borash announced that Cox had signed a new multi year deal with TNA the previous day.
In May 2009 Beer Money entered the Team 3D Invitational Tag Team Tournament, during which they turned face. At Sacrifice Beer Money defeated The British Invasion (Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams) to win the tournament and earn the right to challenge Team 3D for the TNA World Tag Team Titles. At Slammiversary Beer Money defeated Team 3D to win the TNA World Tag Team Titles for the third time. The following month at Victory Road, Beer Money lost the titles to Booker T and Scott Steiner of The Main Event Mafia. The two teams would see their feud intervene with that of Team 3D and The British Invasion, causing a four-way war that would last the next three months. Beer Money would go on to lose to the British Invasion in an IWGP Tag Team Championship match at Hard Justice, win a Lethal Lockdown match at No Surrender (teaming with Team 3D against MEM and the Invasion), and lose a four-way Full Metal Mayhem match at Bound for Glory for both the TNA and IWGP Tag Team Championships, with Team 3D winning the IWGP belts and the British Invasion the TNA belts. Beer Money were permitted one last title shot the following Impact!, where they fought the British Invasion in a Six Sides of Steel match. Brutus Magnus would have his team disqualified by punching the referee, causing him and Doug Williams to retain the championships. On the November 12 episode of Impact! Beer Money defeated the British Invasion in a non-title match to join the Motor City Machineguns in the Tag Team Title match at Turning Point. At the Pay-Per-View The British Invasion managed to retain their titles after Kevin Nash nailed Storm with the TNA Global Championship belt. At Genesis Storm and Roode scored an upset victory over The Band of Kevin Nash and Syxx-Pac.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2011)
Return to TNA (2011–2013)
Storm returned to TNA in October reuniting with Bobby Roode as Beer Money Inc. After Roode, who went on to win the Bound for Glory tournament, had failed to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Kurt Angle at Bound for Glory, Storm received his shot at the title and on October 18 at the tapings of the October 20 episode of Impact Wrestling, defeated Angle to become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Just eight days later, at the tapings of the November 3 episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm lost the title to Bobby Roode, after he used Storm's own beer bottle against him, turning heel in the process and effectively dissolving Beer Money, Inc. Storm and Roode had a rematch for the title the following week. As a result of a backstage attack, Storm came in to the match bleeding and eventually lost, after passing out due to blood loss. On the November 17 episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm was attacked by the returning Kurt Angle, who in the process revealed that he had also attacked him prior to the previous week's title match. On December 11 at Final Resolution, Storm defeated Angle in a singles match. On January 8, 2012, at Genesis, Storm was defeated by Angle in a rematch. On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm defeated Angle to become the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. However, the following week Storm was entered into another number one contender's match with Jeff Hardy, which ended in a no contest, following interference from Bully Ray and Bobby Roode. On February 12 at Against All Odds, Storm was unable to capture the TNA World Heavyweight Championship from Roode in a four-way match, which also included Bully Ray and Jeff Hardy. On the February 16 episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm defeated Bully Ray to become the number one contender to Roode's TNA World Heavyweight Championship at Lockdown. On March 18 at Victory Road, Storm defeated Bully Ray in a rematch to retain his spot as the number one contender. On April 15 at Lockdown, Storm failed to regain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage match, after accidentally superkicking Roode out of the cage for the win.
After a two-month break from TNA, Storm returned on June 10 at Slammiversary, answering Crimson's open challenge, defeating him in a singles match and ending his undefeated streak in TNA. On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm entered the 2012 Bound for Glory Series to get another shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, defeating ten other men to win a gauntlet match and take the early lead in the tournament. On the August 30 episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm wrestled his final group stage match and, for the second year in a row, finished in the top four, advancing to the finals of the tournament. On September 9 at No Surrender, Storm was eliminated from the tournament, after losing to Bully Ray in his semifinal match, following interference from Bobby Roode. On the September 20 episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm challenged Roode to a match as part of the Open Fight Night. The match ended in a no contest, when referee Brian Hebner was unable control the two brawling rivals. The rivalry between Storm and Roode culminated on October 14 at Bound for Glory in a Street Fight, with King Mo serving as the special guest enforcer, which was won by Storm. On November 11 at Turning Point, Storm defeated A.J. Styles and Bobby Roode in a three-way match to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. However, on the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Storm lost his number one contendership to Bobby Roode. On December 9 at Final Resolution, Storm defeated Kazarian in a singles match, and again on the January 3, 2013, episode of Impact Wrestling, beginning a rivalry with him and Christopher Daniels. On January 13 at Genesis, Storm was defeated by Daniels in a number one contenders match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Shortly after this Storm would leave TNA again and would re-sign with WWE.
Return to WWE (2013–present)
Intercontinental Champion and storyline with Stacy Keibler (2013–present)
Storm would return to WWE in February 2013 re-aligning himself with Bobby Roode who had also made the jump to the WWE as well. However this would be short lived as Roode would leave the company to return to TNA, leaving Storm as a singles competitor. Storm would later go on to join Team Long in the GM Wars storyline alongside fellow former TNA Wrestler AJ Styles, with the two briefly reforming Fortune.
On the May 20, 2013 episode of Raw Storm defeated Dolph Ziggler to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship, his first title with the company. Beginning in June 2013, Storm formed a tag team with Gunner, dubbing themselves Southern Justice and announced their intentions on becoming WWE Tag Team Champions. It was also around this time that Storm entered into a storyline with WWE Diva Stacy Keibler repeatedly trying to woo her, however she would rebuff him everytime. At Invasion Storm would lose the Intercontinental Championship to Daniel Bryan ending his reign at 41 days. Later that night Storm would make his way out to the ring during the main event inadvertently distracting Keibler and causing her elimination, before he helped bring her to the back.
Other media
Cox starred in the 2011 horror film Death from Above, alongside fellow wrestlers Kurt Angle, Sid Eudy, Matt Morgan, Terry Gerin and Jessica Kresa.
In 2011, Cox starred in Montgomery Gentry's music video Longnecks & Rednecks and later used it as his entrance video and theme song.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Death from Above | Gunnar Halgrim |
Personal life
Cox has a daughter, born in 2005. He married Dani McEntee on March 30, 2011. Their first child together, Mason James, was born on January 20, 2012.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Last Call (Superkick)
- Signature moves
- Closing Time (Double knee facebreaker)
- Eight Second Ride (Spinning bulldog)
- Eye of the Storm (Spinning crucifix toss)
- Lung Blower (Double knee backbreaker)
- Sharpshooter
- Spear
- 'Swinging Noose (Inverted tornado DDT)
- Nicknames
- "The (Tennessee) Cowboy"
- Entrance themes
- "Longnecks & Rednecks" by Montgomery Gentry (2011–2013)
- "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash (2013–present)
- "Headed for Destruction" by Jakyl (Used while teaming with Gunner)
Championships and accomplishments
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- TNA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- TNA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Bobby Roode
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with Chris Harris (6) and Christopher Daniels (1)
- TNA World Beer Drinking Championship (2 times)
- World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
External links
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