There’s no substitute for hard work. While one may possess a tremendous skill set, encompassing every aspect of professional wrestling, it can only be unlocked with the right work ethic. This has been the story of Brandon Cutler who, according to All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice Presidents The Young Bucks, developed a reputation as a hard worker who asks for nothing. This past May, on an emotional episode of Being the Elite, Cutler received the break of a lifetime.
This isn’t to say that Cutler is a mere fairytale story that makes for good PR. In this week’s AEW talent preview, we will dive deep into the career of the man signed as both the promotion’s Executive Content Producer and active in-ring performer.
Cutler began his professional wrestling career during the early-to-mid aughts, working under the tutelage of Matt and Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks. At the time, the Victorville, California-based High-Risk Wrestling was owned by the tag team in question before it was passed on to RJ Lee in 2008. Cutler worked under the alias Ronnie Tsunami early in his career. In September of 2005, Tsunami made his HRW debut against Tyler Durken in a losing effort. He would also work with his trainers before the year came to a close.
Brandon Cutler
In 2006, Tsunami formed a tag team with CK Jackson, the younger brother of Matt and Nick. Together, Tsunami and CK became known as Killer Tsunami. They would win the HRW Tag Team Championship at Highway 2 Hell, in July, in a triangle match. They would hold onto championship for a few months before dropping them in November to Sonny Samson and Mr. Instant Replay, the latter being Matt Jackson’s ring name at the time.
2007 saw Tsunami work with Alternative Wrestling Show, based out of City of Industry, California. He would also form the tag team The Tsunamis alongside real-life brother Dustin Cutler, then known as Donnie Tsunami. They challenged The Young Bucks for the AWS Tag Team Championship in July, at Crowning a Champion, but came up short. The Cutler Brothers would make their International Championship Wrestling debut in October, working with The Young Bucks and exchanging victories. This was just the start to their work together, not to mention the creation of the Indytaker on the part of The Cutler Brothers. The Young Bucks would adopt this technique down the road.
The luck of The Cutler Brothers would start to change in 2008. In March, at AWS Six Year Anniversary, they defeated The Young Bucks for the vacant AWS Tag Team Championship in a tables and ladders match. They would successfully defend the championship until June when they dropped it at Bart’s Birthday Bash event in a four-way elimination cage match. Nonetheless, The Cutler Brothers remained in contention for the AWS Tag Team Championship during the year. In October, at HRW Resurrection, they unsuccessfully challenged The Young Bucks for the PWG World Tag Team Championship. Two months later, The Cutler Brothers would challenge The Skull Krushers for the NWA World Tag Team Championship but came up short once again.
The Cutler Brothers
In January of 2009, The Cutler Brothers made their Pro Wrestling Guerrilla debut at The Gentle Art of Making Enemies. They faced Los Luchas, comprised of Zokre and Phoenix Star, in a losing effort. In February, The Cutler Brothers debuted for Full Contact Wrestling LA, based out of Los Angeles. It wasn’t until April that they started to appear for PWG on a more regular basis. Early on, they worked with The Young Bucks. In July, at PWG Threemendous II, they teamed with Charles Mercury to defeat the team of Johnny Goodtime, Jerome Robinson, and Brandon Gatson. The Cutler Brothers would continue to work PWG events throughout the year.
The Cutler Brothers participated in the M1W Tag Team Championship tournament in January of 2010. They defeated Todd Chandler and Locura in the first round but fell short against The Natural Selection, comprised of Shaun Ricker and Brain Cage, in the quarterfinals. In May, The Cutler Brothers participated in the PWG DDT4 2010 tournament. They defeated Ryan Taylor and Roderick Strong in the first round, which led to a PWG World Tag Team Championship match against The Young Bucks. In this near 20-minute encounter against their long-time friends, The Cutler Brothers fell short. The Cutler Brothers’ work in PWG continued, not only against The Young Bucks but teams such as The RockNES Monsters and The Briscoe Brothers as well.
SoCal Showdown II
In January of 2011, The Cutler Brothers debuted for Ring of Honor at the SoCal Showdown II event. They faced and were defeated by, The All-Night Express, comprised of Rhett Titus and Kenny King. In addition to this, as well as their continued work in PWG, The Cutler Brothers debuted for Insane Wrestling League, based out of Chino, in May. At the promotion’s Sicko Sircus event, they defeated long-standing rivals, The Young Bucks, for the IWL Tag Team Championship. Not long after, however, Brandon stepped away from professional wrestling for roughly seven years.
Brandon Cutler recently appeared on the “Get the Tray Tables” podcast, where he discussed several topics, All Elite Wrestling included. He also expanded on the aforementioned absence from wrestling. According to Cutler, he didn’t believe he had tremendous success in the business. He spoke highly of PWG, where most fans knew him from but opted for what he considered a normal life. In 2018, however, Cutler found himself getting back into wrestling. He credited his wife, who creates outfits, as inspiration to do so.
Three’s Company
Cutler would resume appearances in wrestling in 2018, working with such promotions as Alpha Omega Wrestling, based out of Palm Springs, and Maverick Pro Wrestling, based out of Los Angeles. Cutler’s return to wrestling would also allow him to work with newer, rising stars, including fellow AEW signee Joey Janela. In September, at the ALL IN Zero Hour pre-show event, Cutler participated in the 15-Man Over Budget Battle Royal, with the winner receiving a Ring of Honor World Championship match. Cutler was eliminated second. Despite the loss, this wouldn’t be his last AEW-related endeavor.
In February of 2019, Cutler participated in the LA-based Bar Wrestling’s Three’s Company event. Alongside Delilah Doom and Eli Everfly – with Cutler, they would be known as High-Risk Wrestling – they took part in a trios tournament. They defeated Land of the Lost, comprised of Solo Darling, Luchasaurus, and Jungle Boy, in the first round. In the semifinals, High-Risk Wrestling lost to the trio of Tripp Cassidy, Nick Iggy, and Kerry Awful, altogether known as The Carnies. In the midst of his independent work, Cutler was presented with a new opportunity in the form of AEW.
Brandon Cutler is All-Elite
This past May, episode 152 of Being the Elite dropped. On the episode in question, AEW Executive Vice Presidents The Young Bucks had a surprise for Cutler, who believed he was only visiting them to perform voiceover work. Brandon Cutler recited a script that hyped his Casino Battle Royale participation at Double or Nothing, his goal of winning the AEW World Championship, before declaring he was going to sign an AEW contract The Young Bucks were about to offer him. Matt Jackson would then present a teary Brandon Cutler with the physical papers. With this AEW deal, Cutler fulfills two roles: wrestler and Executive Content Producer.
Cutler made his official AEW debut at the Double or Nothing pre-show event, “Buy-In,” during the Casino Battle Royale. He was one of the first participants in the match, along with Dustin Thomas, Maxell Jacob Friedman, Sunny Daze, and Michael Nakazawa. Cutler was one of the first men eliminated from the match.
Now that Brandon Cutler finds himself a full-fledged AEW talent, the spotlight has never been brighter for the man who got his start nearly a decade and a half ago in California. On the aforementioned episode of Being the Elite, The Young Bucks showered immense praise on Cutler. “He’s never asked for a favor, never asked for anything,” Nick Jackson commented. Matt Jackson would add, “He works harder than anybody I’ve ever met… If anyone deserves a break, it’s him.”
As both an in-ring talent and content guru, Brandon Cutler will be invaluable to All Elite Wrestling moving forward.
