Buddy Matthews Bio
Matthew Adams, known professionally as Buddy Matthews, is an Australian professional wrestler born on 26 September 1988 in Melbourne, Australia. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and previously built his reputation in WWE under the ring names Buddy Murphy and Murphy. Standing 180 cm tall and weighing 102 kg, Adams has performed across Australian independent promotions, WWE’s developmental and main rosters, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and AEW. He is recognized as the first Australian national to win a championship in WWE and is a former AEW World Trios Champion.
Across more than seventeen years in the ring, Adams has worked under several ring names, including Matt Silva early in his career, Buddy Murphy during his WWE tenure, and Buddy Matthews since 2021. His journey has included tag team success, a reign as WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and a prominent role in AEW’s House of Black and Hounds of Hell factions. He married fellow Australian wrestler Rhea Ripley in June 2024.
Buddy Matthews Early Life and Background
Early Life and Background
Matthew Adams was born on 26 September 1988 in Melbourne, Victoria. He grew up in the Melbourne area and attended Berwick Secondary College, where he graduated in 2006. From an early age, he developed a strong interest in extreme sports, including bungee jumping, rock climbing, and swimming with great whales, pursuits that reflected the athletic mindset he would later bring to professional wrestling.
Adams is a supporter of the Carlton Football Club, an Australian rules football team based in Melbourne. His WWE ring name was a direct reference to former Carlton midfielder Marc Murphy, tying his wrestling identity to his hometown sporting loyalties. These early influences shaped his approach to performance and helped motivate his move into the wrestling industry.
Path to Professional Wrestling
Adams received his professional training from Australian wrestler Carlo Cannon, who prepared him for a career in the squared circle. He made his in-ring debut on 8 September 2007 at Professional Championship Wrestling (PCW) under the ring name Matt Silva, teaming with Jacko Lantern to defeat Adam Brooks and Diaz. The debut marked the start of a steady climb through the Australian independent scene.
Working primarily in Melbourne, Adams became a mainstay in both PCW and Melbourne City Wrestling (MCW). He captured the PCW State Championship by defeating Danny Psycho on 3 December 2010, establishing himself as a champion at the regional level. In MCW, he defeated Slex on 28 January 2012 to win the MCW World Heavyweight Championship, holding the title for 293 days and earning recognition as one of Australia’s top homegrown talents.
Buddy Matthews Career
Early Career (2007–2013)
During his formative years, Adams competed exclusively in Australian promotions, building a reputation as a hard-hitting competitor. His work in PCW and MCW allowed him to refine his craft while also contributing to the growth of professional wrestling in Melbourne. The championships he captured during this period gave him the credibility needed to attract attention from international companies.
His performances in front of Australian audiences did not go unnoticed. On 17 March 2013, Adams signed a developmental contract with WWE, ending his time as a full-time Australian independent wrestler. He departed his home country to relocate to the United States, where he would begin the next chapter of his career in WWE’s developmental system.
NXT Breakthrough (2013–2017)
Adams was assigned to NXT and debuted on 23 November 2013 as Buddy Murphy at an NXT house show. In August 2014, he formed a tag team with Wesley Blake, and the duo quickly rose through the division. On 28 January 2015, Blake and Murphy defeated The Lucha Dragons to win the NXT Tag Team Championship, making Murphy the first Australian national to hold a championship in WWE. The team made several successful title defenses, including a win at NXT TakeOver: Rival, before losing the titles to The Vaudevillains at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn after a reign of 219 days.
Following the tag title loss, Murphy transitioned to singles competition in NXT. After a brief reunion with Blake that ended in defeat to TM-61, he declared himself a singles competitor by confronting Shinsuke Nakamura. His final televised appearance in NXT came on 4 January 2017, when he teamed with Tye Dillinger to defeat Bobby Roode and Elias Samson, setting the stage for his move to WWE’s main roster.
205 Live and Cruiserweight Champion Era (2018–2019)
In early 2018, Murphy lost about 25 pounds and requested to compete on the 205 Live brand. He debuted on 20 February 2018, defeating Ariya Daivari in the first round of the Cruiserweight Championship tournament before losing to Mustafa Ali in the quarterfinals. After a series of strong performances, including a fatal four-way win over TJP, Akira Tozawa, and Kalisto, he challenged for the title.
On 6 October 2018, at Super Show-Down in his hometown of Melbourne, Murphy defeated Cedric Alexander to win the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, becoming the first Australian man to capture a singles title in WWE. He successfully defended the title against Mustafa Ali at Survivor Series and Cedric Alexander at TLC, before losing it to Tony Nese at the WrestleMania 35 Kickoff Show after a 183-day reign. At the time of the loss, Murphy had been undefeated in televised singles matches dating back to July 2018.
