War Raiders wrestler Erik, also known as Raymond Rowe, has True Till Death lettering across his chest, straight-edge marks on his abdomen and two busy sleeves. The photos in this article are from Survivor Series in November 2019. A separate, later studio portrait shows tighter patterned work on his right arm, so the sleeves have changed over time.

Chest tattoos: True Till Death, wings and the big X

The words True Till Death stretch across Erik’s upper chest above feathered shapes that reach toward his shoulders. A large X anchors the design below them. In a 2021 conversation with Corey Graves on Superstar Ink, Erik connected the words and X to his straight-edge identity. He didn’t give a personal meaning for the feathered framing in that interview.

The broad lettering can be partly hidden by his beard or arms in a match photo, while the finer feather lines show more clearly from other angles. For another straight-edge tattoo collection, see CM Punk’s tattoos.

Stomach tattoo: oversized straight-edge lettering

Large, separated black letters run down Erik’s abdomen toward the waistband, with open skin around each form. He also identified the stomach tattoo as straight-edge in the same interview. It uses broad shapes and gaps, a simpler layout than the overlapping pictures and shading across his chest and arms.

Right-arm sleeve: colorful figures and dense shoulder detail

In the 2019 celebration photo, Erik’s right sleeve mixes green, orange and muted red with dark outlines. Smaller shapes sit beside larger shaded forms, while curves lead down from the crowded shoulder toward the forearm. A later studio portrait shows interlocking curves, patterned bands and spotted sections on the arm. The pictures capture different stages, not two angles of a design that never changed.

Left-arm tattoos: older imagery and a changing sleeve

The 2019 match photo shows curved outlines and softer shading on Erik’s left forearm. An elbow pad hides the transition between upper and lower arm, though the tattoos continue beneath the gear. Erik said in 2021 that he was having his sleeves reworked with historically informed Viking designs, including a scene with Thor and the world serpent; this older photo isn’t a finished view of that later work.

In an interview from 2015, Erik also described shattering his left arm in a motorcycle crash the previous August. Surgery and rehabilitation helped him return to wrestling. That history is part of his story, but he hasn’t said each tattoo on that arm commemorates the accident.

Hand tattoos: knuckle letters and a later Viking message

The older ringside photo shows block lettering across Erik’s fingers and shaded work over the back of his hand. In a later interview, he described Elder Futhark work carrying a “hard to kill” message, which he connected to surviving the motorcycle accident. That explanation refers to the later work, not a translation of the letters visible in this 2019 image.

The interview below covers the War Raiders, Erik’s wrestling career and the accident.

Bronson Reed’s mostly black-and-gray tattoos include rows of shark teeth on his left forearm, a lion-like creature on one shoulder, a spread-wing design on the other and skulls above his boots. His singlet, elbow pads and boots hide parts of the work in match photos; left and right refer to Reed’s own sides.

Left forearm tattoo: rows of shark teeth

Small black triangles repeat in close rows on Reed’s left forearm, with skin showing between them. In an October 2024 interview with Chris Van Vliet, he said he got the tattoo around age 23 or 24. He described the style as more Hawaiian, despite his Samoan background, and said the triangles represent shark teeth. He connected the receding black to removing darkness from the heart.

Reed also described later work by Samoan Mike as a “warrior shield” drawing on Samoan tradition and folklore. He mentioned Roman Reigns when discussing Mike’s work; see Roman Reigns’ tattoos for a separate collection by the same artist.

Left shoulder tattoo: a lion-like guardian

A lion-like face sits on Reed’s left shoulder, framed by a curling mane that trails toward his elbow. The rounded face gives the tattoo a clear center; long outlines and softer shading fill the surrounding arm. It resembles a guardian figure, though Reed hasn’t confirmed a name or personal story for it.

The singlet strap and elbow pad can hide the edges in a match, making the design look smaller in some views. When his arm turns, more of the outer shoulder and the trailing curls come into view.

Right shoulder tattoo: a spread-wing bird design

On Reed’s right shoulder, a bird-like figure and feathered shapes spread across the upper arm, with long curves below. That stretched silhouette differs from the rounded creature on his left side. Open skin between the forms helps the feathered outline stay clear as the arm turns. The interview discussed here doesn’t give a personal meaning for this shoulder tattoo.

Right forearm tattoo: dense illustrated black and grey work

Reed’s right forearm is more densely illustrated than the geometric rows on his left. A round, eye-like detail stands out among dark contours, curved forms and lighter patches. The wrist angle changes which side of the design is visible, and the elbow pad covers its upper edge, so some small shapes remain hard to identify.

