Montel Vontavious Porter

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Montel Vontavious Porter
Alvin Burke as Montel Vontavious Porter
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Antonio Banks/Bank$ Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP)
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1]
Billed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Billed weight	252 lb (114 kg/18.0 st)[2]
Born	October 28, 1973 (1973-10-28) (age 34)[1] Liberty City, Florida
Resides	Miami, Florida
Billed from	Miami, Florida[2]
Trained by	Soulman Alex G[3] Norman Smiley[3]
Debut	2003[4]

Alvin Burke, Jr. (born October 28, 1973),^[1] also known as Hassan Hamin Assad and Antonio Banks, is an American professional wrestler currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on the SmackDown! brand under the ring name Montel Vontavious Porter, or MVP.^[2] He is a former WWE United States Champion. His reign was the longest since WWE came into possession of the championship in 2001 and the third longest in the title's entire history.^[5] He is also a former WWE Tag Team Champion.^[6]

Career

Early life and career

Burke first entered professional wrestling after completing 9½ years of an 18½ year prison sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping which he started at the age of sixteen.^{[1][7][8][9][10]} He made his wrestling debut in 2002,^[9] and he worked for many different companies on the independent circuit using the name Antonio Banks, including appearances with Full Impact Pro and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.^[4][11][12]

World Wrestling Entertainment

In 2005, after a number of house shows and dark matches, Burke signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was assigned to their developmental territory Deep South Wrestling.^[3] It was there that he first developed the Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) gimmick: an arrogant, self-obsessed athlete partially inspired by the fictional NFL wide receiver Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) from the film Jerry Maguire and the real-life, Terrell Owens.^[4]

SmackDown! (2006–present)

MVP during a SmackDown! house show

As MVP, he made his first appearance on WWE television on the August 4, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, during which announcers described him as a coveted free agent.^[13] The initial angle involved MVP appearing backstage and in arena crowds, often flanked by women and/or a bodyguard, and talking to SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long about the contract his (unseen) agent was supposedly aggressively negotiating.^[14][15] Throughout his segments, commentators described MVP as arrogant, noting that he would stop conversations in the middle to answer his mobile phone or admire his own jewelry while people were speaking to him. Finally, on September 26, video of a press conference announcing the signing of Porter to "the largest contract in SmackDown! history" was uploaded to WWE.com.^view

MVP's in-ring debut for the brand was set for October's No Mercy pay-per-view, for which he also debuted his heralded entrance featuring an NFL-like inflatable tunnel, before defeating the unknown wrestler Marty Garner.^[16] During the match, commentators Michael Cole and JBL decried the choice of opponent, since it had been implied that it would be someone "more competent",^[17] and joined in with fans mocking his athletic suit styled ring gear, calling him "pathetic" while the fans chanted Power Ranger.^[18] On the following week's SmackDown!, MVP cut a promo "demanding" a tougher opponent to prove his mettle, which was answered by Kane—making his SmackDown! debut.^[19] The two were placed into a feud for the next two months, with MVP narrowly scoring wins over Kane in a street fight^[20] and a cage match^[21] before losing to him in an Inferno match at Armageddon, from which he suffered kayfabe 1st degree burns.^[22] Because of the burns he was "out of action" for a short time, during which color commentator JBL expressed rage with the fans for cheering a match where the only way of achieving victory is to set an opponent on fire.^[23]

When the Kane feud died down, MVP began a new one with United States Champion Chris Benoit over Benoit's title.^[24] During the build up for a title match with Benoit, MVP appeared on SmackDown! introducing various supposed champions from around the world, giving them exaggerated measurements before proceeded to squash them in short order.^[25][26][27] When he finally faced Benoit at WrestleMania 23 the match was booked with Porter in control for much of the time, before he lost in the end.^[28] A rematch at Backlash was booked much the same way, with MVP suddenly losing to an Inside Cradle after looking like he was about to win for much of the match.^[29] For Judgment Day, the men were put into a two out of three falls match, with Porter taking the title, his first in WWE, in two straight falls.^[30] Porter credits his time working with Benoit for improving his in-ring skill.^[18]

