undertaker

The Undertaker

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This article is about the professional wrestler. For other uses, see Undertaker (disambiguation).

The Undertaker

Ring name(s)	Kane the Undertaker^[1] Master of Pain^[1] "Mean" Mark Callous^[1] The Punisher^[2] Texas Red^[1] (The) Undertaker ^[3]
Billed height	6 ft 10.5 in (2.10 m)^[3]
Billed weight	299 lb (136 kg)^[3]
Born	March 24, 1965 (1965-03-24) (age 45)^[4] Houston, Texas, U.S.
Resides	Austin, Texas, U.S.
Billed from	Death Valley^[3] (1990–1999, 2004–present) Houston, Texas (1984–1990, 2000–2003)
Trained by	Don Jardine^[1]
Debut	1984^[5]

Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965)^[4]^{[unreliable source?]} is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name The Undertaker. He is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), currently wrestling on the SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to an injury.

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 joined the World Wrestling Federation (which later became World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002) as The Undertaker in November of that year and has remained with that company ever since.

The Undertaker has two contrasting gimmicks: "the Deadman", an undead occult like figure, and "the American Bad Ass", a biker. The specialty matches connected to The Undertaker are the Casket match, the Buried Alive match, the notorious Hell in a Cell, and the Last Ride match. The Undertaker's kayfabe half-brother is Kane, whom he has teamed up with as the Brothers of Destruction. Glenn Jacobs (Kane) and Mark Calaway (Undertaker) are not related in real life, but they have trained together for a number of years and are very close friends in real life. The Undertaker is undefeated at WrestleMania with an 18–0 record, which is the single longest undefeated Wrestlemania streak in WWE history. Calaway is an eight-time world champion: a four-time WWF/E Champion and three-time World Heavyweight Champion as The Undertaker, and a one-time USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion as Master of Pain. The Undertaker is also a one-time WWF Hardcore champion, and a seven-time world tag team champion: a six-time WWF World Tag Team Champion, and one-time WCW World Tag Team Champion. The Undertaker was the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble and became the first man to win the Rumble at number 30. He has been named by WWE as the greatest big man of all time.^[6]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1984–1990)

Calaway made his debut in 1984 in World Class Championship Wrestling under the ring name "Texas Red".^[5] He wrestled and lost his first match against Bruiser Brody.^[5] In 1988, after four years in the promotion, he left and joined the Continental Wrestling Association (which became the United States Wrestling Association after Jerry Jarrett merged CWA with WCCW), wrestling under several gimmicks. On April 1, 1989, he was booked to win his first professional wrestling title, the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Jerry "The King" Lawler, under the stage name "The Master of Pain". While performing as "The Punisher", Calaway won the WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship on October 5, 1989 when Eric Embry forfeited the title.^[7]

His first mainstream exposure was when he joined World Championship Wrestling in late 1989. While there, he was known as "Mean Mark" Callous and along with "Dangerous Dan" Spivey", wrestled as part of the Skyscrapers tag team, managed by Teddy Long.^[8] During his time in the Skyscrapers, he and Spivey were involved in a feud with the Road Warriors,^[9] but Spivey left before the feud came to an end.

As he went into singles competition, Calaway 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, after losing his last match to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sting on September 1, 1990 at a live event.

During his stint in WCW, Calaway then briefly wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling as Punisher Dice Morgan. After leaving WCW, 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 (1990–present)

Debut and various feuds (1990–1994)

Calaway made his WWF debut as "Kane the Undertaker" at a taping of WWF Superstars on November 19, 1990.^[10] 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 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 simply called The Undertaker.^[11] 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. 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^{[disambiguation needed]}, ghostly character, almost always seen bearing an urn from which The Undertaker was said to draw mystical power from, reviving his strength during his matches. During his heel run, Undertaker would place his defeated opponents (almost always jobbers) in a bodybag and carry him to the back.^[12]

He made his WrestleMania debut at WrestleMania VII, quickly defeating "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka.^[13] 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 Parlour interview segment. After a year of battles with the Warrior, Randy Savage,^[11] Sid Justice, Sgt. Slaughter, and Hulk Hogan, he defeated Hogan to win his first WWF Championship at Survivor Series, and thus became the youngest WWF Champion in history until having this record broken by Yokozuna in 1993.^[14] WWF President Jack Tunney ordered a rematch for This Tuesday in Texas six days later, where The Undertaker lost the title back to Hogan.^[14]

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, The Undertaker defeated Roberts at WrestleMania VIII.^[13] He then feuded extensively with wrestlers managed by Harvey Wippleman throughout 1992 and 1993, including a casket match at the Royal Rumble. At the Royal Rumble, Yokozuna sealed The Undertaker in the casket with the assistance of several other villainous wrestlers, winning the match. The Undertaker's "spirit" appeared from inside the casket on the video screen, warning that he would return.^[15]

Return; feud with Mankind (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.^[15] 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.^[15] Later, The Undertaker defeated Kama in a casket match at SummerSlam.^[15] 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-like, grey upper mask.^[15] At the 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.^[16] One month later, at In Your House: Rage in the Cage, while Diesel was facing Hart in a steel cage match, The Undertaker came bursting from under the ring, dragging Diesel underneath, allowing Hart to get the victory.^[16] This feud culminated in a match between Diesel and the Undertaker at WrestleMania XII, in which The Undertaker was victorious.^[13]

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.^[16] The feud intensified, and they began taking their battles into crowds, backstage areas, and in the boiler rooms of different arenas. 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.^[16] After Bearer's betrayal, The Undertaker took his rivalry with Mankind to a new level, resulting in a Buried Alive match at 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".^[16] 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.^[17] The Undertaker then briefly turned his attention to The Executioner, who had become a thorn in his side since his arrival. At In Your House: It's Time, The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in an Armageddon rules match.^[17] By the end of 1996, The Undertaker began a feud with Vader, culminating in a loss to Vader at the Royal Rumble after Bearer interfered on behalf of his new protégé.^[17] After this loss, The Undertaker began to focus his attention on the WWF Championship.

Hell in a Cell; Brothers of Destruction (1997–1998)

The Undertaker with his Lord of Darkness attire

At WrestleMania 13, The Undertaker defeated Sycho Sid for the WWF Championship, marking his second time as WWF Champion.^[18] After the event, 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.

His next major storyline began at SummerSlam in 1997 when referee Shawn Michaels accidentally hit The Undertaker with a steel chair shot meant for Bret Hart, costing the Undertaker his WWF Championship.^[18] The feud culminated at In Your House: Badd Blood, where The Undertaker challenged Michaels to the first ever Hell in a Cell match. During this match, The Undertaker's storyline half-brother Kane made his debut, ripping off the door to the cell and giving The Undertaker a Tombstone Piledriver, Undertaker's trademark finisher, allowing Michaels to pin him.^[18] The match received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer. As the storyline progressed, Kane, with Paul Bearer, challenged The Undertaker to fights, but The Undertaker consistently refused to fight his brother. The Undertaker and Kane then formed a brief partnership when Kane saved Undertaker from an attack by D-Generation X. The Undertaker's final encounter with Michaels was in the return of the casket match at the Royal Rumble, where Kane betrayed The Undertaker and cost him the win by trapping him in the coffin, padlocking the casket lid, and setting it ablaze. The Undertaker, however, had disappeared when the casket lid was reopened.^[19] After a two month hiatus, The Undertaker returned and defeated Kane at WrestleMania XIV.^[19] 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.^[19]

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 and finished the match by Tombstone Piledriving Mankind.^[19]

The Undertaker has both feuded and teamed up with his half-brother Kane numerous times.

At Fully Loaded, The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Kane and Mankind to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.^[19] The Undertaker and Austin's reign as tag champions lasted for only two weeks, as Kane and Mankind regained the titles on an episode of Raw is War.^[20] 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.^[19] 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,^[19] 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.^[19] 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.^[20]

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.^[20] The Undertaker, however, lost the match after Kane interfered.^[21]

Ministry of Darkness (1999)

Main article: Ministry of Darkness

In January 1999, The Undertaker returned and formed the Ministry of Darkness, developing a more evil persona and explaining 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.^[22] During this time, The Undertaker was booked to defeat Austin for his third WWF Championship at Over the Edge with help from Shane McMahon, the special referee.^[23] Two weeks later, it was revealed on Raw is War 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,^[22] 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 left the WWF for 8 months due to a groin injury followed by a torn pectoral muscle in January 2000, just before he was originally scheduled to return at the Royal Rumble.

American Bad Ass/Big Evil (2000–2003)

Undertaker with his "Big Evil" gimmick 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.^[24] 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.^[25] 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.^[24]

The Undertaker then challenged Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series.^[26] 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.^[26]

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.^[26] The Undertaker was then booked to defeat Triple H at WrestleMania X-Seven, where he improved his WrestleMania winning streak to 9–0.^[13] 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,^[27] Triple H pinned Kane after attacking him with a sledgehammer at Backlash, where the Brothers of Destruction dropped the title.^[28] With Kane injured, The Undertaker feuded briefly with Steve Austin for his WWF Championship, but at Judgment Day, Austin retained his title.^[28]

As part of "The Invasion" storyline, The Undertaker's next nemesis was Diamond Dallas Page, who was obsessively following The Undertaker's wife Sara.^[28] 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.^[28] 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.^[28] After the Alliance was defeated, The Undertaker became a villain once again by forcing commentator Jim Ross to kiss Vince McMahon's ass.^[29] 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.^[30]

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.^[30] 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.^[31] The storyline continued when The Rock cost The Undertaker his match with Maven for the Hardcore Championship.^[32] The two faced off at No Way Out, where The Undertaker lost due to interference from Ric Flair.^[30] This interference began a storyline with Flair, who declined a challenge to wrestle Undertaker at WrestleMania X8,^[33] and, as a result, Undertaker assaulted his son David Flair.^[34] Flair eventually accepted the match after The Undertaker threatened to inflict the same punishment on Flair's daughter.^[34] A no disqualification stipulation was added to the match, and The Undertaker defeated Flair.^[13]

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.^[30] The Undertaker then defeated Hogan for his fourth world championship at Judgment Day.^[35] 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.^[35] The Undertaker was then switched from Raw to SmackDown!, 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.^[35] 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.^[35]

The Undertaker took a leave from wrestling after the Big Show threw him off the stage, sparking a feud.^[36] The Undertaker returned at the Royal Rumble in 2003.^[37] 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.^[37] 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.^[13] Jones, however, was removed prior to the match, making it a handicap match, which The Undertaker won with the help of Jones.^[37]

Over the remainder of the year, he 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.^[38] The second, at No Mercy, was a Biker Chain match between The Undertaker and Lesnar, which Lesnar won with the help of Vince McMahon.^[39] 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.^[39] The Undertaker disappeared for some time following the match, with Kane claiming that he was "dead and buried forever."^[40]

Return of the Deadman (2004–2007)

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.^[39] At WrestleMania XX, The Undertaker, accompanied by Paul Bearer and in his "Deadman" persona, returned and defeated Kane.^[41] At the following Smcakdown! 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,^[42] who then took "control" of Undertaker.^[43] 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.^[41]

The Undertaker making his entrance during an episode of SmackDown!.

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.^[41] At No Mercy, The Undertaker and JBL competed in the first ever "Last Ride" match, although The Undertaker lost after Heidenreich interfered.^[41] After a brief program with Heidenreich,^[44] 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.^[44] 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.^[44]

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.^[45] Even with help from his father "Cowboy" Bob Orton, Randy failed, and The Undertaker improved his WrestleMania record to 13–0.^[44] He returned for the June 16 episode of SmackDown! but lost to JBL, thanks to interference from Randy Orton.^[46] 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.^[47] With this, The Undertaker resumed his feud with Orton. At SummerSlam, Orton defeated The Undertaker in a WrestleMania rematch.^[48] 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.^[48] 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.^[49] The Undertaker returned to SmackDown! in early December to haunt Orton and set up a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon.^[50] After winning the match,^[49] Calaway took a short 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 after a stare down, told Angle that he had his number and that he was not finished with him yet. The Undertaker had his No Way Out rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship against Angle on SmackDown! when Henry attacked The Undertaker from behind, costing him the title. This began an angle between the duo, as The Undertaker then challenged Henry to a Casket match at WrestleMania 22, and Henry, like Orton a year before him, vowed to end Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak. The Undertaker defeated Henry to become 14-0 at WrestleMania, keeping his storyline undefeated streak alive. During a rematch on the next edition of SmackDown!, The Great Khali made his debut and assaulted The Undertaker, signaling the end of one storyline and the beginning of a new one.

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.^[51] The Undertaker lost to Khali,^[52]^[53] and he did not appear again until the July 4 edition of SmackDown!, when he accepted Khali's challenge to a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash.^[54] 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.^[52] 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.^[55] 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.^[56]

Brothers of Destruction reunion

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.^[57] On the November 3 edition 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.^[58] As part of the storyline, Kennedy defeated The Undertaker in a First Blood match at Survivor Series after interference from MVP,^[57] but finally defeated Kennedy in a Last Ride match at Armageddon.^[57] 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.^[59]^[60]

World Heavyweight Champion (2007–2008)

The Undertaker won his first Royal Rumble match at the 2007 event,^[60] becoming the first man to enter the Rumble at number 30 and win the match.^[61] 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, successfully defeating Henry and again on SmackDown! two weeks later.^[62] Batista and The Undertaker reignited their feud at Cyber Sunday where the fans chose the special guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin, but Batista retained the world title.^[63] 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.^[64] 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.^[65] In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again at Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.^[66] 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.

Various rivalries (2008–2009)

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,^[67] which The Undertaker won. After the match, The Undertaker chokeslammed Edge from the top of a ladder and through the ring canvas.^[68] 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.^[69] 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.^[70] At Cyber Sunday, The Undertaker defeated the Big Show in a Last Man Standing match after applying Hell's Gate.^[71] The Undertaker then went on to defeat the Big Show at Survivor Series in a casket match, to end the feud.^[72] At No Way Out The Undertaker was part of the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match, which was won by Triple H. 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.^[73] After WrestleMania, he took a hiatus.

Third World Heavyweight Championship reign and vegetative state (2009–2010)

Undertaker in his third reign as World Heavyweight Champion.

After a four month absence, 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.^[74] 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 (reminiscent of the Montreal Screwjob, which took place in the same venue in 1997).^[75] 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.^[76] 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.^[77] The Undertaker went on to successfully defend the title against CM Punk in a rematch on SmackDown, in a fatal four way match at Bragging Rights, and in a triple threat match at Survivor Series.^[78]^[79] 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.^[80] He later retained the championship against Rey Mysterio at the Royal Rumble in January 2010.^[81]

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.^[82] He lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Chris Jericho after interference from Shawn Michaels.^[83] Like the Raw Champion who also lost his world title at the Elimination Chamber (Sheamus) Undertaker never used the rematch clause that would normally be given to him. The following night, on Raw, Michaels claimed that he cost The Undertaker his championship because he wanted to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI, but The Undertaker had previously turned down his offer of a match. The Undertaker agreed to the match on the condition that Michaels' career was on the line.^[84] The match was later made into a no disqualification, no countout match as well. At WrestleMania, The Undertaker defeated Michaels in a "Streak vs. Career" match at WrestleMania XXVI, to extend his WrestleMania winning streak to 18–0 and force Michaels to retire. After the match, the Undertaker shook Michaels' hand as a sign of respect.^[85]

After a hiatus (during which he appeared twice on Raw, defeating Jack Swagger and Edge), he returned to SmackDown on May 28, defeating Rey Mysterio to qualify for a spot in the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view along with Big Show and CM Punk also vying for the World Heavyweight title held by Swagger (obtained by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract from the WrestleMania Money in the Bank ladder match on an injured Jericho). During the match, however, The Undertaker suffered a concussion, broken orbital bone and broken nose. He was visibly bleeding profusely on camera by the end of the match.

On the June 4, 2010 taping of SmackDown, it was reported that The Undertaker was found by his brother Kane to be "in a vegetative state" (kayfabe) over Memorial Day Weekend, thus unable to compete in the Fatal 4-Way. Rey Mysterio replaced the Undertaker in the match, by winning a Battle Royal including the whole SmackDown roster and went on to win the championship. At the Money in the Bank event, Kane cashed in his Money in the Bank contract (which he won the same night) against Mysterio, who just defended his title against Jack Swagger, and became the new World Heavyweight Champion. Meanwhile, Kane accused various superstars of being the culprits behind his brother's assault, including the Straight Edge Society and Jack Swagger. Eventually, Kane declared that Mysterio was the culprit. On the August 6, 2010 episode of SmackDown, however, Rey Mysterio declared himself innocent before claiming that Kane himself was the perpetrator behind the assault on the Undertaker. Following this accusation, Kane became visibly upset, falling to his knees and repeatedly saying to himself, "I love my brother".

Summerslam return and feud with Kane (2010)

At SummerSlam, the Undertaker returned to confront Kane and Rey Mysterio, only to be overpowered and tombstoned by Kane, who was revealed to be the Undertaker's attacker. This was the third year in a row that the Undertaker made a return at the Summerslam event. On the September 3 edition of Smackdown, Kane challenged The Undertaker to a match at Night of Champions for the World Heavyweight Championship. Kane said that the Undertaker was weaker than his former self and that Kane would finish him off. At Night of Champions, the Undertaker was indeed defeated by Kane who retained the World Heavyweight Championship by delivering a Tombstone to Undertaker in a No Holds Barred match. On the September 24 episode of Smackdown, after Kane issued a challenge to his brother to a Hell in a Cell match at the pay-per-view event with the same name, a casket was rolled to the ring at the end of Smackdown and Paul Bearer emerged and was revealed to have reunited with Undertaker and looked on as Undertaker assaulted his brother.^[86] Undertaker went on to face Kane at Hell in a Cell, but was defeated when Paul Bearer turned on Undertaker and helped Kane retain the World Heavyweight Championship. On the October 15 episode of SmackDown, Undertaker accepted the challenge by Kane for a Buried Alive match at Bragging Rights 2010 for the World Heavyweight Championship, but ended up losing after he was attacked by The Nexus.^[87] After the match the gravesite was struck by lightning and his symbol appeared on the grave. It was reported a week later that Undertaker is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of 2010 due to a torn rotator cuff injury.^[88]

Other media

Calaway appeared in the 1991 film Suburban Commando.^[89] He also appeared on episodes of Poltergeist: The Legacy^[90] and Celebrity Deathmatch in 1999.

A number of spin-offs have covered The Undertaker's character. Chaos! Comics released an Undertaker comic.^[91] In 2005, Pocket Books released a novel, Journey into Darkness: An Unauthorized History of Kane, which dealt largely with Kane but also featured Undertaker as his brother, although they are not related in real life.^[92]

The Undertaker character was present in the Hindi movie Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi as a villain, played by Brian Lee (who played the 'fake Undertaker' in the WWF). He was dressed in the western mortician attire adopted by the Undertaker from 1990 to 1993, and used the Tombstone Piledriver as a finishing move in the film. On November 6, it was announced that the Undertaker will be in his own feature film that will focus on his origin and more about his powers. It will also star Calaway himself.^[93]

Personal life

This section needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010)

The Undertaker making his entrance on Raw's 800th episode celebration

He graduated from Waltrip High School in 1983, where he was a member of the basketball team.^[94] Calaway first married 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. The couple had two daughters together Chasey (born on November 21, 2002) and Gracie (born on May 15, 2005). As of 2007, he and Sara were divorced and he was romantically linked to fellow wrestler Michelle McCool, whom he married on June 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas.^[95]

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.^[96] 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.^[97]

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 Catahart," a portmanteau of their last names.^[98] Calaway and his 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.

In wrestling

The Undertaker about to perform the Tombstone piledriver on Ric Flair at WrestleMania X8.

The Undertaker performs Old School (an arm twist ropewalk chop) on Heidenreich.

The Undertaker locks Edge in the Hell's Gate.

The Undertaker prepares to legdrop Edge.

Finishing moves
- As The Undertaker
  - Chokeslam^[1]^[3]
  - Hell's Gate (Modified gogoplata)^[99]^[100] – 2008–present
  - Last Ride (Elevated powerbomb)^[1]^[3] – 2000–present
  - Tombstone^[1]^[3]
- As "Mean" Mark Callous
  - Callous Clutch (Jaw clutch)^[1]
  - Heart punch^[1]

Signature moves
- Big boot^[1]
- Corner clothesline^[1]
- Dragon sleeper^[101]^[102]
- Fujiwara armbar^[1]
- Guillotine leg drop onto the chest of an apron hung opponent^[1]
- No-handed over the top rope suicide dive^[103]
- Old School^[104] (Arm twist ropewalk chop)^[1]
- Reverse STO^[1]
- Running DDT^[1]
- Running jumping leg drop^[1]
- Running leaping clothesline^[1]
- Sidewalk slam^[1]

Managers

Nicknames
- "The Phenom"^[3]^[106]
- "The Deadman"^[3]^[106]
- "The American Bad Ass"^[106]
- "The Red Devil"^[106]
- "Big Evil"^[106]
- "The Man from the Dark Side"
- "The Lord of Darkness"^[107]
- "The Demon of Death Valley"^[108]
- "The Conscience of the WWE"^[109]

Taunts
- Slashing his own throat with the right hand, signalling for a tombstone piledriver (signifying that the end is near for the opponent) ^[110]
- Victory pose: Kneeling after winning a match to signify his dominance in the ring (1990–'96: also raised his hand towards Paul Bearer and the urn while kneeling; 2004-onwards: takes his tongue out in demonic fashion and looks towards his opponent or just the crowd) ^[111]
- Rolling his eye-balls above to intimidate opponents (usually done after removing his hat during his entrance)
- Raising his right-hand after victory (2000-onwards: adopted during the American Bad Ass gimmick)

Quotes
- Rest in Peace (1990–'99; 2004-onwards) ^[112] (also led to a Rest in Peace match with Giant Gonzales at SummerSlam 1993)
- This is My Yard (2000–2003: during the American Bad Ass and Big Evil persona) ^[113]
- I'll Make you Famous (2000–2003: during the American Bad Ass and Big Evil persona) ^[114]

Entrance themes
- "Miracle Man" by Ozzy Osbourne (NJPW)
- "China White" by Scorpions (NWA / WCW)
- "The Grim Reaper" by Jim Johnston
- "Graveyard Symphony" by Jim Johnston (1995–1998)
- "Dark Side" by Jim Johnston (1998–1999)
- "Ministry" by Jim Johnston (1999)
- "American Bad Ass" by Kid Rock (2000)
- "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" by Limp Bizkit (2000–2002, 2003)
- "Dead Man by Jim Johnston (2002)
- "You're Gonna Pay" by Jim Johnston (2002–2003)
- "Graveyard Symphony" by Jim Johnston (2004–present)

Championships and accomplishments

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (1991)^[115] vs. The Ultimate Warrior
- PWI Match of the Year (1998)^[116] vs. Mankind in a Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring
- PWI Match of the Year (2009)^[117]vs. Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XXV
- PWI ranked him #2 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2002^[118]
- PWI ranked him #21 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[119]

United States Wrestling Association
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (2 time)^[1]

World Class Wrestling Association
- WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (2 time)^[7]

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WCW Tag Team Championship (2 time) – with Kane¹^[120]
- World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)^[121]
- WWF/E Championship (4 times)²^[122]
- WWF Hardcore Championship (2 time)^[123]
- WWF Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with Steve Austin (1), The Big Show (3), The Rock (1) and Kane (1)^[124]
- Royal Rumble (2007)
- Slammy Award for WWF's Greatest Hit (1996) Sucking Diesel into the abyss
- Slammy Award for Best Tattoo (1997)
- Slammy Award for Best Entrance Music (1997)
- Slammy Award for Star of the Highest Magnitude (1997)
- Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2009) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV
- Undefeated at Wrestlemania(18-0)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Gimmick (1990–1994)
- Best Heel (1991)
- Feud of the Year (2007) vs. Batista
- Match of the Year (2009) vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV
- Most Overrated (2001)
- Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (2001)
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2001) with Kane vs. KroniK at Unforgiven
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)
- Worst Feud of the Year (1993) vs. Giant González

The Mirror ranked The Undertaker's Wrestlemania undefeated streak as the 7th greatest winning streak in sports, and it was the only ranked streak from professional wrestling.^[125]

1 ^ Won during The Invasion.
2 ^ The Undertaker's fourth reign was as WWE Undisputed Champion.

khali

The Great Khali

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The Great Khali

Ring name(s)	Giant Singh^[1] The Great Khali Dalip Singh^[2]
Billed height	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) ^[3]
Billed weight	420 lb (190 kg)^[3]
Born	August 27, 1972 (1972-08-27) (age 38)^[1]^[4] Dhirana, Himachal Pradesh, India^[4]
Resides	Atlanta, Georgia^[5]
Billed from	India
Trained by	APW Boot Camp^[1]
Debut	7 October 2000^[1]^[6]

Dalip Singh Rana^[4] (Punjabi: ਦਲੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਰਾਨਾ) (born 27 August 1972) better known by his ring name The Great Khali, is an Indian professional wrestler, actor, and former powerlifter who won Mr. India in 1995 and 1996.^[7] He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its Raw brand. Before embarking on his professional wrestling career, he was a police officer in the Punjab state police.^[8]

In WWE, Singh is a one-time World Heavyweight Champion, and one-time Slammy Award winner. He has also appeared in three Hollywood films as well as two Bollywood films.

[hide]

Career

Under the ring name Giant Singh, Dalip Singh first became a professional wrestler for All Pro Wrestling (APW) in the United States, making his first appearance in October 2000, when teaming with Tony Jones against the West Side Playaz.^[1]

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2001–2002)

In August 2001, Singh was brought into New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) by Team 2000 leader, Masahiro Chono, as Giant Singh, along with another big man, Giant Silva.^[1] They were the tallest tag team in professional wrestling history at an average height of 7 foot 2½ inches, and a combined weight of 805 pounds. The two teamed up for the first time at the Tokyo Dome in October, labeled Club 7 by Chono, and defeated Yutaka Yoshie, Kenzo Suzuki, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Wataru Inoue in a Handicap Match when Silva pinned Tanahashi and Inoue at the same time.^[9] Singh suffered his first loss in a tag match in January 2002 after Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned him with a cradle.^[10] He suffered another big tag defeat during March, being pinned by Manabu Nakanishi after a German suplex pin. His most critical loss came in August at Tokyo Nippon Budokan when, after a falling out, he was pinned by Silva in a singles match.^[1]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2006–present)

The Great Khali in WWE.

On 2 January 2006, Singh became the first Indian professional wrestler to be signed to a contract by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE);^[11] he was assigned to their developmental federation, Deep South Wrestling,^[1] where he wrestled under his real name.^[2]

Feud with The Undertaker (2006)

With Daivari as his manager, the unnamed Singh debuted on WWE television on the 7 April 2006 episode of SmackDown!, attacking The Undertaker and leaving defenseless during his match with Mark Henry, and thus causing a no-contest.^[12] The next week he was introduced as The Great Khali. Daivari explained that he now finally had a client that would destroy The Undertaker (after Muhammed Hassan and Mark Henry had previously failed).^[13] Khali made his in-ring debut on the April 21 edition of SmackDown!, defeating Funaki.^[14]

On the May 12 edition of SmackDown!, Khali was John "Bradshaw" Layfield hand-picked opponent against World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio. Khali had a height advantage of two feet and a weight advantage of 250 pounds, and defeated Mysterio in a squash match.^[15] In his match against The Undertaker at Judgment Day, Khali defeated The Undertaker with a kick to the head after receiving some illegal help from Daivari.^[16]^[17] Khali continued on a rampage for several weeks, winning handicap matches,^[18] beating superstars up in a display of power,^[19]^[20]^[21] and mocking The Undertaker's signature pin and victory pose.^[21]

Khali then challenged The Undertaker to a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash.^[22] However, Khali was not medically cleared to compete in the match, and was instead replaced by Big Show, who would end up losing to The Undertaker despite interference from Khali. After he was medically cleared, Khali would be challenged by The Undertaker to a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam.^[23] The match was moved to the SmackDown! just prior to SummerSlam and was won by The Undertaker, giving Khali his first definite loss in WWE.^[24]

ECW (2006)

Daivari and The Great Khali were moved to the ECW brand officially when they made their ECW debuts on the 31 October 2006 edition of ECW on Sci Fi. Daivari beat "The Reject" Shannon Moore in a very quick match.^[25] Daivari's original theme music was used as well as his Persian rants on the microphone. Afterwards, Moore was manhandled by The Great Khali.^[25] Daivari continued his ECW winning streak over the next several weeks with The Great Khali usually following up the contest with a chokebomb on Daivari's opponent. At December to Dismember, Daivari got a victory over Tommy Dreamer following a roll-up.^[26] Dreamer then chased Daivari backstage; The Great Khali appeared and caught Dreamer, planting him on the steel ramp with a chokebomb.

Raw (2007)

Since 2007, Khali has been accompanied by his translator and manager Ranjin Singh.

On the January 8 episode of Raw, Jonathan Coachman announced that Khali had signed with Raw (without his manager Daivari), and would wrestle John Cena in the main event. Khali won by disqualification after Cena took a steel chair held by Armando Estrada and hit Khali with it. After the match, Khali chokeslammed Cena to the mat and left the ringside area, leaving Cena prone to an attack by Umaga.^[27]

On the February 19 edition of Raw, Khali demanded better competition after easily defeating The Highlanders.^[28] Four days later on SmackDown!, Khali interfered in a Falls Count Anywhere Money In The Bank qualifying match between Kane and King Booker. Khali cost Kane the match,^[29] leading to a feud which would culminate with a match at WrestleMania 23. In his first appearance at WrestleMania, Khali defeated Kane at WrestleMania 23 after slamming him with the Khali Bomb. Right after the match, Khali choked Kane with a hook and chain.^[30]

On the April 30 edition of Raw, Khali attacked Shawn Michaels, Edge, and Randy Orton (all three top contenders to the WWE Championship at the time) backstage.^[31] He then attacked WWE Champion John Cena as well, sending a message that he wanted Cena's title.^[31] The next week on Raw, Khali defeated Michaels in a No. 1 contender's match for the WWE Championship at Judgment Day.^[32]^[33] At the event, Khali lost via submission for the first time ever, tapping out to John Cena's STFU. However, at Judgment Day, Khali's foot was under the rope when he tapped out, which went unnoticed by the referee.^[34] The next night on Raw, Khali expressed his outrage over the outcome via his newly established translator and manager, Ranjin Singh.^[35] At One Night Stand, Khali lost to John Cena after he was FU'd off a crane bed. This would be the first time that The Great Khali had ever been pinned in a singles match.^[36]

Return to Smackdown!, and World Heavyweight Title Reign (2007–2008)

On the June 11 edition of Raw, as part of the 2007 WWE Draft, Khali was drafted from Raw to SmackDown! as SmackDown!'s first draft pick.^[37] He would soon enter a feud with Dave Batista in July.^[38] The two were scheduled for a match at The Great American Bash, however, because Edge vacated the World Heavyweight Championship due to an injury, a twenty man Battle Royal was held for the title on the July 20 edition of SmackDown!. Khali won after eliminating both Kane and Batista in one move, winning his first World Heavyweight Championship.^[39] Khali dominated and defeated both Batista and Kane in a Triple Threat match that same week at The Great American Bash.^[40] Khali then debuted a new finisher called the "Khali Vise Grip" which he used to wear down Ric Flair, Batista, and Kane. At SummerSlam, Khali lost by disqualification when he used a steel chair but retained the title.^[41]

Khali at No Mercy 2007.

Khali then began a feud with Rey Mysterio after Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" making Mysterio the No. 1 contender. On the September 7 edition of SmackDown!, after Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero in an "I Quit" match, Khali applied his Vice Grip on Mysterio until Batista came to the rescue. After the assault, General Manager Theodore Long informed Khali that he would be defending his World Heavyweight Championship against both Rey Mysterio and Batista in a Triple Threat Match at Unforgiven, which Khali lost to Batista after receiving a spinebuster.^[42] Khali challenged Batista to a rematch in a Punjabi Prison Match at No Mercy in which Khali lost by failing to escape the Punjabi Prison before Batista.^[43]

In late 2007 and early 2008, Khali was put in a program with Finlay usually trying to assault Hornswoggle but with Finlay stopping him. Khali participated in a Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out, which was won by The Undertaker. At WrestleMania XXIV, Khali participated in a twenty-four man battle royal in which the winner would receive a title match against the ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero later that evening. Kane won the battle royal and went on to win the title. Khali then began a short feud with Big Show. The feud culminated with a match at Backlash where Big Show emerged victorious.^[44].

