Most Valuable Player

Alvin Burke, Jr. (also known as Hassan Hamin Assad and Antonio Banks, born October 28, 1973),is an American professional wrestler currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on the SmackDown! brand under the ring name Montel Vontavious Porter, or MVP,where he is the reigning United States Champion.

Career

Early life and career

Burke first entered professional wrestling after completing 9½ years of an 18½ year prison sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping which he started at the age of 16. He made his wrestling debut in 2002 and worked for many different companies on the independent circuit using the name Antonio Banks, including appearances with Full Impact Pro, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

World Wrestling Entertainment

In 2005, after a number of house shows and dark matches, Burke signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was assigned to their developmental territory Deep South Wrestling.[3] It was there that he first developed the Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) character: an arrogant, self-obsessed athlete partially inspired by the fictional NFL wide receiver Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) from the film Jerry Maguire and the real-life, Terrell Owens.

SmackDown!

As MVP, he made his first appearance on WWE television on the August 4, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, during which announcers described him as a coveted free agent. The initial storyline involved MVP appearing backstage and in arena crowds, often flanked by women and/or a bodyguard, and talking to SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long about the contract his (unseen) agent was supposedly aggressively negotiating.Throughout his segments commentators described MVP as arrogant, noting that he would stop conversations in the middle to answer his mobile phone or admire his own jewelry while people were speaking to him. Finally, on September 26, video of a press conference announcing the signing of Porter to "the largest contract in SmackDown! history" was uploaded to WWE.com.

MVP's in-ring debut for the brand was set for October's No Mercy pay-per-view, for which he also debuted his heralded entrance featuring an NFL-like inflatable tunnel, before defeating the unknown wrestler Marty Garner. During the match, commentators Michael Cole and JBL decried the choice of opponent, since it had been implied that it would be someone "more competent", and joined in with fans mocking his athletic suit styled ring gear, calling him "pathetic" while the fans chanted Power Ranger. On the following week's SmackDown! MVP cut a promo "demanding" a tougher opponent to prove his mettle, which was answered by Kane—making his SmackDown! debut. The two were placed into a feud for the next two months, with MVP narrowly scoring wins over Kane in a street fight and a cage match before losing to him in an Inferno match at Armageddon, from which he (kayfabe) suffered 1st degree burns. Because of the burns he was "out of action" for a short time, during which color commentator JBL expressed rage with the fans for cheering a match where the only way of achieving victory is to set an opponent on fire.

When the Kane feud died down, MVP began a new one with United States Champion Chris Benoit over Benoit's title. During the build up for a title match with Benoit, MVP appeared on SmackDown! introducing various supposed Champions from around the world, giving them exaggerated measurements before proceeded to defeat them in short order.When he finally faced Benoit at WrestleMania 23 the match was booked with Porter in control for much of the time, before he lost in the end.A rematch at Backlash was booked much the same way, with MVP suddenly losing to an Inside Cradle after looking like he was about to win for much of the match. For Judgment Day, the men were put into a two out of three falls match, with Porter taking the title, his first in WWE, in two straight falls. Porter credits his time working with Benoit for improving his in-ring skill.

His first major feud over the Championship was against Matt Hardy, whom he started claiming to be better than at everything after defeating him at the Great American Bash. When MVP was legitimately diagnosed with the heart condition Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, it was written into the storyline, with MVP blaming the condition for his losing an arm wrestling match against Hardy. When Porter was given an interview segment during SmackDown!, the "VIP Lounge", it was used to bow out of a scheduled boxing match at Saturday Night's Main Event—with Evander Holyfield replacing him, and eventually punching out Porter during the bout.] On the August 24 SmackDown!, MVP bragged to General Manager Teddy Long that he could win the WWE Tag Team Championship with anybody, prompting Long to grant him a Championship match alongside the next person who entered the room; Matt Hardy. The next week, MVP and Hardy took the championship from Deuce N' Domino, making MVP a double champion. MVP and Hardy's contentious relationship had them competing with each other in various ways while MVP proclaimed himself "Captain" of the team and refused to defend his US title. Their reign together came to an end on the November 16 (taped November 13) SmackDown! after Hardy demanded a shot at the US title, only to be informed they had a Tag Team Championship defense against John Morrison and The Miz, which they promptly lost. After their loss, and immediate re-match loss, Porter attacked Hardy, targeting his (kayfabe) injured knee, and putting him "out of action".

In wrestling

* Finishing and signature moves
o Playmaker (Overdrive)
o Malicious Intent (Spinning Capoeira kick) — Independent circuit
o T.T.B. — Take (it to) The Bank / Tribute To Benoit (Arm trap crossface) — Independent circuit
o Ballin' Elbow[37] (Elbow drop with theatrics)
o Player's boot (Running big boot to a cornered opponent's face)
o Live From The 305 (Springboard shooting star press) — DSW
o Facebreaker knee smash
o Snap overhead belly to belly suplex
o Multiple side knee lifts to the opponent's head locked in a three-quarters face lock
o DDT
o Football kick

* Nicknames
o Mr. 305
o MVP
o The Franchise Player
o Half Man, Half Amazing
o The Ballin' Superstar[38]
o Mr. Prime Time
o The Captain of the Team — When teaming with Matt Hardy

* Theme music
o "Get Back" by Ludacris (FIP)
o "I'm Comin'" by Silkk The Shocker (WWE)

Championships and accomplishments

* Coastal Championship Wrestling
o CCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[39]
* Future of Wrestling
o FOW Tag Team Championship (1 time)[40] — with Punisher
* World Wrestling Entertainment
o WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time)[41] — with Matt Hardy
o WWE United States Championship (1 time, current)[42]
* Xtreme Wrestling Alliance
o XWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

Personal information

Burke has been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome—a rare syndrome that causes the heart to beat faster than usual.

Burke has numerous tattoos; including a portrait of Malcolm X on his upper left chest, the sarcophagus of King Tut on his left upper biceps, the legend "Monte Cristo" along with the phrase "The best revenge is living well" in script on his right forearm—both references to the book The Count of Monte Cristo —and an Eye of Horus on the back of his left arm. He also has a number of homemade gang related tattoos that he had done when he was in his teens and which he is no longer proud of. (Credit: Wikipedia).

Websites

WWE

WWE MVP profile

Profiles

WWE