D'Lo Brown

1.1. Birth and Upbringing

Accie Julius Connor was born on October 22, 1973. He is an African American from New Jersey, United States. He is married to Jennifer, whom he wed in 2001, and they have two daughters. He also has three half-siblings on his father's side.

1.2. Education and Pre-Wrestling Career

Connor attended the University of Maine, where he earned an accounting degree. During his time at university, he was also a member of the Maine Black Bears football team. Before embarking on his professional wrestling career, he worked as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Beyond his professional life, he is a fan of the Chicago Bears and Liverpool F.C..

2.1. Early Career (1994-1997)

Connor began his wrestling journey in New Jersey, initially performing under the name "Ace the Animal." He received training at Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory and Al Snow's dojo. His early career included appearances as a jobber for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1994, where he wrestled against opponents such as Earthquake under his given name.

In September 1994, Connor debuted in Smoky Mountain Wrestling as "A.C. Conner." By October 1994, he was rebranded as "'Downtown' D'Lo Brown" and introduced as the head of security for the Gangstas stable, which included Mustapha Saed and New Jack. Within the stable, Brown served as the primary worker, complementing Saed's physical presence and Jack's animated persona. He regularly competed on Smoky Mountain Wrestling's television show, making several unsuccessful attempts to capture the SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship. Notable matches included a loss with the Gangstas against the Heavenly Bodies and Jim Cornette at Sunday Bloody Sunday II in February 1995, and a handicap match loss to Tracy Smothers and The Undertaker at Bluegrass Brawl III in April 1995. Brown's final match for Smoky Mountain Wrestling took place in October 1995.

After his departure from Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Brown secured a contract with the WWF. He was subsequently sent to the Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA) for further training while continuing to make appearances as a jobber on WWF television. Additionally, Brown spent a significant portion of 1996 wrestling in Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council.

2.2. World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (1997-2003)

D'Lo Brown's time in the WWF/WWE marked his rise to prominence, characterized by his involvement in the influential Nation of Domination, his pursuit and capture of multiple championships, and a career-altering incident.

2.2.2. Title Pursuits and Key Feuds

In 1998, D'Lo Brown engaged in a notable feud with X-Pac over the WWF European Championship. His career reached a significant peak when he simultaneously held both the European and Intercontinental Championships during a storyline involving Jeff Jarrett and Mark Henry. This remarkable feat has only been replicated by a select few wrestlers, including Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, and Rob Van Dam, all of whom later became world champions in various promotions.

2.2.4. Later WWE Activities

During the remainder of 1999 and into 2000, Brown formed an alliance with his former Nation stablemate, The Godfather, even emulating his distinctive dress and walking motions. This partnership concluded when Brown turned heel on The Godfather.

In July 2000, Brown formed a new tag team named Lo Down with Chaz. The team primarily competed on secondary WWF television programs such as Sunday Night Heat and WWE Jakked / Metal. Shortly after their formation, Tiger Ali Singh joined the team as their manager. The tag team then adopted a gimmick similar to Tiger's, often appearing dressed in Sikh attire. The team was removed from WWF television in January 2001 after Singh sustained an injury. According to Brown, this period was the lowest point of his career. Following this, Chaz and Singh were released by WWE, while Brown remained in WWE's developmental territory, OVW. Notably, Brown had a match against future World Champion Batista, which he lost. He also spent six months wrestling in Puerto Rico for the International Wrestling Association, where he teamed with Glamour Boy Shane and held the IWA Tag Team Titles. Later that year, he returned to OVW and also worked for the Heartland Wrestling Association into 2002.

Brown made his return to WWE television on the April 28, 2002, episode of Heat, where he lost to Eddie Guerrero. For the remainder of that year, Brown primarily wrestled on Heat, occasionally provided commentary for the show, and even initiated a brief feud with Raven. In late 2002, Theodore Long retired from his role as a WWE referee and began managing D'Lo Brown. Brown had publicly complained about perceived acts of racism during his matches, leading to the formation of Long's group, Thuggin' and Buggin' Enterprises. This stable evolved into a group of African American wrestlers who worked an angle asserting they were victims of racism and being held down by the "white man." Under Long's managerial guidance, D'Lo Brown enjoyed an undefeated streak for several weeks.

