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Alberto Del Rio
Alberto Rodríguez[1][5] (born May 25, 1977)[1][5] is a Mexican professional wrestler signed to WWE, performing under the ring name Alberto Del Rio and appearing on the Raw brand. He is a former two-time WWE Champion, while also being the 2011 Royal Rumble winner, outlasting 39 other participants to win the largest Royal Rumble match ever, and 2011 Mr. Money in the Bank (Raw). Before working for WWE, Rodriguez used the name Dos Caras, Jr. as both a mixed martial artist and luchador in mostly Mexico and Japan. He worked in both of Mexico's main wrestling promotions and achieved success in Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), where he is a former CMLL World Heavyweight Champion.
Son of noted luchador Dos Caras, nephew of Mil Máscaras and Sicodelico, and cousin to Sicodelico, Jr. and Hijo de Sicodelico, Rodríguez is part of one of the most well known Mexican wrestling families.[5] The name Dos Caras translates to Two Faces, referring to the symbol of a double headed eagle on his mask.[1]
Contents [hide]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (2000–2002) After not competing at the 2000 Olympic games, Rodriguez turned to the family business, and trained with his father to become a professional wrestler. Caras made his debut appearance on May 9, 2000 as he ran in during an Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) show to save his father from a beat down from El Texano, Pirata Morgan and Espectro, Jr.[5][10] After making follow up TV show appearances Caras did not make his in ring debut until September 29 of that year when he teamed with Sangre Chicana, El Alebrije and La Parka, Jr. to defeat Los Consagrados (El Texano, Pirata Morgan, Espectro, Jr. and El Cobarde) at AAA's summer event Verano de Escándalo.[5][11] After his debut Rodriguez would travel to Japan to compete as well, making his Japanese debut on October 11 by teaming with his father to defeat the team of El Azteca and Chiba.[5][10] Caras continued his AAA storyline with Los Consagrados, teaming with Octagón, La Parka, Jr. and Hong Kong Lee to defeat Los Consagrados by disqualification.[13] Over the next couple of years Caras would work both in Mexico and Japan to gain experience in the ring. In Mexico he worked exclusively for AAA making appearances at shows such as the 2002 Verano de Escándalo, where he teamed with Gronda and El Hijo del Solitario to defeat the trio of Pirata Morgan, Sangre Chicana and El Brazo.[14]
[edit] Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre [edit] Técnico (2005–2009) In 2005, Rodriguez was signed to a contract with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). In his first test in the company, Caras competed in the 2005 Copa Jr., but the storyline of the tournament saw him defeated in the semi-final by Dr. Wagner, Jr.[5][15] Caras's advancement to the semi-final of the cup, mere months after signing with the company was an indicator that the bookers were interested in elevating him up the rankings, this was further supported when he received matches for both the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship and the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship inside a three week period.[5][16][17] The following year on March 31, 2006 Caras was entered again into the Copa Jr. tournament and earned a return victory over Dr. Wager, Jr. who knocked him out of the tournament the previous year.[5] He also won against Heavy Metal and Apolo Dantes to gain a place in the final, defeating Héctor Garza to win the prize.[18] While working in Japan, Caras had taken to teaming with another second generation wrestler, Lizmark, Jr., and when both found themselves in CMLL they were teamed up once again with the team's famous fathers being the selling point. Over the next year Caras found himself without much direction, he worked storylines with Último Guerrero and Kenzo Suzuki but nothing long term came of it. Caras received two opportunities to challenge Universo 2000 for the CMLL World Heavyweight title but came up short until his third attempt on July 8, 2007 when he became the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion.[16] While in wrestling promotions outside of Mexico the Heavyweight title would indicate that he was the top man in the federation, Mexican wrestling promotions tend to put more emphasis on the lower weight divisions over the heavyweights.[19]
Caras's run with the CMLL World Heavyweight championship remained largely uneventful with only four title defenses in the 533 days that he held the championship.[5][16] After defending against Lizmark, Jr. and former champion Universo 2000 it would be 9 months before his next defense.[16] By the fall of 2008 a story broke that Rodriguez had wrestled a dark match for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and that they had offered him a contract.[5][20] Over the following months conflicting reports of whether he had signed or not arose but he remained CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. When Caras lost the title to Último Guerrero it was believed that he had indeed signed with WWE,[16] with him being rumored to be a surprise participant in the 2009 Royal Rumble. However, Rodriguez remained with CMLL and stated that he signed a four year deal and chose CMLL because they offered him a better deal than WWE.[5][21]
[edit] Rudo (2009) Throughout his entire career Dos Caras, Jr. had always played a heroic character, known in Mexico as a técnico. However, after the contract dealings with WWE surfaced he began showing signs of becoming a villain, known as a rudo. He would turn his attention away from the matches and instead try to win the approval of the fans, often costing his team the match because he was distracted. Caras himself explained this behavior by stating that he "hurt his shoulder, but bravely stayed in the arena".[22] After hinting at a change for weeks Caras finally cemented his villainous persona on April 11, 2009, the first member of the Rodríguez family to be a heel.[23] After becoming a rudo, he began working a storyline with Shocker.
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE [edit] Florida Championship Wrestling (2009–2010) On June 17, 2009, Rodriguez confirmed that he had signed a three-year contract with WWE, stating that he would not have to go to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE's developmental territory, but would go directly to the main roster.[5] Furthermore, he would retain the rights to his name, mask and image but allow the WWE to use it for promotional purposes while he is under contract with them. He agreed to the contract since it addressed the main reasons why he turned down the WWE's offer in January 2009.[24] Despite his claims, he had a match with Kris Logan at FCW wrestling under the name Dos.[25] He later also went on to wrestle under the ring names Dorado and El Dorado.[1] During a segment on the Abraham Washington show at the August 6 taping, Rodriguez revealed a new, unmasked wrestling character named Alberto Banderas.[2] During Raw's WrestleMania Revenge tour of Europe in April 2010, Caras made numerous appearances in untelevised matches for the Raw brand. One night he wrestled as Dos Caras, but he did not wear his mask. He was presented as a villain in a losing effort against Christian.[4][26] The following month Caras put his mask back on for WWE's tour of Mexico and worked as a hometown hero, prior to returning unmasked during untelevised matches for subsequent Raw and SmackDown shows.[27][28]
[edit] SmackDown (2010–2011) Del Rio in December 2010. On the June 25, 2010 episode of SmackDown, Rodriguez debuted on a pre-taped promotional video as the unmasked Alberto Del Rio.[3] Thereafter, a vignette aired every week on SmackDown promoting his character as an arrogant rich Mexican aristocrat, espousing his own virtues of honesty, integrity and mental faculties. After two months, he debuted on the August 20 episode of SmackDown by defeating fellow luchador Rey Mysterio in the main event using his new cross armbar submission.[1][29] As part of his act, Del Rio makes his entrances in an expensive car, while he is being introduced by his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez.[29] The following week, Del Rio continued the storyline with Mysterio by attacking him after his match with Kane, giving him a storyline injury by refusing to relinquish his armbar.[30] Two weeks later he defeated Matt Hardy via submission in Hardy's last appearance with the company[31] causing Hardy's friend Christian to challenge Del Rio to a match at Night of Champions.[32] Although he declined the match, on the September 24 episode of SmackDown Del Rio attacked Christian and injured him the same way he did Mysterio the previous month, marking the third successive wrestler Del Rio was scripted to injure.[33] This was done to write Christian off television, as he had suffered a torn pectoral muscle.[34] Mysterio returned on the October 8 SmackDown episode and handed Del Rio his first defeat in the main event match.[35] In October Del Rio defeated Chris Masters to represent the SmackDown brand at Bragging Rights, but during the pay-per-view event he attacked teammate Rey Mysterio, before being eliminated from the match by Team Raw's CM Punk.[36][37] At Survivor Series, in the traditional five-on-five elimination match, Del Rio captained a team against Rey Mysterio's team. Although Del Rio's team lost he was never technically eliminated, instead Big Show knocked him out with a punch and he was removed from the match.[38] On the November 26 SmackDown, Del Rio defeated Big Show via countout to qualify for the 2010 King of the Ring tournament.[39] In the tournament the next week on Raw, he made United States Champion Daniel Bryan submit in the first round, but would be defeated by John Morrison in the semi-final after being distracted by Mysterio who was inside his car.[40] On the November 30 episode of WWE NXT, it was announced that Del Rio would be a mentor to Conor O'Brian on the fourth season of NXT, starting the following week.[41] On December 19 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Del Rio competed in a Fatal-4-Way Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Edge and also included the then champion Kane and Rey Mysterio.[42] On the January 7, 2011 episode of SmackDown, Del Rio defeated Mysterio in a Two Out of Three Falls match, with help from Ricardo Rodriguez to end his long feud with Mysterio.[43]
Del Rio mocking John Cena in September 2011. On January 18 Del Rio's NXT rookie Conor O'Brian became the second contestant eliminated from the competition.[44] The following week the rookies competed in a fatal four way match in which the winner would be able to change their pro. Brodus Clay won the match and chose Del Rio as his new pro.[45] After the conclusion of NXT, Clay was hired as the bodyguard of Del Rio.[46] On January 30, 2011, Del Rio defeated 39 other participants to win the 2011 Royal Rumble and earn the right to compete for either the World Heavyweight Championship or the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXVII by last eliminating Santino Marella.[47] The following night on Raw, Del Rio chose to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship, which, at the time of his choosing, was held by Edge.[48] At Elimination Chamber, Del Rio attacked Edge, after he had successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship and solidified his spot as Del Rio's opponent at WrestleMania. However, Edge managed to come out the exchange victorious, after Christian made a return from his injury and attacked Del Rio.[49] On the March 18 episode of SmackDown, Del Rio and Christian finally had their first one–on–one match inside a steel cage, in which Christian was victorious.[50] At WrestleMania XXVII, Del Rio was unsuccessful in his World Heavyweight Championship match against Edge.[51] On the following episode of SmackDown, Del Rio defeated Christian to earn a rematch against Edge at Extreme Rules.[52] However, when Edge unexpectedly announced his retirement from professional wrestling on the April 11 episode of Raw, Del Rio was instead booked to face Christian in a ladder match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.[53]
[edit] Raw; WWE Champion (2011–present) Del Rio with the WWE Championship. On the April 25, 2011, episode of Raw, Del Rio was drafted from SmackDown to Raw.[54] Ricardo Rodriguez moved to Raw with him, while Brodus Clay remained on SmackDown. On May 1 at Extreme Rules, Christian defeated Del Rio in a ladder match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.[55] On the May 23 episode of Raw, Del Rio slapped the Big Show after he had gotten into a confrontation with Ricardo Rodriguez. After competing in a match, Show was run over by Del Rio's car, being driven by Rodriguez, leaving him sidelined with a storyline knee injury.[56] Big Show made his return three weeks later, chasing Del Rio out of the ring and beating Rodriguez down.[57] On June 19 at Capitol Punishment, Del Rio defeated Big Show via referee stoppage, when Show was unable to continue the match as a result of a pre-match assault by Mark Henry.[58] On the June 27 episode of Raw, Del Rio defeated Big Show in a steel cage match, again with help from Mark Henry.[59] On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Del Rio defeated Alex Riley, Evan Bourne, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, The Miz, R-Truth and Rey Mysterio in a Money in the Bank ladder match to earn the right to challenge for the WWE Championship whenever and wherever he wanted. Following the orders of Vince McMahon, Del Rio attempted to cash in his contract later that same night on CM Punk, who had just defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship, but was attacked and laid out by him before he could do so.[60] Del Rio eventually cashed in his contract on August 14 at SummerSlam, challenging CM Punk after the main event, where he had defeated John Cena to become the undisputed WWE Champion. Between the two matches, Punk was attacked by Kevin Nash, which led to Del Rio scoring a quick pinfall victory to win the WWE Championship for the first time.[61] In winning the title, Del Rio became the first ever Mexican-born WWE Champion.[62] On September 18 at Night of Champions, Del Rio lost the WWE Championship to John Cena.[63][64] Del Rio regained the title on October 2 at Hell in a Cell by defeating Cena and CM Punk in a Hell in a Cell match.[65] On October 23 at Vengeance, Del Rio successfully defended the WWE Championship against John Cena in a Last Man Standing match, following interference from The Miz and R-Truth.[66] On November 20 at Survivor Series, Del Rio lost the WWE Championship to CM Punk.[67] Del Rio received a rematch for the WWE Championship on the November 28 episode of Raw, but was defeated after CM Punk dropped him onto an exposed turnbuckle, managing to avoid a disqualification, which would have cost him the title, in the process.[68] On December 18 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Del Rio failed again to recapture the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, also involving CM Punk and The Miz.[69] The following night on Raw, Del Rio suffered a torn groin muscle, which would require surgery and sideline him for four to six weeks.[70] Del Rio made his return at a WWE house show in San Francisco on February 11, 2012, arm wrestling Sheamus to a no contest.[71] On February 19 at Elimination Chamber, Del Rio returned to show support to Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis.[72]
[edit] Mixed martial arts Dos Caras, Jr. Born May 25, 1977 (age 34)
San Luis Potosí, Mexico Nationality Mexican Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[73] Weight 96 kg (210 lb; 15.1 st)[8] Division Heavyweight Style Professional wrestling Fighting out of San Luis Potosí, Mexico Mixed martial arts record Total 14 Wins 9 By knockout 2 By submission 7 Losses 5 By knockout 2 By submission 1 By decision 1 By disqualification 1 Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog After making his professional wrestling debut in 2000, Dos Caras, Jr. decided to try his hand at mixed martial arts (MMA). After training with MMA fighter and trainer Marco Ruas, Caras, Jr. made his debut for Japanese MMA organisation Deep using both his wrestling name and luchador mask.[7] In his first match he demonstrated his professional wrestling background by executing a belly-to-belly suplex on opponent Kengo Watanabe, a move that broke Watanabe's arm to end the match.[74] In Caras, Jr.'s second match he lost to Watanabe by submission in the second round.[74]
In 2003 Japanese MMA organization Pride Fighting Championships put out an open challenge for anyone to face their top star Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović in a match. Over 50 competitors stepped forward, including a couple of Japanese professional wrestlers, out of the group Dos Caras, Jr. was chosen since he had an MMA background and also a "name" due to his and his father's association with professional wrestling. Pride rules were amended to allow Dos Caras, Jr. to wear his signature mask in the match against Filipović.[75] On October 5 Dos Caras, Jr. faced Cro Cop with his father, Dos Caras, and his cousin, Sicodelico, Jr. in his corner. The match lasted 46 seconds before Filipović hit Dos Caras, Jr. with one of his signature moves, the left high kick, and knocked him out.[76] Following the quick loss, Dos Caras, Jr. has competed in eight further MMA matches, attaining six wins and only two defeats with seven overall wins coming via submission.[74]
[edit] Mixed martial arts record Professional record breakdown [show] Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Loss 9-5 Yamamoto Hanshi TKO (punches) Cage of Combat 4 - Spanish Bombs February 27, 2010 2 2:47 Madrid, Spain Win 9-4 Arthur Bart KO (head kick) Cage of Combat 3 - San Vale Todo February 13, 2010 1 3:51 Torreón, Mexico Win 8-4 Toshiyuki Moriya Submission (neck crank) COC I - Cage of Combat I December 26, 2009 1 3:17 Veracruz, Veracruz Win 7-4 Ignacio Laguna Submission (rear naked choke) Berkman MMA Promotions I December 15, 2008 2 2:36 Mexico City, Mexico Win 6-4 Hato Kiyoshi Submission (rear naked choke) MMA Xtreme 17 December 15, 2007 2 2:31 Honduras Win 5-4 Joao Tua Submission (guillotine choke) MMA Xtreme 14 October 13, 2007 1 2:41 Honduras Win 4-4 George King Submission (rear naked choke) VFX: Vale Tudo
Fighters Mexico May 27, 2007 1 4:00 Tláhuac, Mexico Loss 3-4 Kazuhiro Nakamura Decision (unanimous) Pride 27 February 1, 2004 3 5:00 Osaka, Japan Loss 3-3 Mirko Filipović KO (head kick) Pride Bushido 1 October 5, 2003 1 0:46 Saitama, Saitama, Japan Win 3-2 Brad Kohler Submission (shoulder injury) Deep (mixed martial arts): 12th Impact September 15, 2003 1 1:25 Tokyo, Japan Loss 2-2 Hiroyuki Ito DQ (grabbing the ropes) Deep (mixed martial arts): 9th Impact May 5, 2003 1 3:21 Tokyo, Japan Win 2-1 Tatsuaki Nakano Submission (rear naked choke) Deep (mixed martial arts): 6th Impact September 7, 2002 1 4:05 Tokyo, Japan Loss 1-1 Kengo Watanabe Submission (rear naked choke) Deep (mixed martial arts): 4th Impact March 30, 2002 2 3:52 Nagoya, Japan Win 1-0 Kengo Watanabe TKO (broken arm, due to belly to belly suplex) Deep (mixed martial arts): 2nd Impact August 18, 2001 1 0:50 Yokohama, Japan [edit] In wrestling
Son of noted luchador Dos Caras, nephew of Mil Máscaras and Sicodelico, and cousin to Sicodelico, Jr. and Hijo de Sicodelico, Rodríguez is part of one of the most well known Mexican wrestling families.[5] The name Dos Caras translates to Two Faces, referring to the symbol of a double headed eagle on his mask.[1]
Contents [hide]
- 1 Amateur wrestling
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 3 Mixed martial arts
- 4 In wrestling
- 5 Championships and accomplishments
- 6 References
- 7 External links
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (2000–2002) After not competing at the 2000 Olympic games, Rodriguez turned to the family business, and trained with his father to become a professional wrestler. Caras made his debut appearance on May 9, 2000 as he ran in during an Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) show to save his father from a beat down from El Texano, Pirata Morgan and Espectro, Jr.[5][10] After making follow up TV show appearances Caras did not make his in ring debut until September 29 of that year when he teamed with Sangre Chicana, El Alebrije and La Parka, Jr. to defeat Los Consagrados (El Texano, Pirata Morgan, Espectro, Jr. and El Cobarde) at AAA's summer event Verano de Escándalo.[5][11] After his debut Rodriguez would travel to Japan to compete as well, making his Japanese debut on October 11 by teaming with his father to defeat the team of El Azteca and Chiba.[5][10] Caras continued his AAA storyline with Los Consagrados, teaming with Octagón, La Parka, Jr. and Hong Kong Lee to defeat Los Consagrados by disqualification.[13] Over the next couple of years Caras would work both in Mexico and Japan to gain experience in the ring. In Mexico he worked exclusively for AAA making appearances at shows such as the 2002 Verano de Escándalo, where he teamed with Gronda and El Hijo del Solitario to defeat the trio of Pirata Morgan, Sangre Chicana and El Brazo.[14]
[edit] Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre [edit] Técnico (2005–2009) In 2005, Rodriguez was signed to a contract with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL). In his first test in the company, Caras competed in the 2005 Copa Jr., but the storyline of the tournament saw him defeated in the semi-final by Dr. Wagner, Jr.[5][15] Caras's advancement to the semi-final of the cup, mere months after signing with the company was an indicator that the bookers were interested in elevating him up the rankings, this was further supported when he received matches for both the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship and the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship inside a three week period.[5][16][17] The following year on March 31, 2006 Caras was entered again into the Copa Jr. tournament and earned a return victory over Dr. Wager, Jr. who knocked him out of the tournament the previous year.[5] He also won against Heavy Metal and Apolo Dantes to gain a place in the final, defeating Héctor Garza to win the prize.[18] While working in Japan, Caras had taken to teaming with another second generation wrestler, Lizmark, Jr., and when both found themselves in CMLL they were teamed up once again with the team's famous fathers being the selling point. Over the next year Caras found himself without much direction, he worked storylines with Último Guerrero and Kenzo Suzuki but nothing long term came of it. Caras received two opportunities to challenge Universo 2000 for the CMLL World Heavyweight title but came up short until his third attempt on July 8, 2007 when he became the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion.[16] While in wrestling promotions outside of Mexico the Heavyweight title would indicate that he was the top man in the federation, Mexican wrestling promotions tend to put more emphasis on the lower weight divisions over the heavyweights.[19]
Caras's run with the CMLL World Heavyweight championship remained largely uneventful with only four title defenses in the 533 days that he held the championship.[5][16] After defending against Lizmark, Jr. and former champion Universo 2000 it would be 9 months before his next defense.[16] By the fall of 2008 a story broke that Rodriguez had wrestled a dark match for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and that they had offered him a contract.[5][20] Over the following months conflicting reports of whether he had signed or not arose but he remained CMLL World Heavyweight Champion. When Caras lost the title to Último Guerrero it was believed that he had indeed signed with WWE,[16] with him being rumored to be a surprise participant in the 2009 Royal Rumble. However, Rodriguez remained with CMLL and stated that he signed a four year deal and chose CMLL because they offered him a better deal than WWE.[5][21]
[edit] Rudo (2009) Throughout his entire career Dos Caras, Jr. had always played a heroic character, known in Mexico as a técnico. However, after the contract dealings with WWE surfaced he began showing signs of becoming a villain, known as a rudo. He would turn his attention away from the matches and instead try to win the approval of the fans, often costing his team the match because he was distracted. Caras himself explained this behavior by stating that he "hurt his shoulder, but bravely stayed in the arena".[22] After hinting at a change for weeks Caras finally cemented his villainous persona on April 11, 2009, the first member of the Rodríguez family to be a heel.[23] After becoming a rudo, he began working a storyline with Shocker.
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE [edit] Florida Championship Wrestling (2009–2010) On June 17, 2009, Rodriguez confirmed that he had signed a three-year contract with WWE, stating that he would not have to go to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE's developmental territory, but would go directly to the main roster.[5] Furthermore, he would retain the rights to his name, mask and image but allow the WWE to use it for promotional purposes while he is under contract with them. He agreed to the contract since it addressed the main reasons why he turned down the WWE's offer in January 2009.[24] Despite his claims, he had a match with Kris Logan at FCW wrestling under the name Dos.[25] He later also went on to wrestle under the ring names Dorado and El Dorado.[1] During a segment on the Abraham Washington show at the August 6 taping, Rodriguez revealed a new, unmasked wrestling character named Alberto Banderas.[2] During Raw's WrestleMania Revenge tour of Europe in April 2010, Caras made numerous appearances in untelevised matches for the Raw brand. One night he wrestled as Dos Caras, but he did not wear his mask. He was presented as a villain in a losing effort against Christian.[4][26] The following month Caras put his mask back on for WWE's tour of Mexico and worked as a hometown hero, prior to returning unmasked during untelevised matches for subsequent Raw and SmackDown shows.[27][28]
[edit] SmackDown (2010–2011) Del Rio in December 2010. On the June 25, 2010 episode of SmackDown, Rodriguez debuted on a pre-taped promotional video as the unmasked Alberto Del Rio.[3] Thereafter, a vignette aired every week on SmackDown promoting his character as an arrogant rich Mexican aristocrat, espousing his own virtues of honesty, integrity and mental faculties. After two months, he debuted on the August 20 episode of SmackDown by defeating fellow luchador Rey Mysterio in the main event using his new cross armbar submission.[1][29] As part of his act, Del Rio makes his entrances in an expensive car, while he is being introduced by his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez.[29] The following week, Del Rio continued the storyline with Mysterio by attacking him after his match with Kane, giving him a storyline injury by refusing to relinquish his armbar.[30] Two weeks later he defeated Matt Hardy via submission in Hardy's last appearance with the company[31] causing Hardy's friend Christian to challenge Del Rio to a match at Night of Champions.[32] Although he declined the match, on the September 24 episode of SmackDown Del Rio attacked Christian and injured him the same way he did Mysterio the previous month, marking the third successive wrestler Del Rio was scripted to injure.[33] This was done to write Christian off television, as he had suffered a torn pectoral muscle.[34] Mysterio returned on the October 8 SmackDown episode and handed Del Rio his first defeat in the main event match.[35] In October Del Rio defeated Chris Masters to represent the SmackDown brand at Bragging Rights, but during the pay-per-view event he attacked teammate Rey Mysterio, before being eliminated from the match by Team Raw's CM Punk.[36][37] At Survivor Series, in the traditional five-on-five elimination match, Del Rio captained a team against Rey Mysterio's team. Although Del Rio's team lost he was never technically eliminated, instead Big Show knocked him out with a punch and he was removed from the match.[38] On the November 26 SmackDown, Del Rio defeated Big Show via countout to qualify for the 2010 King of the Ring tournament.[39] In the tournament the next week on Raw, he made United States Champion Daniel Bryan submit in the first round, but would be defeated by John Morrison in the semi-final after being distracted by Mysterio who was inside his car.[40] On the November 30 episode of WWE NXT, it was announced that Del Rio would be a mentor to Conor O'Brian on the fourth season of NXT, starting the following week.[41] On December 19 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs Del Rio competed in a Fatal-4-Way Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Edge and also included the then champion Kane and Rey Mysterio.[42] On the January 7, 2011 episode of SmackDown, Del Rio defeated Mysterio in a Two Out of Three Falls match, with help from Ricardo Rodriguez to end his long feud with Mysterio.[43]
Del Rio mocking John Cena in September 2011. On January 18 Del Rio's NXT rookie Conor O'Brian became the second contestant eliminated from the competition.[44] The following week the rookies competed in a fatal four way match in which the winner would be able to change their pro. Brodus Clay won the match and chose Del Rio as his new pro.[45] After the conclusion of NXT, Clay was hired as the bodyguard of Del Rio.[46] On January 30, 2011, Del Rio defeated 39 other participants to win the 2011 Royal Rumble and earn the right to compete for either the World Heavyweight Championship or the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXVII by last eliminating Santino Marella.[47] The following night on Raw, Del Rio chose to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship, which, at the time of his choosing, was held by Edge.[48] At Elimination Chamber, Del Rio attacked Edge, after he had successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship and solidified his spot as Del Rio's opponent at WrestleMania. However, Edge managed to come out the exchange victorious, after Christian made a return from his injury and attacked Del Rio.[49] On the March 18 episode of SmackDown, Del Rio and Christian finally had their first one–on–one match inside a steel cage, in which Christian was victorious.[50] At WrestleMania XXVII, Del Rio was unsuccessful in his World Heavyweight Championship match against Edge.[51] On the following episode of SmackDown, Del Rio defeated Christian to earn a rematch against Edge at Extreme Rules.[52] However, when Edge unexpectedly announced his retirement from professional wrestling on the April 11 episode of Raw, Del Rio was instead booked to face Christian in a ladder match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.[53]
[edit] Raw; WWE Champion (2011–present) Del Rio with the WWE Championship. On the April 25, 2011, episode of Raw, Del Rio was drafted from SmackDown to Raw.[54] Ricardo Rodriguez moved to Raw with him, while Brodus Clay remained on SmackDown. On May 1 at Extreme Rules, Christian defeated Del Rio in a ladder match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.[55] On the May 23 episode of Raw, Del Rio slapped the Big Show after he had gotten into a confrontation with Ricardo Rodriguez. After competing in a match, Show was run over by Del Rio's car, being driven by Rodriguez, leaving him sidelined with a storyline knee injury.[56] Big Show made his return three weeks later, chasing Del Rio out of the ring and beating Rodriguez down.[57] On June 19 at Capitol Punishment, Del Rio defeated Big Show via referee stoppage, when Show was unable to continue the match as a result of a pre-match assault by Mark Henry.[58] On the June 27 episode of Raw, Del Rio defeated Big Show in a steel cage match, again with help from Mark Henry.[59] On July 17 at Money in the Bank, Del Rio defeated Alex Riley, Evan Bourne, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, The Miz, R-Truth and Rey Mysterio in a Money in the Bank ladder match to earn the right to challenge for the WWE Championship whenever and wherever he wanted. Following the orders of Vince McMahon, Del Rio attempted to cash in his contract later that same night on CM Punk, who had just defeated John Cena for the WWE Championship, but was attacked and laid out by him before he could do so.[60] Del Rio eventually cashed in his contract on August 14 at SummerSlam, challenging CM Punk after the main event, where he had defeated John Cena to become the undisputed WWE Champion. Between the two matches, Punk was attacked by Kevin Nash, which led to Del Rio scoring a quick pinfall victory to win the WWE Championship for the first time.[61] In winning the title, Del Rio became the first ever Mexican-born WWE Champion.[62] On September 18 at Night of Champions, Del Rio lost the WWE Championship to John Cena.[63][64] Del Rio regained the title on October 2 at Hell in a Cell by defeating Cena and CM Punk in a Hell in a Cell match.[65] On October 23 at Vengeance, Del Rio successfully defended the WWE Championship against John Cena in a Last Man Standing match, following interference from The Miz and R-Truth.[66] On November 20 at Survivor Series, Del Rio lost the WWE Championship to CM Punk.[67] Del Rio received a rematch for the WWE Championship on the November 28 episode of Raw, but was defeated after CM Punk dropped him onto an exposed turnbuckle, managing to avoid a disqualification, which would have cost him the title, in the process.[68] On December 18 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Del Rio failed again to recapture the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, also involving CM Punk and The Miz.[69] The following night on Raw, Del Rio suffered a torn groin muscle, which would require surgery and sideline him for four to six weeks.[70] Del Rio made his return at a WWE house show in San Francisco on February 11, 2012, arm wrestling Sheamus to a no contest.[71] On February 19 at Elimination Chamber, Del Rio returned to show support to Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis.[72]
[edit] Mixed martial arts Dos Caras, Jr. Born May 25, 1977 (age 34)
San Luis Potosí, Mexico Nationality Mexican Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[73] Weight 96 kg (210 lb; 15.1 st)[8] Division Heavyweight Style Professional wrestling Fighting out of San Luis Potosí, Mexico Mixed martial arts record Total 14 Wins 9 By knockout 2 By submission 7 Losses 5 By knockout 2 By submission 1 By decision 1 By disqualification 1 Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog After making his professional wrestling debut in 2000, Dos Caras, Jr. decided to try his hand at mixed martial arts (MMA). After training with MMA fighter and trainer Marco Ruas, Caras, Jr. made his debut for Japanese MMA organisation Deep using both his wrestling name and luchador mask.[7] In his first match he demonstrated his professional wrestling background by executing a belly-to-belly suplex on opponent Kengo Watanabe, a move that broke Watanabe's arm to end the match.[74] In Caras, Jr.'s second match he lost to Watanabe by submission in the second round.[74]
In 2003 Japanese MMA organization Pride Fighting Championships put out an open challenge for anyone to face their top star Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović in a match. Over 50 competitors stepped forward, including a couple of Japanese professional wrestlers, out of the group Dos Caras, Jr. was chosen since he had an MMA background and also a "name" due to his and his father's association with professional wrestling. Pride rules were amended to allow Dos Caras, Jr. to wear his signature mask in the match against Filipović.[75] On October 5 Dos Caras, Jr. faced Cro Cop with his father, Dos Caras, and his cousin, Sicodelico, Jr. in his corner. The match lasted 46 seconds before Filipović hit Dos Caras, Jr. with one of his signature moves, the left high kick, and knocked him out.[76] Following the quick loss, Dos Caras, Jr. has competed in eight further MMA matches, attaining six wins and only two defeats with seven overall wins coming via submission.[74]
[edit] Mixed martial arts record Professional record breakdown [show] Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes Loss 9-5 Yamamoto Hanshi TKO (punches) Cage of Combat 4 - Spanish Bombs February 27, 2010 2 2:47 Madrid, Spain Win 9-4 Arthur Bart KO (head kick) Cage of Combat 3 - San Vale Todo February 13, 2010 1 3:51 Torreón, Mexico Win 8-4 Toshiyuki Moriya Submission (neck crank) COC I - Cage of Combat I December 26, 2009 1 3:17 Veracruz, Veracruz Win 7-4 Ignacio Laguna Submission (rear naked choke) Berkman MMA Promotions I December 15, 2008 2 2:36 Mexico City, Mexico Win 6-4 Hato Kiyoshi Submission (rear naked choke) MMA Xtreme 17 December 15, 2007 2 2:31 Honduras Win 5-4 Joao Tua Submission (guillotine choke) MMA Xtreme 14 October 13, 2007 1 2:41 Honduras Win 4-4 George King Submission (rear naked choke) VFX: Vale Tudo
Fighters Mexico May 27, 2007 1 4:00 Tláhuac, Mexico Loss 3-4 Kazuhiro Nakamura Decision (unanimous) Pride 27 February 1, 2004 3 5:00 Osaka, Japan Loss 3-3 Mirko Filipović KO (head kick) Pride Bushido 1 October 5, 2003 1 0:46 Saitama, Saitama, Japan Win 3-2 Brad Kohler Submission (shoulder injury) Deep (mixed martial arts): 12th Impact September 15, 2003 1 1:25 Tokyo, Japan Loss 2-2 Hiroyuki Ito DQ (grabbing the ropes) Deep (mixed martial arts): 9th Impact May 5, 2003 1 3:21 Tokyo, Japan Win 2-1 Tatsuaki Nakano Submission (rear naked choke) Deep (mixed martial arts): 6th Impact September 7, 2002 1 4:05 Tokyo, Japan Loss 1-1 Kengo Watanabe Submission (rear naked choke) Deep (mixed martial arts): 4th Impact March 30, 2002 2 3:52 Nagoya, Japan Win 1-0 Kengo Watanabe TKO (broken arm, due to belly to belly suplex) Deep (mixed martial arts): 2nd Impact August 18, 2001 1 0:50 Yokohama, Japan [edit] In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- As Alberto Del Rio
- Cross Armbreaker (Flying cross armbar)[1][5][6][77]
- As Dos Caras, Jr.
- As Alberto Del Rio
- Signature moves
- Bridging / Release German suplex[80][81]
- Diving senton[64]
- Double knee armbreaker[36][82]
- Double knee backbreaker[64]
- Fireman's carry double knee gutbuster[49][83]
- Leapfrog body guillotine[84]
- Single arm DDT[85]
- Step-up enzuigiri,[86][87] sometimes to an opponent on the top rope[88][89]
- Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker[64]
- Entrance themes
- "Realeza" by Jim Johnston featuring Mariachi Real de Mexico[95] (WWE; August 20, 2010–present)
- World Junior Championships
- Third place (1997)
- Central American and Caribbean Games
- First place (3 times)
- Pan American Games
- Placed (1 time)
Alex Riley
Kevin Robert Kiley, Jr.[1][2][5] (born April 28, 1981)[5] is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Alex Riley. He is signed to WWE, where he wrestles on the [[WWE NXT|NXT brand.[3] He also was a part of the second season of NXT.
Contents [hide]
In September 2008, he changed his ring name to Carson Oakley.[6][7] As Oakley he began teaming with Scotty Goldman, and the pairing unsuccessfully challenged TJ Wilson and David Hart Smith for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship in November.[8] In early, he underwent another name change, calling himself Alex Riley and developing the gimmick of a university jock, wearing a Letterman's jacket to the ring.[6][9][10] He gained Beverly Mullins as a manager, and to fit with his jock gimmick, Mullins adopted the gimmick of a prom queen.[10]
In 2009, he joined FCW General Manager Abraham Washington's cabinet, being called Washington's "top draft pick", and as a result, was named the number one contender to Tyler Reks' FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship in July.[11][12] In August, he lost in a triple threat match including Reks and Johnny Curtis. In mid-2009, he competed in several dark matches prior to Raw and SmackDown, wrestling against Jamie Noble, Montel Vontavious Porter and Jimmy Wang Yang, and also appeared at house show.[1][9] On the August 30 episode of FCW, Riley dropped Mullins as his manager, calling her "dead weight".[11]
On March 18, 2010, Riley defeated Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett in a triple threat match to win the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship. After his title win he called out Barrett and paid him for his services as a hired help.[13][14] At the July 22 FCW tapings, Riley lost the title to Mason Ryan in a triple threat match, also involving Johnny Curtis.[13] At the television tapings on September 22, Riley faced Ryan in a rematch, but lost by submission.[15]
[edit] Alliance with The Miz (2010–2011) On June 1, 2010, The Miz announced that he would be mentoring Riley for the second season of WWE NXT.[16][17] He made his NXT debut on the June 8 episode, but did not compete in a match.[18] He made his in-ring debut on the following edition of NXT, defeating Kaval.[19] Kaval returned the favor two weeks later, by pinning Riley in a six-man tag team match. Later that night, Riley was ranked fourth in the first poll.[20] In the second poll on the July 27 episode of NXT, Riley moved up to third place, behind Michael McGillicutty and Kaval.[21] On August 9 the rookies appeared in a six-man tag team match on Raw, in which Riley teamed with Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty to defeat Lucky Cannon, Kaval and Percy Watson.[22] The following night however, Riley's team lost a rematch, and he slipped to fifth place in the poll, narrowly avoiding elimination.[23] Riley was eliminated from NXT in the season finale on August 31, ending up in third place overall. After Kaval was announced as the winner, Riley and the other eliminated rookies attacked him.[24]
Riley (left) with The Miz at WrestleMania XXVII. He appeared on the September 6 episode of Raw, when he tried to help his mentor The Miz, who had been placed in the LeBell Lock submission hold by Daniel Bryan, but ended up being placed in the hold himself.[25] He appeared again the following week, replacing The Miz in a submission match against Bryan, but lost.[26] On the September 20 episode of Raw The Miz announced that he had signed Riley to a 'personal services contract', allowing Riley to accompany The Miz to ringside and continue to appear on Raw.[27] As The Miz's protégé, Riley interfered in his matches, including at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view, where Riley unsuccessfully attempted to help The Miz's team win.[28] The Miz also used Riley as a replacement for himself in matches, which led to Riley facing and losing to John Cena on November 15 and Ezekiel Jackson in a King of the Ring qualifying match on November 22 as a result.[29][30] The following week, Riley interfered in the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the WWE Championship between Jerry Lawler and The Miz, who had won the championship the week prior. Riley stopped Lawler from winning twice, before Lawler put him through a table.[31] He helped The Miz to retain the championship again at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Tables match, during which he was put through a table by Randy Orton.[32]
On the February 28 episode of Raw John Cena challenged Riley to a match where if Cena won, Riley would no longer be The Miz's apprentice. The Miz accepted the match on Riley's behalf, and later that night, Cena and Riley faced off in a steel cage match. Riley lost the match despite interference from The Miz.[33] The angle was used to write Riley off television as he was scheduled to be sent back to Florida Championship Wrestling to be repackaged.[34] Despite this, Riley appeared on the March 14 episode of Raw, interfering in The Miz's match against The Great Khali.[35] The following week, Riley announced that The Miz had re-hired him, this time as The Miz's VP of Corporate Communications.[36] He accompanied The Miz to his match at WrestleMania XXVII against Cena where he interfered several times, throwing Cena into an exposed turnbuckle, attacking him with his briefcase, and distracting the referee.[37]
[edit] Singles competition (2011-present) Riley in 2011 As part of the 2011 supplemental draft on April 26, Riley was moved to the SmackDown brand, separating him from The Miz.[38] He debuted on the April 29 episode of SmackDown, interrupting Randy Orton but having an RKO performed on him before he could speak.[39] Despite being drafted, Riley continued to appear on Raw, alongside The Miz. On the May 2 episode of Raw, The Miz chastised Riley for not being present at Extreme Rules the previous night, when The Miz lost the WWE Championship to Cena.[40] Riley appeared alongside The Miz at the Over the Limit pay-per-view, where he attempted to help The Miz win his "I Quit" match against Cena, but The Miz was unsuccessful and failed to regain the WWE Championship.[41] The following night on Raw, The Miz fired Riley, blaming him for his lack of success in regaining the WWE Championship. After being slapped by The Miz, Riley attacked him before leaving thus turning face in the process.[42] The following week, Michael Cole announced Riley had been rehired by the Anonymous Raw General Manager, and he returned to Raw, as in storyline he had not been eligible to be drafted as he was under contract to The Miz, not WWE. Following an argument, Riley attacked Cole, before chasing away The Miz who had tried to attack Riley from behind.[43]
On the June 6 episode of Raw, Riley teamed with John Cena to face R-Truth and The Miz, with Steve Austin as the special referee. Riley and Cena won the match, but the decision was reversed by the Anonymous Raw General Manager, after Stone Cold had physically assaulted The Miz during the match.[44] On the same show, it was confirmed that Riley would face The Miz at Capitol Punishment.[45] At WWE Capitol Punishment, Riley defeated The Miz.[46] The following night on Raw, Riley would team with John Cena and Randy Orton to take on The Miz, R-Truth and Christian in a six-man tag team elimination match. Riley was the first person eliminated, but his team went on to win the match regardless.[47] At Money in the Bank, Riley competed in a Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Alberto Del Rio.[48] The following night on Raw, Riley was one of the eight men placed in the WWE Championship tournament, losing to The Miz in the first round and ending their feud.[49]
On the August 1 episode of Raw, Riley began a feud with Dolph Ziggler, beginning with a verbal confrontation.[50] Riley and Ziggler faced off the following week, with Riley winning by disqualification after Vickie Guerrero, Ziggler's manager, slapped him.[51] On the August 15 of Raw, Riley lost to Jack Swagger, due to interference by Guerrero.[52] Riley defeated Swagger in a rematch the following week, after Swagger was distracted by Guerrero and Ziggler arguing at ringside.[53] At Night of Champions, Riley competed in a fatal four-way match for the WWE United States Championship, which also involved Ziggler, Swagger and John Morrison, in which Ziggler retained his title.[54] Soon after the match, Riley suffered a hip injury and took a hiatus from television to recover. He returned on the October 6 episode of Superstars, defeating JTG. At the 2012 Royal Rumble, Riley entered second in the Royal Rumble and was eliminated first by The Miz.[55]
[edit] Personal life Kiley's father was a sportscaster for ESPN and his mother is a former Miss Virginia.[3] He has a younger brother.[2] Kiley attended Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, VA, where he played both football and basketball.[2] He then went to Boston College, where he majored in communications.[2] He played for the Boston College Eagles, the football team, initially as a quarterback, before becoming a linebacker during the 2001 season.[2][56]
Kiley was arrested in Tampa, Florida on November 17, 2010, at 1:14 a.m. on charges of driving under the influence, after refusing to be tested.[5][57] He was released at 9:33 a.m. on a $500 bond.[5][57] Kiley was also charged with driving with a suspended license.[58] The charges were dropped in June 2011 after a judge ruled there had been no grounds for a traffic stop.[59]
[edit] In wrestling
Contents [hide]
- 1 World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- 2 Personal life
- 3 In wrestling
- 4 Championships and accomplishments
- 5 References
- 6 External links
In September 2008, he changed his ring name to Carson Oakley.[6][7] As Oakley he began teaming with Scotty Goldman, and the pairing unsuccessfully challenged TJ Wilson and David Hart Smith for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship in November.[8] In early, he underwent another name change, calling himself Alex Riley and developing the gimmick of a university jock, wearing a Letterman's jacket to the ring.[6][9][10] He gained Beverly Mullins as a manager, and to fit with his jock gimmick, Mullins adopted the gimmick of a prom queen.[10]
In 2009, he joined FCW General Manager Abraham Washington's cabinet, being called Washington's "top draft pick", and as a result, was named the number one contender to Tyler Reks' FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship in July.[11][12] In August, he lost in a triple threat match including Reks and Johnny Curtis. In mid-2009, he competed in several dark matches prior to Raw and SmackDown, wrestling against Jamie Noble, Montel Vontavious Porter and Jimmy Wang Yang, and also appeared at house show.[1][9] On the August 30 episode of FCW, Riley dropped Mullins as his manager, calling her "dead weight".[11]
On March 18, 2010, Riley defeated Justin Gabriel and Wade Barrett in a triple threat match to win the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship. After his title win he called out Barrett and paid him for his services as a hired help.[13][14] At the July 22 FCW tapings, Riley lost the title to Mason Ryan in a triple threat match, also involving Johnny Curtis.[13] At the television tapings on September 22, Riley faced Ryan in a rematch, but lost by submission.[15]
[edit] Alliance with The Miz (2010–2011) On June 1, 2010, The Miz announced that he would be mentoring Riley for the second season of WWE NXT.[16][17] He made his NXT debut on the June 8 episode, but did not compete in a match.[18] He made his in-ring debut on the following edition of NXT, defeating Kaval.[19] Kaval returned the favor two weeks later, by pinning Riley in a six-man tag team match. Later that night, Riley was ranked fourth in the first poll.[20] In the second poll on the July 27 episode of NXT, Riley moved up to third place, behind Michael McGillicutty and Kaval.[21] On August 9 the rookies appeared in a six-man tag team match on Raw, in which Riley teamed with Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty to defeat Lucky Cannon, Kaval and Percy Watson.[22] The following night however, Riley's team lost a rematch, and he slipped to fifth place in the poll, narrowly avoiding elimination.[23] Riley was eliminated from NXT in the season finale on August 31, ending up in third place overall. After Kaval was announced as the winner, Riley and the other eliminated rookies attacked him.[24]
Riley (left) with The Miz at WrestleMania XXVII. He appeared on the September 6 episode of Raw, when he tried to help his mentor The Miz, who had been placed in the LeBell Lock submission hold by Daniel Bryan, but ended up being placed in the hold himself.[25] He appeared again the following week, replacing The Miz in a submission match against Bryan, but lost.[26] On the September 20 episode of Raw The Miz announced that he had signed Riley to a 'personal services contract', allowing Riley to accompany The Miz to ringside and continue to appear on Raw.[27] As The Miz's protégé, Riley interfered in his matches, including at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view, where Riley unsuccessfully attempted to help The Miz's team win.[28] The Miz also used Riley as a replacement for himself in matches, which led to Riley facing and losing to John Cena on November 15 and Ezekiel Jackson in a King of the Ring qualifying match on November 22 as a result.[29][30] The following week, Riley interfered in the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the WWE Championship between Jerry Lawler and The Miz, who had won the championship the week prior. Riley stopped Lawler from winning twice, before Lawler put him through a table.[31] He helped The Miz to retain the championship again at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Tables match, during which he was put through a table by Randy Orton.[32]
On the February 28 episode of Raw John Cena challenged Riley to a match where if Cena won, Riley would no longer be The Miz's apprentice. The Miz accepted the match on Riley's behalf, and later that night, Cena and Riley faced off in a steel cage match. Riley lost the match despite interference from The Miz.[33] The angle was used to write Riley off television as he was scheduled to be sent back to Florida Championship Wrestling to be repackaged.[34] Despite this, Riley appeared on the March 14 episode of Raw, interfering in The Miz's match against The Great Khali.[35] The following week, Riley announced that The Miz had re-hired him, this time as The Miz's VP of Corporate Communications.[36] He accompanied The Miz to his match at WrestleMania XXVII against Cena where he interfered several times, throwing Cena into an exposed turnbuckle, attacking him with his briefcase, and distracting the referee.[37]
[edit] Singles competition (2011-present) Riley in 2011 As part of the 2011 supplemental draft on April 26, Riley was moved to the SmackDown brand, separating him from The Miz.[38] He debuted on the April 29 episode of SmackDown, interrupting Randy Orton but having an RKO performed on him before he could speak.[39] Despite being drafted, Riley continued to appear on Raw, alongside The Miz. On the May 2 episode of Raw, The Miz chastised Riley for not being present at Extreme Rules the previous night, when The Miz lost the WWE Championship to Cena.[40] Riley appeared alongside The Miz at the Over the Limit pay-per-view, where he attempted to help The Miz win his "I Quit" match against Cena, but The Miz was unsuccessful and failed to regain the WWE Championship.[41] The following night on Raw, The Miz fired Riley, blaming him for his lack of success in regaining the WWE Championship. After being slapped by The Miz, Riley attacked him before leaving thus turning face in the process.[42] The following week, Michael Cole announced Riley had been rehired by the Anonymous Raw General Manager, and he returned to Raw, as in storyline he had not been eligible to be drafted as he was under contract to The Miz, not WWE. Following an argument, Riley attacked Cole, before chasing away The Miz who had tried to attack Riley from behind.[43]
On the June 6 episode of Raw, Riley teamed with John Cena to face R-Truth and The Miz, with Steve Austin as the special referee. Riley and Cena won the match, but the decision was reversed by the Anonymous Raw General Manager, after Stone Cold had physically assaulted The Miz during the match.[44] On the same show, it was confirmed that Riley would face The Miz at Capitol Punishment.[45] At WWE Capitol Punishment, Riley defeated The Miz.[46] The following night on Raw, Riley would team with John Cena and Randy Orton to take on The Miz, R-Truth and Christian in a six-man tag team elimination match. Riley was the first person eliminated, but his team went on to win the match regardless.[47] At Money in the Bank, Riley competed in a Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Alberto Del Rio.[48] The following night on Raw, Riley was one of the eight men placed in the WWE Championship tournament, losing to The Miz in the first round and ending their feud.[49]
On the August 1 episode of Raw, Riley began a feud with Dolph Ziggler, beginning with a verbal confrontation.[50] Riley and Ziggler faced off the following week, with Riley winning by disqualification after Vickie Guerrero, Ziggler's manager, slapped him.[51] On the August 15 of Raw, Riley lost to Jack Swagger, due to interference by Guerrero.[52] Riley defeated Swagger in a rematch the following week, after Swagger was distracted by Guerrero and Ziggler arguing at ringside.[53] At Night of Champions, Riley competed in a fatal four-way match for the WWE United States Championship, which also involved Ziggler, Swagger and John Morrison, in which Ziggler retained his title.[54] Soon after the match, Riley suffered a hip injury and took a hiatus from television to recover. He returned on the October 6 episode of Superstars, defeating JTG. At the 2012 Royal Rumble, Riley entered second in the Royal Rumble and was eliminated first by The Miz.[55]
[edit] Personal life Kiley's father was a sportscaster for ESPN and his mother is a former Miss Virginia.[3] He has a younger brother.[2] Kiley attended Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, VA, where he played both football and basketball.[2] He then went to Boston College, where he majored in communications.[2] He played for the Boston College Eagles, the football team, initially as a quarterback, before becoming a linebacker during the 2001 season.[2][56]
Kiley was arrested in Tampa, Florida on November 17, 2010, at 1:14 a.m. on charges of driving under the influence, after refusing to be tested.[5][57] He was released at 9:33 a.m. on a $500 bond.[5][57] Kiley was also charged with driving with a suspended license.[58] The charges were dropped in June 2011 after a judge ruled there had been no grounds for a traffic stop.[59]
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Signature moves
- A-Bomb (Elbow drop, with theatrics)[63][64]
- Back suplex side slam[1]
- Fall forward diving facebuster, usually preceded by either mounted punches[65] or a stinger splash[66]
- Game Changer[64] (STO)[65]
- Hip toss neckbreaker[67]
- Spinebuster[63][64][65]
- Super hip toss[68]
- Entrance themes
- "Say It to My Face" by Jim Johnston and performed by Downstait (May 30, 2011–present)[71][72]
Cristian
William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973)[2] is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by the ring names Christian and Christian Cage, who is signed to WWE and appearing on its SmackDown brand. Reso was trained by former professional wrestlers Ron Hutchinson, Dory Funk, Jr., and Tom Prichard, and made his wrestling debut in June 1995. Reso wrestled in Canadian independent promotions early in his career. During his time in these promotions, he competed in singles and tag team competition, the latter with Edge, his storyline brother. In 1998, Reso signed a developmental deal with the WWF and began competing for the company the following year. After signing with the WWF, Reso made his debut and captured his first title with the company, the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship. He and Edge went on to win the WWF Tag Team Championship on seven different occasions. During this time, they gained notoriety in the tag team division, partly due to their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. In 2001 the team parted ways and Reso signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2005.
Following his move to TNA, he won his first of six world championships, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, in February 2006. He recaptured the title in January 2007 and established his Coalition, which disbanded a year later. Reso left TNA in late-2008 and re-signed with WWE. In April 2009, Reso won his first world championship in WWE, the ECW Championship, which he would win again in July of that year. He became the longest reigning ECW Champion in the WWE era and later went on the SmackDown brand capturing the World Heavyweight Championship in May 2011, and again in July of that year.
Overall, Reso has won 21 championships in WWE and TNA, which include being a six time world champion (two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, two-time ECW Champion, and two time World Heavyweight Champion), as well as a one time WWF Light Heavyweight Champion, one time WWF Hardcore Champion, one time WWF European Champion, three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, and a nine-time World Tag Team Champion. In addition to these accolades, Reso is the twenty-third Triple Crown Champion and the eleventh Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
Contents [hide]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Early career (1994-1998) In September 1994, Reso enrolled in a wrestling school at Sully's Gym, ran by Ron Hutchinson.[4] One of Reso's early ring names, "Christian Cage", was a combination of the names of the actors, Christian Slater and Nicolas Cage.[4][6] Christian's wrestling career began in June 1995 in a match against Zakk Wyld (Keith Assoun) which resulted in a draw.[4] In 1997, he was a part of THUG Life, a stable (or alliance) that included Joe E. Legend, Zakk Wyld, Rhino Richards, and Sexton Hardcastle. As a tag team on the Canadian independent circuit, Copeland and Reso were known as "High Impact" and later "The Suicide Blondes". The duo held titles in numerous professional wrestling promotions and competed in Canada, the United States, and Japan.[7] Reso won East Coast Wrestling Association's (ECWA) Heavyweight Championship on July 18, 1998, which he held till October 15, 1999.[8]
When Copeland received a tryout match with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Reso went with him. Reso and Copeland faced off in an untelevised tryout match which Copeland was booked to win. After the tryout, Copeland signed a contract with the WWF.[7] Once Copeland was promoted from his developmental status to touring with the WWF he put in a good word for Reso, getting him invited to the WWF affiliated Dory Funk, Jr.’s "The Funking Conservatory" training camp in 1998.[9] After completing the training at the conservatory, Reso signed a contract with the WWF to become a full-time performer.[7]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment [edit] The Brood (1998–1999) Main article: The Brood Christian (left) with Edge in their Brood attire, which they used along with gothic symbols. When Reso came to the World Wrestling Federation, he shortened his ring name to Christian.[4] Reso made his television debut on September 27, 1998 at the Breakdown: In Your House pay-per-view (PPV) event distracting Edge during his match against Owen Hart to reveal his allegiance to Gangrel.[10][11] He won the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship in his debut match against Taka Michinoku on October 18, 1998 at the Judgment Day: In Your House PPV event.[4][12]
Christian, given the character of a vampire, formed an alliance with Gangrel and Edge, who, in storyline, was finally persuaded to join what became known as The Brood.[13] The Brood briefly feuded with, then joined, The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness, but upon learning that Christian was beaten into telling Ken Shamrock the whereabouts of Stephanie McMahon, The Undertaker wanted to punish Christian by flogging (according to the storyline at the time).[13] More loyal to the Brood than to the Ministry, Edge and Gangrel betrayed The Undertaker and rescued Christian.
[edit] Edge and Christian (1999–2001) Main article: Edge and Christian In 1999, Christian and Edge parted ways with Gangrel, who associated himself with The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt Hardy) to form The New Brood. As a result, they began feuding with The Hardy Boyz, and went onto compete in a ladder match at the No Mercy PPV event on October 17, 1999 for the managerial services of Terri Runnels and $100,000, which The Hardy Boyz won.[14] At the WrestleMania 2000 PPV event on April 2, 2000, Christian and Edge defeated The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship in a Triangle Ladder match, which ultimately led to the creation of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match (TLC).[15][16]
Christian (right) and Edge at King of the Ring 2000 performing a five second pose. Following their victory, Christian and Edge portrayed themselves as villains, shifting their in-ring personas from borderline goth to a comedic pair of "cool dudes", winning the Tag Team Championship six more times (for a total of seven). During this time, their trademark became the "five second pose", where they performed a pose in the ring for five seconds "for the benefit of those with flash photography" to mock, insult, or otherwise amuse the fans.[4][17] At the SummerSlam PPV event on August 27, 2000, the duo successfully defended the tag team title in the first-ever TLC match against The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz.[18] At the Royal Rumble PPV event on January 21, 2001, Christian and Edge lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to The Dudley Boyz.[19][20] The following month on February 25, 2001 at the No Way Out PPV event, they were unsuccessful in regaining the title,[21] but recaptured the title on April 1, 2001 at the WrestleMania X-Seven PPV event in the second-ever TLC match involving The Hardy Boyz.[22][23] Christian and Edge were defeated by The Brothers of Destruction (Kane and The Undertaker) for the tag team championship on the April 19, 2001 episode of WWF SmackDown!.[24]
After losing the tag team title, friction arose within the team after Edge won the 2001 King of the Ring tournament on June 24 at the King of the Ring PPV event.[25] It was also during this time that Edge was becoming a fan favorite during "The Invasion" storyline. Christian turned on Edge shortly afterward,[26] resulting in the two feuding for Edge's WWF Intercontinental Championship for several months, with the title changing hands twice.[27]
[edit] Singles competition (2002–2004) Christian began a singles career by winning the WWF European Championship from Bradshaw in October 2001,[28] though he would later lose the title to Diamond Dallas Page in January 2002. After a series of defeats, Christian announced he was quitting the WWF, but Page persuaded Christian to reconsider, and adopted him as his protegé.[4] Christian betrayed Page and faced off against him for the European championship at the WrestleMania X8 event on March 17, 2002, in which Page defeated him.[4] During the same event, Christian defeated Mighty Molly to win the WWF Hardcore Championship, but lost the title to Maven later that night.[29]
Christian in 2002 as World Tag Team Champion alongside Lance Storm. Following WrestleMania X8, Christian formed an alliance with fellow Canadian wrestlers Lance Storm and Test in June 2002, calling themselves The Un-Americans. Together, Christian and Storm won the now named WWE Tag Team Championship, formerly the WWF Tag Team Championship (which was renamed due to the WWF being forced to rename itself "World Wrestling Entertainment"), on July 21, 2002 at the Vengeance PPV event, but later lost it on the September 23, 2002 episode of WWE Raw to the team of The Hurricane and Kane.[30] He later formed a tag team with Chris Jericho, with whom he won the World Tag Team Championship, the renamed WWE Tag Team Championship, on October 14, 2002.[30][31] Christian and Jericho lost the title in a fatal four-way elimination match, involving the teams of The Dudley Boyz, Booker T and Goldust, and William Regal and Lance Storm, on December 15, 2002 at the Armageddon PPV event.[32]
In 2003, after receiving advice and endorsement from The Rock, Christian self-proclaimed himself as the new "People's Champion", and began calling his fans "The Peeps".[33][34] He went on to win a nine man over-the-top-rope battle royal at the Judgment Day PPV event on May 18, 2003 for the vacant WWE Intercontinental Championship, the renamed "WWF Intercontinental Championship".[27] The following night on Raw, he appeared on Chris Jericho's talk show, The Highlight Reel, sporting a new haircut and ring attire.[35] Christian would later lose the Intercontinental Championship to Booker T on the July 7, 2003 episode of Raw.[27] Christian, however, regained the title at a live event on August 10, 2003 after Booker was legitimately injured.[27]
Also in 2003, Christian and Jericho began romances with WWE Divas Trish Stratus and Lita, respectively. As part of the angle, it was revealed to be a bet over who could sleep with their respective female first, with a Canadian dollar at stake.[36][37] Despite the bet, Jericho continued his relationship with Stratus, which ultimately resulted in Christian and Jericho turning on each other. At the WrestleMania XX PPV event on March 14, 2004, Christian faced Jericho in a singles match with Stratus on Jericho's side. Stratus, however, accidentally struck Jericho, allowing Christian to defeat him.[38] Stratus then joined forces with Christian, becoming his on-screen girlfriend in the process. During a steel cage match against Jericho on the May 10, 2004 episode of Raw, Christian suffered a severe back injury, causing him to miss almost four months of in-ring action.[6][39] He returned on the August 30 episode of Raw, resuming his feud with Jericho ending in a ladder match for the vacant Intercontinental Championship at Unforgiven.[40]
[edit] Captain Charisma (2004–2005) Christian's gimmick became that of a cocky, overconfident villain, dubbing himself "Captain Charisma" in October 2004. At Survivor Series 2004, Christian debuted "Just Close Your Eyes" by Waterproof Blonde as his theme song. On December 6, 2004, he was forced to wrestle as Captain Charisma, complete with a superhero costume, by Chris Jericho, who was general manager for the night.[41] Christian was often accompanied by Tyson Tomko, whom he called his "problem solver", and usually won his matches with interference from Tomko. Christian was loosely paired with Edge again several times in late 2004 and early 2005. Despite being a villain, he acquired a fanbase, who he referred to as his "Peeps",[42] "Peepulation" (a play on the word "population")[43] or the "Christian Coalition".[44]
In April 2005, Christian participated in the first-ever Money in the Bank ladder match at the WrestleMania 21 PPV event on April 3, 2005.[45] Following this, Christian, who had an encounter with SmackDown! superstar John Cena at the start of the year, began commenting on Cena, claiming he was a better rapper than Cena and denouncing him as "poseur". Christian was noticeably cheered during these segments and was thought to be finally becoming a main eventer.[6] Soon after Cena, then-WWE Champion, was drafted to the Raw brand, where he [Cena] successfully defended the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match against Christian and Jericho on June 26, 2005 at the Vengeance PPV event.[46]
On the June 30 episode of SmackDown!, Christian was drafted to the SmackDown! brand in the 2005 WWE Draft Lottery. He replaced The Big Show in a six-man elimination match for the newly-created SmackDown! Championship, and lost to John "Bradshaw" Layfield.[47] Soon-after, he was given his own interview segment on SmackDown! called The Peep Show.[48]
On October 31, 2005, Reso's contract with WWE expired.[48] According to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, he was asked on the spot to sign a new contract but declined.[48] His last match occurred during the tapings for the November 4 episode of SmackDown!.[48] Despite his quitting, Christian appeared on the October 31 episode of Raw and at the Taboo Tuesday PPV event on November 1, 2005, fulfilling his obligations to the company, as he was one of five SmackDown! wrestlers eligible to be voted Snitsky and Chris Masters' opponents by the fans.[49][50]
From early 2007 onwards, Reso began calling himself "The Instant Classic", although he continued to be referred to as "Captain Charisma" in off-screen appearances and sometimes wore his "Captain Charisma" entrance jumpsuits to the ring at live events.[51]
[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling [edit] Debut and instant success (2005–2006) Reso, with Coach Scott D'Amore, during his debut at the Genesis PPV event in November 2005. Reso made his debut in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion on November 13, 2005 at TNA's Genesis PPV event under his old ring name "Christian Cage".[52] Reso then made his way the ring, where he grabbed a microphone and announced his intentions, as his Cage character, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship held by Jeff Jarrett, after taking a few shots at his former employer.[52] Coach Scott D'Amore and Bobby Roode of the villainous Team Canada alliance then made their way to the ring. D'Amore then offered Cage a position in Team Canada (since Reso is Canadian) and even giving him a Team Canada T-shirt and telling Cage to take his time on making a decision.[52] Later in the night after the main event, a Six Man Tag Team match pitting the team of Jarrett and America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) (AMW) against Rhino and Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon), Cage ran down to the ring while Team Canada (D'Amore, Roode, Eric Young, and A-1), AMW, and Jarrett were assaulting Rhino and Team 3D.[52] After Cage entered the ring, he removed the jacket he was wearing to reveal the Team Canada T-shirt he was given earlier by D'Amore. D'Amore immediately rejoiced that Cage was seemingly a member of Team Canada until Cage turned on D'Amore and performed his Unprettier maneuver by forcing D'Amore's face into the mat; Cage's act also solidified his character as a hero, rather than a villain.[52] Cage, Rhino, and Team 3D together as a unit attacked AMW and Team Canada and threw them out of the ring; they then forced the remaining Jarrett through a wooden table after Cage removed his Team Canada shirt to reveal a hidden TNA T-shirt.[52]
Cage made his first appearance on TNA's primary television program TNA Impact! during the November 19, 2005 episode by engaging in a verbal sparring bout with Monty Brown.[53] This led to a match against Brown to become number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on December 11, 2005 at TNA's Turning Point PPV event, which Cage won.[54] Before his match at Turning Point, Cage had his in-ring debut on the December 8, 2005 episode of Impact!, defeating Bobby Roode.[55] At TNA's Final Resolution PPV event on January 15, 2006, Cage participated in his first TNA PPV main event by teaming with Sting to defeat the team of Monty Brown and Jeff Jarrett.[56] Cage went on to defeat then-NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jarrett for the title on February 12, 2006 at TNA's Against All Odds PPV event.[57]
Cage had his first title defense against Brown on March 12, 2006 at TNA's Destination X PPV event; there Cage defeated Brown to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[58] On the March 25 and April 2 respective Impact! episodes, Abyss, his manager Father James Mitchell, and Alex Shelley showed two pre-taped video packages that had been complied in the weeks before the episodes. The first, on March 25, depicted Mitchell stalking Cage's wife Denise, confronting her, and even threatening that "they were coming".[59] The second aired on April 2, with Abyss, accompanied by Mitchell and Shelley, who was taping the segment with a camcorder like the previous video package, attacking Cage at his home in Tampa, Florida and nearly drowning Cage in his own pool.[60] This storyline led to Cage facing Abyss at TNA's Lockdown PPV event on April 23, 2006 in a Six Sides of Steel cage match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, with Cage prevailing. After the match, Cage attempted to attack Mitchell and gain revenge for all his recent evil deeds against Cage and his family. Abyss, however, stopped him, took a steel chain, wrapped it around Cage's neck, and attempted to hang him with it until he passed out. Abyss and Mitchell then stole the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt and left the arena.[61] The storyline between Abyss and Mitchell and Cage continued until TNA's Sacrifice PPV event on May 14, 2006, where Cage defeated Abyss and regained the NWA Title belt under Full Metal Mayhem rules.[62]
On June 18, 2006 at TNA's Slammiversary PPV event, Cage's NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign came to an end as he was defeated by Jeff Jarrett in a King of the Mountain match, which also involved Abyss, Ron Killings, and Sting.[63] The match was later declared unofficial due to Larry Zbyszko and referee Earl Hebner intervening at the end of the match by helping Jarrett win.[63] The title was declared vacant until TNA's main authority figure at the time, Management Director Jim Cornette, awarded the title belt back to Jarrett on the June 29, 2006 episode of Impact! on the condition that he defend it against the winner of a four-way match at TNA's Victory Road PPV event on July 16, 2006 involving Cage, Samoa Joe, Scott Steiner, and Sting.[64] Jarrett agreed to the condition, and at the event Sting became the new number one contender.[65]
[edit] Various feuds (2006–2007) Reso at a TNA live event in 2006. After Victory Road, Cage befriended the new number one contender Sting on the July 27, 2006 episode of Impact!, by asking for forgiveness for doubting Sting's agenda by coming to TNA in January of that year.[66] He went on to say that he had asked Jim Cornette the week before if he could be in Sting's corner in his match with Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at TNA's Hard Justice PPV event, but had told him he needed Sting's approval.[66] Sting accepted Cage's offer, with interviewer and occasional ring announcer Jeremy Borash announcing Sting's decision in a backstage segment on the August 3, 2006 episode of Impact!.[67] On August 13, 2006, Cage was in Sting's corner at Hard Justice as he faced Jarrett, with Scott Steiner in his corner, for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. During the contest, Cage interfered to help Sting win numerous times, as did Steiner for Jarrett, until Cage turned on Sting by taking Jarrett's signature guitar and bashing it over his head—changing his character from a hero to a villain.[68] He then allowed Jarrett to pin Sting and retain the title.[68]
After the event, Cage began a feud with Rhino, whose real name is Terry Gerin, one of Reso's real-life good friends. On the August 17, 2006 episode of Impact!, Rhino questioned Cage on his actions at Hard Justice; Cage replied saying he did it for the good of TNA.[69] He went on to explain later in the episode, during a sit-down interview with TNA commentator Mike Tenay, that he attacked Sting because he felt Sting did not show enough passion during the encounter to "get the job done" and win the title.[70] The next week on Impact!, Cage came down to the ring where he addressed his attack on Sting further, until he was interrupted by Rhino. After a small debate, Rhino attacked Cage, starting a brawl between the two which came to an end after Cage laid Rhino's head on a steel chair, picked up another chair, and bashed it over the outside of Rhino's head performing a one man con–chair–to in the process.[71] This led to a match against Rhino at TNA's No Surrender PPV event on September 24, 2006, which Cage won.[72] A rematch was held at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event on October 22, 2006, which Cage also won under 8 Mile Street Fight rules.[73] They had their final bout on the November 16, 2006 episode of Impact!, where Cage defeated Rhino in a Barbed Wire Six Sides of Steel cage match.[74]
Christian's old WWE enforcer Tyson Tomko (now going simply by Tomko) made his TNA debut on the November 23, 2006 episode of Impact! helping Cage in a match against Sting.[67] Cage, with Tomko at his side, set his sights on the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, now held by Abyss. At TNA's Turning Point PPV event on December 10, 2006, Cage fought Abyss and Sting in a three way match for the NWA Title. Cage failed to win the match, as Abyss won to retain the championship after pinning Sting.[75]
[edit] Christian's Coalition (2007–2008) Main article: Christian's Coalition See also: The Angle Alliance Reso [right] and Tomko [left] were reunited in TNA, while in the alliance Christian's Coalition. Cage fought for the NWA Championship once again at TNA's Final Resolution PPV event on January 14, 2007 against Abyss and Sting, this time in a Three Way Elimination match. Cage prevailed this time around by pinning Sting after Abyss was already eliminated to win the championship.[76] After Final Resolution, Cage prepared for his title defense against the new number one contender Kurt Angle, who had defeated Samoa Joe in a 30 minute Iron Man match at Final Resolution to gain the opportunity.[76] Heading into their encounter at TNA's Against All Odds PPV event on February 11, 2007, Cage announced on the January 17, 2007 episode of Impact! that he had hired a special consultant to assist him in training for his bout with Angle.[77] This consultant was revealed on the February 8, 2007 episode of Impact!, who turned out to be Scott Steiner after he attacked Angle following a match pitting the team of Angle and Joe against Cage and A.J. Styles.[78] Cage went on to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Angle at Against All Odds with Joe as the unofficial special outside enforcer.[79]
On the March 8, 2007 episode of Impact!, Cage proclaimed that he, Tomko, and Steiner were an "inseparable family", which he called Christian's Coalition.[80] After a short feud with Samoa Joe, culminating in a victory for Cage at TNA's Destination X PPV event on March 11, 2007 for the NWA Title,[81] Cage was announced as a captain of a five-man team for the Lethal Lockdown match at TNA's Lockdown PPV event on April 15, 2007 against Team Angle, led by Kurt Angle, during the March 15, 2007 episode of Impact!.[82] Team Cage, consisting of Cage, Tomko, Steiner, A.J. Styles, and Abyss, went on to lose to Team Angle, consisting of Angle, Joe, Rhino, Sting, and Jeff Jarrett at Lockdown.[83] An added stipulation to the match was the competitor to get the pinfall in the bout, would become number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and have their title shot on May 13, 2007 at TNA's Sacrifice PPV event.[84] Sting was the individual who gained the pinfall victory for Team Angle, and became the new number one contender.[83]
Reso as "Christian Cage" making his way to the ring. Abyss was later kicked out of the group after he attacked Cage on the April 19, 2007 episode of Impact!.[85] Steiner was the next to leave the group, after he was attacked by Tomko following their tag team title match at the Sacrifice PPV event.[86] Cage was set to defend the NWA Championship against Sting at Sacrifice, however, on the May 3, 2007 episode of Impact! Angle was added to the match, making it a three way match.[87] The day of the PPV, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the owners of the NWA World Heavyweight and the NWA World Tag Team Championships, stripped Cage of the title and Team 3D of the tag team titles.[88] NWA Executive Director Robert K. Trobich stated the reason was that Cage refused to defend the NWA Title at NWA live events.[88] At the PPV event, Cage, still holding the physical NWA Championship belt, defended what was billed as the "World Heavyweight Championship" against Angle and Sting. Angle was the victor of said contest by making Sting submit, who had "technically" just pinned Cage at the very same moment, and was announced as the new "World Heavyweight Champion".[86] The Impact! following the event, Angle came to the ring with a new championship belt in-toe, and announced he was the new "TNA World Heavyweight Champion",[89] a championship that TNA had just introduced the day of the airing on the May 17, 2007 edition of TNA Today.[90] Afterwards, Cage and Sting came to the ring and the three began to argue over who was the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Due to the controversial finish to their match at Sacrifice, the title was declared vacant by Cornette. A tournament was held for the title which culminated in a King of the Mountain match at TNA's Slammiversary PPV event on June 17, 2007.[89] Cage won entry into the match on the June 14, 2007 episode of Impact!, by defeating Abyss.[91] Cage, however, failed to defeat the four other men (Styles, Joe, Angle, and Chris Harris) and win the title, as Angle hung the title belt to become the new and undisputed TNA World Heavyweight Champion.[92]
After defeating Harris at TNA's Victory Road PPV event on July 17, 2007[93] and Tomko, Styles, and he losing to the team of Andrew Martin, Sting, and Abyss at TNA's Hard Justice PPV event on August 12, 2007 in a Doomsday Chamber of Blood match to become number one contender to the TNA Title,[94] Cage restarted his feud with Samoa Joe. The two met at TNA's No Surrender PPV event on September 9, 2007, where Cage defeated Joe by disqualification when Joe refused to release his Coquina Clutch submission hold he had applied.[95] The two had a rematch on October 14, 2007 at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event with Matt Morgan as the special outside enforcer. There, Joe defeated Cage to end his 23 month long undefeated streak by not officially being pinned nor made to submit.[96] Cage and Joe fought one more time on the October 18, 2007 episode of Impact!, with a spot in The 2007 Fight for the Right Tournament to become number one contender to the TNA Championship.[97] Cage defeated Joe to gain entry.[97] Cage made it all the way to the final round of the tournament, where he fought Kaz on the November 8, 2007 episode of Impact!. Cage defeated Kaz, but due to interference from Styles and Tomko on Cage's behalf, the match was declared a no contest, with the finals being determined on November 11, 2007 at TNA's Genesis PPV event in a ladder match.[98] Cage, however, failed to win the tournament final the second time around at Genesis.[99]
Reso in September 2008 at a TNA live event. Later in the night, Styles and Tomko helped Angle retain the TNA title during the main event as Cage looked on from the ramp.[99] Styles and Tomko were later announced as members of Angle's new group, The Angle Alliance, which led to a title match between the two on January 6, 2008 at TNA's Final Resolution PPV event, and also turning into a fan favorite in the process.[100] On the January 3, 2008 episode of Impact!, Tomko left both Christian's Coalition and The Angle Alliance.[101] Cage failed to win the title at Final Resolution, as a result of Styles' betraying and attacking him during the bout, thus ending Christian's Coalition.[102] Cage got a rematch against Angle on February 10, 2008 at TNA's Against All Odds PPV event with Samoa Joe as the special outside enforcer. He once again was defeated by Angle as this time Tomko interfered and cost Cage the match.[103]
Cage teamed with Joe and Kevin Nash, known as The Unlikely Alliance, at TNA's Destination X PPV event on March 9, 2008 to defeat The Angle Alliance (Angle, Styles, and Tomko) in a six man tag team match.[104] Cage, along with Tomko, were announced as opposing team captains for a Lethal Lockdown match at TNA's Lockdown PPV event, to be held on April 13, 2008, on the March 13 episode of Impact!.[105] Team Cage (Cage, Rhino, Nash, Morgan, and Sting) went on to defeat Team Tomko (Tomko, Styles, Brother Devon, Brother Ray, and James Storm) at the event.[106] Afterwards, Cage and Rhino began competition as a regular tag team, with the pair being involved in The Deuce's Wild Tag Team Tournament for the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship. They, however, failed to win the tournament and the championship on May 11, 2008 at TNA's Sacrifice PPV event.[107] Cage and Rhino were involved as single competitors in a King of the Mountain match for the TNA Championship at TNA's Slammiversary PPV event on June 8, 2008, but failed to win the match.[108] Cage and Rhino went on to team with Styles, who had made amends with Cage and Rhino, in a losing effort against Angle, Brother Devon, and Brother Ray in a Full Metal Mayhem match at TNA's Victory Road PPV event on July 13, 2008.[109] On August 10, 2008 at TNA's Hard Justice PPV event, Cage and Rhino defeated Team 3D in a New Jersey Street Fight.[110] Cage was involved in a Three Ways to Glory match for the TNA Title against the champion, Joe, and Angle at TNA's No Surrender PPV event on September 13, 2008, but failed to become the new champion.[111] Cage then went on to participate in a 3-Way War against Styles and Booker T at TNA's Bound for Glory IV PPV event on October 12, 2008, which Booker T won.[112] Cage was defeated in his final TNA match on November 9, 2008 by Booker T for the newly established Legends Championship at TNA's Turning Point PPV event with the added stipulation that if Cage lost, he would have to join the newly formed Main Event Mafia alliance.[113] On the November 13, 2008 episode of Impact!, Cage had his final appearance in TNA before his contract expired. During the telecast, Cage was to be inducted into The Main Event Mafia, but was attacked and "injured" by Angle, Booker T, Nash, and Scott Steiner.[114]
[edit] Independent circuit (2006) In March 2006, Reso competed as "Christian Cage" three times in the United Kingdom for the One Pro Wrestling (1PW) promotion. His first appearance was on March 4, 2006 at their All or Nothing: Night 1 event, where he defeated Rhino.[115] His second appearance was at 1PW's Know Your Enemy: Night 1 event on May 26, 2006, defeating Steve Corino.[115] At Know Your Enermy: Night 2 event on May 27, 2006, Reso fought against the champion, Abyss, and Corino for the 1PW World Heavyweight Championship in a three way dance, but failed to win as Corino gained the fall and the title.[115]
In May 2006, Reso made two appearances for the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion as "Christian Cage". His first appearance was on May 12, 2006 at ROH's How We Roll event in a tag match with Colt Cabana against Bryan Danielson and Christopher Daniels, which Cabana and he won.[116] His second appearance was a loss to Christopher Daniels at ROH's Generation Now event on July 29, 2006.[116]
[edit] Return to World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE [edit] ECW (2009–2010) Reso at a WWE live event during his second run with the promotion During an interview with TNA president Dixie Carter, she confirmed that Reso's contract with TNA had expired and that he had re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[117] Reso did not appear for the promotion until the February 10, 2009 episode of ECW under his old ring name "Christian", as a face confronting then-ECW Champion Jack Swagger.[118] Later that night, Christian defeated Swagger in his first match back with the organization.[118] Christian faced Swagger again on the February 24, 2009 episode of ECW, this time for the ECW championship; however, he failed to defeat Swagger this time around and win the ECW Title.[119] Christian won a tri-branded 15-man battle royal on the March 10, 2009 episode of ECW, gaining entry into the Money in the Bank ladder match at the WrestleMania XXV PPV event.[120] Christian, however, did not win the match on April 5, 2009 at WrestleMania, as CM Punk went on to retrieve the briefcase that hung above the ring.[121]
Christian won an elimination chase tournament to become the number one contender to the ECW Championship, with finals between Christian and Finlay taking place on the April 16, 2009 episode of Superstars, there-by gaining a title match at WWE's Backlash PPV event on April 26, 2009.[122] At the event, Christian defeated Swagger to win the ECW Championship, his first world championship in WWE and his third overall.[123] Christian and Swagger then began a feud over the title that lasted until Tommy Dreamer defeated Christian and Swagger in a Triple Threat Hardcore match to become the new ECW Champion at WWE's Extreme Rules PPV event on June 7, 2009.[124]
Christian fought Dreamer for the ECW Championship on the June 15, 2009 episode of Raw but failed to regain the title.[125] After unsuccessfully challenging for the ECW Championship at WWE's The Bash PPV event on June 28, 2009 in a Championship Scramble match, that also included Swagger, Finlay, and Mark Henry, Christian regained the ECW Title on July 26, 2009 at WWE's Night of Champions PPV event.[126][127]
Christian went on to retain the ECW Championship in an Extreme Rules match against Dreamer on the August 4, 2009 episode of ECW.[128] Christian then began a rivalry with William Regal over the ECW Championship. Their first encounter took place at WWE's SummerSlam PPV event on August 23, 2009, with Christian retaining.[129] They fought again on September 13, 2009 at WWE's Breaking Point PPV event, where Christian also retained the title.[130] After a few months of defending the ECW Championship on ECW only, Christian successfully defended the title against Shelton Benjamin in a ladder match on December 13, 2009 at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs PPV event.[131] Christian became the longest reigning WWE-era ECW Champion in late-December 2009.[132] At the Royal Rumble PPV event on January 31, 2010, Christian successfully defended the ECW title against Ezekiel Jackson.[133] On February 16, 2010, Christian dropped the ECW Championship in an Extreme Rules match to Jackson on the final episode of ECW.
[edit] Various feuds and World Heavyweight Champion (2010–present) Reso at a Raw house show in April 2010. On the February 22 episode of Raw, it was announced that Christian had re-signed with the Raw brand. Later the same night, he defeated Carlito to gain entry into the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI, which he failed to win.[134] Later, it was announced that he will be WWE Pro on the WWE NXT brand, mentoring NXT Rookie, Heath Slater.[135]
Christian was drafted back to the SmackDown! brand due the WWE Draft.[136] On the May 7 episode of SmackDown, he was placed in a WWE Intercontinental Championship tournament, defeating Cody Rhodes to get to the finals, where he lost to Kofi Kingston.[137][138] On the July 2 episode of SmackDown, it was announced that Christian would compete in the SmackDown! Money in the Bank ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay per-view event.[139] At Money in the Bank, he was unsuccessful in capturing the briefcase.[140]
In September 2010, Christian tore his pectoral muscle and was expected to be sidelined for approximately six months.[141] However, following surgery WWE released a statement that revealed he was now expected to only be sidelined for four months.[142] The injury was put into a storyline with Alberto Del Rio attacking Christian backstage, on the September 24, 2010 episode of SmackDown.[143]
On February 20, 2011 Christian made his return from injury at the Elimination Chamber pay per-view event, saving Edge from an attack by Alberto Del Rio.[144] On the March 4 episode SmackDown, he saved Edge from another attack by Del Rio.[145] On the March 7 episode of Raw, Christian made his in-ring return from injury against Del Rio's bodyguard, Brodus Clay, picking up the victory.[146] On the March 11 episode of SmackDown, Christian reunited with Edge and defeated Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay in a tag team match.[147] The following week, Christian defeated Del Rio in a steel cage match, but was afterwards attacked by both Del Rio and Clay.[148] On the April 8 edition of SmackDown!, he was defeated by Alberto Del Rio in a number one contender's match for the World Heavyweight Championship after a distraction from Brodus Clay. After Edge's sudden retirement from wrestling on the April 15 edition of SmackDown, Christian won a 20-man battle royal to determine who will face Del Rio for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules. At the pay per-view, Christian defeated Del Rio to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. This win also made him the first man to have held the NWA, ECW and World Heavyweight Championships,[149] as well as the third man to ever be world champion of both the NWA and WWE, after Buddy Rogers and Ric Flair.
On the May 6 edition of SmackDown, just five days after Extreme Rules, Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton.[150] At the Over The Limit pay-per-view event, he failed to regain the championship from Orton.[151] On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, Christian was Special Referee for a World Heavyweight Championship defense by Orton against Sheamus. Orton went on to successfully defend the title, however after the match, Christian hit Orton with the title belt, thus becoming a villain in the narrative. At Capitol Punishment, Christian faced Orton for the World Heavyweight championship once again, however he failed to capture the title.[152] At Money in the Bank, Christian won the World Heavyweight Championship, after Orton got himself disqualified for kicking Christian in the groin; as the stipulation was if Orton got himself disqualified or the referee makes a bad call, he would lose the title.[153] At SummerSlam, Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Orton in a No Holds Barred match.[154] On the August 26 episode of SmackDown, special guest General Manager Bret Hart announced that Christian would face Orton in a steel cage match on the August 30 episode of SmackDown for the championship, in which Christian went on to lose the encounter, thus ending the feud.[155]
On the September 9 episode of SmackDown, Christian began a feud with Sheamus, which led to a match between the two at the Hell in a Cell pay per-view, in which Christian lost.[156] Their feud continued through the Vengeance pay per-view, with Christian once again losing to Sheamus.[157]
On the November 4 episode of SmackDown, Christian was chokeslammed by Big Show and received a neck injury, preventing him from competing that night.[158] From there, Christian would wear a neck brace. On November 9 during the WWE European Tour, Christian suffered an ankle injury which would sideline him for an indefinite amount of time. Due to the injury, Reso was also pulled from a Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team match at WWE's Survivor Series PPV event on November 20.[159] In December, Christian returned to make brief appearances at the Slammy Awards and WWE Tribute to the Troops.[160][161]
Christian returned from injury on February 19, 2012 at WWE's Elimination Chamber PPV event to show support for John Laurinaitis. [162] Christian returned on the March 16 episode of SmackDown, hosting an episode of the 'Peep Show' and given a spot on Laurinaitis' team in a 12-man tag match at WrestleMania XXVIII.[163]
[edit] Other media Reso had a small part in the film Shoot 'Em Up, which was released on September 7, 2007.[164] He had a larger part as the character 'Ricky', a man whose best friend is in love with his lesbian ex, in the horror-comedy film, Dark Rising, which was released October 30, 2007 nationwide in Canada.[164]
In mid-2007, TNA Home Video released a DVD titled "The Instant Classic: Christian Cage", covering Reso's beginnings in the independent circuit and other various subjects up to his second NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign.[165]
Reso is featured in the wrestling documentary, Bloodstained Memoirs.[166] Reso also had a role in the 2010 horror film Medium Raw: Night of the Wolf as the character Pete.[167]
Reso is also the host in the DVD The Ladder Match 2: Crash and Burn.
[edit] In wrestling Reso performing a frog splash on Kurt Angle in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)
Following his move to TNA, he won his first of six world championships, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, in February 2006. He recaptured the title in January 2007 and established his Coalition, which disbanded a year later. Reso left TNA in late-2008 and re-signed with WWE. In April 2009, Reso won his first world championship in WWE, the ECW Championship, which he would win again in July of that year. He became the longest reigning ECW Champion in the WWE era and later went on the SmackDown brand capturing the World Heavyweight Championship in May 2011, and again in July of that year.
Overall, Reso has won 21 championships in WWE and TNA, which include being a six time world champion (two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, two-time ECW Champion, and two time World Heavyweight Champion), as well as a one time WWF Light Heavyweight Champion, one time WWF Hardcore Champion, one time WWF European Champion, three-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, and a nine-time World Tag Team Champion. In addition to these accolades, Reso is the twenty-third Triple Crown Champion and the eleventh Grand Slam Champion in WWE history.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Personal life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 3 Other media
- 4 In wrestling
- 5 Championships and accomplishments
- 6 References
- 7 External links
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Early career (1994-1998) In September 1994, Reso enrolled in a wrestling school at Sully's Gym, ran by Ron Hutchinson.[4] One of Reso's early ring names, "Christian Cage", was a combination of the names of the actors, Christian Slater and Nicolas Cage.[4][6] Christian's wrestling career began in June 1995 in a match against Zakk Wyld (Keith Assoun) which resulted in a draw.[4] In 1997, he was a part of THUG Life, a stable (or alliance) that included Joe E. Legend, Zakk Wyld, Rhino Richards, and Sexton Hardcastle. As a tag team on the Canadian independent circuit, Copeland and Reso were known as "High Impact" and later "The Suicide Blondes". The duo held titles in numerous professional wrestling promotions and competed in Canada, the United States, and Japan.[7] Reso won East Coast Wrestling Association's (ECWA) Heavyweight Championship on July 18, 1998, which he held till October 15, 1999.[8]
When Copeland received a tryout match with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), Reso went with him. Reso and Copeland faced off in an untelevised tryout match which Copeland was booked to win. After the tryout, Copeland signed a contract with the WWF.[7] Once Copeland was promoted from his developmental status to touring with the WWF he put in a good word for Reso, getting him invited to the WWF affiliated Dory Funk, Jr.’s "The Funking Conservatory" training camp in 1998.[9] After completing the training at the conservatory, Reso signed a contract with the WWF to become a full-time performer.[7]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment [edit] The Brood (1998–1999) Main article: The Brood Christian (left) with Edge in their Brood attire, which they used along with gothic symbols. When Reso came to the World Wrestling Federation, he shortened his ring name to Christian.[4] Reso made his television debut on September 27, 1998 at the Breakdown: In Your House pay-per-view (PPV) event distracting Edge during his match against Owen Hart to reveal his allegiance to Gangrel.[10][11] He won the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship in his debut match against Taka Michinoku on October 18, 1998 at the Judgment Day: In Your House PPV event.[4][12]
Christian, given the character of a vampire, formed an alliance with Gangrel and Edge, who, in storyline, was finally persuaded to join what became known as The Brood.[13] The Brood briefly feuded with, then joined, The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness, but upon learning that Christian was beaten into telling Ken Shamrock the whereabouts of Stephanie McMahon, The Undertaker wanted to punish Christian by flogging (according to the storyline at the time).[13] More loyal to the Brood than to the Ministry, Edge and Gangrel betrayed The Undertaker and rescued Christian.
[edit] Edge and Christian (1999–2001) Main article: Edge and Christian In 1999, Christian and Edge parted ways with Gangrel, who associated himself with The Hardy Boyz (Jeff and Matt Hardy) to form The New Brood. As a result, they began feuding with The Hardy Boyz, and went onto compete in a ladder match at the No Mercy PPV event on October 17, 1999 for the managerial services of Terri Runnels and $100,000, which The Hardy Boyz won.[14] At the WrestleMania 2000 PPV event on April 2, 2000, Christian and Edge defeated The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship in a Triangle Ladder match, which ultimately led to the creation of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match (TLC).[15][16]
Christian (right) and Edge at King of the Ring 2000 performing a five second pose. Following their victory, Christian and Edge portrayed themselves as villains, shifting their in-ring personas from borderline goth to a comedic pair of "cool dudes", winning the Tag Team Championship six more times (for a total of seven). During this time, their trademark became the "five second pose", where they performed a pose in the ring for five seconds "for the benefit of those with flash photography" to mock, insult, or otherwise amuse the fans.[4][17] At the SummerSlam PPV event on August 27, 2000, the duo successfully defended the tag team title in the first-ever TLC match against The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz.[18] At the Royal Rumble PPV event on January 21, 2001, Christian and Edge lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to The Dudley Boyz.[19][20] The following month on February 25, 2001 at the No Way Out PPV event, they were unsuccessful in regaining the title,[21] but recaptured the title on April 1, 2001 at the WrestleMania X-Seven PPV event in the second-ever TLC match involving The Hardy Boyz.[22][23] Christian and Edge were defeated by The Brothers of Destruction (Kane and The Undertaker) for the tag team championship on the April 19, 2001 episode of WWF SmackDown!.[24]
After losing the tag team title, friction arose within the team after Edge won the 2001 King of the Ring tournament on June 24 at the King of the Ring PPV event.[25] It was also during this time that Edge was becoming a fan favorite during "The Invasion" storyline. Christian turned on Edge shortly afterward,[26] resulting in the two feuding for Edge's WWF Intercontinental Championship for several months, with the title changing hands twice.[27]
[edit] Singles competition (2002–2004) Christian began a singles career by winning the WWF European Championship from Bradshaw in October 2001,[28] though he would later lose the title to Diamond Dallas Page in January 2002. After a series of defeats, Christian announced he was quitting the WWF, but Page persuaded Christian to reconsider, and adopted him as his protegé.[4] Christian betrayed Page and faced off against him for the European championship at the WrestleMania X8 event on March 17, 2002, in which Page defeated him.[4] During the same event, Christian defeated Mighty Molly to win the WWF Hardcore Championship, but lost the title to Maven later that night.[29]
Christian in 2002 as World Tag Team Champion alongside Lance Storm. Following WrestleMania X8, Christian formed an alliance with fellow Canadian wrestlers Lance Storm and Test in June 2002, calling themselves The Un-Americans. Together, Christian and Storm won the now named WWE Tag Team Championship, formerly the WWF Tag Team Championship (which was renamed due to the WWF being forced to rename itself "World Wrestling Entertainment"), on July 21, 2002 at the Vengeance PPV event, but later lost it on the September 23, 2002 episode of WWE Raw to the team of The Hurricane and Kane.[30] He later formed a tag team with Chris Jericho, with whom he won the World Tag Team Championship, the renamed WWE Tag Team Championship, on October 14, 2002.[30][31] Christian and Jericho lost the title in a fatal four-way elimination match, involving the teams of The Dudley Boyz, Booker T and Goldust, and William Regal and Lance Storm, on December 15, 2002 at the Armageddon PPV event.[32]
In 2003, after receiving advice and endorsement from The Rock, Christian self-proclaimed himself as the new "People's Champion", and began calling his fans "The Peeps".[33][34] He went on to win a nine man over-the-top-rope battle royal at the Judgment Day PPV event on May 18, 2003 for the vacant WWE Intercontinental Championship, the renamed "WWF Intercontinental Championship".[27] The following night on Raw, he appeared on Chris Jericho's talk show, The Highlight Reel, sporting a new haircut and ring attire.[35] Christian would later lose the Intercontinental Championship to Booker T on the July 7, 2003 episode of Raw.[27] Christian, however, regained the title at a live event on August 10, 2003 after Booker was legitimately injured.[27]
Also in 2003, Christian and Jericho began romances with WWE Divas Trish Stratus and Lita, respectively. As part of the angle, it was revealed to be a bet over who could sleep with their respective female first, with a Canadian dollar at stake.[36][37] Despite the bet, Jericho continued his relationship with Stratus, which ultimately resulted in Christian and Jericho turning on each other. At the WrestleMania XX PPV event on March 14, 2004, Christian faced Jericho in a singles match with Stratus on Jericho's side. Stratus, however, accidentally struck Jericho, allowing Christian to defeat him.[38] Stratus then joined forces with Christian, becoming his on-screen girlfriend in the process. During a steel cage match against Jericho on the May 10, 2004 episode of Raw, Christian suffered a severe back injury, causing him to miss almost four months of in-ring action.[6][39] He returned on the August 30 episode of Raw, resuming his feud with Jericho ending in a ladder match for the vacant Intercontinental Championship at Unforgiven.[40]
[edit] Captain Charisma (2004–2005) Christian's gimmick became that of a cocky, overconfident villain, dubbing himself "Captain Charisma" in October 2004. At Survivor Series 2004, Christian debuted "Just Close Your Eyes" by Waterproof Blonde as his theme song. On December 6, 2004, he was forced to wrestle as Captain Charisma, complete with a superhero costume, by Chris Jericho, who was general manager for the night.[41] Christian was often accompanied by Tyson Tomko, whom he called his "problem solver", and usually won his matches with interference from Tomko. Christian was loosely paired with Edge again several times in late 2004 and early 2005. Despite being a villain, he acquired a fanbase, who he referred to as his "Peeps",[42] "Peepulation" (a play on the word "population")[43] or the "Christian Coalition".[44]
In April 2005, Christian participated in the first-ever Money in the Bank ladder match at the WrestleMania 21 PPV event on April 3, 2005.[45] Following this, Christian, who had an encounter with SmackDown! superstar John Cena at the start of the year, began commenting on Cena, claiming he was a better rapper than Cena and denouncing him as "poseur". Christian was noticeably cheered during these segments and was thought to be finally becoming a main eventer.[6] Soon after Cena, then-WWE Champion, was drafted to the Raw brand, where he [Cena] successfully defended the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match against Christian and Jericho on June 26, 2005 at the Vengeance PPV event.[46]
On the June 30 episode of SmackDown!, Christian was drafted to the SmackDown! brand in the 2005 WWE Draft Lottery. He replaced The Big Show in a six-man elimination match for the newly-created SmackDown! Championship, and lost to John "Bradshaw" Layfield.[47] Soon-after, he was given his own interview segment on SmackDown! called The Peep Show.[48]
On October 31, 2005, Reso's contract with WWE expired.[48] According to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, he was asked on the spot to sign a new contract but declined.[48] His last match occurred during the tapings for the November 4 episode of SmackDown!.[48] Despite his quitting, Christian appeared on the October 31 episode of Raw and at the Taboo Tuesday PPV event on November 1, 2005, fulfilling his obligations to the company, as he was one of five SmackDown! wrestlers eligible to be voted Snitsky and Chris Masters' opponents by the fans.[49][50]
From early 2007 onwards, Reso began calling himself "The Instant Classic", although he continued to be referred to as "Captain Charisma" in off-screen appearances and sometimes wore his "Captain Charisma" entrance jumpsuits to the ring at live events.[51]
[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling [edit] Debut and instant success (2005–2006) Reso, with Coach Scott D'Amore, during his debut at the Genesis PPV event in November 2005. Reso made his debut in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion on November 13, 2005 at TNA's Genesis PPV event under his old ring name "Christian Cage".[52] Reso then made his way the ring, where he grabbed a microphone and announced his intentions, as his Cage character, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship held by Jeff Jarrett, after taking a few shots at his former employer.[52] Coach Scott D'Amore and Bobby Roode of the villainous Team Canada alliance then made their way to the ring. D'Amore then offered Cage a position in Team Canada (since Reso is Canadian) and even giving him a Team Canada T-shirt and telling Cage to take his time on making a decision.[52] Later in the night after the main event, a Six Man Tag Team match pitting the team of Jarrett and America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) (AMW) against Rhino and Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon), Cage ran down to the ring while Team Canada (D'Amore, Roode, Eric Young, and A-1), AMW, and Jarrett were assaulting Rhino and Team 3D.[52] After Cage entered the ring, he removed the jacket he was wearing to reveal the Team Canada T-shirt he was given earlier by D'Amore. D'Amore immediately rejoiced that Cage was seemingly a member of Team Canada until Cage turned on D'Amore and performed his Unprettier maneuver by forcing D'Amore's face into the mat; Cage's act also solidified his character as a hero, rather than a villain.[52] Cage, Rhino, and Team 3D together as a unit attacked AMW and Team Canada and threw them out of the ring; they then forced the remaining Jarrett through a wooden table after Cage removed his Team Canada shirt to reveal a hidden TNA T-shirt.[52]
Cage made his first appearance on TNA's primary television program TNA Impact! during the November 19, 2005 episode by engaging in a verbal sparring bout with Monty Brown.[53] This led to a match against Brown to become number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on December 11, 2005 at TNA's Turning Point PPV event, which Cage won.[54] Before his match at Turning Point, Cage had his in-ring debut on the December 8, 2005 episode of Impact!, defeating Bobby Roode.[55] At TNA's Final Resolution PPV event on January 15, 2006, Cage participated in his first TNA PPV main event by teaming with Sting to defeat the team of Monty Brown and Jeff Jarrett.[56] Cage went on to defeat then-NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jarrett for the title on February 12, 2006 at TNA's Against All Odds PPV event.[57]
Cage had his first title defense against Brown on March 12, 2006 at TNA's Destination X PPV event; there Cage defeated Brown to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.[58] On the March 25 and April 2 respective Impact! episodes, Abyss, his manager Father James Mitchell, and Alex Shelley showed two pre-taped video packages that had been complied in the weeks before the episodes. The first, on March 25, depicted Mitchell stalking Cage's wife Denise, confronting her, and even threatening that "they were coming".[59] The second aired on April 2, with Abyss, accompanied by Mitchell and Shelley, who was taping the segment with a camcorder like the previous video package, attacking Cage at his home in Tampa, Florida and nearly drowning Cage in his own pool.[60] This storyline led to Cage facing Abyss at TNA's Lockdown PPV event on April 23, 2006 in a Six Sides of Steel cage match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, with Cage prevailing. After the match, Cage attempted to attack Mitchell and gain revenge for all his recent evil deeds against Cage and his family. Abyss, however, stopped him, took a steel chain, wrapped it around Cage's neck, and attempted to hang him with it until he passed out. Abyss and Mitchell then stole the NWA World Heavyweight Championship belt and left the arena.[61] The storyline between Abyss and Mitchell and Cage continued until TNA's Sacrifice PPV event on May 14, 2006, where Cage defeated Abyss and regained the NWA Title belt under Full Metal Mayhem rules.[62]
On June 18, 2006 at TNA's Slammiversary PPV event, Cage's NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign came to an end as he was defeated by Jeff Jarrett in a King of the Mountain match, which also involved Abyss, Ron Killings, and Sting.[63] The match was later declared unofficial due to Larry Zbyszko and referee Earl Hebner intervening at the end of the match by helping Jarrett win.[63] The title was declared vacant until TNA's main authority figure at the time, Management Director Jim Cornette, awarded the title belt back to Jarrett on the June 29, 2006 episode of Impact! on the condition that he defend it against the winner of a four-way match at TNA's Victory Road PPV event on July 16, 2006 involving Cage, Samoa Joe, Scott Steiner, and Sting.[64] Jarrett agreed to the condition, and at the event Sting became the new number one contender.[65]
[edit] Various feuds (2006–2007) Reso at a TNA live event in 2006. After Victory Road, Cage befriended the new number one contender Sting on the July 27, 2006 episode of Impact!, by asking for forgiveness for doubting Sting's agenda by coming to TNA in January of that year.[66] He went on to say that he had asked Jim Cornette the week before if he could be in Sting's corner in his match with Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at TNA's Hard Justice PPV event, but had told him he needed Sting's approval.[66] Sting accepted Cage's offer, with interviewer and occasional ring announcer Jeremy Borash announcing Sting's decision in a backstage segment on the August 3, 2006 episode of Impact!.[67] On August 13, 2006, Cage was in Sting's corner at Hard Justice as he faced Jarrett, with Scott Steiner in his corner, for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. During the contest, Cage interfered to help Sting win numerous times, as did Steiner for Jarrett, until Cage turned on Sting by taking Jarrett's signature guitar and bashing it over his head—changing his character from a hero to a villain.[68] He then allowed Jarrett to pin Sting and retain the title.[68]
After the event, Cage began a feud with Rhino, whose real name is Terry Gerin, one of Reso's real-life good friends. On the August 17, 2006 episode of Impact!, Rhino questioned Cage on his actions at Hard Justice; Cage replied saying he did it for the good of TNA.[69] He went on to explain later in the episode, during a sit-down interview with TNA commentator Mike Tenay, that he attacked Sting because he felt Sting did not show enough passion during the encounter to "get the job done" and win the title.[70] The next week on Impact!, Cage came down to the ring where he addressed his attack on Sting further, until he was interrupted by Rhino. After a small debate, Rhino attacked Cage, starting a brawl between the two which came to an end after Cage laid Rhino's head on a steel chair, picked up another chair, and bashed it over the outside of Rhino's head performing a one man con–chair–to in the process.[71] This led to a match against Rhino at TNA's No Surrender PPV event on September 24, 2006, which Cage won.[72] A rematch was held at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event on October 22, 2006, which Cage also won under 8 Mile Street Fight rules.[73] They had their final bout on the November 16, 2006 episode of Impact!, where Cage defeated Rhino in a Barbed Wire Six Sides of Steel cage match.[74]
Christian's old WWE enforcer Tyson Tomko (now going simply by Tomko) made his TNA debut on the November 23, 2006 episode of Impact! helping Cage in a match against Sting.[67] Cage, with Tomko at his side, set his sights on the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, now held by Abyss. At TNA's Turning Point PPV event on December 10, 2006, Cage fought Abyss and Sting in a three way match for the NWA Title. Cage failed to win the match, as Abyss won to retain the championship after pinning Sting.[75]
[edit] Christian's Coalition (2007–2008) Main article: Christian's Coalition See also: The Angle Alliance Reso [right] and Tomko [left] were reunited in TNA, while in the alliance Christian's Coalition. Cage fought for the NWA Championship once again at TNA's Final Resolution PPV event on January 14, 2007 against Abyss and Sting, this time in a Three Way Elimination match. Cage prevailed this time around by pinning Sting after Abyss was already eliminated to win the championship.[76] After Final Resolution, Cage prepared for his title defense against the new number one contender Kurt Angle, who had defeated Samoa Joe in a 30 minute Iron Man match at Final Resolution to gain the opportunity.[76] Heading into their encounter at TNA's Against All Odds PPV event on February 11, 2007, Cage announced on the January 17, 2007 episode of Impact! that he had hired a special consultant to assist him in training for his bout with Angle.[77] This consultant was revealed on the February 8, 2007 episode of Impact!, who turned out to be Scott Steiner after he attacked Angle following a match pitting the team of Angle and Joe against Cage and A.J. Styles.[78] Cage went on to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Angle at Against All Odds with Joe as the unofficial special outside enforcer.[79]
On the March 8, 2007 episode of Impact!, Cage proclaimed that he, Tomko, and Steiner were an "inseparable family", which he called Christian's Coalition.[80] After a short feud with Samoa Joe, culminating in a victory for Cage at TNA's Destination X PPV event on March 11, 2007 for the NWA Title,[81] Cage was announced as a captain of a five-man team for the Lethal Lockdown match at TNA's Lockdown PPV event on April 15, 2007 against Team Angle, led by Kurt Angle, during the March 15, 2007 episode of Impact!.[82] Team Cage, consisting of Cage, Tomko, Steiner, A.J. Styles, and Abyss, went on to lose to Team Angle, consisting of Angle, Joe, Rhino, Sting, and Jeff Jarrett at Lockdown.[83] An added stipulation to the match was the competitor to get the pinfall in the bout, would become number one contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and have their title shot on May 13, 2007 at TNA's Sacrifice PPV event.[84] Sting was the individual who gained the pinfall victory for Team Angle, and became the new number one contender.[83]
Reso as "Christian Cage" making his way to the ring. Abyss was later kicked out of the group after he attacked Cage on the April 19, 2007 episode of Impact!.[85] Steiner was the next to leave the group, after he was attacked by Tomko following their tag team title match at the Sacrifice PPV event.[86] Cage was set to defend the NWA Championship against Sting at Sacrifice, however, on the May 3, 2007 episode of Impact! Angle was added to the match, making it a three way match.[87] The day of the PPV, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the owners of the NWA World Heavyweight and the NWA World Tag Team Championships, stripped Cage of the title and Team 3D of the tag team titles.[88] NWA Executive Director Robert K. Trobich stated the reason was that Cage refused to defend the NWA Title at NWA live events.[88] At the PPV event, Cage, still holding the physical NWA Championship belt, defended what was billed as the "World Heavyweight Championship" against Angle and Sting. Angle was the victor of said contest by making Sting submit, who had "technically" just pinned Cage at the very same moment, and was announced as the new "World Heavyweight Champion".[86] The Impact! following the event, Angle came to the ring with a new championship belt in-toe, and announced he was the new "TNA World Heavyweight Champion",[89] a championship that TNA had just introduced the day of the airing on the May 17, 2007 edition of TNA Today.[90] Afterwards, Cage and Sting came to the ring and the three began to argue over who was the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion. Due to the controversial finish to their match at Sacrifice, the title was declared vacant by Cornette. A tournament was held for the title which culminated in a King of the Mountain match at TNA's Slammiversary PPV event on June 17, 2007.[89] Cage won entry into the match on the June 14, 2007 episode of Impact!, by defeating Abyss.[91] Cage, however, failed to defeat the four other men (Styles, Joe, Angle, and Chris Harris) and win the title, as Angle hung the title belt to become the new and undisputed TNA World Heavyweight Champion.[92]
After defeating Harris at TNA's Victory Road PPV event on July 17, 2007[93] and Tomko, Styles, and he losing to the team of Andrew Martin, Sting, and Abyss at TNA's Hard Justice PPV event on August 12, 2007 in a Doomsday Chamber of Blood match to become number one contender to the TNA Title,[94] Cage restarted his feud with Samoa Joe. The two met at TNA's No Surrender PPV event on September 9, 2007, where Cage defeated Joe by disqualification when Joe refused to release his Coquina Clutch submission hold he had applied.[95] The two had a rematch on October 14, 2007 at TNA's Bound for Glory PPV event with Matt Morgan as the special outside enforcer. There, Joe defeated Cage to end his 23 month long undefeated streak by not officially being pinned nor made to submit.[96] Cage and Joe fought one more time on the October 18, 2007 episode of Impact!, with a spot in The 2007 Fight for the Right Tournament to become number one contender to the TNA Championship.[97] Cage defeated Joe to gain entry.[97] Cage made it all the way to the final round of the tournament, where he fought Kaz on the November 8, 2007 episode of Impact!. Cage defeated Kaz, but due to interference from Styles and Tomko on Cage's behalf, the match was declared a no contest, with the finals being determined on November 11, 2007 at TNA's Genesis PPV event in a ladder match.[98] Cage, however, failed to win the tournament final the second time around at Genesis.[99]
Reso in September 2008 at a TNA live event. Later in the night, Styles and Tomko helped Angle retain the TNA title during the main event as Cage looked on from the ramp.[99] Styles and Tomko were later announced as members of Angle's new group, The Angle Alliance, which led to a title match between the two on January 6, 2008 at TNA's Final Resolution PPV event, and also turning into a fan favorite in the process.[100] On the January 3, 2008 episode of Impact!, Tomko left both Christian's Coalition and The Angle Alliance.[101] Cage failed to win the title at Final Resolution, as a result of Styles' betraying and attacking him during the bout, thus ending Christian's Coalition.[102] Cage got a rematch against Angle on February 10, 2008 at TNA's Against All Odds PPV event with Samoa Joe as the special outside enforcer. He once again was defeated by Angle as this time Tomko interfered and cost Cage the match.[103]
Cage teamed with Joe and Kevin Nash, known as The Unlikely Alliance, at TNA's Destination X PPV event on March 9, 2008 to defeat The Angle Alliance (Angle, Styles, and Tomko) in a six man tag team match.[104] Cage, along with Tomko, were announced as opposing team captains for a Lethal Lockdown match at TNA's Lockdown PPV event, to be held on April 13, 2008, on the March 13 episode of Impact!.[105] Team Cage (Cage, Rhino, Nash, Morgan, and Sting) went on to defeat Team Tomko (Tomko, Styles, Brother Devon, Brother Ray, and James Storm) at the event.[106] Afterwards, Cage and Rhino began competition as a regular tag team, with the pair being involved in The Deuce's Wild Tag Team Tournament for the vacant TNA World Tag Team Championship. They, however, failed to win the tournament and the championship on May 11, 2008 at TNA's Sacrifice PPV event.[107] Cage and Rhino were involved as single competitors in a King of the Mountain match for the TNA Championship at TNA's Slammiversary PPV event on June 8, 2008, but failed to win the match.[108] Cage and Rhino went on to team with Styles, who had made amends with Cage and Rhino, in a losing effort against Angle, Brother Devon, and Brother Ray in a Full Metal Mayhem match at TNA's Victory Road PPV event on July 13, 2008.[109] On August 10, 2008 at TNA's Hard Justice PPV event, Cage and Rhino defeated Team 3D in a New Jersey Street Fight.[110] Cage was involved in a Three Ways to Glory match for the TNA Title against the champion, Joe, and Angle at TNA's No Surrender PPV event on September 13, 2008, but failed to become the new champion.[111] Cage then went on to participate in a 3-Way War against Styles and Booker T at TNA's Bound for Glory IV PPV event on October 12, 2008, which Booker T won.[112] Cage was defeated in his final TNA match on November 9, 2008 by Booker T for the newly established Legends Championship at TNA's Turning Point PPV event with the added stipulation that if Cage lost, he would have to join the newly formed Main Event Mafia alliance.[113] On the November 13, 2008 episode of Impact!, Cage had his final appearance in TNA before his contract expired. During the telecast, Cage was to be inducted into The Main Event Mafia, but was attacked and "injured" by Angle, Booker T, Nash, and Scott Steiner.[114]
[edit] Independent circuit (2006) In March 2006, Reso competed as "Christian Cage" three times in the United Kingdom for the One Pro Wrestling (1PW) promotion. His first appearance was on March 4, 2006 at their All or Nothing: Night 1 event, where he defeated Rhino.[115] His second appearance was at 1PW's Know Your Enemy: Night 1 event on May 26, 2006, defeating Steve Corino.[115] At Know Your Enermy: Night 2 event on May 27, 2006, Reso fought against the champion, Abyss, and Corino for the 1PW World Heavyweight Championship in a three way dance, but failed to win as Corino gained the fall and the title.[115]
In May 2006, Reso made two appearances for the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion as "Christian Cage". His first appearance was on May 12, 2006 at ROH's How We Roll event in a tag match with Colt Cabana against Bryan Danielson and Christopher Daniels, which Cabana and he won.[116] His second appearance was a loss to Christopher Daniels at ROH's Generation Now event on July 29, 2006.[116]
[edit] Return to World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE [edit] ECW (2009–2010) Reso at a WWE live event during his second run with the promotion During an interview with TNA president Dixie Carter, she confirmed that Reso's contract with TNA had expired and that he had re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[117] Reso did not appear for the promotion until the February 10, 2009 episode of ECW under his old ring name "Christian", as a face confronting then-ECW Champion Jack Swagger.[118] Later that night, Christian defeated Swagger in his first match back with the organization.[118] Christian faced Swagger again on the February 24, 2009 episode of ECW, this time for the ECW championship; however, he failed to defeat Swagger this time around and win the ECW Title.[119] Christian won a tri-branded 15-man battle royal on the March 10, 2009 episode of ECW, gaining entry into the Money in the Bank ladder match at the WrestleMania XXV PPV event.[120] Christian, however, did not win the match on April 5, 2009 at WrestleMania, as CM Punk went on to retrieve the briefcase that hung above the ring.[121]
Christian won an elimination chase tournament to become the number one contender to the ECW Championship, with finals between Christian and Finlay taking place on the April 16, 2009 episode of Superstars, there-by gaining a title match at WWE's Backlash PPV event on April 26, 2009.[122] At the event, Christian defeated Swagger to win the ECW Championship, his first world championship in WWE and his third overall.[123] Christian and Swagger then began a feud over the title that lasted until Tommy Dreamer defeated Christian and Swagger in a Triple Threat Hardcore match to become the new ECW Champion at WWE's Extreme Rules PPV event on June 7, 2009.[124]
Christian fought Dreamer for the ECW Championship on the June 15, 2009 episode of Raw but failed to regain the title.[125] After unsuccessfully challenging for the ECW Championship at WWE's The Bash PPV event on June 28, 2009 in a Championship Scramble match, that also included Swagger, Finlay, and Mark Henry, Christian regained the ECW Title on July 26, 2009 at WWE's Night of Champions PPV event.[126][127]
Christian went on to retain the ECW Championship in an Extreme Rules match against Dreamer on the August 4, 2009 episode of ECW.[128] Christian then began a rivalry with William Regal over the ECW Championship. Their first encounter took place at WWE's SummerSlam PPV event on August 23, 2009, with Christian retaining.[129] They fought again on September 13, 2009 at WWE's Breaking Point PPV event, where Christian also retained the title.[130] After a few months of defending the ECW Championship on ECW only, Christian successfully defended the title against Shelton Benjamin in a ladder match on December 13, 2009 at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs PPV event.[131] Christian became the longest reigning WWE-era ECW Champion in late-December 2009.[132] At the Royal Rumble PPV event on January 31, 2010, Christian successfully defended the ECW title against Ezekiel Jackson.[133] On February 16, 2010, Christian dropped the ECW Championship in an Extreme Rules match to Jackson on the final episode of ECW.
[edit] Various feuds and World Heavyweight Champion (2010–present) Reso at a Raw house show in April 2010. On the February 22 episode of Raw, it was announced that Christian had re-signed with the Raw brand. Later the same night, he defeated Carlito to gain entry into the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI, which he failed to win.[134] Later, it was announced that he will be WWE Pro on the WWE NXT brand, mentoring NXT Rookie, Heath Slater.[135]
Christian was drafted back to the SmackDown! brand due the WWE Draft.[136] On the May 7 episode of SmackDown, he was placed in a WWE Intercontinental Championship tournament, defeating Cody Rhodes to get to the finals, where he lost to Kofi Kingston.[137][138] On the July 2 episode of SmackDown, it was announced that Christian would compete in the SmackDown! Money in the Bank ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay per-view event.[139] At Money in the Bank, he was unsuccessful in capturing the briefcase.[140]
In September 2010, Christian tore his pectoral muscle and was expected to be sidelined for approximately six months.[141] However, following surgery WWE released a statement that revealed he was now expected to only be sidelined for four months.[142] The injury was put into a storyline with Alberto Del Rio attacking Christian backstage, on the September 24, 2010 episode of SmackDown.[143]
On February 20, 2011 Christian made his return from injury at the Elimination Chamber pay per-view event, saving Edge from an attack by Alberto Del Rio.[144] On the March 4 episode SmackDown, he saved Edge from another attack by Del Rio.[145] On the March 7 episode of Raw, Christian made his in-ring return from injury against Del Rio's bodyguard, Brodus Clay, picking up the victory.[146] On the March 11 episode of SmackDown, Christian reunited with Edge and defeated Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay in a tag team match.[147] The following week, Christian defeated Del Rio in a steel cage match, but was afterwards attacked by both Del Rio and Clay.[148] On the April 8 edition of SmackDown!, he was defeated by Alberto Del Rio in a number one contender's match for the World Heavyweight Championship after a distraction from Brodus Clay. After Edge's sudden retirement from wrestling on the April 15 edition of SmackDown, Christian won a 20-man battle royal to determine who will face Del Rio for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules. At the pay per-view, Christian defeated Del Rio to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. This win also made him the first man to have held the NWA, ECW and World Heavyweight Championships,[149] as well as the third man to ever be world champion of both the NWA and WWE, after Buddy Rogers and Ric Flair.
On the May 6 edition of SmackDown, just five days after Extreme Rules, Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Randy Orton.[150] At the Over The Limit pay-per-view event, he failed to regain the championship from Orton.[151] On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, Christian was Special Referee for a World Heavyweight Championship defense by Orton against Sheamus. Orton went on to successfully defend the title, however after the match, Christian hit Orton with the title belt, thus becoming a villain in the narrative. At Capitol Punishment, Christian faced Orton for the World Heavyweight championship once again, however he failed to capture the title.[152] At Money in the Bank, Christian won the World Heavyweight Championship, after Orton got himself disqualified for kicking Christian in the groin; as the stipulation was if Orton got himself disqualified or the referee makes a bad call, he would lose the title.[153] At SummerSlam, Christian lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Orton in a No Holds Barred match.[154] On the August 26 episode of SmackDown, special guest General Manager Bret Hart announced that Christian would face Orton in a steel cage match on the August 30 episode of SmackDown for the championship, in which Christian went on to lose the encounter, thus ending the feud.[155]
On the September 9 episode of SmackDown, Christian began a feud with Sheamus, which led to a match between the two at the Hell in a Cell pay per-view, in which Christian lost.[156] Their feud continued through the Vengeance pay per-view, with Christian once again losing to Sheamus.[157]
On the November 4 episode of SmackDown, Christian was chokeslammed by Big Show and received a neck injury, preventing him from competing that night.[158] From there, Christian would wear a neck brace. On November 9 during the WWE European Tour, Christian suffered an ankle injury which would sideline him for an indefinite amount of time. Due to the injury, Reso was also pulled from a Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag Team match at WWE's Survivor Series PPV event on November 20.[159] In December, Christian returned to make brief appearances at the Slammy Awards and WWE Tribute to the Troops.[160][161]
Christian returned from injury on February 19, 2012 at WWE's Elimination Chamber PPV event to show support for John Laurinaitis. [162] Christian returned on the March 16 episode of SmackDown, hosting an episode of the 'Peep Show' and given a spot on Laurinaitis' team in a 12-man tag match at WrestleMania XXVIII.[163]
[edit] Other media Reso had a small part in the film Shoot 'Em Up, which was released on September 7, 2007.[164] He had a larger part as the character 'Ricky', a man whose best friend is in love with his lesbian ex, in the horror-comedy film, Dark Rising, which was released October 30, 2007 nationwide in Canada.[164]
In mid-2007, TNA Home Video released a DVD titled "The Instant Classic: Christian Cage", covering Reso's beginnings in the independent circuit and other various subjects up to his second NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign.[165]
Reso is featured in the wrestling documentary, Bloodstained Memoirs.[166] Reso also had a role in the 2010 horror film Medium Raw: Night of the Wolf as the character Pete.[167]
Reso is also the host in the DVD The Ladder Match 2: Crash and Burn.
[edit] In wrestling Reso performing a frog splash on Kurt Angle in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)
- Finishing moves
- Killswitch (WWE) / Unprettier (WWF/E / TNA) / Impaler (WWF) (Double chickenwing twisted into an inverted double underhook facebuster, sometimes from the second rope)[2][168]
- Spear, with theatrics – 2011–present (used as a tribute to Edge after his retirement)
- Frog splash (TNA) – 2005–2008; used rarely in WWE (used as a tribute to Eddie Guerrero after his death)
- One man con–chair–to[2]
- Signature moves
- Cloverleaf[169] – TNA
- Diving headbutt[2] – used as a tribute to Chris Benoit
- Dropkick,[170] sometimes from the top rope[170]
- Fireman's carry gutbuster[171]
- Flapjack[170]
- Flashpoint[172] (Diving European uppercut)[170]
- Inverted facelock backbreaker[2]
- Multiple DDT variations
- Pendulum overhead kick from out of the corner to an oncoming opponent[170]
- Spinebuster
- Sitout inverted suplex slam[175]
- Diving reverse elbow[170]
- Slap
- Springboard from out of the corner into either a plancha[170] or a twisting sunset flip[170]
- Stands on the shoulders of an opponent on the middle rope, choking them in the process[176]
- Slingshots out of the ring and slaps the opponent in the face.[170]
- Entrance themes
- "Blood" by Jim Johnston (used as part of The Brood) (WWF) (October 26, 1998–July 12, 1999)[181]
- "Blood Brother" by Jim Johnston (WWF) (December 23, 1999–February 6, 2000)[182]
- "At Last" by Jim Johnston (WWF/E) (October 21, 2001–June 2003)[183]
- "My Peeps" by Jim Johnston (WWE) (June 2003–November 2004)
- "Just Close Your Eyes" by Waterproof Blonde (WWE) (November 14, 2004–November 4, 2005)[184]
- "Take Over" by Dale Oliver (TNA / ROH) (November 13, 2005–November 13, 2008)[185]
- "Just Close Your Eyes" by Story of the Year (WWE) (February 10, 2009–present)[186]
- East Coast Wrestling Association
- New Tokyo Pro Wrestling
- NTPW Pro Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sexton Hardcastle[187]
- Pennsylvania Championship Wrestling
- PCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[188]
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Match of the Year (2000)[190] vs. The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz in a Triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000
- Match of the Year (2001)[190] vs. The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at WrestleMania X-Seven
- PWI ranked him #7 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2007[191]
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[192]
- ECW Championship (2 times)[193]
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (3 times)[27]
- WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (9 times) – with Edge (7), Lance Storm (1), Chris Jericho (1)[30]
- WWF European Championship (1 time)[28]
- WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)[194]
- WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[12]
- Eleventh Grand Slam Champion
- Twenty Third Triple Crown Champion
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Tag Team of the Year (2000) – with Edge[195]
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2006) – TNA Reverse Battle Royal on the October 26, 2006 episode of TNA Impact![196]
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena[6] (pronounced /ˈsiːnə/; born April 23, 1977)[4] is an American actor, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its Raw brand.[7]
In WWE, Cena has won 19 championships in total, including 12 world titles (having won the WWE Championship a record 10 times[8] and the World Heavyweight Championship twice). In addition, Cena has also won the WWE United States Championship three times,[9] and is a four-time Tag Team Champion, having held the World Tag Team Championship twice (once each with Shawn Michaels and Batista),[10] and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice (once each with David Otunga and The Miz). Cena also won the 2008 Royal Rumble match, and is a two-time Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner (2009 and 2010).[11] He also has the fourth highest number of combined days as WWE Champion behind Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino.
Cena started his professional wrestling career in 2000, wrestling for Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where he held the UPW Heavyweight Championship. In 2001, Cena signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) where he held the OVW Heavyweight Championship and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino).
Outside of wrestling, Cena has released the rap album You Can't See Me, which debuted at No.15 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and starred in the feature films The Marine (2006), 12 Rounds (2009), and Legendary (2010).[12] Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Punk'd, and Psych. Cena was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where he made it to the final round before being eliminated, placing third in the overall competition.
Contents [hide]
Professional wrestling career Training (2000–2001) UPW Cena started training to become a professional wrestler in 2000 at the California-based "Ultimate University" operated by Ultimate Pro Wrestling. Once he was placed into an in-ring role, Cena began using a semi-robotic character known as The Prototype.[23][24] Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Inside Pro Wrestling School.[25] While in UPW, Cena held the UPW Heavyweight Championship for just shy of a month in April 2000.[26]
OVW In 2001, he signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was assigned to its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).[27] During his time there, Cena wrestled as both The Prototype and Mr. P, and held the OVW Heavyweight Championship for three months and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino) for two months.[28][29][30]
World Wrestling Entertainment Debut (2002–2004) Cena performing an FU (now "Attitude Adjustment") to Kurt Angle. Cena made his television debut answering an open challenge by Kurt Angle on June 27, 2002.[31] Inspired by a speech given by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to the rising stars of the company, exhorting them to show "ruthless aggression" to earn a place among the legends, Cena took advantage of the opportunity and almost beat Angle kicking out of his finishing move, the Angle Slam and enduring the ankle lock submission hold.[32] Cena ultimately lost to a hard amateur wrestling-style pin.[32] Following the near-win, Cena became a fan favorite and started feuding with Chris Jericho.[31] In October, Cena and Billy Kidman took part in a tag team tournament to crown the first WWE Tag Team Champions of the SmackDown! brand, losing in the first round.[33] The next week, Cena turned on and attacked Kidman, blaming him for their loss, becoming a villain.[31]
Shortly after the Kidman attack, on a Halloween themed episode of SmackDown, Cena dressed as Vanilla Ice performing a freestyle rap.[31] The next week, Cena received a new character: a rapper who cut promos while rhyming.[31] As the gimmick grew, Cena began adopting a variant of the 1980s WWF logo – dropping the "F" – as his "signature symbol", along with the slogan "Word Life".[34] Moreover, he was joined by an enforcer, Bull Buchanan, who was rechristened B-2 (also written B² and pronounced "B-Squared").[31] Buchanan was later replaced by Red Dogg,[31] until he was sent to the Raw brand in February.
