In 1988 Joey Melton was a promising independent wrestler. A can't miss prospect headed for the WCW or WWF. Along the way to a WCW tryout in Atlanta his car broke down and by fate he ended up in Greensboro, NC. To get the money to get out of town he booked himself at the CSWA's first wrestling show. That night was their 4-man World Tournament. Melton won the title in front of a handful of people. In the fine print of each man's contract for the night it was stated whoever won owed the CSWA a six-month stay.
Joey’s first mic spot. Taken from
http://thecswa.com/archives/1988/first.htm)
JOEY MELTON: First things first, son...I've beat my girlfriends with a belt bigger than this, understand that right now. (to fan in front row) Yeah, Mush Mouth...keep your freakin mouth shut while Joey......while the CSWA World Heavyweight Champion has the floor. Believe you me, I didn't want to be here tonight....hell, to be honest I wouldn't even piss in this place...but here I am....a champion...standing in front of you. My life can't get any worse than it is now, so yes, Merritt...Thomas...I'll be back next weekend to kick the livin' fire out of whoever you can coax to get into the ring....let's be honest it might even be one of you out in the audience... they're looking for part- time help, you know. There's nothing part-time about Joey Melton...being me is a day's work, 24/7......I'm the CSWA World Champion...so that means I'm stuck here longer than I would have liked.. Next week I'll be here... in reality, I'll be here until someone can knock the title off my waist, or I just get damn well bored of the place. (Melton throws mic down and leaves to a chorus of boos.)
Regrettably Melton had to stick around. Six months later however the CSWA was a budding success, and when the chance came to leave, Joey signed on for life.
He's won every belt there is to win the CSWA. And often is regarded as it's top Tag Team Wrestler. A combination of Melton and Steven Flair/Peyton Wright formed one of the CSWA's greatest teams ever, Arrogance. Joey's feuded with nearly every other important wrestler of the last 15 years. While he's lost his share, a definite case can be made that he's been the best all-around talent of his generation.
Melton felt squeezed out by Merritt and under appreciated for essentially doing whatever was asked for 15 years. While others accept the credit, Joey feels he made the CSWA primarily.
In the late ninties Melton nearly drank, and partied his way out of the business. A shell of the man he once was, Joey's workrate slipped, and promoters refused to book the legend. Former CSWA Commissioner Chad Merritt booked Melton out of a sense of obligation, but all but buried the former World Champion.
In the summer of 2002 Melton's best friend and life partner in Zen, Mike Randalls, encouraged Joey to take stock of his life. Was he content to let his career slow fade away? Randalls asked Melton to set his pride aside and return to work. Sober, and in top physical condition.
Melton accepted his friend's challenge and didn't touch a drink for seven days. On his eigth day of soberiety, Joey half-lit, accepted a contract for a month long tour of Japan. There, he faced his greatest challenge. On his thirty-nineth birthday in front of tens of thousands of Japanese fans, Melton beat Adrian Evans aka Little Voltron in overtime of a sixty-minute Ironman match. It was the beginning of a beautiful professional and personal friendship that saw the two men wrestle nearly nightly for a solid year in a number of contries.
Evans and Melton sold-out Carnvial Cruises, and moved Middle-Eastern royalty to tears. In the dark alleys of the wrestling business, where no other man would dare go, Joey rebuilt his image and skill, becoming the World Junior champion and Unifier of all people.
In the fall of 2003 Craig Miles, amused by Joey's top-selling GREATEST HITS DVD offered him a spot in the NFW's ULTRATITLE.
A year later, it stands as the rebirth of the man.
In 2004, he returned to the CSWA to accept the well-earned CSWA World Title, took the EPW by storm, and has survived a cast of thousands to make it to the ULTRATITLE FINAL FOUR.
At forty-one, Melton believes his best days are ahead of him.
Who dares to say otherwise?
Titles Held 
