The Rock Biography
The Rock
Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, may be one of the most recognizable and popular professional wrestlers in existence. While he certainly held his own in the ring, against numerous talented opponents, Johnson has made a real name for himself as an actor. Born in 1972, The Rock played college football as a member of the University of Miami team that won a national championship. He tried his hand in the Canadian Football League but stayed only a few months.
He followed his grandfather and father into the world of professional wrestling, becoming quite famous and popular under the World Wrestling Entertainment banner. Johnson became “The Rock” early in his career when he was known as part of the Nation of Domination. He wrestled occasionally in 2000 and 2001 but devoted an increasing amount of time to acting in movies and television shows.
But those who know Johnson only from his acting career shouldn’t be misled. He was a world champion nine times (seven WWF/WWE and two World Championship Wrestling). He held the Intercontinental title twice and won the WWF Tag Team Championship on five separate occasions.
Johnson has been in numerous major movies, including The Scorpion King, Get Smart and Race to Witch Mountain, a career that is a long way from his youth in California. Members of Johnson’s family have been involved in professional wrestling for decades. Even his grandmother was a wrestling commissioner in the early 1980s, the Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling organization. Johnson is of Samoan and black heritage. His father’s family traces its roots to Nova Scotia.
Young Athlete
Johnson participated in track, football and other sports in high school, eventually catching the attention of several Division I colleges. He attended the University of Miami, where he played football. Johnson and his wife, Dany Garcia, have donated large amounts of money to their alma mater. Dany is a member of the university Board of Trustees.
The Rock
At 6’3” tall and 255 pounds, Johnson was a formidable opponent in the ring. He was trained by family members who had extensive experience in professional wrestling. His successes include the USWA tag-team title in 1996. He first appeared in WWF competition as Rocky Maivia, using parts of names from his grandfather and father. He often wrestled as an audience favorite and was generally known as a clean wrestler and a clean-cut sort of man. The Rock won the Intercontinental title by defeating Triple H in 1997.
Feuds with Steve Austin and others highlighted The Rock’s career in the late 1990s and into the new century. He was the first African-American to gain the heavyweight title. Johnson wrestled at the top of the professional game for several years, primarily due to his popularity among fans of all ages. He began to develop a sense of comedy and presented this personality during television interviews.
The years 2000 and 2001 were very busy times for Johnson. His wrestling career was going at full speed, during a time when he was often referred in connection with a Kurt Angle feud. He left wrestling and the WWE for a short time to pursue his career in Hollywood, but returned for a short time. The Rock’s wrestling career has been part-time/retirement since 2004.
Triple-H Biography
Triple-H
Most professional wrestlers have a ring name today. Sometimes it is an abbreviation of the full name. Some performers choose a fictitious name that suits their ring personality. Triple H has a slightly different variation on the name idea. This pro wrestler and screen actor was born Paul Michael Levesque in 1969. Earlier in his career he wrestled under the name Hunter Hearst Helmsley. He now uses the three “H’s” from his former name to wrestle as Triple H in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) action.
Triple H is a featured wrestler in the WWE Raw series now but he started with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) more than 17 years ago. He use a number of different ring names and was part of D-Generation X. Triple H ultimately became a main-event performer and held several championship titles.
So Many Titles
Triple H has 13 world champion titles to his name – eight WWE and five World Heavyweight championships. His resume’ includes King of the Ring, Royal Rumble and Grand Slam championships as well. This native of New Hampshire started on the path toward wrestling with a keen interest in bodybuilding. In fact, he won the Teen division of Mr. New Hampshire.
Levesque honed his skills under the tutelage of the legendary Killer Kowalski and started wrestling professionally in 1992. He was an early member of the Independent Wrestling Federation and took the heavyweight title in that organization under the ring name Terra Ryzing.
Triple H worked under the WCW banner for several years in the mid 1990s, trading on his French-sounding last name and on tag-team action with Lord Steven Regal. He was marketed in the wrestling world as a “blueblood” from Connecticut, which is the origin of the Hunter Hearst Helmsley name. This lasted only a short time, however. During that time he was closely associated with Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall and others in The Kliq.
MSG and Beyond
Triple H is still remembered for stepping out of character at Madison Square Garden, a moment that is known among wrestling fans as the MSG incident. He held the Intercontinental title for a short time then moved on to become part of D-Generation X, a group of wrestlers known for pushing the limits with their actions during and after matches.
