Low Ki

Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979 in Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York), best known by the ring name, Low Ki, is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican and Italian descent. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Senshi, where he is the current X Division Champion. He is also performing for the Japanese Pro Wrestling NOAH promotion and on the American independent circuit, most notably for Jersey All Pro Wrestling.

Career

Originally under the name Kwik Kick, Silvestry admits that the name "Low Ki" came from the lyrics of the Blackstreet song, No Diggity. Low Ki first made his trip to Japan with the Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE promotion. It was in ZERO-ONE that Ki won his first singles title, the ZERO-ONE Light Heavyweight Title, which he held until late 2003. Ki left ZERO-ONE in mid-2004 to join Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he was instantly given a title shot against GHC Jr. Heavyweight champion Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Although he was unsuccessful in his challenge, Ki has been quickly establishing himself in the NOAH junior heavyweight ranks.

Low Ki is considered one of the top independent talents and athletes in the world and is known for his use of various stiff strikes. Because of this, many people assumed that he legitimately knocked out opponent Dan Maff early in their main event match at ROH's Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies in 2003 with his Tidal Wave springboard enzuigiri, causing the match to be stopped. Low Ki threw a temper tantrum, and struck a ROH worker that had come to the ringside because of the incident. He later publicly apologized for the incident. Later still, he explained that Dan Maff was the one who took the move wrong, thereby causing himself to get knocked out when his head hit the mat -- i.e., the stiffness of Ki's kick had nothing to do with it (although it certainly looked that way).

He is also known for his intensity, focus, and serious approach to wrestling, which he calls his "art." Ki is also known for keeping kayfabe, even outside of the wrestling ring, as well as pumping himself up before matches by kicking walls.

Low Ki is often underestimated and overlooked by larger promotions due to his small stature and his idiosyncratic, William Shatner-like speaking style.

Low Ki's attitude and conduct has come under scrutiny on several occasions; he was involved in a confrontation with Tammy Lynn Sytch in 2002 after he allegedly "took her chair", and in 2004 The Blue Meanie claimed that he became belligerent and punched a door, damaging it in the process, during a pay dispute.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Low Ki's first trip to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling was in its beginning. In NWA-TNA #2, on June 26, 2002, he competed to become the first NWA-TNA X Division Champion. He would go on to win the title from A.J. Styles on August 2 at NWA-TNA #8, but lost it two weeks later to Jerry Lynn. He would later form the Triple X trios with Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper as part of the Sports Entertainment Xtreme superstable later that year, and would hold the NWA World Tag Team Championships twice, once each with Daniels and Skipper. When Daniels's greed for the X-Division Title initially forced Low Ki out of Triple X, Ki would go on to battle Daniels in Ultimate X 2, but Low Ki's pursuit was unsuccessful. Low Ki would leave TNA in July 2003 to recover from a shoulder injury suffered in Ultimate X2 as well as to focus on his independent bookings.

At TNA Lockdown 2006, Christopher Daniels's mystery opponent was revealed to be the returning Low Ki, who wrestled under the name of Senshi (Japanese for "warrior"). Silvestry didn't want to sign away the rights to his ring name Low Ki to TNA, so he was renamed. He signed a long-term contract with TNA two days later under the name Senshi.

Following Lockdown, Senshi was not seen in action for several weeks, completely missing the Sacrifice pay per view in the process. Instead, he was built up with a series of vignettes hyping his martial arts background, his intense training, and his desire to dominate the X Division once more, hinting at the possibility of challenging the incumbent X-Division Champion, the undefeated Samoa Joe. Senshi eventually made his TNA iMPACT! debut on May 25, 2006, defeating Jay Lethal, Alex Shelley, and Sharkboy in a four way match.

He wrestled at TNA Slammiversary 2006, facing Sonjay Dutt, Alex Shelley, Shark Boy, Petey Williams and Jay Lethal. Senshi defeated all of them at Slammiversary becoming the number one contender to the X Division championship. On the June 22, 2006 episode of TNA Impact Senshi defeated Samoa Joe and Sonjay Dutt to become the new X Division champion when he pinned Dutt.

Wrestling facts

Finishing and signature moves

Ki Krusher / Ki Krusher '99 (Fisherman driver)
Dragon Clutch (Inverted facelock camel clutch)
Warrior's Way / The Way (Diving double foot stomp)
Ghetto Stomp (Double foot stomp, or diving double foot stomp; often to the chest of an opponent who is hung in a tree of woe)
Bite of the Dragon (Inverted facelock with body scissors in the ropes)
Phoenix splash
Feint backdrop wheelbarrow facebuster
Final Four (Modified Texas cloverleaf)
Iron Octopus (Head scissors armbar)
Krush Rush (Running fireman's carry to a top turnbuckle)
Black Magic (Feint step-up knee strike to a back heel kick)
Tidal Wave (Springboard enzuigiri)
Tidal Krush (Cartwheel followed by a jumping high kick to an opponent in the ring corner)
Trapped Armbar (Hung crucifix armbar in the ropes)
Dragon Wing (Double underhook suplex to butterfly lock)

Managers

Quotes

"It is not the size of the fighter, but the size of the fight he will bring. All you can do is be ready."
"I told you before, I do my talking out there..."
"I'm coming for you..."
"Senshi will rule the X Division once again..."

Championships and accomplishments

East Coast Wrestling Association

2001 ECWA Super 8 Tournament winner

ECWA Tag Team Championship (with American Dragon)

Won from Charlie and Russ Haas on April 7 2001 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA

The team began feuding with eachother and later arrange a match in which the team member that pick up the win in a tag match would get the chance to choose the partner he shares the titles with. Low Ki was the legal man in the ring when the fall occurred and chose Xavier to be his new partner. This occurred on April 6 2002 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA