Friday, October 8, 2021, I traveled to Canton, GA and Southern Honor Wrestling to watch Corey Hollis’ final match, at least for now. I say at least for now because in wrestling retirements are often temporary, but if this retirement holds, and Corey’s last match was with Gunner Miller was it, he can retire knowing he went out with a great match against a great opponent with his friend, Mike Posey, one of the best refs in the business officiating. It was the opening match of the show. It was the Main Event.
If the Cagematch Internet Wrestling Datebase is correct it was his 519th match, and that number is likely wrong as the first match noted on March 25, 2009 at Alternative Professional Wrestling in Royston. GA defeating Mike Posey was not his first match, and likely Cagematch missed more but 519 is still damned impressive.
Corey started wrestling in 2008 as TK Hollis after training with “Wild Thing” Will Owens and appearing in his Ultimate NWA promotion in Alabama, one of my NWA Associate Member Promotions where he met Mike Posey. He used the TK Hollis name as a tribute to a friend who had passed away. Posey had been released by WWE after 3+ years and two WrestleMania ref appearances, in one of their annual release for no reason bloodlettings, and was back wrestling and doing TNA ref spots. Posey contacted me and told me about Corey, that had wrestled in high school, was wrestling for Will, and asked if I would help him. I said bring him to APW. He did.
I met Corey and liked him. I asked him about the TK Hollis name and while I understood the tribute, I told him to use his real name and so that night TK Hollis became Corey Hollis, so I guess Cagematch is right noting that as Corey’s first match. Corey and Michael had a good match. Unfortunately, Corey hurt his knee in the match. It had been bothering him a bit going in he told me after as I was looking at it. Then he had an insulin reaction. I got him a Coke, as that always helped my diabetic Dad kick out of those. So, night one I also learned Corey was a diabetic, and witnessed his last match for several months as knee surgery was required, but I was all in to help him upon his return.
Corey returned to wrestling a few months later, Cagematch says it was July 17, 2009, again at APW losing to Jeremy Vain, the promoter, again driving with Mike Posey, who would be his riding partner for quite a while and off and on his entire career. He wrestled thereafter regularly for APW, where I was still helping, plus Alabama promotions Ultimate NWA and Global Championship Wrestling, NWA Main Event in Nashville, TN and soon added Georgia’s Peachstate Wrestling and NWA Anarchy, where I was booking with Todd Sexton. In his NWA Anarchy debut on September 19, 2009 he wrestled Mike Posey again in a 6 Man Tag. Thereafter he became an Anarchy regular.
He had his first Title match in NWA Anarchy teaming with Anthony Henry (WWE’s Asher Hale) against Tag Team Champions, Talent & Money, losing. He challenged NWA Tennessee Junior Champion, Mike Posey in Charlotte, NC. Corey was getting noticed and traveling to new places. He won his first title on April 8, 2010 at NWA Main Event where I was booking and producing TV, defeating Mike Posey. He won his second title, the Ultimate NWA Tag Team Title, with Adam Jacobs on May 15, 2010. Corey Hollis was a Main Event guy. He was also Pro Wrestling Illustrated 3rd Runner up as Rookie of The Year in 2010, the only non-WWE talent recognized. PWI wrote that “Hollis won praise for his precision counter-wrestling, fluid aerial attacks, a crisp execution of moves, and a submission repertoire that belies his inexperience. He is definitely a young wrestler to watch.” True that! By the end of 2010 Corey made his debut in Ring of Honor teaming with Mike Posey to face Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly in a TV match taped in Louisville, KY.
Corey returned to ROH in on January 14-15, 2011 in Richmond, VA & Charlotte, NC again teaming with Mike Posey and taking on The Set (J-Sin & Lance Lude) and Andy Ridge & Steve Corino . He had his debut in Rampage Pro Wrestling, where I was booking with Jimmy Rave, riding with Mike Posey, and became “Jimmy Rave Approved” along with Posey, Chip Day, Sal Rinauro, and eventually Patrick Bentley. He wrestled several times for the NWA World Tag Team Titles, and wrestled to the finals of the NWA North American Title Tournament losing to Shawn Tempers. He traveled to Maryland and wrestled in Maryland Championship Wrestling’s Shane Shamrock Cup tournament.