For the first half of 2003, Cena sought the WWE Championship and chased the reigning champion, Brock Lesnar, performing weekly "freestyles" challenging him to matches.[35][36][37] During the feud, Cena unveiled a new finishing maneuver: the FU, a Fireman's carry powerslam, named to mock Lesnar's F-5.[38] Cena won a number one contenders tournament against Lesnar at Backlash. However, Cena was defeated by Lesnar. At Vengeance Cena lost a singles match against The Undertaker.[31][39] At the end of the year, Cena became a fan favorite again when he joined Kurt Angle as a member of his team at Survivor Series.[40][41]
United States and WWE Champion (2004–2005) Cena, wearing his customized U.S. Championship belt In early 2004, Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match at the 2004 Royal Rumble,[42] making it to the final six before being eliminated by Big Show and the Match being won by Chris Benoit.[43] The Royal Rumble elimination led to a feud with Big Show,[44][45] which Cena won the United States Championship from Big Show at WrestleMania XX.[46] During his reign, Cena came into contention with SmackDown General Manager Kurt Angle over issues arising with René Duprée and Torrie Wilson.[47] The reign ended almost four months later, when he was stripped of the belt on July 8 by Angle after he accidentally knocked him over, thus attacking an official.[48] Cena won the championship back defeating Booker T in a best of five series that culminated at No Mercy,[49] only to lose it to the debuting Carlito Caribbean Cool the next week.[50] After the loss to Carlito, the duo began a feud, which Cena was stabbed in the kidney while at a Boston-area nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard, Jesús.[51][52] This worked injury was used to keep Cena out of action for a month, while Cena was filming The Marine.[29] Immediately on his return in November, Cena won the United States Championship back from Carlito debuting a "custom made" spinner-style championship belt.[53][54]
Cena took part in the 2005 Royal Rumble match, making it to the final two. Cena and Raw brand wrestler Batista went over the top rope at the same time, ostensibly ending the match. Vince McMahon, however, appeared on stage and re-started the match in sudden death rules, with Batista eventually eliminating Cena.[55] The next month, Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn a spot in the SmackDown brand's WrestleMania 21 main event match,[56] beginning a feud with WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and his Cabinet in the process. In the early stages of the feud, Cena lost his US belt to Cabinet member Orlando Jordan,[57] who proceeded to "blow up" the spinner championship with JBL and returning a more traditional style belt.[58] Cena defeated JBL at WrestleMania winning the WWE Championship, giving Cena his first world championship.[59] Cena then had a spinner WWE Championship belt made,[60] while JBL took the original belt and claimed to still be WWE Champion,[60] until Cena reclaimed the original belt in an "I Quit" match at Judgment Day.[61]
Cena was drafted to the Raw brand on the June 6, 2005, becoming the first wrestler selected by General Manager Eric Bischoff in the annual draft lottery.[62] Cena immediately entered a feud with Bischoff, after refusing to participate in the "war" against the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) roster at One Night Stand.[63] With Bischoff vowing to make Cena's stint on Raw difficult, he hand picked Jericho to take Cena's championship from him.[64] During their feud, even though Cena was portrayed as the fan favorite and Jericho as the villain, a vocal section of live crowds, nonetheless, were booing Cena during their matches.[65] More crowds followed suit during Cena's next feud with Kurt Angle,[66] who took over as Bischoff's hand-picked number-one contender after Cena defeated Jericho in a You're Fired match on the August 22 Raw.[67] As the feud continued and the dissenters grew more vocal, sometimes seeming to outnumber fans by wide margins,[68] the announce team was forced to acknowledge the booing on television and began calling Cena a "controversial champion", claiming some people disliking him on account of his "in-ring style" and his chosen fashion.[69] Despite the mixed and negative reactions, Cena held on to his championship through his feud with Angle, losing to him by disqualification[70] – which titles do not change hands in WWE – at Unforgiven and pinning him at Survivor Series.[71] The feud with Angle also saw Cena add a secondary, submission based, finishing maneuver – the STFU (a Stepover Toehold Sleeper, though named for a Stepover Toehold Facelock) – when he was put into a Triple Threat Submissions Only match on the November 28 Raw.[72]
WWE Championship feuds and injury (2006–2007) Cena facing off against Edge at a WWE house show. Cena lost the WWE Championship at New Year's Revolution, but not in the Elimination Chamber match that he had been advertised to participate in beforehand. Instead, immediately after winning the Elimination Chamber, he was forced into a match against Edge, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract – a "guaranteed title match for the WWE Champion at a time and place of the owners choosing." After two quick spears pinned Cena, winning the championship.[73] Three weeks later, Cena won the championship back at the Royal Rumble.[73] After winning the championship, Cena began feuding with Triple H, which the crowd began booing Cena and cheering the intended villain, Triple H.[74][75] Cena beat Triple H at Wrestlemania 22 to retain his WWE Title.[1] The negative reaction towards Cena intensified when facing Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand. Taking place in front of a crowd of mostly "old school" ECW fans at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Cena was met with raucous jeering and chants of "Fuck you, Cena", "You can't wrestle", and "Same old shit". When he began performing different moves into the match, the fans began chanting "You still suck". Cena lost the WWE Championship at One Night Stand, with Van Dam pinning Cena after interference from Edge.[76]
Cena, addressing fans at a Raw show In July, after Edge won the championship from Van Dam in a Triple Threat match that also involved Cena,[77] re-ignited the feud between him and Cena from earlier in the year. After Edge went about retaining the title by dubious means – getting himself disqualified[78] (for which Championships do not change hands) and using brass knuckles[76] – he introduced his own version of Cena's "custom" belt, this one with his logo placed on the spinner.[79] Cena eventually won the championship back in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at Unforgiven. The match had an added stipulation that had Cena lost he would leave the Raw brand and go to SmackDown.[80][81] Cena returned his version of the spinner belt on the next night's Raw.[82]
On the heels of his feud with Edge, Cena was placed in an inter-brand angle to determine the "Champion of Champions" – or which was the most dominant champion in WWE's three brands. Cena, the World Heavyweight Champion King Booker, and the ECW World Champion The Big Show engaged in a mini-feud leading to a Triple Threat match at Cyber Sunday, with the viewers voting on which of the three championships would be placed on the line.[83] At the same time, Cena became involved in a storyline with non-wrestler Kevin Federline, when he began appearing on Raw with Johnny Nitro and Melina. After getting into a worked physical altercation with Federline on Raw,[83] Federline appeared at Cyber Sunday to hit Cena with the World Heavyweight Championship during the match, helping King Booker retain his championship.[76] 2006 ended with Cena beginning a feud with the undefeated Umaga over the WWE Championship,[84] while 2007 began with the end of his storyline with Kevin Federline. On the first Raw of the new year, Cena was pinned by Federline with an assist from Umaga, although later in the night he was able to get his hands on Federline performing an FU on him.[85]
One night after the Royal Rumble, an impromptu team of Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton) for the World Tag Team Championship, making Cena a double champion.[86] On the April 2 episode of Raw, after losing a WWE Championship match to Cena at WrestleMania 23,[87] Michaels turned on Cena, costing them the championship in the second of two 10 team battles royals, by throwing Cena over the top rope and eliminating the team. The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) eventually won the match and the championship.[88] For the rest of the month, Cena feuded with Michaels, Orton, and Edge until The Great Khali declared his intentions to challenge for Cena's championship attacking and "laying out" all three of the top contenders[89] before assaulting Cena himself and stealing the physical belt.[90] For the next two months, Cena feuded with Khali over the championship, eventually becoming the first person in WWE to defeat him by submission at Judgment Day[91][92] and then by pinfall at One Night Stand.[93][94] Later that summer, Randy Orton was named the number one contender for the WWE championship,[95] starting a feud between the two. Leading up to SummerSlam, Orton delivered a number of sneak-attacks, performing three RKOs to Cena, but in the actual match, Cena retained the championship.[96] A rematch between the two occurred at Unforgiven, with Orton winning by disqualification after Cena ignored the referee's instructions and continued to beat on him in the corner.[97]
During a match with Mr. Kennedy on the October 1, 2007 episode of Raw, Cena suffered a legitimate torn pectoral muscle while executing a hip toss.[98] Though finishing the match and taking part in the scripted attack by Randy Orton after the match, surgery the following day found that his pectoralis major muscle was torn completely from the bone, estimating at the time to require seven months to a year of rehabilitation.[99][100] As a result, Cena was stripped of the title in an announcement by Vince McMahon on the next night's episode of ECW,[101] ending what was the longest WWE Championship reign in over 19 years.[102] Cena's surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.[98] Two weeks later, in a video update on WWE.com, Dr. Andrews and Cena's physical trainer both said that he was several weeks ahead of where he was expected to be in his rehabilitation at that time.[103] Despite his injury, Cena attended the annual WWE Tribute to the Troops show filmed at Camp Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq on December 7, and aired on December 24.[104]
Return and various feuds (2008–2010) Cena made an unannounced return as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match, winning the match, and the traditional WrestleMania title shot, by last eliminating Triple H.[11] Instead of waiting until WrestleMania, the title shot was cashed in against WWE Champion Randy Orton at February's No Way Out pay-per-view[105] in a match where Cena won by disqualification, resulting in him not getting the championship.[106] The night after No Way Out, Cena was placed back into WrestleMania XXIV's WWE Championship match, making it a Triple Threat match also involving Triple H,[107] during which he was pinned by Orton.[108] At Backlash, Cena failed to regain the title in a Fatal Four-Way elimination match, in which he was pinned by Orton.[109] Triple H won the title during that match. During the match, Cena eliminated JBL,[109] renewing their feud from 2005. Cena defeated JBL at Judgment Day and then at One Night Stand in a First Blood match.[110][111] JBL, however, defeated him in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl at The Great American Bash in July.[112]
Cena as one half of the World Tag Team Champions On the August 4 episode of Raw, Cena became a World Tag Team Champion for a second time, teaming with Batista to defeat Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase,[113] but failed to retain the titles the following week against the former champions.[114] Batista defeated Cena at SummerSlam;[115] shortly after, he was named one of four contenders for CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship in the Championship scramble match at Unforgiven. He was replaced by Rey Mysterio, however, after announcing Cena had suffered a herniated disc in his neck, which would require surgery.[116] Cena underwent successful surgery to repair the injury.[117][118]
Cena made his in-ring return at the November pay-per-view event, Survivor Series, defeating Chris Jericho to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.[119] The two continued their rivalry up to Armageddon, where Cena retained his championship.[120] Cena lost the championship at No Way Out, to Edge after Kofi Kingston was attacked by Edge, who took his place in the Elimination Chamber match.[121] Cena was given an opportunity to regain the title at WrestleMania XXV in a Triple Threat match also involving Big Show, which Cena won.[122]
Cena lost the championship back to Edge in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash after interference from Big Show, who chokeslammed Cena through a big spotlight.[123] This angle resulted in Cena beginning a feud with Big Show. Cena defeated Big Show at Judgment Day[124] and at Extreme Rules in a Submission match by applying the STFU.[125]
At the July pay-per-view, Night of Champions, he participated in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship, which also involved Triple H and WWE Champion Randy Orton. Cena, however, did not win the match.[126] Two months later, at Breaking Point, Cena defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in an "I Quit" match to win his fourth WWE Championship.[127] At Hell in a Cell, Cena dropped the title to Orton in a Hell in a Cell match.[128] Three weeks later, at WWE Bragging Rights, Cena defeated Orton in a 60-minute Iron Man match.[129]
Two months later, Cena would lose the title to Sheamus at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Tables match.[130]
John Cena as WWE Champion in 2010 In February 2010, Cena regained the WWE title at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in an Elimination Chamber match after last eliminating Triple H. However, immediately after the match Mr. McMahon declared that he would immediately defend his title against Batista, who had been involved with Cena in Vince McMahon and Bret Hart's rivalry. Cena lost that match to Batista, and the WWE Championship and marking one of the shortest WWE Championship reigns in history.[131] The following night after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Cena asked for a rematch for the title at WrestleMania, which McMahon gave him the opportunity to as long as he defeated Batista that night. Later that night, Batista intentionally got himself disqualified by kicking Cena in the groin to set up their match at WrestleMania XXVI.[132] At the event, Cena defeated Batista to win back the WWE title.[133] At the April pay-per-view, Extreme Rules, Cena defeated Batista in a rematch for the WWE title in a Last Man Standing match.[134] He faced Batista one more time in an I Quit match at Over the Limit which he won.[135]
Feuding with and joining Nexus (2010–2011) See also: The Nexus On the June 7, 2010 episode of Raw, Cena was suddenly thrust into a new storyline when during his main event match against CM Punk, he was attacked by all eight former contestants of WWE NXT Season 1, with Wade Barrett as their leader. Punk, his follower Luke Gallows, and other personnel around the ring were attacked as well, but Cena took the worst of the attack and was carried out on a stretcher. This group would later refer to themselves as The Nexus.[136]
At June's Fatal 4-Way event, Cena lost the WWE title to Sheamus in a fatal four-way match that also involved Edge and Randy Orton due to interference by Nexus.[137] The following month, in a WWE title rematch against Sheamus in a steel cage match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, the group interfered, thus costing Cena the chance of regaining the championship.[138] Cena later formed an alliance with Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth, The Great Khali and Bret Hart to face the Nexus at SummerSlam, where Cena's team defeated Nexus with the returning Daniel Bryan, a former member of Nexus, who replaced Khali after getting injured.[139]
Cena being forced to read a public address by Wade Barrett while a member of Nexus. Nexus's actions, however, did not stop after SummerSlam. Hoping to end Nexus for good, Cena challenged Wade Barrett to a match at "Hell in a Cell" only to lose due to interference by two fans, later identified as Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty. Due to the stipulations in place, Cena was forced to join Nexus.[140] Cena had originally planned to destroy Nexus from within as a member of the group, but the Raw general manager ordered him to follow orders from Barrett, or else he would be fired. At Bragging Rights, Cena and Nexus member David Otunga defeated "Dashing" Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre to win the Tag Team Championship.[141]
Later in the show Cena was forced to help Barrett to win his WWE Championship match against Randy Orton. If Barrett didn't win the match Cena would be fired. Cena twisted his words around and attacked Barrett, giving Barrett the win via disqualification but not Orton's title.[141] The following day, Cena and Otunga lost the Tag Team Championship to fellow Nexus members Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel, when Barrett ordered Otunga to lay down and lose the title.[142] At Survivor Series, Cena officiated a match for the WWE Championship between Wade Barrett and Randy Orton. As a part of a pre-match stipulation, if Barrett didn't win the championship, Cena would be fired from the WWE.
Orton defeated Barrett to retain the title, thus ending Cena's career in the WWE.[143] The following day on Raw, Cena gave a farewell speech, before costing Wade Barrett the WWE Championship by interfering in his rematch with Randy Orton.[144] A week later, Cena invaded Raw, first as a spectator, but he then attacked members of Nexus, explaining that he would still take down Nexus one by one, despite not having a job in the WWE anymore.[145] On the December 13 episode of Raw, Cena was rehired by Barrett, in exchange that he would face him at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Chairs Match.[146] Prior to TLC, Cena teamed up with Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio to defeat Wade Barrett, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio at The WWE Tribute to the Troops. On December 19 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, John Cena was victorious against Wade Barrett in a Chairs match in the main event of the evening.
John Cena at WWE Tribute to the Troops in 2010. On the December 27 episode of Raw, The Nexus, minus Wade Barrett, announced they were under new management and offered to bury the hatchet with John Cena, to which Cena refused. The Nexus attacked Cena, leaving a Nexus armband in the ring during the process. As the group retreated, CM Punk, who had attacked Cena with a steel chair twice the week before, came to the ring to, what looked like attack John Cena, but instead put on the armband left behind to symbolically announce his allegiance with The Nexus.[147] The next week, Wade Barrett returned to Raw and confronted CM Punk over the issue of who the leader of The Nexus was and who was responsible for Cena's attack the week before. Barrett was placed into a Triple Threat Steel Cage Match that night that would determine the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship. CM Punk added his own stipulation to the match saying if Barrett lost, he would be banished from the group, but if he won he would remain leader. Wade Barrett would lose the match after CM Punk interfered by ripping of Barrett's armband.[148]
On the January 17 episode of Raw, Cena returned and faced Punk in a match. During the match, a man, who would later be revealed to be Mason Ryan, attacked Cena. During the 2011 Royal Rumble match, Cena would eliminate most of the Nexus, ending his feud with them.
Record-breaking WWE Champion and various feuds (2011-present) The Rock and John Cena agree to face each other at WrestleMania XXVIII. Cena competed in the 2011 Royal Rumble match at the pay-per-view, making it to the final five before being eliminated by The Miz, the current WWE Champion at the time, who wasn't an official participant in the match. At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Cena won the Elimination Chamber match to face The Miz at WrestleMania XXVII for the WWE Championship.[149] On the February 21 episode of Raw, Cena replied to The Rock's comments about him from the previous week, as The Rock returned as the announced guest host of WrestleMania, where he made a rap about Rock. That same night, Cena was placed into a WWE Tag Team Championship match, with him teaming with The Miz, where they defeated Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater to become WWE Tag Team Champions. After the match, Wade Barrett invoked Gabriel and Slater's rematch clause straight away, where they won their titles back, after Miz attacked Cena.[150] After weeks of insults to each other, Cena met Rock face-to-face on the March 28 episode of Raw, where Cena would hit his Attitude Adjustment finishing move on Rock.[151] At WrestleMania, Cena and Miz would fight to a double count-out, but guest host Rock would restart the match, only for him to hit his Rock Bottom finishing move on Cena, allowing Miz to retain his title.[152] The next night on Raw, Cena and Rock agreed to face each other at WrestleMania XXVIII, making it the first match to be set up at WrestleMania one year in advance. At Extreme Rules, Cena would defeat Miz and Morrison to become WWE Champion.[152] Cena went on to defend the title against The Miz at Over the Limit in an "I Quit" match[153] and R-Truth at Capitol Punishment[154]
Cena was scheduled to defend his title against CM Punk at Money in the Bank, but Punk would insult the way in which the company is run and owner Vince McMahon. This would then result in Punk being suspended from televised WWE events, but would be reinstated by McMahon after Cena's insistence, with the stipulation that Cena would get fired if he were to lost the WWE Championship to Punk at the pay-per-view.[155][156] At the pay-per-view, Punk defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship. The following night on Raw, before McMahon announced Cena was fired, Triple H returned, announcing that McMahon was relived of his duties and Triple H is the new COO of the WWE, which would see him run the day-to-day operations of the company.[157] On the July 25 episode of Raw, Cena defeated Rey Mysterio to become WWE Champion for a record breaking ninth time.[158] Following the match, CM Punk returned to the company, with the WWE Championship he won at Money in the Bank. The following week, Triple H would announce that Cena and Punk where both recognized as WWE Champion, which would lead to a title unification match at SummerSlam, with Triple H serving as special guest referee for the match, where the winner would become "undisputed" WWE Champion. At the pay-per-view, Punk defeated Cena to become "undisputed" WWE Champion. Punk would lose the championship following the match to Mr. Money in the Bank Alberto Del Rio.[159] On the August 22 episode of Raw, Cena defeated Punk to become number one contender for the WWE Championship, and would defeat Del Rio at Night of Champions to become WWE Champion.[160] Cena would then lose the title back to Del Rio two weeks later at Hell in a Cell, in a Triple Threat Hell in a Cell match also involving Punk, after Ricardo Rodriguez and Del Rio locked Cena outside of the Cell.[161] Cena lost his rematch at Vengeance in a Last Man Standing match, due to interference by The Miz and R-Truth.[162] After a few weeks of Miz and Truth attacking Cena and other employees, Cena was allowed to choose his partner to challenge Miz and Truth at Survivor Series. Cena would announce that he had chosen The Rock to be his partner. At the pay-per-view, after Cena and Rock defeated Miz and Truth, Rock gave Cena another Rock Bottom.[163]
On the December 12 episode of Raw, during his match with Mark Henry, Cena was attacked by the returning Kane.[164] The following week on Raw, Cena would call out Kane for his actions last week, but Henry would come out instead. Kane would then come out soon after, and once again attacked Cena.[165] The following week, Kane would explain to Cena that the reason he had attacked him was in disgust of Cena's "Rise Above Hate" t-shirt slogan, stating that hate is a "natural impulse" and shouldn't be contained. He then led the fans in attendance who were not fond of Cena into chanting "Cena Sucks!" as Raw went off the air.[166] Kane would then attack Cena's friend Zack Ryder, which led him to lose his United States Championship.[167][168] At the Royal Rumble, Kane and Cena would fight each other to a double countout only for Kane to get the upper hand on Cena and Ryder, who was watching in a private room in a wheelchair, after the match.[169] At Elimination Chamber, Cena defeated Kane in an Ambulance match to end the feud.[170]
Other media Film Cena, with actual Marines, at the premiere of his film The Marine. WWE Studios, a division of World Wrestling Entertainment which produces and finances motion pictures, produced Cena's first movie — The Marine, which was distributed theatrically by 20th Century Fox America beginning on October 13, 2006. In its first week, the film made approximately US$7 million at the United States box office.[171] After ten weeks in theaters, the film grossed $18.7 million.[171] Once the film was released on DVD, it fared better, making $30 million in rentals in the first twelve weeks.[171]
John Cena filming on the set of 12 Rounds. His second film, also produced by WWE Studios, was 12 Rounds.[172] Filming began on February 25, 2008 in New Orleans;[172][173] the film was released on March 27, 2009.
Cena co-starred in his third film produced by WWE Studios, titled Legendary, which was played in selected theaters starting on September 10, 2010, for a limited time,[174] then it was released on DVD on September 28, 2010.[175]
That same year, Cena starred in the children's film Fred: The Movie, a film based on Lucas Cruikshank's YouTube videos of the same name, where he plays Fred's father.[176] The movie was released on the Nickelodeon channel in September 2010.[177]
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2000 Ready to Rumble Gym Trainer Extra 2006 The Marine John Triton Lead role 2007 Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race Himself Reality TV series 2009 12 Rounds Danny Fisher Lead role 2010 Psych Ewan O'Hara "You Can't Handle This Episode" (season 4: episode 10) 2010 True Jackson, VP Himself "Pajama Party" (season 2: episode 12) 2010 Legendary Mike Chetley Lead role 2010 Hannah Montana Himself "Love That Let's Go" (season 4: episode 7) 2010 Fred: The Movie Fred's (imaginary) Dad TV film 2010 Generator Rex Hunter Cain Voice role
"The Hunter" (season 1: episode 13) 2011 The Reunion Sam Cleary 2011 Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred Fred's (imaginary) Dad TV film Guest appearances Before his WWE debut, Cena made an appearance on the Internet stream show Go Sick as Bruebaker, an angry, cursing wrestler in 2001.[178]
During his WWE career, Cena has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! three times. Cena has also appeared on morning radio shows; including the CBS and XM versions of Opie and Anthony as part of their "walkover" on October 10, 2006. Other appearances have included Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Fuse's Celebrity Playlist, Fox Sports Net's The Best Damn Sports Show Period, MADtv, G4's Training Camp (with Shelton Benjamin), and two appearances on MTV's Punk'd (August 2006 and May 2007), as the victim of a practical joke. He also served as a co-presenter, with Hulk Hogan, at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, as a guest judge during the third week of the 2006 season of Nashville Star, and appeared at the 2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids Choice Awards.[179]
In January 2007, Cena, Batista, and Ashley Massaro appeared representing WWE on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,[180] giving the children of the family whose house was being renovated WWE merchandise and eight tickets to WrestleMania 23.[181] Two months later, he and Bobby Lashley appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal as "moral support" to long time WWE fan and front row staple, Rick "Sign Guy" Achberger. Edge and Randy Orton also appeared, but as antagonists.[182] On April 9, 2008, Cena, along with fellow wrestlers Triple H and Chris Jericho, appeared on the Idol Gives Back fund-raising special.[183] In March 2009, Cena made an appearance on Saturday Night Live during the show's cold opening sequence.[184] On March 7, 2009, he was a guest on NPR's quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in a Not My Job sequence titled "Sure, pro wrestling is a good gig, but when you win, do they throw teddy bears into the ring?"[185]
Television In 2001, between his training in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling,[20] Cena was involved in the UPN produced reality show Manhunt. Cena portrayed Big Tim Kingman, leader of the group of bounty hunters who chased down the contestants who acted as fugitives. The show, however, was mired in controversy when it was alleged that the portions of the show were rigged to eliminate certain players, scenes were re-shot or staged to enhance drama and contestants read from scripts.[186][187][188]
Cena was also featured on the ABC reality series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, which aired in June 2007,[189] making it to the final round before being eliminated on June 24, placing third in the competition overall.[190]
In 2007 Cena was also interviewed for the CNN Special Investigations Unit documentary, "Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling", which focused on steroid and drug use in professional wrestling. When asked if he had taken steroids he was heard to reply, "I can't tell you that I haven't, but you'll never prove that I have."[191] The day after the documentary aired WWE accused CNN of taking Cena's comments out of context to present a biased point of view, backing up their claim by posting an unedited video of his answering the same question—filmed by WWE cameras from another angle—in which he is heard beginning the same statement with "Absolutely not".[192] A text interview on the website with Cena later had him saying the news outlet should apologize for misrepresenting him,[193] which CNN refused in a statement, saying they felt the true answer to the question began with the phrase "My answer to that question".[194] They did, however, edit the documentary on subsequent airings to include the "Absolutely not".[194]
Cena hosted the Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards with Natalie Bassingthwaighte on October 11, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia.[195]
He guest starred as Ewan O'Hara in an episode of the fourth season of the comedy drama Psych, as the brother of Juliet O'Hara, played by Maggie Lawson.[196]
He also guest starred in the seventh episode of Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Forever as himself.
Make-A-Wish Foundation Cena signing merchandise for a young fan Cena posing with children John Cena has granted over 250 wishes for Arizona children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and is the biggest wish granter in Make-A-Wish history.[197][198] In 2009, Cena received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award.[199]
Endorsements Before his professional wrestling career, Cena appeared in an advertisement for Gold's Gym.[200] As a wrestler he has endorsed the energy drink YJ Stinger,[201] appearing in commercials beginning in October 2003, and Subway,[202] for whom he filmed advertisements with their spokesperson Jared Fogle in November 2006 that began airing the next January. For a time in 2007 he also endorsed two "signature collections" of energy drinks and energy bars sold by American Body Builders.[203] In 2008, Cena filmed a commercial as part of Gillette's "Young Guns" NASCAR campaign.[204]
In 2009, Cena expanded his relationship with Gillette by introducing a new online campaign called "Be A Superstar" featuring himself alongside WWE Superstars Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes. The campaign features motivational videos.[205]
Fashion For the extent of his WWE career, Cena's attire has attempted to reflect the most current thug fashions and stylings within the hip hop culture that his character represents. Cena started out wearing "throwback jerseys" until WWE produced specific Cena merchandise which he began wearing.[206] While Cena was a member of the SmackDown! brand, one of his WWE produced t-shirts bore the suggestive spoonerism "Ruck Fules". Whenever it appeared on television the image was censored, not by the network, but by WWE to sell more shirts under the premise that it was "too hot for TV."[207] He also wore a chain with a large padlock, occasionally using it as a weapon,[208] until WrestleMania 21, when it was replaced with a chromed and diamond studded "Chain Gang" spinner medallion—reminiscent of the ones worn by members of G-Unit—matching his spinner title belt.
Around the time The Marine was released, Cena began wearing attire more military related, including camouflage shorts, dog tags, a Marine soldier cap and a WWE produced shirt with the legend "Chain Gang Assault Battalion."[209] Shortly after WrestleMania 23, when promotion for The Marine ended, the military attire diminished and was replaced with apparel bearing his new slogan "American Made Muscle" along with denim shorts, not seen since he was a member of the SmackDown roster.[210] He then wore shirts that promoted Cenation and his trademark line "You Can't See Me." In late 2011, Cena again switched to wearing camo shorts (to honor the U.S. Armed Forces), coininciding with his new black "Rise Above Hate" T-shirt promoting WWE's "Be a Star" anti-bullying campaign.
Music "The Time is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc (2005) Sample from "The Time Is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc. Problems listening to this file? See media help. In addition to his wrestling career, Cena is a rapper and a hip hop musician. Cena performed his fifth WWE theme song, "Basic Thugonomics," himself, and it was featured on the WWE soundtrack album WWE Originals. He also recorded a song,"Untouchables", for the company's next soundtrack album WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6. He collaborated on the song H-U-S-T-L-E remix along with Murs, E-40, and Chingo Bling.[211]
Cena's debut album, You Can't See Me, was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. It features, amongst other songs, his entrance theme, "The Time is Now", and the single "Bad, Bad Man", for which a music video was made that parodied 1980s culture, including the television show The A-Team. A video was also made for the second single, "Right Now," and premiered on the August 8 Raw. Cena and Tha Trademarc were later featured on a track by The Perceptionists named "Champion Scratch." Cena will appear on Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' upcoming album Still Cool featuring other guests.[212]
Albums
While promoting his 2009 film, 12 Rounds, Cena announced his engagement[222][223] to his girlfriend Elizabeth Huberdeau. They were married on July 11, 2009.
In wrestling Cena about to perform an FU on Shawn Michaels. Cena performing an STFU on Batista. Cena performing an STFU on Mark Henry. Cena taunting Chris Masters.
In WWE, Cena has won 19 championships in total, including 12 world titles (having won the WWE Championship a record 10 times[8] and the World Heavyweight Championship twice). In addition, Cena has also won the WWE United States Championship three times,[9] and is a four-time Tag Team Champion, having held the World Tag Team Championship twice (once each with Shawn Michaels and Batista),[10] and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice (once each with David Otunga and The Miz). Cena also won the 2008 Royal Rumble match, and is a two-time Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner (2009 and 2010).[11] He also has the fourth highest number of combined days as WWE Champion behind Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino.
Cena started his professional wrestling career in 2000, wrestling for Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where he held the UPW Heavyweight Championship. In 2001, Cena signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) where he held the OVW Heavyweight Championship and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino).
Outside of wrestling, Cena has released the rap album You Can't See Me, which debuted at No.15 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and starred in the feature films The Marine (2006), 12 Rounds (2009), and Legendary (2010).[12] Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Punk'd, and Psych. Cena was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where he made it to the final round before being eliminated, placing third in the overall competition.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 3 Other media
- 4 Personal life
- 5 In wrestling
- 6 Championships and accomplishments
- 7 References
- 8 Further reading
- 9 External links
Professional wrestling career Training (2000–2001) UPW Cena started training to become a professional wrestler in 2000 at the California-based "Ultimate University" operated by Ultimate Pro Wrestling. Once he was placed into an in-ring role, Cena began using a semi-robotic character known as The Prototype.[23][24] Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Inside Pro Wrestling School.[25] While in UPW, Cena held the UPW Heavyweight Championship for just shy of a month in April 2000.[26]
OVW In 2001, he signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was assigned to its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).[27] During his time there, Cena wrestled as both The Prototype and Mr. P, and held the OVW Heavyweight Championship for three months and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino) for two months.[28][29][30]
World Wrestling Entertainment Debut (2002–2004) Cena performing an FU (now "Attitude Adjustment") to Kurt Angle. Cena made his television debut answering an open challenge by Kurt Angle on June 27, 2002.[31] Inspired by a speech given by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to the rising stars of the company, exhorting them to show "ruthless aggression" to earn a place among the legends, Cena took advantage of the opportunity and almost beat Angle kicking out of his finishing move, the Angle Slam and enduring the ankle lock submission hold.[32] Cena ultimately lost to a hard amateur wrestling-style pin.[32] Following the near-win, Cena became a fan favorite and started feuding with Chris Jericho.[31] In October, Cena and Billy Kidman took part in a tag team tournament to crown the first WWE Tag Team Champions of the SmackDown! brand, losing in the first round.[33] The next week, Cena turned on and attacked Kidman, blaming him for their loss, becoming a villain.[31]
Shortly after the Kidman attack, on a Halloween themed episode of SmackDown, Cena dressed as Vanilla Ice performing a freestyle rap.[31] The next week, Cena received a new character: a rapper who cut promos while rhyming.[31] As the gimmick grew, Cena began adopting a variant of the 1980s WWF logo – dropping the "F" – as his "signature symbol", along with the slogan "Word Life".[34] Moreover, he was joined by an enforcer, Bull Buchanan, who was rechristened B-2 (also written B² and pronounced "B-Squared").[31] Buchanan was later replaced by Red Dogg,[31] until he was sent to the Raw brand in February.
For the first half of 2003, Cena sought the WWE Championship and chased the reigning champion, Brock Lesnar, performing weekly "freestyles" challenging him to matches.[35][36][37] During the feud, Cena unveiled a new finishing maneuver: the FU, a Fireman's carry powerslam, named to mock Lesnar's F-5.[38] Cena won a number one contenders tournament against Lesnar at Backlash. However, Cena was defeated by Lesnar. At Vengeance Cena lost a singles match against The Undertaker.[31][39] At the end of the year, Cena became a fan favorite again when he joined Kurt Angle as a member of his team at Survivor Series.[40][41]
United States and WWE Champion (2004–2005) Cena, wearing his customized U.S. Championship belt In early 2004, Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match at the 2004 Royal Rumble,[42] making it to the final six before being eliminated by Big Show and the Match being won by Chris Benoit.[43] The Royal Rumble elimination led to a feud with Big Show,[44][45] which Cena won the United States Championship from Big Show at WrestleMania XX.[46] During his reign, Cena came into contention with SmackDown General Manager Kurt Angle over issues arising with René Duprée and Torrie Wilson.[47] The reign ended almost four months later, when he was stripped of the belt on July 8 by Angle after he accidentally knocked him over, thus attacking an official.[48] Cena won the championship back defeating Booker T in a best of five series that culminated at No Mercy,[49] only to lose it to the debuting Carlito Caribbean Cool the next week.[50] After the loss to Carlito, the duo began a feud, which Cena was stabbed in the kidney while at a Boston-area nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard, Jesús.[51][52] This worked injury was used to keep Cena out of action for a month, while Cena was filming The Marine.[29] Immediately on his return in November, Cena won the United States Championship back from Carlito debuting a "custom made" spinner-style championship belt.[53][54]
Cena took part in the 2005 Royal Rumble match, making it to the final two. Cena and Raw brand wrestler Batista went over the top rope at the same time, ostensibly ending the match. Vince McMahon, however, appeared on stage and re-started the match in sudden death rules, with Batista eventually eliminating Cena.[55] The next month, Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn a spot in the SmackDown brand's WrestleMania 21 main event match,[56] beginning a feud with WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and his Cabinet in the process. In the early stages of the feud, Cena lost his US belt to Cabinet member Orlando Jordan,[57] who proceeded to "blow up" the spinner championship with JBL and returning a more traditional style belt.[58] Cena defeated JBL at WrestleMania winning the WWE Championship, giving Cena his first world championship.[59] Cena then had a spinner WWE Championship belt made,[60] while JBL took the original belt and claimed to still be WWE Champion,[60] until Cena reclaimed the original belt in an "I Quit" match at Judgment Day.[61]
Cena was drafted to the Raw brand on the June 6, 2005, becoming the first wrestler selected by General Manager Eric Bischoff in the annual draft lottery.[62] Cena immediately entered a feud with Bischoff, after refusing to participate in the "war" against the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) roster at One Night Stand.[63] With Bischoff vowing to make Cena's stint on Raw difficult, he hand picked Jericho to take Cena's championship from him.[64] During their feud, even though Cena was portrayed as the fan favorite and Jericho as the villain, a vocal section of live crowds, nonetheless, were booing Cena during their matches.[65] More crowds followed suit during Cena's next feud with Kurt Angle,[66] who took over as Bischoff's hand-picked number-one contender after Cena defeated Jericho in a You're Fired match on the August 22 Raw.[67] As the feud continued and the dissenters grew more vocal, sometimes seeming to outnumber fans by wide margins,[68] the announce team was forced to acknowledge the booing on television and began calling Cena a "controversial champion", claiming some people disliking him on account of his "in-ring style" and his chosen fashion.[69] Despite the mixed and negative reactions, Cena held on to his championship through his feud with Angle, losing to him by disqualification[70] – which titles do not change hands in WWE – at Unforgiven and pinning him at Survivor Series.[71] The feud with Angle also saw Cena add a secondary, submission based, finishing maneuver – the STFU (a Stepover Toehold Sleeper, though named for a Stepover Toehold Facelock) – when he was put into a Triple Threat Submissions Only match on the November 28 Raw.[72]
WWE Championship feuds and injury (2006–2007) Cena facing off against Edge at a WWE house show. Cena lost the WWE Championship at New Year's Revolution, but not in the Elimination Chamber match that he had been advertised to participate in beforehand. Instead, immediately after winning the Elimination Chamber, he was forced into a match against Edge, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract – a "guaranteed title match for the WWE Champion at a time and place of the owners choosing." After two quick spears pinned Cena, winning the championship.[73] Three weeks later, Cena won the championship back at the Royal Rumble.[73] After winning the championship, Cena began feuding with Triple H, which the crowd began booing Cena and cheering the intended villain, Triple H.[74][75] Cena beat Triple H at Wrestlemania 22 to retain his WWE Title.[1] The negative reaction towards Cena intensified when facing Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand. Taking place in front of a crowd of mostly "old school" ECW fans at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Cena was met with raucous jeering and chants of "Fuck you, Cena", "You can't wrestle", and "Same old shit". When he began performing different moves into the match, the fans began chanting "You still suck". Cena lost the WWE Championship at One Night Stand, with Van Dam pinning Cena after interference from Edge.[76]
Cena, addressing fans at a Raw show In July, after Edge won the championship from Van Dam in a Triple Threat match that also involved Cena,[77] re-ignited the feud between him and Cena from earlier in the year. After Edge went about retaining the title by dubious means – getting himself disqualified[78] (for which Championships do not change hands) and using brass knuckles[76] – he introduced his own version of Cena's "custom" belt, this one with his logo placed on the spinner.[79] Cena eventually won the championship back in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at Unforgiven. The match had an added stipulation that had Cena lost he would leave the Raw brand and go to SmackDown.[80][81] Cena returned his version of the spinner belt on the next night's Raw.[82]
On the heels of his feud with Edge, Cena was placed in an inter-brand angle to determine the "Champion of Champions" – or which was the most dominant champion in WWE's three brands. Cena, the World Heavyweight Champion King Booker, and the ECW World Champion The Big Show engaged in a mini-feud leading to a Triple Threat match at Cyber Sunday, with the viewers voting on which of the three championships would be placed on the line.[83] At the same time, Cena became involved in a storyline with non-wrestler Kevin Federline, when he began appearing on Raw with Johnny Nitro and Melina. After getting into a worked physical altercation with Federline on Raw,[83] Federline appeared at Cyber Sunday to hit Cena with the World Heavyweight Championship during the match, helping King Booker retain his championship.[76] 2006 ended with Cena beginning a feud with the undefeated Umaga over the WWE Championship,[84] while 2007 began with the end of his storyline with Kevin Federline. On the first Raw of the new year, Cena was pinned by Federline with an assist from Umaga, although later in the night he was able to get his hands on Federline performing an FU on him.[85]
One night after the Royal Rumble, an impromptu team of Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton) for the World Tag Team Championship, making Cena a double champion.[86] On the April 2 episode of Raw, after losing a WWE Championship match to Cena at WrestleMania 23,[87] Michaels turned on Cena, costing them the championship in the second of two 10 team battles royals, by throwing Cena over the top rope and eliminating the team. The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) eventually won the match and the championship.[88] For the rest of the month, Cena feuded with Michaels, Orton, and Edge until The Great Khali declared his intentions to challenge for Cena's championship attacking and "laying out" all three of the top contenders[89] before assaulting Cena himself and stealing the physical belt.[90] For the next two months, Cena feuded with Khali over the championship, eventually becoming the first person in WWE to defeat him by submission at Judgment Day[91][92] and then by pinfall at One Night Stand.[93][94] Later that summer, Randy Orton was named the number one contender for the WWE championship,[95] starting a feud between the two. Leading up to SummerSlam, Orton delivered a number of sneak-attacks, performing three RKOs to Cena, but in the actual match, Cena retained the championship.[96] A rematch between the two occurred at Unforgiven, with Orton winning by disqualification after Cena ignored the referee's instructions and continued to beat on him in the corner.[97]
During a match with Mr. Kennedy on the October 1, 2007 episode of Raw, Cena suffered a legitimate torn pectoral muscle while executing a hip toss.[98] Though finishing the match and taking part in the scripted attack by Randy Orton after the match, surgery the following day found that his pectoralis major muscle was torn completely from the bone, estimating at the time to require seven months to a year of rehabilitation.[99][100] As a result, Cena was stripped of the title in an announcement by Vince McMahon on the next night's episode of ECW,[101] ending what was the longest WWE Championship reign in over 19 years.[102] Cena's surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.[98] Two weeks later, in a video update on WWE.com, Dr. Andrews and Cena's physical trainer both said that he was several weeks ahead of where he was expected to be in his rehabilitation at that time.[103] Despite his injury, Cena attended the annual WWE Tribute to the Troops show filmed at Camp Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq on December 7, and aired on December 24.[104]
Return and various feuds (2008–2010) Cena made an unannounced return as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match, winning the match, and the traditional WrestleMania title shot, by last eliminating Triple H.[11] Instead of waiting until WrestleMania, the title shot was cashed in against WWE Champion Randy Orton at February's No Way Out pay-per-view[105] in a match where Cena won by disqualification, resulting in him not getting the championship.[106] The night after No Way Out, Cena was placed back into WrestleMania XXIV's WWE Championship match, making it a Triple Threat match also involving Triple H,[107] during which he was pinned by Orton.[108] At Backlash, Cena failed to regain the title in a Fatal Four-Way elimination match, in which he was pinned by Orton.[109] Triple H won the title during that match. During the match, Cena eliminated JBL,[109] renewing their feud from 2005. Cena defeated JBL at Judgment Day and then at One Night Stand in a First Blood match.[110][111] JBL, however, defeated him in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl at The Great American Bash in July.[112]
Cena as one half of the World Tag Team Champions On the August 4 episode of Raw, Cena became a World Tag Team Champion for a second time, teaming with Batista to defeat Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase,[113] but failed to retain the titles the following week against the former champions.[114] Batista defeated Cena at SummerSlam;[115] shortly after, he was named one of four contenders for CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship in the Championship scramble match at Unforgiven. He was replaced by Rey Mysterio, however, after announcing Cena had suffered a herniated disc in his neck, which would require surgery.[116] Cena underwent successful surgery to repair the injury.[117][118]
Cena made his in-ring return at the November pay-per-view event, Survivor Series, defeating Chris Jericho to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.[119] The two continued their rivalry up to Armageddon, where Cena retained his championship.[120] Cena lost the championship at No Way Out, to Edge after Kofi Kingston was attacked by Edge, who took his place in the Elimination Chamber match.[121] Cena was given an opportunity to regain the title at WrestleMania XXV in a Triple Threat match also involving Big Show, which Cena won.[122]
Cena lost the championship back to Edge in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash after interference from Big Show, who chokeslammed Cena through a big spotlight.[123] This angle resulted in Cena beginning a feud with Big Show. Cena defeated Big Show at Judgment Day[124] and at Extreme Rules in a Submission match by applying the STFU.[125]
At the July pay-per-view, Night of Champions, he participated in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship, which also involved Triple H and WWE Champion Randy Orton. Cena, however, did not win the match.[126] Two months later, at Breaking Point, Cena defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in an "I Quit" match to win his fourth WWE Championship.[127] At Hell in a Cell, Cena dropped the title to Orton in a Hell in a Cell match.[128] Three weeks later, at WWE Bragging Rights, Cena defeated Orton in a 60-minute Iron Man match.[129]
Two months later, Cena would lose the title to Sheamus at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Tables match.[130]
John Cena as WWE Champion in 2010 In February 2010, Cena regained the WWE title at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in an Elimination Chamber match after last eliminating Triple H. However, immediately after the match Mr. McMahon declared that he would immediately defend his title against Batista, who had been involved with Cena in Vince McMahon and Bret Hart's rivalry. Cena lost that match to Batista, and the WWE Championship and marking one of the shortest WWE Championship reigns in history.[131] The following night after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Cena asked for a rematch for the title at WrestleMania, which McMahon gave him the opportunity to as long as he defeated Batista that night. Later that night, Batista intentionally got himself disqualified by kicking Cena in the groin to set up their match at WrestleMania XXVI.[132] At the event, Cena defeated Batista to win back the WWE title.[133] At the April pay-per-view, Extreme Rules, Cena defeated Batista in a rematch for the WWE title in a Last Man Standing match.[134] He faced Batista one more time in an I Quit match at Over the Limit which he won.[135]
Feuding with and joining Nexus (2010–2011) See also: The Nexus On the June 7, 2010 episode of Raw, Cena was suddenly thrust into a new storyline when during his main event match against CM Punk, he was attacked by all eight former contestants of WWE NXT Season 1, with Wade Barrett as their leader. Punk, his follower Luke Gallows, and other personnel around the ring were attacked as well, but Cena took the worst of the attack and was carried out on a stretcher. This group would later refer to themselves as The Nexus.[136]
At June's Fatal 4-Way event, Cena lost the WWE title to Sheamus in a fatal four-way match that also involved Edge and Randy Orton due to interference by Nexus.[137] The following month, in a WWE title rematch against Sheamus in a steel cage match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, the group interfered, thus costing Cena the chance of regaining the championship.[138] Cena later formed an alliance with Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth, The Great Khali and Bret Hart to face the Nexus at SummerSlam, where Cena's team defeated Nexus with the returning Daniel Bryan, a former member of Nexus, who replaced Khali after getting injured.[139]
Cena being forced to read a public address by Wade Barrett while a member of Nexus. Nexus's actions, however, did not stop after SummerSlam. Hoping to end Nexus for good, Cena challenged Wade Barrett to a match at "Hell in a Cell" only to lose due to interference by two fans, later identified as Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty. Due to the stipulations in place, Cena was forced to join Nexus.[140] Cena had originally planned to destroy Nexus from within as a member of the group, but the Raw general manager ordered him to follow orders from Barrett, or else he would be fired. At Bragging Rights, Cena and Nexus member David Otunga defeated "Dashing" Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre to win the Tag Team Championship.[141]
Later in the show Cena was forced to help Barrett to win his WWE Championship match against Randy Orton. If Barrett didn't win the match Cena would be fired. Cena twisted his words around and attacked Barrett, giving Barrett the win via disqualification but not Orton's title.[141] The following day, Cena and Otunga lost the Tag Team Championship to fellow Nexus members Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel, when Barrett ordered Otunga to lay down and lose the title.[142] At Survivor Series, Cena officiated a match for the WWE Championship between Wade Barrett and Randy Orton. As a part of a pre-match stipulation, if Barrett didn't win the championship, Cena would be fired from the WWE.
Orton defeated Barrett to retain the title, thus ending Cena's career in the WWE.[143] The following day on Raw, Cena gave a farewell speech, before costing Wade Barrett the WWE Championship by interfering in his rematch with Randy Orton.[144] A week later, Cena invaded Raw, first as a spectator, but he then attacked members of Nexus, explaining that he would still take down Nexus one by one, despite not having a job in the WWE anymore.[145] On the December 13 episode of Raw, Cena was rehired by Barrett, in exchange that he would face him at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Chairs Match.[146] Prior to TLC, Cena teamed up with Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio to defeat Wade Barrett, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio at The WWE Tribute to the Troops. On December 19 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, John Cena was victorious against Wade Barrett in a Chairs match in the main event of the evening.
John Cena at WWE Tribute to the Troops in 2010. On the December 27 episode of Raw, The Nexus, minus Wade Barrett, announced they were under new management and offered to bury the hatchet with John Cena, to which Cena refused. The Nexus attacked Cena, leaving a Nexus armband in the ring during the process. As the group retreated, CM Punk, who had attacked Cena with a steel chair twice the week before, came to the ring to, what looked like attack John Cena, but instead put on the armband left behind to symbolically announce his allegiance with The Nexus.[147] The next week, Wade Barrett returned to Raw and confronted CM Punk over the issue of who the leader of The Nexus was and who was responsible for Cena's attack the week before. Barrett was placed into a Triple Threat Steel Cage Match that night that would determine the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship. CM Punk added his own stipulation to the match saying if Barrett lost, he would be banished from the group, but if he won he would remain leader. Wade Barrett would lose the match after CM Punk interfered by ripping of Barrett's armband.[148]
On the January 17 episode of Raw, Cena returned and faced Punk in a match. During the match, a man, who would later be revealed to be Mason Ryan, attacked Cena. During the 2011 Royal Rumble match, Cena would eliminate most of the Nexus, ending his feud with them.
Record-breaking WWE Champion and various feuds (2011-present) The Rock and John Cena agree to face each other at WrestleMania XXVIII. Cena competed in the 2011 Royal Rumble match at the pay-per-view, making it to the final five before being eliminated by The Miz, the current WWE Champion at the time, who wasn't an official participant in the match. At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Cena won the Elimination Chamber match to face The Miz at WrestleMania XXVII for the WWE Championship.[149] On the February 21 episode of Raw, Cena replied to The Rock's comments about him from the previous week, as The Rock returned as the announced guest host of WrestleMania, where he made a rap about Rock. That same night, Cena was placed into a WWE Tag Team Championship match, with him teaming with The Miz, where they defeated Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater to become WWE Tag Team Champions. After the match, Wade Barrett invoked Gabriel and Slater's rematch clause straight away, where they won their titles back, after Miz attacked Cena.[150] After weeks of insults to each other, Cena met Rock face-to-face on the March 28 episode of Raw, where Cena would hit his Attitude Adjustment finishing move on Rock.[151] At WrestleMania, Cena and Miz would fight to a double count-out, but guest host Rock would restart the match, only for him to hit his Rock Bottom finishing move on Cena, allowing Miz to retain his title.[152] The next night on Raw, Cena and Rock agreed to face each other at WrestleMania XXVIII, making it the first match to be set up at WrestleMania one year in advance. At Extreme Rules, Cena would defeat Miz and Morrison to become WWE Champion.[152] Cena went on to defend the title against The Miz at Over the Limit in an "I Quit" match[153] and R-Truth at Capitol Punishment[154]
Cena was scheduled to defend his title against CM Punk at Money in the Bank, but Punk would insult the way in which the company is run and owner Vince McMahon. This would then result in Punk being suspended from televised WWE events, but would be reinstated by McMahon after Cena's insistence, with the stipulation that Cena would get fired if he were to lost the WWE Championship to Punk at the pay-per-view.[155][156] At the pay-per-view, Punk defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship. The following night on Raw, before McMahon announced Cena was fired, Triple H returned, announcing that McMahon was relived of his duties and Triple H is the new COO of the WWE, which would see him run the day-to-day operations of the company.[157] On the July 25 episode of Raw, Cena defeated Rey Mysterio to become WWE Champion for a record breaking ninth time.[158] Following the match, CM Punk returned to the company, with the WWE Championship he won at Money in the Bank. The following week, Triple H would announce that Cena and Punk where both recognized as WWE Champion, which would lead to a title unification match at SummerSlam, with Triple H serving as special guest referee for the match, where the winner would become "undisputed" WWE Champion. At the pay-per-view, Punk defeated Cena to become "undisputed" WWE Champion. Punk would lose the championship following the match to Mr. Money in the Bank Alberto Del Rio.[159] On the August 22 episode of Raw, Cena defeated Punk to become number one contender for the WWE Championship, and would defeat Del Rio at Night of Champions to become WWE Champion.[160] Cena would then lose the title back to Del Rio two weeks later at Hell in a Cell, in a Triple Threat Hell in a Cell match also involving Punk, after Ricardo Rodriguez and Del Rio locked Cena outside of the Cell.[161] Cena lost his rematch at Vengeance in a Last Man Standing match, due to interference by The Miz and R-Truth.[162] After a few weeks of Miz and Truth attacking Cena and other employees, Cena was allowed to choose his partner to challenge Miz and Truth at Survivor Series. Cena would announce that he had chosen The Rock to be his partner. At the pay-per-view, after Cena and Rock defeated Miz and Truth, Rock gave Cena another Rock Bottom.[163]
On the December 12 episode of Raw, during his match with Mark Henry, Cena was attacked by the returning Kane.[164] The following week on Raw, Cena would call out Kane for his actions last week, but Henry would come out instead. Kane would then come out soon after, and once again attacked Cena.[165] The following week, Kane would explain to Cena that the reason he had attacked him was in disgust of Cena's "Rise Above Hate" t-shirt slogan, stating that hate is a "natural impulse" and shouldn't be contained. He then led the fans in attendance who were not fond of Cena into chanting "Cena Sucks!" as Raw went off the air.[166] Kane would then attack Cena's friend Zack Ryder, which led him to lose his United States Championship.[167][168] At the Royal Rumble, Kane and Cena would fight each other to a double countout only for Kane to get the upper hand on Cena and Ryder, who was watching in a private room in a wheelchair, after the match.[169] At Elimination Chamber, Cena defeated Kane in an Ambulance match to end the feud.[170]
Other media Film Cena, with actual Marines, at the premiere of his film The Marine. WWE Studios, a division of World Wrestling Entertainment which produces and finances motion pictures, produced Cena's first movie — The Marine, which was distributed theatrically by 20th Century Fox America beginning on October 13, 2006. In its first week, the film made approximately US$7 million at the United States box office.[171] After ten weeks in theaters, the film grossed $18.7 million.[171] Once the film was released on DVD, it fared better, making $30 million in rentals in the first twelve weeks.[171]
John Cena filming on the set of 12 Rounds. His second film, also produced by WWE Studios, was 12 Rounds.[172] Filming began on February 25, 2008 in New Orleans;[172][173] the film was released on March 27, 2009.
Cena co-starred in his third film produced by WWE Studios, titled Legendary, which was played in selected theaters starting on September 10, 2010, for a limited time,[174] then it was released on DVD on September 28, 2010.[175]
That same year, Cena starred in the children's film Fred: The Movie, a film based on Lucas Cruikshank's YouTube videos of the same name, where he plays Fred's father.[176] The movie was released on the Nickelodeon channel in September 2010.[177]
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2000 Ready to Rumble Gym Trainer Extra 2006 The Marine John Triton Lead role 2007 Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race Himself Reality TV series 2009 12 Rounds Danny Fisher Lead role 2010 Psych Ewan O'Hara "You Can't Handle This Episode" (season 4: episode 10) 2010 True Jackson, VP Himself "Pajama Party" (season 2: episode 12) 2010 Legendary Mike Chetley Lead role 2010 Hannah Montana Himself "Love That Let's Go" (season 4: episode 7) 2010 Fred: The Movie Fred's (imaginary) Dad TV film 2010 Generator Rex Hunter Cain Voice role
"The Hunter" (season 1: episode 13) 2011 The Reunion Sam Cleary 2011 Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred Fred's (imaginary) Dad TV film Guest appearances Before his WWE debut, Cena made an appearance on the Internet stream show Go Sick as Bruebaker, an angry, cursing wrestler in 2001.[178]
During his WWE career, Cena has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! three times. Cena has also appeared on morning radio shows; including the CBS and XM versions of Opie and Anthony as part of their "walkover" on October 10, 2006. Other appearances have included Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Fuse's Celebrity Playlist, Fox Sports Net's The Best Damn Sports Show Period, MADtv, G4's Training Camp (with Shelton Benjamin), and two appearances on MTV's Punk'd (August 2006 and May 2007), as the victim of a practical joke. He also served as a co-presenter, with Hulk Hogan, at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, as a guest judge during the third week of the 2006 season of Nashville Star, and appeared at the 2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids Choice Awards.[179]
In January 2007, Cena, Batista, and Ashley Massaro appeared representing WWE on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,[180] giving the children of the family whose house was being renovated WWE merchandise and eight tickets to WrestleMania 23.[181] Two months later, he and Bobby Lashley appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal as "moral support" to long time WWE fan and front row staple, Rick "Sign Guy" Achberger. Edge and Randy Orton also appeared, but as antagonists.[182] On April 9, 2008, Cena, along with fellow wrestlers Triple H and Chris Jericho, appeared on the Idol Gives Back fund-raising special.[183] In March 2009, Cena made an appearance on Saturday Night Live during the show's cold opening sequence.[184] On March 7, 2009, he was a guest on NPR's quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in a Not My Job sequence titled "Sure, pro wrestling is a good gig, but when you win, do they throw teddy bears into the ring?"[185]
Television In 2001, between his training in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling,[20] Cena was involved in the UPN produced reality show Manhunt. Cena portrayed Big Tim Kingman, leader of the group of bounty hunters who chased down the contestants who acted as fugitives. The show, however, was mired in controversy when it was alleged that the portions of the show were rigged to eliminate certain players, scenes were re-shot or staged to enhance drama and contestants read from scripts.[186][187][188]
Cena was also featured on the ABC reality series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, which aired in June 2007,[189] making it to the final round before being eliminated on June 24, placing third in the competition overall.[190]
In 2007 Cena was also interviewed for the CNN Special Investigations Unit documentary, "Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling", which focused on steroid and drug use in professional wrestling. When asked if he had taken steroids he was heard to reply, "I can't tell you that I haven't, but you'll never prove that I have."[191] The day after the documentary aired WWE accused CNN of taking Cena's comments out of context to present a biased point of view, backing up their claim by posting an unedited video of his answering the same question—filmed by WWE cameras from another angle—in which he is heard beginning the same statement with "Absolutely not".[192] A text interview on the website with Cena later had him saying the news outlet should apologize for misrepresenting him,[193] which CNN refused in a statement, saying they felt the true answer to the question began with the phrase "My answer to that question".[194] They did, however, edit the documentary on subsequent airings to include the "Absolutely not".[194]
Cena hosted the Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards with Natalie Bassingthwaighte on October 11, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia.[195]
He guest starred as Ewan O'Hara in an episode of the fourth season of the comedy drama Psych, as the brother of Juliet O'Hara, played by Maggie Lawson.[196]
He also guest starred in the seventh episode of Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Forever as himself.
Make-A-Wish Foundation Cena signing merchandise for a young fan Cena posing with children John Cena has granted over 250 wishes for Arizona children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and is the biggest wish granter in Make-A-Wish history.[197][198] In 2009, Cena received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award.[199]
Endorsements Before his professional wrestling career, Cena appeared in an advertisement for Gold's Gym.[200] As a wrestler he has endorsed the energy drink YJ Stinger,[201] appearing in commercials beginning in October 2003, and Subway,[202] for whom he filmed advertisements with their spokesperson Jared Fogle in November 2006 that began airing the next January. For a time in 2007 he also endorsed two "signature collections" of energy drinks and energy bars sold by American Body Builders.[203] In 2008, Cena filmed a commercial as part of Gillette's "Young Guns" NASCAR campaign.[204]
In 2009, Cena expanded his relationship with Gillette by introducing a new online campaign called "Be A Superstar" featuring himself alongside WWE Superstars Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes. The campaign features motivational videos.[205]
Fashion For the extent of his WWE career, Cena's attire has attempted to reflect the most current thug fashions and stylings within the hip hop culture that his character represents. Cena started out wearing "throwback jerseys" until WWE produced specific Cena merchandise which he began wearing.[206] While Cena was a member of the SmackDown! brand, one of his WWE produced t-shirts bore the suggestive spoonerism "Ruck Fules". Whenever it appeared on television the image was censored, not by the network, but by WWE to sell more shirts under the premise that it was "too hot for TV."[207] He also wore a chain with a large padlock, occasionally using it as a weapon,[208] until WrestleMania 21, when it was replaced with a chromed and diamond studded "Chain Gang" spinner medallion—reminiscent of the ones worn by members of G-Unit—matching his spinner title belt.
Around the time The Marine was released, Cena began wearing attire more military related, including camouflage shorts, dog tags, a Marine soldier cap and a WWE produced shirt with the legend "Chain Gang Assault Battalion."[209] Shortly after WrestleMania 23, when promotion for The Marine ended, the military attire diminished and was replaced with apparel bearing his new slogan "American Made Muscle" along with denim shorts, not seen since he was a member of the SmackDown roster.[210] He then wore shirts that promoted Cenation and his trademark line "You Can't See Me." In late 2011, Cena again switched to wearing camo shorts (to honor the U.S. Armed Forces), coininciding with his new black "Rise Above Hate" T-shirt promoting WWE's "Be a Star" anti-bullying campaign.
Music "The Time is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc (2005) Sample from "The Time Is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc. Problems listening to this file? See media help. In addition to his wrestling career, Cena is a rapper and a hip hop musician. Cena performed his fifth WWE theme song, "Basic Thugonomics," himself, and it was featured on the WWE soundtrack album WWE Originals. He also recorded a song,"Untouchables", for the company's next soundtrack album WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6. He collaborated on the song H-U-S-T-L-E remix along with Murs, E-40, and Chingo Bling.[211]
Cena's debut album, You Can't See Me, was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. It features, amongst other songs, his entrance theme, "The Time is Now", and the single "Bad, Bad Man", for which a music video was made that parodied 1980s culture, including the television show The A-Team. A video was also made for the second single, "Right Now," and premiered on the August 8 Raw. Cena and Tha Trademarc were later featured on a track by The Perceptionists named "Champion Scratch." Cena will appear on Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' upcoming album Still Cool featuring other guests.[212]
Albums
- You Can't See Me
- Released: May 10, 2005
- Chart positions:[213][214] 15 U.S. Billboard 200, 10 U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, 3 U.S. Rap, 103 UK Albums Chart
- Singles: "The Time Is Now", "Bad Bad Man" (featuring Bumpy Knuckles), "Right Now"
While promoting his 2009 film, 12 Rounds, Cena announced his engagement[222][223] to his girlfriend Elizabeth Huberdeau. They were married on July 11, 2009.
In wrestling Cena about to perform an FU on Shawn Michaels. Cena performing an STFU on Batista. Cena performing an STFU on Mark Henry. Cena taunting Chris Masters.
- Finishing moves
- Signature moves
- Diving leg drop bulldog[225]
- Dropkick, sometimes from the top rope[1]
- Emerald Flowsion
- Fisherman suplex[1][225]
- Five Knuckle Shuffle[226] (Running delayed fist drop, with theatrics, sometimes diving from the top rope)
- Gutwrench suplex
- Protobomb (OVW / UPW) / Spin-out powerbomb
- Running leaping shoulder block[1]
- Running one–handed bulldog[225]
- Sitout hip toss[1]
- Spinebuster[1] – 2002–2005; used rarely thereafter
- Throwback[1][225] (Running neck snap to a bent–over opponent)
- Twisting belly to belly suplex[225]
- Nicknames
- "The Doctor of Thuganomics"[227]
- "The Champ" (as either the WWE Champion or the World Heavyweight Champion)[228] – 2005–present
- "The Chain Gang Soldier"[195]
- Entrance themes
- "Slam Smack" by R. Hardy (FirstCom Production Music) (June 27, 2002–November 7, 2002)[229]
- "Insert Bass Here" by DJ Case (FirstCom Production Music) (November 14, 2002–February 13, 2003)[230]
- "Basic Thuganomics" by John Cena (March 27, 2003–March 10, 2005; April 5, 2009 for his entrance at WrestleMania XXV; March 12, 2012 for his "Cena Rap" against The Rock)
- "We Are One" by 12 Stones (WWE; October 3, 2010-November 21, 2010; Used While a part of Nexus)
- "The Time is Now" by John Cena and Tha Trademarc (March 17, 2005–present)
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2006) vs. Edge[231]
- PWI Feud of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk[232]
- PWI Match of the Year (2007) vs. Shawn Michaels on Raw on April 23[233]
- PWI Match of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank[234]
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2003)[235]
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2004, 2005, 2007)[236]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2006, 2007)[237]
- PWI ranked #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006 and 2007[238][239]
- Pro Wrestling Report
- Match of the Year (2006) vs. Rob Van Dam at ECW One Night Stand 2006
- Ultimate Pro Wrestling
- UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[26]
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[240]
- World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[10] – with Shawn Michaels (1) and Batista (1)
- WWE Championship (10 times)[241]
- WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with David Otunga (1), and The Miz (1)[141]
- WWE United States Championship (3 times)[9]
- Royal Rumble (2008)
- Slammy Award winner – 2009 and 2010 Superstar of the Year
- Slammy Award for Holy $#!+ Move of the Year (2010) Sends Batista through the stage with an Attitude Adjustment.
- Slammy Award for Game Changer of the Year (2011) – with The Rock
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2010)[242]
- Best Box Office Draw (2007)[242]
- Best on Interviews (2007)[242]
- Feud of the Year (2011)[243] vs. CM Punk
- Match of the Year (2011)[243] vs. CM Punk at WWE Money in the Bank
- Most Charismatic (2006–2010)[242]
- Most Charismatic of the Decade (2000–2009)[244]
- Best Gimmick (2003)[242]
R-Truth
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings[7] (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik.[3] Killings has previously worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as K-Krush and later Ron "The Truth" Killings, where he became the first African-American NWA World Heavyweight Champion,[6] a title he held on two occasions in addition to becoming a two time NWA World Tag Team Champion and a one time TNA World Tag Team Champion.
Contents [hide]
Killings debuted in the PWF in 1997 as a manager, then spent three years traveling and training with Manny Fernandez.[6] In 1999, he debuted in NWA Wildside as K-Krush, where he was awarded the newly-created NWA Wildside Television Championship on December 12. Killings lost the title to A.J. Styles on January 8, 2000.[5]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation (1999–2002) At the urging of Rick Michaels, Killings sent a promotional videotape to the World Wrestling Federation.[6] He was signed to a two year developmental contract in 1999 and was assigned to Memphis Championship Wrestling, a WWF developmental territory. On April 12 in Robinsonville, Mississippi, he won a battle royal to claim the vacant Southern Heavyweight Championship.[6] He lost the title to a masked Jerry Lawler on May 24 in Tunica, Mississippi, but reclaimed it from Joey Abs several months later in Memphis, Tennessee on August 19.[6] His second reign ended on November 3, when he lost to Steve Bradley in Manila, Arkansas.[5]
Killings was then promoted to the main roster and put in a tag team with Road Dogg.[6] He debuted on the November 13, 2000 episode of Raw is War, attacking William Regal during a match against Road Dogg. Killings and the Road Dogg began rapping together, performing a song called "Gettin' Rowdy" as they approached the ring.[5] Upon the return of Road Dogg's former partner Billy Gunn later that month, Killings was involved in a D-Generation X quasi-reunion. At Survivor Series, Killings teamed with former DX members Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and Chyna to face The Radicalz in a Survivor Series match.[6] Killings was eliminated and the Radicalz went on to win the match. At Armageddon, Killings and the Road Dogg took part in a four-way tag team match for the Tag Team Championship, which was won by Edge and Christian.[6]
After Road Dogg was suspended in December and eventually released on January 26, 2001,[8] Killings became a singles competitor and became a successful mainstay on Jakked. He took part in the 2001 Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Big Show. Killings then began competing in the hardcore division. He defeated Raven for the Hardcore Championship on February 3, but lost the title to Crash Holly that same evening under the title's 24/7 rules.[9] He defeated Raven for the title a second time on February 5, but once again he lost the title to Holly within the space of several hours.[9] Killings became somewhat of a background figure of "The Invasion" angle during the summer months, often seen in dressing rooms and watching television with other superstars during inter-promotional matches. Killings was released from the WWF the next year.[6]
[edit] Xtreme Pro Wrestling (2002) In 2002, Killings joined Xtreme Pro Wrestling as K. Malik Shabazz, teaming with Saleem Jihad and Raphael Muhammed as the New Panthers, a faction based upon the Black Panther Party. On July 20, Shabazz and Muhammed took part in a four-way tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship, which was won by Halloween and Damián 666.[10] He left the promotion later that year.
[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling [edit] Debut (2002) Killings in TNA. Killings signed with the Nashville, Tennessee-based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion in June 2002, and appeared on the first weekly TNA pay-per-view on June 19 as K-Krush. Killings immediately established himself as a heel by harassing NASCAR drivers Sterling Marlin and Hermie Sadler until he was attacked by Brian Christopher. Later that same evening, he participated in the Gauntlet for the Gold match, but was eliminated by Malice. The following week, Killings lost to Christopher after Marlin and Sadler interfered in their match. On July 3, Killings and Jeff Jarrett defeated Christopher and Scott Hall after Christopher turned on Hall during the match, aligning himself with Killings and Jarrett. On July 10, Killings defeated Hermie Sadler in a squash match. The decision, however, was overturned after Killings continued to attack Sadler after he had been awarded the match.
On the July 17 TNA pay-per-view, Killings delivered an angry promo in which he implied that he had been held back as a result of his race. He then stated that he was to be referred to as "The Truth". Killings eventually began using his own name, referring to himself as Ron "The Truth" Killings. Killings defeated Ken Shamrock for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at NWA-TNA 8 on August 7, thus becoming the first-ever recognized African-American NWA World Heavyweight Champion in history.[6] He successfully defended the title in matches with Monty Brown, Jerry Lynn, Low Ki, Curt Hennig, and Scott Hall before losing on November 20 to Jeff Jarrett who had the help of Vince Russo.[6] As a result of Russo's involvement, Killings turned into a face. In subsequent months, Killings feuded with Sports Entertainment Xtreme before turning into a heel once again by attacking Jarrett on March 19.[6] He later introduced Nelson Knight as his bodyguard.[6]
[edit] 3Live Kru (2003–2005) Main article: 3Live Kru Between May and June, Killings began teaming with Konnan and former WWE ally B.G. James. In July the trio formed a faction known as the 3Live Kru.[6] The Kru first wrestled as a unit on August 13, 2003, defeating The Disciples of the New Church (Sinn, Vampire Warrior, and Devon Storm).[6] The Kru soon went after the NWA World Tag Team Championship. On November 26, the Kru defeated Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger, and Glenn Gilberti in a six man tag team match with the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship on the line.[6] The NWA World Tag Team Championship was held by all three members of the Kru as part of the Freebird Rule until January 28, 2004, when they were defeated by Redshirt Security (Kevin Northcutt and Legend).
After several abortive attempts to regain the tag title, the Kru began supporting Killings' bid to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion. On June 9, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett took part in a "3Live Kru Challenge" which saw him face Konnan, James and Killings in three subsequent matches. Jarrett defeated Konnan in a strap match and James in a "trailer park trash match" (hardcore match), but lost to Killings in a "Ghetto Justice match". On May 19, Killings faced NWA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles, Raven, and Chris Harris in a four-way title match. He won the bout, becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, after Jarrett hit Styles with a guitar. His reign lasted until June 2, when Jarrett defeated him in a King of the Mountain match which also included Harris, Styles, and Raven. The Kru went on to feud with Jarrett's mercenaries, the Elite Guard (Chad Collyer, Hotstuff Hernandez, and Onyx). On July 14, the 3Live Kru, Dusty Rhodes, and Larry Zbyszko defeated Jarrett, Ken Shamrock, and the Elite Guard in a ten man tag team match. The Kru began feuding with Team Canada in August. At Victory Road on November 7, Konnan and James defeated Team Canada members Bobby Roode and Eric Young for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. After Konnan suffered an injury, Killings and James lost the title to Team Canada at Turning Point on December 5.[6] Throughout early-2005, the Kru feuded with Michael Shane and Kazarian, Team Canada, and The Naturals.
Dissension arose after James' former tag team partner from the WWE, Billy Gunn, joined TNA as "The New Age Outlaw" and began trying to convince James to reform their former tag team, the New Age Outlaws. Killings and Konnan feuded with The Outlaw and Monty Brown, with James's loyalties divided. Brown and The Outlaw, who had by now renamed himself "Kip James" as a psychological ploy, defeated Killings and Konnan at No Surrender on July 17, with James declining to help either team. Killings and Konnan became increasingly frustrated, at one point referring to themselves as the "2Live Kru", although Killings repeatedly attempted to act as a mediator between James and Konnan. The two teams faced one another in a No Surrender rematch on August 14 at Sacrifice, with James appointed special guest referee by Director of Authority, Larry Zbyszko. James reaffirmed his loyalty to the Kru by attacking Kip, enabling Konnan to pin him and win the match. The 3Live Kru won a six-man tag team match against The Diamonds in the Rough at Unbreakable on September 11. After Impact! premiered on Spike TV on October 1, Kip James entered the picture once more, but appeared to be helping 3LK this time. He refereed a Hockey Stick Fight at Genesis on November 13, which 3LK won. Kip James later joined the stable, which became known as "4Live Kru". On December 11 at Turning Point, the 4Live Kru faced Team Canada in an eight man tag match. In the course of the match, Konnan hit Kip and B.G. James with chair shots, enabling Bobby Roode to pin Kip. He then attempted to celebrate with Killings, who appeared shocked by Konnan's actions. Killings would later tell Konnan that he was done with the Kru.
[edit] Various feuds and departure (2006–2007) Following the break-up of the 3Live Kru, Killings began competing as a singles wrestler once more. He briefly aligned himself with Sting in March, teaming with Sting, A.J. Styles, and Rhino as "Sting's Warriors". At Lockdown on April 23, Sting's Warriors defeated Jarrett's Army in a Lethal Lockdown match. On the May 25 episode of Impact!, Killings defeated Monty Brown to qualify for a King of the Mountain match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary on June 18. At Slammiversary, however, Killings failed to win the championship. Killings then teamed with Lance Hoyt in the following months, even participating, but losing, in a Battle Royal at No Surrender. On November 19 at Genesis, Killings and his tag team partner Lance Hoyt defeated Austin Starr and Alex Shelley with Kevin Nash at ringside. He then took time off the active roster due to injury. Killings returned to action at Slammiversary, teaming with James Storm in a losing effort against Frank Wycheck and Jerry Lynn.[11]
On June 19, Killings tried to resign from TNA, intending to work for the Mexican Asistencia Asesoría y Administración.[12] Amidst more dissension backstage, however, TNA refused to release Killings. He returned to TNA on August 12 at Hard Justice, confronting football player Adam Jones.[13] At No Surrender, Adam "Pacman" Jones and Ron Killings defeated Sting and Kurt Angle to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.[6] On October 14, A.J. Styles and Tomko defeated him and Jones' replacement, Rasheed Lucius "Consequences" Creed, for the World Tag Team Championship. In December, he worked out a deal for his release from the company.[6]
[edit] Return to WWE [edit] SmackDown (2008–2010) Killings in FCW. Killings re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), in 2008. On July 25, during an episode of SmackDown, a vignette announced that Killings would debut on the SmackDown brand under the ring name R-Truth.[14] WWE completely ignored his former time with the company making no mention of his Hardcore Championship title reigns or any other events from past years in the company,[3] until Summerslam 2010 in which commentator Matt Striker made a passing reference to his time during R-Truth's entrance. He made his in-ring return on the August 29, 2008 episode of SmackDown as a face, defeating Kenny Dykstra.[15] At Cyber Sunday, R-Truth, along with Festus and Montel Vontavious Porter, was one of the choices to vote for to compete against United States Champion Shelton Benjamin for the title. Although he received 59% of the vote, he was unsuccessful in winning the title from Benjamin. On WWE.com, R-Truth won the Slammy Award for the Best Musical Performance.[16] On July 10, 2009, R-Truth debuted a new prankster character known as Pretty Ricky in a promo on SmackDown that showed him in a sleeveless T-shirt and a set of fake teeth trying to get his way into the Rabobank Arena. However, the character was soon scrapped and R-Truth then began a feud with the debuting Drew McIntyre on the August 28 episode of SmackDown.[17] This feud would setup a match between the two at his first-ever Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, which he lost.[18] On the October 23, 2009 episode of SmackDown, R-Truth, Finlay, Matt Hardy, and the Hart Dynasty defeated Cryme Tyme member JTG, Eric Escobar, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre in a five-on-four handicap match to qualify as the representatives of Team SmackDown at the first-ever Bragging Rights pay-per-view. At the event, Team SmackDown defeated Team Raw when Raw member The Big Show turned on his team.[19]
On the February 16, 2010 episode of ECW, R-Truth was announced to appear on the debuting WWE NXT as the storyline mentor of David Otunga.[20] On the February 5, 2010 episode of SmackDown, R-Truth won an elimination chamber qualifying match against Mike Knox. At the first-ever Elimination Chamber, R-Truth competed in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by CM Punk.[21] On the March 2 episode of NXT, Truth accompanied his rookie David Otunga to the ring for his match against CM Punk's rookie, Darren Young. During the match, Punk interfered, which cost Otunga his match, leading to a backstage brawl between Otunga and Truth.
At Wrestlemania XXVI, R-Truth teamed with John Morrison to face The Miz and The Big Show for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in a losing effort.
[edit] Raw (2010–present) Killings at the WWE Tribute to the Troops event in December 2010. Truth was drafted to Raw with teammate John Morrison during the 2010 WWE Draft on April 26. He immediately began a feud with Ted DiBiase after DiBiase offered him a job as his personal assistant, which Truth declined with a slap across DiBiase's face. Two weeks later, during a match with William Regal, Truth was attacked by Carlito and Primo, who were paid off by DiBiase after the assault. Truth went on to wrestle and defeat DiBiase at the first-ever Over the Limit pay-per-view on May 23.[22] The next night on Raw, Truth defeated The Miz to win the vacant United States Championship, earning himself his first major singles championship since returning to WWE.[23] On the June 14 episode of Raw, Truth lost the United States Championship to The Miz in a fatal four way match also featuring John Morrison and Zack Ryder.[24] He invoked his rematch clause for Fatal 4-Way, but was unsuccessful at the event.[25]
Truth was announced to compete in the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, but was injured by The Miz before a scheduled bout on the July 5 episode of Raw and was announced to be unable to compete at the event. As revenge for assaulting him, Truth saved Sheamus after Miz had cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, which he had won at the Money in the Bank event, on the July 19 episode of Raw. It was announced by John Cena on the same night that Truth would be a part of Cena's team to face The Nexus at Summerslam. At the event, his team was successful in defeating The Nexus.[26] On the October 11 episode of Raw, he defeated Ted DiBiase to qualify for Team Raw at Bragging Rights to face Team SmackDown.[27] At Bragging Rights, Team Raw lost the match for the second consecutive time.[28] During November, when Cena had been forced to join the Nexus, Truth attempted to stand up against them and stop them from overpowering the reigning champion Randy Orton, resulting in an inpromptu tag match between Orton and Truth against the Nexus' leader Wade Barrett and Truth's former rookie David Otunga.[29] When Cena seemed to be considering unfairly awarding the Barrett the title to save his job, Truth lectured him about the sanctity of the title he had not yet had a single shot at.[30] Truth then lost in a singles match to Barrett.[31] Cena eventually heeded Truth's word and called it down the middle at Survivor Series, with Orton retaining.[32]
On the season 3 finale of NXT, it was announced that R-Truth would mentor Johnny Curtis during the show's fourth season. Killings missed some WWE tour dates after the taping of the 2010 WWE Tribute to the Troops due to a case of pneumonia. This also caused him to miss two episodes of NXT, resulting in JTG filling in as Curtis' pro. However, Truth returned to the show the following week. On March 1, Curtis won the fourth season of NXT.[33] As winners, Truth and Curtis won the right to challenge for the Tag Team Championship.[33] At WrestleMania XXVII, Truth participated in a Battle Royal dark match which was ultimately won by The Great Khali.[34]
On the April 11 episode of Raw, Truth became the number one contender for the WWE Championship along with John Cena via double disqualification after The Miz and Alex Riley attacked both of them during a number one contender's gauntlet match.[35] Truth had previously defeated Dolph Ziggler and John Morrison prior to facing Cena at the end of the gauntlet. The Raw General Manager stated that, due to interference from Miz and Riley, R-Truth and John Cena would both compete for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules in a steel cage match.[35] Morrison questioned Truth about being capable of competing for a steel cage match of the WWE Championship and challenged Truth for his spot in the match. Truth turned heel by attacking Morrison after he lost his spot in the WWE Championship match at Extreme Rules to Morrison.[36] After the attack, Truth lit up a cigarette and proceeded to blow smoke in Morrison's face.[36] The following week on Raw, R-Truth cut a promo, stating that popularity did not get him any titles, and also announced that he was done entertaining the fans.[37] After the promo, Truth was attacked by Morrison.[37] At Extreme Rules on May 1, Truth prevented Morrison from escaping the cage during the main event for the WWE Championship, ultimately costing him the title. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Truth revealed that his attack on Morrison had led to him being hospitalized (in reality, Morrison had injured his neck) before then attacking Rey Mysterio at the end of the show.[38] On the May 16 episode of Raw, Truth accused Mysterio of being a "thief" and stealing his chance at the WWE Championship. Truth then attacked a weakened Mysterio, who had just finished a match with Alberto Del Rio.[39] Truth faced Mysterio at Over the Limit, where he was victorious.[40] After subsequent episodes of ranting and raving over John Cena's popularity, he would eventually harass a young fan and his (on-screen) father on the May 30 episode of Raw, throwing a cup of soda in the father's face after a countout victory over Cena.[41] After Raw went off the air, the Raw General Manager announced a WWE Championship match between the two, on the condition that R-Truth would apologize for his abhorrent behavior the following week.[42] On the June 6 episode of Raw, Truth interrupted both Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin and made his way out to the ring, singing a song about "Little Jimmy" (referring to the children in attendance) and wearing a Confederate soldier's uniform. However, he stayed true to his word and "apologized" for his actions the previous week.[43] As a result, he faced John Cena at the first-ever Capitol Punishment pay-per-view for the WWE Championship, but was unsuccessful in winning the title.[30][44]
Awesome Truth at the WWE Raw World Tour in London, November 2011. On the August 22 episode of Raw, R-Truth and The Miz attacked Santino Marella before his match and then proceeded to cut a promo bashing Triple H about not being used properly. On the August 29 episode of Raw, Truth interfered in the Miz's match and the both of them attacked CM Punk. On the September 5 episode of Raw, Truth and Miz challenged Air Boom to a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions, but were disqualified after Miz assaulted a referee during the match.[45] R-Truth and Miz were subsequently fired by Triple H the following night on Raw.[46] At Hell in a Cell, R-Truth and Miz attacked Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, John Cena, and several others after the WWE Championship match ended. After this, the entire WWE roster came out to find a way into the cell before the officials were able to get the door open and arrest them.[47] On the October 10 episode of Raw, R-Truth and The Miz were reinstated by John Laurinaitis. At Vengeance, Miz and Truth would go on to defeat CM Punk and Triple H in a tag team match, due to interference from Kevin Nash.[48] Later that same night they assaulted John Cena during his WWE Championship match with Alberto Del Rio.[49] On the October 24 episode of Raw, Awesome Truth attacked John Cena and Zack Ryder. On the 7 November episode of Raw, Miz and R-Truth defeated Cena and Ryder.[50] On November 20 at Survivor Series, R-Truth and The Miz were defeated by Cena and The Rock.[51] The following night on Raw, Cena instigated an argument between R-Truth and Miz, which ultimately led to the team's dissolution as Miz attacked R-Truth with a Skull Crushing Finale onto the stage.[52][53] Following the event, WWE announced that they had suspended Killings for 30 days for his first violation of the Wellness Policy.[54].
On the December 26 episode of Raw, R-Truth returned to attack Miz after the latter lost to John Cena via count out, turning face in process.[55] This was followed by back-and-forth assaults on the two going into 2012.[56][57] On the January 16 episode of Raw SuperShow, R-Truth defeated The Miz, Wade Barrett, and Sheamus in an Over The Top Rope Match.[58] On the January 23 edition of Raw, R-Truth defeated The Miz to determine the first participant in the 2012 Royal Rumble event.[59] R-Truth entered the Royal Rumble Match at entry #3, but was eliminated second by The Miz.[60] It was announced that R-Truth would be competing for the WWE Championship against CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, Chris Jericho, and The Miz in the 2012 WWE Elimination Chamber.[61] During a non-title six-pack challenge on the February 6 episode of Raw, R-Truth missed a senton bomb to the outside of the ring and landed on the floor due to The Miz being out of position. He avoided serious injury, but was helped to the backstage area by WWE officials.[62] At Elimination Chamber, R-Truth failed to capture the WWE championship after he was eliminated first by champion CM Punk.[63] R-Truth then began teaming with Kofi Kingston, facing the Tag Team Champions Primo and Epico and Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger which they both won and lost respectively.[64][65] On the February 27 edition of Raw, Truth and Kingston failed to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship from Primo and Epico in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match, also involving Ziggler and Swagger.[66]
[edit] Other media [edit] Filmography
2Creed was brought in as the third member of Team Pacman so as to defend the title in Jones' place
Contents [hide]
- 1 Professional wrestling career
- 2 Other media
- 3 In wrestling
- 4 Championships and accomplishments
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Killings debuted in the PWF in 1997 as a manager, then spent three years traveling and training with Manny Fernandez.[6] In 1999, he debuted in NWA Wildside as K-Krush, where he was awarded the newly-created NWA Wildside Television Championship on December 12. Killings lost the title to A.J. Styles on January 8, 2000.[5]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation (1999–2002) At the urging of Rick Michaels, Killings sent a promotional videotape to the World Wrestling Federation.[6] He was signed to a two year developmental contract in 1999 and was assigned to Memphis Championship Wrestling, a WWF developmental territory. On April 12 in Robinsonville, Mississippi, he won a battle royal to claim the vacant Southern Heavyweight Championship.[6] He lost the title to a masked Jerry Lawler on May 24 in Tunica, Mississippi, but reclaimed it from Joey Abs several months later in Memphis, Tennessee on August 19.[6] His second reign ended on November 3, when he lost to Steve Bradley in Manila, Arkansas.[5]
Killings was then promoted to the main roster and put in a tag team with Road Dogg.[6] He debuted on the November 13, 2000 episode of Raw is War, attacking William Regal during a match against Road Dogg. Killings and the Road Dogg began rapping together, performing a song called "Gettin' Rowdy" as they approached the ring.[5] Upon the return of Road Dogg's former partner Billy Gunn later that month, Killings was involved in a D-Generation X quasi-reunion. At Survivor Series, Killings teamed with former DX members Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and Chyna to face The Radicalz in a Survivor Series match.[6] Killings was eliminated and the Radicalz went on to win the match. At Armageddon, Killings and the Road Dogg took part in a four-way tag team match for the Tag Team Championship, which was won by Edge and Christian.[6]
After Road Dogg was suspended in December and eventually released on January 26, 2001,[8] Killings became a singles competitor and became a successful mainstay on Jakked. He took part in the 2001 Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Big Show. Killings then began competing in the hardcore division. He defeated Raven for the Hardcore Championship on February 3, but lost the title to Crash Holly that same evening under the title's 24/7 rules.[9] He defeated Raven for the title a second time on February 5, but once again he lost the title to Holly within the space of several hours.[9] Killings became somewhat of a background figure of "The Invasion" angle during the summer months, often seen in dressing rooms and watching television with other superstars during inter-promotional matches. Killings was released from the WWF the next year.[6]
[edit] Xtreme Pro Wrestling (2002) In 2002, Killings joined Xtreme Pro Wrestling as K. Malik Shabazz, teaming with Saleem Jihad and Raphael Muhammed as the New Panthers, a faction based upon the Black Panther Party. On July 20, Shabazz and Muhammed took part in a four-way tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship, which was won by Halloween and Damián 666.[10] He left the promotion later that year.
[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling [edit] Debut (2002) Killings in TNA. Killings signed with the Nashville, Tennessee-based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion in June 2002, and appeared on the first weekly TNA pay-per-view on June 19 as K-Krush. Killings immediately established himself as a heel by harassing NASCAR drivers Sterling Marlin and Hermie Sadler until he was attacked by Brian Christopher. Later that same evening, he participated in the Gauntlet for the Gold match, but was eliminated by Malice. The following week, Killings lost to Christopher after Marlin and Sadler interfered in their match. On July 3, Killings and Jeff Jarrett defeated Christopher and Scott Hall after Christopher turned on Hall during the match, aligning himself with Killings and Jarrett. On July 10, Killings defeated Hermie Sadler in a squash match. The decision, however, was overturned after Killings continued to attack Sadler after he had been awarded the match.
On the July 17 TNA pay-per-view, Killings delivered an angry promo in which he implied that he had been held back as a result of his race. He then stated that he was to be referred to as "The Truth". Killings eventually began using his own name, referring to himself as Ron "The Truth" Killings. Killings defeated Ken Shamrock for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at NWA-TNA 8 on August 7, thus becoming the first-ever recognized African-American NWA World Heavyweight Champion in history.[6] He successfully defended the title in matches with Monty Brown, Jerry Lynn, Low Ki, Curt Hennig, and Scott Hall before losing on November 20 to Jeff Jarrett who had the help of Vince Russo.[6] As a result of Russo's involvement, Killings turned into a face. In subsequent months, Killings feuded with Sports Entertainment Xtreme before turning into a heel once again by attacking Jarrett on March 19.[6] He later introduced Nelson Knight as his bodyguard.[6]
[edit] 3Live Kru (2003–2005) Main article: 3Live Kru Between May and June, Killings began teaming with Konnan and former WWE ally B.G. James. In July the trio formed a faction known as the 3Live Kru.[6] The Kru first wrestled as a unit on August 13, 2003, defeating The Disciples of the New Church (Sinn, Vampire Warrior, and Devon Storm).[6] The Kru soon went after the NWA World Tag Team Championship. On November 26, the Kru defeated Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger, and Glenn Gilberti in a six man tag team match with the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship on the line.[6] The NWA World Tag Team Championship was held by all three members of the Kru as part of the Freebird Rule until January 28, 2004, when they were defeated by Redshirt Security (Kevin Northcutt and Legend).
After several abortive attempts to regain the tag title, the Kru began supporting Killings' bid to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion. On June 9, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett took part in a "3Live Kru Challenge" which saw him face Konnan, James and Killings in three subsequent matches. Jarrett defeated Konnan in a strap match and James in a "trailer park trash match" (hardcore match), but lost to Killings in a "Ghetto Justice match". On May 19, Killings faced NWA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles, Raven, and Chris Harris in a four-way title match. He won the bout, becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, after Jarrett hit Styles with a guitar. His reign lasted until June 2, when Jarrett defeated him in a King of the Mountain match which also included Harris, Styles, and Raven. The Kru went on to feud with Jarrett's mercenaries, the Elite Guard (Chad Collyer, Hotstuff Hernandez, and Onyx). On July 14, the 3Live Kru, Dusty Rhodes, and Larry Zbyszko defeated Jarrett, Ken Shamrock, and the Elite Guard in a ten man tag team match. The Kru began feuding with Team Canada in August. At Victory Road on November 7, Konnan and James defeated Team Canada members Bobby Roode and Eric Young for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. After Konnan suffered an injury, Killings and James lost the title to Team Canada at Turning Point on December 5.[6] Throughout early-2005, the Kru feuded with Michael Shane and Kazarian, Team Canada, and The Naturals.
Dissension arose after James' former tag team partner from the WWE, Billy Gunn, joined TNA as "The New Age Outlaw" and began trying to convince James to reform their former tag team, the New Age Outlaws. Killings and Konnan feuded with The Outlaw and Monty Brown, with James's loyalties divided. Brown and The Outlaw, who had by now renamed himself "Kip James" as a psychological ploy, defeated Killings and Konnan at No Surrender on July 17, with James declining to help either team. Killings and Konnan became increasingly frustrated, at one point referring to themselves as the "2Live Kru", although Killings repeatedly attempted to act as a mediator between James and Konnan. The two teams faced one another in a No Surrender rematch on August 14 at Sacrifice, with James appointed special guest referee by Director of Authority, Larry Zbyszko. James reaffirmed his loyalty to the Kru by attacking Kip, enabling Konnan to pin him and win the match. The 3Live Kru won a six-man tag team match against The Diamonds in the Rough at Unbreakable on September 11. After Impact! premiered on Spike TV on October 1, Kip James entered the picture once more, but appeared to be helping 3LK this time. He refereed a Hockey Stick Fight at Genesis on November 13, which 3LK won. Kip James later joined the stable, which became known as "4Live Kru". On December 11 at Turning Point, the 4Live Kru faced Team Canada in an eight man tag match. In the course of the match, Konnan hit Kip and B.G. James with chair shots, enabling Bobby Roode to pin Kip. He then attempted to celebrate with Killings, who appeared shocked by Konnan's actions. Killings would later tell Konnan that he was done with the Kru.
[edit] Various feuds and departure (2006–2007) Following the break-up of the 3Live Kru, Killings began competing as a singles wrestler once more. He briefly aligned himself with Sting in March, teaming with Sting, A.J. Styles, and Rhino as "Sting's Warriors". At Lockdown on April 23, Sting's Warriors defeated Jarrett's Army in a Lethal Lockdown match. On the May 25 episode of Impact!, Killings defeated Monty Brown to qualify for a King of the Mountain match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Slammiversary on June 18. At Slammiversary, however, Killings failed to win the championship. Killings then teamed with Lance Hoyt in the following months, even participating, but losing, in a Battle Royal at No Surrender. On November 19 at Genesis, Killings and his tag team partner Lance Hoyt defeated Austin Starr and Alex Shelley with Kevin Nash at ringside. He then took time off the active roster due to injury. Killings returned to action at Slammiversary, teaming with James Storm in a losing effort against Frank Wycheck and Jerry Lynn.[11]
On June 19, Killings tried to resign from TNA, intending to work for the Mexican Asistencia Asesoría y Administración.[12] Amidst more dissension backstage, however, TNA refused to release Killings. He returned to TNA on August 12 at Hard Justice, confronting football player Adam Jones.[13] At No Surrender, Adam "Pacman" Jones and Ron Killings defeated Sting and Kurt Angle to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.[6] On October 14, A.J. Styles and Tomko defeated him and Jones' replacement, Rasheed Lucius "Consequences" Creed, for the World Tag Team Championship. In December, he worked out a deal for his release from the company.[6]
[edit] Return to WWE [edit] SmackDown (2008–2010) Killings in FCW. Killings re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), in 2008. On July 25, during an episode of SmackDown, a vignette announced that Killings would debut on the SmackDown brand under the ring name R-Truth.[14] WWE completely ignored his former time with the company making no mention of his Hardcore Championship title reigns or any other events from past years in the company,[3] until Summerslam 2010 in which commentator Matt Striker made a passing reference to his time during R-Truth's entrance. He made his in-ring return on the August 29, 2008 episode of SmackDown as a face, defeating Kenny Dykstra.[15] At Cyber Sunday, R-Truth, along with Festus and Montel Vontavious Porter, was one of the choices to vote for to compete against United States Champion Shelton Benjamin for the title. Although he received 59% of the vote, he was unsuccessful in winning the title from Benjamin. On WWE.com, R-Truth won the Slammy Award for the Best Musical Performance.[16] On July 10, 2009, R-Truth debuted a new prankster character known as Pretty Ricky in a promo on SmackDown that showed him in a sleeveless T-shirt and a set of fake teeth trying to get his way into the Rabobank Arena. However, the character was soon scrapped and R-Truth then began a feud with the debuting Drew McIntyre on the August 28 episode of SmackDown.[17] This feud would setup a match between the two at his first-ever Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, which he lost.[18] On the October 23, 2009 episode of SmackDown, R-Truth, Finlay, Matt Hardy, and the Hart Dynasty defeated Cryme Tyme member JTG, Eric Escobar, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre in a five-on-four handicap match to qualify as the representatives of Team SmackDown at the first-ever Bragging Rights pay-per-view. At the event, Team SmackDown defeated Team Raw when Raw member The Big Show turned on his team.[19]
On the February 16, 2010 episode of ECW, R-Truth was announced to appear on the debuting WWE NXT as the storyline mentor of David Otunga.[20] On the February 5, 2010 episode of SmackDown, R-Truth won an elimination chamber qualifying match against Mike Knox. At the first-ever Elimination Chamber, R-Truth competed in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by CM Punk.[21] On the March 2 episode of NXT, Truth accompanied his rookie David Otunga to the ring for his match against CM Punk's rookie, Darren Young. During the match, Punk interfered, which cost Otunga his match, leading to a backstage brawl between Otunga and Truth.
At Wrestlemania XXVI, R-Truth teamed with John Morrison to face The Miz and The Big Show for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in a losing effort.
[edit] Raw (2010–present) Killings at the WWE Tribute to the Troops event in December 2010. Truth was drafted to Raw with teammate John Morrison during the 2010 WWE Draft on April 26. He immediately began a feud with Ted DiBiase after DiBiase offered him a job as his personal assistant, which Truth declined with a slap across DiBiase's face. Two weeks later, during a match with William Regal, Truth was attacked by Carlito and Primo, who were paid off by DiBiase after the assault. Truth went on to wrestle and defeat DiBiase at the first-ever Over the Limit pay-per-view on May 23.[22] The next night on Raw, Truth defeated The Miz to win the vacant United States Championship, earning himself his first major singles championship since returning to WWE.[23] On the June 14 episode of Raw, Truth lost the United States Championship to The Miz in a fatal four way match also featuring John Morrison and Zack Ryder.[24] He invoked his rematch clause for Fatal 4-Way, but was unsuccessful at the event.[25]
Truth was announced to compete in the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, but was injured by The Miz before a scheduled bout on the July 5 episode of Raw and was announced to be unable to compete at the event. As revenge for assaulting him, Truth saved Sheamus after Miz had cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, which he had won at the Money in the Bank event, on the July 19 episode of Raw. It was announced by John Cena on the same night that Truth would be a part of Cena's team to face The Nexus at Summerslam. At the event, his team was successful in defeating The Nexus.[26] On the October 11 episode of Raw, he defeated Ted DiBiase to qualify for Team Raw at Bragging Rights to face Team SmackDown.[27] At Bragging Rights, Team Raw lost the match for the second consecutive time.[28] During November, when Cena had been forced to join the Nexus, Truth attempted to stand up against them and stop them from overpowering the reigning champion Randy Orton, resulting in an inpromptu tag match between Orton and Truth against the Nexus' leader Wade Barrett and Truth's former rookie David Otunga.[29] When Cena seemed to be considering unfairly awarding the Barrett the title to save his job, Truth lectured him about the sanctity of the title he had not yet had a single shot at.[30] Truth then lost in a singles match to Barrett.[31] Cena eventually heeded Truth's word and called it down the middle at Survivor Series, with Orton retaining.[32]
On the season 3 finale of NXT, it was announced that R-Truth would mentor Johnny Curtis during the show's fourth season. Killings missed some WWE tour dates after the taping of the 2010 WWE Tribute to the Troops due to a case of pneumonia. This also caused him to miss two episodes of NXT, resulting in JTG filling in as Curtis' pro. However, Truth returned to the show the following week. On March 1, Curtis won the fourth season of NXT.[33] As winners, Truth and Curtis won the right to challenge for the Tag Team Championship.[33] At WrestleMania XXVII, Truth participated in a Battle Royal dark match which was ultimately won by The Great Khali.[34]
On the April 11 episode of Raw, Truth became the number one contender for the WWE Championship along with John Cena via double disqualification after The Miz and Alex Riley attacked both of them during a number one contender's gauntlet match.[35] Truth had previously defeated Dolph Ziggler and John Morrison prior to facing Cena at the end of the gauntlet. The Raw General Manager stated that, due to interference from Miz and Riley, R-Truth and John Cena would both compete for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules in a steel cage match.[35] Morrison questioned Truth about being capable of competing for a steel cage match of the WWE Championship and challenged Truth for his spot in the match. Truth turned heel by attacking Morrison after he lost his spot in the WWE Championship match at Extreme Rules to Morrison.[36] After the attack, Truth lit up a cigarette and proceeded to blow smoke in Morrison's face.[36] The following week on Raw, R-Truth cut a promo, stating that popularity did not get him any titles, and also announced that he was done entertaining the fans.[37] After the promo, Truth was attacked by Morrison.[37] At Extreme Rules on May 1, Truth prevented Morrison from escaping the cage during the main event for the WWE Championship, ultimately costing him the title. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Truth revealed that his attack on Morrison had led to him being hospitalized (in reality, Morrison had injured his neck) before then attacking Rey Mysterio at the end of the show.[38] On the May 16 episode of Raw, Truth accused Mysterio of being a "thief" and stealing his chance at the WWE Championship. Truth then attacked a weakened Mysterio, who had just finished a match with Alberto Del Rio.[39] Truth faced Mysterio at Over the Limit, where he was victorious.[40] After subsequent episodes of ranting and raving over John Cena's popularity, he would eventually harass a young fan and his (on-screen) father on the May 30 episode of Raw, throwing a cup of soda in the father's face after a countout victory over Cena.[41] After Raw went off the air, the Raw General Manager announced a WWE Championship match between the two, on the condition that R-Truth would apologize for his abhorrent behavior the following week.[42] On the June 6 episode of Raw, Truth interrupted both Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin and made his way out to the ring, singing a song about "Little Jimmy" (referring to the children in attendance) and wearing a Confederate soldier's uniform. However, he stayed true to his word and "apologized" for his actions the previous week.[43] As a result, he faced John Cena at the first-ever Capitol Punishment pay-per-view for the WWE Championship, but was unsuccessful in winning the title.[30][44]
Awesome Truth at the WWE Raw World Tour in London, November 2011. On the August 22 episode of Raw, R-Truth and The Miz attacked Santino Marella before his match and then proceeded to cut a promo bashing Triple H about not being used properly. On the August 29 episode of Raw, Truth interfered in the Miz's match and the both of them attacked CM Punk. On the September 5 episode of Raw, Truth and Miz challenged Air Boom to a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions, but were disqualified after Miz assaulted a referee during the match.[45] R-Truth and Miz were subsequently fired by Triple H the following night on Raw.[46] At Hell in a Cell, R-Truth and Miz attacked Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, John Cena, and several others after the WWE Championship match ended. After this, the entire WWE roster came out to find a way into the cell before the officials were able to get the door open and arrest them.[47] On the October 10 episode of Raw, R-Truth and The Miz were reinstated by John Laurinaitis. At Vengeance, Miz and Truth would go on to defeat CM Punk and Triple H in a tag team match, due to interference from Kevin Nash.[48] Later that same night they assaulted John Cena during his WWE Championship match with Alberto Del Rio.[49] On the October 24 episode of Raw, Awesome Truth attacked John Cena and Zack Ryder. On the 7 November episode of Raw, Miz and R-Truth defeated Cena and Ryder.[50] On November 20 at Survivor Series, R-Truth and The Miz were defeated by Cena and The Rock.[51] The following night on Raw, Cena instigated an argument between R-Truth and Miz, which ultimately led to the team's dissolution as Miz attacked R-Truth with a Skull Crushing Finale onto the stage.[52][53] Following the event, WWE announced that they had suspended Killings for 30 days for his first violation of the Wellness Policy.[54].
On the December 26 episode of Raw, R-Truth returned to attack Miz after the latter lost to John Cena via count out, turning face in process.[55] This was followed by back-and-forth assaults on the two going into 2012.[56][57] On the January 16 episode of Raw SuperShow, R-Truth defeated The Miz, Wade Barrett, and Sheamus in an Over The Top Rope Match.[58] On the January 23 edition of Raw, R-Truth defeated The Miz to determine the first participant in the 2012 Royal Rumble event.[59] R-Truth entered the Royal Rumble Match at entry #3, but was eliminated second by The Miz.[60] It was announced that R-Truth would be competing for the WWE Championship against CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, Chris Jericho, and The Miz in the 2012 WWE Elimination Chamber.[61] During a non-title six-pack challenge on the February 6 episode of Raw, R-Truth missed a senton bomb to the outside of the ring and landed on the floor due to The Miz being out of position. He avoided serious injury, but was helped to the backstage area by WWE officials.[62] At Elimination Chamber, R-Truth failed to capture the WWE championship after he was eliminated first by champion CM Punk.[63] R-Truth then began teaming with Kofi Kingston, facing the Tag Team Champions Primo and Epico and Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger which they both won and lost respectively.[64][65] On the February 27 edition of Raw, Truth and Kingston failed to capture the WWE Tag Team Championship from Primo and Epico in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match, also involving Ziggler and Swagger.[66]
[edit] Other media [edit] Filmography
- Head of State (2003) as Ron "The Truth" Killings[67]
- The Wrestler (2008) as Ron "The Truth" Killings[68]
- Invinceable (as K-Krush) (2003)[69]
- Finishing moves
- Consequences (Elevated cradle neckbreaker)[2] – 2002–2004
- Corkscrew scissors kick[2][70][71]
- Flying Jalapeño[2] (TNA) / Lie Detector[1] (WWE) (Corkscrew flying forearm smash) – 2009–2011; used as a regular move in TNA
- Hang Time (450° splash)[1][2] – 2002–2004
- Truth Conviction (Sitout inverted suplex slam)[2] – TNA; used as a regular move in WWE
- Little Jimmy (Jumping reverse STO)[72][73] – 2011–present
- Signature moves
- Hurricanrana,[2] sometimes from the top rope[2]
- Jumping heel kick enzuigiri[2]
- Reverse STO[2]
- Scoop powerslam[2]
- Sitout hip toss[74]
- Sitout suplex slam[2]
- Truth or Consequences (Vertical suplex stunner)[1][2]
- Entrance themes
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- As K-Kwik
- "Gettin' Rowdy" by Brian Gerard James and Ron Killings[6] (WWF)
- "Rowdy" by Ron Killings[6][76] (WWF)
- As R-Truth
- "What's Up? (Remix)" by Ron Killings[76] (July 25, 2008–September 13, 2010; November 15, 2010-April 18, 2011) (And being used at WWE Live Events, March 9, 2012-present)
- "Right Time (To Get Crunk)" by Ron Killings[76][77] (September 13, 2010–November 15, 2010)
- "The Awesome Truth/The Truth Has Set Me Free" by Jim Johnston[78] (August 22, 2011–November 21, 2011)
- "The Truth Has Set Me Free"/"U Suck w/ Alt. Intro" by Ron Killings (December 26-present)[citation needed]
- As K-Kwik
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling / Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- NWA Wildside
- NWA Wildside Television Championship (1 time)[81]
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE United States Championship (1 time)[86]
- WWF Hardcore Championship (2 times)[9]
- Slammy Award for Best Musical Performance (2008)[16]
2Creed was brought in as the third member of Team Pacman so as to defend the title in Jones' place
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton[7][8] (born April 1, 1980)[3] is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand. Orton is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bob Orton, Sr., father "Cowboy" Bob Orton, and uncle Barry O all competed in the professional wrestling industry.[2][9]
Before being promoted to the main World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) roster, Orton trained in and wrestled for Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling for a month. He was then sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where Orton held the OVW Hardcore Championship on two separate occasions.[10]
After signing with WWF, Orton became a member of the stable Evolution, which quickly led to a WWE Intercontinental Championship reign, his first title with the company.[11] Orton also acquired the moniker "The Legend Killer" during a storyline where he began disrespecting Hall of Famers and physically attacking veterans of the industry outside of appropriate restrictions.[1] At age 24, Orton became the youngest person ever to hold the World Heavyweight Championship.[12] With this win, Orton departed from Evolution and a feud with his former stablemates began. In 2006, Orton joined forces with Edge in a tag team known as Rated-RKO. Together, Orton and Edge held the World Tag Team Championship.[13] After the team disbanded, during mid-2007, Orton gained two WWE Championship reigns in one night.[14] Orton formed the group The Legacy with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase in 2008, however, they would disband in 2010 with Orton returning to singles competition. Overall, Orton has won eleven total championships in WWE, including being a nine-time world champion, having won the World Heavyweight Championship three times and the WWE Championship six times. He is also the winner of the 2009 Royal Rumble match.[15]
Contents
Professional wrestling career Training Orton made his wrestling debut in 2000 at the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling (MMWA-SICW) in St. Louis, Missouri, an offshoot of the historic St. Louis Wrestling Club headed by Sam Muchnick.[6] There, he was trained by both the promotion and his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton.[16] He wrestled for the promotion for one month,[20] where he performed with wrestlers such as Ace Strange and Mark Bland.[6][20] Orton also refereed a few matches with World Organized Wrestling, a promotion where his uncle Barry Orton worked.[5]
In 2001, Orton signed a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was sent to its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky, where he continued his training. During his time in OVW, Orton wrestled the likes of Rico Constantino and The Prototype and teamed with Bobby Eaton during a tag team title tournament. He won the OVW Hardcore Championship on two separate occasions by defeating Mr. Black on February 14, 2001, and Flash Flanagan on May 5, 2001.[10]
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment Evolution and World Heavyweight Champion (2002–2005) Main article: Evolution One of Orton's first official WWF appearances was March 16, 2002 at WrestleMania X8's Fan Axxess, where he was defeated by Tommy Dreamer. Orton's first televised WWF match was against Hardcore Holly on SmackDown! on April 25, 2002.[21] Soon after, Orton became a fan favorite and was placed in a series of matches with Holly.[22][23][24][25] In September 2002, Orton was drafted to the Raw brand, where he defeated Stevie Richards in his debut on the show.[26][27] Within weeks of his debut on the Raw brand, Orton suffered a shoulder injury,[28] leaving him sidelined for months.[29][30] While recovering, Orton still appeared on Raw in his own Randy News Network segment, a weekly vignette featuring him talking about his condition.[29][31] The show interrupted other segments of Raw programming, which caused Orton to slowly transition himself into a narcissistic and self-centered villain.[32]
After his injury healed, Orton joined the Evolution stable, which consisted of Ric Flair, Triple H, and relative newcomer, Dave Batista. The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004, with the height of their dominance occurring after Armageddon in 2003 when all of the men's titles on Raw were held by the members of Evolution.[33] In 2003, Orton spent much of his time helping Triple H overcome challenges for the World Heavyweight Championship.[34][35][36] Orton joined Triple H in a six-man Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, involved primarily to secure Triple H's title defense, and was eliminated by Goldberg.[37]
Orton is the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. Afterwards, Orton proclaimed himself "The Legend Killer", a young upstart who was so talented that he touted himself as the future of professional wrestling. He embarked on numerous storyline feuds with "legendary" wrestlers and gained infamy for his blatant disrespect of many older, well-respected names in wrestling history. With the help of his stablemate and mentor Ric Flair, he defeated Shawn Michaels at Unforgiven in the first of many high profile matches billed as "Legend versus Legend Killer."[38] Orton then spat in the face of Harley Race on the April 26, 2004, episode of Raw.[39][40]
During this time, Orton began using the move that would become his signature finisher, the RKO, a jumping cutter named after his initials.[41] Orton soon defeated Rob Van Dam for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon on December 14, 2003.[42] With this win, Orton started the longest Intercontinental title reign in seven years, holding the title for seven months.[43]
Orton continued to establish himself as a "Legend Killer" throughout 2004, challenging the semi-retired wrestler Mick Foley. Famed for his hardcore matches and ability to handle excruciating pain, Foley offered Orton a hardcore "Legend versus Legend Killer" match if Orton would put his Intercontinental Championship on the line. In a bloody match involving thumbtacks and barbed wire, Orton defeated Foley.[44] Two months later at Bad Blood, he successfully retained the Intercontinental Championship against Shelton Benjamin.
In July, at Vengeance, Edge defeated Orton to win the Intercontinental Championship, ending Orton's seven month title reign.[45] After losing the Intercontinental Championship, Orton became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after winning a 20 man battle royal on July 26.[46] At SummerSlam, Orton defeated Chris Benoit for the championship. Orton became the youngest person ever to hold the title in WWE history at the age of 24.[47] Benoit congratulated Orton after the match, shaking his hand for showing the ability to "be a man."[48]
The following night, after Orton successfully defended the championship against Benoit in a rematch, Evolution threw Orton a mock celebration, only to reveal that they were not pleased with his new victory.
Rated RKO (2005–2007) Main article: Rated-RKO While Batista had Orton propped on his shoulders in elation, Triple H gave him a pleased thumbs up and then abruptly changed it to a thumbs-down, which was followed by Batista's dropping Orton to the mat.[49] Ric Flair and Batista attacked Orton in the ring as Triple H revealed his jealousy for Orton's title. He ordered Orton to hand over the championship, but he refused, spitting in Triple H's face and hitting him with the title belt.[50] Orton's break-up with Evolution began a new storyline for him as a crowd favorite when he continued to feud with his former stablemates.[50][51] A month later, Orton lost his championship to Triple H at Unforgiven.[52] Seeking revenge, Orton lashed out at Evolution members, catching them by surprise during a show by giving them a large cake as a make-up gift, which he came out of to beat and humiliate the group.[53] At Taboo Tuesday, Orton defeated Ric Flair in a Steel Cage match. After this, Orton experienced another push, becoming General Manager of the Raw brand for a week following a match stipulation at Survivor Series where he picked up the win for his team by last pinning Triple H in a 4 on 4 Survivor Series match.[54] He continued to feud with Triple H, using his authority to place his opponents at severe disadvantages during title defenses.[55] Orton was granted another chance at the championship in January 2005, but lost a six-man championship Elimination Chamber match to Triple H at New Year's Revolution.[56] On the January 10 episode of Raw, Orton defeated Batista to earn a match against Triple H at the Royal Rumble for the World Heavyweight title.[57] At the Royal Rumble, Triple H defeated Orton to retain the World title.[58]
Orton began an on-screen relationship with Stacy Keibler and briefly feuded with Christian in February 2005.[59] On the February 28 episode of Raw, "Superstar" Billy Graham made an appearance, in which he advised Orton to "go where no wrestler [had] gone before".[60] Orton then produced a copy of SmackDown! magazine, which featured The Undertaker on the cover.[61] Heeding Graham's advice, Orton claimed that he would set himself apart from all other wrestlers by ending The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania.[62] Throughout March 2005, Orton taunted The Undertaker, claiming he was unafraid of him. On the March 21 episode of Raw, Orton turned into a villain once more after he delivered an RKO to his unsuspecting on-screen girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, knocking her unconscious.[63] During Orton's promos, he would immediately run for cover when signs of The Undertaker's appearance were near (lightning, darkness, or smoke).[64] When legendary wrestler Jake Roberts advised Orton not to underestimate The Undertaker, Orton performed an RKO on Roberts as well.[65] In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Orton became more defiant and unafraid of The Undertaker, taunting and assaulting him in the ring following distractions from his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton. At WrestleMania 21, however, the heavily hyped match was unsuccessful for Orton, as he lost despite his father's interference.[58]
Orton at a WWE house show in 2005 The following night on Raw, Orton faced Batista, who had become World Heavyweight Champion. Orton stated on-screen that his match with The Undertaker had aggravated a shoulder injury.[66][67] While sidelined, Orton appeared on Raw and claimed that he was ineligible for the WWE Draft Lottery due to his injury. He was informed by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon that he was indeed a candidate for the draft, leaving a possibility of a return to SmackDown!.[68] Orton returned to WWE programming for the SmackDown! brand on June 16, announcing that he was the second pick in the 2005 draft lottery.[69] He rekindled his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him at SummerSlam following a distraction from his father.[70] Two months later, Orton and his father Bob Orton defeated The Undertaker in a Handicap Casket match.[71] The following month, Orton was a participant in the annual elimination match of Team SmackDown against Team Raw at Survivor Series. In the match, Orton was the last remaining wrestler in the match, as he pinned Shawn Michaels to get the victory for Team SmackDown.[72] At the event, The Undertaker, who had been absent since Orton had apparently killed him on an episode of SmackDown!,[73] returned by emerging from a flaming casket.[72] The feud was finally settled with a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon, where The Undertaker offered to retire if he lost.[74] On December 16, The Undertaker entered the ring to deliver a promo while one of his druids appeared to be standing in the ring. The Undertaker sustained an RKO from Orton in a surprise attack. The druid revealed himself to be Orton's father, who gave Orton The Undertaker's urn, which, according to the storyline, allowed whomever held it to control The Undertaker.[75] The Undertaker, however, beat both Ortons in a Hell in a Cell match, ending their nine-month-long feud.[76]
Orton showing off his signature pose Following Armageddon, Orton entered the 2006 Royal Rumble match as the thirtieth and final wrestler, but he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.[76] Mysterio won the match and a title shot, and Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out.[77] In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero, Mysterio's friend who had died a few months previously, in an attempt to gain villain heat.[78] Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and highly distasteful so soon after Guerrero's death in November 2005.[79][80][81] Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22.[82] General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania 22 title match, however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle.[83] On April 2, at WrestleMania 22, Orton was pinned by Mysterio, making Mysterio the World Heavyweight Champion and ending their on-screen rivalry.[84]
On April 4, 2006, Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct."[85] In an interview, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return."[86] To cover for the suspension, a faked injury was devised, where Kurt Angle broke Orton's ankle during a grudge match.[87] In July, Orton said his suspension resulted from smoking marijuana backstage.[88] Orton returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand,[89][90] where he entered a rivalry with Angle, culminating in matches at One Night Stand and Vengeance before engaging in a storyline feud with Hulk Hogan. Orton began cutting promos insulting the aging Hogan and flirted with Hogan's then-eighteen-year-old daughter Brooke.[91][92] At SummerSlam, the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won.[93] After the newly reformed D-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) cost Edge the WWE Championship numerous times, Edge approached Orton and asked him to join forces to defeat the team. Orton, whose championship reign had been ended by Triple H in 2004, agreed, forming the tag team Rated-RKO. The two became the first to defeat DX since their reunion and quickly dominated the Raw brand's tag team division to become tag team champions.[94][95] As part of the angle, Rated-RKO attacked Ric Flair with steel chairs to enrage DX on November 27.[96] At New Year's Revolution, Rated-RKO faced DX in a title defense, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered a legitimate injury during the match.[97]
Edge and Orton as Rated-RKO With Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued their on-screen rivalry with remaining DX member Shawn Michaels. Michaels teamed with John Cena to defeat Rated-RKO for the tag team championship on January 29.[98] Orton and Edge suffered a series of losses to Cena and Michaels in the following months, building hatred towards one another. Edge and Orton also became rivals in their goals of achieving the WWE Championship. Neither Edge nor Orton won the Championship, and they lost their claims as number one contenders after a failed match with Cena at Backlash.[99] Orton then continued his "Legend Killer" persona, attacking Shawn Michaels. Using frequent attacks to the head, including an elevated DDT and a running punt to the face, Orton defeated Michaels at Judgment Day. When the kayfabe wounded and concussed Michaels collapsed in the ring, the referee was forced to stop the match and award Orton the victory.[100] Orton continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Rob Van Dam,[101] Ric Flair,[102] Dusty Rhodes,[103] and Sgt. Slaughter.[104]
WWE Champion; The Legacy (2007–2011) Main article: The Legacy (professional wrestling) On the July 23 episode of Raw, Orton was named as the number one contender at SummerSlam for John Cena's WWE Championship.[103] Weeks before their scheduled bout at SummerSlam, Orton attacked Cena on three separate occasions by performing RKOs on him.[103][105][106] At SummerSlam, Orton lost the title match to Cena, who pinned Orton after executing an FU.[107] The following night on Raw, Orton demanded a rematch for the title, but his request was declined by Raw General Manager William Regal. Orton then took his demands to Mr. McMahon, who also refused to give Orton a rematch unless he proved himself. That night, Orton interfered in Cena's match by assaulting Cena and kicking Cena's father, who was at ringside, in the head.[108] Orton was granted his title rematch against Cena at Unforgiven and won by disqualification when Cena refused to stop punching Orton in the corner;[109] however, Cena retained the WWE title because a title cannot change hands by disqualification. After the match, Cena's father, who was again at ringside, kicked Orton in the head.[109] At No Mercy, Orton was awarded the WWE Championship by Mr. McMahon after Cena was stripped of the title due to an injury the previous week, which also ended the Orton-Cena storyline prematurely.[110] Orton then lost the title to Triple H in the opening match of the show, making Orton's reign the fourth shortest in WWE history.[111] Later in the night, Orton defeated Triple H in a Last Man Standing match to regain the title, thus becoming a two-time WWE Champion in one night.[112]
Following No Mercy, Orton continued his feud with Shawn Michaels, who made his return on the October 8 episode of Raw and performed Sweet Chin Music on Orton.[113] The two met in a title match at Cyber Sunday after a match was made in which the fans would get to vote on either Michaels, Jeff Hardy or Mr. Kennedy as the opponent.[114] As a result, Michaels was voted to face Orton.[115] In the match, Orton was disqualified when he performed a low blow on Michaels, but Orton retained the title.[115] In a scheduled rematch,[116] Orton successfully defended the title at Survivor Series against Michaels when he performed the RKO on Michaels for the win.[117] The stipulation of the match was that if Michaels used Sweet Chin Music, the match would be stopped and Michaels would never get a chance at the WWE title, but if Orton got himself disqualified, he would lose the title.[118]
After weeks of intensity between the two, Orton defeated Jeff Hardy to retain the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.[119] Following this, he re-engaged in his feud with John Cena, who had returned from injury and won the 2008 Royal Rumble match.[119] Instead of cashing in his title opportunity at WrestleMania XXIV, Cena decided to face Orton for the title at No Way Out.[120] Orton lost the match after getting himself intentionally disqualified, thus retaining the title.[121] At WrestleMania, Orton retained the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match involving Cena and Triple H. Orton won the match by pinning Cena after a Pedigree from Triple H.[122] The following month, at Backlash, Orton lost the title to Triple H in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match, which also included Cena and John "Bradshaw" Layfield.[123] After failing to win the title back at Judgment Day,[124] Orton faced Triple H in a Last Man Standing match at One Night Stand for the title. Orton lost the match and legitimately broke his collarbone. During this time, Orton dropped his Legend Killer gimmick and replaced it with his new gimmick known as The Viper and debuted his new entrance music, Voices.[125]
Orton after winning the 2009 Royal Rumble match Just before he made his return, Orton re-injured himself in a motorcycle accident, and, to keep on-screen exposure, he made an unexpected return to Raw at the beginning of September, criticizing all of the champions on the brand. Heel tag team Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase took exception to this and tried to gain his respect.[126] Unsuccessful until the pay-per-view event Unforgiven, the two of them, alongside new recruit Manu, assaulted World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, costing him his title.[127] He made his in-ring return on the November 3 episode of Raw losing to Punk by disqualification after Ted DiBiase interfered.[128] In retaliation, Orton punted DiBiase in the head.[128] On the December 1 episode of Raw, Orton proposed that he along with Cody Rhodes and Manu form an alliance.[129][130] The following week, they made it official by defeating Batista and Triple H, Orton's former stablemates, in a three-on-two handicap match, dubbing themselves The Legacy.[131] On January 25, 2009, Orton won the 2009 Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Triple H.[15] On the March 2 episode of Raw, Orton challenged Triple H for the WWE title at WrestleMania XXV,[132] where Orton lost the match.[133] Orton, however, won the title at Backlash in a six-man tag team match with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, facing off against Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon.[134] At Extreme Rules, he dropped the title to Batista in a Steel Cage match.[135] The following night on Raw, Orton and Legacy attacked Batista and (kayfabe) broke his arm, forcing him to vacate the title. It was later revealed that Batista was suffering from a torn biceps and Legacy was given on-screen credit for his injury.[136] On the June 15 episode of Raw, Orton regained the title in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Triple H, John Cena and The Big Show.[137] Orton later lost the title to John Cena in an "I Quit" match at Breaking Point,[138] but defeated Cena to win back the championship in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October.[139] At Bragging Rights, Orton lost the title to Cena in a 60 minute Iron Man match.[140]
On the January 11, 2010, episode of Raw, Orton won a triple threat match, with the help of Rhodes and DiBiase, to challenge Sheamus at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Championship.[141] At the Royal Rumble, however, Orton failed to win the championship when Rhodes interfered, causing a disqualification. After the match, Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase.[142] On the February 15 episode of Raw, Orton was again disqualified in a rematch after Rhodes and DiBiase interfered.[143] Orton and DiBiase both competed in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, and DiBiase eliminated Orton after hitting him with a pipe which Rhodes had passed to him.[144] The next night on Raw, in a six-man tag team match, Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase in retaliation.[145] At WrestleMania XXVI, Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase in a triple threat match, turning him into a fan favorite in the process for the first time since 2005.[146]
Orton posing at a WWE live event Following his departure from Legacy, Orton, now playing a babyface role, faced Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules in April, however, he was unsuccessful in defeating Swagger.[147] After being speared by Edge, resulting in Orton losing a number one contender's match for the WWE Championship, on the WWE Draft episode of Raw,[148] he faced Edge at the Over the Limit pay-per-view, but separated his right shoulder during the match, which concluded in a double countout.[149] At Fatal 4-Way in June, Orton competed in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Championship against John Cena, Sheamus and Edge but came up short.[150] On the July 19 episode of Raw, he won a number one contender's match against Edge and Chris Jericho giving him a match against Sheamus at SummerSlam.[151] At the event, Sheamus was disqualified for bringing a steel chair into the match giving Orton the victory, however, not the title.[152] Immediately afterwards Orton took the steel chair and hit Sheamus with it and gave him an RKO. Orton defeated John Cena, Chris Jericho, Wade Barrett, Edge and Sheamus in a Six-Pack Challenge Elimination Match to become WWE Champion for the sixth time at Night of Champions.[153]
After defending his title against Sheamus at Hell in a Cell,[154] Orton feuded with Wade Barrett, who attempted to use John Cena to help capture Orton's championship. After successfully defending his title against Barrett at Bragging Rights and Survivor Series,[155][156] Orton defeated Barrett again on the November 22 episode of Raw, only to lose his title immediately afterwards to The Miz, who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.[157] Orton failed to recapture the title after losing a Tables match to The Miz at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view[158] and again in a singles match at the Royal Rumble in January 2011 after interference from the New Nexus starting a feud between Punk and Orton.[159] The following month at the Elimination Chamber event Orton participated in the Raw Elimination Chamber match but was unsuccessful in winning.[160] Over the ongoing weeks, Orton would punt all members of the New Nexus, Michael McGillicutty, David Otunga, and Mason Ryan, removing each, one by one, from active competition.[161][162][163] At WrestleMania XXVII, Orton defeated CM Punk.[164] On the April 11 episode of Raw, McGillicutty, Otunga and Ryan returned and cost Orton a number one contender's match for the WWE Championship.[165] Two weeks later, at the 2011 WWE Draft, Orton was drafted to SmackDown and beat Punk at Extreme Rules thus ending his feud with New Nexus.[166]
World Heavyweight Champion and various feuds (2011–present) Orton in another signature pose; he does this prior to hitting his RKO finisher On April 29 episode of SmackDown, Orton made his debut his match in a tag team match with Christian against Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay.[167] The following week, Orton received a title opportunity against World Heavyweight Champion, Christian. Orton was successful in defeating Christian to win his second World Heavyweight Championship.[168] At Over the Limit and Capitol Punishment, Orton successfully defended his championship against Christian.[169][170] In July at Money in the Bank, Orton lost the title to Christian after Christian spat in his face, which led Orton to lose control of his temper, kick Christian in the groin and get disqualified,[171] in a match where the stipulation was if Orton got himself disqualified, or if the referee made a "bad call", Christian would automatically win the championship.[172] A month later, at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event, Orton regained the title when he defeated Christian in a No Holds Barred match.[173] Orton ended his feud with Christian when he retained the World Championship in a Steel Cage Match on the August 30 episode of SmackDown.[174]
Orton then entered a feud with Mark Henry after Henry became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship[175] and over the next few weeks, Henry would attack Orton, getting the advantage over him.[176][177][178][179] At Night of Champions, Orton lost the World Heavyweight title Henry,[180] and failed to regain it two weeks later at Hell in a Cell.[181] On the October 14 edition of Smackdown, Orton received another title shot against Henry after winning a 41 man battle royal, he was successful in winning the match by disqualification but failed to win the title after interference from rival Cody Rhodes. He then defeated Rhodes at Vengeance,[182] and on the November 4 episode of Smackdown in a Street Fight.[183]
Orton would re-ignite his feud with Wade Barrett after both superstars were named captain for a traditional 5 on 5 Survivor Series elimination match. On the November 11 episode of SmackDown, Orton was defeated by Barrett in a singles match, however on the November 14 episode of Raw, Orton won in a rematch by disqualification.[184] [185] His team was defeated at Survivor Series with Barrett and Cody Rhodes being the sole survivors.[186] Barrett would then begin attack and distract Orton during matches, getting the advantage.[187][188] On the December 9 edition of SmackDown, Orton and Barrett both competed in a time to beat challenge. The winner got to choose if they wanted to use tables, ladders or chairs at TLC. Barrett pinned Ezekiel Jackson in 7:53, however Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler in 7:51 and chose a tables match after throwing Ziggler threw a table. At Tables, Ladders, & Chairs, Orton defeated Barrett hitting the RKO mid-air with Barrett landing through the table.[189] Barrett and Orton would continue their feud on the December 23 episode of SmackDown, where they engaged in a brawl that ended backstage with Barrett getting hit with a RKO onto a car.[190] This led to a Falls Count Anywhere match on December 30 episode of Smackdown, where Barrett pushed Orton down a set of stairs before exiting through the door.[191] Orton suffered a herniated disc as a result, taking him off television for a number of weeks.[192] On January 27, 2012 edition of SmackDown, he returned to the ring and attacked Barrett.[193] On the February 3 edition of SmackDown, Orton defeated Barrett in a No Disqualificatons match to end the feud.[194]
On the February 14 edition of Raw SuperShow, Orton suffered a concussion after World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan smashed Orton over the head with the title belt. Due to the injury, Orton was taken out of his elimination chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view and was replaced by Santino Marella.[195][196] Orton returned on the March 2 episode of SmackDown, losing to Bryan by count-out, following interference from Kane, who then attacked Orton after the match.[197] In retaliation, Orton hit Kane with an RKO on the March 5 edition of Raw Supershow, after the latter defeated R-Truth.[198] On the following SmackDown, Orton would hit Kane with another RKO before his match against a WWE Diva, when John Laurenitis sent Kane out after a short match against Theodore Long and they would later engage in a brawl as SmackDown went off air.[199]
Other media In 2004, Orton appeared on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to promote the Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view.[200] In March 2007, alongside Edge, John Cena, and Bobby Lashley, Orton appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal.[201] In July 2009, Orton revealed he read for the lead role in The Marine 2 (2009), the sequel to the 2006 film The Marine. He was given the part, but after injuring his collarbone, the film's producers decided to go with Ted DiBiase.[202] Orton has a supporting role in the film That's What I Am, alongside Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. The film is a coming-of-age comedy written and directed by Michael Pavone.[203]
Controversy While on the Raw brand, Orton was accused of harassing fellow WWE employees Amy Weber and Rochelle Loewen; Loewen has called Orton "an animal". While she quashed a long-standing rumor that he defecated in her bag, she did claim that he vandalized her possessions and subjected her to verbal harassment because she did not know who he was upon meeting him.[204]
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted an article on its website as part of its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Orton who was alleged to have obtained clomiphene citrate, anastrozole and the steroids stanozolol, nandrolone, oxandrolone, and testosterone.[205] WWE has since made a statement on this situation, claiming that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006.[205]
Personal life In November 2005, Orton announced his engagement to his girlfriend Samantha Speno.[206] They married on September 21, 2007.[207][208] In December 2007, Orton announced that he and his wife were expecting their first child, a daughter.[209][210] Orton and his wife welcomed Alanna Marie Orton on July 12, 2008.[211]
He had a tattoo on his left arm that read "USMC" for United States Marine Corps but covered it up after receiving a bad conduct discharge when he went AWOL from the service. He was sent home after serving thirty-eight days in military prison at Camp Pendleton in California.[19]
Orton suffers from hypermobile shoulders.[212] After being medically cleared to wrestle and after he broke his collarbone in a Last Man Standing match at One Night Stand against Triple H, Orton re-injured his collarbone in a motorcycle accident.[213][214]
In wrestling Orton performing the RKO on The Miz. Orton performing a rope-hung DDT on Sheamus. Orton performing the Inverted headlock backbreaker on Sheamus.
Before being promoted to the main World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) roster, Orton trained in and wrestled for Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling for a month. He was then sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where Orton held the OVW Hardcore Championship on two separate occasions.[10]
After signing with WWF, Orton became a member of the stable Evolution, which quickly led to a WWE Intercontinental Championship reign, his first title with the company.[11] Orton also acquired the moniker "The Legend Killer" during a storyline where he began disrespecting Hall of Famers and physically attacking veterans of the industry outside of appropriate restrictions.[1] At age 24, Orton became the youngest person ever to hold the World Heavyweight Championship.[12] With this win, Orton departed from Evolution and a feud with his former stablemates began. In 2006, Orton joined forces with Edge in a tag team known as Rated-RKO. Together, Orton and Edge held the World Tag Team Championship.[13] After the team disbanded, during mid-2007, Orton gained two WWE Championship reigns in one night.[14] Orton formed the group The Legacy with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase in 2008, however, they would disband in 2010 with Orton returning to singles competition. Overall, Orton has won eleven total championships in WWE, including being a nine-time world champion, having won the World Heavyweight Championship three times and the WWE Championship six times. He is also the winner of the 2009 Royal Rumble match.[15]
Contents
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 3 Other media
- 4 Controversy
- 5 Personal life
- 6 In wrestling
- 7 Championships and accomplishments
- 8 Notes
- 9 References
- 10 External links
Professional wrestling career Training Orton made his wrestling debut in 2000 at the Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling (MMWA-SICW) in St. Louis, Missouri, an offshoot of the historic St. Louis Wrestling Club headed by Sam Muchnick.[6] There, he was trained by both the promotion and his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton.[16] He wrestled for the promotion for one month,[20] where he performed with wrestlers such as Ace Strange and Mark Bland.[6][20] Orton also refereed a few matches with World Organized Wrestling, a promotion where his uncle Barry Orton worked.[5]
In 2001, Orton signed a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was sent to its developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky, where he continued his training. During his time in OVW, Orton wrestled the likes of Rico Constantino and The Prototype and teamed with Bobby Eaton during a tag team title tournament. He won the OVW Hardcore Championship on two separate occasions by defeating Mr. Black on February 14, 2001, and Flash Flanagan on May 5, 2001.[10]
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment Evolution and World Heavyweight Champion (2002–2005) Main article: Evolution One of Orton's first official WWF appearances was March 16, 2002 at WrestleMania X8's Fan Axxess, where he was defeated by Tommy Dreamer. Orton's first televised WWF match was against Hardcore Holly on SmackDown! on April 25, 2002.[21] Soon after, Orton became a fan favorite and was placed in a series of matches with Holly.[22][23][24][25] In September 2002, Orton was drafted to the Raw brand, where he defeated Stevie Richards in his debut on the show.[26][27] Within weeks of his debut on the Raw brand, Orton suffered a shoulder injury,[28] leaving him sidelined for months.[29][30] While recovering, Orton still appeared on Raw in his own Randy News Network segment, a weekly vignette featuring him talking about his condition.[29][31] The show interrupted other segments of Raw programming, which caused Orton to slowly transition himself into a narcissistic and self-centered villain.[32]
After his injury healed, Orton joined the Evolution stable, which consisted of Ric Flair, Triple H, and relative newcomer, Dave Batista. The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004, with the height of their dominance occurring after Armageddon in 2003 when all of the men's titles on Raw were held by the members of Evolution.[33] In 2003, Orton spent much of his time helping Triple H overcome challenges for the World Heavyweight Championship.[34][35][36] Orton joined Triple H in a six-man Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, involved primarily to secure Triple H's title defense, and was eliminated by Goldberg.[37]
Orton is the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history. Afterwards, Orton proclaimed himself "The Legend Killer", a young upstart who was so talented that he touted himself as the future of professional wrestling. He embarked on numerous storyline feuds with "legendary" wrestlers and gained infamy for his blatant disrespect of many older, well-respected names in wrestling history. With the help of his stablemate and mentor Ric Flair, he defeated Shawn Michaels at Unforgiven in the first of many high profile matches billed as "Legend versus Legend Killer."[38] Orton then spat in the face of Harley Race on the April 26, 2004, episode of Raw.[39][40]
During this time, Orton began using the move that would become his signature finisher, the RKO, a jumping cutter named after his initials.[41] Orton soon defeated Rob Van Dam for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon on December 14, 2003.[42] With this win, Orton started the longest Intercontinental title reign in seven years, holding the title for seven months.[43]
Orton continued to establish himself as a "Legend Killer" throughout 2004, challenging the semi-retired wrestler Mick Foley. Famed for his hardcore matches and ability to handle excruciating pain, Foley offered Orton a hardcore "Legend versus Legend Killer" match if Orton would put his Intercontinental Championship on the line. In a bloody match involving thumbtacks and barbed wire, Orton defeated Foley.[44] Two months later at Bad Blood, he successfully retained the Intercontinental Championship against Shelton Benjamin.
