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Heidenreich |
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 Heidenreich
Career
Played professional football before getting into pro wrestling.
Heidenreich was trained by the California-based UPW before he was first signed to a WWE developmental contract in 2001. After being released, he wrestled in Japan's Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, where he won a tag team title with Nathan Jones, and impressed WWE scouts; he was signed to another contract in 2003.
He debuted as a face in an storyline in which he tried to get a spot on the roster by offering tryout tapes to then RAW General Manager, Stone Cold Steve Austin. He eventually got his shot after an impressive tryout match, teaming with The Hurricane to defeat La Resistance. At this time his gimmick involved him being controlled by another entity known as "Little Johnny." Despite speculation as to Little Johnny's identity—Heidenreich's son, a doll similar to George "The Animal" Steele's "Mine," a split personality or even Heidenreich's penis—the angle was dropped before being resolved.
Heidenreich was sent back down to Ohio Valley Wrestling to further hone his skills after his recklessness in the ring came close to seriously injuring Stevie Richards on multiple occasions.
He returned as a heel on the Smackdown! brand, under the management of "agent" Paul Heyman. His new gimmick was as a psychotic: he ran in on random matches, recited hateful poetry, and even sodomized (off screen) commentator Michael Cole. His first feud was against The Undertaker, a match made after a run-in at No Mercy. At Survivor Series 2004, The Undertaker beat Heidenreich; at the annual Armageddon pay-per-view, though, Heidenreich interfered in the Undertaker's Fatal Four Way match, attacking him and thereby allowing WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield to retain the championship.
At Survivor Series 2004, and more recently at 2005's Royal Rumble, Heidenreich had an encounter with a like-minded psychotic from RAW, Gene Snitsky, in which they both exchanged their views on each other — "I like .. your .. poems."; "I .. like what you do.. to babies." — while breathing heavily, a mannerism they shared.
At 2005's Royal Rumble, Heidenreich broke out on his own and secretly partnered with Snitsky, wherein Snitsky would interfere in Heidenreich's Casket Match with The Undertaker. It was later revealed that Kane was hidden in the casket, and pounced on both Snitsky and Heidenreich, where they continued their fight in the crowd, before letting the Casket Match continue. Heidenreich then went on to lose the match. This started a chain reaction of feuds, originally planned to lead to a match at WrestleMania 21 in which The Undertaker would partner with Kane to take on Snitsky and Heidenreich; however, the idea was later nixed by The Undertaker, who wanted to retain his "dead man" persona before he planned to leave the WWE and instead fought Randy Orton.
Heidenreich went on to feud with Booker T and lost to him at No Way Out in February 2005 by a disqualification.
Recently Heidenreich has turned face, altering his psychotic gimmick to become a more sympathetic character not unlike Frankenstein in the James Whale films. Calling them "disasterpieces", his poetry has been more light-hearted, and has received cheers from the crowd.
Heidenreich now has a segment on SmackDown! in which he makes friends with audience members, reads them a piece of his poetry and allows them to stand at his corner for the match.
Heidenreich went on from the man of poetry to feuding with MNM after they attacked him when he was eating chocolate with the Divas, during an event in Hershey, Pennsylvania. After being attacked week in and week out on Smackdown!, he was finally helped out by Road Warrior Animal. Animal and Heidenreich then challenged MNM to a match at The Great American Bash, where they defeated them to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. It was Heidenreich's first championship in the WWE.
On the July 28, 2005, episode of SmackDown!, Heidenreich shaved his hair into a mohawk on Animal's request. (In the plot line, initially he did not feel "worthy" of replacing Animal's partner, the late Road Warrior Hawk, but Animal convinced him that he wasn't looking for a replacement, but a tag team partner with talent.) The following Smackdown, Animal even talked Heidenreich into wearing face paint to make him more "L.O.D.".
Profile
- Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
- Weight: 300 lbs. (136 kg)
- Previous Identities: Big Bad John, Jon Heidenreich
Finishing/Signature Moves
- Spinning Side Slam
- Modified Shoulderbreaker
- Electric Chair Drop
- Cobra Clutch
- Catapult into a Backbreaker
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