HC Loc

Matthew "Matt" Knowles (born October 8, 1974) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name HC Loc. He is perhaps best known for his tenure in Ring of Honor, where he is a one time World Tag Team Champion with Tony DeVito as a part of The Carnage Crew.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1996–1999)

After watching a television advertisement for "Crunchers Gym", a professional wrestling school operated by Bob Bailey, Knowles decided to enroll in order to become a professional wrestler. Despite being uncertain as to whether or not he would be accepted into the school, given that he was exceptionally small for a professional wrestler in the mid-1990s, Knowles contacted Bailey and was admitted to the school. He would then train under Bailey and T.C. Reynolds for six days a week over the course of fifteen months.

After taking part in several tag team matches and battle royals, he wrestled his first singles match on August 8, 1996 against Steve Corino in Bailey's own promotion. Knowles originally wrestled under his own name, but later renamed himself to HC Loc. The "HC" stood for "Hard Core" (as in hardcore music, not hardcore wrestling).