In July, Khali feuded with Triple H over his WWE Championship. On the July 25 edition of SmackDown!, Khali won a battle royal also involving Big Show, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga and Montel Vontavious Porter, to earn the right to face Triple H at SummerSlam.^[45] At the event, Khali lost to Triple H after receiving a Pedigree. Khali was given another opportunity to win the WWE Championship, when he faced Jeff Hardy to gain entry into the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven. Triple H interfered in the Scramble qualification match, and aided Jeff Hardy with a chair shot to Khali, helping Hardy win and eliminating Khali from title contention.

Face turn (2008–present)

Khali in a match with Finlay against Kane & Mike Knox.

On October 3, daredevil Johnny Knoxville aired a segment on www.jackassworld.com interviewing Khali with his translator. When Knoxville asked about Khali's "taliwacker" Khali was upset and threatened to tip the interview table onto Knoxville^[46]. Khali later invited Knoxville to attend the October 13 episode of Raw, where Knoxville was attacked by both Khali and WWE Diva Beth Phoenix.

Khali grew to take on a more "fun" persona; he and Ranjin Singh began hosting the weekly "Khali Kiss Cam", where Singh would summon ostensibly random women from the audience to kiss Khali.

The Great Khali feuded with Dolph Ziggler, winning by disqualification after Ziggler attacked him with a steel chair. In the next few weeks, Khali lost to Ziggler by countout and disqualification after Ziggler made it look like Khali hit him with a steel chair. At The Bash, Khali lost to Ziggler by pinfall, after Kane returned and attacked Khali. Shortly there after, it was revealed that, in the context of a storyline, Ranjin Singh is Khali's (kayfabe) brother. The feud with Kane resulted in a match at SummerSlam, where Kane defeated Khali after Kane used Singh as a distraction, and performed a running DDT to Khali. Then Khali lost to Kane again at the first ever WWE Breaking Point event.^[47]

Khali required knee surgery, so Kane "assaulted" Khali with the ring steps during a match so Khali could have time off.^[48] Whilst injured, Khali made a surprise appearance alongside Ranjin Singh, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon on the November 2 edition of Raw, as a judge for the "Raw's Got Talent" segment. He made his official return on the December 14th edition of Raw teaming with Kane and Christian to defeat William Regal, Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov.

On the April 2 edition on SmackDown he announced that he would be out of wrestling for an undefined amount of time as he needed to spend time with his family and regroup his thoughts back in India. On the April 19 edition on Raw, he made an appearance by teaming up with special guest host MacGruber in a 2-on-1 handicap match against Vladimir Kozlov as "Khaluber" (Khali dressed as MacGruber) which they won by intentional count-out.

As part of the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft, Khali and Ranjin Singh were both drafted back to the Raw brand. After returning from his hiatus the previous month, Khali was announced by John Cena to be a part of his team along with John Morrison, Chris Jericho, Edge, R-Truth and Bret Hart to face The Nexus at SummerSlam. On the August 9th edition of Raw however, Khali was assaulted and injured by The Nexus, thus removing him from the match.^[49]

In wrestling

The Great Khali as the World Heavyweight Champion.

Finishing moves
- Brain chop^[50]
- Khali Vise Grip^[7] (Two handed skull vise)–Late 2007, 2008–present
- Punjabi Plunge^[51] / Khali Bomb^[7] (Two handed chokeslam)
Signature moves
- Big boot
- Clothesline^[32]
- Delayed scoop slam
- Headbutt
- Chokeslam^[52]
- Leg drop^[32]
- Nerve hold^[32]^[52]
- Repeated back elbow strikes to a cornered opponent
- Short–arm clothesline
- Spin kick to an oncoming opponent^[32]
Managers
- Masahiro Chono
- Daivari
- Ranjin Singh^[53]
Nicknames
- "The Punjabi Nightmare"
- "The Punjabi Playboy"
- "The Prince of the Land of Five Rivers" (2009)
Entrance themes
- "Da.ngr"^[54] by Jim Johnston (2006–2008)
- "Land of Five Rivers"^[55] performed by Panjabi MC^[56] (2008–present)

Championships and accomplishments

New Japan Pro Wrestling
- Teisen Hall Six-Man Tournament (2002)–with Masahiro Chono and Giant Silva^[57]
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #83 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008^[58]
World Wrestling Entertainment
- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[59]
- Slammy Award for "Damn!" Moment of the Year (2008)^[60]
Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Most Overrated (2007)
- Worst Gimmick (2008)

Filmography

The Longest Yard (2005) as Turley
Get Smart (2008) as Dalip
MacGruber (2010) as Tug Phelps
Kushti (2010) as Himself
Ramaa: The Saviour (2010) as Vali
Detonation (2012) as Gatling Gunner

Television

Khali is currently appearing on the television reality show Bigg Boss. The show is inspired from the the famous reality show Big Brother.The show made special arrangements only for Khali.^[61]

Brian Ong incident

On 28 May 2001, Brian Ong died after receiving a flapjack from Singh.^[1] Ong had suffered a previous concussion during the session, but the trainers gave him a lower evaluation for not avoiding injuries and told him to continue training. In addition, it was proven that Ong did not receive protective gear or supervision by All Pro Wrestling (APW) staff. This second concussion ultimately proved fatal for him. As Singh inadvertently caused his death, Ong's family brought a lawsuit against APW.^[1] APW was found liable for recklessness after less than a day of deliberations, awarding the Ong family for damages of over $1.3 million.^[1]

Personal life

Singh was born to Jwala Ram (father) and Tandi Devi (mother);^[62] he is one of seven siblings^[62] ^[63] ^[8] Singh married Harminder Kaur on 27 February 2002.^[4] He says he abhors tobacco and alcohol.^[11]

Singh suggested the ringname "The Great Khali" after the Hindu goddess Kali, who is associated with eternal energy.^[11] Although his parents are of normal stature, his grandfather was well over 6 ft 6 inches.^[64]

Singh's training schedule consists of two hours of weight training, morning and evening, every day. Singh's diet is unclear as in some interviews it is claimed he maintains his size on a vegetarian diet,^[65] and in other interviews it is claimed he consumes vast quantities of chicken^[66]. He has however clarified that he loves vegetarian food but also consumes meat^[67].

micheal jackson

Michael Jackson

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For other people named Michael Jackson, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation).

Michael Jackson
Jackson at the White House in 1984
Background information
Birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
Born	August 29, 1958(1958-08-29) Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Died	June 25, 2009 (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop, R&B, rock, dance
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, composer, dancer, choreographer, actor, author, businessman, philanthropist
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar, drums, keyboards
Years active	1964–2009
Labels	Motown, Epic, Legacy
Associated acts	The Jackson 5
Website	michaeljackson.com

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in the mid-1960s, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs including "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, pop, contemporary R&B and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of music. He was also a notable humanitarian and philanthropist, donating and raising hundreds of millions of dollars for beneficial causes and supporting more than 39 charities.

Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships and behavior, have generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury ruled him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series This Is It, Jackson died on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. Before his death, Jackson had reportedly been administered drugs such as propofol and lorazepam. The Los Angeles County Coroner declared his death a homicide, and his personal physician pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a US$250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.

[hide]

Life and career

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

A house surrounded by yellow colored grass, flowers, trees, and a light blue colored sky can be seen. The house has white walls, two windows, a white door with a black door frame, and a black roof. In front of the house there is a walk way, yellow grass and multiple colored flowers and memorabilia. In the background, there are two tall trees and a light blue colored sky that has multiple clouds.

Jackson's childhood home in Gary, Indiana, showing floral tributes after his death.

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family, in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy.^[1] A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.^[2]

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe.^[3]^[4]^[5] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a child.^[5] Jackson stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, though he also credited his father's strict discipline with playing a large role in his success.^[3] Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast in February 1993. He admitted that he had often cried from loneliness and he would vomit on the sight of his father. Jackson's father was also said to have verbally abused Jackson, saying that he had a fat nose on numerous occasions.^[6] In fact, Michael Jackson's deep dissatisfaction with his appearance, his nightmares and chronic sleep problems, his tendency to remain hyper-compliant especially with his father, and to remain child-like throughout his adult life are in many ways consistent with the effects of this chronic maltreatment he endured as a young child.^[7]

In an interview with Martin Bashir, later included in the 2003 broadcast of Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson acknowledged that his father hurt him when he was a child, but was nonetheless a "genius", as he admitted his father's strict discipline played a huge role in his success. When Bashir dismissed the positive remark and continued asking about beatings, Jackson put his hand over his face and objected to the questions. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you".^[8]^[9]

In 1964, Michael and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing. When he was eight, Jackson began sharing the lead vocals with his older brother Jermaine, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.^[1] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.^[10]

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, before signing with Motown Records in 1968.^[1] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."^[11] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.^[1] Between 1972 and 1975, Jackson released four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.^[12]

Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–1981)

In June 1975, the Jackson 5 signed with Epic Records, a subsidiary of CBS Records^[12] and renamed themselves the Jacksons. Younger brother Randy formally joined the band around this time, while Jermaine left to pursue a solo career.^[13] They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Jackson was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel," and "Can You Feel It".^[10] In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz, a box-office disaster. It was here that he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who was arranging the film's musical score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall.^[14] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.^[15]

Jones and Jackson produced the Off the Wall album together. Songwriters for the album included Jackson, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".^[16] It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.^[17] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".^[18]^[19] That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".^[16] Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist.^[20] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.^[21] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.^[22]

Thriller and Motown 25 (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows.^[23]^[24] These awards were thanks to the Thriller album, released in late 1982, which was the 1983's best-selling album worldwide^[25]^[26] and became the best-selling album of all time in the United States,^[27] as well as the best-selling album of all time worldwide, selling an estimated 110 million copies so far.^[28] The album topped the Billboard 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."^[29] Thriller was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work.^[30] Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point: approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record-breaking profits from sales of his recordings. The videocassette of the documentary The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold over 350,000 copies in a few months. The era saw the arrival of novelties like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, which appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.^[31] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that, "Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie—and started selling like a household staple."^[32] In 1985, The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Longform.^[23] In December 2009, the music video for "Thriller" was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, "Thriller" is the first music video ever to be inducted.^[33]^[34]^[35]

Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".^[31] The New York Times wrote that, "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".^[36]

In March 1983, Jackson reunited with his brothers for a legendary live performance which was taped for a Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special. The show aired on May 16, 1983, to an audience of 47 million viewers, and featured the Jacksons and a number of other Motown stars. It is best remembered for Jackson's solo performance of "Billie Jean". Wearing a distinctive black sequin jacket and golf glove decorated with rhinestones, he debuted his signature dance move, the moonwalk, which former Soul Train dancer and Shalamar member, Jeffrey Daniel had taught him three years before. The Jacksons' performance drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.^[37] Anna Kisselgoff of The New York Times later wrote, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing."^[38]

Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)

In the center of the photo four people can be seen. To the farthest left a medium skin colored man wearing a black suit with a white shirt can be seen. Second to the left a Caucasian man wearing a black suit with a white shirt and brown tie has his head turned to the right. To the right of the Caucasian male there is an African American man wearing a white shirt with a blue jacket that has a yellow strap across his chest. He is raising his right hand, which is covered with a white glove. To the farthest right, a Caucasian female with short blonde hair, who is wearing a white outfit, can be seen. In the background a cream colored building with an opened green door can be seen.

Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1984

On January 27, 1984, Michael and other members of the Jacksons filmed a Pepsi Cola commercial, overseen by executive Philip Dusenberry,^[39] from ad agency BBDO and Pepsi's Worldwide Creative Director, Alan Pottasch at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, pyrotechnics accidentally set Jackson's hair on fire. He suffered second-degree burns to his scalp. Jackson underwent treatment to hide the scars on his scalp, and he also had his third rhinoplasty shortly thereafter.^[15] Jackson never recovered from this injury. Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated his $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, which now has a "Michael Jackson Burn Center" in honor of his donation.^[40]

On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.^[41] Jackson won eight awards during the Grammys that year. Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. He donated all the funds (around $8 million) raised from the Victory Tour to charity.^[42] He also co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in the U.S. and Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 30 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief. In 1986, "We Are the World" won four Grammys (one for Jackson for Song of the Year). American Music Award directors removed the charity song from the competition because they felt it would be inappropriate, but recognised it with two special honors (one for the creation of the song and one for the USA for Africa idea). They are the only AMAs that Jackson won as non-solo artist.^[43]^[44]^[45]^[46]

In 1984, ATV Music, a music publishing company owning thousands of music copyrights, including the Northern Songs catalogue that contained the majority of the Lennon/McCartney compositions recorded by The Beatles, was put up for sale.^[47]^[48] Jackson had become interested in owning music catalogs after working with Paul McCartney in the early 1980s: Jackson had learned McCartney made approximately $40 million a year from other people's songs. McCartney's attorney assured Jackson's attorney that McCartney was not interested in bidding on ATV: McCartney reportedly said "It's too pricey". However, McCartney later changed his mind and tried to persuade John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono to join him in a joint bid. Ono declined, and McCartney pulled out. Jackson eventually beat the rest of the competition in negotiations that lasted 10 months, purchasing the catalog for $47.5 million.^[47]^[49]

Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography and films (1986–87)

Jackson's skin had been a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the mid 1980s, it gradually grew paler. The change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that he was bleaching his skin.^[50] According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1986, Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the vitiligo partially lightened his skin, and the lupus was in remission; both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.^[51] Jackson was also diagnosed with vitiligo in his autopsy.^[52] The structure of his face had also changed:^{[citation needed]} several surgeons speculated that he had undergone various nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips, and cheekbone surgery—although Jackson denied this and insisted that he only had surgery on his nose.^[53] Jackson claimed that he had only two rhinoplasties and no other surgery on his face, although at one point he mentioned having a dimple created in his chin.^[54] Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".^[54] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem later in life.^[55]

During the course of his treatment, Jackson made two close friends: his dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, and Klein's nurse Debbie Rowe. Rowe eventually became Jackson's second wife and the mother of his two eldest children. Long before becoming romantically involved with her, Jackson relied heavily on Rowe for emotional support. He also relied heavily on Klein, for medical and business advice. Recent claims by a male dermatology assistant that he and Jackson were sexually involved have notably drawn fury from those close to Jackson.^[56]

In the center for the photo, a light skinned male with black hair wearing a red shirt and blue cap can be seen. The male is smiling while titling his head to his right. Behind him, there is a black background and the shoulder of another person.

Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the disease

He became the subject of increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, the tabloids ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. Although the claim was untrue, according to tabloid reports that are widely cited, Jackson had disseminated the fabricated story himself.^[57]^[58] When Jackson bought a chimpanzee called Bubbles from a laboratory, he was reported to be increasingly detached from reality.^[59] It was reported that Jackson had offered to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick (the "elephant man") and although untrue, Jackson did not deny the story.^[57]^[58] Although initially he saw these stories as opportunities for publicity, he stopped leaking untruths to the press as they became more sensational. Consequently the media began making up their own stories.^[58]^[60]^[61] These reports became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the nickname "Wacko Jacko," which Jackson came to despise.^[62] Responding to the gossip, Jackson remarked to Taraborrelli:

Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth."^[63]

A black jacket with five round golden medals on its left and right shoulders and a gold band on its left arm sleeve. The jacket has two belt straps on the right bottom sleeve. Underneath the jacket is a golden belt, with a round ornament in its center. There is a red light reflecting on the jacket and belt as well as a gold colored plate on the left side of the jacket and belt.

Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era

Jackson collaborated with Francis Ford Coppola on the 17-minute 3-D film Captain EO, which debuted in September 1986 at both the original Disneyland and at EPCOT in Florida, and in March 1987 at Tokyo Disneyland. The $30 million movie was a popular attraction at all three parks. A Captain EO attraction was later featured at Euro Disneyland after that park opened in 1992. All four parks' Captain EO installations stayed open well into the 1990s: Paris' installation was the last one to close, in 1998.^[64] The attraction would later return to Disneyland after Jackson's death in 2010.^[65]

In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in response to their disapproval of the Thriller video.^[66] With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.^[67] It did not top Thriller as a commercial or artistic triumph, but Bad was still a substantial success in its own right.

The Bad album spawned seven hit singles in the U.S., five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This was a record for most number one Hot 100 singles from any one album, including Thriller.^[68] Although the title track's video was arguably derivative of the video for the earlier single "Beat It", the "Bad" video still proved to be one of Jackson's iconic moments. It was a gritty but colorful epic set against the backdrop of the New York City subway system, with costuming and choreography inspired by West Side Story. As of 2008, the album had sold 30 million copies worldwide.^[69] Thanks to the Bad album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989.^[23]^[30] In the same year, Jackson won an Award of Achievement at the American Music Awards because Bad is the first album ever to generate five number one singles in the US, the first album to top in 25 countries and the best-selling album worldwide in 1987 and in 1988.^[70]^[71]^[72]^[73] In 1988, "Bad" won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Single.^[74]

The Bad World Tour began on September 12 that year, finishing on January 14, 1989.^[75] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.^[76] Jackson broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people. The Bad Tour turned out to be the last of Jackson's concert tours to include shows in the continental United States, although later tours did make it to Hawaii and Mexico.

Autobiography, changing appearance and Neverland (1988–1990)

A male with black hair singing into a microphone. The man is wearing a blue jacket and a white shirt with black pants and a white belt.

Jackson performing "The Way You Make Me Feel"

In 1988, Jackson released his first and only autobiography, Moonwalk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.^[77] Jackson wrote about his childhood, The Jackson 5, and the abuse he had suffered.^[78] He also wrote about his facial appearance, saying he had had two rhinoplastic surgeries and a dimple created in his chin.^[54] He attributed much of the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style, and stage lighting.^[54] Moonwalk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.^[79] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage and short films that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. The film was originally intended to be released to theaters but due to financial issues, the film was released direct to video. It debuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.^[80]

In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California, to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. He installed Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre (11 km²) property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, it was valued at approximately $100 million.^[11]^[81] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.^[82] Shortly afterwards, he became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad in the Soviet Union.^[80]

His success resulted in his being dubbed the "King of Pop".^[83]^[84]^[85]^[86] The nickname was popularized by Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with the Soul Train Heritage Award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."^[87] President George H. W. Bush designated him the White House's "Artist of the Decade".^[88] From 1985 to 1990, he donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.^[89]^[90] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.^[80]

Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation and Super Bowl XXVII (1991–93)

In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million, a record-breaking deal at the time,^[91] displacing Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.^[92] He released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008, Dangerous had shipped seven million copies in the U.S. and had sold 32 million copies worldwide. The Dangerous album was co-produced by Teddy Riley, one of the pioneers of "new jack swing" which convinced Michael to feature a rapper on his album for the first time, the act worked and it turned out to be the best-selling album associated with that movement.^[93]^[94]^[95] In the United States, the album's first single "Black or White" was its biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.^[96] The album's second single "Remember the Time" spent eight weeks in the top five in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.^[97] At the end of 1992, Dangerous was awarded 1992's best-selling album worldwide and "Black or White" was awarded 1992's best-selling single worldwide at the Billboard Music Awards. Additionally, he won an award as best-selling artist of the '80s.^[98] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a chair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.^[99] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.^[97]

Jackson founded the Heal the World Foundation in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to enjoy theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war, poverty, and disease. In the same year Jackson published his second book, the bestselling collection of poetry, Dancing the Dream. While it was a commercial success and revealed a more intimate side to Jackson's nature, the collection was mostly critically unacclaimed at the time of release. In 2009, the book was republished by Doubleday and was more positively received by some critics in the wake of Jackson's untimely death. The Dangerous World Tour grossed $100 million. The tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts.^[97]^[100] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.^[101]

Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.^[102]^[103] In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.^[104] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable and enthusiastic reception of more than 100,000 people, some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael."^[104] In his trip to Côte d'Ivoire, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.^[104] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.^[104]

In January 1993, Jackson made a memorable appearance at the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. The performance began with Jackson catapulting onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvas, he maintained a motionless "clenched fist, standing statue stance", dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for a minute and a half while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and sang four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White" and "Heal the World". It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed by 135 million Americans alone; Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.^[50] Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. "Black or White" was Grammy-nominated for best vocal performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.^[97] The Dangerous album won a Grammy for Best Engineered – Non Classical, awarding the work of Bruce Swedien and Teddy Riley. In the same year, Michael Jackson won three American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album (Dangerous), Favorite Soul/R&B Single ("Remember the Time") and was the first to win the International Artist Award, for his global performances and humanitarian concerns. This award will bear his name in the future.^[23]^[30]^[105]

First child sexual abuse allegations and first marriage (1993–94)

Main article: 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson

Jackson gave a 90-minute interview to Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his second television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by an American audience of 90 million. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after its original release.^[9]^[50]^[97]

In the summer of 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler, a dentist.^[106]^[107]^[108] The Chandler family demanded payment from Jackson, and the singer initially refused. Jordan Chandler eventually told the police that Jackson had sexually abused him.^[109] Dr. Chandler was tape-recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, saying, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever ... Michael's career will be over". Jordan's mother was, however, adamant that there had been no wrongdoing on Jackson's part.^[108] Jackson later used the recording to argue that he was the victim of a jealous father whose only goal was to extort money from the singer.^[108]

Later on that year, Jackson's home was raided by the police, and Jackson even submitted to a 25-minute strip search.^[110] His friends said he never recovered from the humiliation. The investigation was inconclusive and no charges were ever filed.^[111]^[112] Jackson described the search in an emotional public statement, and proclaimed his innocence.^[106]^[110]^[113] On January 1, 1994, Jackson's insurance carrier settled with the Chandlers out of court for $22 million. A Santa Barbara County grand jury and a Los Angeles County grand jury disbanded on May 2, 1994 without indicting Jackson.^[114] After which time the Chandlers stopped co-operating with the criminal investigation around July 6, 1994.^[115]^[116]^[117] The out-of-court settlement's documentation specifically stated Jackson admitted no wrongdoing and no liability; the Chandlers and their family lawyer Larry Feldman signed it without contest.^[118] The Chandlers' lawyer Mr. Feldman also explicitly stated "nobody bought anybody's silence".^[119] A decade after the fact, during the second round of child abuse allegations, Jackson's lawyers would file a memo stating that the 1994 settlement was done without his consent.^[116]

Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley in 1994

In May 1994, Jackson married the daughter of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley. They had first met in 1975, when a seven-year-old Presley attended one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.^[120] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As the child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Presley for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.^[121] Presley explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."^[122] She eventually persuaded him to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover.^[121]

Jackson proposed to Presley over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?"^[121] They married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy, denying it for nearly two months afterwards.^[123] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".^[124] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image.^[123] The marriage lasted less than two years and ended with an amicable divorce settlement.^[125] Presley admitted in interview to Oprah that her relationships with Jackson continued "off and on" for four years after formal divorce.

HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood (1995–99)

In 1995, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's music publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.^[48]^[126] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits: HIStory, Volume I in 2001, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.^[127] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.^[96]^[128] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.^[129]

A close-up image of a pale skinned man with black hair. He is wearing a black jacket with white designs on it.

Michael Jackson at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival

The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The song fights against the media, mainly for what the media made him out to be during his 1993 child abuse allegations. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".^[129] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[82] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".^[129] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress-related panic attack.^[130] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.^[129] The track "They Don't Care About Us" became controversial when the Anti-Defamation League and other groups criticized its allegedly anti-Semitic lyrics. Jackson quickly put out a revised version of the song without the offending lyrics.^[131] In 1996, Jackson won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Scream" and an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.^[23]^[132]

The album was promoted with the successful HIStory World Tour. The tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans, and grossed up a total of $165 million. The show, which visited five continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures.^[75] During the tour, Jackson married his longtime friend Deborah Jeanne Rowe, a dermatology nurse, in an impromptu ceremony in Sydney, Australia. Rowe was approximately six months pregnant with the couple's first child at the time. Originally, Rowe and Jackson had no plans to marry, but Jackson's mother Katherine persuaded them to do so.^[133] Michael Joseph Jackson Jr (commonly known as Prince) was born on February 13, 1997; his sister Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson was born a year later on April 3, 1998.^[125]^[134] The couple divorced in 1999, and Jackson got full custody of the children. The divorce was relatively amicable, but a subsequent custody suit was not settled until 2006.^[135]^[136]

In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, it is the best selling remix album ever released.^[137] It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.^[138]^[139] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.^[93]^[129] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.^[81] Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization War Child, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, FR Yugoslavia, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.^[140] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red Cross and UNESCO.^[141]

Label dispute, Invincible and third child (2000–03)

At the turn of the century, the American Music Awards honored Jackson as Artist of the '80s.^[142] Throughout 2000 and 2001, Jackson worked in the studio with Teddy Riley and Rodney Jerkins, as well as other collaborators. These sessions would result in the album Invincible, released in October 2001. Invincible was Jackson's first full-length album in six years, and it would be the last album of new material he released while still alive. The release of the album was preceded by a dispute between Jackson and his record label, Sony Music Entertainment. Jackson had expected the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him sometime in the early 2000s. Once he had the licenses, he would be able to promote the material however he pleased and he would also be able to keep all the profits. However, due to various clauses in the contract, the revert date turned out to be many years away. Jackson discovered that the attorney^[who?] who represented him in the deal was also representing Sony.^[139] Jackson was also concerned about the fact that for a number of years, Sony had been pressuring him to sell his share in their music catalog venture. Jackson feared that Sony might have a conflict of interest, since if Jackson's career failed he would have to sell his share of the catalog at a low price.^[143] Jackson sought an early exit from his contract.^[139] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.^[139] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were suspended.

In September 2001, two 30th Anniversary concerts were held at Madison Square Garden to mark the singer's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984. The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, Destiny's Child, Monica, Luther Vandross, and Slash, among other artists.^[144] The second of the two shows took place the night before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.^[145] After 9/11, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The concert took place on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.^[143] Jackson's solo performances were omitted from the televised version of the benefit concert, although he could still be seen singing background vocals. This omission happened because of contractual issues related to the earlier 30th Anniversary concerts: those concerts were boiled down into a two-hour TV special entitled Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration: The Solo Years which debuted in November 2001.

In spite of the events preceding its release, Invincible came out in October 2001 to much anticipation. Invincible proved to be a hit, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 13 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.^[93]^[96]^[146] However, the sales for Invincible were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general.^[143] The album cost $30 million to record, not including promotional expenditures.^[147] Invincible spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter without a music video. Jackson alleged in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.^[143] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".^[148] Sony refused to renew Jackson's contract, and claimed that a $25 million promotional campaign had failed because Jackson refused to tour in the United States.^[147]

In 2002, Michael Jackson won his 22nd American Music Award for Artist of the Century.^[149] In the same year, Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket") was born.^[150] The mother's identity is unknown, but Jackson has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm.^[135] On November 20 of that year, Jackson brought his newborn son onto the balcony of his room at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, as fans stood below, holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face. The baby was briefly extended over a railing, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".^[151] Sony released Number Ones, a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album was certified triple platinum by the RIAA; in the UK it was certified six times platinum for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.^[93]^[152]

Second child sexual abuse allegations and acquittal (2003–05)

Further information: Living with Michael Jackson and People v. Jackson

Beginning in May 2002, Jackson allowed a documentary film crew, led by British TV personality Martin Bashir, to follow him around just about everywhere he went. Bashir's film crew was with Jackson during the "baby-dangling incident" in Berlin. The program was broadcast in March 2003 as Living with Michael Jackson, and painted an extraordinarily unflattering portrait of the singer.

In a particularly controversial scene, Jackson was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with a young boy.^[153] As soon as the documentary aired, the Santa Barbara county attorney's office began a criminal investigation. Jackson was arrested in November 2003, and was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in relation to the 13 year old boy shown in the film.^[153] Jackson denied the allegations, saying the sleepovers were not sexual in nature. The People v. Jackson trial began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted on all counts.^[154]^[155]^[156] After the trial, in a highly publicized relocation he moved to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.^[157]

Final years (2006–09)

A group of adults and a child are shown in the photo. An African American female with short brown hair who is wearing a jean jacket and a light wash pair of jeans with a red shirt is seen holding a video camera, which is pointing forward. To the right of the female there is an opened black umbrella that is held above a light-skinned male with long black hair who is wearing all black clothes. In front of the male there is a child with black hair that is wearing a black cap with a blue shirt, a pair of white pants and black shoes. To the farthest right there are two Caucasian males with dark brown hair. In the background, trees, bushes and people can be seen.

Jackson with his children in Disneyland Paris, 2006

In March 2006, the main house at the Neverland Ranch was closed as a cost-cutting measure.^[158] There were numerous reports around that time that Jackson was having financial problems. Jackson had been deliquent on his repayments of a $270 million loan secured against his music publishing holdings, even though those holdings were reportedly making him as much as $75 million a year.^[159] Bank of America sold the debt to Fortress Investments. Sony reportedly proposed a restructuring deal which would give them a future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).^[126] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal in April 2006, although the exact details were not made public.^[160] Jackson did not have a recording contract in place with Sony or any other major record label at the time.

In the spring of 2006, there was an announcement that Jackson had signed a contract with a Bahrain-based startup called Two Seas Records. However, nothing ever came of that deal, and the CEO of Two Seas, Guy Holmes, later stated that the deal had never been finalized.^[161]^[162] Throughout 2006, Sony repackaged 20 singles from the 1980s and 1990s as the Michael Jackson: Visionary series, which subsequently became a boxed set. Most of those singles returned to the charts as a result. In September 2006, Jackson and his ex-wife Debbie Rowe confirmed reports that they had settled their long-running child custody suit. The terms were never made public. Jackson continued to be the custodial parent of the couple's two children.^[136] In October 2006, Fox News entertainment reporter Roger Friedman said that Jackson had been recording at a studio in rural Westmeath, Ireland. It was not known at the time what Jackson might be working on, or who might be paying for the sessions, since his publicist had recently issued a statement claiming that he had left Two Seas.^[162]^[163]

In November 2006, Jackson invited an Access Hollywood camera crew into the studio in Westmeath, and MSNBC broke the story that he was working on a new album, produced by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas.^[96] Jackson performed at the World Music Awards, in London on November 15, 2006, and accepted a Diamond Award for selling over 100 million records.^[96]^[164] Jackson returned to the United States after Christmas 2006 to attend James Brown's funeral in Augusta, Georgia. He gave one of the eulogies, saying that "James Brown is my greatest inspiration."^[165] In the spring of 2007, Jackson and Sony teamed up to buy yet another music publishing company: Famous Music LLC, formerly owned by Viacom. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.^[166] Jackson recorded extensively during this period in New York with songwriter and producer will.i.am and also in Las Vegas with producers Akon and RedOne.^[167]^[167]^[168] In March 2007, Jackson gave a brief interview to the Associated Press in Tokyo, where he said, "I've been in the entertainment industry since I was 6 years old, and as Charles Dickens would say, 'It's been the best of times, the worst of times.' But I would not change my career ... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me."^[169]

In September 2007 Jackson was reportedly still working with will.i.am, but the album was apparently never completed.^[170] However, in 2008, Jackson and Sony released Thriller 25 to mark the 25th anniversary of the original Thriller. This album featured the previously unreleased song "For All Time" (an outtake from the original sessions) as well as remixes, where Jackson collaborated with younger artists who had been inspired by his work.^[171] Two of the remixes were released as singles with only modest success: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" (with will.i.am) and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008" (with Akon). The first single was based on an early demo version, without Paul McCartney. The album itself was a hit, however.^[171]^[172]^[173]^[174] In anticipation of Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of greatest-hits albums called King of Pop. Slightly different versions were released in various countries, based on polls of local fans.^[175] King of Pop reached the top 10 in most countries where it was issued, and also sold well as an import in other countries (such as the United States.)^[176]^[177]

In the fall of 2008, Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson used as collateral for loans running into many tens of millions of dollars. However, Fortress opted to sell Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, which was a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. This deal cleared Jackson's debt, and he reportedly even gained an extra $35 million from the venture. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned a stake in Neverland/Sycamore Valley, but it is unknown how large that stake was.^[178]^[179]^[180] In September 2008, Jackson entered negotiations with Julien's Auction House to display and auction a large collection of memorabilia amounting to approximately 1390 lots. The auction was scheduled to take place between April 22 and April 25.^[181] An exhibition of the lots opened as scheduled on April 14, but the actual auction was eventually cancelled at Jackson's request.^[182]

In March 2009, Jackson held a press conference at London's O₂ Arena and announced a series of comeback concerts titled This Is It. The shows would be Jackson's first major series of concerts since the HIStory World Tour finished in 1997. Jackson suggested possible retirement after the shows; he said it would be his "final curtain call". The initial plan was for 10 concerts in London, followed by shows in Paris, New York City and Mumbai. Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, stated that the first 10 dates alone would earn the singer approximately £50 million.^[183] The London residency was increased to 50 dates after record breaking ticket sales: over one million were sold in less than two hours.^[184] Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG.^[185] The concerts would have commenced on July 13, 2009, and finished on March 6, 2010. Less than three weeks before the first show was due to begin in London and with all concerts being sold out, Jackson died after suffering cardiac arrest.^[186]

Jackson's first posthumous single was a song entitled "This Is It" which Jackson cowrote in the 1980s with Paul Anka. It was not on the set lists for the concerts, and the recording was based on an old demo tape. The surviving brothers reunited in the studio for the first time since 1989 to record backing vocals. On October 28, 2009, a documentary film about the rehearsals entitled Michael Jackson's This Is It was released.^[187] Even though it ran for a limited two-week engagement, it became the highest grossing documentary or concert movie of all time, with earnings of more than $260 million worldwide.^[188] Jackson's estate received 90% of the profits.^[189] The film was accompanied by a compilation album of the same name. Two versions of the new song appear on the album, which also featured original masters of Jackson's hits in the order in which they appear in the movie, along with a bonus disc with previously unreleased versions of more Jackson hits as well as a spoken word poem entitled "Planet Earth".^[190] At the 2009 American Music Awards Jackson won four posthumous awards, two for him and two for his album Number Ones, bringing his total American Music Awards total to 26.^[191]^[192]

Death and memorial

Main articles: Death of Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson memorial service

A pink star with the writing "Michael Jackson" and a gold colored rim. The star is surrounded by a metal silver colored barrier and flowers. There are also blue confetti and pink rose bud pedals on top of the star.

