Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983) is an American professional wrestler he is currently signed to IMPACT Wrestling, where he performs as Matt Sydal, and is a former Impact Grand Champion and IMPACT X Division Champion.
Between 2000 and 2007, Korklan wrestled on the independent circuit, for promotions including NWA Midwest, IWA-Mid South, and Ring of Honor, winning both singles and tag team championships. He also wrestled for the short-lived Wrestling Society X and was featured on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's early pay-per-view events. Beginning in 2005, he wrestled for Dragon Gate in Japan, and won the Open the Brave Gate Championship in early 2007. He signed with WWE in 2007, and made his main roster debut as Evan Bourne on ECW the following year. In 2011, he formed an alliance with Kofi Kingston, known as Air Boom, and they won the WWE Tag Team Championship. In 2012, he was suspended for violating WWE's wellness policy, and then injured his foot in a motorcycle accident, forcing him out of action. Without reappearing on television, he was released from WWE in 2014 and returned to wrestling on the independent circuit under his former ring name. He has also wrestled for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and a one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion.
Korklan is known for his high flying but hybrid lucha libre and puroresu styles of wrestling and was named the Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Best Flying Wrestler in 2008.
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- Air Sydal / Air Bourne / Shooting Sydal Press (Shooting star press)
- Chemical Imbalance II (Kneeling double pumphandle wheelbarrow driver)
- Cyclorama / Sydal Special (Avalanche belly-to-belly moonsault slam)
- Signature moves
- Aftershock (Gory neckbreaker)
- Cannonball (Diving leg drop)
- Corkscrew plancha
- Cradle suplex
- Double Helix (Springboard corkscrew moonsault)
- Dragonrana
- Frankensteiner, sometimes from the top rope
- Headscissors takedown
- Here It Is Driver (Pumphandle half nelson driver)
- Meteroa (Diving double knee drop)
- Moonsault, sometimes while standing
- Multiple kick variations
- Corner drop, sometimes preceded by a catapult
- Drop, sometimes from the top rope
- Enzuigiri
- Roundhouse
- Shining wizard to a cornered opponent
- Springboard 450° splash
- The Slice (Split-legged inverted leg drop bulldog into a pin)
- Springboard corkscrew senton
- Suicide dive
- Managers
- Allison Danger
- Daizee Haze
- Jade Chung
- Josh Mathews
- Larry Sweeney
- Lizzy Valentine
- Nicknames
- "Air Bourne"
- "King of Gin"
- "Reborn / Rebourne"
- Entrance themes
- Independent circuit
- "Seek and Destroy" by Metallica
- "Dope Nose" by Weezer
- "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins
- "Warrior Man" by Dr. Dog
- Ring of Honor
- "Clavicle" by Alkaline Trio
- "My Seventh Rib" by The Shins
- "Warrior Man" by Dr. Dog
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- "Axeman" by Damian Wes, Lenny Charles and Sparky Buddha
- "Born to Win" by Mutiny Within
- "Born to SOS" by Mutiny Within and Collie Buddz (used while teaming with Kofi Kingston)
- "Boom" by Jim Johnston (used while teaming with Kofi Kingston)
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- "「A・I・R」" by Yonosuke Kitamura
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling / IMPACT Wrestling
- "All Excess" by Dale Oliver
- "Starman" by Dale Oliver
- All Elite Wrestling
- "My Time to Fly" by Mikey Rukus
- Independent circuit
Championships and accomplishments[]
- Dragon Gate
- Open the Brave Gate Championship (1 time)
- IMPACT Wrestling
- Impact Grand Championship (1 time)
- IMPACT X Division Championship (1 time)
- Sony SIX X Division Invitational Trophy (2017)
- Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
- IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Ted Petty Invitational (2005)
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ricochet
- NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ricochet and Satoshi Kojima
- Super Jr. Tag Tournament (2015) – with Ricochet
- NWA Midwest
- NWA Midwest X Division Championship (2 times)
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Fit
- PWF Lord Of The World Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked #63 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 2009 and 2010
- Ring of Honor
- ROH World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Christopher Daniels
- SoCal Uncensored
- Match of the Year (2016) – with Ricochet and Will Ospreay vs. Adam Cole and The Young Bucks (September 3)
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kofi Kingston
- Slammy Awards
- Best Finishing Maneuver (2008)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 5 Star Match (2016) – with Ricochet and Will Ospreay vs. Adam Cole & The Young Bucks (September 3)
- Best Flying Wrestler (2008)
- Best Wrestling Maneuver (2008) – Shooting star press
- Most Underrated (2009)