learning disabilites is an insult to our . Kevin Matthew Fertig had one of the luckiest breaks into the business imaginable. Eugene had his moments. Despite being one of the best wrestlers in the company, Dinsmore continued to frustratingly wait for his call up to the main roster while other wrestlers around him continued their upward mobility. In the case of Eugene, however, it was the character itself that was offensive: a mentally disabled wrestler who was usually played for laughs. Also read: Tegan Nox discusses reactions to her coming out as gay He worked as an enhancement talent for the WCW in 1998/99. A brain storming session with former wrestler and OVW trainer Rip Rogers gave birth to the character of Eugene; a mentally challenged character who could outwrestle anyone in the ring. [47], In 2009, Dinsmore became engaged to Stephanie Fischer, whom he married in November 2015. In May 2004, Eugene began a feud with Jonathan Coachman, who attempted to banish him from WWE (only to be stopped by The Rock). [18], On November 18, 2005, WWE.com reported Dinsmore was rushed to the hospital the previous night, after passing out in a hotel lobby in Manchester, and was suspended indefinitely. However, he never held the world title in either WCW or WWE, which makes it seem like he could have done more. ", "Battling back: Former WWE wrestler wants another shot", "CWE Canadian Wrestling's Elite Home Page", "Solie's Title Histories: HWA HEARTLAND WRESTLING ASSOCIATION", "Solie's Title Histories: NWA NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE", "OVW Southern Tag Team Championship history", "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 2003", "We want to send a huge THANK YOU to all River City Championship Wrestling", "WWE: Inside WWE > Title History > World Tag Team > 20041115 - Eugene & William Regal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eugene_(wrestler)&oldid=1141822175, 123Approved.ca Open Rules Championship (1 time), CP Tag Team Championships (1 time) with Krazy T, WPW Gather On Broadway Championship (1 time), This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 00:18. On the July 20 episode of SmackDown!, Eugene participated in a battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, and was eliminated by Batista and Kane. [46], The "Eugene" gimmick received mixed reviews. The man who played Renegade, Richard Wilson, was actually an incredible athlete who could perform a springboard elbow and moonsault despite being huge. Before long, however, there were rumors that Hogan and WWE would reach an agreement to see him restored to his previous status, and sure enough, they announced on July 15, 2018, that Hogan was being reinstated after a "three-year suspension," which was the first time it had ever been referred to as a suspension rather than a permanent removal. How many credits do you need to graduate with a doctoral degree? |-- Political Videos Also read: Tegan Nox discusses reactions to her coming out as gay. Eugene Palermo passed away Sunday at the age of 57. He would eventually be released from the company in 2007 before resigning with them in 2009. [16] The feud culminated at SummerSlam, where Angle defeated Eugene to regain his medal. Fun fact: Eugene was entirely Nick Dinsmores idea. Once John Laurinaitis caught wind of Dinsmores intentions to quit, he arranged a meeting between him and Vince McMahon. |-- DU Groups Eugene, real name Nicholas Dinsmore, came up to the WWE main roster from their developmental brand Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). Be it because the performer didn't like or get into the act, the audience didn't get it, or the most likely reason of them all: It was just really stupid. Later, when he joined WCW there were so many legendary talents in the promotion that he never really got the main spotlight. On the October 22, 2002, episode of Monday Night Raw, Triple H promised to present "the most graphic and salacious video footage" he'd ever seen, and definitely delivered on that front. Perfect gimmick for the first time. With that in mind, it probably wouldn't have been that bad if Michaels had actually won the match, especially given that he's usually regarded as one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time, and could pretty believably beat up a 61-year-old CEO and his non-wrestler son without actually requiring divine intervention. Check on the link to your right for more information. Trish Stratus Returns On RAW, Explains Why She Turned On Becky Dustin Rhodes On Cody Losing At WrestleMania 39 Theyre Making Reason Why Becky Lynch Wont Be Appearing On Tonights Episode Of New Photos Of Gigi Dolin, Chelsea Green, Cora Jade, Carmella, Trish Update On Jordynne Graces Contract Status With Impact Wrestling. Calling pretty much everything WWE did with their Women's Division from the mid-'90s to about 2010 "controversial" is the most polite way to put it, but December 12, 1999, marked a definite low