Jackson's fans paid tribute to him at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, shortly after the announcement of his death.

On June 25, 2009, Jackson died in his bed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by Conrad Murray, his personal physician, were unsuccessful.^[193] Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 (PDT, 19:22 UTC), arriving three minutes later at Jackson's location.^[194]^[195] He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.^[196] Resuscitation efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour after arriving there at 1:13 (20:13 UTC). He was pronounced dead at 2:26 local time (21:26 UTC).^[197]^[198] Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief.^[193]

The news spread quickly online, causing websites to slow down and crash from user overload. Both TMZ and the Los Angeles Times suffered outages.^[199] Google initially believed that the input from millions of people searching for "Michael Jackson" meant that the search engine was under attack. Twitter reported a crash, as did Wikipedia at 3:15 p.m. PDT (6:15 p.m. EDT).^[200] The Wikimedia Foundation reported nearly a million visitors to Jackson's biography within one hour, probably the most visitors in a one-hour period to any article in Wikipedia's history.^[201] AOL Instant Messenger collapsed for 40 minutes. AOL called it a "seminal moment in Internet history", adding, "We've never seen anything like it in terms of scope or depth."^[202]

Around 15% of Twitter posts—or 5,000 tweets per minute—reportedly mentioned Jackson after the news broke,^[203]^[204] compared to the 5% recalled as having mentioned the Iranian elections or the flu pandemic that had made headlines earlier in the year.^[204] Overall, web traffic ranged from 11% to at least 20% higher than normal.^[203]^[205] MTV and Black Entertainment Television (BET) aired marathons of Jackson's music videos.^[206] Jackson specials aired on multiple television stations around the world. The British soap opera EastEnders added a last-minute scene, in which one character tells another about the news, to the June 26 episode.^[207] Jackson was the topic of every front-page headline in the daily British tabloid The Sun for about two weeks following his death.^[208] During the same period, the three major U.S. networks' evening newscasts—ABC's World News, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News—devoted 34% of their broadcast time to him.^[209] Magazines including Time published commemorative editions.^[210] A scene that had featured Jackson's sister La Toya was cut from the film Brüno out of respect toward Jackson's family.^[211]

Jackson's memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, preceded by a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park's Hall of Liberty. Jackson's casket was present during the memorial but no information was released about the final disposition of the body. While some unofficial reports claimed a worldwide audience as high as one billion people,^[212]^[213]^[214] the U.S. audience was estimated by Nielsen to be 31.1 million, an amount comparable to the estimated 35.1 million that watched the 2004 burial of former president Ronald Reagan, and the estimated 33.1 million Americans who watched the 1997 funeral for Princess Diana.^[215]

Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, John Mayer, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi performed at the event. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read, "We had him," a poem written for the occasion by Maya Angelou.^[216] The Reverend Al Sharpton received a standing ovation with cheers when he told Jackson's children, "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with. But he dealt with it anyway."^[217] Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Katherine, cried as she told the crowd, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ... I just wanted to say I love him ... so much."^[218] Reverend Lucious Smith provided a closing prayer.^[219] On August 24, several news outlets quoted anonymous sources as stating that the Los Angeles coroner had decided to treat Jackson's death as a homicide; this was later confirmed by the coroner on August 28.^[220]^[221] At the time of death, Jackson had been administered propofol, lorazepam and midazolam.^[222] Law enforcement officials conducted a manslaughter investigation of his personal physician, Conrad Murray.^[223] On February 8, 2010, Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter by prosecutors in Los Angeles.^[224] Jackson was entombed on September 3, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.^[225]

Portrait tribute, other tribute items, mural and messages from 650 Spanish fans,letters, pictures, teddy bears, etc.), sunflowers and other kind of flowers were dropped off by fans from all over the world at Forest Lawn Memorial Park on the first anniversary of Michael Jackson.

Tribute of fans from all over the world in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park on his first anniversary of death

On June 25, 2010, the first anniversary of Jackson's death, fans came to Los Angeles to pay their tribute to him. They visited Jackson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and his family’s home, as well as Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Many of the fans were carrying sunflowers and other tribute items to drop off at the sites. Members of the Jackson family and close friends arrived to pay their respects.^[226]^[227] Katherine returned to Gary, Indiana to unveil a granite monument constructed in the front yard of the family home. The memorial continued with a candlelight vigil and a special performance of "We Are the World."^[228]^[229] On June 26, there was a protest march in front of the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide Division at the old Parker Center building and a petition with thousands of signatures demanding justice was delivered.^[230]^[231] The Jackson Family Foundation in conjunction with Voiceplate presented "Forever Michael", an event bringing together Jackson family members, celebrities, fans, supporters and the community to celebrate and honor his legacy. A portion of the proceeds ere presented to some of Jackson's favorite charities. Katherine also introduced her new book "Never Can Say Goodbye."^[232]^[233]^[234]

Posthumous works

After his death, Jackson became the best-selling artist of 2009 in the United States selling over 8.2 million albums and had sold 35 million albums worldwide in the 12 months that followed his death.^[235]^[236] Following this surge in sales, Sony announced that they had extended their relationship with his material. The distribution rights held by Sony Music were due to expire in 2015.^[237] On March 16, 2010, Sony Music Entertainment, in a move spearheaded by its Columbia/Epic Label Group division, signed a new deal with the Jackson estate to extend their distribution rights to his back catalogue until at least 2017, as well as to obtain permission to release ten new albums with previously unreleased material and new collections of released work. The first new album is reportedly due out in November 2010, and the final album before December 2017. The deal was unprecedented in the music industry as it is the most expensive music contract pertaining to a single artist in history; it reportedly involved Sony Music paying $250 million for the deal, with the Jackson estate getting the full sum as well as its share of royalties for all works released.^[237]^[238] Video game developer Ubisoft announced it would release a new dancing-and-singing game featuring Michael Jackson for the 2010 holiday season. The game entitled Michael Jackson: The Experience will be among the first to use Kinect and PlayStation Move, the respective motion-detecting camera systems for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 due out later that year.^[239]

Artistry

Influences

A silver colored statue of a male. The statue is placed standing up with its arms bent inward and both legs spaced apart. The statue's clothes have wrinkles and it is wearing heeled shoes. In the background, a tree and a light blue sky with multiple clouds can be seen.

One of many identical statues, positioned throughout Europe to promote HIStory

Jackson's music took root in R&B, pop and soul. He had been influenced by the work of contemporary musicians such as Little Richard, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Diana Ross, David Ruffin, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Sammy Davis, Jr., The Isley Brothers, and the Bee Gees.^[240] While Little Richard had a substantial influence on Jackson,^[241] James Brown was Jackson's greatest inspiration. In reference to Brown, Jackson declared: "Ever since I was a small child, no more than like six years old, my mother would wake me no matter what time it was, if I was sleeping, no matter what I was doing, to watch the television to see the master at work. And when I saw him move, I was mesmerized. I had never seen a performer perform like James Brown, and right then and there I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of James Brown."^[242]

The young Michael Jackson owed his vocal technique in large part to Diana Ross. In October 1969, it was decided^[why?]^{[by whom?]} that Jackson would live with Ross. Not only a mother figure to him, she was often observed in rehearsal as an accomplished performer. He later expressed: "I got to know her well. She taught me so much. I used to just sit in the corner and watch the way she moved. She was art in motion. I studied the way she moved, the way she sang – just the way she was." He told her: "I want to be just like you, Diana." She said: "You just be yourself."^[243] But Jackson owed part of his enduring style—especially his use of the oooh interjection—to Ross. From a young age, Jackson often punctuated his verses with a sudden exclamation of oooh. Diana Ross had used this effect on many of the songs recorded with The Supremes.^[244]

Musical themes and genres

Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper. Instead he would dictate into a sound recorder, and when recording he would sing the lyrics from memory.^[245] In most of his songs, such as "Billie Jean", "Who Is It", and "Tabloid Junkie", he would beatbox and imitate the instruments using his voice instead of playing the actual instruments, along with other sounds. Jackson noted that it is easier to sing a drum line, or sing a bass, instead of playing a drum line or a bass with an instrument. Several critics have said that Jackson's distinct voice is able to replace any instrument convincingly. Steve Huey of Allmusic said that, throughout his solo career, Jackson's versatility allowed him to experiment with various themes and genres.^[246] As a musician, he ranged from Motown's dance fare and ballads to techno and house-edged new jack swing to work that incorporates both funk rhythms and hard rock guitar.^[11]

According to Huey, Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.^[246] Notable tracks included the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature" and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".^[246]^[247]^[248]^[249] With Thriller, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.^[249] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".^[248] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers.^[246] In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media.^[249] "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey.^[11]^[246] He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years.^[246] In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.^[246]

"Thriller"

One of Jackson's signature pieces, "Thriller", released as a single in 1984, utilizes cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to convey a sense of danger.^[14]

"Smooth Criminal"

A single from the album Bad, released 1988, "Smooth Criminal" features digital drum sounds, keyboard-created bass lines and other percussion elements designed to give the impression of a pulsing heart.^[250]

Problems listening to these files? See media help.

In Bad, Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana".^[251] The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, while "Man in the Mirror" is an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution.^[67] "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder.^[67] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Dangerous presents Jackson as a very paradoxical individual.^[252] He comments the album is more diverse than his previous Bad, as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World".^[252] The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time".^[253] The album is Jackson's first where social ills become a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs.^[253] Dangerous contains sexually charged efforts such as the multifaceted love song, "In the Closet".^[253] The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire.^[253] The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith"; these songs show Jackson opening up about various personal struggles and worries.^[253] In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.^[254]

HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia.^[255] Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media.^[256] In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces.^[255]^[256] In the track "D.S.", Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". Of the song, Sneddon said, "I have not—shall we say—done him the honor of listening to it, but I've been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot".^[257] Invincible found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins.^[246] It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and mixes Hip-Hop, Pop and R&B in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".^[258]^[259]

Vocal style

Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice descended from boy soprano to high tenor.^[260] Jackson first used a technique called the "vocal hiccup" in 1973, starting with the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" from The Jackson 5's G.I.T.: Get It Together album.^[261] Jackson did not use the hiccup technique— somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping— fully until the recording of Off the Wall: it can be seen in full force in the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" promotional video.^[12] With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded. At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".^[262]^[263] 1982 saw the release of Thriller, and Rolling Stone was of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".^[249]

"Black or White"

The lead single from Dangerous, the danceable hard rock song "Black or White" was one of Jackson's most successful recordings.^[264]^[265]^[266] It contains many features of Jackson's vocal style, including the vocal hiccup he is known for.

A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of "come on", used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelt "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him.^[267] The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone".^[253] When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals.^[253] When commenting on Invincible, Rolling Stone were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies".^[268] Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".^[250]

Music videos and choreography

Referred to as the King of Music Videos,^[269] Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers.^[246] Before Thriller, Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American.^[270] Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition.^[271] MTV employees deny any racism in their coverage, or pressure to change their stance. MTV maintains that they played rock music, regardless of race.^[272] The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"; MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.^[271]^[273] His performance on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever changed the scope of live stage show; "That Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is, in itself, not extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the impact of the performance is extraordinary; whether the performance was live or lip-synced made no difference to the audience" thus creating an era in which artists re-create the spectacle of music video imagery on stage.^[274] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has frequently been imitated.^[275] The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Indian films to prisons in the Philippines.^[276] The Thriller short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records.^[82]

In the 19-minute music video for "Bad"—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. When asked by Oprah in the 1993 interview about why he grabbed his crotch, he replied, "I think it happens subliminally" and he described it as something that was not planned, but rather, as something that was compelled by the music. "Bad" garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; Time magazine described it as "infamous". The video also featured Wesley Snipes; in the future Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameo roles.^[60]^[277] For "Smooth Criminal", Jackson experimented with an innovative "anti-gravity lean" in his performances. The maneuver required special shoes for which he was granted U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452.^[278] Although the music video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, in 1989, it was nominated for four Billboard Music Video Awards, winning three; the same year it won a Golden Lion Award for the quality of the special effects used in its production. In 1990, "Leave Me Alone" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.^[80]

The MTV Video Vanguard Artist of the Decade Award was given to Jackson to celebrate his accomplishments in the art form in the 1980s; the following year the award was renamed in his honor.^[97] "Black or White" was accompanied by a controversial music video, which, on November 14, 1991, simultaneously premiered in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video.^[96] It featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violence. The offending scenes in the final half of the 14-minute version were edited out to prevent the video from being banned, and Jackson apologized.^[279] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos.^[280]

"Remember the Time" was an elaborate production, and became one of his longest videos at over nine minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson, along with a distinct complex dance routine.^[281] The video for "In the Closet" was Jackson's most sexually provocative piece. It featured supermodel Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson. The video was banned in South Africa because of its imagery.^[97]

The music video for "Scream", directed by Mark Romanek and production designer Tom Foden, is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed. In 1995, it gained 11 MTV Video Music Award Nominations—more than any other music video—and won "Best Dance Video", "Best Choreography", and "Best Art Direction".^[282] The song and its accompanying video are a response to the backlash Jackson received from the media after being accused of child molestation in 1993.^[283] A year later, it won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form; shortly afterwards Guinness World Records listed it as the most expensive music video ever made at a cost of $7 million.^[129]^[284]

"Earth Song" was accompanied by an expensive and well-received music video that gained a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video, Short Form in 1997. The video had an environmental theme, showing images of animal cruelty, deforestation, pollution and war. Using special effects, time is reversed so that life returns, wars end, and the forests re-grow.^[129]^[285] Released in 1997 and premiering at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, Michael Jackson's Ghosts was a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston. The video for Ghosts is over 38 minutes long and holds the Guinness World Record as the world's longest music video.^[129]^[139]^[286]^[287]

Legacy and influence

A pink star with a gold colored rim and the writing "Michael Jackson" in its center. The star is indented into the ground and is surrounded by a marble colored floor.

Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, set in 1984

Jackson throughout his career transformed the art of the music video and paved the way for modern pop music. Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley described Jackson in 2003 as "extremely important" and a "genius."^[288] For much of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger generation through his musical and humanitarian contributions.^[131] Jackson's music and videos, such as Thriller, fostered racial diversity in MTV's roster, helped to put the relatively new channel into public awareness, and steered the channel's focus from rock to pop music and R&B, shaping the channel into a form that proved enduring. Jackson's work continues to influence numerous hip hop, rock, pop and R&B artists, including Beyoncé,^[289] Mariah Carey,^[290] Usher,^[291] Green Day,^[292] Britney Spears,^[290] Madonna,^[293] Justin Timberlake,^[143] Ludacris to name a few.^[294]

Allmusic's Steve Huey describes Jackson as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the skills to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power".^[246] In the mid-1980s, Time magazine's pop music critic, Jay Cocks, noted "Jackson is the biggest thing since The Beatles. He is the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley. He just may be the most popular black singer ever".^[31] In 1990, Vanity Fair cited Jackson as the most popular artist in the history of show business.^[80] In 2007, Jackson said, "Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever."^[295]

Shortly after Jackson's death, on June 25, 2009, MTV briefly returned to its original music video format to celebrate and pay tribute to his work.^[296] The channel aired many hours of Jackson's music videos, accompanied by live news specials featuring reactions from MTV personalities and other celebrities. The temporary shift in MTV's programming culminated the following week in the channel's live coverage of Jackson's memorial service.^[297] At the memorial service on July 7, 2009, founder of Motown Records Berry Gordy proclaimed Jackson as "the greatest entertainer that ever lived."^[298]^[299]^[300]

In 2010, two university librarians found that Jackson's influence extended into academia, and was detectable in scholarly literature pertaining to a range of subject matter.^[301]^[302] The two researchers combed through various scholars' writings, and compiled an annotated bibliography of those writings that appeared to meet at least one of several criteria. Among these criteria were appearance in a peer-reviewed journal, and the provision of insight into the nature of "popular icons including Jackson".^[303] The bibliography located references to Jackson in research reports concerning music, popular culture, and an array of other topics. The bibliographers identified as their most peculiar finding an argument that certain aspects of chemistry can be effectively taught by altering and imitating elements of Jackson's singing.^[304] One of the research librarians later reflected that "the fact that someone would take a Michael Jackson song and co-opt it as a means to convey chemistry concepts just shows the pervasiveness of Jackson's influence".^[301]

Honors and awards

Multiple people standing in line before a wall plastered with Michael Jackson posters. There are three women with short blonde hair, a man with curly brown hair and a man wearing a navy cap.

Queues for a Michael Jackson concert in West Berlin in June 1988

Michael Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980 as member of the The Jacksons and in 1984 as solo artist. Throughout his career he received numerous honors and awards, including the World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium, the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award.^[144]^[305] He was a double-inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. Jackson was also inducted in several other hall of fames, including Vocal Group Hall of Fame (as The Jackson 5 member) in 1999, Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 and Hit Parade Hall of Fame (with his brothers) in 2009.^[144]^[306] In 2010, Jackson was inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll.^[307] His awards include many Guinness World Records (eight in 2006 alone),^[308] 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), 26 American Music Awards (24 only as a solo artist, including the "Artist of the Century", but not the poll of "Artist of the '80s")—more than any artist—, 13 number one singles in the US in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era^[309]—and estimated sales of up to 750 million records worldwide, making him the world's best selling male solo pop artist.^[310]^[23]^[82]^[96]^[142]^[191]^[192]^[311]^[312]^[313]^[314] On December 29, 2009, the American Film Institute recognized Jackson's passing as a "moment of significance" saying, "Michael Jackson's sudden death in June at age 50 was notable for the worldwide outpouring of grief and the unprecedented global eulogy of his posthumous concert rehearsal movie This Is It."^[315]

Lifetime earnings

His total lifetime earnings from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at $500 million; some analysts have speculated that his music catalog holdings could be worth billions of dollars.^[81]^[316] This speculation however is contradicted by financial documents obtained by the Associated Press, which showed that as of March 31, 2007, Jackson's 50 percent stake in the Sony/ATV Music Publishing catalog (his most prized asset) was worth $390.6 million and Michael Jackson's net worth was $236 million.^[317] Billboard has estimated that Jackson has generated at least $1 billion in revenue in the year following his death.^[318]

Discography

Main articles: Michael Jackson albums discography, Michael Jackson singles discography, and Michael Jackson videography

Filmography

Main article: Michael Jackson videography

Year	Film	Role	Director
1978	The Wiz^[319]	Scarecrow	Lumet, SidneySidney Lumet
1986	Captain EO^[320]	Captain EO	Coppola, Francis FordFrancis Ford Coppola
1988	Moonwalker^[321]	Himself	Kramer, JerryJerry Kramer
1997	Michael Jackson's Ghosts^[322]	Maestro/Mayor/Ghoul/Skeleton	Winston, StanStan Winston
2002	Men in Black II^[323]	Agent M (cameo)	Sonnenfeld, BarryBarry Sonnenfeld
2004	Miss Cast Away and the Island Girls^[324]	Agent MJ (cameo)	Stoller, Bryan MichaelBryan Michael Stoller
2009	Michael Jackson's This Is It^[325]	Himself	Ortega, KennyKenny Ortega

spiderman

Spider-Man

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This article is about the superhero. For other uses, see Spider-Man (disambiguation).

Spider-Man
From The Amazing Spider-Man #547 (March 2008) Art by Steve McNiven & Dexter Vines
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962)
Created by	Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
In-story information
Alter ego	Peter Parker
Species	Human Mutate
Team affiliations	Daily Bugle Front Line New Fantastic Four Avengers Secret Avengers New Avengers
Partnerships	Venom Scarlet Spider Wolverine Human Torch Daredevil Black Cat Punisher Toxin Iron Man
Notable aliases	Ricochet, Dusk, Prodigy, Hornet, Captain Universe, Ben Reilly, Super Spider, Iron Spider, The Challenger
Abilities	Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, and durability Accelerated healing factor Ability to cling to most surfaces Able to shoot extremely strong and durable spider-web strings from wrists Precognitive spider sense Genius-Level Intellect

Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962). Lee and Ditko conceived of the character as an orphan being raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and as a teenager, having to deal with the normal struggles of adolescence in addition to those of a costumed crime fighter. Spider-Man's creators gave him super strength and agility, the ability to cling to most surfaces, shoot spider-webs using devices of his own invention which he called "web-shooters", and react to danger quickly with his "spider-sense", enabling him to combat his foes.

When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s, teenagers in superhero comic books were usually relegated to the role of sidekick to the protagonist. The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuring Peter Parker, a teenage high school student to whose "self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, and loneliness" young readers could relate.^[1] Unlike previous teen heroes such as James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes and Robin, Spider-Man did not benefit from being the protegé of any adult mentors like Captain America and Batman, and thus had to learn for himself that "with great power there must also come great responsibility" — a line included in a text box in the final panel of the first Spider-Man story, but later retroactively attributed to his guardian, the late Uncle Ben.

Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several comic book series, the first and longest-lasting of which is titled The Amazing Spider-Man. Over the years, the Peter Parker character has developed from shy, high school student to troubled but outgoing college student, to married high school teacher to, in the late 2000s, a single freelance photographer, his most typical adult role. He is now a member of an unofficial splinter group of the Avengers, one of Marvel's flagship superhero teams. In the comics, Spider-Man is often referred to as "Spidey," "web-slinger," "wall-crawler," or "web-head."

Spider-Man is one of the most popular and commercially successful superheroes.^{[citation needed]} As Marvel's flagship character and company mascot, he has appeared in many forms of media, including several animated and live-action television shows, syndicated newspaper comic strips, and a successful series of films starring actor Tobey Maguire as the "friendly neighborhood" hero in the first three, and Andrew Garfield in a planned reboot of the films.^[2] Reeve Carney will star as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, the new musical adaptation of the comics.^[3]

Publication history

Creation and development

In 1962, with the success of the Fantastic Four, Marvel Comics editor and head writer Stan Lee was casting about for a new superhero idea. He said that the idea for Spider-Man arose from a surge in teenage demand for comic books, and the desire to create a character with whom teens could identify.^[4]^:1 In his autobiography, Lee cites the non-superhuman pulp magazine crime fighter The Spider as a great influence,^[5]^:130 and in a multitude of print and video interviews, Lee stated he was further inspired by seeing a spider climb up a wall---adding in his autobiography that he has told that story so often he has become unsure of whether or not this is true.^{[note 1]} Looking back on the creation of Spider-Man, 1990s Marvel editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco stated he did not believe that Spider-Man would have been given a chance in today's comics world, where new characters are vetted with test audiences and marketers.^[4]^:9 At that time, however, Lee had to get only the consent of Marvel publisher Martin Goodman for the character's approval.^[4]^:9 In a 1986 interview, Lee described in detail his arguments to overcome Goodman's objections.^{[note 2]} Goodman eventually agreed to let Lee try out Spider-Man in the upcoming final issue of the canceled science-fiction and supernatural anthology series Amazing Adult Fantasy, which was renamed Amazing Fantasy for that single issue, #15 (Aug. 1962).^[6]^:95

Comics historian Greg Theakston says that Lee, after receiving Goodman's approval for the name Spider-Man and the "ordinary teen" concept, approached artist Jack Kirby. Kirby told Lee about an unpublished character on which he collaborated with Joe Simon in the 1950s, in which an orphaned boy living with an old couple finds a magic ring that granted him superhuman powers. Lee and Kirby "immediately sat down for a story conference" and Lee afterward directed Kirby to flesh out the character and draw some pages. Steve Ditko would be the inker.^{[note 3]} When Kirby showed Lee the first six pages, Lee recalled, "I hated the way he was doing it! Not that he did it badly -- it just wasn't the character I wanted; it was too heroic".^[7]^:12 Lee turned to Ditko, who developed a visual style Lee found satisfactory. Ditko recalled:

One of the first things I did was to work up a costume. A vital, visual part of the character. I had to know how he looked ... before I did any breakdowns. For example: A clinging power so he wouldn't have hard shoes or boots, a hidden wrist-shooter versus a web gun and holster, etc. ... I wasn't sure Stan would like the idea of covering the character's face but I did it because it hid an obviously boyish face. It would also add mystery to the character....^[8]

Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962). Cover art by Jack Kirby (penciller) & Steve Ditko (inker).

In an early recollection of the character's creation, Ditko described his and Lee's contributions in a mail interview with Gary Martin published in Comic Fan #2 (Summer 1965): "Stan Lee thought the name up. I did costume, web gimmick on wrist & spider signal."^[9] At the time, Ditko shared a Manhattan studio with noted fetish artist Eric Stanton, an art-school classmate who, in a 1988 interview with Theakston, recalled that although his contribution to Spider-Man was "almost nil", he and Ditko had "worked on storyboards together and I added a few ideas. But the whole thing was created by Steve on his own... I think I added the business about the webs coming out of his hands".^[7]^:14

Kirby disputed Lee's version of the story, and claimed Lee had minimal involvement in the character's creation. According to Kirby, the idea for Spider-Man had originated with Kirby and Joe Simon, who in the 1950s had developed a character called The Silver Spider for the Crestwood comic Black Magic, who was subsequently not used.^{[note 4]} Simon, in his 1990 autobiography, disputed Kirby's account, asserting that Black Magic was not a factor, and that he (Simon) devised the name "Spider-Man" (later changed to "The Silver Spider"), while Kirby outlined the character's story and powers. Simon later elaborated that his and Kirby's character conception became the basis for Simon's Archie Comics superhero the Fly. Artist Steve Ditko stated that Lee liked the name Hawkman from DC Comics, and that "Spider-Man" was an outgrowth of that interest.^[8] The hyphen was included in the character's name to avoid confusion with DC Comics' Superman.^[10]

Simon concurred that Kirby had shown the original Spider-Man version to Lee, who liked the idea and assigned Kirby to draw sample pages of the new character but disliked the results—in Simon's description, "Captain America with cobwebs".^{[note 5]} Writer Mark Evanier notes that Lee's reasoning that Kirby's character was too heroic seems unlikely—Kirby still drew the covers for the first issues of Spider-Man. Likewise, Kirby's given reason that he was "too busy" to also draw Spider-Man in addition to his other duties seems false, as Kirby was, in Evanier's words, "always busy".^[11]^:127 Neither Lee's nor Kirby's explanation explains why key story elements like the magic ring were dropped; Evanier states that the most plausible explanation for the sudden change was that Goodman, or one of his assistants, decided that Spider-Man as drawn and envisioned by Kirby was too similar to the Fly.^[11]^:127

Author and Ditko scholar Blake Bell writes that it was Ditko who noted the similarities to the Fly. Ditko recalled that, "Stan called Jack about the Fly", adding that "[d]ays later, Stan told me I would be penciling the story panel breakdowns from Stan's synopsis". It was at this point that the nature of the strip changed. "Out went the magic ring, adult Spider-Man and whatever legend ideas that Spider-Man story would have contained". Lee gave Ditko the premise of a teenager bitten by a spider and developing powers, a premise Ditko would expand upon to the point he became what Bell describes as "the first work for hire artist of his generation to create and control the narrative arc of his series". On the issue of the initial creation, Ditko states, "I still don't know whose idea was Spider-Man".^[12] Kirby noted in a 1971 interview that it was Ditko who "got Spider-Man to roll, and the thing caught on because of what he did".^[13] Lee, while claiming credit for the initial idea, has acknowledged Ditko's role, stating, "If Steve wants to be called co-creator, I think he deserves [it]".^[14] Writer Al Nickerson believes "that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created the Spider-Man that we are familiar with today [but that] ultimately, Spider-Man came into existence, and prospered, through the efforts of not just one or two, but many, comic book creators".^[15]

In 2008, an anonymous donor bequeathed the Library of Congress the original 24 pages of Ditko art of Amazing Fantasy #15, including Spider-Man's debut and the stories "The Bell-Ringer", "Man in the Mummy Case", and "There Are Martians Among Us".^[16]

The Amazing Spider-Man #23 (April 1965), featuring the Green Goblin. Cover art by co-creator Steve Ditko.

Commercial success

A few months after Spider-Man's introduction in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), publisher Martin Goodman reviewed the sales figures for that issue and was shocked to find it to have been one of the nascent Marvel's highest-selling comics.^[6]^:97 A solo ongoing series followed, beginning with The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963). The title eventually became Marvel's top-selling series^[1]^:211 with the character swiftly becoming a cultural icon; a 1965 Esquire poll of college campuses found that college students ranked Spider-Man and fellow Marvel hero the Hulk alongside Bob Dylan and Che Guevara as their favorite revolutionary icons. One interviewee selected Spider-Man because he was "beset by woes, money problems, and the question of existence. In short, he is one of us."^[1]^:223 Following Ditko's departure after issue #38 (July 1966), John Romita, Sr. replaced him as artist, and would provide the pencil drawings of the character over the next several years. In 1968, Romita would also draw the character's extra-length stories in the magazine-format series The Spectacular Spider-Man, a graphic novel precursor designed to appeal to older readers but which lasted only two issues.^[17] Nonetheless, it represented the first Spider-Man spin-off publication, aside from the original series' summer annuals that began in 1964.

An early 1970s Spider-Man story led to the revision of the Comics Code. Previously, the Code forbade the depiction of the use of illegal drugs, even negatively. However, in 1970, the Nixon administration's Department of Health, Education, and Welfare asked Stan Lee to publish an anti-drug message in one of Marvel's top-selling titles.^[1]^:239 Lee chose the top-selling The Amazing Spider-Man; issues #96–98 (May–July 1971) feature a story arc depicting the negative effects of drug use. In the story, Peter Parker's friend Harry Osborn becomes addicted to pills. When Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn, Harry's father), Spider-Man defeats the Green Goblin, by revealing Harry's drug addiction. While the story had a clear anti-drug message, the Comics Code Authority refused to issue its seal of approval. Marvel nevertheless published the three issues without the Comics Code Authority's approval or seal. The issues sold so well that the industry's self-censorship was undercut^[1]^:239 and the Code was subsequently revised.

The Amazing Spider-Man #96 (May 1971), the first of three non-Comics Code issues that prompted the Code's first update, allowing comics to show the negative effects of illegal-drug use. Cover art by Gil Kane.

