Chase Owens

Chase OwensCurrent IWGP Tag Team Champion
Information
Ring names	Chase Owens Kevin Bendl
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	205 lbs (93 kg)
Born	March 7, 1990 (1990-03-07)
Birth Place	Bristol, Tennessee
Trainer	Ricky Morton
Debut	February 17, 2007

Chase Owens (March 7, 1990) is an American professional wrestler who works under the ring name Chase Owens. Owens has worked for many promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Early life

Owens states he has been wrestling since the age of three. His father is a high school wrestling coach, which suggests a great deal of amateur wrestling involvement for the then-16 year old. At that same age, Owens met Mikey Duger, who helped Owens on the path of pursuing his big dream of professional wrestling. Owens credits much of his knowledge of pro wrestling to his greatest mentor Ricky Morton who trained him.

Professional wrestling career

National Wrestling Alliance (2007–2016)

Owens made his debut at CWA's Snowed the F Out, where he was defeated by Tony Givens. Owens participated in the 2007 Best of the Best tournament, but he was defeated in the first round by The Jin. On November 14, 2008, Owens had his first title match, but was defeated by the AWA World Heavyweight Champion Tony Givens. Owens spent the following years in various NWA territories. He participated in the 2009 and 2010 editions of the Best of the Best tournament, but was unsuccessful.

On February 26, 2011, Owens defeated Sigmon to win his first title, the NWA Mid-Atlantic Junior Heavyweight Championship. The following month, he defeated Jason Kincaid in a ladder match to win the NWA Mountain Empire Championship. On April 1, Owens won the Smokey Cup tournament, and later competed in the Chikara Young Lions Cup IX, but he was defeated by Jakob Hammermeier. On October 7, Owens participated in a tournament for the vacant NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated in the final by Kevin Douglas.

On October 13, 2012, Owens won a tournament for the vacant NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Owens retained the title for 301 days until he lost it to Jason Kincaid. Two months later, Owens regained the title. On January 4, 2014, Owens lost the title to Ricky Morton, but won it back from Morton two months later.

May 9, 2015, Owens battled in the co-main event against the IWGP Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles at NWA Smokey Mountain's Collision Course 10. Owens was defeated via pinfall.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2012)

On the May 25, 2012 episode of WWE SmackDown, Owens competed in a handicapped match along with Ricky Reyes on the losing end of a two-man team versus Ryback. Owens worked under the ring name Kevin Bendl.

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2014–present)

On October 13, Owens made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) at King of Pro-Wrestling, successfully defending the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship against Bushi. After the match, Owens challenged Jushin Thunder Liger. On November 8 at Power Struggle, Owens lost the title to Liger. Owens returned to NJPW on February 11, 2015, at The New Beginning in Osaka, where he and Rob Conway defeated Liger and Hiroyoshi Tenzan in a tag team match. Three days later at The New Beginning in Sendai, Owens unsuccessfully challenged Liger for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Owens returned to NJPW in May to take part in the 2015 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. He finished the tournament with a record of four wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Package piledriver
  • Rolling elbow

• Signature moves
  • Dropkick
  • Flipping neckbreaker
  • Jewel Heist (Hammerlock Lariat)
  • Swinging slingshot backbreaker
  • Superkick

• Tag teams and stables
  • Bullet Club
  • Illuminati
  • Real Money with Kole Layton King
  • Varsity Shooter Society with Alyx Winters

• Nicknames
  • Crown Jewel
  • The Real Deal

Championships and accomplishments

• Battle On The Border
  • BOTB Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Mountain State Wrestling
  • NWA Mountain State Wrestling Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• National Wrestling Alliance
  • NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
  • NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title Tournament (2012)

• National Wrestling Alliance Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling
  • MACW Junior Heavyweight Championship (5 times)

• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times, Current) - with Bad Luck Fale (1) and KENTA (2)
  • NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling Championship (1 time)

• NWA Smoky Mountain
  • IPW Television Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Mountain Empire Championship (2 times)
  • NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Chris Richards
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Chris Richards
  • Smokey Mountain Cup (2011)

• Pro Wrestling Freedom
  • Pro Wrestling Freedom Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him 346 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2014

• Southern States Wrestling
  • SSW Young Guns Television Championship (1 time)

• Twin States Wrestling
  • TSW Twin States Championship (1 time)

External links

• Profile
• Facebook page