In July, at Vengeance, Edge defeated Orton to win the Intercontinental Championship, ending Orton's seven month title reign.[45] After losing the Intercontinental Championship, Orton became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after winning a 20 man battle royal on July 26.[46] At SummerSlam, Orton defeated Chris Benoit for the championship. Orton became the youngest person ever to hold the title in WWE history at the age of 24.[47] Benoit congratulated Orton after the match, shaking his hand for showing the ability to "be a man."[48]
The following night, after Orton successfully defended the championship against Benoit in a rematch, Evolution threw Orton a mock celebration, only to reveal that they were not pleased with his new victory.
Rated RKO (2005–2007) Main article: Rated-RKO While Batista had Orton propped on his shoulders in elation, Triple H gave him a pleased thumbs up and then abruptly changed it to a thumbs-down, which was followed by Batista's dropping Orton to the mat.[49] Ric Flair and Batista attacked Orton in the ring as Triple H revealed his jealousy for Orton's title. He ordered Orton to hand over the championship, but he refused, spitting in Triple H's face and hitting him with the title belt.[50] Orton's break-up with Evolution began a new storyline for him as a crowd favorite when he continued to feud with his former stablemates.[50][51] A month later, Orton lost his championship to Triple H at Unforgiven.[52] Seeking revenge, Orton lashed out at Evolution members, catching them by surprise during a show by giving them a large cake as a make-up gift, which he came out of to beat and humiliate the group.[53] At Taboo Tuesday, Orton defeated Ric Flair in a Steel Cage match. After this, Orton experienced another push, becoming General Manager of the Raw brand for a week following a match stipulation at Survivor Series where he picked up the win for his team by last pinning Triple H in a 4 on 4 Survivor Series match.[54] He continued to feud with Triple H, using his authority to place his opponents at severe disadvantages during title defenses.[55] Orton was granted another chance at the championship in January 2005, but lost a six-man championship Elimination Chamber match to Triple H at New Year's Revolution.[56] On the January 10 episode of Raw, Orton defeated Batista to earn a match against Triple H at the Royal Rumble for the World Heavyweight title.[57] At the Royal Rumble, Triple H defeated Orton to retain the World title.[58]
Orton began an on-screen relationship with Stacy Keibler and briefly feuded with Christian in February 2005.[59] On the February 28 episode of Raw, "Superstar" Billy Graham made an appearance, in which he advised Orton to "go where no wrestler [had] gone before".[60] Orton then produced a copy of SmackDown! magazine, which featured The Undertaker on the cover.[61] Heeding Graham's advice, Orton claimed that he would set himself apart from all other wrestlers by ending The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania.[62] Throughout March 2005, Orton taunted The Undertaker, claiming he was unafraid of him. On the March 21 episode of Raw, Orton turned into a villain once more after he delivered an RKO to his unsuspecting on-screen girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, knocking her unconscious.[63] During Orton's promos, he would immediately run for cover when signs of The Undertaker's appearance were near (lightning, darkness, or smoke).[64] When legendary wrestler Jake Roberts advised Orton not to underestimate The Undertaker, Orton performed an RKO on Roberts as well.[65] In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Orton became more defiant and unafraid of The Undertaker, taunting and assaulting him in the ring following distractions from his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton. At WrestleMania 21, however, the heavily hyped match was unsuccessful for Orton, as he lost despite his father's interference.[58]
Orton at a WWE house show in 2005 The following night on Raw, Orton faced Batista, who had become World Heavyweight Champion. Orton stated on-screen that his match with The Undertaker had aggravated a shoulder injury.[66][67] While sidelined, Orton appeared on Raw and claimed that he was ineligible for the WWE Draft Lottery due to his injury. He was informed by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon that he was indeed a candidate for the draft, leaving a possibility of a return to SmackDown!.[68] Orton returned to WWE programming for the SmackDown! brand on June 16, announcing that he was the second pick in the 2005 draft lottery.[69] He rekindled his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him at SummerSlam following a distraction from his father.[70] Two months later, Orton and his father Bob Orton defeated The Undertaker in a Handicap Casket match.[71] The following month, Orton was a participant in the annual elimination match of Team SmackDown against Team Raw at Survivor Series. In the match, Orton was the last remaining wrestler in the match, as he pinned Shawn Michaels to get the victory for Team SmackDown.[72] At the event, The Undertaker, who had been absent since Orton had apparently killed him on an episode of SmackDown!,[73] returned by emerging from a flaming casket.[72] The feud was finally settled with a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon, where The Undertaker offered to retire if he lost.[74] On December 16, The Undertaker entered the ring to deliver a promo while one of his druids appeared to be standing in the ring. The Undertaker sustained an RKO from Orton in a surprise attack. The druid revealed himself to be Orton's father, who gave Orton The Undertaker's urn, which, according to the storyline, allowed whomever held it to control The Undertaker.[75] The Undertaker, however, beat both Ortons in a Hell in a Cell match, ending their nine-month-long feud.[76]
Orton showing off his signature pose Following Armageddon, Orton entered the 2006 Royal Rumble match as the thirtieth and final wrestler, but he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.[76] Mysterio won the match and a title shot, and Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out.[77] In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero, Mysterio's friend who had died a few months previously, in an attempt to gain villain heat.[78] Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and highly distasteful so soon after Guerrero's death in November 2005.[79][80][81] Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22.[82] General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania 22 title match, however, making it a Triple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle.[83] On April 2, at WrestleMania 22, Orton was pinned by Mysterio, making Mysterio the World Heavyweight Champion and ending their on-screen rivalry.[84]
On April 4, 2006, Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct."[85] In an interview, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return."[86] To cover for the suspension, a faked injury was devised, where Kurt Angle broke Orton's ankle during a grudge match.[87] In July, Orton said his suspension resulted from smoking marijuana backstage.[88] Orton returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand,[89][90] where he entered a rivalry with Angle, culminating in matches at One Night Stand and Vengeance before engaging in a storyline feud with Hulk Hogan. Orton began cutting promos insulting the aging Hogan and flirted with Hogan's then-eighteen-year-old daughter Brooke.[91][92] At SummerSlam, the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won.[93] After the newly reformed D-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) cost Edge the WWE Championship numerous times, Edge approached Orton and asked him to join forces to defeat the team. Orton, whose championship reign had been ended by Triple H in 2004, agreed, forming the tag team Rated-RKO. The two became the first to defeat DX since their reunion and quickly dominated the Raw brand's tag team division to become tag team champions.[94][95] As part of the angle, Rated-RKO attacked Ric Flair with steel chairs to enrage DX on November 27.[96] At New Year's Revolution, Rated-RKO faced DX in a title defense, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered a legitimate injury during the match.[97]
Edge and Orton as Rated-RKO With Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued their on-screen rivalry with remaining DX member Shawn Michaels. Michaels teamed with John Cena to defeat Rated-RKO for the tag team championship on January 29.[98] Orton and Edge suffered a series of losses to Cena and Michaels in the following months, building hatred towards one another. Edge and Orton also became rivals in their goals of achieving the WWE Championship. Neither Edge nor Orton won the Championship, and they lost their claims as number one contenders after a failed match with Cena at Backlash.[99] Orton then continued his "Legend Killer" persona, attacking Shawn Michaels. Using frequent attacks to the head, including an elevated DDT and a running punt to the face, Orton defeated Michaels at Judgment Day. When the kayfabe wounded and concussed Michaels collapsed in the ring, the referee was forced to stop the match and award Orton the victory.[100] Orton continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Rob Van Dam,[101] Ric Flair,[102] Dusty Rhodes,[103] and Sgt. Slaughter.[104]
WWE Champion; The Legacy (2007–2011) Main article: The Legacy (professional wrestling) On the July 23 episode of Raw, Orton was named as the number one contender at SummerSlam for John Cena's WWE Championship.[103] Weeks before their scheduled bout at SummerSlam, Orton attacked Cena on three separate occasions by performing RKOs on him.[103][105][106] At SummerSlam, Orton lost the title match to Cena, who pinned Orton after executing an FU.[107] The following night on Raw, Orton demanded a rematch for the title, but his request was declined by Raw General Manager William Regal. Orton then took his demands to Mr. McMahon, who also refused to give Orton a rematch unless he proved himself. That night, Orton interfered in Cena's match by assaulting Cena and kicking Cena's father, who was at ringside, in the head.[108] Orton was granted his title rematch against Cena at Unforgiven and won by disqualification when Cena refused to stop punching Orton in the corner;[109] however, Cena retained the WWE title because a title cannot change hands by disqualification. After the match, Cena's father, who was again at ringside, kicked Orton in the head.[109] At No Mercy, Orton was awarded the WWE Championship by Mr. McMahon after Cena was stripped of the title due to an injury the previous week, which also ended the Orton-Cena storyline prematurely.[110] Orton then lost the title to Triple H in the opening match of the show, making Orton's reign the fourth shortest in WWE history.[111] Later in the night, Orton defeated Triple H in a Last Man Standing match to regain the title, thus becoming a two-time WWE Champion in one night.[112]
Following No Mercy, Orton continued his feud with Shawn Michaels, who made his return on the October 8 episode of Raw and performed Sweet Chin Music on Orton.[113] The two met in a title match at Cyber Sunday after a match was made in which the fans would get to vote on either Michaels, Jeff Hardy or Mr. Kennedy as the opponent.[114] As a result, Michaels was voted to face Orton.[115] In the match, Orton was disqualified when he performed a low blow on Michaels, but Orton retained the title.[115] In a scheduled rematch,[116] Orton successfully defended the title at Survivor Series against Michaels when he performed the RKO on Michaels for the win.[117] The stipulation of the match was that if Michaels used Sweet Chin Music, the match would be stopped and Michaels would never get a chance at the WWE title, but if Orton got himself disqualified, he would lose the title.[118]
After weeks of intensity between the two, Orton defeated Jeff Hardy to retain the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.[119] Following this, he re-engaged in his feud with John Cena, who had returned from injury and won the 2008 Royal Rumble match.[119] Instead of cashing in his title opportunity at WrestleMania XXIV, Cena decided to face Orton for the title at No Way Out.[120] Orton lost the match after getting himself intentionally disqualified, thus retaining the title.[121] At WrestleMania, Orton retained the WWE Championship in a Triple Threat match involving Cena and Triple H. Orton won the match by pinning Cena after a Pedigree from Triple H.[122] The following month, at Backlash, Orton lost the title to Triple H in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match, which also included Cena and John "Bradshaw" Layfield.[123] After failing to win the title back at Judgment Day,[124] Orton faced Triple H in a Last Man Standing match at One Night Stand for the title. Orton lost the match and legitimately broke his collarbone. During this time, Orton dropped his Legend Killer gimmick and replaced it with his new gimmick known as The Viper and debuted his new entrance music, Voices.[125]
Orton after winning the 2009 Royal Rumble match Just before he made his return, Orton re-injured himself in a motorcycle accident, and, to keep on-screen exposure, he made an unexpected return to Raw at the beginning of September, criticizing all of the champions on the brand. Heel tag team Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase took exception to this and tried to gain his respect.[126] Unsuccessful until the pay-per-view event Unforgiven, the two of them, alongside new recruit Manu, assaulted World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk, costing him his title.[127] He made his in-ring return on the November 3 episode of Raw losing to Punk by disqualification after Ted DiBiase interfered.[128] In retaliation, Orton punted DiBiase in the head.[128] On the December 1 episode of Raw, Orton proposed that he along with Cody Rhodes and Manu form an alliance.[129][130] The following week, they made it official by defeating Batista and Triple H, Orton's former stablemates, in a three-on-two handicap match, dubbing themselves The Legacy.[131] On January 25, 2009, Orton won the 2009 Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Triple H.[15] On the March 2 episode of Raw, Orton challenged Triple H for the WWE title at WrestleMania XXV,[132] where Orton lost the match.[133] Orton, however, won the title at Backlash in a six-man tag team match with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, facing off against Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon.[134] At Extreme Rules, he dropped the title to Batista in a Steel Cage match.[135] The following night on Raw, Orton and Legacy attacked Batista and (kayfabe) broke his arm, forcing him to vacate the title. It was later revealed that Batista was suffering from a torn biceps and Legacy was given on-screen credit for his injury.[136] On the June 15 episode of Raw, Orton regained the title in a Fatal Four-Way match involving Triple H, John Cena and The Big Show.[137] Orton later lost the title to John Cena in an "I Quit" match at Breaking Point,[138] but defeated Cena to win back the championship in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October.[139] At Bragging Rights, Orton lost the title to Cena in a 60 minute Iron Man match.[140]
On the January 11, 2010, episode of Raw, Orton won a triple threat match, with the help of Rhodes and DiBiase, to challenge Sheamus at the Royal Rumble for the WWE Championship.[141] At the Royal Rumble, however, Orton failed to win the championship when Rhodes interfered, causing a disqualification. After the match, Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase.[142] On the February 15 episode of Raw, Orton was again disqualified in a rematch after Rhodes and DiBiase interfered.[143] Orton and DiBiase both competed in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, and DiBiase eliminated Orton after hitting him with a pipe which Rhodes had passed to him.[144] The next night on Raw, in a six-man tag team match, Orton attacked Rhodes and DiBiase in retaliation.[145] At WrestleMania XXVI, Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase in a triple threat match, turning him into a fan favorite in the process for the first time since 2005.[146]
Orton posing at a WWE live event Following his departure from Legacy, Orton, now playing a babyface role, faced Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules in April, however, he was unsuccessful in defeating Swagger.[147] After being speared by Edge, resulting in Orton losing a number one contender's match for the WWE Championship, on the WWE Draft episode of Raw,[148] he faced Edge at the Over the Limit pay-per-view, but separated his right shoulder during the match, which concluded in a double countout.[149] At Fatal 4-Way in June, Orton competed in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Championship against John Cena, Sheamus and Edge but came up short.[150] On the July 19 episode of Raw, he won a number one contender's match against Edge and Chris Jericho giving him a match against Sheamus at SummerSlam.[151] At the event, Sheamus was disqualified for bringing a steel chair into the match giving Orton the victory, however, not the title.[152] Immediately afterwards Orton took the steel chair and hit Sheamus with it and gave him an RKO. Orton defeated John Cena, Chris Jericho, Wade Barrett, Edge and Sheamus in a Six-Pack Challenge Elimination Match to become WWE Champion for the sixth time at Night of Champions.[153]
After defending his title against Sheamus at Hell in a Cell,[154] Orton feuded with Wade Barrett, who attempted to use John Cena to help capture Orton's championship. After successfully defending his title against Barrett at Bragging Rights and Survivor Series,[155][156] Orton defeated Barrett again on the November 22 episode of Raw, only to lose his title immediately afterwards to The Miz, who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase.[157] Orton failed to recapture the title after losing a Tables match to The Miz at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view[158] and again in a singles match at the Royal Rumble in January 2011 after interference from the New Nexus starting a feud between Punk and Orton.[159] The following month at the Elimination Chamber event Orton participated in the Raw Elimination Chamber match but was unsuccessful in winning.[160] Over the ongoing weeks, Orton would punt all members of the New Nexus, Michael McGillicutty, David Otunga, and Mason Ryan, removing each, one by one, from active competition.[161][162][163] At WrestleMania XXVII, Orton defeated CM Punk.[164] On the April 11 episode of Raw, McGillicutty, Otunga and Ryan returned and cost Orton a number one contender's match for the WWE Championship.[165] Two weeks later, at the 2011 WWE Draft, Orton was drafted to SmackDown and beat Punk at Extreme Rules thus ending his feud with New Nexus.[166]
World Heavyweight Champion and various feuds (2011–present) Orton in another signature pose; he does this prior to hitting his RKO finisher On April 29 episode of SmackDown, Orton made his debut his match in a tag team match with Christian against Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay.[167] The following week, Orton received a title opportunity against World Heavyweight Champion, Christian. Orton was successful in defeating Christian to win his second World Heavyweight Championship.[168] At Over the Limit and Capitol Punishment, Orton successfully defended his championship against Christian.[169][170] In July at Money in the Bank, Orton lost the title to Christian after Christian spat in his face, which led Orton to lose control of his temper, kick Christian in the groin and get disqualified,[171] in a match where the stipulation was if Orton got himself disqualified, or if the referee made a "bad call", Christian would automatically win the championship.[172] A month later, at the SummerSlam pay-per-view event, Orton regained the title when he defeated Christian in a No Holds Barred match.[173] Orton ended his feud with Christian when he retained the World Championship in a Steel Cage Match on the August 30 episode of SmackDown.[174]
Orton then entered a feud with Mark Henry after Henry became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship[175] and over the next few weeks, Henry would attack Orton, getting the advantage over him.[176][177][178][179] At Night of Champions, Orton lost the World Heavyweight title Henry,[180] and failed to regain it two weeks later at Hell in a Cell.[181] On the October 14 edition of Smackdown, Orton received another title shot against Henry after winning a 41 man battle royal, he was successful in winning the match by disqualification but failed to win the title after interference from rival Cody Rhodes. He then defeated Rhodes at Vengeance,[182] and on the November 4 episode of Smackdown in a Street Fight.[183]
Orton would re-ignite his feud with Wade Barrett after both superstars were named captain for a traditional 5 on 5 Survivor Series elimination match. On the November 11 episode of SmackDown, Orton was defeated by Barrett in a singles match, however on the November 14 episode of Raw, Orton won in a rematch by disqualification.[184] [185] His team was defeated at Survivor Series with Barrett and Cody Rhodes being the sole survivors.[186] Barrett would then begin attack and distract Orton during matches, getting the advantage.[187][188] On the December 9 edition of SmackDown, Orton and Barrett both competed in a time to beat challenge. The winner got to choose if they wanted to use tables, ladders or chairs at TLC. Barrett pinned Ezekiel Jackson in 7:53, however Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler in 7:51 and chose a tables match after throwing Ziggler threw a table. At Tables, Ladders, & Chairs, Orton defeated Barrett hitting the RKO mid-air with Barrett landing through the table.[189] Barrett and Orton would continue their feud on the December 23 episode of SmackDown, where they engaged in a brawl that ended backstage with Barrett getting hit with a RKO onto a car.[190] This led to a Falls Count Anywhere match on December 30 episode of Smackdown, where Barrett pushed Orton down a set of stairs before exiting through the door.[191] Orton suffered a herniated disc as a result, taking him off television for a number of weeks.[192] On January 27, 2012 edition of SmackDown, he returned to the ring and attacked Barrett.[193] On the February 3 edition of SmackDown, Orton defeated Barrett in a No Disqualificatons match to end the feud.[194]
On the February 14 edition of Raw SuperShow, Orton suffered a concussion after World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan smashed Orton over the head with the title belt. Due to the injury, Orton was taken out of his elimination chamber match at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view and was replaced by Santino Marella.[195][196] Orton returned on the March 2 episode of SmackDown, losing to Bryan by count-out, following interference from Kane, who then attacked Orton after the match.[197] In retaliation, Orton hit Kane with an RKO on the March 5 edition of Raw Supershow, after the latter defeated R-Truth.[198] On the following SmackDown, Orton would hit Kane with another RKO before his match against a WWE Diva, when John Laurenitis sent Kane out after a short match against Theodore Long and they would later engage in a brawl as SmackDown went off air.[199]
Other media In 2004, Orton appeared on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to promote the Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view.[200] In March 2007, alongside Edge, John Cena, and Bobby Lashley, Orton appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal.[201] In July 2009, Orton revealed he read for the lead role in The Marine 2 (2009), the sequel to the 2006 film The Marine. He was given the part, but after injuring his collarbone, the film's producers decided to go with Ted DiBiase.[202] Orton has a supporting role in the film That's What I Am, alongside Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. The film is a coming-of-age comedy written and directed by Michael Pavone.[203]
Controversy While on the Raw brand, Orton was accused of harassing fellow WWE employees Amy Weber and Rochelle Loewen; Loewen has called Orton "an animal". While she quashed a long-standing rumor that he defecated in her bag, she did claim that he vandalized her possessions and subjected her to verbal harassment because she did not know who he was upon meeting him.[204]
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted an article on its website as part of its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Orton who was alleged to have obtained clomiphene citrate, anastrozole and the steroids stanozolol, nandrolone, oxandrolone, and testosterone.[205] WWE has since made a statement on this situation, claiming that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006.[205]
Personal life In November 2005, Orton announced his engagement to his girlfriend Samantha Speno.[206] They married on September 21, 2007.[207][208] In December 2007, Orton announced that he and his wife were expecting their first child, a daughter.[209][210] Orton and his wife welcomed Alanna Marie Orton on July 12, 2008.[211]
He had a tattoo on his left arm that read "USMC" for United States Marine Corps but covered it up after receiving a bad conduct discharge when he went AWOL from the service. He was sent home after serving thirty-eight days in military prison at Camp Pendleton in California.[19]
Orton suffers from hypermobile shoulders.[212] After being medically cleared to wrestle and after he broke his collarbone in a Last Man Standing match at One Night Stand against Triple H, Orton re-injured his collarbone in a motorcycle accident.[213][214]
In wrestling Orton performing the RKO on The Miz. Orton performing a rope-hung DDT on Sheamus. Orton performing the Inverted headlock backbreaker on Sheamus.
- Finishing moves
- O-Zone (Overdrive) – 2002–2003
- RKO[1][5] (Jumping cutter, sometimes from the top rope or used as a counter to a midair opponent) – 2003–present
- Running punt kick to an opponent's head[5] - 2007-present (Used mainly to cause a storyline concussion)
- Signature moves
- Bodyscissors[5]
- Dropkick[5]
- European uppercut[5]
- Falling clothesline[5]
- Full nelson slam[5]
- Gutwrench elevated neckbreaker[215]
- Inverted headlock backbreaker[5][216]
- Knee drop[217]
- Lou thesz press followed by mounted punches[5][216]
- Olympic slam[218][217]
- Orton Stomp[1][5] (Multiple stomps while circling a fallen opponent)
- Rope-hung DDT[216]
- Side belly-to-belly suplex[215]
- Snap scoop powerslam[219][220]
- Spinebuster sometimes into a sit out position
- Superplex[215] - adopted off his father, "Cowboy" Bob Orton
- Wrenching chinlock[5][216]
- Nicknames
- "The Legend Killer"[221]
- "The Viper"[222]
- "WWE's/The Apex Predator"[223]
- Entrance themes
- "Line in the Sand" by Motörhead (2003–2004) (Used while a member of Evolution)
- "Burn in My Light" by Mercy Drive (August 30, 2004–May 5, 2008)[224]
- "This Fire Burns" by Killswitch Engage (March 3, 2006)
- "Voices" by Rev Theory (May 12, 2008–present)[225]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2009) vs. Triple H
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2009)[226][227]
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2004)[228]
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2010)[229]
- PWI Rookie of the Year (2001)[230]
- PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008[231]
- PWI ranked him #2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011[232]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2009, 2010)[233][234]
Rey Mysterio
Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974)[5] is a Mexican American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Rey Mysterio. He is signed toWWE competing on its Raw brand. Gutiérrez was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio, Sr. and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Librehigh flying style that has been his trademark.
Gutiérrez originally worked for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in Mexico, from 1992 to 1995. He wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling(ECW) from 1995 to 1996 and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1996 to 2001, as Rey Misterio, Jr./Rey Mysterio, Jr. but dropped the "Junior" from his name when he began working for WWE in 2002.
Mysterio is known for having a high flying style, which helped kick-start the cruiserweight wrestling revolution in the United States in the late 1990s during his time in WCW. In WCW, Mysterio won the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship five times, the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times, and the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship once with Billy Kidman as part of the Filthy Animals. In WWE, Mysterio is a three time world champion having held the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWE Championship once and is currently listed as the lightest world champion in WWE history. He has also held the WWE World Cruiserweight Championship three times (a record eight times overall when added with his WCW reigns), the WWE Tag Team Championship four times (also a record—shared with two others), and the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice. All totaled, he has won 21 titles between WWE and WCW. Mysterio was the 21st person to win the WWE Triple Crown Championship, and was the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble.
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[edit]Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio, Sr. also took on Juventud in a tag match: Misterio, Sr. and Mysterio, Jr., taking on Juventud and his father Fuerza Guerrera. Mysterio commonly teamed with the similarly undersized high flyer known as Romy "Romeo" Magruder.
[edit]Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995.[6] He debuted in September at Gangsta's Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut.[6][7] A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match.[6] Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during the first half of 1996.[6]
[edit]World Championship Wrestling (1996–2001)[edit]Cruiserweight division (1996–1999)Rey Mysterio, Jr. made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996 at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by cheating to win. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title.[8] The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship.[9] He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc.[10][11][12][13] Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.[14]
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him.[15] Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March.[16] Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time.[17] On the November 10, 1997 episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.[18]
On the January 15, 1998 episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out.[17][19] After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship.[20] The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to the interference by Dean Malenko.[20] Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild.[21] He, however, was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Title at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the Cruiserweight title at Starrcade 1998 but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a Triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the Cruiserweight title at Souled Out 1999 in a Fatal Four-Way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.[22][23]
[edit]Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)Rey Mysterio unmasked.In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed – nWo Hollywood and nWo Wolfpac – they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
“I was strongly against it! I don't think WCW understood what the mask meant to me, to my fans and to my family. It was a very bad move on their behalf. The fans wanted Rey Mysterio with the mask and losing it hurt me a lot. It was also frustrating that it didn't come as the climax to a feud with another masked wrestler, but in a throwaway match. The same thing happened to Juventud and Psicosis and psychologicallywise it was a bad move by Eric Bischoff. I think the fans understand that I was in a position where I had no option. I either had to lose my mask or lose my job.[24]”
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash,[25] Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.[26] He faced Nash atUncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoffutilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. As one of the top wrestlers in the cruiserweight division, Mysterio would go on to voice his disdain in regards to not being pushed:
“The division kicked off to a certain point but they never put us on top, and when they unmasked us it all came tumbling down. Those in charge of WCW had the mindset that only big men could draw and didn't create new superstars. But wrestling now has changed so much. Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho have all been world champions, but back in WCW they were mainly cruiserweights. Also the top guys in WCW were scared that fans were more interested in watching luchadore action and high-flying moves than big men just going out there and stomping on each other for 10 minutes. The heavyweights were getting into Eric Bischoff's ear, saying: "We can't let these guys be on top. They're small and wrestling has never been about this, we've got to keep the tradition going." It was stupid for Eric Bischoff, who was running a huge company like WCW, to listen to other people. Vince McMahon runs his own company and does what he wants to do, as did Paul Heyman. Wrestling is about what the fans want, not what the boys want.[24]”
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fourth Cruiserweight Championship.[17] On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at theWCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair.[27] The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship,[28] making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Title against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede[29] before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg.[30] On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship.[17] At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.[31]
[edit]No Limit Soldiers; Filthy Animals (1999–2001)Main articles: No Limit Soldiers and Filthy AnimalsIn the summer of 1999, Mysterio teamed with longtime friend[citation needed] Konnan, becoming members of Master P's No Limit Soldiers, feuding with the West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum, Jr. in a tag team match.[32] At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four Elimination tag team matchwhen Mysterio pinned Hennig.[33] After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals.[34] The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl.[35][36] On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.[37]
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together (after Konnan joined the Filthy Animals) to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship.[28] Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined due to injury. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat.
Mysterio returned in the spring of 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club.[38] On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship.[39] They were stripped of the title, however, after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with the Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match.[40] Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and the Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.[41]
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin.[42] At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero, Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title.[43] Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo.[44] On the March 26 (and the final) episode of Nitro, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).[45]
[edit]World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–present)[edit]Debut and WWE Tag Team Championship reigns (2002–2006)In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002 episode of SmackDown! as a fan favorite in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won.[46] He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock.[47] He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy;[48] the match was voted match of the year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed in winning the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode ofSmackDown! to earn a title shot.[49] On the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, they defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win their first Tag Team Championship.[50] They soon lost the tag titles to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series.[51] Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
Mysterio signing autographs in 2004On the March 6, 2003 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.[52] At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion, Matt Hardy, for the title but lost after Shannon Moore interfered.[53] On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a Handicap Elimination match to become the number one contender for the Cruiserweight title.[54] On the June 5 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Hardy to win his sixth Cruiserweight Championship.[55] Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!.[56]
On the January 1, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his seventh Cruiserweight Championship.[57] After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at Royal Rumble,[58] Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February.[59] At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but lost as Chavo retained the title.[60] On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting eighth Cruiserweight Championship.[61] He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash.[62]While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Title from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!.[63] At Survivor Series, he participated in a Fatal Four-Way match for the Cruiserweight Title involving the champion Spike, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.[64]
Rey Mysterio had a tag team with Eddie and they were also best friends. After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Dupreé on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!.[65] They successfully defended the title against the former champions atArmageddon,[66] before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005 episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.[67]
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Rey had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Rey won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
Mysterio during a WWE house show in 2005.The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominick, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominick's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominick as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominick, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominick. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Eddie, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so no one could see his face). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interpromotional match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and JBL who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, The Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio faced Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in aSmackDown! special show. The match stemmed from Mysterio eliminating Big Show at Survivor Series, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, even finding a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista who, along with Mysterio, would be set to face Raw's Kane and The Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated Mysterio's longtime rivals MNM on the December 19 episode of SmackDown! to win the Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." At Armageddon, Mysterio and Batista lost this "Raw vs. SmackDown!" match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode ofSmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio with help from Mark Henry to regain the Tag Team Championship. Mysterio and Batista lost a Steel Cage match in an effort to reclaim the titles the following week, again courtesy of interference by Henry. On the January 10 episode ofSmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20 man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. He was eliminated by Mark Henry, Kurt Angle eliminating Henry to win the World Heavyweight title.
[edit]World Heavyweight Champion (2006)Rey Mysterio in No Way Out 2006.Mysterio during his first reign asWorld Heavyweight Champion.At the 2006 Royal Rumble match, Mysterio entered as the number 2 entry. He would go on to win the match and earn a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton, he lasted 62 minutes making him the person to last longer in the Royal Rumble.[68] Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out.[69] In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and highly distasteful so soon after Guerrero's death in November 2005.[70][71][72] Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship atWrestleMania 22.[73] General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania 22 title match, however, making it aTriple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle.[74] At Wrestlemania 22, Mysterio pinned Randy Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the April 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Randy Orton.[75] Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Kurt Angle, three weeks later.[76] The week before the title defense took place saw the start of a feud between the then-United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Mysterio. The rivalry kicked off after JBL stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title during his celebration of becoming the U.S. Champion.[77]The feud with JBL saw Mysterio face off against any opponent of JBL's choosing in the three weeks leading up to his title match against Mysterio at Judgment Day.[78] Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest";[78][79][80] Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgement Day.[81] The feud intensified when JBL lost the U.S. Title to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like he himself had.[82] This led JBL to vow that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!.[82] In the main event of the evening, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when JBL announced he would return as a color commentator.[82][83]
It was revealed that Mysterio would have to defend his title against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand.[84] In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight ChampionGregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match but was defeated by Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head to Head on June 7.[85][86] At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained his title in a match after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table from Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, thus Guerrero stole a trick from his uncle Eddie Guerrero.[83]
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.[87] Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell.[88] The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court".[88] This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post.[88]
[edit]Feud with Chavo Guerrero (2006–2007)At The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship after Chavo Guerrero turned on Mysterio and hit him with a steel chair, thus Chavo turned heel once again. Chavo cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at Summerslam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him a injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy.[89][90] Subsequently Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I Quit" match.[91] In that match, Chavo injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.[92]
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam, defeating Guerrero with the 619, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again.[93]
[edit]Pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship (2007–2008)On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number 1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay.[94]On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Chavo Guerrero,[95] which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action.[95] Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which would lead to a match at Unforgiven where he would face Khali for the World Heavyweight Championship; the match was eventually made a Triple Threat match also involving Batista, but was unsuccessful in recapturing the title.[96]
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL.[97] The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", a competition between the two contrasting fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio.[98] On October 28, after fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy,[99] followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight title on the next SmackDown![100] (The Undertaker would succeed the pair), he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday.[101] During this feud, he conceded one match to Finlay on an episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated). The rivalry ended after Survivor Series as Finlay turned face. At Tribute to the Troops 2007, Rey Mysterio faced and defeated former rival Mark Henry.[102][103][104]
He re-entered the world title picture when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at Royal Rumble.[105] However, he was unsuccessful in winning the championship.[106] WWE.com announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour.[107] Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title again at No Way Out.[107] On the February 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.[108][109]
[edit]Intercontinental Champion (2008–2009)Rey Mysterio making his entry into RAW.Mysterio at WrestleMania XXV before his match against JBL.Mysterio made his return on the June 23 episode of Raw, as Mysterio was the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from the SmackDown brand to the Raw brand.[110] On the June 30 episode of Raw, Mysterio came to make an announcement to all the Raw fans which led to a minor fight with Santino Marella.[111] Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut the next week, pinning Marella after a 619.[112] General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that his replacement in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven was Mysterio. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career".[113] Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the Raw Championship scramble match. Mysterio began a feud with Kane next which lasted until Survivor Series. Kane called Mysterio a coward who hides behind a mask. As a result, Mysterio put his mask on the line against Kane at No Mercy, Mysterio won the match via disqualification after Kane hit Mysterio with a steel chair. Kane and Mysterio were once again booked in a No Holds Barred match at Cyber Sunday, Mysterio defeated Kane. The next night on Raw, Mysterio faced off against Evan Bourne in which Mysterio became victorious. After the match, he and Bourne were attacked by Kane and Mark Henry. Few weeks later, Rey Mysterio teamed up with Kofi Kingston in a losing effort against Kane and Henry, Kane once again made an attempt to attack Mysterio but he was saved by The Great Khali. At Survivor Series 2008, Team HBK which consisted of Shawn Michaels (the team captain), Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali and Cryme Tyme (JTG & Shad) defeated Team JBL (John Bradshaw Layfield, Kane, Montel Vontavious Porter, John Morrison & The Miz), thus ending the feud between Kane and Mysterio. He would shortly participate in an Intercontinental Championship tournament to determine the No.1 Contender for the William Regal's championship. Mysterio defeated The Miz and Kofi Kingston to advance to the finals of the tournament but ended up losing to CM Punk at Armageddon. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match where he entered at No.1. He spent 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match before being eliminated by the No.30 and final entrant Big Show. He qualified for Elimination Chamber spot the next night for the World Heavyweight Championship. He started at the No.1 position and survived to the final two before being eliminated by the winner Edge who attacked the original participant Kofi Kingston before and replaced him.[114]Later, Mysterio accepted John "Bradshaw" Layfield's (JBL) challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XXV, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds.[115] With this win, Mysterio became the twenty first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history.
Mysterio was drafted back to SmackDown! during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Title exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since mid-2002.[116]
He then began a long-time feud with Chris Jericho, resulting in Mysterio defending and retaining his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship, however his face was never shown, as he covered it. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio was victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. On the July 10, episode of Smackdown, following a successful title defense against Chris Jericho, Mysterio was attacked by Dolph Ziggler. This began a rivalry between the two which culminated in a title match at Night of Champions where Mysterio retained. Mysterio once again defeated Ziggler to retain the Intercontinental title at Summerslam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy.[117] In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm.[117] Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour.[117] On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
[edit]Second World Heavyweight Championship reign and various feuds (2009–2011)Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified Tag Team Championships with former tag team partner Batista, but they failed to win the title after Mysterio was pinned by Big Show.[118] At WWE Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match including Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker possibly costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista turned heel by attacking Mysterio.[119] Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series where Batista delivered three Batista Bombs on Mysterio leading to the referee stopping the match.[120] Mysterio was defeated by Batista again in a street fight on the 11th December episode of SmackDown.[121] A few weeks later Mysterio defeated Batista to be named the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.[122] Mysterio's title match against The Undertaker ended as a no-contest after interference from Batista.[123] On January 1, 2010 Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournamentfor the #1 contendership of The Undertaker's World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho, beating CM Punk's time. During Batista's "Beat the Clock" challenge against R-Truth, Batista was about to beat Mysterio's time, but Mysterio pulled the referee out of the ring during a pinfall as time ran out, costing Batista the tournament. Later it was announced that Mysterio and Batista would face each other the following week to decide the Number #1 Contender. However, this match also ended in a no-contest, following interference from the Undertaker.[124][125] The following week in a rematch, Mysterio managed to win the title shot for the championship by defeating Batista in a Steel Cage match. At the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker successfully defended the championship against Mysterio.
Mysterio during a WWE live event in 2008.Following the Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks leading up to the Elimination Chamber, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. In the weeks following the Elimination Chamber event, Mysterio would continue to get the better of CM Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI. Mysterio later accepted the challenge. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio successfully defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved bald. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to The SES vs Punk's hair.) Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's hair being shaved.[126]
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio fought The Undertaker unsuccessfully, to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way but in the process, accidentally injured the Undertaker and took him out of the competition. On June 4, 2010, Mysterio won a Battle Royal involving the whole SmackDown roster by lastly eliminating Kane to earn The Undertaker's vacated spot, joining then-champion Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk at the pay-per-view. At Fatal 4 Way, Mysterio defeated Big Show, CM Punk and Jack Swagger to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time in his career. For the next month, Swagger continuously assaulted Mysterio using his ankle lock. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio successfully defeated Swagger to retain the World title, however Swagger continued attacking the ankle after the match until Kane, who had earlier won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match, came to the ring to chase Swagger away, seemingly to protect Mysterio. However, Kane returned with a referee and cashed in his title shot, quickly defeating Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship. On the July 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a 2 out of 3 falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. However, during the weeks before SummerSlam, Kane had marked Mysterio as the one who had attacked The Undertaker putting him in a vegetative state (which was a storyline put in place to explain Undertaker's absence due to the injury he had sustained against Mysterio in the Fatal Four Way qualifying match). Mysterio retaliated by saying that Kane was the true culprit. After the match at SummerSlam, which Mysterio ultimately lost, Kane had attempted to put Mysterio in a casket, only for The Undertaker to emerge from the casket. Mysterio ended up clearing his name The Undertaker revealed Kane to be the real attacker.
On the August 20 episode of SmackDown, he lost via submission to the debuting Alberto Del Rio.[127] On the August 27 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost a No Disqualification match to Kane, and afterwards was attacked by Alberto Del Rio on his injured left arm, sparking a feud between the two.[128] Mysterio returned on the first episode of SmackDown on Syfy and confronted Alberto Del Rio. After Del Rio escaped the ring, he hit his personal ring announcer with a 619. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak.[129] AtBragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite an attack by fellow teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team consisting of himself, Big Show, Chris Masters, MVP and Kofi Kingston to defeat Team Del Rio ( Del Rio, Tyler Reks, Drew McIntyre, Jack Swagger, andCody Rhodes). At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2010), Mysterio participated in a fatal four way match for the World Heavyweight title against Kane, Edge and Del Rio, in a losing effort as Edge won the match to become the new champion. Mysterio would continue his feud with Del Rio which culminated on the January 7, 2011 episode of SmackDown in a 2 out of 3 falls match, which Del Rio ultimately won by countout due to interference from his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, ending the feud.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he also broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, causing Rhodes to miss the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber pay-per-views, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated byWade Barrett. The match would later be won by his rival, Alberto Del Rio. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamberpay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At the event he made it to the final two but was finally eliminated by Edge.[130] On the February 25 episode ofSmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. Mysterio accepted Rhodes' challenge to a match atWrestleMania XXVII, but was defeated by Rhodes. On the April 23 episode of Smackdown Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch. Mysterio's feud with Rhodes ended at Extreme Rules when Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a Falls Count Anywhere match.[131]
[edit]WWE Champion and injury (2011)In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted back to Raw. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a Triple Threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth[132] which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won.[133] From May, Rey Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on successive episodes of Raw.[134] Their feud ended at WWE Capitol Punishment when Punk beat Mysterio. Rey Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money In The Bank briefcase, eventually the match was won by Alberto Del Rio by unmasking Mysterio as a distraction. Mysterio advanced to the finals of a one night tournament on the July 18 episode of Raw, which culminated into a match between The Miz and Mysterio for the WWE Championship. The following week, Mysterio defeated Miz to win his first ever WWE Championship, nine years to the day of his WWE debut, also becoming a three-time world champion. Later that night, John Cena defeated Mysterio to become WWE Champion. On the August 8, 2011 episode of Raw, Mysterio was brutally attacked by The Miz, leaving him with a storylined injury. At SummerSlam 2011, Mysterio competed in a six man tag-team match with Kofi Kingston and John Morrison to defeat The Miz, Alberto del Rio and R-Truth. The following night on Raw, Rey Mysterio was unsuccessful in his WWE Title rematch against Alberto Del Rio.[135]
Mysterio suffered an in-ring injury at a house show and was expecting to remain out-of-action with an injury inflicted by Alberto Del Rio following a match.[136]
Rey Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award which was won by CM Punk, but due to injury, was accepted by Interim Raw GM John Laurinaitis.
[edit]Home mediaMysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including "Rey Mysterio: 619", a documentary of Rey's career and personal life, which was released on DVD and VHS. The DVD featured ten additional matches and other special features, and was released in 2003. WWE also produced "Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man", a three disc set featuring Rey's best matches. Rey also shares his thoughts about the matches he's had and the feuds that he's been in, the DVD was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD "Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr" in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico.
In the UK, Silver Vision released a Rey Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, Wrestlemania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.[137]
On July 12, 2011, WWE released Rey Mysterio: Life of a Masked Man
[edit]Personal lifeMysterio has a wide variety of tattoos, including dedications to his family.Mysterio and his wife Angie have two children.[138] He has tattoos of his two oldest children's names on his right and left biceps. He also has tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie.[139]
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Mysterio who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol.[140] WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006.[141] On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutiérrez would receive a 30 day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program.[117] Days later Gutiérrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Mysterio further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified.[142]
He is a devoted Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before every match and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.[139] Gutiérrez is friends with Noah "Wuv" Bernardo of P.O.D., who performed the original version of Booyaka along with Mysterio, and several other of Mysterio's themes in WCW.
[edit]In wrestlingRey Mysterio performing the 619 on Eddie GuerreroRey Mysterio preparing for a West Coast Pop on Kurt AngleRey Mysterio attempting a Seated sentonon Kane.
Gutiérrez originally worked for Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) in Mexico, from 1992 to 1995. He wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling(ECW) from 1995 to 1996 and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1996 to 2001, as Rey Misterio, Jr./Rey Mysterio, Jr. but dropped the "Junior" from his name when he began working for WWE in 2002.
Mysterio is known for having a high flying style, which helped kick-start the cruiserweight wrestling revolution in the United States in the late 1990s during his time in WCW. In WCW, Mysterio won the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship five times, the WCW World Tag Team Championship three times, and the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship once with Billy Kidman as part of the Filthy Animals. In WWE, Mysterio is a three time world champion having held the World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWE Championship once and is currently listed as the lightest world champion in WWE history. He has also held the WWE World Cruiserweight Championship three times (a record eight times overall when added with his WCW reigns), the WWE Tag Team Championship four times (also a record—shared with two others), and the WWE Intercontinental Championship twice. All totaled, he has won 21 titles between WWE and WCW. Mysterio was the 21st person to win the WWE Triple Crown Championship, and was the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Professional wrestling career
- 1.1 Early career
- 1.2 Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)
- 1.3 Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)
- 1.4 World Championship Wrestling (1996–2001)
- 1.5 World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–present)
- 1.5.1 Debut and WWE Tag Team Championship reigns (2002–2006)
- 1.5.2 World Heavyweight Champion (2006)
- 1.5.3 Feud with Chavo Guerrero (2006–2007)
- 1.5.4 Pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship (2007–2008)
- 1.5.5 Intercontinental Champion (2008–2009)
- 1.5.6 Second World Heavyweight Championship reign and various feuds (2009–2011)
- 1.5.7 WWE Champion and injury (2011)
- 2 Home media
- 3 Personal life
- 4 In wrestling
- 5 Championships and accomplishments
- 6 Notes
- 7 References
- 8 External links
[edit]Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1992–1995)In Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Mysterio feuded with Juventud Guerrera. Mysterio's uncle Misterio, Sr. also took on Juventud in a tag match: Misterio, Sr. and Mysterio, Jr., taking on Juventud and his father Fuerza Guerrera. Mysterio commonly teamed with the similarly undersized high flyer known as Romy "Romeo" Magruder.
[edit]Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)Mysterio signed with Paul Heyman's Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1995.[6] He debuted in September at Gangsta's Paradise, defeating Psicosis, who was also making his ECW debut.[6][7] A feud between the two began, which included a two out of three falls match and a Mexican Death match.[6] Mysterio also had a series of matches with ECW-newcomer Juventud Guerrera during the first half of 1996.[6]
[edit]World Championship Wrestling (1996–2001)[edit]Cruiserweight division (1996–1999)Rey Mysterio, Jr. made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) debut on June 16, 1996 at The Great American Bash, challenging Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which Malenko retained by cheating to win. In July at Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psicosis in a number one contender's match to earn another opportunity at the Cruiserweight title.[8] The next night, on the July 8 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship.[9] He reigned as champion for three months, which included title defenses against the likes of Ultimate Dragon, Malenko, and Super Caló before he lost the title to Malenko at Halloween Havoc.[10][11][12][13] Following his Cruiserweight Championship reign, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at World War 3 in November.[14]
In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. Mysterio was defeated in his title match against Iaukea at SuperBrawl VII after Lord Steven Regal attacked him.[15] Mysterio also lost a championship rematch at Uncensored in March.[16] Mysterio soon began a feud with the New World Order (nWo), which culminated when he lost a Mexican Death match to nWo member Konnan at Road Wild in August. Mysterio then became involved in a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc to win the Cruiserweight Championship for the second time.[17] On the November 10, 1997 episode of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.[18]
On the January 15, 1998 episode of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out.[17][19] After the match, Jericho continued the beating by using a toolbox he found at ringside. This storyline was used to cover Mysterio's need for a knee operation that kept him out of the ring for six months. He made his return at Bash at the Beach, where he defeated Jericho for his fourth Cruiserweight championship.[20] The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to the interference by Dean Malenko.[20] Later that year, Eddie Guerrero formed a Mexican stable known as the Latino World Order (LWO) (a spin off of New World Order) that included nearly every luchador in the promotion. Mysterio continually refused to join and feuded with Guerrero and the LWO members, including winning a match against longtime rival and LWO member Psicosis in a match at Road Wild.[21] He, however, was finally forced to join the group after losing a match to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio's on-and-off tag team partner Billy Kidman joined him during the feud with LWO, wrestling against the LWO despite Mysterio being a part of the group. His alliance with Kidman was formed after Mysterio helped Kidman defeat Juventud for the Cruiserweight Title at World War 3. Mysterio went up against Kidman for the Cruiserweight title at Starrcade 1998 but was unsuccessful winning back the title in a Triangle match that also involved Juventud. Kidman once again defeated Mysterio for the Cruiserweight title at Souled Out 1999 in a Fatal Four-Way match that also included Psicosis and Juventud.[22][23]
[edit]Giant Killer and unmasking (1999)Rey Mysterio unmasked.In 1999, after the two factions of nWo reformed – nWo Hollywood and nWo Wolfpac – they demanded that the LWO disband. Mysterio refused to take off his LWO colors and was attacked by the nWo as a result. This led to a match at SuperBrawl IX where Mysterio and tag partner Konnan lost a "Hair vs. Mask match" against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, forcing Mysterio to remove his mask. After the match, he phoned his uncle to tell him the news. Mysterio has publicly expressed his disappointment over being unmasked:
“I was strongly against it! I don't think WCW understood what the mask meant to me, to my fans and to my family. It was a very bad move on their behalf. The fans wanted Rey Mysterio with the mask and losing it hurt me a lot. It was also frustrating that it didn't come as the climax to a feud with another masked wrestler, but in a throwaway match. The same thing happened to Juventud and Psicosis and psychologicallywise it was a bad move by Eric Bischoff. I think the fans understand that I was in a position where I had no option. I either had to lose my mask or lose my job.[24]”
Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash,[25] Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.[26] He faced Nash atUncensored in a match where Lex Luger interfered and helped Nash in winning the match. Although he participated in several notable matches with some of the heavyweight top card wrestlers, it was made very clear to him that he would never receive a push to become a main eventer. This was due to Eric Bischoffutilizing cruiserweights as alternative, mid-card entertainment as opposed to the more conventional style that led WCW programming. As one of the top wrestlers in the cruiserweight division, Mysterio would go on to voice his disdain in regards to not being pushed:
“The division kicked off to a certain point but they never put us on top, and when they unmasked us it all came tumbling down. Those in charge of WCW had the mindset that only big men could draw and didn't create new superstars. But wrestling now has changed so much. Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho have all been world champions, but back in WCW they were mainly cruiserweights. Also the top guys in WCW were scared that fans were more interested in watching luchadore action and high-flying moves than big men just going out there and stomping on each other for 10 minutes. The heavyweights were getting into Eric Bischoff's ear, saying: "We can't let these guys be on top. They're small and wrestling has never been about this, we've got to keep the tradition going." It was stupid for Eric Bischoff, who was running a huge company like WCW, to listen to other people. Vince McMahon runs his own company and does what he wants to do, as did Paul Heyman. Wrestling is about what the fans want, not what the boys want.[24]”
The next night on the March 15 Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fourth Cruiserweight Championship.[17] On the March 22 Spring Breakout episode of Nitro, Mysterio got his first shot at theWCW World Heavyweight Championship against champion Ric Flair when the names of (allegedly) nearly everyone in the company were put into a hat and a lottery was held. El Dandy was the lottery winner, but he was injured, and Mysterio took the shot instead. The match ended with a disqualification win for Flair, even though Arn Anderson's interference on Flair's behalf should have theoretically disqualified Flair.[27] The following week, Mysterio and Kidman teamed with each other and defeated Flair's Four Horsemen stablemates Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship,[28] making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Title against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede[29] before losing the title on the April 19 episode of Nitro to Psicosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg.[30] On the following episode of Nitro, he defeated Psicosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship.[17] At Slamboree, Mysterio and Kidman lost the World Tag Team titles to Raven and Perry Saturn in a Triangle match, also involving former champions Benoit and Malenko.[31]
[edit]No Limit Soldiers; Filthy Animals (1999–2001)Main articles: No Limit Soldiers and Filthy AnimalsIn the summer of 1999, Mysterio teamed with longtime friend[citation needed] Konnan, becoming members of Master P's No Limit Soldiers, feuding with the West Texas Rednecks. At The Great American Bash, they defeated Rednecks members Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum, Jr. in a tag team match.[32] At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four Elimination tag team matchwhen Mysterio pinned Hennig.[33] After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals.[34] The three wrestlers soon began a feud with the Dead Pool. The Filthy Animals defeated the Dead Pool in a six-man tag team match at Road Wild and at Fall Brawl.[35][36] On the August 19 episode of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.[37]
On the October 18 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together (after Konnan joined the Filthy Animals) to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship.[28] Mysterio, however, was injured during the match and was sidelined due to injury. Billy Kidman substituted for Mysterio and teamed with Konnan during their title defense against Harlem Heat and The First Family, in which the Filthy Animals went on to lose the title back to Harlem Heat.
Mysterio returned in the spring of 2000 and remained a steady performer, eventually joining the New Blood faction in early 2000 opposing the Millionaire's Club.[38] On the August 14 episode of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship.[39] They were stripped of the title, however, after Ernest Miller pinned Disco Inferno with the stipulation that if he pinned Disco, Mysterio and Guerrera would be stripped of the title. The Filthy Animals then feuded with the Natural Born Thrillers in the fall of the year. At Fall Brawl, the Filthy Animals fought the Thrillers to a no contest in an Elimination tag team match.[40] Mysterio reformed his tag team with Kidman and the two challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in a Triangle match at Halloween Havoc, facing the champions Natural Born Thrillers and the Boogie Knights, where the Thrillers retained.[41]
At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin.[42] At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero, Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title.[43] Kidman and Mysterio participated in a Cruiserweight tag team tournament for the newly created WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship and advanced to the final round where they ended up losing to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo.[44] On the March 26 (and the final) episode of Nitro, they defeated Skipper and Romeo in a rematch to win the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles before WCW was sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).[45]
[edit]World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–present)[edit]Debut and WWE Tag Team Championship reigns (2002–2006)In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos that hyped his debut began airing. The "Jr." was dropped from his name and was billed simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002 episode of SmackDown! as a fan favorite in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won.[46] He eventually began a feud with Kurt Angle, which culminated in a match at SummerSlam that Angle won after forcing Mysterio to submit to the ankle lock.[47] He later formed a tag team with Edge; the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy;[48] the match was voted match of the year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. After they failed in winning the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode ofSmackDown! to earn a title shot.[49] On the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, they defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win their first Tag Team Championship.[50] They soon lost the tag titles to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series.[51] Shortly after the loss, Mysterio and Edge disbanded as a tag team.
Mysterio signing autographs in 2004On the March 6, 2003 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.[52] At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion, Matt Hardy, for the title but lost after Shannon Moore interfered.[53] On the May 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a Handicap Elimination match to become the number one contender for the Cruiserweight title.[54] On the June 5 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Hardy to win his sixth Cruiserweight Championship.[55] Mysterio's reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 episode of SmackDown!.[56]
On the January 1, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his seventh Cruiserweight Championship.[57] After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at Royal Rumble,[58] Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out in February.[59] At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but lost as Chavo retained the title.[60] On the June 17 episode of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting eighth Cruiserweight Championship.[61] He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash.[62]While Mysterio was Cruiserweight Champion, Spike Dudley turned heel after plowing Mysterio through a table and joined the other Dudleys before winning the Cruiserweight Title from Mysterio on the July 29 episode of SmackDown!.[63] At Survivor Series, he participated in a Fatal Four-Way match for the Cruiserweight Title involving the champion Spike, Chavo Guerrero, and Billy Kidman. Mysterio lost when Dudley pinned Guerrero to retain.[64]
Rey Mysterio had a tag team with Eddie and they were also best friends. After an unsuccessful attempt at regaining the Cruiserweight Title, Mysterio formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, and went on to win the Tag Team Championship from Kenzo Suzuki and René Dupreé on the December 9 episode of SmackDown!.[65] They successfully defended the title against the former champions atArmageddon,[66] before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005 episode of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.[67]
Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out. During this time Rey had a video camera, which was called the "619 cam", during his entrance he taped members of the audience with this. In a departure from traditional booking, the new champions did not defend their title at WrestleMania 21, but instead had a match against each other which Rey won. Two months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psicosis for the first time in nearly five years.
Mysterio during a WWE house show in 2005.The match at WrestleMania was part of a storyline in which Guerrero turned on Mysterio and beat him up after abandoning him during a match against MNM for the Tag Team Championship. Then after a no disqualification match against Chavo, Eddie came out and slammed Mysterio on the steel steps, displaying Eddie's increasing frustration with being unable to defeat Mysterio. Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real life son Dominick, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominick's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominick as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominick, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio. At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominick. Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match. On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That same day at a WWE "Super Show" where SmackDown! and Raw were both taped, Mysterio gave an emotional speech about Eddie, and in a show of respect removed his mask (though he put his head down, so no one could see his face). Mysterio went on to defeat Shawn Michaels in an interpromotional match later that night. After the match, Michaels and Mysterio hugged in the ring and Mysterio pointed up to the sky, crying, in memory of Guerrero.
Mysterio participated in the main event of Survivor Series as part of Team SmackDown! along with Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, Batista, and JBL who defeated Team Raw (Shawn Michaels, Kane, The Big Show, Carlito, and Chris Masters). After Survivor Series, Mysterio faced Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in aSmackDown! special show. The match stemmed from Mysterio eliminating Big Show at Survivor Series, and ended as a "no contest" when Big Show's tag team partner Kane interfered in the match. Mysterio continued to feud with Raw's World Tag Team Champions, even finding a tag team partner in World Heavyweight Champion Batista who, along with Mysterio, would be set to face Raw's Kane and The Big Show in a tag match at Armageddon. Before Armageddon, Batista and Mysterio defeated Mysterio's longtime rivals MNM on the December 19 episode of SmackDown! to win the Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero. Now the Tag Team Champions, Mysterio and Batista's match with Big Show and Kane was billed as "Champions vs. Champions." At Armageddon, Mysterio and Batista lost this "Raw vs. SmackDown!" match when Kane pinned Mysterio after a chokeslam. On the December 30 episode ofSmackDown!, MNM invoked their rematch clause, defeating Batista and Mysterio with help from Mark Henry to regain the Tag Team Championship. Mysterio and Batista lost a Steel Cage match in an effort to reclaim the titles the following week, again courtesy of interference by Henry. On the January 10 episode ofSmackDown!, Mysterio was involved in a 20 man battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. He was eliminated by Mark Henry, Kurt Angle eliminating Henry to win the World Heavyweight title.
[edit]World Heavyweight Champion (2006)Rey Mysterio in No Way Out 2006.Mysterio during his first reign asWorld Heavyweight Champion.At the 2006 Royal Rumble match, Mysterio entered as the number 2 entry. He would go on to win the match and earn a world title shot, last eliminating Randy Orton, he lasted 62 minutes making him the person to last longer in the Royal Rumble.[68] Orton urged him to put the title shot at stake in a match at No Way Out.[69] In the weeks preceding No Way Out, Orton made disparaging remarks about Eddie Guerrero. Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and highly distasteful so soon after Guerrero's death in November 2005.[70][71][72] Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship atWrestleMania 22.[73] General Manager Theodore Long re-added Mysterio to the WrestleMania 22 title match, however, making it aTriple Threat match between Orton, Mysterio, and then-champion, Kurt Angle.[74] At Wrestlemania 22, Mysterio pinned Randy Orton to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. On the April 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Randy Orton.[75] Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Kurt Angle, three weeks later.[76] The week before the title defense took place saw the start of a feud between the then-United States Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Mysterio. The rivalry kicked off after JBL stated he deserved the World Heavyweight title during his celebration of becoming the U.S. Champion.[77]The feud with JBL saw Mysterio face off against any opponent of JBL's choosing in the three weeks leading up to his title match against Mysterio at Judgment Day.[78] Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest";[78][79][80] Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgement Day.[81] The feud intensified when JBL lost the U.S. Title to Bobby Lashley five days later on SmackDown! after being tricked by Mysterio to take on all comers like he himself had.[82] This led JBL to vow that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!.[82] In the main event of the evening, Mysterio retained the World Heavyweight Championship, causing JBL to leave SmackDown!, until ECW One Night Stand, when JBL announced he would return as a color commentator.[82][83]
It was revealed that Mysterio would have to defend his title against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand.[84] In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight ChampionGregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match but was defeated by Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head to Head on June 7.[85][86] At One Night Stand, Mysterio retained his title in a match after he and Sabu were ruled unable to continue following a triple jump DDT through a table from Sabu. Mysterio then retained his title against Mark Henry, winning by disqualification after Chavo Guerrero handed Henry a chair and Mysterio acted as if he was hit, thus Guerrero stole a trick from his uncle Eddie Guerrero.[83]
Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.[87] Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell.[88] The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court".[88] This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an episode of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post.[88]
[edit]Feud with Chavo Guerrero (2006–2007)At The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship after Chavo Guerrero turned on Mysterio and hit him with a steel chair, thus Chavo turned heel once again. Chavo cost Mysterio his rematch the following week. This culminated in a match at Summerslam where Mysterio lost to Guerrero after Vickie Guerrero tried to stop both men from fighting but accidentally knocked Mysterio off the top turnbuckle. Vickie then along with Chavo turned on Mysterio after she hit him in the back with a steel chair and gave him a injury, thus, siding with Guerrero. Mysterio then defeated Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy.[89][90] Subsequently Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I Quit" match.[91] In that match, Chavo injured Mysterio's knee, using the match to write Mysterio out of the storyline for a while to get knee surgery.[92]
Mysterio made his in-ring return at SummerSlam, defeating Guerrero with the 619, after Guerrero obsessed over Mysterio's return as well as wanting to injure Mysterio again.[93]
[edit]Pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship (2007–2008)On the August 31 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number 1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay.[94]On the September 7 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Chavo Guerrero,[95] which he won after hitting Guerrero's knee with a chair repeatedly in a similar manner to which Mysterio had been put out of action.[95] Mysterio then began a feud with The Great Khali, which would lead to a match at Unforgiven where he would face Khali for the World Heavyweight Championship; the match was eventually made a Triple Threat match also involving Batista, but was unsuccessful in recapturing the title.[96]
Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL.[97] The rivalry was marked as "Fight vs. Flight", a competition between the two contrasting fighting styles of both wrestlers – Finlay's physicality, versus the high-flying Mysterio.[98] On October 28, after fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy,[99] followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight title on the next SmackDown![100] (The Undertaker would succeed the pair), he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday.[101] During this feud, he conceded one match to Finlay on an episode of SmackDown! and was part of the winning team at Survivor Series which consisted of both wrestlers on opposing sides (although Mysterio was second to be eliminated). The rivalry ended after Survivor Series as Finlay turned face. At Tribute to the Troops 2007, Rey Mysterio faced and defeated former rival Mark Henry.[102][103][104]
He re-entered the world title picture when he emerged victorious in the Beat the Clock challenge for the chance to face the World Heavyweight Champion Edge at Royal Rumble.[105] However, he was unsuccessful in winning the championship.[106] WWE.com announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour.[107] Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title again at No Way Out.[107] On the February 22 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio announced that his injury would keep him out of action for at least six months, and he eventually underwent three surgeries within the space of a month.[108][109]
[edit]Intercontinental Champion (2008–2009)Rey Mysterio making his entry into RAW.Mysterio at WrestleMania XXV before his match against JBL.Mysterio made his return on the June 23 episode of Raw, as Mysterio was the first wrestler to be drafted in the 2008 WWE Draft from the SmackDown brand to the Raw brand.[110] On the June 30 episode of Raw, Mysterio came to make an announcement to all the Raw fans which led to a minor fight with Santino Marella.[111] Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut the next week, pinning Marella after a 619.[112] General Manager Mike Adamle announced that John Cena was injured and that his replacement in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven was Mysterio. The next week, Mysterio made his return to Raw after an extended absence by attacking Kane, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career".[113] Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the Raw Championship scramble match. Mysterio began a feud with Kane next which lasted until Survivor Series. Kane called Mysterio a coward who hides behind a mask. As a result, Mysterio put his mask on the line against Kane at No Mercy, Mysterio won the match via disqualification after Kane hit Mysterio with a steel chair. Kane and Mysterio were once again booked in a No Holds Barred match at Cyber Sunday, Mysterio defeated Kane. The next night on Raw, Mysterio faced off against Evan Bourne in which Mysterio became victorious. After the match, he and Bourne were attacked by Kane and Mark Henry. Few weeks later, Rey Mysterio teamed up with Kofi Kingston in a losing effort against Kane and Henry, Kane once again made an attempt to attack Mysterio but he was saved by The Great Khali. At Survivor Series 2008, Team HBK which consisted of Shawn Michaels (the team captain), Rey Mysterio, The Great Khali and Cryme Tyme (JTG & Shad) defeated Team JBL (John Bradshaw Layfield, Kane, Montel Vontavious Porter, John Morrison & The Miz), thus ending the feud between Kane and Mysterio. He would shortly participate in an Intercontinental Championship tournament to determine the No.1 Contender for the William Regal's championship. Mysterio defeated The Miz and Kofi Kingston to advance to the finals of the tournament but ended up losing to CM Punk at Armageddon. Mysterio participated in the 2009 Royal Rumble match where he entered at No.1. He spent 49 minutes and 24 seconds in the match before being eliminated by the No.30 and final entrant Big Show. He qualified for Elimination Chamber spot the next night for the World Heavyweight Championship. He started at the No.1 position and survived to the final two before being eliminated by the winner Edge who attacked the original participant Kofi Kingston before and replaced him.[114]Later, Mysterio accepted John "Bradshaw" Layfield's (JBL) challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XXV, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds.[115] With this win, Mysterio became the twenty first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history.
Mysterio was drafted back to SmackDown! during the 2009 WWE Draft on the April 13 episode of Raw, in the process making the Intercontinental Title exclusive to SmackDown for the first time since mid-2002.[116]
He then began a long-time feud with Chris Jericho, resulting in Mysterio defending and retaining his title at Judgment Day. At Extreme Rules, Jericho managed to unmask Mysterio and pin him for the Intercontinental Championship, however his face was never shown, as he covered it. As a result, Mysterio and Jericho were booked in a Title vs. Mask match at The Bash, in which Mysterio was victorious after tricking Jericho with a second mask. On the July 10, episode of Smackdown, following a successful title defense against Chris Jericho, Mysterio was attacked by Dolph Ziggler. This began a rivalry between the two which culminated in a title match at Night of Champions where Mysterio retained. Mysterio once again defeated Ziggler to retain the Intercontinental title at Summerslam. On August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy.[117] In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm.[117] Mysterio stated that he had a prescription for the drug, but was unable to produce it in time to prevent his suspension due to being on vacation and doing a promotional tour.[117] On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.
[edit]Second World Heavyweight Championship reign and various feuds (2009–2011)Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell to face Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) for the Unified Tag Team Championships with former tag team partner Batista, but they failed to win the title after Mysterio was pinned by Big Show.[118] At WWE Bragging Rights, Mysterio was unsuccessful in winning the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match including Batista, CM Punk, and then-champion The Undertaker. During the match, Mysterio broke up Batista's pin on Undertaker possibly costing him the match and the title. After the match, Batista turned heel by attacking Mysterio.[119] Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series where Batista delivered three Batista Bombs on Mysterio leading to the referee stopping the match.[120] Mysterio was defeated by Batista again in a street fight on the 11th December episode of SmackDown.[121] A few weeks later Mysterio defeated Batista to be named the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.[122] Mysterio's title match against The Undertaker ended as a no-contest after interference from Batista.[123] On January 1, 2010 Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournamentfor the #1 contendership of The Undertaker's World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he defeated his former rival Chris Jericho, beating CM Punk's time. During Batista's "Beat the Clock" challenge against R-Truth, Batista was about to beat Mysterio's time, but Mysterio pulled the referee out of the ring during a pinfall as time ran out, costing Batista the tournament. Later it was announced that Mysterio and Batista would face each other the following week to decide the Number #1 Contender. However, this match also ended in a no-contest, following interference from the Undertaker.[124][125] The following week in a rematch, Mysterio managed to win the title shot for the championship by defeating Batista in a Steel Cage match. At the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker successfully defended the championship against Mysterio.
Mysterio during a WWE live event in 2008.Following the Rumble, Mysterio qualified for an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. In the weeks leading up to the Elimination Chamber, Mysterio began a feud with CM Punk that also involved Punk's Straight Edge Society. During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk, but was ultimately eliminated by John Morrison. In the weeks following the Elimination Chamber event, Mysterio would continue to get the better of CM Punk, costing him a Money in the Bank qualifying match and defeating SES member Luke Gallows. During the on-screen celebration of Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday, Punk interrupted, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI. Mysterio later accepted the challenge. Punk later added the stipulation that if Mysterio were to lose at WrestleMania, he would be forced to join the SES. However Mysterio successfully defeated Punk at WrestleMania. Five days later on SmackDown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, with the stipulation that if Mysterio won, Punk would have his head shaved bald. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced CM Punk again with both previous stipulations in place (Mysterio's allegiance to The SES vs Punk's hair.) Mysterio defeated Punk, resulting in Punk's hair being shaved.[126]
On the May 28 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio fought The Undertaker unsuccessfully, to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way but in the process, accidentally injured the Undertaker and took him out of the competition. On June 4, 2010, Mysterio won a Battle Royal involving the whole SmackDown roster by lastly eliminating Kane to earn The Undertaker's vacated spot, joining then-champion Jack Swagger, Big Show, and CM Punk at the pay-per-view. At Fatal 4 Way, Mysterio defeated Big Show, CM Punk and Jack Swagger to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time in his career. For the next month, Swagger continuously assaulted Mysterio using his ankle lock. At Money in the Bank, Mysterio successfully defeated Swagger to retain the World title, however Swagger continued attacking the ankle after the match until Kane, who had earlier won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match, came to the ring to chase Swagger away, seemingly to protect Mysterio. However, Kane returned with a referee and cashed in his title shot, quickly defeating Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship. On the July 20 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a 2 out of 3 falls match to remain the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, earning a title match against Kane at SummerSlam. However, during the weeks before SummerSlam, Kane had marked Mysterio as the one who had attacked The Undertaker putting him in a vegetative state (which was a storyline put in place to explain Undertaker's absence due to the injury he had sustained against Mysterio in the Fatal Four Way qualifying match). Mysterio retaliated by saying that Kane was the true culprit. After the match at SummerSlam, which Mysterio ultimately lost, Kane had attempted to put Mysterio in a casket, only for The Undertaker to emerge from the casket. Mysterio ended up clearing his name The Undertaker revealed Kane to be the real attacker.
On the August 20 episode of SmackDown, he lost via submission to the debuting Alberto Del Rio.[127] On the August 27 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio lost a No Disqualification match to Kane, and afterwards was attacked by Alberto Del Rio on his injured left arm, sparking a feud between the two.[128] Mysterio returned on the first episode of SmackDown on Syfy and confronted Alberto Del Rio. After Del Rio escaped the ring, he hit his personal ring announcer with a 619. On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak.[129] AtBragging Rights, Mysterio represented Team SmackDown, and despite an attack by fellow teammate Del Rio, he and Edge managed to defeat the rest of Team Raw, giving Team SmackDown the victory. At Survivor Series, Mysterio led a team consisting of himself, Big Show, Chris Masters, MVP and Kofi Kingston to defeat Team Del Rio ( Del Rio, Tyler Reks, Drew McIntyre, Jack Swagger, andCody Rhodes). At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (2010), Mysterio participated in a fatal four way match for the World Heavyweight title against Kane, Edge and Del Rio, in a losing effort as Edge won the match to become the new champion. Mysterio would continue his feud with Del Rio which culminated on the January 7, 2011 episode of SmackDown in a 2 out of 3 falls match, which Del Rio ultimately won by countout due to interference from his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez, ending the feud.
On the January 21 episode of SmackDown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes. During the match, he also broke Rhodes' nose when he hit Rhodes with a 619 with his exposed knee brace, causing Rhodes to miss the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber pay-per-views, thus sparking a feud. Mysterio participated in in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, though he was eliminated byWade Barrett. The match would later be won by his rival, Alberto Del Rio. Five days later on SmackDown, Mysterio qualified for a spot in the Elimination Chamber match at the Elimination Chamberpay-per-view for the World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jack Swagger. At the event he made it to the final two but was finally eliminated by Edge.[130] On the February 25 episode ofSmackDown, Mysterio was tricked and attacked by Cody Rhodes and his father, Dusty Rhodes, resulting in Mysterio being unmasked by Rhodes. Mysterio accepted Rhodes' challenge to a match atWrestleMania XXVII, but was defeated by Rhodes. On the April 23 episode of Smackdown Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a rematch. Mysterio's feud with Rhodes ended at Extreme Rules when Mysterio defeated Rhodes in a Falls Count Anywhere match.[131]
[edit]WWE Champion and injury (2011)In the 2011 WWE Draft, Mysterio was drafted back to Raw. On the May 9 episode of Raw, Mysterio lost a Triple Threat match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. Following the match, Mysterio was attacked by R-Truth[132] which led to a match between the two at Over the Limit, which R-Truth won.[133] From May, Rey Mysterio started feuding with CM Punk, with the pair exchanging victories on successive episodes of Raw.[134] Their feud ended at WWE Capitol Punishment when Punk beat Mysterio. Rey Mysterio failed to capture the Raw Money In The Bank briefcase, eventually the match was won by Alberto Del Rio by unmasking Mysterio as a distraction. Mysterio advanced to the finals of a one night tournament on the July 18 episode of Raw, which culminated into a match between The Miz and Mysterio for the WWE Championship. The following week, Mysterio defeated Miz to win his first ever WWE Championship, nine years to the day of his WWE debut, also becoming a three-time world champion. Later that night, John Cena defeated Mysterio to become WWE Champion. On the August 8, 2011 episode of Raw, Mysterio was brutally attacked by The Miz, leaving him with a storylined injury. At SummerSlam 2011, Mysterio competed in a six man tag-team match with Kofi Kingston and John Morrison to defeat The Miz, Alberto del Rio and R-Truth. The following night on Raw, Rey Mysterio was unsuccessful in his WWE Title rematch against Alberto Del Rio.[135]
Mysterio suffered an in-ring injury at a house show and was expecting to remain out-of-action with an injury inflicted by Alberto Del Rio following a match.[136]
Rey Mysterio returned at the Slammy Awards to present the Superstar of the Year Award which was won by CM Punk, but due to injury, was accepted by Interim Raw GM John Laurinaitis.
[edit]Home mediaMysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including "Rey Mysterio: 619", a documentary of Rey's career and personal life, which was released on DVD and VHS. The DVD featured ten additional matches and other special features, and was released in 2003. WWE also produced "Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man", a three disc set featuring Rey's best matches. Rey also shares his thoughts about the matches he's had and the feuds that he's been in, the DVD was released on October 23, 2007. He was also featured on the DVD "Before They Were Wrestling Stars: Rey Mysterio Jr" in 2007 which featured matches from his time in Mexico.
In the UK, Silver Vision released a Rey Mysterio DVD as part of their Best of WWE collection. This featured his matches from SummerSlam 2005, Wrestlemania 22, No Mercy 2006, and SummerSlam 2007.[137]
On July 12, 2011, WWE released Rey Mysterio: Life of a Masked Man
[edit]Personal lifeMysterio has a wide variety of tattoos, including dedications to his family.Mysterio and his wife Angie have two children.[138] He has tattoos of his two oldest children's names on his right and left biceps. He also has tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie.[139]
On March 19, 2007, Sports Illustrated posted on its website an article in its continuing series investigating a steroid and HGH ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Mysterio who was alleged to have obtained nandrolone and stanozolol.[140] WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006.[141] On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutiérrez would receive a 30 day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program.[117] Days later Gutiérrez defended himself in a newspaper interview by explaining the drugs as being on a prescription for his knee and arm. While the Wellness Policy allows for prescribed drugs, Mysterio further contested he had been on a family holiday and subsequently in Europe promoting SummerSlam, giving him only a day to provide the prescription after being notified.[142]
He is a devoted Roman Catholic, frequently crossing himself before every match and bearing numerous religious tattoos on his body, most notably a cross on his chest attached to rosaries as well as other crosses and allusions to God.[139] Gutiérrez is friends with Noah "Wuv" Bernardo of P.O.D., who performed the original version of Booyaka along with Mysterio, and several other of Mysterio's themes in WCW.
[edit]In wrestlingRey Mysterio performing the 619 on Eddie GuerreroRey Mysterio preparing for a West Coast Pop on Kurt AngleRey Mysterio attempting a Seated sentonon Kane.
- Finishing moves
- 619[1][2] (Tiger feint kick to the head of an opponent draped over the second rope) followed by:
- Diving splash
- Droppin' Da Dime / TJ Drop (Springboard leg drop,[1] sometimes to the back of the opponent's head)
- Frog splash – 2005–present; adopted from and used as a tribute to Eddie Guerrero
- Springboard into either a splash, a seated senton onto the shoulders of a standing opponent,[143] or a diving headbutt[1]
- West Coast Pop[1][2] (Springboard hurricanrana pin) - ECW / WCW / WWE; preceded by Mysterio spinning his arm around then pointing to the sky, signaling the move
- 619[1][2] (Tiger feint kick to the head of an opponent draped over the second rope) followed by:
- Signature moves
- Armbar,[1] often transitioned into a hammerlock[1]
- Arm drag, often used as a counter
- Arm wrench inside cradle[1]
- Baseball slide, sometimes transitioned into a headscissors takedown[1]
- Bronco buster[1]
- Bulldog,[1] often used as a counter
- DDT, often used as a counter
- Diving hurricanrana,[1] sometimes off of the ring apron
- Dragonrana
- Dragon sleeper
- Dropkick, sometimes while springboarding or from the top rope[1]
- Green mist – 2011–present
- Headscissors DDT or headscissors reverse DDT
- Headscissors takedown
- High speed roundhouse kick to the head of a seated opponent, as a roll out counter to a sunset flip
- Inverted STF
- Leg-feed enzuigiri
- Multiple crossbody variations
- Diving
- Reverse
- Running
- Slingshot (Plancha), sometimes with corkscrew
- Springboard, sometimes from the second rope
- Multiple moonsault variations
- Diving, sometimes to a standing opponent
- Arabian press[1]
- Springboard[1]
- Standing
- Mysterio Express[1] (Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb)
- Mysterio-Rana (Mysterio jumps onto an opponent's shoulders and then twists around into a hurricanrana pin), sometimes preceded by a cartwheel
- Slingshot or springboard somersault seated senton onto a standing opponent outside of the ring, sometimes transitioned into a hurricanrana[1]
- Spinning heel kick, sometimes while springboarding
- Springboard sitout facebuster
- Standing shiranui
- Suicide dive
- Thesz press[1]
- Tilt-a-whirl[1] or tope-rope headscissors takedown
- Victory roll
- Wheelbarrow bodyscissors transitioned into either an arm drag, a bulldog,[1] or a DDT
- With Billy Kidman
- 619[1][2] (Tiger feint kick) by Mysterio into a Shooting Star Press by Kidman
- Baseball slide to the groin by Kidman into a Bronco buster[1] by Mysterio
- Catapult by Kidman into a diving hurricanrana by Mysterio
- Double sitout chokeslam
- Nutcracker Suite[1] (Kidman holds the opponents legs while Rey performs a Droppin' Da Dime to their groin)
- Wheelbarrow facebuster (Kidman) / Droppin' Da Dime (Mysterio) combination
- With Edge
- 619[1][2] (Tiger feint kick) by Mysterio followed by a Spear or Edgecution by Edge
- Bombs Away (Simultaneous powerbomb (Edge) / springboard seated senton (Mysterio) combination)
- Catapult by Edge into a diving hurricanrana by Mysterio
- Double missile dropkick
- Hurricanrana by Mysterio into a Spear by Edge
- Powerbomb lift by Edge to Mysterio, Mysterio then moonsaults on to the opponent (the opponent(s) is usually standing outside the ring)
- With Rob Van Dam
- 4:20 (Van Dam lifts Mysterio up and drops him while simultaneously dropping himself into a seated position, resulting in a double Droppin' Da Dime to an opponent's throat and chest)
- 619[1][2] (Tiger feint kick) by Mysterio followed by a Five-Star Frog Splash by Van Dam
- Catapult by Van Dam into a diving hurricanrana by Mysterio
- Rolling Thunder by Van Dam followed by a Droppin' Da Dime by Mysterio
- With Batista
- 619[2] (Tiger feint kick) followed by a Spinebuster from Batista
- Managers
- Torrie Wilson (1999)
- Tygress (2000-2001)
- Nicknames
- "El Super Duper Niño" ("The Super Duper Kid") (ECW)
- "The Technical Kid From San Diego" (ECW / WCW)
- "Flying Fury" (WCW / WWE)
- "The Giant Killer" (WCW / WWE)
- "The Ultimate Underdog" (WCW / WWE)
- "The Human Highlight Reel" (WCW / WWE)
- "The Sensation" (WCW / WWE)
- "The Firecracker" (WCW / WWE)
- "The Master of the 619"[2] (WWE)
- "The Biggest Little Man" (WWE)
- "The Masked Maestro" (WWE)
- Entrance themes
- "Sad but True" by Metallica (ECW; 1995–1996; as Rey Mysterio, Jr.)
- "March of Death" by Jimmy Hart (ECW/WCW; 1995–1998; 1999; as Rey Mysterio, Jr.)
- "Flying Fury" by Ill Harmonics (WCW; 1998–1999; as Rey Mysterio, Jr.)
- "Bow Wow Wow" by Konnan and Mad One (WCW; 1999; as Rey Mysterio, Jr.; used while part of the Filthy Animals)
- "Psycho" by Konnan and Mad One (WCW; 1999–2001; as Rey Mysterio, Jr.; used while part of the Filthy Animals)
- "619" by Chris Classic (WWE; July 25, 2002–September 15, 2005)
- "Booyaka" performed by Rey Mysterio and Mad One (WWE; October 28, 2005–May 26, 2006)
- "Booyaka 619" by P.O.D. (WWE; June 7, 2006–present)
- Hollywood Heavyweight Wrestling
- HHW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[147]
- International Wrestling Council
- International Wrestling Council World Middleweight Title (2 times)[149]
- World Championship Wrestling[150]
- WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)[17]
- WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman[45]
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)[28]
- WCW Magazine Match of the Year (1997) vs. Eddie Guerrero, for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, WCW Halloween Havoc, October 26
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Championship (1 time)
- World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[154]
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)[155][156]
- WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)[157]
- WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)[17]
- Royal Rumble (2006)[68]
- Twenty First Triple Crown Champion
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Flying Wrestler (1995–1997, 2002–2004)
- Best Wrestling Maneuver (1995) West Coast Pop
- Match of the Year (2002) with Edge vs. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, for the WWE Tag Team Championship, WWE No Mercy, October 20
- Most Outstanding Wrestler (1996)
- Rookie of the Year (1992)
- Worst Feud of the Year (2008) with Kane
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2010)
The Miz
Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980)[2] is an American professional wrestler, reality television star, media personality, and actor better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand where he is used as Enhancement Talent. Mizanin first gained fame as a cast member on MTV's The Real World: Back to New York, which first aired in 2001, and its spinoff series, Real World/Road Rules Challenge. He later entered the fourth season of Tough Enough, a televised competition that would award the winner a WWE contract, and became the first runner-up. Mizanin has also made appearances on television shows including Battle of the Network Reality Stars, Fear Factor, Identity, Ghost Hunters, Dinner Impossible, Psych and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?.
Mizanin trained and wrestled with Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling, where he became the first Deep South Heavyweight Champion. Mizanin was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), working in tag team matches and winning the tag team title, the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, on one occasion.
After signing with WWE, Mizanin became host of the annual WWE Diva Search competition in 2006. Following his hosting duties, Mizanin made his wrestling debut in September 2006, as a villain who went undefeated. In 2007, was drafted from SmackDown to the ECW brand, where he formed a partnership with John Morrison, in which the two held both the WWE Tag Team Championship and the World Tag Team Championship. He was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2009 WWE Draft, and won the WWE United States Championship on two occasions. He also won WWE Unified Tag Team Championship with The Big Show and the WWE Tag Team Championship with John Cena. In July 2010, he won a Money in the Bank ladder match at the first WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view, earning a contract for a WWE Championship match, which he used in November to win the WWE Championship for the first time. In 2011, The Miz was ranked number one on Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual PWI 500 list.
Contents [hide]
[edit] Television career Mizanin dropped out of college, where he was pursuing a degree in business, in order to appear on the tenth season of MTV's reality television program The Real World in 2001.[5][6] He went on to appear in multiple seasons of its spin-off series, Real World/Road Rules Challenge,[6] along with contestants from both Road Rules and The Real World, including Battle of the Seasons,[7] The Gauntlet,[8] The Inferno,[8] Battle of the Sexes 2,[9] and The Inferno 2.[10] Except for Battle of the Sexes 2, Mizanin made it to the end of the rest of the Challenges on which he competed, and won both Battle of the Seasons and The Inferno 2.
It was during an episode of The Real World that Mizanin first displayed an alter ego known as "The Miz".[2] In contrast to Mizanin's usually placid demeanor, The Miz was angry, combative, and headstrong. Mizanin later realized that "The Miz" would make an excellent professional wrestling gimmick.[2]
In 2004, he appeared on the Bravo reality show Battle of the Network Reality Stars,[6][11] where his team finished second. Mizanin was also a contestant in the "Reality Stars" episode of Fear Factor.[6][12] His partner was his former girlfriend and cast mate, Trishelle Cannatella, and the two won the competition. In April 2007, he appeared on the game show Identity, where he appeared as a stranger, and contestant John Kim correctly identified his identity as a professional wrestler by the odd way he added "Miz-" before most words.[13] In 2008, Mizanin appeared on the Sci Fi reality series Ghost Hunters Live as a guest investigator.[14] In 2009, Mizanin appeared on two episodes of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, which were both aired on September 29.[15][16] He appeared on an episode of Destroy Build Destroy on March 3, 2010.[17][18] On October 5, 2011, Miz starred in an episode of H8R. He also appeared as a guest star in a March 2012 episode of Psych.
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Ultimate Pro Wrestling (2003) Pursuing the goal of becoming a professional wrestler which he had harbored from an early age, Mizanin joined Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), where he trained in the Ultimate University.[2] He made his in-ring debut in 2003 as the Miz.[2] During his time with UPW, the Miz competed in UPW's Mat War's tournament, making it to the finals before losing to Tony Stradlin.[2]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE [edit] Tough Enough and training (2004–2006) The Miz in 2005 In October 2004, Mizanin entered the fourth season of Tough Enough, a televised competition which would award the winner a World Wrestling Entertainment contract and $1,000,000.[2][19] Despite coming last in an arm wrestling tournament on November 25, 2004, Mizanin outlasted six other wrestlers, and made it to the final round.[4] At the pay-per-view event, Armageddon, Mizanin faced the other remaining entrant, Daniel Puder, in a three round "Dixie Dogfight" (boxing match). Neither man achieved a knockout, and the contest was awarded to Puder on the basis of crowd reaction.[20] On the December 16, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Puder was announced as the winner of Tough Enough by head trainer Al Snow.[21]
Despite losing the Tough Enough contest, Mizanin had piqued the interest of WWE, and he was eventually offered a developmental contract.[2] Mizanin was sent to Deep South Wrestling (DSW) to train under Bill DeMott,[2] relocating to McDonough, Georgia in the process. In July 2005, he wrestled two dark matches for WWE, teaming with former Tough Enough champion Matt Cappotelli to face The Highlanders (Robbie and Rory McAllister). On December 1, 2005, Mizanin defeated Mike Knox in the finals of a tournament to determine the inaugural Deep South Heavyweight Champion.[2][22] He continued his partnership with Matt Cappotelli throughout the second half of 2005 in WWE dark matches and house shows until Cappotelli, nominally of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), was diagnosed with a brain tumor after an injury at a taping in December 2005.[23]
[edit] Ohio Valley Wrestling (2006) On January 3, 2006, it was reported that Mizanin had been transferred to OVW. On the January 18, 2006, OVW TV show, Mizanin made his debut as "The Miz", with a Miz TV segment, where he was shown talking backstage.[2] On the January 28, 2006 episode of the OVW television show, The Miz wrestled his first singles match against Rene Dupree, but lost by countout.[24]
At the February 8, 2006 TV taping, The Miz and Chris Cage captured the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, defeating Chet the Jett and Seth Skyfire.[2][25] In what was deemed a "disciplinary move", WWE released Cage over the weekend of March 18, 2006, making it necessary for Miz and Cage to drop the titles.[26] On March 19, 2006, Deuce Shade defeated The Miz in a singles contest to win the championship for his team The Untouchables (Deuce Shade and Domino).[2][27]
[edit] SmackDown! (2006–2007) On March 7, 2006, WWE's official website featured a video of "The Miz" stating that he was headed to SmackDown! and throughout April, SmackDown! aired vignettes hyping his debut.[2][28] When Mizanin actually attempted to make his debut on the April 21, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, however, he was, in storyline banned from entering the arena by "network executive" Palmer Cannon who told him that he had been "canceled" before having security escort him from the premises.[29]
The Miz standing on the apron at an ECW/SmackDown live show On May 31, 2006, WWE's official website announced that he would serve as SmackDown!'s "host".[30] The Miz debuted as the "host" on June 2, 2006,[31] announcing the planned card at the top of the show and attempting to hype up the crowd. Other "host" duties included backstage interviews and hosting a bikini contest. The hosting duties seemed sporadic at best, with some weeks having little to no involvement of Miz at all. Starting in July, Miz, along with Ashley Massaro, became host of the annual Diva Search competition appearing on both Raw and SmackDown!.[32][33][34]
After the end of the Diva Search competition, The Miz returned exclusively to SmackDown! and adopted a villainous persona, starting his in-ring competition with a win over Tatanka in a September 2006 episode of SmackDown!.[35] After this win he, along with commentator Michael Cole, began to note whenever possible that he was "undefeated", though he only wrestled five matches over the next two months, defeating such superstars as Matt Hardy,[36] Funaki,[37] and Scotty 2 Hotty.[38] At the same time he began a feud with Diva Search winner Layla El, who spurned his advances on more than one occasion,[39][40] leading to Miz helping Kristal defeat her in various competitions.[41][42] Soon, however, Miz and Kristal found themselves being stalked by The Boogeyman. This began a feud in which the Boogeyman ended the Miz's winning streak at December's Armageddon event.[43]
Following a brief absence from television, The Miz returned to SmackDown! to host an interview segment called Miz TV.[44] After the unsuccessful segment, the Miz returned to in-ring competition with a more intense style and began to pick up wins once again.[45][46] On the June 11, 2007 episode of Raw, Mizanin faced off against Snitsky in a match to determine a draft pick for SmackDown!.[47] Snitsky easily defeated the Miz to give ECW the draft pick, but after constantly assaulting the Miz after the match, the referee reversed the decision and awarded the match to Miz, thus allowing SmackDown! a draft pick.[48] SmackDown!'s pick was then revealed to be Chris Masters.[48]
[edit] ECW (2007–2009) Miz was drafted from SmackDown! to ECW on June 17, 2007 as part of the 2007 Supplemental Draft.[49] He was absent from the first few weeks of ECW, though he was the subject of backstage mentions between matches and had several short Miz TV Crashes ECW video segments.[50][51] He made his debut on the July 10 episode of ECW in a match against Nunzio, which he won.[52]
Following this match, Extreme Exposé began expressing admiration in him and gave him a lap-dance, starting a new gimmick for him of a self-proclaimed "chick magnet".[53] Extreme Exposé then became managers for The Miz.[54] He then began a feud with Balls Mahoney, after Kelly Kelly began to fall in love with Mahoney on screen.[55][56][57] On the October 2 episode of ECW, it was revealed that Miz owned the contracts of Kelly Kelly, Layla, and Brooke Adams, and used this excuse to stop Kelly from going out with Mahoney.[58] He was voted at Cyber Sunday to face CM Punk, for the ECW Championship but lost the match.[59]
[edit] Unified WWE Tag Team Champion and United States Champion (2008–2010) Main article: John Morrison and The Miz Main article: ShoMiz Mizanin was one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, alongside John Morrison. On the November 16 episode of SmackDown, he became one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with John Morrison when they defeated Matt Hardy and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) in a title match, which gave the Miz his first title within the company.[60][61]
In February 2008, Miz and Morrison were given a streaming segment on the WWE website named The Dirt Sheet in which they mocked other wrestlers and facets of pop culture, showing off their promo skills.[62] Morrison and The Miz co-wrote each episode of The Dirt Sheet each week.[63] As the duo continued to hold the titles, WWE downplayed the angle of Miz and Morrison disliking each other, and portrayed them as friends. The team had many successful title defenses over the next few months, before dropping the championship to Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder at the Great American Bash in a Fatal Four-Way match which also featured Jesse and Festus and Finlay and Hornswoggle.[64] Neither Miz nor Morrison were pinned, as Hawkins pinned Jesse to win the titles.[64] Miz and Morrison soon followed a feud with Cryme Tyme (Shad Gaspard and JTG) as a battle of their webshows, "Word Up" and "The Dirt Sheet". The two would be victorious against Cryme Tyme in a match at Cyber Sunday where they were voted in.[65] On December 13, 2008, Miz and Morrison defeated Kofi Kingston and CM Punk to win the World Tag Team Championship during a WWE house show in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[66] The team then engaged themselves in a feud with The Colóns (Carlito and Primo). In a dark match at WrestleMania XXV, they lost the World Tag Team Championship to The Colóns in a Lumberjack match to unify the World Tag Team and the WWE Tag Team titles.[67] On the April 13 episode of Raw, The Miz lost a match to Kofi Kingston due to Morrison's inadvertent interference, which gave Raw a draft pick in the 2009 WWE Draft. The pick was then revealed to be The Miz, and he subsequently attacked Morrison, ending their partnership.[68]
The Miz during his feud with John Cena in 2009. Miz challenged John Cena to a match on the April 27 episode of Raw, but as Cena was out due to injury, Miz claimed an unofficial win via forfeit and continued to do this over the following weeks, until Cena defeated him in a singles match at The Bash.[69] On the August 3 episode of Raw, The Miz lost a match to Cena, which meant that, in storyline, he was banned from the Staples Center, Raw and SummerSlam.[70] The following week, on August 10, Miz competed under a mask as "The Calgary Kid", and won a Contract on Pole match against Eugene, earning a contract in storyline, and revealing himself by removing his mask afterwards.[71] After removing the mask to reveal himself. he cut a promo and debut his catchphrase "Because I am The Miz and I'm Awesome."
On the August 19 edition of Raw, The Miz announced his intention to challenge for the WWE United States Championship, and also debuted new ring attire and a new finishing move, the Skull Crushing Finale, to defeat Evan Bourne.[3][72] He challenged for the United States Championship at the Night of Champions, Breaking Point and Hell in a Cell pay-per-views, but was unsuccessful.[73][74][75] On the October 5 episode of Raw, the night after Hell in a Cell, The Miz received a rematch for the championship, and defeated Kofi Kingston to win the United States Championship and his first singles championship in WWE.[76][77] The following pay-per-view event, Bragging Rights, was themed with interpromotional matches and now that The Miz was the second-tier champion on Raw he was booked against SmackDown's Intercontinental Champion, his erstwhile tag team partner John Morrison.[78] In the build up to their first match since splitting, the two hosted a one-off edition of The Dirt Sheet on the October 16 episode of SmackDown where the two compared themselves to '80s tag team The Rockers, debating over which is more comparable to the successful Shawn Michaels and which was the less successful Marty Jannetty.[79] At Bragging Rights, Miz pinned Morrison to become the only member of the Raw roster to win an interpromotional match.[80] The following month at Survivor Series, Miz captained a team of five wrestlers against Team Morrison in a five-on-five Survivor Series elimination match and once again bested his former partner.[81]
ShoMiz (The Miz and The Big Show) as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions at WrestleMania XXVI. In 2010, The Miz began a rivalry with MVP that began with a critically well-received verbal exchange between the two.[82] The two met in an unadvertised match for the United States Championship at the Royal Rumble event with Miz retaining his title, but in the Royal Rumble match itself MVP eliminated both himself and The Miz.[83] During the rivalry with MVP, Miz began showing signs of an allegiance with The Big Show and on the February 8 episode of Raw, the two defeated champions D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) and The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows) to become the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions.[84][85][86]
On February 16, it was announced that he would be on the WWE NXT show as the storyline mentor of Daniel Bryan.[87] At WrestleMania XXVI, Show and Miz defeated John Morrison and R-Truth to retain the title again.[88] During the 2010 WWE Draft on the April 26 episode of Raw, ShoMiz lost the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship to The Hart Dynasty when Tyson Kidd made The Miz submit to the Sharpshooter. After the match, The Big Show knocked out The Miz, and was later drafted to the SmackDown brand, leaving The Miz on Raw.[89] On May 10, Kidd defeated The Miz in a match, which earned any member of The Hart Dynasty a match for the United States Championship, and The Miz, who was allowed to choose his opponent, elected to face Bret Hart.[90] On the following episode of Raw on May 17, Hart defeated The Miz to win the United States Championship, despite Chris Jericho, William Regal, and Vladimir Kozlov attempting to interfere on The Miz's behalf.[91] The Miz had a tumultuous relationship with Bryan, who was eliminated from NXT on May 11, although he returned the following week to attack The Miz.[92][93]
The Miz as the United States Champion and Money in the Bank holder in August 2010. On June 1, The Miz announced that he would be returning as a Pro for the second season of NXT, to mentor Alex Riley, the only Pro to do so.[94][95] On the June 14 episode of Raw, The Miz defeated R-Truth, John Morrison, and Zack Ryder in a fatal four-way match to win the United States Championship for the second time, and successfully retained the championship against R-Truth at the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view.[96][97][98]
[edit] Mr. Money in the Bank and WWE Champion (2010-2011) On July 18, at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, The Miz won a Money in the Bank ladder match to win a contract for a WWE Championship match that he could utilize at any time over the next year.[99] Over the next few weeks, The Miz attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract on the WWE Champion Sheamus, but was continually interrupted by other wrestlers before the matches could occur, which meant that he retained the contract for future use.[100][101] Daniel Bryan returned to WWE at SummerSlam, taking The Miz's place on Team WWE, causing The Miz to attack him.[102] This began a rivalry between the two, with The Miz losing the United States Championship to Bryan at the Night of Champions event in September.[103] The following month, Miz defeated John Cena to become the captain of Team Raw, but at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view Team Raw—The Miz (with Alex Riley), R-Truth, John Morrison, Santino Marella, Sheamus, CM Punk, and Ezekiel Jackson—were unsuccessful in defeating Team SmackDown.[104]
The Miz at a WWE live event. On the November 22 episode of Raw, following a successful WWE Championship defense by Randy Orton against Wade Barrett, he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to become the new WWE Champion making him the first person from Tough Enough to win the WWE Championship.[105][106] He successfully defended the championship against Jerry Lawler in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match on the following episode of Raw, due to help from Michael Cole and Riley, and again at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view in December by defeating Orton in a Tables match following interference from Alex Riley.[107][108] He defeated Orton again at the Royal Rumble, after interference from CM Punk, in January 2011 and Lawler the following month at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view to retain the championship.[109][110]
[edit] WWE Tag Team Champion and Awesome Truth (2011) The night after Elimination Chamber, The Miz and John Cena were paired together by the Raw General Manager to challenge The Corre (Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater) for the WWE Tag Team Championship. The Miz and Cena were successful in winning the titles (making Miz a double champion and seemingly turning him into a tweener), but lost them back to Corre immediately afterward in a rematch, after The Miz turned on Cena.[111][112] This made their reign the shortest in the championship's history.[113] The following week, The Miz lost Riley as his apprentice after Cena defeated Riley in a steel cage match with the stipulation that if Cena won, Riley was fired from his job, but The Miz hired Riley back, this time as his VP of Corporate Communications, in mid-March.[114][115] On April 3 in the main event of WrestleMania XXVII, The Miz successfully defended the WWE Championship against Cena, following interference from The Rock.[116] At the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on May 1, The Miz lost the WWE Championship to Cena, in a triple threat steel cage match, also involving Morrison.[117] The following night on Raw, The Miz failed to regain the championship from Cena in a singles match when he lost by disqualification, and failed to regain the championship again in an "I Quit" match at Over the Limit .[118][119]
On the May 23 episode of Raw, The Miz fired Riley, blaming him for not being able to regain the championship. This led to Riley attacking his former mentor, sending him crashing into a barricade at ringside and then head first over the announce table which turned Riley a fan favorite for the first time in WWE. On the May 30 episode of Raw, The Miz assaulted Riley after an interview from Michael Cole, but Riley gained the upper hand and Miz escaped through the crowd. At Capitol Punishment, Riley defeated Miz in a singles-match. He went on to lose to Riley in various singles and tag team matches. It was later announced that Miz would be a participant in the Raw's Money in the Bank ladder match at Money in the Bank, though he was unsuccessful in winning the match.[120] At Summerslam,The Miz teamed up with R-Truth and Alberto Del Rio in a losing effort to Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston and John Morrison.[121]
Awesome Truth at the WWE Raw World Tour in London, November 2011. On the August 22 episode of Raw, Miz and R-Truth attacked Santino Marella before his match. They would then cut a promo agreeing there was a conspiracy in the WWE keeping the both of them out of the main event picture, and declared they would, together, seize any opportunity that came their way in the future.[122] The duo would soon begin referring to themselves, on Raw and in other media, as "The Awesome Truth".[123][124] On the August 29 episode of Raw, Truth interfered in Miz's match and the duo attacked CM Punk. The following week, Miz and Truth announced that they would challenge Air Boom (Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston) to a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions. At the pay-per-view, Miz would assault the referee, causing his team to lose by disqualification.[125] Seeking retribution, Miz and Truth later attacked both Triple H and CM Punk during their no disqualification match in the main event.[126] Because of their actions from the previous night, R-Truth and The Miz were fired by Triple H on the September 19 episode of Raw.[127][128] At the conclusion of the main event match at Hell in a Cell, R-Truth and The Miz jumped the barricade wearing black hooded sweatshirts and entered the cell as it was being raised. They then used weapons to attack Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, John Cena, and several others while the cell was again lowered. After this, the entire WWE roster led by Triple H came out to find a way into the cell, before New Orleans Police Department officers were able to get the door open and arrest them. The two later posted a video on YouTube apologizing to the WWE Universe for their actions.[129] The Miz and R-Truth were reinstated by John Laurinaitis on the October 10 episode of Raw. At Vengeance, Miz and Truth defeated CM Punk and Triple H in a tag team match, after interference from Kevin Nash. Later that same night they assaulted John Cena during his WWE Championship match with Alberto Del Rio.[130] On the October 24 episode of Raw, Awesome Truth attacked John Cena and Zack Ryder. On the 7 November episode of Raw, Miz and R-Truth defeated Cena and Ryder.[131] At Survivor Series, The Awesome Truth were defeated by John Cena and The Rock.[132]
The Miz in 2011. On the November 21 episode of Raw, Cena instigated an argument between R-Truth and Miz, which resulted in Miz hitting his finisher on Truth as they were heading up the steel ramp, signaling the end of their alliance.[133] This was a pretext to explain R-Truth's absence during his suspension as a result of his violating of the Wellness Policy.[134]
[edit] WWE Championship pursuits and various feuds (2012–present) On the November 28 episode of Raw, Miz defeated John Morrison, after he once again hit his finisher on the steel ramp. On the December 5, episode of Raw, Miz qualified for a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match against Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk at Tables, Ladders & Chairs for the WWE Championship after a win over Randy Orton via count out, but was unsuccessful.[135] On the December 26 episode of Raw, R-Truth returned only to viciously attack Miz after a match and promised this will continue week-after-week.[136] The following Raw, Truth would hide in the audience and attack Miz again during his match with Sheamus.[137] On the January 9 episode of Raw, Miz would retaliate by attacking R-Truth until Truth turned the tables and chased him out of the ring.[138] On the January 16 episode of Raw SuperShow, R-Truth defeated Miz, Wade Barrett, and Sheamus in an Over The Top Rope Challenge.[139] The following Raw, Miz was defeated by R-Truth in a singles match with a stipulation in place where the loser of the match would enter the Royal Rumble match as the first entrant. In the Rumble match, Miz was the longest lasting participant, lasting over 45 minutes before being eliminated by former tag team partner, Big Show.[140] At Elimination Chamber, Miz failed again to capture the WWE Championship after being eliminated last by CM Punk.[141]
[edit] Other media Mizanin will co-star in 2012 crime drama Stainless Steel, alongside fellow wrestlers Matt Striker and Layla El as CIA agent John Steel.[142] He appears in the WWE video games, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, and WWE '12.
The Miz appeared on the USA show Psych as a psychotic contestant on a reality dating show.
[edit] Personal life Mizanin is left-handed. He passionately roots for his hometown Cleveland Browns, Indians, and Cavs. Prior to the Indians vs. Angels game on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Mizanin fulfilled one of his life-long goals when he threw out the first pitch.[143]
When Mike was 11, his parents divorced. He has a step-father named Donnie and two step-siblings, Jimmy and Tonia.[144] His father, George Mizanin, owns several "Mr. Hero" sandwich shops in Cleveland, Ohio.[145]
[edit] In wrestling
Mizanin trained and wrestled with Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling, where he became the first Deep South Heavyweight Champion. Mizanin was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), working in tag team matches and winning the tag team title, the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, on one occasion.
After signing with WWE, Mizanin became host of the annual WWE Diva Search competition in 2006. Following his hosting duties, Mizanin made his wrestling debut in September 2006, as a villain who went undefeated. In 2007, was drafted from SmackDown to the ECW brand, where he formed a partnership with John Morrison, in which the two held both the WWE Tag Team Championship and the World Tag Team Championship. He was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2009 WWE Draft, and won the WWE United States Championship on two occasions. He also won WWE Unified Tag Team Championship with The Big Show and the WWE Tag Team Championship with John Cena. In July 2010, he won a Money in the Bank ladder match at the first WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view, earning a contract for a WWE Championship match, which he used in November to win the WWE Championship for the first time. In 2011, The Miz was ranked number one on Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual PWI 500 list.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Television career
- 3 Professional wrestling career
- 3.1 Ultimate Pro Wrestling (2003)
- 3.2 World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- 3.2.1 Tough Enough and training (2004–2006)
- 3.2.2 Ohio Valley Wrestling (2006)
- 3.2.3 SmackDown! (2006–2007)
- 3.2.4 ECW (2007–2009)
- 3.2.5 Unified WWE Tag Team Champion and United States Champion (2008–2010)
- 3.2.6 Mr. Money in the Bank and WWE Champion (2010-2011)
- 3.2.7 WWE Tag Team Champion and Awesome Truth (2011)
- 3.2.8 WWE Championship pursuits and various feuds (2012–present)
- 4 Other media
- 5 Personal life
- 6 In wrestling
- 7 Championships and accomplishments
- 8 References
- 9 External links
[edit] Television career Mizanin dropped out of college, where he was pursuing a degree in business, in order to appear on the tenth season of MTV's reality television program The Real World in 2001.[5][6] He went on to appear in multiple seasons of its spin-off series, Real World/Road Rules Challenge,[6] along with contestants from both Road Rules and The Real World, including Battle of the Seasons,[7] The Gauntlet,[8] The Inferno,[8] Battle of the Sexes 2,[9] and The Inferno 2.[10] Except for Battle of the Sexes 2, Mizanin made it to the end of the rest of the Challenges on which he competed, and won both Battle of the Seasons and The Inferno 2.
It was during an episode of The Real World that Mizanin first displayed an alter ego known as "The Miz".[2] In contrast to Mizanin's usually placid demeanor, The Miz was angry, combative, and headstrong. Mizanin later realized that "The Miz" would make an excellent professional wrestling gimmick.[2]
In 2004, he appeared on the Bravo reality show Battle of the Network Reality Stars,[6][11] where his team finished second. Mizanin was also a contestant in the "Reality Stars" episode of Fear Factor.[6][12] His partner was his former girlfriend and cast mate, Trishelle Cannatella, and the two won the competition. In April 2007, he appeared on the game show Identity, where he appeared as a stranger, and contestant John Kim correctly identified his identity as a professional wrestler by the odd way he added "Miz-" before most words.[13] In 2008, Mizanin appeared on the Sci Fi reality series Ghost Hunters Live as a guest investigator.[14] In 2009, Mizanin appeared on two episodes of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, which were both aired on September 29.[15][16] He appeared on an episode of Destroy Build Destroy on March 3, 2010.[17][18] On October 5, 2011, Miz starred in an episode of H8R. He also appeared as a guest star in a March 2012 episode of Psych.
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Ultimate Pro Wrestling (2003) Pursuing the goal of becoming a professional wrestler which he had harbored from an early age, Mizanin joined Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), where he trained in the Ultimate University.[2] He made his in-ring debut in 2003 as the Miz.[2] During his time with UPW, the Miz competed in UPW's Mat War's tournament, making it to the finals before losing to Tony Stradlin.[2]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE [edit] Tough Enough and training (2004–2006) The Miz in 2005 In October 2004, Mizanin entered the fourth season of Tough Enough, a televised competition which would award the winner a World Wrestling Entertainment contract and $1,000,000.[2][19] Despite coming last in an arm wrestling tournament on November 25, 2004, Mizanin outlasted six other wrestlers, and made it to the final round.[4] At the pay-per-view event, Armageddon, Mizanin faced the other remaining entrant, Daniel Puder, in a three round "Dixie Dogfight" (boxing match). Neither man achieved a knockout, and the contest was awarded to Puder on the basis of crowd reaction.[20] On the December 16, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Puder was announced as the winner of Tough Enough by head trainer Al Snow.[21]
Despite losing the Tough Enough contest, Mizanin had piqued the interest of WWE, and he was eventually offered a developmental contract.[2] Mizanin was sent to Deep South Wrestling (DSW) to train under Bill DeMott,[2] relocating to McDonough, Georgia in the process. In July 2005, he wrestled two dark matches for WWE, teaming with former Tough Enough champion Matt Cappotelli to face The Highlanders (Robbie and Rory McAllister). On December 1, 2005, Mizanin defeated Mike Knox in the finals of a tournament to determine the inaugural Deep South Heavyweight Champion.[2][22] He continued his partnership with Matt Cappotelli throughout the second half of 2005 in WWE dark matches and house shows until Cappotelli, nominally of Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), was diagnosed with a brain tumor after an injury at a taping in December 2005.[23]
[edit] Ohio Valley Wrestling (2006) On January 3, 2006, it was reported that Mizanin had been transferred to OVW. On the January 18, 2006, OVW TV show, Mizanin made his debut as "The Miz", with a Miz TV segment, where he was shown talking backstage.[2] On the January 28, 2006 episode of the OVW television show, The Miz wrestled his first singles match against Rene Dupree, but lost by countout.[24]
At the February 8, 2006 TV taping, The Miz and Chris Cage captured the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship, defeating Chet the Jett and Seth Skyfire.[2][25] In what was deemed a "disciplinary move", WWE released Cage over the weekend of March 18, 2006, making it necessary for Miz and Cage to drop the titles.[26] On March 19, 2006, Deuce Shade defeated The Miz in a singles contest to win the championship for his team The Untouchables (Deuce Shade and Domino).[2][27]
[edit] SmackDown! (2006–2007) On March 7, 2006, WWE's official website featured a video of "The Miz" stating that he was headed to SmackDown! and throughout April, SmackDown! aired vignettes hyping his debut.[2][28] When Mizanin actually attempted to make his debut on the April 21, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, however, he was, in storyline banned from entering the arena by "network executive" Palmer Cannon who told him that he had been "canceled" before having security escort him from the premises.[29]
The Miz standing on the apron at an ECW/SmackDown live show On May 31, 2006, WWE's official website announced that he would serve as SmackDown!'s "host".[30] The Miz debuted as the "host" on June 2, 2006,[31] announcing the planned card at the top of the show and attempting to hype up the crowd. Other "host" duties included backstage interviews and hosting a bikini contest. The hosting duties seemed sporadic at best, with some weeks having little to no involvement of Miz at all. Starting in July, Miz, along with Ashley Massaro, became host of the annual Diva Search competition appearing on both Raw and SmackDown!.[32][33][34]
After the end of the Diva Search competition, The Miz returned exclusively to SmackDown! and adopted a villainous persona, starting his in-ring competition with a win over Tatanka in a September 2006 episode of SmackDown!.[35] After this win he, along with commentator Michael Cole, began to note whenever possible that he was "undefeated", though he only wrestled five matches over the next two months, defeating such superstars as Matt Hardy,[36] Funaki,[37] and Scotty 2 Hotty.[38] At the same time he began a feud with Diva Search winner Layla El, who spurned his advances on more than one occasion,[39][40] leading to Miz helping Kristal defeat her in various competitions.[41][42] Soon, however, Miz and Kristal found themselves being stalked by The Boogeyman. This began a feud in which the Boogeyman ended the Miz's winning streak at December's Armageddon event.[43]
Following a brief absence from television, The Miz returned to SmackDown! to host an interview segment called Miz TV.[44] After the unsuccessful segment, the Miz returned to in-ring competition with a more intense style and began to pick up wins once again.[45][46] On the June 11, 2007 episode of Raw, Mizanin faced off against Snitsky in a match to determine a draft pick for SmackDown!.[47] Snitsky easily defeated the Miz to give ECW the draft pick, but after constantly assaulting the Miz after the match, the referee reversed the decision and awarded the match to Miz, thus allowing SmackDown! a draft pick.[48] SmackDown!'s pick was then revealed to be Chris Masters.[48]
[edit] ECW (2007–2009) Miz was drafted from SmackDown! to ECW on June 17, 2007 as part of the 2007 Supplemental Draft.[49] He was absent from the first few weeks of ECW, though he was the subject of backstage mentions between matches and had several short Miz TV Crashes ECW video segments.[50][51] He made his debut on the July 10 episode of ECW in a match against Nunzio, which he won.[52]
Following this match, Extreme Exposé began expressing admiration in him and gave him a lap-dance, starting a new gimmick for him of a self-proclaimed "chick magnet".[53] Extreme Exposé then became managers for The Miz.[54] He then began a feud with Balls Mahoney, after Kelly Kelly began to fall in love with Mahoney on screen.[55][56][57] On the October 2 episode of ECW, it was revealed that Miz owned the contracts of Kelly Kelly, Layla, and Brooke Adams, and used this excuse to stop Kelly from going out with Mahoney.[58] He was voted at Cyber Sunday to face CM Punk, for the ECW Championship but lost the match.[59]
[edit] Unified WWE Tag Team Champion and United States Champion (2008–2010) Main article: John Morrison and The Miz Main article: ShoMiz Mizanin was one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions, alongside John Morrison. On the November 16 episode of SmackDown, he became one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with John Morrison when they defeated Matt Hardy and Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) in a title match, which gave the Miz his first title within the company.[60][61]
In February 2008, Miz and Morrison were given a streaming segment on the WWE website named The Dirt Sheet in which they mocked other wrestlers and facets of pop culture, showing off their promo skills.[62] Morrison and The Miz co-wrote each episode of The Dirt Sheet each week.[63] As the duo continued to hold the titles, WWE downplayed the angle of Miz and Morrison disliking each other, and portrayed them as friends. The team had many successful title defenses over the next few months, before dropping the championship to Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder at the Great American Bash in a Fatal Four-Way match which also featured Jesse and Festus and Finlay and Hornswoggle.[64] Neither Miz nor Morrison were pinned, as Hawkins pinned Jesse to win the titles.[64] Miz and Morrison soon followed a feud with Cryme Tyme (Shad Gaspard and JTG) as a battle of their webshows, "Word Up" and "The Dirt Sheet". The two would be victorious against Cryme Tyme in a match at Cyber Sunday where they were voted in.[65] On December 13, 2008, Miz and Morrison defeated Kofi Kingston and CM Punk to win the World Tag Team Championship during a WWE house show in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.[66] The team then engaged themselves in a feud with The Colóns (Carlito and Primo). In a dark match at WrestleMania XXV, they lost the World Tag Team Championship to The Colóns in a Lumberjack match to unify the World Tag Team and the WWE Tag Team titles.[67] On the April 13 episode of Raw, The Miz lost a match to Kofi Kingston due to Morrison's inadvertent interference, which gave Raw a draft pick in the 2009 WWE Draft. The pick was then revealed to be The Miz, and he subsequently attacked Morrison, ending their partnership.[68]
The Miz during his feud with John Cena in 2009. Miz challenged John Cena to a match on the April 27 episode of Raw, but as Cena was out due to injury, Miz claimed an unofficial win via forfeit and continued to do this over the following weeks, until Cena defeated him in a singles match at The Bash.[69] On the August 3 episode of Raw, The Miz lost a match to Cena, which meant that, in storyline, he was banned from the Staples Center, Raw and SummerSlam.[70] The following week, on August 10, Miz competed under a mask as "The Calgary Kid", and won a Contract on Pole match against Eugene, earning a contract in storyline, and revealing himself by removing his mask afterwards.[71] After removing the mask to reveal himself. he cut a promo and debut his catchphrase "Because I am The Miz and I'm Awesome."
On the August 19 edition of Raw, The Miz announced his intention to challenge for the WWE United States Championship, and also debuted new ring attire and a new finishing move, the Skull Crushing Finale, to defeat Evan Bourne.[3][72] He challenged for the United States Championship at the Night of Champions, Breaking Point and Hell in a Cell pay-per-views, but was unsuccessful.[73][74][75] On the October 5 episode of Raw, the night after Hell in a Cell, The Miz received a rematch for the championship, and defeated Kofi Kingston to win the United States Championship and his first singles championship in WWE.[76][77] The following pay-per-view event, Bragging Rights, was themed with interpromotional matches and now that The Miz was the second-tier champion on Raw he was booked against SmackDown's Intercontinental Champion, his erstwhile tag team partner John Morrison.[78] In the build up to their first match since splitting, the two hosted a one-off edition of The Dirt Sheet on the October 16 episode of SmackDown where the two compared themselves to '80s tag team The Rockers, debating over which is more comparable to the successful Shawn Michaels and which was the less successful Marty Jannetty.[79] At Bragging Rights, Miz pinned Morrison to become the only member of the Raw roster to win an interpromotional match.[80] The following month at Survivor Series, Miz captained a team of five wrestlers against Team Morrison in a five-on-five Survivor Series elimination match and once again bested his former partner.[81]
ShoMiz (The Miz and The Big Show) as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions at WrestleMania XXVI. In 2010, The Miz began a rivalry with MVP that began with a critically well-received verbal exchange between the two.[82] The two met in an unadvertised match for the United States Championship at the Royal Rumble event with Miz retaining his title, but in the Royal Rumble match itself MVP eliminated both himself and The Miz.[83] During the rivalry with MVP, Miz began showing signs of an allegiance with The Big Show and on the February 8 episode of Raw, the two defeated champions D-Generation X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) and The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows) to become the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions.[84][85][86]
On February 16, it was announced that he would be on the WWE NXT show as the storyline mentor of Daniel Bryan.[87] At WrestleMania XXVI, Show and Miz defeated John Morrison and R-Truth to retain the title again.[88] During the 2010 WWE Draft on the April 26 episode of Raw, ShoMiz lost the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship to The Hart Dynasty when Tyson Kidd made The Miz submit to the Sharpshooter. After the match, The Big Show knocked out The Miz, and was later drafted to the SmackDown brand, leaving The Miz on Raw.[89] On May 10, Kidd defeated The Miz in a match, which earned any member of The Hart Dynasty a match for the United States Championship, and The Miz, who was allowed to choose his opponent, elected to face Bret Hart.[90] On the following episode of Raw on May 17, Hart defeated The Miz to win the United States Championship, despite Chris Jericho, William Regal, and Vladimir Kozlov attempting to interfere on The Miz's behalf.[91] The Miz had a tumultuous relationship with Bryan, who was eliminated from NXT on May 11, although he returned the following week to attack The Miz.[92][93]
The Miz as the United States Champion and Money in the Bank holder in August 2010. On June 1, The Miz announced that he would be returning as a Pro for the second season of NXT, to mentor Alex Riley, the only Pro to do so.[94][95] On the June 14 episode of Raw, The Miz defeated R-Truth, John Morrison, and Zack Ryder in a fatal four-way match to win the United States Championship for the second time, and successfully retained the championship against R-Truth at the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view.[96][97][98]
[edit] Mr. Money in the Bank and WWE Champion (2010-2011) On July 18, at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, The Miz won a Money in the Bank ladder match to win a contract for a WWE Championship match that he could utilize at any time over the next year.[99] Over the next few weeks, The Miz attempted to cash in his Money in the Bank contract on the WWE Champion Sheamus, but was continually interrupted by other wrestlers before the matches could occur, which meant that he retained the contract for future use.[100][101] Daniel Bryan returned to WWE at SummerSlam, taking The Miz's place on Team WWE, causing The Miz to attack him.[102] This began a rivalry between the two, with The Miz losing the United States Championship to Bryan at the Night of Champions event in September.[103] The following month, Miz defeated John Cena to become the captain of Team Raw, but at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view Team Raw—The Miz (with Alex Riley), R-Truth, John Morrison, Santino Marella, Sheamus, CM Punk, and Ezekiel Jackson—were unsuccessful in defeating Team SmackDown.[104]
The Miz at a WWE live event. On the November 22 episode of Raw, following a successful WWE Championship defense by Randy Orton against Wade Barrett, he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to become the new WWE Champion making him the first person from Tough Enough to win the WWE Championship.[105][106] He successfully defended the championship against Jerry Lawler in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match on the following episode of Raw, due to help from Michael Cole and Riley, and again at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view in December by defeating Orton in a Tables match following interference from Alex Riley.[107][108] He defeated Orton again at the Royal Rumble, after interference from CM Punk, in January 2011 and Lawler the following month at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view to retain the championship.[109][110]
[edit] WWE Tag Team Champion and Awesome Truth (2011) The night after Elimination Chamber, The Miz and John Cena were paired together by the Raw General Manager to challenge The Corre (Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater) for the WWE Tag Team Championship. The Miz and Cena were successful in winning the titles (making Miz a double champion and seemingly turning him into a tweener), but lost them back to Corre immediately afterward in a rematch, after The Miz turned on Cena.[111][112] This made their reign the shortest in the championship's history.[113] The following week, The Miz lost Riley as his apprentice after Cena defeated Riley in a steel cage match with the stipulation that if Cena won, Riley was fired from his job, but The Miz hired Riley back, this time as his VP of Corporate Communications, in mid-March.[114][115] On April 3 in the main event of WrestleMania XXVII, The Miz successfully defended the WWE Championship against Cena, following interference from The Rock.[116] At the Extreme Rules pay-per-view on May 1, The Miz lost the WWE Championship to Cena, in a triple threat steel cage match, also involving Morrison.[117] The following night on Raw, The Miz failed to regain the championship from Cena in a singles match when he lost by disqualification, and failed to regain the championship again in an "I Quit" match at Over the Limit .[118][119]
On the May 23 episode of Raw, The Miz fired Riley, blaming him for not being able to regain the championship. This led to Riley attacking his former mentor, sending him crashing into a barricade at ringside and then head first over the announce table which turned Riley a fan favorite for the first time in WWE. On the May 30 episode of Raw, The Miz assaulted Riley after an interview from Michael Cole, but Riley gained the upper hand and Miz escaped through the crowd. At Capitol Punishment, Riley defeated Miz in a singles-match. He went on to lose to Riley in various singles and tag team matches. It was later announced that Miz would be a participant in the Raw's Money in the Bank ladder match at Money in the Bank, though he was unsuccessful in winning the match.[120] At Summerslam,The Miz teamed up with R-Truth and Alberto Del Rio in a losing effort to Rey Mysterio, Kofi Kingston and John Morrison.[121]
Awesome Truth at the WWE Raw World Tour in London, November 2011. On the August 22 episode of Raw, Miz and R-Truth attacked Santino Marella before his match. They would then cut a promo agreeing there was a conspiracy in the WWE keeping the both of them out of the main event picture, and declared they would, together, seize any opportunity that came their way in the future.[122] The duo would soon begin referring to themselves, on Raw and in other media, as "The Awesome Truth".[123][124] On the August 29 episode of Raw, Truth interfered in Miz's match and the duo attacked CM Punk. The following week, Miz and Truth announced that they would challenge Air Boom (Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston) to a match for the WWE Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions. At the pay-per-view, Miz would assault the referee, causing his team to lose by disqualification.[125] Seeking retribution, Miz and Truth later attacked both Triple H and CM Punk during their no disqualification match in the main event.[126] Because of their actions from the previous night, R-Truth and The Miz were fired by Triple H on the September 19 episode of Raw.[127][128] At the conclusion of the main event match at Hell in a Cell, R-Truth and The Miz jumped the barricade wearing black hooded sweatshirts and entered the cell as it was being raised. They then used weapons to attack Alberto Del Rio, CM Punk, John Cena, and several others while the cell was again lowered. After this, the entire WWE roster led by Triple H came out to find a way into the cell, before New Orleans Police Department officers were able to get the door open and arrest them. The two later posted a video on YouTube apologizing to the WWE Universe for their actions.[129] The Miz and R-Truth were reinstated by John Laurinaitis on the October 10 episode of Raw. At Vengeance, Miz and Truth defeated CM Punk and Triple H in a tag team match, after interference from Kevin Nash. Later that same night they assaulted John Cena during his WWE Championship match with Alberto Del Rio.[130] On the October 24 episode of Raw, Awesome Truth attacked John Cena and Zack Ryder. On the 7 November episode of Raw, Miz and R-Truth defeated Cena and Ryder.[131] At Survivor Series, The Awesome Truth were defeated by John Cena and The Rock.[132]
The Miz in 2011. On the November 21 episode of Raw, Cena instigated an argument between R-Truth and Miz, which resulted in Miz hitting his finisher on Truth as they were heading up the steel ramp, signaling the end of their alliance.[133] This was a pretext to explain R-Truth's absence during his suspension as a result of his violating of the Wellness Policy.[134]
[edit] WWE Championship pursuits and various feuds (2012–present) On the November 28 episode of Raw, Miz defeated John Morrison, after he once again hit his finisher on the steel ramp. On the December 5, episode of Raw, Miz qualified for a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match against Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk at Tables, Ladders & Chairs for the WWE Championship after a win over Randy Orton via count out, but was unsuccessful.[135] On the December 26 episode of Raw, R-Truth returned only to viciously attack Miz after a match and promised this will continue week-after-week.[136] The following Raw, Truth would hide in the audience and attack Miz again during his match with Sheamus.[137] On the January 9 episode of Raw, Miz would retaliate by attacking R-Truth until Truth turned the tables and chased him out of the ring.[138] On the January 16 episode of Raw SuperShow, R-Truth defeated Miz, Wade Barrett, and Sheamus in an Over The Top Rope Challenge.[139] The following Raw, Miz was defeated by R-Truth in a singles match with a stipulation in place where the loser of the match would enter the Royal Rumble match as the first entrant. In the Rumble match, Miz was the longest lasting participant, lasting over 45 minutes before being eliminated by former tag team partner, Big Show.[140] At Elimination Chamber, Miz failed again to capture the WWE Championship after being eliminated last by CM Punk.[141]
[edit] Other media Mizanin will co-star in 2012 crime drama Stainless Steel, alongside fellow wrestlers Matt Striker and Layla El as CIA agent John Steel.[142] He appears in the WWE video games, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011, WWE All Stars, and WWE '12.
The Miz appeared on the USA show Psych as a psychotic contestant on a reality dating show.
[edit] Personal life Mizanin is left-handed. He passionately roots for his hometown Cleveland Browns, Indians, and Cavs. Prior to the Indians vs. Angels game on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Mizanin fulfilled one of his life-long goals when he threw out the first pitch.[143]
When Mike was 11, his parents divorced. He has a step-father named Donnie and two step-siblings, Jimmy and Tonia.[144] His father, George Mizanin, owns several "Mr. Hero" sandwich shops in Cleveland, Ohio.[145]
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Mizard of Oz (Swinging inverted DDT)[146] – 2005–2007
- Reality Check (Running knee lift followed by a neckbreaker slam)[147] – 2007–2010
- Skull-Crushing Finale (Full nelson facebuster)[1][72] – 2009–present
- Signature moves
- Big boot[148]
- Discus punch[146] – OVW
- Diving double axe handle[149]
- Half nelson facebuster[150] – 2009
- Inverted facelock backbreaker followed by a neckbreaker slam[148][151][152]
- Knee lift[148]
- Neckbreaker[149]
- Snap DDT to a kneeling opponent[153]
- Snapmare driver[154] – 2011
- Springboard bulldog[146] – OVW
- Swinging corner clothesline[155]
- Turnbuckle bulldog[150]
- Entrance themes
- "Getting Away With Murder" by Papa Roach (used when he was the host of SmackDown!)
- "Reality" by Jim Johnston (September 1, 2006–December 28, 2009)
- "Ain't No Make Believe" by Stonefree Experience (November 16, 2007–April 13, 2009; Used while teaming with John Morrison)
- "I Came to Play" by Downstait[163] (January 4, 2010–present; Used during singles competition)
- "The Awesome Truth" by Jim Johnston[164] (August 22, 2011–November 21, 2011; Used while teaming with R-Truth)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2011)[167]
- PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011[168]
- World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- WWE Championship (1-time)
- WWE Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with John Morrison (1), The Big Show (1) and John Cena (1)[60][85][111]
- WWE United States Championship (2 times)[76][96]
- World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with John Morrison (1) and The Big Show (1)[66][84]
- Money in the Bank (Raw 2010)[99]
- Slammy Award for Best WWE.com Exclusive (2008) – with John Morrison[169]
- Slammy Award for Tag Team of the Year (2008) – with John Morrison[169]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Improved (2008, 2009)[170]
- Tag Team of the Year (2008) with John Morrison[170]
Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965)[4] is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Undertaker. He is signed to WWE and is the company's most tenured competitor. Mark Calaway began his wrestling career with World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) in 1984. He joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as "Mean" Mark Callous in 1989. When WCW did not renew Calaway's contract in 1990, he signed with the World Wrestling Federation in October and, after shortening his name from Kane the Undertaker to simply The Undertaker, has remained with the company since.
The Undertaker has two contrasting personas: The Deadman, an undead, occult-like figure, which has consisted of many different versions, beginning with the Western mortician character in November 1990 and ending with the Ministry of Darkness leader in September 1999 before returning to The Deadman in March 2004 as a hybrid of the previous incarnations. His other persona is The American Bad Ass, a biker which he portrayed from May 2000 to November 2003. Because of his gimmicks, Undertaker has a number of specialty matches associated with him: the Casket match, the Buried Alive match, the Hell in a Cell and the Last Ride match. An important part of the character is his half-brother Kane, who was introduced in 1997 and with whom he has both feuded and teamed as the Brothers of Destruction.
The Undertaker holds an unrivaled record of being undefeated at WrestleMania, WWE's premier pay-per-view event, with a 19–0 record. Among other accolades, Calaway is an eight-time World Champion having won the WWF/E Championship four times and the World Heavyweight Championship three times as The Undertaker, and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship once under the Master of Pain character. The Undertaker is also a seven-time World Tag Team champion: a six-time WWF Tag Team Champion and one-time WCW Tag Team Champion. The Undertaker was the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble and became the first man to enter the annual event last and win. Calaway is the only remaining WWE wrestler to have also appeared on the first episode of its Raw program.
Contents [hide]
World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990) In 1989, Calaway joined World Championship Wrestling where he was promptly drafted into the Skyscrapers tag team to replace an injured Sid Vicious. Calaway adopted the ring name Mean Mark Callous, a name devised for him by Terry Funk.[8] The new team gained some notoriety at Clash Of The Champions X when they beat down The Road Warriors after their match.[9] However Callous' partner Dan Spivey left WCW days before their Chicago Street Fight against the Warriors at WrestleWar 1990. Callous and a replacement masked Skyscraper went down to defeat in the Street Fight and the team broke up soon afterwards.[10] As he went into singles competition, Callous took on the guidance of Paul E. Dangerously and defeated Johnny Ace at Capital Combat and defeated Brian Pillman at the Clash of the Champions. In July 1990, he wrestled against Lex Luger for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship at The Great American Bash, but lost when Luger pinned him after a clothesline. WCW declined to renew Calaway's contract.
