Willie McClinton Jr. (born January 5, 1987) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Willie Mack. He is best known for his work with Lucha Underground, California-based promotion Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Championship Wrestling from Hollywood and is currently signed to IMPACT Wrestling.
Pro wrestling career
Independent circuit (2006–present)
Mack began his wrestling training while still in high school, but put it on hold until he graduated. He then attended Martin Marin’s WPW Training School in Anaheim, California and wrestled at their weekly events at the Anaheim Marketplace. Knowing that he needed further training, Mack moved on to Bart Kapitzke’s AWS School in Industry, California and began wrestling for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) sanctioned Alternative Wrestling Show.
At AWS, he was noticed by NWA producers and was invited to appear at tapings of NWA Wrestling Showcase, where he had the opportunity to face such wrestlers as Adam Pearce, Brent Albright, Joey Ryan, Chris Escobar and more. Mack also wrestled at the tapings as part of a tag team with his best friend and fellow WPW graduate Jerome Robinson.
Mack began wrestling for another NWA sanctioned group, Mach One Wrestling, who run weekly events at the American Sports Center across the street from where WPW had run previously. Mack was instantly one of the most popular wrestlers in the group. On February 5, 2010 after defeating Scorpio Sky in a number one contenders match for the M1W Championship, Mack entered himself into a three-way elimination match later that same evening, making it a four-way. After Joey Ryan and James Morgan were eliminated, Mack defeated reigning champion, Bobby Marshall to claim the title.
On March 5, 2011, Mack lost the M1W Championship to Morgan in a four-way match that also involved Nick Madrid and Andrew Hellman. On November 2, 2013, Mack participated in a tournament to crown the first MexPro Wrestling United States Champion. He defeated Jacob Diez and SoCal Crazy in the semi-finals, but he lost to CJ Kruz in the finale. On November 3, 2013, Mack was defeated by Samoa Joe at Championship Wrestling from Hollywood's Open Door, in a Dream match. On November 14, 2013, Mack was defeated by the CWFH Santino Bros. Wrestling Champion Robby Phoenix.
On June 15, 2014 Mack won the Championship Wrestling from Hollywood Red Carpet Rumble in a match which included Matt Striker, X-Pac, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Joey Ryan.
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (2010–2014)
Mack debuted for the Southern California company Pro Wrestling Guerrilla on December 11, 2010, winning his first match. It has been acknowledged on DVD commentary that he attended PWG shows as a fan before training to be a wrestler. On March 4, 2011, Mack participated in the 2011 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament, pairing with Brandon Gatson in a loss against The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), the eventual winners, in the Opening Round. On May 27, Mack gained a substantial win by upsetting Kevin Steen. He then began a streak of wrestling top names on the independent scene, defeating Chris Hero in the first round of the 2011 Battle of Los Angeles before losing to El Generico, the eventual winner, in the semifinal round. On December 10, Mack beat Chris Hero for a second time in what ended up being Hero's PWG exit match. He continued his streak by beating Naruki Doi on January 29 and Roderick Strong on March 17, 2012.
Mack took part in the 2012 Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament, teaming with El Generico as 2 Husky Black Guys. The duo beat Roderick Strong and the debuting Sami Callihan in the Opening and the RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime & Johnny Yuma) in the semifinal rounds, before succumbing to the Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Stupefied) in the Final. On May 25, Mack faced and beat Michael Elgin. On July 21 at Threemendous III, PWG's nine-year anniversary event, Mack received a shot at the PWG World Championship, but was defeated by defending champion Kevin Steen. The match saw an interference by Brian Cage, which launched a feud between Cage and Mack. The 2012 Battle of Los Angeles, taking place in September, saw Mack lose against Sami Callihan on Night One. The following month at Failure to Communicate, Mack lost in his first encounter against Brian Cage. At Mystery Vortex on December 1, he faced Cage once more, this time in a match also involving B-Boy and TJ Perkins, with Mack emerging victorious. Mack wrestled his PWG farewell match on August 31, 2014.