Brown faced Booker T on the February 10, 2003, episode of Raw, in a losing effort. His involvement with Thuggin' and Buggin' Enterprises concluded when footage aired on the February 16 episode of Heat (taped February 10) showing Theodore Long dismissing D'Lo Brown and introducing Rodney Mack as his replacement. Brown was subsequently released from his WWE contract on February 14, 2003.

2.3. NWA Total Nonstop Action (2003-2004)

After his departure from WWE, D'Lo Brown joined NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA) in March 2003, continuing to use his established ring name. During his initial tenure with TNA, he frequently teamed with AJ Styles, and together they challenged for the NWA World Tag Team Championships, though they were unsuccessful. Following the dissolution of their team, Brown pursued the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Styles, engaging in a best-of-three series but failing to capture the title on any occasion.

On the March 19, 2003, edition of NWA-TNA, Brown teamed with veteran wrestlers Dusty Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett, defeating the trio of Erik Watts, Brian Lawler, and David Flair. On April 2, 2003, Brown unsuccessfully challenged Jeff Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in a weekly pay-per-view event. On April 14, 2004, Brown and Gran Apolo achieved a significant milestone by winning the NWA World Tag Team Championships, defeating Kid Kash and Dallas. However, their reign was brief, as they lost the titles just seven days later. D'Lo Brown eventually left TNA in the summer of 2004. In a September 2014 interview, Brown revealed that during this period in TNA, the creative team had sought to drastically alter his character. Feeling that he was not a good fit with TNA's creative direction, Brown opted to wrestle in Japan, where he could continue performing as D'Lo Brown.

2.4. International Tours (All Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Noah, etc.) (2004-2009)

Following his initial departure from TNA, D'Lo Brown embarked on extensive international tours, primarily focusing on Japanese promotions. He joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), participating in regular tours as a member of the Roughly Obsess and Destroy (RO&D) stable. During one of these tours, on September 17, 2006, Brown betrayed RO&D to align himself with the rival Voodoo Murders faction. Brown left All Japan in 2007 and subsequently rejoined RO&D, this time within Pro Wrestling Noah. In Noah, he formed a successful tag team with Barry Buchanan, and together they challenged for the GHC Tag Team Championship in June 2007, though they were unsuccessful. In October 2007, they entered a tournament to decide the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship and emerged victorious, capturing the titles. They also received the Global Tag League Technique Prize in 2008 and 2009.

When not in Japan, Brown frequently toured the United Kingdom and also worked for Irish Whip Wrestling in Ireland. In April 2005, Brown became one of the lead trainers for the short-lived Celebrity Wrestling reality television show on ITV. This Saturday evening program featured celebrities learning wrestling and competing in matches. After a few weeks, the program was moved to Sunday mornings to complete its final episodes before being canceled. During his time wrestling in England, he engaged in a series of matches against the trainer of his Celebrity Wrestling opposition, Joe Legend.

In February 2009, Brown debuted for Ring of Honor (ROH) during their Proving Ground 09 weekend, immediately challenging for the ROH World Championship against Nigel McGuinness, but was defeated. He also wrestled at the ROH 7th Anniversary Show on March 21, 2009, in Manhattan, where he defeated Jay Briscoe. Brown also made appearances on Ring of Honor Wrestling on HDNet. Varsity Pro Wrestling announced his third appearance for their February tour. Brown also made a surprise appearance in Chikara, filling in for Iceberg of The Cold Front at the 2009 King of Trios tournament. He again came up short in an ROH World Championship match at Take No Prisoners (2009). At ROH's Manhattan Mayhem III on June 13, Brown submitted to Colt Cabana in a four-way match that also included Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli. On June 27, he was again defeated by Cabana at an ROH show.

Throughout April and May 2009, Brown traveled to Japan to participate in the 13-night Pro Wrestling Noah Global Tag League with his partner Buchanan. They won and lost three matches each, with one contest ending in a draw, earning them seven points and placing them sixth out of eight teams. Outside of the tournament, Brown remained undefeated in six-man tag team competition, often teaming with Keith Walker, and notably secured a victory over Noah founder Mitsuharu Misawa in one of Misawa's final matches. On September 15, 2009, on Between The Ropes, Brown announced his retirement from in-ring action after his current tour with Ring of Honor. He also stated he would become a semi-regular co-host for the show when his TNA schedule permitted. He later defeated Mr. Anderson at a TCW event in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on June 12, 2010, and did not wrestle again until 2013.

