Joseph Anthony Carter (born 26 August 1968), better known by his ring name Joe Thunder, is a retired American professional wrestler and trainer who competed on the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic independent circuit during the 1990s and early 2000s, primarily working for the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation in Essex, Maryland during his 12-year career. He also made occasional appearances in Eastern Championship Wrestling and Cueball Carmichael's Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance. In professional wrestling, Carter is a former triple crown champion having won the MEWF Heavyweight Championship, MEWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship three times, and MEWF Tag Team Championship a record six-times. He was an accomplished "tag team" specialist during his time in the promotion winning the tag team belts with Mad Dog O'Malley, "Hollywood" Bob Starr, and Steve Camry. He and Camry, together known as The KPA, reunited years later at MCW's 1st annual "Legends of Maryland" show in 2009. Carter is also notable for taking part in the MEWF's first "gimmick" matches including the promotion's first three steel cage matches, two ladder matches, and first strap match; this also included in two later shoot fights with the 450 lbs. superheavyweight Mad Dog O'Malley. He also worked as an instructor at the "Brain Buster's Pro Wrestling Academy", the MEWF's official training facility, where he was involved in the early training of future Ring of Honor star Ruckus. Career Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation (1992-1994) Born in Long Beach, California, Joe Carter spent much of his early life moving throughout different parts of the country from "Hawaii to Atlanta and every state in-between" until eventually settling in Baltimore, Maryland. He was working as a bouncer prior to entering professional wrestling. Carter made his debut for the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation in 1992. One of his earliest matches for the promotion was at an MEWF house show in Pasadena, Maryland against Rick Savage on April 10, 1992; he also teamed with Johnny Blaze against the Rude Crue a month later. A year later, on November 14, 1993, Carter took part in an 8-man tag team elimination match teaming with Mike Khoury, Tommy Dreamer, and Max Moon against MEWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion "Hollywood" Bob Starr, Tommy Lee Manson, Max Thrasher, and Duane Gill in Essex, Maryland. Although he was among the wrestlers eliminated, his team ended up winning the match with Khoury as the team's sole survivor and was awarded the Mid-Atlantic title as per the result of