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James Storm

James Allan Black (born June 1, 1975) is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "Tennessee Cowboy" James Storm. He is best known for his appearances with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a seven time NWA Tag Team Champion. Six of these title reigns were as one-half of the tag team America's Most Wanted, along with "Wildcat" Chris Harris. Currently, he is a reigning co holder of the TNA World Tag Team Championship with Robert Roode as one half of Beer Money Inc.

Career

James Black was an amateur wrestler while in high school, winning a state title. In addition, he was a talented basketball player, and was awarded a scholarship to Austin Peay State University (which he was forced to relinquish after injuring his shoulder).

Black's professional wrestling career began when he was trained by Slash, a veteran tag wrestler, in 1995. His training was hampered by a broken shoulder, and Black eventually dropped out of Slash's training school. He resumed training with Shane Morton after his shoulder had healed.

Black toured the south-east independent circuit before being signed to a World Championship Wrestling (WCW) developmental deal in 2000. Black made several appearances for World Championship Wrestling on WCW Worldwide and WCW Saturday Night in 2000 as an enhancement talent, where he assumed the ring name James Storm. Storm returned to the independent circuit after World Championship Wrestling was sold to the WWF in March 2001.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002-Current)

Storm wrestled his future tag team partner, Chris Harris, on a "Legends Night" show on June 1, 2002. As a result of the match, both wrestlers were hired by the upstart Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion. The pair expected to wrestle as singles, but were instead placed into a tag team, which Harris claimed they named "America's Most Wanted" because everyone involved in their match had been hired by TNA, even the referee. Storm disagrees, claiming the name was a reference to his "little trouble with the law".

Storm appeared on the inaugural TNA pay-per-view on June 19, 2002, and the team wrestled for the first time on the second ever TNA PPV on June 26, 2002. The team quickly became mainstays of the promotion, and teamed regularly over the next few years. Splits were teased in early 2003 and again in 2004, but nothing came of them.

Storm, along with Harris, turned heel in late-2005 by helping Jeff Jarrett defeat Raven for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. They went on to join Jarrett's Army, acquiring the managerial skills of Gail Kim in the process. Storm's penchant for wearing cowboy hats resulted in the team being often jeered as "Brokeback Mountain", a reference to the movie about homosexual cowboys, during their heel run.

In mid 2006, they would again tease their split due to miscommunication during their matches, most notably when Harris accidentally hit Storm with a garbage can during a No DQ match against Team 3D. During their run as a team, the duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship seven times.

On the December 14, 2006 edition of Impact!, the team came to an end after a feud ending match with LAX when Storm hit Harris with a beer bottle. Storm would go on to feud with Petey Williams before turning on Gail Kim and align himself with the returning Jacqueline Moore. He then went on a huge winning streak winning the majority of his matches over Petey Williams, Eric Young and even his own former partner Chris Harris in his return match among several others. At the Sacrifice pay-per view, Storm was defeated by his former tag team partner Chris Harris in a Texas Death Match, this ended his long running winning streak. The two faced off again in a King of the Mountain qualifying match where both men hit each other with weapons and caused each other to bleed from the head. Harris would spear Storm through the tunnel wall which would give the referee no other choice but to count both of them out.

After this, he teamed with Robert Roode to defeat Eric Young and Rhino. He and Jacqueline would celebrate a tag team victory against Rhino by pouring beer into his mouth, which set off Rhino due to the instant reminder of a history of alcohol abuse that he overcame, thus sparking a feud between them. As the weeks continued, Storm would mockingly taunt Rhino about "knowing he likes alcohol" every chance he got, and continue to try and pour beer in Rhino's mouth any time he defeated him. Storm was able to defeat Rhino at the Victory Road 2007 after hitting Rhino with a beer bottle. Their feud continued with Storm again defeating Rhino in a Bar Room Brawl at Hard Justice. For several weeks, Storm would be included in vignettes where he would try to find Rhino at local bars. Rhino then challenged Storm to a match at No Surrender. Rhino defeated Storm by pinfall after he gored Storm through a table.

After Rhino was injured, Storm started a feud with Eric Young over who was the better drinker. Young won Storm's "Drinking Championship Belt" and held it for two months before losing it back to Storm in a ladder match. Following this Rhino made his return from injury and proceeded to deliver a Gore to Storm, challenging him to an Elevation X match. As the ladder match with Eric Young had demonstrated, Storm has a (kayfabe) fear of heights, a major disadvantage in Elevation-X. After teasing a walk-out Storm did in fact compete in the match and after attempting to hide inside of the scaffold structure, Storm ended up losing the match and falling through a table in the ring below. Following a couple of weeks off to (kayfabe) heal his injuries, Storm returned on the live March 27 episode of Impact! and attacked Sting with a beer bottle. On the April 4 edition of Impact!, Matt Morgan allowed Storm to join Team Tomko making it a 5 on 4 match (until Matt Morgan himself joined Team Cage). At Lockdown, Storm, along with Team Tomko lost their match against Team Cage. Storm was then announced as one of the "Egotistical Eight" to participate in the Deuces Wild Tournament, and he would have to team up with a random partner, who was later to be revealed as his bitter rival, Sting. Storm then faced Sting in a " No DQ" match that Sting won. At Sacrifice, Sting and Storm lost to Team 3D.

The Formation of Beer Money Inc

On the June 12 edition of Impact, Storm, along with Robert Roode, challenged LAX for the TNA World Tag Team Championship. Storm and Roode were successful in winning the match following a Last Call from Storm to Hernandez with a belt wrapped around his boot. Hector Guerrero (LAX's manager), who was at ringside however, informed the referee about what happened and the match was restarted. LAX ended up retaining the titles following a Border Toss from Hernandez to Storm. After the match, Storm, Roode and Jacqueline handcuffed LAX to the ring posts, and then proceeded to whip them with leather belts. Later that night they challenged LAX to retaliate. The next week on Impact!, LAX challenged Storm and Roode to a Fan's Revenge Match at Victory Road for the titles. The team of Storm and Roode (now known as "Beer Money") lost to the Motor City Machine Guns in one match and Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash in another match later in the July 3rd edition of Impact!. At Victory Road, LAX retained the titles. But at Hard Justice, Beer Money defeated LAX after Storm hit Homicide with a beer bottle and won the TNA World Tag Team Championship for the first time individually and as a team. At No Surrender 2008 Beer Money Inc defeated LAX to retain the titles and on the next Impact! they defeated LAX again this time having Hector Guerrero disbanding for LAX.