WWE (2014–2015)
In September 2014, it was reported that McClinton had passed WWE's medical tests and would be reporting to WWE's developmental territory, NXT, in Orlando, Florida. On October 13, 2014, McClinton stated that he had been released from WWE before he had even arrived in Orlando. A few years later, McClinton said WWE fired him because a medical test found something wrong with his blood pressure and his knee; however, he suspects he was fired because WWE signed Apollo Crews.
Lucha Underground (2015–present)
Mack representing The Crash as part of La Junta in the World Wrestling League
In February 2015, it was announced Mack worked at Lucha Underground's TV tapings. He wrestled under the ringname The Mack, Big Ryck's cousin. On February 8, 2015, along with Killshot and Big Ryck participated in a tournament for the LU Trios Championship, but they were defeated in the semi-finals by the eventual winners Angélico, Son of Havoc and Ivelisse. Mack was then put into a feud with Cage, who attacked Mack backstage in order to be a part of a trios team with Big Ryck and Davari. Their feud culminated in a falls count anywhere match that saw Mack lose to Cage. On the first set of tapings for season 2 of Lucha Underground Mack defeated the debuting PJ Black using the stunner. Mack was unsuccessful at winning the Lucha Underground Championship against Johnny Mundo. Mack would team with Dante Fox and Killshot where they defeated Snake Tribe (Drago, Pindar & Vibora) to win the Lucha Underground Trios Championship.
IMPACT Wrestling (2018–present)
On October 11, it was announced that Willie Mack would team with Rich Swann against the team of Matt Sydal and Ethan Page at Bound for Glory. On October 14, Mack would make his official debut, with Swann and Mack defeating Sydal and Page.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Chocolate Thunder Bomb (Scoop lift sitout powerbomb)
- Chocolate Thunder Driver (Over the shoulder reverse piledriver)
- Six Star Frog Splash
- Signature moves
- Jumping knee drop
- MDX – My Dick Xplodes (Leaping corner clothesline with Mack's legs going through the ropes)
- Moonsault
- Over-the-ropes suicide senton
- Pop-up elbow smash
- POUNCE (Running low-angle shoulder block)
- Samoan drop, followed by kip-up and standing moonsault or running shooting star press
- Saito suplex
- Snap suplex, locomotion Northern lights suplex, locomotion German suplex
- SHORYUKEN! (Jumping spinning uppercut)
- Stunner
- Nicknames
- "Chocolate Caliente"
- "Chocolate Thunder"
- "The Chocolate Juggalo"
- "Milk Chocolate"
- Entrance music
- Independent circuit
- "Game Over (Flip)" by Lil' Flip
- "Put You on the Game" by The Game
- "Down for My N's" by C-Murder
- Combat Zone Wrestling
- "Ray Ban Vision" by A-Trak
- Ring of Honor
- "Make 'em Slay" by King Keleze
- Lucha Underground
- "Bold Comfort" by Sly Silver
- IMPACT Wrestling
- "Slam the Trap" by Alex Shellard & Damon Baxter
- Independent circuit
Championships and accomplishments
- Alternative Wrestling Show
- AWS Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Championship Wrestling from Hollywood
- CWFH Heritage Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)
- CWFH International Television Championship (1 time)
- Red Carpet Rumble (2014)
- Elite Xtreme Wrestling
- EXW Elite Division Championship (1 time)
- House of Hardcore
- HOH Twitch Television Championship (1 time, current)
- HOH Twitch TV Title Tournament (2018)
- Insane Wrestling League
- IWL Anarchy Championship (1 time)
- Lucha Underground
- Lucha Underground Trios Championship (2 times) – with Dante Fox and Killshot (1) and Killshot and Son of Havoc (1)
- Mach One Wrestling
- M1W Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA National Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #179 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2018
- Rival Pro Wrestling
- RPW Undisputed Championship (1 time, current)
- SoCal Uncensored
- Southern California Wrestler of the Year (2010)
- The Crash
- Copa The Crash (2016)
- World Power Wrestling
- WPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)