Main Roster and Tag Team Success (2019–2021)
Murphy was drafted to SmackDown in April 2019 and then moved to Raw in October 2019. On Raw, he aligned himself with Seth Rollins, becoming Rollins’s disciple and eventually winning the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship with him. His ring name was shortened to simply Murphy in February 2020 after a request through WWE producer Michael Hayes.
Murphy and Rollins defended the tag titles against The Street Profits at Super ShowDown before losing them in a rematch on Raw on 2 March 2020, ending their reign at 42 days. The duo feuded with Rey Mysterio, Dominik Mysterio, and Aleister Black, but internal tensions eventually led Murphy to turn on Rollins in November 2020. After a brief return to television in early 2021, Murphy’s final WWE appearance came on 9 April 2021 at SmackDown, and he was released from his contract on 2 June 2021.
AEW Era (2022–Present)
Matthews debuted for All Elite Wrestling on 23 February 2022 on Dynamite, aligning himself with Malakai Black and Brody King as part of the House of Black. AEW president Tony Khan confirmed his signing shortly after the debut. The House of Black quickly rose to the top of the trios division, defeating The Elite at Revolution on 5 March 2023 to win the AEW World Trios Championship.
The trio held the titles throughout 2023, including a ladder match feud with Andrade El Idolo, before losing the championships to The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn at All In in August 2023. On 1 May 2024, Matthews unsuccessfully challenged Adam Copeland for the AEW TNT Championship. The House of Black turned face in mid-2024, and in January 2025, the group was renamed the Hounds of Hell after Matthews, King, and Julia Hart removed Black from leadership. At Grand Slam Australia on 15 February 2025, Matthews unsuccessfully challenged Kazuchika Okada for the AEW Continental Championship and revealed afterward that he had suffered an ankle injury during his entrance.
Style and Strengths
Matthews is known for a hard-hitting, high-impact style shaped by his background in extreme sports. He pairs strong in-ring conditioning with a willingness to take and deliver punishing strikes, making him effective in singles and trios competition. His work as a disciplined tag team partner, first with Wesley Blake in NXT and later with Seth Rollins on Raw, highlights his adaptability and team-first instincts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Matthews’s signature achievements include becoming the first Australian to win a championship in WWE through the NXT Tag Team Championship with Blake, and later becoming the first Australian man to win a singles title in WWE by capturing the Cruiserweight Championship at Super Show-Down 2018 in Melbourne. In AEW, he reached the top of the trios division with the House of Black at Revolution 2023, cementing his reputation on the international stage.
Buddy Matthews Career Wins
Across Australian independents, WWE, and AEW, Buddy Matthews has collected multiple championships, including the PCW State Championship, two MCW World Heavyweight Championships, the NXT Tag Team Championship, the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, and the AEW World Trios Championship.
NXT and WWE Highlights
Matthews’s NXT run peaked when he and Wesley Blake won the NXT Tag Team Championship in January 2015, making him the first Australian to hold WWE gold. His first WWE singles title came at Super Show-Down in October 2018 in his hometown of Melbourne, where he defeated Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship. He later added the Raw Tag Team Championship with Seth Rollins in early 2020.
Other Wins and Performances
On the independent circuit, Matthews captured the PCW State Championship and two MCW World Heavyweight Championships, first defeating Slex in 2012 and later defeating Mitch Waterman in 2022 at the House Always Wins event. He also competed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Major League Wrestling after his WWE release, expanding his international resume.
Buddy Matthews Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public details about Buddy Matthews’s parents and broader family background are limited. His connection to wrestling is rooted in his Melbourne upbringing and his training under Carlo Cannon, rather than a family lineage in the sport.
Personal Life
Adams was previously engaged to American wrestler Alexis Cabrera, known by the ring name Alexa Bliss, though the engagement ended in September 2018. He later began a relationship with fellow Australian wrestler Demi Bennett, known professionally as Rhea Ripley, and the couple married in June 2024.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 storyline for Buddy Matthews centers on the newly rebranded Hounds of Hell, which he co-leads with Brody King and Julia Hart after the group removed Malakai Black from leadership in January. Matthews challenged for the AEW Continental Championship at Grand Slam Australia on 15 February 2025, falling short against Kazuchika Okada. Following the match, he revealed an ankle injury suffered during his entrance, placing him out of action indefinitely.
The injury has sidelined Matthews during the early part of the 2025 calendar, leaving the Hounds of Hell’s trajectory in the hands of King and Hart until he is cleared to return. AEW’s expanding international schedule, including the Australia-based Grand Slam event, suggests Matthews will remain a featured competitor once healthy.
Looking ahead, Matthews’s comeback is expected to be a focal point of AEW’s 2025 programming, with the Hounds of Hell positioned as a major trios threat. A potential rematch for the Continental Championship and a renewed chase for trios gold are both realistic storylines once he regains full mobility.