In 1972, a second monthly ongoing series starring Spider-Man began: Marvel Team-Up, in which Spider-Man was paired with other superheroes and villains. In 1976, his second solo series, The Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2, began, running parallel to the main series. A third series featuring Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, launched in 1985, replacing Marvel Team-Up. The launch of a fourth monthly title in 1990, the "adjectiveless" Spider-Man (with the storyline "Torment"), written and drawn by popular artist Todd McFarlane, debuted with several different covers, all with the same interior content. The various versions combined sold over 3 million copies, an industry record at the time.^[1]^:279 There have generally been at least two ongoing Spider-Man series at any time. Several limited series, one-shots, and loosely related comics have also been published, and Spider-Man makes frequent cameos and guest appearances in other comic series.

The original Amazing Spider-Man ran through issue #441 (Nov. 1998). Writer-artist John Byrne then revamped the origin of Spider-Man in the 13-issue limited series Spider-Man: Chapter One (Dec. 1998 - Oct. 1999, with an issue #0 midway through and some months containing two issues), similar to Byrne's adding details and some revisions to Superman's origin in DC Comics' The Man of Steel. Running concurrently, The Amazing Spider-Man was restarted with vol. 2, #1 (Jan. 1999). With what would have been vol. 2, #59, Marvel reintroduced the original numbering, starting with #500 (Dec. 2003).

By the end of 2007, Spider-Man regularly appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man, New Avengers, Spider-Man Family, and various limited series in mainstream Marvel Comics continuity, as well as in the alternate-universe series The Amazing Spider-Girl, the Ultimate Universe title Ultimate Spider-Man, the alternate-universe tween series Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, the alternate-universe children's series Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, and Marvel Adventures: The Avengers.

When primary series The Amazing Spider-Man reached issue #545 (Dec. 2007), Marvel dropped its spin-off ongoing series and instead began publishing The Amazing Spider-Man three times monthly, beginning with #546-549 (each Jan. 2008).

Comic book character

Further information: Fictional history of Spider-Man

This section traces the ongoing narrative of the fictional Marvel Comics' character Peter Parker, the superhero Spider-Man, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko in 1962. It refers to the character's mainstream comic book appearances and does not reflect representations of Spider-Man in other media or in alternate-reality stories.

As comics historian Peter Sanderson writes, "People often say glibly that Marvel succeeded by blending super hero adventure stories with soap opera. What Lee and Ditko actually did in [The] Amazing Spider-Man was to make the series an ongoing novelistic chronicle of the lead character's life. Most super heroes had problems no more complex or relevant to their readers' lives than thwarting this month's bad guys.... Parker had far more serious concern in his life: coming to terms with the death of a loved one, falling in love for the first time, struggling to make a living, and undergoing crises of conscience."^[18]

Early years

The fateful spider bite that gave Peter Parker his powers. Amazing Fantasy #15, art by Steve Ditko

In Forest Hills, Queens, New York City,^[19] high school student Peter Parker is a science whiz orphan living with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. As depicted in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), he is bitten by a radioactive spider at a science exhibit and "acquires the agility and proportionate strength of an arachnid."^[20] Along with super strength, he gains the ability to adhere to walls and ceilings. Through his native knack for science, he develops a gadget that lets him fire adhesive webbing of his own design through small, wrist-mounted barrels. Initially seeking to capitalize on his new abilities, he dons a costume and, as "Spider-Man", becomes a novelty television star. However, "He blithely ignores the chance to stop a fleeing thief, [and] his indifference ironically catches up with him when the same criminal later robs and kills his Uncle Ben."^[21] Spider-Man tracks and subdues the killer and learns, in the story's next-to-last caption, "With great power there must also come — great responsibility!"^[21]

Despite his superpowers, Parker struggles to help his widowed aunt pay rent, is taunted by his peers — particularly football star Flash Thompson — and, as Spider-Man, engenders the editorial wrath of newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson.^[22] As one contemporaneous journalist observed, "Spider-Man has a terrible identity problem, a marked inferiority complex, and a fear of women. He is anti-social, castration-ridden, racked with Oedipal guilt, and accident-prone ... [a] functioning neurotic".^[19] Agonizing over his choices, always attempting to do right, he is nonetheless viewed with suspicion by the authorities, who seem unsure as to whether he is a helpful vigilante or a clever criminal.^[23]

Notes cultural historian Bradford W. Wright,

Spider-Man's plight was to be misunderstood and persecuted by the very public that he swore to protect. In the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of the Daily Bugle, launches an editorial campaign against the "Spider-Man menace." The resulting negative publicity exacerbates popular suspicions about the mysterious Spider-Man and makes it impossible for him to earn any more money by performing. Eventually, the bad press leads the authorities to brand him an outlaw. Ironically, Peter finally lands a job as a photographer for Jameson's Daily Bugle.^[1]^:212

He quickly faces such new supervillains as the Chameleon (introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #1, March 1963), the Vulture (#2, May 1963), Dr. Octopus (#3, July 1963), the Sandman (#4, Sept. 1963), the Lizard (#6, Nov. 1963), Electro (#9, Feb. 1964), Mysterio (#13, June 1964), the Green Goblin (#14, July 1964), Kraven the Hunter (#15, Aug. 1964), and the Scorpion (#20, Jan. 1965).^[24] In his personal life, he begins dating Jameson's secretary, Betty Brant,^[25] and in issue #28 (Sept. 1965),^[24] he graduates from high school and enrolls at Empire State University, a fictional institution evoking the real-life Columbia University and New York University.^[26] There he begins to balance the aspects of his life and goes from being a social outcast to a young adult with friends, including erstwhile antagonist Thompson.^[27] He meets Harry Osborn, who will become his best friend and college roommate, and future girlfriend Gwen Stacy (both in issue #31, Dec. 1965).^[24]^[28] He discovers that Harry Osborn's industrialist father, Norman Osborn, is secretly the Green Goblin, who in turn discovers Spider-Man's true identity.^[29]

These mid-1960s stories reflected the political tensions of the time, as early 1960s Marvel stories had often dealt with the Cold War and Communism.^[1]^:220-223 As Wright observes,

From his high-school beginnings to his entry into college life, Spider-Man remained the superhero most relevant to the world of young people. Fittingly, then, his comic book also contained some of the earliest references to the politics of young people. In 1968, in the wake of actual militant student demonstrations at Columbia University, Peter Parker finds himself in the midst of similar unrest at his Empire State University. ... Peter has to reconcile his natural sympathy for the students with his assumed obligation to combat lawlessness as Spider-Man. As a law-upholding liberal, he finds himself caught between militant leftism and angry conservatives.^[1]^:234-235

Following months of attempts by Aunt May to introduce him to her friend Anna Watson's niece, Mary Jane Watson, Parker agrees to a date and discovers, at the climax of issue #42 (Nov. 1966),^[24] that Mary Jane is a beautiful, vivacious redhead.^[30] Artist John Romita, Sr. recalled that writer and editor-in-chief Stan Lee "wanted her to look something like a go-go girl. I used Ann-Margret from the movie Bye Bye Birdie, as a guide, using her coloring, the shape of her face, her red hair and her form-fitting short skirts. I exaggerated her dimples and the cleft in her chin."^[31] Regardless, Parker begins dating Gwen Stacy.^[32] As Spider-Man, he has his first encounters with supervillains the Rhino (#41, Oct. 1966) — the first original Lee/Romita Spider-Man villain^[33] — the Shocker (#46, March 1967), and the physically powerful and well-connected criminal capo Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin (#50, July 1967).^[24] Gwen's Stacy's father, New York City Police detective captain George Stacy is accidentally killed during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus (#90, Nov. 1970).^[34]

Death of Gwen Stacy

In issue #121 (June 1973),^[24] the Green Goblin throws Gwen Stacy from a tower of either the Brooklyn Bridge (as depicted in the art) or the George Washington Bridge (as given in the text).^[35]^[36] She dies during Spider-Man's rescue attempt; a note on the letters page of issue #125 states: "It saddens us to say that the whiplash effect she underwent when Spidey's webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact, what killed her."^[37] The following issue, the Goblin appears to accidentally kill himself in the ensuing battle with Spider-Man.

Working through his grief, Parker eventually develops tentative feelings toward Watson, and the two "become confidants rather than lovers."^[38] Parker graduates from college in issue #185,^[24] and becomes involved with the shy Debra Whitman and the extroverted, flirtatious costumed thief Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat,^[39] whom he meets in issue #194 (July 1979).^[24]

In the 200th issue (Jan. 1980), Spider-Man confronts the burglar who killed his uncle, in a story written by Marv Wolfman, with the final page scripted by character co-creator Stan Lee. As one historian wrote, "This event was still quite recent to Peter, as, thanks to the magic of comics, only four or five years had passed since he was bitten by the spider."^[40] In issue #257 (Oct. 1984), Watson reveals to Parker that she knows he is Spider-Man.^[41]

Costume change

From 1984 to 1988, Spider-Man wore a different costume than his original. Black with a white spider design, this new costume originated in the Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars limited series, on an alien planet where Spider-Man participates in a battle between Earth's major superheroes and villains. The first comic book appearances of the suit occurred in three comics all cover dated May 1984: Marvel Team-Up #141,^[42] The Amazing Spider-Man #252,^[24] and The Spectacular Spider-Man #90.^[43] In a later-published but chronologically earlier story in Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 (Dec. 1984),^[44] Spider-Man's original red-and-blue costume is destroyed in a battle; Parker comes across a machine that conjures him a uniform that responds to his thoughts, greatly enhances his powers, provides him with its own supply of web-fluid, and can change its appearance at his command. Sometime after his return to Earth, however, he discovers in issue #258 (Nov. 1984)^[24] that the costume is actually an alien symbiote bent on permanently bonding with its host.^[45] Parker rejects and defeats the symbiote in the spin-off title Web of Spider-Man #1 (April 1985)^[46] and begins wearing a cloth replica, initially alternating between it and his original costume, then wearing it full-time after his last original is destroyed in battle against the villain Magma in Web of Spider-Man #17-#18).^[47] NYPD detective Jean DeWolff, one of Parker's friends, is murdered in a storyline running through The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 (Oct. 1985 - Jan. 1986),^[48] Meanwhile, the symbiote merges with reporter Eddie Brock to become the cannibalistic supervillain Venom in issue #298 (May 1988),^[24] and Parker returns to his original red and blue costume.

Not unexpectedly, the change to a longstanding character's iconic design met with controversy, "with many hardcore comics fans decrying it as tantamount to sacrilege. Spider-Man's traditional red and blue costume was iconic, they argued, on par with those of his D.C. rivals Superman and Batman. The negative response was puzzling for a medium where constant change is the norm: characters are regularly killed off and brought back from the dead."^[49]

Marriage

Parker proposes to Watson in The Amazing Spider-Man #290 (July 1987), and she accepts two issues later, with the wedding taking place in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 (1987) — promoted with a real-life mock wedding using actors at Shea Stadium, with Stan Lee officiating, on June 5, 1987.^[50] David Michelinie, who scripted based on a plot by editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, said in 2007, "I didn't think they actually should [have gotten] married. ... I had actually planned another version, one that wasn't used."^[50] Parker published a book of Spider-Man photographs, Webs.^[51] and returned to his Empire State University graduate studies in biochemistry in #310 (Dec. 1988).^[24]

In the controversial^[52] 1990s storyline the "Clone Saga", a clone of Parker, created in 1970s comics by insane scientist Miles Warren, a.k.a. the supervillain the Jackal, returns to New York City upon hearing of Aunt May's health worsening. The clone had lived incognito as "Ben Reilly", but now assumes the superhero guise the Scarlet Spider and allies with Parker. To the surprise of both, new tests indicate "Reilly" is the original and "Parker" the clone.^[53] Complicating matters, Watson announces in The Spectacular Spider-Man #220 (Jan. 1995) that she is pregnant with Parker's baby.^[24] Later, however, a resurrected Green Goblin (Norman Osborn) has Watson poisoned, causing premature labor and the death of her and Parker's unborn daughter.^[54] The Goblin had also switched the results of the clone test in an attempt to destroy Parker's life by making him believe himself to be the clone. Reilly is killed while saving Parker, in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75 (Dec. 1996), and his body immediately crumbles into dust, confirming Reilly was the clone.^[54]

In issue #97 (Nov. 1998) of the second series titled Peter Parker: Spider-Man,^[55] Parker learns his Aunt May was kidnapped by Norman Osborn and her apparent death in The Amazing Spider-Man #400 (April 1995) had been a hoax.^[56]^[57] Shortly afterward, in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2, #13 (#454, Jan. 2000), Watson is apparently killed in an airplane explosion.^[58] She turns up safe and alive in vol. 2, #28 (#469, April 2001),^[58] but she and Peter become separated in the following issue.^[59]

21st-century

Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski began writing The Amazing Spider-Man, illustrated by John Romita Jr., beginning with vol. 2, #30 (#471, June 2001). Two issues later, Parker, now employed as a teacher at his old high school, meets the enigmatic Ezekiel, who possesses similar spider powers and suggests that Parker having gained such abilities might not have been a fluke — that Parker has a connection to a totemic spider spirit. In vol. 2, #37 (#478, Jan. 2002), May discovers her nephew Parker is Spider-Man, leading to a new openness in their relationship.^[57] Parker and Watson reconcile in vol. 2, #50 (#491, April 2003),^[57] and in #512 (Nov. 2004) — the original issue numbering having returned with #500 — Parker learns his late girlfriend Gwen Stacy had had two children with Norman Osborn.^[60]

He joins the superhero team the Avengers in New Avengers #1-2. After their respective homes are destroyed by a deranged, superpowered former high-school classmate, Parker, Watson, and May move into Stark Tower, and Parker begins working as Tony Stark's assistant while again freelancing for The Daily Bugle and continuing his teaching. In the 12-part, 2005 story arc "The Other", Parker undergoes a transformation that evolves his powers. In the comic Civil War #2 (June 2006), part of the company-wide crossover arc of that title, the U.S. government's Superhuman Registration Act leads Spider-Man to reveal his true identity publicly. A growing unease about the Registration Act prompts him to escape with May and Watson and join the anti-registration underground.

In issue #537 (Dec. 2006), May is critically wounded by a sniper and enters a coma. Parker, desperate to save her, exhausts all possibilities and makes a pact with the demon Mephisto, who saves May's life in exchange for Parker and Watson agreeing to have their marriage and all memory of it disappear. In this changed reality, Spider-Man's identity is secret once again, and in #545 (Jan. 2008), Watson returns and is cold toward him.

That controversial^[61] storyline, "One More Day", rolled back much of the fictional continuity at the behest of editor-in-chief Joe Quesada, who said, "Peter being single is an intrinsic part of the very foundation of the world of Spider-Man".^[61] It caused unusual public friction between Quesada and writer Straczynski, who "told Joe that I was going to take my name off the last two issues of the [story] arc" but was talked out of doing so.^[62] At issue with Straczynski's climax to the arc, Quesada said, was

...that we didn't receive the story and methodology to the resolution that we were all expecting. What made that very problematic is that we had four writers and artists well underway on [the sequel arc] "Brand New Day" that were expecting and needed "One More Day" to end in the way that we had all agreed it would. ... The fact that we had to ask for the story to move back to its original intent understandably made Joe upset and caused some major delays and page increases in the series. Also, the science that Joe was going to apply to the retcon of the marriage would have made over 30 years of Spider-Man books worthless, because they never would have had happened. ...[I]t would have reset way too many things outside of the Spider-Man titles. We just couldn't go there....^[62]

In this new continuity, designed to have very limited repercussions throughout the remainder of the Marvel Universe, Parker returns to work at the Daily Bugle, which has been renamed The DB under a new publisher.^[63] He soon switches to the alternative press paper The Front Line.^[64] J. Jonah Jameson becomes mayor of New York City in #591 (June 2008).^[60] Jameson's estranged father, J. Jonah Jameson, Sr., marries May in issue #600 (Sept. 2009).^[60]

Powers and equipment

Main article: Spider-Man's powers and equipment

A bite from a radioactive spider on a school field trip causes a variety of changes in the body of Peter Parker and gives him superpowers.^[65] In the original Lee-Ditko stories, Spider-Man has the ability to cling to walls, superhuman strength, a sixth sense ("spider-sense") that alerts him to danger, perfect balance and equilibrium, as well as superhuman speed and agility. Some of his comic series have him shooting webs from his wrists.^[65] Brilliant, Parker excels in applied science, chemistry, and physics. The character was originally conceived by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko as intellectually gifted, but not a genius. However, later writers have depicted the character as a genius.^[66] With his talents, he sews his own costume to conceal his identity, and constructs many devices that complement his powers, most notably mechanical web-shooters.^[65] This mechanism ejects an advanced adhesive, releasing web-fluid in a variety of configurations, including a single rope-like strand to swing from, a net to bind enemies, a single strand for yanking opponents into objects, strands for whipping foreign objects at enemies, and a simple glob to foul machinery or blind an opponent. He can also weave the web material into simple forms like a shield, a spherical protection or hemispherical barrier, a club, or a hang-glider wing. Other equipment include spider-tracers (spider-shaped adhesive homing beacons keyed to his own spider-sense), a light beacon which can either be used as a flashlight or project a "Spider-Signal" design, and a specially modified camera that can take pictures automatically.

Enemies

Main article: List of Spider-Man enemies

The many villains of Spider-Man. Art by Sean Chen.

Writers and artists over many years have managed to establish an exciting and notable rogues gallery of villains to face Spider-Man.^{[note 6]} The three most infamous and dangerous enemies as voted by fans are the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Venom.^[67]^[68]^[69] Other characters include the Hobgoblin, Kraven the Hunter, Carnage, the Scorpion, the Sandman, the Lizard, Mysterio, the Vulture, Electro, the Kingpin, Rhino, the Shocker, and the Chameleon. As with Spider-Man, the majority of these villains' powers originate with scientific accidents or the misuse of scientific technology, and they tend to have animal-themed costumes or powers, and many have green costumes. At times these villains have formed groups such as the Sinister Six to oppose Spider-Man. It is revealed that Spider-Man has new enemies in New Avengers.

Supporting characters

Main article: List of Spider-Man supporting characters

After his parents died, Peter Parker was raised by his loving aunt, May Parker, and his uncle and father figure, Ben Parker (usually referred to simply as Aunt May and Uncle Ben). After Uncle Ben is murdered by a burglar, Aunt May is virtually Peter's only family, and she and Peter are very close. Peter's first crush is fellow high-school student Liz Allan, although his first real love is Betty Brant, the secretary to Daily Bugle newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson. After their breakup, Parker eventually falls in love with his college girlfriend Gwen Stacy, daughter of New York City Police Department detective captain George Stacy, both of whom are later killed by supervillain enemies of Spider-Man. Mary Jane Watson eventually became Peter's best friend and then his wife. Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat, is a reformed cat burglar who had been Spider-Man's girlfriend and partner at one point.

Eugene "Flash" Thompson was originally Parker's high school tormentor, and later a friend. Harry Osborn, son of Norman Osborn, was Peter's best friend in college and has remained so since. Joseph "Robbie" Robertson is the managing editor at the Daily Bugle, and his son, Randy Robertson is a friend and one-time roommate of Parker's.

Cultural influence

Comic book writer-editor and historian Paul Kupperberg, in The Creation of Spider-Man, calls the character's superpowers "nothing too original"; what was original was that outside his secret identity, he was a "nerdy high school student".^[70]^:5 Going against typical superhero fare, Spider-Man included "heavy doses of soap-opera and elements of melodrama." Kupperberg feels that Lee and Ditko had created something new in the world of comics: "the flawed superhero with everyday problems." This idea spawned a "comics revolution."^[70]^:6 The insecurity and anxieties in Marvel's early 1960s comic books such as The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and X-Men ushered in a new type of superhero, very different from the certain and all-powerful superheroes before them, and changed the public's perception of them.^[71] Spider-Man has become one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world, and has been used to sell toys, games, cereal, candy, soap, and many other products.^[72]

Spider-Man has become Marvel's flagship character, and has often been used as the company mascot. When Marvel became the first comic book company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1991, the Wall Street Journal announced "Spider-Man is coming to Wall Street"; the event was in turn promoted with an actor in a Spider-Man costume accompanying Stan Lee to the Stock Exchange.^[1]^:254 Since 1962, hundreds of millions of comics featuring the character have been sold around the world.^[73]

Spider-Man joined the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1987 to 1998 as one of the balloon floats,^[74] designed by John Romita Sr.,^[75] one of the character's signature artists. A new, different Spider-Man balloon float is scheduled to appear from at least 2009 to 2011.^[74]

In 1981, skyscraper-safety activist Dan Goodwin, wearing a Spider-Man suit, scaled the Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois, the Renaissance Tower in Dallas, Texas, and the John Hancock Center in Chicago, Illinois.^[76]

When Marvel wanted to issue a story dealing with the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the company chose the December 2001 issue of The Amazing Spider-Man.^[77] In 2006, Spider-Man garnered major media coverage with the revelation of the character's secret identity,^[78] an event detailed in a full page story in the New York Post before the issue containing the story was even released.^[79]

In 2008, Marvel announced plans to release a series of educational comics the following year in partnership with the United Nations, depicting Spider-Man alongside UN Peacekeeping Forces to highlight UN peacekeeping missions.^[80] A BusinessWeek article listed Spider-Man as one of the top ten most intelligent fictional characters in American comics.^[81]

Spider-Man was named Empire magazine's fifth-greatest comic book character,^[82] and Fandomania.com rated him as #7 on their 100 Greatest Fictional Characters list.^[83] In 2006, Ign hosted an "Ultimate Marvel Battle" feature to decide which Marvel character - hero or villain - could win against one another in a tournament dependent upon votes, and Spider-Man was deemed champion after defeating Ghost Rider, Captain America, The Hulk, Silver Surfer, Thor and Magneto in the finals.^[84]

Non-Marvel versions and parodies

Marvel made its own parodies of Spider-Man in such comics as Not Brand Echh, which was published in the late 1960s and featured such characters as Peter Pooper alias Spidey-Man.^[85] There was also Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham, who appeared in the 1980s.

Japanese artist Ryoichi Ikegami drew a manga version of Spider-Man for the Japanese market between 1970 and late 1971. Peter Parker was renamed Yu Komori and various other Marvel characters, such as Electro and the Lizard, also featured but with different backgrounds.

Another Japanese manga was Hideshi Hino's The Bug Boy, which has been cited as inspired by Spider-Man.^[86] Like Peter Parker, Sanpei Hiromoto is bitten by a strange and tiny creature which turns him into a being with powers — in this case, a huge, poisonous bug. Unlike Parker, the bullying Sanpei experienced at school has not been balanced by a loving family home, and thus he becomes a supervillain rather than a hero.

The French comic Télé-Junior published strips based on popular TV series. In the late 1970s, the publisher also produced original Spider-Man adventures. Artists included Gérald Forton, who later moved to America and worked for Marvel.^[87] These strips were short stories with little or no continuity between them. Télé-Junior's version included regular characters from the comics like J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson, and Flash Thompson, who is at the friendly stage of his relationship with Parker. Villains including the Vulture and Electro also appeared.

In the 1973 Turkish film 3 Dev Adam (known in English as Three Mighty Men or Turkish Spider-Man vs. Captain Turkish America) Spider-Man is portrayed as the villain of the film, confronted by Captain America and Santo (a Mexican wrestler character). He has no spider powers in the film, however.

The Indian version of Spider-Man, Spider-Man: India was created by Sharad Devarajan, Suresh Seetharaman, and Jeevan J. Kang along with Marvel Comics.

The Arachnid (formerly The Adventures of Lil' Spidey) is an unofficial continuation of the Spider-Man series, following Spider-Man's first son Tom Parker.^{[citation needed]}

In the Venture Brothers television series, The Monarch mentions a spider-themed super villain that sold his life story to a comic book company, who edited the story so that the villain was interpreted as a hero (Spider-Man).

In other media

Main article: Spider-Man in other media

Spider-Man has appeared in comics, cartoons, movies, coloring books, novels, records, and children's books.^[72] On television, he appeared as the main character in the animated series Spider-Man, which aired from 1967–1970 on ABC,^[88] the live-action series The Amazing Spider-Man (1978–1979), starring Nicholas Hammond, the syndicated cartoon series Spider-Man (1981–1982), Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981–1983), Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998), Spider-Man Unlimited (1999–2000), Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003), and The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008–2009) in which Peter Parker/Spider-Man is voiced by Josh Keaton. In one episode of The Super Hero Squad Show, the Mayor of Superhero City tells Wolverine of a hero that was bitten by a radioactive insect.

A tokusatsu show featuring Spider-Man was produced by Toei and aired in Japan. It is commonly referred to by its Japanese pronunciation "Supaidā-Man".^{[citation needed]}

Spider-Man also appeared in other print forms besides the comics, including novels, children's books, and the daily newspaper comic strip The Amazing Spider-Man, which debuted in January 1977, with the earliest installments written by Stan Lee and drawn by John Romita, Sr.^[89] Spider-Man has been adapted to other media including games, toys, collectibles, and miscellaneous memorabilia, and has appeared as the main character in numerous computer and video games on over 15 gaming platforms. Spider-Man was also the subject of a series of films directed by Sam Raimi and starring actor Tobey Maguire as the title character. The original Spider-Man film was released May 3, 2002, its first sequel, Spider-Man 2, premiered June 30, 2004, and the next sequel, Spider-Man 3, premiered on May 4, 2007. Spider-Man 4 was scheduled to be released May 6, 2011, however Sony announced that the series would be rebooted, and a new director and cast would be introduced. The reboot is scheduled to be released in summer 2012.^[90]^[91]^[92] It was announced on February 10, 2010 that the new film, which is still untitled, will begin production in December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt. Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin will produce the 3D film to be released July 3, 2012.^[93] Andrew Garfield has been signed to play the new Peter Parker.^[94]

A Broadway musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, is scheduled to begin previews on November 14, 2010 at the Foxwoods Theatre on Broadway, with the official opening night scheduled for December 21, 2010.^[95] The score and lyrics were written by Bono and The Edge, with a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger.^[96]

Awards and honors

From the character's inception, Spider-Man stories have won numerous awards, including:

1962 Alley Award: Best Short Story — "Origin of Spider-Man" by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Amazing Fantasy #15
1963 Alley Award: Best Comic: Adventure Hero title — The Amazing Spider-Man
1963 Alley Award: Top Hero — Spider-Man
1964 Alley Award: Best Adventure Hero Comic Book — The Amazing Spider-Man
1964 Alley Award: Best Giant Comic - The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
1964 Alley Award: Best Hero — Spider-Man
1965 Alley Award: Best Adventure Hero Comic Book — The Amazing Spider-Man
1965 Alley Award: Best Hero — Spider-Man
1966 Alley Award: Best Comic Magazine: Adventure Book with the Main Character in the Title — The Amazing Spider-Man
1966 Alley Award: Best Full-Length Story - "How Green was My Goblin", by Stan Lee & John Romita, Sr., The Amazing Spider-Man #39
1967 Alley Award: Best Comic Magazine: Adventure Book with the Main Character in the Title — The Amazing Spider-Man
1967 Alley Award Popularity Poll: Best Costumed or Powered Hero — Spider-Man
1967 Alley Award Popularity Poll: Best Male Normal Supporting Character — J. Jonah Jameson, The Amazing Spider-Man
1967 Alley Award Popularity Poll: Best Female Normal Supporting Character — Mary Jane Watson, The Amazing Spider-Man
1968 Alley Award Popularity Poll: Best Adventure Hero Strip — The Amazing Spider-Man
1968 Alley Award Popularity Poll: Best Supporting Character - J. Jonah Jameson, The Amazing Spider-Man
1969 Alley Award Popularity Poll: Best Adventure Hero Strip — The Amazing Spider-Man
1997 Eisner Award: Best Artist/Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team — 1997 Al Williamson, Best Inker: Untold Tales of Spider-Man #17-18
2002 Eisner Award: Best Serialized Story — The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2, #30–35: "Coming Home", by J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita, Jr., and Scott Hanna
No date: Empire magazine's fifth-greatest comic book character.^[82]
No date: Spider-Man was the #1 superhero on Bravo's Ultimate Super Heroes, Vixens and Villains show.^[97]

hbk

Shawn Michaels

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Shawn Michaels

Ring name(s)	Sean Michaels^[1] Shawn Michaels
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)^[2]^[3]
Billed weight	225 lb (102 kg)^[2]
Born	July 22, 1965 (1965-07-22) (age 45) Chandler, Arizona^[4]
Resides	San Antonio, Texas^[5]
Billed from	San Antonio, Texas
Trained by	Jose Lothario^[6]
Debut	October 16, 1984^[7]
Retired	March 28, 2010

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is a former American professional wrestler. He performed for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from 1988 until his retirement in 2010. He was considered one of WWE's senior performers, having performed for over 20 years.

Hickenbottom began his wrestling career with Mid-South Wrestling, now known as Universal Wrestling Federation, and American Wrestling Association (AWA). During his time with AWA, he performed in partnership with Marty Jannetty, as The Midnight Rockers; winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship twice. Hickenbottom and Jannetty then signed with World Wrestling Federation (WWF), while in contract with AWA. They returned to AWA, only to go back to the WWF in 1988.

Hickenbottom later worked as a single performer, taking on a new persona of "The Heartbreak Kid" and, first as a villain and later as a fan favorite, moved into the main event sphere. He yielded considerable influence on booking decisions as the leader of The Kliq, a backstage group, which however fell apart in 1996. The following year, he teamed up with Hunter Hearst Hemsley, who often was referred to as Triple H (HHH), and Chyna to form D-Generation X (DX). This group of wrestlers was known for their sophomoric crude humor. That same year, Hickenbottom took part in one of the most controversial matches in wrestling history, dubbed as the "Montreal Screwjob." After a back injury forced him to retire following his WWF Championship loss at WrestleMania XIV, Hickenbottom opened a wrestling academy, called The Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy, in which he trained upcoming wrestlers. He made his in-ring return at SummerSlam in 2002. In 2006, Hickenbottom and Triple H briefly reformed DX, but after an injury that Triple H sustained, Hickenbottom returned to singles wrestling. Although as of 2009, the duo reunited as a tag team once more, with the two capturing the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship.

Among other accolades, Hickenbottom is a four-time world champion: a three-time WWF Champion and a former World Heavyweight Champion. He was also the winner of the 1995 and 1996 Royal Rumbles and was the company's first Grand Slam Champion. He has also won the Slammy Award a record 10 times. Hickenbottom currently resides in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Rebecca, and their two children.

Early life

Hickenbottom was born on July 22, 1965 in Chandler, Arizona.^[4]^[8] The last of four children – Randy, Scott, and Shari are his older siblings – he was raised in a military family and spent a brief part of his early years in Reading, Berkshire, England,^[4] but grew up in San Antonio, Texas. As a child, Hickenbottom disliked the name "Michael," so his family and friends just called him "Shawn."^[9] Ever since, he has been referred to as Shawn. Additionally, Hickenbottom moved around frequently since his father was in the military.^[9]

He knew he wanted to become a professional wrestler at the age of twelve.^[8] Hickenbottom was already an athlete; his career began at the age of six when he started playing football.^[10] He was a stand-out linebacker at Randolph High School and eventually became captain of the football team.^[2]^[11] After graduating, Hickenbottom attended Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, but soon realized that college life was not for him.^[12] Then he began pursuing a career in professional wrestling, a type of sports entertainment in which theatrical events are combined with a competitive sport.^[2]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1984–1988)

Hickenbottom began to train under Mexican professional wrestler Jose Lothario.^[6]^[7] During his training, Hickenbottom adopted the ring name, Shawn Michaels.^[1] After his training with Lothario, he debuted as Shawn Michaels with Mid-South Wrestling and Texas All-Star Wrestling (TASW) promotions in October 1984 at the age of 19.^[1] During his time with TASW, Michaels replaced Nick Kiniski in the American Breed tag team, teaming with Paul Diamond. Michaels and Diamond were awarded the TASW Tag Team Championship by Chavo Guerrero, Sr.^[8] The team was later renamed American Force.^[13] He also worked for Central States Wrestling.^[14] There, he and tag team partner Marty Jannetty defeated The Batten Twins for the Central States Tag Team Championship, later losing it back to the Battens.^[8] Michaels also made several appearances in the Dallas, Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling throughout 1985.