point. Apart from wrestling, he is also fond of poetry and music. Eugene started off with a high profile feud with Evolution, but then drifted down the card until he was considered by and large a comedy act. Instead, it was 76-year-old Mae Young, and while it would later be revealed to be a flesh-colored prosthetic rather than her actual aged physique, it was convincing enough for the audience at home. Eugene was also the first wrestler to defeat Kurt Angle in his Invitational Challenge when he briefly feuded with him in 2005. Why did Eugene exist in WWE? One never knows what might have happened had WCW not tried to fool the fans into thinking he was someone else. But the object of pro wrestling is to shock people, draw publicity to itself and entertain people. Also, the man playing Glacier, Ray Lloyd, may have been an excellent athlete but had little in the way of charisma or ability to garner empathy from the fans. He debuted in the WWE in 2004 under the name Eugene Dinsmore, Eric Bischoff's nephew, and an intellectually disabled wrestling savant. This was during the Monday Night Wars, and both WWE and WCW were more interested in signing established talent rather than taking a chance on new blood. There have been hockey players, filthy plumbers, garbage men, and Italian lovers. WWE is a proud supporter of The Arc (the worlds largest community-based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities), Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Special Olympics. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Most of the roster today would do anything to get a push like that. 7 - Macho Man Randy Savage (OCD) Macho Man Randy Savage is WWE legend. Be the first one to comment on this story. [1] The team had a record ten reigns as Southern Tag Team Champions. Important Notices: By participating on this discussion He then posted a video and wrote: Eugene is a mentally retarded WWE character who is, unmistakably, played for laughs. He was signed by a scout for Ohio Valley Wrestling. I really disliked him This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast 0 Tough Enough was meant for people under the age of thirty, but Boogeyman was actually forty years old. He teamed with Kane and Doink The Clown to defeat Kevin Thorn, Viscera, and Umaga.[24]. WWE thought that the controversy was good, because it garnered so much attention, so they called Snitsky up to the main roster immediately. Your login session has expired. Hennig was seen in various vignettes before he actually made his wrestling debut, doing such feats as throwing himself a football pass and hitting a home run off Baseball HOF pitcher Wade Boggs. real . [17] Eugene then briefly teamed with Tajiri (who, incidentally, had also previously teamed with William Regal). Given the political climate of the time, that seems like a reasonable complaint, but Hassan was portrayed as a bad guy, and WWE was more than happy to lean into the terrorist imagery. Eugene: WWE should live up to standards set by others' portrayal of mentally challenged . The first live event was held November 7, 2015. Not even a pre-presidential Donald Trump could get Lashley over. [12], With Regal, Eugene won his first and only championship in WWE, taking the World Tag Team Championship from La Rsistance on the November 15 episode of Raw. Eugene briefly feuded with Matt Striker, after appearing in the "Matt Striker's Classroom" segment of Backlash on April 30, 2006. He partnered with Scott Hall, who was a young lion at the time, and the pair were a celebrated champion tag team as babyfaces. He is a former World Tag Team Champion, with William Regal. Over the course of seven seemingly eternal minutes, Triple H groped the mannequin, then climbed into the coffin himself, and simulating a sex act that ended when he produced a handful of raw meat to prove he'd literally "screwed her brains out." Not even the children responded to Glacier, and the crowd gave the whole gimmick the cold shoulder. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. In time however, Regal would grow fond of Eugene and the pair would even go on to win World Tag Team Championship. Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. Eugene was part of the WWE from 2004 to 2007 Pro wrestling has had its share of mentally challenged wrestlers. When his action figure hit Walmart, however, a customer who saw it out of context and apparently had no familiarity with the show wrote a letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution decrying it as "a training manual for spousal abuse." WWE would try again with Thorn, this time branding him as the 'anti-Undertaker' Mordecai. Eugene made his return to WWE in the Royal Rumble match at the namesake event on January 29, 2006, as the eighteenth entrant. Like Hollywood movies and Broadway shows, it is an exciting blend of action, characters and fictional storylines of good versus evil that entertains millions weekly. Kofi Kingston touched