In the 21st century Triple H activity included Hell in a Cell, a title in WrestleMania 2000 (pinning The Rock) and Three Stages of Hell versus Steve Austin. As part of the Raw lineup he held the Undisputed Championship for a short time but lost it to Hulk Hogan. In recent years, Triple H has been part of Evolution with Ric Flair, Randy Orton and Batista. He fought Shawn Michaels in a Last Man Standing match and was part of the D-Generation X revival.
Triple-H kissing Stephanie McMahon.
Most recently, Triple H has been adding championship titles to his list, feuding with select opponents and appearing in commercials, television shows and on film. He married Stephanie McMahon in 2003. Triple H also produced a body-building book in 2004.
The Undertaker Biography
The Undertaker Bio
One of the most recognizable and most popular stars in the WWE galaxy, The Undertaker has been called terrifying and notorious. Those who understand professional wrestling and the show-business nature of the industry know that the man who is presented as being “from Death Valley” can also be called successful.
In “real” life, The Undertake is Mark William Calaway. Born in Houston, Texas in 1965, Calaway has grown from an infant to become a 6’10” mountain of a man, moving his 300-pound frame around the ring for a quarter of a century. He has been an active performer in World Class Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation – now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
In his long wrestling career, The Undertaker has relied on some signature tactics with appropriate names like the Deadman. His matches have been billed as the Buried Alive match, Last Ride match and of course, Hell in a Cell. He has worked with Kane as a team called the Brothers of Destruction. Records of his professional career show that he is undefeated in WrestleMania and holds multiple championship titles, including: eight world championships, four WWF/WWE championships and three World Heavyweight championships. His record includes numerous tag-team titles as well.
The Undertaker’s Old Look.
Gong!!
For The Undertaker, appearance counts as much as anything he does as an athlete and professional wrestling performer. His physical stature and his glaring look have made him one of the most feared opponents in the ring. The signature gong that announces his entrance sets the tone for what follows. He has combined this terrifying atmosphere with remarkable athletic ability to become one of the greatest in professional wrestling history.
He has contributed to his frightening persona with mysterious “disappearances” that kept him out of the public eye for months at a time. He has always returned, sometimes to employ his original Tombstone Piledriver. He survived a match that may have ended his undefeated streak when he used this signature move twice to get the best of HBK.
The Undertaker toiled in relative obscurity for the first five years of his career, though followers of World Class Championship Wrestling and the Continental Wrestling Association knew of him from 1984 to about 1989. He “broke out” with a United States Wrestling Association championship victory over Jerry “The King” Lawler in April 1989. At the time he was billed as the Master of Pain.
His conquests in the ring include victories over such notable opponents as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Randy Orton and many others. He is remembered by avid fans as the first to escape from the “vise grip” of The Great Khali (7’3” and 420 pounds). In the past he has been known in the ring as “Mean” Mark Callous, Master of Pain, The Punisher and good old Texas Red. He now lives in Austin, Texas.
The man who modeled his persona after an Old West mortician (long coat, hat and gloves) has an honest, future claim on a spot in the wrestling Hall of Fame.
Jeff Hardy Biography
Jeff Hardy now works under the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling banner but most fans of professional wrestling know him from his time with World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Hardy, who was born in 1977, first pursued an interest in motocross racing and high school football. But he eventually chose professional wrestling as his main pursuit.
A major portion of his time was spent developing the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA) with his brother Matt. Eventually the duo signed on with WWE, taking part in tag team matches and gaining popularity was Team Xtreme. Hardy lists six World Tag Team titles to his credit along with a WCW Tag Team Championship.
Titles Galore
Jeff Hardy is also a successful wrestler in individual matches, with three World Champion titles to his credit. He is also a four-time champion of Intercontinental wrestling and once held the European Champion title. He may be best known for his WWE Championship (Armageddon, December 2008).
However, Hardy wasn’t always at the top of the professional star list. He worked as a “jobber” when in his teens. Jobbers in professional wrestling are the fall guys who lose so that the well-known opponent appears to be stronger and invincible. His wrestling experience includes the curious period in the Trampoline Wrestling Federation that didn’t get too far from its hometown roots. This was followed by OMEGA, a promotion/marketing effort that closed the doors when the Hardy brothers signed with WWF (1998).