Calaway then briefly wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling as Punisher Dice Morgan. After leaving, he briefly returned to the USWA to participate in a tournament to determine the new USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion; he defeated Bill Dundee in the first round, but lost to Jerry Lawler in the quarterfinals. In October 1990, he signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment Debut and various feuds (1990–1994) Calaway made his WWF debut as "Kane the Undertaker"[1] at a taping of WWF Superstars on November 19, 1990.[11] It should be noted, however, that the concept of The Undertaker character was not presented to Calaway until after he signed with Vince McMahon. The appearance of The Undertaker's first Deadman persona was modeled after a mortician from old Western movies, wearing a trench coat and black hat with grey gloves and boot covers. Under this Deadman persona, he was portrayed as impervious to pain, something accomplished by Calaway no-selling his opponents' attacks. Calaway made his official on-camera debut on November 22 at Survivor Series as a heel when he was the mystery partner of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar team, where he was called Kane the Undertaker.[12] Approximately one minute into the match, The Undertaker eliminated Koko B. Ware with his finisher, the Tombstone Piledriver. He also eliminated Dusty Rhodes before being counted out. The commentary team for the event referred to him as The Undertaker, neglecting the Kane name. Shortly after Survivor Series, "Kane" was dropped from his name, and he was called simply The Undertaker. It was at this time that The Undertaker switched managers from Brother Love to Paul Bearer — a histrionic, ghostly character, almost always seen bearing an urn from which The Undertaker was said to draw mystical power, reviving his strength during his matches. During his heel run, Undertaker would place his defeated opponents (almost always jobbers) in a bodybag and carry them to the back.[13]
He made his WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania VII, quickly defeating "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.[14] The win was the first in his undefeated streak at the event. He began his first major feud with The Ultimate Warrior, when he attacked the Warrior and locked him in an airtight casket on the set of his manager, Paul Bearer's Funeral Parlor interview segment. After a year of battles with the Warrior, Randy Savage,[12] Sid Justice, Sgt. Slaughter, and Hulk Hogan, he defeated Hogan to win his first WWF Championship at Survivor Series with the help of Ric Flair, and thus became the youngest WWF Champion in history until having this record broken by Yokozuna in 1993.[15] WWF President Jack Tunney ordered a rematch for This Tuesday in Texas six days later, where The Undertaker lost the title back to Hogan.[15]
In February 1992, The Undertaker's ally Jake "The Snake" Roberts tried to attack Randy Savage's manager/wife Miss Elizabeth with a steel chair when The Undertaker stopped him, becoming a fan favorite for the first time. Then, Undertaker defeated Roberts at WrestleMania VIII, continuing his winning streak at the event.[14] He then feuded extensively with wrestlers managed by Harvey Wippleman throughout 1992 and 1993, such as Kamala, Giant González and Yokozuna. Also in this time he headlined the first episode of Monday Night Raw on January 11, 1993 with a victory over Damien Demento.[16] He faced González at WrestleMania IX, which is notable as Undertaker's only disqualification win at WrestleMania after the use of chloroform. His rivalry with Yokozuna culminated in a WWF Championship casket match at the 1994 Royal Rumble. During the match, champion Yokozuna sealed The Undertaker in the casket with the assistance of several other villainous wrestlers to win the match. The Undertaker appeared from inside the casket on the video screen, representing his spirit, warning that he would return.[17]
Return; various storylines (1994–1997) Paul Bearer betrayed Undertaker by hitting him with the urn he is seen carrying here. After WrestleMania X, Ted DiBiase introduced an Undertaker back to the WWF. This Undertaker, however, played by Brian Lee, was an impostor Undertaker (dubbed the "Underfaker" by fans) and led to the return of the real Undertaker at SummerSlam, appearing as a new version of his original Deadman persona, replacing grey with purple. The Undertaker defeated the impostor after three Tombstone Piledrivers.[17] At Survivor Series, The Undertaker defeated Yokozuna in a rematch, another casket match. Throughout most of 1995, The Undertaker feuded with members of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. At WrestleMania XI, while Undertaker was facing King Kong Bundy, Kama stole The Undertaker's urn, and antagonized him by melting it into a large gold necklace and attacking the Undertaker.[17] Later, The Undertaker defeated Kama in a casket match at SummerSlam.[17] Several weeks later, The Undertaker injured his orbital bone near his eye, forcing a period of absence for surgery, until his return at Survivor Series.
The Undertaker returned at the 1995 Survivor Series, wearing a Phantom of the Opera-like, grey upper mask.[17] In the main event of the 1996 Royal Rumble, The Undertaker was unmasked in a WWF Championship match against Bret Hart, when Diesel interfered in the match to cost the Undertaker the championship.[18] A rematch for the title on the February 5 episode of Raw saw similar interference.[19] At that month's In Your House: Rage in the Cage, while Diesel was facing Hart in a steel cage match, The Undertaker burst through the ring and dragged Diesel underneath which allowed Hart to get the victory.[18] This feud culminated in a match between Diesel and the Undertaker at WrestleMania XII, in which The Undertaker was victorious.[14]
His next feud commenced the very next night, when Mankind made his debut, interfering in The Undertaker's match with Justin Hawk Bradshaw. For the next few months, Mankind ambushed and cost The Undertaker several matches.[18] The feud intensified, and they began taking their battles into crowds, backstage areas, and in the boiler rooms of different arenas. Mankind cost the Undertaker the WWF Intercontinental Championship at In Your House 8: Beware of Dog, assisting champion Goldust to victory. As a result, the first ever Boiler Room Brawl was booked between the two at SummerSlam. During the match, when Undertaker reached for Paul Bearer's urn, Bearer hit him with it, betraying The Undertaker and allowing Mankind to "incapacitate" The Undertaker with the Mandible claw, giving him the win.[18] After Bearer's betrayal, The Undertaker took his rivalry with Mankind to a new level, resulting in a Buried Alive match in the main event of In Your House: Buried Alive. The Undertaker won the match after a chokeslam into the open grave, but after interference from The Executioner, as well as the help of several other superstars, The Undertaker was ultimately "Buried Alive".[18]
After being buried alive, The Undertaker returned at the Survivor Series again pitting him against Mankind, but with a unique stipulation; hanging 20 ft (6.1 m) above the ring was Paul Bearer, enclosed in a steel cage. If Undertaker won the match, he would be able to get his hands on Bearer. Even though The Undertaker won the match, interference from The Executioner enabled Bearer to escape The Undertaker's clutches.[20] The Undertaker then briefly turned his attention to The Executioner, who had become a thorn in his side since his arrival and had helped bury him alive in the eponymous match. At In Your House: It's Time, The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in an Armageddon rules match.[20] He then moved onto a feud Vader. They met at the 1997 Royal Rumble in a singles match, where Undertaker lost after Bearer interfered on behalf of his new protégé.[20] The two then clashed in the Royal Rumble match itself as they made it to the final moments of the match but both were eliminated by Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had crept back into the match after his elimination was unseen. He met both Vader and Austin in a Four Corners Elimination match for the vacant WWF Championship at In Your House 13: Final Four, but Bret Hart won.[21] However, the following month The Undertaker managed to win the title for the second time and continued his undefeated streak by defeating Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13.[22]
Hell in a Cell and Brothers of Destruction (1997–1998) See also: Hell in a Cell and Brothers of Destruction In May 1997, Paul Bearer attempted to rejoin with The Undertaker, using the threat of revealing The Undertaker's "biggest secret". In the storyline, Bearer announced that The Undertaker was a murderer, who as a child had burned down the family funeral home business (where Bearer worked), killing his parents and his younger half-brother. The Undertaker claimed there was no way for Bearer to have that information, but Bearer announced that he was told this by Undertaker's half-brother Kane, who was still alive but horribly burned and scarred. Bearer raised Kane after the fire, having him institutionalized. Now, Kane was waiting for revenge after all these years. In defense, The Undertaker responded that Kane, a pyromaniac, had been the one to set the fire and could not have possibly survived.
The Undertaker in September 1997. Concurrently, Undertaker began a new rivalry at SummerSlam when guest referee Shawn Michaels accidentally hit The Undertaker with a steel chair shot meant for Bret Hart, costing the Undertaker his WWF Championship.[22] After a double count-out draw during Ground Zero: In Your House, Undertaker challenged Michaels to the first Hell in a Cell match at Badd Blood: In Your House. During this match, The Undertaker's storyline half-brother Kane finally made his debut under the control of Paul Bearer, ripping off the door to the cell and giving The Undertaker a Tombstone Piledriver, Undertaker's trademark finisher, allowing Michaels to pin him.[22] The match received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. As the storyline progressed Kane, through Bearer, challenged The Undertaker to fights, but The Undertaker consistently refused to fight his brother. The Undertaker's final encounter with Michaels was in a casket match at the Royal Rumble. The week before, Kane had seemed to ally with his brother against Michaels' D-Generation X but at the PPV Kane trapped him in the coffin, padlocking the casket lid, and setting it ablaze which again gave Michaels the victory. The Undertaker, however, had disappeared when the casket lid was reopened.[23] After a two month hiatus, The Undertaker returned and defeated Kane at WrestleMania XIV.[23] The two had a rematch, the first ever Inferno match, one month later at Unforgiven: In Your House, which The Undertaker won by setting Kane's right arm on fire.[23]
The Undertaker's feud with Mankind was renewed afterward, and they faced each other in a Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring. During the match, The Undertaker threw Mankind off the roof of the 16 ft (4.9 m) cell onto the Spanish announce table below, in what was a preplanned move. He later chokeslammed Mankind through the roof of the cell into the ring which legitimately knocked Mankind unconscious. Mankind also used thumbtacks in the match and was backdropped and chokeslammed onto them before Undertaker won the match with his Tombstone Piledriver[23]
The Brothers of Destruction as they appeared later in their career, after Kane had unmasked. At Fully Loaded, The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kane and Mankind to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.[23] The Undertaker and Austin's reign as tag champions lasted for only two months, as Kane and Mankind regained the titles on an episode of Raw is War.[24] The Undertaker then became the number one contender for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam, now held by Austin. Shortly before SummerSlam, however, The Undertaker revealed that he and Kane were working together as brothers. Despite this revelation, The Undertaker told Kane that he did not want him to interfere in the match with Austin, and even though The Undertaker lost the match, he handed Austin his belt back after the match in a show of respect.[23] In September, the storyline continued, and The Undertaker began to show some villainous characteristics when he and Kane revealed the fact that they were in cahoots to rid Austin of his title for Vince McMahon. At Breakdown: In Your House, The Undertaker and Kane were booked in a Triple Threat match with Austin for his WWF Championship; McMahon stated that the brothers were not allowed to pin each other. The Undertaker and Kane pinned Austin simultaneously after a double chokeslam,[23] so the title was vacated by McMahon. This event led to a match at Judgment Day: In Your House between the two brothers for the title, with Austin as the special guest referee. Near the end of the match, Paul Bearer seemed about to assist Kane by handing him a steel chair to hit The Undertaker with, but as Kane had his back turned, both Bearer and The Undertaker hit Kane with the chair. The Undertaker went for the pin, but Austin refused to count the fall, attacked the Undertaker, and counted out both brothers.[23] Finally, The Undertaker became a villain the next night on Raw is War for the first time in over six years, reconciling with Bearer and claiming that he and Bearer would unleash their Ministry of Darkness on the World Wrestling Federation. As part of this new storyline, he admitted that he had indeed set the fire that killed his parents, for which he had previously blamed Kane.[24]
After Survivor Series, The Undertaker returned his attention back to his previous feud with Austin for costing him the title at Judgment Day, hitting Austin in the head with a shovel during a title match with The Rock, returning the favor for what happened a month earlier. With this twist in the storyline, McMahon scheduled a Buried Alive match between The Undertaker and Austin at Rock Bottom: In Your House. In the weeks leading up to Rock Bottom, The Undertaker attempted to embalm Austin alive, tried to have Kane committed to a mental asylum, and had his druids chain Austin to his symbol, raising it high into the arena.[24] The Undertaker, however, lost the match after Kane interfered.[25]
Ministry of Darkness (1999) The Undertaker, wearing a variation of his Lord of Darkness attire, in late 2009. Main article: Ministry of Darkness In January 1999, The Undertaker returned and formed the Ministry of Darkness, developing a more evil, Satanic and a more frightening persona than ever before. Undertaker stated that he was taking orders from a "Higher Power". He often appeared in a black robe and sat on a throne. With the help of his minions, he often performed sacrifices on various WWE superstars, which were meant to bring out the more evil side of superstars so as to recruit them into his Ministry. The Ministry eventually merged with The Corporation alliance to form the Corporate Ministry.[26] During this time, The Undertaker defeated Austin for his third WWF Championship at Over the Edge with help from Shane McMahon, the special referee.[27] Two weeks later, Raw is War revealed that Vince McMahon had been The Undertaker's "Higher Power" all along. After The Undertaker dropped the WWF Championship back to Austin one night after King of the Ring,[26] and lost a First Blood match at Fully Loaded, his relationship with the McMahons dissolved and the Corporate Ministry disbanded.
The Undertaker then began a storyline where he teamed with The Big Show in a tag team known as The UnHoly Alliance, which held the WWF Tag Team Championship twice. In September 1999, The Undertaker went on a four month hiatus from WWF due to a groin injury. In January 2000, one month before a scheduled return at the Royal Rumble, he tore a pectoral muscle.
American Bad Ass/Big Evil (2000–2003) Undertaker at WrestleMania XIX The Undertaker took on a second persona during this portion of his WWF career. He abandoned the Gothic mortician-themed attire, his funeral dirge ring music, allusions to the supernatural, and the accompanying theatrics of his ring entrance. The Undertaker now took on the personality of a biker, riding to the ring on a motorcycle, and wearing sunglasses and bandanas to the ring. His ring music was now replaced with popular rock songs of the time, like Limp Bizkit's "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" and Kid Rock's "American Bad Ass" (from which the name of The Undertaker's new gimmick originated), though it was accompanied by the characteristic opening bell gong of The Undertaker's original theme.
Upon his return in May 2000, he took out all the members of the McMahon-Helmsley Faction, which caused him to once again be a fan favorite. He also targeted their leader, WWF Champion Triple H. At King of the Ring, The Undertaker teamed with The Rock and Kane to defeat the team of Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Vince McMahon.[28] Afterward, he was booked to team with Kane to contend for the WWF Tag Team Championship. They defeated Edge and Christian, earning the right to face them the following week for the tag title, which Edge and Christian retained. Kane betrayed The Undertaker by chokeslamming him twice on the August 14 episode of Raw is War.[29] This incident led to another match between the two at SummerSlam, which ended in a no contest as Kane ran from the ring area after The Undertaker removed Kane's mask.[28]
The Undertaker then challenged Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series.[30] Angle, however, defeated The Undertaker after Kurt switched places with his real life brother, Eric Angle. The Undertaker demanded and was awarded a spot in the Six Man Hell in a Cell match for the WWF Championship at Armageddon. The Undertaker promised to make someone "famous" and did so when he chokeslamed Rikishi off the roof of the cell.[30]
In 2001, The Undertaker reunited with Kane as the Brothers of Destruction, challenging for the WWF Tag Team Championship once again. They received a shot at the title at No Way Out, facing Edge and Christian and then champions the Dudley Boyz in a Tables Match. The Brothers of Destruction dominated almost the entire match but were not the winners.[30] The Undertaker was then booked to defeat Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven, where he improved his WrestleMania winning streak to 9–0.[14] He and Kane continued a storyline that focused on Triple H, who formed a "surprise alliance" with WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Brothers of Destruction were granted an opportunity to face Triple H and Austin for their titles. After The Undertaker and Kane acquired the WWF Tag Title from Edge and Christian,[31] Triple H pinned Kane after attacking him with a sledgehammer at Backlash, where the Brothers of Destruction dropped the title.[32] With Kane injured, The Undertaker feuded briefly with Steve Austin for his WWF Championship, but at Judgment Day, Austin retained his title.[32]
As part of "The Invasion" storyline, The Undertaker's next nemesis was Diamond Dallas Page, who was obsessively following The Undertaker's wife Sara.[32] (While they were presented as being married from the start of the storyline, in reality, Mark and Sara got married during the height of this feud.[33] At SummerSlam, WCW Tag Team Champions The Undertaker and Kane defeated Page and his partner Chris Kanyon in a steel cage match to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.[32] At Survivor Series, The Undertaker teamed with Kane, The Rock, Chris Jericho, and The Big Show to take on The Alliance's Steve Austin, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon, and Kurt Angle (this would be the last time that The Undertaker and Kane would team up until 2006). Angle pinned The Undertaker due to interference by Austin.[32] After the Alliance was defeated, The Undertaker became a villain once again by forcing commentator Jim Ross to kiss Vince McMahon's ass.[34] This was the beginning of a new persona for The Undertaker, as he cut his long hair short and called himself "Big Evil". At Vengeance, The Undertaker defeated Van Dam to capture the WWF Hardcore Championship.[35]
The Undertaker during his "Big Evil" persona The Undertaker's next storyline began at the Royal Rumble in 2002 when Maven eliminated him by dropkicking him from behind. Subsequently, The Undertaker eliminated Maven in return and brutally assaulted him backstage.[35] On an episode of SmackDown!, The Rock mentioned The Undertaker's elimination at the Royal Rumble, angering The Undertaker. The Undertaker responded by costing The Rock the number one contendership for the WWF Undisputed Championship.[36] The storyline continued when The Rock cost The Undertaker his match with Maven for the Hardcore Championship.[37] The two faced off at No Way Out, where The Undertaker lost due to interference from Ric Flair.[35] This interference began a storyline with Flair, who declined a challenge to wrestle Undertaker at WrestleMania X8,[38] and, as a result, Undertaker assaulted his son David Flair.[39] Flair eventually accepted the match after The Undertaker threatened to inflict the same punishment on Flair's daughter.[39] A no disqualification stipulation was added to the match, and The Undertaker defeated Flair.[14]
After the storyline with Flair, The Undertaker defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at Backlash to win the number one contendership for the WWF Undisputed Championship. Later that night, he helped Hulk Hogan win his title match against the Undisputed Champion Triple H.[35] The Undertaker then defeated Hogan for his fourth world championship at Judgment Day. The following night The Undertaker was defeated by Rob Van Dam for The WWE Undisputed Championship, however Ric Flair restarted the match and The Undertaker recaptured his championship.[40] On the July 1 episode of Raw, The Undertaker turned into a fan favorite again after defeating Jeff Hardy in a ladder match and raising Hardy's hand as a show of respect. The Undertaker, however, dropped the title at Vengeance to The Rock in a triple threat match that also involved Kurt Angle.[40] The Undertaker was then switched from Raw to SmackDown! (Smackdown! would remain as The Undertakers home since 2002 till present), alongside former Raw talent Brock Lesnar, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero. The Undertaker challenged Lesnar in a title match at Unforgiven that ended in a double-disqualification.[40] Their feud carried over to No Mercy in a Hell in a Cell match. The Undertaker performed in the match with a legitimate broken hand and eventually lost to the champion.[40]
The Undertaker took a leave from wrestling after the Big Show threw him off the stage, sparking a feud.[41] The Undertaker returned at the Royal Rumble in 2003.[42] He immediately continued his feud with Big Show and defeated him by submission at No Way Out with a triangle choke. A-Train entered the storyline by attempting to attack The Undertaker after the match, but Nathan Jones came to his aid.[42] The storyline resumed as The Undertaker began to train Jones to wrestle, and the two were scheduled to fight Big Show and A-Train in a tag team match at WrestleMania XIX.[14] Jones, however, was removed prior to the match, making it a handicap match, which The Undertaker won with the help of Jones.[42]
Over the remainder of the year, The Undertaker entered a brief feud with John Cena and was booked to have two WWE Championship opportunities. The first, on the September 4 SmackDown!, against Kurt Angle, ended in a no contest, due to interference from Brock Lesnar.[43] The second, at No Mercy, was a Biker Chain match between The Undertaker and Lesnar, which Lesnar won with the help of Vince McMahon.[44] This match resulted in a feud with McMahon, culminating at Survivor Series where The Undertaker lost a Buried Alive match against McMahon when Kane interfered.[44] The Undertaker disappeared for some time following the match, with Kane claiming that he was "dead and buried forever."[45]
Return of the Deadman (2004–2007) The Undertaker, awakening the arena lights as he enters the ring. In the storyline leading up to WrestleMania XX, Kane was haunted by vignettes proclaiming The Undertaker's return. The first was during the Royal Rumble when The Undertaker's bells tolled, distracting Kane and allowing Booker T to eliminate him.[44] At WrestleMania XX, The Undertaker, accompanied by Paul Bearer and in his "Deadman" persona, returned and defeated Kane.[46] At the following Smackdown! Pay-Per-View Judgment Day, The Undertaker would go on to defeat Booker T. Three months later, Bearer was kidnapped by the Dudley Boyz at the direction of Paul Heyman,[47] who then took "control" of Undertaker.[48] On Smackdown Undertaker attacked both Rob Van Dam and John Cena. The following week Cena confronted The Undertaker and was booked into a match by back then General Manager Kurt Angle to face The Undertaker which The Undertaker went on to win after hitting cena with his chain and delivered a Tombstone. At The Great American Bash The Undertaker fought a handicap match against the Dudleys, with the stipulation that if he didn't lay down and purposely lose, Heyman would bury Bearer in cement. The Undertaker won and stopped Heyman from burying Bearer, then buried him anyway, explaining that Bearer was merely a liability now and that he had no use for him anymore.[46]
After defeating the Dudley Boyz, The Undertaker began a feud by challenging then WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) to a title match at SummerSlam, which The Undertaker lost by disqualification.[46] At No Mercy, The Undertaker and JBL competed in the first ever "Last Ride" match, although The Undertaker lost after Heidenreich interfered.[46] After a brief program with Heidenreich,[49] The Undertaker turned his focus to the WWE Championship once again. Along with Eddie Guerrero and Booker T, he challenged JBL to a championship rematch at Armageddon in a Fatal Four-Way match, in which The Undertaker was unsuccessful, again due to Heidenreich's interference.[49] The feud culminated in a Casket match between The Undertaker and Heidenreich at the Royal Rumble, where The Undertaker sealed Heidenreich in a casket for the victory.[49]
Soon afterward, Randy Orton challenged The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania 21, in a storyline where Orton claimed that he would end The Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak (this would be the first Wrestlemania in which the undefeated streak would become a major selling point for the Undertaker's matches at the marquee event and for Wrestlemania itself; it was only mentioned in passing before this).[50] Even with help from his father "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Randy failed, and The Undertaker improved his WrestleMania record to 13–0.[49] He returned for the June 16 episode of SmackDown! but lost to JBL, thanks to interference from Randy Orton.[51] After The Great American Bash, The Undertaker became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, a position that JBL felt he should have. As part of the feud, on the following SmackDown!, The Undertaker lost a number one contender match against JBL, once again due to interference from Orton.[52] With this, The Undertaker resumed his feud with Orton. At SummerSlam, Orton defeated The Undertaker in a WrestleMania rematch.[53] The storyline intensified as the two taunted each other with caskets, leading to a casket match at No Mercy, in which The Undertaker lost to Randy and his father "Cowboy" Bob Orton.[53] After the match, the Ortons poured gasoline on the casket and set it on fire. When the charred casket was opened, however, The Undertaker had once again vanished. He returned at the Survivor Series, emerging from a burning casket.[54] The Undertaker returned to SmackDown! in early December to haunt Orton and set up a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon.[55] After winning the match,[54] Calaway took a brief hiatus from wrestling.
The Undertaker retaining his undefeated streak at WrestleMania 22. In early 2006 at the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker returned during Kurt Angle's celebration of his World Title defense against Mark Henry on a horse drawn cart, signaling for a title shot. As part of their storyline feud, The Undertaker lost his match with Angle at No Way Out after a thirty minute bout. Undertaker cornered Angle after the match and told him he was not finished with him; however during a rematch on SmackDown! Henry attacked The Undertaker from behind, costing him the title. This led to The Undertaker challenging Henry to a Casket match at WrestleMania 22, and Henry - like Orton a year before - vowed to end Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak. The Undertaker defeated Henry to become 14–0 at WrestleMania, keeping his undefeated streak alive. During a rematch on the next episode of SmackDown!, The Great Khali made his debut and assaulted The Undertaker to transition into a new storyline.
The Undertaker was not heard from until the May 5 episode of SmackDown!, as Theodore Long delivered a challenge from The Undertaker to Khali for a match at Judgment Day.[56] The Undertaker lost to Khali,[57][58] and he did not appear again until the July 4 episode of SmackDown!, when he accepted Khali's challenge to a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash.[59] Khali, however, was removed from the match and was replaced by ECW Champion The Big Show, over whom The Undertaker gained the victory. In the storyline, Teddy Long replaced Khali with Big Show as punishment for an attack on The Undertaker shortly before the match.[57] Khali was then challenged to a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam after interfering in The Undertaker's match with World Heavyweight Champion King Booker.[60] Khali refused the challenge for SummerSlam, though Long made the match official for the August 18 episode of SmackDown! instead. The Undertaker won the match by striking Khali with the steel stairs, delivering several chair shots, and finishing him with a chokeslam.[61]
The Undertaker's next match was with WWE United States Champion Mr. Kennedy at No Mercy but was disqualified in the match after he hit Kennedy with the championship belt.[62] On the November 3 episode of SmackDown!, The Undertaker reunited with Kane to form the Brothers of Destruction for the first time in five years, defeating the reluctant opposition team of Mr. Kennedy and MVP, with whom Kane was feuding with at the time.[63] As part of the storyline, Kennedy defeated The Undertaker in a First Blood match at Survivor Series after interference from MVP,[62] but finally defeated Kennedy in a Last Ride match at Armageddon.[62] The two continued to feud into 2007 as Kennedy cost The Undertaker two World Heavyweight Championship opportunities for a championship match at the Royal Rumble.[64][65]
World Heavyweight Champion (2007–2010) The Undertaker won his first Royal Rumble match at the 2007 event,[65] becoming the first man to enter the Rumble at number 30 and win the match.[66] He then began a storyline with Batista, whom he defeated at WrestleMania 23 to win his first World Heavyweight Championship. At Backlash in a Last Man Standing match, they had a rematch that ended in a draw when neither man was able to answer the ten-count, resulting in The Undertaker retaining the Championship. On the May 11 episode of SmackDown!, The Undertaker and Batista participated in a steel cage match that ended in a draw when both men's feet touched the floor at the same time. After the match, Mark Henry returned and assaulted The Undertaker. Immediately after the assault, Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank title shot, and The Undertaker dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Edge. As The Undertaker laid in the ring, druids appeared and carried him to the backstage area.
The Undertaker, after defeating Edge at WrestleMania XXIV. During Calaway's rehabilitation, Henry quickly defeated local jobbers and bragged about his assault on Undertaker, until vignettes began playing promoting The Undertaker's return. The Undertaker returned at Unforgiven, defeating Henry and again on SmackDown! two weeks later.[67] Batista and The Undertaker reignited their feud at Cyber Sunday with the fans choosing the special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin, but Batista retained the world title.[68] They battled again inside a Hell in a Cell at Survivor Series where Edge returned and interfered to help Batista retain the World Heavyweight Championship.[69] In response to this, The Undertaker delivered a Tombstone piledriver to General Manager Vickie Guerrero, on the next SmackDown!, sending her to the hospital. Returning Assistant-General Manager Theodore Long declared a Triple Threat match for the title at Armageddon, which Edge won.
At No Way Out, The Undertaker defeated Batista, Finlay, The Great Khali, Montel Vontavious Porter, and Big Daddy V in an Elimination Chamber, to become the number one contender for Edge's World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIV. He defeated Edge at WrestleMania with his Hell's Gate submission hold, to win his second World Heavyweight Championship and elevate his undefeated streak at WrestleMania to 16–0.[70] In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again at Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.[71] Vickie Guerrero announced that The Undertaker's Hell's Gate was an illegal hold and stripped him of the title. The Undertaker battled Edge for the vacant title at Judgment Day, which he won by countout. Vickie ordered that the title remain vacant, because titles cannot change hands in this way. Edge and The Undertaker faced each other again for the vacant championship at One Night Stand in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, which The Undertaker lost after interference from La Familia. As a result of the stipulation, Undertaker was forced to leave WWE.
The Undertaker, after defeating Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV. On the July 25, 2008 episode of SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero announced that she had reinstated The Undertaker, and that Edge would face him at SummerSlam in a Hell in a Cell match,[72] which The Undertaker won. After the match, The Undertaker chokeslammed Edge from the top of a ladder and through the ring canvas.[73] Following this match, Guerrero tried to make a peace offering with The Undertaker on SmackDown by apologizing, but The Undertaker told her that he is not the forgiving kind. At Unforgiven, as The Undertaker approached the ring to "take Guerrero's soul" and take her in a casket, the Big Show, who appeared at first to aid the Undertaker, betrayed and assaulted him.[74] As a result of this altercation, The Undertaker and Big Show faced each other in a match at No Mercy, where the Big Show knocked The Undertaker out with a punch to the back of The Undertaker's head.[75] At Cyber Sunday, The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a Last Man Standing match after applying Hell's Gate.[76] The Undertaker then went on to defeat the Big Show at Survivor Series in a casket match, to end the feud.[77] At No Way Out, The Undertaker was part of the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match; however, he was unsuccessful at winning the match. He then became embroiled in a long time feud with Shawn Michaels over his WrestleMania undefeated streak and the fact that The Undertaker had never defeated Michaels in a singles match previously. The feud culminated in a match at WrestleMania XXV which The Undertaker won to extend his WrestleMania streak to a perfect record of 17–0.[78] On the April 24 episode of SmackDown, Big Show defeated him in a singles match by knockout after the match, Undertaker attacked Big Show. After SmackDown, Undertaker took another hiatus from WWE on April 25, 2009.
After the four month hiatus, The Undertaker returned at SummerSlam in August by attacking CM Punk, who had just won the World Heavyweight Championship from Jeff Hardy in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.[79] At Breaking Point, The Undertaker faced Punk in a submission match. The Undertaker had originally won the match with his Hell's Gate submission hold, but the match was restarted by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who ruled that the ban placed on the move by Vickie Guerrero was still in effect. Punk went on to win the match with his Anaconda Vise when referee Scott Armstrong called for the bell, despite Undertaker never submitting in a recreation of the Montreal Screwjob, which took place in the same venue in 1997.[80] On the September 25 episode of SmackDown, Theodore Long announced that the ban had now been officially lifted, after being released from a casket that The Undertaker had apparently placed him in.[81] The feud between the two continued and at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, The Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Championship from Punk in a Hell in a Cell match.[82] The Undertaker successfully defended the title against CM Punk on SmackDown, in a Fatal Four Way match at Bragging Rights, and in a Triple Threat match at Survivor Series.[83][84] He faced Batista at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs for the championship, and won when the match was restarted by Long, after Batista had originally won after utilising a low blow.[85]
The Undertaker defending his World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble 2010. At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, a pyrotechnics malfunction momentarily engulfed The Undertaker in flames during his ring entrance. He was able to continue with his scheduled match, with a burn on his chest that "looked like a bad sunburn" according to a WWE spokesman.[86] He lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Chris Jericho after interference from Shawn Michaels.[87] Undertaker had been rebuffing Michaels' requests for a WrestleMania rematch, but the night after Elimination Chamber he agreed to the match on the condition that Michaels' career was on the line.[88] At WrestleMania, The Undertaker defeated Michaels to end his career in a match with no countouts or disqualifications.[89]
After a hiatus (which included wrestling two matches on Raw), he returned to SmackDown on May 28, defeating Rey Mysterio to qualify for a spot in the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship.[90] During the match, The Undertaker suffered a concussion, broken orbital bone, and broken nose; he was visibly bleeding profusely on camera by the end of the match.[91] To cover for the injury, Kane revealed The Undertaker had been found in a vegetative state;[92] Mysterio took his place in the match and won the World Heavyweight Championship. While attempting to learn which superstar had attacked The Undertaker, Kane defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane and Mysterio continued to clash as they accused one another of being the assailant behind the attack.[93]
At SummerSlam, the Undertaker returned to confront Kane and Rey Mysterio, only to be overpowered and Tombstoned by Kane.[94] With Kane revealed as his attacker, the two feuded for the next few months over the World Heavyweight Championship. After losing to Kane at Night of Champions, Paul Bearer returned as Undertaker's manager on an episode of SmackDown.[95] However, Bearer attacked him at Hell in a Cell to help Kane win once again. The feud ended at Bragging Rights when The Nexus helped Kane defeat Undertaker in a Buried Alive match. In reality, he needed medical treatment for his injury.
Feud with Triple H (2011–present) The Undertaker staring down Triple H after his return on January 30, 2012. After the 2011 Royal Rumble, promotional videos showing The Undertaker entering and standing within an old house began airing. Each promo would end with the date 2–21–11 being burned into the screen. On the February 21 episode of Raw The Undertaker returned; after his lengthy entrance but before he could speak, Triple H returned after an eleven month absence and confronted The Undertaker. In a unique interaction involving no verbal or physical exchanges, the two stared each other down, performed their signature intimidation actions towards each other before Triple H set his eyes upon the WrestleMania XXVII marquee. The Undertaker responded by turning his attention toward the marquee as well. The Undertaker initially scoffed at Triple H's apparent challenge but later accepted. The match was later announced as a No Holds Barred match on WWE's website. At WrestleMania XXVII, after surviving three Pedigrees and a Tombstone Piledriver, Undertaker forced Triple H to tap out to Hell's Gate, extending his streak to 19–0. Following the match, The Undertaker was carried away from the ring on a stretcher.[96]
On the January 30, 2012 episode of Raw, The Undertaker returned after a ten month hiatus to confront Triple H. The two men stared at each other before Undertaker set his attention on the WrestleMania XXVIII marquee. Triple H responded by patting Undertaker on the shoulder before exiting the ring.[97] On February 13, after Triple H refused the Undertaker's challenge for a Wrestlemania rematch, an Undertaker video appeared on the TitanTron. The video featured the Undertaker cutting his own hair with a straight razor before declaring vengeance would be his.[98] After the Undertaker accused Triple H of living in the shadow of Shawn Michaels on the February 20 episode of Raw, Triple H accepted the challenge on the condition that it be a Hell in a Cell match. This time the Undertaker responded by patting Triple H on the shoulder before exiting the ring.
Personal life Calaway graduated from Waltrip High School in 1983 where he was a member of the basketball team.[99] Calaway married his first wife, Jodi Lynn, in 1989, and they had a son, Gunner, born in 1993, before the marriage ended in 1999. Calaway married his second wife, Sara, in St Petersburg, Florida on July 21, 2000.[citation needed] The couple had two daughters together: Chasey (born on November 21, 2002) and Gracie (born on May 15, 2005).[citation needed] As of 2007, he and Sara were divorced, and he was romantically linked to former wrestler Michelle McCool, whom he married on June 26, 2010, in Houston, Texas.[100][101]
Calaway is an avid boxing fan and carried the Flag of the United States while leading Team Pacquiao to the ring during the Pacquiao vs. Velázquez fight in 2005.[102] This was also confirmed by fellow wrestler Batista in a televised interview for the Philippine news program TV Patrol World. Calaway is also an avid mixed martial arts fan and has attended several Ultimate Fighting Championship shows, including a show where Calaway had a confrontation with former WWE star Brock Lesnar. During an interview that an internet show conducted with Calaway after UFC 121, Lesnar walked past him, with Calaway answering Lesnar's stare with "you wanna do it?".[101][103] He is a close friend of mixed martial artists, Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, Matt Hughes and the actor, Tony Longo. [101]
Calaway invests in real estate with business partner Scott Everhart. Calaway and Everhart finished construction on a $2.7m building in Loveland, Colorado called "The Calahart," a portmanteau of their last names.[104] Calaway and his ex-wife Sara established The Zeus Compton Calaway Save the Animals fund at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences to help pay for lifesaving treatments for large-breed dogs.[105]
Other media Calaway made his motion picture debut in a supporting role as Hutch in the 1991 film, Suburban Commando opposite Hulk Hogan and Christopher Lloyd. He filmed guest roles on Poltergeist: The Legacy, where he played the Soul Chaser Demon and Celebrity Deathmatch. In 2001, Calaway appeared out of character on the Canadian sports show Off the Record with Michael Landsberg.
Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 1991 Suburban Commando Hutch Film Debut 1999 Beyond the Mat Himself Documentary Television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Poltergeist: The Legacy Soul Chaser Demon Episodes: "Brothers Keeper" / "The Mephisto Strain" (Flashbacks) Downtown The Undertaker (voice) Episode: "The Con" Celebrity Deathmatch The Undertaker (voice) Episode: "Halloween Episode I" 2001 Off the Record with Michael Landsberg Himself 1 episode 2002 America's Most Wanted In wrestling Undertaker locking in Hell's Gate on Edge. Undertaker executing the Tombstone Piledriver on Edge. Undertaker about to strike with a guillotine leg drop on Mark Henry. Undertaker jumping down from the top rope to strike Heidenreich with Old School.
The Undertaker has two contrasting personas: The Deadman, an undead, occult-like figure, which has consisted of many different versions, beginning with the Western mortician character in November 1990 and ending with the Ministry of Darkness leader in September 1999 before returning to The Deadman in March 2004 as a hybrid of the previous incarnations. His other persona is The American Bad Ass, a biker which he portrayed from May 2000 to November 2003. Because of his gimmicks, Undertaker has a number of specialty matches associated with him: the Casket match, the Buried Alive match, the Hell in a Cell and the Last Ride match. An important part of the character is his half-brother Kane, who was introduced in 1997 and with whom he has both feuded and teamed as the Brothers of Destruction.
The Undertaker holds an unrivaled record of being undefeated at WrestleMania, WWE's premier pay-per-view event, with a 19–0 record. Among other accolades, Calaway is an eight-time World Champion having won the WWF/E Championship four times and the World Heavyweight Championship three times as The Undertaker, and the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship once under the Master of Pain character. The Undertaker is also a seven-time World Tag Team champion: a six-time WWF Tag Team Champion and one-time WCW Tag Team Champion. The Undertaker was the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble and became the first man to enter the annual event last and win. Calaway is the only remaining WWE wrestler to have also appeared on the first episode of its Raw program.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Professional wrestling career
- 1.1 Early career (1984–1989)
- 1.2 World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990)
- 1.3 World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
- 1.3.1 Debut and various feuds (1990–1994)
- 1.3.2 Return; various storylines (1994–1997)
- 1.3.3 Hell in a Cell and Brothers of Destruction (1997–1998)
- 1.3.4 Ministry of Darkness (1999)
- 1.3.5 American Bad Ass/Big Evil (2000–2003)
- 1.3.6 Return of the Deadman (2004–2007)
- 1.3.7 World Heavyweight Champion (2007–2010)
- 1.3.8 Feud with Triple H (2011–present)
- 2 Personal life
- 3 Other media
- 4 In wrestling
- 5 Championships and accomplishments
- 6 References
- 7 External links
World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990) In 1989, Calaway joined World Championship Wrestling where he was promptly drafted into the Skyscrapers tag team to replace an injured Sid Vicious. Calaway adopted the ring name Mean Mark Callous, a name devised for him by Terry Funk.[8] The new team gained some notoriety at Clash Of The Champions X when they beat down The Road Warriors after their match.[9] However Callous' partner Dan Spivey left WCW days before their Chicago Street Fight against the Warriors at WrestleWar 1990. Callous and a replacement masked Skyscraper went down to defeat in the Street Fight and the team broke up soon afterwards.[10] As he went into singles competition, Callous took on the guidance of Paul E. Dangerously and defeated Johnny Ace at Capital Combat and defeated Brian Pillman at the Clash of the Champions. In July 1990, he wrestled against Lex Luger for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship at The Great American Bash, but lost when Luger pinned him after a clothesline. WCW declined to renew Calaway's contract.
Calaway then briefly wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling as Punisher Dice Morgan. After leaving, he briefly returned to the USWA to participate in a tournament to determine the new USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion; he defeated Bill Dundee in the first round, but lost to Jerry Lawler in the quarterfinals. In October 1990, he signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment Debut and various feuds (1990–1994) Calaway made his WWF debut as "Kane the Undertaker"[1] at a taping of WWF Superstars on November 19, 1990.[11] It should be noted, however, that the concept of The Undertaker character was not presented to Calaway until after he signed with Vince McMahon. The appearance of The Undertaker's first Deadman persona was modeled after a mortician from old Western movies, wearing a trench coat and black hat with grey gloves and boot covers. Under this Deadman persona, he was portrayed as impervious to pain, something accomplished by Calaway no-selling his opponents' attacks. Calaway made his official on-camera debut on November 22 at Survivor Series as a heel when he was the mystery partner of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar team, where he was called Kane the Undertaker.[12] Approximately one minute into the match, The Undertaker eliminated Koko B. Ware with his finisher, the Tombstone Piledriver. He also eliminated Dusty Rhodes before being counted out. The commentary team for the event referred to him as The Undertaker, neglecting the Kane name. Shortly after Survivor Series, "Kane" was dropped from his name, and he was called simply The Undertaker. It was at this time that The Undertaker switched managers from Brother Love to Paul Bearer — a histrionic, ghostly character, almost always seen bearing an urn from which The Undertaker was said to draw mystical power, reviving his strength during his matches. During his heel run, Undertaker would place his defeated opponents (almost always jobbers) in a bodybag and carry them to the back.[13]
He made his WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania VII, quickly defeating "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.[14] The win was the first in his undefeated streak at the event. He began his first major feud with The Ultimate Warrior, when he attacked the Warrior and locked him in an airtight casket on the set of his manager, Paul Bearer's Funeral Parlor interview segment. After a year of battles with the Warrior, Randy Savage,[12] Sid Justice, Sgt. Slaughter, and Hulk Hogan, he defeated Hogan to win his first WWF Championship at Survivor Series with the help of Ric Flair, and thus became the youngest WWF Champion in history until having this record broken by Yokozuna in 1993.[15] WWF President Jack Tunney ordered a rematch for This Tuesday in Texas six days later, where The Undertaker lost the title back to Hogan.[15]
In February 1992, The Undertaker's ally Jake "The Snake" Roberts tried to attack Randy Savage's manager/wife Miss Elizabeth with a steel chair when The Undertaker stopped him, becoming a fan favorite for the first time. Then, Undertaker defeated Roberts at WrestleMania VIII, continuing his winning streak at the event.[14] He then feuded extensively with wrestlers managed by Harvey Wippleman throughout 1992 and 1993, such as Kamala, Giant González and Yokozuna. Also in this time he headlined the first episode of Monday Night Raw on January 11, 1993 with a victory over Damien Demento.[16] He faced González at WrestleMania IX, which is notable as Undertaker's only disqualification win at WrestleMania after the use of chloroform. His rivalry with Yokozuna culminated in a WWF Championship casket match at the 1994 Royal Rumble. During the match, champion Yokozuna sealed The Undertaker in the casket with the assistance of several other villainous wrestlers to win the match. The Undertaker appeared from inside the casket on the video screen, representing his spirit, warning that he would return.[17]
Return; various storylines (1994–1997) Paul Bearer betrayed Undertaker by hitting him with the urn he is seen carrying here. After WrestleMania X, Ted DiBiase introduced an Undertaker back to the WWF. This Undertaker, however, played by Brian Lee, was an impostor Undertaker (dubbed the "Underfaker" by fans) and led to the return of the real Undertaker at SummerSlam, appearing as a new version of his original Deadman persona, replacing grey with purple. The Undertaker defeated the impostor after three Tombstone Piledrivers.[17] At Survivor Series, The Undertaker defeated Yokozuna in a rematch, another casket match. Throughout most of 1995, The Undertaker feuded with members of Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. At WrestleMania XI, while Undertaker was facing King Kong Bundy, Kama stole The Undertaker's urn, and antagonized him by melting it into a large gold necklace and attacking the Undertaker.[17] Later, The Undertaker defeated Kama in a casket match at SummerSlam.[17] Several weeks later, The Undertaker injured his orbital bone near his eye, forcing a period of absence for surgery, until his return at Survivor Series.
The Undertaker returned at the 1995 Survivor Series, wearing a Phantom of the Opera-like, grey upper mask.[17] In the main event of the 1996 Royal Rumble, The Undertaker was unmasked in a WWF Championship match against Bret Hart, when Diesel interfered in the match to cost the Undertaker the championship.[18] A rematch for the title on the February 5 episode of Raw saw similar interference.[19] At that month's In Your House: Rage in the Cage, while Diesel was facing Hart in a steel cage match, The Undertaker burst through the ring and dragged Diesel underneath which allowed Hart to get the victory.[18] This feud culminated in a match between Diesel and the Undertaker at WrestleMania XII, in which The Undertaker was victorious.[14]
His next feud commenced the very next night, when Mankind made his debut, interfering in The Undertaker's match with Justin Hawk Bradshaw. For the next few months, Mankind ambushed and cost The Undertaker several matches.[18] The feud intensified, and they began taking their battles into crowds, backstage areas, and in the boiler rooms of different arenas. Mankind cost the Undertaker the WWF Intercontinental Championship at In Your House 8: Beware of Dog, assisting champion Goldust to victory. As a result, the first ever Boiler Room Brawl was booked between the two at SummerSlam. During the match, when Undertaker reached for Paul Bearer's urn, Bearer hit him with it, betraying The Undertaker and allowing Mankind to "incapacitate" The Undertaker with the Mandible claw, giving him the win.[18] After Bearer's betrayal, The Undertaker took his rivalry with Mankind to a new level, resulting in a Buried Alive match in the main event of In Your House: Buried Alive. The Undertaker won the match after a chokeslam into the open grave, but after interference from The Executioner, as well as the help of several other superstars, The Undertaker was ultimately "Buried Alive".[18]
After being buried alive, The Undertaker returned at the Survivor Series again pitting him against Mankind, but with a unique stipulation; hanging 20 ft (6.1 m) above the ring was Paul Bearer, enclosed in a steel cage. If Undertaker won the match, he would be able to get his hands on Bearer. Even though The Undertaker won the match, interference from The Executioner enabled Bearer to escape The Undertaker's clutches.[20] The Undertaker then briefly turned his attention to The Executioner, who had become a thorn in his side since his arrival and had helped bury him alive in the eponymous match. At In Your House: It's Time, The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in an Armageddon rules match.[20] He then moved onto a feud Vader. They met at the 1997 Royal Rumble in a singles match, where Undertaker lost after Bearer interfered on behalf of his new protégé.[20] The two then clashed in the Royal Rumble match itself as they made it to the final moments of the match but both were eliminated by Stone Cold Steve Austin, who had crept back into the match after his elimination was unseen. He met both Vader and Austin in a Four Corners Elimination match for the vacant WWF Championship at In Your House 13: Final Four, but Bret Hart won.[21] However, the following month The Undertaker managed to win the title for the second time and continued his undefeated streak by defeating Sycho Sid at WrestleMania 13.[22]
Hell in a Cell and Brothers of Destruction (1997–1998) See also: Hell in a Cell and Brothers of Destruction In May 1997, Paul Bearer attempted to rejoin with The Undertaker, using the threat of revealing The Undertaker's "biggest secret". In the storyline, Bearer announced that The Undertaker was a murderer, who as a child had burned down the family funeral home business (where Bearer worked), killing his parents and his younger half-brother. The Undertaker claimed there was no way for Bearer to have that information, but Bearer announced that he was told this by Undertaker's half-brother Kane, who was still alive but horribly burned and scarred. Bearer raised Kane after the fire, having him institutionalized. Now, Kane was waiting for revenge after all these years. In defense, The Undertaker responded that Kane, a pyromaniac, had been the one to set the fire and could not have possibly survived.
The Undertaker in September 1997. Concurrently, Undertaker began a new rivalry at SummerSlam when guest referee Shawn Michaels accidentally hit The Undertaker with a steel chair shot meant for Bret Hart, costing the Undertaker his WWF Championship.[22] After a double count-out draw during Ground Zero: In Your House, Undertaker challenged Michaels to the first Hell in a Cell match at Badd Blood: In Your House. During this match, The Undertaker's storyline half-brother Kane finally made his debut under the control of Paul Bearer, ripping off the door to the cell and giving The Undertaker a Tombstone Piledriver, Undertaker's trademark finisher, allowing Michaels to pin him.[22] The match received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. As the storyline progressed Kane, through Bearer, challenged The Undertaker to fights, but The Undertaker consistently refused to fight his brother. The Undertaker's final encounter with Michaels was in a casket match at the Royal Rumble. The week before, Kane had seemed to ally with his brother against Michaels' D-Generation X but at the PPV Kane trapped him in the coffin, padlocking the casket lid, and setting it ablaze which again gave Michaels the victory. The Undertaker, however, had disappeared when the casket lid was reopened.[23] After a two month hiatus, The Undertaker returned and defeated Kane at WrestleMania XIV.[23] The two had a rematch, the first ever Inferno match, one month later at Unforgiven: In Your House, which The Undertaker won by setting Kane's right arm on fire.[23]
The Undertaker's feud with Mankind was renewed afterward, and they faced each other in a Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring. During the match, The Undertaker threw Mankind off the roof of the 16 ft (4.9 m) cell onto the Spanish announce table below, in what was a preplanned move. He later chokeslammed Mankind through the roof of the cell into the ring which legitimately knocked Mankind unconscious. Mankind also used thumbtacks in the match and was backdropped and chokeslammed onto them before Undertaker won the match with his Tombstone Piledriver[23]
The Brothers of Destruction as they appeared later in their career, after Kane had unmasked. At Fully Loaded, The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kane and Mankind to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.[23] The Undertaker and Austin's reign as tag champions lasted for only two months, as Kane and Mankind regained the titles on an episode of Raw is War.[24] The Undertaker then became the number one contender for the WWF Championship at SummerSlam, now held by Austin. Shortly before SummerSlam, however, The Undertaker revealed that he and Kane were working together as brothers. Despite this revelation, The Undertaker told Kane that he did not want him to interfere in the match with Austin, and even though The Undertaker lost the match, he handed Austin his belt back after the match in a show of respect.[23] In September, the storyline continued, and The Undertaker began to show some villainous characteristics when he and Kane revealed the fact that they were in cahoots to rid Austin of his title for Vince McMahon. At Breakdown: In Your House, The Undertaker and Kane were booked in a Triple Threat match with Austin for his WWF Championship; McMahon stated that the brothers were not allowed to pin each other. The Undertaker and Kane pinned Austin simultaneously after a double chokeslam,[23] so the title was vacated by McMahon. This event led to a match at Judgment Day: In Your House between the two brothers for the title, with Austin as the special guest referee. Near the end of the match, Paul Bearer seemed about to assist Kane by handing him a steel chair to hit The Undertaker with, but as Kane had his back turned, both Bearer and The Undertaker hit Kane with the chair. The Undertaker went for the pin, but Austin refused to count the fall, attacked the Undertaker, and counted out both brothers.[23] Finally, The Undertaker became a villain the next night on Raw is War for the first time in over six years, reconciling with Bearer and claiming that he and Bearer would unleash their Ministry of Darkness on the World Wrestling Federation. As part of this new storyline, he admitted that he had indeed set the fire that killed his parents, for which he had previously blamed Kane.[24]
After Survivor Series, The Undertaker returned his attention back to his previous feud with Austin for costing him the title at Judgment Day, hitting Austin in the head with a shovel during a title match with The Rock, returning the favor for what happened a month earlier. With this twist in the storyline, McMahon scheduled a Buried Alive match between The Undertaker and Austin at Rock Bottom: In Your House. In the weeks leading up to Rock Bottom, The Undertaker attempted to embalm Austin alive, tried to have Kane committed to a mental asylum, and had his druids chain Austin to his symbol, raising it high into the arena.[24] The Undertaker, however, lost the match after Kane interfered.[25]
Ministry of Darkness (1999) The Undertaker, wearing a variation of his Lord of Darkness attire, in late 2009. Main article: Ministry of Darkness In January 1999, The Undertaker returned and formed the Ministry of Darkness, developing a more evil, Satanic and a more frightening persona than ever before. Undertaker stated that he was taking orders from a "Higher Power". He often appeared in a black robe and sat on a throne. With the help of his minions, he often performed sacrifices on various WWE superstars, which were meant to bring out the more evil side of superstars so as to recruit them into his Ministry. The Ministry eventually merged with The Corporation alliance to form the Corporate Ministry.[26] During this time, The Undertaker defeated Austin for his third WWF Championship at Over the Edge with help from Shane McMahon, the special referee.[27] Two weeks later, Raw is War revealed that Vince McMahon had been The Undertaker's "Higher Power" all along. After The Undertaker dropped the WWF Championship back to Austin one night after King of the Ring,[26] and lost a First Blood match at Fully Loaded, his relationship with the McMahons dissolved and the Corporate Ministry disbanded.
The Undertaker then began a storyline where he teamed with The Big Show in a tag team known as The UnHoly Alliance, which held the WWF Tag Team Championship twice. In September 1999, The Undertaker went on a four month hiatus from WWF due to a groin injury. In January 2000, one month before a scheduled return at the Royal Rumble, he tore a pectoral muscle.
American Bad Ass/Big Evil (2000–2003) Undertaker at WrestleMania XIX The Undertaker took on a second persona during this portion of his WWF career. He abandoned the Gothic mortician-themed attire, his funeral dirge ring music, allusions to the supernatural, and the accompanying theatrics of his ring entrance. The Undertaker now took on the personality of a biker, riding to the ring on a motorcycle, and wearing sunglasses and bandanas to the ring. His ring music was now replaced with popular rock songs of the time, like Limp Bizkit's "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" and Kid Rock's "American Bad Ass" (from which the name of The Undertaker's new gimmick originated), though it was accompanied by the characteristic opening bell gong of The Undertaker's original theme.
Upon his return in May 2000, he took out all the members of the McMahon-Helmsley Faction, which caused him to once again be a fan favorite. He also targeted their leader, WWF Champion Triple H. At King of the Ring, The Undertaker teamed with The Rock and Kane to defeat the team of Triple H, Shane McMahon, and Vince McMahon.[28] Afterward, he was booked to team with Kane to contend for the WWF Tag Team Championship. They defeated Edge and Christian, earning the right to face them the following week for the tag title, which Edge and Christian retained. Kane betrayed The Undertaker by chokeslamming him twice on the August 14 episode of Raw is War.[29] This incident led to another match between the two at SummerSlam, which ended in a no contest as Kane ran from the ring area after The Undertaker removed Kane's mask.[28]
The Undertaker then challenged Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series.[30] Angle, however, defeated The Undertaker after Kurt switched places with his real life brother, Eric Angle. The Undertaker demanded and was awarded a spot in the Six Man Hell in a Cell match for the WWF Championship at Armageddon. The Undertaker promised to make someone "famous" and did so when he chokeslamed Rikishi off the roof of the cell.[30]
In 2001, The Undertaker reunited with Kane as the Brothers of Destruction, challenging for the WWF Tag Team Championship once again. They received a shot at the title at No Way Out, facing Edge and Christian and then champions the Dudley Boyz in a Tables Match. The Brothers of Destruction dominated almost the entire match but were not the winners.[30] The Undertaker was then booked to defeat Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven, where he improved his WrestleMania winning streak to 9–0.[14] He and Kane continued a storyline that focused on Triple H, who formed a "surprise alliance" with WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Brothers of Destruction were granted an opportunity to face Triple H and Austin for their titles. After The Undertaker and Kane acquired the WWF Tag Title from Edge and Christian,[31] Triple H pinned Kane after attacking him with a sledgehammer at Backlash, where the Brothers of Destruction dropped the title.[32] With Kane injured, The Undertaker feuded briefly with Steve Austin for his WWF Championship, but at Judgment Day, Austin retained his title.[32]
As part of "The Invasion" storyline, The Undertaker's next nemesis was Diamond Dallas Page, who was obsessively following The Undertaker's wife Sara.[32] (While they were presented as being married from the start of the storyline, in reality, Mark and Sara got married during the height of this feud.[33] At SummerSlam, WCW Tag Team Champions The Undertaker and Kane defeated Page and his partner Chris Kanyon in a steel cage match to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.[32] At Survivor Series, The Undertaker teamed with Kane, The Rock, Chris Jericho, and The Big Show to take on The Alliance's Steve Austin, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon, and Kurt Angle (this would be the last time that The Undertaker and Kane would team up until 2006). Angle pinned The Undertaker due to interference by Austin.[32] After the Alliance was defeated, The Undertaker became a villain once again by forcing commentator Jim Ross to kiss Vince McMahon's ass.[34] This was the beginning of a new persona for The Undertaker, as he cut his long hair short and called himself "Big Evil". At Vengeance, The Undertaker defeated Van Dam to capture the WWF Hardcore Championship.[35]
The Undertaker during his "Big Evil" persona The Undertaker's next storyline began at the Royal Rumble in 2002 when Maven eliminated him by dropkicking him from behind. Subsequently, The Undertaker eliminated Maven in return and brutally assaulted him backstage.[35] On an episode of SmackDown!, The Rock mentioned The Undertaker's elimination at the Royal Rumble, angering The Undertaker. The Undertaker responded by costing The Rock the number one contendership for the WWF Undisputed Championship.[36] The storyline continued when The Rock cost The Undertaker his match with Maven for the Hardcore Championship.[37] The two faced off at No Way Out, where The Undertaker lost due to interference from Ric Flair.[35] This interference began a storyline with Flair, who declined a challenge to wrestle Undertaker at WrestleMania X8,[38] and, as a result, Undertaker assaulted his son David Flair.[39] Flair eventually accepted the match after The Undertaker threatened to inflict the same punishment on Flair's daughter.[39] A no disqualification stipulation was added to the match, and The Undertaker defeated Flair.[14]
After the storyline with Flair, The Undertaker defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at Backlash to win the number one contendership for the WWF Undisputed Championship. Later that night, he helped Hulk Hogan win his title match against the Undisputed Champion Triple H.[35] The Undertaker then defeated Hogan for his fourth world championship at Judgment Day. The following night The Undertaker was defeated by Rob Van Dam for The WWE Undisputed Championship, however Ric Flair restarted the match and The Undertaker recaptured his championship.[40] On the July 1 episode of Raw, The Undertaker turned into a fan favorite again after defeating Jeff Hardy in a ladder match and raising Hardy's hand as a show of respect. The Undertaker, however, dropped the title at Vengeance to The Rock in a triple threat match that also involved Kurt Angle.[40] The Undertaker was then switched from Raw to SmackDown! (Smackdown! would remain as The Undertakers home since 2002 till present), alongside former Raw talent Brock Lesnar, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero. The Undertaker challenged Lesnar in a title match at Unforgiven that ended in a double-disqualification.[40] Their feud carried over to No Mercy in a Hell in a Cell match. The Undertaker performed in the match with a legitimate broken hand and eventually lost to the champion.[40]
The Undertaker took a leave from wrestling after the Big Show threw him off the stage, sparking a feud.[41] The Undertaker returned at the Royal Rumble in 2003.[42] He immediately continued his feud with Big Show and defeated him by submission at No Way Out with a triangle choke. A-Train entered the storyline by attempting to attack The Undertaker after the match, but Nathan Jones came to his aid.[42] The storyline resumed as The Undertaker began to train Jones to wrestle, and the two were scheduled to fight Big Show and A-Train in a tag team match at WrestleMania XIX.[14] Jones, however, was removed prior to the match, making it a handicap match, which The Undertaker won with the help of Jones.[42]
Over the remainder of the year, The Undertaker entered a brief feud with John Cena and was booked to have two WWE Championship opportunities. The first, on the September 4 SmackDown!, against Kurt Angle, ended in a no contest, due to interference from Brock Lesnar.[43] The second, at No Mercy, was a Biker Chain match between The Undertaker and Lesnar, which Lesnar won with the help of Vince McMahon.[44] This match resulted in a feud with McMahon, culminating at Survivor Series where The Undertaker lost a Buried Alive match against McMahon when Kane interfered.[44] The Undertaker disappeared for some time following the match, with Kane claiming that he was "dead and buried forever."[45]
Return of the Deadman (2004–2007) The Undertaker, awakening the arena lights as he enters the ring. In the storyline leading up to WrestleMania XX, Kane was haunted by vignettes proclaiming The Undertaker's return. The first was during the Royal Rumble when The Undertaker's bells tolled, distracting Kane and allowing Booker T to eliminate him.[44] At WrestleMania XX, The Undertaker, accompanied by Paul Bearer and in his "Deadman" persona, returned and defeated Kane.[46] At the following Smackdown! Pay-Per-View Judgment Day, The Undertaker would go on to defeat Booker T. Three months later, Bearer was kidnapped by the Dudley Boyz at the direction of Paul Heyman,[47] who then took "control" of Undertaker.[48] On Smackdown Undertaker attacked both Rob Van Dam and John Cena. The following week Cena confronted The Undertaker and was booked into a match by back then General Manager Kurt Angle to face The Undertaker which The Undertaker went on to win after hitting cena with his chain and delivered a Tombstone. At The Great American Bash The Undertaker fought a handicap match against the Dudleys, with the stipulation that if he didn't lay down and purposely lose, Heyman would bury Bearer in cement. The Undertaker won and stopped Heyman from burying Bearer, then buried him anyway, explaining that Bearer was merely a liability now and that he had no use for him anymore.[46]
After defeating the Dudley Boyz, The Undertaker began a feud by challenging then WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) to a title match at SummerSlam, which The Undertaker lost by disqualification.[46] At No Mercy, The Undertaker and JBL competed in the first ever "Last Ride" match, although The Undertaker lost after Heidenreich interfered.[46] After a brief program with Heidenreich,[49] The Undertaker turned his focus to the WWE Championship once again. Along with Eddie Guerrero and Booker T, he challenged JBL to a championship rematch at Armageddon in a Fatal Four-Way match, in which The Undertaker was unsuccessful, again due to Heidenreich's interference.[49] The feud culminated in a Casket match between The Undertaker and Heidenreich at the Royal Rumble, where The Undertaker sealed Heidenreich in a casket for the victory.[49]
Soon afterward, Randy Orton challenged The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania 21, in a storyline where Orton claimed that he would end The Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak (this would be the first Wrestlemania in which the undefeated streak would become a major selling point for the Undertaker's matches at the marquee event and for Wrestlemania itself; it was only mentioned in passing before this).[50] Even with help from his father "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Randy failed, and The Undertaker improved his WrestleMania record to 13–0.[49] He returned for the June 16 episode of SmackDown! but lost to JBL, thanks to interference from Randy Orton.[51] After The Great American Bash, The Undertaker became the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, a position that JBL felt he should have. As part of the feud, on the following SmackDown!, The Undertaker lost a number one contender match against JBL, once again due to interference from Orton.[52] With this, The Undertaker resumed his feud with Orton. At SummerSlam, Orton defeated The Undertaker in a WrestleMania rematch.[53] The storyline intensified as the two taunted each other with caskets, leading to a casket match at No Mercy, in which The Undertaker lost to Randy and his father "Cowboy" Bob Orton.[53] After the match, the Ortons poured gasoline on the casket and set it on fire. When the charred casket was opened, however, The Undertaker had once again vanished. He returned at the Survivor Series, emerging from a burning casket.[54] The Undertaker returned to SmackDown! in early December to haunt Orton and set up a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon.[55] After winning the match,[54] Calaway took a brief hiatus from wrestling.
The Undertaker retaining his undefeated streak at WrestleMania 22. In early 2006 at the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker returned during Kurt Angle's celebration of his World Title defense against Mark Henry on a horse drawn cart, signaling for a title shot. As part of their storyline feud, The Undertaker lost his match with Angle at No Way Out after a thirty minute bout. Undertaker cornered Angle after the match and told him he was not finished with him; however during a rematch on SmackDown! Henry attacked The Undertaker from behind, costing him the title. This led to The Undertaker challenging Henry to a Casket match at WrestleMania 22, and Henry - like Orton a year before - vowed to end Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak. The Undertaker defeated Henry to become 14–0 at WrestleMania, keeping his undefeated streak alive. During a rematch on the next episode of SmackDown!, The Great Khali made his debut and assaulted The Undertaker to transition into a new storyline.
The Undertaker was not heard from until the May 5 episode of SmackDown!, as Theodore Long delivered a challenge from The Undertaker to Khali for a match at Judgment Day.[56] The Undertaker lost to Khali,[57][58] and he did not appear again until the July 4 episode of SmackDown!, when he accepted Khali's challenge to a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash.[59] Khali, however, was removed from the match and was replaced by ECW Champion The Big Show, over whom The Undertaker gained the victory. In the storyline, Teddy Long replaced Khali with Big Show as punishment for an attack on The Undertaker shortly before the match.[57] Khali was then challenged to a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam after interfering in The Undertaker's match with World Heavyweight Champion King Booker.[60] Khali refused the challenge for SummerSlam, though Long made the match official for the August 18 episode of SmackDown! instead. The Undertaker won the match by striking Khali with the steel stairs, delivering several chair shots, and finishing him with a chokeslam.[61]
The Undertaker's next match was with WWE United States Champion Mr. Kennedy at No Mercy but was disqualified in the match after he hit Kennedy with the championship belt.[62] On the November 3 episode of SmackDown!, The Undertaker reunited with Kane to form the Brothers of Destruction for the first time in five years, defeating the reluctant opposition team of Mr. Kennedy and MVP, with whom Kane was feuding with at the time.[63] As part of the storyline, Kennedy defeated The Undertaker in a First Blood match at Survivor Series after interference from MVP,[62] but finally defeated Kennedy in a Last Ride match at Armageddon.[62] The two continued to feud into 2007 as Kennedy cost The Undertaker two World Heavyweight Championship opportunities for a championship match at the Royal Rumble.[64][65]
World Heavyweight Champion (2007–2010) The Undertaker won his first Royal Rumble match at the 2007 event,[65] becoming the first man to enter the Rumble at number 30 and win the match.[66] He then began a storyline with Batista, whom he defeated at WrestleMania 23 to win his first World Heavyweight Championship. At Backlash in a Last Man Standing match, they had a rematch that ended in a draw when neither man was able to answer the ten-count, resulting in The Undertaker retaining the Championship. On the May 11 episode of SmackDown!, The Undertaker and Batista participated in a steel cage match that ended in a draw when both men's feet touched the floor at the same time. After the match, Mark Henry returned and assaulted The Undertaker. Immediately after the assault, Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank title shot, and The Undertaker dropped the World Heavyweight Championship to Edge. As The Undertaker laid in the ring, druids appeared and carried him to the backstage area.
The Undertaker, after defeating Edge at WrestleMania XXIV. During Calaway's rehabilitation, Henry quickly defeated local jobbers and bragged about his assault on Undertaker, until vignettes began playing promoting The Undertaker's return. The Undertaker returned at Unforgiven, defeating Henry and again on SmackDown! two weeks later.[67] Batista and The Undertaker reignited their feud at Cyber Sunday with the fans choosing the special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin, but Batista retained the world title.[68] They battled again inside a Hell in a Cell at Survivor Series where Edge returned and interfered to help Batista retain the World Heavyweight Championship.[69] In response to this, The Undertaker delivered a Tombstone piledriver to General Manager Vickie Guerrero, on the next SmackDown!, sending her to the hospital. Returning Assistant-General Manager Theodore Long declared a Triple Threat match for the title at Armageddon, which Edge won.
At No Way Out, The Undertaker defeated Batista, Finlay, The Great Khali, Montel Vontavious Porter, and Big Daddy V in an Elimination Chamber, to become the number one contender for Edge's World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXIV. He defeated Edge at WrestleMania with his Hell's Gate submission hold, to win his second World Heavyweight Championship and elevate his undefeated streak at WrestleMania to 16–0.[70] In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again at Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.[71] Vickie Guerrero announced that The Undertaker's Hell's Gate was an illegal hold and stripped him of the title. The Undertaker battled Edge for the vacant title at Judgment Day, which he won by countout. Vickie ordered that the title remain vacant, because titles cannot change hands in this way. Edge and The Undertaker faced each other again for the vacant championship at One Night Stand in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, which The Undertaker lost after interference from La Familia. As a result of the stipulation, Undertaker was forced to leave WWE.
The Undertaker, after defeating Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV. On the July 25, 2008 episode of SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero announced that she had reinstated The Undertaker, and that Edge would face him at SummerSlam in a Hell in a Cell match,[72] which The Undertaker won. After the match, The Undertaker chokeslammed Edge from the top of a ladder and through the ring canvas.[73] Following this match, Guerrero tried to make a peace offering with The Undertaker on SmackDown by apologizing, but The Undertaker told her that he is not the forgiving kind. At Unforgiven, as The Undertaker approached the ring to "take Guerrero's soul" and take her in a casket, the Big Show, who appeared at first to aid the Undertaker, betrayed and assaulted him.[74] As a result of this altercation, The Undertaker and Big Show faced each other in a match at No Mercy, where the Big Show knocked The Undertaker out with a punch to the back of The Undertaker's head.[75] At Cyber Sunday, The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a Last Man Standing match after applying Hell's Gate.[76] The Undertaker then went on to defeat the Big Show at Survivor Series in a casket match, to end the feud.[77] At No Way Out, The Undertaker was part of the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match; however, he was unsuccessful at winning the match. He then became embroiled in a long time feud with Shawn Michaels over his WrestleMania undefeated streak and the fact that The Undertaker had never defeated Michaels in a singles match previously. The feud culminated in a match at WrestleMania XXV which The Undertaker won to extend his WrestleMania streak to a perfect record of 17–0.[78] On the April 24 episode of SmackDown, Big Show defeated him in a singles match by knockout after the match, Undertaker attacked Big Show. After SmackDown, Undertaker took another hiatus from WWE on April 25, 2009.
After the four month hiatus, The Undertaker returned at SummerSlam in August by attacking CM Punk, who had just won the World Heavyweight Championship from Jeff Hardy in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.[79] At Breaking Point, The Undertaker faced Punk in a submission match. The Undertaker had originally won the match with his Hell's Gate submission hold, but the match was restarted by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who ruled that the ban placed on the move by Vickie Guerrero was still in effect. Punk went on to win the match with his Anaconda Vise when referee Scott Armstrong called for the bell, despite Undertaker never submitting in a recreation of the Montreal Screwjob, which took place in the same venue in 1997.[80] On the September 25 episode of SmackDown, Theodore Long announced that the ban had now been officially lifted, after being released from a casket that The Undertaker had apparently placed him in.[81] The feud between the two continued and at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, The Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Championship from Punk in a Hell in a Cell match.[82] The Undertaker successfully defended the title against CM Punk on SmackDown, in a Fatal Four Way match at Bragging Rights, and in a Triple Threat match at Survivor Series.[83][84] He faced Batista at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs for the championship, and won when the match was restarted by Long, after Batista had originally won after utilising a low blow.[85]
The Undertaker defending his World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble 2010. At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, a pyrotechnics malfunction momentarily engulfed The Undertaker in flames during his ring entrance. He was able to continue with his scheduled match, with a burn on his chest that "looked like a bad sunburn" according to a WWE spokesman.[86] He lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Chris Jericho after interference from Shawn Michaels.[87] Undertaker had been rebuffing Michaels' requests for a WrestleMania rematch, but the night after Elimination Chamber he agreed to the match on the condition that Michaels' career was on the line.[88] At WrestleMania, The Undertaker defeated Michaels to end his career in a match with no countouts or disqualifications.[89]
After a hiatus (which included wrestling two matches on Raw), he returned to SmackDown on May 28, defeating Rey Mysterio to qualify for a spot in the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view to compete for the World Heavyweight Championship.[90] During the match, The Undertaker suffered a concussion, broken orbital bone, and broken nose; he was visibly bleeding profusely on camera by the end of the match.[91] To cover for the injury, Kane revealed The Undertaker had been found in a vegetative state;[92] Mysterio took his place in the match and won the World Heavyweight Championship. While attempting to learn which superstar had attacked The Undertaker, Kane defeated Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane and Mysterio continued to clash as they accused one another of being the assailant behind the attack.[93]
At SummerSlam, the Undertaker returned to confront Kane and Rey Mysterio, only to be overpowered and Tombstoned by Kane.[94] With Kane revealed as his attacker, the two feuded for the next few months over the World Heavyweight Championship. After losing to Kane at Night of Champions, Paul Bearer returned as Undertaker's manager on an episode of SmackDown.[95] However, Bearer attacked him at Hell in a Cell to help Kane win once again. The feud ended at Bragging Rights when The Nexus helped Kane defeat Undertaker in a Buried Alive match. In reality, he needed medical treatment for his injury.
Feud with Triple H (2011–present) The Undertaker staring down Triple H after his return on January 30, 2012. After the 2011 Royal Rumble, promotional videos showing The Undertaker entering and standing within an old house began airing. Each promo would end with the date 2–21–11 being burned into the screen. On the February 21 episode of Raw The Undertaker returned; after his lengthy entrance but before he could speak, Triple H returned after an eleven month absence and confronted The Undertaker. In a unique interaction involving no verbal or physical exchanges, the two stared each other down, performed their signature intimidation actions towards each other before Triple H set his eyes upon the WrestleMania XXVII marquee. The Undertaker responded by turning his attention toward the marquee as well. The Undertaker initially scoffed at Triple H's apparent challenge but later accepted. The match was later announced as a No Holds Barred match on WWE's website. At WrestleMania XXVII, after surviving three Pedigrees and a Tombstone Piledriver, Undertaker forced Triple H to tap out to Hell's Gate, extending his streak to 19–0. Following the match, The Undertaker was carried away from the ring on a stretcher.[96]
On the January 30, 2012 episode of Raw, The Undertaker returned after a ten month hiatus to confront Triple H. The two men stared at each other before Undertaker set his attention on the WrestleMania XXVIII marquee. Triple H responded by patting Undertaker on the shoulder before exiting the ring.[97] On February 13, after Triple H refused the Undertaker's challenge for a Wrestlemania rematch, an Undertaker video appeared on the TitanTron. The video featured the Undertaker cutting his own hair with a straight razor before declaring vengeance would be his.[98] After the Undertaker accused Triple H of living in the shadow of Shawn Michaels on the February 20 episode of Raw, Triple H accepted the challenge on the condition that it be a Hell in a Cell match. This time the Undertaker responded by patting Triple H on the shoulder before exiting the ring.
Personal life Calaway graduated from Waltrip High School in 1983 where he was a member of the basketball team.[99] Calaway married his first wife, Jodi Lynn, in 1989, and they had a son, Gunner, born in 1993, before the marriage ended in 1999. Calaway married his second wife, Sara, in St Petersburg, Florida on July 21, 2000.[citation needed] The couple had two daughters together: Chasey (born on November 21, 2002) and Gracie (born on May 15, 2005).[citation needed] As of 2007, he and Sara were divorced, and he was romantically linked to former wrestler Michelle McCool, whom he married on June 26, 2010, in Houston, Texas.[100][101]
Calaway is an avid boxing fan and carried the Flag of the United States while leading Team Pacquiao to the ring during the Pacquiao vs. Velázquez fight in 2005.[102] This was also confirmed by fellow wrestler Batista in a televised interview for the Philippine news program TV Patrol World. Calaway is also an avid mixed martial arts fan and has attended several Ultimate Fighting Championship shows, including a show where Calaway had a confrontation with former WWE star Brock Lesnar. During an interview that an internet show conducted with Calaway after UFC 121, Lesnar walked past him, with Calaway answering Lesnar's stare with "you wanna do it?".[101][103] He is a close friend of mixed martial artists, Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, Matt Hughes and the actor, Tony Longo. [101]
Calaway invests in real estate with business partner Scott Everhart. Calaway and Everhart finished construction on a $2.7m building in Loveland, Colorado called "The Calahart," a portmanteau of their last names.[104] Calaway and his ex-wife Sara established The Zeus Compton Calaway Save the Animals fund at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences to help pay for lifesaving treatments for large-breed dogs.[105]
Other media Calaway made his motion picture debut in a supporting role as Hutch in the 1991 film, Suburban Commando opposite Hulk Hogan and Christopher Lloyd. He filmed guest roles on Poltergeist: The Legacy, where he played the Soul Chaser Demon and Celebrity Deathmatch. In 2001, Calaway appeared out of character on the Canadian sports show Off the Record with Michael Landsberg.
Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 1991 Suburban Commando Hutch Film Debut 1999 Beyond the Mat Himself Documentary Television Year Title Role Notes 1999 Poltergeist: The Legacy Soul Chaser Demon Episodes: "Brothers Keeper" / "The Mephisto Strain" (Flashbacks) Downtown The Undertaker (voice) Episode: "The Con" Celebrity Deathmatch The Undertaker (voice) Episode: "Halloween Episode I" 2001 Off the Record with Michael Landsberg Himself 1 episode 2002 America's Most Wanted In wrestling Undertaker locking in Hell's Gate on Edge. Undertaker executing the Tombstone Piledriver on Edge. Undertaker about to strike with a guillotine leg drop on Mark Henry. Undertaker jumping down from the top rope to strike Heidenreich with Old School.
- Finishing moves
- As The Undertaker
- Chokeslam[3][5]
- Hell's Gate (Modified gogoplata) – 2008–present
- Last Ride (Elevated powerbomb) – 2000–present
- Tombstone Piledriver (Kneeling reverse piledriver, followed by a modified pin)
- Triangle choke – 2003–2008
- As "Mean" Mark Callous
- Callous Clutch (Jaw clutch)[5]
- Heart punch[5]
- As The Undertaker
- Signature moves
- Back body drop
- Ballistic punching combination[5]
- Big boot[5]
- Fujiwara armbar[5]
- Flying clothesline[5]
- Guillotine leg drop onto the chest of an apron-hung opponent[5]
- Heatseeking Missile[5] (Missile dropkick) – 1984–1990
- One-handed clawhold[5] – 1984–1990
- No-handed over the top rope suicide dive[106]
- Old School[107] (Arm twist ropewalk chop)[5]
- Reverse STO[5]
- Running DDT[5]
- Running flying clothesline, sometimes with a cornered opponent[5]
- Running leg drop[5]
- Sidewalk slam[5]
- Snake Eyes,[5] followed by a running big boot[5]
- Takin' Care of Business (Standing dragon sleeper)[5] – 2002–2007
- Wrist lock followed by multiple shoulder blocks[5]
- Nicknames
- Entrance themes
- New Japan Pro Wrestling
- "Miracle Man" by Ozzy Osbourne
- National Wrestling Alliance
- "China White" by Scorpions
- World Championship Wrestling
- "China White" by Scorpions
- World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE
- "Funeral Dirge" by Jim Johnston (November 19, 1990 – August 19, 1991)
- "Funeral March" by Jim Johnston (August 26, 1991 – January 22, 1994)
- "The Grim Reaper" by Jim Johnston (August 29, 1994 – November 13, 1995)
- "Graveyard Symphony" by Jim Johnston (November 19, 1995 – July 20, 1998; January 11, 1999 – March 22, 1999)
- "Dark Side" by Jim Johnston (July 26, 1998 – December 13, 1998)
- "Ministry" by Jim Johnston (March 28, 1999 – September 23, 1999)
- "American Bad Ass" by Kid Rock (May 21, 2000 – December 4, 2000)
- "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" by Limp Bizkit (December 10, 2000 – May 6, 2002; March 30 2003)
- "Dead Man" by Jim Johnston (May 19, 2002 – September 19, 2002)
- "You're Gonna Pay" by Jim Johnston (September 22, 2002 – November 16, 2003)
- "Rest in Peace" by Jim Johnston (March 14, 2004 – February 21, 2011, January 30, 2012 - Present)
- "Ain't No Grave (Gonna Hold This Body Down)" by Johnny Cash (March 7, 2011 – April 3, 2011)[112]
- New Japan Pro Wrestling
Wade Barret
Stuart Alexander "Stu" Bennett[1][7] (born August 10, 1980)[1] is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he performs on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Wade Barrett. He won the first season of NXT in 2010 and made his Raw debut in June of that year, rising to prominence as the leader of the Nexus, a villainous stable composed of the NXT contestants. Barrett headlined five WWE pay-per-view events during the remainder of 2010, challenging for the WWE Championship in three of those.[8]
After moving to SmackDown in January 2011, Barrett formed a new stable known as The Corre, which included former Nexus members. He challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship at the 2011 WWE Elimination Chamber and won his first singles championship, the WWE Intercontinental Championship, in March.[2] Prior to his WWE debut, Barrett competed in various independent promotions under his own name, and the ring names of Stu Sanders and Lawrence Knight.
Contents [hide]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Debut Bennett decided to become a professional wrestler at the age of 21,[9] and was trained by Jon Ritchie and Al Snow.[1] He made his professional wrestling debut in June 2004, using the ring name "Stu Sanders",[6] as a surprise entrant in a 30-man battle royal held by NWA UK Hammerlock Wrestling.[3] Sanders also performed at numerous Dropkixx Wrestling and All Star Wrestling events,[3][4] as well as wrestling in Wales for Welsh Wrestling. In June 2005 he beat Danny Beckwith for the Dropkixx IWC Heavyweigt Championship.
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2007–present) [edit] Development territories and NXT (2007-2010) Barrett in Florida Championship Wrestling in 2010. Bennett participated in a tryout with WWE in November 2006 after appearing as part of a security team on the November 13 episode of Raw along with Sheamus in Manchester, England. He had another tryout in 2007, and signed a developmental contract with them in October.[1][9] He was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) under his Stu Sanders ring name, where he was defeated by Ace Steel in a dark match.[1] He later formed a tag team with Paul Burchill and the pair faced the Major Brothers in several matches.[3] On 2 January 2008 Sanders and Burchill defeated Colt Cabana and Charles Evans in the final of a tournament for the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship.[1][3] Sanders and Burchill held the title for nearly two months before losing it to Los Locos (Ramón and Raúl) in a four-way match also involving The Insurgency (Ali and Omar Akbar) and The Mobile Homers (Ted McNaler and Adam Revolver).[3][11]
After WWE ended their relationship with OVW as a developmental territory, Sanders was moved to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) with several other wrestlers.[3] On 6 May 2008, Sanders and Drew McIntyre, collectively known as The Empire, defeated The Puerto Rican Nightmares (Eddie Colón and Eric Pérez) to win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship.[12] They lost the titles back to the Nightmares at FCW's first TV taping on 17 July.[3][12] The team broke up after the loss, and Sanders began wrestling under his real name before changing it to Lawrence Knight at the 9 October FCW television taping. On 19 February 2009, Knight announced that he was the new FCW commentator, alongside Dusty Rhodes.[1][13] He became colour commentator due to an injury, in which he tore his Latissimus dorsi muscle and required surgery.[14] In August 2009, Bennett was renamed yet again to Wade Barrett, partially named for Wade Dooley.[3][4] Bennett describes the character of Barrett as being "an extension of his dark side".[4] He returned to in-ring competition in FCW in December 2009.[1]
It was announced on 16 February 2010 that Barrett would be competing on the first season of WWE NXT, with Chris Jericho as his storyline mentor.[15] His first appearance for NXT was on the inaugural episode of NXT on 23 February, when he acted as Jericho's ring announcer.[16] Barrett made his in-ring debut on the following episode of NXT, defeating Daniel Bryan.[17] On the 13 April episode of NXT, Barrett won the "talk the talk" challenge and was awarded his own custom made entrance theme.[18] On 11 May, Barrett was ranked in first place in the Pros Poll.[19] On the 1 June episode of NXT, Barrett won the overall competition, and a WWE contract, by defeating David Otunga and Justin Gabriel in the season finale.[20]
[edit] Nexus and The Corre (2010–2011) Main articles: Nexus and The Corre Barrett leading The Nexus in September 2010. On the 7 June episode of Raw, Barrett was at the forefront of an attack by the NXT rookies, as they interfered in the main event match between John Cena and CM Punk, attacking both competitors, the Straight Edge Society, the announce team, the timekeeper and the ring announcer, before they destroyed the ring area and surrounding equipment. Cena in particular was heavily targeted by the rookies, who hit him with their finishing moves.[21] On the next episode of Raw, Barrett and the other rookies (minus Daniel Bryan) demanded full-time contracts from Raw General Manager Bret Hart, who instead fired Barrett and had the rookies removed from the building. Later in the show the rookies attacked Hart and gave him until the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view to decide on their contracts.[22] At Fatal 4-Way, the rookies interfered in the main event for the WWE Championship, costing John Cena the championship in the process.[23] The following night on Raw, Vince McMahon fired Hart and announced that a new 'anonymous' General Manager had been hired and the seven rookies received WWE contracts. The group of rookies continued their path of disrupting main events, as they attacked both Cena and McMahon, who had been acting as the referee.[24] The following week, the group was named The Nexus.[25] That same week, Barrett was absent on Raw as his work visa had expired and he had to return to the United Kingdom to apply for a new one.[26] With his visa situation cleared up, Barrett returned the following week.[27] On the 12 July episode of Raw, the Nexus, sans Darren Young, competed in their first match together and defeated John Cena in a six–on–one handicap match.[28] The following week, Barrett made his singles match debut on Raw by defeating Mark Henry.[29] the Nexus continued to feud with Cena and the Raw roster, resulting in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match at SummerSlam. Barrett was the final member of the Nexus but submitted to Cena, causing the Nexus to lose the match.[30] After Darren Young was exiled from the group and Skip Sheffield was injured, the Nexus faced Cena, Edge, Randy Orton, Sheamus and Jericho in a five-on-five elimination match on the 900th episode of Raw on 30 August. Barrett won the match for his team by last eliminating Orton.[31]
Barrett received his guaranteed championship match from winning NXT at Night of Champions, where he was unsuccessful in a six-pack challenge match for the WWE Championship, despite eliminating Cena.[32] The feud between Cena and the Nexus continued at Hell in a Cell on 3 October, when Barrett defeated Cena to force Cena to become a member of the Nexus.[33] The following night on Raw, Barrett, with the help of the rest of the Nexus, won a battle royal to determine the number one contender to the WWE Championship, when Cena eliminated himself on Barrett's orders.[34] Barrett received his championship match against Randy Orton at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view. After ordering Cena to help him win, Cena interfered in the match causing Barrett to win via disqualification, which meant that Orton retained the championship.[35] The following night, Barrett was granted a rematch at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, and allowed to choose a guest referee. He chose Cena, stating that if Barrett won the match and the WWE Title, Cena would be allowed to leave the Nexus, but if Barrett failed to win the title, Cena would be fired.[36] At Survivor Series, Barrett was unsuccessful in winning the WWE Championship from Orton after Cena pushed him into an RKO by Orton.[37] Cena was fired as per the match stipulation after Survivor Series.
Barrett at the WWE Tribute to the Troops event in December 2010. Due to Cena's interference, Barrett received a rematch for the championship the following night on Raw, but was attacked by the fired Cena, costing him the match.[38] After Cena attacked several members of the Nexus over the next few weeks, they demanded that Barrett re-instate him, or be exiled from the group.[39] On the 13 December episode of Raw, Barrett agreed and rehired Cena.[40] As a condition of his rehiring, Cena had to face Barrett in a Chairs match at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, which Barrett lost.[41]
Barrett made his first appearance since the TLC pay-per-view on the 3 January 2011 episode of Raw, where he confronted CM Punk, who had taken over the leadership of the Nexus in his absence. Punk gave Barrett the opportunity to regain the leadership, stating that if he won a three-way steel cage match involving Orton, Sheamus and Barrett to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship, Punk would give up the leadership. However, during the match, Punk came down to ringside, attacked Barrett as he was about to win and took off Barrett's Nexus armband, symbolically removing him from the Nexus. Barrett went on to lose the match.[42]
At the television tapings of the 7 January episode of SmackDown the next day, Barrett made his SmackDown debut by attacking The Big Show.[43] The following week he was joined by Ezekiel Jackson and his former Nexus stablemates Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater, who had left the group the previous Monday,[44][45] the group named themselves as the Corre.[46] Barrett later qualified for the WWE Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but came up short after being the first man eliminated by The Big Show.[47] On 22 March, at the tapings of the 25 March episode of SmackDown, Barrett defeated Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.[48][49][50] At WrestleMania XXVII, The Corre were defeated in an eight-man tag team match by the team of Kingston, The Big Show, Kane, and Santino Marella.[51] Barrett went on to successfully defend his championship against Kingston on the 22 April episode of SmackDown.[52] On the 6 May episode of SmackDown, Barrett, Gabriel, and Slater attacked Jackson, removing him from the group.[53] On the 13 May episode of SmackDown, Barrett then challenged Jackson to a match for the Intercontinental Championship at the Over the Limit pay-per-view, and Jackson accepted. At the event, Gabriel and Slater attacked Jackson during the match, causing Barrett to lose by disqualification, but Barrett retained his Intercontinental Championship.[54][55] He would then have to defend his Intercontinental Title against Jackson again on the 3 June episode of SmackDown. During the match, Jackson threw Barrett out of the ring, resulting in Barrett losing by countout, but Barrett still retained his Intercontinental Title as a title cannot change hands via countout. Barrett then instructed the Corre to attack Jackson, but then abandoned Gabriel and Slater, whom Jackson fended off.[56] On the 10 June episode of SmackDown, The Corre dissolved after Barrett, fleeing from Jackson, walked out on Gabriel and Slater in a 6-man tag team match against Jackson and The Usos, causing them to lose the match.[57]
[edit] The Barrett Barrage and injury (2011–present) Barrett addresses the fans. At WWE Capitol Punishment, Barrett lost the Intercontinental Championship to Jackson.[58] He invoked his rematch clause against Ezekiel Jackson for the Intercontinental Champion on the 24 June episode of SmackDown, but lost.[59]
On the 1 July episode of SmackDown, Barrett was announced to be one of the participants for the SmackDown Money in the Bank match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, facing Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Kane, Sin Cara, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes and Sheamus, which was won by Bryan.[60] On the 22 July episode of SmackDown, Barrett faced Sheamus and both men were counted out. The following week Wade Barrett came to talk about how he was deserved to be Mr. Money in the Bank, Daniel Bryan came out and put him on the LeBell Lock. The following week, he was at commentary during Bryan's match. On the following SmackDown, Barrett attacked Bryan after the latter's loss to Alberto Del Rio. At SummerSlam, Barrett defeated Bryan in a singles match.[61] He then had a short feud with Sheamus, where he lost on three occasions. On September 23 episode of Smackdown, Barrett defeated another former Nexus and Corre teammate, Justin Gabriel.[62]
On the October 21 episode of SmackDown held in Mexico, Barrett dismissed his past alliances with a "legion of parasites", claiming that the only person he needed for him to succeed was himself, and he vowed that the "Barrett Barrage" was beginning. Barrett followed this announcement by beating Daniel Bryan.[63] The next week, he would obtain wins over John Morrison on Raw and Trent Barreta on SmackDown.[64][65] Barrett's winning streak continued as he and Cody Rhodes defeated the WWE Tag Team Champions Air Boom (Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston) on the October 31 episode of Raw and the November 4 episode of SmackDown when he defeated Sheamus, following interference from Christian.[66][67]
The following week, after being announced as the Team Captain for the Survivor Series against Team Orton, Barrett defeated Randy Orton. Barrett's winning streak was broken on the November 14 episode of Raw, when he was defeated by Orton via disqualification after Team Barrett attacked Orton.[68] At Survivor Series Team Barrett defeated Team Orton, with Barrett and Cody Rhodes being the sole survivors in the match.[69] On the November 25 episode of SmackDown, Barrett competed in a Fatal-4-Way match against Orton, Rhodes and Daniel Bryan to determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship which Bryan won.[70] Barrett would continue his feud with Orton by attacking and distracting him during matches.[71][72] On the December 9 episode of SmackDown, Barrett and Orton were put in two Time to Beat the Clock Challenge matches, with the winner choosing the stipulation for their match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Barrett defeated Ezekiel Jackson in 7:53, however, Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler in 7:51 and chose a Tables match.[73] At Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, Orton defeated Barrett after hitting the RKO mid-air with Barrett landing through the table.[74] Barrett and Orton would continue their feud on the December 23 episode of SmackDown, where they engaged in a brawl that ended backstage with Barrett getting hit with a RKO onto a car.[75] This led to a Falls Count Anywhere match on December 30 episode of Smackdown, where Barrett pushed Orton down a set of stairs before exiting through the door.[76] Orton suffered a herniated disc as a result, taking him off television for a number of weeks.[77] Orton returned on the January 27, 2012, edition of SmackDown to wrestle Barrett to a no-contest and eliminate him from the 2012 Royal Rumble match.[78][79] On the February 3 edition of SmackDown, Orton defeated Barrett in a No Disqualificatons match to end the feud.[80]
At Elimination Chamber, Barrett failed to capture the World Heavyweight Championship after being eliminated fourth by Santino Marella.[81] On the February 20 episode of Raw, Barrett suffered an injury during a 10-man battle royal after Dolph Ziggler was thrown out of the ring by Big Show and landed on Barrett and R-Truth. It was later announced that Barrett suffered a partially dislocated elbow, which would require surgery and sideline him for about four months.[82]
[edit] Personal life On 15 June 2008, Bennett was arrested in Tampa, Florida and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer (a felony) and obstructing an officer (a misdemeanor).[1][7] The arrest took place outside of Champps Restaurant and Bar (2223 West Shore Boulevard North) at 2 am.[83] Bennett was released the next day.[83] According to FCW sources, all charges were subsequently dropped by police.
Bennett has three tattoos. The first is a barbwire tattoo on his left deltoid.[84] He later expanded it to cover the entire deltoid.[85] The second is a tribal design directly underneath the former tattoo.[84] . The third is a rose on his right deltoid with the words 'Culture, Alienation, Boredom & Despair' - a line from the Manic Street Preachers song Little Baby Nothing.
[edit] In wrestling Barrett performing the Wasteland on Randy Orton
After moving to SmackDown in January 2011, Barrett formed a new stable known as The Corre, which included former Nexus members. He challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship at the 2011 WWE Elimination Chamber and won his first singles championship, the WWE Intercontinental Championship, in March.[2] Prior to his WWE debut, Barrett competed in various independent promotions under his own name, and the ring names of Stu Sanders and Lawrence Knight.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 3 Personal life
- 4 In wrestling
- 5 Championships and accomplishments
- 6 Notes and References
- 7 External links
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Debut Bennett decided to become a professional wrestler at the age of 21,[9] and was trained by Jon Ritchie and Al Snow.[1] He made his professional wrestling debut in June 2004, using the ring name "Stu Sanders",[6] as a surprise entrant in a 30-man battle royal held by NWA UK Hammerlock Wrestling.[3] Sanders also performed at numerous Dropkixx Wrestling and All Star Wrestling events,[3][4] as well as wrestling in Wales for Welsh Wrestling. In June 2005 he beat Danny Beckwith for the Dropkixx IWC Heavyweigt Championship.
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2007–present) [edit] Development territories and NXT (2007-2010) Barrett in Florida Championship Wrestling in 2010. Bennett participated in a tryout with WWE in November 2006 after appearing as part of a security team on the November 13 episode of Raw along with Sheamus in Manchester, England. He had another tryout in 2007, and signed a developmental contract with them in October.[1][9] He was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) under his Stu Sanders ring name, where he was defeated by Ace Steel in a dark match.[1] He later formed a tag team with Paul Burchill and the pair faced the Major Brothers in several matches.[3] On 2 January 2008 Sanders and Burchill defeated Colt Cabana and Charles Evans in the final of a tournament for the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship.[1][3] Sanders and Burchill held the title for nearly two months before losing it to Los Locos (Ramón and Raúl) in a four-way match also involving The Insurgency (Ali and Omar Akbar) and The Mobile Homers (Ted McNaler and Adam Revolver).[3][11]
After WWE ended their relationship with OVW as a developmental territory, Sanders was moved to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) with several other wrestlers.[3] On 6 May 2008, Sanders and Drew McIntyre, collectively known as The Empire, defeated The Puerto Rican Nightmares (Eddie Colón and Eric Pérez) to win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship.[12] They lost the titles back to the Nightmares at FCW's first TV taping on 17 July.[3][12] The team broke up after the loss, and Sanders began wrestling under his real name before changing it to Lawrence Knight at the 9 October FCW television taping. On 19 February 2009, Knight announced that he was the new FCW commentator, alongside Dusty Rhodes.[1][13] He became colour commentator due to an injury, in which he tore his Latissimus dorsi muscle and required surgery.[14] In August 2009, Bennett was renamed yet again to Wade Barrett, partially named for Wade Dooley.[3][4] Bennett describes the character of Barrett as being "an extension of his dark side".[4] He returned to in-ring competition in FCW in December 2009.[1]
It was announced on 16 February 2010 that Barrett would be competing on the first season of WWE NXT, with Chris Jericho as his storyline mentor.[15] His first appearance for NXT was on the inaugural episode of NXT on 23 February, when he acted as Jericho's ring announcer.[16] Barrett made his in-ring debut on the following episode of NXT, defeating Daniel Bryan.[17] On the 13 April episode of NXT, Barrett won the "talk the talk" challenge and was awarded his own custom made entrance theme.[18] On 11 May, Barrett was ranked in first place in the Pros Poll.[19] On the 1 June episode of NXT, Barrett won the overall competition, and a WWE contract, by defeating David Otunga and Justin Gabriel in the season finale.[20]
[edit] Nexus and The Corre (2010–2011) Main articles: Nexus and The Corre Barrett leading The Nexus in September 2010. On the 7 June episode of Raw, Barrett was at the forefront of an attack by the NXT rookies, as they interfered in the main event match between John Cena and CM Punk, attacking both competitors, the Straight Edge Society, the announce team, the timekeeper and the ring announcer, before they destroyed the ring area and surrounding equipment. Cena in particular was heavily targeted by the rookies, who hit him with their finishing moves.[21] On the next episode of Raw, Barrett and the other rookies (minus Daniel Bryan) demanded full-time contracts from Raw General Manager Bret Hart, who instead fired Barrett and had the rookies removed from the building. Later in the show the rookies attacked Hart and gave him until the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view to decide on their contracts.[22] At Fatal 4-Way, the rookies interfered in the main event for the WWE Championship, costing John Cena the championship in the process.[23] The following night on Raw, Vince McMahon fired Hart and announced that a new 'anonymous' General Manager had been hired and the seven rookies received WWE contracts. The group of rookies continued their path of disrupting main events, as they attacked both Cena and McMahon, who had been acting as the referee.[24] The following week, the group was named The Nexus.[25] That same week, Barrett was absent on Raw as his work visa had expired and he had to return to the United Kingdom to apply for a new one.[26] With his visa situation cleared up, Barrett returned the following week.[27] On the 12 July episode of Raw, the Nexus, sans Darren Young, competed in their first match together and defeated John Cena in a six–on–one handicap match.[28] The following week, Barrett made his singles match debut on Raw by defeating Mark Henry.[29] the Nexus continued to feud with Cena and the Raw roster, resulting in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match at SummerSlam. Barrett was the final member of the Nexus but submitted to Cena, causing the Nexus to lose the match.[30] After Darren Young was exiled from the group and Skip Sheffield was injured, the Nexus faced Cena, Edge, Randy Orton, Sheamus and Jericho in a five-on-five elimination match on the 900th episode of Raw on 30 August. Barrett won the match for his team by last eliminating Orton.[31]
Barrett received his guaranteed championship match from winning NXT at Night of Champions, where he was unsuccessful in a six-pack challenge match for the WWE Championship, despite eliminating Cena.[32] The feud between Cena and the Nexus continued at Hell in a Cell on 3 October, when Barrett defeated Cena to force Cena to become a member of the Nexus.[33] The following night on Raw, Barrett, with the help of the rest of the Nexus, won a battle royal to determine the number one contender to the WWE Championship, when Cena eliminated himself on Barrett's orders.[34] Barrett received his championship match against Randy Orton at the Bragging Rights pay-per-view. After ordering Cena to help him win, Cena interfered in the match causing Barrett to win via disqualification, which meant that Orton retained the championship.[35] The following night, Barrett was granted a rematch at the Survivor Series pay-per-view, and allowed to choose a guest referee. He chose Cena, stating that if Barrett won the match and the WWE Title, Cena would be allowed to leave the Nexus, but if Barrett failed to win the title, Cena would be fired.[36] At Survivor Series, Barrett was unsuccessful in winning the WWE Championship from Orton after Cena pushed him into an RKO by Orton.[37] Cena was fired as per the match stipulation after Survivor Series.
Barrett at the WWE Tribute to the Troops event in December 2010. Due to Cena's interference, Barrett received a rematch for the championship the following night on Raw, but was attacked by the fired Cena, costing him the match.[38] After Cena attacked several members of the Nexus over the next few weeks, they demanded that Barrett re-instate him, or be exiled from the group.[39] On the 13 December episode of Raw, Barrett agreed and rehired Cena.[40] As a condition of his rehiring, Cena had to face Barrett in a Chairs match at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, which Barrett lost.[41]
Barrett made his first appearance since the TLC pay-per-view on the 3 January 2011 episode of Raw, where he confronted CM Punk, who had taken over the leadership of the Nexus in his absence. Punk gave Barrett the opportunity to regain the leadership, stating that if he won a three-way steel cage match involving Orton, Sheamus and Barrett to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship, Punk would give up the leadership. However, during the match, Punk came down to ringside, attacked Barrett as he was about to win and took off Barrett's Nexus armband, symbolically removing him from the Nexus. Barrett went on to lose the match.[42]
At the television tapings of the 7 January episode of SmackDown the next day, Barrett made his SmackDown debut by attacking The Big Show.[43] The following week he was joined by Ezekiel Jackson and his former Nexus stablemates Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater, who had left the group the previous Monday,[44][45] the group named themselves as the Corre.[46] Barrett later qualified for the WWE Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but came up short after being the first man eliminated by The Big Show.[47] On 22 March, at the tapings of the 25 March episode of SmackDown, Barrett defeated Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.[48][49][50] At WrestleMania XXVII, The Corre were defeated in an eight-man tag team match by the team of Kingston, The Big Show, Kane, and Santino Marella.[51] Barrett went on to successfully defend his championship against Kingston on the 22 April episode of SmackDown.[52] On the 6 May episode of SmackDown, Barrett, Gabriel, and Slater attacked Jackson, removing him from the group.[53] On the 13 May episode of SmackDown, Barrett then challenged Jackson to a match for the Intercontinental Championship at the Over the Limit pay-per-view, and Jackson accepted. At the event, Gabriel and Slater attacked Jackson during the match, causing Barrett to lose by disqualification, but Barrett retained his Intercontinental Championship.[54][55] He would then have to defend his Intercontinental Title against Jackson again on the 3 June episode of SmackDown. During the match, Jackson threw Barrett out of the ring, resulting in Barrett losing by countout, but Barrett still retained his Intercontinental Title as a title cannot change hands via countout. Barrett then instructed the Corre to attack Jackson, but then abandoned Gabriel and Slater, whom Jackson fended off.[56] On the 10 June episode of SmackDown, The Corre dissolved after Barrett, fleeing from Jackson, walked out on Gabriel and Slater in a 6-man tag team match against Jackson and The Usos, causing them to lose the match.[57]
[edit] The Barrett Barrage and injury (2011–present) Barrett addresses the fans. At WWE Capitol Punishment, Barrett lost the Intercontinental Championship to Jackson.[58] He invoked his rematch clause against Ezekiel Jackson for the Intercontinental Champion on the 24 June episode of SmackDown, but lost.[59]
On the 1 July episode of SmackDown, Barrett was announced to be one of the participants for the SmackDown Money in the Bank match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, facing Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Kane, Sin Cara, Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes and Sheamus, which was won by Bryan.[60] On the 22 July episode of SmackDown, Barrett faced Sheamus and both men were counted out. The following week Wade Barrett came to talk about how he was deserved to be Mr. Money in the Bank, Daniel Bryan came out and put him on the LeBell Lock. The following week, he was at commentary during Bryan's match. On the following SmackDown, Barrett attacked Bryan after the latter's loss to Alberto Del Rio. At SummerSlam, Barrett defeated Bryan in a singles match.[61] He then had a short feud with Sheamus, where he lost on three occasions. On September 23 episode of Smackdown, Barrett defeated another former Nexus and Corre teammate, Justin Gabriel.[62]
On the October 21 episode of SmackDown held in Mexico, Barrett dismissed his past alliances with a "legion of parasites", claiming that the only person he needed for him to succeed was himself, and he vowed that the "Barrett Barrage" was beginning. Barrett followed this announcement by beating Daniel Bryan.[63] The next week, he would obtain wins over John Morrison on Raw and Trent Barreta on SmackDown.[64][65] Barrett's winning streak continued as he and Cody Rhodes defeated the WWE Tag Team Champions Air Boom (Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston) on the October 31 episode of Raw and the November 4 episode of SmackDown when he defeated Sheamus, following interference from Christian.[66][67]
The following week, after being announced as the Team Captain for the Survivor Series against Team Orton, Barrett defeated Randy Orton. Barrett's winning streak was broken on the November 14 episode of Raw, when he was defeated by Orton via disqualification after Team Barrett attacked Orton.[68] At Survivor Series Team Barrett defeated Team Orton, with Barrett and Cody Rhodes being the sole survivors in the match.[69] On the November 25 episode of SmackDown, Barrett competed in a Fatal-4-Way match against Orton, Rhodes and Daniel Bryan to determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship which Bryan won.[70] Barrett would continue his feud with Orton by attacking and distracting him during matches.[71][72] On the December 9 episode of SmackDown, Barrett and Orton were put in two Time to Beat the Clock Challenge matches, with the winner choosing the stipulation for their match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Barrett defeated Ezekiel Jackson in 7:53, however, Orton pinned Dolph Ziggler in 7:51 and chose a Tables match.[73] At Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, Orton defeated Barrett after hitting the RKO mid-air with Barrett landing through the table.[74] Barrett and Orton would continue their feud on the December 23 episode of SmackDown, where they engaged in a brawl that ended backstage with Barrett getting hit with a RKO onto a car.[75] This led to a Falls Count Anywhere match on December 30 episode of Smackdown, where Barrett pushed Orton down a set of stairs before exiting through the door.[76] Orton suffered a herniated disc as a result, taking him off television for a number of weeks.[77] Orton returned on the January 27, 2012, edition of SmackDown to wrestle Barrett to a no-contest and eliminate him from the 2012 Royal Rumble match.[78][79] On the February 3 edition of SmackDown, Orton defeated Barrett in a No Disqualificatons match to end the feud.[80]
At Elimination Chamber, Barrett failed to capture the World Heavyweight Championship after being eliminated fourth by Santino Marella.[81] On the February 20 episode of Raw, Barrett suffered an injury during a 10-man battle royal after Dolph Ziggler was thrown out of the ring by Big Show and landed on Barrett and R-Truth. It was later announced that Barrett suffered a partially dislocated elbow, which would require surgery and sideline him for about four months.[82]
[edit] Personal life On 15 June 2008, Bennett was arrested in Tampa, Florida and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer (a felony) and obstructing an officer (a misdemeanor).[1][7] The arrest took place outside of Champps Restaurant and Bar (2223 West Shore Boulevard North) at 2 am.[83] Bennett was released the next day.[83] According to FCW sources, all charges were subsequently dropped by police.
Bennett has three tattoos. The first is a barbwire tattoo on his left deltoid.[84] He later expanded it to cover the entire deltoid.[85] The second is a tribal design directly underneath the former tattoo.[84] . The third is a rose on his right deltoid with the words 'Culture, Alienation, Boredom & Despair' - a line from the Manic Street Preachers song Little Baby Nothing.
[edit] In wrestling Barrett performing the Wasteland on Randy Orton
- Finishing moves
- Spinebuster[13] – 2004–2009
- Wasteland[59][86] (Forward fireman's carry slam)[87] – 2010–present
- Winds of Change[88] (Spinning side slam)[59][89] – 2012–present; used as a signature move from 2010–2011
- Signature moves
- Backbreaker,[90] sometimes while slingshotting[18][91]
- Back kick[92]
- Big boot,[1][13][59] sometimes to an opponent trapped in the ropes[93]
- Belly to belly suplex[94]
- Diving elbow drop[60][95][96]
- Leaping elbow smash[97]
- Multiple knee lifts to an opponent trapped in the ropes[98][93]
- Neckbreaker[99]
- Powerbomb,[1] sometimes dropped into a sitout position[13]
- Pumphandle falling powerslam[92]
- Entrance themes
- "We Are One" by 12 Stones[103] (June 7, 2010–January 3, 2011; Used while a part of The Nexus)
- "End of Days" by Matt McCloskey and Jim Johnston[104] (January 14, 2011–January 27, 2012)
- "Just Don't Care Anymore" by Jim Johnston and American Fangs[105] (January 29, 2012–present)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2010) – The Nexus vs. WWE[106]
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2010) – as part of The Nexus[107]
- PWI ranked him #19 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011[108]
- Pro Wrestling Report
- Breakthrough Star of the Year (2010)[109]
- World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
- NXT (Season one)
- Slammy Award for Shocker of the Year (2010) – the debut of The Nexus[110]
Zack Ryder
Matthew Joseph Cardona, Jr. (born May 14, 1985) better known by his ring name Zack Ryder, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE and works on the Raw brand.
Cardona wrestled mostly with his tag team partner Brian Myers/Curt Hawkins on the independent circuit and initially in WWE, where they won the WWE Tag Team Championship. After the team split in 2009, Cardona was featured sparingly on WWE television. In 2011, Cardona used YouTube and Twitter to establish a niche fan following, which translated to a rise in status in WWE.
Contents [hide]
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE Tag team; La Familia (2006–2009) Main article: La Familia On February 24, 2006, Matthew Cardona signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.[3] In Deep South Wrestling in Georgia, he was renamed Brett Majors while Myers was renamed Bryan Majors. By October they won the DSW Tag Team Championship from The Untouchables (Dice Domino and Deuce Shade) and held them until the end of November, losing them to Urban Assault (Eric Pérez and Sonny Siaki). After the titles were vacated in the following year, they became two-time champions defeating the new team of Siaki and Afa, Jr (The Samoan Swat Team) and the Blue Bloods (William Regal and Dave Taylor).[8] Later in 2007 they moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship once, reigning from June 15 to 29.[9]
Zack Ryder (left) and Curt Hawkins in 2009. The team was moved from the developmental league to the main roster in May 2007, changing their last names from Majors to Major. They worked on WWE's ECW brand, winning only their first match[10][11][12] until they were drafted to SmackDown! in June.[13] On November 9 they won a battle royal to receive a WWE Tag Team Championship match, but didn't win.[14]
Ryder (left) posing with Edge and Hawkins. At Armageddon, the duo dressed up like Edge and interfered in the World Heavyweight Championship match, replacing Edge at several points along the match to help him win the title and thus turning heel for the first time in their WWE career.[15] On December 21, the Major Brothers were revealed as an acquaintance to Edge and his lover, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero. The Major Brothers were repackaged and renamed, with Cardona being renamed Zack Ryder.[16] Occasionally referred as the Rated-R Entourage by commentators Michael Cole and John "Bradshaw" Layfield, the group allied with Guerrero's nephew, Chavo Guerrero and his enforcer Bam Neely as the group La Familia, which dominated SmackDown's storyline through 2008. Ryder and Hawkins interfered in Edge's match at WrestleMania XXIV against The Undertaker, but Undertaker eventually won the match.
At The Great American Bash on July 20 Curt Hawkins (the former Bryan Major) and Ryder won the WWE Tag Team Championship from John Morrison and The Miz in a fatal four-way match which also featured Jesse and Festus and Finlay and Hornswoggle after Hawkins pinned Jesse.[17][18] Their victory meant that they were the youngest team to hold the championships.[19] By SummerSlam, La Familia had begun to fracture and Ryder, with Hawkins, went back to appearing on their own. On the September 26 airing of SmackDown, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder lost the titles to The Colóns (Carlito and Primo Colón) in their first televised title defense.[20] On April 15, 2009 Ryder was drafted back to the ECW brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft, separating the team.[21]
The Long Island Loudmouth (2009–2011) Ryder made his return to ECW on May 5, 2009 in a backstage segment with General Manager Tiffany. He now sported short hair, tanned skin, sunglasses, a headband, half-trunks/half-tights, displaying something of an arrogant Long Island guido character and more frequent uses of catchphrases "woo woo woo" and "you know it", that he had used sparingly in the tag team.[22][23] He lost to Finlay on his first singles match, on May 7's Superstars[24] and would not gain victory until the May 19 episode of ECW on Sci Fi over a local competitor.[23] On September 15, Ryder won a 10-man battle royal to earn contendership to the ECW Championship[25] but lost to the champion, Christian, the following week.[26] On the November 3 episode of ECW, Ryder entered a love angle with Rosa Mendes who became his valet.[27] He also feuded with Tommy Dreamer, culminating in a match on December 29 where Ryder won to force Dreamer to leave the company.[28]
Ryder with his signature LI pose When the ECW brand came to an end in February 2010, Ryder and Mendes moved to the Raw brand, making his debut on the February 25 episode of Superstars, defeating Primo. Ryder made his Raw debut on March 1, losing to Montel Vontavious Porter in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.[29] He participated in an untelevised 26-man battle royal at WrestleMania XXVI, being the last person eliminated by the winning Yoshi Tatsu. Mendes was drafted to SmackDown as part of the 2010 Supplemental Draft without Ryder,[30] so Ryder sought a new valet, trying to impress Alicia Fox and Gail Kim while they watched his matches at ringside. During a match with Evan Bourne on the May 10 episode of Raw, Fox attempted to interfere on Ryder's behalf but was stopped by Kim, leading to Bourne winning the match.[31] The two new pairings faced off in a mixed tag team match on the May 17 episode of Raw, which Ryder and Fox lost.[32] Ryder had a return win over Bourne on May 27's Superstars.[33] The next week on Raw, Fox attacked Ryder with an axe kick after Raw guest host Ashton Kutcher put a bounty on Ryder's head.[34] During the June 7 Viewer's Choice episode of Raw, Ryder was voted to team with the Miz, defeating John Morrison and R-Truth.[35] The next week, Ryder had a title shot in a Fatal Four Way match for the WWE United States Championship but lost.[36] Months later, in August, he was given a WWE Championship match against Sheamus that lasted 11 seconds, which was the second-shortest WWE Championship match in WWE history, in an attempt by Sheamus to circumvent the company's 30 day championship defence policy.[37]
During this time, Ryder became a mentor on the second season of WWE NXT to Titus O'Neil. They debuted in a losing effort against John Morrison and Eli Cottonwood;[38] O'Neil was the first rookie eliminated from the second season, on June 29.[39] On the July 27 episode of NXT, Ryder lost against Percy Watson, making him the first mentor of season 2 to lose to a rookie in a singles match.[40] For the remainder of the year and well into 2011, Ryder mostly became used on the non-branded Superstars show, occasionally teaming with Primo. Ryder won a 2010 Slammy Award for Most Annoying Catchphrase in December.[41]
The Ryder Revolution (2011–present) As a result of being underutilised on television, Ryder became dissatisfied with his place in WWE and he started a YouTube web series[42] called Z! True Long Island Story in February 2011[43] to promote his character.[44] The web series soon earned Ryder a dedicated fan following: his T-shirts sold out despite[44] and by June, "we want Ryder" chants were started by the audiences of Raw and the Capitol Punishment pay-per-view without Ryder appearing on the show.[45][46]
The web show's popularity led to Ryder having a rise in status, making more appearances on television. Between April and June, Ryder appeared during Raw more often, often in backstage segments with John Cena.[47][48] On June 6 Ryder had his first match on Raw in 2011, losing to Kofi Kingston.[49] On the June 16 episode of Superstars in front of his hometown of Long Island his status as a babyface wrestler was confirmed when he defeated his former tag team partner Primo.[50] On the July 29 episode of Smackdown, Ryder was appointed as the assistant to Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long, allowing him to make TV appearances on both Raw and SmackDown.[51]
Towards the end of 2011, Ryder began to feud with United States Champion Dolph Ziggler in a bid to win the title. On the September 19 episode of Raw, Ryder won a non-title match with the help of guest star Hugh Jackman who punched Ziggler mid-match.[52] Following his victory over Ziggler, Ryder received a match for the United States Championship the following week and again at the Vengeance PPV but both times failed due to Jack Swagger's interference.[53][54] Ryder main-evented Raw for the first time on November 7, teaming with John Cena in a losing effort against The Miz and R-Truth.[55] Ryder was then placed in a match with Cena where the victor would earn a championship opportunity; Ryder was defeated, but Cena surrendered his WWE Championship match for Ryder to have a second chance and then interfered in a No Disqualification match to help Ryder beat World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry.[56] This won Ryder a match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs where he defeated Dolph Ziggler to win the WWE United States Championship, his first singles title in any wrestling promotion.[57] Shortly after, Ryder left his position as assistant to the Smackdown General Manager due to his championship commitments.[58]
Going into 2012, Ryder started trying to woo Eve as part of a romantic storyline.[59] As Cena's friend, Ryder also became a target of Kane, who was feuding with Cena at the time and attacked Ryder on several occasions. On the January 16 episode of Raw, Ryder lost his United States Championship to Jack Swagger due to a rib injury he suffered at the hands of Kane.[60] Ryder's injuries mounted after he was chokeslammed through the Raw stage[61] and Tombstoned at the Royal Rumble.[62][63] On the February 13 episode of Raw, a wheelchair-bound Ryder saw Eve kiss Cena, after Cena saved her from a kidnapping by Kane. After a confrontation with Cena, Kane wheeled Ryder off the stage causing him to land on the concrete floor, injuring him even further.[64] Ryder returned on the March 5 edition of Raw, confronting Eve on her recent actions.[65]
Other media Ryder started a YouTube web series called Z! True Long Island Story in February 2011, which has amassed over 11.8 million views to date. The web series is a collection of short comments from Ryder, containing comedic allusions to wrestling and pop culture; it also features cameos from his friends and family, as well as fellow WWE colleagues.[66] See the Ryder Revolution above for the effect the web series had on Ryder's professional wrestling career. In April 2011, Ryder proclaimed himself WWE Internet Champion[67] complete with a children's replica belt covered in stickers, as it was unsanctioned by WWE.[68] In July 2011, Ryder would appear to defend his Internet Championship at a non-televised show in Australia against Primo,[69] but later commented that it was a non-title match, and that he would never defend his Internet Championship.[70] Ryder soon replaced the toy belt with a $1,500 custom-made belt by Wildcat Championship Belts in July 2011.[71] On episode 50 of Z! True Long Island Story, Ryder announced the show will be part of WWE's YouTube funded channel.[72]
Ryder's popularity also translated to the social media. He has over 576,700 followers on Twitter, over 176,200 Facebook "likes", and over 122,200 Youtube subscribers. This led him to be featured in Sports Illustrated's list of the 100 most influential social media users in sports.[73]
In wrestling
Cardona wrestled mostly with his tag team partner Brian Myers/Curt Hawkins on the independent circuit and initially in WWE, where they won the WWE Tag Team Championship. After the team split in 2009, Cardona was featured sparingly on WWE television. In 2011, Cardona used YouTube and Twitter to establish a niche fan following, which translated to a rise in status in WWE.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Professional wrestling career
- 2 Other media
- 3 In wrestling
- 4 Championships and accomplishments
- 5 References
- 6 External links
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE Tag team; La Familia (2006–2009) Main article: La Familia On February 24, 2006, Matthew Cardona signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.[3] In Deep South Wrestling in Georgia, he was renamed Brett Majors while Myers was renamed Bryan Majors. By October they won the DSW Tag Team Championship from The Untouchables (Dice Domino and Deuce Shade) and held them until the end of November, losing them to Urban Assault (Eric Pérez and Sonny Siaki). After the titles were vacated in the following year, they became two-time champions defeating the new team of Siaki and Afa, Jr (The Samoan Swat Team) and the Blue Bloods (William Regal and Dave Taylor).[8] Later in 2007 they moved to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship once, reigning from June 15 to 29.[9]
Zack Ryder (left) and Curt Hawkins in 2009. The team was moved from the developmental league to the main roster in May 2007, changing their last names from Majors to Major. They worked on WWE's ECW brand, winning only their first match[10][11][12] until they were drafted to SmackDown! in June.[13] On November 9 they won a battle royal to receive a WWE Tag Team Championship match, but didn't win.[14]
Ryder (left) posing with Edge and Hawkins. At Armageddon, the duo dressed up like Edge and interfered in the World Heavyweight Championship match, replacing Edge at several points along the match to help him win the title and thus turning heel for the first time in their WWE career.[15] On December 21, the Major Brothers were revealed as an acquaintance to Edge and his lover, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero. The Major Brothers were repackaged and renamed, with Cardona being renamed Zack Ryder.[16] Occasionally referred as the Rated-R Entourage by commentators Michael Cole and John "Bradshaw" Layfield, the group allied with Guerrero's nephew, Chavo Guerrero and his enforcer Bam Neely as the group La Familia, which dominated SmackDown's storyline through 2008. Ryder and Hawkins interfered in Edge's match at WrestleMania XXIV against The Undertaker, but Undertaker eventually won the match.
At The Great American Bash on July 20 Curt Hawkins (the former Bryan Major) and Ryder won the WWE Tag Team Championship from John Morrison and The Miz in a fatal four-way match which also featured Jesse and Festus and Finlay and Hornswoggle after Hawkins pinned Jesse.[17][18] Their victory meant that they were the youngest team to hold the championships.[19] By SummerSlam, La Familia had begun to fracture and Ryder, with Hawkins, went back to appearing on their own. On the September 26 airing of SmackDown, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder lost the titles to The Colóns (Carlito and Primo Colón) in their first televised title defense.[20] On April 15, 2009 Ryder was drafted back to the ECW brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft, separating the team.[21]
The Long Island Loudmouth (2009–2011) Ryder made his return to ECW on May 5, 2009 in a backstage segment with General Manager Tiffany. He now sported short hair, tanned skin, sunglasses, a headband, half-trunks/half-tights, displaying something of an arrogant Long Island guido character and more frequent uses of catchphrases "woo woo woo" and "you know it", that he had used sparingly in the tag team.[22][23] He lost to Finlay on his first singles match, on May 7's Superstars[24] and would not gain victory until the May 19 episode of ECW on Sci Fi over a local competitor.[23] On September 15, Ryder won a 10-man battle royal to earn contendership to the ECW Championship[25] but lost to the champion, Christian, the following week.[26] On the November 3 episode of ECW, Ryder entered a love angle with Rosa Mendes who became his valet.[27] He also feuded with Tommy Dreamer, culminating in a match on December 29 where Ryder won to force Dreamer to leave the company.[28]
Ryder with his signature LI pose When the ECW brand came to an end in February 2010, Ryder and Mendes moved to the Raw brand, making his debut on the February 25 episode of Superstars, defeating Primo. Ryder made his Raw debut on March 1, losing to Montel Vontavious Porter in a Money in the Bank qualifying match.[29] He participated in an untelevised 26-man battle royal at WrestleMania XXVI, being the last person eliminated by the winning Yoshi Tatsu. Mendes was drafted to SmackDown as part of the 2010 Supplemental Draft without Ryder,[30] so Ryder sought a new valet, trying to impress Alicia Fox and Gail Kim while they watched his matches at ringside. During a match with Evan Bourne on the May 10 episode of Raw, Fox attempted to interfere on Ryder's behalf but was stopped by Kim, leading to Bourne winning the match.[31] The two new pairings faced off in a mixed tag team match on the May 17 episode of Raw, which Ryder and Fox lost.[32] Ryder had a return win over Bourne on May 27's Superstars.[33] The next week on Raw, Fox attacked Ryder with an axe kick after Raw guest host Ashton Kutcher put a bounty on Ryder's head.[34] During the June 7 Viewer's Choice episode of Raw, Ryder was voted to team with the Miz, defeating John Morrison and R-Truth.[35] The next week, Ryder had a title shot in a Fatal Four Way match for the WWE United States Championship but lost.[36] Months later, in August, he was given a WWE Championship match against Sheamus that lasted 11 seconds, which was the second-shortest WWE Championship match in WWE history, in an attempt by Sheamus to circumvent the company's 30 day championship defence policy.[37]
During this time, Ryder became a mentor on the second season of WWE NXT to Titus O'Neil. They debuted in a losing effort against John Morrison and Eli Cottonwood;[38] O'Neil was the first rookie eliminated from the second season, on June 29.[39] On the July 27 episode of NXT, Ryder lost against Percy Watson, making him the first mentor of season 2 to lose to a rookie in a singles match.[40] For the remainder of the year and well into 2011, Ryder mostly became used on the non-branded Superstars show, occasionally teaming with Primo. Ryder won a 2010 Slammy Award for Most Annoying Catchphrase in December.[41]
The Ryder Revolution (2011–present) As a result of being underutilised on television, Ryder became dissatisfied with his place in WWE and he started a YouTube web series[42] called Z! True Long Island Story in February 2011[43] to promote his character.[44] The web series soon earned Ryder a dedicated fan following: his T-shirts sold out despite[44] and by June, "we want Ryder" chants were started by the audiences of Raw and the Capitol Punishment pay-per-view without Ryder appearing on the show.[45][46]
The web show's popularity led to Ryder having a rise in status, making more appearances on television. Between April and June, Ryder appeared during Raw more often, often in backstage segments with John Cena.[47][48] On June 6 Ryder had his first match on Raw in 2011, losing to Kofi Kingston.[49] On the June 16 episode of Superstars in front of his hometown of Long Island his status as a babyface wrestler was confirmed when he defeated his former tag team partner Primo.[50] On the July 29 episode of Smackdown, Ryder was appointed as the assistant to Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long, allowing him to make TV appearances on both Raw and SmackDown.[51]
Towards the end of 2011, Ryder began to feud with United States Champion Dolph Ziggler in a bid to win the title. On the September 19 episode of Raw, Ryder won a non-title match with the help of guest star Hugh Jackman who punched Ziggler mid-match.[52] Following his victory over Ziggler, Ryder received a match for the United States Championship the following week and again at the Vengeance PPV but both times failed due to Jack Swagger's interference.[53][54] Ryder main-evented Raw for the first time on November 7, teaming with John Cena in a losing effort against The Miz and R-Truth.[55] Ryder was then placed in a match with Cena where the victor would earn a championship opportunity; Ryder was defeated, but Cena surrendered his WWE Championship match for Ryder to have a second chance and then interfered in a No Disqualification match to help Ryder beat World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry.[56] This won Ryder a match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs where he defeated Dolph Ziggler to win the WWE United States Championship, his first singles title in any wrestling promotion.[57] Shortly after, Ryder left his position as assistant to the Smackdown General Manager due to his championship commitments.[58]
Going into 2012, Ryder started trying to woo Eve as part of a romantic storyline.[59] As Cena's friend, Ryder also became a target of Kane, who was feuding with Cena at the time and attacked Ryder on several occasions. On the January 16 episode of Raw, Ryder lost his United States Championship to Jack Swagger due to a rib injury he suffered at the hands of Kane.[60] Ryder's injuries mounted after he was chokeslammed through the Raw stage[61] and Tombstoned at the Royal Rumble.[62][63] On the February 13 episode of Raw, a wheelchair-bound Ryder saw Eve kiss Cena, after Cena saved her from a kidnapping by Kane. After a confrontation with Cena, Kane wheeled Ryder off the stage causing him to land on the concrete floor, injuring him even further.[64] Ryder returned on the March 5 edition of Raw, confronting Eve on her recent actions.[65]
Other media Ryder started a YouTube web series called Z! True Long Island Story in February 2011, which has amassed over 11.8 million views to date. The web series is a collection of short comments from Ryder, containing comedic allusions to wrestling and pop culture; it also features cameos from his friends and family, as well as fellow WWE colleagues.[66] See the Ryder Revolution above for the effect the web series had on Ryder's professional wrestling career. In April 2011, Ryder proclaimed himself WWE Internet Champion[67] complete with a children's replica belt covered in stickers, as it was unsanctioned by WWE.[68] In July 2011, Ryder would appear to defend his Internet Championship at a non-televised show in Australia against Primo,[69] but later commented that it was a non-title match, and that he would never defend his Internet Championship.[70] Ryder soon replaced the toy belt with a $1,500 custom-made belt by Wildcat Championship Belts in July 2011.[71] On episode 50 of Z! True Long Island Story, Ryder announced the show will be part of WWE's YouTube funded channel.[72]
Ryder's popularity also translated to the social media. He has over 576,700 followers on Twitter, over 176,200 Facebook "likes", and over 122,200 Youtube subscribers. This led him to be featured in Sports Illustrated's list of the 100 most influential social media users in sports.[73]
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Lifting inverted DDT[74] – 2008
- Rough Ryder[75] (Jumping leg lariat)[76] – 2010–present, used as a signature move from 2009–2010
- Zack Attack[77] (Inverted overdrive) – 2009–2010
- Signature moves
- Broski Boot[78] (Running Facewash, with theatrics)[79]
- Corner elbow smash[80][81]
- Double high knee from in the corner to an oncoming opponent[82][83]
- Double underhook powerbomb[84]
- Dropkick[85][86][87] sometimes from the top rope[88][89]
- Facebuster[90][91]
- Flapjack[92][93]
- Flying forearm smash[92][94]
- Hangman's neckbreaker[95][96]
- Leg drop[81][92]
- Plancha,[97][98] sometimes a somersault version[99]
- Swinging neckbreaker[100][101]
- With Curt Hawkins
- Double-team finishing moves
- Double lifting DDT[102] – 2008
- Heat Stroke[2] (NYWC) / Long Island Express[2] (DSW / OVW) (Samoan drop / Diving neckbreaker combination)
- STO / Russian legsweep combination[103]
- Double-team signature moves
- Double hip toss, sometimes preceded by a double leapfrog or transitioned into a backbreaker[103]
- Double spear[104] – 2008
- Double-team finishing moves
- Entrance themes
- "What I Want" by Daughtry (DSW/OVW)[2]
- "In the Middle of it Now" by Disciple (WWE)[106]
- "Radio" by Watt White[107] (May 2009–present)
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque[3] (born July 27, 1969)[4] is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley. As of July 2011, the Triple H character appears on WWE programming as the Chief Operating Officer of WWE and as a semi-active wrestler. He is heavily involved in the writing process of WWE programming, and holds complete creative control over his television character's storylines, win/loss record, and championship reigns.[5]
Levesque began his wrestling career in the International Wrestling Federation as Terra Ryzing before joining World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. After briefly using the Ryzing name, he changed his character to Jean-Paul Lévesque, a French-Canadian aristocrat[4] which would be similar to his character Hunter Hearst Helmsley, that he used in his early years with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 onward.[6] He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the D-Generation X (DX) stable. After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships.[1] As part of a storyline Triple H married Stephanie McMahon, who later became his real-life spouse. In 2003, Triple H formed another stable known as Evolution,[1] and reformed DX with Shawn Michaels in 2006 and 2009.[7]
Overall, Levesque has won twenty-three championships in WWE. He is a thirteen-time world champion — the all-time record in the company — having won the WWF/E Championship eight times, and the World Heavyweight Championship five times.[8][9] In addition, Helmsley won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 Royal Rumble, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner. Outside of wrestling, Helmsley has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television.
Contents [hide]
Professional wrestling career World Championship Wrestling (1994–1995) In early 1994, Levesque signed a one year contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW).[12][13] In his first televised match, Levesque debuted as a villain named Terror Risin' and defeated Keith Cole.[14] His ring name was soon modified to Terra Ryzing, which he used until mid-1994, when he was renamed Jean-Paul Lévesque.[6][15] This gimmick referred to his surname's French origins and he was asked to speak with a French accent, as he could not speak French.[16] During this time, he began using his finishing maneuver, the Pedigree.
Levesque had a brief storyline feud with Alex Wright that ended at Starrcade 1994[6] with Wright pinning him.[17] Between late 1994 and early 1995, Levesque briefly teamed with Lord Steven Regal, whose snobby British persona was similar to Levesque's character.[15] The team was short-lived, however, as Levesque left for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in January 1995 after WCW turned down his request to be pushed as a singles competitor.
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment The Connecticut Blueblood (1995–1997) As a continuation of his gimmick in WCW, Levesque started his WWF career as the "Connecticut Blueblood" Hunter Hearst Helmsley.[16] Levesque appeared in taped vignettes, in which he talked about how to use proper etiquette, up until his wrestling debut on the April 30, 1995 episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge.[18]
Hunter Hearst Helmsley in 1996. Although he was heavily pushed in the first few months after his debut, Levesque's career stalled during 1996, starting off with being mired in a feud with Duke "The Dumpster" Droese following a loss during the Free for All at 1996 Royal Rumble.[19][20] Up until that event, his angle included appearing on television each week with a different female valet (which included Playboy Playmates Shae Marks and Tylyn John).[6] Sable was his valet at WrestleMania XII, and after his loss to Ultimate Warrior,[21] as part of the storyline, he took his aggressions out on her. The debuting Marc Mero—her real-life husband—came to her rescue, starting a feud between the two wrestlers.[22]
During 1996, Helmsley appeared on an episode of WWF Superstars in a match against Marty Garner.[23] When Levesque attempted to perform the Pedigree, Garner mistook the maneuver for a double underhook suplex and tried to jump up with the move, causing him to land squarely on top of his head and suffer neck damage.[23] Garner sued the WWF, eventually settling out of court and later discussed the incident in an appearance on The Montel Williams Show.