His first major feud over the Championship was against Matt Hardy, whom he started claiming to be better than at everything,^[31] after defeating him at the Great American Bash.^[32] When MVP was legitimately diagnosed with the heart condition Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome,^[33] it was written into the storyline, with MVP blaming the condition for his losing an arm wrestling match against Hardy.^[34] When Porter was given an interview segment during SmackDown!, the "VIP Lounge", it was used to bow out of a scheduled boxing match at Saturday Night's Main Event—with Evander Holyfield replacing him, and eventually punching out Porter during the bout.^[35] On the August 24 SmackDown!, MVP bragged to General Manager Teddy Long that he could win the WWE Tag Team Championship with anybody, prompting Long to grant him a Championship match alongside the next person who entered the room, Matt Hardy.^[36] The next week, MVP and Hardy took the championship from Deuce N' Domino, making MVP a double champion.^[37] MVP and Hardy's contentious relationship had them competing with each other in various ways while MVP proclaimed himself "Captain" of the team and refused to defend his US title. Their reign together came to an end on the November 16 (taped November 13) SmackDown! after Hardy demanded a shot at the US title, only to be informed they had a Tag Team Championship defense against John Morrison and The Miz, which they promptly lost. After their loss, and immediate re-match loss, Porter attacked Hardy, targeting his (kayfabe) injured knee,^[38] and putting him "out of action". While Hardy was off television he suffered a legitimate ruptured appendix,^[39] putting their feud on hold. While Hardy recovered, MVP engaged in short feuds with Rey Mysterio^[40][41] and Ric Flair^[42][43] and was put into the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV. During the ladder match, just as he was about to win, Hardy made an unannounced return and knocked MVP from the ladder with his signature Twist of Fate maneuver, reigniting their feud.^[44] At April's Backlash, Porter dropped the title to Hardy,^[45] ending his record reign at 343 days, the third longest in the history of the belt.^[46]

In wrestling

Porter with the WWE United States (right shoulder) and Tag Team Championship belts

• Finishing and signature moves
  • Playmaker^[2] (Overdrive) - WWE
  • Malicious Intent^[47] (Spinning Capoeira kick) – Independent circuit
  • T.T.B. – (Take it) To The Bank / Tribute To Benoit^{[citation needed]}(Arm trap crossface) – Independent circuit
  • Ballin' Elbow^[48] (Elbow drop with theatrics)
  • Big boot / Running big boot to a standing, cornered or kneeling opponent's face
  • Facebreaker knee smash
  • Snap overhead belly to belly suplex
  • German suplex
  • Multiple side knee lifts to the opponent's head locked in a three-quarter facelock

• Nicknames
  • Mr. 305
  • MVP
  • The Franchise Player
  • Half Man, Half Amazing
  • The Ballin' Superstar^[49]
  • Mr. Prime Time
  • The Captain of the Team – When teaming with Matt Hardy
  • The only man with 3 halves – During his WWE Tag Team Championship reign

• Theme music
  • "Get Back" by Ludacris (FIP)
  • "I'm Comin'" by Silkk The Shocker (WWE)

Championships and accomplishments

Porter had the longest reigning United States Championship reign in WWE history and third longest in the history of the championship.

• Coastal Championship Wrestling
  • CCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[50]
• Future of Wrestling
  • FOW Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[51] – with Punisher
• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[6] – with Matt Hardy
  • WWE United States Championship (1 time)^[46]
• Xtreme Wrestling Alliance
  • XWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

Personal information

In October of 2007 Burke was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare condition that causes the heart to beat faster than usual.^[33] The diagnosis and treatment were worked into WWE storylines.^[52]

Burke has acquired numerous tattoos through his life, including; a portrait of Malcolm X on his upper left chest,^[7][53] the sarcophagus of King Tut on his left upper biceps,^[7][54] the legend "Monte Cristo" along with the phrase "The best revenge is living well" in script on his right forearm—both references to the book The Count of Monte Cristo^[7]—and an Eye of Horus on the back of his left arm.^[7][55] He also has a number of homemade gang related tattoos that he had done when he was in his teens and which he is no longer proud of.^[7]

References

External links

Professional wrestling Portal

• Alvin Burke, Jr. (Montel Vontavious Porter) at WWE.com
• Alvin Burke, Jr. (Montel Vontavious Porter) at Online World of Wrestling
• Alvin Burke, Jr. (Antonio Banks) at the Internet Movie Database
• Alvin Burke, Jr. (Antonio Banks) at TV.com