Legendary Help
The brothers were fortunate to learn from one of the great names in wrestling, Dory Funk, Jr., along with such wrestling stars as Kurt Angle, Christian and others. Eventually the duo wrestled under the name “Hardy Boyz” and won their first tag-team title in 1999. They competed in the first “ladder” match and in 2000 formed Team Xtreme with Lita.
Jeff Hardy is known for tattoos, especially the roots that reach from his head, down his arm to his hand. He also has a dragon tattoo and Chinese symbols of various kinds. Fans learned of his arrest in 2009 on charges related to prescription drugs and drug paraphernalia. During his WWF/WWE days he was often called reckless and undisciplined, though this may have been because some of his methods were unorthodox in comparison to other WWE performers.
Hardy has also been connected to a feud with Brock Lesnar, following a 2002 incident between the two. Lesnar took the subsequent match with a knockout. But Hardy also won a third Hardcore title that same year. Jeff Hardy was released from his WWE connections in 2003. The organization cited “erratic behavior and drug use, among other reasons. Hardy said he was burned out and needed extensive time off.
After this break, Hardy worked independently and then with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He returned to WWE action in 2006 with a much-advertised match as part of the Raw serious. The Hardy brothers reunited for a short time in 2006 and 2007. Jeff Hardy is no longer associated with WWE and has connections with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling again
Randy Orton Biography
While many wrestlers have acquired frightening and mysterious names as they rose through the ranks of professional wrestling, Randy Orton is known by his given name. But that hasn’t kept him from being one of the most successful and popular wrestlers under the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) banner (or any other banner, for that matter).
Orton was born in April 1980 and soon followed the family path of professional wrestling. His father was Cowboy Bob Orton; his grandfather was Bob Orton, Sr. All were professional wrestlers. Even an uncle was part of the pro wrestling world.
Orton first wrestled in the Midwestern United States, including stints in Missouri and Illinois. He won the Hardcore title in Ohio Valley wrestling twice and soon signed with WWE. It didn’t take this U.S. wrestler long to acquire a WWE title, the Intercontinental. This was about the time that he began to gain attention as a “Legend Killer,” primarily because he openly showed lack of respect for wrestling veterans. His approach included members of the Hall of Fame as targets.
Young and Successful
Orton is remembered as the youngest World Heavyweight title holder for winning that championship in 2004, at the age of 24. This prompted his move away from the Evolution stable and began the feuds with former associates that lasted a couple of years. He worked tag-team events with Edge, a partnership that led to the world title. Orton also has the distinction of winning the WWE title twice – in the same evening! He holds six world titles, including five WWE championships. His resume includes the 2009 title at the Royal Rumble.
Orton, now 30, is a native of Tennessee. Though his family tried to point him in another direction, the young athlete pursued a wrestling career. He started his grappling in high school near St. Louis, Missouri and spent some time in the U.S. Marines. Orton, known among the wrestling faithful as something of a bad boy, was discharged from the service for “bad conduct.” His persona isn’t hurt by a month-long stay in the military brig.
Historical Connections
Orton has a history in wrestling that includes both the strong family tradition and the St. Louis tradition. He was active in the wrestling club operated by the legendary promoter Sam Muchnick in the Mississippi River city. He joined the WWE ranks in 2001, first competing in Ohio Valley Wrestling (a minor league for professional wrestlers).
His journey to the top of the professional-wrestling world started in late 2001 and early 2002. He appeared in a TV match in 2002 and was soon one of the favorites among wrestling fans. Injuries slowed him down early in his career but he battled his way back to become known as a villain who was his own favorite person.
As mentioned earlier, he was part of the Evolution group with Ric Flair and others. This led to a lot of exposure on Raw and also to highly promoted matches involving Triple H. He is well-known for the RKO, commonly referred to as a “jumping cutter” move.
Christian Biography
Using the ring names Christian and Christian Cage, William J. Reso wrestles with the Raw brand of the World Wrestling Federation. Now 36, Reso is a native of Canada who has pursued both professional wrestling and screen acting.
He is a student of such pro legends as Dory Funk, Jr. and Ron Hutchinson, starting his professional career in 1995 in Canada. His independent status didn’t last long however. Success in tag-team matches caught the attention of the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). He signed on in 1998.