February, 17, 2012, Corey returned to Ring of Honor with Mike Posey as Alabama Attitude going to the Semi-Finals of the Rise and Prove Tag Team Tournament. While he was still traveling with Mike Posey, he was also teaming and traveling with Chip Day to PWX in North Carolina, where they became Tag Team Champions on May 5, 2012. Posey & Hollis had their first ROH win on August 3, 2012 in Baltimore, MD defeating The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz (EC Negro & KC Blade). Jimmy Rave Approved, Mike Posey and Corey Hollis, appeared on the TNA house show in Macon, GA on October 20, 2012.
Ring of Honor appearances continued in 2013 starting January 5, teaming again with Mike Posey as Alabama Attitude facing Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly, March 30 in a rematch, and against QT Marshall & RD Evans on April 6 in MYC at Hammerstein Ballroom. The night before he had his first singles match in ROH. He appeared in IWC on April 13-14 and in the Super Indy 12 tournament in Elizabeth, PA on June 15. Alabama Attitude returned to ROH September 6-7, and on November in ROH Corey faced Kyle O’Reilly. By the end of 2013 Corey was also teaming with Adam Page as Country Jakked in PWX in North Carolina.
In early 2014 Corey went to the Semi-Finals of the ROH Top Prospect Tournament defeating Mike Posey before losing in the Semi Finals to Raymond Rowe. ROH appearances continued on April 4 vs Mike Posey, Luke Hawx & The Romantic Touch (Rhett Titus) then April 5 vs Jimmy Jacob after teaming earlier that day with Adam Page in Combat Zone Wrestling. Corey was still appearing regularly in NWA Anarchy, PWX, and other SE Indies. By October 2014 Country Jakked (Hollis & Page) were PWX Tag Team Champions and by December Corey was NWA Anarchy TV Champion.
2015 saw Corey become PWF (NC) Junior Heavyweight Champion, and return to ROH to team with and face Jonathan Gresham. Corey competed in the ECWA Super 8 Tournament in March making it to the Finals defeating Sean Carr & BJ Whitmer before losing to Jason Kincaid. He returned to ROH June 6 vs Mike Posey & Samson Walker, June 20 teaming with Jonathan Gresham against The Kingdom (Bennett & Taven), and August 29 vs Cedric Alexander. 2015 also saw Corey debut in NXT, teaming with John Skyler as the Bruiserweights on October 22 in a TV match vs Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson, leading to regular NXT appearances thereafter, the next November 11 vs Enzo Amore & Colin Cassidy. Corey faced Adam Cole in ROH in November.
2016 started with Corey facing Elias Samson in NXT, and continued with matches teaming with Skyler on January 22 and 27 taking on The Hype Bros (Mojo Rawley & Zack Ryder) then American Alpha (Chad Gable & Jason Jordan). On February 5 Corey Hollis faced AJ Styles (who had already debut in WWE) in a 15+ Minute Match, AJ’s final Indy match, at DSCW in Georgia. More NXT appearances follow both singles and tags with John Sklyer, 4/9 vs Elias Sampson, 4/8 against American Alpha, and 6/4 against Ty Dillenger. WWE gave him stupid fake names, as WWE does, after using him regularly as Corey Hollis in NXT for a WWE Raw appearance on 5/16 where The Shining Stars (Epico & Primo) defeated Bryan Kennedy (Corey Hollis) & Scott Jackson and then when Braun Strowman defeated Evan Anderhaul (also Corey Hollis). The Bruiserweights also appeared in TNA’s Ultimate Deletion on 11-1.
