Born on November 1st, 1982 in Hagerstown, Maryland, Shaun Ricker has always been interested in physical activity. His idols included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Dwayne Johnson. He trained intensively and became an amateur bodybuilder. He served as the United States Marine Corps commando, and was captured during one of his military operations. Violated by his captors, he became a victim of tortures, although he never cracked under the interrogation. He debuted as a wrestler in 2002, and was finally signed to Global Force Wrestling under the pseudonym Eli Drake. He was awarded with GFW Global Championship in 2017.