Baron Corbin

On November 2 at the Crown Jewel, Corbin cost Braun Strowman the Universal Championship in a match against Brock Lesnar, starting a feud between the two. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Corbin faced Strowman in a TLC match where, if Corbin won, he would become a full-time general manager of Raw; but if Corbin lost, he would be stripped of his authoritative powers. Strowman enlisted the help of Apollo Crews, Bobby Roode, Chad Gable, Finn Bálor, and former Raw general manager Kurt Angle to defeat Corbin. The next night on Raw, authority figures Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, and Triple H stating they would now be running both Raw and SmackDown as a unit with no general managers. Corbin confronted the McMahons to have another chance to become the Raw General Manager. Triple H said that if he could defeat Kurt Angle, then he could become the Raw General Manager. However, Triple H added Apollo Crews, Bobby Roode, and Chad Gable to make it a 4-on-1 handicap match that Corbin lost, definitively ruling him out of the position. Corbin continued his feud with Braun Strowman, being eliminated by him in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble on January 27, 2019. At Elimination Chamber, Corbin defeated Strowman in a no disqualification match, following interference from Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre. The next night on Raw, Corbin was defeated by Strowman in a tables match, ending their feud.

In August, Corbin was announced as one of sixteen competitors in the 2019 King of the Ring tournament. After over a month away from Raw, Corbin returned on the August 19 episode, where he and McIntyre lost to Ricochet and The Miz. In the following weeks, Corbin defeated The Miz in the first round, Cedric Alexander in the quarterfinals, Ricochet and Samoa Joe in the semifinals, and Chad Gable in the final to win the tournament, subsequently changing his ring name to King Corbin. At Hell in a Cell, Corbin had Gable dubbed as "Shorty G" before he was defeated with a roll-up pin.

As part of the 2019 draft, Corbin was drafted to SmackDown brand. At Crown Jewel, Corbin was a member of Team Flair, where they lost to Team Hogan. In November, Corbin began a feud with Roman Reigns defeating him on the November 8, episode of Smackdown following interference from Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. At Survivor Series, Corbin was a member of Team SmackDown and caused his Team SmackDown partner Mustafa Ali to be eliminated, which then led to team captain Roman Reigns performing a spear on Corbin that caused him to be eliminated, while Reigns went on to win the match for his team. Corbin would then defeat Reigns at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs event, in a TLC match, following interference from Dolph Ziggler and The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson), but lost to Reigns at the Royal Rumble in a falls count anywhere match after interference from The Usos also involving Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, and a steel cage match at Super ShowDown, ending their feud. At WrestleMania 36 on night one of the event Corbin lost to Elias after a roll-up pin. On the April 24, episode of Smackdown, Corbin (with the help of Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro) defeated Drew Gulak to qualify for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. At Money in the Bank Corbin failed to win the contract after he and AJ Styles tussled over the briefcase and dropped it to Otis unintentionally.

At Royal Rumble on January 28, 2018, Corbin competed in the Royal Rumble match, entering at number 4, until he was eliminated by Finn Bálor. On the February 13 episode of SmackDown, Corbin earned a spot in Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship match by defeating Kevin Owens, who had previously attacked him. At Fastlane, Styles won the Six-Pack Challenge by pinning Owens. Corbin competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the WrestleMania 34 pre-show; he made it to the final two before being eliminated by Matt Hardy.

In January 2016, Corbin was involved in a triple threat match between Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe on the January 27 episode of NXT to determine the number contender for Finn Bálor's NXT Championship, but Corbin lost after Zayn and Joe both applied their submission holds on Corbin at the same time, with Corbin submitting. NXT General Manager William Regal did not give Corbin another title opportunity, leading to Corbin stating Regal would "regret" his decision, which culminated on the March 2 episode of NXT when Corbin attacked Austin Aries from behind after Regal introduced him, beginning a feud between the two that culminated at NXT TakeOver: Dallas on April 1, where Corbin lost to Aries. On the April 13 episode of NXT, Corbin defeated Tucker Knight in his final NXT appearance.