on those issues in a statement on Twitter, saying "from a career standpoint, there is no argument on whether or not Hogan should have his place" and fellow Hall of Famer Mark Henry said he believed Hogan was "willing to fix it.". Did a WWE Hall of Famer just say that AEW storylines are for 8-year-olds here, Be the first one to comment on this story. Though he had a short run with WWE in the early 1980s, he would return to the AWA and truly make a mark. However, the promotions avoid actually categorizing their mentally challenged characters as having an actual real-world disability. And those weren't just "lawnmowers", those were Juan Deere's. Video packages with trendy music and an ominous voice-over telling the wrestling fans 'they're coming.' While the crowd at the show seemed pretty into it, the same could not be said of everyone. Though Street Fighter wound up being the more enduring franchise, in 1995 the fighting game series on everyone's lips was Mortal Kombat. RAW, he was portrayed as Eugene, the retarded nephew of then RAW Curt Hennig, unlike many of the men on this list, actually had quite an impressive career. comes to wrestling, using old moves from the 1970s as well as What are the names of the third leaders called? In Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), he formed a successful tag team with Rob Conway, called The Lords of The Ring. This was the time when anti-heroes like Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Rock became household names, and when the on-screen storylines were pushing the envelope in every conceivable way and arguably crossing the line into offensive. [1] He challenged Umaga to a match at Vengeance and lost, despite having Duggan, Doink the Clown, and Kamala in his corner. The team split up on the November 6 Raw. As a white guy, I have no interest in golf or tennis, I don't drape a sweater around my shoulders, nor do I live in a house with a picket fence. And regarding his championship accomplishments, Eugene's a one-time World Tag Team Champion with his on-screen mentor and friend William Regal. [20] He defeated Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon in a handicap match on the July 10 Raw, after interference from D-Generation X. [11], After taking a few weeks off to sell his injuries, he feuded with his uncle, Eric Bischoff. The WWE, after getting complaints, quickly doused the fire of controversy by explaining that the idea of the Eugene character was for Dinsmore to represent that large contingent of pro. He made a brief return to WWE in 2013, but he was released the next year. If a video like the one above-linked or the one below surfaced in connection with any other campaign, the candidate would have some serious splainin to do. LLC, Edited on Mon Oct-25-04 08:16 PM by oldhat, It's just an act. As Snow himself would later say, "You can still buy an AR-15, live ammo, and a hunting knife at Walmart, but you can't buy Pregnant Barbie or my action figure.". In 2019, he appeared in the Minnesota-based American Wrestling Federation in a televised match on Channel 45 Wrestling. Eugene was promptly programmed into a storyline as one of Triple H's rivals. [1] He returned in 2010, at the "Flashlight Wrestling: Legends & Loonies" event, and lost to Breyer Wellington. From that point, many fans might wonder what Nick Disnmore's been up to since leaving WWE in 2007. Four days later, Dinsmore was once again released from WWE, as a wrestler and a trainer. How do you download your XBOX 360 upgrade onto a CD? Unfortunately, that would be his only title in the WWE. Nicholas Dinsmore, better known by pro wrestling audiences as "Eugene", spent his years in WWE portraying a kindhearted, intellectually disabled character. An offensive stereotype about us white folk! They made him act like a chicken, of course. Im proud to have been a part of the WWE, an organization that has the commitment to individuals with special needs. . His role as an NXT trainer lasted over a year when he was released by the company once again on October 2014. The character was yet to be unleashed however. Cade and fellow graduate Daniel Bryan made their way to Japan since WWE and WCW weren't interested. Often in the past, they have shown the ability to have a 'magic touch' when switching a performer's gimmick. . |-- Places (pin) Mr. McMahon & Shane McMahon: no disqualification handicap tag: WWE Monday Night Raw Jul 3rd 2006: Johnny & Kenny & Mikey & Mitch & Nicky: def. