s ▁Battle ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁ ▁Professional ▁wrest ling ▁career ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁( 2 0 0 4 – 2 0 0 5 ) ▁Prior ▁to ▁entering ▁professional ▁wrest ling , ▁Rich ards ▁was ▁an ▁accomplished ▁amateur ▁wrest ler ▁in ▁high ▁school , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁learning ▁Mu ay ▁Th ai ▁and ▁Brazil ian ▁J iu - J its u . ▁Rich ards ▁began ▁training ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁with ▁Tony ▁K oz ina ▁before ▁making ▁his ▁debut ▁in ▁June ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁in ▁the ▁Washington - based ▁company , ▁Pro ▁Wrestling ▁War ▁against ▁a ▁wrest ler ▁named ▁Mr . ▁Sex y . ▁Rich ards ▁also ▁spent ▁time ▁training ▁with ▁Paul ▁Or nd or ff ▁in ▁Atlanta , ▁while ▁working ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁at ▁a ▁Dur ac ell ▁factory ▁an ▁hour - and - a - half ▁drive ▁away ▁in ▁Cleveland , ▁Tennessee . ▁ ▁Pro ▁Wrestling ▁Gu err illa ▁( 2 0 0 5 – 2 0 1 3 ) ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁he ▁began ▁wrest ling ▁for ▁Pro ▁Wrestling ▁Gu err illa ▁( P W G ) ▁in ▁California ; ▁he ▁deb uted ▁in ▁an ▁eight - man ▁tag ▁match ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁All ▁Star ▁Week end . ▁He ▁later ▁returned ▁for ▁a ▁three - way ▁match ▁with ▁Human ▁T orn ado ▁and ▁P uma ; ▁during ▁the ▁match ▁Rich ards ▁established ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁villa in ▁by ▁removing ▁P uma ' s ▁mask ▁and ▁reve