Michaels made his national-level debut at the age of twenty in American Wrestling Association (AWA), once again teaming with Marty Jannetty.^[6] The pair were billed as "The Midnight Rockers" and held the AWA World Tag Team Championship, defeating Doug Somers and Buddy Rose.^[6] In 1987, The Rockers were signed by a competing promotion: the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).^[6] They were fired from WWF two weeks later, for a bar incident (a misunderstanding, according to Michaels' autobiography).^[6]^[15] They then returned to AWA, but were re-signed by WWF a year later.^[15]

World Wrestling Federation (1988–2001)

The Rockers (1988–1991)

Main article: The Rockers

The Rockers redebuted at a WWF live event on July 7, 1988.^[16] Due to WWF chairman Vince McMahon's desire to have his performers carry WWF-exclusive ring names, Michaels and Jannetty were renamed, as simply "The Rockers."^[1] The team proved popular with both children and women.^[6] The team was a mid-card stalwart of television and pay-per-view shows for the next two years.^[17]

In October 1990, The Rockers were scheduled to win the WWF Tag Team Championship from The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart), as Neidhart, half of the championship team, was in the process of negotiating his release from the company.^[17] The match was taped with The Rockers winning the belts, but soon after, Neidhart came to an agreement with management and was rehired.^[17] The belts were returned to the Hart Foundation, while the title change was never broadcast or even acknowledged on television.^[17] When news spread, WWF explained that the original result was void due to a collapsed turnbuckle in the ring during the bout. A buckle had indeed broken, but not to a noticeable or dangerous extent during the match.^[1] The Rockers continued their partnership, eventually splitting on December 2, 1991 during an incident on Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake's televised Barber Shop talk show promotional segment.^[18] Michaels superkicked Jannetty and threw him through a glass window on the set of Beefcake's talk show.^[6]^[19] Jannetty disappeared from the company, and Michaels became a villain as "The Boy Toy."^[18]

The Heartbreak Kid (1992–1995)

Kliq, World Champion, D-Generation-X (1995–1997)

Michaels returned to the ring, as a fan favorite, in May 1995. He went on to defeat Jeff Jarrett in July at the In Your House pay-per-view event, to win his third Intercontinental Championship.^[6]^[36] This led to a title defense against Razor Ramon at SummerSlam, in a ladder match, which Michaels won.^[6] Around this time Michaels became the alleged leader of a backstage group known as The Kliq.^[6] Others perceived the group to have sufficient clout with WWF owner Vince McMahon, becoming dominant wrestling figures in the WWF for several years in the mid-1990s. Michaels disputes the perception, saying that McMahon pushed only deserving wrestlers.^[37] Michaels' fan base was later nicknamed "The Kliq" as an inside reference to the real "Kliq".^[38] In October 1995, he was legitimately attacked by several men outside a bar in Syracuse, New York.^[1] Shortly afterwards, at the In Your House: Great White North pay-per-view, Michaels forfeited the Intercontinental Championship to staged rival Dean Douglas because he was, according to WWF, unable to compete.^[39] Later in the night, Douglas lost the championship to Kliq member Razor Ramon.^[40] The next month, during a match with Owen Hart on an episode of Monday Night Raw, Owen performed an enzuigiri that struck the back of Michaels' head.^[41] They continued the match, but Michaels collapsed in the ring, supposedly because he had suffered a concussion.^[1]^[41] The concussion was scripted, which was kept from most fans at the time.^[1] A retirement angle was written so that Michaels could take some time off, after he came back from an injury too soon.^[1]

The MSG Incident.

After teasing a retirement, Michaels returned to WWF at the Royal Rumble match in 1996, which he wound up winning for a second year in a row, to receive a WWF Championship match in the main event at WrestleMania XII.^[42] Around this time, Jose Lothario became Michaels' on-screen manager.^[43] At WrestleMania XII, Michaels defeated Bret Hart in the overtime of their sixty minute Iron Man match, which had ended in a 0–0 tie.^[6] On May 19, 1996, Michaels and his fellow Kliq members were involved in the incident known as "Curtain Call". Diesel and Razor Ramon were about to leave WWF to company rival WCW. After Michaels won a match against Diesel, Ramon and Hunter Hearst Helmsley came to the ring and joined Michaels and Diesel in a group-hug.^[44] As Diesel and Helmsley were seen as villains at the time, in contrast to Michaels and Ramon, this constituted a breach of "kayfabe", as acting out of character, which was rare and controversial at the time.^[44] As WCW gained momentum due to the signings of Hall and Nash, Michaels held the championship for most of the year. Michaels' championship reign ended at the 1996 Survivor Series event, where he lost to Sycho Sid, his former bodyguard.^[45] Michaels recaptured the championship from Sid in January 1997 at the Royal Rumble.^[46]

On a special episode of Raw dubbed Thursday Raw Thursday, Michaels vacated the WWF Championship;^[1] he explained to fans that he was informed by doctors that he had conjured a knee injury, and that he had to retire.^[47] His speech was regarded as controversial, as Michaels was allegedly unwilling to lose to Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 (since it was noted that he was going to have a rematch with Hart at WrestleMania).^[6] Michaels contemplated thoughts of retirement and stated that he "had to find his smile again," which he had "lost" somewhere down the line.^[6] After knee surgery by Dr. James Andrews, Michaels returned a few months later, briefly teaming with Stone Cold Steve Austin to win the WWF Tag Team Championship.^[48] In his autobiography, Michaels reveals about his real-life feud with Bret Hart, claiming that Bret did interviews on live television claiming that he [Michaels] was faking his whole injury.^[49]

At SummerSlam, Michaels officiated the WWF Championship match between WWF Champion The Undertaker and Bret Hart.^[50] The match ended in controversial fashion, with Michaels hitting Undertaker with a chair (unintentionally, as he was aiming for Bret after he spat in his face).^[50] Michaels was then forced to award the championship to his nemesis, Bret Hart.^[50] At WWF One Night Only, held in Birmingham, England in September, Michaels defeated The British Bulldog to capture the WWF European Championship.^[50]^[51] The fans at the event were so appalled at the result of the match they booed Michaels out of the building, to the extent that they littered the ring with rubbish.^[50]^[52] With this win, Michaels became the first Grand Slam Champion.^[2] During the 1997 SummerSlam event, a feud culminated between Michaels and The Undertaker, after Michaels struck The Undertaker with the usage of a steel chair. At the October pay-per-view event, In Your House: Badd Blood, Michaels and Undertaker participated in the first Hell in a Cell match. During the match, it saw Michaels fall off the side of the 15-foot (5 m) high structure through a table and saw him as the winner in the match.^[53] The match received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer.

In the summer, Michaels joined forces with real-life friend, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Hunter's then-girlfriend, Chyna, and Rick Rude to form the stable, D-Generation X (DX).^[54] Moving away from the family-oriented product, this marked the beginning of the WWF Attitude Era.^[55] Michaels continued his rivalry with Bret Hart and his reformed Hart Foundation, which was now a pro-Canada stable. Michaels taunted the group and Canada by engaging in acts, such as blowing his nose with and humping the Canadian Flag. Michaels later claimed the flag desecration was Bret's idea.^[56] Michaels' feud with the Hart Foundation culminated in a championship match at Survivor Series in 1997 against Bret Hart. Michaels came out of this match, dubbed by fans the "Montreal Screwjob", as the WWF Champion.^[57] Michaels now held both the WWF and European championship at the same time. Michaels, however, lost the European Championship to D-Generation X member, Hunter Hurst Hemsley, who often was referred to as Triple H (HHH), when he pinned him during a farcical match, making Triple H the European Champion.^[58]

Retirement, commissioner and sporadic appearances (1998–2001)

Michaels was the WWF Commissioner in 1998.

At the 1998 Royal Rumble, Michaels received a legitimate back injury in a Casket match against The Undertaker.^[6] Michaels took a back body drop to the outside of the ring and smashed his lower back on the casket, causing him to herniate two discs and crush one completely.^[6]^[59] This forced Michaels into retirement after losing the WWF Championship to Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIV.^[60]

Michaels would continue to make non-wrestling appearances on WWF programming, and on November 23, 1998, replaced Sgt. Slaughter as the WWF Commissioner, a portrayed match maker and rules enforcer, joining Vince McMahon's group of wrestlers called the Corporation as a villain.^[61] Throughout late 1998 and early 1999, Michaels made regular television appearances on Raw, in which he scheduled matches, throwing around his authority, and sometimes even deciding the outcome of matches.^[62]^[63]^[64] In early 1999, Michaels re-joined DX as a fan favorite, but disappeared from WWF television for a few months to have back surgery,^[65] and by the time he had returned, DX had broken up.

Michaels made occasional appearances on WWF television as the Commissioner during the spring and summer of 1999. Michaels was absent from WWF television until May 21, 2000 when he returned to officiate the Iron Man match between The Rock and Triple H.^[66] One month later, Michaels briefly reappeared to hand over the role of Commissioner to Mick Foley and afterwards was absent from television until early 2001.^[67] During this time, believing that his wrestling career was over, Michaels was interested in training individuals who wanted to become professional wrestlers.^[68] He saw potential in using his name and opening the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy, after his lawyer, Skip McCormick, suggested the idea.^[68] Michaels eventually left the academy.^[68] During this time, Michaels was a sportscaster for San Antonio's local news for a short time during his retirement.^[68]

Return to World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2010)

Return to wrestling and various feuds (2002–2005)

In 2002, Michaels returned to wrestling and was brought into the New World Order (nWo) by Kevin Nash as a new member of the group.^[69] After the nWo had disbanded, Triple H appeared to make amends with Michaels. This was solidified when Michaels pleaded Triple H to return to Raw.^[70] Later on, they came down to the ring sporting their DX music and attire. When the pair was about to perform their trademark "Suck It" taunt, Triple H turned on Michaels by performing a Pedigree on him.^[70] Continuing the angle, a week later, Triple H attacked Michaels from behind in a parking lot and put his head through a car window, in storyline.^[71] In response, Michaels challenged Triple H to "a fight" (a non–sanctioned match) at SummerSlam,^[72] which Triple H accepted, laying the foundation for a rivalry that lasted for years. Michaels won at SummerSlam, but was attacked by Triple H with a sledgehammer after the match.^[73] At Survivor Series, Michaels won the World Heavyweight Championship from Triple H in the first-ever Elimination Chamber match.^[74] Michaels' reign as champion came to an end when he lost the championship to Triple H in a Three Stages of Hell match, a series of three matches in which wrestlers attempt to win the majority of matches, at Armageddon.^[75]

Michaels' match with Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XIX in March 2003 was his first match at a WrestleMania since WrestleMania XIV in March 1998.

Michaels then began a rivalry with Chris Jericho, after Jericho claimed that he was the next Shawn Michaels.^[76] On January 13, 2003, after Jericho won a battle royal to select his entry number for the Royal Rumble, choosing number two in order to start the match with Michaels,^[77] who had already been named number one. At the Royal Rumble, Jericho, with the help of Christian, eliminated Michaels.^[78] Michaels defeated Jericho at WrestleMania XIX.^[79] After the match, Michaels offered his hand to Jericho, who instead of shaking it, hugged Michaels. At first it seemed like good sportsmanship by Jericho until he quickly kicked Michaels in the groin.^[79]

As a part of an ongoing feud with Triple H, the two competed alongside Chris Benoit in the main event match at WrestleMania XX for the World Heavyweight Championship. The former DX partners both came up short in the match, however, as Benoit won the championship.^[80] At Bad Blood in June, Michaels lost to Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match.^[80] Four months later, he lost a World Heavyweight championship match against Triple H, after Edge interfered at Taboo Tuesday, when the fans voted for him ahead of Edge and Chris Benoit to face Triple H one more time.^[81] Following this, Michaels was out of action for a few months with a legitimate torn meniscus.^[2]^[82]

At the Royal Rumble in 2005, Michaels competed in the Rumble match and eliminated Kurt Angle. In seeking revenge, Angle re-entered the ring and eliminated Michaels, and thus placed him in an ankle lock submission hold, outside of the ring.^[83] Michaels issued a challenge to Angle for a match at WrestleMania 21, which Angle accepted when he appeared on Raw to attack Michaels.^[84] The following week on Raw, Marty Jannetty and Michaels had a one time reunion as The Rockers and defeated La Résistance (Robért Conway and Sylvain Grenier).^[85] Three days later on SmackDown!, Angle defeated Jannetty, after Angle made Jannetty submit to the ankle lock.^[86] To send a "message" to Michaels, Angle also humiliated Michaels' former manager, Sensational Sherri, when he applied the ankle lock hold on her.^[87] At WrestleMania 21, Angle defeated Michaels by submission, again with an ankle lock.^[83]

Michaels performing his signature pose.

The next night on Raw, Muhammad Hassan and Daivari came out to confront and assault Michaels.^[88] On the April 11 episode of Raw, Michaels approached authority figure Eric Bischoff, in which he demanded a handicap match with Hassan and Daivari, a match consisting of one wrestler or team of wrestlers facing off against a team of wrestlers with numerical superiority such as two against one, or three against two. Bischoff refused to schedule the match, but informed Michaels to find a partner and he would grant him the match. Michaels then made a plea for Hulk Hogan to come back and team with him.^[89] On the April 18 episode of Raw, Hassan again led an attack on Michaels until Hogan appeared to save Michaels and accept his offer.^[90] At Backlash, Hassan and Daivari lost to Hogan and Michaels when Daivari was pinned.^[91] On the July 4 episode of Raw, Michaels and Hulk Hogan had a tag team match, which they won.^[92] During the post-match pose, Michaels hit Hogan with his superkick, knocking Hogan to the ground and making Michaels a villain for the first time since returning in 2002.^[92] The following week on Raw, Michaels appeared on Piper's Pit where he superkicked Roddy Piper and then challenged Hogan to a match at SummerSlam.^[93]^[94] Hogan defeated Michaels at SummerSlam, and after the match Michaels extended his hand to him, saying "I needed to know, and I found out" and he and Hogan shook hands. Michaels left the ring to allow Hogan to celebrate with the crowd, and Michaels once again became a fan favorite.^[95]

Feuding with McMahon; reforming DX (2006–2007)

Various feuds (2007–2009)

Michaels confronting John Cena on an episode of Raw

On the January 29 episode of Raw, Michaels captured the World Tag Team Championship with WWE Champion John Cena after defeating Rated-RKO.^[116] He then defeated both Edge and Orton in a Triple Threat number one contender's match on another episode of Raw to earn a shot at the WWE Championship.^[117] At WrestleMania 23, Cena retained the championship, after he made Michaels submit to the STFU.^[118] The next night on Raw, Michaels and Cena competed in two back-to-back ten team battle royals, winning the first and losing the titles in the second to The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) when Michaels threw Cena over the top rope.^[119] Michaels' feud with Cena continued and he faced off with Cena, Edge and Randy Orton in a Fatal Four-Way Match at Backlash for the WWE Championship. Cena retained the championship when Michaels performed Sweet Chin Music on Cena causing him to fall on Orton, which gained Cena the pinfall.^[120]

Michaels then entered a feud with Randy Orton when Orton claimed that he could beat Michaels.^[121] The week before their scheduled match at Judgment Day, after Michaels won a match against Edge, Orton interfered, punting Michaels in the head.^[121] Orton assaulted Michaels again, just prior to their match at Judgment Day, interrupting Michaels' interview segment.^[122] Michaels collapsed during the course of their match, causing Orton to win by referee stoppage.^[122] Afterwards, Orton continued the beating, when he performed an RKO to a fallen Michaels. Michaels was then removed out of the ring in a stretcher.^[122] During the feud, Michaels conjured a storyline concussion. This injury was used to keep Michaels out of action, as he required surgery for his knee.^[123] Michaels made his return on the October 8 episode of Raw, performing a superkick to newly-crowned WWE Champion, Randy Orton, during his title ceremony at the end of the show and then celebrating over the knocked-out champion as Vince McMahon watched.^[124] At Cyber Sunday, Michaels was voted by the fans to face Orton for the WWE Championship; though he won via disqualification when Orton hit Michaels with a low blow, which resulted in Orton retaining the championship.^[125] Michaels got another opportunity at the WWE Championship, when he was granted his rematch against Orton at Survivor Series.^[126] In their match, Michaels was banned from using Sweet Chin Music upon request by Orton, referring to as Michaels superkicking Orton week after week.^[127] Michaels lost the match, when Orton performed an RKO for the win.^[126]

Michaels interacting with the fans at WrestleMania XXIV before his match with Ric Flair.

As part of the storyline involving Ric Flair, Michaels faced Flair in a Career Threatening match at WrestleMania XXIV, in which he won by performing Sweet Chin Music and thus ending Flair's career.^[128] Afterwards, Batista confronted Michaels about his actions at WrestleMania, calling him selfish and egotistical.^[129] The two faced off at Backlash with Chris Jericho as the guest referee. Michaels won after faking a knee injury and performing Sweet Chin Music.^[130] Jericho then confronted Michaels on this matter, in which Michaels admitted to faking the injury in order to defeat Batista.^[131] Michaels then defeated Jericho at Judgment Day.^[132] At One Night Stand, Michaels lost to Batista in a stretcher match, thus ending their feud.^[133] On the June 9 episode of Raw, Michaels was attacked by Chris Jericho during his talk show segment, The Highlight Reel, being thrown directly through a television screen.^[134] The following week, it was revealed that, within the context of the storyline, Michaels had suffered a detached retina.^[135] At The Great American Bash, a match between Michaels and Jericho was scheduled, in which Jericho assaulted Michaels' eye, which caused Jericho to win by referee stoppage.^[135]

A month later at SummerSlam, Michaels was scripted to announce his retirement from professional wrestling, though the staged rivalry between Jericho and himself continued after Jericho punched Michaels' wife in the face.^[136] On the August 25 episode of Raw, Michaels denounced his decision to retire and challenged Jericho to an unsanctioned match at Unforgiven, which Jericho accepted.^[137] The following week, Michaels and Jericho held a scripted official contract signing for the unsanctioned match. During the contract signing, a confrontation with Jericho occurred.^[138] A predicament ensued when Michaels suffered a small tear on his left triceps,^[138]^[139] though Michaels was medically cleared to compete in the match.^[138] At Unforgiven, Michaels defeated Jericho, after the referee stopped the match, due to the severity of the beating Michaels was giving Jericho.^[140] It was at the same September event that Jericho replaced CM Punk in the World Heavyweight Championship scramble match, which saw him win the match and become World Heavyweight Champion.^[140] The following month at No Mercy, Michaels met Jericho in a ladder match in which Jericho defended the championship against Michaels.^[141] At the event, Jericho defeated Michaels to retain the title.^[142]

In December 2008, Michaels accepted an offer to become an employee of John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). The storyline was that Michaels had lost his family's personal savings due to the global recession, forcing him to accept JBL's offer of employment.^[143] After failing to secure JBL the World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena at the Royal Rumble,^[144] Michaels agreed to take part in an "All or Nothing" match at No Way Out in February.^[145] Michaels won the match, letting Michaels out of his one-year contract with JBL immediately while still receiving full payment.^[146] Michaels became the first person to successfully defeat Vladimir Kozlov on the March 2 episode of Raw, and as a result earned the right to face The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV in April.^[147] At the event, The Undertaker defeated Michaels to extend his WrestleMania winning streak to 17–0.^[148] After WrestleMania, Michaels took a hiatus from WWE.

Return of DX, feud with The Undertaker and retirement (2009–2010)

Michaels reconciles with Bret Hart in January 2010.

Michaels returned to WWE programming in a series of segments that aired on the August 10, 2009 episode of Raw, where he had scripted left the WWE. 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 to return to WWE and reform DX. After several incidents during the segments, Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to face The Legacy (Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase) at SummerSlam.^[149] At the pay-per-view event, DX defeated Legacy.^[150] The two teams would exchange victories, with their feud concluding in October. Two months later, 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 (TLC).^[151] On the January 4, 2010 episode of Raw, Michaels buried the hatchet with long-time rival Bret Hart, as they shook hands and hugged in the ring. In contrast to the storylines featured on the show, this was in fact a real-life reconciliation which laid to rest animosities surrounding the Montreal Screwjob. While some cast doubts on its sincerity, both men have confirmed that it was indeed genuine.^[152]^[153] DX lost the Unified Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat match to the team of The Miz and Big Show on the February 8 episode of Raw, the match also included The Straight Edge Society (CM Punk and Luke Gallows).^[154] At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, Michaels cost The Undertaker the World Heavyweight Championship in the main event.^[155] At WrestleMania XXVI, Michaels lost to the Undertaker and, as a result, was forced to retire due to the match stipulation.^[156] The following night, on the March 29 episode of Raw, Michaels gave an emotional farewell speech, departing with the familiar sentence, "Shawn Michaels has left the building."^[157]

Personal life

Hickenbottom's marriage to his first wife, Theresa Wood, was brief and ended in divorce, but was amicably settled.^[158] He is now married to former WCW Nitro Girl, Rebecca Hickenbottom (née Curci), who went by the stage name of Whisper. They were married on March 31, 1999 at the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada in a small ceremony.^[159] The only people present were the couple and an Elvis impersonator. The couple have a son, Cameron Kade (born on January 5, 2000)^[160] and a daughter, Cheyenne Michelle (born on August 19, 2004).^[161]

Hickenbottom has several tattoos. He has a tattoo of a heart with a sword through it, that has a snake around it in the shape of an "S."^[162] He has one on his wedding finger, that has an R for his wife Rebecca.^[162] Another in his left wrist, is a bracelet design that says "Cameron" for his son.^[162] On his left leg he has a picture of his wife,^[162] the other leg has a picture of the state of Texas.^[162] Finally, he has a small broken heart with the letters "HBK" above it, tattooed on his right hip.^[162]

In 1996, Hickenbottom posed in a non-nude layout for Playgirl magazine.^[163] It was not until after he posed that he discovered that Playgirl has a mostly homosexual readership, which was seen as humorous by his fellow wrestlers.^[163] He is ambidextrous, which caused him problems as a boy playing football, as he had trouble differentiating between his right and left directions.^[10] He uses his right hand to draw and color and his left hand to write.^[10] He typically uses his right leg when performing Sweet Chin Music, but has been known to use either arm when performing his signature elbow drop. Hickenbottom is a fan of the San Antonio Spurs. He has been seen wearing Spurs merchandise and attending Spurs games.^[164] John "Bradshaw" Layfield made a reference to Hickenbottom being a season ticket holder during the 2007 Royal Rumble.^[165]

Hickenbottom is a born again Christian. He was raised as a Roman Catholic, but became a non-denominational Christian under the influence of his wife Rebecca.^[1] His ring attire often incorporates cross symbols, and while on the way to the ring, he normally gets down on his knees and mouths a prayer while his pyrotechnics go off. He has been seen in the congregation during a televised service of John Hagee's Cornerstone Church in his hometown of San Antonio, where he is also a Bible teacher.^[1] He also appeared on a Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) program along with fellow professional wrestler Sting.^[166]

In wrestling

Michaels performing Sweet Chin Music on Chris Jericho

Michaels performing a diving elbow drop

Michaels applying a modified figure four leglock on Jeff Hardy

Michaels' pyrotechnics going off during his ring entrance

Finishing moves
- Modified figure four leglock^[167] – early 2008
- Sweet Chin Music^[2] (Superkick, with theatrics)
- Teardrop Suplex^[168] (Leg hook Saito suplex) – 1992–1993

Signature moves
- Arm trap crossface^[169] – 2007–2010
- Backhand chop^[169]
- Belly to back suplex^[168]
- Diving elbow drop, with theatrics^[1]
- Dropkick^[168]
- Figure four leglock^[168]
- Flying forearm smash followed by a kip-up^[1]
- Inverted atomic drop^[1]
- Moonsault,^[1] sometimes while springboarding to the outside
- Skin the cat^[79]
- Slingshot crossbody^[168]

Managers

Nicknames
- "The Heartbreak Kid (HBK)"^[2]^[168]
- "The Showstopper"^[2]^[168]
- "The Headliner"^[1]^[168]
- "The Main Event"^[2]^[168]
- "The Icon"^[1]
- "Mr. WrestleMania"^[1]

Entrance themes
- The song "Sexy Boy" was originally composed for Michaels by Jimmy Hart and J.J. Maguire. Hart thanked Michaels personally for continuing to use the song as his entrance music when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.^[170] Michaels' entrance music was originally performed by Sherri Martel until she became a crowd favorite.^[1] The second version was performed by Michaels himself with traces of Sherri in the chorus portion of the song. The current version of the song in use today is the version Michaels sang himself.^[1]
- During DX reunions, Michaels used the DX entrance "Break It Down", by The Chris Warren Band, even when wrestling in singles competition, but then went back to using "Sexy Boy".

Championships and accomplishments

American Wrestling Association
- AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times)^[8] – with Marty Jannetty

Central States Wrestling
- NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[8] – with Marty Jannetty

Continental Wrestling Association
- AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times)^[1]^[8] – with Marty Jannetty

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2008) vs. Chris Jericho
- PWI Match of the Year (1993)^[171] vs. Marty Jannetty on Monday Night Raw on May 17
- PWI Match of the Year (1994)^[172] vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at WrestleMania X
- PWI Match of the Year (1995)^[6] vs. Diesel at WrestleMania XI
- PWI Match of the Year (1996)^[6] vs. Bret Hart in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII
- PWI Match of the Year (2004)^[171] vs. Chris Benoit and Triple H at WrestleMania XX
- PWI Match of the Year (2005)^[171] vs. Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21
- PWI Match of the Year (2006)^[171] vs. Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania 22
- PWI Match of the Year (2007)^[171] vs. John Cena on Raw on April 23
- PWI Match of the Year (2008)^[171] vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV
- PWI Match of the Year (2009)^[173] vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1995, 1996)^[172]
- PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1996^[174]
- PWI ranked him #10 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[175]
- PWI ranked him #33 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Marty Jannetty in 2003^[175]

Texas All-Star Wrestling
- TASW Texas Tag Team Championship (2 times)^[8] – with Paul Diamond

Texas Wrestling Alliance
- TWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1]^[8]

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWF Championship (3 times)^[8]
- WWF European Championship (1 time)^[176]
- WWF Intercontinental Championship (3 times)^[8]
- WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (5 times)^[177] – with Diesel (2), Steve Austin (1), John Cena (1), and Triple H (1)
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[178] – with Triple H (1)
- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[8]
- Royal Rumble (1995, 1996)^[8]
- Fourth Triple Crown Champion
- First Grand Slam Champion^[8]
- Slammy Award for Best Slammin' Jammin' Entrance (1996)
- Slammy Award for Best Threads (1996)
- Slammy Award for Squared Circle Shocker (1996) Won for collapsing; Owen Hart accepts the award for making Michaels collapse
- Slammy Award for Master of Mat Mechanics (1996)
- Slammy Award for US West Match of the Year (1996) vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at SummerSlam
- Slammy Award for Leader of the New Generation (1996)
- Slammy Award for Best Finisher (1997)
- Slammy Award for US West Match of the Year (1997) vs. Bret Hart in an Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII
- Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2008) vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV
- Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2009) vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV

^ In October 1990, Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty defeated The Hart Foundation for the title. Despite winning the match, the win and reign are not recognized by WWE, as the ring ropes broke and the match was not aired on television. As a result, Michaels is only officially recognized as a 5-time World Tag Team Champion.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2003)^[179]
- Best Babyface (1996)^[180]
- Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Triple H and Chris Benoit^[180]
- Feud of the Year (2008) vs. Chris Jericho^[180]
- Match of the Year (1994) vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder match at WrestleMania X^[180]
- Match of the Year (2008) vs. Chris Jericho in a Ladder match at No Mercy^[180]
- Match of the Year (2009) vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXV^[180]
- Most Charismatic (1995, 1996)^[180]
- Tag Team of the Year (1989) with Marty Jannetty as The Rockers^[180]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2006) with Triple H vs. Shane and Vince McMahon^[180]

r-truth

Ron Killings

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Ron Killings
Killings at the 2008 WWE Tribute to the Troops.
Ring name(s)	K-Kwik^[1] Kid Krush^[2] K. Malik Shabazz^[1] K-Krush^[1] Ron Killings^[1] R-Truth^[1]^[3] Pretty Ricky^[1]
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)^[3]
Billed weight	235 lb (107 kg)^[3]
Born	January 19, 1972 (1972-01-19) (age 38)^[1] Atlanta, Georgia^[4]
Resides	Charlotte, North Carolina^[2]
Billed from	Charlotte, North Carolina^[3]
Trained by	Manny Fernandez^[2]^[5] Chris Hamrick^[5] Italian Stallion^[5] George South^[5]
Debut	1997^[6]

Ronnie Aaron Killings^[7] (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently under contract to World Wrestling Entertainment, performing on its Raw brand, where he is a former United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth.^[3] Killings has previously worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he was a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time NWA World Tag Team Champion and a one-time TNA World Tag Team Champion. Killings currently resides in Charlotte.

[hide]

[edit] Professional wrestling career

Jackie Crockett of the National Wrestling Alliance first tried to convince Killings to become a professional wrestler, but he was determined to focus on his music career. Killings spent two years working on his music career and then contacted Crockett once more and expressed an interest in becoming a wrestler^[5] Crockett, by now the senior cameraman for World Championship Wrestling, took Killings to several WCW and Pro Wrestling Federation events, introducing him to wrestling personalities.^[6] 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-crush, 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 (1999–2001)

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 by the WWF 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 from the match by Chris Benoit, 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 interpromotional matches. Killings was released from the WWF later that 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, in Pico Rivera, California, Shabazz and Muhammed took part in a four way tag team match for the World Tag Team Championship, which was won by Damián 666 and Halloween. He left the promotion later that year

[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002–2007)

[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 villain 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 black 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 to Jeff Jarrett on November 20 with the help of Vince Russo.^[6] As a result of Russo's involvement, Killings turned into a fan favorite. In subsequent months, Killings feuded with Sports Entertainment Xtreme before turning into a villainous character 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 WWF 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 WWF, 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, implying that he was now a villain.

On June 19, Killings tried to resign from TNA, intending to work for the Mexican Asistencia Asesoría y Administración.^[10] 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.^[11] 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 (2008–Present)

[edit] SmackDown (2008–2010)

Killings in FCW.

Killings re-signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) 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.^[12] 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 Friday Night SmackDown as a face character, defeating Kenny Dykstra.^[13] 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, R-Truth was unsuccessful in winning the title from Benjamin. On WWE.com, R-Truth won the Slammy Award for the Best Musical Performance.^[14] On July 10, 2009, R-Truth debuted a new prankster character known as Delicious 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 returning Drew McIntyre on the August 28 episode of SmackDown.^[15] This feud would setup a match between the two at his first-ever Hell in a Cell pay-per view, which he lost.^[16] 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.^[17]

On the February 16, 2010 episode of ECW, R-Truth was announced to appear on the WWE NXT as the storyline mentor of David Otunga.^[18] On the February 5, 2010 edition of SmackDown, R-Truth won an elimination chamber qualifying match against Mike Knox. At WWE Elimination Chamber R-Truth competed in the Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship, but was eliminated by CM Punk.^[19] On the March 2 episode of WWE NXT, Truth accompanied his WWE Rookie David Otunga to the ring for his match against CM Punk's Rookie, Darren Young. In 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 Championships in a losing effort.

