Brandon Silvestry (born September 6, 1979), best known by the ring name, Low Ki, is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican and Italian descent.^[1] He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Senshi.^[2] He is also performing in the American independent circuit, most notably for Jersey All Pro Wrestling and IWA Mid-South.^[3]

Career

Silvestry admits that the name "Low Ki", originally spelled Low-Key, came from the lyrics of the BLACKstreet song, No Diggity.^[4] In 2002 on an episode of WWF Metal he wrestled the then WWE European Champion Christian.^[5] Silvestry is considered one of the top independent talents and athletes in the world and is known for his use of various brutal 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. 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'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", also that year at a New Age Wrestling Federation event in Connecticut, Low Ki was trying to inflict damage on his opponent, John Brooks. When Brooks retaliated a real fight broke out and sources say they also had a shoot fight in the parking lot, and in 2004 The Blue Meanie claimed that he became belligerent and punched a door, damaging it in the process, during a pay dispute.

Ring of Honor

Low Ki made his debut in Ring Of Honor in its first show The Era of Honor Begins. In that show's main event he defeated "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson and "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. On July 27, 2002, at Crowning a Champion, Low Ki became the first ever Ring Of Honor Champion by defeating Christopher Daniels, Spanky and Doug Williams in a Four Way Ironman match. On September 21, 2002, at Unscripted, he would lose the title to Xavier, who, after winning the title, became a member of Christopher Daniels stable The Prophecy. Low Ki left the promotion in 2004 due to the infamous Feinstein incident in ROH. He returned to Ring Of Honor in 2004 during the match, where Samoa Joe with Jay & Mark Briscoes fought against The Rottweilers (Homicide & the Havana Pitbulls). It looked like Low Ki would save Samoa Joe from the beatdown by The Rottweilers, but instead he spat on the ROH World Championship, which was then held by Samoa Joe, and joined the heel stable.

At "Weekend of Thunder Night 2" on November 6, 2004 he started a feud with Bryan Danielson, who was Low Ki's partner in a match against Samoa Joe and Jushin "Thunder" Liger. Ki & Danielson lost the match and Low Ki blamed his partner for that, so The Rottweilers started a beatdown on Danielson. On December 4, 2004, at All Star Extravaganza II, Bryan Danielson defeated Homicide of The Rottweilers. In that same event Low Ki wrestled Austin Aries in a #1 Contender's match to Samoa Joe's ROH World Championship. The match ended in a draw. ROH Officials extended the match, but Low Ki refused to wrestle, so the winner of the match became Austin Aries. Instead of facing Samoa Joe at Final Battle 2004, Low Ki wrestled Bryan Danielson, but Low Ki got himself disqualified and then attacked the referee. This was enough, for ROH Officials to suspend him indefinitely as a result.

Low Ki returned in 2005 and immediately attacked Jay Lethal at Manhattan Mayhem with his fellow Rottweiler Homicide. The impromptu tag team match was made: The Rottweilers vs Samoa Joe & Jay Lethal. Low Ki & Homicide won the match and injured Lethal with a Ghetto Stomp/Da Cop Killa combination. The feud continued at Death Before Dishonor 3, where Low Ki and Lethal faced each other in a singles match, but it ended in a no contest. They had a rematch at Redemption, but the ending was the same and Rottweilers beat Lethal down after the match. Finally, at Glory By Honor IV, a match between the two ended with Low Ki getting a pinfall victory over Jay. It looked like the feud was over, but when Samoa Joe went on to save Colt Cabana from a beatdown by The Rottweilers, Jay Lethal came out to even the odds and said that he wanted yet another rematch with Low Ki, which Lethal won this time, ending the feud. Later in the year, Low Ki helped Homicide in his feud against Colt Cabana. On December 17, 2005, at Final Battle 2005, he challenged KENTA for his GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship, but came up short. Low Ki left ROH once again in January 2006. He won his last match against Jack Evans. ROH covered his leaving by having the ROH commissioner Jim Cornette ban Low Ki from Ring of Honor for life after it was discovered that he was the one who knocked Cornette's tooth out at Tag Wars 2006.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Low Ki's first trip to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling was for its debut show. In NWA TNA 2, on June 26, 2002, he attempted (in a losing effort) to become the first NWATNA X Division Champion. He would though, eventually 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"). Low-Ki 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 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.

