Monty James

Montel Scott James (born March 14, 1987 in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada), better known as Monty James, is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his tenure in Soul Wrestling Incorporated. Monty is a record-tying three-time SWI World Champion, holding the record for youngest champion at 24 years, a two-time SWI World Tag Team Champion with Worldwide Truth & Freedom, and a former SWI North American Champion, holding the record for the longest reign at 273 days. He is the fifth Triple Crown Champion, and was inducted into the SWI Hall of Fame in 2018.

Early life and career
Monty James was born to Frank and Karen James on March 14, 1987. Monty has two siblings, an older brother David and a younger sister Brittany. Monty grew up watching wrestling and began training after graduating high school. He made his debut in October 2005, wrestling on the Canadian east coast indies.

North American Champion (2009 - 2010)
On the April 4 edition of Apocalypse, Monty appeared at the end of the show, attacking XS3 during "XS3 Appreciation Night". The following week, he appeared in the crowd once again, saying that he was coming to SWI to make a name for himself at the expense of XS3. Monty was later joined by his real-life girlfriend Kennedy Carson. Monty made his in-ring SWI debut at Questions Unanswered, defeating XS3 with an unseen low blow and the Full Monty. Monty then wrestled his first match on Apocalypse, defeating Tannark Fisher. Monty then defeated Necrosphere at Renewal, then teamed with Edgemaster to defeat XS3 and Necrosphere at Independence.

At Disasterpiece, Monty defeated Waylon Kenney to win the SWI North American Championship. Monty successfully defended the title against Waylon the following month at Unholy Confessions, then again at Betrayal when he teamed with Kennedy to defeat Waylon and Kelsey Phoenix. Monty then went undefeated for the next few months, defending the title against Jason Hardcore, Christopher Evans, Necrosphere, and Ken Davids. He became the longest reigning North American Champion on October 26, and proclaimed himself to be the "North A-Monty-can Champion" in November.

At Questions Unanswered, Tannark Fisher defeated Monty for the title, ending his year long undefeated streak and his record-setting North American Championship reign at 273 days. Monty showed a small hint of respect for Tannark after the PPV, showing signs of an eventual face turn. Monty then lost a Ladder match for the title at Renewal, but shook Tannark's hand after the match, officially turning him face.

Worldwide Truth & Freedom and World Champion (2010 - 2012)
On the following episode of Apocalypse, Monty lost to the debuting Blackwolf, but was attacked by the Drinkin Clan after the match. At Independence, Blackwolf and Monty teamed with Necrosphere to defeat the Drinkin Clan. Monty then qualified for the Versus the World match at Disasterpiece, defeating Andreas Trinidad on July 10. Monty was the third-last man eliminated after a Shining Wizard from Ken Davids. The following month, Blackwolf and Monty reformed their alliance to defeat Bad Attitude Inc. at Unholy Confessions. Monty then formed a tag team with Jeffy, becoming #1 contenders for the SWI World Tag Team Championship at Kill or Be Killed, but losing to The Ministry. Two weeks later, Monty and Jeffy, along with Kennedy, joined forces with Blackwolf to form Worldwide Truth & Freedom. W.T.F., along with Edgemaster, defeated the Golden Alliance at Broken Chains in the second ever Harbor Cage match to earn title shots.

At Destiny Fulfilled, Monty teamed with Blackwolf to challenge for the SWI World Tag Team Championship, coming up short. Two weeks later, Monty and Jeffy defeated The Ministry in a Steel Cage match to win the titles. The three of them defended the titles under the Freebird rule, before losing to The Stones at Challenging Adversity. Monty challenged for the SWI World Championship at Questions Unanswered, losing to Hitman of the Gods. Monty then defeated Hitman and XS3 at Renewal to win the title, making him the youngest champion (24 years, 2 months, 2 weeks, 1 day) and the fifth Triple Crown Champion.

Monty defended the title against XS3 at Independence in a match that went on for forty minutes and received the SWI Match of the Year Award. Following the event, Monty proposed to Kennedy in the ring, and she accepted. Monty defended the title in the Versus the World match at Disasterpiece, last eliminating CK Miles to retain the title. Monty then defended against Hitman at Unholy Confessions in a Falls Count Anywhere Anything Goes Ironman match, winning the match 5-3 and forcing Hitman to leave the company.

On the following episode of Apocalypse, Monty was pinned in a tag team match by CK, making CK the #1 Contender. Monty retained the title against CK at Betrayal, then against his partner Thunder Train at Kill or Be Killed. On the November 19 episode of Apocalypse, Edgemaster made his return after an injury and served as the guest referee for Monty's defense against Train. Monty won the match with some help from Edgemaster. Monty then lost the title to CK at Broken Chains in a triple threat match involving Train, ending his reign at 182 days.

World Championship crusade and The Unrest (2012 - 2013)
At Destiny Fulfilled, Monty lost his rematch to CK, but pinned the champ two weeks later on Apocalypse. The following week, Monty challenged for the title in a 30 minute Ironman match with Edgemaster as the guest referee. CK won the match 2-1, and Monty was announced as the ringside enforcer for Edgemaster's World title match at Beginning Anew. During the closing moments of the match, Monty attacked both CK and Edgemaster, resulting in a no-contest.

On the February 18 episode of Apocalypse, Monty and Kennedy announced they were splitting from W.T.F. to focus on the World title. The two agreed to form a truce with W.T.F., stating they would not attack or wrestle each other. Monty then had one more title shot in a triple threat match at Challenging Adversity, but lost when CK pinned Edgemaster. Monty and Kennedy turned heel once again when he attacked Edgemaster, blaming him for his shortcomings. Monty defeated Edgemaster at Rise of the Forces by referee stoppage, showcasing a new psychotic and sadistic side to his character.

On the following Apocalypse, Monty attacked XS3 with a chair at the end of the show. The following week, Monty explained that XS3 was the real mastermind in the conspiracy to keep Monty away from the World title and vowed to exterminate him. Monty then defeated XS3 in a No DQ match at Questions Unanswered, then again at Renewal in a mixed tag match where Monty and Kennedy defeated XS3 and Christine via Monty hitting Christine with the Shadow Step, then pinning her in a missionary position. At Independence, Monty lost an I Quit match to XS3. Monty then decided to turn to managing until he recovered from his ankle injury at Independence, beginning at Disasterpiece where he and Kennedy accompanied Colossus Rhodes and Jarod Barnes to their match against the Besser Brothers.

Monty and Kennedy joined forces with Colossus, Jarod, The Brothers Grimm, and Jonathan Rembrandt to form The Unrest, attacking Tannark Fisher and XS3 at the end of Unholy Confessions. The Unrest then attacked and injured XS3 on the following Apocalypse. At Betrayal, Monty defeated Tannark for his second SWI World Championship. He defended the title a month later at Kill or Be Killed against Tannark in a match where Tannark would have to unmask if he lost. At Broken Chains, The Unrest defeated Blackwolf, XS3, Tannark, and Bad Attitude Inc. in a tag team match; Monty struck Blackwolf (who had become the #1 contender to the World title) with the World title belt from behind and pinned him, ending their truce. At Destiny Fulfilled, Monty lost the title to Blackwolf. Monty then lost a rematch at Beginning Anew, where he teamed with Kennedy to challenge for both the World title and Kelsey Ayami's SWI Women's Championship.

Upon the arrival of Carter Starr in SWI, The Unrest slowly turned face throughout February by wanting to defend SWI from Starrway Enterprises. Monty tried burying the hatchet with XS3, who refused to trust him. Monty faced Carter at Rise of the Forces with XS3 as the guest referee, but was defeated. After The Unrest teamed with XS3 and Tannark to defeat Starrway Enterprises at Questions Unanswered, XS3 and Tannark finally made amends with Monty and his group, completing their face turns. Monty, along with JR Stone, members of The Unrest, and Starrway Enterprises, challenged for the SWI World Championship in the Versus the World match at Disasterpiece, but was unsuccessful in winning the title.

