Corey Graves’s tattoos cover his knuckles, neck, arms and chest. He has explained the stories behind some of the most visible pieces, while other tattoos are documented mainly by their designs and placement. The clearest examples are the words on his hands and the neck pieces he has connected to his wrestling career.
The knuckle lettering that became his wrestling signature
“STAY DOWN” runs across Graves’s knuckles. In a WWE tattoo feature, he said the phrase began as an instruction to an opponent and became part of his in-ring signature. The words are short and easy to read when he raises his hands; Graves supplied the wrestling context himself.
The neck collection: a Sacred Heart and a skull
Graves’s neck is densely tattooed. A Sacred Heart sits beside a skull wearing a hat, with flowers and other traditional-style designs around them. He has described the two central pieces separately.
Graves said the Sacred Heart was one of his most meaningful tattoos. The flames were left unfinished, and the heart was drawn broken and repaired. He connected it to wrestling setbacks and injuries, and to repeatedly picking himself up and returning. The skull, by contrast, is tied to “bad luck” around an injury he suffered during WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans.
Japanese-inspired imagery across the arm
A tattoo catalogue identifies a geisha, koi and samurai imagery on Graves’s left arm. The designs share a Japanese influence, but the available accounts don’t attach one personal story to the full sleeve.
His right arm has a devil-like face and the words “Pretty Girls Make Graves,” a play on his surname. Graves reportedly said the tattoo was done by Kevin, a shop manager, and described its message as a wry warning about relationships. Near the shoulder, a luchador mask grew from a customer’s suggestion that he choose a larger design.
Portraits and bold images across the chest
A tattoo catalogue lists portraits across Graves’s chest, along with a Joker-like mask and a cartoon image linked to 2004. It doesn’t identify the people in the portraits or explain why he chose each image.
Other documented designs include “Good Night” with brass knuckles, a water dragon, a green rose and other flowers, a sugar skull, a donut, a cocktail-and-surname banner, and a creature on his abdomen. These descriptions identify what is visible, not a confirmed meaning for each tattoo.
What the collection says, and what it leaves open
Graves has given specific accounts of the knuckle phrase and the Sacred Heart and skull on his neck. The arm and chest tattoos are mostly described by appearance, with a few brief stories about how they came about. A catalogue entry or photograph can identify a design, but it doesn’t reveal a private meaning on its own.
In the WWE Superstar Ink Extra clip below, Graves tells AJ Styles the story behind his first tattoo. It adds his own account alongside the later explanations.