Home Profilin' Profilin': Ruckus

Profilin': Ruckus

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WWE, TNA, Wrestling
Keepin' It Gangsta.

I first became aware of Ruckus through the Blue Meanie’s Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling promotion that existed in the early years of the millennium.  I was fortunate enough to attend 3PW shows monthly at the legendary arena at the corner of Swanson & Ritner in South Philadelphia while the company was in operation, during which time I was exposed to a number of up-and-coming independent talents.  Among them was Ruckus, whose matches were always something to look forward to.

One of the things that make Ruckus stand out is his agility.  Today, he weighs in at about 230 lb., but years ago, Ruckus tipped the scales at 300 lbs.  It’s uncommon to see a man of that size perform a 450° splash, although Ruckus was completely capable of it even in his larger days.  He rebounded from the robes with handspring back elbows in a fashion that would put you in mind of Yoshihiro Tajiri, incorporated twisting sentons into his arsenal, and wasn’t shy about busting out an occasional shooting star press.  Since his weight loss, he’s stepped up his game even more, and has become a bona-fide high flyer on the independent scene.

Although I most fondly associate Ruckus with 3PW, most of his success has come in Combat Zone Wrestling.  He’s also appeared for Ring of Honor, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and a number of other promotions. 

Ruckus made his professional debut in 1999, and within two years, he was on the CZW roster.  By December of 2001, Ruckus had won his first championship in Combat Zone Wrestling, the World Junior Heavyweight Championship.  His reign was a short one, losing the title to Trent Acid shortly after he won it, but Ruckus was able to recapture the belt in 2003.  It was around this time that he began teaming with future TNA star Sonjay Dutt.  The duo made a formidable team for a while, but eventually they split up and feuded with Ruckus playing the heel.  It was Dutt who ended Ruckus’ second Junior Heavyweight Title reign.

In 2004, Ruckus formed a stable called the Blackout (often stylized as BLKOUT) alongside Sabian, Joker, & Eddie Kingston.  As part of the stable, Ruckus became a CZW tag team champion with Sabian in the summer of ’04.  Eight months later, Ruckus was able to defeat the Messiah to become the CZW World Heavyweight Champion.  Ruckus had many successful defenses of CZW’s top prize against opponents such as Claudio Castagnoli, B-Boy, and Sonjay Dutt before ultimately losing the belt to Super Dragon.  Ruckus’ drive to be the best could not be derailed, however, and he won his second World Title in early 2006.  In the same year, he won CZW’s annual Best of the Best tournament, defeating Sabian, Claudio Castagnoli, and Austin Aries in one night en route to his win.  After winning the tournament, Ruckus wrestled for the fourth time that night, and lost his Heavyweight Title to Chris Hero.  Since then, Ruckus has added another World Title reign to his resume.

In addition to wrestling in CZW, Ruckus been a part of MTV’s Wrestling Society X, challenged Nigel McGuinness for the Ring of Honor World Title, and appeared in Chikara’s King of Trios tournament alongside the rest of the Blackout.  He’s toured Japan, Mexico, England, Canada, Germany, and Italy during his career, and he’s still very much involved in the on-goings of Combat Zone Wrestling.  If you ever have the chance to see Ruckus wrestler, I guarantee that he will impress you with his Razzle Dazzle.

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