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Under his real name, he is best known for his time in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), as a wrestler and trainer. With another international spectacle already on the schedule, the Greatest Royal Rumble definitely won't be the last WWE show from Saudi Arabia, but maybe next time, they can avoid going for the cheap heat. He would be saved by returning Hulk Hogan, after he attacked the villainous duo. After losing a rematch to The Spirit Squad, Eugene attacked Duggan, turning heel. From the early going, he was the butt of jokes from heels, including the premise of his first storyline being that Eric Bischoff and Evolution sought to manipulate and take advantage of the young star. Dinsmore was introduced as Eugene, the mentally disabled nephew of RAW GM Eric Bischoff. |-- Archives When the team split up, Hennig would go on to rule as AWA world heavyweight champion for nearly a year. And the world of wrestling will never be the same. simpleton nature, Eugene is portrayed as an "Mental Kid" when it record. I know he was a controversial character but as an autistic person myself I don't have an issue with his portrayal of a mentally disabled person and found his character entertaining at times, and he was great for building up heels and faces. Michael Chin is a writer based in Las Vegas, He writes about pro wrestling for The Sportster and has followed WWE and other promotions for over 30 years. Please logout and login again. In December 2011, Dinsmore took part in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA) India project, Ring Ka King as Dr. Nicholas Dinsmore. Fans can combine all of these elements with WWE later switching Eugenes wrestling attire to something like a Superman costume. Unfortunately, the factions were often built around racial stereotypes, especially during the "Gang Warz" storylines that revolved around a skinhead biker gang called the Disciples of the Apocalypse, the Puerto Rican Los Boricuas, and the Nation of Domination, a cartoonish parody of the Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers. Anyway, Dinsmore has been around forever and. Somehow, because she is associated with so many hundreds of dehumanizing videos, Linda McMahon is inoculated against the shame of any one of them. One of those characters is the highly-remembered Eugene, who first made his debut on an April 2004 episode of Monday Night Raw and became a prominent character on the red brand. There was even a magician, but he only lasted for one match and a shower before they showed him the door. Imagine their disappointment when instead of Warrior out came the Renegade, a cheap knockoff. Skip was actually pretty over with the fans, who loved his good old boy "corn-fed meathead' character. Thorn was never a great wrestler, but he was big and mean looking, so he was pushed hard by OVW. also won the OVW Championship on 8 separate occasions, a Why he never became a bigger star: For one thing, Glacier is a dumb name. ring name Eugene, is an American professional wrestler who performs The two struck up a conversation, and then a friendship, and Vicious helped Thorn get his early bookings in the southern independent promotions. The basic idea was that Triple H had uncovered a shameful secret about Kane's past: a drunk driving accident that had resulted in the death of his high school girlfriend, Katie Vick. Alternately known as Garrison Cade, Lance McKnaught has some surprising connections to major WWE superstars. When he returned, it was as Ryback. the Farrelly brothers' recent comedy . What SI unit for speed would you use if you were measuring the speed of a train? The Ruthless Aggression Era from 2002 to 2008 paved the way for many compelling characters to get introduced on Raw or SmackDown, including some of the most comedic characters that ever stepped foot into the company. I think it crosses a line. Glacier looked so much like the character it's a wonder they weren't sued! Renegade is a classic example of why you don't try to fool wrestling fandom. This WWE Universe comes to you each and every week and entertains millions and millions of fans. copying the signature moves of popular WWE superstars. The story quickly hit national news, and Walmart banned the action figure from its shelves. They had to portray the character as positively as possible, lest they have advocate groups threatening a boycott. Why he never became a bigger star: Snitsky is huge, but was stiff and awkward in the ring. Former WWE Superstar Eugene has announced via Twitter that he will be conducting a retirement tour for his well-known character, beginning sometime in 2022. Jesus christ I need a hood after saying that. Do you get more time for selling weed it in your home or outside? The show went off the air just as Yamaguchi-San, screaming, brought his katana down to emasculate Val, but the next episode revealed that a sudden gust of cold air had allowed him to, ah, contract his way out of danger. He is also Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. DX was entirely composed of white dudes. There he initially developed the Ryback gimmick, who was basically just a big muscle guy who ran roughshod over opponents. Portrayed by Nick Dinsmore, who worked the "Eugene" gimmick to perfection, Eugene lasted a couple of years until getting released in 2007. Or, you can follow us over on our Twitter and Facebook pages. Eugene was released a short