HAPPY CORBIN

Thomas Pestock is a 38-year-old professional wrestler and former professional football player from Lenexa, Kansas. He is currently signed to WWE and performs on the company’s SmackDown brand under the ring name, Happy Corbin.

At the age of 23, Pestock was a two-time Kansas-Missouri Golden Gloves regional champion in amateur boxing. In 2008, he participated in the Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions where he defeated Chaen Chess in the preliminaries but lost to Andrae Cathron in the quarter-finals.

Pestock attended NCAA Division II college Northwest Missouri State University playing offensive guard and was a starter in his junior year. He was named honorable mention at all-MIAA in 2007 and first team with all-MIAA in 2008. In 2009, he signed with the NFL team, The Indianapolis Colts but was released and re-signed a few times that year. He also signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2010 but was released and re-signed twice before being let go permanently in September 2011.

Pestock Signs WWE Contract

Pestock signed with WWE in 2012 and began training with the company’s developmental brand, NXT. He made his in-ring debut for NXT at a house show. He then worked for several NXT events as a jobber. After a multi-year absence, he returned to NXT in September 2014 at NXT TakeOver Fatal 4-Way and stayed on the NXT roster until 2016.

Pestock made his main roster debut at WrestleMania 32 and won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal by last eliminating Kane. The following night on Monday Night RAW, Corbin assaulted Dolph Ziggler starting a feud that would last until June.

Baron Corbin Wins Money in the Bank

The following year, Corbin competed in Money in the Bank and won the match earning him a world title match at the time of his choosing. Corbin attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank opportunity but failed to defeat Jinder Mahal in August 2017.

In October 2018, Corbin pinned Tye Dillinger at the pay-per-view event, Hell In A Cell, to win the United States Championship. Corbin’s reign lasted 70 days before he lost the title to Dolph Ziggler.

Winner of King of the Ring 2019

Corbin competed in the King of the Ring 2019 tournament and made it to the final round where he defeated Chad Gable. Corbin’s King of the Ring victory prompted his new ring name, King Corbin.

At WrestleMania 36, King Corbin lost to Elias after a roll-up pin on Night 1 of the event. At the end of April 2020, he qualified to compete in the Money in the Bank match but failed to win the contract after he and A.J. Styles fought over the briefcase and dropped it to Otis unintentionally.

King Corbin feuded with Rey and Dominik Mysterio and Murphy between November 2020 and February 2021. He formed a short term partnership with Wesley Blake and Steve Cutler but this disbanded after Cutler and Blake were released by WWE.

On the June 18th episode of SmackDown, Corbin lost to Shinsuke Nakamura in a Battle for the Crown match. As a result to losing his crown to Nakamura, this ended his King gimmick.

King Corbin Ring Name Change

Corbin began sporting dirty clothes, an unkempt beard and an unshaved head on the July 16th episode of SmackDown. He revealed that, after losing his crown, he had lost his car, his investments, his savings, his home was to be foreclosed upon, and his wife left with their daughter. He then revealed his own version of a GoFundMe campaign, called CorbinFund.com, asking fans and fellow wrestlers to donate to his cause. The next month, on August 13, Corbin stole the Money in the Bank briefcase from Big E and fled the arena. At SummerSlam, Corbin lost to Big E, who regained the briefcase.

On the August 27th episode of SmackDown, after turning his misfortunes around in Las Vegas, he drove into the arena in a Bentley, declaring himself “filthy rich” and demanding to be called “Happy Corbin.” On the September 24 episode of SmackDown, Corbin debuted his new talk show “Happy Talk”, Corbin then gained a new ally in Madcap Moss as they joined forces to attack Kevin Owens.

Happy Corbin & Madcap Moss Ally

Happy Corbin and Moss got into a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs over the Intercontinental Championship. Corbin defeated Nakamura in a Championship Contenders match, and both Corbin and Moss defeated Nakamura and Boogs in a Trick or Street Fight, but Corbin never received an Intercontinental Championship match.

Corbin and Moss then got into a feud with Drew McIntyre. Happy Corbin accompanied Moss to the his matches with McIntyre at WWE Day 1 and Elimination Chamber, with Moss losing both matches. Corbin and Moss participated in the Royal Rumble match but they were both eliminated by Drew McIntyre, continuing their feud. Happy Corbin lost to Drew McIntyre on the first night of WrestleMania 38.

On the April 8th episode of SmackDown, Corbin blamed his loss on Moss before attacking him. This ended their alliance and beginning a feud between the two. This led to a match at WrestleMania Backlash, which Moss won. At Hell in a Cell, the two competed in a No Holds Barred match, which Corbin lost.

On the June 17th episode of SmackDown, Corbin lost to Moss in a Last Laugh match. This ended their feud. After the match, Corbin confronted commentator Pat McAfee, who had been making fun of Corbin during his feud with Moss. After Money in the Bank went off the air, Corbin attacked McAfee at ringside and accepted his challenge for a match at SummerSlam. Corbin would go on to lose, however, as McAfee would hit a low blow while referee Charles Robinson was down, and then getting hit with a Sunset Flip from the middle rope.

Happy Corbin
Happy Corbin

STATS

Birth name: Thomas Pestock
Born: September 13, 1984, Lenexa, Kansas, USA
Height: 6 ft 8 in (203 cm)
Weight: 285 lb (129 kg)
Spouse: Rochelle Roman
Children: 1
Ring Name(s): Baron Corbin, Constable Corbin, King Corbin
Current Roster: WWE SmackDown
Finishing Move(s): The End Of Days

King Corbin’s Social Media:

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Happy Corbin Photos

Career Championships and Accomplishments

  • World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
    • WWE United States Championship (1 time)
    • André the Giant Memorial Trophy (2016)
    • King of the Ring (2019)
    • Money in the Bank (Men’s 2017)
    • WWE Year-End Award for Most Hated of the Year (2018)