At the 2016 WWE draft on July 19, Corbin was drafted to the SmackDown brand. After Apollo Crews earned a match for the Intercontinental Championship by defeating Corbin and Kalisto in a triple threat match Corbin repeatedly assaulted Kalisto (who had been pinned in the match), eventually putting him out of action with a (kayfabe) injury. Corbin then defeated Apollo Crews on the Backlash pre-show and Jack Swagger at No Mercy and on the October 18 episode of SmackDown. On the November 8 episode of SmackDown, the returning Kalisto attacked Corbin, causing a (kayfabe) injury and forcing Corbin to drop out of SmackDown's Survivor Series team. Corbin retaliated by costing Kalisto the Cruiserweight Championship at Survivor Series. Kalisto attacked Corbin with a chair during a match on the November 22 episode of SmackDown, leading to a chairs match between the two at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 4, which Corbin won.

After a long absence, Corbin returned at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way with a new look and ring character, to defeat CJ Parker. Corbin then won numerous singles matches against enhancement talents, each in a short amount of time, until crossing paths with Bull Dempsey, who was also winning his matches quickly, beginning a feud between the two. After a staredown at NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, Corbin won their highly anticipated one-on-one match on the January 14, 2015 episode of NXT, breaking Dempsey's undefeated streak in the process. Corbin again defeated Dempsey in the first round of a number one contender's tournament for the NXT Championship, but then was eliminated by Adrian Neville in the semi-final, ending Corbin's undefeated streak. At NXT TakeOver: Rival on February 11, Corbin defeated Dempsey in a No Disqualification match to end their feud.

Pestock signed with WWE in 2012 and was assigned to their developmental brand NXT. He debuted on the main roster at WrestleMania 32, winning the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. During his time on the main roster, he won the 2017 Money in the Bank men's ladder match and the WWE United States Championship. In 2018, he was appointed as the General Manager of Raw and starting a feud with Kurt Angle which culminated at WrestleMania 35, with Corbin defeating Angle in his retirement match. A few months later, Corbin won the 2019 King of the Ring tournament, changing his ring name to King Corbin. Corbin has spent his entire WWE career on the main roster as a villainous character. In 2018, the year he became the constable of Raw, Corbin started to become one of the most divisive figures in professional wrestling, receiving both praise and criticism.

Pestock signed with WWE's developmental system NXT in August 2012. Using the ring name Baron Corbin, he made his in-ring debut on October 18 at a house show, losing to Dante Dash. He would work in several NXT event, usually as an enhancement talent.

Pestock signed a futures contract with the Arizona Cardinals on January 18, 2010, and he was noted for throwing uppercuts in a team scuffle in training camp. He was released by the Cardinals on September 3 and signed to the team's practice squad on September 6. On January 4, 2011, he was again signed to a futures contract with the Cardinals. He was again released on September 2, 2011.

Pestock signed with the Indianapolis Colts on April 27, 2009, after going undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was released by the Colts on August 13 and re-signed by the team on August 19. He was again released by the Colts on September 5.

Pestock's father died in 2008, due to complications from Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Pestock wears his father's wedding ring on a necklace as a tribute, while he also has tattoos of his father and grandfather on his leg. He also has tattoos memorializing his friends, Jackass star Ryan Dunn and Jackass producer Zachary Hartwell, both of whom died in a car crash in June 2011.. Pestock is a Kansas City Chiefs fan.

Pestock attended NCAA Division II college Northwest Missouri State University, where he played offensive guard, and he became a starter his junior year in 2007. Pestock was named honorable mention all-MIAA in 2007 and first team all-MIAA in 2008. He was part of teams that went to four consecutive Division II National Championships and lost each time.

Thomas "Tom" Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player, better known by the ring name Baron Corbin. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name King Corbin.

Thomas Pestock was born on September 13, 1984 in the Kansas City suburb of Lenexa, Kansas. By 2007, Pestock was a two-time Kansas-Missouri Golden Gloves regional champion in amateur boxing. Pestock participated at the 2008 Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions in the super heavyweight division, defeating Chaen Chess in the preliminaries and losing to Andrae Cathron in the quarter-finals.