Lower-leg tattoos: skulls above the boots

Several skull-like faces fill the visible strip on Reed’s right lower leg between the knee pad and boot. Their eye sockets, teeth and separate outlines read differently from the shoulder creatures and forearm patterns. The gear hides what lies above and below, so match photos don’t show the full extent of the calf work.

Reed explains the shark-tooth tattoo, its meaning and the later additions in the Chris Van Vliet interview below, starting around 56:49.

Xyon Quinn, the ring name of former rugby league player Daniel Vidot, represented Samoa before moving into wrestling. His most prominent tattoo runs from his right shoulder across his chest and down the arm. A shaded illustration and flowing script sit on his left forearm, with a smaller line of writing on his chest. Wrestling gear can hide parts of the work, and the patterns’ personal meanings aren’t established in these photos.

The patterned tattoo across his right chest

A rounded pattern fills Quinn’s right pectoral and continues over his shoulder, linking chest and sleeve. Curved rows, dark bands, pointed marks and small gaps sit inside its rounded outline. His left chest remains more open, which makes the connected piece stand out.

The pattern reaches toward his collarbone and neck, though a shirt can cover most of it. For another chest-to-shoulder layout, compare Roman Reigns’ tattoos; the coverage is a point of comparison, not evidence of shared designs or meanings.

The rounded pattern over his right shoulder

The shoulder cap has its own rounded section, with curved borders and angled details breaking up the dark fill. It acts as a junction: the chest pattern crosses into it, and the sleeve continues down from it. When Quinn raises his arm, more of the shoulder’s outside surface comes into view.

The bands and angled details in his right sleeve

Below the shoulder, broad curves and patterned bands run down Quinn’s right arm toward the wrist. Larger outlines hold smaller marks, while open skin separates one section from the next. The sleeve wraps around the arm, so a front-facing photo won’t show every part; his gloves can also cover the lower edge.

The shaded illustration and script on his left forearm

Quinn’s left forearm uses a different style: a shaded illustration sits beside bold, curved lettering. The rest of the upper arm is more open than his right, so this piece stands on its own below it. In the turned photo, some letters wrap out of view; neither the full wording nor the illustrated subject is clear enough to identify.

The small script tattoo on his left chest

A short line of flowing script sits high on Quinn’s left pectoral, separate from the heavier pattern on the other side. The placement and style are visible, but the photo doesn’t make the words clear enough to transcribe. The NXT match below shows the connected chest and sleeve work as Quinn moves.

Max Holloway has explained many of his tattoos in a GQ tour, connecting them to his family, faith and life experiences. The collection includes angel-and-gargoyle wings across his back, an unfinished Polynesian chest piece, his surname on his stomach and tributes to his son.

Max Holloway’s back wings tattoo is about balance

Holloway’s second tattoo, done when he was 18, is a pair of wings stretching across most of his back. One side is angelic; the other has a darker gargoyle look. In the GQ tour, he called the contrast a yin-and-yang idea, representing balance between good and bad, light and dark. He said he wanted more balance and peace in his life. The session took about four hours, and he joked that he kept going despite the pain because he might not return to finish it.

His Polynesian chest tattoo tells a family story

Holloway describes his Polynesian chest piece as unfinished: he doesn’t want to close it off as if his story were over. In the GQ interview, he pointed out two small birds—one for himself and one for his son—and linked them to being blessed with safe travels. Plant-like shapes in the pattern represent health. The symbols sit within a wider design that he expects to keep developing.

The surname on his stomach was his first tattoo

Holloway got his surname tattooed across his stomach at 17; his mother had to sign for it. He told GQ he thought it looked cool and joked that he’d never misspell his name on a test. He remembered the placement as painful and laughed that his abs seemed to disappear whenever he tried to flex. The large curved lettering remains one of the simplest designs in a collection full of patterns and symbols.

RUSH tattoo honors his son on the inner bicep

RUSH is written in ornate letters on Holloway’s inner bicep, surrounded by clouds and rays. He described it in the GQ tour as his son’s name with the heavens above him, looking down. The red accents and dark outlines give the word a clear shape, while the sky imagery frames the tribute.

The arm patterns continue his evolving tattoo story

Holloway has described one arm as his Polynesian side and the other as his religious side; at the time of the interview, he was still planning more work, including scripture. A later inventory lists a Psalm 144 passage on an inner forearm and a street-name design with a number and lantern, a reference to home. Other religious pieces include a cross and light and dark doves. He connected his faith to how he was raised and the odds he felt he had overcome, adding that he wasn’t trying to push his beliefs on anyone else.