[edit] Media

[edit] Acting career

Head of State (2003) as Ron "The Truth" Killings^[20]
The Wrestler (2008) as Ron "The Truth" Killings^[21]

[edit] Albums

Invinceable [as K-Krush] (2003)^[22]

[edit] In wrestling

Finishing moves
- Consequence (Elevated cradle neckbreaker)^[1] – 2002–2004
- Corkscrew scissors kick^[1]^[23]^[24]
- Lie Detector^[2] (WWE) / Flying Jalapeño^[1] (TNA) (Corkscrew flying forearm smash)^[25]^[26]^[27]
- Truth Conviction^[1] (TNA) / Hat Rack Crack (WWF) (Sitout inverted suplex slam)^[1] – 1999–2002; Used as a regular move from 2003–2007

Signature moves
- Front powerslam^[1]
- Hurricanrana,^[1] sometimes from the top rope^[1]
- Jumping calf kick^[1]
- Reverse STO^[1]
- Sitout hip toss^[28]
- Sitout suplex slam^[1]
- Truth or Consequences (Vertical suplex stunner)^[1]^[2]

Nicknames
- "The Truth"^[2]
- "The Rapping Superstar"
- "The Sun-Tanned Superman"

Entrance themes
- "Gettin' Rowdy" performed by Brian Gerard James and Ron Killings and composed by Jim Johnston (WWF)^[6]
- "Rowdy" performed by Ron Killings and composed by Jim Johnston (WWF)^[6]^[29]
- "What's Up?" performed by Ron Killings and composed by Dale Oliver (TNA)^[29]
- "He's Black" composed by Dale Oliver^[29] (Used while teaming with Adam Jones) (TNA)
- "What's Up? (Remix)" performed by Ron Killings, composed by Dale Oliver and remixed by Jim Johnston^[29] (2008-2010) (WWE)
- "Right Time" performed by Ron Killings (2010-present)^[30] (WWE)

Managers

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

CyberSpace Wrestling Federation
- CSWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[32]

Memphis Championship Wrestling
- MCW Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[33]

NWA Wildside
- NWA Wildside Television Championship (1 time)^[34]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #18 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2004^[35]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[36]
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times)¹ – with B.G. James and Konnan^[37]
- TNA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pac-Man Jones^[38]

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE United States Championship (1 time)^[39]
- WWF Hardcore Championship (2 times)^[9]
- Slammy Award for Best Musical Performance (2008)^[14]

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2006) TNA Reverse Battle Royal on TNA Impact!^[40]

¹Killings defended the title with either James or Konnan under the Freebird Rule.

mr.bean

Mr. Bean

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Jump to: navigation, search

For the animated television series of the same name, see Mr. Bean (animated TV series).

Mr. Bean

Format	Visual Humour/Physical comedy
Created by	Rowan Atkinson Richard Curtis
Starring	Rowan Atkinson
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of episodes	18 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Peter Bennett-Jones
Producer(s)	Sue Vertue
Running time	24 minutes ^[1]
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV
Picture format	4:3
Original run	1 January 1990 (1990-01-01) – 15 November 1995 (1995-11-15)
Status	Ended
Chronology
Followed by	Bean
Related shows	Mr. Bean (animated TV series)
External links
= Official website

Mr. Bean is a British comedy television series of 14 half-hour episodes starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were written by Rowan Atkinson, Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The first episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,^[2] with the final episode, "Hair by Mr. Bean of London", on 15 November 1995.

Based on a character developed by Rowan Atkinson at university, the series followed the exploits of Mr. Bean, described by Atkinson as "a child in a grown man's body",^[3] in solving various problems presented by everyday tasks and often causing disruption in the process.

During its five-year run the series gained large UK audience figures, including 18.74 million for the 1992 episode "The Trouble With Mr. Bean".^[4] The series has been the recipient of a number of international awards, including Rose d'Or. The show has been sold in 200 territories worldwide, and has inspired two feature films and an animated cartoon spin-off.^[5]

[edit] Origins and influences

The character of Mr. Bean was developed while Atkinson was studying for his MSc at Oxford University. A sketch featuring the character was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in the early 1980s.^[6] A similar character called Robert Box, played by Atkinson, appeared in the one-off 1979 ITV sitcom Canned Laughter, which also featured routines used in the 1997 film Bean.^[7] In 1987, one of Mr. Bean's earliest appearances occurred at the "Just For Laughs" comedy festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. When programme co-ordinators were scheduling Atkinson into the festival program, Atkinson insisted that he perform on the French-speaking bill rather than the English-speaking program. Having no French dialogue in his act at all, program co-ordinators could not understand why Atkinson wanted to perform on the French bill. As it turned out, Atkinson's act at the festival was a test platform for the Mr. Bean character and Atkinson wanted to see how the silent character's physical comedy would fare on an international stage with a non-English speaking audience.^[8]

The name of the character was not decided until after the first programme had been produced, with a number of other vegetable-influenced names, such as "Mr. Cauliflower", being explored.^[9] Atkinson cited the earlier comedy character Monsieur Hulot, created by French comedian and director Jacques Tati, as an influence on the character.^[10] Stylistically, Mr. Bean is also very similar to early silent films, relying purely upon physical comedy, with Mr. Bean speaking very little dialogue (although like other live-action TV series of the time, it features a laugh track). This has allowed the series to be sold worldwide without any significant changes to dialogue.^[8]^[11]

[edit] Characters and recurring props

[edit] Mr. Bean

The title character, played by Rowan Atkinson, is a slow-witted yet likeable buffoon who brings various unusual schemes and contrivances to everyday tasks. He lives alone in his small flat in Highbury, North London, and is almost always seen in his trademark tweed jacket and a skinny red tie. He also usually wears a digital calculator watch (which he does not like to lose). Mr. Bean rarely speaks, and when he does, it is generally only a few mumbled words which are in a comically low-pitched voice. His first name (he names himself "Bean" to others) and profession, if any, are never mentioned. In the first film adaptation, "Mr." appears on his passport in the "first name" field, and he is shown employed as a guard at London's National Gallery.^[12] In Mr. Bean's Holiday, however, his name is listed on his passport as "Rowan".^[13]

Mr. Bean often seems unaware of basic aspects of the way the world works, and the programme usually features his attempts at what would normally be considered simple tasks, such as going swimming, using a television set, redecorating or going to church. The humour largely comes from his original (and often absurd) solutions to problems and his total disregard for others when solving them, his pettiness, and occasional malevolence.

At the beginning of episode two onwards, Mr. Bean falls from the sky in a beam of light, accompanied by a choir singing Ecce homo qui est faba ("Behold the man who is a bean"). These opening sequences were initially in black and white in episodes 2 and 3, and were intended by the producers to show his status as an "ordinary man cast into the spotlight". However, later episodes showed Mr. Bean dropping from the night sky in a deserted London street, against the backdrop of St. Paul's Cathedral suggesting Bean is an alien. At the end of episodes 3 and 6 he is also shown being sucked right back up into the sky in the respective background scenes (black scene in episode 3 and street scene in episode 6). Atkinson himself has acknowledged that Bean "has a slightly alien aspect to him";^[14] in the animated series, he was actually shown to be an extraterrestrial.

[edit] Teddy

Bean and Teddy

Teddy is Mr. Bean's teddy bear, perhaps Mr. Bean's best friend. The bear is a dark brown, knitted oddity with button eyes and sausage-shaped limbs, invariably ending up broken in half or in various other states of destruction and disfiguration. Although Teddy is inanimate, Mr. Bean often pretends it is alive. For example, when Mr. Bean hypnotizes Teddy, he snaps his fingers and the bear's head falls backwards as if it has fallen asleep instantly (Bean used his finger to prop Teddy's head up). Mr. Bean behaves as if the bear is real, buying it a Christmas present or trying not to wake it in the mornings. The bear is often privy to Mr. Bean's various schemes and doubles as a dish cloth or paint brush in an emergency; it has been decapitated ("Mr. Bean in Room 426") and shrunk in the wash ("Tee Off, Mr. Bean"). Teddy is also Mr. Bean's "pet" in "Hair by Mr. Bean of London" and is used to win a pet show. The Teddy that was used in filming sits in the windshield of the replica of Mr. Bean's mini that is on display at the National Motor Museum.

[edit] Car

Rowan Atkinson demonstrating a famous scene from the Mr. Bean series on a Mini at Goodwood Circuit in 2009

Mr. Bean's car, a British Leyland Mini 1000, developed a character of sorts over the series and was central to several antics, such as Mr. Bean getting dressed in it, driving while sitting in an armchair strapped to the roof or attempting to avoid a parking garage toll by driving out through the entrance.

At first, an orange 1969 BMC Mini MK II (registration RNT 996H) was Mr. Bean's vehicle, but this was destroyed in an off-screen crash at the end of the first episode. From then on, the car was a 1977 model (registration SLW 287R), "Applejack" green with a matt black bonnet. It made its first appearance in "The Curse of Mr. Bean".

The Mini also had a number of innovative security measures, for example Bean uses a bolt-latch and padlock, rather than the lock fitted to the car, and removes the steering wheel instead of the key. These formed a running joke in several episodes, at one point deterring a car thief. The car, confused with another demonstration car of the exact same model and colours (but no padlock) (registration ACW 497V), was crushed by a tank in "Back to School, Mr. Bean", but returned in later episodes, perhaps having actually been the identical demonstration car from that point on.

Mr. Bean has a long-running, yet unexplained feud with the unseen driver of a light blue Reliant Regal Supervan III (registration GRA 26K), which will usually get turned over, crashed out of its parking space and so forth. This conflict originated in the first episode, when the Reliant's driver held the Mini up on the way to a mathematics exam, and subsequently became a running joke throughout the series.

Both the Mini and the Reliant re-appeared as characters in the animated Mr. Bean cartoons, and in the film Mr. Bean's Holiday, yet another Mini appears – a lighter yellow/green than the original with a black sunroof, registration YGL 572T. Also seen is a left hand drive version of his Mini, owned by the character Sabine which has a French registration. A sequence involving the Mini driving through Harrod's was shot for the 1997 film, but ultimately was not included in the final cut.^[15]

After filming ended, the present Mini used in filming was sold to Kariker Kars to be hired for various events. It was then temporarily displayed as a major attraction at the Rover groups museum. In 1997, it was purchased by the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum where it is still on display today.^[16]

[edit] Irma Gobb

Mr. Bean's "girlfriend", Irma Gobb, played by Matilda Ziegler, appeared in a number of episodes. She is treated relatively inconsiderately by Bean, who appears to regard her more as a friend and companion than a love interest. However, he does become jealous when she dances with another man at a disco in "Mr. Bean Goes to Town", and she certainly expects him to propose to her on Christmas Day in "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean", with his failure to do so resulting in her leaving him for good (she does not appear in any subsequent episodes). The character later appeared in the animated series. The spin-off book Mr. Bean's Diary (1993) states that Mr. Bean met Irma Gobb at a local library.^[17]

[edit] Other characters

Although Mr. Bean is the only significant human character in the programme, other characters appear, usually as foils for his various antics. Other than his girlfriend, Mr. Bean's only friends appear to be Hubert and Rupert, who appear as Bean's New Year's party guests in the episode "Do-It-Yourself, Mr. Bean" (although they altered his living room clock and fled to the party in the flat opposite, gaining real friends in the process) and Robin Driscoll appears in many episodes as various characters. However, several notable British actors and comedians appear alongside Atkinson in sketches as various one-off supporting characters, including Richard Briers, Angus Deayton, Nick Hancock, Paul Bown, Caroline Quentin, Danny La Rue, Roger Lloyd Pack, David Schneider and Richard Wilson.^[18]

[edit] Production and broadcast

The programme was produced by Tiger Television, later renamed Tiger Aspect, for Thames Television from 1990 to 1992 and then for Central from 1993 to 1995. Rather than being shown as a series, each episode of Mr. Bean was produced individually, and broadcast at intermittent intervals on the ITV network in the United Kingdom across six years, often around New Year. The episode "Hair by Mr. Bean of London" has not been broadcast on ITV, but was instead reserved for video release. After its original run it has been shown repeatedly on PBS and satellite channels such as Telemundo in the US, the CBC in Canada, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central Extra and ITV3 in the UK, Disney Channel in Asia, and internationally.^[19] Digital channel ITV3 began rebroadcasting the series on 5 January 2010, and again on 24 May 2010.

The record selling UK videos were withdrawn shortly before the release of the Bean film and DVDs were released on an annual basis as of 2004.

[edit] Episode guide

Main article: List of Mr. Bean episodes

[edit] Music

Mr. Bean features a choral theme tune written by Howard Goodall and performed by the Choir of Southwark Cathedral (later Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford). The words sung during the title sequences are in Latin:

Ecce homo qui est faba – "Behold the man who is a bean" (sung at beginning)
Finis partis primae – "End of part one" (sung before the advertisement break)
Pars secunda – "Part two" (sung after the advertisement break)
Vale homo qui est faba – "Farewell, man who is a bean" (sung at end)

The theme was later released on Goodall's album Choral Works. Goodall also wrote an accompanying music track for many episodes. The first episode of Mr. Bean did not feature the choral theme tune, but instead an up-beat instrumental piece, also composed by Howard Goodall, which was more an incidental tune than a theme. It was used while Bean drove between locations intimidating the blue Reliant, and as such, was sometimes heard in later episodes whenever Bean's nemesis is seen.

In the episode "Tee Off, Mr. Bean" Howard Goodall's choral theme tune for another Richard Curtis comedy, The Vicar of Dibley, is heard playing on a car stereo. In Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean., while playing with Queen's Royal Guards figurines and the nativity set, he hums "The British Grenadiers", which was quoted in the theme to Blackadder Goes Forth.^[20]

Mr. Bean appears in a music video made for the 1991 Comic Relief fund raising single by Hale and Pace called The Stonk.^[21] Mr. Bean also appeared in the music video for Boyzone's single Picture Of You in 1997.^[22] The song featured on the soundtrack to the first Bean movie.

Mr Bean also made a Comic relief record in 1992. This was (I want to be) Elected and was credited to "Mr Bean and Smear Campaign featuring Bruce Dickinson". This was a cover of an Alice Cooper song and reached number 9 in the UK singles chart.^[23]

[edit] Awards

The first episode won the Golden Rose, as well as two other major prizes at the 1991 Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival in Montreux.^[24] In the UK, the episode "The Curse of Mr. Bean" was nominated for a number of BAFTA awards; "Best Light Entertainment Programme" in 1991, "Best Comedy" (Programme or Series) in 1992, and Atkinson was nominated three times for "Best Light Entertainment Performance" in 1991, 1992 and 1994.^[25]

[edit] Spin-offs

[edit] Bean movie adaptations

[edit] Bean

Main article: Bean (film)

In 1997, Bean, a film version directed by Mel Smith, also known as Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie, was produced. This broke from the programme's tradition by using a subplot with more developed characters — instead of being the sole centre of attention, Mr. Bean here interacted with a suburban Californian family he stayed with while overseeing the transfer of Whistler's Mother to a Los Angeles art gallery. The film grossed over USD$250 million globally on a budget estimated at $22 million.^[26]

[edit] Mr. Bean's Holiday

Main article: Mr. Bean's Holiday

News broke in March 2005 that a second Bean film, Mr. Bean's Holiday was in development, with Atkinson returning in the title role. The film had been through several changes of name during its development, including Bean 2 and French Bean.^[27] Filming began on 15 May 2006 and began post-production in October 2006. It was released in the UK on 30 March 2007. On 17 July 2007, the North American premiere was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at the Just For Laughs festival; the launching pad for the Mr. Bean character 20 years earlier.^[8] The film was then released nation-wide in North America on 24 August 2007.

The film followed the character on an eventful journey across France for a holiday in the French Riviera, which after a number of misfortunes culminates in an unscheduled screening of his video diary at the Cannes Film Festival. It was directed by Steve Bendelack and, according to Atkinson, is probably the last appearance of the character.^[28]

[edit] The animated series

Main article: Mr. Bean (animated TV series)

Mr. Bean in the animation along with his girlfriend, Irma Gobb, and landlady Mrs. Wicket

Mr. Bean was revived in a 2002 animated cartoon series, featuring little dialogue, with most being either little soundbites or mumbling. The series, which consist of 26 episodes (with 2 segments each), expanded the number of additional characters, featuring Mr. Bean's unpleasant landlady, Mrs. Wicket and her evil one-eyed cat, Scrapper. Rowan Atkinson provided the voice for Bean, and all of the animated Bean actions are taken from Atkinson himself. Other characters' voices are provided by Jon Glover, Rupert Degas, Gary Martin and Lorelei King.^[29]

[edit] Books

Two books were released related to the original series: Mr. Bean's Diary in 1992 and Mr. Bean's Pocket Diary in 1994. The two books have identical content and differ only in the format in which they are printed. The content of both is a template diary with handwritten content scrawled in by Mr. Bean. They provide some additional information on the setting: for example, they establish that Mr. Bean lives in Highbury and rents his flat from a landlady named Mrs. Wicket. They confirm the name of Mr. Bean's girlfriend as "Irma Gobb", and also give the name of the other man she actually dances with in Mr. Bean Goes to Town (Giles Gummer).

An additional book called Mr. Bean's Diary was released in 2002 to accompany the animated series; this book was also graded as a children's reader.

[edit] Video releases

[edit] DVD releases

In the United Kingdom (Region 2), episodes of Mr. Bean have been released on a yearly basis by Universal Pictures UK since 2004. The complete collection is now available, including the two feature films and other extras. In the United States (Region 1), the complete series has been available since 2003 on A&E Home Video as "The Whole Bean".

In August 2009 an official YouTube channel was launched featuring content from the live action and animated series.^[30]

DVD Name	# of episodes	Release Date	Notes
Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean	14 + 4 (special ep)	29 April 2003	Region 1. Contains all 14 episodes, two Comic Relief sketches and two director's cut sketches.

Volumes

DVD Name	# of episodes	Release Date	Notes
Mr. Bean - Vol 1	3	1 November 2004	3 episodes
Mr. Bean - Vol 2	3	31 October 2005	3 episodes
Mr. Bean - Vol 3	3	13 November 2006	3 episodes
Mr. Bean - Vol 4	3	19 March 2007	3 episodes
Mr. Bean - Vol 5	2	12 November 2007	2 episodes
Mr. Bean - Collection	14	12 November 2007	All 14 TV episodes
Mr. Bean - Christmas Collection	14 + 2 (movies)	12 November 2007	All 14 TV episodes, Mr. Bean's Holiday & Bean - The Ultimate Disaster Movie
Mr. Bean - Complete Collection	14 + 26 (cartoon) + 2 (movies)	12 November 2007	All 14 TV episodes, all 26 episodes of the Mr. Bean Animated TV Series, Mr. Bean's Holiday & Bean - The Ultimate Disaster Movie
Mr. Bean - Ultimate Collection	14 + 9 (cartoon) + 2 (movies) + Director's Cut sketches	16 December 2008	All 14 TV episodes, 9 episodes of the Mr. Bean Animated TV Series, Mr Bean's Holiday & Bean - The Ultimate Disaster Movie and the Director cut sketches.
Mr. Bean - Vol 1	5	17 November 2008	5 episodes
Mr. Bean - Vol 2	5	17 November 2008	5 episodes
Mr. Bean - Vol 3	4	17 November 2008	4 episodes
Mr. Bean - Best Bits		17 November 2008	Highlights

Best of Mr. Bean

DVD Name	# of episodes	Release Date	Notes
The Best of Mr. Bean	7	23 November 1999	NBC Universal
The Best of Mr. Bean	7	29 August 2006	A&E Home Video

[edit] VHS format

VHS Name	# of episodes
The Amazing Adventures of Mr. Bean	2
The Exciting Escapades of Mr. Bean	2
The Terrible Tales of Mr. Bean	2
The Merry Mishaps of Mr. Bean	2
The Perilous Pursuits of Mr. Bean	2
Unseen Bean	2
The Final Frolics of Mr. Bean	2
The Best Bits of Mr. Bean	Episode clips
The Complete Mr. Bean (Volume 1)	7
The Complete Mr. Bean (Volume 2)	7
Merry Christmas Mr. Bean	1
Mr. Bean - Vol 1	3
Mr. Bean - Vol 2	3

Blu Ray

Blu Ray Name	# of episodes	Release Date	Notes
The Best of Mr. Bean	7	23 November 1999	NBC Universal
The Best of Mr. Bean	7	29 August 2006	A&E Home Video

[edit] Mr. Bean in popular culture

The sale of Mr. Bean worldwide has meant that he has permeated popular culture in several countries. Notably, a number of public figures have been compared to the character, usually as an insult. Tony Blair, then-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was identified by Homer Simpson as "Mr. Bean" when his cartoon form greeted the Simpsons to the United Kingdom in an episode of the eponymous programme, demonstrating the stereotypical view of the British by Americans.^[31]

Arthur Batchelor, one of the Royal Navy captives held by Iran during the 2007 Iranian seizure of Royal Navy personnel, has stated that some of his captors had mocked him calling him "Mr. Bean".^[32] NRL Referee Sean Hampstead is regularly nicknamed "Mr. Bean" in nationally broadcast commentary by Australian television/radio personality Ray Warren as a result of his similar appearance. In 2007, Vincent Cable, the acting leader of the Liberal Democrats described the recent decline in Prime Minister Gordon Brown's fortunes as his "remarkable transformation in the last few weeks from Stalin to Mr. Bean".^[33] The Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is often mocked in his own country for his facial resemblance to Mr Bean, and a computer hacker broke into Spain's official website for its presidency of the European Union, inserting the character on the front page of the website. Satirists have also compared Zapatero to Mr Bean when discussing government policies that are deemed to have been unsuccessful.^[34]

Several of the visual jokes in the series have been used as experiments on the Discovery Channel's MythBusters series. In episode 52 - "Mind Control", the idea of painting a room with a stick of explosives (Firework, or other) placed in a paint can, as in the episode "Do-It-Yourself, Mr. Bean", was tested and deemed impossible, as adequate coverage was not achieved.^[35]

real names of wwe

Ring Name	Real Name	Ring Name	Real Name
Batista	Dave Bautista	Matt Hardy	Matt Hardy
Beth Phoenix	Beth Phoenix	Michael Cole	Michael Cole
Big Show	Paul Wight	Mickie James	Mickie James
Brie Bella	Brianna Garcia	Mr. Kennedy	Ken Anderson
Carlito	Carly Colon	Mr. McMahon	Vince McMahon
Chavo Guerrero	Salvador Guerrero	M.V.P	Alvin Burke Jr.
Cody Rhodes	Cody Runnels	Nikki	Nicole Garcia
Festus	Drew Hankinson	Primo	Eddie Colon
Goldust	Dustin Runnels	Randy Orton	Randy Orton
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan	James Duggan	Rosa Mendes	Milena Roucka
Hornswoggle	Dylan Postl	Santino Marella	Anthony Carelli
Jamie Noble	James Gibson	Shawn Michaels	Michael Hickenbottom
Jerry Lawler	Jerry Lawler	Sim Snuka	James Reiher Jr.
Jillian Hall	Jillian Fletcher	Ted DiBiase	Ted DiBiase Jr.
John Cena	John Cena	"The" Brian Kendrick	Brian Kendrick
Kelly Kelly	Barbie Blank	The Miz	Mike Mizanin
Kofi Kingston	Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah	Triple H	Paul Levesque
Lillian Garcia	Lilian Garcia	Vickie Guerrero	Vickie Guerrero
Maryse	Maryse Ouelette	William Regal	Darren Matthews

Smackdown Roster
Ring Name	Real Name	Ring Name	Real Name
Alicia Fox	Victoria Crawford	Kane	Glen Jacobs
Candice Michelle	Candice Michelle	Kung Fu Naki	Shoichi Funaki
Charlie Haas	Charlie Haas	Layla	Layla El
Chris Jericho	Chris Irvine	Maria	Maria Kanellis
C.M. Punk	Phil Brooks	Melina	Melina Perez
Curtis Hawkins	Brian Myers	Michelle	Michelle McCool
Dolph Ziggler	Nick Nemeth	Mike Knox	Mike Hettinga
Edge	Adam Copeland	R-Truth	Ron Killings
Eve	Eve Torres	Ranjin Singh	Ric Fleihr
Gail Kim	Gail Kim	Rey Mysterio	Oscar Gutierrez
Jeff Hardy	Jeff Hardy	Ricky Ortiz	Richard Young
Jesse	Ray Gordy	Shad	Shad Gaspard
Jim Ross	Jim Ross	Shelton Benjamin	Shelton Benjamin
Jimmy Wang Yang	James Yun	The Great Khali	Dalip Singh
John Morrison	John Hennigan	Theodore Long	Theodore Long
JTG	Jayson Paul	Umaga	Eddie Fatu
Justin Roberts	Justin Roberts	Undertaker	Mark Callaway

ECW Roster
Ring Name	Real Name	Ring Name	Real Name
Christian	Jay Reso	Natalya	Nattie Neidhart
DH Smith	Harry Smith	Paul Burchill	Paul Birchall
DJ Gabriel	Steve Lewington	Tiffany	Taryn Terrell
Evan Bourne	Matt Korklan	Todd Grisham	Todd Grisham
Ezekiel Jackson	Rycklon Stephens	Tommy Dreamer	Tommy Laughlin
Finlay	Dave Finlay	Tony Atlas	Anthony White
Hurricane Helms	Shane Helms	Tony Chimmel	Tony Chimmel
Jack Swagger	Jake Hager	Tyson Kidd	Theodore Wilson
Katie Lea Burchill	Katarina Waters	Vladmir Kozlov	Oleg Prudius
Mark Henry	Mark Henry	Zack Ryder	Matthew Cardona
Matt Striker	Matt Kaye

Hall Of Fame
Ring Name	Real Name	Ring Name	Real Name
Andre The Giant	Andre Rousimoff	Hulk Hogan	Terry Bollea
Afa	Arthur Anoai	Iron Shiek	Khosrow Ali Vaziri
Antonino Rocca	Antonino Rocca	Ivan Putski	Ivan Putski
Arnold Skaaland	Arnold Scaaland	James Dudley	James Dudley
Baron Mikel Scicluna	Mike Scicluna	Jerry Lawler	Jerry Lawler
Big John Studd	John Minton	Jesse Ventura	James Janos
Bill Watts	Bill Watts	Jim Ross	James Ross
Billy Graham	Wayne Coleman	Jimmy Hart	Jimmy Hart
Blackjack Mulligan	Robert Windham	Jimmy Snuka	James Reiher
Blackjack Lanza	Jack Lanza	Jimmy Valiant	James Fanning
Bob Orton Jr.	Bob Orton Jr.	Johnny Rodz	Johnny Rodriguez
Bobby Heenan	Raymond Heenan	Johnny Valiant	John L. Sullivan
Bobo Brazil	Houston Harris	Junkyard Dog	Sylvester Ritter
Bret Hart	Bret Hart	Kerry Von Erich	Kerry Adkisson
Buddy Rogers	Herman Rohde	Killer Kowalski	Wladek Kowalski
Captain Lou Albano	Lou Albano	Koko B. Ware	James Ware
Chief Jay Strongbow	Joe Scarpa	Mr. Fuji	Harry Fujiwara
Curt Henning	Curt Henning	Nick Bockwinkel	Nick Bockwinkel
Don Muraco	Don Muraco	Nikolai Volkoff	Josip Peruzovic
Dory Funk	Dory Funk	Pat Patterson	Pierre Clemont
Dusty Rhodes	Virgil Runnels	Paul Orndorff	Paul Orndorff Jr.
*Eddie Guerrero*	*Eduardo Guerrero*	Pedro Morales	Pedro Morales
Ernie Ladd	Ernie Ladd	Ricky Steamboat	Richard Blood
Fabulous Moolah	Lillian Ellison	Roddy Piper	Roderick Toombs
Freddie Blassie	Frederick Blassman	Sensational Sherri	Sherri Russell
Fritz Von Erich	Jack Adkisson	Sika	Sika Anoai
Gene Okerlund	Gene Okerlund	Sgt. Slaughter	Robert Remus
Geroge Steele	James Meyers	Stone Cold Steve Austin	Steve Williams
Gorilla Monsoon	Robert Marella	Terry Funk	Terry Funk
Grand Wizard	Ernie Roth	The Sheik	Edward Farhat
Greg Valentine	John Wisniski Jr.	Tito Santana	Merced Solis
Harley Race	Harley Race	Tony Atlas	Anthony White
Howard Finkel	Howard Finkel	Verne Gagne	Verne Gagne
		Vincent McMahon Sr.	Vincent McMahon Sr.

Celebrity Wing
Pete Rose	Pete Rose	William Perry	William Perry

= Champion

randy orton

Randy Orton

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Randy Orton

Ring name(s)	Randy Orton
Billed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)^[1]
Billed weight	245 lb (111 kg)^[1]
Born	April 1, 1980 (1980-04-01) (age 30)^[2]^[3] Knoxville, Tennessee^[2]^[3]
Resides	Saint Charles, Missouri^[4]
Billed from	St. Louis, Missouri^[1]
Trained by	"Cowboy" Bob Orton South Broadway Athletic Club^[5] Mid Missouri Wrestling Alliance Ohio Valley Wrestling^[5]
Debut	March 18, 2000^[6]

Randal Keith "Randy" Orton^[7]^[8] (born on April 1, 1980)^[3] is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestling on its Raw brand, where he is the reigning WWE Champion. Orton is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bob Orton, Sr., father "Cowboy" Bob Orton, as well as his uncle Barry O, all competed in the professional wrestling industry.^[2]^[9]

Before being promoted to the main 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 WWE, 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's "Legend Killer" character would later evolve into "The Viper", a cold, calculating psychopath. Overall, Orton is a seven-time world champion, having won the World Heavyweight Championship once and the WWE Championship six times. He is also the winner of the 2009 Royal Rumble match.^[15]

[hide]

Early life

Orton was born on April 1, 1980, in Knoxville, Tennessee.^[2]^[3] Son to Elaine and "Cowboy" Bob Orton,^[16] he has two younger siblings—Becky and Nathan.^[17] Knowing from experience the hardships of life as a professional wrestler, Orton's parents tried to convince him to stay away from the business,^[2] and his father warned him that life in the ring meant a life on the road, away from family.^[1] Orton attended Hazelwood Central High School, where he was an amateur wrestler.^[1]^[2] After graduating from Hazelwood in 1998,^[8] Orton enlisted with the United States Marine Corps. There, he received a bad conduct discharge a year later after going AWOL on two separate occasions and disobeying an order from a commanding officer.^[18] Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Private First Class Orton was tried and convicted under a special court-martial and was put into a military prison for thirty-eight days.^[16]

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,^[19] where he performed with wrestlers such as Ace Strange and Mark Bland.^[6]^[19] 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 Entertainment

Evolution (2002–2005)

Main article: Evolution

Orton's first televised WWE match was against Hardcore Holly on SmackDown! on April 25, 2002.^[20] Soon after, Orton became a fan favorite and was placed in a series of matches with Holly.^[21]^[22]^[23]^[24] In September 2002, Orton was drafted to the Raw brand, where he defeated Stevie Richards in his debut on the show.^[25]^[26] Within weeks of his debut on the Raw brand, Orton suffered a shoulder injury,^[27] leaving him sidelined for months.^[28]^[29] While recovering, Orton still appeared on Raw in his own Randy News Network segment, a weekly vignette featuring him talking about his condition.^[28]^[30] The show interrupted other segments of Raw programming, which caused Orton to slowly transition himself into a narcissistic and self-centered villain.^[31]

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.^[32] In 2003, Orton spent much of his time helping Triple H overcome challenges from Kevin Nash, Kane, and Goldberg, who were vying with Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship.^[33]^[34]^[35] 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.^[36]

Orton is the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history.