Christian moved to the top of the WWF ladder quickly, taking the light-heavyweight title in 1998. He originally wrestled with a “vampire” ring presence, a character that didn’t last with the Canadian performer. He went “solo” in 2001 and immediately gained respect by winning the European title and the Intercontinental title.
Goodbye WWE, Hello WWE
Reso put the WWE in the rear-view mirror when he signed with Total Nonstop Action in 2005. He began using the name Christian Cage and it wasn’t long before he won a heavyweight title (one of four he holds). He returned to the WWE fold in 2009 and quickly took another title, the ECW Championship. Records indicate that he has held that title longer than anyone else since WWE was formed. He has also won nine tag-team titles.
Even some veteran WWE fans wonder how this wrestler came to be known as “Christian” and “Christian Cage.” According to most accounts, Reso first used Christian Cage as a combination of actors’ names (Christian Slater, Nicolas Cage). Early in his career he learned wrestling skills at Hutchinson’s gym. He also fought against and with Zakk Wyld, Rhino Richards and others as part of the THUG stable. He is also associated with the tag-team name “The Suicide Blondes.”
Early Excitement
Reso dropped the “Cage” part of his name early in his career (1998) when he first worked with WWE. He was also associated with The Brood during those early years, winning the WWF light-heavyweight title and appearing on pay-per-view television in September 1998. As mentioned earlier, he abandoned the “vampire” associations, though he was associated with the Ministry of Darkness formed by The Undertaker. Fan stories and semi-official information about those years show that there was some dissension in the ranks that led to other wrestlers “rescuing” Christian from the grips of The Undertaker.
Christian had success with TNA, winning the heavyweight title after moving to that organization in 2005. He came back in 2009 and won the ECW title at Backlash. This was also the night that Edge and Christian came face to face again. Edge would win another world title that night.
Reso, a native of Ontario, like wrestling as a youth, but like many Canadian kids he was also very interested in hockey. This changed while he was still in high school, thanks to friendships with several other wrestlers. He now lives in Florida.
Rey Mysterio Biography
Rey Mysterio in Mexico
Among the many “characters” who are also professional athletes and professional entertainers, Rey Mysterio is one who comes off as just a bit different. But this difference is one that makes him seem more like your “normal” next door neighbor. Mysterio is a family man with three children who also happens to be a professional wrestler.
For the few people who don’t know, Rey Mysterio is a “ring” name. For several years fans didn’t know what the masked wrestler looked like. He was born in December 1974 with the name Oscar Gutierrez. This Mexican-American wrestler is closely associated with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and SmackDown. Known by wrestling fans for his trademark “high flying” style, Mysterio got his professional name from the uncle who provided most of his early training. His uncle used the name Rey Misterio.
Unlike many professional wrestlers, Mysterio is not a hulk of a man. If he stood beside “the Hulk” or The Undertaker he would seem to be out of his league. At 175 pounds, Mysterio made his way in the ring with quickness, talent and personal drive. He has wrestled in more than one class and is also a successful tag-team performer.
Mexico First
With the original name of Rey Mysterio Jr. he was a popular wrestler in the Mexican association (AAA) in the early 1990s. When he made the move to World Championship Wrestling in the mid-1990s he changed his professional name to Rey Mysterio (no longer Jr.) He was been with the WWE brand since 2002.
This talented performer is credited with rejuvenating the interest in cruiserweight action, even though he also holds a World Heavyweight title. His accomplishments include three WWE Cruiserweight titles, four tag-team titles and two Intercontinental titles. This qualifies him for the “triple crown” of professional wrestling.
Negative Impact?
Unfortunately, Mysterio’s name was connected with the steroid/HGH issue in 2007. WWE officials defended Mysterio and others by responding with the information that allegations referred to activity that took place before 2006. In February of that year the organization instituted their patented Talent Wellness program. However, Mysterio was suspended for 30 days in 2009.
He continues to show his faith with tattoos and actions that pay tribute to his Roman Catholic upbringing. His talent and confidence made him a top cruiserweight wrestler, beginning in 1996. He defeated Psycosis and Dean Malenko for his first title in that division. He battled with Malenko for the title in subsequent matches and lost the title. Mysterio is also remembered for his early feuds with Prince Iaukea and Lord Steven Regal.