time later. The result? Dinsmore began his career in 1996 and was assigned to NWA-Ohio Valley Wrestling, later becoming Ohio Valley Wrestling. Best known for his time in WWE working under the ring name Ezekiel Jackson. Worse, WWE's head of programming at the time actually thought Eugene would lead to big rating increases and merchandise sold. Or if they are even the two of the worst ones in the history of WWE. The WWE acknowledged the incident and announced that he was being sent to rehab. Nowadays, people complain because these characters are either portrayed as too "angelic" in nature, or are used as simple comic relief. Furthermore, from the start of his tenure on Raw, William Regal became his mentor as the two became very close, going as far as winning tag team gold. WWEs usage of Eugene was not entirely offensive. returning Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on a May 2004 episode of Monday Night Raw, wrestled Triple H at the SummerSlam 2004 PPV, Eugene & 9 Other WWE Gimmicks That Would Never Fly Today, wrestling against "The Calgary Kid" (The Miz in a mask) in a Contract on a Pole match, Former WWE Star Eugene Set To Retire After Latest Tour. Eugene WWE: What happened to the former WWE Superstar and where is he now? [45], During his run with WWE, Dinsmore's character was "Eugene", an overly-excited and "special" person who could outwrestle anyone in the ring, based upon some people with intellectual disability. The next month, they attempted to push the envelope even further. From there he garnered an athletic scholarship to the University of Missouri and later would play for the Canadian football league. 10 pro wrestlers who failed to live up to their hype. [13] Eugene suffered an injury at New Year's Revolution on January 9, 2005, in a match with Christian and Tyson Tomko, after botching a dropkick. Either way, the Nation wound up feuding with D-Generation X, a faction led by Triple H that was known for over-the-top antics like driving military vehicles up to a show put on by rival promotion WCW. Throughout the few years of Eugene's WWE career, although Eugene was not the most accomplished WWE superstar of his generation, he was involved with some of the most high-profile wrestlers during his prime in mid to late 2004. WWE responded: It is clear, based on Mr. McEnroes latest blog post, that he does not understand WWEs programming. There were nine of us sneaking into Ocaranza that . Dinsmore's first full-time run with WWE lasted from 2004 to 2007 . [6] Bischoff soon placed him under the care of the newly returned William Regal. Usually, this takes the form of a 'crazy man' gimmick like the Missing Link or. He's also someone who was caught on tape using incredibly offensive racial slurs. Worse, instead of creating an original character, WCW decided on a blatant rip off of Mortal Kombat fighter Sub Zero. Both championships were considered a springboard to greater things in the future. Not for one minute . The Eugene character was over-the-top several years ago, and there's no way WWE would even attempt it today. [28][29] U-Gene participated in JCW's first internet pay-per-view, Hatchet Attacks, where he defeated Raven. What are the names of God in various Kenyan tribes? Either way, the insinuation that Kane was a murderer was just the tip of the iceberg. Because of how compelling the character was, he was involved in some of the most entertaining segments on Monday Night Raw not long after making his debut. conversation around representation in WWE, a caricature of someone with a disability, played for laughs, temporarily passed over the top babyface spot for the likes of Lex Luger. Now Lashley is back in the WWE, and seems squarely mired in the mid-card, just like before. Although WWE believed the gimmick would be a positive role model for mentally disabled people. His favorite wrestler is Shawn Michaels and he believes that GSP is the greatest to ever step foot inside the octagon. Sometimes despite the best efforts of creative teams and marketing divisions, a pro wrestler who looks like a guaranteed draw ends up only making a minor splash. [1] Dinsmore also held the OVW Heavyweight Championship a record ten times. Dinsmore's career began in 1996 in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he would become the OVW Heavyweight Champion a record eight times as well as the OVW Southern Tag Team Champion eleven times. All were portrayed by competent wrestlers, and all were doomed to fail because of how hokey they were. A little controversy can be a good way to grab headlines and get attention for the product, but as these examples show, there are plenty of moments that have gone too far. That didn't work either, and it wasn't long before he switched back to being a babyface. Moreover, his most famous WrestleMania moment was most likely when he cut an impromptu promo, marking out for the event in juvenile fashion.

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