The MSG Incident. Levesque was known backstage as one of the members of The Kliq, a group of wrestlers including Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall, who were known for influencing Vince McMahon and the WWF creative team.[19] It has been claimed that he was scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, but the victory was instead awarded to Stone Cold Steve Austin after the Madison Square Garden Incident, in which the Kliq broke character after a match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall.[24] Despite the punishment, Helmsley did have several successes following the MSG Incident. Mr. Perfect became his manager and he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship for the first time on October 21, 1996, defeating Marc Mero.[22][24] When Mr. Perfect left the WWF, his departure was explained to be a result of Helmsley turning his back on his manager as soon as he won the Intercontinental Championship. Levesque held the belt for nearly four months before dropping it to Rocky Maivia on the February 13, 1997 special edition of Monday Night Raw, called Thursday Raw Thursday.[25] For a very brief time, Helmsley was accompanied by Mr. Hughes, who was his storyline bodyguard.[26] After losing the Intercontinental title, he feuded with Goldust, defeating him at WrestleMania 13.[27] During their feud, Chyna debuted as his new bodyguard.[28]
D-Generation X (1997–1999) Main article: D-Generation X Helmsley's push resumed in 1997, when he won the 1997 King of the Ring tournament by defeating Mankind in the finals.[24][29] Later that year, Shawn Michaels, Helmsley, Chyna and Rick Rude formed D-Generation X (DX). This stable later became known for pushing the envelope, as Michaels and Helmsley made risqué promos—spawning the catchphrase "Suck It", using a "crotch chop" hand motion,[30] and sarcastically deriding Bret Hart and Canada. By that point, Helmsley had fully dropped the "blueblood snob" gimmick, appearing in T-shirts and leather. During this period, his ring name was shortened to simply Triple H.[24] Even after the DX versus Hart Foundation storyline ended, Helmsley continued to feud with the sole remaining member Owen Hart over the WWF European Championship. This ended in a match between the two at WrestleMania XIV, with the stipulation that Chyna had to be handcuffed to then-Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter. Helmsley won after Chyna threw powder into Slaughter's eyes, momentarily "blinding" him and allowing her to interfere in the match.
Chyna and Triple H. After WrestleMania, Michaels was forced into temporary retirement due to a legitimate back injury sustained at the Royal Rumble,[31] with Triple H taking over the leadership position in DX,[24] claiming that his now-former associate had "dropped the ball". He introduced the returning X-Pac the night after WrestleMania and joined forces with the New Age Outlaws.[24][32] As 1998 went along, D-Generation X became more popular, turning the group from villains to fan-favorites. It was also during this time that Triple H began a feud with the leader of the Nation of Domination and rising WWF villain, The Rock.[11] This storyline rivalry eventually led to a feud over the Intercontinental Championship, which Triple H won in a ladder match at SummerSlam.[11] He did not hold the title long, however, as he was sidelined with a legitimate knee injury.[11] When The Rock won the WWF Championship at Survivor Series,[33] the rivalry between the two continued, as DX fought The Corporation stable, of which The Rock was the main star. Triple H received a shot at the WWF Championship on the January 25, 1999 episode of Raw in an "I Quit" match against The Rock, but the match ended when Triple H was forced to quit or see his aide Chyna chokeslammed by Kane.[11] This began a new angle for Triple H, as Chyna betrayed him by attacking him after the match and joining The Corporation.[11]
At WrestleMania XV, Triple H beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX.[11] Later on in the night, he betrayed his long-time friend and fellow DX member X-Pac by helping Shane McMahon retain the European Championship and joined The Corporation.[11] turning heel in the process. After Triple H's heel turn in early 1999, he moved away from his DX look, taping his fists for matches, sporting new and shorter wrestling trunks, and adopting a shorter hairstyle.[11] Levesque's gimmick changed as he fought to earn a WWF title shot.[11] After numerous failed attempts at winning the championship, Triple H and Mankind challenged WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin to a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam, which featured Jesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee. Mankind won the match by pinning Austin.[34] The following night on Raw, Triple H defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship.[11]
Triple H dropped the WWF Championship to Vince McMahon on the September 16, 1999 episode of SmackDown! before regaining it at Unforgiven in a Six-Pack Challenge that included Davey Boy Smith, Big Show, Kane, The Rock, and Mankind. He defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Mercy before dropping the title to Big Show at Survivor Series. Triple H then continued his feud with Vince McMahon by marrying his daughter, Stephanie McMahon. He then defeated McMahon at Armageddon. As a result of the feud, an angle with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon began which carried the WWF throughout the next seventeen months; together they were known as the "McMahon-Helmsley Faction".[35]
McMahon–Helmsley Era (2000–2001) Helmsley dominated WWF television in this period owing to his on-screen marriage with Stephanie McMahon. By January 2000, Triple H dubbed himself "The Game," implying that he was on top of the wrestling world and was nicknamed "The Cerebral Assassin" by Jim Ross. On the January 3 episode of Raw is War, Triple H defeated The Big Show to win his third WWF championship.[36]
Triple H feuded with Mick Foley in early 2000. They both fought at the Royal Rumble in a Street Fight Match for the WWF Championship, which Triple won after doing two pedigrees on Foley. The storyline would come to an end at No Way Out in a Hell in a Cell where if Mick Foley lost he would have to retire. Triple H retained his title at the PPV and thus ending Mick Foley's fifteen year career. Triple H pinned The Rock at WrestleMania 2000 to retain the title,[37] but lost it at Backlash to The Rock.[38] He regained it three weeks later, in an Iron Man match at Judgment Day,[39] only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring.[40] Triple H then entered a storyline feud with Chris Jericho, which culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Fully Loaded.[40]
A later storyline feud between Triple H and Steve Austin started when it emerged that Triple H had paid off Rikishi to run down Austin at Survivor Series, causing him to take a year off. In reality, Austin's previous neck injuries started bothering him again, forcing him to have surgery. In 2000, Triple H and Austin had a match at Survivor Series that ended when Triple H tried to trick Austin into coming into the parking lot to run him over again, only to have Austin lift his car up with a forklift and flip the car onto its roof 10 feet high. Triple H returned a few weeks later and attacked Austin. The feud continued into 2001 and ended in a Three Stages of Hell match in which Helmsley defeated Austin. In 2001, Triple H also feuded with The Undertaker, who defeated him at WrestleMania X-Seven.[41] The night after WrestleMania, Triple H interfered in a steel cage match between Austin (who had just won the WWF Championship) and The Rock where he joined forces with Austin and double teamed on The Rock,[42] forming a tag team called The Two-Man Power Trip. Triple H then defeated Chris Jericho for his third Intercontinental Championship on the April 5 episode of SmackDown!,[43] and won it for a fourth time two weeks later by defeating Jeff Hardy. Triple H then became a tag team champion for the first time at Backlash when he and Austin defeated Kane and The Undertaker in a winner-take-all tag match. As Triple H was still Intercontinental Champion, the win made him a double champion.[44]
During the May 21, 2001 episode of Raw, he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury.[6][45] In the night's main event, he and Austin were defending the Tag Team Championship against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. At one point, Jericho had Austin trapped in the Walls of Jericho. Triple H ran in to break it up, but just as he did, he suffered a tear in his left quadriceps muscle,[6][45] causing it to come completely off the bone.[12] Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match.[12] He even allowed Jericho to put him in the Walls of Jericho, a move that places considerable stress on the quadriceps. The tear required an operation, which was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. This injury brought an abrupt end to the McMahon-Helmsley Era, as the rigorous rehabilitation process kept Triple H out of action for over eight months,[6][12] completely missing The Invasion storyline.
Return from injury and Shawn Michaels feud (2002) Triple H after winning the Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania X8. Triple H returned to Raw as a face on January 7, 2002 at Madison Square Garden.[12] He won the Royal Rumble and received an Undisputed WWF Championship match at WrestleMania X8.[46] At WrestleMania X8, Triple H beat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship.[6][46] After holding the title for a month, Helmsley dropped it to Hulk Hogan at Backlash.[46] Triple H then became exclusive to the SmackDown! roster due to the WWF Draft Lottery and continued to feud with Jericho, culminating in a Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day. On June 6, Triple H defeated Hogan in a Number One Contenders match for the Undisputed Championship at the King of the Ring against The Undertaker but was unsuccessful at the event.
In the interim, between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction was brought to an official on-screen conclusion. By the time he returned, Triple H's on-screen marriage to Stephanie McMahon was on the rocks, so Stephanie faked a pregnancy in order to get him back on her side.[47] When he learned that it was fake, he dumped her publicly on Raw when they were supposed to renew their wedding vows.[47] Stephanie aligned with Jericho afterward,[47] but she was forced to leave after losing a Triple Threat match on Raw the night after WrestleMania when she was pinned by Triple H.[48] The divorce, and thus the storyline, was finalized at Vengeance.[49]
Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels had made his return to WWE and joined the New World Order (NWO). Michaels and Kevin Nash planned to bring Triple H over to Raw in order to put him into the group. Vince McMahon, however, disbanded the nWo following several backstage complications and brought in Eric Bischoff as the Raw brand's new general manager. One of Bischoff's first intentions was to follow up on the nWo's plan and bring Triple H over to the Raw roster. Triple H did indeed go to the Raw brand, reuniting with Shawn Michaels, but on July 22 he turned on Michaels by performing a Pedigree on him during what was supposed to be a DX reunion, turning heel once again. The following week, Triple H smashed Michaels' face into a car window to prove that Michaels was weak. These events led to the beginning of a long storyline rivalry between the former partners and an eventual "Unsanctioned Street Fight" at SummerSlam, in which Michaels came out of retirement to win. Afterwards, however, Triple H attacked him with a sledgehammer, and Michaels was carried out of the ring.[50]
Before September 2, 2002, WWE recognized only one champion for both the Raw and SmackDown! brands. After SummerSlam, champion Brock Lesnar became exclusive to SmackDown!, leaving Raw without a champion. Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff then awarded Triple H the Big Gold Belt (which had been used for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and WCW World Heavyweight Championship) making him the first World Heavyweight Champion of the WWE brand.[51] Triple H retained his title against Rob Van Dam at Unforgiven when Ric Flair hit RVD with a sledgehammer.
In October 2002, Triple H began feuding with Kane, leading to a match at No Mercy on October 20 in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship were at stake. In the weeks preceding the match, Triple H claimed that, several years earlier, Kane had an unrequited relationship with a woman named Katie Vick.[52] He went on to claim that, after Vick was killed in a car crash, Kane (the driver) raped her corpse.[52] Triple H later threatened to show video footage of Kane committing the act in question; however, the footage that finally aired showed Triple H (dressed as Kane) simulating necrophilia with a mannequin in a casket;[52] Kane's tag team partner The Hurricane responded the following week by showing a video of Triple H (rather, someone wearing a Triple H series of masks) getting an enema. The angle was very unpopular with fans,[53] and was de-emphasised before the title match. Triple H went on to defeat Kane at No Mercy, unifying the two titles.[54]
Triple H eventually lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Shawn Michaels in the first Elimination Chamber match, at Survivor Series.[55] He defeated RVD for the title shot at Armageddon with Michaels as special referee. He regained the title from Michaels in a Three Stages of Hell match at Armageddon.[55]
Evolution (2003–2005) Main article: Evolution (professional wrestling) Triple H in April 2005. In January 2003, Triple H formed a stable known as Evolution with Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista. Triple H and Ric Flair challenged RVD and Kane for the World Tag Team Titles, but they lost the match. The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004. The height of their dominance occurred after Armageddon when every member of Evolution left the pay-per-view holding a title.[56] Triple H held the World Heavyweight Championship for most of 2003 until Unforgiven, losing the title to Bill Goldberg. After a failed attempt to win back the title from Goldberg in a rematch at the Survivor Series, he finally regained the championship against Goldberg in a triple threat match at Armageddon which also involved Kane. At the 2004 Royal Rumble, Triple H and Shawn Michaels fought in a Last Man Standing match to a double countout, so Triple H retained the title as a result.[56] Triple H dropped the title to Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX,[57] and he was unable to reclaim the belt from Benoit in subsequent rematches, including a rematch from WrestleMania between Triple H, Benoit, and Shawn Michaels at Backlash.[57]
He then ended his feud with Michaels, defeating him in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood.[57] After another failed attempt, losing to Benoit at Vengeance, he focused on Eugene, beating him at SummerSlam.[58] Triple H then regained the title from former associate Randy Orton at Unforgiven.[59] Following a Triple Threat World Heavyweight title defense against Benoit and Edge on the November 29, 2004 episode of Raw, the World Heavyweight Championship became vacant for the first time.[60] At New Year's Revolution, Triple H won the Elimination Chamber to begin his tenth world title reign.[61] At WrestleMania 21, Triple H lost the championship to Batista,[62] and subsequently lost two rematches at Backlash and Vengeance.[63][64] After Vengeance, Triple H took hiatus from WWE due to suffering from his minor neck problems.[65]
After four month hiatus, Triple H returned to Raw on October 3, 2005 as part of WWE Homecoming. He teamed with fellow Evolution member Flair to defeat Chris Masters and Carlito. After the match, Triple H turned on Flair hitting Flair with a sledgehammer, sparking a feud between the duo.[66] Flair defeated Triple H in a Steel cage match at Taboo Tuesday for Flair's Intercontinental Championship.[67] Subsequently, Triple H defeated Flair in a non-title Last Man Standing match at Survivor Series to end their feud.[67]
D-Generation X reunion (2006–2007) Although Triple H failed to win the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, another championship opportunity arose for Triple H in the Road to WrestleMania Tournament. He won the tournament, granting him a match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22. At WrestleMania, Triple H and John Cena fought in the main event for the title, which Triple H lost via submission.[68] Later that month at Backlash, Triple H was involved in another WWE Championship match, fighting Edge and Cena in a Triple Threat match, where he lost again. In an act of frustration, a bloodied Triple H used his sledgehammer to attack both Edge and Cena and then performed a number of DX crotch chops.[69] Triple H unsuccessfully attempted to win the WWE title from Cena on numerous occasions, blaming his shortcomings on Vince McMahon, which eventually led to a feud between the McMahons and Triple H.
DX striking their signature pose. Shawn Michaels returned on the June 12 episode of Raw and soon reunited with Triple H to reform D-Generation X, turning Triple H into a fan-favorite once again for the first time since 2002.[7] DX defeated the Spirit Squad at Vengeance in a 5-on-2 handicap match.[70] They continued their feud with Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and the Spirit Squad for several weeks. They then defeated the Spirit Squad again on the July 18, 2006 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event in a 5-on-2 Elimination match. They then again defeated the McMahons at SummerSlam, withstanding the attack of several handpicked WWE superstars by Vince McMahon.[69] At Unforgiven, D-Generation X overcame the odds once again, defeating The McMahons and ECW World Champion Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match. During the match, DX embarrassed Vince by shoving his face in between Big Show's buttocks, and DX won when Triple H broke a sledgehammer over the shoulders of Vince McMahon after Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music on him.[71]
At Cyber Sunday during DX's feud with Rated-RKO, special guest referee Eric Bischoff allowed the illegal use of a weapon to give Rated-RKO the win.[71] At Survivor Series, DX got their revenge when their team defeated Edge and Orton's team in an Elimination Match.[72] In January 2007, at New Year's Revolution, DX and Rated-RKO fought to a no-contest after Triple H suffered a legitimate torn right quadriceps (similar to the one he suffered in 2001 but in the other leg) fifteen minutes into the match.[73][74] Surgery was successfully performed on January 9, 2007 by Dr. James Andrews.[73]
Record breaking WWE Champion (2007–2009) Triple H made his return at SummerSlam, where he defeated King Booker.[75] After his return, he won the WWE Championship at No Mercy after beating the newly named Champion, Randy Orton, making Triple H an eleven-time world champion.[76] In the same event, Triple H also defeated Umaga in his first title defense after Mr. McMahon declared his already-scheduled bout with Umaga, a title match.[77] McMahon then announced, Orton would receive a title rematch in a Last Man Standing match in the final match of the event, which Orton won after an RKO onto the announcer's table, thus ending Triple H's sixth reign.[77] Triple H's title reign at No Mercy is the fifth shortest reign in WWE history, only lasting through the duration of the event.[77] After winning the Raw Elimination Chamber at No Way Out, Triple H gained a WWE Championship match, by outlasting five other men, last eliminating Jeff Hardy after a Pedigree on a steel chair.[78] However, at WrestleMania XXIV, Randy Orton retained after punting Triple H and pinning John Cena following Triple H's Pedigree on Cena.[79] A month later, at Backlash, Triple H won the title in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match against Orton, Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield, tying the record for most WWE Championship reigns with The Rock.[80] Triple H then retained the title against Orton at Judgment Day in a Steel Cage match and again at One Night Stand in a Last Man Standing match.[81][82] Orton suffered a legitimate collarbone injury during the match, thus ending the feud prematurely.[83]
Triple H as WWE Champion in 2008. On June 23, 2008 episode of Raw, Triple H was drafted to the SmackDown brand as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft, in the process making the WWE Championship exclusive to SmackDown.[84] He defended the championship over the summer and was the only champion to retain his title at Unforgiven's Championship Scramble matches. After this he defended it against Jeff Hardy, who was in the Unforgiven match.
At Survivor Series, Triple H was scheduled to defend the championship against Vladimir Kozlov and Hardy, however Hardy was kept out of the match after a scripted attack and injury. During the match, Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced that Edge had returned and introduced him into the contest. Jeff Hardy interfered and hit Triple H with a steel chair meant for Edge, thus costing him the title and resulting in Edge winning his sixth World Title. Triple H entered seventh in the 2009 Royal Rumble, but was last eliminated by Randy Orton. In February at Elimination Chamber, Triple H won the WWE Championship in the SmackDown Chamber match, setting the record for most reigns at eight. That record stood until 2011 when John Cena won his ninth WWE Championship.
The Legacy feud and DX farewell (2009–2011) Triple H after retaining the WWE Championship against Randy Orton at WrestleMania XXV. On the February 16, 2009 episode of Raw, Triple H made an appearance aiding Stephanie and Shane McMahon, after they were attacked by Randy Orton.[85] On the February 20 episode of SmackDown, Triple H was interviewed by Jim Ross, in the interview, footage was shown highlighting the events that occurred on the February 16 episode of Raw. Ross asked Triple H how he felt seeing that footage, in response, he broke character (after 5 years of marriage) by admitting that Vince McMahon is his father-in-law, that Shane is his brother-in-law, and that Stephanie is his wife, thus creating a rivalry between Triple H and Orton. On the February 23 episode of Raw, Triple H confronted Orton, before attacking him, Ted DiBiase, and Cody Rhodes (a group known as The Legacy) with a sledgehammer and chasing them from the arena.[86] Weeks later, it was announced that Triple H would defend the WWE championship against Orton at WrestleMania XXV.[87] At the event, Triple H defeated Orton to retain the title.Triple H would later face Orton and Legacy in a six man tag team match with Shane McMahon and Batista for the WWE championship at Backlash (2009). Triple H lost the title after trying to stop Batista from hitting Cody Rhodes with a chair then being hit with a RKO by Orton followed by the running punt to the head, allowing Orton to win the WWE championship and putting Hunter out of action for six weeks. At The Bash, Triple H would lose to Orton in a Three Stages of Hell match for the WWE Title. At Night of Champions, Triple H would again lose to Orton in a match for the WWE Championship, this time in a Triple Threat match, also involving John Cena.
Triple H in Tribute to the Troops in December 2010. On the August 10, 2009 episode of Raw, video segments aired in which Triple H met with Michaels at an office cafeteria in Texas where he was working as a chef; throughout the segments, Triple H would try to convince Michaels return to WWE from hiatus. After several incidents during the segments (including a grease grill burgers on fire and Shawn shouting at a little girl), Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to face The Legacy at SummerSlam, superkicking the girl, and quitting from his chef job in the process.[88] On the August 17 episode of Raw, in St. Louis, MO, Michaels and Triple H officially reunited as DX, but as they were in the process of their in-ring promo, Legacy attacked them both.[89] Their first match after reuniting was against Legacy at SummerSlam, which they won.[90] At Breaking Point, however, they lost to Legacy in the first ever Submissions Count Anywhere match in WWE history.[91]
At the October pay-per-view Hell in a Cell, DX defeated Legacy in a Hell in a Cell match.[92] DX would challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match at Survivor Series with both men failing to win the title,[93] although they were able to retain their friendship and tag team partnership. On December 13 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, DX defeated Chris Jericho and The Big Show to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match;[94] the first tag team championship reign for Michaels and Triple H as a tag team.
On December 21, Triple H announced that Hornswoggle was the new DX mascot.[95] This came about after Hornswoggle sued DX for emotional and physical distress due to them not allowing him to join DX.[95] After being taken to court where they were ruled guilty by a jury and judge consisting of dwarves, Michaels told Triple H that Hornswoggle could be the mascot. Triple H agreed to it only if the charges were dropped, which Hornswoggle agreed to.[95] On January 11 Mike Tyson, who was the Raw guest host for the night, teamed with Jericho to face DX; however, at the end of the bout, Tyson turned on Jericho and aligned himself with Michaels and Triple H.[96] On the February 8, 2010 episode of Raw, DX lost their Unified Tag Team Titles to ShoMiz (The Miz and The Big Show) in a Triple Threat Elimination Tag Team match also featuring The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows.) On the March 1 episode of Raw they lost their rematch for the titles which would be their last televised match before Michaels retired.[97] Michaels and Triple H had a non-wrestling reunion at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops.
On February 21, Triple H eliminated WWE Champion Sheamus in an Elimination Chamber match, though he would not win the title himself. Sheamus attacked him weeks later, setting up a match between the two at WrestleMania XXVI, where Triple H was victorious.[98][99] Also at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels lost to The Undertaker and was forced to retire, but while giving a farewell speech the next night, Sheamus attacked him. This would set up a rematch at Extreme Rules where Sheamus attacked Triple H at the start of the show ahead of a win in their scheduled contest to allow Triple H time off to recover from injuries.[100] Triple H made an untelevised appearance on October 30 at the WWE Fan Appreciation Event and also at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops.[101]
Feud with The Undertaker and Chief Operating Officer (2011–present) On the February 21, 2011 episode of Raw, Triple H made his return to the WWE by interrupting the return of The Undertaker. He challenged him to a match at WrestleMania XXVII, which later became a No Holds Barred match. A week later he put Sheamus through the announce table with a Pedigree, in retaliation for Sheamus giving him a 10 month injury. At WrestleMania XXVII Triple H lost which extended Undertaker's undefeated streak to 19-0, however Undertaker was carried from the ring in a stretcher whereas Triple H left the ring of his own volition.[102]
Triple H performing his entrance at WrestleMania XXVII, walking between shields. At the end of the July 18, 2011 episode of Raw, Triple H returned on behalf of WWE's board of directors to relieve his father-in-law Vince McMahon of his duties.[103] This was followed by the announcement that he had been assigned to take over as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the WWE. This was during a storyline where CM Punk had won the WWE Championship and left the company. Though a new champion was crowned, Triple H helped resign CM Punk and upheld both championship reigns. He announced he would referee a match to unify both WWE Championships at SummerSlam. Although he counted a pinfall for CM Punk to win, John Cena's leg was on the ropes which would break the pin. Regardless, Triple H's longtime friend Kevin Nash attacked Punk immediately after the match to allow Alberto Del Rio to become champion.[104] Though Nash and Punk demanded a match against each other, Triple H fired Nash for insubordination and booked himself in a No Disqualification match at Night Of Champions with his position of COO on the line.[105] He won the match despite interference from John Laurinaitis, Nash, The Miz and R-Truth.[106] After repeated attacks from these wrestlers in various matches, the majority of WWE's on-screen staff gave Triple H a vote of no confidence. Mr. McMahon returned to relieve him of his duties on Raw though he remained COO. He was replaced as General Manager of Raw by Laurinaitis, who booked him in a tag team match against Miz and R-Truth at Vengeance.[107] During the match, Nash once again attacked him and did so the following night on the October 24 Raw, hospitalizing him.[108] WWE later announced that Triple H sustained a fractured vertebrae which would remove him from television until his return on December 12, as part of the Slammy Awards. On December 18, Triple H defeated Nash at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs in Sledgehammer Ladder Match where he used the sledgehammer against Nash.[109]
Triple H returned on the January 30 edition of Raw, to evaluate Laurinaitis' performance as General Manager. Before he could announce the decision, he was interrupted by the returning Undertaker.[110] After initially refusing the rematch as he did not want to tarnish Undertaker's legacy,[111] Triple H accepted the challenge after being called a coward who lives in Shawn Michaels' shadow, on the condition their rematch be contested inside Hell in a Cell.[112]
Backstage roles In 2010, Levesque's role as an Executive Senior Advisor was officially formalized as he was given an office at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.[113] Levesque was named Executive Vice President, Talent in 2011. In this role he oversees the talent relations and talent development departments, training of performers and management of worldwide recruitment. In addition to his talent duties, Levesque has worked as a director and producer of the creative direction and storylines of WWE’s programming.[114]
Personal life In 2000, Levesque began dating Stephanie McMahon and they married on October 25, 2003.[115] He had previously been in a long-term relationship with former WWE wrestler Chyna.[116] He and McMahon have three daughters.[117] On January 8, 2006, WWE announced that McMahon and Levesque were expecting their first child, due on July 27, 2006.[118] Stephanie McMahon continued to work and travel with WWE throughout her pregnancy, giving birth to an 8 lb, 7 oz (3.8 kg) baby girl, Aurora Rose Levesque, on July 24, 2006.[119] The couple had their second daughter, Murphy Claire Levesque, on July 28, 2008.[120] The couple welcomed their third daughter, Vaughn Evelyn Levesque, on August 24, 2010.[121]
He has a sister named Lynn.[12]
In late 2004, Levesque released a book titled Making the Game: Triple H's Approach to a Better Body.[122] Mostly devoted to bodybuilding advice, the book also includes some autobiographical information, memoirs, and opinions.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1998 Pacific Blue Triple H 1998 The Drew Carey Show The Disciplinarian 2001 MADtv Himself 2004 Blade: Trinity Jarko Grimwood 2005 The Bernie Mac Show Triple H[123] 2006 Relative Strangers[124] Wrestler Uncredited 2011 The Chaperone Raymond "Ray Ray" Bradstone 2011 Inside Out Arlo "A.J." Jayne In wrestling Triple H about to perform a Pedigree on John Cena. Truple H with his signature sledgehammer. Triple H performing his signature ring entrance pose on the middle rope.
Levesque began his wrestling career in the International Wrestling Federation as Terra Ryzing before joining World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994. After briefly using the Ryzing name, he changed his character to Jean-Paul Lévesque, a French-Canadian aristocrat[4] which would be similar to his character Hunter Hearst Helmsley, that he used in his early years with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 onward.[6] He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the D-Generation X (DX) stable. After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships.[1] As part of a storyline Triple H married Stephanie McMahon, who later became his real-life spouse. In 2003, Triple H formed another stable known as Evolution,[1] and reformed DX with Shawn Michaels in 2006 and 2009.[7]
Overall, Levesque has won twenty-three championships in WWE. He is a thirteen-time world champion — the all-time record in the company — having won the WWF/E Championship eight times, and the World Heavyweight Championship five times.[8][9] In addition, Helmsley won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 Royal Rumble, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner. Outside of wrestling, Helmsley has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 2.1 World Championship Wrestling (1994–1995)
- 2.2 World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
- 2.2.1 The Connecticut Blueblood (1995–1997)
- 2.2.2 D-Generation X (1997–1999)
- 2.2.3 McMahon–Helmsley Era (2000–2001)
- 2.2.4 Return from injury and Shawn Michaels feud (2002)
- 2.2.5 Evolution (2003–2005)
- 2.2.6 D-Generation X reunion (2006–2007)
- 2.2.7 Record breaking WWE Champion (2007–2009)
- 2.2.8 The Legacy feud and DX farewell (2009–2011)
- 2.2.9 Feud with The Undertaker and Chief Operating Officer (2011–present)
- 3 Backstage roles
- 4 Personal life
- 5 Filmography
- 6 In wrestling
- 7 Championships and accomplishments
- 8 Notes
- 9 References
- 10 External links
Professional wrestling career World Championship Wrestling (1994–1995) In early 1994, Levesque signed a one year contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW).[12][13] In his first televised match, Levesque debuted as a villain named Terror Risin' and defeated Keith Cole.[14] His ring name was soon modified to Terra Ryzing, which he used until mid-1994, when he was renamed Jean-Paul Lévesque.[6][15] This gimmick referred to his surname's French origins and he was asked to speak with a French accent, as he could not speak French.[16] During this time, he began using his finishing maneuver, the Pedigree.
Levesque had a brief storyline feud with Alex Wright that ended at Starrcade 1994[6] with Wright pinning him.[17] Between late 1994 and early 1995, Levesque briefly teamed with Lord Steven Regal, whose snobby British persona was similar to Levesque's character.[15] The team was short-lived, however, as Levesque left for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in January 1995 after WCW turned down his request to be pushed as a singles competitor.
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment The Connecticut Blueblood (1995–1997) As a continuation of his gimmick in WCW, Levesque started his WWF career as the "Connecticut Blueblood" Hunter Hearst Helmsley.[16] Levesque appeared in taped vignettes, in which he talked about how to use proper etiquette, up until his wrestling debut on the April 30, 1995 episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge.[18]
Hunter Hearst Helmsley in 1996. Although he was heavily pushed in the first few months after his debut, Levesque's career stalled during 1996, starting off with being mired in a feud with Duke "The Dumpster" Droese following a loss during the Free for All at 1996 Royal Rumble.[19][20] Up until that event, his angle included appearing on television each week with a different female valet (which included Playboy Playmates Shae Marks and Tylyn John).[6] Sable was his valet at WrestleMania XII, and after his loss to Ultimate Warrior,[21] as part of the storyline, he took his aggressions out on her. The debuting Marc Mero—her real-life husband—came to her rescue, starting a feud between the two wrestlers.[22]
During 1996, Helmsley appeared on an episode of WWF Superstars in a match against Marty Garner.[23] When Levesque attempted to perform the Pedigree, Garner mistook the maneuver for a double underhook suplex and tried to jump up with the move, causing him to land squarely on top of his head and suffer neck damage.[23] Garner sued the WWF, eventually settling out of court and later discussed the incident in an appearance on The Montel Williams Show.
The MSG Incident. Levesque was known backstage as one of the members of The Kliq, a group of wrestlers including Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall, who were known for influencing Vince McMahon and the WWF creative team.[19] It has been claimed that he was scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, but the victory was instead awarded to Stone Cold Steve Austin after the Madison Square Garden Incident, in which the Kliq broke character after a match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall.[24] Despite the punishment, Helmsley did have several successes following the MSG Incident. Mr. Perfect became his manager and he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship for the first time on October 21, 1996, defeating Marc Mero.[22][24] When Mr. Perfect left the WWF, his departure was explained to be a result of Helmsley turning his back on his manager as soon as he won the Intercontinental Championship. Levesque held the belt for nearly four months before dropping it to Rocky Maivia on the February 13, 1997 special edition of Monday Night Raw, called Thursday Raw Thursday.[25] For a very brief time, Helmsley was accompanied by Mr. Hughes, who was his storyline bodyguard.[26] After losing the Intercontinental title, he feuded with Goldust, defeating him at WrestleMania 13.[27] During their feud, Chyna debuted as his new bodyguard.[28]
D-Generation X (1997–1999) Main article: D-Generation X Helmsley's push resumed in 1997, when he won the 1997 King of the Ring tournament by defeating Mankind in the finals.[24][29] Later that year, Shawn Michaels, Helmsley, Chyna and Rick Rude formed D-Generation X (DX). This stable later became known for pushing the envelope, as Michaels and Helmsley made risqué promos—spawning the catchphrase "Suck It", using a "crotch chop" hand motion,[30] and sarcastically deriding Bret Hart and Canada. By that point, Helmsley had fully dropped the "blueblood snob" gimmick, appearing in T-shirts and leather. During this period, his ring name was shortened to simply Triple H.[24] Even after the DX versus Hart Foundation storyline ended, Helmsley continued to feud with the sole remaining member Owen Hart over the WWF European Championship. This ended in a match between the two at WrestleMania XIV, with the stipulation that Chyna had to be handcuffed to then-Commissioner Sgt. Slaughter. Helmsley won after Chyna threw powder into Slaughter's eyes, momentarily "blinding" him and allowing her to interfere in the match.
Chyna and Triple H. After WrestleMania, Michaels was forced into temporary retirement due to a legitimate back injury sustained at the Royal Rumble,[31] with Triple H taking over the leadership position in DX,[24] claiming that his now-former associate had "dropped the ball". He introduced the returning X-Pac the night after WrestleMania and joined forces with the New Age Outlaws.[24][32] As 1998 went along, D-Generation X became more popular, turning the group from villains to fan-favorites. It was also during this time that Triple H began a feud with the leader of the Nation of Domination and rising WWF villain, The Rock.[11] This storyline rivalry eventually led to a feud over the Intercontinental Championship, which Triple H won in a ladder match at SummerSlam.[11] He did not hold the title long, however, as he was sidelined with a legitimate knee injury.[11] When The Rock won the WWF Championship at Survivor Series,[33] the rivalry between the two continued, as DX fought The Corporation stable, of which The Rock was the main star. Triple H received a shot at the WWF Championship on the January 25, 1999 episode of Raw in an "I Quit" match against The Rock, but the match ended when Triple H was forced to quit or see his aide Chyna chokeslammed by Kane.[11] This began a new angle for Triple H, as Chyna betrayed him by attacking him after the match and joining The Corporation.[11]
At WrestleMania XV, Triple H beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX.[11] Later on in the night, he betrayed his long-time friend and fellow DX member X-Pac by helping Shane McMahon retain the European Championship and joined The Corporation.[11] turning heel in the process. After Triple H's heel turn in early 1999, he moved away from his DX look, taping his fists for matches, sporting new and shorter wrestling trunks, and adopting a shorter hairstyle.[11] Levesque's gimmick changed as he fought to earn a WWF title shot.[11] After numerous failed attempts at winning the championship, Triple H and Mankind challenged WWF Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin to a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam, which featured Jesse "The Body" Ventura as the special guest referee. Mankind won the match by pinning Austin.[34] The following night on Raw, Triple H defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship.[11]
Triple H dropped the WWF Championship to Vince McMahon on the September 16, 1999 episode of SmackDown! before regaining it at Unforgiven in a Six-Pack Challenge that included Davey Boy Smith, Big Show, Kane, The Rock, and Mankind. He defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Mercy before dropping the title to Big Show at Survivor Series. Triple H then continued his feud with Vince McMahon by marrying his daughter, Stephanie McMahon. He then defeated McMahon at Armageddon. As a result of the feud, an angle with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon began which carried the WWF throughout the next seventeen months; together they were known as the "McMahon-Helmsley Faction".[35]
McMahon–Helmsley Era (2000–2001) Helmsley dominated WWF television in this period owing to his on-screen marriage with Stephanie McMahon. By January 2000, Triple H dubbed himself "The Game," implying that he was on top of the wrestling world and was nicknamed "The Cerebral Assassin" by Jim Ross. On the January 3 episode of Raw is War, Triple H defeated The Big Show to win his third WWF championship.[36]
Triple H feuded with Mick Foley in early 2000. They both fought at the Royal Rumble in a Street Fight Match for the WWF Championship, which Triple won after doing two pedigrees on Foley. The storyline would come to an end at No Way Out in a Hell in a Cell where if Mick Foley lost he would have to retire. Triple H retained his title at the PPV and thus ending Mick Foley's fifteen year career. Triple H pinned The Rock at WrestleMania 2000 to retain the title,[37] but lost it at Backlash to The Rock.[38] He regained it three weeks later, in an Iron Man match at Judgment Day,[39] only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring.[40] Triple H then entered a storyline feud with Chris Jericho, which culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Fully Loaded.[40]
A later storyline feud between Triple H and Steve Austin started when it emerged that Triple H had paid off Rikishi to run down Austin at Survivor Series, causing him to take a year off. In reality, Austin's previous neck injuries started bothering him again, forcing him to have surgery. In 2000, Triple H and Austin had a match at Survivor Series that ended when Triple H tried to trick Austin into coming into the parking lot to run him over again, only to have Austin lift his car up with a forklift and flip the car onto its roof 10 feet high. Triple H returned a few weeks later and attacked Austin. The feud continued into 2001 and ended in a Three Stages of Hell match in which Helmsley defeated Austin. In 2001, Triple H also feuded with The Undertaker, who defeated him at WrestleMania X-Seven.[41] The night after WrestleMania, Triple H interfered in a steel cage match between Austin (who had just won the WWF Championship) and The Rock where he joined forces with Austin and double teamed on The Rock,[42] forming a tag team called The Two-Man Power Trip. Triple H then defeated Chris Jericho for his third Intercontinental Championship on the April 5 episode of SmackDown!,[43] and won it for a fourth time two weeks later by defeating Jeff Hardy. Triple H then became a tag team champion for the first time at Backlash when he and Austin defeated Kane and The Undertaker in a winner-take-all tag match. As Triple H was still Intercontinental Champion, the win made him a double champion.[44]
During the May 21, 2001 episode of Raw, he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury.[6][45] In the night's main event, he and Austin were defending the Tag Team Championship against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. At one point, Jericho had Austin trapped in the Walls of Jericho. Triple H ran in to break it up, but just as he did, he suffered a tear in his left quadriceps muscle,[6][45] causing it to come completely off the bone.[12] Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match.[12] He even allowed Jericho to put him in the Walls of Jericho, a move that places considerable stress on the quadriceps. The tear required an operation, which was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. This injury brought an abrupt end to the McMahon-Helmsley Era, as the rigorous rehabilitation process kept Triple H out of action for over eight months,[6][12] completely missing The Invasion storyline.
Return from injury and Shawn Michaels feud (2002) Triple H after winning the Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania X8. Triple H returned to Raw as a face on January 7, 2002 at Madison Square Garden.[12] He won the Royal Rumble and received an Undisputed WWF Championship match at WrestleMania X8.[46] At WrestleMania X8, Triple H beat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship.[6][46] After holding the title for a month, Helmsley dropped it to Hulk Hogan at Backlash.[46] Triple H then became exclusive to the SmackDown! roster due to the WWF Draft Lottery and continued to feud with Jericho, culminating in a Hell in a Cell match at Judgment Day. On June 6, Triple H defeated Hogan in a Number One Contenders match for the Undisputed Championship at the King of the Ring against The Undertaker but was unsuccessful at the event.
In the interim, between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, the McMahon-Helmsley Faction was brought to an official on-screen conclusion. By the time he returned, Triple H's on-screen marriage to Stephanie McMahon was on the rocks, so Stephanie faked a pregnancy in order to get him back on her side.[47] When he learned that it was fake, he dumped her publicly on Raw when they were supposed to renew their wedding vows.[47] Stephanie aligned with Jericho afterward,[47] but she was forced to leave after losing a Triple Threat match on Raw the night after WrestleMania when she was pinned by Triple H.[48] The divorce, and thus the storyline, was finalized at Vengeance.[49]
Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels had made his return to WWE and joined the New World Order (NWO). Michaels and Kevin Nash planned to bring Triple H over to Raw in order to put him into the group. Vince McMahon, however, disbanded the nWo following several backstage complications and brought in Eric Bischoff as the Raw brand's new general manager. One of Bischoff's first intentions was to follow up on the nWo's plan and bring Triple H over to the Raw roster. Triple H did indeed go to the Raw brand, reuniting with Shawn Michaels, but on July 22 he turned on Michaels by performing a Pedigree on him during what was supposed to be a DX reunion, turning heel once again. The following week, Triple H smashed Michaels' face into a car window to prove that Michaels was weak. These events led to the beginning of a long storyline rivalry between the former partners and an eventual "Unsanctioned Street Fight" at SummerSlam, in which Michaels came out of retirement to win. Afterwards, however, Triple H attacked him with a sledgehammer, and Michaels was carried out of the ring.[50]
Before September 2, 2002, WWE recognized only one champion for both the Raw and SmackDown! brands. After SummerSlam, champion Brock Lesnar became exclusive to SmackDown!, leaving Raw without a champion. Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff then awarded Triple H the Big Gold Belt (which had been used for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and WCW World Heavyweight Championship) making him the first World Heavyweight Champion of the WWE brand.[51] Triple H retained his title against Rob Van Dam at Unforgiven when Ric Flair hit RVD with a sledgehammer.
In October 2002, Triple H began feuding with Kane, leading to a match at No Mercy on October 20 in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship were at stake. In the weeks preceding the match, Triple H claimed that, several years earlier, Kane had an unrequited relationship with a woman named Katie Vick.[52] He went on to claim that, after Vick was killed in a car crash, Kane (the driver) raped her corpse.[52] Triple H later threatened to show video footage of Kane committing the act in question; however, the footage that finally aired showed Triple H (dressed as Kane) simulating necrophilia with a mannequin in a casket;[52] Kane's tag team partner The Hurricane responded the following week by showing a video of Triple H (rather, someone wearing a Triple H series of masks) getting an enema. The angle was very unpopular with fans,[53] and was de-emphasised before the title match. Triple H went on to defeat Kane at No Mercy, unifying the two titles.[54]
Triple H eventually lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Shawn Michaels in the first Elimination Chamber match, at Survivor Series.[55] He defeated RVD for the title shot at Armageddon with Michaels as special referee. He regained the title from Michaels in a Three Stages of Hell match at Armageddon.[55]
Evolution (2003–2005) Main article: Evolution (professional wrestling) Triple H in April 2005. In January 2003, Triple H formed a stable known as Evolution with Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista. Triple H and Ric Flair challenged RVD and Kane for the World Tag Team Titles, but they lost the match. The group was pushed on Raw from 2003 to 2004. The height of their dominance occurred after Armageddon when every member of Evolution left the pay-per-view holding a title.[56] Triple H held the World Heavyweight Championship for most of 2003 until Unforgiven, losing the title to Bill Goldberg. After a failed attempt to win back the title from Goldberg in a rematch at the Survivor Series, he finally regained the championship against Goldberg in a triple threat match at Armageddon which also involved Kane. At the 2004 Royal Rumble, Triple H and Shawn Michaels fought in a Last Man Standing match to a double countout, so Triple H retained the title as a result.[56] Triple H dropped the title to Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX,[57] and he was unable to reclaim the belt from Benoit in subsequent rematches, including a rematch from WrestleMania between Triple H, Benoit, and Shawn Michaels at Backlash.[57]
He then ended his feud with Michaels, defeating him in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood.[57] After another failed attempt, losing to Benoit at Vengeance, he focused on Eugene, beating him at SummerSlam.[58] Triple H then regained the title from former associate Randy Orton at Unforgiven.[59] Following a Triple Threat World Heavyweight title defense against Benoit and Edge on the November 29, 2004 episode of Raw, the World Heavyweight Championship became vacant for the first time.[60] At New Year's Revolution, Triple H won the Elimination Chamber to begin his tenth world title reign.[61] At WrestleMania 21, Triple H lost the championship to Batista,[62] and subsequently lost two rematches at Backlash and Vengeance.[63][64] After Vengeance, Triple H took hiatus from WWE due to suffering from his minor neck problems.[65]
After four month hiatus, Triple H returned to Raw on October 3, 2005 as part of WWE Homecoming. He teamed with fellow Evolution member Flair to defeat Chris Masters and Carlito. After the match, Triple H turned on Flair hitting Flair with a sledgehammer, sparking a feud between the duo.[66] Flair defeated Triple H in a Steel cage match at Taboo Tuesday for Flair's Intercontinental Championship.[67] Subsequently, Triple H defeated Flair in a non-title Last Man Standing match at Survivor Series to end their feud.[67]
D-Generation X reunion (2006–2007) Although Triple H failed to win the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble, another championship opportunity arose for Triple H in the Road to WrestleMania Tournament. He won the tournament, granting him a match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 22. At WrestleMania, Triple H and John Cena fought in the main event for the title, which Triple H lost via submission.[68] Later that month at Backlash, Triple H was involved in another WWE Championship match, fighting Edge and Cena in a Triple Threat match, where he lost again. In an act of frustration, a bloodied Triple H used his sledgehammer to attack both Edge and Cena and then performed a number of DX crotch chops.[69] Triple H unsuccessfully attempted to win the WWE title from Cena on numerous occasions, blaming his shortcomings on Vince McMahon, which eventually led to a feud between the McMahons and Triple H.
DX striking their signature pose. Shawn Michaels returned on the June 12 episode of Raw and soon reunited with Triple H to reform D-Generation X, turning Triple H into a fan-favorite once again for the first time since 2002.[7] DX defeated the Spirit Squad at Vengeance in a 5-on-2 handicap match.[70] They continued their feud with Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and the Spirit Squad for several weeks. They then defeated the Spirit Squad again on the July 18, 2006 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event in a 5-on-2 Elimination match. They then again defeated the McMahons at SummerSlam, withstanding the attack of several handpicked WWE superstars by Vince McMahon.[69] At Unforgiven, D-Generation X overcame the odds once again, defeating The McMahons and ECW World Champion Big Show in a Hell in a Cell match. During the match, DX embarrassed Vince by shoving his face in between Big Show's buttocks, and DX won when Triple H broke a sledgehammer over the shoulders of Vince McMahon after Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music on him.[71]
At Cyber Sunday during DX's feud with Rated-RKO, special guest referee Eric Bischoff allowed the illegal use of a weapon to give Rated-RKO the win.[71] At Survivor Series, DX got their revenge when their team defeated Edge and Orton's team in an Elimination Match.[72] In January 2007, at New Year's Revolution, DX and Rated-RKO fought to a no-contest after Triple H suffered a legitimate torn right quadriceps (similar to the one he suffered in 2001 but in the other leg) fifteen minutes into the match.[73][74] Surgery was successfully performed on January 9, 2007 by Dr. James Andrews.[73]
Record breaking WWE Champion (2007–2009) Triple H made his return at SummerSlam, where he defeated King Booker.[75] After his return, he won the WWE Championship at No Mercy after beating the newly named Champion, Randy Orton, making Triple H an eleven-time world champion.[76] In the same event, Triple H also defeated Umaga in his first title defense after Mr. McMahon declared his already-scheduled bout with Umaga, a title match.[77] McMahon then announced, Orton would receive a title rematch in a Last Man Standing match in the final match of the event, which Orton won after an RKO onto the announcer's table, thus ending Triple H's sixth reign.[77] Triple H's title reign at No Mercy is the fifth shortest reign in WWE history, only lasting through the duration of the event.[77] After winning the Raw Elimination Chamber at No Way Out, Triple H gained a WWE Championship match, by outlasting five other men, last eliminating Jeff Hardy after a Pedigree on a steel chair.[78] However, at WrestleMania XXIV, Randy Orton retained after punting Triple H and pinning John Cena following Triple H's Pedigree on Cena.[79] A month later, at Backlash, Triple H won the title in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match against Orton, Cena, and John "Bradshaw" Layfield, tying the record for most WWE Championship reigns with The Rock.[80] Triple H then retained the title against Orton at Judgment Day in a Steel Cage match and again at One Night Stand in a Last Man Standing match.[81][82] Orton suffered a legitimate collarbone injury during the match, thus ending the feud prematurely.[83]
Triple H as WWE Champion in 2008. On June 23, 2008 episode of Raw, Triple H was drafted to the SmackDown brand as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft, in the process making the WWE Championship exclusive to SmackDown.[84] He defended the championship over the summer and was the only champion to retain his title at Unforgiven's Championship Scramble matches. After this he defended it against Jeff Hardy, who was in the Unforgiven match.
At Survivor Series, Triple H was scheduled to defend the championship against Vladimir Kozlov and Hardy, however Hardy was kept out of the match after a scripted attack and injury. During the match, Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced that Edge had returned and introduced him into the contest. Jeff Hardy interfered and hit Triple H with a steel chair meant for Edge, thus costing him the title and resulting in Edge winning his sixth World Title. Triple H entered seventh in the 2009 Royal Rumble, but was last eliminated by Randy Orton. In February at Elimination Chamber, Triple H won the WWE Championship in the SmackDown Chamber match, setting the record for most reigns at eight. That record stood until 2011 when John Cena won his ninth WWE Championship.
The Legacy feud and DX farewell (2009–2011) Triple H after retaining the WWE Championship against Randy Orton at WrestleMania XXV. On the February 16, 2009 episode of Raw, Triple H made an appearance aiding Stephanie and Shane McMahon, after they were attacked by Randy Orton.[85] On the February 20 episode of SmackDown, Triple H was interviewed by Jim Ross, in the interview, footage was shown highlighting the events that occurred on the February 16 episode of Raw. Ross asked Triple H how he felt seeing that footage, in response, he broke character (after 5 years of marriage) by admitting that Vince McMahon is his father-in-law, that Shane is his brother-in-law, and that Stephanie is his wife, thus creating a rivalry between Triple H and Orton. On the February 23 episode of Raw, Triple H confronted Orton, before attacking him, Ted DiBiase, and Cody Rhodes (a group known as The Legacy) with a sledgehammer and chasing them from the arena.[86] Weeks later, it was announced that Triple H would defend the WWE championship against Orton at WrestleMania XXV.[87] At the event, Triple H defeated Orton to retain the title.Triple H would later face Orton and Legacy in a six man tag team match with Shane McMahon and Batista for the WWE championship at Backlash (2009). Triple H lost the title after trying to stop Batista from hitting Cody Rhodes with a chair then being hit with a RKO by Orton followed by the running punt to the head, allowing Orton to win the WWE championship and putting Hunter out of action for six weeks. At The Bash, Triple H would lose to Orton in a Three Stages of Hell match for the WWE Title. At Night of Champions, Triple H would again lose to Orton in a match for the WWE Championship, this time in a Triple Threat match, also involving John Cena.
Triple H in Tribute to the Troops in December 2010. On the August 10, 2009 episode of Raw, video segments aired in which Triple H met with Michaels at an office cafeteria in Texas where he was working as a chef; throughout the segments, Triple H would try to convince Michaels return to WWE from hiatus. After several incidents during the segments (including a grease grill burgers on fire and Shawn shouting at a little girl), Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to face The Legacy at SummerSlam, superkicking the girl, and quitting from his chef job in the process.[88] On the August 17 episode of Raw, in St. Louis, MO, Michaels and Triple H officially reunited as DX, but as they were in the process of their in-ring promo, Legacy attacked them both.[89] Their first match after reuniting was against Legacy at SummerSlam, which they won.[90] At Breaking Point, however, they lost to Legacy in the first ever Submissions Count Anywhere match in WWE history.[91]
At the October pay-per-view Hell in a Cell, DX defeated Legacy in a Hell in a Cell match.[92] DX would challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship in a triple threat match at Survivor Series with both men failing to win the title,[93] although they were able to retain their friendship and tag team partnership. On December 13 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, DX defeated Chris Jericho and The Big Show to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match;[94] the first tag team championship reign for Michaels and Triple H as a tag team.
On December 21, Triple H announced that Hornswoggle was the new DX mascot.[95] This came about after Hornswoggle sued DX for emotional and physical distress due to them not allowing him to join DX.[95] After being taken to court where they were ruled guilty by a jury and judge consisting of dwarves, Michaels told Triple H that Hornswoggle could be the mascot. Triple H agreed to it only if the charges were dropped, which Hornswoggle agreed to.[95] On January 11 Mike Tyson, who was the Raw guest host for the night, teamed with Jericho to face DX; however, at the end of the bout, Tyson turned on Jericho and aligned himself with Michaels and Triple H.[96] On the February 8, 2010 episode of Raw, DX lost their Unified Tag Team Titles to ShoMiz (The Miz and The Big Show) in a Triple Threat Elimination Tag Team match also featuring The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows.) On the March 1 episode of Raw they lost their rematch for the titles which would be their last televised match before Michaels retired.[97] Michaels and Triple H had a non-wrestling reunion at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops.
On February 21, Triple H eliminated WWE Champion Sheamus in an Elimination Chamber match, though he would not win the title himself. Sheamus attacked him weeks later, setting up a match between the two at WrestleMania XXVI, where Triple H was victorious.[98][99] Also at WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels lost to The Undertaker and was forced to retire, but while giving a farewell speech the next night, Sheamus attacked him. This would set up a rematch at Extreme Rules where Sheamus attacked Triple H at the start of the show ahead of a win in their scheduled contest to allow Triple H time off to recover from injuries.[100] Triple H made an untelevised appearance on October 30 at the WWE Fan Appreciation Event and also at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops.[101]
Feud with The Undertaker and Chief Operating Officer (2011–present) On the February 21, 2011 episode of Raw, Triple H made his return to the WWE by interrupting the return of The Undertaker. He challenged him to a match at WrestleMania XXVII, which later became a No Holds Barred match. A week later he put Sheamus through the announce table with a Pedigree, in retaliation for Sheamus giving him a 10 month injury. At WrestleMania XXVII Triple H lost which extended Undertaker's undefeated streak to 19-0, however Undertaker was carried from the ring in a stretcher whereas Triple H left the ring of his own volition.[102]
Triple H performing his entrance at WrestleMania XXVII, walking between shields. At the end of the July 18, 2011 episode of Raw, Triple H returned on behalf of WWE's board of directors to relieve his father-in-law Vince McMahon of his duties.[103] This was followed by the announcement that he had been assigned to take over as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the WWE. This was during a storyline where CM Punk had won the WWE Championship and left the company. Though a new champion was crowned, Triple H helped resign CM Punk and upheld both championship reigns. He announced he would referee a match to unify both WWE Championships at SummerSlam. Although he counted a pinfall for CM Punk to win, John Cena's leg was on the ropes which would break the pin. Regardless, Triple H's longtime friend Kevin Nash attacked Punk immediately after the match to allow Alberto Del Rio to become champion.[104] Though Nash and Punk demanded a match against each other, Triple H fired Nash for insubordination and booked himself in a No Disqualification match at Night Of Champions with his position of COO on the line.[105] He won the match despite interference from John Laurinaitis, Nash, The Miz and R-Truth.[106] After repeated attacks from these wrestlers in various matches, the majority of WWE's on-screen staff gave Triple H a vote of no confidence. Mr. McMahon returned to relieve him of his duties on Raw though he remained COO. He was replaced as General Manager of Raw by Laurinaitis, who booked him in a tag team match against Miz and R-Truth at Vengeance.[107] During the match, Nash once again attacked him and did so the following night on the October 24 Raw, hospitalizing him.[108] WWE later announced that Triple H sustained a fractured vertebrae which would remove him from television until his return on December 12, as part of the Slammy Awards. On December 18, Triple H defeated Nash at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs in Sledgehammer Ladder Match where he used the sledgehammer against Nash.[109]
Triple H returned on the January 30 edition of Raw, to evaluate Laurinaitis' performance as General Manager. Before he could announce the decision, he was interrupted by the returning Undertaker.[110] After initially refusing the rematch as he did not want to tarnish Undertaker's legacy,[111] Triple H accepted the challenge after being called a coward who lives in Shawn Michaels' shadow, on the condition their rematch be contested inside Hell in a Cell.[112]
Backstage roles In 2010, Levesque's role as an Executive Senior Advisor was officially formalized as he was given an office at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.[113] Levesque was named Executive Vice President, Talent in 2011. In this role he oversees the talent relations and talent development departments, training of performers and management of worldwide recruitment. In addition to his talent duties, Levesque has worked as a director and producer of the creative direction and storylines of WWE’s programming.[114]
Personal life In 2000, Levesque began dating Stephanie McMahon and they married on October 25, 2003.[115] He had previously been in a long-term relationship with former WWE wrestler Chyna.[116] He and McMahon have three daughters.[117] On January 8, 2006, WWE announced that McMahon and Levesque were expecting their first child, due on July 27, 2006.[118] Stephanie McMahon continued to work and travel with WWE throughout her pregnancy, giving birth to an 8 lb, 7 oz (3.8 kg) baby girl, Aurora Rose Levesque, on July 24, 2006.[119] The couple had their second daughter, Murphy Claire Levesque, on July 28, 2008.[120] The couple welcomed their third daughter, Vaughn Evelyn Levesque, on August 24, 2010.[121]
He has a sister named Lynn.[12]
In late 2004, Levesque released a book titled Making the Game: Triple H's Approach to a Better Body.[122] Mostly devoted to bodybuilding advice, the book also includes some autobiographical information, memoirs, and opinions.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1998 Pacific Blue Triple H 1998 The Drew Carey Show The Disciplinarian 2001 MADtv Himself 2004 Blade: Trinity Jarko Grimwood 2005 The Bernie Mac Show Triple H[123] 2006 Relative Strangers[124] Wrestler Uncredited 2011 The Chaperone Raymond "Ray Ray" Bradstone 2011 Inside Out Arlo "A.J." Jayne In wrestling Triple H about to perform a Pedigree on John Cena. Truple H with his signature sledgehammer. Triple H performing his signature ring entrance pose on the middle rope.
- Finishing moves
- Inverted Indian deathlock – WCW;[125] used rarely as a regular move thereafter in WWE[3]
- Pedigree[1] (Double underhook facebuster)
- Signature moves
- Entrance themes
- World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
- "Blue Blood" by Jim Johnston (April 28, 1995 – December 15, 1996)
- "Symphony No. 9 (Fourth movement)" by Ludwig van Beethoven (December 15, 1996 – November 10, 1997)
- "Break It Down" by The DX Band (November 17, 1997 – April 5, 1999)
- "Corporate Player" by Jim Johnston (April 25, 1999 – May 10, 1999)
- "Higher Brain Pattern" by Jim Johnston (May 16, 1999 – June 21, 1999)
- "My Time" by The DX Band (June 27, 1999 – December 10, 2000)
- "The Game" by Motörhead (January 8, 2001–present)
- "The Game" by Drowning Pool (used for advertising promos; March 2002 – March 2011)
- "King of Kings" by Motörhead (used for promos and as prelude to "The Game"; April 2, 2006–Present)
- "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by Metallica (WrestleMania XXVII prelude to "The Game")
- World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
- Independent Wrestling Federation
- IWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[4]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2000)[129] vs. Kurt Angle
- PWI Feud of the Year (2004)[129] vs. Chris Benoit
- PWI Feud of the Year (2009) vs. Randy Orton
- PWI Match of the Year (2004)[130] vs. Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2003–2005)[131]
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Decade (2000–2009)
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2008)
- PWI Wrestler of the Decade (2000–2009)
- PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000[132] and 2009[133]
- PWI ranked him #139 in the PWI Years in 2003[134]
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWF/E Championship (8 times)1[135]
- World Heavyweight Championship (5 times)[136]
- WWF European Championship (2 times)[137]
- WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (5 times)[138]
- WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Steve Austin (1) and Shawn Michaels (1)[139][140]
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Shawn Michaels (1)[141]
- King of the Ring (1997)[1]
- Royal Rumble (2002)[142]
- Second Grand Slam Championship
- Seventh Triple Crown Champion
- Slammy Award for Best Hair (1997)
- Slammy Award for OMG Moment of the Year (2011) Undertaker kicking out of a Tombstone Piledriver at WrestleMania XXVII
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Feud of the Year (2000) vs. Mick Foley[143]
- Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit[143]
- Feud of the Year (2005) vs. Batista[143]
- Most Overrated (2002–2004, 2009)[143]
- Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (2002-2003)[143]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2002) vs. Kane[143]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2006) with Shawn Michaels vs. Vince and Shane McMahon[143]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2011) vs. Kevin Nash[144]
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2003) vs. Scott Steiner at No Way Out[143]
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2008) vs. Vladimir Kozlov and Edge at Survivor Series[143]
- Wrestler of the Year (2000)[143]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)
David Otunga
David Daniel Otunga, Sr.[1] (born April 7, 1980) is an American lawyer, professional wrestler and former reality television actor. He is signed to WWE, appearing on the Raw brand under his real name. He's a two-time WWE Tag Team Champion, having one reign each with Michael McGillicutty and John Cena.[5] He was the runner-up on the first season of NXT.[3] Otunga was also the last original member of The Nexus and The New Nexus.
Contents [hide]
[edit] Reality television After his niece sent in an audition tape of him, Otunga was chosen to be a contestant on I Love New York 2 and given the nickname "Punk".[7] Otunga made it to the final three in the competition before being eliminated on the penultimate episode of the series.[7]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2008–present) [edit] Florida Championship Wrestling (2009–2010) In November 2008, Otunga signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and was assigned to its development territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.[1][9] He made his debut on May 29, 2009,[1] under the ring name, Dawson Alexander, in a six-man tag team match. Otunga teamed with Barry Allen and Jon Cutler to defeat Abraham Saddam Washington, Derrick Bateman, and Tonga.
[edit] NXT (2010) On February 16, 2010, it was announced that Otunga would be wrestling on the first season of WWE NXT under his real name, with R-Truth as his storyline mentor.[2] He made his debut on the inaugural episode of NXT on February 23, quickly defeating Darren Young.[10] Young defeated Otunga in a rematch on the following week's broadcast, thanks to interference from Young's mentor, CM Punk. After the match, R-Truth tried to offer his support, only to be shoved away by a frustrated Otunga. R-Truth took exception, confronting and brawling with Otunga backstage.[11] On the March 30 episode of NXT, Otunga won an 8-man over the top rope battle royal against the other NXT Rookies to earn the right to guest host Raw the following week.[12] On the April 5 episode of Raw, Otunga put himself in a tag team match with John Cena for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship against ShoMiz (The Big Show and The Miz). Later in the match, however, he refused to tag in and walked out, allowing ShoMiz to retain.[13] On May 11, in the second Pros Poll, he was moved to second place.[14] During the season finale on June 1, Otunga came in second place overall in the competition, losing out to Wade Barrett.[15]
[edit] The Nexus (2010–2011) See also: The Nexus The following week on Raw, Otunga and the other NXT rookies from season one interfered in the main event match between John Cena and CM Punk, attacking the competitors, the announce team, and the ring announcer Justin Roberts, before dismantling the ring area and surrounding equipment.[16] On the June 14 episode of Raw, the rookies attacked General Manager Bret Hart, when he refused to give them contracts.[17] The following week on Raw, Vince McMahon fired Hart and announced the hiring of a new General Manager, who had signed all seven season one NXT rookies to contracts.[18] The following week, the group was named The Nexus.[19] On the July 12 edition of Raw, The Nexus, excluding Daniel Bryan (who was fired by Vince McMahon after the Nexus' first night on Raw in part due to choking ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie.), competed in their first match together, defeating John Cena in a six–on–one handicap match.[20] The Nexus continued to feud with Cena and the Raw roster, resulting in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match at SummerSlam. Otunga was the fourth member of The Nexus eliminated, when he submitted to Chris Jericho, and The Nexus went on to lose the match.[21]
Nexus at WWE Tribute to the Troops in December 2010. Cena was later forced to join The Nexus, as a result of losing to Barrett at Hell in a Cell.[22] At the following pay-per-view, Bragging Rights on October 24, Otunga and Cena teamed together to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.[23][24] The next night on Raw Otunga and Cena lost the Tag Team Championship to fellow Nexus members Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater when Barrett ordered Otunga to allow Slater to pin him.[25] On November 5, Otunga, who had been questioning Barrett's leadership in the past weeks, led Nexus, minus Barrett and Cena, to an invasion of SmackDown.[26] Barrett did not approve of Otunga's decision to lead The Nexus to SmackDown and as a result forced him to defend his spot in the group a week later.[27] On the November 12 edition of SmackDown Otunga defeated Edge in a lumberjack match, after Kane interfered, to keep his spot in Nexus.[28] About a month later, Otunga started to rebel against Barrett with the rest of Nexus behind him. After the group disobeyed direct orders and walked away from Barrett, Otunga told Barrett to rehire Cena the following week or be banished from Nexus.[29]
David Otunga in a Raw ring in early 2011 In January 2011, Barrett was exiled from Nexus and CM Punk took over his spot as the leader of the group.[30] While Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater chose not to follow Punk's orders and left Nexus, Otunga agreed to take his initiation test, a beating from the Big Show, and remain with the group.[31] In late February, it was announced that Punk would face Randy Orton at WrestleMania XXVII, with each member of The Nexus facing Orton to win the right to accompany Punk to the ring in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania. Otunga faced Orton on the March 7 episode of Raw, but lost. Following the match, he was punted in the skull by Orton.[32] Otunga was absent from television for over a month, returning on the April 11 episode of Raw with the other New Nexus members, and preventing Orton from earning a WWE Championship match.[33][34]
On the May 23 episode of Raw, Otunga teamed with fellow Nexus member Michael McGillicutty to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kane and The Big Show with the help interference from fellow New Nexus members Mason Ryan and Punk.[5][35] They made their only successful title defense against The Usos on the July 29 edition of SmackDown.[36] After CM Punk left the New Nexus when his WWE contract expired on July 17, Otunga and McGillicutty competed against Santino Marella and Zack Ryder on the August 1 edition of Raw without any Nexus gear or armbands, and with all Nexus logos removed from their TitanTron, effectively signaling the end of the New Nexus.[37][38] On the August 22 episode of Raw, Otunga and McGillicutty lost the Tag Team Championship to Air Boom (Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne).[39]
[edit] Legal Advisor (2011–present) After a minor feud with Jerry Lawler, Otunga and McGillicutty's team ended. Otunga would then start a new story-line which would focus on his law background, as John Laurinaitis advised him to help disgruntled wrestlers with his legal knowledge to plan a lawsuit against Triple H, the WWE's Chief Operating Officer. On the September 30 episode of SmackDown, Otunga and Laurinaitis would sit down with Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Cody Rhodes, Alberto Del Rio, Christian, and Vickie Guerrero to discuss the matter. The following week on Raw, Otunga would walk out on Triple H with other wrestlers, WWE Divas and referees after a "vote of no confidence" about Triple H as COO. He returned to in-ring action on the November 29 Smackdown Holiday Special where he was defeated by Randy Orton in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight match.[40] On the December 9 edition of SmackDown, Otunga was defeated by Sheamus in a singles match.[41] On December 23 episode of SmackDown he cancelled a #1 Contender's match between The Big Show and Mark Henry due to the latter's leg injury; he was knocked out by Show as a result. Otunga would go on to face Big Show on the December 26 edition of Raw and the December 30 edition of SmackDown, but lost both matches.[42][43] He reached his first win since returning to singles competition on the January 13, 2012, episode of SmackDown, defeating Santino Marella.[44] He captured back-to-back wins against Ezekiel Jackson on the February 20 edition of Raw Supershow and the February 21 edition of Super Smackdown. On the March 12th Edition of "Raw Supershow" it was announced that Otunga would be the captain of his team for the battle for control 12-man Tag Team match at WrestleMania which is Team John Laurinaitis.[45][46]
[edit] Personal life Seven months after meeting singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, he proposed marriage on Hudson's 27th birthday.[47][48] On August 10, 2009, Hudson gave birth to the couple's first child, a boy named David Daniel Otunga, Jr .[49]
[edit] In wrestling Otunga wrestling Heath Slater in May 2009
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Reality television
- 3 Professional wrestling career
- 4 Personal life
- 5 In wrestling
- 6 Championships and accomplishments
- 7 References
- 8 External links
[edit] Reality television After his niece sent in an audition tape of him, Otunga was chosen to be a contestant on I Love New York 2 and given the nickname "Punk".[7] Otunga made it to the final three in the competition before being eliminated on the penultimate episode of the series.[7]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2008–present) [edit] Florida Championship Wrestling (2009–2010) In November 2008, Otunga signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and was assigned to its development territory, Florida Championship Wrestling.[1][9] He made his debut on May 29, 2009,[1] under the ring name, Dawson Alexander, in a six-man tag team match. Otunga teamed with Barry Allen and Jon Cutler to defeat Abraham Saddam Washington, Derrick Bateman, and Tonga.
[edit] NXT (2010) On February 16, 2010, it was announced that Otunga would be wrestling on the first season of WWE NXT under his real name, with R-Truth as his storyline mentor.[2] He made his debut on the inaugural episode of NXT on February 23, quickly defeating Darren Young.[10] Young defeated Otunga in a rematch on the following week's broadcast, thanks to interference from Young's mentor, CM Punk. After the match, R-Truth tried to offer his support, only to be shoved away by a frustrated Otunga. R-Truth took exception, confronting and brawling with Otunga backstage.[11] On the March 30 episode of NXT, Otunga won an 8-man over the top rope battle royal against the other NXT Rookies to earn the right to guest host Raw the following week.[12] On the April 5 episode of Raw, Otunga put himself in a tag team match with John Cena for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship against ShoMiz (The Big Show and The Miz). Later in the match, however, he refused to tag in and walked out, allowing ShoMiz to retain.[13] On May 11, in the second Pros Poll, he was moved to second place.[14] During the season finale on June 1, Otunga came in second place overall in the competition, losing out to Wade Barrett.[15]
[edit] The Nexus (2010–2011) See also: The Nexus The following week on Raw, Otunga and the other NXT rookies from season one interfered in the main event match between John Cena and CM Punk, attacking the competitors, the announce team, and the ring announcer Justin Roberts, before dismantling the ring area and surrounding equipment.[16] On the June 14 episode of Raw, the rookies attacked General Manager Bret Hart, when he refused to give them contracts.[17] The following week on Raw, Vince McMahon fired Hart and announced the hiring of a new General Manager, who had signed all seven season one NXT rookies to contracts.[18] The following week, the group was named The Nexus.[19] On the July 12 edition of Raw, The Nexus, excluding Daniel Bryan (who was fired by Vince McMahon after the Nexus' first night on Raw in part due to choking ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie.), competed in their first match together, defeating John Cena in a six–on–one handicap match.[20] The Nexus continued to feud with Cena and the Raw roster, resulting in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match at SummerSlam. Otunga was the fourth member of The Nexus eliminated, when he submitted to Chris Jericho, and The Nexus went on to lose the match.[21]
Nexus at WWE Tribute to the Troops in December 2010. Cena was later forced to join The Nexus, as a result of losing to Barrett at Hell in a Cell.[22] At the following pay-per-view, Bragging Rights on October 24, Otunga and Cena teamed together to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.[23][24] The next night on Raw Otunga and Cena lost the Tag Team Championship to fellow Nexus members Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater when Barrett ordered Otunga to allow Slater to pin him.[25] On November 5, Otunga, who had been questioning Barrett's leadership in the past weeks, led Nexus, minus Barrett and Cena, to an invasion of SmackDown.[26] Barrett did not approve of Otunga's decision to lead The Nexus to SmackDown and as a result forced him to defend his spot in the group a week later.[27] On the November 12 edition of SmackDown Otunga defeated Edge in a lumberjack match, after Kane interfered, to keep his spot in Nexus.[28] About a month later, Otunga started to rebel against Barrett with the rest of Nexus behind him. After the group disobeyed direct orders and walked away from Barrett, Otunga told Barrett to rehire Cena the following week or be banished from Nexus.[29]
David Otunga in a Raw ring in early 2011 In January 2011, Barrett was exiled from Nexus and CM Punk took over his spot as the leader of the group.[30] While Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater chose not to follow Punk's orders and left Nexus, Otunga agreed to take his initiation test, a beating from the Big Show, and remain with the group.[31] In late February, it was announced that Punk would face Randy Orton at WrestleMania XXVII, with each member of The Nexus facing Orton to win the right to accompany Punk to the ring in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania. Otunga faced Orton on the March 7 episode of Raw, but lost. Following the match, he was punted in the skull by Orton.[32] Otunga was absent from television for over a month, returning on the April 11 episode of Raw with the other New Nexus members, and preventing Orton from earning a WWE Championship match.[33][34]
On the May 23 episode of Raw, Otunga teamed with fellow Nexus member Michael McGillicutty to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from Kane and The Big Show with the help interference from fellow New Nexus members Mason Ryan and Punk.[5][35] They made their only successful title defense against The Usos on the July 29 edition of SmackDown.[36] After CM Punk left the New Nexus when his WWE contract expired on July 17, Otunga and McGillicutty competed against Santino Marella and Zack Ryder on the August 1 edition of Raw without any Nexus gear or armbands, and with all Nexus logos removed from their TitanTron, effectively signaling the end of the New Nexus.[37][38] On the August 22 episode of Raw, Otunga and McGillicutty lost the Tag Team Championship to Air Boom (Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne).[39]
[edit] Legal Advisor (2011–present) After a minor feud with Jerry Lawler, Otunga and McGillicutty's team ended. Otunga would then start a new story-line which would focus on his law background, as John Laurinaitis advised him to help disgruntled wrestlers with his legal knowledge to plan a lawsuit against Triple H, the WWE's Chief Operating Officer. On the September 30 episode of SmackDown, Otunga and Laurinaitis would sit down with Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Cody Rhodes, Alberto Del Rio, Christian, and Vickie Guerrero to discuss the matter. The following week on Raw, Otunga would walk out on Triple H with other wrestlers, WWE Divas and referees after a "vote of no confidence" about Triple H as COO. He returned to in-ring action on the November 29 Smackdown Holiday Special where he was defeated by Randy Orton in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight match.[40] On the December 9 edition of SmackDown, Otunga was defeated by Sheamus in a singles match.[41] On December 23 episode of SmackDown he cancelled a #1 Contender's match between The Big Show and Mark Henry due to the latter's leg injury; he was knocked out by Show as a result. Otunga would go on to face Big Show on the December 26 edition of Raw and the December 30 edition of SmackDown, but lost both matches.[42][43] He reached his first win since returning to singles competition on the January 13, 2012, episode of SmackDown, defeating Santino Marella.[44] He captured back-to-back wins against Ezekiel Jackson on the February 20 edition of Raw Supershow and the February 21 edition of Super Smackdown. On the March 12th Edition of "Raw Supershow" it was announced that Otunga would be the captain of his team for the battle for control 12-man Tag Team match at WrestleMania which is Team John Laurinaitis.[45][46]
[edit] Personal life Seven months after meeting singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, he proposed marriage on Hudson's 27th birthday.[47][48] On August 10, 2009, Hudson gave birth to the couple's first child, a boy named David Daniel Otunga, Jr .[49]
[edit] In wrestling Otunga wrestling Heath Slater in May 2009
- Finishing moves
- Over the shoulder back to belly piledriver[44] – 2012
- Verdict (Standing leg trap one-armed thrust spinebuster)[1][50] – 2009–present
- Signature moves
- Belly-to-belly suplex[51]
- Elbow drop[51]
- Falling neckbreaker[51]
- Flapjack[51]
- Front or a scoop powerslam[51]
- Repeated forearm clubs to a seated or kneeling opponent's chest[51]
- Inverted side headlock takeover[51]
- Short-arm, a corner or a running clothesline[51]
- Spinning back elbow smash[51]
- Turnbuckle thrust[51]
- With Michael McGillicutty
- Backbreaker hold / Diving elbow drop combination[52]
- Inverted Atomic drop / Dropkick combination[52]
- Running back elbow / Body avalanche combination to a cornered opponent[52]
- Nicknames
- "The Kanye West of WWE"[3]
- "A-List"[3][4]
- Entrance themes
- "We Are One" by 12 Stones[53] (June 7, 2010–August 1, 2011; Used while a part of the Nexus)
- "Death Blow" from VideoHelper Production Library (July 21, 2011; Used while teaming with Michael McGillicutty)[54]
- "All About the Power" by Jim Johnston[55] (July 28, 2011–present; Used while teaming with Michael McGillicutty and in singles competition)
Sheamus
Stephen Farrelly[9][5] (Irish: Stíofán Ó Fearghaile) (born on January 28, 1978)[5] is an Irish professional wrestler and actor, best known by his ring name Sheamus. He is signed with WWE and competes on the SmackDown brand.
Prior to joining WWE, Farrelly was also a two-time International Heavyweight Champion during his tenure in Irish Whip Wrestling. He is a two-time World Champion, having held the WWE Championship on two occasions. He also won the King of the Ring in 2010 and the Royal Rumble in 2012, as well as the WWE United States Championship once.
Contents [hide]
Farrelly is a former IT technician.[9] He also worked as security for a nightclub which led to him occasionally working personal security for Bono and Larry Mullen, Jr. of U2 as well as Denise van Outen.[11][10]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Training and character development (2002–2004) Farrelly's inspiration into a professional wrestling career came from watching both British wrestling from ITV's World of Sport and American wrestling from the World Wrestling Federation on Sky One.[11] On the advice of Bret Hart,[12] Farrelly began training in Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory wrestling school in April 2002,[5] alongside Tank Toland, Cliff Compton and Cindy Rogers.[12] Six weeks later he officially debuted as a fan favorite under the name Sheamus O'Shaunessy against Robert Pigeon. It was during this time that he developed the nickname the "Irish Curse" after low-blowing an opponent.[10] He soon suffered a serious neck injury after botching a hip toss[12] which sidetracked his career for two years.[5]
Farrelly soon developed his wrestling character by drawing on Celtic mythology. Wanting to move away from limiting Irish stereotypes of lucky charms, leprechauns and alcoholism, he instead wanted to portray an Irish warrior.[12] Going to a Gaelscoil, Farelly grew up aware of the four cycles of Irish mythology and, inspired by the artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick, incorporated the sword and axe-wielding imagery into his gimmick.[11][12] This included the design of his own pendant, the crossos, which combines the Celtic cross with a Celtic War sword to illustrate his character's "indigenous origins with a hybrid of warrior strength matched with a strong ethical centre."[12]
[edit] Irish Whip Wrestling (2004–2006) In May 2004, still using the ring name Sheamus O'Shaunessy, Farrelly returned to wrestling at the newly opened Irish Whip Wrestling (IWW) school in Dublin. He then made his debut match for the promotion at their Mount Temple show on July 9 against Mark Burns, who he easily defeated.[8] He went on to win a battle royal the following month.[13]
O'Shaunessy spent the rest of the year engaged in a rivalry with Vid Vain after losing to his tag team partner Joey Cabray the same night as winning the battle royal.[13] On October 22 and 23 they traded wins,[14][15] leading to O'Shaunessy recruiting help from CJ Summers to help defeat the tag team on October 24.[16] Still O'Shaunessy failed to defeat Vain in singles action the following day.[17] Despite these losses, his impressive showings earned him a place against Alex Shane in a guest match for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) British Heavyweight Championship.[18] Despite putting on a strong showing and being close to winning, his friend Red Vinny interfered in the match and cost him the championship.[8]
In March 2005 he avenged this loss by teaming with Raven to defeat Shane and Vinny.[19] This victory was part of a winning streak over the end of March where O'Shaunessy wrestled twice a day on March 24,[19] 25,[20] 26 – including an 11 man Rumble win[21] – and 27 with a standard tag match and a ten-man tag team match.[22] This series of victories, aside from one loss by disqualification to Vain,[21] put him good stead for the one-day tournament held in County Kildare to crown the inaugural IWW International Heavyweight Champion. On March 28, O'Shaunessy put an end to his main rivalries when he defeated Vinny and then Vain in the quarter and semi finals, respectively.[23] He met Darren Burridge in the final match and won to become IWW's first champion,[2] but had to compete again in an evening show in Dublin, defeating Burridge and Vinny once more in a tag match alongside Vain.[24]
O'Shaunessy after retaining the IWW International Heavyweight Championship on November 14, 2005. O'Shaunessy's first successful title defence came against Burridge the following month[25] but Burridge would not let his grudge rest, continuing to attack O'Shaunessy and finally costing him the title during a match against D'Lo Brown on May 29.[8][26] O'Shaunessy earned revenge in July by defeating Burridge in a grudge match,[27] though lost to him in an arm wrestling contest the following day.[28] Still, he continued on his quest to regain the title[8] by winning a contendership three way match against Vinny and Red Viper in August[29] setting him up to regain the International Heavyweight Championship in October from Brown in Newcastle upon Tyne in England.[30]
After defending his title against Vampiro[31] and Viper,[32] O'Shaunessy found himself embroiled in a new feud with rising Scottish wrestling star "Thee" Drew Galloway, whom he later admitted was his toughest opponent.[33] On January 28, 2006, he received his first championship match, evolving their rivalry from previous non-title contests.[34] The rivalry quickly took on a patriotic flavour, with Galloway's blue colours of Scotland clashing O'Shaunnesy's green colours of Ireland, mirroring the Old Firm football derby between Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic, respectively.[35] This football allusion became particularly prominent when the two met again at Verona Football Club once again for the title, though the match changed into a Lumberjack match, the result and champion remained the same.[36]
With Galloway defeated, O'Shaunessy continued to dominate by again defending his title against Vampiro on 17 March.[37] Galloway earned himself a two out of three falls match against the champion the following day, however, which O'Shaunessy won two falls to one;[38] the next day produced the same result[39] in a match O'Shaunessy claimed was his best on the independent circuit.[33] With Galloway briefly answered, O'Shaunessy took on the newcomer Pierre Marcaeu and defeated him in two successive title matches only to find Galloway had earned another shot.[40][41] With their rivalry intensifying, Galloway's next challenge to O'Shaunnesy was given the stipulation of a Last Man Standing match. O'Shaunessy retained the title,[42] as he also did in June with the same stipulation.[43] Finally, on August 28, O'Shaunessy lost the IwW International Heavyweight Championship in a singles match to Galloway in what would be his last appearance with the promotion.[30][44]
[edit] British promotions (2005–2007) As well as wrestling in Ireland, O'Shaunessy occasionally travelled to Great Britain to make appearances on the British independent circuit. In April 2006 he was brought into Wales' Celtic Wrestling promotion as a contender for their top title but was defeated by the champion, Chris Recall.[45] Later that year in November, he was employed by London's LDN Wrestling to appear on their Capital TV show where, after quickly defeating William Hill, he gained an LDN Championship match against Tex Benedict which ended with Benedict winning by disqualification and O'Shaunessy attacking him after the match.[46]
During his time overseas he worked for Brian Dixon's All Star Wrestling,[47] which gave him a taste of large audiences that he had not experienced in Ireland,[12] as well as wrestling English veteran Robbie Brookside and other British wrestling luminaries, including Nigel McGuinness and Doug Williams.[12] He also represented the UK in a Battle of the Nations tag team match between the UK and Austria alongside Drew McDonald and The Celtic Warrior in a losing effort against Chris Raaber, Michael Kovac & Robert Ray Kreuzer at the European Wrestlng Association's Night of Gladiators.[48]
As well as making top contender appearances based on his growing reputation, O'Shaunessy also brought with him to Britain his long-standing rivalry with Galloway. He had already wrestled in Galloway's home promotion, British Championship Wrestling (BCW), twice in 2005 losing to Jay Phoenix on the day before Phoenix would lose to Galloway in March,[49] and returning in September to defeat one of BCW's top stars, Wolfgang, via countout.[50] In the middle of their IWW feud the following year, O'Shaunessy went back to Scotland to take part in BCW's Path To Glory tour, defeating Galloway on the first night[51] but conceding a loss the to him next night in May.[52] Though their feud finished in Ireland in August 2006, it continued on across the Irish Sea when the two wrestled for the umbrella promtion Real Quality Wrestling (RQW) the following year. The two first met during April's Taking On The World show which ended in a double countout.[53] The lack of a decision led to a rematch in June, and one of O'Shaunessy's last on the independent circuit, where Galloway picked up the victory in a No Holds Barred match ahead of an RQW Heavyweight Championship match.[54]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE On November 13, 2006, O'Shaunessy appeared on the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) show Raw at the Manchester Evening News Arena as part of the security team ejecting D-Generation X from ringside only to later receive a Pedigree from Triple H.[5][55] The following day he and Galloway had a try out match against each other. The following year in April he received another set of try out matches in Milan and London against Galloway as well as Stu Sanders and WWE talent Jimmy Wang Yang and Monster Factory alumnus Domino.[56] This led to an offer for signing a developmental contract for WWE from renowned trainer at which point he relocated to the United States.[5]
[edit] Florida Championship Wrestling (2007–2009) Sheamus lost the Florida Heavyweight Championship to Eric Escobar, who is seen here in an armbar. O'Shaunessy debuted for the WWE developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) on October 2 in a double-debut match with a win over Bryan Kelly. While wrestling regularly, he was not part of any long feuds but did wrestle with a number of short-term tag teams alongside Hade Vansen[57] and Jake Hager before teaming with Kafu (and managed by Dave Taylor) in the tournament to crown the inaugural FCW Florida Tag Team Champions. They advanced past the first round after defeating The British Lions ("Thee Superstar" Christopher Gray and "The Rascal" Tommy Taylor) but lost to Brad Allen and Nick Nemeth in the second round.[58]
By September, O'Shaunessy had focused his attention to singles competition and wrestled his way to the top of the card, successfully defeating former partner Hager for the Florida Heavyweight Championship.[7] He defended the title against Hager on October 23 and took on a number of competitors, with Eric Escobar and Joe Hennig consistently earning themselves into contention. Eventually, on December 11, O'Shaunessy lost the title to Escobar in a four-way match also involving Hennig and Drew McIntyre (formerly Drew Galloway).[58]
O'Shaunessy spent 2009 continuing to chase gold, earning two shots over January and February at the Florida Tag Team Champions Johnny Curtis and Tyler Reks but he and Ryback were unsuccessful in both attempts. In March he challenged the two for the titles once again, this time with McIntyre as his partner but could not defeat them, nor could he defeat McIntyre for the Florida Heavyweight Championship the following month. He received a series of chances throughout the rest of the year but could not win any more titles before being called up to WWE television,[59] unsuccessfully challenging Justin Angel for the Florida Heavyweight Championship in November.[60]
On July 22, 2008 O'Shaunessy worked a dark match at a SmackDown taping, losing to R-Truth.[61] The following year in May, O'Shaunessy began appearing at the Raw brand's house shows, and on both May 8 and 9 he defeated Jamie Noble[5][62][63] along with another dark match victory over Noble before an episode of Raw.[64]
[edit] WWE Champion and United States Champion (2009–2011) Sheamus as WWE Champion at a WWE live event in 2010 On the June 30, 2009 episode of ECW, Farrelly made his unannounced debut as a villain under the shortened ring name of Sheamus, quickly defeating a local competitor.[1][65] Sheamus soon entered into a critically well-received[66] rivalry with Goldust after defeating him on July 29.[67] After exchanging victories in the following weeks[67][68] the two appeared on the Abraham Washington Show talk segment[69] leading to a No Disqualification match on September 1 which was won by Sheamus.[66] Sheamus then began a feud with Shelton Benjamin which was hot-shot into a deciding match on October 27 which Sheamus won.[70]
His rivalry with Benjamin ended prematurely because Sheamus had already been moved to the Raw brand. He made his Raw debut by defeating Jamie Noble on October 26.[71] In the following weeks, he continued to attack Noble causing him to retire,[72] and, in lieu of competition, assaulted the timekeeper and commentator Jerry Lawler on November 16 at Madison Square Garden.[73] The following week Sheamus appeared on his first WWE pay-per-view event, Survivor Series. Sheamus appeared as part of The Miz's team in a traditional five-on-five elimination tag team match. He eliminated fellow Irishman Finlay and made the final pinfall to eliminate the opposing captain John Morrison and survive along with Miz and long-time former rival Drew McIntyre.
The following night on Raw, Sheamus won a "break-through" battle royal for wrestlers who had never won a world championship, to become the number one contender to John Cena's WWE Championship. At the contract signing immediately afterwards, Sheamus put Cena through the table as the Raw guest host Jesse Ventura announced it would be a Table match.[74] On December 13, at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, Sheamus defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship, his first championship in WWE,[75] making him the first Irish-born WWE Champion.[11] The following night on Raw, Sheamus was awarded the 2009 Breakout Superstar of the Year Slammy Award.[76] On February 21, Sheamus lost the WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in the Elimination Chamber match after he was eliminated by Triple H.[77] During the match, Sheamus suffered a concussion and as a result did not attend Raw the following night.[78][79] Upon his return, he took revenge on Triple H with an attack to set up a match at WrestleMania XXVI that Sheamus lost.[80][81] The following month at Extreme Rules, Sheamus attacked Triple H at the beginning of the show and later defeated him in a Street Fight. After a series of kicks to the head to win, he continued his assault after the match finished resulting in Triple H being written off TV for 10 months.[82]
Sheamus as the 2010 King of the Ring. On June 20, at the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view, Sheamus won a fatal four-way match, following interference from The Nexus that allowed him to pin John Cena, thus winning the WWE Championship,and beginning his second World Championship reign.[83][84] He went on to defeat Cena in a steel cage match to retain the championship at the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view,[85] and against Randy Orton at SummerSlam, which ended in disqualification, meaning that Sheamus retained his title. Sheamus was also involved in a triple threat steel cage dark match for the WWE Championship against John Cena and Undertaker before the 900th episode special of Raw but retained the title by escaping the cage while Undertaker had Cena locked in the Hell's Gate submission maneuver. At Night of Champions, Sheamus was pinned by Randy Orton in a Six-Pack Elimination Challenge for the WWE Championship.[86]
He bounced back on November 29, with wins over Kofi Kingston and John Morrison to become King of the Ring, after receiving a bye through the second round.[87] As King Sheamus, he faced Morrison again at the TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs PPV for a future WWE Championship match but lost the Ladder match.[88] Going into 2011, he continued to lose to Morrison in a mixture of singles and tag team matches.[89][90] Triple H returned on February 28 and took revenge for his scripted 10 month injury by putting him through the announce table. Right after that, Sheamus was defeated by Evan Bourne who returned to Raw after a 4 month injury.[91] On March 7, after losing a match against Daniel Bryan, Sheamus challenged him to a rematch with his WWE career on the line against Bryan's United States Championship.[92] He won his match against Bryan the following week, winning his first United States Title.[93] The rematch between Sheamus and Bryan took place on April 3, during the preshow of WrestleMania XXVII, and ended in a draw after interference from the lumberjacks.[94]
[edit] SmackDown (2011-present) In the 2011 Supplemental Draft, Sheamus was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Although he took the United States Championship with him, he lost it back to the Raw brand at Extreme Rules when Kofi Kingston defeated him in a Table match.[95][96] On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, Sheamus lost a World Heavyweight Championship match to Randy Orton due to biased refereeing from Christian, beginning a turn from a villainous character to a fan favorite over the following weeks.[97] Two weeks later, he was put in a match against Christian with a stipulation that if Sheamus won, he would be able to compete in the World Heavyweight Championship match at WWE Capitol Punishment. However he was unsuccessful in the match, and was he was punted by Randy Orton after the match.[98] Sheamus' face turn culminated in him attacking Mark Henry for being a bully,[99] though he lost to him by count-out at Summerslam.[100] After this loss, Sheamus went on a 14 match winning streak that ended after outside interference from Christian, with whom he had been feuding.[101] During this time, Sheamus defeated Christian in three consecutive matches at Hell in a Cell[102] Vengeance,[103] and on Smackdown.[104] He then went on a 12 match winning streak[105] building towards winning the 2012 Royal Rumble. He entered the match twenty-second and won by last eliminating Chris Jericho to earn a main event championship match at WrestleMania XXVIII.[106] At Elimination Chamber, Sheamus attacked World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan after the latter retained his title in the Elimination Chamber match, thus declaring he will face Bryan at Wrestlemania.[107]
[edit] Acting career Farrelly played the role of Two Ton in the 2008 movie The Escapist, which starred Joseph Fiennes and Brian Cox.[108] He had a small role in the 2006 Irish film, 3 Crosses,[12] and was a Celtic Warrior Zombie in the opening sequence of the 2009 movie Assault of Darkness opposite Vinnie Jones.[11] He appeared on several episodes of the famous Irish sock puppet, Dustin the Turkey's show Dustin's Daily News where he had a rivalry with Dustin. It ended with Dustin and Sheamus having a "fight", which Dustin won. He also appeared on The Podge and Rodge Show as a leprechaun wrestler, along with IWW alumnus George McFly.[12]
[edit] In wrestling Sheamus performing the Brogue Kick on Randy Orton. Sheamus performing the High Cross on Wade Barrett. Sheamus repeatedly clubs Wade Barrett's chest.
Prior to joining WWE, Farrelly was also a two-time International Heavyweight Champion during his tenure in Irish Whip Wrestling. He is a two-time World Champion, having held the WWE Championship on two occasions. He also won the King of the Ring in 2010 and the Royal Rumble in 2012, as well as the WWE United States Championship once.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 3 Acting career
- 4 In wrestling
- 5 Championships and accomplishments
- 6 References
- 7 External links
Farrelly is a former IT technician.[9] He also worked as security for a nightclub which led to him occasionally working personal security for Bono and Larry Mullen, Jr. of U2 as well as Denise van Outen.[11][10]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Training and character development (2002–2004) Farrelly's inspiration into a professional wrestling career came from watching both British wrestling from ITV's World of Sport and American wrestling from the World Wrestling Federation on Sky One.[11] On the advice of Bret Hart,[12] Farrelly began training in Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory wrestling school in April 2002,[5] alongside Tank Toland, Cliff Compton and Cindy Rogers.[12] Six weeks later he officially debuted as a fan favorite under the name Sheamus O'Shaunessy against Robert Pigeon. It was during this time that he developed the nickname the "Irish Curse" after low-blowing an opponent.[10] He soon suffered a serious neck injury after botching a hip toss[12] which sidetracked his career for two years.[5]
Farrelly soon developed his wrestling character by drawing on Celtic mythology. Wanting to move away from limiting Irish stereotypes of lucky charms, leprechauns and alcoholism, he instead wanted to portray an Irish warrior.[12] Going to a Gaelscoil, Farelly grew up aware of the four cycles of Irish mythology and, inspired by the artwork of Jim Fitzpatrick, incorporated the sword and axe-wielding imagery into his gimmick.[11][12] This included the design of his own pendant, the crossos, which combines the Celtic cross with a Celtic War sword to illustrate his character's "indigenous origins with a hybrid of warrior strength matched with a strong ethical centre."[12]
[edit] Irish Whip Wrestling (2004–2006) In May 2004, still using the ring name Sheamus O'Shaunessy, Farrelly returned to wrestling at the newly opened Irish Whip Wrestling (IWW) school in Dublin. He then made his debut match for the promotion at their Mount Temple show on July 9 against Mark Burns, who he easily defeated.[8] He went on to win a battle royal the following month.[13]
O'Shaunessy spent the rest of the year engaged in a rivalry with Vid Vain after losing to his tag team partner Joey Cabray the same night as winning the battle royal.[13] On October 22 and 23 they traded wins,[14][15] leading to O'Shaunessy recruiting help from CJ Summers to help defeat the tag team on October 24.[16] Still O'Shaunessy failed to defeat Vain in singles action the following day.[17] Despite these losses, his impressive showings earned him a place against Alex Shane in a guest match for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) British Heavyweight Championship.[18] Despite putting on a strong showing and being close to winning, his friend Red Vinny interfered in the match and cost him the championship.[8]
In March 2005 he avenged this loss by teaming with Raven to defeat Shane and Vinny.[19] This victory was part of a winning streak over the end of March where O'Shaunessy wrestled twice a day on March 24,[19] 25,[20] 26 – including an 11 man Rumble win[21] – and 27 with a standard tag match and a ten-man tag team match.[22] This series of victories, aside from one loss by disqualification to Vain,[21] put him good stead for the one-day tournament held in County Kildare to crown the inaugural IWW International Heavyweight Champion. On March 28, O'Shaunessy put an end to his main rivalries when he defeated Vinny and then Vain in the quarter and semi finals, respectively.[23] He met Darren Burridge in the final match and won to become IWW's first champion,[2] but had to compete again in an evening show in Dublin, defeating Burridge and Vinny once more in a tag match alongside Vain.[24]
O'Shaunessy after retaining the IWW International Heavyweight Championship on November 14, 2005. O'Shaunessy's first successful title defence came against Burridge the following month[25] but Burridge would not let his grudge rest, continuing to attack O'Shaunessy and finally costing him the title during a match against D'Lo Brown on May 29.[8][26] O'Shaunessy earned revenge in July by defeating Burridge in a grudge match,[27] though lost to him in an arm wrestling contest the following day.[28] Still, he continued on his quest to regain the title[8] by winning a contendership three way match against Vinny and Red Viper in August[29] setting him up to regain the International Heavyweight Championship in October from Brown in Newcastle upon Tyne in England.[30]
After defending his title against Vampiro[31] and Viper,[32] O'Shaunessy found himself embroiled in a new feud with rising Scottish wrestling star "Thee" Drew Galloway, whom he later admitted was his toughest opponent.[33] On January 28, 2006, he received his first championship match, evolving their rivalry from previous non-title contests.[34] The rivalry quickly took on a patriotic flavour, with Galloway's blue colours of Scotland clashing O'Shaunnesy's green colours of Ireland, mirroring the Old Firm football derby between Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic, respectively.[35] This football allusion became particularly prominent when the two met again at Verona Football Club once again for the title, though the match changed into a Lumberjack match, the result and champion remained the same.[36]
With Galloway defeated, O'Shaunessy continued to dominate by again defending his title against Vampiro on 17 March.[37] Galloway earned himself a two out of three falls match against the champion the following day, however, which O'Shaunessy won two falls to one;[38] the next day produced the same result[39] in a match O'Shaunessy claimed was his best on the independent circuit.[33] With Galloway briefly answered, O'Shaunessy took on the newcomer Pierre Marcaeu and defeated him in two successive title matches only to find Galloway had earned another shot.[40][41] With their rivalry intensifying, Galloway's next challenge to O'Shaunnesy was given the stipulation of a Last Man Standing match. O'Shaunessy retained the title,[42] as he also did in June with the same stipulation.[43] Finally, on August 28, O'Shaunessy lost the IwW International Heavyweight Championship in a singles match to Galloway in what would be his last appearance with the promotion.[30][44]
[edit] British promotions (2005–2007) As well as wrestling in Ireland, O'Shaunessy occasionally travelled to Great Britain to make appearances on the British independent circuit. In April 2006 he was brought into Wales' Celtic Wrestling promotion as a contender for their top title but was defeated by the champion, Chris Recall.[45] Later that year in November, he was employed by London's LDN Wrestling to appear on their Capital TV show where, after quickly defeating William Hill, he gained an LDN Championship match against Tex Benedict which ended with Benedict winning by disqualification and O'Shaunessy attacking him after the match.[46]
During his time overseas he worked for Brian Dixon's All Star Wrestling,[47] which gave him a taste of large audiences that he had not experienced in Ireland,[12] as well as wrestling English veteran Robbie Brookside and other British wrestling luminaries, including Nigel McGuinness and Doug Williams.[12] He also represented the UK in a Battle of the Nations tag team match between the UK and Austria alongside Drew McDonald and The Celtic Warrior in a losing effort against Chris Raaber, Michael Kovac & Robert Ray Kreuzer at the European Wrestlng Association's Night of Gladiators.[48]
As well as making top contender appearances based on his growing reputation, O'Shaunessy also brought with him to Britain his long-standing rivalry with Galloway. He had already wrestled in Galloway's home promotion, British Championship Wrestling (BCW), twice in 2005 losing to Jay Phoenix on the day before Phoenix would lose to Galloway in March,[49] and returning in September to defeat one of BCW's top stars, Wolfgang, via countout.[50] In the middle of their IWW feud the following year, O'Shaunessy went back to Scotland to take part in BCW's Path To Glory tour, defeating Galloway on the first night[51] but conceding a loss the to him next night in May.[52] Though their feud finished in Ireland in August 2006, it continued on across the Irish Sea when the two wrestled for the umbrella promtion Real Quality Wrestling (RQW) the following year. The two first met during April's Taking On The World show which ended in a double countout.[53] The lack of a decision led to a rematch in June, and one of O'Shaunessy's last on the independent circuit, where Galloway picked up the victory in a No Holds Barred match ahead of an RQW Heavyweight Championship match.[54]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE On November 13, 2006, O'Shaunessy appeared on the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) show Raw at the Manchester Evening News Arena as part of the security team ejecting D-Generation X from ringside only to later receive a Pedigree from Triple H.[5][55] The following day he and Galloway had a try out match against each other. The following year in April he received another set of try out matches in Milan and London against Galloway as well as Stu Sanders and WWE talent Jimmy Wang Yang and Monster Factory alumnus Domino.[56] This led to an offer for signing a developmental contract for WWE from renowned trainer at which point he relocated to the United States.[5]
[edit] Florida Championship Wrestling (2007–2009) Sheamus lost the Florida Heavyweight Championship to Eric Escobar, who is seen here in an armbar. O'Shaunessy debuted for the WWE developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) on October 2 in a double-debut match with a win over Bryan Kelly. While wrestling regularly, he was not part of any long feuds but did wrestle with a number of short-term tag teams alongside Hade Vansen[57] and Jake Hager before teaming with Kafu (and managed by Dave Taylor) in the tournament to crown the inaugural FCW Florida Tag Team Champions. They advanced past the first round after defeating The British Lions ("Thee Superstar" Christopher Gray and "The Rascal" Tommy Taylor) but lost to Brad Allen and Nick Nemeth in the second round.[58]
By September, O'Shaunessy had focused his attention to singles competition and wrestled his way to the top of the card, successfully defeating former partner Hager for the Florida Heavyweight Championship.[7] He defended the title against Hager on October 23 and took on a number of competitors, with Eric Escobar and Joe Hennig consistently earning themselves into contention. Eventually, on December 11, O'Shaunessy lost the title to Escobar in a four-way match also involving Hennig and Drew McIntyre (formerly Drew Galloway).[58]
O'Shaunessy spent 2009 continuing to chase gold, earning two shots over January and February at the Florida Tag Team Champions Johnny Curtis and Tyler Reks but he and Ryback were unsuccessful in both attempts. In March he challenged the two for the titles once again, this time with McIntyre as his partner but could not defeat them, nor could he defeat McIntyre for the Florida Heavyweight Championship the following month. He received a series of chances throughout the rest of the year but could not win any more titles before being called up to WWE television,[59] unsuccessfully challenging Justin Angel for the Florida Heavyweight Championship in November.[60]
On July 22, 2008 O'Shaunessy worked a dark match at a SmackDown taping, losing to R-Truth.[61] The following year in May, O'Shaunessy began appearing at the Raw brand's house shows, and on both May 8 and 9 he defeated Jamie Noble[5][62][63] along with another dark match victory over Noble before an episode of Raw.[64]
[edit] WWE Champion and United States Champion (2009–2011) Sheamus as WWE Champion at a WWE live event in 2010 On the June 30, 2009 episode of ECW, Farrelly made his unannounced debut as a villain under the shortened ring name of Sheamus, quickly defeating a local competitor.[1][65] Sheamus soon entered into a critically well-received[66] rivalry with Goldust after defeating him on July 29.[67] After exchanging victories in the following weeks[67][68] the two appeared on the Abraham Washington Show talk segment[69] leading to a No Disqualification match on September 1 which was won by Sheamus.[66] Sheamus then began a feud with Shelton Benjamin which was hot-shot into a deciding match on October 27 which Sheamus won.[70]
His rivalry with Benjamin ended prematurely because Sheamus had already been moved to the Raw brand. He made his Raw debut by defeating Jamie Noble on October 26.[71] In the following weeks, he continued to attack Noble causing him to retire,[72] and, in lieu of competition, assaulted the timekeeper and commentator Jerry Lawler on November 16 at Madison Square Garden.[73] The following week Sheamus appeared on his first WWE pay-per-view event, Survivor Series. Sheamus appeared as part of The Miz's team in a traditional five-on-five elimination tag team match. He eliminated fellow Irishman Finlay and made the final pinfall to eliminate the opposing captain John Morrison and survive along with Miz and long-time former rival Drew McIntyre.
The following night on Raw, Sheamus won a "break-through" battle royal for wrestlers who had never won a world championship, to become the number one contender to John Cena's WWE Championship. At the contract signing immediately afterwards, Sheamus put Cena through the table as the Raw guest host Jesse Ventura announced it would be a Table match.[74] On December 13, at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view, Sheamus defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship, his first championship in WWE,[75] making him the first Irish-born WWE Champion.[11] The following night on Raw, Sheamus was awarded the 2009 Breakout Superstar of the Year Slammy Award.[76] On February 21, Sheamus lost the WWE Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in the Elimination Chamber match after he was eliminated by Triple H.[77] During the match, Sheamus suffered a concussion and as a result did not attend Raw the following night.[78][79] Upon his return, he took revenge on Triple H with an attack to set up a match at WrestleMania XXVI that Sheamus lost.[80][81] The following month at Extreme Rules, Sheamus attacked Triple H at the beginning of the show and later defeated him in a Street Fight. After a series of kicks to the head to win, he continued his assault after the match finished resulting in Triple H being written off TV for 10 months.[82]
Sheamus as the 2010 King of the Ring. On June 20, at the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view, Sheamus won a fatal four-way match, following interference from The Nexus that allowed him to pin John Cena, thus winning the WWE Championship,and beginning his second World Championship reign.[83][84] He went on to defeat Cena in a steel cage match to retain the championship at the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view,[85] and against Randy Orton at SummerSlam, which ended in disqualification, meaning that Sheamus retained his title. Sheamus was also involved in a triple threat steel cage dark match for the WWE Championship against John Cena and Undertaker before the 900th episode special of Raw but retained the title by escaping the cage while Undertaker had Cena locked in the Hell's Gate submission maneuver. At Night of Champions, Sheamus was pinned by Randy Orton in a Six-Pack Elimination Challenge for the WWE Championship.[86]
He bounced back on November 29, with wins over Kofi Kingston and John Morrison to become King of the Ring, after receiving a bye through the second round.[87] As King Sheamus, he faced Morrison again at the TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs PPV for a future WWE Championship match but lost the Ladder match.[88] Going into 2011, he continued to lose to Morrison in a mixture of singles and tag team matches.[89][90] Triple H returned on February 28 and took revenge for his scripted 10 month injury by putting him through the announce table. Right after that, Sheamus was defeated by Evan Bourne who returned to Raw after a 4 month injury.[91] On March 7, after losing a match against Daniel Bryan, Sheamus challenged him to a rematch with his WWE career on the line against Bryan's United States Championship.[92] He won his match against Bryan the following week, winning his first United States Title.[93] The rematch between Sheamus and Bryan took place on April 3, during the preshow of WrestleMania XXVII, and ended in a draw after interference from the lumberjacks.[94]
[edit] SmackDown (2011-present) In the 2011 Supplemental Draft, Sheamus was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Although he took the United States Championship with him, he lost it back to the Raw brand at Extreme Rules when Kofi Kingston defeated him in a Table match.[95][96] On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, Sheamus lost a World Heavyweight Championship match to Randy Orton due to biased refereeing from Christian, beginning a turn from a villainous character to a fan favorite over the following weeks.[97] Two weeks later, he was put in a match against Christian with a stipulation that if Sheamus won, he would be able to compete in the World Heavyweight Championship match at WWE Capitol Punishment. However he was unsuccessful in the match, and was he was punted by Randy Orton after the match.[98] Sheamus' face turn culminated in him attacking Mark Henry for being a bully,[99] though he lost to him by count-out at Summerslam.[100] After this loss, Sheamus went on a 14 match winning streak that ended after outside interference from Christian, with whom he had been feuding.[101] During this time, Sheamus defeated Christian in three consecutive matches at Hell in a Cell[102] Vengeance,[103] and on Smackdown.[104] He then went on a 12 match winning streak[105] building towards winning the 2012 Royal Rumble. He entered the match twenty-second and won by last eliminating Chris Jericho to earn a main event championship match at WrestleMania XXVIII.[106] At Elimination Chamber, Sheamus attacked World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan after the latter retained his title in the Elimination Chamber match, thus declaring he will face Bryan at Wrestlemania.[107]
[edit] Acting career Farrelly played the role of Two Ton in the 2008 movie The Escapist, which starred Joseph Fiennes and Brian Cox.[108] He had a small role in the 2006 Irish film, 3 Crosses,[12] and was a Celtic Warrior Zombie in the opening sequence of the 2009 movie Assault of Darkness opposite Vinnie Jones.[11] He appeared on several episodes of the famous Irish sock puppet, Dustin the Turkey's show Dustin's Daily News where he had a rivalry with Dustin. It ended with Dustin and Sheamus having a "fight", which Dustin won. He also appeared on The Podge and Rodge Show as a leprechaun wrestler, along with IWW alumnus George McFly.[12]
[edit] In wrestling Sheamus performing the Brogue Kick on Randy Orton. Sheamus performing the High Cross on Wade Barrett. Sheamus repeatedly clubs Wade Barrett's chest.
- Finishing moves
- As Sheamus
- Brogue Kick [4] (Bicycle kick)[109][110] – 2009–present
- Celtic Cross [111] / White Noise [112] (Over the shoulder back to belly piledriver)[113] – 2012–present
- High Cross [4] / Pale Justice [114] (Crucifix powerbomb)[10][65][110][115] – 2009–present
- As Sheamus O'Shaunessy
- Celtic Slam (Death Valley driver)[9]
- FRH – Fiery Red Hand (Leg trap fall forward chokebomb – Independent circuit / FCW or a chokelift side slam – FCW)[10][109]
- Irish Curse (Low blow)[116]
- As Sheamus
- Signature moves
- Battering Ram (Slingshot[117] or a diving shoulder block[118])
- Double axe handle[119]
- Fallaway slam[120][121]
- Frenzy (Multiple slaps followed by a spinning backfist)[10] - Independent circuit
- Front powerslam[122]
- Inverted facelock backbreaker[123]
- Irish Curse [4] (Side slam backbreaker)[124]
- Knee lift, sometimes to a rope hung opponent[125]
- Irish Hand Grenade/Musical Chairs (Repeated forearm clubs to an opponent's chest.[126][127])
- Repeated knee drops to an opponent's head[128]
- Rolling fireman's carry slam[129]
- Short-arm clothesline[109]
- War Sword (Discus double axe handle)[10] - Independent circuit
- Entrance themes
- "The Irish Curse" by Alan Doyle (Independent circuit)[33]
- "Written in My Face" performed by Sean Jenness and composed by Jim Johnston (WWE)[131][132] (WWE)
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Championship (2 times)[30]
- WWE United States Championship (1 time)[134]
- Royal Rumble (2012)
- King of the Ring (2010)
- Slammy Award for Breakout Star of the Year (2009)[76]
- Slammy Award for Superstar/Diva Most in Need of Make-up (2010)[135]
- Slammy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Muppet Resemblance (2011)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Improved (2010)[136]
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Jr.[1][3] (born November 8, 1982)[3] is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand.[2] He is a former two time World Tag Team Champion with his former tag team partner, Cody Rhodes.
After being trained by Chris Youngblood and undergoing further training at Harley Race's Wrestling Academy, DiBiase made his professional wrestling debut on July 8, 2006. He won the Fusion Pro Tag Team Championship with his brother Mike DiBiase, in February 2007, and also toured Japan briefly with Pro Wrestling Noah. He signed a developmental contract with WWE in July 2007, and was assigned to their developmental facility, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He joined the Next Generation Hart Foundation faction for a short time, before winning the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship in December 2007. Due to injury, he relinquished the championship in January 2008.
He made his WWE television debut on May 26, 2008, and in his first match as a member of the Raw roster, he won the World Tag Team Championship with Cody Rhodes. They dropped the championship in August, before winning it again a week later. Rhodes and DiBiase were joined by Manu shortly afterwards, forming a faction of multi-generation wrestlers, although shortly afterwards DiBiase was taken off television to film The Marine 2. Upon his return, he formed The Legacy faction alongside Rhodes and Randy Orton. Following The Legacy's dissolution, DiBiase moved into singles competition, and was drafted to the SmackDown brand in April 2011.
Aside from professional wrestling, DiBiase is also an actor, making his film debut in The Marine 2, a direct-to-DVD movie that was released on December 29, 2009.
Contents [hide]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Training and early career DiBiase and his brother Mike DiBiase, received professional wrestling training from Chris Youngblood in Amarillo, Texas, before going to train at Harley Race's Wrestling Academy.[5][11] The DiBiase brothers made their professional wrestling debut on July 8, 2006 for World League Wrestling (WLW), the promotion run by Harley Race in Eldon, Missouri in conjunction with the Wrestling Academy.[7] On February 17, 2007, they won the Fusion Pro Tag Team Championship by defeating Raheem Rashaad and Juntsi.[1][12] In early 2007, DiBiase also wrestled on tours in Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he competed against wrestlers including the former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, KENTA.[1][12]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2007–present) [edit] Florida Championship Wrestling (2007-2008) DiBiase at an FCW event. In July 2007, DiBiase signed a development deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and debuted in their training territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).[1][12] He made his FCW debut on August 4 in a tag team match, in which he and Jake Hager defeated Keith Walker and Heath Miller.[13] In October, DiBiase became a member of the Next Generation Hart Foundation faction alongside Harry Smith, TJ Wilson, Nattie Neidhart, and Teddy Hart.[1][12] He quickly separated from the group, however, and gained Maryse as a valet.[14][15] On December 18, 2007, DiBiase defeated TJ Wilson to win the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship in New Port Richey, Florida.[12][16] DiBiase, however, was unable to defend it due to an injury sustained, so he awarded the championship to his partner Heath Miller on January 19, 2008.[16] As of March 2008, DiBiase had suffered from a multitude of injuries including sciatica, a fractured left knee, separated ribs, broken finger, and bone spurs in his elbow.[10] Due to these injuries, DiBiase competed sporadically in FCW for the next few months, competing in both tag team and singles competition.[17][18]
[edit] The Legacy (2008–2010) See also: The Legacy Ted DiBiase (right) as a member of The Legacy with Randy Orton (center) and Cody Rhodes (left) DiBiase made his WWE television debut as a villain on May 26, 2008, where he cut a promo about his intent to become a champion like his father, Ted DiBiase, Sr., challenging the World Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly.[19] At the Night of Champions pay-per-view, DiBiase won the World Tag Team Championship in his first match in WWE, after Rhodes betrayed Holly, revealing himself to be DiBiase's partner.[20][21] After holding the title for just over a month, they dropped them to John Cena and Batista on the August 4 episode of Raw.[22] The following week, DiBiase and Rhodes used their rematch clause to regain the title.[23][24]
DiBiase and Rhodes were soon joined by Manu, forming a stable of multi-generation superstars. On the October 27, 2008 episode of Raw, DiBiase and Rhodes lost their title to CM Punk and Kofi Kingston.[25] It was during this time that Randy Orton became linked to Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu on television, criticizing them in a mentor-type role.[12] On the November 3 episode of Raw, DiBiase was attacked by Orton, after he interfered in Orton's match.[12] This storyline attack was to allow DiBiase to be written out of WWE storylines, so he could film the direct-to-video movie, The Marine 2.[12][26][27]
On the January 12, 2009 episode of Raw, DiBiase returned to aid Manu and Sim Snuka in attacking Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.[28] Instead, however, DiBiase turned on them and helped Rhodes and Orton assault Manu and Snuka, thus joining The Legacy faction.[28] As part of The Legacy, DiBiase entered the Royal Rumble match in order to help Orton win, and lasted until the final four, before being eliminated by Triple H.[29] Rhodes and DiBiase became involved in Orton's scripted rivalry with the McMahon family, helping him to attack Shane and Stephanie McMahon, and Stephanie's real-life husband, Triple H.[30][31] DiBiase was also elevated to main event status as a result of joining The Legacy, competing in handicap and six-man tag team matches, as well as the occasional singles match against Orton's opponents and rivals.[32][33][34] On April 26, at the Backlash pay-per-view, DiBiase, Rhodes, and Orton defeated Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon in a six-man tag team match, which, per the pre-match stipulation, resulted in Orton winning the WWE Championship.[35] During WWE's tour of Australia in early July, DiBiase suffered an arm injury, but did not miss any time because of it.[36] Throughout mid-2009, DiBiase and Rhodes continued to compete against and attack Orton's rivals, particularly Triple H, preventing him from earning a match for Orton's championship.[37][38] As a result, Triple H reformed D-Generation X (DX) with Shawn Michaels and they defeated DiBiase and Rhodes at SummerSlam.[39] DiBiase and Rhodes later defeated DX in a submissions count anywhere match at the Breaking Point pay-per-view, before losing to DX in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October.[40][41]
Tension between the members of The Legacy began building in 2010, when Orton attacked DiBiase and Rhodes for accidentally costing him a chance to win the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.[42] In February 2010, DiBiase defeated Mark Henry in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match, earning a chance to win the WWE Championship.[43] At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, he eliminated Orton from the Elimination Chamber match, but was eliminated by Kofi Kingston soon after.[44] On the February 22 episode of Raw, Orton turned on The Legacy, believing they had a plan to turn on him, and in retaliation, they attacked Orton the following week.[45][46] As a result, the three competed in a triple threat match at WrestleMania XXVI in which Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase.[47]
[edit] Million Dollar Champion (2010–2011) DiBiase as the Million Dollar Champion. DiBiase being accompanied to the ring by Maryse in WWE Tribute to the Troops 2010. After WrestleMania, DiBiase revealed on the April 5 episode of Raw that his father had given him possession of the Million Dollar Championship and access to a trust fund, debuting a new gimmick of an arrogant millionaire similar to his father's old character.[48][49] DiBiase then began looking for a "Virgil", a manservant like his father used to have. He offered the position to R-Truth, who refused, provoking a feud between the two.[50][51][52] On the May 17 episode of Raw, DiBiase revealed his "Virgil"—the original Virgil who had worked for his father.[48][53] In his first singles pay-per-view match at Over the Limit, DiBiase was defeated by R-Truth.[48][54] During the match, DiBiase suffered a concussion, but was able to appear on Raw the following night.[55][56] On the June 21 episode of Raw, DiBiase fired Virgil in favor of the managerial services of Maryse.[57] In September 2010, DiBiase entered in a feud with Goldust over the Million Dollar Championship, after Goldust stole the title from him.[58] This lead to a ppv match at Bragging Rights in which he got the win but was unsuccessful on getting the title back due to the interference of Goldust's NXT rookie at the time Aksana. On the November 15 episode of Raw, Goldust returned the Million Dollar Championship belt to DiBiase, Sr., who then offered to give it back to his son, but he refused the offer, proclaiming that he was interested in another belt. Later in the night DiBiase attacked WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan, setting up a match at Survivor Series for the championship, in which he was unsuccessful.[59][60] On November 30, DiBiase was announced as a Pro for the fourth season of NXT, in which he and Maryse would be mentoring Brodus Clay.[61] On the January 25, 2011, episode of NXT, Clay traded DiBiase for Alberto Del Rio as his Pro.[62]
As part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft on April 26, DiBiase was drafted to the SmackDown brand.[63] In his first match on SmackDown, DiBiase lost to his former tag team partner, Cody Rhodes.[64] The following week, DiBiase was accompanied to the ring by Rhodes. After a promo by these two, DiBiase defeated Trent Barreta. Following the match, Ted DiBiase put a paper bag over Barreta's head, signaling a new partnership with Rhodes. On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, DiBiase lost to former rival, Daniel Bryan via submission. After the match, Rhodes and DiBiase attacked Bryan and Sin Cara stopped the assault and saved Bryan.[65] On the July 8 episode of Smackdown, DiBiase teamed up with Cody Rhodes in a winning effort against the team of Daniel Bryan and Ezekiel Jackson.[66] After DiBiase lost a match against Randy Orton on the August 26 episode of Smackdown, Rhodes entered the ring and attacked him.
[edit] DiBiase Posse (2011–present) DiBiase at a house show in 2012. On the September 16 episode of SmackDown, as Rhodes was ridiculing the audience, DiBiase disguised himself as a fan by wearing a paper bag on his head before attacking Rhodes, turning face in the process.[67] DiBiase then challenged Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship at Night of Champions, in his first singles match as a face but was unsuccessful.[68] In a YouTube video published on September 22, DiBiase introduced his new gimmick to hold tailgating parties with fans just before WWE events, terming those who tailgated with him as the "DiBiase Posse";[69][70] DiBiase also acknowledged that mimicking his father's rich gimmick "didn't really work out".[69]
From October, DiBiase began to be billed from Madison, Mississippi.[2][71] On the November 4 episode of SmackDown, DiBiase defeated Tyson Kidd, beginning a eight match winning streak for singles matches, racking up wins against the likes of Heath Slater, Derrick Bateman, and Jinder Mahal.[72] In November, DiBiase began a feud with Mahal after Mahal chastised DiBiase about forsaking his wealthy upbringing to hang out with commoners.[73] On the December 30 episode of Smackdown, Mahal finally broke DiBiase's winning streak via submission.[74] In January 2012, Hunico started a feud with DiBiase when Hunico was offended that he was not invited to one of DiBiase's Posse parties. Although DiBiase beat Hunico in a flag match,[75] Hunico emerged victorious in two regular singles matches against DiBiase.[76] DiBiase then suffered a broken wrist and torn cartilage in late January.[77] On February 10 edition of SmackDown, DiBiase finally defeated Hunico in a singles match.[78] On the February 16 edition of SmackDown, Hunico defeated DiBiase, pinning him while holding his tights.[79] On March 6, DiBiase suffered a broken ankle during the tapings of SmackDown.[80]
[edit] Other media DiBiase at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. In late 2008, DiBiase began filming the movie The Marine 2, in which he plays the main character, Joe Linwood.[27][81] The Marine 2 is a direct-to-DVD-and-Blu-ray project, and was released on December 29, 2009.[82][83] The film was DiBiase's first acting experience, and he spent six weeks in Thailand for filming.[84][85] For the movie, DiBiase performed all his own stunts, which resulted in him separating the cartilage between two of his ribs during a fight scene.[84][86]
On August 26, 2009, DiBiase appeared on the late-night talkshow The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien along with Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, and The Big Show.[87]
DiBiase has his own YouTube show called The DiBiase Posse which focuses on his life outside of the ring.
[edit] Personal life Ted DiBiase is a third generation professional wrestler. His grandfather "Iron" Mike DiBiase, his grandmother Helen Hild and his father "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase are professional wrestlers.[11][10] His older half brother Mike and his younger full brother Brett are also professional wrestlers.[5][10] On March 27, 2010 Ted DiBiase and his brother Brett inducted their father into the WWE Hall of Fame.[88] Ted DiBiase married his high school sweetheart Kristen Tynes, a nurse, on October 30, 2008.[89] On December 25, 2011, DiBiase announced that he and Kristen were expecting their first child. DiBiase is a fan of English football team Liverpool F.C and also likes tailgating parties outside WWE events usually with the WWE fans.
On February 15, 2008, DiBiase was arrested for DUI in Hillsborough County, Florida, after his Cadillac sport utility vehicle crashed into another vehicle.[3][90] No one was seriously injured in the crash, but DiBiase failed a field sobriety test, and when breathalysed, was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.137–0.138.[90] He was released later that day on a US$500 bond.[3]
On February 25, 2012 Ted and his wife announced that they are expecting their first child around May 30th[91]
[edit] In wrestling DiBiase performing a headlock on Daniel Bryan. DiBiase, as the Million Dollar Champion, being accompanied to the ring by Maryse in a WWE live event.
After being trained by Chris Youngblood and undergoing further training at Harley Race's Wrestling Academy, DiBiase made his professional wrestling debut on July 8, 2006. He won the Fusion Pro Tag Team Championship with his brother Mike DiBiase, in February 2007, and also toured Japan briefly with Pro Wrestling Noah. He signed a developmental contract with WWE in July 2007, and was assigned to their developmental facility, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). He joined the Next Generation Hart Foundation faction for a short time, before winning the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship in December 2007. Due to injury, he relinquished the championship in January 2008.
He made his WWE television debut on May 26, 2008, and in his first match as a member of the Raw roster, he won the World Tag Team Championship with Cody Rhodes. They dropped the championship in August, before winning it again a week later. Rhodes and DiBiase were joined by Manu shortly afterwards, forming a faction of multi-generation wrestlers, although shortly afterwards DiBiase was taken off television to film The Marine 2. Upon his return, he formed The Legacy faction alongside Rhodes and Randy Orton. Following The Legacy's dissolution, DiBiase moved into singles competition, and was drafted to the SmackDown brand in April 2011.
Aside from professional wrestling, DiBiase is also an actor, making his film debut in The Marine 2, a direct-to-DVD movie that was released on December 29, 2009.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 3 Other media
- 4 Personal life
- 5 In wrestling
- 6 Championships and accomplishments
- 7 References
- 8 External links
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Training and early career DiBiase and his brother Mike DiBiase, received professional wrestling training from Chris Youngblood in Amarillo, Texas, before going to train at Harley Race's Wrestling Academy.[5][11] The DiBiase brothers made their professional wrestling debut on July 8, 2006 for World League Wrestling (WLW), the promotion run by Harley Race in Eldon, Missouri in conjunction with the Wrestling Academy.[7] On February 17, 2007, they won the Fusion Pro Tag Team Championship by defeating Raheem Rashaad and Juntsi.[1][12] In early 2007, DiBiase also wrestled on tours in Japan for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he competed against wrestlers including the former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, KENTA.[1][12]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2007–present) [edit] Florida Championship Wrestling (2007-2008) DiBiase at an FCW event. In July 2007, DiBiase signed a development deal with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and debuted in their training territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW).[1][12] He made his FCW debut on August 4 in a tag team match, in which he and Jake Hager defeated Keith Walker and Heath Miller.[13] In October, DiBiase became a member of the Next Generation Hart Foundation faction alongside Harry Smith, TJ Wilson, Nattie Neidhart, and Teddy Hart.[1][12] He quickly separated from the group, however, and gained Maryse as a valet.[14][15] On December 18, 2007, DiBiase defeated TJ Wilson to win the FCW Southern Heavyweight Championship in New Port Richey, Florida.[12][16] DiBiase, however, was unable to defend it due to an injury sustained, so he awarded the championship to his partner Heath Miller on January 19, 2008.[16] As of March 2008, DiBiase had suffered from a multitude of injuries including sciatica, a fractured left knee, separated ribs, broken finger, and bone spurs in his elbow.[10] Due to these injuries, DiBiase competed sporadically in FCW for the next few months, competing in both tag team and singles competition.[17][18]
[edit] The Legacy (2008–2010) See also: The Legacy Ted DiBiase (right) as a member of The Legacy with Randy Orton (center) and Cody Rhodes (left) DiBiase made his WWE television debut as a villain on May 26, 2008, where he cut a promo about his intent to become a champion like his father, Ted DiBiase, Sr., challenging the World Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly.[19] At the Night of Champions pay-per-view, DiBiase won the World Tag Team Championship in his first match in WWE, after Rhodes betrayed Holly, revealing himself to be DiBiase's partner.[20][21] After holding the title for just over a month, they dropped them to John Cena and Batista on the August 4 episode of Raw.[22] The following week, DiBiase and Rhodes used their rematch clause to regain the title.[23][24]
DiBiase and Rhodes were soon joined by Manu, forming a stable of multi-generation superstars. On the October 27, 2008 episode of Raw, DiBiase and Rhodes lost their title to CM Punk and Kofi Kingston.[25] It was during this time that Randy Orton became linked to Rhodes, DiBiase, and Manu on television, criticizing them in a mentor-type role.[12] On the November 3 episode of Raw, DiBiase was attacked by Orton, after he interfered in Orton's match.[12] This storyline attack was to allow DiBiase to be written out of WWE storylines, so he could film the direct-to-video movie, The Marine 2.[12][26][27]
On the January 12, 2009 episode of Raw, DiBiase returned to aid Manu and Sim Snuka in attacking Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.[28] Instead, however, DiBiase turned on them and helped Rhodes and Orton assault Manu and Snuka, thus joining The Legacy faction.[28] As part of The Legacy, DiBiase entered the Royal Rumble match in order to help Orton win, and lasted until the final four, before being eliminated by Triple H.[29] Rhodes and DiBiase became involved in Orton's scripted rivalry with the McMahon family, helping him to attack Shane and Stephanie McMahon, and Stephanie's real-life husband, Triple H.[30][31] DiBiase was also elevated to main event status as a result of joining The Legacy, competing in handicap and six-man tag team matches, as well as the occasional singles match against Orton's opponents and rivals.[32][33][34] On April 26, at the Backlash pay-per-view, DiBiase, Rhodes, and Orton defeated Triple H, Batista, and Shane McMahon in a six-man tag team match, which, per the pre-match stipulation, resulted in Orton winning the WWE Championship.[35] During WWE's tour of Australia in early July, DiBiase suffered an arm injury, but did not miss any time because of it.[36] Throughout mid-2009, DiBiase and Rhodes continued to compete against and attack Orton's rivals, particularly Triple H, preventing him from earning a match for Orton's championship.[37][38] As a result, Triple H reformed D-Generation X (DX) with Shawn Michaels and they defeated DiBiase and Rhodes at SummerSlam.[39] DiBiase and Rhodes later defeated DX in a submissions count anywhere match at the Breaking Point pay-per-view, before losing to DX in a Hell in a Cell match at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in October.[40][41]
Tension between the members of The Legacy began building in 2010, when Orton attacked DiBiase and Rhodes for accidentally costing him a chance to win the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.[42] In February 2010, DiBiase defeated Mark Henry in an Elimination Chamber qualifying match, earning a chance to win the WWE Championship.[43] At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, he eliminated Orton from the Elimination Chamber match, but was eliminated by Kofi Kingston soon after.[44] On the February 22 episode of Raw, Orton turned on The Legacy, believing they had a plan to turn on him, and in retaliation, they attacked Orton the following week.[45][46] As a result, the three competed in a triple threat match at WrestleMania XXVI in which Orton defeated Rhodes and DiBiase.[47]
[edit] Million Dollar Champion (2010–2011) DiBiase as the Million Dollar Champion. DiBiase being accompanied to the ring by Maryse in WWE Tribute to the Troops 2010. After WrestleMania, DiBiase revealed on the April 5 episode of Raw that his father had given him possession of the Million Dollar Championship and access to a trust fund, debuting a new gimmick of an arrogant millionaire similar to his father's old character.[48][49] DiBiase then began looking for a "Virgil", a manservant like his father used to have. He offered the position to R-Truth, who refused, provoking a feud between the two.[50][51][52] On the May 17 episode of Raw, DiBiase revealed his "Virgil"—the original Virgil who had worked for his father.[48][53] In his first singles pay-per-view match at Over the Limit, DiBiase was defeated by R-Truth.[48][54] During the match, DiBiase suffered a concussion, but was able to appear on Raw the following night.[55][56] On the June 21 episode of Raw, DiBiase fired Virgil in favor of the managerial services of Maryse.[57] In September 2010, DiBiase entered in a feud with Goldust over the Million Dollar Championship, after Goldust stole the title from him.[58] This lead to a ppv match at Bragging Rights in which he got the win but was unsuccessful on getting the title back due to the interference of Goldust's NXT rookie at the time Aksana. On the November 15 episode of Raw, Goldust returned the Million Dollar Championship belt to DiBiase, Sr., who then offered to give it back to his son, but he refused the offer, proclaiming that he was interested in another belt. Later in the night DiBiase attacked WWE United States Champion Daniel Bryan, setting up a match at Survivor Series for the championship, in which he was unsuccessful.[59][60] On November 30, DiBiase was announced as a Pro for the fourth season of NXT, in which he and Maryse would be mentoring Brodus Clay.[61] On the January 25, 2011, episode of NXT, Clay traded DiBiase for Alberto Del Rio as his Pro.[62]
As part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft on April 26, DiBiase was drafted to the SmackDown brand.[63] In his first match on SmackDown, DiBiase lost to his former tag team partner, Cody Rhodes.[64] The following week, DiBiase was accompanied to the ring by Rhodes. After a promo by these two, DiBiase defeated Trent Barreta. Following the match, Ted DiBiase put a paper bag over Barreta's head, signaling a new partnership with Rhodes. On the June 3 episode of SmackDown, DiBiase lost to former rival, Daniel Bryan via submission. After the match, Rhodes and DiBiase attacked Bryan and Sin Cara stopped the assault and saved Bryan.[65] On the July 8 episode of Smackdown, DiBiase teamed up with Cody Rhodes in a winning effort against the team of Daniel Bryan and Ezekiel Jackson.[66] After DiBiase lost a match against Randy Orton on the August 26 episode of Smackdown, Rhodes entered the ring and attacked him.