He continued his run at the top of the professional wrestling world while fans continued to wonder just who was behind the mask. He finally removed his mask in 1999 after the Hair vs. Mask match. He and partner Konnan lost and Mysterio was forced to remove the mask according to match terms. He complied but was never happy about losing his mystery identity. Mysterio believed the move, arranged by the promoters, was a bad marketing move.
He closed the book on the incident by noting that wrestling is about what the fans want, not what the big boys want.
Batista Biography
Real Name: David Michael Batista.
Date of birth: January 18, 1969.
Height: 6 feet 5 inches.
Finishing Move: Spinebuster and Batista Bomb.
David Michael Batista was once a bouncer before trying wrestling at WCW. However the WCW made a bad decision that he would never become a successful wrestler. However, he got his wrestling training from Wild Samoan Afa, and in the year 1997 he made his debut.
In May 9, 2002, Batista made his debut in WWE’s Smackdown. Though he later left Smackdown and went on to team up with Ric flair to debut on Raw in November 4, 2002. In January 27, 2003, he became a member of the team “Evolution” which also has Randy Orton, Triple H and Ric Flair.
In the year 2003, Batista faced an injury to his biceps and had to miss eight months of wrestling. However, he made a comeback and went on to become a wrestling superstar. He won the 2005 Royal Rumble and got qualified for WrestleMania 21, where he won the world heavyweight championship from Triple H.
In 2006, he again sustained injuries and had to leave the World Heavyweight Title. Nonetheless, on November 26, 2006, Batista reclaimed the title at Survivor Series. He also regained the title that he lost to the Undertaker at WrestleMania 23, by defeating Rey Mysterio and the Great Khali at the 2007 version of Unforgiven. He then lost the title when he was defeated in a triple-threat match by Edge and the Undertaker. He got back the title by defeating Chris Jericho in 2008 at Cyber Sunday.
World Heavyweight Championship wins:
April 3, 2005, WrestleMania 21: Batista defeated Triple H.
November 26, 2006, Survivor Series: Batista defeated Booker-T.
September 16, 2007, Unforgiven: Batista defeated The Great Khali and Rey Mysterio.
October 26, 2008, Cyber Sunday: Batista defeated Chris Jericho
John Cena Biography
John Cena Stats
Height: 6′ 1″
Weight: 240 pounds.
Nickname: “Doctor of Thuganomics”.
Hometown: West Newbury, MA.
Finishing Move: FU.
Signature Move: Attitude Adjustment, STF.
Trained by: UPW.
Career Highlights: World Heavyweight Champion, WWE Champion, U.S. Champion, World Tag Team Champion, 2008 Royal Rumble Winner.
In the year 2001, John Cena was cast in “Manhunt”, the UPN reality TV show. However, the show was later canceled due to poor ratings and some doubts concerning the authenticity of the program. John Cena made his debut in WWE against Kurt Angle in a wrestling match on 27th June, 2002. Celebrated famously as “Prototype”, Cena is well known for bringing the hip hop style into wresting. His fans love him notoriously for the way he uses rap as an instrument to throw verbal abuses on his rivals and others who he hates.
Apart from ruling the wrestling ring, John has even worked in movies. In 2006, he acted as the main character of the WWE franchise movie “The Marine”. Though the movie had a pretty ordinary screen play, hardcore fans of Cena lined up to watch the movie wherever it was released around the world. Cena’s histrionics has also made its way into the world of Music. He has a rap album debut “You Can’t See Me” to his credit, which in fact was ranked at 15 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
In 2007, Cena fought a wrestling match against Kevin Federline who is actually Britney Spears’ ex boyfriend. Though John was defeated in that match due to some illegal help to Kevin Federline from Umaga, he paid back by body slamming Kevin Federline backstage. He later on went on to become the first wrestler to beat Umaga in 2007. He also won a tag team match teaming with Shaun Michaels against Randy Orton and Edge. In October 2007, John lost his WWE Championship title due to injury caused by a tear in his pectoral muscle when he tried a hip toss in a match against Mr. Kennedy. Nonetheless Cena made his comeback in 2008 and won a Royal Rumble match and the title shot of Wrestle Mania. He followed this with victory against JBL, at Judgment Day.
John Cena has been an all-rounder with his participation in diverse areas apart from wrestling like music, movies and fashion. Although injuries had played havoc in his career, he has even so shown resilience in coming back. That’s why we can surely expect more fire works from the superstar in the near future, not only in wrestling but also other areas in the world of entertainment.