2.5. Return to WWE (2008-2009)

In 2008, D'Lo Brown began wrestling in a series of dark matches for WWE. On June 5, WWE officially announced that Brown had been signed to a contract, and he continued to work more dark matches for the company. He made his televised return on the July 21, 2008, edition of Raw, where he defeated Santino Marella. Following this return, Brown's appearances on television became more sporadic. On January 9, 2009, WWE's official website announced that he had been released from his contract as part of cost-cutting measures.

2.6. Independent Circuit and TNA Agent (2009-2013)

In September 2009, Accie Connor was re-signed by TNA, this time taking on the role of their lead agent. In addition to this, D'Lo was placed in charge of talent development and acquisitions, overseeing the TNA Gut Check program, which aimed to discover and develop new wrestling talent.

On the March 7, 2013, episode of Impact Wrestling, Brown made a surprising return to in-ring action by attacking Kurt Angle and revealing himself as the Vice President of the Aces & Eights stable, thereby turning heel. Three days later, at the Lockdown pay-per-view, Brown interfered in Angle's steel cage match against fellow Aces & Eights member Wes Brisco, costing Angle the victory. Later that same evening, the President of the Aces & Eights was unmasked as Bully Ray. Brown wrestled his first televised match in four years on the May 2 episode of Impact Wrestling, losing to Kurt Angle in an I Quit Match. As a consequence of this loss, Brown was demoted to a "prospect" within the Aces & Eights the following week. On July 17, Brown announced that he had been released from his TNA contract.

2.7. Return to All Japan Pro Wrestling (2013)

On August 11, 2013, All Japan Pro Wrestling announced that D'Lo Brown would be returning to the promotion the following month to participate in the 2013 Ōdō Tournament. Brown made his return to the promotion on September 11 in a non-tournament tag team match, where he and Bambi Killer defeated Burning (Atsushi Aoki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru), with Brown securing the pinfall victory over Kanemaru. However, three days later, Brown was eliminated by Kanemaru in his first-round match in the Ōdō Tournament. For the remainder of the tour, which concluded on September 23, Brown primarily worked midcard tag team matches, experiencing pinfall losses in most of them. On October 3, Brown was announced for All Japan's subsequent tour, which commenced on October 12. Brown continued to team regularly with Bambi Killer, a partnership that ultimately led to the formation of a new heel stable named DK (Dark Kingdom) under the leadership of Kenso on November 21.

2.8. Later Independent Circuit and Impact Wrestling (2013-Present)

After his departure from TNA, D'Lo Brown returned to the independent circuit. He made an appearance for Pro Wrestling Syndicate on May 18, 2013, alongside D.O.C. and Knux. On August 3, 2013, Brown and Hankinson lost to the legendary Rock N' Roll Express at the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest. By the end of that year, he also worked matches in England and the Netherlands. On November 22, 2014, Brown teamed with former WWE wrestler Bull Buchanan, defeating AJ Steele and Brad Lynch at Buchanan's retirement show for UIW in Bowden, Georgia. He lost to Sabu (wrestler) at the XICW Bodyslams Childhood Cancer event in Wyandotte, Michigan, on July 29, 2017. On October 27, 2018, he won the vacated HLW Legends Title by defeating Dru Skillz in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but dropped the title to Tracy Smothers on April 20, 2019. His last recorded match was on October 7, 2023, for Border City Wrestling, where he, alongside Scott D'Amore and Tommy Dreamer, defeated the team of Johnny Swinger, N8 Mattson, and Tyler Tirva.

From 2014 to 2015, Brown held a weekly class at the "Future Stars of Wrestling" training center in Las Vegas.