[edit] DiBiase Posse (2011–present) DiBiase at a house show in 2012. On the September 16 episode of SmackDown, as Rhodes was ridiculing the audience, DiBiase disguised himself as a fan by wearing a paper bag on his head before attacking Rhodes, turning face in the process.[67] DiBiase then challenged Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship at Night of Champions, in his first singles match as a face but was unsuccessful.[68] In a YouTube video published on September 22, DiBiase introduced his new gimmick to hold tailgating parties with fans just before WWE events, terming those who tailgated with him as the "DiBiase Posse";[69][70] DiBiase also acknowledged that mimicking his father's rich gimmick "didn't really work out".[69]
From October, DiBiase began to be billed from Madison, Mississippi.[2][71] On the November 4 episode of SmackDown, DiBiase defeated Tyson Kidd, beginning a eight match winning streak for singles matches, racking up wins against the likes of Heath Slater, Derrick Bateman, and Jinder Mahal.[72] In November, DiBiase began a feud with Mahal after Mahal chastised DiBiase about forsaking his wealthy upbringing to hang out with commoners.[73] On the December 30 episode of Smackdown, Mahal finally broke DiBiase's winning streak via submission.[74] In January 2012, Hunico started a feud with DiBiase when Hunico was offended that he was not invited to one of DiBiase's Posse parties. Although DiBiase beat Hunico in a flag match,[75] Hunico emerged victorious in two regular singles matches against DiBiase.[76] DiBiase then suffered a broken wrist and torn cartilage in late January.[77] On February 10 edition of SmackDown, DiBiase finally defeated Hunico in a singles match.[78] On the February 16 edition of SmackDown, Hunico defeated DiBiase, pinning him while holding his tights.[79] On March 6, DiBiase suffered a broken ankle during the tapings of SmackDown.[80]
[edit] Other media DiBiase at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. In late 2008, DiBiase began filming the movie The Marine 2, in which he plays the main character, Joe Linwood.[27][81] The Marine 2 is a direct-to-DVD-and-Blu-ray project, and was released on December 29, 2009.[82][83] The film was DiBiase's first acting experience, and he spent six weeks in Thailand for filming.[84][85] For the movie, DiBiase performed all his own stunts, which resulted in him separating the cartilage between two of his ribs during a fight scene.[84][86]
On August 26, 2009, DiBiase appeared on the late-night talkshow The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien along with Cody Rhodes, The Great Khali, and The Big Show.[87]
DiBiase has his own YouTube show called The DiBiase Posse which focuses on his life outside of the ring.
[edit] Personal life Ted DiBiase is a third generation professional wrestler. His grandfather "Iron" Mike DiBiase, his grandmother Helen Hild and his father "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase are professional wrestlers.[11][10] His older half brother Mike and his younger full brother Brett are also professional wrestlers.[5][10] On March 27, 2010 Ted DiBiase and his brother Brett inducted their father into the WWE Hall of Fame.[88] Ted DiBiase married his high school sweetheart Kristen Tynes, a nurse, on October 30, 2008.[89] On December 25, 2011, DiBiase announced that he and Kristen were expecting their first child. DiBiase is a fan of English football team Liverpool F.C and also likes tailgating parties outside WWE events usually with the WWE fans.
On February 15, 2008, DiBiase was arrested for DUI in Hillsborough County, Florida, after his Cadillac sport utility vehicle crashed into another vehicle.[3][90] No one was seriously injured in the crash, but DiBiase failed a field sobriety test, and when breathalysed, was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.137–0.138.[90] He was released later that day on a US$500 bond.[3]
On February 25, 2012 Ted and his wife announced that they are expecting their first child around May 30th[91]
[edit] In wrestling DiBiase performing a headlock on Daniel Bryan. DiBiase, as the Million Dollar Champion, being accompanied to the ring by Maryse in a WWE live event.
- Finishing moves
- Dream Crusher (Cobra clutch legsweep)[92] – 2006–2009
- Dream Street[93][94] (Cobra clutch slam)[95] – 2009–present
- Signature moves
- Entrance themes
- "Priceless" by Jim Johnston (June 30, 2008–January 19, 2009)[103]
- "Priceless (remix)" by Jim Johnston (January 26, 2009–June 8, 2009)[104]
- "It's a New Day" by Adelitas Way (June 15, 2009–September 13, 2010)[105][106]
- "I Come from Money" by S-Preme (September 20, 2010–present)[107]
- Florida Championship Wrestling
- Fusion Pro Wrestling
- FPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mike DiBiase II[1]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- World Wrestling Entertainment
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry[3] (born June 12, 1971)[2] is an American professional wrestler who is signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand. He is a 1992 Olympian,[1] and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic.[4] Since joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) in 1996, he has become a one-time WWF European Champion and a two-time world champion, having held the ECW Championship in 2008,[5] and the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011.[6]
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Henry was a weightlifter, and competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where he placed tenth in the super heavyweight division. Three years later, at the 1995 Pan American Games, Henry won a silver medal in the super heavyweight division. The following year, he became a North America, Central America, Caribbean Islands (NACACI) champion. Also in 1996, Henry signed a ten-year contract with the WWF.
Henry was trained by former Canadian professional wrestlers Stu and Bret Hart and Leo Burke. He made his television wrestling debut in September 1996. In January 1998, Henry joined the stable Nation of Domination. After the disbanding of the group, he acquired the moniker "Sexual Chocolate", which led him to participate in controversial angles. In 2000, Henry was sent to the company's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky to improve his wrestling skills. That same year, he left wrestling and began focusing on weightlifting. Henry won a strongman competition, during the Arnold Classic in 2002.
In 2003, Henry returned to WWE, where he took part of the group "Thuggin' And Buggin' Enterprises", a group compiled of African Americans who worked a race angle in which they felt they were victims of racism and were being held down by the "white man". The following year, Henry tore his quadriceps muscle, and was unable to compete for over a year. Upon his return, he was briefly involved in feuds with Kurt Angle and The Undertaker, before suffering a knee injury. After it healed, he continued to feud with The Undertaker, before being moved to the ECW brand in June 2008, where he gained Tony Atlas as a manager. In June 2008, he won the ECW Championship and he held it for three months. In 2011, Henry had a resurgence on SmackDown, which led to him winning his first World Heavyweight Championship in September 2011.
Contents [hide]
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment / WWE [edit] Early career (1996–1997) Henry made his first appearance on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) programming on the March 11, 1996 episode of Monday Night Raw, where he press slammed Jerry Lawler, who was ridiculing Henry while interviewing him in the ring. After Henry competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics, the WWF signed him to a ten-year contract.[4] Trained by professional wrestler Leo Burke, his first feud in the WWF was with Lawler. At the pay-per-view event, SummerSlam in August 1996, Henry came to the aid of Jake Roberts who was suffering indignity at the hands of Lawler. His first television wrestling match was at In Your House: Mind Games on September 22, 1996, where he defeated Lawler.[4] The feud continued on the live circuit during subsequent weeks.[10] On the November 4 episode of Raw, Henry served as a cornerman for Barry Windham in a match against Goldust. He was set to team with Windham, Marc Mero and Rocky Maivia to take on the team of Lawler, Goldust, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Crush at Survivor Series, but was replaced by Jake Roberts when he was forced to withdraw from the event due to injury. On the November 17 episode of Superstars, Henry defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Crush and Goldust in a tug of war contest. Henry's career was then stalled as, over the next year, he took time off to heal injuries and engage in further training. In November 1997, he returned to the ring, making his televised return the following month.[11] By the end of the year, he was a regular fixture on WWF programming, defeating Steve Lombardi on the December 15 episode of Raw, and beating The Sultan on the December 27 episode of Shotgun.
[edit] Nation of Domination and Sexual Chocolate (1998–2000) Henry joined the faction with Farooq, The Rock, Kama Mustafa and D'Lo Brown on January 12, 1998.[4] After The Rock usurped Farooq's position as leader, Henry switched loyalties to The Rock. He also competed at WrestleMania XIV in a tag team battle royal, with Brown as his partner, but they did not win.[12] After the Nation disbanded, he engaged in a short feud with The Rock, defeating him at Judgment Day: In Your House with help from Brown, and then forming a permanent team with Brown, gaining Ivory as a manager.[4][13] During the next year, Henry gave himself the nickname "Sexual Chocolate", and was involved in controversial angles with Chyna and a transvestite.[4] During a match at the August 1999 pay-per-view, SummerSlam, between Brown and Jeff Jarrett for the WWF Intercontinental and WWF European Championships (both held at the time by Brown), Henry turned on Brown and helped Jarrett win the match and the titles.[14] The next night, Henry was awarded the European title by Jarrett in return for his help.[15] Henry dropped the title one month later to Brown at the Unforgiven pay-per-view.[16]
After this, Henry turned into a fan favorite, and was seen on television romancing WWF women from Chyna to Mae Young as part of the "Sexual Chocolate" character.[4] He feuded with Viscera during this time as part of a storyline where Viscera splashed Mae Young while she was carrying Henry's child.[17][18] Young would go on to give birth to a hand. Along with this, Henry was made part of various other embarrassing and infamous storylines, including the admission that he was a sex addict.[4]
In 2000, Henry was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) to improve his conditioning and skills. In OVW, Henry teamed with Nick Dinsmore to compete in a tournament for the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship in mid-2001.[4] Later that year, he went on hiatus from wrestling to concentrate on weightlifting, and on February 23, 2002, he won a strongman competition, during the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio.[4][19]
[edit] Brand switches (2002–2004) Henry returned to the WWF the next month and was sent to the SmackDown! brand, where he developed an in-ring persona of performing "tests of strength" while other wrestlers took bets on the tests, but the gimmick met with little success.[2] During this time he competed against such superstars as Chris Jericho and Christian.[4] After being used sporadically on WWE (formerly WWF) television during 2002, as he was training for a weightlifting contest, and suffering a knee injury, Henry was sent back to OVW for more training.[2][4]
In August 2003, Henry returned to WWE television on the Raw roster, where he found some success as a member of "Thuggin' And Buggin' Enterprises," a group of African Americans led by Theodore Long who worked a race angle in which they felt they were victims of racism and were being held down by the "white man".[4] During that time, Henry was involved in a brief program with World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg when former champion, Triple H, put a bounty on Goldberg.[2] This was followed by a brief rivalry with Shawn Michaels, before he engaged in a rivalry with Booker T.[20][21][22] After defeating Booker T twice, once in a street fight and once in a six-man tag team match, he lost to Booker T at the Armageddon pay-per-view in December 2003.[23][24][25] At a practice session in OVW in February 2004, Henry tore his quadriceps muscle, and was out for over a year after undergoing surgery.[2][4] Henry was then utilized by WWE as a public relations figure during his recovery, before returning to OVW to finish out 2005.[4]
[edit] SmackDown! (2005–2006) During the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, Henry made his return to television, as he interfered in a WWE Tag Team Championship match, joining with MNM (Joey Mercury, Johnny Nitro, and Melina), to help them defeat Rey Mysterio and Batista for the championship.[26] A week later on SmackDown!, Henry got in a confrontation with the World Heavyweight Champion, Batista, and went on to interfere in a steel cage match between MNM and the team of Mysterio and Batista, helping MNM to retain their titles.[27] Henry then had another match with Batista at a live event where Batista received a severely torn triceps that required surgery, forcing him to vacate his title. On the January 10, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, Henry was involved in a battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. He was finally tossed out by Kurt Angle, who won the title.[28][29]
Henry in 2006. A week later, Henry received assistance from Daivari, who turned on Angle and announced that he was the manager of Henry.[30] With Daivari at his side, Henry would face Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight title at the 2006 Royal Rumble in January, which he lost when Angle hit him with a chair (without the referee seeing) and pinned Henry with a roll-up.[31]
On the March 10 episode of SmackDown!, after putting Kurt Angle through a table with a diving splash, Henry was then challenged to a casket match by The Undertaker at WrestleMania 22.[32] Henry vowed to defeatThe Undertaker and end his streak at WrestleMania, but was unsuccessful in this quest as The Undertaker would defeat Henry at the event.[33] Henry would get a rematch against the Undertaker on the April 7 episode of SmackDown!, however it ended in a no contest when Daivari announced his new client, The Great Khali, who was also making his debut. Khali then went to the ring and started to attack the Undertaker, thus ending the feud between them.[34]
During the rest of April and May, Henry gained a pinfall victory over the World Heavyweight Champion, Rey Mysterio in a non-title match.[35] Henry would also enter the King of the Ring tournament, in which he was defeated by Bobby Lashley in the first round.[36] He later cost Kurt Angle his World Heavyweight Championship opportunity against Mysterio, when he jumped off the top rope and crushed Angle through a table. Henry was then challenged by Angle to face off at Judgment Day, Henry then sent a "message" to Angle by defeating Paul Burchill.[37] At Judgment Day, Henry defeated Angle by countout.[38] Although winning, Angle got his revenge after the match by hitting Henry with a chair and putting him through a table.[38]
Henry later went on what was referred to as a "path of destruction", causing injuries to numerous superstars. Henry "took out" Chris Benoit and Paul Burchill on this path of destruction, and attacked Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero.[39][40][41] These events led up to a feud with the returning Batista, whom Henry had put out of action with a legitimate injury several months beforehand. When Batista returned he and Henry were scheduled to face one another at The Great American Bash in July.[42] Weeks before that event, however, on the July 15, 2006 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, Henry was involved in a six-man tag team match with King Booker and Finlay against Batista, Rey Mysterio, and Bobby Lashley.[43] During the match, Henry was injured, canceling the scheduled match at The Great American Bash, as Henry needed surgery. Doctors later found that Henry completely tore his patella tendon off the bone and split his patella completely in two.[44]
[edit] Return from injury and various feuds (2007–2008) Henry in a strength test against John Cena in an episode of Raw. Henry returned on the May 11, 2007 episode of SmackDown!, after weeks of vignettes hyping his return.[45] He attacked The Undertaker after a World Heavyweight Championship steel cage match with Batista, allowing Edge to take advantage of the situation and use his Money in the Bank contract.[46] Henry then began a short feud with Kane, defeating him in a Lumberjack Match at One Night Stand.[47] Shortly after, Henry made an open challenge to the SmackDown! locker room, which nobody ever accepted. In the coming weeks he faced various jobbers—wrestlers who consistently lose to make their opponents look stronger—and quickly defeated them all.[48][49] On August 3, he claimed that nobody accepted the open challenge to step into the ring with him because of what he had done to The Undertaker, presenting footage of his assault on the Undertaker.[50] The Undertaker responded over the following weeks, playing various mind games with Henry.[51][52] Henry finally faced The Undertaker again at Unforgiven in September, losing to him after being given a Last Ride.[53] Two weeks later, Henry lost a rematch to The Undertaker after The Undertaker performed a chokeslam on Henry.[54]
After a short hiatus, Henry returned to WWE programming on the October 23 episode of ECW, attacking Kane, along with The Great Khali and Big Daddy V.[55] Henry then began teaming with Big Daddy V against Kane and CM Punk, and was briefly managed by Big Daddy V's manager, Matt Striker.[2] At Armageddon, Henry and Big Daddy V defeated Kane and Punk.[56] Before WrestleMania XXIV aired, Henry participated in a 24-man battle royal to determine the number one contender for the ECW Championship, but failed to win.[57]
[edit] ECW Champion (2008–2009) Henry as ECW Champion As part of the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft, Henry was drafted to the ECW brand.[58] At Night of Champions, Henry defeated Kane and Big Show in a Triple Threat match to capture the ECW Championship in his debut match as an ECW superstar.[59] Upon winning the title, it was made exclusive to the ECW brand once again. Henry's title win came nearly a full decade after he was awarded the European Championship, which was back in 1999 and the only title he held in WWE.[5] A few weeks later, Hall of Famer Tony Atlas returned to WWE to act as Henry's manager. A month after Henry's title win, ECW General Manager, Theodore Long, unveiled a new, entirely platinum ECW Championship belt design.[60] Henry would lose the title at Unforgiven in the Championship Scramble match to Matt Hardy.[61]
Henry attempted to regain the championship throughout the end of 2008, including a match against Hardy at No Mercy, but was unsuccessful.[62] Henry and Atlas then engaged in a scripted rivalry against Finlay and Hornswoggle, which included Henry losing a Belfast Brawl at Armageddon.[63][64] At the start of 2009, Henry qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXV, and was involved in a series of matches with the other competitors on Raw, SmackDown, and ECW.[65][66][67] He was unsuccessful at WrestleMania, however, as CM Punk won the match.[68] In May, Henry began a rivalry with Evan Bourne, which began after Bourne defeated Henry by countout on the May 26 episode of ECW.[69]
[edit] Raw and various tag teams (2009–2011) Henry before a tag team match with MVP. On June 29, Henry was traded to the Raw brand and redebuted for the brand that night as the third opponent in a three-on-one gauntlet match against Randy Orton, which he won, turning Henry into a fan favorite in the process.[70] In August 2009, Henry formed a tag team with Montel Vontavious Porter,the two formed a tag team called The World's Strongest Tag Team and the two challenged the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and The Big Show) for the title at Breaking Point, but were unsuccessful.[71][72] They stopped teaming afterwards, becoming involved in separate storylines, until the February 15, 2010 episode of Raw in which they defeated the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Big Show and The Miz in a non-title match.[73] The next week they challenged The Big Show and The Miz in a title match but were unsuccessful.[74] At Extreme Rules, Henry and MVP fought for a chance to become number one contenders to the Unified WWE Tag Team Championships, but were the second team eliminated in a gauntlet match by The Big Show and The Miz. The match would be won by The Hart Dynasty (Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith).[75]
It was later announced that Henry would mentor Lucky Cannon in the second season of WWE NXT.[76][77] Cannon was eliminated on the August 10 episode of NXT.[78] In September, Henry began teaming with Evan Bourne, starting at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, where they entered a Tag Team Turmoil for the WWE Tag Team Championship. They made it to the final two before being defeated by Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.[79] The team came to an end in October when Bourne suffered an injury and was taken out of action. Henry then formed a team with Yoshi Tatsu on the November 29 episode of Raw, defeating WWE Tag Team Champions Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater, after a distraction by John Cena.[80] They received a shot at the championship the next week, in a fatal four-way elimination tag team match, which also included The Usos and Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov. Henry and Tatsu were the first team eliminated in the match.[81]
[edit] World Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Pain (2011-present) Henry in December 2010. On the April 25, 2011, episode of Raw, Henry was drafted back to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2011 WWE Draft. In the main event of the night, Henry attacked his teammates, John Cena and Christian, turning heel as a result.[82] On the May 27 episode of SmackDown, Henry participated in a Triple Threat match against Sheamus and Christian to decide the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Sheamus. Henry then began a feud with Big Show, attacking him during matches and backstage. On the July 1 episode of SmackDown, Show would cost Henry a match against Randy Orton, by playing his titantron during the match, resulting in Henry getting counted out. If Henry would have won, he would become the new number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. Afterward, Henry would destroy the production set.[83] At Money in the Bank, Henry would defeat Big Show in a singles match. After the match, Henry would crush Show's foot with a chair, (kayfabe) injuring him.[84] On the following SmackDown, Henry would do the same to Kane.[85]
Henry defeated a local wrestler on the July 29 episode of SmackDown, where, after the match, Theodore Long informed Henry that he could no longer compete as no one wants to fight him. Sheamus interrupted, saying he isn't afraid of Henry before slapping him. On the August 5 episode of SmackDown, Henry defeated Vladimir Kozlov and after the match would crush his leg. At SummerSlam, Henry defeated Sheamus by count-out.[86]
Mark Henry as World Heavyweight Champion On the August 19 episode of SmackDown, Henry won a 20-man Battle Royal to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship to face Orton at Night of Champions[87] and throughout weeks on SmackDown and on the September 11 episode of Raw, Henry would attack Orton getting the advantage over him.[88][89][90][91] At Night of Champions, Henry defeated Randy Orton to become World Heavyweight Champion for the first time.[6] On the September 26 episode of Raw, Henry was set to face The Great Khali, but before the match, Henry would use the World Heavyweight title to attack Khali, before hitting him with the World's Strongest Slam. Henry and Khali would fight again on that week's episode of SmackDown, where Henry was successful. After the match, Henry crushed Khali's foot with a chair, (kayfabe) injuring him.[92] Henry successfully defended the title against Orton at Hell in a Cell in a Hell in a Cell match.[93]
On the October 7 episode of Smackdown, Big Show returned and chokeslammed Henry through a table, thus earning a title shot against Mark Henry at Vengeance. In this heated match, Henry would go on to superplex the Big Show from the top rope and the ring collapsed under their combined weight, similar to when Brock Lesnar superplexed Big Show off the top rope, and the match resulted in a No Contest.[94] Then he began a feud with Daniel Bryan after seeing him look at him the wrong way while being interviewed. Mark Henry would defeat Bryan by diqualification that night after being attacked by Big Show. Teddy Long would then announce that Henry would face The Big Show at Survivor Series for the World Heavyweight Championship. On the November 18 episode of SmackDown, Henry viciously assaulted Bryan and promised that Big Show will be carried out of Survivor Series by paramedics and he would leave still the World Heavyweight Champion.[95] At Survivor Series Henry retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Big Show after a low blow that disqualified Henry. Angered by Henry's cowardice Big Show smashed Henry's ankle with a steel chair.[96] The following SmackDown, Henry was attacked by The Big Show with a W.M.D after Henry insulted Big Show. Daniel Bryan would immediately race out to cash in his Money in The Bank briefcase on an uncounscious Henry, where he pinned him but Theodore Long rushed out to the ring to tell Bryan the match was not legal due to the fact that Henry was not medically cleared to compete.[97] Later that night, Bryan won a Fatal-Four Way match to face Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage.[98] On the November 29 live holiday episode of SmackDown, Henry would defeat Bryan after hitting him with a "World's Strongest Slam" from the top rope and retained the World Heavyweight Championship.[99]
At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Henry lost the World Heavyweight Championship to the Big Show in a chairs match. After the match, he knocked the Big Show out then Daniel Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase winning his first ever World Heavyweight Championship.[100] On the January 6, 2012, edition of SmackDown, Henry would cost Big Show a championship match after he pushed Bryan, making him win by disqualification.[101] On the January 20 edition of SmackDown, Bryan retained the championship against Henry in a Lumberjack match after the lumberjacks came in and attacked them.[102] At the 2012 Royal Rumble event, Henry faced Bryan and Show in a triple threat steel cage match for the world title, but Bryan escaped the steel cage to retain his title.[103]
On the February 3 edition of SmackDown, Henry was suspended indefinitely (in storyline) by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long after Henry physically acosted Long as he demanded a one-on-one rematch that night with Bryan. In reality, Henry suffered a hyper-extended knee the previous week.[104][105][106] He would then appear in backstage segments on the February 17 edition of SmackDown and at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.[107][108] Henry returned to in-ring action on the February 20 edition of Raw Supershow, in a losing effort against Sheamus.[109] Following this loss, Henry went on a three match losing streak against the likes of Sheamus and Big Show.[110][111][112] He finally ended his losing streak by deafeating Ezekiel Jackson on the March 9 edition of SmackDown.[113]
[edit] Personal life He is the cousin of former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Kevin Henry.[2] Henry's father, Ernest, died of complications from diabetes when Henry was twelve.[8] He has an older brother, Pat.[8] When Henry was fourteen, he was diagnosed with dyslexia.[7]
Henry played American football in high school, until his senior year, when he strained ligaments in his wrist.[7]
Henry lives in New York with his wife Jana and his son Jacob.[114] As of 2002, he has driven a Hummer that he won in the Arnold Strongman Classic that same year.[115]
[edit] In wrestling Henry prepares to perform a World's Strongest Slam on John Cena Henry performing a body avalanche on Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Henry was a weightlifter, and competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where he placed tenth in the super heavyweight division. Three years later, at the 1995 Pan American Games, Henry won a silver medal in the super heavyweight division. The following year, he became a North America, Central America, Caribbean Islands (NACACI) champion. Also in 1996, Henry signed a ten-year contract with the WWF.
Henry was trained by former Canadian professional wrestlers Stu and Bret Hart and Leo Burke. He made his television wrestling debut in September 1996. In January 1998, Henry joined the stable Nation of Domination. After the disbanding of the group, he acquired the moniker "Sexual Chocolate", which led him to participate in controversial angles. In 2000, Henry was sent to the company's developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) in Louisville, Kentucky to improve his wrestling skills. That same year, he left wrestling and began focusing on weightlifting. Henry won a strongman competition, during the Arnold Classic in 2002.
In 2003, Henry returned to WWE, where he took part of the group "Thuggin' And Buggin' Enterprises", a group compiled of African Americans who worked a race angle in which they felt they were victims of racism and were being held down by the "white man". The following year, Henry tore his quadriceps muscle, and was unable to compete for over a year. Upon his return, he was briefly involved in feuds with Kurt Angle and The Undertaker, before suffering a knee injury. After it healed, he continued to feud with The Undertaker, before being moved to the ECW brand in June 2008, where he gained Tony Atlas as a manager. In June 2008, he won the ECW Championship and he held it for three months. In 2011, Henry had a resurgence on SmackDown, which led to him winning his first World Heavyweight Championship in September 2011.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Weightlifting career
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 2.1 World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment / WWE
- 2.1.1 Early career (1996–1997)
- 2.1.2 Nation of Domination and Sexual Chocolate (1998–2000)
- 2.1.3 Brand switches (2002–2004)
- 2.1.4 SmackDown! (2005–2006)
- 2.1.5 Return from injury and various feuds (2007–2008)
- 2.1.6 ECW Champion (2008–2009)
- 2.1.7 Raw and various tag teams (2009–2011)
- 2.1.8 World Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Pain (2011-present)
- 2.1 World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment / WWE
- 3 Personal life
- 4 In wrestling
- 5 Championships and accomplishments
- 6 See also
- 7 References
- 8 External links
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment / WWE [edit] Early career (1996–1997) Henry made his first appearance on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) programming on the March 11, 1996 episode of Monday Night Raw, where he press slammed Jerry Lawler, who was ridiculing Henry while interviewing him in the ring. After Henry competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics, the WWF signed him to a ten-year contract.[4] Trained by professional wrestler Leo Burke, his first feud in the WWF was with Lawler. At the pay-per-view event, SummerSlam in August 1996, Henry came to the aid of Jake Roberts who was suffering indignity at the hands of Lawler. His first television wrestling match was at In Your House: Mind Games on September 22, 1996, where he defeated Lawler.[4] The feud continued on the live circuit during subsequent weeks.[10] On the November 4 episode of Raw, Henry served as a cornerman for Barry Windham in a match against Goldust. He was set to team with Windham, Marc Mero and Rocky Maivia to take on the team of Lawler, Goldust, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Crush at Survivor Series, but was replaced by Jake Roberts when he was forced to withdraw from the event due to injury. On the November 17 episode of Superstars, Henry defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Crush and Goldust in a tug of war contest. Henry's career was then stalled as, over the next year, he took time off to heal injuries and engage in further training. In November 1997, he returned to the ring, making his televised return the following month.[11] By the end of the year, he was a regular fixture on WWF programming, defeating Steve Lombardi on the December 15 episode of Raw, and beating The Sultan on the December 27 episode of Shotgun.
[edit] Nation of Domination and Sexual Chocolate (1998–2000) Henry joined the faction with Farooq, The Rock, Kama Mustafa and D'Lo Brown on January 12, 1998.[4] After The Rock usurped Farooq's position as leader, Henry switched loyalties to The Rock. He also competed at WrestleMania XIV in a tag team battle royal, with Brown as his partner, but they did not win.[12] After the Nation disbanded, he engaged in a short feud with The Rock, defeating him at Judgment Day: In Your House with help from Brown, and then forming a permanent team with Brown, gaining Ivory as a manager.[4][13] During the next year, Henry gave himself the nickname "Sexual Chocolate", and was involved in controversial angles with Chyna and a transvestite.[4] During a match at the August 1999 pay-per-view, SummerSlam, between Brown and Jeff Jarrett for the WWF Intercontinental and WWF European Championships (both held at the time by Brown), Henry turned on Brown and helped Jarrett win the match and the titles.[14] The next night, Henry was awarded the European title by Jarrett in return for his help.[15] Henry dropped the title one month later to Brown at the Unforgiven pay-per-view.[16]
After this, Henry turned into a fan favorite, and was seen on television romancing WWF women from Chyna to Mae Young as part of the "Sexual Chocolate" character.[4] He feuded with Viscera during this time as part of a storyline where Viscera splashed Mae Young while she was carrying Henry's child.[17][18] Young would go on to give birth to a hand. Along with this, Henry was made part of various other embarrassing and infamous storylines, including the admission that he was a sex addict.[4]
In 2000, Henry was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) to improve his conditioning and skills. In OVW, Henry teamed with Nick Dinsmore to compete in a tournament for the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship in mid-2001.[4] Later that year, he went on hiatus from wrestling to concentrate on weightlifting, and on February 23, 2002, he won a strongman competition, during the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio.[4][19]
[edit] Brand switches (2002–2004) Henry returned to the WWF the next month and was sent to the SmackDown! brand, where he developed an in-ring persona of performing "tests of strength" while other wrestlers took bets on the tests, but the gimmick met with little success.[2] During this time he competed against such superstars as Chris Jericho and Christian.[4] After being used sporadically on WWE (formerly WWF) television during 2002, as he was training for a weightlifting contest, and suffering a knee injury, Henry was sent back to OVW for more training.[2][4]
In August 2003, Henry returned to WWE television on the Raw roster, where he found some success as a member of "Thuggin' And Buggin' Enterprises," a group of African Americans led by Theodore Long who worked a race angle in which they felt they were victims of racism and were being held down by the "white man".[4] During that time, Henry was involved in a brief program with World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg when former champion, Triple H, put a bounty on Goldberg.[2] This was followed by a brief rivalry with Shawn Michaels, before he engaged in a rivalry with Booker T.[20][21][22] After defeating Booker T twice, once in a street fight and once in a six-man tag team match, he lost to Booker T at the Armageddon pay-per-view in December 2003.[23][24][25] At a practice session in OVW in February 2004, Henry tore his quadriceps muscle, and was out for over a year after undergoing surgery.[2][4] Henry was then utilized by WWE as a public relations figure during his recovery, before returning to OVW to finish out 2005.[4]
[edit] SmackDown! (2005–2006) During the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, Henry made his return to television, as he interfered in a WWE Tag Team Championship match, joining with MNM (Joey Mercury, Johnny Nitro, and Melina), to help them defeat Rey Mysterio and Batista for the championship.[26] A week later on SmackDown!, Henry got in a confrontation with the World Heavyweight Champion, Batista, and went on to interfere in a steel cage match between MNM and the team of Mysterio and Batista, helping MNM to retain their titles.[27] Henry then had another match with Batista at a live event where Batista received a severely torn triceps that required surgery, forcing him to vacate his title. On the January 10, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, Henry was involved in a battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. He was finally tossed out by Kurt Angle, who won the title.[28][29]
Henry in 2006. A week later, Henry received assistance from Daivari, who turned on Angle and announced that he was the manager of Henry.[30] With Daivari at his side, Henry would face Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight title at the 2006 Royal Rumble in January, which he lost when Angle hit him with a chair (without the referee seeing) and pinned Henry with a roll-up.[31]
On the March 10 episode of SmackDown!, after putting Kurt Angle through a table with a diving splash, Henry was then challenged to a casket match by The Undertaker at WrestleMania 22.[32] Henry vowed to defeatThe Undertaker and end his streak at WrestleMania, but was unsuccessful in this quest as The Undertaker would defeat Henry at the event.[33] Henry would get a rematch against the Undertaker on the April 7 episode of SmackDown!, however it ended in a no contest when Daivari announced his new client, The Great Khali, who was also making his debut. Khali then went to the ring and started to attack the Undertaker, thus ending the feud between them.[34]
During the rest of April and May, Henry gained a pinfall victory over the World Heavyweight Champion, Rey Mysterio in a non-title match.[35] Henry would also enter the King of the Ring tournament, in which he was defeated by Bobby Lashley in the first round.[36] He later cost Kurt Angle his World Heavyweight Championship opportunity against Mysterio, when he jumped off the top rope and crushed Angle through a table. Henry was then challenged by Angle to face off at Judgment Day, Henry then sent a "message" to Angle by defeating Paul Burchill.[37] At Judgment Day, Henry defeated Angle by countout.[38] Although winning, Angle got his revenge after the match by hitting Henry with a chair and putting him through a table.[38]
Henry later went on what was referred to as a "path of destruction", causing injuries to numerous superstars. Henry "took out" Chris Benoit and Paul Burchill on this path of destruction, and attacked Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero.[39][40][41] These events led up to a feud with the returning Batista, whom Henry had put out of action with a legitimate injury several months beforehand. When Batista returned he and Henry were scheduled to face one another at The Great American Bash in July.[42] Weeks before that event, however, on the July 15, 2006 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, Henry was involved in a six-man tag team match with King Booker and Finlay against Batista, Rey Mysterio, and Bobby Lashley.[43] During the match, Henry was injured, canceling the scheduled match at The Great American Bash, as Henry needed surgery. Doctors later found that Henry completely tore his patella tendon off the bone and split his patella completely in two.[44]
[edit] Return from injury and various feuds (2007–2008) Henry in a strength test against John Cena in an episode of Raw. Henry returned on the May 11, 2007 episode of SmackDown!, after weeks of vignettes hyping his return.[45] He attacked The Undertaker after a World Heavyweight Championship steel cage match with Batista, allowing Edge to take advantage of the situation and use his Money in the Bank contract.[46] Henry then began a short feud with Kane, defeating him in a Lumberjack Match at One Night Stand.[47] Shortly after, Henry made an open challenge to the SmackDown! locker room, which nobody ever accepted. In the coming weeks he faced various jobbers—wrestlers who consistently lose to make their opponents look stronger—and quickly defeated them all.[48][49] On August 3, he claimed that nobody accepted the open challenge to step into the ring with him because of what he had done to The Undertaker, presenting footage of his assault on the Undertaker.[50] The Undertaker responded over the following weeks, playing various mind games with Henry.[51][52] Henry finally faced The Undertaker again at Unforgiven in September, losing to him after being given a Last Ride.[53] Two weeks later, Henry lost a rematch to The Undertaker after The Undertaker performed a chokeslam on Henry.[54]
After a short hiatus, Henry returned to WWE programming on the October 23 episode of ECW, attacking Kane, along with The Great Khali and Big Daddy V.[55] Henry then began teaming with Big Daddy V against Kane and CM Punk, and was briefly managed by Big Daddy V's manager, Matt Striker.[2] At Armageddon, Henry and Big Daddy V defeated Kane and Punk.[56] Before WrestleMania XXIV aired, Henry participated in a 24-man battle royal to determine the number one contender for the ECW Championship, but failed to win.[57]
[edit] ECW Champion (2008–2009) Henry as ECW Champion As part of the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft, Henry was drafted to the ECW brand.[58] At Night of Champions, Henry defeated Kane and Big Show in a Triple Threat match to capture the ECW Championship in his debut match as an ECW superstar.[59] Upon winning the title, it was made exclusive to the ECW brand once again. Henry's title win came nearly a full decade after he was awarded the European Championship, which was back in 1999 and the only title he held in WWE.[5] A few weeks later, Hall of Famer Tony Atlas returned to WWE to act as Henry's manager. A month after Henry's title win, ECW General Manager, Theodore Long, unveiled a new, entirely platinum ECW Championship belt design.[60] Henry would lose the title at Unforgiven in the Championship Scramble match to Matt Hardy.[61]
Henry attempted to regain the championship throughout the end of 2008, including a match against Hardy at No Mercy, but was unsuccessful.[62] Henry and Atlas then engaged in a scripted rivalry against Finlay and Hornswoggle, which included Henry losing a Belfast Brawl at Armageddon.[63][64] At the start of 2009, Henry qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXV, and was involved in a series of matches with the other competitors on Raw, SmackDown, and ECW.[65][66][67] He was unsuccessful at WrestleMania, however, as CM Punk won the match.[68] In May, Henry began a rivalry with Evan Bourne, which began after Bourne defeated Henry by countout on the May 26 episode of ECW.[69]
[edit] Raw and various tag teams (2009–2011) Henry before a tag team match with MVP. On June 29, Henry was traded to the Raw brand and redebuted for the brand that night as the third opponent in a three-on-one gauntlet match against Randy Orton, which he won, turning Henry into a fan favorite in the process.[70] In August 2009, Henry formed a tag team with Montel Vontavious Porter,the two formed a tag team called The World's Strongest Tag Team and the two challenged the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and The Big Show) for the title at Breaking Point, but were unsuccessful.[71][72] They stopped teaming afterwards, becoming involved in separate storylines, until the February 15, 2010 episode of Raw in which they defeated the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions The Big Show and The Miz in a non-title match.[73] The next week they challenged The Big Show and The Miz in a title match but were unsuccessful.[74] At Extreme Rules, Henry and MVP fought for a chance to become number one contenders to the Unified WWE Tag Team Championships, but were the second team eliminated in a gauntlet match by The Big Show and The Miz. The match would be won by The Hart Dynasty (Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith).[75]
It was later announced that Henry would mentor Lucky Cannon in the second season of WWE NXT.[76][77] Cannon was eliminated on the August 10 episode of NXT.[78] In September, Henry began teaming with Evan Bourne, starting at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, where they entered a Tag Team Turmoil for the WWE Tag Team Championship. They made it to the final two before being defeated by Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.[79] The team came to an end in October when Bourne suffered an injury and was taken out of action. Henry then formed a team with Yoshi Tatsu on the November 29 episode of Raw, defeating WWE Tag Team Champions Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater, after a distraction by John Cena.[80] They received a shot at the championship the next week, in a fatal four-way elimination tag team match, which also included The Usos and Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov. Henry and Tatsu were the first team eliminated in the match.[81]
[edit] World Heavyweight Champion and Hall of Pain (2011-present) Henry in December 2010. On the April 25, 2011, episode of Raw, Henry was drafted back to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2011 WWE Draft. In the main event of the night, Henry attacked his teammates, John Cena and Christian, turning heel as a result.[82] On the May 27 episode of SmackDown, Henry participated in a Triple Threat match against Sheamus and Christian to decide the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Sheamus. Henry then began a feud with Big Show, attacking him during matches and backstage. On the July 1 episode of SmackDown, Show would cost Henry a match against Randy Orton, by playing his titantron during the match, resulting in Henry getting counted out. If Henry would have won, he would become the new number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship. Afterward, Henry would destroy the production set.[83] At Money in the Bank, Henry would defeat Big Show in a singles match. After the match, Henry would crush Show's foot with a chair, (kayfabe) injuring him.[84] On the following SmackDown, Henry would do the same to Kane.[85]
Henry defeated a local wrestler on the July 29 episode of SmackDown, where, after the match, Theodore Long informed Henry that he could no longer compete as no one wants to fight him. Sheamus interrupted, saying he isn't afraid of Henry before slapping him. On the August 5 episode of SmackDown, Henry defeated Vladimir Kozlov and after the match would crush his leg. At SummerSlam, Henry defeated Sheamus by count-out.[86]
Mark Henry as World Heavyweight Champion On the August 19 episode of SmackDown, Henry won a 20-man Battle Royal to become the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship to face Orton at Night of Champions[87] and throughout weeks on SmackDown and on the September 11 episode of Raw, Henry would attack Orton getting the advantage over him.[88][89][90][91] At Night of Champions, Henry defeated Randy Orton to become World Heavyweight Champion for the first time.[6] On the September 26 episode of Raw, Henry was set to face The Great Khali, but before the match, Henry would use the World Heavyweight title to attack Khali, before hitting him with the World's Strongest Slam. Henry and Khali would fight again on that week's episode of SmackDown, where Henry was successful. After the match, Henry crushed Khali's foot with a chair, (kayfabe) injuring him.[92] Henry successfully defended the title against Orton at Hell in a Cell in a Hell in a Cell match.[93]
On the October 7 episode of Smackdown, Big Show returned and chokeslammed Henry through a table, thus earning a title shot against Mark Henry at Vengeance. In this heated match, Henry would go on to superplex the Big Show from the top rope and the ring collapsed under their combined weight, similar to when Brock Lesnar superplexed Big Show off the top rope, and the match resulted in a No Contest.[94] Then he began a feud with Daniel Bryan after seeing him look at him the wrong way while being interviewed. Mark Henry would defeat Bryan by diqualification that night after being attacked by Big Show. Teddy Long would then announce that Henry would face The Big Show at Survivor Series for the World Heavyweight Championship. On the November 18 episode of SmackDown, Henry viciously assaulted Bryan and promised that Big Show will be carried out of Survivor Series by paramedics and he would leave still the World Heavyweight Champion.[95] At Survivor Series Henry retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Big Show after a low blow that disqualified Henry. Angered by Henry's cowardice Big Show smashed Henry's ankle with a steel chair.[96] The following SmackDown, Henry was attacked by The Big Show with a W.M.D after Henry insulted Big Show. Daniel Bryan would immediately race out to cash in his Money in The Bank briefcase on an uncounscious Henry, where he pinned him but Theodore Long rushed out to the ring to tell Bryan the match was not legal due to the fact that Henry was not medically cleared to compete.[97] Later that night, Bryan won a Fatal-Four Way match to face Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship in a steel cage.[98] On the November 29 live holiday episode of SmackDown, Henry would defeat Bryan after hitting him with a "World's Strongest Slam" from the top rope and retained the World Heavyweight Championship.[99]
At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Henry lost the World Heavyweight Championship to the Big Show in a chairs match. After the match, he knocked the Big Show out then Daniel Bryan cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase winning his first ever World Heavyweight Championship.[100] On the January 6, 2012, edition of SmackDown, Henry would cost Big Show a championship match after he pushed Bryan, making him win by disqualification.[101] On the January 20 edition of SmackDown, Bryan retained the championship against Henry in a Lumberjack match after the lumberjacks came in and attacked them.[102] At the 2012 Royal Rumble event, Henry faced Bryan and Show in a triple threat steel cage match for the world title, but Bryan escaped the steel cage to retain his title.[103]
On the February 3 edition of SmackDown, Henry was suspended indefinitely (in storyline) by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long after Henry physically acosted Long as he demanded a one-on-one rematch that night with Bryan. In reality, Henry suffered a hyper-extended knee the previous week.[104][105][106] He would then appear in backstage segments on the February 17 edition of SmackDown and at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.[107][108] Henry returned to in-ring action on the February 20 edition of Raw Supershow, in a losing effort against Sheamus.[109] Following this loss, Henry went on a three match losing streak against the likes of Sheamus and Big Show.[110][111][112] He finally ended his losing streak by deafeating Ezekiel Jackson on the March 9 edition of SmackDown.[113]
[edit] Personal life He is the cousin of former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Kevin Henry.[2] Henry's father, Ernest, died of complications from diabetes when Henry was twelve.[8] He has an older brother, Pat.[8] When Henry was fourteen, he was diagnosed with dyslexia.[7]
Henry played American football in high school, until his senior year, when he strained ligaments in his wrist.[7]
Henry lives in New York with his wife Jana and his son Jacob.[114] As of 2002, he has driven a Hummer that he won in the Arnold Strongman Classic that same year.[115]
[edit] In wrestling Henry prepares to perform a World's Strongest Slam on John Cena Henry performing a body avalanche on Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes
- Finishing moves
- World's Strongest Slam[1][2] (High-angle falling powerslam)[116]
- World's Strongest Splash [117] (Running splash)[2][118][119]
- Signature moves
- Bearhug[120][121]
- Backbreaker drop
- Body avalanche[118]
- Body block
- Corner slingshot splash (Sometimes used on the opponent's steel chair bound leg, causing storyline injury)[122]
- Elbow drop
- Fallaway slam
- Gorilla press drop[123] or slam[116]
- Headbutt[119]
- Leapfrog body guillotine[124]
- Scoop powerslam[121]
- Nicknames
- "The World's Strongest Man"[4]
- "The World's Strongest Champion" (Used during his ECW Championship reign and his World Heavyweight Championship reign)[126]
- "The Hall of Pain Inductor"
- "Sexual Chocolate"[2][125]
- "The King of the Jungle"[127]
- "The Silverback"[127]
- Entrance themes
- "Power" by Jim Johnston (1998)[128]
- "Sexual Chocolate" performed by Stevan Swann and composed by Jim Johnston (1998–2000; November 15, 2010)[129][130]
- "MacMillitant" by Miestro (2003–2004; Used while a part of Thuggin' and Buggin' Enterprises)
- "The Wall" by Heat Mobb (WWE)
- "I'm Comin'" by Silkk the Shocker (2009–2010; Used while Teaming with MVP)
- "Some Bodies Gonna Get It" by Three 6 Mafia (May 21, 2006–present)[131]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2011)[133]
- PWI ranked him #41 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006[134]
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- ECW Championship (1 time)[59]
- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [6]
- WWF European Championship (1 time)[5]
- Slammy Award for “Holy $#!+ Move of the Year” (2011) – with Big Show
- Arnold Classic
- International Sports Hall of Fame
- International Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2012) [135]
- Olympic Games
- Olympic Games team member (1992, 1996)
- Pan American Games
- Pan American Games Silver Medalist (1995)
- Senior American record holder in Snatch, Clean and jerk, and Total (1993–1997)
- Senior National Championship (1993, 1994, 1996)
Santino Marrela
Anthony Carelli[6] (born March 14, 1979)[3][4] is an Italian-Canadian professional wrestler,[6] mixed martial artist and judoka,[6][7] better known by his ring name Santino Marella. He is currently signed to WWE, competing on its Raw Brand,[2] where he is a two-time Intercontinental Champion[2][6] and former Tag Team Champion with Vladimir Kozlov. He is currently the reigning WWE United States Champion. He also currently appears on its SmackDown brand as the Assistant to the General Manager. Before signing with WWE, Carelli was affiliated with the now defunct wrestling company, Battlearts.
Contents [hide]
Paul Heyman was appointed OVW booker to replace Cornette and changed Carelli's ring name from Johnny Geo Basco to Boris Alexiev, giving him a Russian shoot fighter gimmick.[6][10] As Alexiev he made his debut on April 12, 2006 along with his manager and "comrade", Mr. Strongko.[11] With his new gimmick he was booked to dominate opponents with stiff strikes and submission style wrestling,[12] including a 10-second win over a wrestler named Dewey.[11] He signed a developmental deal with WWE on August 11, 2006,[10] and continued working in OVW.
On January 24, 2007, Alexiev was booked to hold the Television Championship after defeating Mike Kruel, who defended the title for original champion Eddie Kraven.[13] He dropped the title back to Kruel on February 7, but regained it on March 14 after defeating Kruel in a rematch. His second reign lasted for three days, as he dropped it to Shawn Spears on March 17.[13] He was called up to the active roster a month later.
[edit] Debut and Storyline with Maria (2007) He made his WWE debut when Umaga had a hand picked opponent selected by Vince McMahon. Santino was picked and won the WWE Intercontinental title in underdog fashion. The surname Marella was chosen for the character in honor of WWE Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon—real name Robert Marella—and was given to Carelli shortly before the trip to Italy.[6] The next day WWE.com posted a profile on Marella with a fictional background saying he was an Italian national who moved to Canada as a child and returned to his native country a few times each year to visit family. It further stated that he moved to the U.S. to begin training with the goal of breaking into professional wrestling, and ultimately WWE.[2]
Santino Marella and Maria. Shortly after gaining the Intercontinental Championship, Marella started a scripted rivalry with Chris Masters, narrowly retaining the title over him in his first defenses.[14][15] He held the Intercontinental Championship for three months before dropping it back to Umaga on July 2,[16] after having just defeated him at the June 24 Vengeance: Night of Champions pay-per-view by disqualification when Umaga stopped listening to referee's instructions and continued punching Marella.
After losing the title Marella's character became increasingly villainous; he was depicted as possessive and jealous over his girlfriend WWE Diva Maria. Over several weeks they appeared together in a series of segments on Raw, including two mini "game shows" hosted by General Manager William Regal which resulted in retired wrestler Ron Simmons winning a date with Maria, much to Santino's dismay.[17][18] At the same time Marella, began a campaign of bashing the WWE Films production The Condemned as its DVD release neared.[19] He was eventually confronted by the film's star, Steve Austin, who argued the film's merits before delivering a Stone Cold Stunner to Marella and soaking both him and Maria down with a hose from a Budweiser truck.[20] During the Austin program, Marella repeatedly mocked Austin and mangled the English language and his catchphrases in promos,[19] giving his character a new humorous bent.
After a short program with Jerry Lawler,[21][22] he was placed into a tag team with Carlito.[23][24] At the same time, Maria was chosen to be pose for Playboy magazine, which was used as part of their storyline. When he was unable to get her to turn the offer down,[25] he attempted to sabotage the cover unveiling, finally pushing Maria to break up with him.[26] At WrestleMania XXIV, Maria was involved in a "Playboy BunnyMania Lumberjack match", during which Santino interfered only to get punched by Jerry Lawler near the end of the match and clotheslined by celebrity Master of Ceremonies Snoop Dogg after the match.[27] Marella's feud with Maria came to an end after she defeated him on the episode of Raw the day after WrestleMania by dropping her head into Marrella's groin. Marella and Carlito began a feud with Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes over the World Tag Team Championship. During a title match between the two teams, Roddy Piper distracted Marella, who was then pinned and so lost the match for his team. Due to the distraction, Marella started a rivalry with Piper, including a confrontation on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
[edit] Glamarella (2008–2009) Marella and Beth Phoenix in late 2008 On the July 14, 2008 episode of Raw, Marella was defeated by WWE Diva Beth Phoenix in a match. Marella issued an open challenge to the entire Raw roster.[28] The angle continued the following week after Marella lost to the returning D'Lo Brown. Marella and Phoenix shared a kiss, both expressing considerable confusion afterwards.[29] In later weeks, they became an on-screen power couple, later called "Glamarella", a portmanteau of "Glamazon" (Phoenix's nickname) and "Marella". At SummerSlam, Marella won the Intercontinental Championship for a second time, when he teamed with Phoenix against champion Kofi Kingston and WWE Women's Champion Mickie James. Phoenix pinned James after hitting her Glam Slam, thus winning both titles for her team per the pre-match stipulation.[30]
Marella before facing The Great Khali. During his second reign, Marella started a quest to become the "greatest Intercontinental champion of all the times" by beating The Honky Tonk Man's record reign of 64 weeks, constantly bringing out a status report called the "Honk-A-Meter". At Cyber Sunday, Marella defended the Intercontinental title against the Honky Tonk Man (who won the majority of fans' votes, beating fellow former champions Roddy Piper and Goldust), losing by disqualification.[31] On the November 10 episode of Raw, Marella lost the title to William Regal and thus failed to reign as champion for more than 64 weeks.[32]
At the beginning of 2009, Marella entered the Royal Rumble drawing number 28. He was instantly eliminated by Kane in 1.9 seconds, thus breaking The Warlord's two second record for shortest Royal Rumble appearance at the 1989 Royal Rumble.
[edit] Santina Marella (2009) Santina Marella with Beth Phoenix and Rosa Mendes Following the announcement of a 25-Diva battle royal at WrestleMania XXV to crown the first-ever "Miss WrestleMania", Marella became a fan favorite and was placed in an angle in which he expressed his desire to compete in the match. The storyline called for Marella to challenge Mickie James in a match where he had one arm tied behind his back, and if he won, he would gain entry into the match. He lost, however, and, as a result, the following week, in a bid to prove he was eligible to compete, he revealed he was wearing a mankini, but was subsequently attacked by most of the Divas on the roster. Nevertheless, at WrestleMania XXV, Marella won the 25 Diva battle royal, competing in drag under the disguise of "Santino Marella's twin sister, Santina", and last eliminating Phoenix and Melina.[33] He successfully defended his "Miss Wrestlemania" title against Beth Phoenix on Backlash in only 3 seconds with the help of The Great Khali. On the May 18 episode of Raw, Santina lost the "Miss Wrestlemania" title to Vickie Guerrero. Marella won it back at Extreme Rules when he defeated Vickie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero in a handicap hog pen match.[34] On the June 22, 2009, episode of Raw, Raw's new owner Donald Trump fired Santina, thus making him the final Ms. Wrestlemania.[35]
[edit] Teaming with Vladimir Kozlov (2010–2011) Marella and Kozlov in November 2010 on "Raw" in Manchester, England. At WrestleMania XXVI, Marella competed in the 26-man battle royal dark match, which was won by Yoshi Tatsu.[36] Marella soon started trying to form a tag team with Vladimir Kozlov, who consistently refused the offer. On the May 31 edition of Raw, Kozlov intervened in a mixed tag team match featuring Marella and aided him in securing the victory.[37] On the July 19 edition of Raw, Kozlov teamed with Marella and in their first match as an official tag team, they defeated William Regal and Zack Ryder.[38] In August, Santino Marella started a relationship with Tamina, the manager of The Usos. At Night of Champions 2010, Marella and Kozlov competed in a Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Unified Tag Team championship but were unsuccessful as the titles were won by "Dashing" Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. On the October 11 edition of Raw he successfully defeated Zack Ryder to become a part of the Raw Bragging Rights team against SmackDown. However at the event, Marella was the first of the seven Raw Superstars in the match to be eliminated after being pinned by Tyler Reks.[39] On the October 25 episode of Raw, Marella began a feud with Sheamus after he called Santino an embarrassment after being the first man eliminated from Team Raw at Bragging Rights. Sheamus then challenged Marella to a match, which he accepted. Later in a match, Marella scored a major upset by defeating former two–time WWE Champion Sheamus; Santino and Sheamus then had two subsequent run-ins, both of which ended in John Morrison saving Santino from Sheamus' post-match assaults.[40] On the November 15 edition of Raw, Marella and Kozlov became the number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championships, defeating The Usos in the process. Marella and Kozlov failed to capture the titles at Survivor Series 2010.
Marella at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops show. They went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Four-Way elimination tag team match on Raw on December 6, 2010 against The Usos, The Nexus and the tag team of Mark Henry and Yoshi Tatsu with a distraction created by John Cena and then after the celebration, The Usos' manager Tamina kissed Santino starting a relationship between the two. Tamina afterwards continued to accompany Santino for his matches. Santino and Kozlov retained their WWE Tag Team titles by disqualification at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs against Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater of the Nexus after another Nexus member Michael McGillicutty chopblocked Santino in front of the referee. After TLC Pay Per View, Marella and Tamina beat Ted DiBiase and Maryse in several occasions in a mixed tag team match on RAW. On January 30, 2011, Santino competed in the Royal Rumble entering at number 37, he made it to the final two before losing to winner Alberto Del Rio. At the Elimination Chamber, he and Kozlov lost the titles to Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel of the Corre. On the March 28 edition of Raw, it was confirmed Marella would team up with Vladimir Kozlov, Kane, and The Big Show, against the Corre (Slater, Gabriel, Ezekiel Jackson and Wade Barrett) in an eight-man tag team match at WrestleMania XXVII. However, due to an attack on Kozlov by the Corre during WrestleMania Axxess the day before WrestleMania, Kofi Kingston then took his place in the match.[41] Their team won, when Marella performed The Cobra on Slater, which was followed up by Big Show's right hand punch. On the April 11 edition of Raw, Marella interrupted the Corre to tell them he had formed an alliance called "The Apple" (Allied People Powered by Loathing Everything that you stand for), a pun on apple core. Marella's relationship with Tamina ended when she was drafted to SmackDown as part of the 2011 WWE Supplemental Draft.
[edit] Singles competition; United States Champion (2011–present) Marella with a portrait in pose The Cobra in 2011. On August 5, Kozlov was released from his WWE contract, effectively ending the partnership.[42] He then began teaming with Zack Ryder, beginning on the July 21 episode of Superstars, in a winning effort against the WWE tag team champions David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty. On the August 1 episode of Raw they were defeated by Otunga and McGillicutty.
On September 1, 2011, Marella injured his left shoulder following a car accident prior to a WWE event in Puerto Rico and was inactive for several weeks.[43]
He returned on the October 3 edition of Raw Supershow, in a winning effort against Jinder Mahal.[44] On the October 31 edition, Marella defeated Jack Swagger by roll-up pinfall after he spit water given to him by special guest star Beaker of The Muppets, in Swagger's face.[45][46] The following Raw, Swagger defeated Marella by submission and over the next few months he went on a losing streak against Cody Rhodes, Kevin Nash, and Wade Barrett.[47][48][49] On the January 6 episode of SmackDown, Marella defeated Drew McIntyre and became the new assistant to the Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long.[50] Marella would then team up with Yoshi Tatsu on the January 27 edition of SmackDown and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan on the February 3 edition to face Tag Team Champons Primo and Epico, both in losing efforts.[51][52] On the February 17 episode of Smackdown, Marella won a battle royal to replace Randy Orton in the Elimination Chamber match.[53] At Elimination Chamber, Marella failed to capture the World Heavyweight Championship after being eliminated last by Daniel Bryan.[54] On the March 5 episode of Raw, Marella defeated Jack Swagger to win the United States Championship.[55] On the following SmackDown, Marella successfully defended his title against Swagger in a steel cage match, after he managed to escape through the cage door.[56]
[edit] Personal life Carelli has a daughter.[6]
[edit] In wrestling Santino's "Cobra".
Contents [hide]
- 1 World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- 2 Personal life
- 3 In wrestling
- 4 Championships and accomplishments
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Paul Heyman was appointed OVW booker to replace Cornette and changed Carelli's ring name from Johnny Geo Basco to Boris Alexiev, giving him a Russian shoot fighter gimmick.[6][10] As Alexiev he made his debut on April 12, 2006 along with his manager and "comrade", Mr. Strongko.[11] With his new gimmick he was booked to dominate opponents with stiff strikes and submission style wrestling,[12] including a 10-second win over a wrestler named Dewey.[11] He signed a developmental deal with WWE on August 11, 2006,[10] and continued working in OVW.
On January 24, 2007, Alexiev was booked to hold the Television Championship after defeating Mike Kruel, who defended the title for original champion Eddie Kraven.[13] He dropped the title back to Kruel on February 7, but regained it on March 14 after defeating Kruel in a rematch. His second reign lasted for three days, as he dropped it to Shawn Spears on March 17.[13] He was called up to the active roster a month later.
[edit] Debut and Storyline with Maria (2007) He made his WWE debut when Umaga had a hand picked opponent selected by Vince McMahon. Santino was picked and won the WWE Intercontinental title in underdog fashion. The surname Marella was chosen for the character in honor of WWE Hall of Famer Gorilla Monsoon—real name Robert Marella—and was given to Carelli shortly before the trip to Italy.[6] The next day WWE.com posted a profile on Marella with a fictional background saying he was an Italian national who moved to Canada as a child and returned to his native country a few times each year to visit family. It further stated that he moved to the U.S. to begin training with the goal of breaking into professional wrestling, and ultimately WWE.[2]
Santino Marella and Maria. Shortly after gaining the Intercontinental Championship, Marella started a scripted rivalry with Chris Masters, narrowly retaining the title over him in his first defenses.[14][15] He held the Intercontinental Championship for three months before dropping it back to Umaga on July 2,[16] after having just defeated him at the June 24 Vengeance: Night of Champions pay-per-view by disqualification when Umaga stopped listening to referee's instructions and continued punching Marella.
After losing the title Marella's character became increasingly villainous; he was depicted as possessive and jealous over his girlfriend WWE Diva Maria. Over several weeks they appeared together in a series of segments on Raw, including two mini "game shows" hosted by General Manager William Regal which resulted in retired wrestler Ron Simmons winning a date with Maria, much to Santino's dismay.[17][18] At the same time Marella, began a campaign of bashing the WWE Films production The Condemned as its DVD release neared.[19] He was eventually confronted by the film's star, Steve Austin, who argued the film's merits before delivering a Stone Cold Stunner to Marella and soaking both him and Maria down with a hose from a Budweiser truck.[20] During the Austin program, Marella repeatedly mocked Austin and mangled the English language and his catchphrases in promos,[19] giving his character a new humorous bent.
After a short program with Jerry Lawler,[21][22] he was placed into a tag team with Carlito.[23][24] At the same time, Maria was chosen to be pose for Playboy magazine, which was used as part of their storyline. When he was unable to get her to turn the offer down,[25] he attempted to sabotage the cover unveiling, finally pushing Maria to break up with him.[26] At WrestleMania XXIV, Maria was involved in a "Playboy BunnyMania Lumberjack match", during which Santino interfered only to get punched by Jerry Lawler near the end of the match and clotheslined by celebrity Master of Ceremonies Snoop Dogg after the match.[27] Marella's feud with Maria came to an end after she defeated him on the episode of Raw the day after WrestleMania by dropping her head into Marrella's groin. Marella and Carlito began a feud with Hardcore Holly and Cody Rhodes over the World Tag Team Championship. During a title match between the two teams, Roddy Piper distracted Marella, who was then pinned and so lost the match for his team. Due to the distraction, Marella started a rivalry with Piper, including a confrontation on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
[edit] Glamarella (2008–2009) Marella and Beth Phoenix in late 2008 On the July 14, 2008 episode of Raw, Marella was defeated by WWE Diva Beth Phoenix in a match. Marella issued an open challenge to the entire Raw roster.[28] The angle continued the following week after Marella lost to the returning D'Lo Brown. Marella and Phoenix shared a kiss, both expressing considerable confusion afterwards.[29] In later weeks, they became an on-screen power couple, later called "Glamarella", a portmanteau of "Glamazon" (Phoenix's nickname) and "Marella". At SummerSlam, Marella won the Intercontinental Championship for a second time, when he teamed with Phoenix against champion Kofi Kingston and WWE Women's Champion Mickie James. Phoenix pinned James after hitting her Glam Slam, thus winning both titles for her team per the pre-match stipulation.[30]
Marella before facing The Great Khali. During his second reign, Marella started a quest to become the "greatest Intercontinental champion of all the times" by beating The Honky Tonk Man's record reign of 64 weeks, constantly bringing out a status report called the "Honk-A-Meter". At Cyber Sunday, Marella defended the Intercontinental title against the Honky Tonk Man (who won the majority of fans' votes, beating fellow former champions Roddy Piper and Goldust), losing by disqualification.[31] On the November 10 episode of Raw, Marella lost the title to William Regal and thus failed to reign as champion for more than 64 weeks.[32]
At the beginning of 2009, Marella entered the Royal Rumble drawing number 28. He was instantly eliminated by Kane in 1.9 seconds, thus breaking The Warlord's two second record for shortest Royal Rumble appearance at the 1989 Royal Rumble.
[edit] Santina Marella (2009) Santina Marella with Beth Phoenix and Rosa Mendes Following the announcement of a 25-Diva battle royal at WrestleMania XXV to crown the first-ever "Miss WrestleMania", Marella became a fan favorite and was placed in an angle in which he expressed his desire to compete in the match. The storyline called for Marella to challenge Mickie James in a match where he had one arm tied behind his back, and if he won, he would gain entry into the match. He lost, however, and, as a result, the following week, in a bid to prove he was eligible to compete, he revealed he was wearing a mankini, but was subsequently attacked by most of the Divas on the roster. Nevertheless, at WrestleMania XXV, Marella won the 25 Diva battle royal, competing in drag under the disguise of "Santino Marella's twin sister, Santina", and last eliminating Phoenix and Melina.[33] He successfully defended his "Miss Wrestlemania" title against Beth Phoenix on Backlash in only 3 seconds with the help of The Great Khali. On the May 18 episode of Raw, Santina lost the "Miss Wrestlemania" title to Vickie Guerrero. Marella won it back at Extreme Rules when he defeated Vickie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero in a handicap hog pen match.[34] On the June 22, 2009, episode of Raw, Raw's new owner Donald Trump fired Santina, thus making him the final Ms. Wrestlemania.[35]
[edit] Teaming with Vladimir Kozlov (2010–2011) Marella and Kozlov in November 2010 on "Raw" in Manchester, England. At WrestleMania XXVI, Marella competed in the 26-man battle royal dark match, which was won by Yoshi Tatsu.[36] Marella soon started trying to form a tag team with Vladimir Kozlov, who consistently refused the offer. On the May 31 edition of Raw, Kozlov intervened in a mixed tag team match featuring Marella and aided him in securing the victory.[37] On the July 19 edition of Raw, Kozlov teamed with Marella and in their first match as an official tag team, they defeated William Regal and Zack Ryder.[38] In August, Santino Marella started a relationship with Tamina, the manager of The Usos. At Night of Champions 2010, Marella and Kozlov competed in a Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Unified Tag Team championship but were unsuccessful as the titles were won by "Dashing" Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre. On the October 11 edition of Raw he successfully defeated Zack Ryder to become a part of the Raw Bragging Rights team against SmackDown. However at the event, Marella was the first of the seven Raw Superstars in the match to be eliminated after being pinned by Tyler Reks.[39] On the October 25 episode of Raw, Marella began a feud with Sheamus after he called Santino an embarrassment after being the first man eliminated from Team Raw at Bragging Rights. Sheamus then challenged Marella to a match, which he accepted. Later in a match, Marella scored a major upset by defeating former two–time WWE Champion Sheamus; Santino and Sheamus then had two subsequent run-ins, both of which ended in John Morrison saving Santino from Sheamus' post-match assaults.[40] On the November 15 edition of Raw, Marella and Kozlov became the number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championships, defeating The Usos in the process. Marella and Kozlov failed to capture the titles at Survivor Series 2010.
Marella at the 2010 Tribute to the Troops show. They went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Four-Way elimination tag team match on Raw on December 6, 2010 against The Usos, The Nexus and the tag team of Mark Henry and Yoshi Tatsu with a distraction created by John Cena and then after the celebration, The Usos' manager Tamina kissed Santino starting a relationship between the two. Tamina afterwards continued to accompany Santino for his matches. Santino and Kozlov retained their WWE Tag Team titles by disqualification at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs against Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater of the Nexus after another Nexus member Michael McGillicutty chopblocked Santino in front of the referee. After TLC Pay Per View, Marella and Tamina beat Ted DiBiase and Maryse in several occasions in a mixed tag team match on RAW. On January 30, 2011, Santino competed in the Royal Rumble entering at number 37, he made it to the final two before losing to winner Alberto Del Rio. At the Elimination Chamber, he and Kozlov lost the titles to Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel of the Corre. On the March 28 edition of Raw, it was confirmed Marella would team up with Vladimir Kozlov, Kane, and The Big Show, against the Corre (Slater, Gabriel, Ezekiel Jackson and Wade Barrett) in an eight-man tag team match at WrestleMania XXVII. However, due to an attack on Kozlov by the Corre during WrestleMania Axxess the day before WrestleMania, Kofi Kingston then took his place in the match.[41] Their team won, when Marella performed The Cobra on Slater, which was followed up by Big Show's right hand punch. On the April 11 edition of Raw, Marella interrupted the Corre to tell them he had formed an alliance called "The Apple" (Allied People Powered by Loathing Everything that you stand for), a pun on apple core. Marella's relationship with Tamina ended when she was drafted to SmackDown as part of the 2011 WWE Supplemental Draft.
[edit] Singles competition; United States Champion (2011–present) Marella with a portrait in pose The Cobra in 2011. On August 5, Kozlov was released from his WWE contract, effectively ending the partnership.[42] He then began teaming with Zack Ryder, beginning on the July 21 episode of Superstars, in a winning effort against the WWE tag team champions David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty. On the August 1 episode of Raw they were defeated by Otunga and McGillicutty.
On September 1, 2011, Marella injured his left shoulder following a car accident prior to a WWE event in Puerto Rico and was inactive for several weeks.[43]
He returned on the October 3 edition of Raw Supershow, in a winning effort against Jinder Mahal.[44] On the October 31 edition, Marella defeated Jack Swagger by roll-up pinfall after he spit water given to him by special guest star Beaker of The Muppets, in Swagger's face.[45][46] The following Raw, Swagger defeated Marella by submission and over the next few months he went on a losing streak against Cody Rhodes, Kevin Nash, and Wade Barrett.[47][48][49] On the January 6 episode of SmackDown, Marella defeated Drew McIntyre and became the new assistant to the Smackdown General Manager Theodore Long.[50] Marella would then team up with Yoshi Tatsu on the January 27 edition of SmackDown and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan on the February 3 edition to face Tag Team Champons Primo and Epico, both in losing efforts.[51][52] On the February 17 episode of Smackdown, Marella won a battle royal to replace Randy Orton in the Elimination Chamber match.[53] At Elimination Chamber, Marella failed to capture the World Heavyweight Championship after being eliminated last by Daniel Bryan.[54] On the March 5 episode of Raw, Marella defeated Jack Swagger to win the United States Championship.[55] On the following SmackDown, Marella successfully defended his title against Swagger in a steel cage match, after he managed to escape through the cage door.[56]
[edit] Personal life Carelli has a daughter.[6]
[edit] In wrestling Santino's "Cobra".
- Finishing moves
- As Santino Marella
- Inverted swinging neckbreaker[57] – 2007–2008
- Salute Flying Headbutt (Diving headbutt while saluting)[58] – 2008–present
- The Cobra Strike[59][60] (Right-handed thrust to an opponent's throat, chest or face, with theatrics)[61][62] – 2010–present
- As Boris Alexiev
- As Santino Marella
- Signature moves
- Arm drag[63]
- Atomic drop[64]
- Camel clutch[65]
- Dropkick[66]
- Inverted atomic drop[64]
- Jawbreaker[67]
- Punching combination ended with Forearm smash[63][68]
- Roll-up[69][70]
- Running headbutt drop while saluting[63]
- Santino Stunner (Split-legged three-quarter facelock jawbreaker)[68]
- Split leg followed by a hip toss[63][68]
- Snap suplex[68]
- STO[70]
- Sunset flip[66]
- Managers
- Tag teams/stables
- Glamarella
- Vladimir Kozlov
- Carlito
- Entrance themes
- "Anvil of Crom" by Basil Poledouris[74] (OVW)
- "You Look So Good to Me (Remix)" by Jim Johnston (WWE; As Santina Marella; 2009)
- "La Vittoria è Mia (Victory Is Mine)" by Jim Johnston[75] (WWE; May 14 2007-present)
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Gimmick (2007, 2008)[81]
Phillip Jack Brooks[7] (born October 26, 1978),[2] better known by his ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler signed to WWE and appearing on its Raw brand as the reigning WWE Champion.
In professional wrestling, Brooks is a seven time World Champion, having held the ROH World Championship and ECW Championship once, the World Heavyweight Championship three times and the WWE Championship twice.
In addition to these championships Punk has also won the World Tag Team Championship (with Kofi Kingston), and the WWE Intercontinental Championship making him the nineteenth WWE Triple Crown Champion and the man to achieve this honor fastest at 203 days.[8] Between WWE and Ring of Honor (where he is also a two-time World Tag Team Champion), Punk has won a total of eleven championships. He was also the winner of the 2008 and 2009 Money in the Bank ladder matches (the only wrestler to win the match twice in a row),[9] and was the 2011 Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner.[10]
Punk initially came to prominence through his career on the professional wrestling independent circuit, primarily as a member of the ROH roster, where he was the first head trainer of the ROH wrestling school as well as winning both of their championships. In 2005, Punk signed a contract with WWE and was sent to its developmental promotion, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he won every championship available in the promotion.
Throughout his career, Punk has consistently used the gimmick of being straight edge, a lifestyle he follows in his actual day-to-day life.[4] Depending on Punk's alignment as a crowd favorite or villain, he emphasizes different aspects of the culture to encourage the desired audience reaction.[4]
Contents [hide]
He soon left the federation and enrolled as a student at the "Steel Dominion" wrestling school in Chicago, where he was trained by Ace Steel,[3] Danny Dominion and Kevin Quinn to become a professional wrestler. As part of the training, he wrestled at Steel Domain Wrestling in St. Paul, Minnesota.[4][5] It was in the Steel Domain that he met Scott Colton,[14][15] who soon adopted the stage name Colt Cabana. Punk and Cabana became best friends and spent most of their early career together working in the same independent circuit promotions, as opponents or allies.[14] In the independents, Punk, along with fellow Steel Domain graduates Colt Cabana, Chuckee Smooth, Adam Pearce and manager Dave Prazak, formed an alliance named the Gold Bond Mafia.[4]
[edit] Independent Wrestling Association: Mid-South (2000–2005) Punk's home promotion for his early career is usually considered to be Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA:Mid-South).[4] During Punk's time in IWA:Mid-South, he had high profile feuds with Colt Cabana and Chris Hero while also rising to the top of the roster winning the IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship twice and the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship on five separate occasions, beating stars like A.J. Styles, Cabana and even Eddie Guerrero for that Championship. Punk's feud with Hero included a 55-minute TLC match,[4] a 93-minute two out of three falls match,[5] and several 60-minute time limit draws.[15]
Punk's matches with Cabana led him to being hired by the Ring of Honor promotion.[5] From February 2003 until May 2004, Punk refused to wrestle for IWA:Mid-South, because he claims that this was in protest to Ian Rotten's mistreatment of Chris Hero in the company.[4] Hero, however, has stated he believes there were other reasons, and Rotten's treatment of him was just an excuse by Punk to stop working for the company.[16] Eventually Punk returned to IWA:Mid-South and continued to perform as a wrestler and commentator for them until 2005 when he was signed to World Wrestling Entertainment. His last appearance in IWA:Mid-South was on July 2, 2005 in which he competed in a 60-minute time limit draw against Delirious.[17]
[edit] Ring of Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling [edit] Storylines with Raven (2002–2004) See also: Second City Saints and The Gathering Initially, Punk joined Ring of Honor (ROH) as a crowd favorite,[4] but quickly became a villain in a feud with Raven that featured numerous variants of no disqualification matches.[18] Their rivalry lasted most of 2003 and was considered one of ROH's top feuds of the year,[19] and was based around Punk's straight-edge lifestyle, with him likening Raven to his alcoholic father.[20] Their rivalry was settled at The Conclusion in November 2003, where Punk defeated Raven in a Steel Cage match.[18] At the same time, Punk joined the wrestling promotion NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA), in which he was paired with Julio Dinero as members of Raven's TNA alliance The Gathering.[4]
CM Punk during a cage match against Raven at Ring of Honor's The Conclusion on November 28, 2003 in Fairfield, Connecticut. Punk started climbing the ranks of ROH, including coming in second at the Second Anniversary Show during the tournament to crown the first ROH Pure Champion, losing to A.J. Styles in the finals[18] and winning the ROH Tag Team Championship twice with Colt Cabana as the Second City Saints. Both times Punk and Cabana defeated the Briscoe Brothers to win the championship.[21] Circa October 2003, Punk was hired as the first head trainer of the Ring of Honor wrestling school,[4][22] having previously been a trainer for the Steel Domain[4] and Primetime Wrestling.[23]
Shortly before a TNA show on February 25, 2004, Punk had a physical scuffle with Teddy Hart outside of a restaurant that was broken up by Sabu. The scuffle reportedly stemmed from an ROH show in which Hart performed three unplanned spots putting several other wrestlers in danger of injury.[24][25] Around the time of the scuffle, Punk and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA shows, leading to speculation he was fired for the incident.[26] Punk, however, has stated that the scuffle had no bearing on his TNA career.[26] He said the reason he and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA pay-per-views was that TNA officials believed that he and Dinero had not connected with the fans as villains, having turned against the popular Raven and instead formed a villainous tag team managed by James Mitchell.[26] The officials decided that as the teams as villains was not working decided to put the storyline on hold indefinitely, and thus had no work for Punk or Dinero.[26] Punk officially quit TNA in March 2004 during the Rob Feinstein controversy, after having a dispute with the TNA offices over his ability to compete in ROH following a TNA order that their contracted wrestlers were to no longer wrestle in ROH.[27]
[edit] Pursuit of the World Championship (2004–2005) In ROH, Punk faced off against ROH World Champion Samoa Joe for the championship in a three match series. The first match, on June 12, 2004 at World Title Classic in Dayton, Ohio, resulted in a 60-minute time limit draw when neither Punk nor Joe could pin or cause the other to submit in the 60 minutes. The second match between Punk and Joe was planned for December 4, 2004; however, due to Steve Corino being pulled from a match with Joe by Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, the second match was hastily rescheduled on October 11, 2004 for October 16 in Punk's hometown of Chicago.[15] At Joe vs. Punk II on October 16, they wrestled to a second 60-minute draw.[18] In addition to Joe vs. Punk II becoming Ring of Honor's best-selling DVD at the time, the match received a five-star rating by Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It was the first match in North America to receive a five-star rating in seven years—the last one being the Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997.[15] Joe ended the series by defeating Punk in the third and final match on December 4, 2004 at All-Star Extravaganza 2 in which there was a no time limit stipulation.[18]
CM Punk in Ring of Honor. In June 2005, Punk accepted a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment, after a try-out match against Val Venis on its Sunday Night Heat show. Even though he had accepted the deal, Punk went on to defeat Austin Aries with his Pepsi Plunge move, winning the ROH World Championship on June 18, 2005 at Death Before Dishonor III.[21] Immediately after the match, Punk proceeded to become a villain and started a storyline where he threatened to bring the ROH World Championship to WWE with him. For weeks, Punk teased the ROH locker room and the ROH fans as well as mocking the championship he possessed, going so far as to sign his WWE contract on it. During the storyline, Mick Foley made several ROH appearances, attempting to convince Punk to do the right thing and defend the title on his way out. On August 12, 2005 in Dayton, Ohio, Punk lost the ROH World Championship to James Gibson in a four corner elimination match consisting of himself, Gibson, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels, who re-debuted after a year-and-half absence.[21] Punk's final scheduled match in Ring of Honor took place at Punk: The Final Chapter on August 13, 2005 against long-time friend Colt Cabana in a two out of three falls match, which he lost.[18] In his last match, Punk was visibly crying and was showered with streamers when he posed in the middle of the ring.
Punk made a special appearance at the ROH show Unscripted II on February 11, 2006, when the original card had to be scrapped due to Low Ki leaving ROH the week prior.[18] In addition, most of the ROH roster contracted to TNA were pulled from the show because of a snowstorm that TNA officials thought might prevent performers from reaching a pay-per-view scheduled the next day.[28][29] In the main event, Punk teamed with Bryan Danielson to wrestle and ultimately defeat Jimmy Rave and Adam Pearce in a tag team match.[29]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE [edit] Ohio Valley Wrestling (2005–2006) In September 2005, Punk was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), a WWE developmental territory. He made his debut on September 8, 2005, in a dark match, where he, Nigel McGuinness and Paul Burchill were defeated by Deuce Shade, Elijah Burke and Seth Skyfire.[30] On September 26, 2005 in his OVW television debut, Punk suffered a ruptured eardrum and broken nose after Danny Inferno hit him with an overly stiff right hand. Despite the injury, Punk finished the match and quickly recovered.[31][32]
On November 9, 2005, Punk became the OVW Television Champion after defeating Ken Doane,[31] which immediately led to a feud between Punk and Brent Albright, who had previously been feuding with Doane for the Television Championship and had lost his chance to wrestle Doane after Punk hit him with a chair so he himself could wrestle Doane. They wrestled in series of matches, including one that ended in overtime with Albright having Punk submit to Albright's finisher, the Crowbar, but Punk was able to keep the championship, as he had not agreed to the extra time.[31] On January 4, 2006, Punk lost the OVW Television Championship during a three way dance among himself, Albright and Doane. Doane was injured halfway through the match and was replaced by Aaron "The Idol" Stevens. Punk submitted to Albright's Crowbar and was eliminated, but he returned later in the match to distract Albright allowing Stevens to pin Albright and become the new OVW Television Champion.[33] The feud continued after a short period in which Albright and Punk were a tag team, but they became opponents again after Albright wanted the respect of Punk, who would never give it to him, and instead proceeded to "punk out" (get the better of) Albright repeatedly. This feud continued for weeks with Punk always getting the better of Albright until a double turn occurred on February 1, 2006 when Albright became a villain during a tag match, allowing the Spirit Squad to beat Punk and, in doing so, making Punk a crowd favorite.[33] During this time, Punk had a minor appearance at WrestleMania 22 on April 2, 2006 as one of the gangsters who rode a 1930s era car to the ring before John Cena's entrance.[34]
After Matt Cappotelli vacated the OVW Heavyweight Championship because of a brain tumor in February 2006, a tournament was held to crown a new champion. The finals were Brent Albright vs. CM Punk with Albright defeating Punk to become the new champion.[33] Punk and Albright continued their feud, with Albright becoming more unstable and paranoid about maintaining his championship after several close call matches against Punk, resulting in acts such as threatening Maria. On May 3, 2006, Punk finally defeated Albright in a strap match to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship.[33] As champion, Punk retained the title in matches against opponents such as Shad Gaspard,[33] Ken Kennedy,[33] Johnny Jeter[33] and Mike "The Miz" Mizanin.[35]
On July 28, 2006, Punk and Seth Skyfire defeated Shad Gaspard and the Neighborhoodie to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship at a house show.[36] They lost the Tag Team Championship on August 2, 2006 to Deuce Shade and "Domino" Cliff Compton after an injured Skyfire tagged in an already injured Punk.[33] This altercation led to a feud between Punk and Skyfire after a rematch for the Tag Team Championship on August 7, 2006 in which a healthy Punk purposefully tagged in an injured Skyfire to be beaten by Shade and Compton.[33] On August 30, 2006, a match was scheduled to take place between Punk and Skyfire for the OVW Heavyweight Championship. Prior to the match, however, Skyfire was attacked by Charles "The Hammer" Evans, with whom Skyfire had also been feuding, and was replaced in the match by Chet Jablonski (Chet the Jet) who pinned Punk to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship.[33] As Punk no longer possessed the championship, OVW no longer required him. He was removed from the roster and brought up to the WWE roster full-time. He continued to make sporadic appearances for the company, such as at the 400th episode of OVW on television,[33] up until WWE announced it was ending its developmental territory agreement with OVW on February 7, 2008.[37]
[edit] ECW (2006–2008) CM Punk with a portrait as the ECW Champion in 2008. On June 24, 2006, Punk made his ECW debut during a house show at the former ECW Arena, defeating Stevie Richards.[38] He made his TV debut on the July 4 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, cutting a brief pre-taped promo about his straight edge lifestyle emphasizing the disciplinary aspects of being drug and alcohol free.[39] Although he had retained the straight edge gimmick, he now had a Muay Thai training background. Punk made his TV wrestling debut on August 1, 2006 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, defeating Justin Credible.[40] CM Punk established himself in ECW by going undefeated, defeating opponents such as Christopher W. Anderson,[41] Stevie Richards[42] and Shannon Moore.[43]
Soon after, Punk began feuding with Mike Knox after Knox's girlfriend, Kelly Kelly, was seen to have feelings for Punk.[43] Punk defeated Knox in their first singles match (qualifying for the Extreme Elimination Chamber at December to Dismember in the process)[44] as well as the rematch, after which Kelly Kelly celebrated CM Punk's victory over her boyfriend.[45] Punk then teamed with D-Generation X and the Hardy Boyz in their Survivor Series match against Rated-RKO, Knox, Johnny Nitro and Gregory Helms, a match in which all the participants on DX's side survived elimination.[46] At December to Dismember, Punk participated in the Elimination Chamber for the ECW World Championship; however, he was the first person eliminated by Rob Van Dam.[47]
CM Punk as ECW Champion on September 30, 2007 in Hammond, Indiana. Following the pay-per-view, Punk entered into a feud with Hardcore Holly, who ended Punk's six-month unbeaten streak in singles competition on January 9, 2007.[48] Punk went on to feud with Matt Striker, who gave him his second singles loss since being in ECW on January 30.[49] Punk then qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 23 by defeating Johnny Nitro.[50] In the final week leading up to WrestleMania 23, Punk made appearances on both Raw and Friday Night SmackDown!, defeating Kenny Dykstra[51] and former World Heavyweight Champion King Booker,[52] respectively. At WrestleMania 23, Punk competed in, but did not win, the Money in the Bank ladder match, being knocked off the ladder just seconds before the winner, Mr. Kennedy, claimed the briefcase.[53]
On the April 10, 2007 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Punk briefly became a villain by officially joining the New Breed alliance,[54] after several weeks in which both the New Breed and the ECW Originals had attempted to recruit him.[55][56] Two weeks later, however, Punk betrayed the New Breed during a four on four elimination match between the New Breed and ECW Originals by kicking New Breed leader Elijah Burke in the back of the head and costing them the match. After the match, Punk proceeded to deliver his finisher, the Go To Sleep, on Burke and sarcastically apologized before leaving the ring alone, becoming a fan favorite again. WWE.com later confirmed that Punk was no longer a member of the New Breed.[57] At Judgment Day, Punk wrestled and defeated Burke in his first singles match on a pay-per-view.[58] Punk then went on to One Night Stand and teamed up with Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman in a tables match to defeat the New Breed.[59]
When ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley was drafted to Raw and stripped of the ECW World Championship, a mini-tournament was announced to declare a new champion among Punk, Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von and Chris Benoit. Punk defeated Marcus Cor Von on the June 19, 2007 episode of ECW on Sci Fi. By doing so, CM Punk was meant to face Chris Benoit at Vengeance: Night of Champions for the vacant ECW World Championship.[60] Benoit, however, was hastily replaced by Johnny Nitro when Benoit no-showed the event due to what was described on-air as "personal reasons". Nitro subsequently defeated Punk at Vengeance for the vacant championship.[61] Punk won another shot at the title at The Great American Bash against Nitro, who had changed his moniker to John Morrison by this point; however, Punk was defeated again by Morrison.[62] The next week, Punk challenged Elijah Burke and Tommy Dreamer in a triple threat match to determine the next competitor in Morrison's 15 Minutes of Fame Challenge, in which Punk came out victorious.[63] A week later, Punk defeated Morrison with the Go To Sleep to earn an ECW Championship title match at SummerSlam. At SummerSlam, however, Punk lost the match when Morrison used the ropes for leverage.[64]
At the September 1, 2007 (aired September 4) ECW taping, in a "last chance" title match, Punk defeated Morrison for the ECW Championship.[65] Punk then went on to have successful title defenses against the likes of Elijah Burke (at Unforgiven),[66] Big Daddy V via disqualification (at No Mercy)[67] and The Miz (at Cyber Sunday).[68] On the November 6, 2007 episode of ECW, Punk retained the ECW Championship in a match against Morrison following The Miz's interference.[69] At Survivor Series, Punk retained his title in a Triple Threat match, beating The Miz and John Morrison.[70] On the January 22, 2008 episode of ECW, Chavo Guerrero defeated CM Punk in a No Disqualification match to win the ECW Championship after Edge, (acting as a guest commentator at ringside) ran in and speared Punk.[71]
[edit] Money in the Bank (2008–2009) CM Punk in April 2008 with his first of two Money in the Bank briefcases. At WrestleMania XXIV, Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match, after defeating Chris Jericho, Montel Vontavious Porter, Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison, Mr. Kennedy and Carlito.[72]
On the June 23, 2008 episode of Raw, CM Punk was drafted to the Raw brand during the 2008 WWE Draft.[73] His first night on Raw came the following week, and he made an immediate impact. After Batista beat down World Heavyweight Champion Edge and left him lying in the ring, Punk and referee Mike Chioda ran to the ring with Punk carrying his Money in the Bank contract. Moments later, as Edge was struggling to get up, Punk hit him with the Go to Sleep and pinned him to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Later that night, Punk won his first defense of the title against JBL, who challenged him shortly after his win.[74] His win over Edge would eventually also earn Punk the Slammy Award for the "Oh my God" Moment of the Year.[75] Punk continued to hold and defend the title until Unforgiven on September 7, 2008. Before the Championship Scramble match, Punk was attacked by an early version of The Legacy (Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase with Manu). Orton finished the assault by punting Punk in the head.[76] It was announced that Punk could not participate in the match due to the attack and, as a result, he involuntarily forfeited the title. However, Punk was replaced by Chris Jericho, who went on to win the match and the title.[77] He received a rematch eight days later on the September 15 episode of Raw, where he failed to regain the title in a steel cage match against Jericho.[78]
CM Punk as World Heavyweight Champion during his first reign at SummerSlam. On the October 27, 2008 episode of Raw, Punk and Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase to win the World Tag Team Championship.[79] The duo were members of Team Batista at Survivor Series, where their team lost to Team Orton.[80] Punk was then entered in an Intercontinental Championship Tournament, in which the winner would get to challenge for the championship in the future. He would defeat Snitsky and John Morrison in the first two rounds.[81] Punk and Kingston lost the World Tag Team Championship to John Morrison and The Miz at a live event on December 13, 2008.[82] The next day Punk defeated Rey Mysterio at Armageddon to win the tournament.[81] On the January 5 episode of Raw, Punk received his title match against William Regal, which ended in a disqualification, when Regal grabbed the referee's jersey.[83] Due to this, Stephanie McMahon awarded Punk a rematch the following week, but this time it was himself that was disqualified.[84] McMahon awarded him another rematch, this time a No Disqualification match on January 19 episode of Raw, Punk won the match and the title.[85] With this win, he became the nineteenth Triple Crown Champion. Also, the victory made him the man to accomplish the Triple Crown in the fastest amount of time, shattering Kevin Nash's old record.[86] Punk lost the title on the March 9 episode of Raw to John "Bradshaw" Layfield.[87] At WrestleMania XXV, Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match and became the first person to win the match twice.[88]
On April 13, 2009 during the 2009 WWE Draft, Punk was drafted from Raw to SmackDown.[89] In the period after the draft, Punk feuded with Umaga over Umaga's repeated surprise attacks while Punk was attempting to cash in his Money in the Bank Contract. This ultimately resulted in a Samoan strap match at Extreme Rules, which was won by Punk.[90]
At the end of the pay-per-view, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Championship.[91] Punk retained his title in a Triple Threat match against both Edge and Hardy eight days later on the June 15 episode of Raw.[92] At The Bash in Sacramento, California, Punk lost to Hardy by disqualification after kicking the referee after being afflicted with a storyline eye injury, claiming he could not see the referee, but because titles do not change hands on a disqualification, Punk retained the championship. Hardy called Punk into question about his eye injury, believing he had been feigning it, leading Punk to turn heel, claiming to be the moral superior of those who support Hardy due to his drug-free lifestyle.[93] At Night of Champions, Punk lost the championship to Hardy.[94] Their feud continued through SummerSlam, where Punk regained the title in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match; afterward, Punk was attacked by The Undertaker.[95] On the August 28 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Punk concluded his program with Hardy and achieved his booked goal of excising him from the WWE, defeating Hardy in a steel cage match wherein the loser agreed to leave the company.[96] This act would earn Punk a second Slammy that December as he was named winner for 2009's "Shocker of the Year".[97]
At Breaking Point Punk defeated The Undertaker in a submission match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Undertaker originally won the match with his Hell's Gate submission hold. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long re-started the match after stating that the ban that former General Manager Vickie Guerrero had placed on the move was still in effect. Punk would win the match with his Anaconda Vise when referee Scott Armstrong called for the bell despite Undertaker never submitting (reminiscent to the Montreal Screwjob, which took place in the same venue in 1997).[98] The feud between the two continued and at the Hell in a Cell PPV, Punk lost the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match.[99] He lost two subsequent rematches against The Undertaker on Smackdown and in a Fatal Four Way match at Bragging Rights also involving Batista and Rey Mysterio.[100][101]
[edit] Straight Edge Society and New Nexus (2009–2011) Main articles: Straight Edge Society and Nexus His character took on a more sinister demeanor on the November 27 episode of SmackDown when he revealed that he had converted Luke Gallows, who had previously been portrayed as the mentally incompetent wrestler Festus, to the straight-edge lifestyle which had rid him of his mental troubles.[102] Continuing to espouse his straight-edge philosophy, Punk began to present himself as a cult-like savior to the crowd, growing the hair on his head, face and chest in an allusion to Jesus.[103] Through January 2010, Punk began to convert planted members of the audience to a straight-edge lifestyle, making them take a pledge of allegiance to him and shaving their head as a sign of renewal and devotion.[104][105][106] After converting many people who were not seen again, convert Serena began accompanying Punk and Gallows to form the Straight Edge Society.[106][107] As well as leading this alliance, Punk was also the mentor of WWE NXT rookie Darren Young who flirted with the idea of becoming straight-edge before refusing just before his head was to be shaved.[108]
Straight Edge Society: Serena, Punk and Luke Gallows. Punk continued to show messianic traits, frequently giving sermons including during the annual Royal Rumble match as well as during an Elimination Chamber match at both of the eponymous pay-per-views.[109][110] In the Chamber match, he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio, whom he had feuding with leading into the PPV. Tensions escalated as Mysterio prevented him from winning a Money in the Bank qualifying match, causing Punk to interrupt Mysterio's celebration of his daughter's ninth birthday.[111] Mysterio challenged Punk to a Street Fight at WrestleMania XXVI but lost to Gallows, meaning Punk picked the stipulation that if Rey lost he would have to join the Society.[112] At WrestleMania, Punk lost to Mysterio[113] sparking a rematch at Extreme Rules where Punk would have to shave his head, like his disciples, if he lost. Punk won this match after interference from a fourth member of the Society who kept his face covered.[114] At Over The Limit, a third and final match was booked with both stipulations reactivated. In the match Punk lost and was subsequently shaved bald.[115]
Embarrassed by being shaved bald as he considered himself always pure unlike his followers, Punk appeared on the following episode of SmackDown, May 29, wearing a mask to hide his baldness.[116] At Fatal 4 Way, Punk challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship against Mysterio, The Big Show and the champion Jack Swagger, but was unsuccessful when he was attacked by Kane, who was accusing various people of attacking The Undertaker.[117] On July 16's SmackDown, Punk was finally unmasked by Big Show while healing from an arm injury.[118] The following week Show also unmasked the anonymous member of the Straight Edge Society who was revealed to be Joey Mercury.[119] This led to a handicap match at SummerSlam where Show defeated the entire Society after Punk abandoned his teammates.[120] Show also beat Punk in a singles match at Night of Champions.[121] Following this Serena was released from WWE[122] while Mercury became injured,[123] severely thinning the Society. Gallows began showing signs of dissension too, and Punk defeated him on SmackDown, airing September 24, ending the group.[124]
Punk as leader of the New Nexus, accompanied by Otunga and McGillcutty while confronting Shawn Michaels. Punk was traded back to the Raw brand on October 11 after being swapped with Edge. He took part in the interbrand tag team match at Bragging Rights after injuring Evan Bourne to win a place,[125] but the team lost. It was reported later that he was suffering with a hip injury that would stop him from competing.[126] To keep a presence on television, he began commentating on Raw from November 22,[127] having already commentated one episode of NXT. During his commentary, he criticized John Cena for his actions against The Nexus. Sometimes he favored heel wrestlers over face wrestlers. At the end of December, Punk left the commentary team after assaulting John Cena on Raw[128] and SmackDown[129] with a chair. Punk later revealed that his motives for the attacks were that he had joined and assumed control of The Nexus.[130] He would then use the group to attack Randy Orton, blaming him for prematurely ending Punk's first World Heavyweight Championship reign in 2008; this led to a WrestleMania XXVII match[131] and a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules both of which Punk lost.[132]
[edit] WWE Champion (2011–present) Punk in his second reign as WWE Champion. In June, after pinning WWE Champion John Cena on Raw,[133] Rey Mysterio at Capitol Punishment[134] and finally Alberto Del Rio again in a contendership match (which included Mysterio) all within one week, Punk revealed his contract would expire at Money in the Bank and vowed to leave the company with the WWE Championship; some of his speeches and mannerisms echoed his final months with Ring of Honor. After making a scathing on-air speech concerning the way in which WWE is run and its owner Vince McMahon, he was given a storyline suspension from televised WWE events[135] but was reinstated the following week on Cena's insistence.[136] This helped transition him from a villainous character back to being a fan-favorite. Two weeks later, at Money in the Bank, CM Punk defeated John Cena to become the WWE Champion on his final night under contract with WWE.[136]
On July 21, CM Punk made an unannounced appearance at a joint WWE and Mattel panel at the San Diego Comic Con to mock new Chief operating officer Triple H and offer WWE Championship tournament finalist Rey Mysterio a match for Punk's own WWE Championship, as long as it was in Punk's hometown, Chicago.[137][138] Punk appeared at July 23's All American Wrestling show, showing respect to Gregory Iron, a wrestler with cerebral palsy.[139] Mysterio won the WWE Championship tournament on the July 25 episode of Raw, only to lose it to Cena later that night. After Cena's victory, Punk returned to Raw and upstaged the new WWE Champion's victory celebration while also entering into a title dispute. Triple H would later uphold both Punk and Cena's claims to the WWE Championship as legitimate and schedule the two to a match at SummerSlam to decide the undisputed WWE Champion.[140] Punk prevailed but immediately lost the title to Alberto Del Rio, who had cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, after being attacked by Kevin Nash.[141]
Punk, during his second WWE Championship reign, being watched by John Laurinaitis. The night after SummerSlam Punk accused Nash of conspiring with Triple H to keep Punk away from the WWE Championship.[142] After repeated confrontations Nash and Punk demanded to face each other at Night of Champions, to which Triple H acquiesced. However, after CM Punk's repeated verbal attacks towards him and his wife Stephanie McMahon, Triple H booked himself to replace Nash.[143] At Night of Champions Punk lost a No Disqualification match after Nash, The Miz, and R-Truth attacked both men.[144] Miz and Truth also attacked Punk at Hell in a Cell after he lost a WWE Championship Triple Threat match.[145] He attempted to avenge this by teaming with Triple H against Miz and Truth at Vengeance, but lost again due to Nash attacking Triple H.[146] This helped transition Punk's anti-establishment voice from Triple H to John Laurinaitis who became the interim Raw General Manager.[147] CM Punk balked at Laurinaitis' promotion and verbally attacked him as a dull yes man.[148][149]
On October 31, CM Punk strong-armed his way into a match with Del Rio at Survivor Series,[150] where he regained the WWE Championship by way of submission with the Anaconda Vise.[151] He went on to defend the title through the end of the year, retaining in a rematch with Del Rio on the November 28 episode of Raw[152] and against both Del Rio and The Miz in a Triple Threat TLC match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs.[153] On the December 26 episode of Raw, CM Punk was defeated by Dolph Ziggler in a gauntlet match; as a result Ziggler became #1 contender to the WWE championship. Had he been successful Punk would have earned the right to face Laurinaitis in a match.[154] The following Raw, Punk was defeated by Ziggler via countout following interference from Laurinaitis; retaining the championship as a result.[155] Intermeddling from Laurinaitis caused Punk to lose to Ziggler throughout January[156][157] which ultimately led to Punk attacking Laurinaitis in retaliation.[157] At the Royal Rumble event, CM Punk successfully defended his title against Ziggler, despite Laurinaitis acting as the outside enforcer.[158] Punk would then retain his title at the Elimination Chamber event.[159]
[edit] Gimmick Punk has adopted his real-life following of the straight edge movement as his professional wrestling gimmick, but the gimmick uses different elements of Punk's personality and the beliefs of the straight edge movement depending on his alignment. While portraying a crowd favorite, the gimmick tends to be that of Punk's normal personality,[4] largely indifferent to others who drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, partake in recreational drug use or have promiscuous sexual behavior, but emphasizing the social discipline involved with abstinence. Conversely, his villainous personality tends to be that of one who is hardline or militant straight edge, exemplifying the elitist attitudes and superiority complexes—defined by Punk's common mantra during villainous-themed promos that, because he is straight edge, he is "better than you".[4] Punk performs the straight edge symbol of crossing his arms in an X formation while having the letter X written on the back of his hands, usually drawn on his wrist tape.
Originally, the initials CM in his ring name represented the phrase "Chick Magnet", the name of the tag team he was in as a backyard wrestler.[4][12] Punk, however, later changed CM into an orphan initialism, declaring that it has no meaning,[5] though when asked since he has taken to making up meanings that fit the initials, going so far as to make up long stories to explain the origins that do not match the actual origin story at all.[5] Since beginning this practice, Punk has stated CM stands for "Cookie Monster",[160] "Cookie Master",[161] "Crooked Moonsault",[162] "Chuck Mosley",[162] "Charles Montgomery",[12] "Charles Manson",[12] "Crazy Mariachi", "Chicago Made",[163] among others.
An integral part of Punk's gimmick are the numerous tattoos that adorn his body, some of which have come to become symbols associated with Punk, as well as mantras and declarations that have been integrated into his gimmick. The tattoos as a whole, due to their large quantity and variety, have also become an attribute identifiable to Punk.[164] The most important of the individual tattoos in Punk's character, whether through association, symbol, or mantra, are:
M Punk at a Raw taping. Prominently visible are the Pepsi Globe tattoo on his left shoulder, the "luck is for losers" sleeve tattoo on his left arm, and the "straight edge" tattoo across his stomach.
“ I'm split 50/50 on it. Some days I get real pissed about it, because it's disrespectful. I'm sure it's no secret that the dorks that run Chikara and I don't get along, so they're [sic] judgement on trying to "mock" me is a little off. Most other days I just laugh it off because nobody from Chikara will ever be over enough anywhere for anybody else to parody them'.[172] ”
Punk's gimmicks were emulated by British darts player Paul Nicholson during the 2011 World Matchplay and the 2011 PDC World Darts Championship.[173]
[edit] Other media CM Punk at an autograph signing in Madrid, Spain. Punk made an appearance on the February 16, 2004 episode of Monster Garage, "Box Truck Wrestling Car", performing a short match with Samoa Joe.[174] On October 31, 2006, Punk joined The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) to shoot the Sci Fi Channel special Ghost Hunters Live, which was a six-hour show broadcast live Halloween night from the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Initially skeptical about what he might find, Punk claimed to have heard children giggling and footsteps when there were not any children booked into the hotel.[175]
In 2008, Punk appeared as the Sports Grand Marshal of the nationally-televised McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Chicago.[176][177]
[edit] Personal life While working for Ring of Honor he was romantically linked to professional wrestlers Shannon Spruill[178] and Tracy Brookshaw.[15] After joining Ohio Valley Wrestling, Punk began dating Maria Kanellis, who was working in OVW as an interviewer,[179][180] however they broke up sometime after Punk was moved to World Wrestling Entertainment and started working on the ECW brand.[181] Punk was dating Amy Dumas,[182] however Matt Hardy confirmed in March 2010 that Punk and Dumas were no longer dating.[183] Punk confirmed in an November 2011 Maxim Magazine interview that he was in a relationship with WWE wrestler Beth Phoenix[184] but revealed in December that he was single again.[185]
[edit] In wrestling Punk applying the Anaconda Vise on Mike Knox. Punk about to perform the Go to Sleep on Kane. Punk bulldogs Alberto Del Rio through a table. Punk pays homage to Randy Savage before a diving elbow drop on Alberto Del Rio. Punk's signature taunt of putting his opponent to sleep.
[edit] Luchas de Apuestas record See also: Luchas de Apuestas Wager Winner Loser Location Date Notes Hair Rey Mysterio CM Punk Detroit, Michigan May 23, 2010 S.E.S. Pledge vs. Hair match at Over the Limit.[246]
In professional wrestling, Brooks is a seven time World Champion, having held the ROH World Championship and ECW Championship once, the World Heavyweight Championship three times and the WWE Championship twice.
In addition to these championships Punk has also won the World Tag Team Championship (with Kofi Kingston), and the WWE Intercontinental Championship making him the nineteenth WWE Triple Crown Champion and the man to achieve this honor fastest at 203 days.[8] Between WWE and Ring of Honor (where he is also a two-time World Tag Team Champion), Punk has won a total of eleven championships. He was also the winner of the 2008 and 2009 Money in the Bank ladder matches (the only wrestler to win the match twice in a row),[9] and was the 2011 Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner.[10]
Punk initially came to prominence through his career on the professional wrestling independent circuit, primarily as a member of the ROH roster, where he was the first head trainer of the ROH wrestling school as well as winning both of their championships. In 2005, Punk signed a contract with WWE and was sent to its developmental promotion, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he won every championship available in the promotion.
Throughout his career, Punk has consistently used the gimmick of being straight edge, a lifestyle he follows in his actual day-to-day life.[4] Depending on Punk's alignment as a crowd favorite or villain, he emphasizes different aspects of the culture to encourage the desired audience reaction.[4]
Contents [hide]
- 1 Professional wrestling career
- 2 Gimmick
- 3 Other media
- 4 Personal life
- 5 In wrestling
- 6 Championships and accomplishments
- 7 References
- 8 External links
He soon left the federation and enrolled as a student at the "Steel Dominion" wrestling school in Chicago, where he was trained by Ace Steel,[3] Danny Dominion and Kevin Quinn to become a professional wrestler. As part of the training, he wrestled at Steel Domain Wrestling in St. Paul, Minnesota.[4][5] It was in the Steel Domain that he met Scott Colton,[14][15] who soon adopted the stage name Colt Cabana. Punk and Cabana became best friends and spent most of their early career together working in the same independent circuit promotions, as opponents or allies.[14] In the independents, Punk, along with fellow Steel Domain graduates Colt Cabana, Chuckee Smooth, Adam Pearce and manager Dave Prazak, formed an alliance named the Gold Bond Mafia.[4]
[edit] Independent Wrestling Association: Mid-South (2000–2005) Punk's home promotion for his early career is usually considered to be Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA:Mid-South).[4] During Punk's time in IWA:Mid-South, he had high profile feuds with Colt Cabana and Chris Hero while also rising to the top of the roster winning the IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship twice and the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship on five separate occasions, beating stars like A.J. Styles, Cabana and even Eddie Guerrero for that Championship. Punk's feud with Hero included a 55-minute TLC match,[4] a 93-minute two out of three falls match,[5] and several 60-minute time limit draws.[15]
Punk's matches with Cabana led him to being hired by the Ring of Honor promotion.[5] From February 2003 until May 2004, Punk refused to wrestle for IWA:Mid-South, because he claims that this was in protest to Ian Rotten's mistreatment of Chris Hero in the company.[4] Hero, however, has stated he believes there were other reasons, and Rotten's treatment of him was just an excuse by Punk to stop working for the company.[16] Eventually Punk returned to IWA:Mid-South and continued to perform as a wrestler and commentator for them until 2005 when he was signed to World Wrestling Entertainment. His last appearance in IWA:Mid-South was on July 2, 2005 in which he competed in a 60-minute time limit draw against Delirious.[17]
[edit] Ring of Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling [edit] Storylines with Raven (2002–2004) See also: Second City Saints and The Gathering Initially, Punk joined Ring of Honor (ROH) as a crowd favorite,[4] but quickly became a villain in a feud with Raven that featured numerous variants of no disqualification matches.[18] Their rivalry lasted most of 2003 and was considered one of ROH's top feuds of the year,[19] and was based around Punk's straight-edge lifestyle, with him likening Raven to his alcoholic father.[20] Their rivalry was settled at The Conclusion in November 2003, where Punk defeated Raven in a Steel Cage match.[18] At the same time, Punk joined the wrestling promotion NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA), in which he was paired with Julio Dinero as members of Raven's TNA alliance The Gathering.[4]
CM Punk during a cage match against Raven at Ring of Honor's The Conclusion on November 28, 2003 in Fairfield, Connecticut. Punk started climbing the ranks of ROH, including coming in second at the Second Anniversary Show during the tournament to crown the first ROH Pure Champion, losing to A.J. Styles in the finals[18] and winning the ROH Tag Team Championship twice with Colt Cabana as the Second City Saints. Both times Punk and Cabana defeated the Briscoe Brothers to win the championship.[21] Circa October 2003, Punk was hired as the first head trainer of the Ring of Honor wrestling school,[4][22] having previously been a trainer for the Steel Domain[4] and Primetime Wrestling.[23]
Shortly before a TNA show on February 25, 2004, Punk had a physical scuffle with Teddy Hart outside of a restaurant that was broken up by Sabu. The scuffle reportedly stemmed from an ROH show in which Hart performed three unplanned spots putting several other wrestlers in danger of injury.[24][25] Around the time of the scuffle, Punk and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA shows, leading to speculation he was fired for the incident.[26] Punk, however, has stated that the scuffle had no bearing on his TNA career.[26] He said the reason he and Dinero stopped appearing on TNA pay-per-views was that TNA officials believed that he and Dinero had not connected with the fans as villains, having turned against the popular Raven and instead formed a villainous tag team managed by James Mitchell.[26] The officials decided that as the teams as villains was not working decided to put the storyline on hold indefinitely, and thus had no work for Punk or Dinero.[26] Punk officially quit TNA in March 2004 during the Rob Feinstein controversy, after having a dispute with the TNA offices over his ability to compete in ROH following a TNA order that their contracted wrestlers were to no longer wrestle in ROH.[27]
[edit] Pursuit of the World Championship (2004–2005) In ROH, Punk faced off against ROH World Champion Samoa Joe for the championship in a three match series. The first match, on June 12, 2004 at World Title Classic in Dayton, Ohio, resulted in a 60-minute time limit draw when neither Punk nor Joe could pin or cause the other to submit in the 60 minutes. The second match between Punk and Joe was planned for December 4, 2004; however, due to Steve Corino being pulled from a match with Joe by Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, the second match was hastily rescheduled on October 11, 2004 for October 16 in Punk's hometown of Chicago.[15] At Joe vs. Punk II on October 16, they wrestled to a second 60-minute draw.[18] In addition to Joe vs. Punk II becoming Ring of Honor's best-selling DVD at the time, the match received a five-star rating by Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter. It was the first match in North America to receive a five-star rating in seven years—the last one being the Hell in a Cell match between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker at Badd Blood: In Your House in 1997.[15] Joe ended the series by defeating Punk in the third and final match on December 4, 2004 at All-Star Extravaganza 2 in which there was a no time limit stipulation.[18]
CM Punk in Ring of Honor. In June 2005, Punk accepted a deal with World Wrestling Entertainment, after a try-out match against Val Venis on its Sunday Night Heat show. Even though he had accepted the deal, Punk went on to defeat Austin Aries with his Pepsi Plunge move, winning the ROH World Championship on June 18, 2005 at Death Before Dishonor III.[21] Immediately after the match, Punk proceeded to become a villain and started a storyline where he threatened to bring the ROH World Championship to WWE with him. For weeks, Punk teased the ROH locker room and the ROH fans as well as mocking the championship he possessed, going so far as to sign his WWE contract on it. During the storyline, Mick Foley made several ROH appearances, attempting to convince Punk to do the right thing and defend the title on his way out. On August 12, 2005 in Dayton, Ohio, Punk lost the ROH World Championship to James Gibson in a four corner elimination match consisting of himself, Gibson, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels, who re-debuted after a year-and-half absence.[21] Punk's final scheduled match in Ring of Honor took place at Punk: The Final Chapter on August 13, 2005 against long-time friend Colt Cabana in a two out of three falls match, which he lost.[18] In his last match, Punk was visibly crying and was showered with streamers when he posed in the middle of the ring.
Punk made a special appearance at the ROH show Unscripted II on February 11, 2006, when the original card had to be scrapped due to Low Ki leaving ROH the week prior.[18] In addition, most of the ROH roster contracted to TNA were pulled from the show because of a snowstorm that TNA officials thought might prevent performers from reaching a pay-per-view scheduled the next day.[28][29] In the main event, Punk teamed with Bryan Danielson to wrestle and ultimately defeat Jimmy Rave and Adam Pearce in a tag team match.[29]
[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE [edit] Ohio Valley Wrestling (2005–2006) In September 2005, Punk was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), a WWE developmental territory. He made his debut on September 8, 2005, in a dark match, where he, Nigel McGuinness and Paul Burchill were defeated by Deuce Shade, Elijah Burke and Seth Skyfire.[30] On September 26, 2005 in his OVW television debut, Punk suffered a ruptured eardrum and broken nose after Danny Inferno hit him with an overly stiff right hand. Despite the injury, Punk finished the match and quickly recovered.[31][32]
On November 9, 2005, Punk became the OVW Television Champion after defeating Ken Doane,[31] which immediately led to a feud between Punk and Brent Albright, who had previously been feuding with Doane for the Television Championship and had lost his chance to wrestle Doane after Punk hit him with a chair so he himself could wrestle Doane. They wrestled in series of matches, including one that ended in overtime with Albright having Punk submit to Albright's finisher, the Crowbar, but Punk was able to keep the championship, as he had not agreed to the extra time.[31] On January 4, 2006, Punk lost the OVW Television Championship during a three way dance among himself, Albright and Doane. Doane was injured halfway through the match and was replaced by Aaron "The Idol" Stevens. Punk submitted to Albright's Crowbar and was eliminated, but he returned later in the match to distract Albright allowing Stevens to pin Albright and become the new OVW Television Champion.[33] The feud continued after a short period in which Albright and Punk were a tag team, but they became opponents again after Albright wanted the respect of Punk, who would never give it to him, and instead proceeded to "punk out" (get the better of) Albright repeatedly. This feud continued for weeks with Punk always getting the better of Albright until a double turn occurred on February 1, 2006 when Albright became a villain during a tag match, allowing the Spirit Squad to beat Punk and, in doing so, making Punk a crowd favorite.[33] During this time, Punk had a minor appearance at WrestleMania 22 on April 2, 2006 as one of the gangsters who rode a 1930s era car to the ring before John Cena's entrance.[34]
After Matt Cappotelli vacated the OVW Heavyweight Championship because of a brain tumor in February 2006, a tournament was held to crown a new champion. The finals were Brent Albright vs. CM Punk with Albright defeating Punk to become the new champion.[33] Punk and Albright continued their feud, with Albright becoming more unstable and paranoid about maintaining his championship after several close call matches against Punk, resulting in acts such as threatening Maria. On May 3, 2006, Punk finally defeated Albright in a strap match to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship.[33] As champion, Punk retained the title in matches against opponents such as Shad Gaspard,[33] Ken Kennedy,[33] Johnny Jeter[33] and Mike "The Miz" Mizanin.[35]
On July 28, 2006, Punk and Seth Skyfire defeated Shad Gaspard and the Neighborhoodie to win the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship at a house show.[36] They lost the Tag Team Championship on August 2, 2006 to Deuce Shade and "Domino" Cliff Compton after an injured Skyfire tagged in an already injured Punk.[33] This altercation led to a feud between Punk and Skyfire after a rematch for the Tag Team Championship on August 7, 2006 in which a healthy Punk purposefully tagged in an injured Skyfire to be beaten by Shade and Compton.[33] On August 30, 2006, a match was scheduled to take place between Punk and Skyfire for the OVW Heavyweight Championship. Prior to the match, however, Skyfire was attacked by Charles "The Hammer" Evans, with whom Skyfire had also been feuding, and was replaced in the match by Chet Jablonski (Chet the Jet) who pinned Punk to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship.[33] As Punk no longer possessed the championship, OVW no longer required him. He was removed from the roster and brought up to the WWE roster full-time. He continued to make sporadic appearances for the company, such as at the 400th episode of OVW on television,[33] up until WWE announced it was ending its developmental territory agreement with OVW on February 7, 2008.[37]
[edit] ECW (2006–2008) CM Punk with a portrait as the ECW Champion in 2008. On June 24, 2006, Punk made his ECW debut during a house show at the former ECW Arena, defeating Stevie Richards.[38] He made his TV debut on the July 4 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, cutting a brief pre-taped promo about his straight edge lifestyle emphasizing the disciplinary aspects of being drug and alcohol free.[39] Although he had retained the straight edge gimmick, he now had a Muay Thai training background. Punk made his TV wrestling debut on August 1, 2006 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, defeating Justin Credible.[40] CM Punk established himself in ECW by going undefeated, defeating opponents such as Christopher W. Anderson,[41] Stevie Richards[42] and Shannon Moore.[43]
Soon after, Punk began feuding with Mike Knox after Knox's girlfriend, Kelly Kelly, was seen to have feelings for Punk.[43] Punk defeated Knox in their first singles match (qualifying for the Extreme Elimination Chamber at December to Dismember in the process)[44] as well as the rematch, after which Kelly Kelly celebrated CM Punk's victory over her boyfriend.[45] Punk then teamed with D-Generation X and the Hardy Boyz in their Survivor Series match against Rated-RKO, Knox, Johnny Nitro and Gregory Helms, a match in which all the participants on DX's side survived elimination.[46] At December to Dismember, Punk participated in the Elimination Chamber for the ECW World Championship; however, he was the first person eliminated by Rob Van Dam.[47]
CM Punk as ECW Champion on September 30, 2007 in Hammond, Indiana. Following the pay-per-view, Punk entered into a feud with Hardcore Holly, who ended Punk's six-month unbeaten streak in singles competition on January 9, 2007.[48] Punk went on to feud with Matt Striker, who gave him his second singles loss since being in ECW on January 30.[49] Punk then qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 23 by defeating Johnny Nitro.[50] In the final week leading up to WrestleMania 23, Punk made appearances on both Raw and Friday Night SmackDown!, defeating Kenny Dykstra[51] and former World Heavyweight Champion King Booker,[52] respectively. At WrestleMania 23, Punk competed in, but did not win, the Money in the Bank ladder match, being knocked off the ladder just seconds before the winner, Mr. Kennedy, claimed the briefcase.[53]
On the April 10, 2007 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Punk briefly became a villain by officially joining the New Breed alliance,[54] after several weeks in which both the New Breed and the ECW Originals had attempted to recruit him.[55][56] Two weeks later, however, Punk betrayed the New Breed during a four on four elimination match between the New Breed and ECW Originals by kicking New Breed leader Elijah Burke in the back of the head and costing them the match. After the match, Punk proceeded to deliver his finisher, the Go To Sleep, on Burke and sarcastically apologized before leaving the ring alone, becoming a fan favorite again. WWE.com later confirmed that Punk was no longer a member of the New Breed.[57] At Judgment Day, Punk wrestled and defeated Burke in his first singles match on a pay-per-view.[58] Punk then went on to One Night Stand and teamed up with Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman in a tables match to defeat the New Breed.[59]
When ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley was drafted to Raw and stripped of the ECW World Championship, a mini-tournament was announced to declare a new champion among Punk, Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von and Chris Benoit. Punk defeated Marcus Cor Von on the June 19, 2007 episode of ECW on Sci Fi. By doing so, CM Punk was meant to face Chris Benoit at Vengeance: Night of Champions for the vacant ECW World Championship.[60] Benoit, however, was hastily replaced by Johnny Nitro when Benoit no-showed the event due to what was described on-air as "personal reasons". Nitro subsequently defeated Punk at Vengeance for the vacant championship.[61] Punk won another shot at the title at The Great American Bash against Nitro, who had changed his moniker to John Morrison by this point; however, Punk was defeated again by Morrison.[62] The next week, Punk challenged Elijah Burke and Tommy Dreamer in a triple threat match to determine the next competitor in Morrison's 15 Minutes of Fame Challenge, in which Punk came out victorious.[63] A week later, Punk defeated Morrison with the Go To Sleep to earn an ECW Championship title match at SummerSlam. At SummerSlam, however, Punk lost the match when Morrison used the ropes for leverage.[64]
At the September 1, 2007 (aired September 4) ECW taping, in a "last chance" title match, Punk defeated Morrison for the ECW Championship.[65] Punk then went on to have successful title defenses against the likes of Elijah Burke (at Unforgiven),[66] Big Daddy V via disqualification (at No Mercy)[67] and The Miz (at Cyber Sunday).[68] On the November 6, 2007 episode of ECW, Punk retained the ECW Championship in a match against Morrison following The Miz's interference.[69] At Survivor Series, Punk retained his title in a Triple Threat match, beating The Miz and John Morrison.[70] On the January 22, 2008 episode of ECW, Chavo Guerrero defeated CM Punk in a No Disqualification match to win the ECW Championship after Edge, (acting as a guest commentator at ringside) ran in and speared Punk.[71]
[edit] Money in the Bank (2008–2009) CM Punk in April 2008 with his first of two Money in the Bank briefcases. At WrestleMania XXIV, Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match, after defeating Chris Jericho, Montel Vontavious Porter, Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison, Mr. Kennedy and Carlito.[72]
On the June 23, 2008 episode of Raw, CM Punk was drafted to the Raw brand during the 2008 WWE Draft.[73] His first night on Raw came the following week, and he made an immediate impact. After Batista beat down World Heavyweight Champion Edge and left him lying in the ring, Punk and referee Mike Chioda ran to the ring with Punk carrying his Money in the Bank contract. Moments later, as Edge was struggling to get up, Punk hit him with the Go to Sleep and pinned him to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Later that night, Punk won his first defense of the title against JBL, who challenged him shortly after his win.[74] His win over Edge would eventually also earn Punk the Slammy Award for the "Oh my God" Moment of the Year.[75] Punk continued to hold and defend the title until Unforgiven on September 7, 2008. Before the Championship Scramble match, Punk was attacked by an early version of The Legacy (Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase with Manu). Orton finished the assault by punting Punk in the head.[76] It was announced that Punk could not participate in the match due to the attack and, as a result, he involuntarily forfeited the title. However, Punk was replaced by Chris Jericho, who went on to win the match and the title.[77] He received a rematch eight days later on the September 15 episode of Raw, where he failed to regain the title in a steel cage match against Jericho.[78]
CM Punk as World Heavyweight Champion during his first reign at SummerSlam. On the October 27, 2008 episode of Raw, Punk and Kofi Kingston defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase to win the World Tag Team Championship.[79] The duo were members of Team Batista at Survivor Series, where their team lost to Team Orton.[80] Punk was then entered in an Intercontinental Championship Tournament, in which the winner would get to challenge for the championship in the future. He would defeat Snitsky and John Morrison in the first two rounds.[81] Punk and Kingston lost the World Tag Team Championship to John Morrison and The Miz at a live event on December 13, 2008.[82] The next day Punk defeated Rey Mysterio at Armageddon to win the tournament.[81] On the January 5 episode of Raw, Punk received his title match against William Regal, which ended in a disqualification, when Regal grabbed the referee's jersey.[83] Due to this, Stephanie McMahon awarded Punk a rematch the following week, but this time it was himself that was disqualified.[84] McMahon awarded him another rematch, this time a No Disqualification match on January 19 episode of Raw, Punk won the match and the title.[85] With this win, he became the nineteenth Triple Crown Champion. Also, the victory made him the man to accomplish the Triple Crown in the fastest amount of time, shattering Kevin Nash's old record.[86] Punk lost the title on the March 9 episode of Raw to John "Bradshaw" Layfield.[87] At WrestleMania XXV, Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match and became the first person to win the match twice.[88]
On April 13, 2009 during the 2009 WWE Draft, Punk was drafted from Raw to SmackDown.[89] In the period after the draft, Punk feuded with Umaga over Umaga's repeated surprise attacks while Punk was attempting to cash in his Money in the Bank Contract. This ultimately resulted in a Samoan strap match at Extreme Rules, which was won by Punk.[90]
At the end of the pay-per-view, Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Jeff Hardy for the World Heavyweight Championship.[91] Punk retained his title in a Triple Threat match against both Edge and Hardy eight days later on the June 15 episode of Raw.[92] At The Bash in Sacramento, California, Punk lost to Hardy by disqualification after kicking the referee after being afflicted with a storyline eye injury, claiming he could not see the referee, but because titles do not change hands on a disqualification, Punk retained the championship. Hardy called Punk into question about his eye injury, believing he had been feigning it, leading Punk to turn heel, claiming to be the moral superior of those who support Hardy due to his drug-free lifestyle.[93] At Night of Champions, Punk lost the championship to Hardy.[94] Their feud continued through SummerSlam, where Punk regained the title in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match; afterward, Punk was attacked by The Undertaker.[95] On the August 28 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, Punk concluded his program with Hardy and achieved his booked goal of excising him from the WWE, defeating Hardy in a steel cage match wherein the loser agreed to leave the company.[96] This act would earn Punk a second Slammy that December as he was named winner for 2009's "Shocker of the Year".[97]
At Breaking Point Punk defeated The Undertaker in a submission match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Undertaker originally won the match with his Hell's Gate submission hold. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long re-started the match after stating that the ban that former General Manager Vickie Guerrero had placed on the move was still in effect. Punk would win the match with his Anaconda Vise when referee Scott Armstrong called for the bell despite Undertaker never submitting (reminiscent to the Montreal Screwjob, which took place in the same venue in 1997).[98] The feud between the two continued and at the Hell in a Cell PPV, Punk lost the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match.[99] He lost two subsequent rematches against The Undertaker on Smackdown and in a Fatal Four Way match at Bragging Rights also involving Batista and Rey Mysterio.[100][101]
[edit] Straight Edge Society and New Nexus (2009–2011) Main articles: Straight Edge Society and Nexus His character took on a more sinister demeanor on the November 27 episode of SmackDown when he revealed that he had converted Luke Gallows, who had previously been portrayed as the mentally incompetent wrestler Festus, to the straight-edge lifestyle which had rid him of his mental troubles.[102] Continuing to espouse his straight-edge philosophy, Punk began to present himself as a cult-like savior to the crowd, growing the hair on his head, face and chest in an allusion to Jesus.[103] Through January 2010, Punk began to convert planted members of the audience to a straight-edge lifestyle, making them take a pledge of allegiance to him and shaving their head as a sign of renewal and devotion.[104][105][106] After converting many people who were not seen again, convert Serena began accompanying Punk and Gallows to form the Straight Edge Society.[106][107] As well as leading this alliance, Punk was also the mentor of WWE NXT rookie Darren Young who flirted with the idea of becoming straight-edge before refusing just before his head was to be shaved.[108]
Straight Edge Society: Serena, Punk and Luke Gallows. Punk continued to show messianic traits, frequently giving sermons including during the annual Royal Rumble match as well as during an Elimination Chamber match at both of the eponymous pay-per-views.[109][110] In the Chamber match, he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio, whom he had feuding with leading into the PPV. Tensions escalated as Mysterio prevented him from winning a Money in the Bank qualifying match, causing Punk to interrupt Mysterio's celebration of his daughter's ninth birthday.[111] Mysterio challenged Punk to a Street Fight at WrestleMania XXVI but lost to Gallows, meaning Punk picked the stipulation that if Rey lost he would have to join the Society.[112] At WrestleMania, Punk lost to Mysterio[113] sparking a rematch at Extreme Rules where Punk would have to shave his head, like his disciples, if he lost. Punk won this match after interference from a fourth member of the Society who kept his face covered.[114] At Over The Limit, a third and final match was booked with both stipulations reactivated. In the match Punk lost and was subsequently shaved bald.[115]
Embarrassed by being shaved bald as he considered himself always pure unlike his followers, Punk appeared on the following episode of SmackDown, May 29, wearing a mask to hide his baldness.[116] At Fatal 4 Way, Punk challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship against Mysterio, The Big Show and the champion Jack Swagger, but was unsuccessful when he was attacked by Kane, who was accusing various people of attacking The Undertaker.[117] On July 16's SmackDown, Punk was finally unmasked by Big Show while healing from an arm injury.[118] The following week Show also unmasked the anonymous member of the Straight Edge Society who was revealed to be Joey Mercury.[119] This led to a handicap match at SummerSlam where Show defeated the entire Society after Punk abandoned his teammates.[120] Show also beat Punk in a singles match at Night of Champions.[121] Following this Serena was released from WWE[122] while Mercury became injured,[123] severely thinning the Society. Gallows began showing signs of dissension too, and Punk defeated him on SmackDown, airing September 24, ending the group.[124]
Punk as leader of the New Nexus, accompanied by Otunga and McGillcutty while confronting Shawn Michaels. Punk was traded back to the Raw brand on October 11 after being swapped with Edge. He took part in the interbrand tag team match at Bragging Rights after injuring Evan Bourne to win a place,[125] but the team lost. It was reported later that he was suffering with a hip injury that would stop him from competing.[126] To keep a presence on television, he began commentating on Raw from November 22,[127] having already commentated one episode of NXT. During his commentary, he criticized John Cena for his actions against The Nexus. Sometimes he favored heel wrestlers over face wrestlers. At the end of December, Punk left the commentary team after assaulting John Cena on Raw[128] and SmackDown[129] with a chair. Punk later revealed that his motives for the attacks were that he had joined and assumed control of The Nexus.[130] He would then use the group to attack Randy Orton, blaming him for prematurely ending Punk's first World Heavyweight Championship reign in 2008; this led to a WrestleMania XXVII match[131] and a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules both of which Punk lost.[132]
[edit] WWE Champion (2011–present) Punk in his second reign as WWE Champion. In June, after pinning WWE Champion John Cena on Raw,[133] Rey Mysterio at Capitol Punishment[134] and finally Alberto Del Rio again in a contendership match (which included Mysterio) all within one week, Punk revealed his contract would expire at Money in the Bank and vowed to leave the company with the WWE Championship; some of his speeches and mannerisms echoed his final months with Ring of Honor. After making a scathing on-air speech concerning the way in which WWE is run and its owner Vince McMahon, he was given a storyline suspension from televised WWE events[135] but was reinstated the following week on Cena's insistence.[136] This helped transition him from a villainous character back to being a fan-favorite. Two weeks later, at Money in the Bank, CM Punk defeated John Cena to become the WWE Champion on his final night under contract with WWE.[136]
On July 21, CM Punk made an unannounced appearance at a joint WWE and Mattel panel at the San Diego Comic Con to mock new Chief operating officer Triple H and offer WWE Championship tournament finalist Rey Mysterio a match for Punk's own WWE Championship, as long as it was in Punk's hometown, Chicago.[137][138] Punk appeared at July 23's All American Wrestling show, showing respect to Gregory Iron, a wrestler with cerebral palsy.[139] Mysterio won the WWE Championship tournament on the July 25 episode of Raw, only to lose it to Cena later that night. After Cena's victory, Punk returned to Raw and upstaged the new WWE Champion's victory celebration while also entering into a title dispute. Triple H would later uphold both Punk and Cena's claims to the WWE Championship as legitimate and schedule the two to a match at SummerSlam to decide the undisputed WWE Champion.[140] Punk prevailed but immediately lost the title to Alberto Del Rio, who had cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, after being attacked by Kevin Nash.[141]
Punk, during his second WWE Championship reign, being watched by John Laurinaitis. The night after SummerSlam Punk accused Nash of conspiring with Triple H to keep Punk away from the WWE Championship.[142] After repeated confrontations Nash and Punk demanded to face each other at Night of Champions, to which Triple H acquiesced. However, after CM Punk's repeated verbal attacks towards him and his wife Stephanie McMahon, Triple H booked himself to replace Nash.[143] At Night of Champions Punk lost a No Disqualification match after Nash, The Miz, and R-Truth attacked both men.[144] Miz and Truth also attacked Punk at Hell in a Cell after he lost a WWE Championship Triple Threat match.[145] He attempted to avenge this by teaming with Triple H against Miz and Truth at Vengeance, but lost again due to Nash attacking Triple H.[146] This helped transition Punk's anti-establishment voice from Triple H to John Laurinaitis who became the interim Raw General Manager.[147] CM Punk balked at Laurinaitis' promotion and verbally attacked him as a dull yes man.[148][149]
On October 31, CM Punk strong-armed his way into a match with Del Rio at Survivor Series,[150] where he regained the WWE Championship by way of submission with the Anaconda Vise.[151] He went on to defend the title through the end of the year, retaining in a rematch with Del Rio on the November 28 episode of Raw[152] and against both Del Rio and The Miz in a Triple Threat TLC match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs.[153] On the December 26 episode of Raw, CM Punk was defeated by Dolph Ziggler in a gauntlet match; as a result Ziggler became #1 contender to the WWE championship. Had he been successful Punk would have earned the right to face Laurinaitis in a match.[154] The following Raw, Punk was defeated by Ziggler via countout following interference from Laurinaitis; retaining the championship as a result.[155] Intermeddling from Laurinaitis caused Punk to lose to Ziggler throughout January[156][157] which ultimately led to Punk attacking Laurinaitis in retaliation.[157] At the Royal Rumble event, CM Punk successfully defended his title against Ziggler, despite Laurinaitis acting as the outside enforcer.[158] Punk would then retain his title at the Elimination Chamber event.[159]
[edit] Gimmick Punk has adopted his real-life following of the straight edge movement as his professional wrestling gimmick, but the gimmick uses different elements of Punk's personality and the beliefs of the straight edge movement depending on his alignment. While portraying a crowd favorite, the gimmick tends to be that of Punk's normal personality,[4] largely indifferent to others who drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, partake in recreational drug use or have promiscuous sexual behavior, but emphasizing the social discipline involved with abstinence. Conversely, his villainous personality tends to be that of one who is hardline or militant straight edge, exemplifying the elitist attitudes and superiority complexes—defined by Punk's common mantra during villainous-themed promos that, because he is straight edge, he is "better than you".[4] Punk performs the straight edge symbol of crossing his arms in an X formation while having the letter X written on the back of his hands, usually drawn on his wrist tape.