Afterward, 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."^[37] Orton then spat in the face of Harley Race on the April 26, 2004, episode of Raw.^[38]^[39]

During this time, Orton began using the move that would become his signature finisher, the RKO, a jumping cutter named after his initials.^[40] Orton soon defeated Rob Van Dam for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon on December 14, 2003.^[41] With this win, Orton started the longest Intercontinental title reign in seven years, holding the title for seven months.^[42]

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.^[43]

In July, at Vengeance, Edge defeated Orton to win the Intercontinental Championship, ending Orton's seven month title reign.^[44] After losing the Intercontinental Championship, Orton became the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship on July 26.^[45] 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.^[46] Benoit congratulated Orton after the match, shaking his hand for showing the ability to "be a man."^[47]

The following night, Evolution threw Orton a mock celebration, only to reveal that they were not pleased with his new victory. 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.^[48] 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.^[49] 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.^[49]^[50] A month later, Orton lost his championship at Unforgiven.^[51] 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.^[52] After this, Orton experienced another push, becoming General Manager of the Raw brand for a week following a match stipulation at Survivor Series.^[53] He continued to feud with Triple H, using his authority to place his opponents at severe disadvantages during title defenses.^[54] 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.^[55] 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.^[56] At the Royal Rumble, Triple H defeated Orton to retain the World title.^[57]

Singles competition (2005–2006)

Orton began an on-screen relationship with Stacy Keibler and briefly feuded with Christian in February 2005.^[58] 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".^[59] Orton then produced a copy of SmackDown! magazine, which featured The Undertaker on the cover.^[60] 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.^[61] 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.^[62] During Orton's promos, he would immediately run for cover when signs of The Undertaker's appearance were near (lightning, darkness, or smoke).^[63] When legendary wrestler Jake Roberts advised Orton not to underestimate The Undertaker, Orton performed an RKO on Roberts as well.^[64] 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.^[57]

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.^[65]^[66] 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!.^[67] Orton returned to WWE programming for the SmackDown! brand on June 16, announcing that he was the second pick in the 2005 draft lottery.^[68] He rekindled his feud with The Undertaker, defeating him at SummerSlam following a distraction from his father.^[69] Two months later, Orton and his father Bob Orton defeated The Undertaker in a Handicap Casket match.^[70] 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.^[71] At the event, The Undertaker, who had been absent since Orton had apparently killed him on an episode of SmackDown!,^[72] returned by emerging from a flaming casket.^[71] The feud was finally settled with a Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon, where The Undertaker offered to retire if he lost.^[73] 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.^[74] The Undertaker, however, beat both Ortons in a Hell in a Cell match, ending their nine-month-long feud.^[75]

Orton showing off his signature pose

Following Armageddon, Orton entered the January 2006 Royal Rumble match as the thirtieth and final wrestler, but he was eliminated by Rey Mysterio.^[75] 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.^[76] 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.^[77] Many fans felt the comments were unwarranted and highly distasteful so soon after Guerrero's death in November 2005.^[78]^[79]^[80] Orton won at No Way Out, earning Mysterio's title shot for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22.^[81] 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.^[82] On April 2, at WrestleMania 22, Orton was pinned by Mysterio, making Mysterio the World Heavyweight Champion and ending their on-screen rivalry.^[83]

On April 4, 2006, Orton was suspended for sixty days for "unprofessional conduct."^[84] In an interview, Orton stated, "my conduct was unbecoming of a champion, which is what I will be again when I return."^[85] To cover for the suspension, a faked injury was devised, where Kurt Angle broke Orton's ankle during a grudge match.^[86] In July, Orton said his suspension resulted from smoking marijuana backstage.^[87] Orton returned from his suspension in June to the Raw brand,^[88]^[89] where he engaged 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.^[90]^[91] At SummerSlam, the two met in a "Legend vs. Legend Killer" match, which Hogan won.^[92]

Rated-RKO and the Age of Orton (2006–2008)

Main article: Rated-RKO

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.^[93]^[94] As part of the angle, Rated-RKO attacked Ric Flair with steel chairs to enrage DX on November 27.^[95] 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.^[96]

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.^[97] 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.^[98] 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.^[99] Orton continued his attacks when he engaged himself in feuds with Rob Van Dam,^[100] Ric Flair,^[101] Dusty Rhodes,^[102] and Sgt. Slaughter.^[103]

On the July 23 episode of Raw, Orton was named as the number one contender at SummerSlam for John Cena's WWE Championship.^[102] Weeks before their scheduled bout at SummerSlam, Orton attacked Cena on three separate occasions by performing RKOs on him.^[102]^[104]^[105] At SummerSlam, Orton lost the title match to Cena, who pinned Orton after executing an FU.^[106] 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.^[107] Orton was granted his title rematch against Cena at Unforgiven and won by disqualification when Cena refused to stop punching Orton in the corner;^[108] 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.^[108] 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.^[109] 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.^[110] 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.^[111]

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.^[112] 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.^[113] As a result, Michaels was voted to face Orton.^[114] In the match, Orton was disqualified when he performed a low blow on Michaels, but Orton retained the title.^[114] In a scheduled rematch,^[115] Orton successfully defended the title at Survivor Series against Michaels when he performed the RKO on Michaels for the win.^[116] 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.^[117]

After weeks of intensity between the two, Orton defeated Jeff Hardy to retain the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.^[118] Following this, he re-engaged in his feud with John Cena, who had returned from injury and won the 2008 Royal Rumble match.^[118] Instead of cashing in his title opportunity at WrestleMania XXIV, Cena decided to face Orton for the title at No Way Out.^[119] Orton lost the match after getting himself intentionally disqualified, thus retaining the title.^[120] 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.^[121] 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.^[122] After failing to win the title back at Judgment Day,^[123] Orton faced Triple H in a Last Man Standing match at One Night Stand for the title.^[124] Orton lost the match and legitimately broke his collarbone.^[125]

The Legacy and split (2008–2010)

Main article: The Legacy

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 three 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]

Return to singles competition (2010)

Following his departure from Legacy, Orton 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 April 26 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] 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]

Other media

In 2004, Orton appeared on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to promote the Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view.^[154] In March 2007, alongside Edge, John Cena, and Bobby Lashley, Orton appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal.^[155] 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.^[156] Orton will have a supporting role in the film Big Red, alongside Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. The film is a coming-of-age comedy written and directed by Michael Pavone.^[157]

Controversy

While on the Raw brand, Orton was accused of harassing fellow WWE employees Amy Weber and Rochelle Loewen. Loewen, who has called Orton "an animal," claimed that he vandalized her possessions and subjected her to harassment.^[158] Fellow WWE Diva Search contestant (and eventual winner) Christy Hemme has stated in an interview with The Sun that she does not believe that Orton harassed Weber or Loewen.^[159]

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.^[160] WWE has since made a statement on this situation, claiming that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006.^[160]

On January 13, 2010, it was reported that a complaint of assault had been filed against Orton by a fifteen year old fan in Saugus, Massachusetts.^[161] The fan alleged that Orton had spit gum in his face and called him a profane word.^[161]

Personal life

In November 2005, Orton announced his engagement to his girlfriend Samantha Speno.^[162] They married on September 21, 2007.^[163]^[164] In December 2007, Orton announced that he and his wife were expecting their first child, a daughter.^[165]^[166] Orton and his wife welcomed Alanna Marie Orton on July 12, 2008.^[167]

He had a tattoo on his left arm which read "USMC" for United States Marine Corps but covered it up after receiving a bad conduct discharge from the service. He was sent home after serving thirty-eight days in military prison at Camp Pendleton in California.^[18]

Orton suffers from hypermobile shoulders.^[168] 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.^[169]^[170]

In wrestling

Orton performing the RKO on Kane

Orton performing a chinlock on John Cena

Finishing moves
- Diving crossbody^[5] – 2002
- O–Zone (Overdrive)^[5] – 2002
- RKO^[1]^[5] (Jumping cutter, sometimes from the top rope) – 2003–present
- Running punt to an opponent's head^[5] – 2007–present
- Wheelbarrow suplex^[5] – OVW

Signature moves

Managers

Nicknames
- "The Legend Killer"^[175]
- "The Viper"^[176]
- "WWE's Apex Predator"^[177]

Entrance themes
- "Line in the Sand" performed by Motörhead (Used while a member of Evolution)
- "Burn in My Light" performed by Mercy Drive^[178]
- "This Fire Burns" performed by Killswitch Engage (Used for one week, and eventually became the theme for CM Punk)^[179]
- "Voices" performed by Rev Theory^[180]

Championships and accomplishments

Orton during his first reign as WWE Champion.

Ohio Valley Wrestling
- OVW Hardcore Championship (2 times)^[10]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2009) vs. Triple H
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2009)^[181]^[182]
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2004)^[183]
- PWI Rookie of the Year (2001)^[184]
- PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008^[185]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2009)^[186]

World Wrestling Entertainment
- World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[46]
- World Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[94] – with Edge
- WWE Championship (6 times, current)^[14]^[187]^[188]^[189]
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (1 time)^[41]
- Royal Rumble (2009)
- Seventeenth Triple Crown Champion

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Improved (2004)

triple h

Triple H

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For other uses, see Triple H (disambiguation).

Triple H

Ring name(s)	Hunter Hearst Helmsley (HHH)^[1] Jean-Paul Levesque^[1] Terra Ryzing^[2] Triple H^[3]
Billed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)^[1]^[3]
Billed weight	260 lb (120 kg)^[3]
Born	July 27, 1969 (1969-07-27) (age 41)^[1]^[4] Nashua, New Hampshire^[1]^[2]^[4]
Resides	Greenwich, Connecticut^[1]
Billed from	Greenwich, Connecticut^[1]^[3]
Trained by	Killer Kowalski^[2]
Debut	March 12, 1992

Paul Michael Levesque^[2] (born July 27, 1969)^[2] American professional wrestler, actor and executive, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

Before joining WWE, Levesque began his wrestling career with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1994, wrestling under the ring name Terra Ryzing and later as Jean-Paul Lévesque.^[2] Levesque joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1997 with the on-screen persona of wealthy sophisticate Hunter Hearst Helmsley.^[1] He later abbreviated his name to Triple H and adopted an alternative image in the stable D-Generation X (DX). After the dissolution of DX, Triple H was pushed as a main event wrestler, winning several singles championships.^[3] 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,^[3] and in 2006 and 2009, reformed DX with Shawn Michaels.^[5]

Overall, Levesque has won 23 championships in WWE, including thirteen World Championships, having won the WWE Championship eight times, and the World Heavyweight Championship five times (Triple H is also recognized as the first World Heavyweight Champion under WWE's lineage).^[6]^[7] In addition, Levesque won the 1997 King of the Ring, the 2002 Royal Rumble, and was the second Grand Slam Championship winner.^[3]

Outside wrestling, Levesque has made numerous guest appearances in film and on television.

[hide]

1 Wrestling career
2 Acting career
3 Personal life
4 In wrestling
5 Championships and accomplishments
- 5.1 Lucha de Apuesta record
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

Wrestling career

Early career

Levesque was born in Nashua, New Hampshire. In his youth, he was a fan of professional wrestling and his favorite wrestler was Ric Flair. Levesque became aware of bodybuilding at the age of fourteen; after graduating from high school in 1987, Levesque entered several bodybuilding competitions.^[8] He was crowned Teenage Mr. New Hampshire at the age of nineteen. During this time, he met Ted Arcidi and began to consider a career in professional wrestling.^[4]^[8]

Levesque enrolled at Killer Kowalski's wrestling school in 1992 after it was recommended to him by Arcidi.^[4]^[8] He made his in-ring debut on November 1 of the same year wrestling against Flying Tony Roy.^[9] Levesque joined the Independent Wrestling Federation (IWF), which used trainees from Kowalski's school in their promotion. Here, he became the IWF Heavyweight Champion and started using the name Terra Ryzing.^[2]

World Championship Wrestling (1994-1995)

In early 1994, Levesque signed a one year contract with World Championship Wrestling (WCW).^[4]^[10] In his first televised match, He wrestled as a villain and defeated Brian Armstrong.^[1] He continued using the name Terra Ryzing until mid-1994, when he was renamed Jean-Paul Lévesque.^[1]^[11] 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.^[12] During this time, he began using his finishing maneveur, the Pedigree.

Levesque had a brief storyline feud with Alex Wright that ended at Starrcade 1994^[1] with Wright pinning him.^[13] Between late 1994 and early 1995, Levesque briefly teamed with Lord Steven Regal, whose snobby British persona was a good match with his similar persona.^[11] The team was short-lived, however, as Lévesque 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 (1995–present)

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.^[12] 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.^[14]

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 in the Free For All at the 1996 Royal Rumble.^[15]^[16] 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).^[1] Sable was his valet at WrestleMania XII, and after his loss to Ultimate Warrior,^[17] 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.^[18]

On May 28, 1996, Helmsley appeared on WWF Superstars against Marty Garner.^[19] 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.^[19] 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.^[15] He was scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, but was demoted from championship contender to "jobber to the stars" after the Madison Square Garden Incident, in which the Kliq broke character after a match to say goodbye to the departing Nash and Hall.^[20] 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.^[18]^[20] 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.^[21] For a very brief time, Helmsley was accompanied by Mr. Hughes, who was his storyline bodyguard.^[22] After losing the Intercontinental title, he feuded with Goldust, defeating him at WrestleMania 13.^[23] During their feud, Chyna debuted as his new bodyguard.^[24]

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.^[20]^[25] 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,^[26] 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.^[20] 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.

After WrestleMania, Michaels was forced into temporary retirement due to a legitimate back injury sustained at the Royal Rumble,^[27] with Triple H taking over the leadership position in DX,^[20] 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.^[20]^[28] 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.^[8] This storyline rivalry eventually led to a feud over the Intercontinental Championship, which Triple H won in a ladder match at SummerSlam.^[8] He did not hold the title long, however, as he was sidelined with a legitimate knee injury.^[8] When The Rock won the WWF Championship at Survivor Series,^[29] 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 edition 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.^[8] This began a new angle for Triple H, as Chyna betrayed him by attacking him after the match and joining The Corporation.^[8]

As part of the storyline, at WrestleMania XV, Triple H beat Kane with the aid of Chyna, who was thought to have rejoined DX.^[8] 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.^[8] After Triple H's villain 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.^[8] Levesque's gimmick changed as he fought to earn a WWF title shot.^[8] 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.^[30] The following night on Raw, Triple H defeated Mankind to win his first WWF Championship.^[8]

Triple H dropped the WWF Championship to Vince McMahon on the September 16, 1999 edition 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".^[31]

McMahon-Helmsley Era (2000–2001)

Triple H signaling to the crowd

By January 2000, Triple H dubbed himself "The Game," implying that he was at the top of the wrestling world, and was nicknamed "The Cerebral Assassin" by Jim Ross. On the January 3 edition of Raw is War, Triple H defeated The Big Show to win his third WWF championship.^[32]

Triple H feuded with Mick Foley in early 2000 in a storyline that ended with a Hell in a Cell match at No Way Out that sent Foley into retirement.^[33] Triple H pinned The Rock at WrestleMania 2000 to retain the title,^[34] but lost it at Backlash to The Rock.^[35] He regained it three weeks later, in an Iron Man match at Judgment Day,^[36] only to lose it back to The Rock at King of the Ring.^[37] Hunter then entered a storyline feud with Chris Jericho, which culminated in a Last Man Standing match at Fully Loaded.^[37]

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.^[38] 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,^[39] 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 edition of SmackDown!,^[40] 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.^[41]

During the May 21, 2001 episode of Raw, he suffered a legitimate and career-threatening injury.^[1]^[42] 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,^[1]^[42] causing it to come completely off the bone.^[4] Despite his inability to place any weight on his leg, Triple H was able to complete the match.^[4] 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,^[1]^[4] completely missing The Invasion storyline.

Return from injury and various feuds (2002)

Triple H returned to Raw as a fan favorite on January 7, 2002 at Madison Square Garden.^[4] He won the Royal Rumble and received a WWF Undisputed Championship match at WrestleMania X8.^[43] At WrestleMania X8, Triple H beat Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship.^[1]^[43] After holding the title for a month, Helmsley dropped it to Hulk Hogan at Backlash.^[43] 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.

Triple H after winning the Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania X8

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.^[44] When he learned that it was fake, he dumped her publicly on Raw when they were supposed to renew their wedding vows.^[44] Stephanie aligned with Jericho afterward,^[44] 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.^[45] The divorce, and thus the storyline, was finalized at Vengeance.^[46]

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, thus becoming a villain 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.^[47]

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 the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H in the form of the old WCW Championship belt.^[48] Triple H retained his title against Rob Van Dam at Unforgiven when Ric Flair hit RVD with a sledgehammer, and against Kane at No Mercy in a title unification match in which Triple won the Intercontinental Championship and unified it with his World Heavyweight Championship, but he eventually dropped the belt to Shawn Michaels in the first ever Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series.^[49] 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.^[49]

Evolution (2003–2005)

Main article: Evolution (professional wrestling)

Triple H as the World Heavyweight Champion.

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.^[50] 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.^[50] Triple H dropped the title to Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX,^[51] 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.^[51]

He then ended his feud with Michaels, defeating him in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood.^[51] After another failed attempt, losing to Benoit at Vengeance, he focused on Eugene, beating him at SummerSlam.^[52] Triple H then regained the title from former associate Randy Orton at Unforgiven.^[53] 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.^[54] At New Year's Revolution, Triple H won the Elimination Chamber to begin his tenth world title reign.^[55] At WrestleMania 21, Triple H lost the championship to Batista,^[56] and subsequently lost two rematches at Backlash and Vengeance.^[57]^[58] After Vengeance, Triple H then took a hiatus from WWE due to suffering from minor neck problems.^[9]

Feud with Ric Flair (2005)

After a four month hiatus, Triple H returns to Raw on October 3, 2005 as part of WWE Homecoming. He teamed with Flair to defeat Chris Masters and Carlito. After the match, Triple H turned on Flair hitting him with a sledgehammer, sparking a feud between the duo.^[59] Flair defeated Triple H in a Steel cage match at Taboo Tuesday for Flair's Intercontinental Championship.^[60] Subsequently, Triple H defeated Flair in a non-title Last Man Standing match at Survivor Series to end their feud.^[60]

Pursuit of the WWE Championship, DX reunion and injury (2006–2007)

DX striking their signature pose

Although Triple H failed to win the Royal Rumble match at 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.^[61] 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.^[62] Triple H unsuccessfully attempted to win the WWE title from Cena on numerous occasions, blaming his shortcomings on Vince McMahon, which eventually lead to a feud between the McMahons and Triple H.

Shawn Michaels returned on the June 12 edition 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.^[5] DX defeated the Spirit Squad at Vengeance in a 5-on-2 handicap match.^[63] 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 edition 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.^[62] 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.^[64]

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.^[64] At Survivor Series, DX got their revenge when their team defeated Edge and Orton's team in an Elimination Match.^[65] 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.^[66]^[67] Surgery was successfully performed on January 9, 2007 by Dr. James Andrews.^[66]

King of Kings (2007–2009)

Triple H performing his signature ring entrance pose on the middle rope following his 2007 comeback

Triple H made his return at SummerSlam, where he defeated King Booker.^[68] 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.^[69] 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.^[70] 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.^[70] Triple H's title reign at No Mercy is the fifth shortest reign in WWE history, only lasting through the duration of the event.^[70] In the Raw Elimination Chamber at No Way Out, Triple H gained a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XXIV, by outlasting five other men.^[71] However, at WrestleMania XXIV, Randy Orton retained after punting Triple H and pinning John Cena following Triple H's Pedigree on Cena.^[72] 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.^[73] 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.^[74]^[75] Orton suffered a legitimate collarbone injury during the match, thus ending the feud prematurely.^[76]

On June 23, 2008 edition 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.^[77] After several successful title defenses against Edge, The Great Khali, and Jeff Hardy, Triple H ultimately lost his title to Edge at the 2008 Survivor Series pay-per-view. He then engaged himself in a feud against Vladimir Kozlov.^[78] After qualifying for the Elimination Chamber match at the No Way Out pay-per-view, Triple H won the match to win his eighth WWE Championship, surpassing the record originally set by The Rock at seven reigns.

Feud with Randy Orton and The Legacy (2009)

Triple H after retaining the WWE Championship against Randy Orton at The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania

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.^[79] 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 monday night 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 monday night 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.^[80] Weeks later, it was announced that Triple H would defend the WWE championship against Orton at WrestleMania XXV.^[81] 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 Mcmahnon and Batista for the WWE championship at WWE Backlash to lose 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.having Orton win the WWE championship and being put out of action for six weeks.

DX reunion (2009-2010)

On the August 10 episode of Raw, video segments aired in which Triple H met with Michaels at an office cafeteria in Texas where Shawn 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 the fire and Shawn shouting at a little girl), Michaels agreed to team with Triple H to face The Legacy at SummerSlam, quitting from his chef job in the process. On the August 17 episode of Raw, Triple H reunited with Shawn Michaels to reform DX,^[82] and defeated Legacy at SummerSlam.^[83] At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13, DX defeated Chris Jericho and The Big Show to win the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.^[84] On the February 8, 2010 episode of Raw, DX lost the Unified Tag Team Championship to the team of The Miz and Big Show.

Feud with Sheamus (2010)

On February 21, Triple H participated in the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship, although he was unsuccessful. He was attacked by Sheamus a few weeks later, after Sheamus blamed Triple H for costing him the WWE Championship. This set up a match between the two at WrestleMania XXVI, where Triple H came up victorious.^[85]^[86] The night after Wrestlemania, Triple H was attacked by Sheamus while trying to give a farewell speech for Shawn Michaels' retirement. This would set up a rematch at Extreme Rules. At Extreme Rules, after Sheamus attacked Triple H at the start of the show, Sheamus went on to defeat him in a Street Fight.

Acting career

Commercials

His commercial appearances include ads in May 2006 for Miller Lite in which he debates "Man Laws" with the likes of Burt Reynolds, Eddie Griffin and Jerome Bettis.^[87] That same month, he also appeared in a commercial for USA Network with Anthony Michael Hall, which cross-promoted Raw and Hall's show, The Dead Zone. Hall's character, a psychic, touches Triple H while he lounges beside a pool and has a vision of him falling asleep in the sun, and fellow wrestler John Cena slapping Triple H's sunburned back and leaving a handprint. He has also appeared in commercials for bodybuilding supplements such as Stacker 2 and YJ Stinger. Levesque also appeared in a Wendy's commercial holding up a Triple Classic Burger calling it the "Triple H Burger".^[88]

Film

Levesque appeared in the movie, Blade: Trinity, as a vampire enforcer named Jarko Grimwood.^[89]

Levesque has also appeared in several WWE Home Video releases, including Triple H: The Game and Triple H: That Damn Good in 2002, D-Generation-X, a reissue of the VHS version, in 2006, and The New and Improved DX in 2007. Triple H: King of Kings, a DVD covering his career so far, was released on March 25, 2008.^[90]

Television appearances

Levesque appeared in an episode of the USA Network series Pacific Blue on August 9, 1998.^[91] In December 1998, he did a guest appearance in The Drew Carey Show as the Disciplinarian.^[92] He was also featured in the August 14, 2005 episode of MTV's Punk'd in which he was led to believe that he had ruined a wedding by hitting the bride in the face with a door and damaging her nose until Ashton Kutcher and Stacy Keibler showed up. Additionally, his television appearances include guest spots as Triple H on MADtv and Saturday Night Live, and as a character on an episode of The Bernie Mac Show. Levesque also won the WWE edition of The Weakest Link, in which he and Stephanie McMahon were the final two contestants. Levesque has also been a guest announcer for the Mr. Olympia competition.^[66] On September 19, 2009 he accompanied Floyd "Money" Mayweather to the ring as he faced off against Juan Manuel Márquez.^[93]

Personal life

Levesque dated fellow professional wrestler Joanie Laurer (who appeared in the WWE as Chyna)^[31] from 1996 until 2000. Later in 2000, he started dating Stephanie McMahon and they married on October 25, 2003.

He and McMahon have three daughters together.^[94] On January 8, 2006, WWE announced that McMahon and Levesque were expecting their first child, due on July 27, 2006.^[95] 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.^[96] The couple had their second child on July 28, 2008, a daughter named Murphy Claire Levesque.^[97]

He has a sister named Lynn.^[4]His in-laws are Vince, Linda and Shane McMahon.

In late 2004, Levesque released a book entitled Making the Game: Triple H's Approach to a Better Body. Mostly devoted to bodybuilding advice, the book also includes some autobiographical information, memoirs, and opinions.^[98]

In 2010 Levesque's role as an executive senior adviser was officially formalized as he was given an office at WWE's headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.^[99]

In wrestling

Triple H prepares to execute the Pedigree on Chris Benoit

Triple H holding his signature sledgehammer

Finishing moves
- Inverted Indian deathlock – WCW;^[100] used rarely as a regular move thereafter in WWE^[101]
- Pedigree^[3] (Double underhook facebuster)

Signature moves

Managers

Nicknames
- "The Connecticut Blueblood"^[104]
- "The Cerebral Assassin"^[9]
- "The Game"^[1]
- "The King of Kings"^[9]

Entrance themes
- "Blue Blood" by Jim Johnston (WWF) (1995-1996)
- "Symphony No. 9 (Fourth movement)" by Ludwig van Beethoven (WWF/WWE) (1996-1997)
- "Break It Down" by The DX Band (WWF) (used while a part of D-Generation X) (1997-1999, 2006-2010)
- "Corporate Player" by Jim Johnston (WWF) (1999)
- "Higher Brain Pattern" by Jim Johnston ^[105]
- "No Chance in Hell" composed by Jim Johnston and performed by Peter Bursuker (WWF) (used as part of The Corporation) (1999)
- "My Time" by Jim Johnston (WWF) (1999-2001)
- "The Kings" by Run-D.M.C. (WWF) (used while a part of D-Generation X) (2000)
- "The Game" by Drowning Pool
- "Line in the Sand" by Motörhead (used while a part of Evolution)
- "King of Kings" by Motörhead (WWE) (Used for promos) (2006)
- "The Game" by Motörhead (WWF/WWE) (2001-present)

Championships and accomplishments

Triple H as WWE Champion in 2008.

Independent Wrestling Federation
- IWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[2]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2000)^[106] vs. Kurt Angle
- PWI Feud of the Year (2004)^[106] vs. Chris Benoit
- PWI Match of the Year (2004)^[107] vs. Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit at WrestleMania XX
- PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2003–2005)^[108]
- PWI ranked him #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000^[109] and 2009^[110]
- PWI ranked him #139 in the PWI Years in 2003^[111]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2008)
- PWI Most Hated of the Decade (2000-2009)
- PWI Wrestler of the Decade (2000-2009)

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- World Heavyweight Championship (5 times)^[112]
- WWF/E Championship (8 times)^[113]
- WWF European Championship (2 times)^[114]
- WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (5 times)^[115]
- WWF/E World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Steve Austin (1), and Shawn Michaels (1)^[116]^[117]
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Shawn Michaels^[118]
- King of the Ring (1997)^[3]
- Royal Rumble (2002)^[119]
- Second Grand Slam Championship
- Slammy Award for Best Hair (1997)
- Seventh Triple Crown Champion

Wrestling Observer Newsletter^[120]
- Feud of the Year (2000) vs. Mick Foley
- Feud of the Year (2004) vs. Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit
- Feud of the Year (2005) vs. Batista
- Most Overrated (2002–2004, 2009)
- Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler (2002, 2003)
- Worst Feud of the Year (2002) vs. Kane
- Worst Feud of the Year (2006) with Shawn Michaels vs. Vince and Shane McMahon
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2003) vs. Scott Steiner at No Way Out
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2008) vs. Vladimir Kozlov and Edge at Survivor Series
- Wrestler of the Year (2000)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2005)

¹Triple H's fifth reign was as WWF Undisputed Champion.

Lucha de Apuesta record

john cena

John Cena

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John Cena
John Cena, 2008
Ring name(s)	John Cena Mr. P^[1] The Prototype^[2]
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)^[3]
Billed weight	248 lb (112 kg)^[3]
Born	April 23, 1977 (1977-04-23) (age 33)^[4] West Newbury, Massachusetts^[3]
Resides	Tampa, Florida^[5]
Billed from	Classified (UPW)^[2] West Newbury, Massachusetts (WWE)^[3]
Trained by	Ultimate Pro Wrestling^[2] Ohio Valley Wrestling^[1]
Debut	2001^[1]

John Felix Anthony Cena, Jr.^[6] (pronounced /ˈsiːnə/; born April 23, 1977)^[4] is an American actor, rapper, and professional wrestler employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its Raw brand, where he is a member of Nexus.

In WWE, Cena has won fifteen total championships, including nine World Titles (having won the WWE Championship seven times and the World Heavyweight Championship twice). In addition, Cena has also won the WWE United States Championship three times,^[7] the World Tag Team Championship two times (once with Shawn Michaels and once with Batista),^[8] and the WWE Tag Team Championship once (with David Otunga). Cena also won the 2008 Royal Rumble match, and the 2009 Superstar of the Year Slammy Award.^[9]

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 #15 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and starred in the feature films The Marine (2006) and 12 Rounds (2009).^[10] 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.

Early life

Cena was born April 23, 1977, in West Newbury, Massachusetts,^[4] the son of Carol and John Cena, Sr.^[11] He is the second eldest of five brothers – Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean.^[12] After graduating from Cushing Academy, Cena attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.^[13] In college he was a Division III All-American center on the college football team,^[14] wearing the number 54,^[13] which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise.^[15]^[16] He graduated from Springfield in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology,^[17] after which he pursued a career bodybuilding,^[18]^[19] and also worked as a chauffeur for a limousine company.^[20]

Professional wrestling career

Training

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.^[21]^[22] Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Inside Pro Wrestling School.^[19] While in UPW, Cena held the UPW Heavyweight Championship for just shy of a month in April 2000.^[23] In 2001, he signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was assigned to its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).^[24] 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.^[25]^[26]^[27]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–present)

Debut (2002–2003)

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.^[28] 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.^[29] Cena ultimately lost to a hard amateur wrestling-style pin.^[29] Following the near-win, Cena became a fan favorite and started feuding with Chris Jericho.^[28] 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.^[30] The next week, Cena turned on and attacked Kidman, blaming him for their loss, becoming a villain.^[28]

Shortly after the Kidman attack, on a Halloween themed episode of SmackDown, Cena dressed as Vanilla Ice performing a freestyle rap.^[28] The next week, Cena received a new character: a rapper who cut promos while rhyming.^[28] 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".^[31] Moreover, he was joined by an enforcer, Bull Buchanan, who was rechristened B-2 (also written B² and pronounced "B-Squared").^[28] Buchanan was later replaced by Red Dogg,^[28] 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.^[32]^[33]^[34] During the feud, Cena unveiled a new finishing maneuver: the FU, a Fireman's carry powerslam, named to mock Lesnar's F-5.^[35] Cena won a number one contenders tournament against Lesnar at Backlash. However, Cena was defeated by Lesnar.^[28]^[36] 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.^[37]^[38]

United States Champion 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,^[39] making it to the final six before being eliminated by Big Show.^[40] The Royal Rumble elimination led to a feud with Big Show,^[41]^[42] which Cena won the United States Championship from Big Show at WrestleMania XX.^[43] During his reign, Cena came into contention with SmackDown General Manager Kurt Angle over issues arising with René Duprée and Torrie Wilson.^[44] The reign ended almost four months later, when he was stripped of the belt on July 8 by Angle after he (kayfabe, accidentally) knocked him over, thus attacking an official.^[45] Cena won the championship back defeating Booker T in a best of five series that culminated at No Mercy,^[46] only to lose it to the debuting Carlito Caribbean Cool the next week.^[47] After the loss to Carlito, the duo began a feud, which Cena was kayfabe stabbed in the kidney while at a Boston-area nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard, Jesús.^[48]^[49] This worked injury was used to keep Cena out of action for a month, while Cena was filming The Marine.^[26] Immediately on his return in November, Cena won the United States Championship back from Carlito debuting a "custom made" spinner-style championship belt.^[50]^[51]

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.^[52] The next month, Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn a spot in the SmackDown brand's WrestleMania 21 main event match,^[53] 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,^[54] who proceeded to "blow up" the spinner championship with JBL and returning a more traditional style belt.^[55] Cena defeated JBL at WrestleMania winning the WWE Championship, giving Cena his first world championship.^[56] Cena then had a spinner WWE Championship belt made,^[57] while JBL took the original belt and claimed to still be WWE Champion,^[57] until Cena reclaimed the original belt in an "I Quit" match at Judgment Day.^[58]

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.^[59] 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.^[60] With Bischoff vowing to make Cena's stint on Raw difficult, he hand picked Jericho to take Cena's championship from him.^[61] 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.^[62] More crowds followed suit during Cena's next feud with Kurt Angle,^[63] 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.^[64] As the feud continued and the dissenters grew more vocal, sometimes seeming to outnumber fans by wide margins,^[65] 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.^[66] Despite the mixed and negative reactions, Cena held on to his championship through his feud with Angle, losing to him by disqualification^[67] — which titles do not change hands in WWE — at Unforgiven and pinning him at Survivor Series.^[68] 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.^[69]

Various 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.^[70] Three weeks later, Cena won the championship back at the Royal Rumble.^[70] After winning the championship, Cena began feuding with Triple H, which the crowd began booing Cena and cheering the intended Triple H.^[71]^[72] The negative reaction 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.^[73]

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,^[74] 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^[75] (for which Championships do not change hands) and using brass knuckles^[73] — he introduced his own version of Cena's "custom" belt, this one with his logo placed on the spinner.^[76] 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.^[77]^[78] Cena returned his version of the spinner belt on the next night's Raw.^[79]

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.^[80] 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,^[80] Federline appeared at Cyber Sunday to hit Cena with the World Heavyweight Chamionship during the match, helping King Booker retain his championship.^[73] 2006 ended with Cena beginning a feud with the undefeated Umaga over the WWE Championship,^[81] 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.^[82]

During their feud, Cena ended Umaga's "undefeated" streak at New Year's Revolution^[83] before Umaga caused a worked injury to Cena's spleen,^[84] putting a scheduled Last Man Standing rematch at the Royal Rumble in kayfabe jeopardy. The match did, however, take place with Cena retaining his title.^[85]

Cena putting his hands up meaning "Word Life".