At Kill or Be Killed, Jarod Barnes left The Unrest and attacked Monty, Colossus, and Kennedy. Monty tried to keep The Unrest together and even acted as the special referee for Jarod's match with Colossus at Broken Chains. Monty ended the match when Jarod knocked Colossus out, then attacked Jarod. On the following episode of Apocalypse, Monty said that due to Colossus' mounting injuries, The Unrest was no more and vowed to destroy Jarod. Monty then went on to defeat Jarod at Destiny Fulfilled.

W.T.F. reunion and World Champion (2014 - 2015)
In February 2014, Monty returned from a previous hiatus to announce his intentions of challenging for the SWI World Championship. Blackwolf then appeared with a proposition for Monty, which was revealed to be a chance at challenging for the World title at any given time should Monty defeat Blackwolf. Monty finally defeated Blackwolf in a singles match at Challenging Adversity, earning a World title match at any given time. Monty and Blackwolf then shook hands and seemingly made amends after the match. Monty and Blackwolf then entered the Team England Invitational Tournament, defeating The Callahans and Bad Attitude Inc. before losing to Starrway Enterprises in the finals after miscommunication.

Monty walked out on Blackwolf, whom he defeated two weeks later on Apocalypse. Monty went to attack Blackwolf, but refused after seeing Blackwolf turn his back and offer Monty a free shot. The two made amends once more before agreeing to go their separate ways. On May 3, Monty and Kennedy assisted Blackwolf and Jeffy in a beatdown on Daniel Ness, reuniting W.T.F. in the process. W.T.F. then went on to defeat Starrway Enterprises at Renewal, then again at Independence for the SWI World Tag Team Championship. At the conclusion of Versus the World, Monty decided to use his World title shot at Unholy Confessions. At the event, Monty defeated Tannark for his record-tying third SWI World Championship. Two weeks later on Apocalypse, Monty lost the title to Waylon Kenney in a Starrway Enterprises gauntlet match. Monty's misfortunes continued at Betrayal, when W.T.F. lost the tag team titles in a four corners match, with the European Union emerging victorious. Monty then lost to Waylon in a 2/3 Tables match for the World title at Kill or Be Killed, then in a triple threat match involving Tannark at Broken Chains.

Singles competition (2015)
After losing a Tag Team Turmoil match for the tag team titles at Destiny Fulfilled, W.T.F. left separately. It was then revealed on the following episode by Jeffy that the group was on hiatus until all members could get on the same page. Monty then confronted Jeffy and then walked away, hinting at a heel turn. It was revealed that Monty was going to be the first member of W.T.F. to gain singles gold once more after he was humiliated in September. During a triple threat tag team match on January 24, Monty betrayed Jeffy and walked out on his teammates, turning heel once more. Monty then challenged for the SWI North American Championship the following night at Beginning Anew, but was defeated by Keiji Satoshi. Monty defeated Jeffy in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Challenging Adversity.

Monty then turned his sights back to the SWI World Championship, challenging for it on two occasions. The first was a singles match against Nicholai Ivanov at Rise of the Forces, which he lost. The second was a fatal four way involving Frankie Starr and Waylon Kenney at Questions Unanswered, which he also lost when Nicholai pinned Frankie. Monty then took a small sabbatical from wrestling. He returned on June 13, saving Tannark, Jeffy, and Manzer from an attack by The Barricade, once again turning face. Monty then explained that he had realized that he had abandoned his friends for titles, and would instead dedicate his time to helping those he had hurt. The four of them defeated The Barricade at Independence 10 in a Falls Count Anywhere Elimination Tag Team match.

At Betrayal, Monty wrestled his final match for the company for the time being, losing to Andreas Trinidad in a match for the SWI North American Championship. Monty then left to start a family with Kennedy.