Originally, the initials CM in his ring name represented the phrase "Chick Magnet", the name of the tag team he was in as a backyard wrestler.[4][12] Punk, however, later changed CM into an orphan initialism, declaring that it has no meaning,[5] though when asked since he has taken to making up meanings that fit the initials, going so far as to make up long stories to explain the origins that do not match the actual origin story at all.[5] Since beginning this practice, Punk has stated CM stands for "Cookie Monster",[160] "Cookie Master",[161] "Crooked Moonsault",[162] "Chuck Mosley",[162] "Charles Montgomery",[12] "Charles Manson",[12] "Crazy Mariachi", "Chicago Made",[163] among others.
An integral part of Punk's gimmick are the numerous tattoos that adorn his body, some of which have come to become symbols associated with Punk, as well as mantras and declarations that have been integrated into his gimmick. The tattoos as a whole, due to their large quantity and variety, have also become an attribute identifiable to Punk.[164] The most important of the individual tattoos in Punk's character, whether through association, symbol, or mantra, are:
M Punk at a Raw taping. Prominently visible are the Pepsi Globe tattoo on his left shoulder, the "luck is for losers" sleeve tattoo on his left arm, and the "straight edge" tattoo across his stomach.
- A Pepsi Globe logo on his left shoulder that inspired the names of two of his signature moves. It also became a symbol of Punk himself, who wore the logo on his ring gear in the independent circuit, as well as a slightly modified Pepsi logo being used as part of his TitanTron entrance video.[165] Punk, a keen Pepsi drinker, chose to receive a Pepsi tattoo to emphasize his straight edge beliefs.[5] The tattoo is also a reference to former Minor Threat guitarist Brian Baker, who had a Coca-Cola tattoo and explained this by saying "I like Coca-Cola". When people inquire about Punk's Pepsi tattoo, he often replies "I like Pepsi" in a similar fashion.[4]
- The words "Straight Edge" are spelled out on Punk's stomach. This is one of his oldest tattoos;[164] he has referred to it as his identity.[166]
- A sleeve tattoo on his left arm that reads "luck is for losers" and features numerous good luck symbols, including a rabbit's foot, four-leaf clover and a horseshoe.[167] The tattoo also features four ace playing cards as a tribute to trainer Ace Steel.[167]
- A tattoo on the back of his left hand reading "No gimmicks needed", a tribute to deceased wrestler Chris Candido.[168]
- A tattoo across his knuckles with the words "DRUG FREE" ("DRUG" on his right knuckles and "FREE" on his left).[169]
- A tattoo of a rose on his left wrist.[170]
“ I'm split 50/50 on it. Some days I get real pissed about it, because it's disrespectful. I'm sure it's no secret that the dorks that run Chikara and I don't get along, so they're [sic] judgement on trying to "mock" me is a little off. Most other days I just laugh it off because nobody from Chikara will ever be over enough anywhere for anybody else to parody them'.[172] ”
Punk's gimmicks were emulated by British darts player Paul Nicholson during the 2011 World Matchplay and the 2011 PDC World Darts Championship.[173]
[edit] Other media CM Punk at an autograph signing in Madrid, Spain. Punk made an appearance on the February 16, 2004 episode of Monster Garage, "Box Truck Wrestling Car", performing a short match with Samoa Joe.[174] On October 31, 2006, Punk joined The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) to shoot the Sci Fi Channel special Ghost Hunters Live, which was a six-hour show broadcast live Halloween night from the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. Initially skeptical about what he might find, Punk claimed to have heard children giggling and footsteps when there were not any children booked into the hotel.[175]
In 2008, Punk appeared as the Sports Grand Marshal of the nationally-televised McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Chicago.[176][177]
[edit] Personal life While working for Ring of Honor he was romantically linked to professional wrestlers Shannon Spruill[178] and Tracy Brookshaw.[15] After joining Ohio Valley Wrestling, Punk began dating Maria Kanellis, who was working in OVW as an interviewer,[179][180] however they broke up sometime after Punk was moved to World Wrestling Entertainment and started working on the ECW brand.[181] Punk was dating Amy Dumas,[182] however Matt Hardy confirmed in March 2010 that Punk and Dumas were no longer dating.[183] Punk confirmed in an November 2011 Maxim Magazine interview that he was in a relationship with WWE wrestler Beth Phoenix[184] but revealed in December that he was single again.[185]
[edit] In wrestling Punk applying the Anaconda Vise on Mike Knox. Punk about to perform the Go to Sleep on Kane. Punk bulldogs Alberto Del Rio through a table. Punk pays homage to Randy Savage before a diving elbow drop on Alberto Del Rio. Punk's signature taunt of putting his opponent to sleep.
- WWE
- Finishing moves
- Anaconda Vise (Arm trap triangle choke)[1][186] – 2006–present
- GTS – Go to Sleep (Fireman's carry dropped into a knee lift)[1] – 2007–present
- Signature moves
- Arm wrench followed by stepping a leg over the wrenched arm and performing a mule kick with the leg below the opponent's face[17]
- Bulldog[86][187][188]
- Diving crossbody[6]
- Diving elbow drop (Used as a tribute to Randy Savage)[189][190]
- Double underhook backbreaker[17]
- Falcon arrow[191]
- Hurricanrana to an opponent seated on the top rope[192][193]
- Jumping hammerlock twisted into a short-range lariat[17]
- Koji clutch[1]
- Leg lariat[194]
- Mongolian chop[195]
- Repeated elbow strikes to an opponent's chest[196]
- Rope hung arm trap can opener[188]
- Roundhouse kick[197][198][199] (Occasionally used as a finisher)
- Slingshot somersault senton[6][17][188]
- Snap scoop powerslam[200]
- Snap suplex
- Springboard clothesline[6][188][201]
- Springboard crossbody[202]
- Step-up enzuigiri[17]
- Step-up high knee to a cornered opponent[187][188]
- Suicide dive[6]
- Swinging neckbreaker[203]
- Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker[6][17]
- Nicknames
- Managers
- The Straight Edge Society (Luke Gallows, Serena and Joey Mercury)
- Wrestlers managed
- Entrance themes
- "This Fire Burns" by Killswitch Engage[211] (August 1, 2006–July 17, 2011)
- "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour[212] (July 25, 2011–present)
- Finishing moves
- Independent circuit
- Finishing moves
- Anaconda Vise or an arm triangle choke[17]
- Pepsi Plunge[6] (Diving double underhook facebuster)[17]
- Shining wizard[17]
- Signature moves
- Arm wrench followed by stepping a leg over the wrenched arm and performing a mule kick with the leg below the opponent's face[17]
- Corkscrew diving neckbreaker[6]
- Crooked Moonsault[213] (Split-legged moonsault)[17]
- Delayed vertical suplex[6][17]
- Devil Lock DDT[6] (Hammerlock legsweep DDT)[17]
- Facewash[6]
- Inverted facelock backbreaker[17]
- Inverted frankensteiner[17]
- Jackie Chan[6][17] (While sitting in a corner Punk grasps the top rope with one hand on each side of the turnbuckle and when the opponent attempts to pull Punk off the ropes by his legs, Punk performs a back tuck, landing on his feet)
- Pepsi Twist[6][17] (Jumping hammerlock twisted into a short-range lariat)[17]
- Punk–Handle Piledriver[6][17] (Pumphandle reverse piledriver)
- Rolling fireman's carry slam[6]
- Slingshot somersault senton[6][17]
- Springboard corkscrew crossbody[17]
- Suicide dive[6]
- Welcome to Chicago, Motherfucker[6] (Double underhook backbreaker)[17]
- With Julio Dinero
- Double superkick[214]
- Near Death Experience (Diving neckbreaker (Punk) / Powerbomb (Dinero) combination)[214]
- Managers
- Entrance themes
- "Shitlist" by L7
- "South of Heaven" by Slayer[216]
- "A Call for Blood" by Hatebreed[217]
- "Miseria Cantare (The Beginning)" by AFI[217]
- "Cult of Personality" by Living Colour[218]
- "Night Train" by The Bouncing Souls[219]
- "¡Olé!" by The Bouncing Souls[4]
- Finishing moves
- Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
- International Wrestling Cartel
- IWC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[222]
- Mid-American Wrestling
- MAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[223]
- NWA Cyberspace
- NWA Cyberspace Tag Team Championship (1 time)[224] – with Julio Dinero
- NWA Revolution
- NWA Revolution Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[17]
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Feud of the Year (2011)[228] vs. John Cena
- Match of the Year (2011)[229] vs. John Cena at Money in the Bank
- Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2011)[230]
- Wrestler of the Year (2011)[231]
- PWI ranked him #3 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010[232]
- Ring of Honor
- St. Paul Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
- ECW Championship (1 time)[233]
- World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[234][235][236]
- WWE Championship (2 times, current)1[237][238]
- World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[239] – with Kofi Kingston
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)[240]
- Money in the Bank (2008, 2009)[72][88]
- Nineteenth Triple Crown Champion[86]
- Slammy Award for "OMG" Moment of the Year (2008)[75] Cashing in Money in the Bank to win the World Heavyweight Championship
- Slammy Award for Shocker of the Year (2009)[97] Forcing Jeff Hardy out of the WWE after Steel Cage match victory
- Slammy Award for Despicable Me (2010)[241] Harassing Rey Mysterio and his family
- Slammy Award for Superstar of the Year (2011)[10]
- Slammy Award for "Pipe Bomb" of the Year (2011)[10]
- Slammy Award for T-Shirt of the Year (2011)[242] "Best in the World"
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Gimmick (2009, 2011)[243][244]
- Best on Interviews (2011)[244]
- Feud of the Year (2009)[243] vs. Jeff Hardy
- Feud of the Year (2011)[244] vs. John Cena
- Match of the Year (2011)[244] vs. John Cena at WWE Money in the Bank
[edit] Luchas de Apuestas record See also: Luchas de Apuestas Wager Winner Loser Location Date Notes Hair Rey Mysterio CM Punk Detroit, Michigan May 23, 2010 S.E.S. Pledge vs. Hair match at Over the Limit.[246]
Kane
Glenn Thomas Jacobs[2][6] (born April 26, 1967) better known by his ring name, Kane, is an American professional wrestler and actor signed to WWE and appearing on its Raw brand.[7]
Born in Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain Jacobs began his wrestling career in 1992 working on independent circuits. He wrestled in Smoky Mountain Wrestling as Unabomb where he won the SMW Tag Team Championship as a member of The Dynamic Duo, and in the United States Wrestling Association where he won the USWA Heavyweight Championship as Doomsday. He later joined the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1995, where he wrestled under various gimmicks before debuting as Kane, in 1997. The character's half-brother is The Undertaker, with whom Kane has teamed up as the Brothers of Destruction.
Jacobs has accumulated 17 championship accolades during his WWE career. He is a three-time world champion, having won the WWF Championship once, the ECW Championship once, and the World Heavyweight Championship once (tied for third longest reign in history, record which also belongs to Chris Benoit). He is the first of only three men (including CM Punk and The Big Show) to hold all three of WWE's world titles. He is also a two-time WWF/E Intercontinental Champion, a one-time WWF Hardcore Champion, and an 11-time Tag Team Champion; winning the WWE Tag Team Championship (once with The Big Show), the WCW World Tag Team Championship once (with The Undertaker), and the World Tag Team Champion nine times (twice with Mankind, X-Pac, and The Undertaker; and once with The Hurricane, Rob Van Dam, and The Big Show). Jacobs is the third Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. In addition to championships, he is a one-time Money in the Bank winner, also he has become the quickest man to cash in the briefcase. Kane holds several records in the Royal Rumble match, including: most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble with eleven, most Royal Rumble match appearances with fifteen, most consecutive appearances in the match with thirteen from 1999 to 2011, and the quickest elimination of another competitor.
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[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Early career (1992-1995) In the ring, Jacobs was first known as Angus King[11] when he debuted in the St. Louis, Missouri area with the CSWA organization owned and promoted by a childhood friend. Jacobs later moved south and began wrestling as Doomsday, appearing in the United States Wrestling Association as The Christmas Creature and as Unabomb in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, where he held the SMW Tag Team Championship with Al Snow in a team called The Dynamic Duo.[12][13][14] During his time in the United States Wrestling Association, Jacobs (as Doomsday) held the USWA Heavyweight Championship. He briefly wrestled for WCW under the name Bruiser Mastino. Jacobs also worked a brief tour in the UWFI under his real name.[citation needed]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment [edit] Early gimmicks (1995–1997) Jacobs made his first television appearance as a heel with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as Dr. Isaac Yankem DDS, Jerry Lawler's private dentist, in a vignette on the June 26, 1995 episode of Raw.[15][16] Placing emphasis on Jacobs' imposing height and weight, Yankem was portrayed as a monster heel whom Lawler had hired for the purpose of ridding the WWF of his longtime nemesis, Bret Hart. His in-ring debut occurred at a Superstars taping on August 15, where he lost to Hart by count-out.[15] At SummerSlam, Jacobs was disqualified when he hung Hart by twisting him in the top and middle ropes by his neck. He lost to Hart in a steel cage match in the main event of the October 16 episode of Raw, and finally in a tag team match against Hart and Hakushi, in which he was partnered with Lawler, on the November 6 episode of the show.[15] After his initial run with Hart, Jacobs' push dwindled. His team was unsuccessful in an elimination match at Survivor Series. He participated in the 1996 Royal Rumble match, but spent the majority of the year as a jobber to the stars, including televised losses to The Undertaker, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Marc Mero and The Ultimate Warrior. Jacobs sported the Yankem gimmick until September.[17]
Later that month, play-by-play announcer Jim Ross introduced Rick Bognar as "Razor Ramon" and Jacobs as "Diesel" as part of a storyline mocking the departure of former employees Scott Hall and Kevin Nash respectively, and also as an attempt to turn Ross into a heel. The Jim Ross heel turn proved unpopular and was dropped almost immediately, and despite receiving a WWF Tag Team Championship match against Owen Hart and The British Bulldog at the In Your House 12: It's Time pay-per-view, the gimmick's television lifespan lasted only until the 1997 Royal Rumble, where Jacobs was the second-to-last participant (with the exception of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was previously eliminated by Bret Hart but the officials did not witness the elimination, so he re-entered the ring). He continued to work live events as "Diesel" through April, but would not make any WWF appearances from then until October, as the character of Kane was gradually introduced.[18]
[edit] Feud with The Undertaker (1997–2000) At April's In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker pay-per-view event, WWF Champion, The Undertaker launched a fireball into the face of former manager Paul Bearer, who had unsuccessfully attempted to assist his newest protege, Mankind to victory in their title match. On the May 12 episode of Raw, Mankind reintroduced Bearer, whose face was heavily bandaged due to the burns The Undertaker had inflicted. Prompted by the injury, Bearer attempted to reunite with The Undertaker after a long period of mutual hostility, using the threat of revealing The Undertaker's "biggest secret"; during the cryptic interview, Bearer likened the fire that had burned his face at Revenge of the 'Taker to a fire that had occurred during The Undertaker's childhood. When The Undertaker continually refused to once again become aligned with Bearer week-after-week, Bearer began tormenting him by telling him that his long-lost brother, Kane (later revealed as Bearer's son, and the Undertaker's half-brother), was coming to the WWF to challenge him.[16] In the ensuing months, Bearer implied that The Undertaker had killed his family by starting a fire at the their funeral home, with the exception of Kane, who was left physically and mentally scarred by the event; The Undertaker claimed that Kane, a pyromaniac, was the one who started the fire, and could not possibly have survived.
Six months after the angle began, Jacobs finally re-debuted in the WWF as Kane at Badd Blood: In Your House on October 5 (coincidentally held in St. Louis, MO, where Jacobs originally debuted in wrestling), costing The Undertaker the victory in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels. In keeping with the notion that Kane had been scarred by the fire — and to conceal Jacobs' identity — the character originally wore a mask, sported long hair, and wore red and black ring attire that almost entirely covered his body. Kane and The Undertaker feuded with one over another the following year, during which time their history vis-à-vis one another was expounded. Jacobs won his first match as Kane against Mankind at Survivor Series. In weeks prior on Raw, Kane had randomly attacked other wrestlers including Ahmed Johnson, Road Warrior Hawk, the Hardy Boyz, Flash Funk, and Mankind's alter ego, Dude Love. The Undertaker initially refused to face him, saying he would not fight his own "flesh and blood". After a brief partnership, Kane betrayed his brother when he cost him the WWF Championship; he made a run-in in The Undertaker's WWF Championship title match with Shawn Michaels at the Royal Rumble. After the match, Kane locked The Undertaker in a casket and set it on fire, though it was later revealed that Undertaker managed to escape the casket without being seen before Kane set it on fire. This provoked The Undertaker into returning to face Kane at WrestleMania XIV on March 29. Kane was defeated by The Undertaker after three Tombstone Piledrivers. After the match Kane and Paul Bearer attacked The Undertaker.[19] They continued to feud until Unforgiven on April 26, when The Undertaker defeated Kane in an Inferno match. In this match, Paul Bearer tried to help Kane by attacking The Undertaker; however, at one point of the match, as Kane was retreating backstage, Vader forced Kane back towards the ring, and The Undertaker attacked them both by jumping over the ring ropes surrounded by fire.[20]
On May 19, Bearer was revealed to be an employee at the funeral home in Death Valley owned by The Undertaker's parents. When Kane and The Undertaker were children, claimed Bearer, The Undertaker "accidentally" burned down the funeral home, killing their parents and leaving Kane with physical and mental scarring, although The Undertaker thought that Kane had perished in the fire also. During an episode of Raw taped in Long Island, Kane and Bearer ostensibly exhumed the parents' bodies and brought them to the arena. Bearer, who survived the fire, hid Kane in a mental asylum as he grew up and went on to form an alliance with The Undertaker. After suffering mistreatment at the hands of The Undertaker, Bearer opted to bring Kane into the WWF in order to gain vengeance upon The Undertaker. Kane is portrayed as being psychotic, demented, extremely violent, twisted, disturbed, unstoppable, isolated and at peace with insanity. Like his half-brother, Kane is supposedly able to summon fire and bolts of lightning at will, which is displayed as pyrotechnics during shows. After defeating The Undertaker to win a WWF Championship title shot, Kane won the WWF Championship at the King of the Ring, defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin in a First Blood match after being helped by his brother. However, Kane lost the title back to Austin the next night on Raw.[21][22] He went on to form a tag team with Mankind, with whom he won the WWF World Tag Team Championship twice.[23] After losing the titles and turning on Mankind, Kane formed a short-lived tag team with his brother. The brothers fought one another for the vacant WWF Championship at Judgment Day: In Your House, with the match ending in a no-contest.[24] During the match, The Undertaker betrayed Kane for Paul Bearer, thus making Kane a tweener and turning Undertaker heel. Kane went on to take part in the "Deadly Games" tournament for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series but was eliminated by The Undertaker in the quarter-finals.[25]
At Rock Bottom: In Your House, Kane interfered in the Buried Alive match between Austin and The Undertaker by giving The Undertaker a Tombstone Piledriver. As a result of this, The Corporation had Kane committed to an insane asylum. However, in 1999, Kane joined The Corporation to stay out of the insane asylum. He eventually turned face after he was betrayed by The Corporation and thrown out of the alliance. Shortly afterward, Kane formed a tag team with X-Pac and acquired a girlfriend, Tori. While teaming with X-Pac, Kane evolved from being mute to aided speech through an electrolarynx to speaking unaided. He also became associated with D-Generation X, the faction of which X-Pac was a member. His first unaided words were the DX slogan "suck it".[26] The duo won the WWF World Tag Team title twice.[23] The tag team broke apart when X-Pac turned on Kane and rejoined D-Generation X. Kane and X-Pac then were engaged in a lengthy feud against each other. Late in their feud, in early 2000, Tori betrayed Kane and joined X-Pac and D-Generation X, and the former partners' feud eventually ended at WrestleMania 2000, where Kane teamed with Rikishi to face X-Pac and Road Dogg. Kane and Rikishi came out victorious after Kane pinned X-Pac following a Tombstone Piledriver.[27]
Shortly after WrestleMania, Kane suffered a hand injury that kept him out of action for a month. When he returned, it was to help The Undertaker and The Rock fight off the McMahon-Helmsley Faction. His involvement in this feud culminated in a main event match at King of the Ring against Vince and Shane McMahon, and then-champion Triple H.[28] The Undertaker and Kane's rivalry resurfaced during the match,[28] but they patched their relationship up soon after. Kane turned heel once again by assaulting The Undertaker, leading to a match between the two at SummerSlam. The match ended when The Undertaker removed Kane's mask, causing him to flee the ring, covering his face.[29] Kane stayed in contention for the WWF Championship for the remainder of the year and ended 2000 in a feud with Chris Jericho; he ultimately lost a Last Man Standing match to him at Armageddon.[30]
[edit] Brothers of Destruction (2001) Main article: Brothers of Destruction Kane reformed his alliance with The Undertaker, thus becoming a face again, immediately before the Royal Rumble, in which he eliminated a record number of 11 wrestlers which included Raven, Al Snow, Perry Saturn, Steve Blackman, Grand Master Sexay, The Honky Tonk Man, The Rock, Tazz, Albert, Crash Holly, and Scotty 2 Hotty, and was the runner-up, after being eliminated by Steve Austin.[31] In early 2001, Kane competed for the Hardcore Championship, defeating Raven for the title at WrestleMania X-Seven in a match that also featured Big Show.[32][33] At the same time, Kane began teaming with The Undertaker as the "Brothers of Destruction". In the course of the year, they feuded with Edge and Christian, Rikishi and Haku, and The Two-Man Power Trip. While feuding with The Two-Man Power Trip, Austin and Triple H broke Kane's left arm. At Judgment Day, Kane defeated Triple H to win the Intercontinental Championship.[34][35] He would become the third Grand Slam Champion, and the first person to win the Grand Slam championship by winning the WWF, Intercontinental, Tag Team, and Hardcore Championships. He later lost the title to Albert on an episode of SmackDown! following interference from Diamond Dallas Page.
During The Invasion, Kane and The Undertaker feuded with Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Kanyon after Page began stalking The Undertaker's wife Sara. The feud culminated at SummerSlam, when Kane and The Undertaker defeated Page and Kanyon in a Steel Cage match, resulting in them holding both the WWF World Tag Team Championships[23] and the WCW World Tag Team Championship.[36] Kane and The Undertaker went on to defeat KroniK at Unforgiven,[37] and both participated in the ten-man Winner-Takes-All match at Survivor Series as members of "Team WWF".[38]
[edit] Unmasking (2002–2004) Kane wearing his half mask, weeks before his unmasking on Raw. In 2002, Kane began a small feud with Big Show, after Kane single-handedly eliminated him at the Royal Rumble. On the January 28 episode of Raw, Kane displayed his true power by scoop-slamming and chokeslamming the 500-pound Big Show, who he defeated that night. Kane then began feuding with Kurt Angle, to whom he lost at WrestleMania X8.[39] On March 25, the WWF was divided into two brands, Raw and SmackDown!, with Kane being drafted to Raw. Kane went on to feud with the New World Order until tearing his biceps. Kane returned to the renamed WWE as part of the Raw roster in the Summer of 2002.
He won the World Tag Team Championship with The Hurricane on the September 23 episode of Raw from Lance Storm and Christian.[23] On October 7, Kane successfully single-handedly defended the World Tag Team Championship in a four-team Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, as The Hurricane had been attacked earlier that evening by Triple H and Ric Flair and was thus unable to compete. That match was later nominated WWE 2002 "Match of the Year". They would hold on to the titles until the October 14 episode of Raw, where they lost them to Christian and Chris Jericho.[40] On September 30, Kane won the Intercontinental Championship from Chris Jericho despite interference from Triple H and Ric Flair.[34]
In October 2002, Kane began feuding with Triple H, leading to a match at No Mercy on October 20 in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship were at stake. In the weeks preceding the match, Triple H claimed that, several years earlier, Kane had an unrequited relationship with a woman named Katie Vick.[41] He went on to claim that, after Vick was killed in a car crash, Kane (the driver) had sex with her. Triple H later threatened to show video footage of Kane committing the act in question; however, the footage that finally aired showed Triple H (dressed as Kane) simulating mock sex with a mannequin in a casket;[41] Kane's tag team partner The Hurricane responded the following week by showing a video of Triple H (rather, someone wearing a Triple H series of masks) getting an enema. The angle was very unpopular with fans,[42] and was de-emphasised before the title match. Triple H went on to defeat Kane at No Mercy, unifying the two titles.[43]
Kane then formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, with the duo eventually winning the World Tag Team Championship.[23] After they lost their World Tag Team Championship to La Résistance at Bad Blood, Triple H offered Kane a spot in his stable Evolution. Raw co-general manager Stone Cold Steve Austin offered Kane the opportunity to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship if he rejected Triple H's offer; however, co-general manager Eric Bischoff insisted that Kane unmask because he lost the match. Kane accepted Austin's offer and went to challenge Triple H the following week in Madison Square Garden. Triple H won the match following interference from his stablemates, and on the June 23, 2003 episode of Raw, Kane removed his mask. He then chokeslamed Rob Van Dam, thus turning on him, and went on to defeat him at SummerSlam.[44] In an interview with Jim Ross at Conseco Fieldhouse, it became apparent that Kane's facial scars were actually mental scars. At the end of this interview, Kane, believing that he was being mocked, attacked Ross and set him on fire, turning heel in the process. The unmasking rendered Kane emotionally unstable, on one occasion drove him to Tombstone Linda McMahon on the Raw stage. This action sparked a feud between Kane and Linda's son, Shane, with Kane defeating Shane in a Last Man Standing match at Unforgiven[45] and an ambulance match at Survivor Series.[46] During the latter event, Kane interfered in a Buried Alive match between Vince McMahon and The Undertaker, helping McMahon bury The Undertaker and win the match.[46] The following month at Armageddon, Kane competed in a Triple-Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship against Triple H and defending champion Bill Goldberg, a match which Triple H won.
In January 2004, Kane took part in the Royal Rumble match. He was eliminated after hearing the bell toll from The Undertaker's entrance music, distracting and distressing Kane and enabling Booker T to eliminate him. Over the following weeks, Kane repeatedly insisted that The Undertaker was "dead", only to be met with various paranormal incidents such as a rainstorm localized over the ring in which he stood. The Undertaker finally returned at WrestleMania XX with Paul Bearer at his side, defeating Kane.[47]
[edit] Various feuds (2004–2005) Following his defeat at WrestleMania XX, Kane fell in love with Lita, but was spurned. This led to him kidnapping Lita in May and asking her an unknown question, to which she replied in the affirmative later that month. On the same night, Kane won a twenty-man battle royal to receive a World Heavyweight Championship title shot against Chris Benoit at Bad Blood. Lita later announced that she was pregnant, with Matt Hardy her then-boyfriend both on- and off- screen, assuming that he was the child's father. On 21 June, episode of Raw, Kane claimed that he was the father. The following week, Kane explained that he had impregnated Lita in order to continue his legacy and justified a vicious attack on Shawn Michaels several weeks earlier by claiming that Michaels had stood in the way of him winning the World Heavyweight Championship. In order to appease Kane, General Manager Eric Bischoff gave Kane a rematch with Benoit, instructing Benoit that he could only win by submission, whereas Kane could win the title by any means. Despite dominating much of the match, Kane again lost to Benoit. Following the match, Lita came to the ring and low-blowed Kane, who initially went to chokeslam her in revenge but stopped when he realized that she was trying to force him to cause her to miscarry their child.
Kane in a steel cage match against Edge. Kane and Matt Hardy faced one another in a "Till Death Do Us Part" match at SummerSlam, with Lita obliged to wed the victor. Kane defeated Hardy,[48] and "married" Lita on the August 23 episode of Raw. Although he was attacked by Hardy during the ceremony, he gained the upper hand and ultimately chokeslammed Hardy off the stage (in reality, Hardy needed time off because of a knee injury and later a staph infection). On the September 13 episode of Raw, Kane accidentally fell on Lita during a match with the debuting Gene Snitsky, who hit him on the back with a steel chair, ostensibly causing Lita to miscarry.
Kane turned into a face as a result, and began seeking revenge against Snitsky for causing the death of his child. He lost to Snitsky in a steel chain match at Taboo Tuesday,[49] and he was sidelined for several months after Snitsky crushed his larynx with a chair following the match. This attack was a repeat performance of the storyline where Kane "injured" Michaels in the same exact manner. The "injury" gave Kane time to complete his starring role in the film, See No Evil. Kane returned in January 2005, defeating Snitsky at New Year's Revolution.[50] After WrestleMania 21, Kane and Lita reconciled with one another and began antagonizing Lita's rival Trish Stratus. This led to a match between Kane and Stratus' hired bodyguard Viscera at Backlash that was won by Kane.[51]
Lita later turned on Kane and sided with Edge, leading to a feud between Kane and Edge. Kane was able to defeat Edge at Vengeance, despite interference from Snitsky. The feud ended when Edge defeated Kane in a Stretcher match on the July 25 episode of Raw.[52] Lita's heel turn resulted from her real-life affair with Edge and her dumping Matt Hardy, and Matt Hardy's subsequent release for making the affair public.[53] Hardy was later rehired and Kane was dropped from the angle, with Matt and Edge having a feud over Lita.
[edit] Teaming with Big Show (2005–2006) Main article: Big Show and Kane Kane returned to WWE television on October 17, 2005, winning an eighteen-man battle royal.[54] As a result of his victory, he, along with Big Show and Shawn Michaels, was featured in an Internet poll to decide who would receive a shot at the WWE Championship at Taboo Tuesday. In the weeks before Taboo Tuesday, Kane and Big Show teamed together on several occasions. The poll was won by Michaels, and Kane and Big Show teamed together to face Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, defeating them for the World Tag Team Championship.[23] The duo successfully retained their titles throughout the remainder of 2005, during which time they engaged in an inter-promotional feud with members of the SmackDown! brand. He and Big Show feuded with Carlito and Chris Masters throughout early 2006, culminating in a successful title defense at WrestleMania 22 on April 2. On the following evening, Kane and the Big Show lost the World Tag Team Championship to Spirit Squad members Kenny and Mikey.[23][55] One week later, Kane and Big Show faced Spirit Squad members Johnny and Nicky in a title rematch, but were disqualified after Kane "snapped", ostensibly due to "voices in his head".[56] In subsequent weeks, Kane began attacking anyone who mentioned the date May 19. During the match between Kane and Big Show at Backlash, Kane's voice began echoing throughout the arena saying "May 19", "It's happening again" and "They're all going to know" leaving Kane visibly shaken. Big Show then struck Kane with a chair, resulting in a no-contest ruling.
On May 19, Kane appeared on SmackDown! as John "Bradshaw" Layfield's hand-picked opponent for Rey Mysterio.[57] After both the aforementioned voices and mask video began playing, Kane chokeslammed both Layfield and Mysterio before leaving the ring.[57] On the following episode of Raw, he claimed that May 19 was the date on which his mother and adopted family were killed in a fire. The voices continued on to the May 29 episode of Raw, when Kane was confronted by the source of the voice, an impostor Kane (Drew Hankinson); wearing Kane's old mask and ring attire, he chokeslammed Kane during his match against Shelton Benjamin for the Intercontinental Championship. Kane and the look-alike continued to fight one another in subsequent weeks, leading to a match between the two being scheduled for Vengeance, in which the real Kane lost to the impostor.[58] On the June 26 episode of Raw, Kane threw the impostor out of the arena and removed his mask, saying "I believe that this is mine."[59] Kane was absent from WWE television for several weeks thereafter as he toured Europe to promote See No Evil. Upon his return, he faced his former partner Big Show for the ECW Championship in a losing effort. When he returned to Raw, he engaged in a major feud with Umaga that concluded October 9 in a "Loser Leaves Raw" match, which Kane lost.
[edit] Brothers of Destruction reunion (2006–2007) On October 13, Kane moved to SmackDown for the first time since the 2002 brand extension. On November 3, Kane reunited with The Undertaker as the Brothers of Destruction to defeat Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) and Mr. Kennedy. Kane continued a feud with MVP competing in several gimmick matches. The end result of the feud was an Inferno match at Armageddon; Kane won by setting MVP's back on fire which resulted in first degree burns. Kane continued to have matches throughout the year with MVP.[60]
Kane was reunited with The Undertaker when he returned to SmackDown. On the SmackDown! before the Royal Rumble, Kane was involved in a six-man elimination over-the-top-rope battle royal, with King Booker, MVP, The Miz, Chris Benoit, and Finlay. This match would go to a no-contest as The Undertaker interrupted after Kane had been eliminated and punished the remaining opponents. At the Royal Rumble, Sabu was infamously eliminated by Kane, after he was chokeslammed through a table on the outside that Sabu had set up before he entered the ring. Later in the match, Kane eliminated King Booker.[61] Booker then came back in the ring and eliminated Kane, even though he had already been eliminated.[61] A couple weeks later on SmackDown!, while receiving the key to the city in his hometown of Houston, Booker was attacked by Kane starting a feud between the two. At No Way Out, Kane successfully defeated King Booker.[62] On February 23, Kane lost to King Booker in a Falls-Count Anywhere Money in the Bank Qualifying match after interference from The Great Khali,[63] sparking a feud between the two.
On February 26, Kane interrupted Chris Masters' Master Lock Challenge to The Great Khali when Masters was unable to apply the Master Lock. Kane delivered a chokeslam and a chair shot to Masters then clotheslined The Great Khali over the top rope. Prior to WrestleMania 23, Kane started to walk around with a hook, similar to the hook he used as Jacob Goodnight in See No Evil. At the event, Kane was defeated by Khali. During the match, in homage to Hulk Hogan slamming André the Giant twenty years earlier at WrestleMania III, Kane picked up Khali for the first time and body-slammed him to the mat. After WrestleMania, he began to feud with William Regal and Dave Taylor. The Boogeyman then joined the feud, teaming up with Kane. On the May 4 episode of SmackDown!, Kane competed in a Number-One Contender's match for the United States Championship held by MVP. Kane lost due to interference by Regal and Taylor. On the May 25 episode of SmackDown!, Kane competed in a Fatal Four-Way Number-One Contender's match for the World Heavyweight Championship which was won by Batista. Kane then entered a short feud with Mark Henry. Kane was defeated by Henry in a Lumberjack match at One Night Stand due to interference from lumberjacks Kenny Dykstra and Chavo Guerrero[64] and would take a short hiatus thereafter.
On the July 6 episode of SmackDown!, General Manager Theodore Long announced that Kane would face Edge for his World Heavyweight Championship at The Great American Bash. After Edge was attacked and injured by Kane and the title was vacated, Batista faced Kane in a Number-One Contender's match. During the match, new World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali interfered by attacking Batista; the match was ruled a no-contest and both men were ruled the number one contenders. The scheduled match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Great American Bash became a Triple Threat match between Batista, Kane, and The Great Khali due to Edge's injury. In the beginning of the match, Kane and Batista teamed up to send Khali through an announcer's table, by a Chokeslam-Spinebuster combination. Kane started dominating Batista back in the ring but instead chokeslammed Khali, but Batista broke up the count. The end came after Khali slammed Batista's head into the steel steps, before which Batista had decimated Kane with a thunderous Batista Bomb. Khali then nailed Kane with a Khali Bomb, which was too much for Kane to kick out, and thus Khali remained the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. Kane later teamed up with Batista on the August 18 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event to defeat Khali and Finlay.[65] Kane then entered a storyline with Finlay, which led to a match at SummerSlam, which Kane won after chokeslamming Finlay.[66] On the following episode of SmackDown!, Finlay and Kane competed against each other in a tournament to name the challenger for Khali's World Heavyweight Championship at Unforgiven. After interference from Hornswoggle, Finlay managed to defeat Kane and advance in the tournament. Finlay and Kane met again during the following week's episode of SmackDown! in a rematch of the previous month's Saturday Night's Main Event. Once again teaming with Batista, Kane defeated Finlay and The Great Khali when Kane pinned Finlay off a chokeslam.
[edit] ECW Champion (2007–2008) Kane as ECW champion. He then made an appearance on the October 16 episode of ECW as the hand-chosen partner of ECW Champion CM Punk, helping him defeat John Morrison, The Miz, and Big Daddy V in a 3-on-2 handicap match.[67] In retaliation, Big Daddy V attacked Kane on the October 19 SmackDown, igniting a feud between the two.[68] The two continued to battle in following weeks.[69] Kane was voted to face the defending champion MVP for his United States Championship at Cyber Sunday, which Kane won by countout and thus did not win the title.[70] After this, he continued to feud with Big Daddy V, with the two ending up on opposite teams at Survivor Series, where Kane's team won.[71] Big Daddy V eventually began to team with Mark Henry, while Kane teamed with CM Punk. The feud concluded at Armageddon, where Kane and Punk lost to Big Daddy V and Henry after Big Daddy V pinned CM Punk.
Kane with a portrait during SmackDown/ECW Road to Wrestlemania Tour in 2008. In a Battle Royal before WrestleMania, Kane won by lastly eliminating former rival Mark Henry which meant he would face ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero later in the night. At WrestleMania XXIV, Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero in the fastest-ever WrestleMania match with a record-setting eight seconds to win the ECW Championship.[72][73] Shortly after winning the championship, Kane left SmackDown! and officially joined the ECW roster. At Backlash, Kane successfully defended the ECW Championship against Chavo Guerrero. He then continued teaming with CM Punk to earn a WWE Tag Team Championship match at Judgment Day,[74] which the duo did not win.
On June 23, 2008, Kane was drafted from the ECW brand back to Raw, as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft, in the process making the ECW Championship exclusive to Raw.[75] By taking the title to Raw, Kane became the first and only man to hold a specific title on all three brands; he won the ECW Championship as a member of the SmackDown! roster, and shortly after winning it he became an official member of ECW, and then took the title with him when he was drafted to Raw. Kane lost the ECW Championship to Mark Henry at Night of Champions in a Triple-Threat match that also involved The Big Show, thus moving the title back to ECW.[76]
[edit] World Heavyweight Champion (2008–2011) On July 7 episode of Raw, Kane was not granted a World Heavyweight Championship match at The Great American Bash, Kane attacking both color commentators Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler, Kane become a villain for the first time since 2006. On July 20 at The Great American Bash, Kane interfered and attacking both the champion CM Punk and the challenger Batista during the event. In September 2008, Kane began a feud with Rey Mysterio that lasted until Survivor Series 2008. On the March 2 episode of Raw, Kane pinned Mike Knox in a Triple-Threat match, also involving Rey Mysterio, to earn a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXV, a match that would be won by CM Punk.[77]
During the 2009 Draft Kane beat The Brian Kendrick for a draft pick, and later in the night, Kane himself would be drafted back to SmackDown!. After this Kane feuded with CM Punk and then defeated him at Backlash thus ending the feud. After that, Kane took a break to tour India and also heal injuries, returning at The Bash to assist Dolph Ziggler in his match with The Great Khali by hitting Khali with a steel chair allowing Ziggler to win, starting a feud with Khali, whom he defeated at SummerSlam and in a Singapore Cane match at WWE Breaking Point, thus ending the feud as Khali needed toe surgery.
Kane at a WWE SmackDown event in 2008. In the next two weeks, Kane defeated R-Truth and John Morrison. Then he started a brief feud with Matt Hardy, defeating him at two separate occasions at SmackDown! and at Superstars. Kane then confronted Chris Jericho, declaring himself to be the co-captain for Team SmackDown at Bragging Rights, Jericho then agreed to Kane's co-captaincy. The match was won by Team SmackDown. Kane then faced Chris Jericho in a #1 Contender's match for an opportunity to face (World Heayweight Champion) The Undertaker and Big Show in a Triple-Threat match at Survivor Series, but lost. On the November 13 episode of SmackDown!, Kane turned face by saving The Undertaker from Chris Jericho and The Big Show. In 2010, at WrestleMania XXVI during the Money in the Bank ladder match, Kane was unsuccessful in claiming the briefcase. Over the next few months, Kane was involved in sporadic singles matches on episodes of SmackDown!.
Kane as the World Heavyweight Champion in July 2010. On the May 28 episode of SmackDown!, he lost to CM Punk in a qualifying match for the World Heavyweight Championship for the WWE Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view event. The following week on SmackDown!, Kane claimed that he found his brother The Undertaker in a "vegetative state" over Memorial Day weekend and vowed revenge on whoever was responsible. Because of The Undertaker's injury, it was announced that there would be a Battle Royal between the whole SmackDown! roster to replace him for the WWE Fatal 4 Way event, which Rey Mysterio won by lastly eliminating Kane.
In Kane's quest, he participated in his fourth Money in the Bank ladder match at WWE's Money in the Bank. Kane would then win the Money in the Bank ladder match and later on in the event, cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated Rey Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after Mysterio had just retained the title against Jack Swagger. On the following SmackDown! on July 23, Kane accused Mysterio of putting The Undertaker in a vegetative state.
On the August 6, 2010 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio claimed he was innocent before claiming that Kane himself was the perpetrator behind the assault on The Undertaker."[78][79] At SummerSlam, Kane retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Mysterio.
After the match, he attempted to put Mysterio into a casket, only for The Undertaker to appear. Upon his return, Kane delivered him a Tombstone Piledriver and thus, proving Kane to be the real attacker of The Undertaker, turning him heel in the process, and also reigniting their feud. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Kane revealed that he had been planning his attack for 13 years and was finally the dominant brother, with control of Undertaker's powers. With these powers he was easily able to attack his brother multiple times, prior to, during, or after his matches. He then went on to successfully defend the World Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker, in a No Holds Barred match at Night of Champions. On the following episode of Smackdown!, a casket was brought to ringside by druids to reveal the return of Paul Bearer, who was announced to be The Undertaker's manager against Kane at Hell in a Cell.[80] At Hell in a Cell, Paul Bearer turned on The Undertaker. After Undertaker kicked out from a Tombstone, Bearer blinded Undertaker with the urn and gave it to Kane, who smashed Undertaker in the head with it and chokeslammed him to retain the World Heavyweight title.[81] At Bragging Rights, Kane defeated Undertaker in a Buried Alive Match to retain the title again after help from The Nexus, thus ending the feud between Undertaker and Kane.
Kane at the Royal Rumble 2010. Kane then entered a feud with Edge, who, on the October 28 episode of SmackDown!, was named the new challenger to Kane's World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series. On the November 12 episode of SmackDown!, Edge kidnapped Paul Bearer and started to play mind games with Kane, trying to psychologically wear him down before their title match. At Survivor Series, Kane retained his title after the referee determined the match a draw due to both men pinning each other at the same time. On the November 26 episode of SmackDown!, Kane agreed to let Edge have another shot at the title after Bearer was still in his captivity. The mind games continued until the December 3 SmackDown! where Edge defeated Kane in a non-title match so he could to pick the match type for their title match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, in which Edge chose the TLC match. On the following week's SmackDown!, Kane refused to participate in the main event, as he went to search for Bearer. After what he thought was another one of Edge's dummy version of Paul Bearer, Kane pushed some ladders over. Afterward, he realized he had pushed the actual Paul Bearer off the ladders onto the concrete floor, thus, injuring him. This would be Bearer's last appearance as he was written out of the storyline. The next week, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long added Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio, who were feuding with each other, to the World Heavyweight Championship match at the pay-per-view, making it a Fatal Four-Way TLC match. At the TLC pay-per-view, Kane lost the title after Edge climbed the ladder to retrieve it after pushing Alberto Del Rio off the ladder, through two tables on the outside. At WWE Tribute to the Troops 2010, Kane challenged General William Grimsley to an arm-wrestling contest, only for it to end in a no-contest when Edge interfered and speared Kane.
Kane received his rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship on the January 7, 2011 episode of SmackDown, in a Last Man Standing match. Kane was dominant throughout the match but unable to win the title after Edge used the Con-Chair-To on Kane's knee, preventing Kane from answering the 10-count. Kane competed in the 2011 Royal Rumble match, being the first person to enter the Royal Rumble at number 40, but he was eliminated by Mysterio. Kane competed in the 2011 Elimination Chamber, eliminating Drew McIntyre and the Big Show before being speared and eliminated by Edge. After his elimination Kane viciously attacked Rey Mysterio and then chokeslammed Edge for the final time thus ending the feud between the two.
[edit] Reunion with Big Show (2011) See also: Big Show and Kane Kane at the Tribute to the Troops 2010. Big Show and Kane then started feuding with the New Nexus. After defending the titles against CM Punk and Mason Ryan at Over the Limit, Kane and Big Show lost their titles to Michael McGilligutty and David Otunga on the following day on Raw.[82] After the match Big Show was run over by Alberto Del Rio's car and causing him to have a torn ACL. When Big Show returned to Raw after recovering from his injuries, Kane and Big Show went their separate ways.
Kane participated in the second annual SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match but was unsuccessful in winning the bout, as the match was won by Daniel Bryan. On the July 22, 2011 episode of SmackDown, Kane claimed he was once again the Devil's Favorite Demon and he would kill his humanity in his match against Randy Orton but he later lost to Orton in a street fight. After the match, Kane shook hands with his opponent in a mark of respect but was attacked by Mark Henry. WWE subsequently reported that the attack had resulted in Kane suffering a fractured fibula which was likely to render him unable to wrestle for three months.[83]
[edit] Return of the mask (2011–Present) Beginning in November 2011, WWE began airing vignettes featuring Kane and a burning red mask.[84][85] After more than four months of inactivity, Kane returned on the December 12 episode of Monday Night Raw wearing a metallic mask and interrupted the main event between Mark Henry and John Cena. Despite the fact that it was Henry who took Kane out of action for months, Kane instead chose to chokeslam Cena before removing the metallic mask to reveal a new red mask thus turning heel once again.[86] On the December 19 episode of Monday Night Raw, Kane again confronted Henry and Cena. Henry was left untouched again while Kane again attacked Cena,[87] On the December 26 episode of Monday Night Raw, Kane explained that he targeted Cena because he wanted Cena to "embrace the hate" from Cena's detractors rather than try to "Rise Above Hate," Cena's t-shirt slogan.[88] During the next few weeks, Kane would not only attack Cena, but also Cena's friend Zack Ryder, in an attempt to anger Cena. Kane's vicious attacks on Ryder would result in Ryder suffering a variety of storyline injuries, causing him to lose the United States Championship.[89][90] Kane and John Cena would fight to a draw at the Royal Rumble event when both men were counted out.[91] At Elimination Chamber, Cena defeated Kane in an ambulance match to end the feud.[92]
Kane returned on the February 27 edition of Raw, attacking Tag Team Champions Primo and Epico, Dolph Ziggler, and R-Truth after the latter completed their championship match.[93] The following SmackDown, Kane attacked the returning Randy Orton during his match with Daniel Bryan after causing him to lose by count-out.[94] On the March 5 edition of Raw Supershow, Kane defeated R-Truth and after the match Orton came down to the ring and hit Kane with an RKO.[95] On the March 9th edition of SmackDown as Kane came out to fight Aksana, Randy Orton came out and hit Kane with another RKO, allowing Teddy Long and Aksana to escape. Kane later brawled with Randy Orton and the show ended with the two of them exchanging punches. At Wrestlemania 28 Kane would be facing Randy Orton.
[edit] Other media Year Film Role Notes 2006 See No Evil Jacob Goodnight 2007 Smallville (TV Series) Titan 6x17 "Combat" 2010 MacGruber Tanker Lutz Jacobs made his film debut as "Jacob Goodnight" in the first production of WWE Studios, See No Evil, which was released on May 19, 2006.[16] Jacobs has also made an appearance in the film, MacGruber, alongside fellow WWE Superstars Montel Vontavious Porter, Chris Jericho, The Great Khali, Mark Henry, and The Big Show. He also appeared on Smallville series episode "Combat" as Titan along side with former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro. The episode was aired on March 22, 2007.
Jacobs appeared on a special WWE edition of "The Weakest Link" in March 2002 and became the strongest link by defeating Bubba Ray Dudley in the final round. The money won was donated to Jacobs' chosen charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee.[96] The Kane character was featured in the fourteen issue Undertaker comic book produced by the now-defunct Chaos! Comics in 1999. The character only spoke once, in the Undertaker Halloween Special, which tied into the single issue Mankind comic book produced by the same company. Jacobs was also featured in a Chef Boyardee commercial as "Kane", where at the end of the commercial, he was trying to eat it with his mask on.
In an interview with Jacobs, he thought things had to change with his mask. Jacobs revealed "I think it was time. We had gone as far as we could go with the character under the mask. I actually felt the mask was limiting my ability to do some things. For years, to portray emotion I had to do it with my body. I never could do it with my face as the other superstars were able to. So, it added another dimension."[97]
In an interview with Jacobs, conducted in 2010, he revealed that he and Vince McMahon were the only ones that were 100 percent behind the idea of the Kane character removing his mask. He added that he has no plans to retire soon. "I'm still having fun," Glenn said. "I'm really at the height of my career, and I don't have any plans of packing it in, at least not in the near future."[98]
A book written by Michael Chiappetta detailing the origins of the Kane character entitled Journey into Darkness was released in 2005. WWE released a three-disc anthology titled, The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane on December 9, 2008. The DVD consists of Kane's greatest feuds and rivalries during his first ten years.[99]
Jacobs hosted a podcast titled The Tiny Political Show under the pseudonym Citizen X from March 16 2007 to March 13 2008.[100] Jacobs also ran a blog called The Adventures of Citizen X at AdventuresOfCitizenX.com from 2007 at least until July 17, 2011, though its last update at that time was made May 28 earlier in the year.[101]
[edit] Personal life Jacobs is married to Maurisa Jacobs, and has two step daughters.[102]
Jacobs supported Ron Paul for President in 2008.[103] He is also a member of the Free State Project, and spoke at the organization's 2009 New Hampshire Liberty Forum.[104] He has also spoken at the Ludwig von Mises Institute.[105] Jacobs writes about his political beliefs and libertarian news at his blog.
[edit] In wrestling Kane raises his right hand in anticipation of the chokeslam. Kane performing a chokeslam on CM Punk. Kane performing a top rope clothesline on CM Punk. Kane performing his signature entrance at SummerSlam in 2007.
Born in Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain Jacobs began his wrestling career in 1992 working on independent circuits. He wrestled in Smoky Mountain Wrestling as Unabomb where he won the SMW Tag Team Championship as a member of The Dynamic Duo, and in the United States Wrestling Association where he won the USWA Heavyweight Championship as Doomsday. He later joined the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1995, where he wrestled under various gimmicks before debuting as Kane, in 1997. The character's half-brother is The Undertaker, with whom Kane has teamed up as the Brothers of Destruction.
Jacobs has accumulated 17 championship accolades during his WWE career. He is a three-time world champion, having won the WWF Championship once, the ECW Championship once, and the World Heavyweight Championship once (tied for third longest reign in history, record which also belongs to Chris Benoit). He is the first of only three men (including CM Punk and The Big Show) to hold all three of WWE's world titles. He is also a two-time WWF/E Intercontinental Champion, a one-time WWF Hardcore Champion, and an 11-time Tag Team Champion; winning the WWE Tag Team Championship (once with The Big Show), the WCW World Tag Team Championship once (with The Undertaker), and the World Tag Team Champion nine times (twice with Mankind, X-Pac, and The Undertaker; and once with The Hurricane, Rob Van Dam, and The Big Show). Jacobs is the third Grand Slam Champion in WWE history. In addition to championships, he is a one-time Money in the Bank winner, also he has become the quickest man to cash in the briefcase. Kane holds several records in the Royal Rumble match, including: most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble with eleven, most Royal Rumble match appearances with fifteen, most consecutive appearances in the match with thirteen from 1999 to 2011, and the quickest elimination of another competitor.
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 2.1 Early career (1992-1995)
- 2.2 World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
- 2.2.1 Early gimmicks (1995–1997)
- 2.2.2 Feud with The Undertaker (1997–2000)
- 2.2.3 Brothers of Destruction (2001)
- 2.2.4 Unmasking (2002–2004)
- 2.2.5 Various feuds (2004–2005)
- 2.2.6 Teaming with Big Show (2005–2006)
- 2.2.7 Brothers of Destruction reunion (2006–2007)
- 2.2.8 ECW Champion (2007–2008)
- 2.2.9 World Heavyweight Champion (2008–2011)
- 2.2.10 Reunion with Big Show (2011)
- 2.2.11 Return of the mask (2011–Present)
- 3 Other media
- 4 Personal life
- 5 In wrestling
- 6 Championships and accomplishments
- 7 References
- 8 External links
[edit] Professional wrestling career [edit] Early career (1992-1995) In the ring, Jacobs was first known as Angus King[11] when he debuted in the St. Louis, Missouri area with the CSWA organization owned and promoted by a childhood friend. Jacobs later moved south and began wrestling as Doomsday, appearing in the United States Wrestling Association as The Christmas Creature and as Unabomb in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, where he held the SMW Tag Team Championship with Al Snow in a team called The Dynamic Duo.[12][13][14] During his time in the United States Wrestling Association, Jacobs (as Doomsday) held the USWA Heavyweight Championship. He briefly wrestled for WCW under the name Bruiser Mastino. Jacobs also worked a brief tour in the UWFI under his real name.[citation needed]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment [edit] Early gimmicks (1995–1997) Jacobs made his first television appearance as a heel with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as Dr. Isaac Yankem DDS, Jerry Lawler's private dentist, in a vignette on the June 26, 1995 episode of Raw.[15][16] Placing emphasis on Jacobs' imposing height and weight, Yankem was portrayed as a monster heel whom Lawler had hired for the purpose of ridding the WWF of his longtime nemesis, Bret Hart. His in-ring debut occurred at a Superstars taping on August 15, where he lost to Hart by count-out.[15] At SummerSlam, Jacobs was disqualified when he hung Hart by twisting him in the top and middle ropes by his neck. He lost to Hart in a steel cage match in the main event of the October 16 episode of Raw, and finally in a tag team match against Hart and Hakushi, in which he was partnered with Lawler, on the November 6 episode of the show.[15] After his initial run with Hart, Jacobs' push dwindled. His team was unsuccessful in an elimination match at Survivor Series. He participated in the 1996 Royal Rumble match, but spent the majority of the year as a jobber to the stars, including televised losses to The Undertaker, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Marc Mero and The Ultimate Warrior. Jacobs sported the Yankem gimmick until September.[17]
Later that month, play-by-play announcer Jim Ross introduced Rick Bognar as "Razor Ramon" and Jacobs as "Diesel" as part of a storyline mocking the departure of former employees Scott Hall and Kevin Nash respectively, and also as an attempt to turn Ross into a heel. The Jim Ross heel turn proved unpopular and was dropped almost immediately, and despite receiving a WWF Tag Team Championship match against Owen Hart and The British Bulldog at the In Your House 12: It's Time pay-per-view, the gimmick's television lifespan lasted only until the 1997 Royal Rumble, where Jacobs was the second-to-last participant (with the exception of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was previously eliminated by Bret Hart but the officials did not witness the elimination, so he re-entered the ring). He continued to work live events as "Diesel" through April, but would not make any WWF appearances from then until October, as the character of Kane was gradually introduced.[18]
[edit] Feud with The Undertaker (1997–2000) At April's In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker pay-per-view event, WWF Champion, The Undertaker launched a fireball into the face of former manager Paul Bearer, who had unsuccessfully attempted to assist his newest protege, Mankind to victory in their title match. On the May 12 episode of Raw, Mankind reintroduced Bearer, whose face was heavily bandaged due to the burns The Undertaker had inflicted. Prompted by the injury, Bearer attempted to reunite with The Undertaker after a long period of mutual hostility, using the threat of revealing The Undertaker's "biggest secret"; during the cryptic interview, Bearer likened the fire that had burned his face at Revenge of the 'Taker to a fire that had occurred during The Undertaker's childhood. When The Undertaker continually refused to once again become aligned with Bearer week-after-week, Bearer began tormenting him by telling him that his long-lost brother, Kane (later revealed as Bearer's son, and the Undertaker's half-brother), was coming to the WWF to challenge him.[16] In the ensuing months, Bearer implied that The Undertaker had killed his family by starting a fire at the their funeral home, with the exception of Kane, who was left physically and mentally scarred by the event; The Undertaker claimed that Kane, a pyromaniac, was the one who started the fire, and could not possibly have survived.
Six months after the angle began, Jacobs finally re-debuted in the WWF as Kane at Badd Blood: In Your House on October 5 (coincidentally held in St. Louis, MO, where Jacobs originally debuted in wrestling), costing The Undertaker the victory in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels. In keeping with the notion that Kane had been scarred by the fire — and to conceal Jacobs' identity — the character originally wore a mask, sported long hair, and wore red and black ring attire that almost entirely covered his body. Kane and The Undertaker feuded with one over another the following year, during which time their history vis-à-vis one another was expounded. Jacobs won his first match as Kane against Mankind at Survivor Series. In weeks prior on Raw, Kane had randomly attacked other wrestlers including Ahmed Johnson, Road Warrior Hawk, the Hardy Boyz, Flash Funk, and Mankind's alter ego, Dude Love. The Undertaker initially refused to face him, saying he would not fight his own "flesh and blood". After a brief partnership, Kane betrayed his brother when he cost him the WWF Championship; he made a run-in in The Undertaker's WWF Championship title match with Shawn Michaels at the Royal Rumble. After the match, Kane locked The Undertaker in a casket and set it on fire, though it was later revealed that Undertaker managed to escape the casket without being seen before Kane set it on fire. This provoked The Undertaker into returning to face Kane at WrestleMania XIV on March 29. Kane was defeated by The Undertaker after three Tombstone Piledrivers. After the match Kane and Paul Bearer attacked The Undertaker.[19] They continued to feud until Unforgiven on April 26, when The Undertaker defeated Kane in an Inferno match. In this match, Paul Bearer tried to help Kane by attacking The Undertaker; however, at one point of the match, as Kane was retreating backstage, Vader forced Kane back towards the ring, and The Undertaker attacked them both by jumping over the ring ropes surrounded by fire.[20]
On May 19, Bearer was revealed to be an employee at the funeral home in Death Valley owned by The Undertaker's parents. When Kane and The Undertaker were children, claimed Bearer, The Undertaker "accidentally" burned down the funeral home, killing their parents and leaving Kane with physical and mental scarring, although The Undertaker thought that Kane had perished in the fire also. During an episode of Raw taped in Long Island, Kane and Bearer ostensibly exhumed the parents' bodies and brought them to the arena. Bearer, who survived the fire, hid Kane in a mental asylum as he grew up and went on to form an alliance with The Undertaker. After suffering mistreatment at the hands of The Undertaker, Bearer opted to bring Kane into the WWF in order to gain vengeance upon The Undertaker. Kane is portrayed as being psychotic, demented, extremely violent, twisted, disturbed, unstoppable, isolated and at peace with insanity. Like his half-brother, Kane is supposedly able to summon fire and bolts of lightning at will, which is displayed as pyrotechnics during shows. After defeating The Undertaker to win a WWF Championship title shot, Kane won the WWF Championship at the King of the Ring, defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin in a First Blood match after being helped by his brother. However, Kane lost the title back to Austin the next night on Raw.[21][22] He went on to form a tag team with Mankind, with whom he won the WWF World Tag Team Championship twice.[23] After losing the titles and turning on Mankind, Kane formed a short-lived tag team with his brother. The brothers fought one another for the vacant WWF Championship at Judgment Day: In Your House, with the match ending in a no-contest.[24] During the match, The Undertaker betrayed Kane for Paul Bearer, thus making Kane a tweener and turning Undertaker heel. Kane went on to take part in the "Deadly Games" tournament for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series but was eliminated by The Undertaker in the quarter-finals.[25]
At Rock Bottom: In Your House, Kane interfered in the Buried Alive match between Austin and The Undertaker by giving The Undertaker a Tombstone Piledriver. As a result of this, The Corporation had Kane committed to an insane asylum. However, in 1999, Kane joined The Corporation to stay out of the insane asylum. He eventually turned face after he was betrayed by The Corporation and thrown out of the alliance. Shortly afterward, Kane formed a tag team with X-Pac and acquired a girlfriend, Tori. While teaming with X-Pac, Kane evolved from being mute to aided speech through an electrolarynx to speaking unaided. He also became associated with D-Generation X, the faction of which X-Pac was a member. His first unaided words were the DX slogan "suck it".[26] The duo won the WWF World Tag Team title twice.[23] The tag team broke apart when X-Pac turned on Kane and rejoined D-Generation X. Kane and X-Pac then were engaged in a lengthy feud against each other. Late in their feud, in early 2000, Tori betrayed Kane and joined X-Pac and D-Generation X, and the former partners' feud eventually ended at WrestleMania 2000, where Kane teamed with Rikishi to face X-Pac and Road Dogg. Kane and Rikishi came out victorious after Kane pinned X-Pac following a Tombstone Piledriver.[27]
Shortly after WrestleMania, Kane suffered a hand injury that kept him out of action for a month. When he returned, it was to help The Undertaker and The Rock fight off the McMahon-Helmsley Faction. His involvement in this feud culminated in a main event match at King of the Ring against Vince and Shane McMahon, and then-champion Triple H.[28] The Undertaker and Kane's rivalry resurfaced during the match,[28] but they patched their relationship up soon after. Kane turned heel once again by assaulting The Undertaker, leading to a match between the two at SummerSlam. The match ended when The Undertaker removed Kane's mask, causing him to flee the ring, covering his face.[29] Kane stayed in contention for the WWF Championship for the remainder of the year and ended 2000 in a feud with Chris Jericho; he ultimately lost a Last Man Standing match to him at Armageddon.[30]
[edit] Brothers of Destruction (2001) Main article: Brothers of Destruction Kane reformed his alliance with The Undertaker, thus becoming a face again, immediately before the Royal Rumble, in which he eliminated a record number of 11 wrestlers which included Raven, Al Snow, Perry Saturn, Steve Blackman, Grand Master Sexay, The Honky Tonk Man, The Rock, Tazz, Albert, Crash Holly, and Scotty 2 Hotty, and was the runner-up, after being eliminated by Steve Austin.[31] In early 2001, Kane competed for the Hardcore Championship, defeating Raven for the title at WrestleMania X-Seven in a match that also featured Big Show.[32][33] At the same time, Kane began teaming with The Undertaker as the "Brothers of Destruction". In the course of the year, they feuded with Edge and Christian, Rikishi and Haku, and The Two-Man Power Trip. While feuding with The Two-Man Power Trip, Austin and Triple H broke Kane's left arm. At Judgment Day, Kane defeated Triple H to win the Intercontinental Championship.[34][35] He would become the third Grand Slam Champion, and the first person to win the Grand Slam championship by winning the WWF, Intercontinental, Tag Team, and Hardcore Championships. He later lost the title to Albert on an episode of SmackDown! following interference from Diamond Dallas Page.
During The Invasion, Kane and The Undertaker feuded with Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Kanyon after Page began stalking The Undertaker's wife Sara. The feud culminated at SummerSlam, when Kane and The Undertaker defeated Page and Kanyon in a Steel Cage match, resulting in them holding both the WWF World Tag Team Championships[23] and the WCW World Tag Team Championship.[36] Kane and The Undertaker went on to defeat KroniK at Unforgiven,[37] and both participated in the ten-man Winner-Takes-All match at Survivor Series as members of "Team WWF".[38]
[edit] Unmasking (2002–2004) Kane wearing his half mask, weeks before his unmasking on Raw. In 2002, Kane began a small feud with Big Show, after Kane single-handedly eliminated him at the Royal Rumble. On the January 28 episode of Raw, Kane displayed his true power by scoop-slamming and chokeslamming the 500-pound Big Show, who he defeated that night. Kane then began feuding with Kurt Angle, to whom he lost at WrestleMania X8.[39] On March 25, the WWF was divided into two brands, Raw and SmackDown!, with Kane being drafted to Raw. Kane went on to feud with the New World Order until tearing his biceps. Kane returned to the renamed WWE as part of the Raw roster in the Summer of 2002.
He won the World Tag Team Championship with The Hurricane on the September 23 episode of Raw from Lance Storm and Christian.[23] On October 7, Kane successfully single-handedly defended the World Tag Team Championship in a four-team Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, as The Hurricane had been attacked earlier that evening by Triple H and Ric Flair and was thus unable to compete. That match was later nominated WWE 2002 "Match of the Year". They would hold on to the titles until the October 14 episode of Raw, where they lost them to Christian and Chris Jericho.[40] On September 30, Kane won the Intercontinental Championship from Chris Jericho despite interference from Triple H and Ric Flair.[34]
In October 2002, Kane began feuding with Triple H, leading to a match at No Mercy on October 20 in which both Kane's Intercontinental Championship and Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship were at stake. In the weeks preceding the match, Triple H claimed that, several years earlier, Kane had an unrequited relationship with a woman named Katie Vick.[41] He went on to claim that, after Vick was killed in a car crash, Kane (the driver) had sex with her. Triple H later threatened to show video footage of Kane committing the act in question; however, the footage that finally aired showed Triple H (dressed as Kane) simulating mock sex with a mannequin in a casket;[41] Kane's tag team partner The Hurricane responded the following week by showing a video of Triple H (rather, someone wearing a Triple H series of masks) getting an enema. The angle was very unpopular with fans,[42] and was de-emphasised before the title match. Triple H went on to defeat Kane at No Mercy, unifying the two titles.[43]
Kane then formed a tag team with Rob Van Dam, with the duo eventually winning the World Tag Team Championship.[23] After they lost their World Tag Team Championship to La Résistance at Bad Blood, Triple H offered Kane a spot in his stable Evolution. Raw co-general manager Stone Cold Steve Austin offered Kane the opportunity to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship if he rejected Triple H's offer; however, co-general manager Eric Bischoff insisted that Kane unmask because he lost the match. Kane accepted Austin's offer and went to challenge Triple H the following week in Madison Square Garden. Triple H won the match following interference from his stablemates, and on the June 23, 2003 episode of Raw, Kane removed his mask. He then chokeslamed Rob Van Dam, thus turning on him, and went on to defeat him at SummerSlam.[44] In an interview with Jim Ross at Conseco Fieldhouse, it became apparent that Kane's facial scars were actually mental scars. At the end of this interview, Kane, believing that he was being mocked, attacked Ross and set him on fire, turning heel in the process. The unmasking rendered Kane emotionally unstable, on one occasion drove him to Tombstone Linda McMahon on the Raw stage. This action sparked a feud between Kane and Linda's son, Shane, with Kane defeating Shane in a Last Man Standing match at Unforgiven[45] and an ambulance match at Survivor Series.[46] During the latter event, Kane interfered in a Buried Alive match between Vince McMahon and The Undertaker, helping McMahon bury The Undertaker and win the match.[46] The following month at Armageddon, Kane competed in a Triple-Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship against Triple H and defending champion Bill Goldberg, a match which Triple H won.
In January 2004, Kane took part in the Royal Rumble match. He was eliminated after hearing the bell toll from The Undertaker's entrance music, distracting and distressing Kane and enabling Booker T to eliminate him. Over the following weeks, Kane repeatedly insisted that The Undertaker was "dead", only to be met with various paranormal incidents such as a rainstorm localized over the ring in which he stood. The Undertaker finally returned at WrestleMania XX with Paul Bearer at his side, defeating Kane.[47]
[edit] Various feuds (2004–2005) Following his defeat at WrestleMania XX, Kane fell in love with Lita, but was spurned. This led to him kidnapping Lita in May and asking her an unknown question, to which she replied in the affirmative later that month. On the same night, Kane won a twenty-man battle royal to receive a World Heavyweight Championship title shot against Chris Benoit at Bad Blood. Lita later announced that she was pregnant, with Matt Hardy her then-boyfriend both on- and off- screen, assuming that he was the child's father. On 21 June, episode of Raw, Kane claimed that he was the father. The following week, Kane explained that he had impregnated Lita in order to continue his legacy and justified a vicious attack on Shawn Michaels several weeks earlier by claiming that Michaels had stood in the way of him winning the World Heavyweight Championship. In order to appease Kane, General Manager Eric Bischoff gave Kane a rematch with Benoit, instructing Benoit that he could only win by submission, whereas Kane could win the title by any means. Despite dominating much of the match, Kane again lost to Benoit. Following the match, Lita came to the ring and low-blowed Kane, who initially went to chokeslam her in revenge but stopped when he realized that she was trying to force him to cause her to miscarry their child.
Kane in a steel cage match against Edge. Kane and Matt Hardy faced one another in a "Till Death Do Us Part" match at SummerSlam, with Lita obliged to wed the victor. Kane defeated Hardy,[48] and "married" Lita on the August 23 episode of Raw. Although he was attacked by Hardy during the ceremony, he gained the upper hand and ultimately chokeslammed Hardy off the stage (in reality, Hardy needed time off because of a knee injury and later a staph infection). On the September 13 episode of Raw, Kane accidentally fell on Lita during a match with the debuting Gene Snitsky, who hit him on the back with a steel chair, ostensibly causing Lita to miscarry.
Kane turned into a face as a result, and began seeking revenge against Snitsky for causing the death of his child. He lost to Snitsky in a steel chain match at Taboo Tuesday,[49] and he was sidelined for several months after Snitsky crushed his larynx with a chair following the match. This attack was a repeat performance of the storyline where Kane "injured" Michaels in the same exact manner. The "injury" gave Kane time to complete his starring role in the film, See No Evil. Kane returned in January 2005, defeating Snitsky at New Year's Revolution.[50] After WrestleMania 21, Kane and Lita reconciled with one another and began antagonizing Lita's rival Trish Stratus. This led to a match between Kane and Stratus' hired bodyguard Viscera at Backlash that was won by Kane.[51]
Lita later turned on Kane and sided with Edge, leading to a feud between Kane and Edge. Kane was able to defeat Edge at Vengeance, despite interference from Snitsky. The feud ended when Edge defeated Kane in a Stretcher match on the July 25 episode of Raw.[52] Lita's heel turn resulted from her real-life affair with Edge and her dumping Matt Hardy, and Matt Hardy's subsequent release for making the affair public.[53] Hardy was later rehired and Kane was dropped from the angle, with Matt and Edge having a feud over Lita.
[edit] Teaming with Big Show (2005–2006) Main article: Big Show and Kane Kane returned to WWE television on October 17, 2005, winning an eighteen-man battle royal.[54] As a result of his victory, he, along with Big Show and Shawn Michaels, was featured in an Internet poll to decide who would receive a shot at the WWE Championship at Taboo Tuesday. In the weeks before Taboo Tuesday, Kane and Big Show teamed together on several occasions. The poll was won by Michaels, and Kane and Big Show teamed together to face Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, defeating them for the World Tag Team Championship.[23] The duo successfully retained their titles throughout the remainder of 2005, during which time they engaged in an inter-promotional feud with members of the SmackDown! brand. He and Big Show feuded with Carlito and Chris Masters throughout early 2006, culminating in a successful title defense at WrestleMania 22 on April 2. On the following evening, Kane and the Big Show lost the World Tag Team Championship to Spirit Squad members Kenny and Mikey.[23][55] One week later, Kane and Big Show faced Spirit Squad members Johnny and Nicky in a title rematch, but were disqualified after Kane "snapped", ostensibly due to "voices in his head".[56] In subsequent weeks, Kane began attacking anyone who mentioned the date May 19. During the match between Kane and Big Show at Backlash, Kane's voice began echoing throughout the arena saying "May 19", "It's happening again" and "They're all going to know" leaving Kane visibly shaken. Big Show then struck Kane with a chair, resulting in a no-contest ruling.
On May 19, Kane appeared on SmackDown! as John "Bradshaw" Layfield's hand-picked opponent for Rey Mysterio.[57] After both the aforementioned voices and mask video began playing, Kane chokeslammed both Layfield and Mysterio before leaving the ring.[57] On the following episode of Raw, he claimed that May 19 was the date on which his mother and adopted family were killed in a fire. The voices continued on to the May 29 episode of Raw, when Kane was confronted by the source of the voice, an impostor Kane (Drew Hankinson); wearing Kane's old mask and ring attire, he chokeslammed Kane during his match against Shelton Benjamin for the Intercontinental Championship. Kane and the look-alike continued to fight one another in subsequent weeks, leading to a match between the two being scheduled for Vengeance, in which the real Kane lost to the impostor.[58] On the June 26 episode of Raw, Kane threw the impostor out of the arena and removed his mask, saying "I believe that this is mine."[59] Kane was absent from WWE television for several weeks thereafter as he toured Europe to promote See No Evil. Upon his return, he faced his former partner Big Show for the ECW Championship in a losing effort. When he returned to Raw, he engaged in a major feud with Umaga that concluded October 9 in a "Loser Leaves Raw" match, which Kane lost.
[edit] Brothers of Destruction reunion (2006–2007) On October 13, Kane moved to SmackDown for the first time since the 2002 brand extension. On November 3, Kane reunited with The Undertaker as the Brothers of Destruction to defeat Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) and Mr. Kennedy. Kane continued a feud with MVP competing in several gimmick matches. The end result of the feud was an Inferno match at Armageddon; Kane won by setting MVP's back on fire which resulted in first degree burns. Kane continued to have matches throughout the year with MVP.[60]
Kane was reunited with The Undertaker when he returned to SmackDown. On the SmackDown! before the Royal Rumble, Kane was involved in a six-man elimination over-the-top-rope battle royal, with King Booker, MVP, The Miz, Chris Benoit, and Finlay. This match would go to a no-contest as The Undertaker interrupted after Kane had been eliminated and punished the remaining opponents. At the Royal Rumble, Sabu was infamously eliminated by Kane, after he was chokeslammed through a table on the outside that Sabu had set up before he entered the ring. Later in the match, Kane eliminated King Booker.[61] Booker then came back in the ring and eliminated Kane, even though he had already been eliminated.[61] A couple weeks later on SmackDown!, while receiving the key to the city in his hometown of Houston, Booker was attacked by Kane starting a feud between the two. At No Way Out, Kane successfully defeated King Booker.[62] On February 23, Kane lost to King Booker in a Falls-Count Anywhere Money in the Bank Qualifying match after interference from The Great Khali,[63] sparking a feud between the two.
On February 26, Kane interrupted Chris Masters' Master Lock Challenge to The Great Khali when Masters was unable to apply the Master Lock. Kane delivered a chokeslam and a chair shot to Masters then clotheslined The Great Khali over the top rope. Prior to WrestleMania 23, Kane started to walk around with a hook, similar to the hook he used as Jacob Goodnight in See No Evil. At the event, Kane was defeated by Khali. During the match, in homage to Hulk Hogan slamming André the Giant twenty years earlier at WrestleMania III, Kane picked up Khali for the first time and body-slammed him to the mat. After WrestleMania, he began to feud with William Regal and Dave Taylor. The Boogeyman then joined the feud, teaming up with Kane. On the May 4 episode of SmackDown!, Kane competed in a Number-One Contender's match for the United States Championship held by MVP. Kane lost due to interference by Regal and Taylor. On the May 25 episode of SmackDown!, Kane competed in a Fatal Four-Way Number-One Contender's match for the World Heavyweight Championship which was won by Batista. Kane then entered a short feud with Mark Henry. Kane was defeated by Henry in a Lumberjack match at One Night Stand due to interference from lumberjacks Kenny Dykstra and Chavo Guerrero[64] and would take a short hiatus thereafter.
On the July 6 episode of SmackDown!, General Manager Theodore Long announced that Kane would face Edge for his World Heavyweight Championship at The Great American Bash. After Edge was attacked and injured by Kane and the title was vacated, Batista faced Kane in a Number-One Contender's match. During the match, new World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali interfered by attacking Batista; the match was ruled a no-contest and both men were ruled the number one contenders. The scheduled match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the Great American Bash became a Triple Threat match between Batista, Kane, and The Great Khali due to Edge's injury. In the beginning of the match, Kane and Batista teamed up to send Khali through an announcer's table, by a Chokeslam-Spinebuster combination. Kane started dominating Batista back in the ring but instead chokeslammed Khali, but Batista broke up the count. The end came after Khali slammed Batista's head into the steel steps, before which Batista had decimated Kane with a thunderous Batista Bomb. Khali then nailed Kane with a Khali Bomb, which was too much for Kane to kick out, and thus Khali remained the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. Kane later teamed up with Batista on the August 18 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event to defeat Khali and Finlay.[65] Kane then entered a storyline with Finlay, which led to a match at SummerSlam, which Kane won after chokeslamming Finlay.[66] On the following episode of SmackDown!, Finlay and Kane competed against each other in a tournament to name the challenger for Khali's World Heavyweight Championship at Unforgiven. After interference from Hornswoggle, Finlay managed to defeat Kane and advance in the tournament. Finlay and Kane met again during the following week's episode of SmackDown! in a rematch of the previous month's Saturday Night's Main Event. Once again teaming with Batista, Kane defeated Finlay and The Great Khali when Kane pinned Finlay off a chokeslam.
[edit] ECW Champion (2007–2008) Kane as ECW champion. He then made an appearance on the October 16 episode of ECW as the hand-chosen partner of ECW Champion CM Punk, helping him defeat John Morrison, The Miz, and Big Daddy V in a 3-on-2 handicap match.[67] In retaliation, Big Daddy V attacked Kane on the October 19 SmackDown, igniting a feud between the two.[68] The two continued to battle in following weeks.[69] Kane was voted to face the defending champion MVP for his United States Championship at Cyber Sunday, which Kane won by countout and thus did not win the title.[70] After this, he continued to feud with Big Daddy V, with the two ending up on opposite teams at Survivor Series, where Kane's team won.[71] Big Daddy V eventually began to team with Mark Henry, while Kane teamed with CM Punk. The feud concluded at Armageddon, where Kane and Punk lost to Big Daddy V and Henry after Big Daddy V pinned CM Punk.
Kane with a portrait during SmackDown/ECW Road to Wrestlemania Tour in 2008. In a Battle Royal before WrestleMania, Kane won by lastly eliminating former rival Mark Henry which meant he would face ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero later in the night. At WrestleMania XXIV, Kane defeated Chavo Guerrero in the fastest-ever WrestleMania match with a record-setting eight seconds to win the ECW Championship.[72][73] Shortly after winning the championship, Kane left SmackDown! and officially joined the ECW roster. At Backlash, Kane successfully defended the ECW Championship against Chavo Guerrero. He then continued teaming with CM Punk to earn a WWE Tag Team Championship match at Judgment Day,[74] which the duo did not win.
On June 23, 2008, Kane was drafted from the ECW brand back to Raw, as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft, in the process making the ECW Championship exclusive to Raw.[75] By taking the title to Raw, Kane became the first and only man to hold a specific title on all three brands; he won the ECW Championship as a member of the SmackDown! roster, and shortly after winning it he became an official member of ECW, and then took the title with him when he was drafted to Raw. Kane lost the ECW Championship to Mark Henry at Night of Champions in a Triple-Threat match that also involved The Big Show, thus moving the title back to ECW.[76]
[edit] World Heavyweight Champion (2008–2011) On July 7 episode of Raw, Kane was not granted a World Heavyweight Championship match at The Great American Bash, Kane attacking both color commentators Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler, Kane become a villain for the first time since 2006. On July 20 at The Great American Bash, Kane interfered and attacking both the champion CM Punk and the challenger Batista during the event. In September 2008, Kane began a feud with Rey Mysterio that lasted until Survivor Series 2008. On the March 2 episode of Raw, Kane pinned Mike Knox in a Triple-Threat match, also involving Rey Mysterio, to earn a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXV, a match that would be won by CM Punk.[77]
During the 2009 Draft Kane beat The Brian Kendrick for a draft pick, and later in the night, Kane himself would be drafted back to SmackDown!. After this Kane feuded with CM Punk and then defeated him at Backlash thus ending the feud. After that, Kane took a break to tour India and also heal injuries, returning at The Bash to assist Dolph Ziggler in his match with The Great Khali by hitting Khali with a steel chair allowing Ziggler to win, starting a feud with Khali, whom he defeated at SummerSlam and in a Singapore Cane match at WWE Breaking Point, thus ending the feud as Khali needed toe surgery.
Kane at a WWE SmackDown event in 2008. In the next two weeks, Kane defeated R-Truth and John Morrison. Then he started a brief feud with Matt Hardy, defeating him at two separate occasions at SmackDown! and at Superstars. Kane then confronted Chris Jericho, declaring himself to be the co-captain for Team SmackDown at Bragging Rights, Jericho then agreed to Kane's co-captaincy. The match was won by Team SmackDown. Kane then faced Chris Jericho in a #1 Contender's match for an opportunity to face (World Heayweight Champion) The Undertaker and Big Show in a Triple-Threat match at Survivor Series, but lost. On the November 13 episode of SmackDown!, Kane turned face by saving The Undertaker from Chris Jericho and The Big Show. In 2010, at WrestleMania XXVI during the Money in the Bank ladder match, Kane was unsuccessful in claiming the briefcase. Over the next few months, Kane was involved in sporadic singles matches on episodes of SmackDown!.
Kane as the World Heavyweight Champion in July 2010. On the May 28 episode of SmackDown!, he lost to CM Punk in a qualifying match for the World Heavyweight Championship for the WWE Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view event. The following week on SmackDown!, Kane claimed that he found his brother The Undertaker in a "vegetative state" over Memorial Day weekend and vowed revenge on whoever was responsible. Because of The Undertaker's injury, it was announced that there would be a Battle Royal between the whole SmackDown! roster to replace him for the WWE Fatal 4 Way event, which Rey Mysterio won by lastly eliminating Kane.
In Kane's quest, he participated in his fourth Money in the Bank ladder match at WWE's Money in the Bank. Kane would then win the Money in the Bank ladder match and later on in the event, cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated Rey Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship after Mysterio had just retained the title against Jack Swagger. On the following SmackDown! on July 23, Kane accused Mysterio of putting The Undertaker in a vegetative state.
On the August 6, 2010 episode of SmackDown!, Mysterio claimed he was innocent before claiming that Kane himself was the perpetrator behind the assault on The Undertaker."[78][79] At SummerSlam, Kane retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Mysterio.
After the match, he attempted to put Mysterio into a casket, only for The Undertaker to appear. Upon his return, Kane delivered him a Tombstone Piledriver and thus, proving Kane to be the real attacker of The Undertaker, turning him heel in the process, and also reigniting their feud. On the following episode of SmackDown!, Kane revealed that he had been planning his attack for 13 years and was finally the dominant brother, with control of Undertaker's powers. With these powers he was easily able to attack his brother multiple times, prior to, during, or after his matches. He then went on to successfully defend the World Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker, in a No Holds Barred match at Night of Champions. On the following episode of Smackdown!, a casket was brought to ringside by druids to reveal the return of Paul Bearer, who was announced to be The Undertaker's manager against Kane at Hell in a Cell.[80] At Hell in a Cell, Paul Bearer turned on The Undertaker. After Undertaker kicked out from a Tombstone, Bearer blinded Undertaker with the urn and gave it to Kane, who smashed Undertaker in the head with it and chokeslammed him to retain the World Heavyweight title.[81] At Bragging Rights, Kane defeated Undertaker in a Buried Alive Match to retain the title again after help from The Nexus, thus ending the feud between Undertaker and Kane.
Kane at the Royal Rumble 2010. Kane then entered a feud with Edge, who, on the October 28 episode of SmackDown!, was named the new challenger to Kane's World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series. On the November 12 episode of SmackDown!, Edge kidnapped Paul Bearer and started to play mind games with Kane, trying to psychologically wear him down before their title match. At Survivor Series, Kane retained his title after the referee determined the match a draw due to both men pinning each other at the same time. On the November 26 episode of SmackDown!, Kane agreed to let Edge have another shot at the title after Bearer was still in his captivity. The mind games continued until the December 3 SmackDown! where Edge defeated Kane in a non-title match so he could to pick the match type for their title match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, in which Edge chose the TLC match. On the following week's SmackDown!, Kane refused to participate in the main event, as he went to search for Bearer. After what he thought was another one of Edge's dummy version of Paul Bearer, Kane pushed some ladders over. Afterward, he realized he had pushed the actual Paul Bearer off the ladders onto the concrete floor, thus, injuring him. This would be Bearer's last appearance as he was written out of the storyline. The next week, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long added Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio, who were feuding with each other, to the World Heavyweight Championship match at the pay-per-view, making it a Fatal Four-Way TLC match. At the TLC pay-per-view, Kane lost the title after Edge climbed the ladder to retrieve it after pushing Alberto Del Rio off the ladder, through two tables on the outside. At WWE Tribute to the Troops 2010, Kane challenged General William Grimsley to an arm-wrestling contest, only for it to end in a no-contest when Edge interfered and speared Kane.
Kane received his rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship on the January 7, 2011 episode of SmackDown, in a Last Man Standing match. Kane was dominant throughout the match but unable to win the title after Edge used the Con-Chair-To on Kane's knee, preventing Kane from answering the 10-count. Kane competed in the 2011 Royal Rumble match, being the first person to enter the Royal Rumble at number 40, but he was eliminated by Mysterio. Kane competed in the 2011 Elimination Chamber, eliminating Drew McIntyre and the Big Show before being speared and eliminated by Edge. After his elimination Kane viciously attacked Rey Mysterio and then chokeslammed Edge for the final time thus ending the feud between the two.
[edit] Reunion with Big Show (2011) See also: Big Show and Kane Kane at the Tribute to the Troops 2010. Big Show and Kane then started feuding with the New Nexus. After defending the titles against CM Punk and Mason Ryan at Over the Limit, Kane and Big Show lost their titles to Michael McGilligutty and David Otunga on the following day on Raw.[82] After the match Big Show was run over by Alberto Del Rio's car and causing him to have a torn ACL. When Big Show returned to Raw after recovering from his injuries, Kane and Big Show went their separate ways.
Kane participated in the second annual SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match but was unsuccessful in winning the bout, as the match was won by Daniel Bryan. On the July 22, 2011 episode of SmackDown, Kane claimed he was once again the Devil's Favorite Demon and he would kill his humanity in his match against Randy Orton but he later lost to Orton in a street fight. After the match, Kane shook hands with his opponent in a mark of respect but was attacked by Mark Henry. WWE subsequently reported that the attack had resulted in Kane suffering a fractured fibula which was likely to render him unable to wrestle for three months.[83]
[edit] Return of the mask (2011–Present) Beginning in November 2011, WWE began airing vignettes featuring Kane and a burning red mask.[84][85] After more than four months of inactivity, Kane returned on the December 12 episode of Monday Night Raw wearing a metallic mask and interrupted the main event between Mark Henry and John Cena. Despite the fact that it was Henry who took Kane out of action for months, Kane instead chose to chokeslam Cena before removing the metallic mask to reveal a new red mask thus turning heel once again.[86] On the December 19 episode of Monday Night Raw, Kane again confronted Henry and Cena. Henry was left untouched again while Kane again attacked Cena,[87] On the December 26 episode of Monday Night Raw, Kane explained that he targeted Cena because he wanted Cena to "embrace the hate" from Cena's detractors rather than try to "Rise Above Hate," Cena's t-shirt slogan.[88] During the next few weeks, Kane would not only attack Cena, but also Cena's friend Zack Ryder, in an attempt to anger Cena. Kane's vicious attacks on Ryder would result in Ryder suffering a variety of storyline injuries, causing him to lose the United States Championship.[89][90] Kane and John Cena would fight to a draw at the Royal Rumble event when both men were counted out.[91] At Elimination Chamber, Cena defeated Kane in an ambulance match to end the feud.[92]
Kane returned on the February 27 edition of Raw, attacking Tag Team Champions Primo and Epico, Dolph Ziggler, and R-Truth after the latter completed their championship match.[93] The following SmackDown, Kane attacked the returning Randy Orton during his match with Daniel Bryan after causing him to lose by count-out.[94] On the March 5 edition of Raw Supershow, Kane defeated R-Truth and after the match Orton came down to the ring and hit Kane with an RKO.[95] On the March 9th edition of SmackDown as Kane came out to fight Aksana, Randy Orton came out and hit Kane with another RKO, allowing Teddy Long and Aksana to escape. Kane later brawled with Randy Orton and the show ended with the two of them exchanging punches. At Wrestlemania 28 Kane would be facing Randy Orton.
[edit] Other media Year Film Role Notes 2006 See No Evil Jacob Goodnight 2007 Smallville (TV Series) Titan 6x17 "Combat" 2010 MacGruber Tanker Lutz Jacobs made his film debut as "Jacob Goodnight" in the first production of WWE Studios, See No Evil, which was released on May 19, 2006.[16] Jacobs has also made an appearance in the film, MacGruber, alongside fellow WWE Superstars Montel Vontavious Porter, Chris Jericho, The Great Khali, Mark Henry, and The Big Show. He also appeared on Smallville series episode "Combat" as Titan along side with former WWE Diva Ashley Massaro. The episode was aired on March 22, 2007.
Jacobs appeared on a special WWE edition of "The Weakest Link" in March 2002 and became the strongest link by defeating Bubba Ray Dudley in the final round. The money won was donated to Jacobs' chosen charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in Memphis, Tennessee.[96] The Kane character was featured in the fourteen issue Undertaker comic book produced by the now-defunct Chaos! Comics in 1999. The character only spoke once, in the Undertaker Halloween Special, which tied into the single issue Mankind comic book produced by the same company. Jacobs was also featured in a Chef Boyardee commercial as "Kane", where at the end of the commercial, he was trying to eat it with his mask on.
In an interview with Jacobs, he thought things had to change with his mask. Jacobs revealed "I think it was time. We had gone as far as we could go with the character under the mask. I actually felt the mask was limiting my ability to do some things. For years, to portray emotion I had to do it with my body. I never could do it with my face as the other superstars were able to. So, it added another dimension."[97]
In an interview with Jacobs, conducted in 2010, he revealed that he and Vince McMahon were the only ones that were 100 percent behind the idea of the Kane character removing his mask. He added that he has no plans to retire soon. "I'm still having fun," Glenn said. "I'm really at the height of my career, and I don't have any plans of packing it in, at least not in the near future."[98]
A book written by Michael Chiappetta detailing the origins of the Kane character entitled Journey into Darkness was released in 2005. WWE released a three-disc anthology titled, The Twisted, Disturbed Life of Kane on December 9, 2008. The DVD consists of Kane's greatest feuds and rivalries during his first ten years.[99]
Jacobs hosted a podcast titled The Tiny Political Show under the pseudonym Citizen X from March 16 2007 to March 13 2008.[100] Jacobs also ran a blog called The Adventures of Citizen X at AdventuresOfCitizenX.com from 2007 at least until July 17, 2011, though its last update at that time was made May 28 earlier in the year.[101]
[edit] Personal life Jacobs is married to Maurisa Jacobs, and has two step daughters.[102]
Jacobs supported Ron Paul for President in 2008.[103] He is also a member of the Free State Project, and spoke at the organization's 2009 New Hampshire Liberty Forum.[104] He has also spoken at the Ludwig von Mises Institute.[105] Jacobs writes about his political beliefs and libertarian news at his blog.
[edit] In wrestling Kane raises his right hand in anticipation of the chokeslam. Kane performing a chokeslam on CM Punk. Kane performing a top rope clothesline on CM Punk. Kane performing his signature entrance at SummerSlam in 2007.
- Finishing moves
- As Kane
- Chokeslam (1997–present)
- Tombstone Piledriver (Kneeling reverse piledriver)[2] – adopted from the Undertaker, 1997–present
- As Isaac Yankem
- As Kane
- Signature moves
- Big boot[2]
- Clawhold[106] (2011–present)
- Corner clothesline[107]
- Falling powerbomb[2] 2001-2005
- Front/running powerslam[108]
- Military press drop[109]
- Running dropkick to a seated opponent, usually preceded by a scoop slam[107] or a snapmare[110]
- Scoop powerslam[111]
- Sidewalk slam[2]
- Tilt-a-whirl slam[2]
- Top-rope clothesline[2]
- Uppercut, sometimes to the opponent's throat[2]
- Entrance themes
- "Root Canal" (As Isaac Yankem, D.D.S.; 1995–1996)
- "Diesel Blues" by Jim Johnston (1996–1997)
- "Burned" by Jim Johnston (October 5, 1997 – June 12, 2000)
- "Out of the Fire" by Jim Johnston (June 19, 2000 – March 17, 2002)
- "Slow Chemical" by Finger Eleven (August 26, 2002 – August 11, 2008)
- "Man on Fire" by Jim Johnston (August 18, 2008– July 22, 2011)[115]
- "Veil of Fire" by Jim Johnston (December 12, 2011–present)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Tag Team of the Year (1999) with X-Pac[116]
- PWI ranked him #4 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011[117]
- Smoky Mountain Wrestling
- SMW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Al Snow[13]
- United States Wrestling Association
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWF Championship (1 time)[22]
- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[119]
- WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (2 times)[34]
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Big Show (1)[120]
- World Tag Team Championship (9 times) – with Mankind (2), X-Pac (2), The Undertaker (2), The Hurricane (1), Rob Van Dam (1), and Big Show (1)[23]
- ECW Championship (1 time)[72]
- WCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Undertaker[36]
- WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)[33]
- Money in the Bank (SmackDown 2010)
- Eighth Triple Crown Champion
- Third Grand Slam Champion
- Slammy Award for Best Family Values (2010) For beating up Jack Swagger, Sr..
- 2009 Bragging Rights Trophy - with Team Smackdown (Chris Jericho, R-Truth, Matt Hardy, Finlay, Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (2004) Impregnating Lita[121]
- Most Overrated (2010)[121]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2002) vs. Triple H[121]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2003) vs. Shane McMahon[121]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Matt Hardy and Lita[121]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2007) vs. Big Daddy V[121]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2008) vs. Rey Mysterio[121]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2010) vs. Edge[121]
- Worst Gimmick (1996) as Fake Diesel[121]
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2001) with The Undertaker vs. KroniK at Unforgiven[121]
Big Show
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. (born February 8, 1972), better known by his ring name, (The) Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its SmackDown brand.
In professional wrestling, Wight is a six-time world champion, having won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWF/E Championship twice, the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once, and the World Heavyweight Championship once, making him the first person ever to hold all four championships. Wight is the most recent of four men to have held an incarnation of the Big Gold Belt in both WCW and WWE (the others being Bill Goldberg, Chris Benoit, Booker T). In addition to these championships, he has also won the WWE United States Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship five times (twice with The Undertaker, once with Kane, once with Chris Jericho, and once with The Miz), the WWE Tag Team Championship three times (once each with Chris Jericho, The Miz, and Kane) and the WWF Hardcore Championship three times.
Billed as "The World's Largest Athlete", Wight initially came to prominence through his career in the now defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1995 until 1999, then known simply as The Giant—a moniker which remains a nickname in WWE. In addition to being a two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and the youngest man to ever hold the title, he is a three-time WCW World Tag Team Champion and the winner of the 1996 World War 3. Between WWE and WCW, Wight has held 21 total championships. Big Show, along with Triple H, holds the record for the most losses at Wrestlemania.
Outside of professional wrestling, Wight has appeared in feature films and television series such as The Waterboy, Star Trek: Enterprise, and USA Network's comedy-drama Royal Pains and the action-drama Burn Notice. In 2010, he had his first major role in the comedy film Knucklehead, which was produced by WWE Studios. Wight has made it known that he would like continue his acting career and expand beyond roles based on his size.[7]
Contents [hide]
After The Giant destroyed Hulk Hogan's Harley-Davidson Motorcycle using a monster truck, Hogan challenged him to a "Monster Truck Battle" at Halloween Havoc.[8] On October 29, the battle took place atop Cobo Hall, with each man driving a monster truck and trying to force the other truck out of a circle, as in a sumo wrestling contest. Hogan won the match when Giant descended from his vehicle and appeared to fall from the roof. Later that night, The Giant came to the ring with The Taskmaster and challenged Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, making his WCW in-ring debut.[9] Giant was awarded the victory by disqualification after interference from Jimmy Hart, Hogan's manager. Hart then revealed that the contract Hogan signed (which he had written) had a clause stating that the title would change hands on a disqualification, and, as Hart had intentionally caused a disqualification, the Giant won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. At 23 years old, The Giant became the youngest WCW World Heavyweight Champion. The title was vacated one week later as a result of the controversial finish.[8][10][11]
The Giant tried to reclaim the title at World War 3 but was foiled by Hogan, who helped Randy Savage win the vacant title.[12][13] The Giant teamed with Ric Flair to defeat Hogan and Savage at Clash of the Champions XXXII,[14] but was decisively beaten by Hogan in a Cage match at SuperBrawl VI.[15][16]
After a short feud with Loch Ness,[17][18] The Giant won the World Heavyweight Championship a second time by defeating Ric Flair.[11] After Hogan formed the New World Order (nWo), he defeated The Giant for the Championship at Hog Wild following interference from Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.[19][20] The Giant joined the nWo twenty three days later, citing Ted DiBiase's money as his primary motivation, feuding with Lex Luger and the Four Horsemen.[8][10] The Giant was thrown out of the nWo on December 30 for asking Hogan for a World Heavyweight Championship title match. He fought against the nWo along with Sting and Lex Luger, winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship twice.[8]
In 1997, The Giant began a feud with nWo member Kevin Nash, who constantly dodged Giant, failing to appear for their scheduled match at Starrcade. In 1998 at Souled Out the two finally met in the ring, with Nash accidentally injuring Wight's neck when he botched a Jackknife Powerbomb.[21][22] When Nash left the nWo and formed his own stable, the nWo Wolfpac, The Giant rejoined the original nWo to oppose Nash and his allies. While back with the nWo, The Giant won two more Tag Team Championships, once with Sting as an unwilling partner (as the match was signed before The Giant returned to the nWo) and once with Scott Hall. In the interim between those two reigns, he lost his half of the Tag Team Championship to Sting in a singles match where only the winner would remain champion and choose a partner for the second half of the team.
On the October 11, 1998, episode of WCW Monday Nitro, Goldberg defeated The Giant in a no-disqualification match; in a show of strength, Goldberg executed a delayed vertical suplex before hitting the Jackhammer on The Giant.[23][24][25] After the nWo Hollywood and the nWo Wolfpac merged together again in January 1999, Hogan declared that there was only room for one "giant" in the group, and forced Giant and Nash to wrestle for that spot. Nash defeated him following a run-in by Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff. The Giant was then attacked by the entire nWo. Wight allowed his WCW contract to expire on February 8, 1999 at his 27th birthday.
[edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment [edit] Debut and WWF Champion (1999–2000) Wight signed a ten-year contract with the World Wrestling Federation on February 9, 1999,[10] debuting as a villain and a member of Vince McMahon's stable, The Corporation, at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House. During the McMahon versus Steve Austin cage match, Wight tore through the canvas from underneath the ring and attacked Austin. However, Wight cost McMahon the match when he threw Austin into the side of the cage and the cage broke, spilling Austin outside to the floor and granting him the victory. Wight subsequently served as McMahon's enforcer.[8]
Wight posing with a fan in April 1999. Wight performed as "Big Nasty" Paul Wight for several weeks before being renamed "Big Show" Paul Wight.[10][not in citation given] He then gradually dropped his real name, eventually being referred to simply as (The) Big Show. McMahon wanted to ensure that Corporation member The Rock would retain his title at WrestleMania, so he had Wight wrestle Mankind at WrestleMania XV for the right to referee the main event. Wight incapacitated Mankind, but got disqualified in the process, meaning that he could not be referee. Mankind won the right to be the official but was taken to a hospital following the match with Wight (although he eventually returned during the Championship match). After a furious McMahon slapped Wight, he punched McMahon. Wight concluded his feud with Foley in a Boiler Room Brawl before turning into a fan favorite and joining Mankind, Test, and Ken Shamrock in a stable known as The Union who fought against the Corporation, and later against The Corporate Ministry. On the May 10 episode of Monday Night Raw, Show was pitted against The Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer. On the June 7 episode of Raw, Big Show faced The Undertaker for the WWF Championship. Undertaker attempted a clothesline from the top turnbuckle, however Wight caught him and delivered a chokeslam which sent Undertaker crashing through the ring mat; the referee was forced to stop the match so The Undertaker retained his title. Following the match Bradshaw, Faarooq, and Mideon all ran down to attack Big Show and were all subsequently chokeslammed as well. Big Show and The Undertaker later formed an unlikely alliance, wrestling against X-Pac and Kane. As a team, Show and The Undertaker won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice.[8]
When The Undertaker was sidelined with injuries, Big Show set his sights on the WWF Championship. After Steve Austin was injured at the 1999 Survivor Series, Wight was given his place in the Triple Threat match for the WWF Championship. In that match, which also featured The Rock, he pinned Triple H to become WWF Champion.[8][10] At the same time, Big Show feuded with the Big Boss Man. After it was announced that Big Show's father was terminally ill with cancer, the Boss Man had one of his crooked police colleagues inform Show that his father has died, and then mocked Show's tearful reaction. Several weeks later, when it was announced Big Show's father had actually died (in reality, Wight's father had died years before), the Boss Man interrupted the ten-bell toll by reciting an offensive poem. Later, Boss Man invaded the funeral and used a chain to couple the coffin to the hearse, towing the coffin away with a grief stricken Wight clinging on to it. At Armageddon 1999, Show defeated Boss Man to retain his WWF Championship, despite interference by Bossman's protégé Prince Albert.[26]
On the January 3, 2000 episode of Raw, Triple H defeated Wight for the WWF Championship. Trying to regain the title, Wight participated in the Royal Rumble match and turned heel when he antagonized The Rock. The Rock eliminated him to win the Royal Rumble. Wight was convinced that he had won, and eventually produced a video tape that showed The Rock's feet striking the ground first.[8] He was then given a match with The Rock at No Way Out, with the WrestleMania title shot on the line. Wight defeated The Rock when Shane McMahon interfered, knocking The Rock out with a chair shot. Rock was desperate to reclaim his title shot, and eventually agreed to a match with Wight on the March 13 episode of Raw – if he won, the WrestleMania title match would become a Triple Threat match, and if he lost, he would retire from the WWF. Shane McMahon, now actively supporting Wight's bid to become champion, appointed himself as the special guest referee. However, The Rock triumphed when Vince McMahon assaulted Shane and donned the referee shirt, personally making the three count following a Rock Bottom.
On the March 20 episode of Raw, Triple H defended the title against The Rock and Wight on the condition that the match would not take place at WrestleMania, pinning Wight. Linda McMahon stated this match would not occur at WrestleMania as Triple H would defend the title there in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match, with Mick Foley as the fourth man. Wight was the first man eliminated from the match at WrestleMania 2000 after the other three competitors worked together against him.[8]
After WrestleMania, Wight became a fan favorite again by starting a comical gimmick where he began mimicking other wrestlers, lampooning Rikishi as Showkishi, The Berzerker as Shonan the Barbarian, and Val Venis as The Big Showbowski. He defeated Kurt Angle at Backlash dressed like his friend and role model Hulk Hogan as the Showster, complete with skullcap/wig and yellow tights.[8] Wight began feuding with Shane McMahon after Shane voiced his disapproval of Big Show's antics. At Judgment Day 2000, Shane defeated Wight in a Falls Count Anywhere match following interference from Big Boss Man, Bull Buchanan, Test, and Albert.[27] Wight returned two months later, apparently intending to gain revenge on Shane. Instead, he became a villain again and attacked The Undertaker thus siding with Shane once more, forming a short-lived stable known as "The Conspiracy" with Shane, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, and Edge and Christian. After The Undertaker threw Wight off a stage through a table, he was removed from WWF television for the remainder of the year. Wight was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a WWF developmental territory, to lose weight and improve his cardiovascular fitness.[8][10][28]
[edit] Various feuds (2001–2002) Big Show competing for the Raw brand. Wight returned at the 2001 Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by The Rock.[29] Angered by his quick elimination, Wight proceeded to chokeslam The Rock through the announcer's table before leaving the arena. He then began competing for the WWF Hardcore Championship, which he lost to Kane in a Triple Threat match which also included Raven at WrestleMania X-Seven.[30]
Throughout The Invasion, Wight remained loyal to the WWF, which made him a fan favorite again. He faced Shane McMahon, the on-screen owner of WCW, in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash and was defeated following interference from Test.[31] Wight was also part of the victorious Team WWF at Survivor Series, though he was the first man eliminated.[32]
Wight was drafted by Ric Flair (representing the Raw brand) in the 2002 draft. He then immediately became a villain again by turning on Steve Austin in tag team match that included him and Bradshaw. At Judgment Day, Wight and Ric Flair were defeated by Austin in a Handicap match. Wight once again joined the New World Order, but the stable disbanded after Kevin Nash was injured.[8] After the nWo disbanded, Wight achieved little success on Raw after losing matches against Jeff Hardy, Booker T, and the Dudley Boyz.
[edit] WWE Champion and United States Champion (2002–2005) Show as United States Champion. In late 2002, Big Show was traded to SmackDown!, immediately challenging Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. During this time, Big Show adopted a new attire, donning black jeans and taking on a new hairstyle and facial hair. Big Show became a two-time WWE Champion defeating Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. He lost the title to Kurt Angle a month later at Armageddon. At the Royal Rumble, Big Show lost a Royal Rumble Qualifying Match to Lesnar. He then began feuding with The Undertaker, after Big Show threw him off the stage, injuring his neck, leading to Big Show and his partner A-Train losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania XIX. He renewed his feud with Lesnar, wrestling him four times for the WWE title (including a Stretcher match at Judgment Day) but was unsuccessful in his attempt to regain the title. On the June 26, 2003 episode of SmackDown! Big Show, Shelton Benjamin, and Charlie Haas defeated Mr. America (a disguised Hulk Hogan), Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle in a six-man tag team match when Show pinned Mr. America. This was Hulk Hogan's last appearance as Mr. America. For several months afterwards, WWE hyped up Big Show as the man who retired Hogan. At No Mercy, Big Show defeated Eddie Guerrero for the WWE United States Championship and then formed an alliance with the then WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
Big Show in Tribute to the Troops 2004. Big Show abandoned a departing Lesnar immediately before WrestleMania XX. At the pay-per-view, Big Show lost the United States Championship to John Cena.[8] On the April 15, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Big Show promised to quit if he failed to defeat Eddie Guerrero that night.[33] He lost to Guerrero (Guerrero had snuck a wrench in the back of Big Show's boot, which got Big Show disqualified), and, believing that Torrie Wilson had laughed at him for losing, upended her car and threatened to throw her off a ledge.[33] Then-General Manager of SmackDown!, Kurt Angle ascended the ledge to try to talk some reason into Big Show, but he chokeslammed Angle off the ledge, kayfabe concussing him and breaking his leg, as well as causing the back of Angle's head to bleed.[33] After the show, Big Show was neither seen nor heard from on WWE television for months.
Big Show in 2004. In mid-2004, Big Show was reinstated by new General Manager Theodore Long, as he interfered during a Lumberjack match between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle. Big Show had a choice to face either Guerrero or Angle at No Mercy, choosing to fight Angle, thus becoming a fan favorite. Big Show defeated Angle at the event.[34] In the weeks before the match, He claimed to have "lost his dignity" when Angle tranquilized him in the middle of the ring using a dart gun and shaved his head.[8]
On April 3, 2005 at WrestleMania 21, Big Show faced Sumo Grand Champion Akebono in a worked sumo match;[35] the match was added to the show to attract a strong pay-per-view audience in Japan, where Akebono is considered a sporting legend. In the weeks preceding the match, Big Show pushed over a jeep driven to the ring by Luther Reigns to show that he was capable of moving the marginally heavier Akebono. Big Show lost to Akebono at WrestleMania 21.[35] Big Show subsequently feuded with Carlito Caribbean Cool and his bodyguard, Matt Morgan.[36] preventing him from participating in a scheduled Six-Man Elimination match for the SmackDown! Championship. He successfully pinned Gene Snitsky in a Tag Team match which turned into a singles match when both men's partners brawled backstage. After squashing his scheduled opponents for several weeks, Wight returned to his rivalry with Snitsky. On August 22, he foiled Snitsky's harassment of backstage interviewer Maria.[37] On August 29, Snitsky hit Big Show with the ring bell immediately after Big Show had won a match.[38] As a result, Big Show and Snitsky were placed in a match at Unforgiven, in which Big Show defeated Snitsky.[39] On September 26, Big Show defeated Snitsky again in a Street Fight.[40]
[edit] Teaming with Kane (2005–2006) On October 17, Big Show defeated Edge and was thus entered in an online opinion poll, with the winner of the poll facing John Cena and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship at Taboo Tuesday 2005.[41] The poll was won by Shawn Michaels, meaning that the other two options would wrestle for the World Tag Team Championships.[42] Big Show teamed with Kane to defeat Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch for the Tag Team Championships.[43]
In the weeks preceding Survivor Series 2005, Big Show became involved in the rivalry between the Raw and SmackDown! brands. Big Show and Kane invaded the November 11 episode of SmackDown! and, along with Edge, attacked Batista (inadvertently injuring him in the process).[44] On the November 14 episode of Raw, Big Show and Kane defeated SmackDown! wrestlers and reigning WWE Tag Team Champions MNM in an inter-brand, non-title match.[45] On November 21, Big Show and Kane "injured" Batista by delivering a double chokeslam onto the windshield of a car.[46] At Survivor Series, Show, Kane, Carlito, Chris Masters, and team captain Shawn Michaels represented Raw in a match with Team SmackDown!: JBL, Rey Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, and Batista.[47] Team SmackDown! won the match, with Orton being the sole survivor.[47] On the November 29 episode of SmackDown!, Big Show wrestled Rey Mysterio in an inter-brand promotional match, however, Kane interfered, resulting in the match being declared a no-contest.[48] Following the match, Big Show and Kane attacked Mysterio until The Undertaker chased them from the ring.[48] Big Show and Kane returned to SmackDown! on December 2, defeating Mysterio and JBL after JBL abandoned the match, claiming the referee had poked him in the eye.[49] Following the match, Big Show and Kane's attempt to assault Mysterio was once again foiled, this time when Batista ran in to see them off.[49] As a result, on the December 16 episode of SmackDown!, Big Show and Kane were booked to face Batista and Mysterio, the Smackdown Tag Team Champions, at Armageddon 2005.[50] They won the match, which pitted the Tag Team Champions from each brand against one another.[51]
On the December 12 episode of Raw, Big Show took part in a qualifying match for a shot at the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution 2006.[52] Big Show lost to his opponent, Shawn Michaels, by disqualification after Triple H hit Michaels with a steel chair, intentionally costing Big Show the match and the title shot.[52] In retaliation, Wight cost Triple H his qualifying match with Kane later that evening.[52] On the December 26 episode of Raw, during the contract-signing for the announced match between Big Show and Triple H at New Year's Revolution, Triple H struck Big Show in the hand that Big Show apparently favors when using the chokeslam with his sledgehammer.[53] The following week, Big Show attacked Triple H while wearing a cast on his hand, using the padding provided by the cast to punch a hole in a chair held by Triple H, destroying a monitor from the announcers' table that Triple H intended to throw at him, and chasing Triple H away from the ring.[54] At New Year's Revolution, Triple H defeated Wight after striking him in the head with his sledgehammer.[55]
Subsequently, Big Show was one of eight participants in the 2006 Road to WrestleMania Tournament, the winner of which would receive a shot at the WWE Championship.[56] On the February 13 episode of Raw, Big Show faced Triple H in the tournament semi-finals in a match that ended in a double count-out.[57] As a result, Big Show and Triple H faced Rob Van Dam (the winner of the opposing semi-finals) in a Triple Threat match to determine the winner of the tournament on the February 20 episode of Raw.[58] The match was won by Triple H after he pinned RVD.[58]
In the weeks following the tournament, Big Show and Kane feuded with Chris Masters and Carlito, leading to a World Tag Team Championships title match being scheduled for WrestleMania 22.[59][60] Wight and Kane defeated Carlito and Masters, marking Big Show's first victory at WrestleMania after suffering six defeats.[61] On the following evening, Big Show and Kane lost the World Tag Team Championships to Spirit Squad members Kenny and Mikey following copious interference from the other members of the Spirit Squad.[62][63] They faced Spirit Squad members Johnny and Nicky in a rematch one week later, but lost via disqualification after Kane "snapped" and left the ring to attack the other members of the Spirit Squad.[64] The ensuing feud between Kane and Big Show culminated in a match at Backlash 2006 that ended in a ruling of no-contest.[65]
[edit] ECW Champion and departure (2006–2007) Show in December to Dismember. At WWE vs. ECW Head to Head on June 7, Big Show was drafted to the newly debuted ECW brand; he removed his Raw shirt to reveal an ECW shirt during a twenty man battle royal including members of the Raw and SmackDown rosters against members of the ECW roster.[66] Big Show won the match for ECW by eliminating Randy Orton.[66] Big Show then appeared at One Night Stand, attacking Tajiri, Super Crazy, and the Full Blooded Italians after their tag team match.[67]
On the July 4 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Big Show beat Van Dam to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on an ECW show in Philadelphia with the assistance of ECW's General Manager Paul Heyman, who declined to make the three-count for Van Dam after Van Dam hit his finisher Five Star Frog Splash on the Big Show.[68][69] Heyman then instructed Big Show to chokeslam Van Dam onto a steel chair, before making the three-count.[68] The fans almost rioted when Big Show became the ECW World Champion, throwing drinks and empty cups into the ring, as Heyman and Big Show celebrated, making him a villain again.[70] The victory made him the first ever professional wrestler to hold the WWE Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and ECW World Heavyweight Championship.[71] He is also the first non ECW Original to hold the ECW title. Over the next several weeks, Wight defeated many other wrestlers from other brands, such as Ric Flair and Kane to retain his championship but lost to Batista and The Undertaker by disqualification.[71][72][73] He lost to the Undertaker, however, at The Great American Bash in the first ever Punjabi Prison match;[74] he was a substitute for The Great Khali, who was removed by SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long and replaced with Big Show as punishment for an attack on The Undertaker shortly before the match.[74] He also had a brief feud with Sabu, whom he defeated at SummerSlam.[72][73][75]
At Cyber Sunday he faced John Cena and King Booker in a Champion of Champions match.[76] The fans voted for King Booker's World Heavyweight Championship to be on the line.[76] Booker won the match following interference from Kevin Federline, who was just beginning a feud with Cena at the time.[76] At Survivor Series, Cena wrestled Big Show in a traditional 10-Man Survivor Series Tag Team Match, with Cena and Bobby Lashley leaving as the sole survivors of the match after Cena pinned Big Show to claim the victory due to a double team with Lashley.[77] Big Show then began a feud with Lashley, who left SmackDown! to join the ECW brand to participate in the Extreme Elimination Chamber match at December to Dismember for the ECW Championship.[78] After busting Big Show open by breaking one of the plexiglass pods with his face, Lashley speared and pinned him to claim the ECW Championship. On December 6, 2006 following an unsuccessful rematch, WWE.com announced that Big Show was taking time off from the ring to heal injuries he had sustained on ECW.[79] After December to Dismember, Big Show told the WWE and he said "I'm a raw-boned bastard that breaks things and moves the immovable objects. When I'm injured, I can't do those things," the Big Show told the official WWE website. "I'm much more valuable healthy both mentally and physically, and this hiatus will help me to get there." WWE announced that Wight's WWE contract had expired on February 8, 2007, his 35th birthday.
[edit] PMG Clash of Legends (2007) After two month departure from WWE, Wight replaced Jerry "The King" Lawler when the WWE withdrew him from a match with former nWo partner Hulk Hogan at the PMG Clash of Legends on April 27, 2007. Wight was introduced as Paul "The Great" Wight. He stated that "Big Show" was his slave name and that he didn't want to be owned anymore.[80] Wight lost the match after Hogan picked him up and bodyslammed Wight and pinned him following the leg drop.
[edit] Return to WWE [edit] SmackDown (2008–2009) The Big Show arguing with referee Scott Armstrong. A noticeably slimmer Wight returned to WWE under his last used ring name (The) Big Show, at No Way Out, on February 17, stating that he has lost 108 pounds, previously weighing at least 500 pounds when he took time off from injuries. Wight then attempted to attack Rey Mysterio after his World Heavyweight Championship match with then champion Edge but got into a physical confrontation with boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. after Mayweather came from the crowd to defend his friend Rey. The confrontation ended with Mayweather breaking Wight's nose with a punching combination.[81] Big Show was then assigned to the SmackDown brand.[82]
Big Show lost to Mayweather at WrestleMania XXIV via knockout after a shot to the jaw with brass knuckles.[83] Shortly after, Big Show entered a feud with The Great Khali, concluding at Backlash, where Big Show defeated Khali pinning him after executing a chokeslam.[84]
At One Night Stand, Show defeated CM Punk, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero, and Tommy Dreamer in a Singapore Cane match. During the bout, he received a black eye and deep gash along the eyebrow which required stitches after John Morrison swung a Singapore cane to his knee which caused Show to fall with the steps. As he fell, the steps accidentally moved to the right which hit Show in the eye. The win gave him contention[85] to face Kane and Mark Henry at Night of Champions for the ECW Championship, which Henry won by pinfall.[86]
Big Show once again became a villain by siding with Vickie Guerrero in her ongoing feud with The Undertaker by attacking him at Unforgiven, and later interfering in many of Undertaker's matches on SmackDown, most notably against Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Chavo Guerrero, and The Great Khali. He went on to defeat Undertaker by knockout at No Mercy. However, Show lost to him in a fan voted Last Man Standing match at Cyber Sunday and a Casket Match at Survivor Series. Show would then go on to lose a Steel Cage match against The Undertaker on SmackDown, ending the feud. At No Way Out, Show wrestled in the Elimination Chamber for the WWE Championship, but lost after being the third person eliminated by Triple H.[87] In March, it was revealed by John Cena that the Big Show was having secret relations with Vickie Guerrero. At WrestleMania XXV, Show was involved in a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship featuring champion Edge and John Cena. Once again, he was unsuccessful as Cena won.[88]
[edit] Raw and Unified WWE Tag Team Champion (2008–2010) See also: Jeri-Show and ShoMiz On April 13, Big Show was drafted to the Raw brand as a part of the 2009 WWE Draft.[89] At Backlash, Big Show interfered in a Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Cena and Edge when he threw Cena into a spotlight, thus resulting in Edge winning the title and Cena being seriously injured.[90] He continued to feud with John Cena, losing to him at Judgment Day by pinfall and at Extreme Rules by submission by Cena's submission known as the STF,[91][92] before defeating Cena on the June 22 episode of Raw to end the feud.[93]
Big Show and Chris Jericho as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions, forming an alliance known as JeriShow. In the weeks prior to Night of Champions, Big Show constantly attacked U.S. Champion Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne among others. He would go on to develop a feud with Kingston for the U.S. Title and earn himself a spot in the six-pack challenge at Night of Champions. At the event, Big Show was announced as Chris Jericho's new tag team partner due to Edge needing time off to tend to an injury, thus taking Show out of the six-pack challenge for the U.S. Title. Together, Jeri-Show were able to successfully defend the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship against The Legacy.[94] Jeri-Show would successfully defend their titles against Cryme Tyme at SummerSlam, MVP and Mark Henry at Breaking Point and also Rey Mysterio and Batista at Hell in a Cell.[95][96][97] At Bragging Rights, Big Show represented Team Raw, but he betrayed and attacked his team-mates, which led to Team SmackDown winning, so that he could receive an opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship.[98] Big Show received his title shot at Survivor Series in a triple threat match against the Undertaker and Jericho, but the Undertaker successfully retained his title.[99]
The 140 day reign of Jeri-Show as Unified Tag Team Champions came to an end at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view at the hands of D-Generation X (DX).[100] As a member of the SmackDown roster, Jericho could only appear on Raw as a champion and so DX intentionally disqualified themselves in a rematch to force Jericho off the show.[101] Eventually the teams had a match with a definitive finish, though DX still won, signalling the end of Jeri-Show.[102]
Big Show during his second Unified WWE Tag Team Championship reign with The Miz (collectively known as ShoMiz) before their title defense at WrestleMania XXVI. On the February 8 episode of Raw, Show regained the title from DX with his new tag team partner The Miz in a Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination match which also included the Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows).[103] On February 16, he and Miz successfully defended the title against Yoshi Tatsu and Goldust on the final episode of ECW.[104] On the March 1 episode of Raw, Show and Miz defeated DX in their rematch.[105] At WrestleMania XXVI, Show and Miz defeated John Morrison and R-Truth to retain the title again.[106] At Extreme Rules ShoMiz was in a tag team gauntlet match where the tag team which beat ShoMiz would get a tag title match the next night on Raw. ShoMiz managed to beat the first two teams in the gauntlet match, the first team of John Morrison and R-Truth and the second team of MVP and Mark Henry. However, the third team, the Hart Dynasty managed to beat ShoMiz and thus they earned their title shot.[107]
[edit] Brand Switches and various feuds (2010–2011) See also: Big Show and Kane Big Show at Royal Rumble On the April 26, 2010 episode of Raw, Show and Miz lost the Unified Tag Team Titles to The Hart Dynasty. After the title loss, Big Show struck Miz with a knockout punch and hugged Teddy Long, making him a face in the process.[108] Later on in the night as part of the 2010 WWE Draft, Big Show was drafted back to the SmackDown brand.[109] He returned to the brand on the April 30 episode of SmackDown, and was subsequently named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, later on in the night he interrupted World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger as he was giving his "State of Championship Address" and knocked him out with his signature punch. On the May 7 episode of SmackDown, Big Show sat ringside during the Swagger/Kane main event. After Swagger was disqualified, Show chokeslammed him through the announce table.[110] He would also crash Swagger's achievement celebration and cost his match with Kofi Kingston in the following weeks. Big Show defeated Jack Swagger via disqualification at Over The Limit.[111] On the May 27 episode of Smackdown, General Manager Thedore Long announced that qualifying matches were going to take place that night for the World Heavyweight Championship match at WWE Fatal 4-Way. Long then announced due to Jack Swagger losing his match with Big Show via disqualification at Over the Limit, Big Show qualified automatically, but was unsuccessful in.[112] The following night, Swagger debuted his new finishing move The Ankle Lock applied the submission move on Big Show, thus injuring his ankle and continuing their feud. Two weeks later on Smackdown, Big Show saved Rey Mysterio, whose ankle was injured by the same move, from Swagger. Later that night, Big Show fought Swagger to a double count-out. Soon he began a feud with CM Punk and his Straight Edge Society confronting him the Friday night before the Money in the Bank event and would unmask Punk revealing his bald head. After failing to win the ladder match for the Money in the Bank contract,[113] he fought the mysterious masked member of the SES also unmasking him revealing Joey Mercury as the masked member. Show's feud with the Straight Edge Society continued after he defeated them in a 3 on 1 Handicap match at SummerSlam[114] and CM Punk at Night of Champions.[115] Big Show was announced as Team SmackDown's captain for Bragging Rights on the October 8 episode of SmackDown. At the event, Big Show was counted out with Sheamus during the match but his team ultimately won with Edge and Rey Mysterio left on the team.[116] He was on Rey Mysterio's team for Survivor Series where he was a survivor along with Mysterio.[117] The following episode of SmackDown, he was unsuccessful in qualifying for King of the Ring as he was defeated by Alberto Del Rio by count-out thanks to interference by his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez.
Big Show at Tribute to Troops 2010 At the SmackDown tapings on January 4, Big Show participated in a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. He lost due to interference by former Nexus leader Wade Barrett. The next week, Show faced Barrett, and won via DQ, when former Nexus members Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel attacked him. Moments later Ezekiel Jackson appeared to help him, but instead attacked Big Show. The next week, Barrett, Slater, Gabriel and Jackson informed that they had formed the Corre. In the following weeks, the Corre continued to assault Show, due to the size and power of Ezekiel Jackson. At Elimination Chamber, Show participated in the Elimination Chamber match, eliminating Wade Barrett before eliminated by Kane.[118] Big Show would feud with the Corre in the following weeks.
On the March 4 episode of SmackDown, Big Show faced Kane in a confrontation until the Corre interfered on Kane's behalf.[119] However, a miscommunication led to Kane turning on the Corre. Big Show and Kane thus reunited to take on the Corre. At WrestleMania XXVII, Big Show and Kane would team together with Santino Marella and Kofi Kingston to beat the Corre.[120] On the April 22 episode of SmackDown, the duo defeated Corre members Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater to win the WWE Tag Team Championship, their second championship win as a team.[121]
Big Show was drafted to Raw as a part of the 2011 WWE Draft. He and Kane then started feuding with the New Nexus. After defending the titles against Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson at Extreme Rules[122] and CM Punk and Mason Ryan at Over the Limit,[123] Kane and Big Show lost their titles to Michael McGilligutty and David Otunga on the following day on Raw.[124] After losing the titles, Show was run over by Alberto Del Rio's car, driven by his ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez, and was sidelined with an injury for almost a month. He returned during a match between Kane and Del Rio, attacking both Del Rio and Rodriguez.[125]
Show then began feuding with Mark Henry after he attacked and injured him on the June 17 edition of SmackDown, as Big Show's frustrations and anger towards Del Rio was redirected unintentionally to Mark Henry. Henry retaliated by attacking Big Show during his match on Capitol Punishment and hitting him with the World Strongest Slam through the announce table, thus costing Show his match against Del Rio.[126] Henry did same thing on Kane through the announce table the next day on Raw after their arm wrestling match, and again on the June 27 episode. Henry then broke the cage door during the steel cage between Big Show and Alberto Del Rio, allowing Del Rio to escape. He then attacked Show with the cage door, breaking the cage viciously. On July 17, 2011 at Money in the Bank, Henry defeated Big Show. After the match, Henry fractured Show's fibula, keeping him out of action for almost four months.[127]
[edit] World Heavyweight Champion (2011–present) On the October 7 edition of SmackDown, Show returned to SmackDown and became number-one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after he attacked Mark Henry and chokeslammed him through the announcer table.[128] At Vengeance Big Show fought Mark Henry to a no-contest after the ring collapsed just like what Brock Lesnar did to him in 2003. Big Show faced Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship once again at Survivor Series winning via disqualification when Henry hit Show with a low blow, afterwards he leg dropped a steel chair on Henry's leg, much like what Henry did to Show months before.[129]
On December 18 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Big Show finally defeated Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Chairs Match. However, Henry would knock Big Show out with a DDT onto a steel chair and Daniel Bryan immediately cashed his Money in the Bank contract on Big Show to win the title from him.[130] Show challenged Bryan for his world title on the January 6, 2012 episode of Smackdown, but Bryan retained his title by disqualification when he goaded Mark Henry into attacking him.[131] The following week on SmackDown, Show received a rematch for the title contested under no disqualification, no count-out rules. Bryan again retained his title as the rematch ended in a no contest after Show accidentally crashed into AJ (Bryan's storyline girlfriend) at ringside, injuring her.[132] At the 2012 Royal Rumble event, Show faced Bryan and Henry in a triple threat steel cage match for the world title, but Bryan escaped the steel cage to retain his title.[133] At the 2012 Elimination chamber event, Show failed again to capture the World Heavyweight Championship after he was eliminated second by Cody Rhodes.[134]
In professional wrestling, Wight is a six-time world champion, having won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship twice, the WWF/E Championship twice, the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once, and the World Heavyweight Championship once, making him the first person ever to hold all four championships. Wight is the most recent of four men to have held an incarnation of the Big Gold Belt in both WCW and WWE (the others being Bill Goldberg, Chris Benoit, Booker T). In addition to these championships, he has also won the WWE United States Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship five times (twice with The Undertaker, once with Kane, once with Chris Jericho, and once with The Miz), the WWE Tag Team Championship three times (once each with Chris Jericho, The Miz, and Kane) and the WWF Hardcore Championship three times.
Billed as "The World's Largest Athlete", Wight initially came to prominence through his career in the now defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1995 until 1999, then known simply as The Giant—a moniker which remains a nickname in WWE. In addition to being a two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and the youngest man to ever hold the title, he is a three-time WCW World Tag Team Champion and the winner of the 1996 World War 3. Between WWE and WCW, Wight has held 21 total championships. Big Show, along with Triple H, holds the record for the most losses at Wrestlemania.
Outside of professional wrestling, Wight has appeared in feature films and television series such as The Waterboy, Star Trek: Enterprise, and USA Network's comedy-drama Royal Pains and the action-drama Burn Notice. In 2010, he had his first major role in the comedy film Knucklehead, which was produced by WWE Studios. Wight has made it known that he would like continue his acting career and expand beyond roles based on his size.[7]
Contents [hide]
- 1 Professional wrestling career
- 2 Other media
- 3 Personal life
- 4 In wrestling
- 5 Championships and accomplishments
- 6 References
- 7 External links
After The Giant destroyed Hulk Hogan's Harley-Davidson Motorcycle using a monster truck, Hogan challenged him to a "Monster Truck Battle" at Halloween Havoc.[8] On October 29, the battle took place atop Cobo Hall, with each man driving a monster truck and trying to force the other truck out of a circle, as in a sumo wrestling contest. Hogan won the match when Giant descended from his vehicle and appeared to fall from the roof. Later that night, The Giant came to the ring with The Taskmaster and challenged Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, making his WCW in-ring debut.[9] Giant was awarded the victory by disqualification after interference from Jimmy Hart, Hogan's manager. Hart then revealed that the contract Hogan signed (which he had written) had a clause stating that the title would change hands on a disqualification, and, as Hart had intentionally caused a disqualification, the Giant won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. At 23 years old, The Giant became the youngest WCW World Heavyweight Champion. The title was vacated one week later as a result of the controversial finish.[8][10][11]
The Giant tried to reclaim the title at World War 3 but was foiled by Hogan, who helped Randy Savage win the vacant title.[12][13] The Giant teamed with Ric Flair to defeat Hogan and Savage at Clash of the Champions XXXII,[14] but was decisively beaten by Hogan in a Cage match at SuperBrawl VI.[15][16]
After a short feud with Loch Ness,[17][18] The Giant won the World Heavyweight Championship a second time by defeating Ric Flair.[11] After Hogan formed the New World Order (nWo), he defeated The Giant for the Championship at Hog Wild following interference from Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.[19][20] The Giant joined the nWo twenty three days later, citing Ted DiBiase's money as his primary motivation, feuding with Lex Luger and the Four Horsemen.[8][10] The Giant was thrown out of the nWo on December 30 for asking Hogan for a World Heavyweight Championship title match. He fought against the nWo along with Sting and Lex Luger, winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship twice.[8]
In 1997, The Giant began a feud with nWo member Kevin Nash, who constantly dodged Giant, failing to appear for their scheduled match at Starrcade. In 1998 at Souled Out the two finally met in the ring, with Nash accidentally injuring Wight's neck when he botched a Jackknife Powerbomb.[21][22] When Nash left the nWo and formed his own stable, the nWo Wolfpac, The Giant rejoined the original nWo to oppose Nash and his allies. While back with the nWo, The Giant won two more Tag Team Championships, once with Sting as an unwilling partner (as the match was signed before The Giant returned to the nWo) and once with Scott Hall. In the interim between those two reigns, he lost his half of the Tag Team Championship to Sting in a singles match where only the winner would remain champion and choose a partner for the second half of the team.
