Matthew Joseph Korklan, professionally known as Matt Sydal, is a renowned American professional wrestler. Currently, he is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE),performing on its RAW brand under the ring name Evan Bourne.
Korklan's journey in professional wrestling began in the late 1990s, when he combined his skills in martial arts and gymnastics to become a pro wrestler. During his high school years, he was part of the wrestling team. As a senior, he started wrestling for Gateway Championship Wrestling in St. Louis, Missouri, making his debut on October 20, 2000.
Throughout his independent circuit, Korklan had the opportunity to wrestle notable figures such as CM Punk and A.J. Styles. He later went on to wrestle for Total Nonstop Action (TNA),although he was primarily a jobber, never being booked to win a match.
On April 23, 2004, Korklan debuted in Ring of Honor (ROH). He then toured Japan with Dragon Gate in 2006 and was featured in Wrestling Society X (WSX) on its first episode, although he lost his match.
In October 2007, Korklan signed a developmental contract with the WWE, specifically with their territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). In February 2008, WWE ceased its affiliation with OVW. On June 3, 2008, Korklan made his WWE debut, losing to Shelton Benjamin.
The following week, he teamed up with Kofi Kingston against Benjamin and Mike Knox, emerging victorious. He also went on to defeat Mike Knox, Nunzio, and former ECW Champion, Chavo Guerrero. Guerrero and Korklan, now recognized as Evan Bourne, began feuding.
On the August 6 edition of ECW, he and new ECW Superstar Ricky Ortiz defeated Guerrero and his bodyguard, Bam Neely. Evan Bourne was later moved to WWE's RAW brand in 2010, making his debut match against Randy Orton in a Gauntlet match.
He also qualified to participate in WrestleMania 26's Money in the Bank ladder match, although he lost. In 2011-2012, he was a driving force in the tag team division, teaming up with Kofi Kingston and winning the WWE Tag Team Championship belts in 2011, before losing them in 2012.
