CHARLIE DEMPSEY

Bailey Matthews is a 28-year-old English-American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Charlie Dempsey. Dempsey is the leader of the No Quarter Catch Crew (NQCC) and a former two-time NXT Heritage Cup Champion.

As a second-generation wrestler, Matthews is the son of industry veteran William Regal. He made his in-ring debut in February 2018 for All Star Wrestling, competing under the name Joe Bailey. In his first match, he was defeated by Tony Spitfire. Over the next two years, he appeared for promotions such as Progress Wrestling, Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), and Evolve.

In 2020, Matthews joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as a Young Lion. Despite the opportunity, he never wrestled for the company and soon departed to sign with WWE. In 2022, he returned to Progress Wrestling as Charlie Dempsey and entered the Super Strong Style 16 Tournament. He defeated Charles Crowley in the opening round but lost to Chris Ridgeway in the quarterfinals.

Charlie Dempsey’s WWE Career: NXT UK

Matthews signed with WWE in January 2021 and was assigned to the NXT UK brand. He reverted to the Charlie Dempsey ring name and debuted on the February 25 episode of NXT UK, where he lost to Tyler Bate. Later, he joined Teoman and Rohan Raja to form the faction Die Familie, initiating a feud with Gallus. On November 18, Die Familie defeated Gallus in their first match as a team and later clashed with A-Kid.

On March 10, 2022, Dempsey defeated A-Kid and accepted a challenge to a British Rounds Rules rematch. This bout took place on April 21, where Dempsey triumphed 2–1 in the sixth round. He also competed in the tournament for the NXT United Kingdom Championship but was eliminated by Oliver Carter in what would be his final NXT UK appearance.

Transition to NXT

In August 2022, Dempsey transitioned to WWE’s NXT brand, marking a new phase in his career. On February 14, 2023, he began a mentorship storyline with Drew Gulak, who served as his trainer and technical advisor. Their partnership emphasized a mat-based, submission-heavy wrestling style.

On April 18, 2023, Dempsey challenged Wes Lee for the NXT North American Championship in a featured match but fell short. In the following months, Dempsey and Gulak officially formed the No Quarter Catch Crew, a faction rooted in catch-as-catch-can grappling. Myles Borne and Damon Kemp later joined, solidifying the group as a strong technical unit.

Dempsey participated in the 2023 NXT Global Heritage Invitational but did not secure a win, losing to Axiom, Tyler Bate, and Butch. On December 13, he competed in a Triple Threat Match for the North American Championship against Joe Coffey and Dragon Lee. Though he delivered a standout performance, Dragon Lee retained the title.

Charlie Dempsey’s First NXT Heritage Cup Reign

On February 27, 2024, Dempsey defeated Noam Dar under British Rounds Rules to win the NXT Heritage Cup. At NXT: Roadblock, NQCC introduced the “Catch Clause,” which allowed any member to defend the Cup. WWE recognized Dempsey as the official champion, while the group presented themselves as collective titleholders. The clause was used on March 19 when Gulak defended the Cup against Riley Osborne.

Controversy erupted on April 16, when Tony D’Angelo revealed his family had been (kayfabe) hired by NQCC to take out Gulak. This storyline coincided with real-life allegations against Gulak, who was written off television and officially left WWE on May 3. After NQCC refused to pay D’Angelo, a six-man tag match was held at Spring Breakin’, where The D’Angelo Family defeated NQCC.

On May 7, Dempsey and Myles Borne lost a tag match after Stacks, acting as guest referee, executed a fast count. Dempsey challenged D’Angelo to a Heritage Cup match. However, the Catch Clause was voided after Kemp and Borne were kidnapped. D’Angelo defeated Dempsey 2–1 to win the Cup, ending Dempsey’s first reign at 76 days.

Second NXT Heritage Cup Reign and Controversy

Taking full control of NQCC, Dempsey sent Kemp to retrieve the Cup, but he was unsuccessful on June 4. Dempsey regained the title on August 13 by defeating D’Angelo 2–1, with help from new ally Wren Sinclair.

On December 24, 2024, Dempsey defended the Cup against Lexis King, who was accompanied by William Regal. During the match, Regal attempted to aid King by slipping him brass knuckles. When King refused, Regal struck him, dropping the knuckles into the ring. The referee caught Dempsey with them and disqualified him.

Under British Rounds Rules, the Cup can change hands by disqualification. As a result, King was declared the new champion, ending Dempsey’s second reign at 134 days. Due to confusion over the rule’s wording, NXT General Manager Ava reversed the decision and returned the Cup to Dempsey.

A rematch was scheduled for NXT: New Year’s Evil on January 7, 2025. In a standard one-fall match, Lexis King defeated Dempsey, officially ending his reign and winning the NXT Heritage Cup.

STATS

Birth name: Bailey Matthews
Born: December 30, 1996, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Height: 6 ft 0 in (185 cm)
Weight: 208 lb (94 kg)
Ring name(s): Charlie Dempsey, Bailey Matthews, Joe Bailey
Current Roster: NXT