Byron Saxton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Byron Saxton |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Saxton in 2024
|
|
| Birth name | Bryan Jesús Kelly |
| Born | August 20, 1981 Burke, Virginia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Florida |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Bryan Kelly Byron Saxton Michael Cade |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Billed weight | 212 lb (96 kg) |
| Billed from | Burke, Virginia |
| Trained by | Florida Championship Wrestling |
| Debut | 2003 |
| Retired | 2012 (in-ring competition) |
Bryan Jesús Kelly (born August 20, 1981) is an American sports commentator, ring announcer, and former professional wrestler. He is famous in the world of WWE. He works as a backstage interviewer on SmackDown using the name Byron Saxton.
Byron joined WWE in 2007 as a wrestler. He was a "rookie" on the fourth and fifth seasons of NXT. After his time as a wrestler, he became a commentator for NXT. Later, he moved on to commentate for bigger WWE shows. These included Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown. He also once held the WWE 24/7 Championship.
Contents
Byron Saxton's Early Life
Byron Kelly was born in Burke, Virginia. He grew up there and in Orlando, Florida. He went to the University of Florida. There, he learned about producing and reporting for radio and TV stations. He finished college in 2003. Before joining WWE, he worked as a traffic reporter on TV.
Byron Saxton's Wrestling Journey
Starting His Wrestling Career (2003–2007)
Byron Kelly began his wrestling career in 2003. He wrestled in smaller wrestling groups in Florida and Georgia. In 2004, he tried out for WWE Tough Enough. This was a TV show where people competed to become WWE wrestlers. He did not make it onto the show. He kept wrestling until WWE offered him a tryout in 2007.
Joining WWE's Training Grounds (2007–2012)
Byron signed a contract with WWE. He was sent to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). This was WWE's training center. He started wrestling there in October 2007. He used his real name, Bryan Kelly, at first.
He wrestled in many matches and sometimes teamed up with other wrestlers. In June 2008, he started working as a manager. He helped other wrestlers like Black Pain. On September 30, he changed his wrestling name to Byron Saxton. He formed a group called the Saxton Conglomerate. This group included other wrestlers like Stu Sanders and Tyson Tarver.
Later, Byron Saxton became a commentator in FCW. He worked alongside other announcers. He also had a short time as a commentator for ECW in 2009.
Byron Saxton on NXT (2010–2011)
In November 2010, Byron Saxton was announced as a competitor on NXT Season 4. This show was a competition for new wrestlers. Chris Masters was his mentor, helping him learn. Byron wrestled in tag team matches. He even won a karaoke challenge!
In January 2011, Dolph Ziggler became his new mentor. Byron was eliminated from NXT in February 2011. He returned for NXT Redemption, the fifth season. Yoshi Tatsu was his mentor this time. Byron started calling himself "Big League" Byron Saxton. He thought he was better than other wrestlers. He was voted off NXT Redemption in May 2011. After this, he went back to FCW. He wrestled his last match in August 2012. Then, he became a full-time commentator.
Byron Saxton: Commentator and Announcer (2012–Present)
Byron Saxton returned as a commentator for the new NXT show in May 2012. He also became the ring announcer for NXT. He helped with creative ideas for the company too. He continued to commentate for NXT until December 2015.
In January 2014, Byron Saxton started appearing on Raw. He also joined the commentary team for WWE Superstars. Soon, he was announced as a new member of the main WWE announce team. He became known as "the voice" of WWE SmackDown in 2015.
Byron often filled in for other commentators. He worked on Raw and SmackDown. He also hosted a WWE Network show called Tough Talk. In July 2016, he became a full-time commentator for Raw. He often played a good guy commentator. Other wrestlers and commentators sometimes teased him. In April 2017, he moved to the SmackDown brand.
In January 2020, Byron Saxton returned to the Raw announce team. He also became a commentator for 205 Live. In November 2021, he briefly won the WWE 24/7 Championship. He pinned Corey Graves to win it. But he lost it seconds later to Drake Maverick.
At WrestleMania 38 in April 2022, Stone Cold Steve Austin invited Saxton for a beer. Then, Austin hit him with his famous move, the Stone Cold Stunner. In November 2023, Saxton was the ring announcer for Crown Jewel. In February 2024, he filled in as a commentator for NXT while Booker T was recovering.
Byron Saxton's Achievements
Byron Saxton has won some championships during his career:
- Southern Championship Wrestling
- SCW Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chris Nelson
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- He was ranked No. 223 among the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011.
- United States Championship Wrestling
- USCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWE
- WWE 24/7 Championship (1 time)
See also
In Spanish: Byron Saxton para niños
