Whatever Happened To: Monty Brown?

For a few weeks now, something's been eating at me. I recently re-watched Wrestlemania 23, which featured a match pitting Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, RVD, and The Sandman against Elijah "The Pope" Burke, Kevin Thorne, Matt "The Worst Commentator this side of Michael Cole" Striker, and a guy named Marcus Cor Von.

Watching this, I made a joke. After the ECW Originals won the match, I said "who's the real winner here? None of those guys are employed by this company anymore."

After all, Striker went on to host NXT and take turns ruining countless WWE shows.

Kevin Thorne...well, he had a good run.

Elijah Burke is getting a main-event push in TNA.

And Marcus Cor Von (AKA "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown) is....

...


I have no idea what happened to that guy.

First, let me refresh your memory about the guy they call "The Alpha Male."

He was a star collegiate football player. (That's what they tell me, although he did play for 'ferris state') However, he was unable to keep a lasting career in the NFL, playing four seasons with the Bills, and then moving to the Patriots, before a career-ending ankle injury.

During his pro career, Brown played in a Superbowl, and started at right outside linebacker for both squads.

However, his passion all along (so he says) was professional wrestling. He even went as far as to say he only went to New England to get closer to the WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

So he finally got his chance. Brown worked sporadically for TNA for a while before finally getting a full-on roster spot on March 10th, 2004.

Brown was billed as an African Predator. He wore leopard-skin trunks, and acted as if he was on the prowl. This is the time where he developed the FREAKING COOLEST finisher of all time.

THE POUNCEEEEEEEEE~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't care what anyone says, that thing looks more devastating than any finisher in WWE or TNA right now. Plus, throw in the fact that the fans know of his football background, and it's a legit finish, and an awesome looking one, at that.

Brown went on to win the PWI Rookie of the Year award for 2004. He was almost instantly over by the fans, and quickly made his way to the main event scene in the young promotion.

He took turns both feuding, and teaming with, Jeff Jarrett for the better part of two years, as TNA failed to pull the trigger on one of the hottest superstars they had. After middling in upper mid-card status until mid-2006, Monty Brown left TNA.

Brown was quickly snatched up by WWE in November of 2006. His signing was announced on the WWE Website. I remember it now, thinking that the WWE was going to push this guy to the moon. After all, it's not often WWE announces a developmental signing on the front page of their website.

Brown made his debut on the new-ish ECW Brand, winning his first WWE match in squash fashion. Only, something was different.

His name.

That's right, he might as well been called Lloyd Boner, because even that would be better than the travesty of a shitty, moronic, shitty, moronic, Stephanie McMahon name they gave him.

Marquis Cor Von.

WELL THAT'S GONNA SELL T SHIRTS.

God damnit, just let the guy use his real name. There's no reason not to. Sure, I know you love trademarking guy's names, but come on, the guy played, and STARTED, in the NFL! He has some name recognition already! Even if you don't count TNA exposure as name recognition, he hold collegiate records, and he played in a superbowl!

Anyway, after the Days of Our Live- I mean, WWE writers had a think tank meeting, they came to the conclusion that "Marquis Cor Von" would never get over.

But MARCUS COR VON SURE THE FUCK WOULD!

So, after two Eugene-esque name fuck-ups, Cor Von was an ECW 'Superstar.'

He spent the next year involved in a feud with the ECW Originals as part of the New Breed stable.

That stable would have been awesome, if the WWE writers would have done anything with the guys that were in it after they disbanded. Except for Matt Striker.

Oh, ONLY Matt Striker is left from that stable?

Good eye, WWE. Good eye.

Anyway, after that feud, Brown started to get less and less time on ECW. This is when he asked for time off for unknown 'family issues.'

He's never come back. He was released a few months later, and hasn't come back.

According to his wikipedia page, he's currently developing athletic clothing. I guess that means he's lost his passion for wrestling.

It's a shame, too. The guy went to two straight promotions who both missed the boat on a guy who could have been a major star. He's probably too old (40) to make another serious run now, and who knows if he would even want to.

So I guess that's it. We'll never know the whole truth when it comes to Monty Brown.

I just know that I'd be satisfied with one last run in either WWE or TNA, even if it is in the midcard, even if he does have a fucktarded name.

Guy was pretty awesome.