ROH and NXT appearances continued into 2017. On the ROH taping 1/14 in Atlanta The Kingdom (Matt Taven, TK O'Ryan & Vinny Marseglia) defeated Joseph A'Gau & The Bruiserweights (Corey Hollis & John Skyler). On 4/5 in NXT Aleister Black defeated Corey Hollis. On WWE 205 Live from Phillips Arena on May 30 Cedric Alexander defeated Corey Hollis. August 26 he wrestled Flip Gordon at the ROH taping in Atlanta. He and Mike Posey became Peachstate Wrestling Tag Team Champions on October 7, 2017. On December 8, 2017 Corey married his girlfriend, Lauren.
Then in 2018 Corey changed his character, and in my opinion became a stronger performer and really began to stand out, and it began with an in ring confrontation with me and promoter Charles Anshutz at the Landmark in Cornelia, GA at a SFCW show on February 3, 2018. The show report published on the Georgia Wrestling History Website said “Anschutz introduced Bill Behrens as the next SFCW HOF inductee. Hollis returned to berate Behrens but Bill quickly gave him a come to Jesus undressing. Hollis grabbed Behrens and as Anschutz tried to stop him, Jacob Ashworth hit the ring and Hollis does an exit stage left. Whew!” Throughout 2018 and 2019 he continued to appear throughout the SE wrestling regularly for SFCW, PWX, Anarchy Wrestling, and Peachstate Wrestling, among others He became SFCW Heavyweight Champion October 6, 2018 for the 1st time and then became a two-time champion on March 2, 2019. He continued to appear in Ring of Honor in 2019. On January 12 Villain Enterprises (Brody King, Marty Scurll & PCO) defeat Corey Hollis, John Skyler & Josey Quinn, and January13 Shinobi Shadow Squad (Cheeseburger, Eli Isom & Ryan Nova) defeat Corey Hollis, John Skyler & Josey Quinn.
It was in 2019 that Corey Hollis started appearing in Southern Honor Wrestling defeating Chris Crunkk on March 1. By the end of 2019 Corey became SHW Heavyweight Champion for the 1st time after defeating Logan Creed, with whom he had been feuding, in a Street Fight that went nearly 25 minutes. He lost and won the title back in 2020 and became Tag Team Champion with Mikael Judas.
2020 also saw Corey Hollis appear for All Elite Wrestling. 3-18 Joey Janela & Sonny Kiss defeated Corey Hollis & Mike Reed. 7-15 Kip Sabian defeated Corey Hollis 7-16 Scorpio Sky defeated Corey Hollis 7/30 Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus & Marko Stunt) defeated Aaron Solow, Corey Hollis & Pineapple Pete.
2021 saw Corey reduced his wrestling appearances to mostly SHW’s monthly shows. He and Laureen had a baby, Hadley. On October 8, he had his final match.
Should Corey Hollis have been hired by one of the major companies? Of course, he should have, but by any metric by which I or anyone should judge success in professional wrestling, Corey Hollis was successful, and Corey Hollis mattered. Corey Hollis leaving wrestling is a big deal and leaves a hole that can not nor will be easily filled, and not just in SHW where he had that last match but professional wrestling in general. Corey Hollis was a star, and I am proud of everything he accomplished and that I got to help a little.
I wish I had been able to do more for Corey, but the “super powers” someone important to me told me that I had in the early 2000s, have diminished over time. I’m now like Bouncing Boy was in the Legion of Substitute Heroes, and limited for sure.
Regardless, last Friday I saw a match between Corey Hollis and Gunner Miller with Mike Posey as ref that was as good or better than anything in AEW, WWE, ROH, MLW, Impact, any promotion, anywhere. Everyone in that match should be proud. They killed it. A wrestler retiring often leaves his boots in the ring as a symbol. That Corey took his home, gives me hope he will lace them up again and come back, and if so all the better for professional wrestling. Until then we wait and will remember fondly a great career!
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