Introduction
Garrett Griffith is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Griff Garrison. He is currently working for All Elite Wrestling and its sister promotion Ring of Honor.
Early life
Garrison was born in Austell, Georgia, relocating to North Carolina as a youth. He attended North Davidson High School in Welcome, North Carolina, graduating in 2016. While in high school he played American football as a wide receiver. He went on to attend Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, graduating in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in education and history. During his time at Guilford College, he played American football for the Guilford Quakers.
Professional wrestling career
Garrison was trained by LaBron Kozone, debuting in 2016. He initially wrestled for Fire Star Pro Wrestling in his home state of North Carolina. He also appeared with promotions such as the Georgia-based Anarchy Wrestling and Southern Fried Championship Wrestling, winning a variety of championships. In 2019, he began appearing with Ring of Honor. From 2018 to 2020, Garrison teamed with his former schoolmate Markus Cross as "Master and the Machine".
In June 2020, Garrison began wrestling for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), appearing on AEW Dynamite and AEW Dark as a jobber. In July 2020, he was paired with Brian Pillman Jr., with the duo dubbed the "Varsity Blonds". The duo went on to compete in AEW's tag team division, competing against teams such as FTR, Private Party, Proud and Powerful, and Hybrid 2. In May 2021, they unsuccessfully challenged the Young Bucks for the AEW World Tag Team Championship. In the same month, Julia Hart joined Garrison and Pillman Jr. as their valet. In July 2021, Garrison and Pillman Jr. were signed to contracts with AEW. In December 2021, Garrison and Pillman Jr. began feuding with Malakai Black after he sprayed Black Mist in Hart's eyes; the feud culminated in a tag team bout pitting the Varsity Blonds against the Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black and Brody King) on the January 19, 2022 episode of Dynamite that was won by Black and King. The Varsity Blonds continued to team together until quietly disbanding in October 2022.
In December 2022, Garrison underwent surgery for an undisclosed injury. After over six months of inactivity, he returned to the ring in June 2023 with AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor, losing to Lee Moriarty on episode #15 of Ring of Honor Wrestling. He returned to AEW in October 2023, losing to Wardlow in a squash on an episode of Dynamite.
Professional wrestling style and persona
Garrison's signature moves include the sleeper hold, spear, spinebuster, and Ivy League Destroyer.
Championships and accomplishments
- Anarchy Wrestling
- Anarchy Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Anarchy Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ben Buchanan (1 time) and Marcus Kross (1 time)
- Fire Star Pro Wrestling
- FSPW Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- FSPW Zone1 Platinum Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 280 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2021
- Southern Fried Championship Wrestling
- SFCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- SFCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Marcus Kross