Return and departure (2016 - 2017)
Monty, along with Jeffy, returned to SWI at Challenging Adversity, helping Andreas Trinidad fight off the Corporate Club. Monty and Jeffy, now teaming as Truth & Freedom, helped Andreas defend the SWI World Championship at Rise of the Forces, then defeated the Corporate Club at Questions Unanswered, ending Colossus' career and the feud. Truth & Freedom then feuded with the Drinkin Clan and The Risen over the next few months. At Betrayal, Monty faced Trent Radical for the SWI North American Championship in a losing effort. Monty then wrestled his last match at Destiny Fulfilled, unsuccessfully challenging Manzer for the SWI North American Championship. Monty then left the company on good terms, citing burnout and wanting to spend time with his family. He made an appearance at RewindMania, reuniting with W.T.F. in a loss against Trinity. Monty was inducted into the SWI Hall of Fame the following spring.

Premiere Wrestling Alliance
In May 2010, Monty joined the PWA, forming an unlikely alliance with Austin Virgo. He soon abandoned him and joined Kennedy and Jeff Jones in the Alliance of Defiance. Monty and Jones won the PWA World Tag Team Championship on June 30, holding the titles for 123 days and having the most title defenses at five. On October 31, the Alliance lost the titles to Michael Smart and Chris Williams, then lost a subsequent rematch for the belts. After the loss, Kennedy announced she was (kayfabe) breaking up with Monty to manage Chris Williams. In February, Monty returned to PWA as a ladies man, losing to Chris Williams. This was his last appearance in PWA.

Personal life
Monty is married to Kennedy, having proposed to her at Independence after the show went off the air. The two married on February 20, 2012 in a private ceremony. The couple welcomed their first child, Joseph Jeffrey James, on February 27, 2016. Their second child, Kennedy Maria James Jr., was born on January 13, 2019.

In wrestling

 * Finishing moves
 * ​Full Monty (SWI) / Better Than You Driver (PWA) (Swinging reverse STO, either running or from the top rope)
 * Trademark moves
 * ​Arm wrench and superkick
 * Armbar takedown
 * ​Bicycle kick
 * Bulldog
 * Crooked Moonsault (Split-legged moonsault)
 * Crouching Tiger (Leap onto opponent's shoulders in the corner, followed by punches and a backwards roll off the opponent; usually finishes with a monkey flip if the opponent is smaller)
 * Corner lariat
 * Diving Lou Thesz press
 * Drop toe hold
 * Elbow drop
 * Face Eraser (Running one-hand face smash)
 * Fish hook
 * Montycanrana (Running hurracanrana to kneeling opponent)
 * Move for the Broken (Knee lift followed by swinging neckbreaker)
 * Neck Snapper (Snap swinging neckbreaker) (used as a secondary finisher in PWA)
 * Russian leg sweep
 * Managers
 * Blackwolf
 * Jeffy
 * Kennedy
 * Nicknames
 * ​"The Asshole"
 * "T" (in Worldwide Truth & Freedom)
 * "The Stoney Creek Assassin"
 * ​Entrance themes
 * ​"The Downfall of Us All" by A Day to Remember (April 26, 2009 - May 1, 2010)
 * "Icarus Lives!" by Periphery (May 8, 2010 - November 6, 2010)
 * "E For Extinction [SWI Edit]" by Thousand Foot Krutch (November 13, 2010 - February 26, 2012; May 10, 2014 - December 28, 2014; December 29, 2017)
 * "Let the Sparks Fly" by Thousand Foot Krutch (April 29, 2012 - May 3, 2014; January 25, 2015 - September 27, 2015)
 * "Death of Me" by Red (February 28, 2016 - January 1, 2017)

Championships and accomplishments
&#42;The group are allowed to defend the titles under the Freebird rule.
 * Premiere Wrestling Alliance
 * ​PWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jeff Jones
 * Soul Wrestling Incorporated
 * ​SWI World Championship (3 times)
 * SWI World Tag Team Championship (2 time) - with Blackwolf (2) and Jeffy (2)*
 * SWI North American Championship (1 time)
 * SWI Hall of Fame (Class of 2018)
 * Fifth Triple Crown Champion
 * Feud of the Year 2010 - with younger SWI wrestlers vs. The Ministry
 * Feud of the Year 2013 - with The Unrest vs. Starrway Enterprises
 * Match of the Year 2010 - with Tannark Fisher at Questions Unanswered
 * Match of the Year 2011 - with XS3 at Independence
 * Wrestler of the Year 2011