Senshi defeated Sonjay Dutt, Alex Shelley, Shark Boy, Petey Williams and Jay Lethal at TNA Slammiversary 2006 to become the #1 contender to the X Division championship. Senshi went on to become champion on the June 22, 2006 episode of TNA iMPACT! defeating Samoa Joe and Sonjay Dutt after he pinned Dutt. He defended the title on several occasions against various opponents until, 3 months later, he lost the title to Chris Sabin at Bound for Glory.

Senshi would go on to be involved in the first Paparazzi Championship Series during late 2006 and into 2007.

He later feuded with Austin Starr and in result faced him at the Destination X pay-per-view, where they fought in a Crossface Chickenwing match. Their feud would continue until TNA Lockdown in a six sides of steel match, which he won. At Slammiversary, he teamed with Rhino to defeat the Latin American Exchange.

Japan

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.

In Wrestling

• Finishing and signature moves

• Ghetto Stomp (Indy Circuit) / Warrior's Way (TNA) (Diving double foot stomp, standing double foot stomp, diving double foot stomp to an opponent caught between the middle and top rope, or a top rope double foot stomp on an opponent caught in the tree of woe position)
• Ki Krusher ('99) (Fisherman driver, also from the top rope on rare occasions )
• Dragon Clutch (Inverted facelock camel clutch)
• Phoenix Splash (Corkscrew 450° splash)
• Bite of the Dragon (Inverted facelock with body scissors in the ropes)
• Hanging Dragon (Inverted facelock with body scissors on the top rope)
• Final Four (Modified Texas cloverleaf)
• Iron Octopus (Head scissors armbar)
• Krush Rush (Running fireman's carry throw onto the top turnbuckle)
• Crossface Chickenwing
• Black Magic / Rewind Wizard (Feint Shining Wizard into a back heel kick combination)
• 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)
• Sasuke Special (Cartwheel into over the top rope corkscrew suicide senton or suicide plancha)
• Dragon Wing (Double underhook suplex floating into a double underhook lock)
• Powerdrive Elbow (Twisting elbow drop)
• Stiff kicks
• Football kicks
• Knife-edge chop
• Mongolian chop
• Rolling wheel kick
• Kawada kicks
• Enzuigiri

• Managers

• Gary Hart
• Julius Smokes

• 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..."
• "I dare you to take what's mine..."
• "Warrior."
• "You shall RESPECT Low-Ki!"
• While wrestling, he will often scream a high pitched screech, usually while hitting a very high impact move.

• Senshi has recently been released in Action Figure form by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. This has been a long time career goal for him.^[6]
• Low-Ki / Senshi PWI 500 Rankings: #142 (2006), #173 (2005), #116 (2004), #26 (2003), #76 (2002), #170 (2001), #315 (2000)^[7]

Championships and accomplishments

• East Coast Wrestling Association

• ECWA Super 8 Tournament winner (2001)
• ECWA Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with American Dragon (1), and Xavier (1)

• Future of Wrestling

• FOW Championship (1 time)

• Future Wrestling Alliance

• FWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Impact Championship Wrestling

• ICW Championship (1 time)

• IWA Mid-South

• Ted Petty Invitational Winner (2006)

• International Wrestling Cartel

• IWC Super Indies Championship (1 time)

• Jersey All Pro Wrestling

• JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• JAPW Heavyweight Championship (2 times, Current)

• Jersey Championship Wrestling

• JCW Championship (1 time)
• JCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)

• Long Island Wrestling Federation

• LIWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Midwest Championship Wrestling

• MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Airborne

• Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE

• ZERO-ONE International Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• ZERO1-MAX International Lightweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Leonardo Spanky

• Premiere Wrestling Federation

• PWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling WORLD-1

• PWW1 Openweight Championship (1 time)

• Ring of Honor

• ROH Championship (1 time , first ever)

• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

• NWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper as Triple X
• TNA X Division Championship (2 times)

• USA Pro Wrestling

• USA Pro Tag Team Championship (with Xavier)

• world Xtreme wrestling

• wXw World Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)

^[3]

Media

• Let the Gates of Hell Open: The Best of The Rottweilers – ROH DVD

References

• Senshi/Low Ki Interview With TheWrestlingVoice.com
• Low Ki Interview With Genickbruch.com
• An interview with Low Ki, conducted by Alan Wojcik
• Low Ki at Accelerator3359.com
• Low Ki at Bodyslamming.com
• Low Ki at WrestlingClothesline.com
• Solie's title histories

External links

• Low-Ki.com (Official Website)
• TNA Profile
• Senshi At MySpace