On July 3, 2019, Brown announced his return to Impact Wrestling with a multi-year contract, primarily in a producer role. Brown and Mr. Anderson were scheduled to represent the Aces & Eights at TNA: There's No Place Like Home, but the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2021, it was announced that Brown would serve as one half of Impact's new announce team alongside Matt Striker, starting from the Hard to Kill event. This commentary role concluded in early 2022 after he was attacked by the Honor No More stable, and he was subsequently replaced by Matt Rehwoldt. Brown later stated that his exit from commentary allowed him to focus more on his talent relations role backstage. Brown returned as part of a reunited Aces & Eights in June 2022, managing Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco in a losing effort against Honor No More's Kenny King and Vincent. This reunion was a one-off event, as Brown continued his backstage Talent Relations role and made only occasional appearances thereafter. On September 6, 2022, it was announced that Brown was no longer with Impact Wrestling.

3.1. Finishing Moves

D'Lo Brown utilized several impactful maneuvers to conclude his matches:

• Lo Down / Low Down: A diving frog splash characterized by its extended hang time, often performed with a wide-legged, crouching form.
• Sitout powerbomb: A powerful move used in his early career, particularly around 1997.
• Sky High: A sitout spinebuster, occasionally executed from an elevated position, often used as a counter. It was also referred to as "Sky High Drop" or "Sky High Bomb."
• Swinging side slam: A variation of the side slam.
• FUJIYAMA (FUJIYAMA^Japanese): A unique move where he would embrace his opponent, then spin them around his body before executing a scrap buster. This move was named because its motion resembled the King of Coasters Fujiyama rollercoaster at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan.

3.2. Signature Moves

Brown's diverse arsenal of signature moves included:

• Body avalanche
• Body slam
• Diving axe handle elbow drop
• Diving moonsault, sometimes performed as a springboard moonsault.
• Diving senton bomb
• D'Lo Leaf: A cloverleaf submission hold.
• Elevated mounted punch
• Hurricanrana
• Multiple kick variations:
  • Diving high kick
  • Jumping heel kick, often targeting an opponent who was loading up for a move.
  • Leg lariat, sometimes from an elevated position.
  • Shining Impact: A running enzuigiri.
• Multiple leg drop variations:
  • Corner springboard leg drop
  • Jumping leg drop
  • Slingshot leg drop
• Over the top rope suicide dive
• Running inverted DDT
• Running shining wizard, often followed by his signature LOVE pose as a tribute to Keiji Mutoh.
• Sudden Impact: A running lariat often teasing a seated opponent.
• Abise-geri (浴びせ蹴り_Abise-geri^Japanese, Japanese term for a type of kick), often delivered to an opponent entering the ring after a tag.

His entrance themes included "Nation of Domination" (WWF, 1997-1998), "Composed" (WWF, 1998), "You Better Recognize" (WWF, 1998-1999), "Danger at the Door" (WWF/WWE, 1999-2000, 2002-2003), "D'Lo Fest" (TNA), and "Deadman's Hand (Instrumental)" (TNA, 2013, as part of Aces & Eights). He was managed by several figures throughout his career, including Johnny Bradford, Ivory, Mark Henry, Pretty Mean Sisters (Terri & Jacqueline), Tiger Ali Singh, Theodore Long, and Taru.

4.1. Family and Relationships

Connor married Jennifer in 2001. Together, they have two daughters, with their second daughter born in August 2009. He also has three half-siblings from his father's side of the family.

4.2. Other Interests and Background

Beyond his wrestling career, Connor holds an accounting degree from the University of Maine and is a CPA. He also played for the Maine Black Bears football team during his university years. He is a fan of the Chicago Bears and Liverpool F.C..

Connor has a deep admiration for Japanese wrestling culture, particularly for Keiji Mutoh and his alter ego, The Great Muta. He often performs Mutoh's signature "LOVE pose" (プロレスLOVE_{Puroresu Rabu}^Japanese) in the ring as a tribute, not as a taunt. He is also proficient in the Japanese language, capable of shouting popular catchphrases of Japanese wrestlers like Satoshi Kojima's "Yoooshi!" (よぉぉし!_Yoooshi!^Japanese) and "Icchauzo Bakayarō" (いっちゃうぞバカヤロー_{Icchauzo Bakayarō}^Japanese) during matches. In January 2007, he became a co-owner of an indoor football league team in the United States but resigned before the fifth home game of that season.

5.1. Major Championships

5.2. Other Titles and Awards