On the October 11, 1998, episode of WCW Monday Nitro, Goldberg defeated The Giant in a no-disqualification match; in a show of strength, Goldberg executed a delayed vertical suplex before hitting the Jackhammer on The Giant.[23][24][25] After the nWo Hollywood and the nWo Wolfpac merged together again in January 1999, Hogan declared that there was only room for one "giant" in the group, and forced Giant and Nash to wrestle for that spot. Nash defeated him following a run-in by Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff. The Giant was then attacked by the entire nWo. Wight allowed his WCW contract to expire on February 8, 1999 at his 27th birthday.
[edit] World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment [edit] Debut and WWF Champion (1999–2000) Wight signed a ten-year contract with the World Wrestling Federation on February 9, 1999,[10] debuting as a villain and a member of Vince McMahon's stable, The Corporation, at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House. During the McMahon versus Steve Austin cage match, Wight tore through the canvas from underneath the ring and attacked Austin. However, Wight cost McMahon the match when he threw Austin into the side of the cage and the cage broke, spilling Austin outside to the floor and granting him the victory. Wight subsequently served as McMahon's enforcer.[8]
Wight posing with a fan in April 1999. Wight performed as "Big Nasty" Paul Wight for several weeks before being renamed "Big Show" Paul Wight.[10][not in citation given] He then gradually dropped his real name, eventually being referred to simply as (The) Big Show. McMahon wanted to ensure that Corporation member The Rock would retain his title at WrestleMania, so he had Wight wrestle Mankind at WrestleMania XV for the right to referee the main event. Wight incapacitated Mankind, but got disqualified in the process, meaning that he could not be referee. Mankind won the right to be the official but was taken to a hospital following the match with Wight (although he eventually returned during the Championship match). After a furious McMahon slapped Wight, he punched McMahon. Wight concluded his feud with Foley in a Boiler Room Brawl before turning into a fan favorite and joining Mankind, Test, and Ken Shamrock in a stable known as The Union who fought against the Corporation, and later against The Corporate Ministry. On the May 10 episode of Monday Night Raw, Show was pitted against The Undertaker's manager Paul Bearer. On the June 7 episode of Raw, Big Show faced The Undertaker for the WWF Championship. Undertaker attempted a clothesline from the top turnbuckle, however Wight caught him and delivered a chokeslam which sent Undertaker crashing through the ring mat; the referee was forced to stop the match so The Undertaker retained his title. Following the match Bradshaw, Faarooq, and Mideon all ran down to attack Big Show and were all subsequently chokeslammed as well. Big Show and The Undertaker later formed an unlikely alliance, wrestling against X-Pac and Kane. As a team, Show and The Undertaker won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice.[8]
When The Undertaker was sidelined with injuries, Big Show set his sights on the WWF Championship. After Steve Austin was injured at the 1999 Survivor Series, Wight was given his place in the Triple Threat match for the WWF Championship. In that match, which also featured The Rock, he pinned Triple H to become WWF Champion.[8][10] At the same time, Big Show feuded with the Big Boss Man. After it was announced that Big Show's father was terminally ill with cancer, the Boss Man had one of his crooked police colleagues inform Show that his father has died, and then mocked Show's tearful reaction. Several weeks later, when it was announced Big Show's father had actually died (in reality, Wight's father had died years before), the Boss Man interrupted the ten-bell toll by reciting an offensive poem. Later, Boss Man invaded the funeral and used a chain to couple the coffin to the hearse, towing the coffin away with a grief stricken Wight clinging on to it. At Armageddon 1999, Show defeated Boss Man to retain his WWF Championship, despite interference by Bossman's protégé Prince Albert.[26]
On the January 3, 2000 episode of Raw, Triple H defeated Wight for the WWF Championship. Trying to regain the title, Wight participated in the Royal Rumble match and turned heel when he antagonized The Rock. The Rock eliminated him to win the Royal Rumble. Wight was convinced that he had won, and eventually produced a video tape that showed The Rock's feet striking the ground first.[8] He was then given a match with The Rock at No Way Out, with the WrestleMania title shot on the line. Wight defeated The Rock when Shane McMahon interfered, knocking The Rock out with a chair shot. Rock was desperate to reclaim his title shot, and eventually agreed to a match with Wight on the March 13 episode of Raw – if he won, the WrestleMania title match would become a Triple Threat match, and if he lost, he would retire from the WWF. Shane McMahon, now actively supporting Wight's bid to become champion, appointed himself as the special guest referee. However, The Rock triumphed when Vince McMahon assaulted Shane and donned the referee shirt, personally making the three count following a Rock Bottom.
On the March 20 episode of Raw, Triple H defended the title against The Rock and Wight on the condition that the match would not take place at WrestleMania, pinning Wight. Linda McMahon stated this match would not occur at WrestleMania as Triple H would defend the title there in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match, with Mick Foley as the fourth man. Wight was the first man eliminated from the match at WrestleMania 2000 after the other three competitors worked together against him.[8]
After WrestleMania, Wight became a fan favorite again by starting a comical gimmick where he began mimicking other wrestlers, lampooning Rikishi as Showkishi, The Berzerker as Shonan the Barbarian, and Val Venis as The Big Showbowski. He defeated Kurt Angle at Backlash dressed like his friend and role model Hulk Hogan as the Showster, complete with skullcap/wig and yellow tights.[8] Wight began feuding with Shane McMahon after Shane voiced his disapproval of Big Show's antics. At Judgment Day 2000, Shane defeated Wight in a Falls Count Anywhere match following interference from Big Boss Man, Bull Buchanan, Test, and Albert.[27] Wight returned two months later, apparently intending to gain revenge on Shane. Instead, he became a villain again and attacked The Undertaker thus siding with Shane once more, forming a short-lived stable known as "The Conspiracy" with Shane, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, and Edge and Christian. After The Undertaker threw Wight off a stage through a table, he was removed from WWF television for the remainder of the year. Wight was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling, a WWF developmental territory, to lose weight and improve his cardiovascular fitness.[8][10][28]
[edit] Various feuds (2001–2002) Big Show competing for the Raw brand. Wight returned at the 2001 Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by The Rock.[29] Angered by his quick elimination, Wight proceeded to chokeslam The Rock through the announcer's table before leaving the arena. He then began competing for the WWF Hardcore Championship, which he lost to Kane in a Triple Threat match which also included Raven at WrestleMania X-Seven.[30]
Throughout The Invasion, Wight remained loyal to the WWF, which made him a fan favorite again. He faced Shane McMahon, the on-screen owner of WCW, in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash and was defeated following interference from Test.[31] Wight was also part of the victorious Team WWF at Survivor Series, though he was the first man eliminated.[32]
Wight was drafted by Ric Flair (representing the Raw brand) in the 2002 draft. He then immediately became a villain again by turning on Steve Austin in tag team match that included him and Bradshaw. At Judgment Day, Wight and Ric Flair were defeated by Austin in a Handicap match. Wight once again joined the New World Order, but the stable disbanded after Kevin Nash was injured.[8] After the nWo disbanded, Wight achieved little success on Raw after losing matches against Jeff Hardy, Booker T, and the Dudley Boyz.
[edit] WWE Champion and United States Champion (2002–2005) Show as United States Champion. In late 2002, Big Show was traded to SmackDown!, immediately challenging Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. During this time, Big Show adopted a new attire, donning black jeans and taking on a new hairstyle and facial hair. Big Show became a two-time WWE Champion defeating Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. He lost the title to Kurt Angle a month later at Armageddon. At the Royal Rumble, Big Show lost a Royal Rumble Qualifying Match to Lesnar. He then began feuding with The Undertaker, after Big Show threw him off the stage, injuring his neck, leading to Big Show and his partner A-Train losing to The Undertaker at WrestleMania XIX. He renewed his feud with Lesnar, wrestling him four times for the WWE title (including a Stretcher match at Judgment Day) but was unsuccessful in his attempt to regain the title. On the June 26, 2003 episode of SmackDown! Big Show, Shelton Benjamin, and Charlie Haas defeated Mr. America (a disguised Hulk Hogan), Brock Lesnar, and Kurt Angle in a six-man tag team match when Show pinned Mr. America. This was Hulk Hogan's last appearance as Mr. America. For several months afterwards, WWE hyped up Big Show as the man who retired Hogan. At No Mercy, Big Show defeated Eddie Guerrero for the WWE United States Championship and then formed an alliance with the then WWE Champion Brock Lesnar.
Big Show in Tribute to the Troops 2004. Big Show abandoned a departing Lesnar immediately before WrestleMania XX. At the pay-per-view, Big Show lost the United States Championship to John Cena.[8] On the April 15, 2004 episode of SmackDown!, Big Show promised to quit if he failed to defeat Eddie Guerrero that night.[33] He lost to Guerrero (Guerrero had snuck a wrench in the back of Big Show's boot, which got Big Show disqualified), and, believing that Torrie Wilson had laughed at him for losing, upended her car and threatened to throw her off a ledge.[33] Then-General Manager of SmackDown!, Kurt Angle ascended the ledge to try to talk some reason into Big Show, but he chokeslammed Angle off the ledge, kayfabe concussing him and breaking his leg, as well as causing the back of Angle's head to bleed.[33] After the show, Big Show was neither seen nor heard from on WWE television for months.
Big Show in 2004. In mid-2004, Big Show was reinstated by new General Manager Theodore Long, as he interfered during a Lumberjack match between Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle. Big Show had a choice to face either Guerrero or Angle at No Mercy, choosing to fight Angle, thus becoming a fan favorite. Big Show defeated Angle at the event.[34] In the weeks before the match, He claimed to have "lost his dignity" when Angle tranquilized him in the middle of the ring using a dart gun and shaved his head.[8]
On April 3, 2005 at WrestleMania 21, Big Show faced Sumo Grand Champion Akebono in a worked sumo match;[35] the match was added to the show to attract a strong pay-per-view audience in Japan, where Akebono is considered a sporting legend. In the weeks preceding the match, Big Show pushed over a jeep driven to the ring by Luther Reigns to show that he was capable of moving the marginally heavier Akebono. Big Show lost to Akebono at WrestleMania 21.[35] Big Show subsequently feuded with Carlito Caribbean Cool and his bodyguard, Matt Morgan.[36] preventing him from participating in a scheduled Six-Man Elimination match for the SmackDown! Championship. He successfully pinned Gene Snitsky in a Tag Team match which turned into a singles match when both men's partners brawled backstage. After squashing his scheduled opponents for several weeks, Wight returned to his rivalry with Snitsky. On August 22, he foiled Snitsky's harassment of backstage interviewer Maria.[37] On August 29, Snitsky hit Big Show with the ring bell immediately after Big Show had won a match.[38] As a result, Big Show and Snitsky were placed in a match at Unforgiven, in which Big Show defeated Snitsky.[39] On September 26, Big Show defeated Snitsky again in a Street Fight.[40]
[edit] Teaming with Kane (2005–2006) On October 17, Big Show defeated Edge and was thus entered in an online opinion poll, with the winner of the poll facing John Cena and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship at Taboo Tuesday 2005.[41] The poll was won by Shawn Michaels, meaning that the other two options would wrestle for the World Tag Team Championships.[42] Big Show teamed with Kane to defeat Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch for the Tag Team Championships.[43]
In the weeks preceding Survivor Series 2005, Big Show became involved in the rivalry between the Raw and SmackDown! brands. Big Show and Kane invaded the November 11 episode of SmackDown! and, along with Edge, attacked Batista (inadvertently injuring him in the process).[44] On the November 14 episode of Raw, Big Show and Kane defeated SmackDown! wrestlers and reigning WWE Tag Team Champions MNM in an inter-brand, non-title match.[45] On November 21, Big Show and Kane "injured" Batista by delivering a double chokeslam onto the windshield of a car.[46] At Survivor Series, Show, Kane, Carlito, Chris Masters, and team captain Shawn Michaels represented Raw in a match with Team SmackDown!: JBL, Rey Mysterio, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, and Batista.[47] Team SmackDown! won the match, with Orton being the sole survivor.[47] On the November 29 episode of SmackDown!, Big Show wrestled Rey Mysterio in an inter-brand promotional match, however, Kane interfered, resulting in the match being declared a no-contest.[48] Following the match, Big Show and Kane attacked Mysterio until The Undertaker chased them from the ring.[48] Big Show and Kane returned to SmackDown! on December 2, defeating Mysterio and JBL after JBL abandoned the match, claiming the referee had poked him in the eye.[49] Following the match, Big Show and Kane's attempt to assault Mysterio was once again foiled, this time when Batista ran in to see them off.[49] As a result, on the December 16 episode of SmackDown!, Big Show and Kane were booked to face Batista and Mysterio, the Smackdown Tag Team Champions, at Armageddon 2005.[50] They won the match, which pitted the Tag Team Champions from each brand against one another.[51]
On the December 12 episode of Raw, Big Show took part in a qualifying match for a shot at the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution 2006.[52] Big Show lost to his opponent, Shawn Michaels, by disqualification after Triple H hit Michaels with a steel chair, intentionally costing Big Show the match and the title shot.[52] In retaliation, Wight cost Triple H his qualifying match with Kane later that evening.[52] On the December 26 episode of Raw, during the contract-signing for the announced match between Big Show and Triple H at New Year's Revolution, Triple H struck Big Show in the hand that Big Show apparently favors when using the chokeslam with his sledgehammer.[53] The following week, Big Show attacked Triple H while wearing a cast on his hand, using the padding provided by the cast to punch a hole in a chair held by Triple H, destroying a monitor from the announcers' table that Triple H intended to throw at him, and chasing Triple H away from the ring.[54] At New Year's Revolution, Triple H defeated Wight after striking him in the head with his sledgehammer.[55]
Subsequently, Big Show was one of eight participants in the 2006 Road to WrestleMania Tournament, the winner of which would receive a shot at the WWE Championship.[56] On the February 13 episode of Raw, Big Show faced Triple H in the tournament semi-finals in a match that ended in a double count-out.[57] As a result, Big Show and Triple H faced Rob Van Dam (the winner of the opposing semi-finals) in a Triple Threat match to determine the winner of the tournament on the February 20 episode of Raw.[58] The match was won by Triple H after he pinned RVD.[58]
In the weeks following the tournament, Big Show and Kane feuded with Chris Masters and Carlito, leading to a World Tag Team Championships title match being scheduled for WrestleMania 22.[59][60] Wight and Kane defeated Carlito and Masters, marking Big Show's first victory at WrestleMania after suffering six defeats.[61] On the following evening, Big Show and Kane lost the World Tag Team Championships to Spirit Squad members Kenny and Mikey following copious interference from the other members of the Spirit Squad.[62][63] They faced Spirit Squad members Johnny and Nicky in a rematch one week later, but lost via disqualification after Kane "snapped" and left the ring to attack the other members of the Spirit Squad.[64] The ensuing feud between Kane and Big Show culminated in a match at Backlash 2006 that ended in a ruling of no-contest.[65]
[edit] ECW Champion and departure (2006–2007) Show in December to Dismember. At WWE vs. ECW Head to Head on June 7, Big Show was drafted to the newly debuted ECW brand; he removed his Raw shirt to reveal an ECW shirt during a twenty man battle royal including members of the Raw and SmackDown rosters against members of the ECW roster.[66] Big Show won the match for ECW by eliminating Randy Orton.[66] Big Show then appeared at One Night Stand, attacking Tajiri, Super Crazy, and the Full Blooded Italians after their tag team match.[67]
On the July 4 episode of ECW on Sci Fi, Big Show beat Van Dam to win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on an ECW show in Philadelphia with the assistance of ECW's General Manager Paul Heyman, who declined to make the three-count for Van Dam after Van Dam hit his finisher Five Star Frog Splash on the Big Show.[68][69] Heyman then instructed Big Show to chokeslam Van Dam onto a steel chair, before making the three-count.[68] The fans almost rioted when Big Show became the ECW World Champion, throwing drinks and empty cups into the ring, as Heyman and Big Show celebrated, making him a villain again.[70] The victory made him the first ever professional wrestler to hold the WWE Championship, WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and ECW World Heavyweight Championship.[71] He is also the first non ECW Original to hold the ECW title. Over the next several weeks, Wight defeated many other wrestlers from other brands, such as Ric Flair and Kane to retain his championship but lost to Batista and The Undertaker by disqualification.[71][72][73] He lost to the Undertaker, however, at The Great American Bash in the first ever Punjabi Prison match;[74] he was a substitute for The Great Khali, who was removed by SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long and replaced with Big Show as punishment for an attack on The Undertaker shortly before the match.[74] He also had a brief feud with Sabu, whom he defeated at SummerSlam.[72][73][75]
At Cyber Sunday he faced John Cena and King Booker in a Champion of Champions match.[76] The fans voted for King Booker's World Heavyweight Championship to be on the line.[76] Booker won the match following interference from Kevin Federline, who was just beginning a feud with Cena at the time.[76] At Survivor Series, Cena wrestled Big Show in a traditional 10-Man Survivor Series Tag Team Match, with Cena and Bobby Lashley leaving as the sole survivors of the match after Cena pinned Big Show to claim the victory due to a double team with Lashley.[77] Big Show then began a feud with Lashley, who left SmackDown! to join the ECW brand to participate in the Extreme Elimination Chamber match at December to Dismember for the ECW Championship.[78] After busting Big Show open by breaking one of the plexiglass pods with his face, Lashley speared and pinned him to claim the ECW Championship. On December 6, 2006 following an unsuccessful rematch, WWE.com announced that Big Show was taking time off from the ring to heal injuries he had sustained on ECW.[79] After December to Dismember, Big Show told the WWE and he said "I'm a raw-boned bastard that breaks things and moves the immovable objects. When I'm injured, I can't do those things," the Big Show told the official WWE website. "I'm much more valuable healthy both mentally and physically, and this hiatus will help me to get there." WWE announced that Wight's WWE contract had expired on February 8, 2007, his 35th birthday.
[edit] PMG Clash of Legends (2007) After two month departure from WWE, Wight replaced Jerry "The King" Lawler when the WWE withdrew him from a match with former nWo partner Hulk Hogan at the PMG Clash of Legends on April 27, 2007. Wight was introduced as Paul "The Great" Wight. He stated that "Big Show" was his slave name and that he didn't want to be owned anymore.[80] Wight lost the match after Hogan picked him up and bodyslammed Wight and pinned him following the leg drop.
[edit] Return to WWE [edit] SmackDown (2008–2009) The Big Show arguing with referee Scott Armstrong. A noticeably slimmer Wight returned to WWE under his last used ring name (The) Big Show, at No Way Out, on February 17, stating that he has lost 108 pounds, previously weighing at least 500 pounds when he took time off from injuries. Wight then attempted to attack Rey Mysterio after his World Heavyweight Championship match with then champion Edge but got into a physical confrontation with boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. after Mayweather came from the crowd to defend his friend Rey. The confrontation ended with Mayweather breaking Wight's nose with a punching combination.[81] Big Show was then assigned to the SmackDown brand.[82]
Big Show lost to Mayweather at WrestleMania XXIV via knockout after a shot to the jaw with brass knuckles.[83] Shortly after, Big Show entered a feud with The Great Khali, concluding at Backlash, where Big Show defeated Khali pinning him after executing a chokeslam.[84]
At One Night Stand, Show defeated CM Punk, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero, and Tommy Dreamer in a Singapore Cane match. During the bout, he received a black eye and deep gash along the eyebrow which required stitches after John Morrison swung a Singapore cane to his knee which caused Show to fall with the steps. As he fell, the steps accidentally moved to the right which hit Show in the eye. The win gave him contention[85] to face Kane and Mark Henry at Night of Champions for the ECW Championship, which Henry won by pinfall.[86]
Big Show once again became a villain by siding with Vickie Guerrero in her ongoing feud with The Undertaker by attacking him at Unforgiven, and later interfering in many of Undertaker's matches on SmackDown, most notably against Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Chavo Guerrero, and The Great Khali. He went on to defeat Undertaker by knockout at No Mercy. However, Show lost to him in a fan voted Last Man Standing match at Cyber Sunday and a Casket Match at Survivor Series. Show would then go on to lose a Steel Cage match against The Undertaker on SmackDown, ending the feud. At No Way Out, Show wrestled in the Elimination Chamber for the WWE Championship, but lost after being the third person eliminated by Triple H.[87] In March, it was revealed by John Cena that the Big Show was having secret relations with Vickie Guerrero. At WrestleMania XXV, Show was involved in a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship featuring champion Edge and John Cena. Once again, he was unsuccessful as Cena won.[88]
[edit] Raw and Unified WWE Tag Team Champion (2008–2010) See also: Jeri-Show and ShoMiz On April 13, Big Show was drafted to the Raw brand as a part of the 2009 WWE Draft.[89] At Backlash, Big Show interfered in a Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Cena and Edge when he threw Cena into a spotlight, thus resulting in Edge winning the title and Cena being seriously injured.[90] He continued to feud with John Cena, losing to him at Judgment Day by pinfall and at Extreme Rules by submission by Cena's submission known as the STF,[91][92] before defeating Cena on the June 22 episode of Raw to end the feud.[93]
Big Show and Chris Jericho as the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions, forming an alliance known as JeriShow. In the weeks prior to Night of Champions, Big Show constantly attacked U.S. Champion Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne among others. He would go on to develop a feud with Kingston for the U.S. Title and earn himself a spot in the six-pack challenge at Night of Champions. At the event, Big Show was announced as Chris Jericho's new tag team partner due to Edge needing time off to tend to an injury, thus taking Show out of the six-pack challenge for the U.S. Title. Together, Jeri-Show were able to successfully defend the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship against The Legacy.[94] Jeri-Show would successfully defend their titles against Cryme Tyme at SummerSlam, MVP and Mark Henry at Breaking Point and also Rey Mysterio and Batista at Hell in a Cell.[95][96][97] At Bragging Rights, Big Show represented Team Raw, but he betrayed and attacked his team-mates, which led to Team SmackDown winning, so that he could receive an opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship.[98] Big Show received his title shot at Survivor Series in a triple threat match against the Undertaker and Jericho, but the Undertaker successfully retained his title.[99]
The 140 day reign of Jeri-Show as Unified Tag Team Champions came to an end at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view at the hands of D-Generation X (DX).[100] As a member of the SmackDown roster, Jericho could only appear on Raw as a champion and so DX intentionally disqualified themselves in a rematch to force Jericho off the show.[101] Eventually the teams had a match with a definitive finish, though DX still won, signalling the end of Jeri-Show.[102]
Big Show during his second Unified WWE Tag Team Championship reign with The Miz (collectively known as ShoMiz) before their title defense at WrestleMania XXVI. On the February 8 episode of Raw, Show regained the title from DX with his new tag team partner The Miz in a Triple Threat Tag Team Elimination match which also included the Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows).[103] On February 16, he and Miz successfully defended the title against Yoshi Tatsu and Goldust on the final episode of ECW.[104] On the March 1 episode of Raw, Show and Miz defeated DX in their rematch.[105] At WrestleMania XXVI, Show and Miz defeated John Morrison and R-Truth to retain the title again.[106] At Extreme Rules ShoMiz was in a tag team gauntlet match where the tag team which beat ShoMiz would get a tag title match the next night on Raw. ShoMiz managed to beat the first two teams in the gauntlet match, the first team of John Morrison and R-Truth and the second team of MVP and Mark Henry. However, the third team, the Hart Dynasty managed to beat ShoMiz and thus they earned their title shot.[107]
[edit] Brand Switches and various feuds (2010–2011) See also: Big Show and Kane Big Show at Royal Rumble On the April 26, 2010 episode of Raw, Show and Miz lost the Unified Tag Team Titles to The Hart Dynasty. After the title loss, Big Show struck Miz with a knockout punch and hugged Teddy Long, making him a face in the process.[108] Later on in the night as part of the 2010 WWE Draft, Big Show was drafted back to the SmackDown brand.[109] He returned to the brand on the April 30 episode of SmackDown, and was subsequently named the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, later on in the night he interrupted World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger as he was giving his "State of Championship Address" and knocked him out with his signature punch. On the May 7 episode of SmackDown, Big Show sat ringside during the Swagger/Kane main event. After Swagger was disqualified, Show chokeslammed him through the announce table.[110] He would also crash Swagger's achievement celebration and cost his match with Kofi Kingston in the following weeks. Big Show defeated Jack Swagger via disqualification at Over The Limit.[111] On the May 27 episode of Smackdown, General Manager Thedore Long announced that qualifying matches were going to take place that night for the World Heavyweight Championship match at WWE Fatal 4-Way. Long then announced due to Jack Swagger losing his match with Big Show via disqualification at Over the Limit, Big Show qualified automatically, but was unsuccessful in.[112] The following night, Swagger debuted his new finishing move The Ankle Lock applied the submission move on Big Show, thus injuring his ankle and continuing their feud. Two weeks later on Smackdown, Big Show saved Rey Mysterio, whose ankle was injured by the same move, from Swagger. Later that night, Big Show fought Swagger to a double count-out. Soon he began a feud with CM Punk and his Straight Edge Society confronting him the Friday night before the Money in the Bank event and would unmask Punk revealing his bald head. After failing to win the ladder match for the Money in the Bank contract,[113] he fought the mysterious masked member of the SES also unmasking him revealing Joey Mercury as the masked member. Show's feud with the Straight Edge Society continued after he defeated them in a 3 on 1 Handicap match at SummerSlam[114] and CM Punk at Night of Champions.[115] Big Show was announced as Team SmackDown's captain for Bragging Rights on the October 8 episode of SmackDown. At the event, Big Show was counted out with Sheamus during the match but his team ultimately won with Edge and Rey Mysterio left on the team.[116] He was on Rey Mysterio's team for Survivor Series where he was a survivor along with Mysterio.[117] The following episode of SmackDown, he was unsuccessful in qualifying for King of the Ring as he was defeated by Alberto Del Rio by count-out thanks to interference by his personal ring announcer, Ricardo Rodriguez.
Big Show at Tribute to Troops 2010 At the SmackDown tapings on January 4, Big Show participated in a Fatal 4-Way match to determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. He lost due to interference by former Nexus leader Wade Barrett. The next week, Show faced Barrett, and won via DQ, when former Nexus members Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel attacked him. Moments later Ezekiel Jackson appeared to help him, but instead attacked Big Show. The next week, Barrett, Slater, Gabriel and Jackson informed that they had formed the Corre. In the following weeks, the Corre continued to assault Show, due to the size and power of Ezekiel Jackson. At Elimination Chamber, Show participated in the Elimination Chamber match, eliminating Wade Barrett before eliminated by Kane.[118] Big Show would feud with the Corre in the following weeks.
On the March 4 episode of SmackDown, Big Show faced Kane in a confrontation until the Corre interfered on Kane's behalf.[119] However, a miscommunication led to Kane turning on the Corre. Big Show and Kane thus reunited to take on the Corre. At WrestleMania XXVII, Big Show and Kane would team together with Santino Marella and Kofi Kingston to beat the Corre.[120] On the April 22 episode of SmackDown, the duo defeated Corre members Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater to win the WWE Tag Team Championship, their second championship win as a team.[121]
Big Show was drafted to Raw as a part of the 2011 WWE Draft. He and Kane then started feuding with the New Nexus. After defending the titles against Wade Barrett and Ezekiel Jackson at Extreme Rules[122] and CM Punk and Mason Ryan at Over the Limit,[123] Kane and Big Show lost their titles to Michael McGilligutty and David Otunga on the following day on Raw.[124] After losing the titles, Show was run over by Alberto Del Rio's car, driven by his ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez, and was sidelined with an injury for almost a month. He returned during a match between Kane and Del Rio, attacking both Del Rio and Rodriguez.[125]
Show then began feuding with Mark Henry after he attacked and injured him on the June 17 edition of SmackDown, as Big Show's frustrations and anger towards Del Rio was redirected unintentionally to Mark Henry. Henry retaliated by attacking Big Show during his match on Capitol Punishment and hitting him with the World Strongest Slam through the announce table, thus costing Show his match against Del Rio.[126] Henry did same thing on Kane through the announce table the next day on Raw after their arm wrestling match, and again on the June 27 episode. Henry then broke the cage door during the steel cage between Big Show and Alberto Del Rio, allowing Del Rio to escape. He then attacked Show with the cage door, breaking the cage viciously. On July 17, 2011 at Money in the Bank, Henry defeated Big Show. After the match, Henry fractured Show's fibula, keeping him out of action for almost four months.[127]
[edit] World Heavyweight Champion (2011–present) On the October 7 edition of SmackDown, Show returned to SmackDown and became number-one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship after he attacked Mark Henry and chokeslammed him through the announcer table.[128] At Vengeance Big Show fought Mark Henry to a no-contest after the ring collapsed just like what Brock Lesnar did to him in 2003. Big Show faced Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship once again at Survivor Series winning via disqualification when Henry hit Show with a low blow, afterwards he leg dropped a steel chair on Henry's leg, much like what Henry did to Show months before.[129]
On December 18 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Big Show finally defeated Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Chairs Match. However, Henry would knock Big Show out with a DDT onto a steel chair and Daniel Bryan immediately cashed his Money in the Bank contract on Big Show to win the title from him.[130] Show challenged Bryan for his world title on the January 6, 2012 episode of Smackdown, but Bryan retained his title by disqualification when he goaded Mark Henry into attacking him.[131] The following week on SmackDown, Show received a rematch for the title contested under no disqualification, no count-out rules. Bryan again retained his title as the rematch ended in a no contest after Show accidentally crashed into AJ (Bryan's storyline girlfriend) at ringside, injuring her.[132] At the 2012 Royal Rumble event, Show faced Bryan and Henry in a triple threat steel cage match for the world title, but Bryan escaped the steel cage to retain his title.[133] At the 2012 Elimination chamber event, Show failed again to capture the World Heavyweight Championship after he was eliminated second by Cody Rhodes.[134]
Stone Cold Steve Austn
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson, later Steven James Williams; December 18, 1964),[1] better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor,producer and retired professional wrestler. Austin wrestled for several well-known wrestling promotions such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and most famously, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Described by WWE (formerly the WWF) chairman Vince McMahon as the most popular and profitable wrestler in the company's history,[2] he gained significant mainstream popularity in the WWF during the mid-to-late 1990s as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, a disrespectful, beer-drinking antihero who routinely defied McMahon, his boss.[3] This defiance was often shown by Austin flipping off McMahon and incapacitating him with the Stone Cold Stunner, his finishing move.[4] McMahon inducted Austin into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Austin held nineteen championships throughout his professional wrestling career, and is a six-time WWF Champion as well as the fifth Triple Crown Champion. He was also the winner of the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, as well as the 1997, 1998 and 2001 Royal Rumbles. He was forced to retire from in ring competition in early 2003 due to a series of knee and neck injuries sustained throughout his career. Throughout the rest of 2003 and 2004, he was featured as the Co-General Manager and "Sheriff" of Raw. Since 2005, he has continued to make occasional appearances. In 2011, Steve Austin returned to WWE to host the reality series Tough Enough. His nicknames include "The Texas Rattlesnake," and "The Toughest S.O.B. on the planet."
Contents [hide]
[edit]Professional wrestling career‹ The template below (Infobox wrestler) is being considered for merging. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus. ›"Stone Cold" Steve AustinRing name(s)"Stone Cold" Steve Austin[5]
The Ringmaster
"Stunning" Steve Austin
"Superstar" Steve Austin
Billed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[6]Billed weight252 lb (114 kg)[6]BornDecember 18, 1964(age 47)[1]
Austin, Texas[7]ResidesLos Angeles, CaliforniaBilled fromVictoria, Texas[6]Trained byChris Adams[8][9]DebutMay 11, 1989[8]RetiredMarch 30, 2003[8][edit]World Championship Wrestling (1991–1995)Main articles: Dangerous Alliance, Hollywood Blonds, and Stud StableAfter some time, Austin decided to become a professional wrestler and enrolled at the wrestling school run by Chris Adams, whose school was run out of the Dallas Sportatorium where he was wrestling for World Class Championship Wrestling. Austin made his debut in World Class in 1989 under his real name, but was later given the name "Steve Austin" by Memphis-area booker Dutch Mantel. Austin's run in Memphis was part of the merger between World Class and the Continental Wrestling Association out of Memphis, with the combined company known as the United States Wrestling Association. Austin would eventually return to Dallas and feud with Adams, with Percy Pringle and Jeannie Adams (Adams' real-life former wife and Austin's girlfriend at the time) as his valets. It was during this time Austin adopted the "Stunning" nickname that followed him to WCW.
Austin left WCCW after its final folding in 1990 and signed with WCW the next year. He was originally paired with a valet named Vivacious Veronica,[10] but was later joined by Jeannie Adams, known as "Lady Blossom".[9][10] Just weeks after his debut, Austin defeated Bobby Eaton for his first WCW World Television Championship on June 3, 1991. Later that year, Austin joined Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance.[9][11] Austin lost the WCW Television Championship to Barry Windham in a two out of three falls match on April 27, 1992. He regained the title from Windham on May 23.
Austin enjoyed a second lengthy reign before losing to Ricky Steamboat on September 2, 1992. The Dangerous Alliance disbanded shortly thereafter.[12] AtHalloween Havoc, he replaced Terry Gordy, teaming with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams to wrestle Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham for the unified WCW and NWA World Tag Team title.[12] The teams wrestled to a thirty-minute time limit draw.[12]
In January 1993, Austin formed a tag team known as The Hollywood Blonds with Brian Pillman.[9] They won the WCW World Tag Team Championship on March 3, defeating Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas. The Hollywood Blonds held the title for five months.[9] At Clash of the Champions XXIII the Blonds faced Ric Flair and Arn Anderson in a two-out-of-three-falls tag Team title match. Flair and Anderson defeated the Blonds, but were not awarded the title as one fall had been determined by a disqualification.[13] At Clash of the Champions XXIV, Austin and Pillman were scheduled to defend their title against Anderson and Paul Roma. An injured Pillman, however, was replaced by Steven Regal. Austin and Regal lost to Anderson and Roma.[14] With Pillman still injured, Austin joined Colonel Robert Parker's Stud Stable.[15] After Pillman returned, Austin betrayed and defeated him in a singles match at Clash of the Champions XXV.[16]
At Starrcade, in a two-out-of-three-falls match, Austin defeated Dustin Rhodes in two straight falls to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.[9] Austin lost the title to Ricky Steamboat on August 24, 1994. Austin was scheduled to face Steamboat in a rematch for the title at Fall Brawl, but Steamboat was unable to wrestle due to a back injury, and Austin was awarded the title by forfeit. His second reign as US Champion ended just minutes later when he lost to Steamboat's replacement, Jim Duggan in a match that lasted thirty-five seconds.[17] Austin unsuccessfully challenged Duggan for the United States Championship at both Halloween Havoc 1994 and Clash of the Champions XXIX.[18][19] After returning from a knee injury in early 1995, Austin took part in a tournament for the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight title, where he defeated Duggan via count-out in the first round, but lost toRandy Savage in the quarterfinals.
[edit]Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995)In 1995, Austin was fired by WCW Vice President Eric Bischoff, after suffering a triceps injury, while wrestling on a Japanese tour; Bischoff and WCW did not see Austin as a 'marketable' wrestler.[9][20] Austin described his opinion on being fired over the phone as Eric Bischoff having taken the coward's way out. Eventually, Austin was contacted by Paul Heyman of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), who had managed him in WCW.[9] Heyman hired Austin to do in-ring interviews, as he still had not recovered from his injury enough to wrestle.[21] While in ECW, Austin used the platform to develop his future "Stone Cold" persona as well as a series of vignettes running down WCW in general and Bischoff in particular, most memorably in several promos that mocked his then-status as WCW Monday Nitro host by introducing Monday NyQuil, where he was joined by "Bongo" (a set of drums, meant to represent Steve "Mongo" McMichael) in promoting the show "where the big boys play with each other".[9][21]
While with ECW, Austin was known as "Superstar" Steve Austin.[22] He had a match with The Sandman and feuded with Mikey Whipwreck.[22] Whipwreck, who was the ECW World Heavyweight Champion at the time, defeated Austin at November to Remember.[23] The Sandman defeated Steve Austin and Whipwreck in a Triple Threat match at December to Dismember in 1995 for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.[24] Heyman would later state that he had wanted Austin to win the ECW Title, but Austin had refused because he felt he was more effective "as the hunter, rather than the hunted."
[edit]World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1995–2002)[edit]The Ringmaster (1995–1996)Main article: Million Dollar CorporationIn late 1995, Austin joined the WWF after Kevin Nash and Jim Ross helped convince WWE's owner Vince McMahon to hire him.[9][22] Initially, Austin wrestled as "The Ringmaster" and was managed by Ted DiBiase,[9] who awarded him with the Million Dollar Championship.[25] He defeated Savio Vega at in his first WrestleMania appearance, at WrestleMania XII.[26] During this time, Austin shaved his head bald. At In Your House: Beware of Dog, Austin lost a "Caribbean Strap match" to Vega. In accordance to the pre-match stipulations, DiBiase was forced to leave the WWF, giving Austin the opportunity to forge his own path.[27] Austin later told announcer Dok Hendrix that he had purposely lost the match in order to rid himself of DiBiase, who was headed for rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
[edit]Austin 3:16 and rise to superstardom (1996–1997)Austin's genuine rise to superstardom began at the 1996 King of the Ring. Austin began using his trademark finishing maneuver, the Stone Cold Stunner (a move that was used previously by Jimmy Garvin, while the two were in WCW); with this new technique, he won the King of the Ring tournament.[9] After defeating Marc Mero in the semi-finals, Austin defeated Jake "The Snake" Roberts in the finals.[9][27] At the time, Roberts was portraying a born-again Christian, so after the match, Austin cut a now famous promo during his coronation, telling Roberts,[28] "You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!". "Austin 3:16" ultimately became one of the most popular catch phrases in wrestling history,[9] and subsequently the slogan became one of the best-selling t-shirts in WWE merchandise history. It is also credited as the iconic moment that began the WWF's "Attitude Era", along with the Montreal Screwjob.
Austin in 1996.Austin spoke about Bret Hart constantly and taunted him relentlessly. Hart finally accepted Austin's challenge and returned to the WWF in October 1996. At Survivor Series, in a match to determine the number-one contender to the WWF Championship, Hart pinned Austin in a match which helped create the foundations for the eventual year-long feud between the two.[27] The match came hot on the heels of an incident broadcast live on Raw, which saw Austin "break into" Brian Pillman's house, with Pillman holding a gun. During the 1997 Royal Rumble match, Austin was originally eliminated by Bret Hart, but the officials did not see it, and he snuck back into the ring and eliminated Hart by throwing him over the ropes, winning the match himself.[29] This led to the first-ever pay-per-view main event of Austin's WWF career at In Your House 13: Final Four, after Shawn Michaels suffered a knee injury and left the WWF Championship suddenly vacant. Austin was eliminated early from the four-way match at In Your House 13 for the title after injuring his own knee, but was involved in the finish which saw Hart win his fourth WWF Championship,[27] which he lost the next night on Raw to Sycho Sid due to Austin's interference, continuing his feud with Hart. At WrestleMania 13, Hart defeated Austin in a 'Submission' match with Ken Shamrock as a special referee. During the match, Austin had been cut and was bleeding profusely from his face, but he still refused to tap out when Hart locked in his Sharpshooter. Austin finally passed out from blood loss, still held in the Sharpshooter, and lost the match. Hart, after the bell, continued to assault Austin, who despite his wounds refused any assistance back to the locker room, thus turning Hart heel and Austin babyface in a rare double-turn.[27] Austin eventually got his revenge on Hart in the main event of In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker, in a match to determine the number-one contender to The Undertaker's WWF Championship. Austin won when Hart was disqualified due to assistance from The British Bulldog, earning him a title match against The Undertaker at In Your House 15: A Cold Day In Hell. Austin faced Hart once again in a street fight on the April 21 episode of Raw, injuring his opponent's leg with a steel chair during the bout. The match was ultimately awarded to Hart when Austin refused to let go of his own Sharpshooter. He proceeded to beat Hart while on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance. At A Cold Day In Hell, Austin had The Undertaker down with the Stunner, but while distracted with a timely interference by Brian Pillman, Stone Cold's old tag partner, Undertaker nailed Austin with aTombstone Piledriver and achieved the victory.[27]
During this time, Austin found a way to win the WWF Tag Team Championship on two separate occasions. On May 25, 1997, Austin and Shawn Michaels defeated Owen Hart and The British Bulldog for the title. They held the title until July 14, before Michaels was forced to vacate due to an injury.[30] That same night a tournament was held to determine who would face Austin and a partner of his choosing for the vacant championship. Hart and Bulldog won the tournament, with Austin refusing to pick a partner and choosing to wrestle the former tag team champions by himself.[31] Late in the match, a debuting Dude Love came out to offer assistance and Austin became a two-time tag team champion.[32] Austin continued his feud with the Hart family, becoming embroiled in a heated rivalry with Owen Hart, who pinned a distracted Austin and secured victory for The Hart Foundation in the ten-man Tag Team match main event of In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede, where Austin was partnered with Ken Shamrock, Goldust, and The Legion of Doom.[33]
At SummerSlam, Austin and Owen Hart faced each other with Hart's Intercontinental Championship on the line and an added stipulation that Austin would have to kiss Hart's buttocks if he lost.[31] During the match Hart botched a piledriver and dropped Austin on his head, resulting in a legitimate broken neck and temporary paralysis for Austin. As Hart stalled by baiting the audience, Austin managed to crawl over and pin Hart using a roll-up to win the Intercontinental Championship. A visibly injured and dazed Austin was helped to his feet by a number of referees and led to the back. Due to the severity of his neck injury, Austin was forced to relinquish both the Intercontinental Championship and the Tag Team Championships. Austin was sidelined untilSurvivor Series. However, in the interim he made several appearances, one being at Bad Blood where he was involved in the finish of a match between Hart and Faarooq, which was the final match in a tournament for the Intercontinental Championship. Austin hit Faarooq with the Intercontinental Championship belt while the referee's back was turned, causing Hart to win the match.[31] Austin's motive was to keep the Intercontinental Championship around Hart's waist, as demonstrated when he interfered in Hart's matches on the October 20 and 27 episodes of Raw.[31] Austin regained the Intercontinental Championship from Hart at Survivor Series.
With Hart out of the way, Austin set his sights on The Rock, who stole Austin's belt on the November 17 episode of Raw after Austin suffered a beating by his Nation of Domination stablemates.[31] In the weeks to come, The Rock began declaring himself to be "the best damn Intercontinental Champion" ever.[31] The Rock kept possession of the belt until D-Generation X: In Your House, when Austin defeated him to 'retain' the title and get his belt back. As Austin had used his pickup truck to aid in his victory, McMahon ordered him to defend the title against The Rock the next night on Raw.[31] In an act of defiance after forfeiting the title to The Rock, Austin tossed the belt into a New Hampshire river.[6]
[edit]Feuding with Mr. McMahon (1997–1999)On September 22, 1997, on the first-ever Monday Night Raw to be broadcast from Madison Square Garden, Owen Hart was giving a speech to the fans in attendance. During his speech, Austin entered the ring with five NYPD officers following, and assaulted Hart. As it looked Austin was going to fight the officers, Vince McMahon ran into the ring to lecture Austin about why he couldn't be "physically" able to compete. After telling McMahon that he respects the fact that he and the WWF cared, Austin attacked McMahon with a Stone Cold Stunner, leaving McMahon in shock. Austin was then arrested on charges of trespassing, assault, and assaulting a police officer. This marked the beginning of the Austin-McMahon rivalry.
Austin as WWF Champion.With Bret Hart's departure for WCW, Austin and Shawn Michaels were the top superstars in the company. Austin won the 1998 Royal Rumble, lastly eliminating The Rock.[34] The next night on Raw, Austin interrupted Vince McMahon in his presentation of Mike Tyson, who was making a special appearance, over the objection of McMahon referring to Tyson as "the baddest man on the planet." Austin flipped off Tyson, which led to Tyson shoving Austin much to McMahon's embarrassment, who began to publicly disapprove of the prospect of Austin as his champion. Tyson was later announced as "the special enforcer" for the main event at WrestleMania XIV, although he appeared to be aligning himself with WWF Champion Shawn Michaels' stable D-Generation X.[9][35] This led to Austin's WWF Championship match against Michaels at WrestleMania XIV, which he won with help from Tyson, who turned on DX by making the deciding three-count against Michaels, and later hit HBK with his knock-out punch. In fact Shawn Michaels had suffered two herniated discs and another completely crushed at the hands of The Undertaker in a Casket match at the Royal Rumble.[9] This victory ushered in the Austin Era,[9] and with it,The Attitude Era.[34]
On the Raw after Austin won the WWF Title, Vince McMahon presented him with a new title belt and warned Austin that he did not approve of his rebellious nature and that things could be done "the easy way or the hard way." Austin gave his answer in the form of another Stunner. This led to a segment a week later where Austin had pledged a few days prior in a meeting to "play ball" with McMahon, appearing in a suit and tie, with a beaming McMahon taking a picture of himself and his new corporate champion. The entire thing was a ruse by Austin who in the course of the segment proceeded to tear off the suit, tell McMahon it was the last time he would see Austin dressed like this, punch his boss in the "corporate grapefruits," and take another picture of the two of them while McMahon was doubled over in pain. In April 1998, it appeared Austin and McMahon were going to battle out their differences in an actual match, but the match was declared a no-contest when Dude Love made an appearance. This led to a match between Dude Love and Austin at Unforgiven: In Your House, where Austin hit McMahon with a steel chair, then the following month they had a rematch at Over the Edge: In Your House for the WWF Championship. Austin managed to retain the title despite McMahon acting as the referee and his "Corporate Stooges" (Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson) as timekeeper and ring announcer, respectively.
McMahon continued to do everything he could to ruin Austin, and he finally scored a big victory for his side at the 1998 King of the Ring tournament.[9] There, Austin lost the WWF Championship to Kane in a First Blood match.[9] Austin further infuriated McMahon by winning back the championship the next night onRaw.[9] Austin also emerged victorious against The Undertaker at SummerSlam. In response, McMahon set up a Triple Threat match at Breakdown: In Your House, where The Undertaker and Kane pinned Austin at the same time. McMahon decided to vacate the WWF Championship[9] and award it based on a match between The Undertaker and Kane, in which Austin was the guest referee. Austin refused to count for either man and attacked both towards the end of the match. McMahon later fired him, although Austin got revenge by kidnapping McMahon and dragging him to the middle of the ring at "gunpoint," which ended up being a toy gun with a scroll that read "Bang! 3:16." Also the segment was very "embarrassing" to McMahon as it showed he was so scared that he urinated his pants. Stone Cold was later re-signed by Shane McMahon. In the semifinals of the Survivor Series tournament to award the vacant WWF championship, Austin lost to Mankind, after Shane double-crossed Austin. The next night on Raw, Judge Mills Lane ruled that The Rock had to defend his newly won WWF Championship against Austin that night, as stipulated in the new contract Austin had signed two weeks earlier with Shane. The Undertaker interfered and hit Austin with a shovel, earning Austin a disqualification victory, but The Rock kept the championship. At Rock Bottom: In Your House, Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker in a Buried Alive match after Kane Tombstoned The Undertaker into the grave. With this victory, Austin qualified for the 1999 Royal Rumble.
Austin celebrates with referee Earl Hebner.Austin's next definitive chance to exact revenge on Mr. McMahon came during the 1999 Royal Rumble match. On Raw, McMahon drew Austin's entry number with the obvious intention of screwing him over. Austin drew entry number one, while McMahon drew number two thanks to WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels. During the Rumble match, McMahon slipped out of the ring and into the crowd as Austin chased him down. It turned out to be a trap as McMahon led Austin into the lobby restroom where he was ambushed by members of The Corporation. Austin was injured and taken away in an ambulance. With Austin gone and not in the Rumble match, McMahon joined the announce table in calling the match. Later on, however, Austin returned in an ambulance and re-entered the Royal Rumble, delivering a Stunner to the Big Boss Man and eliminating him. With the assistance of the Corporation and a last minute interference from The Rock, Austin was eliminated by McMahon himself, and McMahon won the 1999 Royal Rumble.[9] With McMahon turning down his number-one contender spot against The Rock, WWF Commissioner Michaels awarded Austin the title shot during Raw the next night. At St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Stone Cold got a one-on-one match against McMahon in a Steel Cage match, with the WWF Championship opportunity at WrestleMania XV at stake.[9] During the match, Paul Wight made his debut, breaking through from under the ring and attacking Austin. Wight's attack propelled Austin into the side of the cage forcing the cage to give way and dropping Austin to the floor first, making him the victor.[9] Austin defeated The Rock at WrestleMania XV for his third WWF Championship.[9]
Austin faced The Rock in a rematch at Backlash, in which Shane McMahon was the referee. During the match, Vince McMahon approached the ring, only to hand Austin back his 'Smoking Skull' belt and take Shane out of the proceedings. Austin won the match when another referee made the count. The Undertaker, however, won the WWF Championship from Austin at Over the Edge. Due to events revolving around Vince McMahon, Stephanie and Linda McMahon made Stone Cold the Chief Executive Officer of the company. Vince and Shane McMahon challenged Austin to a Handicap Ladder match at King of the Ring with the CEO title on the line, which the duo of father and son won. The next night on Raw, however, Austin made it clear that while he was the CEO of the company, he could have a title shot at any time and place to be determined by himself. Austin made the WWF Championship match that night onRaw and defeated The Undertaker to win his fourth WWF Championship. However, after he won it, The Undertaker came and hit him with the title belt, leading to a First Blood match between the two at Fully Loaded where Mr. McMahon stipulated that if Austin lost he would never be able to wrestle for the WWF Championship again, and if Austin won, he would never see McMahon again. Austin won after interference from X-Pac, hitting The Undertaker with a TV camera and gave McMahon a goodbye Stone Cold Stunner. Austin held on to the WWF Championship until SummerSlam when he lost it to Mankind in a Triple Threat match also featuring Triple H.[9]Austin would get his rematch at No Mercy against Triple H but lost after The Rock accidentally struck him with a sledgehammer that was meant for Triple H. When Survivor Series rolled around, Triple H was still champion. Austin was booked into a Triple Threat match for the WWF Championship against Triple H and The Rock. However, Austin was run down by a car in the parking lot.[9] The Big Showwould replace Austin in the match and would win the WWF Championship. What followed was neck surgery by Dr. Lloyd Youngblood and a nine-month rehabilitation with the car angle as his reason for leaving.[9] In reality, Austin had needed neck surgery since the Owen Hart incident in 1997.[9]
[edit]Return and heel turn (2000–2001)Main article: The Power TripAustin appeared at Backlash 2000, attacking Triple H and Vince McMahon to help The Rock reclaim the WWF Championship. At Unforgiven, Austin made his official return. The company, meanwhile, tried to find out who ran him down at Survivor Series the previous year.[9] Rikishi finally admitted to being the driver because "he did it for the people."[9] At No Mercy, Austin was back to face Rikishi in a No Holds Barred match. During the match, Austin motioned he was going to drive his truck into Rikishi, who by that time was a bloody mess. Before he could, he was stopped by officials, the match being deemed no-contest and Austin was (kayfabe) arrested and later bailed by Commissioner Mick Foley. During a handicap match against Rikishi and Kurt Angle, Triple H came down with the apparent intention of teaming with Austin. After clearing the ring, Triple H smashed his sledgehammer over Austin's head, and revealed it was actually him behind the whole scheme, devised to shield the WWF Championship from Austin and end his career. At Survivor Series, Triple H had plotted to run Austin down again during their match (thus repeating the events of the previous year's Survivor Series) but his plot failed when Austin lifted Triple H's automobile with a forklift, then let it drop 20 feet, causing Triple H to shout "Holy shit!" just before the car was released. Also, in the year 2000, Stone Cold Steve Austin competed in a 6 man Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon for the WWF Championship, against Triple H, the Undertaker, Rikishi, Kurt Angle and The Rock. In the end, Stone Cold Steve Austin gave The Rock a Stunner and was about to pin him when Triple H came in the way and got a stunner. But Kurt Angle took advantage of the situation and pinned The Rock and picked up the victory, hence retaining the WWF Championship. After the match, Stone Cold Steve Austin delivered a stunner to Kurt Angle, while he was celebrating his victory.
Austin won his third Royal Rumble in January 2001,[36] last eliminating Kane. His rivalry against Triple H ended at No Way Out in a Three Stages of Hell match, with Triple H beating Austin two falls to one. Then, at WrestleMania X-Seven, Austin turned heel by hitting The Rock with a steel chair several times to win the WWF Championship.[9] After the match, Austin shook hands and shared a beer with Vince McMahon. With the victory, Austin became a five-time WWF Champion. The next night on Raw, after teasing a quick face turn, the heel turn continued. He also altered his character considerably over the next few months, in a deliberate turn from the rebellious and anti-establishment character beloved by the fans, Austin became a whiny, temperamental prima donna who would complain incessantly when he felt he was not getting the respect from the fans and wrestlers that he deserved. He also developed an infatuation with McMahon, going to great lengths to impress him and even going so far as to hugging him and bringing him presents. McMahon, though visibly uncomfortable and wary by the attention, was still grateful to have Austin with him instead of against him. During a cage match with The Rock in a rematch for the title, Triple H came down to the ring with a sledgehammer and together with Austin viciously attacked The Rock and put him out of action. Austin further cemented his heel turn the following Thursday on Smackdown! when, during an interview with Jim Ross about his actions at WrestleMania, thought Ross was denouncing their friendship and then proceeded to attack and brutally assault Ross. Austin and Triple H became a team and called themselves The Two-Man Power Trip.[9]
Austin and Triple H were the top heels in the company, and feuding with The Undertaker and Kane. After defeating Kane and The Undertaker for the WWF Tag Team Championship at Backlash, they held the Tag Team Titles, the WWF Championship (Austin), and the WWF Intercontinental Championship (Triple H) all at once. At Judgment Day, Triple H lost his Intercontinental Title to Kane. Then, the following night on Raw, Austin and Triple H wrestled against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit with the Tag Team Titles on the line. Midway through the match, Triple H tore his quadriceps muscle.[9]As planned, the team lost the Tag Team Titles at the end of the match when Triple H accidentally hit Austin in the stomach with a sledgehammer, but the injury to Triple H, which kept him out for the remainder of the year, forced the WWF to go in another direction. Austin had a minor injury for a month.
[edit]The Invasion (2001)See also: The Invasion"Stone Cold" Steve Austin's signature ring entrance.Austin was paired with Kurt Angle and feuded against Jericho and Benoit. This culminated with a Triple Threat match at King of the Ring, in which Austin faced the former tag team champions. Although WCW's Booker T interfered, Austin scored the victory and retained his championship. The feud ended at that point, as Benoit had neck surgery after the match, sidelining him for the following year.
In July 2001, with Benoit out for surgery, the Austin/Jericho feud was dropped without a mention. With the Rock still away making movies, the WWF desperately rushed out the plans for The Invasion. As The Invasion storyline began and progressed, McMahon was watching helplessly as his empire crumbled around him due to The Alliance luring more and more talent away from the WWF, and his biggest allies, Austin and Angle, were too busy sucking up to him and bickering amongst themselves to successfully counter the Alliance. Austin made it known that he was against teaming with Angle, whom Austin saw as both a threat to his WWF Championship, as well as an annoying tag-along. A frustrated McMahon appealed to Austin to return to his old Texas Rattlesnake persona, even imploring him to give him a Stone Cold Stunner. Though intending to fire up Austin, it backfired and only seemed to hurt the feelings of Austin, as he promptly left the arena, dejected. But the week before InVasion, the old Stone Cold Steve Austin "returned," delivering Stunners to the Alliance members. This was all part of the setup for a swerve at the event, where Austin betrayed the WWF team and partner Angle to help the Alliance win, as Austin assumed leadership of the group.[9] The reason why Austin did this was that he felt McMahon was grooming Angle to take over his spot, and that he himself was "unappreciated" when McMahon insisted he return to the old Austin. This turned him heel once more.
Austin lost and regained the WWF Championship in a feud with Angle, who was put over by Austin as a threat. Austin lost the title to Angle at Unforgivenbefore regaining it on the October 8, 2001 episode of Raw.[9] In a swerve, Angle joined the Alliance just before Survivor Series.[9] As the Invasion angle dragged on, it was ultimately decided to bring the plot line to an end with Austin and a group of ECW and WCW wrestlers facing The Rock and a group of WWF wrestlers at the Survivor Series. Austin and his team lost after Angle betrayed him, thus ending the Invasion angle. The next night on Raw, as McMahon was about to award Angle with the WWF Championship for actions at Survivor Series, Ric Flair came out and announced that he owned half of the WWF. Austin came out and attacked Angle and McMahon, taking back the WWF Championship. Austin then had a beer bash with Flair, turning Austin face once again. Austin would hold the WWF Championship for another month before losing it to Chris Jericho at Vengeance 2001 due to interference from Booker T. Jericho defeated both The Rock and Austin consecutively that night, winning the WCW World Title and later the WWF Title and combining them to create the unprecedented WWF Undisputed Championship. After that, Austin continued another feud with Booker T. In one angle, Austin defeated Booker T in an unofficial grocery store fight.
[edit]Issues with Bookings and Creative Teams; departure (2002)Beginning 2002, although Austin's character remained with the WWF's most popular wrestlers as top face, his upcoming story lines in the build-up to WrestleMania were somewhat questionable compared to those of his previous years. In the 2002 Royal Rumble, Triple H made his long-awaited return from injury, with he and Austin two of the last four participants in the ring along with Kurt Angle and Mr Perfect. Austin was eliminated by Kurt Angle, however he shortly went back in the ring and hit all three with a steel chair. A few days later on Raw he defeated Kurt Angle to earn a shot at Chris Jericho's WWF Undisputed Championship at No Way Out 2002.
In the build-up to No Way Out, McMahon had re-signed the New World Order, who started a feud with him after (kayfabe) Austin refused a beer gift. Problems in the backstage creativity were however then seemingly beginning to surface. Austin was reported as being unhappy regarding Hulk Hogan's return to the WWF, and was reported as refusing to lose to Hogan in a proposed match atWrestleMania X8, while Hogan reportedly told McMahon the same regarding losing to Austin. Consequently, the match was re-billed as The Rock defeating Hogan, whilst Austin defeated Scott Hall, climaxing his feud with the nWo.
In a surprise altercation the next night on Raw, Austin refused to show up and took a week-long break without the company's consent, claiming exhaustion. McMahon claimed his actions caused fury among fans who had paid to see him that night. Austin returned on the April 1, 2002 episode of Raw, the first of the new "brand extension" era. The show was centered on which show he would sign with, and he ultimately chose Raw. Austin entered a feud with The Undertaker that resulted in a number-one contender's match for the WWE Undisputed Championship at Backlash 2002, which Austin lost despite having his foot on the rope when he was pinned. He would later be betrayed by Big Show, who went on to rejoin the nWo, and Ric Flair. Austin then defeated Big Show and Flair in a handicap match at Judgment Day.
In an interview on WWE television by telephone in May 2002, Austin stunned the company and fans by launching a verbal attack on the direction the company was heading in and slated the creative team for not using him the way he felt they previously did. The commentators struggled to keep Austin's opinions on a neutral wavelength, leading to the WWE apologising to fans for the outburst and stated it was not part of Austin's current or upcoming storylines. McMahon responded a week later on the same show playing down the outburst, claiming that Austin was merely the type of wrestler who was occasionally difficult to work with.
The WWE rehired Eddie Guerrero for Austin to feud with, while also prepping Austin for a feud with Brock Lesnar. Austin, however, vetoed any matches that would result in him losing to Lesnar and ultimately walked out of the company.[37] Austin later explained that he thought hot-shotting a rookie made Austin look weak and did not give Lesnar a proper stage for such a big win over a star of the magnitude that Austin held.
Further fanning the flames amongst Austin's growing number of detractors was a well-publicized domestic dispute incident between Austin and his wife Debra.[37]
On June 3, following the dispute with Debra, Austin made his last appearance for WWE on Raw. After Austin no-showed the episode of Raw the following week, his storylines were dropped.[37]
Austin walked out again publicly stating he felt bad storylines were presented to him by the creative team. This time his departure was for good.[37] McMahon, along with longtime Austin supporter and real-life friend Jim Ross, buried Austin on WWE programming, referring to him as "taking his ball and going home" because he wasn't getting his way, whilst also explaining to the fans that neither he nor Ross were able to persuade Austin to change his mind. McMahon insisted that Austin owed an apology to all the fans across the world, especially those who paid solely to see him that night. McMahon toasted to Austin's career with a beer thanking him for all his hard work nonetheless. The Rock also made an appearance on Raw despite being drafted to Smackdown!, and announced his frustrations towards Austin.
Austin's merchandise continued to sell greatly in the weeks following his departure, however with no sign of a return likely to be seen, the company stopped marketing his character, his merchandise, and removed his profile from WWE.com.
This period was documented in an episode of WWE Confidential.
[edit]Return to WWE (2003–present)[edit]Final storylines and retirement (2003-2004)For the remainder of 2002, Austin kept a low profile and did not make any public appearances in or out of wrestling. It was reported however by the end of the year, Austin and McMahon met and resolved their differences. He then agreed to return to the company in early 2003.
In an interview with WWE Raw Magazine, he announced deep regret over the situation that led to his departure and the way in which he'd left, and deeper regret over inaccurate speculation regarding his alleged grudges held against other WWE wrestlers, claiming he had no problem with Scott Hall rejoining the company, although he admitted he still held strong reservations about his singles match with Hall at WrestleMania only lasting 7 minutes and felt build-up to the match did not live up to his or Hall's fans expectations, and was angered by speculation suggesting he disagreed with Kevin Nash re-joining the company, insisting he and Nash have always been good friends. He confessed he had a major rift with Paul Levesque's (Triple H's) role in the company upon his return in 2002, but insisted as of 2003 they resolved their issues. In addition, he claimed a brief dispute with Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) was resolved quickly upon his return, and that none of his disputes with the talent roster continued or played the major part in his departure.
Austin faces off against The Rock atWrestleMania XIX in Austin's last match.In February, Austin returned at No Way Out in a short match against Eric Bischoff. Austin would wrestle only one match between then and WrestleMania in another short match against Bischoff on Raw but was then defeated by The Rock at WrestleMania XIX, who returned about the same time as a smug, "sell out" villain, which, ultimately, became Austin's last official match in WWE. It was also revealed later in the documentary "The Mania Of Wrestlemania" (Based around the Wrestlemania 19 event) that the letters O.M.R were put on his jacket for his match against The Rock symbolically meaning "One More Round"
The night after on Raw, Bischoff (kayfabe) "fired" Austin on medical grounds. The next morning, Austin gave an interview on WWE.com announcing his retirement from wrestling, although he stated that he and Vince McMahon had reached an agreement seeing him only appear in non-wrestling roles on a weekly basis. In reference to Bischoff firing him on Raw that week, he said that although firing was for storyline purposes, he admitted the medical problems read out on Raw were real and mainly related back to his injury sustained at SummerSlam 1997 in a match with Owen Hart, and had begun to seriously plague him since late 2001. He confessed wrestling against the advice of his doctors up to his departure in 2002, which forced him to quit wrestling, and cited this as the sole reason as to why he suddenly departed, with doctors advising an awkward or violent move performed on him could have resulted in Austin being permanently disabled or resulting in death.
The following week, Austin began his non-wrestling career with the WWE and began a fresh storyline when he was brought back by Linda McMahon as the Co-General Manager of Raw. He continued this storyline for the remainder of the year, still showing wrestling moves including the Stone Cold Stunner and several exchanges of punches and kicks, although limiting regularity of these being performed. On the November 17, 2003 episode of Raw, Austin was "fired" from Raw as the result of a stipulation in a match at Survivor Series where Austin's hand-picked team of wrestlers failed to beat Bischoff's team of wrestlers. Austin quickly returned to WWE television before the end of 2003 when he was part of the WWE Tribute to the Troops taped live in front of U.S. troops in Iraq, posing and stunning Mr. McMahon. He finally came back on Raw on December 29 as its "Sheriff", giving a Stone Cold Stunner to Eric Bischoff and rehiring Shawn Michaels, who had just been "fired" by Bischoff.
Austin appeared on and off as 2004 began, culminating in him being the special guest referee for the notorious match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg at WrestleMania XX in which fans cheered for Austin and jeered both Lesnar and Goldberg due to both men announcing their departures from the company following the event. Then, on April 17, WWE put out a press release on their website claiming that Steve Austin and WWE were unable to settle long-running contract disputes and had again parted ways.
[edit]Part-time appearances and Hall of Famer (2005–present)Stone Cold Steve Austin made his first appearance on WWE programming in a year at WrestleMania 21 where he was confronted by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in Piper's Pit until Carlito interrupted to insult both. This resulted in Carlito receiving a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin and Piper throwing him out of the ring. The segment ended with Stone Cold and Piper celebrating with beer until he gave Piper a Stone Cold Stunner as well. He then appeared on a few subsequent episodes of Raw.
At ECW One Night Stand Austin came to the ring following the show's main event. Wearing a Las Vegas Outlaws XFL jersey, Stone Cold came to the ring to give The Sandman a beer which he had asked for. However, Austin invited the whole locker room to the ring for a Beer Bash. However, before the bash he demanded the WWE Crusaders come to the ring for a fight. Tazz came to the ring, which started the brawl. After Taz applied the Tazzmission to Kurt Angle the brawl ended. ECW stood alone in the ring after throwing all of the Crusaders out of the ring. Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) then dragged Eric Bischoff to the ring. The Dudley Boyz gave him a Dudley Death Drop, followed by Chris Benoit giving him a Diving Headbutt, Rey Mysterio followed that with a 619. When Stone Cold then asked Bischoff about his feelings on the night, he responded with "F**K ECW", which prompted Austin to give Bischoff a stunner. As the Dudley Boyz took Bischoff outside, and loaded him onto a Garbage truck, the remaining ECW Originals took part in a "beer bash" as the show went off the air. He was on Raw the following night.
Then, at WWE Homecoming, Stone Cold again returned to Raw, delivering Stunners to all four members of the McMahon family.[38] An angle including Jim Ross being fired led to a match in which Stone Cold agreed to face Bischoff's replacement, Jonathan Coachman, at Taboo Tuesday, with the stipulation of Ross regaining his announcing job if Austin were to win and Austin losing his own job if he lost the match. Austin hurt his back prior to the match, and could not wrestle unless he was heavily medicated, so the match was cancelled. To explain away his failure to appear at Taboo Tuesday, Vince McMahon said on Raw that Stone Cold had been involved in an accident, thus preventing him from competing. Batista substituted for Austin defeating The Coach along with Vader and Goldust. The stipulation was dropped due to Austin not competing.[39]
Austin returned to WWE briefly to face John "Bradshaw" Layfield in a beer drinking contest at the March 5, 2006 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. Austin won by disqualification as he saw JBL cheating by pouring the beer down his clothes. JBL threw some beer in Austin's face and tried to run away, but Chris Benoit quickly threw JBL back in the ring. Austin gave a stunner to JBL and then celebrated with the Stone Cold beer salute. Austin then inducted Bret Hart into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006.[40]
Austin returned to WWE programming (appearing on Raw, ECW, and SmackDown!) in March 2007, partially to promote his starring role in the release of WWE Films' production, The Condemned. On March 31, 2007, Austin inducted his friend Jim Ross into the WWE Hall of Fame. At WrestleMania 23, Austin, as a special guest referee, officiated the match between Bobby Lashley and Umaga. The stipulation for the match was that if Lashley lost, Donald Trump's head would be shaved, and if Umaga lost, Mr. McMahon's head would suffer the same fate. In the course of the event, Austin delivered stunners to Umaga, Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Donald Trump. Lashley eventually won the match, and Trump, Austin and Lashley then shaved Mr.McMahon's head on live TV. Stone Cold ended by stunning McMahon as well as Donald Trump and toasting beers.[41] He then appeared in a video on the June 11 episode of Raw as part of "Mr. McMahon's Appreciation Night", where he shared his thoughts on his past feuds with McMahon.[42]
Austin would often referee matches after retiring from wrestlingAustin appeared on the August 18, 2007 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, as a possible illegitimate child of Mr. McMahon and stunned McMahon and Jonathan Coachman. Austin appeared at SummerSlam where he was the replacement for Matt Hardy to battle Montel Vontavious Porter in a Beer Drinking Contest. The match ended in a no contest after Austin handed a beer to MVP and gave him the Stone Cold Stunner.[43] Austin made another appearance atCyber Sunday, where he guest refereed a World Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Batista, and the challenger The Undertaker. Batista walked out the champion after delivering a Batista Bomb to The Undertaker.On the November 5, 2007 episode of Raw, Austin made an appearance to confront Santino Marella for criticizing The Condemned.[44] The argument ended as Marella received a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin, who then walked backstage only to return with a Budweiser beer truck to hose down Marella and his valet Maria with beer.[44] On December 10, 2007 during the Raw 15th Anniversary Spectacular, Austin returned after Vince McMahon received the mandible claw from Mankind and a chokeslam from The Undertaker for proclaiming himself "the greatest Raw superstar of all time." Shortly after, McMahon received a Stone Cold Stunner and Austin called out all WWE stars in attendance to the ring to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Raw. The show closed as Austin, Triple H and Hornswoggle poured beer on McMahon, who was knocked out outside the ring.
On October 26, 2008, at Cyber Sunday, Austin was the special guest referee during a match between Batista and Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship. In between the match Stone Cold told a fleeing Jericho that if he was counted out or disqualified, Batista would win the title. During the course of the match, Batista accidentally knocked Austin down. When Austin recovered, Randy Orton, who had come out as the third referee, knocked Austin back down, only to receive a Stone Cold Stunner when Austin recovered. Eventually Batista won the match by hitting his signature Batista Bomb on Chris Jericho, leading Austin to give the three count, making Batista the new World Heavyweight Champion.[45]
On January 12, 2009, episode of Raw, Austin was announced to be the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2009.[46] He was inducted by his long-term on-screen rival Vince McMahon, who referred to Austin as "The Greatest WWE Superstar of all time." During the induction, there were "one more match" chants, to which Austin said he was officially closing the door on his wrestling career and starting a new chapter in his life. At WrestleMania XXV, Austin was introduced alongside the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2009. After the introductions, Austin's theme music hit, and he re-entered the ringside area wearing a vintage "Austin 3:16" shirt driving an ATV. He then enjoyed his trademark beer bash with the fans and with long-time friend Jim Ross.
Austin returned to the company on the March 15, 2010 episode of Raw as its guest host. On that episode of Raw he moderated a contract signing between Vince McMahon and Bret Hart for their match at WrestleMania XXVI. In the same episode Austin met up backstage with his longtime rival Shawn Michaels, who asked Austin whether he believed that Michaels could end the Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak in their upcoming match. Austin replied "Hell yeah I think you can beat the Undertaker, but I don't think you're going to, The streak is going to go 18-0". Michaels lost the match extending the Undertaker's streak to 18-0 and forcing Michaels to retire.
On the 900th episode of "Raw"; which took place on August 30, 2010; the intro and theme for Stone Cold Steve Austin were shown. However, this was only a trick by fellow wrestler CM Punk who was attempting to prove a point about what the Straight Edge Society believed was a disturbing history of the WWE. Steve Austin did not actually make an appearance on this night.
Austin in WrestleMania XXVII, performing his entrance with his signature ATV.In early 2011, Austin was announced as the head trainer and host for the revival of WWE Tough Enough. On the March 7 episode of Raw, Austin interrupted the contract signing of the special guest referee to the Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler match at WrestleMania XXVII, originally scheduled to be John "Bradshaw" Layfield. After stunning Layfield, Austin signed the contract instead and became the official guest referee for the scheduled match.[47] Although Lawler won by submission, the anonymous Raw General Manager reversed the decision and disqualified Lawler, claiming that Austin had "overstepped his authority". He appeared on Raw the following night with the cast from Tough Enough, while also getting into an altercation with The Miz and Alex Riley
On April 7, 2011, Austin gave an Interview where he talked about his return, filming Tough Enough and the respect he has for CM Punk. Austin was asked about a return to the ring and said that he felt that if he had to, he had two more years in him and could still do a full-time schedule. However, he then stated that he was happy with where he was at in life and wanted to be able to hunt and fish 10–20 years from now and be able to do it pain free.
On the June 6th episode of Raw, Austin appeared live alongside old rival Vince McMahon to declare Andy Leavine as the winner of Tough Enough. He also served as the Special Guest Referee in the evening's tag team main event, John Cena and Alex Riley vs. The Miz and R-Truth. The end of the match came as a result of Austin hitting the infamous Stone Cold Stunner on The Miz, which was followed by an Attitude Adjustment from Cena and then the pinfall victory. However, the Anonymous Raw General Manager chimed in and the GM's ringside mouthpiece Michael Cole announced that since Austin had abused his authority as referee, The Miz and R-Truth win via disqualification. Austin did not take kindly to the GM overturning his decision and Cole also received a Stunner, which was followed with anotherAttitude Adjustment courtesy of Cena. Austin and Cena closed the show, celebrating with a beer bash.
Austin was the special guest GM on the 3-hour All-Star edition of Monday Night Raw, emanating live from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply Nassau Coliseum) in Long Island, New York, where all Superstars and Divas have performed. Also in his special guest GM time, He destroyed the GM Laptop by running over it with his ATV. This is the second time the GM Laptop was destroyed since Edge destroyed it on September 27, 2010.
He also announced that the next week of Raw (June 20, 2011, also the Raw after Capitol Punishment); emanating live from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland; will be another 3-hour show where the WWE Universe takes the authority to choose the opponent or stipulation of a match. He then announced that the show is named "Power to the People".
[edit]Television and film careerSteve Austin filmed guest roles on Celebrity Deathmatch and Nash Bridges, where he played Detective Jake Cage. He appeared in The 1998 Billboard Music Awards. He has appeared on shows like V.I.P,Dilbert, The Teen Choice Awards, CMT Music Awards. His motion picture debut was in a supporting role as Guard Dunham in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard. Austin had his first starring film role, as Jack Conrad, a dangerous convict awaiting execution in a Salvadoran prison, who takes part in a illegal deathmatch game that is being broadcast to the public in the 2007 thriller The Condemned.
In 2010, Austin appeared in the film The Expendables as Dan Paine, the bodyguard and right hand man for the primary antagonist of the film. This role featured Austin working alongside other action stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture. He Appeared as Hugo Panzer on TV series Chuck. He has starred in Dtv Movies like Damage, Hunt to Kill,The Stranger, Tactical Force and Knockout. His upcoming movies include Recoil With Danny Trejo, The Package with Dolph Lundgren and Maximum Conviction with Steven Seagal.
[edit]Filmography[edit]FilmYearTitleRoleNotes1999Beyond the MatHimselfDocumentary2005The Longest YardGuard Dunham2007The CondemnedJack ConradProduced by WWE Films2009DamageJohn BricknerDirect-to-video2010The StrangerThe Stranger2010The ExpendablesJacob Paine2010Hunt to KillJim RhodesDirect-to-video2011KnockoutDan2011Tactical ForceTate2011RecoilRyan Varrett2012Maximum Conviction2012The PackageJohnny Gallagher[edit]TelevisionYearTitleRoleNotes1998–2002Celebrity DeathmatchHimself4 seasons1999Teen Choice AwardsHimself1999–2000Nash BridgesDetective Jake CageSix episodes2000DilbertJudgeOne episode2005The Bernie Mac ShowHimself2010ChuckHugo PanzerTwo episodes2011Tough EnoughHimself - Host[edit]Personal lifeAustin dated Kathryn Burrhus throughout high school and college, and the two married on November 24, 1990. Nonetheless, Austin pursued a relationship with Jeannie Clark ("Lady Blossom"), with whom he was working. His marriage to Burrhus was quickly annulled on August 7, 1992,[48] and Austin and Clark married on December 18, 1992. Together, they have two daughters, Stephanie (born in 1992) and Cassidy (born in 1996).[49] He also adopted Jade, Clark's daughter with former husband Chris Adams.[50] Austin and Clark divorced on May 10, 1999 and their daughters live in Southend-on-Sea, England with Clark, while Jade lives in America with her husband and son.[49][51]
On September 13, 2000, Austin married WWE Diva Debra Marshall.[52] On June 15, 2002 police were called to their residence in San Antonio, Texas.[37] They found a hysterical Marshall with bruises.[53] Austin had left the house and was asked by police not to return. On August 14, 2002, Austin was arrested and charged with domestic abuse. He pled no contest on November 25, 2002 and was given a year's probation, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to carry out eighty hours of community service.[54] Marshall would later claim that Austin was a steroid user and this incident was the result ofroid rage.[55] Austin filed for divorce from Marshall on July 22, 2002 and the divorce was finalized on February 5, 2003.[56] On June 29, 2007, Marshall told Fox News that Austin beat her three times.[57]She also stated that WWE put a gag order on her so she would not reveal that Stone Cold hit her, as it would cost the company millions of dollars.[58] The WWE did not respond to her allegations.
In December 2007, the Wrestling Observer newsletter reported that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin legally changed his real name (Steven Williams) to his wrestling name Steve Austin.[59] Austin currently resides in Los Angeles, California and in Tilden, Texas, where he owns the Broken Skull Ranch.
[edit]In wrestlingAustin at the 2009 WWE Hall of FameCeremony.
[edit]WrestleMania recordWrestleManiaResultRecord
(Win-Loss-Draw)Opponent(s)NotesXIIWin1-0-0Savio VegaSingles match.13Loss1-1-0[87]Bret HartSubmission Match with Ken Shamrock as Special Guest Referee.XIVWin2-1-0Shawn MichaelsSingles match for the WWF Championship with Mike Tyson as special outside enforcer.XVWin3-1-0The RockNo disqualification match for the WWF Championship.X-SevenWin4-1-0The RockNo disqualification match for the WWF Championship.X8Win5-1-0[88]Scott HallSingles match.XIXLoss5-2-0[89]The RockSingles match.[edit]Bibliography
Austin held nineteen championships throughout his professional wrestling career, and is a six-time WWF Champion as well as the fifth Triple Crown Champion. He was also the winner of the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, as well as the 1997, 1998 and 2001 Royal Rumbles. He was forced to retire from in ring competition in early 2003 due to a series of knee and neck injuries sustained throughout his career. Throughout the rest of 2003 and 2004, he was featured as the Co-General Manager and "Sheriff" of Raw. Since 2005, he has continued to make occasional appearances. In 2011, Steve Austin returned to WWE to host the reality series Tough Enough. His nicknames include "The Texas Rattlesnake," and "The Toughest S.O.B. on the planet."
Contents [hide]
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 3 Television and film career
- 4 Personal life
- 5 In wrestling
- 6 Championships and accomplishments
- 7 WrestleMania record
- 8 Bibliography
- 9 References
- 10 External links
[edit]Professional wrestling career‹ The template below (Infobox wrestler) is being considered for merging. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus. ›"Stone Cold" Steve AustinRing name(s)"Stone Cold" Steve Austin[5]
The Ringmaster
"Stunning" Steve Austin
"Superstar" Steve Austin
Billed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[6]Billed weight252 lb (114 kg)[6]BornDecember 18, 1964(age 47)[1]
Austin, Texas[7]ResidesLos Angeles, CaliforniaBilled fromVictoria, Texas[6]Trained byChris Adams[8][9]DebutMay 11, 1989[8]RetiredMarch 30, 2003[8][edit]World Championship Wrestling (1991–1995)Main articles: Dangerous Alliance, Hollywood Blonds, and Stud StableAfter some time, Austin decided to become a professional wrestler and enrolled at the wrestling school run by Chris Adams, whose school was run out of the Dallas Sportatorium where he was wrestling for World Class Championship Wrestling. Austin made his debut in World Class in 1989 under his real name, but was later given the name "Steve Austin" by Memphis-area booker Dutch Mantel. Austin's run in Memphis was part of the merger between World Class and the Continental Wrestling Association out of Memphis, with the combined company known as the United States Wrestling Association. Austin would eventually return to Dallas and feud with Adams, with Percy Pringle and Jeannie Adams (Adams' real-life former wife and Austin's girlfriend at the time) as his valets. It was during this time Austin adopted the "Stunning" nickname that followed him to WCW.
Austin left WCCW after its final folding in 1990 and signed with WCW the next year. He was originally paired with a valet named Vivacious Veronica,[10] but was later joined by Jeannie Adams, known as "Lady Blossom".[9][10] Just weeks after his debut, Austin defeated Bobby Eaton for his first WCW World Television Championship on June 3, 1991. Later that year, Austin joined Paul E. Dangerously's Dangerous Alliance.[9][11] Austin lost the WCW Television Championship to Barry Windham in a two out of three falls match on April 27, 1992. He regained the title from Windham on May 23.
Austin enjoyed a second lengthy reign before losing to Ricky Steamboat on September 2, 1992. The Dangerous Alliance disbanded shortly thereafter.[12] AtHalloween Havoc, he replaced Terry Gordy, teaming with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams to wrestle Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham for the unified WCW and NWA World Tag Team title.[12] The teams wrestled to a thirty-minute time limit draw.[12]
In January 1993, Austin formed a tag team known as The Hollywood Blonds with Brian Pillman.[9] They won the WCW World Tag Team Championship on March 3, defeating Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas. The Hollywood Blonds held the title for five months.[9] At Clash of the Champions XXIII the Blonds faced Ric Flair and Arn Anderson in a two-out-of-three-falls tag Team title match. Flair and Anderson defeated the Blonds, but were not awarded the title as one fall had been determined by a disqualification.[13] At Clash of the Champions XXIV, Austin and Pillman were scheduled to defend their title against Anderson and Paul Roma. An injured Pillman, however, was replaced by Steven Regal. Austin and Regal lost to Anderson and Roma.[14] With Pillman still injured, Austin joined Colonel Robert Parker's Stud Stable.[15] After Pillman returned, Austin betrayed and defeated him in a singles match at Clash of the Champions XXV.[16]
At Starrcade, in a two-out-of-three-falls match, Austin defeated Dustin Rhodes in two straight falls to win the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship.[9] Austin lost the title to Ricky Steamboat on August 24, 1994. Austin was scheduled to face Steamboat in a rematch for the title at Fall Brawl, but Steamboat was unable to wrestle due to a back injury, and Austin was awarded the title by forfeit. His second reign as US Champion ended just minutes later when he lost to Steamboat's replacement, Jim Duggan in a match that lasted thirty-five seconds.[17] Austin unsuccessfully challenged Duggan for the United States Championship at both Halloween Havoc 1994 and Clash of the Champions XXIX.[18][19] After returning from a knee injury in early 1995, Austin took part in a tournament for the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight title, where he defeated Duggan via count-out in the first round, but lost toRandy Savage in the quarterfinals.
[edit]Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995)In 1995, Austin was fired by WCW Vice President Eric Bischoff, after suffering a triceps injury, while wrestling on a Japanese tour; Bischoff and WCW did not see Austin as a 'marketable' wrestler.[9][20] Austin described his opinion on being fired over the phone as Eric Bischoff having taken the coward's way out. Eventually, Austin was contacted by Paul Heyman of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), who had managed him in WCW.[9] Heyman hired Austin to do in-ring interviews, as he still had not recovered from his injury enough to wrestle.[21] While in ECW, Austin used the platform to develop his future "Stone Cold" persona as well as a series of vignettes running down WCW in general and Bischoff in particular, most memorably in several promos that mocked his then-status as WCW Monday Nitro host by introducing Monday NyQuil, where he was joined by "Bongo" (a set of drums, meant to represent Steve "Mongo" McMichael) in promoting the show "where the big boys play with each other".[9][21]
While with ECW, Austin was known as "Superstar" Steve Austin.[22] He had a match with The Sandman and feuded with Mikey Whipwreck.[22] Whipwreck, who was the ECW World Heavyweight Champion at the time, defeated Austin at November to Remember.[23] The Sandman defeated Steve Austin and Whipwreck in a Triple Threat match at December to Dismember in 1995 for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.[24] Heyman would later state that he had wanted Austin to win the ECW Title, but Austin had refused because he felt he was more effective "as the hunter, rather than the hunted."
[edit]World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1995–2002)[edit]The Ringmaster (1995–1996)Main article: Million Dollar CorporationIn late 1995, Austin joined the WWF after Kevin Nash and Jim Ross helped convince WWE's owner Vince McMahon to hire him.[9][22] Initially, Austin wrestled as "The Ringmaster" and was managed by Ted DiBiase,[9] who awarded him with the Million Dollar Championship.[25] He defeated Savio Vega at in his first WrestleMania appearance, at WrestleMania XII.[26] During this time, Austin shaved his head bald. At In Your House: Beware of Dog, Austin lost a "Caribbean Strap match" to Vega. In accordance to the pre-match stipulations, DiBiase was forced to leave the WWF, giving Austin the opportunity to forge his own path.[27] Austin later told announcer Dok Hendrix that he had purposely lost the match in order to rid himself of DiBiase, who was headed for rival promotion World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
[edit]Austin 3:16 and rise to superstardom (1996–1997)Austin's genuine rise to superstardom began at the 1996 King of the Ring. Austin began using his trademark finishing maneuver, the Stone Cold Stunner (a move that was used previously by Jimmy Garvin, while the two were in WCW); with this new technique, he won the King of the Ring tournament.[9] After defeating Marc Mero in the semi-finals, Austin defeated Jake "The Snake" Roberts in the finals.[9][27] At the time, Roberts was portraying a born-again Christian, so after the match, Austin cut a now famous promo during his coronation, telling Roberts,[28] "You sit there and you thump your Bible, and you say your prayers, and it didn't get you anywhere! Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16... Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!". "Austin 3:16" ultimately became one of the most popular catch phrases in wrestling history,[9] and subsequently the slogan became one of the best-selling t-shirts in WWE merchandise history. It is also credited as the iconic moment that began the WWF's "Attitude Era", along with the Montreal Screwjob.
Austin in 1996.Austin spoke about Bret Hart constantly and taunted him relentlessly. Hart finally accepted Austin's challenge and returned to the WWF in October 1996. At Survivor Series, in a match to determine the number-one contender to the WWF Championship, Hart pinned Austin in a match which helped create the foundations for the eventual year-long feud between the two.[27] The match came hot on the heels of an incident broadcast live on Raw, which saw Austin "break into" Brian Pillman's house, with Pillman holding a gun. During the 1997 Royal Rumble match, Austin was originally eliminated by Bret Hart, but the officials did not see it, and he snuck back into the ring and eliminated Hart by throwing him over the ropes, winning the match himself.[29] This led to the first-ever pay-per-view main event of Austin's WWF career at In Your House 13: Final Four, after Shawn Michaels suffered a knee injury and left the WWF Championship suddenly vacant. Austin was eliminated early from the four-way match at In Your House 13 for the title after injuring his own knee, but was involved in the finish which saw Hart win his fourth WWF Championship,[27] which he lost the next night on Raw to Sycho Sid due to Austin's interference, continuing his feud with Hart. At WrestleMania 13, Hart defeated Austin in a 'Submission' match with Ken Shamrock as a special referee. During the match, Austin had been cut and was bleeding profusely from his face, but he still refused to tap out when Hart locked in his Sharpshooter. Austin finally passed out from blood loss, still held in the Sharpshooter, and lost the match. Hart, after the bell, continued to assault Austin, who despite his wounds refused any assistance back to the locker room, thus turning Hart heel and Austin babyface in a rare double-turn.[27] Austin eventually got his revenge on Hart in the main event of In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker, in a match to determine the number-one contender to The Undertaker's WWF Championship. Austin won when Hart was disqualified due to assistance from The British Bulldog, earning him a title match against The Undertaker at In Your House 15: A Cold Day In Hell. Austin faced Hart once again in a street fight on the April 21 episode of Raw, injuring his opponent's leg with a steel chair during the bout. The match was ultimately awarded to Hart when Austin refused to let go of his own Sharpshooter. He proceeded to beat Hart while on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance. At A Cold Day In Hell, Austin had The Undertaker down with the Stunner, but while distracted with a timely interference by Brian Pillman, Stone Cold's old tag partner, Undertaker nailed Austin with aTombstone Piledriver and achieved the victory.[27]
During this time, Austin found a way to win the WWF Tag Team Championship on two separate occasions. On May 25, 1997, Austin and Shawn Michaels defeated Owen Hart and The British Bulldog for the title. They held the title until July 14, before Michaels was forced to vacate due to an injury.[30] That same night a tournament was held to determine who would face Austin and a partner of his choosing for the vacant championship. Hart and Bulldog won the tournament, with Austin refusing to pick a partner and choosing to wrestle the former tag team champions by himself.[31] Late in the match, a debuting Dude Love came out to offer assistance and Austin became a two-time tag team champion.[32] Austin continued his feud with the Hart family, becoming embroiled in a heated rivalry with Owen Hart, who pinned a distracted Austin and secured victory for The Hart Foundation in the ten-man Tag Team match main event of In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede, where Austin was partnered with Ken Shamrock, Goldust, and The Legion of Doom.[33]
At SummerSlam, Austin and Owen Hart faced each other with Hart's Intercontinental Championship on the line and an added stipulation that Austin would have to kiss Hart's buttocks if he lost.[31] During the match Hart botched a piledriver and dropped Austin on his head, resulting in a legitimate broken neck and temporary paralysis for Austin. As Hart stalled by baiting the audience, Austin managed to crawl over and pin Hart using a roll-up to win the Intercontinental Championship. A visibly injured and dazed Austin was helped to his feet by a number of referees and led to the back. Due to the severity of his neck injury, Austin was forced to relinquish both the Intercontinental Championship and the Tag Team Championships. Austin was sidelined untilSurvivor Series. However, in the interim he made several appearances, one being at Bad Blood where he was involved in the finish of a match between Hart and Faarooq, which was the final match in a tournament for the Intercontinental Championship. Austin hit Faarooq with the Intercontinental Championship belt while the referee's back was turned, causing Hart to win the match.[31] Austin's motive was to keep the Intercontinental Championship around Hart's waist, as demonstrated when he interfered in Hart's matches on the October 20 and 27 episodes of Raw.[31] Austin regained the Intercontinental Championship from Hart at Survivor Series.
With Hart out of the way, Austin set his sights on The Rock, who stole Austin's belt on the November 17 episode of Raw after Austin suffered a beating by his Nation of Domination stablemates.[31] In the weeks to come, The Rock began declaring himself to be "the best damn Intercontinental Champion" ever.[31] The Rock kept possession of the belt until D-Generation X: In Your House, when Austin defeated him to 'retain' the title and get his belt back. As Austin had used his pickup truck to aid in his victory, McMahon ordered him to defend the title against The Rock the next night on Raw.[31] In an act of defiance after forfeiting the title to The Rock, Austin tossed the belt into a New Hampshire river.[6]
[edit]Feuding with Mr. McMahon (1997–1999)On September 22, 1997, on the first-ever Monday Night Raw to be broadcast from Madison Square Garden, Owen Hart was giving a speech to the fans in attendance. During his speech, Austin entered the ring with five NYPD officers following, and assaulted Hart. As it looked Austin was going to fight the officers, Vince McMahon ran into the ring to lecture Austin about why he couldn't be "physically" able to compete. After telling McMahon that he respects the fact that he and the WWF cared, Austin attacked McMahon with a Stone Cold Stunner, leaving McMahon in shock. Austin was then arrested on charges of trespassing, assault, and assaulting a police officer. This marked the beginning of the Austin-McMahon rivalry.
Austin as WWF Champion.With Bret Hart's departure for WCW, Austin and Shawn Michaels were the top superstars in the company. Austin won the 1998 Royal Rumble, lastly eliminating The Rock.[34] The next night on Raw, Austin interrupted Vince McMahon in his presentation of Mike Tyson, who was making a special appearance, over the objection of McMahon referring to Tyson as "the baddest man on the planet." Austin flipped off Tyson, which led to Tyson shoving Austin much to McMahon's embarrassment, who began to publicly disapprove of the prospect of Austin as his champion. Tyson was later announced as "the special enforcer" for the main event at WrestleMania XIV, although he appeared to be aligning himself with WWF Champion Shawn Michaels' stable D-Generation X.[9][35] This led to Austin's WWF Championship match against Michaels at WrestleMania XIV, which he won with help from Tyson, who turned on DX by making the deciding three-count against Michaels, and later hit HBK with his knock-out punch. In fact Shawn Michaels had suffered two herniated discs and another completely crushed at the hands of The Undertaker in a Casket match at the Royal Rumble.[9] This victory ushered in the Austin Era,[9] and with it,The Attitude Era.[34]
On the Raw after Austin won the WWF Title, Vince McMahon presented him with a new title belt and warned Austin that he did not approve of his rebellious nature and that things could be done "the easy way or the hard way." Austin gave his answer in the form of another Stunner. This led to a segment a week later where Austin had pledged a few days prior in a meeting to "play ball" with McMahon, appearing in a suit and tie, with a beaming McMahon taking a picture of himself and his new corporate champion. The entire thing was a ruse by Austin who in the course of the segment proceeded to tear off the suit, tell McMahon it was the last time he would see Austin dressed like this, punch his boss in the "corporate grapefruits," and take another picture of the two of them while McMahon was doubled over in pain. In April 1998, it appeared Austin and McMahon were going to battle out their differences in an actual match, but the match was declared a no-contest when Dude Love made an appearance. This led to a match between Dude Love and Austin at Unforgiven: In Your House, where Austin hit McMahon with a steel chair, then the following month they had a rematch at Over the Edge: In Your House for the WWF Championship. Austin managed to retain the title despite McMahon acting as the referee and his "Corporate Stooges" (Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson) as timekeeper and ring announcer, respectively.
McMahon continued to do everything he could to ruin Austin, and he finally scored a big victory for his side at the 1998 King of the Ring tournament.[9] There, Austin lost the WWF Championship to Kane in a First Blood match.[9] Austin further infuriated McMahon by winning back the championship the next night onRaw.[9] Austin also emerged victorious against The Undertaker at SummerSlam. In response, McMahon set up a Triple Threat match at Breakdown: In Your House, where The Undertaker and Kane pinned Austin at the same time. McMahon decided to vacate the WWF Championship[9] and award it based on a match between The Undertaker and Kane, in which Austin was the guest referee. Austin refused to count for either man and attacked both towards the end of the match. McMahon later fired him, although Austin got revenge by kidnapping McMahon and dragging him to the middle of the ring at "gunpoint," which ended up being a toy gun with a scroll that read "Bang! 3:16." Also the segment was very "embarrassing" to McMahon as it showed he was so scared that he urinated his pants. Stone Cold was later re-signed by Shane McMahon. In the semifinals of the Survivor Series tournament to award the vacant WWF championship, Austin lost to Mankind, after Shane double-crossed Austin. The next night on Raw, Judge Mills Lane ruled that The Rock had to defend his newly won WWF Championship against Austin that night, as stipulated in the new contract Austin had signed two weeks earlier with Shane. The Undertaker interfered and hit Austin with a shovel, earning Austin a disqualification victory, but The Rock kept the championship. At Rock Bottom: In Your House, Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker in a Buried Alive match after Kane Tombstoned The Undertaker into the grave. With this victory, Austin qualified for the 1999 Royal Rumble.
Austin celebrates with referee Earl Hebner.Austin's next definitive chance to exact revenge on Mr. McMahon came during the 1999 Royal Rumble match. On Raw, McMahon drew Austin's entry number with the obvious intention of screwing him over. Austin drew entry number one, while McMahon drew number two thanks to WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels. During the Rumble match, McMahon slipped out of the ring and into the crowd as Austin chased him down. It turned out to be a trap as McMahon led Austin into the lobby restroom where he was ambushed by members of The Corporation. Austin was injured and taken away in an ambulance. With Austin gone and not in the Rumble match, McMahon joined the announce table in calling the match. Later on, however, Austin returned in an ambulance and re-entered the Royal Rumble, delivering a Stunner to the Big Boss Man and eliminating him. With the assistance of the Corporation and a last minute interference from The Rock, Austin was eliminated by McMahon himself, and McMahon won the 1999 Royal Rumble.[9] With McMahon turning down his number-one contender spot against The Rock, WWF Commissioner Michaels awarded Austin the title shot during Raw the next night. At St. Valentine's Day Massacre, Stone Cold got a one-on-one match against McMahon in a Steel Cage match, with the WWF Championship opportunity at WrestleMania XV at stake.[9] During the match, Paul Wight made his debut, breaking through from under the ring and attacking Austin. Wight's attack propelled Austin into the side of the cage forcing the cage to give way and dropping Austin to the floor first, making him the victor.[9] Austin defeated The Rock at WrestleMania XV for his third WWF Championship.[9]
Austin faced The Rock in a rematch at Backlash, in which Shane McMahon was the referee. During the match, Vince McMahon approached the ring, only to hand Austin back his 'Smoking Skull' belt and take Shane out of the proceedings. Austin won the match when another referee made the count. The Undertaker, however, won the WWF Championship from Austin at Over the Edge. Due to events revolving around Vince McMahon, Stephanie and Linda McMahon made Stone Cold the Chief Executive Officer of the company. Vince and Shane McMahon challenged Austin to a Handicap Ladder match at King of the Ring with the CEO title on the line, which the duo of father and son won. The next night on Raw, however, Austin made it clear that while he was the CEO of the company, he could have a title shot at any time and place to be determined by himself. Austin made the WWF Championship match that night onRaw and defeated The Undertaker to win his fourth WWF Championship. However, after he won it, The Undertaker came and hit him with the title belt, leading to a First Blood match between the two at Fully Loaded where Mr. McMahon stipulated that if Austin lost he would never be able to wrestle for the WWF Championship again, and if Austin won, he would never see McMahon again. Austin won after interference from X-Pac, hitting The Undertaker with a TV camera and gave McMahon a goodbye Stone Cold Stunner. Austin held on to the WWF Championship until SummerSlam when he lost it to Mankind in a Triple Threat match also featuring Triple H.[9]Austin would get his rematch at No Mercy against Triple H but lost after The Rock accidentally struck him with a sledgehammer that was meant for Triple H. When Survivor Series rolled around, Triple H was still champion. Austin was booked into a Triple Threat match for the WWF Championship against Triple H and The Rock. However, Austin was run down by a car in the parking lot.[9] The Big Showwould replace Austin in the match and would win the WWF Championship. What followed was neck surgery by Dr. Lloyd Youngblood and a nine-month rehabilitation with the car angle as his reason for leaving.[9] In reality, Austin had needed neck surgery since the Owen Hart incident in 1997.[9]
[edit]Return and heel turn (2000–2001)Main article: The Power TripAustin appeared at Backlash 2000, attacking Triple H and Vince McMahon to help The Rock reclaim the WWF Championship. At Unforgiven, Austin made his official return. The company, meanwhile, tried to find out who ran him down at Survivor Series the previous year.[9] Rikishi finally admitted to being the driver because "he did it for the people."[9] At No Mercy, Austin was back to face Rikishi in a No Holds Barred match. During the match, Austin motioned he was going to drive his truck into Rikishi, who by that time was a bloody mess. Before he could, he was stopped by officials, the match being deemed no-contest and Austin was (kayfabe) arrested and later bailed by Commissioner Mick Foley. During a handicap match against Rikishi and Kurt Angle, Triple H came down with the apparent intention of teaming with Austin. After clearing the ring, Triple H smashed his sledgehammer over Austin's head, and revealed it was actually him behind the whole scheme, devised to shield the WWF Championship from Austin and end his career. At Survivor Series, Triple H had plotted to run Austin down again during their match (thus repeating the events of the previous year's Survivor Series) but his plot failed when Austin lifted Triple H's automobile with a forklift, then let it drop 20 feet, causing Triple H to shout "Holy shit!" just before the car was released. Also, in the year 2000, Stone Cold Steve Austin competed in a 6 man Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon for the WWF Championship, against Triple H, the Undertaker, Rikishi, Kurt Angle and The Rock. In the end, Stone Cold Steve Austin gave The Rock a Stunner and was about to pin him when Triple H came in the way and got a stunner. But Kurt Angle took advantage of the situation and pinned The Rock and picked up the victory, hence retaining the WWF Championship. After the match, Stone Cold Steve Austin delivered a stunner to Kurt Angle, while he was celebrating his victory.
Austin won his third Royal Rumble in January 2001,[36] last eliminating Kane. His rivalry against Triple H ended at No Way Out in a Three Stages of Hell match, with Triple H beating Austin two falls to one. Then, at WrestleMania X-Seven, Austin turned heel by hitting The Rock with a steel chair several times to win the WWF Championship.[9] After the match, Austin shook hands and shared a beer with Vince McMahon. With the victory, Austin became a five-time WWF Champion. The next night on Raw, after teasing a quick face turn, the heel turn continued. He also altered his character considerably over the next few months, in a deliberate turn from the rebellious and anti-establishment character beloved by the fans, Austin became a whiny, temperamental prima donna who would complain incessantly when he felt he was not getting the respect from the fans and wrestlers that he deserved. He also developed an infatuation with McMahon, going to great lengths to impress him and even going so far as to hugging him and bringing him presents. McMahon, though visibly uncomfortable and wary by the attention, was still grateful to have Austin with him instead of against him. During a cage match with The Rock in a rematch for the title, Triple H came down to the ring with a sledgehammer and together with Austin viciously attacked The Rock and put him out of action. Austin further cemented his heel turn the following Thursday on Smackdown! when, during an interview with Jim Ross about his actions at WrestleMania, thought Ross was denouncing their friendship and then proceeded to attack and brutally assault Ross. Austin and Triple H became a team and called themselves The Two-Man Power Trip.[9]
Austin and Triple H were the top heels in the company, and feuding with The Undertaker and Kane. After defeating Kane and The Undertaker for the WWF Tag Team Championship at Backlash, they held the Tag Team Titles, the WWF Championship (Austin), and the WWF Intercontinental Championship (Triple H) all at once. At Judgment Day, Triple H lost his Intercontinental Title to Kane. Then, the following night on Raw, Austin and Triple H wrestled against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit with the Tag Team Titles on the line. Midway through the match, Triple H tore his quadriceps muscle.[9]As planned, the team lost the Tag Team Titles at the end of the match when Triple H accidentally hit Austin in the stomach with a sledgehammer, but the injury to Triple H, which kept him out for the remainder of the year, forced the WWF to go in another direction. Austin had a minor injury for a month.
[edit]The Invasion (2001)See also: The Invasion"Stone Cold" Steve Austin's signature ring entrance.Austin was paired with Kurt Angle and feuded against Jericho and Benoit. This culminated with a Triple Threat match at King of the Ring, in which Austin faced the former tag team champions. Although WCW's Booker T interfered, Austin scored the victory and retained his championship. The feud ended at that point, as Benoit had neck surgery after the match, sidelining him for the following year.
In July 2001, with Benoit out for surgery, the Austin/Jericho feud was dropped without a mention. With the Rock still away making movies, the WWF desperately rushed out the plans for The Invasion. As The Invasion storyline began and progressed, McMahon was watching helplessly as his empire crumbled around him due to The Alliance luring more and more talent away from the WWF, and his biggest allies, Austin and Angle, were too busy sucking up to him and bickering amongst themselves to successfully counter the Alliance. Austin made it known that he was against teaming with Angle, whom Austin saw as both a threat to his WWF Championship, as well as an annoying tag-along. A frustrated McMahon appealed to Austin to return to his old Texas Rattlesnake persona, even imploring him to give him a Stone Cold Stunner. Though intending to fire up Austin, it backfired and only seemed to hurt the feelings of Austin, as he promptly left the arena, dejected. But the week before InVasion, the old Stone Cold Steve Austin "returned," delivering Stunners to the Alliance members. This was all part of the setup for a swerve at the event, where Austin betrayed the WWF team and partner Angle to help the Alliance win, as Austin assumed leadership of the group.[9] The reason why Austin did this was that he felt McMahon was grooming Angle to take over his spot, and that he himself was "unappreciated" when McMahon insisted he return to the old Austin. This turned him heel once more.
Austin lost and regained the WWF Championship in a feud with Angle, who was put over by Austin as a threat. Austin lost the title to Angle at Unforgivenbefore regaining it on the October 8, 2001 episode of Raw.[9] In a swerve, Angle joined the Alliance just before Survivor Series.[9] As the Invasion angle dragged on, it was ultimately decided to bring the plot line to an end with Austin and a group of ECW and WCW wrestlers facing The Rock and a group of WWF wrestlers at the Survivor Series. Austin and his team lost after Angle betrayed him, thus ending the Invasion angle. The next night on Raw, as McMahon was about to award Angle with the WWF Championship for actions at Survivor Series, Ric Flair came out and announced that he owned half of the WWF. Austin came out and attacked Angle and McMahon, taking back the WWF Championship. Austin then had a beer bash with Flair, turning Austin face once again. Austin would hold the WWF Championship for another month before losing it to Chris Jericho at Vengeance 2001 due to interference from Booker T. Jericho defeated both The Rock and Austin consecutively that night, winning the WCW World Title and later the WWF Title and combining them to create the unprecedented WWF Undisputed Championship. After that, Austin continued another feud with Booker T. In one angle, Austin defeated Booker T in an unofficial grocery store fight.
[edit]Issues with Bookings and Creative Teams; departure (2002)Beginning 2002, although Austin's character remained with the WWF's most popular wrestlers as top face, his upcoming story lines in the build-up to WrestleMania were somewhat questionable compared to those of his previous years. In the 2002 Royal Rumble, Triple H made his long-awaited return from injury, with he and Austin two of the last four participants in the ring along with Kurt Angle and Mr Perfect. Austin was eliminated by Kurt Angle, however he shortly went back in the ring and hit all three with a steel chair. A few days later on Raw he defeated Kurt Angle to earn a shot at Chris Jericho's WWF Undisputed Championship at No Way Out 2002.
In the build-up to No Way Out, McMahon had re-signed the New World Order, who started a feud with him after (kayfabe) Austin refused a beer gift. Problems in the backstage creativity were however then seemingly beginning to surface. Austin was reported as being unhappy regarding Hulk Hogan's return to the WWF, and was reported as refusing to lose to Hogan in a proposed match atWrestleMania X8, while Hogan reportedly told McMahon the same regarding losing to Austin. Consequently, the match was re-billed as The Rock defeating Hogan, whilst Austin defeated Scott Hall, climaxing his feud with the nWo.
In a surprise altercation the next night on Raw, Austin refused to show up and took a week-long break without the company's consent, claiming exhaustion. McMahon claimed his actions caused fury among fans who had paid to see him that night. Austin returned on the April 1, 2002 episode of Raw, the first of the new "brand extension" era. The show was centered on which show he would sign with, and he ultimately chose Raw. Austin entered a feud with The Undertaker that resulted in a number-one contender's match for the WWE Undisputed Championship at Backlash 2002, which Austin lost despite having his foot on the rope when he was pinned. He would later be betrayed by Big Show, who went on to rejoin the nWo, and Ric Flair. Austin then defeated Big Show and Flair in a handicap match at Judgment Day.
In an interview on WWE television by telephone in May 2002, Austin stunned the company and fans by launching a verbal attack on the direction the company was heading in and slated the creative team for not using him the way he felt they previously did. The commentators struggled to keep Austin's opinions on a neutral wavelength, leading to the WWE apologising to fans for the outburst and stated it was not part of Austin's current or upcoming storylines. McMahon responded a week later on the same show playing down the outburst, claiming that Austin was merely the type of wrestler who was occasionally difficult to work with.
The WWE rehired Eddie Guerrero for Austin to feud with, while also prepping Austin for a feud with Brock Lesnar. Austin, however, vetoed any matches that would result in him losing to Lesnar and ultimately walked out of the company.[37] Austin later explained that he thought hot-shotting a rookie made Austin look weak and did not give Lesnar a proper stage for such a big win over a star of the magnitude that Austin held.
Further fanning the flames amongst Austin's growing number of detractors was a well-publicized domestic dispute incident between Austin and his wife Debra.[37]
On June 3, following the dispute with Debra, Austin made his last appearance for WWE on Raw. After Austin no-showed the episode of Raw the following week, his storylines were dropped.[37]
Austin walked out again publicly stating he felt bad storylines were presented to him by the creative team. This time his departure was for good.[37] McMahon, along with longtime Austin supporter and real-life friend Jim Ross, buried Austin on WWE programming, referring to him as "taking his ball and going home" because he wasn't getting his way, whilst also explaining to the fans that neither he nor Ross were able to persuade Austin to change his mind. McMahon insisted that Austin owed an apology to all the fans across the world, especially those who paid solely to see him that night. McMahon toasted to Austin's career with a beer thanking him for all his hard work nonetheless. The Rock also made an appearance on Raw despite being drafted to Smackdown!, and announced his frustrations towards Austin.
Austin's merchandise continued to sell greatly in the weeks following his departure, however with no sign of a return likely to be seen, the company stopped marketing his character, his merchandise, and removed his profile from WWE.com.
This period was documented in an episode of WWE Confidential.
[edit]Return to WWE (2003–present)[edit]Final storylines and retirement (2003-2004)For the remainder of 2002, Austin kept a low profile and did not make any public appearances in or out of wrestling. It was reported however by the end of the year, Austin and McMahon met and resolved their differences. He then agreed to return to the company in early 2003.
In an interview with WWE Raw Magazine, he announced deep regret over the situation that led to his departure and the way in which he'd left, and deeper regret over inaccurate speculation regarding his alleged grudges held against other WWE wrestlers, claiming he had no problem with Scott Hall rejoining the company, although he admitted he still held strong reservations about his singles match with Hall at WrestleMania only lasting 7 minutes and felt build-up to the match did not live up to his or Hall's fans expectations, and was angered by speculation suggesting he disagreed with Kevin Nash re-joining the company, insisting he and Nash have always been good friends. He confessed he had a major rift with Paul Levesque's (Triple H's) role in the company upon his return in 2002, but insisted as of 2003 they resolved their issues. In addition, he claimed a brief dispute with Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) was resolved quickly upon his return, and that none of his disputes with the talent roster continued or played the major part in his departure.
Austin faces off against The Rock atWrestleMania XIX in Austin's last match.In February, Austin returned at No Way Out in a short match against Eric Bischoff. Austin would wrestle only one match between then and WrestleMania in another short match against Bischoff on Raw but was then defeated by The Rock at WrestleMania XIX, who returned about the same time as a smug, "sell out" villain, which, ultimately, became Austin's last official match in WWE. It was also revealed later in the documentary "The Mania Of Wrestlemania" (Based around the Wrestlemania 19 event) that the letters O.M.R were put on his jacket for his match against The Rock symbolically meaning "One More Round"
The night after on Raw, Bischoff (kayfabe) "fired" Austin on medical grounds. The next morning, Austin gave an interview on WWE.com announcing his retirement from wrestling, although he stated that he and Vince McMahon had reached an agreement seeing him only appear in non-wrestling roles on a weekly basis. In reference to Bischoff firing him on Raw that week, he said that although firing was for storyline purposes, he admitted the medical problems read out on Raw were real and mainly related back to his injury sustained at SummerSlam 1997 in a match with Owen Hart, and had begun to seriously plague him since late 2001. He confessed wrestling against the advice of his doctors up to his departure in 2002, which forced him to quit wrestling, and cited this as the sole reason as to why he suddenly departed, with doctors advising an awkward or violent move performed on him could have resulted in Austin being permanently disabled or resulting in death.
The following week, Austin began his non-wrestling career with the WWE and began a fresh storyline when he was brought back by Linda McMahon as the Co-General Manager of Raw. He continued this storyline for the remainder of the year, still showing wrestling moves including the Stone Cold Stunner and several exchanges of punches and kicks, although limiting regularity of these being performed. On the November 17, 2003 episode of Raw, Austin was "fired" from Raw as the result of a stipulation in a match at Survivor Series where Austin's hand-picked team of wrestlers failed to beat Bischoff's team of wrestlers. Austin quickly returned to WWE television before the end of 2003 when he was part of the WWE Tribute to the Troops taped live in front of U.S. troops in Iraq, posing and stunning Mr. McMahon. He finally came back on Raw on December 29 as its "Sheriff", giving a Stone Cold Stunner to Eric Bischoff and rehiring Shawn Michaels, who had just been "fired" by Bischoff.
Austin appeared on and off as 2004 began, culminating in him being the special guest referee for the notorious match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg at WrestleMania XX in which fans cheered for Austin and jeered both Lesnar and Goldberg due to both men announcing their departures from the company following the event. Then, on April 17, WWE put out a press release on their website claiming that Steve Austin and WWE were unable to settle long-running contract disputes and had again parted ways.
[edit]Part-time appearances and Hall of Famer (2005–present)Stone Cold Steve Austin made his first appearance on WWE programming in a year at WrestleMania 21 where he was confronted by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in Piper's Pit until Carlito interrupted to insult both. This resulted in Carlito receiving a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin and Piper throwing him out of the ring. The segment ended with Stone Cold and Piper celebrating with beer until he gave Piper a Stone Cold Stunner as well. He then appeared on a few subsequent episodes of Raw.
At ECW One Night Stand Austin came to the ring following the show's main event. Wearing a Las Vegas Outlaws XFL jersey, Stone Cold came to the ring to give The Sandman a beer which he had asked for. However, Austin invited the whole locker room to the ring for a Beer Bash. However, before the bash he demanded the WWE Crusaders come to the ring for a fight. Tazz came to the ring, which started the brawl. After Taz applied the Tazzmission to Kurt Angle the brawl ended. ECW stood alone in the ring after throwing all of the Crusaders out of the ring. Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) then dragged Eric Bischoff to the ring. The Dudley Boyz gave him a Dudley Death Drop, followed by Chris Benoit giving him a Diving Headbutt, Rey Mysterio followed that with a 619. When Stone Cold then asked Bischoff about his feelings on the night, he responded with "F**K ECW", which prompted Austin to give Bischoff a stunner. As the Dudley Boyz took Bischoff outside, and loaded him onto a Garbage truck, the remaining ECW Originals took part in a "beer bash" as the show went off the air. He was on Raw the following night.
Then, at WWE Homecoming, Stone Cold again returned to Raw, delivering Stunners to all four members of the McMahon family.[38] An angle including Jim Ross being fired led to a match in which Stone Cold agreed to face Bischoff's replacement, Jonathan Coachman, at Taboo Tuesday, with the stipulation of Ross regaining his announcing job if Austin were to win and Austin losing his own job if he lost the match. Austin hurt his back prior to the match, and could not wrestle unless he was heavily medicated, so the match was cancelled. To explain away his failure to appear at Taboo Tuesday, Vince McMahon said on Raw that Stone Cold had been involved in an accident, thus preventing him from competing. Batista substituted for Austin defeating The Coach along with Vader and Goldust. The stipulation was dropped due to Austin not competing.[39]
Austin returned to WWE briefly to face John "Bradshaw" Layfield in a beer drinking contest at the March 5, 2006 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. Austin won by disqualification as he saw JBL cheating by pouring the beer down his clothes. JBL threw some beer in Austin's face and tried to run away, but Chris Benoit quickly threw JBL back in the ring. Austin gave a stunner to JBL and then celebrated with the Stone Cold beer salute. Austin then inducted Bret Hart into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006.[40]
Austin returned to WWE programming (appearing on Raw, ECW, and SmackDown!) in March 2007, partially to promote his starring role in the release of WWE Films' production, The Condemned. On March 31, 2007, Austin inducted his friend Jim Ross into the WWE Hall of Fame. At WrestleMania 23, Austin, as a special guest referee, officiated the match between Bobby Lashley and Umaga. The stipulation for the match was that if Lashley lost, Donald Trump's head would be shaved, and if Umaga lost, Mr. McMahon's head would suffer the same fate. In the course of the event, Austin delivered stunners to Umaga, Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Donald Trump. Lashley eventually won the match, and Trump, Austin and Lashley then shaved Mr.McMahon's head on live TV. Stone Cold ended by stunning McMahon as well as Donald Trump and toasting beers.[41] He then appeared in a video on the June 11 episode of Raw as part of "Mr. McMahon's Appreciation Night", where he shared his thoughts on his past feuds with McMahon.[42]
Austin would often referee matches after retiring from wrestlingAustin appeared on the August 18, 2007 episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, as a possible illegitimate child of Mr. McMahon and stunned McMahon and Jonathan Coachman. Austin appeared at SummerSlam where he was the replacement for Matt Hardy to battle Montel Vontavious Porter in a Beer Drinking Contest. The match ended in a no contest after Austin handed a beer to MVP and gave him the Stone Cold Stunner.[43] Austin made another appearance atCyber Sunday, where he guest refereed a World Heavyweight Championship match between the champion Batista, and the challenger The Undertaker. Batista walked out the champion after delivering a Batista Bomb to The Undertaker.On the November 5, 2007 episode of Raw, Austin made an appearance to confront Santino Marella for criticizing The Condemned.[44] The argument ended as Marella received a Stone Cold Stunner from Austin, who then walked backstage only to return with a Budweiser beer truck to hose down Marella and his valet Maria with beer.[44] On December 10, 2007 during the Raw 15th Anniversary Spectacular, Austin returned after Vince McMahon received the mandible claw from Mankind and a chokeslam from The Undertaker for proclaiming himself "the greatest Raw superstar of all time." Shortly after, McMahon received a Stone Cold Stunner and Austin called out all WWE stars in attendance to the ring to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Raw. The show closed as Austin, Triple H and Hornswoggle poured beer on McMahon, who was knocked out outside the ring.
On October 26, 2008, at Cyber Sunday, Austin was the special guest referee during a match between Batista and Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship. In between the match Stone Cold told a fleeing Jericho that if he was counted out or disqualified, Batista would win the title. During the course of the match, Batista accidentally knocked Austin down. When Austin recovered, Randy Orton, who had come out as the third referee, knocked Austin back down, only to receive a Stone Cold Stunner when Austin recovered. Eventually Batista won the match by hitting his signature Batista Bomb on Chris Jericho, leading Austin to give the three count, making Batista the new World Heavyweight Champion.[45]
On January 12, 2009, episode of Raw, Austin was announced to be the first member of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2009.[46] He was inducted by his long-term on-screen rival Vince McMahon, who referred to Austin as "The Greatest WWE Superstar of all time." During the induction, there were "one more match" chants, to which Austin said he was officially closing the door on his wrestling career and starting a new chapter in his life. At WrestleMania XXV, Austin was introduced alongside the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2009. After the introductions, Austin's theme music hit, and he re-entered the ringside area wearing a vintage "Austin 3:16" shirt driving an ATV. He then enjoyed his trademark beer bash with the fans and with long-time friend Jim Ross.
Austin returned to the company on the March 15, 2010 episode of Raw as its guest host. On that episode of Raw he moderated a contract signing between Vince McMahon and Bret Hart for their match at WrestleMania XXVI. In the same episode Austin met up backstage with his longtime rival Shawn Michaels, who asked Austin whether he believed that Michaels could end the Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak in their upcoming match. Austin replied "Hell yeah I think you can beat the Undertaker, but I don't think you're going to, The streak is going to go 18-0". Michaels lost the match extending the Undertaker's streak to 18-0 and forcing Michaels to retire.
On the 900th episode of "Raw"; which took place on August 30, 2010; the intro and theme for Stone Cold Steve Austin were shown. However, this was only a trick by fellow wrestler CM Punk who was attempting to prove a point about what the Straight Edge Society believed was a disturbing history of the WWE. Steve Austin did not actually make an appearance on this night.
Austin in WrestleMania XXVII, performing his entrance with his signature ATV.In early 2011, Austin was announced as the head trainer and host for the revival of WWE Tough Enough. On the March 7 episode of Raw, Austin interrupted the contract signing of the special guest referee to the Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler match at WrestleMania XXVII, originally scheduled to be John "Bradshaw" Layfield. After stunning Layfield, Austin signed the contract instead and became the official guest referee for the scheduled match.[47] Although Lawler won by submission, the anonymous Raw General Manager reversed the decision and disqualified Lawler, claiming that Austin had "overstepped his authority". He appeared on Raw the following night with the cast from Tough Enough, while also getting into an altercation with The Miz and Alex Riley
On April 7, 2011, Austin gave an Interview where he talked about his return, filming Tough Enough and the respect he has for CM Punk. Austin was asked about a return to the ring and said that he felt that if he had to, he had two more years in him and could still do a full-time schedule. However, he then stated that he was happy with where he was at in life and wanted to be able to hunt and fish 10–20 years from now and be able to do it pain free.
On the June 6th episode of Raw, Austin appeared live alongside old rival Vince McMahon to declare Andy Leavine as the winner of Tough Enough. He also served as the Special Guest Referee in the evening's tag team main event, John Cena and Alex Riley vs. The Miz and R-Truth. The end of the match came as a result of Austin hitting the infamous Stone Cold Stunner on The Miz, which was followed by an Attitude Adjustment from Cena and then the pinfall victory. However, the Anonymous Raw General Manager chimed in and the GM's ringside mouthpiece Michael Cole announced that since Austin had abused his authority as referee, The Miz and R-Truth win via disqualification. Austin did not take kindly to the GM overturning his decision and Cole also received a Stunner, which was followed with anotherAttitude Adjustment courtesy of Cena. Austin and Cena closed the show, celebrating with a beer bash.
Austin was the special guest GM on the 3-hour All-Star edition of Monday Night Raw, emanating live from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply Nassau Coliseum) in Long Island, New York, where all Superstars and Divas have performed. Also in his special guest GM time, He destroyed the GM Laptop by running over it with his ATV. This is the second time the GM Laptop was destroyed since Edge destroyed it on September 27, 2010.
He also announced that the next week of Raw (June 20, 2011, also the Raw after Capitol Punishment); emanating live from the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland; will be another 3-hour show where the WWE Universe takes the authority to choose the opponent or stipulation of a match. He then announced that the show is named "Power to the People".
[edit]Television and film careerSteve Austin filmed guest roles on Celebrity Deathmatch and Nash Bridges, where he played Detective Jake Cage. He appeared in The 1998 Billboard Music Awards. He has appeared on shows like V.I.P,Dilbert, The Teen Choice Awards, CMT Music Awards. His motion picture debut was in a supporting role as Guard Dunham in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard. Austin had his first starring film role, as Jack Conrad, a dangerous convict awaiting execution in a Salvadoran prison, who takes part in a illegal deathmatch game that is being broadcast to the public in the 2007 thriller The Condemned.
In 2010, Austin appeared in the film The Expendables as Dan Paine, the bodyguard and right hand man for the primary antagonist of the film. This role featured Austin working alongside other action stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, and Randy Couture. He Appeared as Hugo Panzer on TV series Chuck. He has starred in Dtv Movies like Damage, Hunt to Kill,The Stranger, Tactical Force and Knockout. His upcoming movies include Recoil With Danny Trejo, The Package with Dolph Lundgren and Maximum Conviction with Steven Seagal.
[edit]Filmography[edit]FilmYearTitleRoleNotes1999Beyond the MatHimselfDocumentary2005The Longest YardGuard Dunham2007The CondemnedJack ConradProduced by WWE Films2009DamageJohn BricknerDirect-to-video2010The StrangerThe Stranger2010The ExpendablesJacob Paine2010Hunt to KillJim RhodesDirect-to-video2011KnockoutDan2011Tactical ForceTate2011RecoilRyan Varrett2012Maximum Conviction2012The PackageJohnny Gallagher[edit]TelevisionYearTitleRoleNotes1998–2002Celebrity DeathmatchHimself4 seasons1999Teen Choice AwardsHimself1999–2000Nash BridgesDetective Jake CageSix episodes2000DilbertJudgeOne episode2005The Bernie Mac ShowHimself2010ChuckHugo PanzerTwo episodes2011Tough EnoughHimself - Host[edit]Personal lifeAustin dated Kathryn Burrhus throughout high school and college, and the two married on November 24, 1990. Nonetheless, Austin pursued a relationship with Jeannie Clark ("Lady Blossom"), with whom he was working. His marriage to Burrhus was quickly annulled on August 7, 1992,[48] and Austin and Clark married on December 18, 1992. Together, they have two daughters, Stephanie (born in 1992) and Cassidy (born in 1996).[49] He also adopted Jade, Clark's daughter with former husband Chris Adams.[50] Austin and Clark divorced on May 10, 1999 and their daughters live in Southend-on-Sea, England with Clark, while Jade lives in America with her husband and son.[49][51]
On September 13, 2000, Austin married WWE Diva Debra Marshall.[52] On June 15, 2002 police were called to their residence in San Antonio, Texas.[37] They found a hysterical Marshall with bruises.[53] Austin had left the house and was asked by police not to return. On August 14, 2002, Austin was arrested and charged with domestic abuse. He pled no contest on November 25, 2002 and was given a year's probation, a $1,000 fine, and ordered to carry out eighty hours of community service.[54] Marshall would later claim that Austin was a steroid user and this incident was the result ofroid rage.[55] Austin filed for divorce from Marshall on July 22, 2002 and the divorce was finalized on February 5, 2003.[56] On June 29, 2007, Marshall told Fox News that Austin beat her three times.[57]She also stated that WWE put a gag order on her so she would not reveal that Stone Cold hit her, as it would cost the company millions of dollars.[58] The WWE did not respond to her allegations.
In December 2007, the Wrestling Observer newsletter reported that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin legally changed his real name (Steven Williams) to his wrestling name Steve Austin.[59] Austin currently resides in Los Angeles, California and in Tilden, Texas, where he owns the Broken Skull Ranch.
[edit]In wrestlingAustin at the 2009 WWE Hall of FameCeremony.
- Finishing moves
- As "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- Stone Cold Stunner (Seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker, usually preceded by a kick to the midsection)[60]
- As "Stunning" Steve Austin
- As The Ringmaster
- Million Dollar Dream (Cobra clutch)[60]
- As "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- Signature moves
- As "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- Back body drop[60]
- Boston crab[60]
- Catapult[60]
- Clothesline[60]
- Leapfrog body guillotine[60]
- Mudhole Stomp (Multiple stomps to the chest of a seated opponent in a corner, followed by the middle finger gesture to the opponent and finished with a final stomp)[60]
- Pointed elbow drop,[60] sometimes from the second or top rope[60]
- Sleeper hold[60]
- Spinebuster[60]
- Stomp to the opponent's groin[60]
- STF[60]
- Suplex
- Superplex
- Texas piledriver[60]
- Thesz press[60] followed by multiple punches
- As "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- As "Stunning" Steve Austin
- Hollywood and Vine (Standing figure four leglock)[60]
- Knee drop[61]
- Pointed elbow drop, sometimes from the second or top rope[60]
- Schoolboy pin
- Sleeper hold[61]
- That's A Wrap (Modified figure four leglock)
- Vertical suplex[61]
- As "Stunning" Steve Austin
- Entrance themes
- World Championship Wrestling
- As "Stunning" Steve Austin
- "Roman Love" (1991–1993)
- "Satan's Sister" (1993–1995)
- As "Stunning" Steve Austin
- Extreme Championship Wrestling
- As "Superstar" Steve Austin
- "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1995)[22]
- As "Superstar" Steve Austin
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- As The Ringmaster
- "Ringmaster" by Jim Johnston (1996)
- As "Stone Cold" Steve Austin
- "Hell Frozen Over" by Jim Johnston (October 27, 1996–October 11, 1998)
- "I Won't Do What You Tell Me" by Jim Johnston (October 12, 1998–April 27, 2000; December 3, 2001–present)
- "Glass Shatters" by Disturbed (September 24, 2000–July 22, 2001; 2011 – Promos)
- "Rattlesnake" by Jim Johnston (2001)
- "Hell on Earth" by Jim Johnston (2001)
- "Paranoid" by Jim Johnston (2001)
- "Venomous" by Jim Johnston (August 6, 2001–November 29, 2001)
- As The Ringmaster
- World Championship Wrestling
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (1998, 1999)[66] vs. Vince McMahon
- PWI Match of the Year (1997)[67] vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 in a Submission match
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2001)[68]
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1998)[69]
- PWI Rookie of the Year (1990)[70]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (1998, 1999, 2001)[71]
- PWI ranked #1 of the Top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1998 and 1999[72][73]
- PWI ranked #19 of the Top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI Years in 2003[74]
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- Million Dollar Championship (1 time)[81]1
- WWF Championship (6 times)[82]
- WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)[83]
- WWF Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Shawn Michaels (1), Dude Love (1), The Undertaker (1) and Triple H (1)[84]
- King of the Ring (1996)[85]
- Royal Rumble (1997, 1998, 2001)[86]
- Slammy Award for Freedom of Speech (1997)
- Fifth Triple Crown Champion
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2009)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- 5 Star Match (1992) with Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, and Larry Zbyszko vs. Dustin Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, Sting, Ricky Steamboat, and Barry Windham in aWarGames match at WrestleWar
- 5 Star Match (1997) vs. Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13
- Best Box Office Draw (1998, 1999)
- Best Gimmick (1997, 1998)
- Best Heel (1996)
- Best Interviews (1996–1998, 2001)
- Best Non-Wrestler (2003)
- Feud of the Year (1997) vs. The Hart Foundation
- Feud of the Year (1998, 1999) vs. Vince McMahon
- Match of the Year (1997) vs. Bret Hart in a Submission match at WrestleMania 13
- Most Charismatic (1997, 1998)
- Rookie of the Year (1990)
- Tag Team of the Year (1993) with Brian Pillman as the Hollywood Blonds
- Wrestler of the Year (1998)
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (1991) with Terrance Taylor vs. Bobby Eaton and P.N. News in a Scaffold match at The Great American Bash
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2000)
[edit]WrestleMania recordWrestleManiaResultRecord
(Win-Loss-Draw)Opponent(s)NotesXIIWin1-0-0Savio VegaSingles match.13Loss1-1-0[87]Bret HartSubmission Match with Ken Shamrock as Special Guest Referee.XIVWin2-1-0Shawn MichaelsSingles match for the WWF Championship with Mike Tyson as special outside enforcer.XVWin3-1-0The RockNo disqualification match for the WWF Championship.X-SevenWin4-1-0The RockNo disqualification match for the WWF Championship.X8Win5-1-0[88]Scott HallSingles match.XIXLoss5-2-0[89]The RockSingles match.[edit]Bibliography
- Sammond, Nicholas (2005). Steel Chair to the Head: The Pleasure and Pain of Professional Wrestling. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822334380.
- Foley, Mick (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweat socks. Harper Collins. ISBN 0061031011.
- PSI Staff (2007). Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts. Kappa Publishing.
- Austin, Steve; Ross, Jim (2003). The Stone Cold Truth. Pocket Books. ISBN 0743477200.