What ties the whole story together

In Holloway’s own account, the wings are about balance; the chest pattern carries family symbols and remains unfinished; his first tattoo is simply his surname. RUSH, the birds and the religious images add other parts of the same personal history. The designs use different styles, but each marks something he has chosen to remember. His GQ tattoo tour is below.

More athlete tattoo guides

• Ja Morant tattoos
• Leandro Paredes tattoos

Eddy Thorpe, formerly known as Karl Fredericks in New Japan, has a bold geometric sleeve on his right arm and finer, more varied work on his left. The photos here are from NXT Vengeance Day in February 2025. Thorpe has spoken about his Native American heritage, but the photographs don’t establish a personal meaning for every pattern.

Right shoulder tattoo: black panels and a zigzag edge

A wide black panel wraps around Thorpe’s right shoulder. Smaller triangles break up the dark fill, and a zigzag of bare skin runs along its edge. The pale gaps remain visible as the design rounds the shoulder and continues down the arm.

Right forearm tattoo: triangles continuing down the sleeve

On the right forearm, larger triangles and narrow open lines continue the same sleeve past the elbow. The pattern tapers toward Thorpe’s wrist, where wrist tape covers the lower edge. The upper arm has more solid black; farther down, the skin gaps between shapes become larger.

Left upper arm tattoo: fine outlines across the shoulder

Thorpe’s left shoulder is made up of finer illustrative lines, curves and small enclosed shapes. The outline follows the rounded shoulder and drops unevenly toward the elbow rather than ending in a straight band. It has a more open, drawn look than the solid panels on his right arm.

Left forearm tattoo: shaded feather-like forms

Long, feather-like forms run down Thorpe’s left forearm, with thin lines beside darker shading. The pieces overlap and follow the arm’s length. Wrist tape hides part of the lower edge, but the change from fine shoulder outlines to this darker, softer design is clear.

Inner left arm tattoo: a long arrow

A long arrow sits on the inside of Thorpe’s left upper arm. Its pointed head faces the elbow, while a darker cluster of fletching sits nearer the armpit. The arrow is less visible when his arm rests at his side, but shows clearly when he raises it. The open skin around it gives the simple outline space apart from the larger designs; Thorpe hasn’t explained a specific meaning for it here.

In the video below, Thorpe—then wrestling as Karl Fredericks—talks with Wrestle Inn about his wrestling career and interests.

More wrestler tattoo guides

• Dexter Lumis tattoos
• Erick Rowan tattoos

Santos Escobar, who first appeared in NXT as El Hijo del Fantasma, comes from a lucha libre family; his father wrestled as El Fantasma. The photos here show a dark chest emblem, feathered shoulder wings, a face-like upper-arm design, forearm script and a small winged symbol on his back. In May 2023, Escobar and other Latino World Order members got matching LWO hand tattoos in Puerto Rico before Backlash. The group included Rey Mysterio.

Right chest tattoo: a dark rounded emblem

A compact emblem sits on Escobar’s right pectoral, above the nipple. It has a rounded outline, darker shading at the top and looping lines below. The other side of his chest is more open, which leaves this piece on its own. Some curves may look mask-like, but Escobar hasn’t identified a specific figure or personal meaning for it.

Right shoulder tattoo: wings across the upper arm

Open wing shapes spread across Escobar’s right shoulder, with long, narrow lines marking individual feathers. The design follows the curve of the muscle and looks lighter than the shaded emblem below it. The photos show the feathered shape, but don’t establish what the wings mean to him.

Right upper-arm tattoo: a shaded face-like design

Below the shoulder, a shaded, face-like design fills the outer upper arm. Its central image has an irregular decorative outline and several projecting shapes. It can resemble a stylized mask, but the photo doesn’t identify a specific mask, wrestler or family member.

Right forearm tattoo: large flowing script

Large cursive lettering runs along the outer right forearm, led by a sweeping first letter. The arm’s angle and the overlapping strokes make the full word difficult to read, so it’s left unidentified here. The script contrasts with the shaded image above the elbow and follows the length of the forearm.

Upper-back tattoo: a small winged symbol

A small winged design sits below Escobar’s neck near the center of his upper back. Two outlined forms open to either side of a rounded center, then narrow into pointed lines below. It’s a compact accent on otherwise open skin, distinct from the broader wings on his shoulder.

Escobar’s interview with Denise Salcedo below covers his wrestling career and the name Romeo Malverde; it doesn’t explain each tattoo.