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 from injury and joining Nexus (2008–present)

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.^[9] 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 edition 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 successfully won.^[135] 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.^[136] 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.^[137] Being fed up with their interference and attacks on other WWE superstars, Cena formed an alliance with Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth, The Great Khali and Bret Hart to face the group at SummerSlam. At the event, Cena's team defeated Nexus with the returning Daniel Bryan, a former member of Nexus, who replaced Khali after getting injured.^[138] However, Nexus's actions 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 interference by two fans later identified as Husky Harris and Michael McGillicutty, due to the stipulations in place, Cena was forced to join Nexus.^[139] 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.^[140] Later, Cena was forced to help Barrett win or lose his job. However, Cena twisted his words around and attacked Barrett giving Barrett the win via disqualification but not Orton's title.^[140] 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.^[141]

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 $7 million at the United States box office.^[142] After ten weeks in theaters, the film grossed $18.7 million.^[142] Once the film was released on DVD, it fared better, making $30 million in rentals in the first twelve weeks.^[142]

His second film, also produced by WWE Studios, was 12 Rounds.^[143] Filming began on February 25, 2008 in New Orleans;^[143]^[144] 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 on September 10, 2010, for a limited time,^[145] then it will be released on DVD on September 28, 2010.^[146]

Cena played one of the main characters in the film Fred: The Movie, a film based on Lucas Cruikshank's YouTube videos of the same name. He played Fred's dad.^[147] The movie was released on the Nickelodeon channel in September 2010.^[148]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2006	The Marine	John Triton	Lead role
2009	12 Rounds	Danny Fisher	Lead role
2010	Psych	Ewan O'Hara	Guest appearance; episode: "You Can't Handle This Episode"
	True Jackson, VP	Himself	Guest appearance; episode: "Pajama Party"
	Legendary	Mike Chetley
	Hannah Montana	Himself	Guest appearance; episode: "Love That Let's Go"
	Fred: The Movie	Fred's Dad	Television 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.^[149]

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.^[150]

In January 2007, Cena, Batista, and Ashley Massaro appeared representing WWE on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,^[151] giving the children of the family whose house was being renovated WWE merchandise and eight tickets to WrestleMania 23.^[152] 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.^[153] On April 9, 2008, Cena, along with fellow wrestlers Triple H and Chris Jericho, appeared on the Idol Gives Back fund-raising special.^[154] In March 2009, Cena made an appearance on Saturday Night Live during the show's cold opening sequence.^[155] 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 entitled "Sure, pro wrestling is a good gig, but when you win, do they throw teddy bears into the ring?"^[156]

Television

In 2001, between his training in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling,^[18] 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.^[157]^[158]^[159]

Cena was also featured on the ABC reality series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, which aired in June 2007,^[160] making it to the final round before being eliminated on June 24, placing third in the competition overall.^[161]

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."^[162] 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".^[163] A text interview on the website with Cena later had him saying the news outlet should apologize for misrepresenting him,^[164] which CNN refused in a statement, saying they felt the true answer to the question began with the phrase "My answer to that question".^[165] They did, however, edit the documentary on subsequent airings to include the "Absolutely not".^[165]

Cena hosted the Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards with Natalie Bassingthwaighte on October 11, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia.^[166]

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.^[167]

He also guest starred in the seventh episode of Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Forever as himself.

Endorsements

Before his professional wrestling career, Cena appeared in an advertisement for Gold's Gym.^[168] As a wrestler he has endorsed the energy drink YJ Stinger,^[169] appearing in commercials beginning in October 2003, and Subway,^[170] 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.^[171] In 2008, Cena filmed a commercial as part of Gillette's "Young Guns" NASCAR campaign.^[172]

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.^[173]

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.^[174] 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."^[175] He also wore a chain with a large padlock, occasionally using it as a weapon,^[176] 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."^[177] 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.^[178]

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 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.^[179]

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."^[180] Promotion for the album lead to Cena being the only professional wrestler to ever perform on BBC Two's long running Top of the Pops.^[181]

Albums

You Can't See Me
- Released: May 10, 2005
- Chart positions:^[182]^[183] 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"

jeff hardy

Jeff Hardy

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For the rugby league player, see Jeff Hardy (rugby league).

Jeff Hardy

Ring name(s)	Galaxion^[1] Gladiator^[1] The Iceman^[1] Jeff Hardy^[2] Mean Jimmy Jack^[1] Willow the Whisp^[3] Wolverine^[1]
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)^[4]
Billed weight	215 lb (98 kg)^[4]
Born	August 31, 1977 (1977-08-31) (age 33)^[5] Cameron, North Carolina^[4]
Resides	Raleigh, North Carolina
Billed from	Cameron, North Carolina^[2]
Trained by	Dory Funk, Jr.^[2] Michael Hayes^[2]
Debut	October 15, 1993

Jeffrey "Jeff" Nero Hardy^[5] (born August 31, 1977)^[3] is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is the reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion.^[6] He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWE).

Before gaining prominence in WWE, Hardy performed for the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA), a promotion he ran with his brother Matt.^[3] After being signed by WWE, the brothers worked as jobbers,^[7] before gaining notoriety in the tag team division, partly due to their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches.^[8] With the addition of Lita, the team became known as Team Xtreme and continued to rise in popularity.^[2] As a tag team wrestler, Hardy is a six-time World Tag Team Champion and a one-time WCW Tag Team Champion.^[2]^[9]

Hardy has also experienced success as a singles wrestler and is a four-time world champion, having held the WWE Championship once, the World Heavyweight Championship twice and the TNA World Heavyweight Championship once, a four-time Intercontinental Champion, and has held the Light Heavyweight, and European Championships once each. He is also a former Hardcore Champion, having held the championship on three occasions.^[9] He received his first major main event push towards the end of 2007, including challenging for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble in 2008, and eventually won the WWE Championship at the Armageddon pay-per-view in December 2008.^[10]^[11] Hardy went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship twice, before he left WWE in mid-2009. He returned to TNA in January 2010, and in October of that year, he won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

Moreover, Hardy is involved in motocross, music, painting, and other artistic endeavors.^[12] He is currently a member of the band Peroxwhy?gen.^[13]

Early life

Hardy is the son of Gilbert and Ruby Moore Hardy, and the younger brother of Matt.^[2]^[7]^[14] Their mother died of brain cancer in 1986, when Hardy was nine.^[7]^[15]^[16] He developed an interest in motocross aged 12 and got his first bike, a Yamaha YZ-80, at age 13.^[17] He had his first race when he was in ninth grade.^[18] Hardy played baseball as a child, but had to stop after he crashed during a motocross race, injuring his arm.^[18] He also played football during high school as a fullback and linebacker.^[17] He briefly competed in amateur wrestling in high school.^[19] He had to stop playing sports in high school, after he was ordered to pick between professional wrestling and playing sports, and he chose wrestling.^[20] Hardy's favorite subjects in school were U.S. history and art, which he did for extra credit.^[21]

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Hardy cites Sting, The Ultimate Warrior, and Shawn Michaels as his childhood inspirations to wrestle.^[22] Hardy had been on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television as a jobber—a wrestler who consistently loses to make his opponents look stronger—as early as age sixteen. His first WWF match was against Razor Ramon on May 24, 1994.^[23] The next day he wrestled against The 1-2-3 Kid, and the match aired on the June 25 episode of Superstars.^[24] He occasionally wrestled as a jobber as late as 1997 before beginning his first major run in 1998.^[7] Hardy, along with his brother Matt and friends, started their own federation, the Trampoline Wrestling Federation (TWF) and mimicked the moves they saw on television.^[7] Later on, the TWF went under several different names, eventually being integrated into a county fair in North Carolina. The brothers and their friends then began to work for other independent companies. They drove all over the East Coast of the United States, working for companies such as ACW and other small promotions.^[5]

Before arriving in the WWF, Matt formed his own wrestling promotion, the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts (OMEGA) with Thomas Simpson.^[3] The promotion was a more successful version of the original TWF and included talent such as both Hardy brothers, Shannon Moore, Gregory Helms, Joey Matthews, and Steve Corino, among others.^[25] In OMEGA, each of the brothers portrayed several different characters; Hardy portrayed such characters as Willow the Wisp, Iceman, Mean Jimmy Jack Tomkins, and The Masked Mountain.^[3] While there, Hardy held the New Frontier Championship as a singles competitor and the Tag Team Championship with Matt.^[3]^[26]^[27] The promotion folded in April 1998 when they signed contracts with the WWF.^[28]

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment

The Hardy Boyz (1998–2002)

Main article: Hardy Boyz

Team Xtreme at King of the Ring in 2000.

The Hardy brothers eventually caught the eyes of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). After being signed to a contract in 1998,^[7]^[29] they were trained by Dory Funk, Jr. in his Funkin' Dojo with other notable wrestlers such as Kurt Angle, Christian, Test, and A-Train.^[5] When the team was finally brought up to WWF television, after months of 'jobbing' and live events, they formed the acrobatic tag team called the Hardy Boyz.^[3] While feuding with The Brood in mid-1999, they added Michael Hayes as their manager.^[3] On July 5, they won their first WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating the Acolytes, but lost it back to them a month later.^[30] After the dissolution of the Brood, the Hardys joined forces with Gangrel as The New Brood and feuded with Edge and Christian.^[3]^[31] This stable did not last long, however, and on October 17, 1999 at No Mercy, the Hardy Boyz won the managerial services of Terri Runnels in the finals of the Terri Invitational Tournament in the WWF's first ever tag team ladder match against Edge and Christian.^[7]^[32]

In 2000, the Hardy Boyz found a new manager in their real-life friend Lita.^[2] Together, the three became known as "Team Xtreme".^[2] They continued their feud with Edge and Christian throughout 2000, defeating them for the WWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions.^[33]^[34] At SummerSlam the Hardy Boyz competed in the first ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match (TLC match), for the Tag Team Championship against the Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian, but were unsuccessful.^[8]

Hardy gained attention for his high risk stunts in the TLC matches in the year 2000,^[8] 2001,^[35] and 2002.^[36] He made a name for himself as one of the most seemingly reckless and unorthodox WWF performers of his time.^[37] In 2001, Hardy received a push as a singles competitor, and he held the WWF Intercontinental (defeating Triple H),^[38] Light Heavyweight (defeating Jerry Lynn)^[39] and Hardcore Championships (defeating Mike Awesome and Van Dam on two separate occasions).^[40] At the end of 2001, the Hardys began a storyline in which they began to fight, which led to Matt demanding a match at Vengeance, with Lita as the special guest referee.^[41] After Hardy beat Matt at Vengeance, while Matt's foot was on the ropes, Hardy and Lita began feuding against Matt.^[42] In the middle of the feud, however, Hardy faced The Undertaker in a Hardcore Championship match and lost.^[43] After the match, the Undertaker was scripted to attack both Hardy and Lita, injuring them.^[43] On the next episode of SmackDown!, the Undertaker also attacked Matt, also injuring him, in storyline.^[44] The Hardys and Lita were not seen again until the Royal Rumble, because WWE did not have another storyline for their characters.^[45] The Hardys later came back as a team, and there was never any mention of their previous storyline split.^[45]

Jeff Hardy during an autograph signing session

In early April 2002, the Hardy Boyz began a feud with Brock Lesnar after Lesnar gave Matt an F-5 on the steel entrance ramp, which led to an angered Hardy seeking revenge on Lesnar.^[46] At Backlash, Hardy faced-off against Lesnar in his first televised match.^[47] Lesnar dominated Hardy and won the match by knockout.^[48] Lesnar and the Hardys continued to feud over the next few weeks, with the Hardys coming out victorious only once by disqualification.^[49] At Judgment Day, Lesnar gained the upper hand on the Hardy Boyz before tagging his partner, Paul Heyman, in to claim the win for the team.^[50] In July 2002, Hardy won his third Hardcore Championship by defeating Bradshaw.^[9]^[40]

Singles competition (2002–2003)

After years in the tag team division, Hardy took on The Undertaker in a ladder match for the Undisputed Championship.^[3]^[51] Hardy came up short, but earned the Undertaker's respect.^[3] Hardy competed for singles titles on several occasions and defeated William Regal for the WWE European Championship.^[52] Hardy was defeated a few weeks later by Rob Van Dam in a match to unify the European Championship and the Intercontinental Championship, and the European Championship was dropped.^[52] Finally, the Hardy Boyz split apart, as Hardy continued to pursue his singles ambitions on Raw and his brother, Matt was drafted to the SmackDown! brand.^[53]

In January 2003, he briefly turned into a heel (villain) after he attacked Van Dam and Shawn Michaels.^[5]^[54]^[55] It ended a month later when he saved Stacy Keibler from an attack by then-villain, Christian.^[56] In February, he had a brief program with Michaels, which saw the two team up.^[51]^[57] Then, in storyline, Hardy began dating Trish Stratus after saving her from Steven Richards and Victoria in March.^[58] Hardy and Stratus had a brief on-screen relationship that saw the duo talking backstage, kissing, and teaming together in matches.^[5]^[59] Hardy, however, was released from WWE on April 22, 2003.^[5]^[60] The reasons given for the release were Hardy's erratic behavior, drug use, refusal to go to rehab, deteriorating ring performance, as well as constant tardiness and no-showing events.^[2]^[60] Hardy also cites "burn out" and the need for time off as reasons for leaving WWE.^[22]

Time off and independent circuit (2003)

Hardy made his first wrestling appearance after being released from WWE at an OMEGA show, on May 24.^[3] Using his old gimmick, "Willow the Wisp", Hardy challenged Krazy K for the OMEGA Cruiserweight Championship, but lost the match.^[3] Hardy performed with the Ring of Honor (ROH) promotion on one occasion.^[61] Hardy appeared at ROH's 2003 show, Death Before Dishonor, under his "Willow the Wisp" gimmick, wearing a mask and trench coat.^[61] Hardy was quickly unmasked and lost his jacket, wearing attire similar to that he wore in WWE.^[61] Hardy was booed and heckled before, during, and after the match by the ROH audience, who chanted "We want Matt!" and "You were fired!" during his match with Joey Matthews and Krazy K, which Hardy won.^[61] Hardy then took a whole year off of wrestling to concentrate on motocross and finish his motocross track.^[12]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2006)

Hardy in TNA in 2005

Hardy debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on June 23, 2004, at the Second Anniversary Show, in a match against TNA X Division Champion A.J. Styles, for the title.^[62] He also debuted his new entrance theme "Modest", a song performed by Hardy himself,^[63] and a new nickname, "The Charismatic Enigma".^[3] The match ended in a no contest when Kid Kash and Dallas interfered.^[62] Hardy returned to TNA on July 21 and was awarded a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.^[64] Hardy challenged for the title on September 8, losing to NWA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett.^[65] In October 2004, he won a tournament,^[66] earning a shot at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on November 7 at Victory Road, TNA's first monthly pay-per-view.^[67] Hardy was defeated by Jarrett once again in a ladder match at Victory Road following interference from Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.^[67] One month later at Turning Point, Hardy, Styles and Randy Savage defeated Jarrett, Hall and Nash (collectively known as the Kings of Wrestling).^[68] Hardy went on to defeat Hall in a singles match, substituting for Héctor Garza at Final Resolution on January 16, 2005.^[69]

At Against All Odds in February 2005, Hardy lost to Abyss in a "Full Metal Mayhem" match for the number one contendership to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.^[70] Hardy returned the favor by defeating Abyss in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Destination X in March.^[71] Hardy then went on to feud with Raven,^[72]^[73] with Hardy booked to defeat Raven in a steel cage match at Lockdown in April.^[74] Hardy was suspended from TNA after no-showing his "Clockwork Orange House of Fun" rematch with Raven at Hard Justice on May 15, allegedly due to travel difficulties.^[3]^[75]^[76] Hardy's suspension was lifted on August 5, and he returned at Sacrifice approximately a week later, attacking Jeff Jarrett.^[77] He wrestled his first TNA match in four months at Unbreakable on September 11, losing to Bobby Roode following interference from Jarrett.^[78] Throughout October 2005, Hardy became embroiled in a feud with Abyss, Rhino and Sabu.^[79]^[80] The four way feud culminated in a Monster's Ball match at Bound for Glory on October 23, which Rhino won after delivering a second rope Rhino Driver to Hardy.^[5]^[81] In the course of the match, Hardy delivered a Swanton Bomb to Abyss from a height of approximately 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m).^[81] Later that night, Hardy competed in a ten-man battle royal for the number one contendership to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which Rhino also won.^[81] At Genesis in November, Hardy lost to Monty Brown in another number one contender match.^[82]

Hardy was scheduled to wrestle on the pre-show of Turning Point in December 2005, but once again no-showed the event, again citing traveling problems.^[3]^[5] Hardy was suspended as a result and did not appear on TNA television again.^[3] In March, April, and May 2006, Hardy appeared on several live events promoted by TNA in conjunction with Dave Hebner and the United Wrestling Federation.^[3]^[5]

Return to World Wrestling Entertainment

Raw (2006)

Jeff Hardy performing a low dropkick on Umaga in a tag-team match during 2007

On August 4, 2006, WWE announced that Hardy had re-signed with the company.^[60] In the following weeks, vignettes aired hyping his return on the August 21 episode of Raw.^[83] On the day of his return, Hardy received a push and defeated then-WWE Champion Edge by disqualification when Lita pulled Edge out of the ring.^[84] After failing to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Johnny Nitro over the next few weeks, including at Unforgiven,^[85] Hardy finally defeated Nitro to win his second Intercontinental Championship on the October 2 episode of Raw.^[86] On the November 6 episode of Raw, Hardy lost the Intercontinental Championship back to Nitro, after Nitro hit him with the Intercontinental Championship title belt.^[87] One week later, Hardy regained it on the November 13 episode of Raw, with a crucifix pin.^[88] This marked Hardy's third reign as Intercontinental Champion.^[38]

The Hardys reunion (2006–2007)

On the November 21 episode of ECW on Sci Fi Hardy teamed with his brother, Matt, for the first time in almost five years to defeat the Full Blooded Italians.^[89] At Survivor Series, they both were a part of Team D-Generation X, which gained the victory over Team Rated-RKO with a clean sweep.^[90] The brothers then received their first opportunity since Hardy's return to win a tag team championship at Armageddon.^[91] They competed in a four-team ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but they came up short in their attempt.^[91] In the course of the match, however, they inadvertently legitimately injured Joey Mercury's face.^[92]

The Hardy Boyz, Jeff (far left) and Matt (far right).

With Hardy still feuding with Johnny Nitro and the other members of MNM into 2007, he was challenged once again by Nitro at New Year's Revolution in a steel cage match for the Intercontinental Championship.^[93] Hardy once again defeated Nitro.^[93] Hardy then teamed with Matt to defeat MNM at both the Royal Rumble and No Way Out pay-per-views.^[94]^[95] The next night on Raw, February 19, Hardy was defeated for the Intercontinental Championship by Umaga.^[96] In April 2007, Hardy competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 23.^[97] During the match, Matt threw Edge onto a ladder and encouraged Hardy, who was close to the winning briefcase, to finish him off.^[97] Hardy then leaped off the 20-foot-high (6.1 m) ladder, drove Edge through the ladder with a leg drop, seemingly injuring both Edge and himself.^[97] The two were unable to continue the match and were removed from ringside on stretchers.^[97]

The next night on Raw, April 2, the Hardys competed in a 10-team battle royal for the World Tag Team Championship.^[98] They won the titles after eliminating Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.^[98] They then began a feud with Cade and Murdoch, with the Hardys retaining the Championship in their first title defense against them at Backlash and again at Judgment Day.^[99]^[100] The Hardys, however, dropped the titles to Cade and Murdoch on June 4 on Raw.^[101] The Hardys earned a rematch at Vengeance: Night of Champions but were defeated.^[102]

Main event status (2007–2009)

Jeff Hardy worked closely with Triple H during late 2007, and again in late 2008.

In the midst of feuding with Umaga, who defeated Hardy at The Great American Bash to retain the Intercontinental Championship in late July,^[103] Hardy was abruptly taken off WWE programming.^[3] He posted on his own website and in the forums of TheHardyShow.com that it was time off to heal, stemming from a bad fall taken in a match against Mr. Kennedy on the July 23 episode of Raw.^[3] He made his return on the August 27 episode of Raw beating Kennedy by disqualification after Umaga interfered.^[104] The following week, on September 3, Hardy successfully captured his fourth Intercontinental Championship by defeating Umaga for the title.^[105]

This was the start of a push for Hardy, and at Survivor Series, Hardy and Triple H were the last two standing to win the traditional elimination match.^[106] Hardy began an on and off tag team with Triple H,^[107]^[108] which eventually led to a respectful feud between the two.^[108] The scripted rivalry continued at Armageddon, when Hardy defeated Triple H to become the number one contender for the WWE Championship.^[109] In the weeks leading up to the Royal Rumble, Hardy and Randy Orton engaged in a personal feud, which began when Orton kicked Hardy's brother, Matt, in the head in the storyline.^[110] Hardy, in retaliation, performed a Swanton Bomb on Orton from the top of the Raw set and seemed to have all the momentum after coming out on top in their encounters.^[11]^[111]^[112] Hardy, however, lost the title match at the Royal Rumble,^[11] but was named as one of six men to compete in an Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out, where he survived to the final two before being eliminated by the eventual winner, Triple H.^[113]

During the March 3 episode of Raw, Hardy appeared on Chris Jericho's "Highlight Reel" segment as a special guest, but ended up attacking Jericho.^[114] This led to an Intercontinental title match on the following Raw where Hardy dropped the title to Jericho.^[115] Off-screen, Hardy dropped the title after he was suspended for sixty days, as of March 11, for his second violation of the company's Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy.^[116] Hardy was also removed from the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV after the suspension was announced.^[116]^[117] Hardy returned on the May 12 episode of Raw, defeating Umaga.^[118] This reignited the rivalry between the two, and they met in a Falls Count Anywhere match at One Night Stand, which Hardy won.^[119]

Hardy as WWE Champion at the start of 2009

On June 23, 2008, Hardy was drafted from the Raw brand to the SmackDown brand, as a part of the 2008 WWE Draft.^[120] Hardy made his SmackDown debut on the July 4 episode, defeating John Morrison.^[121] Hardy participated in the WWE Championship Scramble match at Unforgiven and also challenged for the Championship at No Mercy and Cyber Sunday, but failed to win each time.^[122]^[123]^[124] He was originally scheduled to be in the WWE Championship match at Survivor Series, but, in storyline, was found unconscious in his hotel, allowing the returning Edge to replace him in the match and win the title.^[125]^[126] At Armageddon in December 2008, Hardy defeated the defending champion Edge and Triple H in a triple threat match to capture the WWE Championship, his first world heavyweight championship.^[10]^[127]

In January 2009, Hardy's next storyline led to his involvement in scripted accidents, including a hit-and-run automobile accident and an accident involving his ring entrance pyrotechnics.^[128]^[129] At the 2009 Royal Rumble, Hardy lost his WWE Championship to Edge after Hardy's brother, Matt, interfered on Edge's behalf and hit Hardy with a steel chair.^[130] The buildup to this feud involved Matt implying that he was responsible for all of Hardy's accidents over the past few months, and at WrestleMania XXV, Hardy was defeated by Matt in an Extreme Rules match.^[131]^[132] In a rematch at Backlash, however, Hardy defeated Matt in an "I Quit" match.^[133]

At Extreme Rules, Hardy defeated Edge to win the World Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match. Immediately after the match, however, CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, which gave him a guaranteed world championship match at any time he wanted, and defeated Hardy to win the championship.^[134] Hardy received his rematch at The Bash, and won the match via disqualification, with Punk still retaining the title.^[135] At Night of Champions, however, Hardy won the championship for the second time, by defeating Punk.^[136]^[137] At the SummerSlam pay-per-view in August, Hardy lost the title back to Punk in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.^[138] On the August 28 episode of SmackDown, Punk defeated Hardy in a steel cage rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship, resulting in Hardy being forced to leave WWE, in storyline, per the pre-match stipulation.^[139] This storyline was put in place to allow Hardy to leave WWE to heal his injuries, including a neck injury.^[140]^[141] Hardy also had two herniated discs in his lower back and was suffering from Restless legs syndrome.^[140]^[141]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling return (2010)

Hardy during his return to TNA at the live Impact! on January 4.

On TNA's first live Monday edition of Impact! on January 4, 2010, Hardy made his return to TNA, along with Shannon Moore.^[142] He was attacked by Homicide after emerging from the crowd, but hit Homicide with a steel chair and performed the Twist of Fate on the Impact! Zone ramp.^[142] He later appeared in backstage segments throughout the evening.^[143] The following day, it was reported that Hardy had signed a new contract with TNA.^[6] Hardy would make his next appearance for the company on the March 8 episode of Impact!, saving D'Angelo Dinero, Abyss and Hulk Hogan from A.J. Styles, Ric Flair and Desmond Wolfe.^[144] The following week Hardy defeated the TNA World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles in a non-title match.^[145] On the April 5 episode of Impact! Hardy was introduced as a member of Team Hogan for the annual Lethal Lockdown match, where they would face Team Flair.^[146] At Lockdown Team Hogan (Hardy, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett and Rob Van Dam) defeated Team Flair (Sting, Desmond Wolfe, Robert Roode and James Storm).^[147] At Sacrifice Hardy defeated Mr. Anderson.^[148] After the event, Anderson turned face and eventually managed to convince the skeptical Hardy that he really had changed, after which the two went on to form a tag team.^[149]^[150] At Slammiversary VIII Hardy and Anderson, now known as Enigmatic Assholes, defeated Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm) in a tag team match.^[151]

On the August 19 episode of Impact! the TNA World Heavyweight Championship was vacated and Hardy was entered into an eight man tournament for the championship, defeating Rob Terry in his first round match.^[152] At the semifinals at No Surrender Hardy first wrestled Kurt Angle to a twenty minute time-limit draw, after which Eric Bischoff ordered a five minute period of extra time. After that and a second five minute extra time period also ended in draws, it was ruled that Angle was unable to continue and the match ended in a no contest.^[153] After wrestling a draw on the September 16 episode of Impact!, it was announced that both Hardy and Angle would advance to the finals at Bound for Glory, where they would compete with Mr. Anderson in a three–way match.^[154] At Bound for Glory, Hardy turned heel with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff and with their help defeated Angle and Anderson to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. They were then joined by Jeff Jarrett and Abyss, revealing the group that Abyss had been referring to as "they" for several months.^[155] On the following edition of Impact! the stable was named Immortal, as it formed an alliance with Ric Flair's Fortune. Meanwhile, Hardy debuted a new dark character, using cryptic messages as he explained the reasons behind his turn.^[156]

Other media

Hardy appeared on the February 7, 1999 episode of That '70s Show entitled "That Wrestling Show", along with Matt, as an uncredited wrestler.^[157]^[158] Hardy and Matt also appeared on Tough Enough in early 2001, talking to and wrestling the contestants.^[159] He appeared on the February 25, 2002 episode of Fear Factor competing against five other World Wrestling Federation wrestlers.^[160] He was eliminated in the first round.^[160] Hardy also appears on The Hardy Show, an internet web show which features the Hardys, Shannon Moore and many of their friends.^[161] In September 2009, Hardy signed a deal with Fox 21 studios to appear in a reality television show.^[140]

In 2001, Hardy, Matt and Lita appeared in Rolling Stone magazine's 2001 Sports Hall of Fame issue.^[162] In 2003, Hardy and Matt, with the help of Michael Krugman, wrote and published their autobiography The Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire.^[163]

As part of WWE, Hardy has appeared in several of their DVDs, including The Hardy Boyz: Leap of Faith (2001) and The Ladder Match (2007).^[164]^[165] He is also featured in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling release Enigma: The Best of Jeff Hardy (2005) and Pro Wrestling's Ultimate Insiders: Hardy Boys – From the Backyard to the Big Time (2005). On April 29, 2008, WWE released "Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story".^[164] The DVD features footage of the brothers in OMEGA and WWE, and also briefly mentions Hardy's first run with TNA.^[164] In December 2009, WWE released a DVD about Hardy entitled Jeff Hardy: My Life, My Rules.^[166]

Artistic pursuits

Hardy has an eclectic set of interests outside of wrestling. He calls his artistic side "The Imag-I-Nation".^[167] At one stage, Hardy constructed a 30-foot (9.1 m) statue of an "aluminummy" named "Neroameee" out of tin foil outside of his recording studio (a spray painted trailer).^[2] On another occasion, he created an artificial volcano in his front yard, which he then jumped over on his motocross dirtbike. On another occasion Hardy created a large sculpture of his brother Matt's hand signal "V1", which was seen on "The Hardy Show", an Internet web show which features both the Hardys, Shannon Moore and many of their friends.^[168] Hardy is also an artist and poet.^[2]

Hardy taught himself how to play guitar and later bought a drum kit.^[169] In 2003, Hardy formed a band, Peroxwhy?gen, with members of the band Burnside 6, and Moore, who later left.^[63]^[169] He also converted a trailer into a recording studio.^[169] The band recorded two songs;^[15] One song was "September Day", a song Jeff wrote in reaction to the September 11, 2001 attacks.^[170] Rumors arose that Peroxwhy?gen split up in 2004 shortly after recording the second song, "Modest", which Hardy later used as his entrance music in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.^[63] On the official Peroxwhy?gen MySpace, however, the rumors were denounced.^[13] Currently, Peroxwhy?gen only has two members, Hardy and JR Merrill.^[13]

Personal life

Hardy at an autograph signing, showing his roots tattoo on his arm

He has a tattoo of roots that starts on his head, behind his ear, and finishes at his hand.^[171] He also has a few other signature designed tattoos, one of which, a dragon, he hid from his father.^[171] It was also the first tattoo he got in 1998.^[172] He later got tattoos of the Chinese symbols for "Peace" and "Health", as well as tattoos of fire and a wave.^[172] Hardy regards his tattoos as his "artistic impulses".^[173] Hardy is very good friends with Shannon Moore, who he has known since around 1987.^[174] He is also good friends with Marty Garner and Jason Arhndt.^[175]^[176] He regards Vanilla Ice as a big influence on him,^[177] and he was even nicknamed "Ice" by Scott Hall.^[178]

Hardy met his girlfriend Beth Britt in 1999, shortly after the Hardy Boyz had won the WWF Tag Team Championship for the first time.^[179] Hardy and his brother Matt went to a club in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where Hardy met her.^[179] On March 15, 2008, it was reported that Hardy's house had burned to the ground in a fire.^[116]^[117] Hardy and his girlfriend were not home at the time, but his dog, Jack, was killed in the fire.^[116]^[117] It is believed that the fire was started by faulty electrical wiring.^[180] In October 2008, Hardy was building a new home in the same area, which was expected to be completed by early 2009.^[116]^[117] In August 2010, Hardy announced that Britt was pregnant with the couple's first child,^[181] a daughter, who was born in late October.^[182]

On September 17, 2008, Hardy was involved in an incident at the Nashville International Airport's Southwest gate.^[183] A Southwest Airline employee reported that Hardy appeared to be intoxicated and therefore, he was not allowed to board the flight.^[183] He was not, however, arrested as he was said to be "calm" and "co-operative", and he made other arrangements to get home.^[183]

On September 11, 2009 Hardy was arrested on charges of trafficking in controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steroids, after a search of his house yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.^[184]

In wrestling

Hardy performing a Swanton Bomb on Chris Jericho in 2002.

Hardy performing the Whisper in the Wind on Edge

Hardy performing Poetry in Motion on Billy Gunn at WrestleMania X8.

Hardy's ring entrance pyrotechnics

Finishing moves
- Reverse of Fate (Inverted facelock neckbreaker slam)^[3]
- Spine Line (Armlock cloverleaf)^[185] – OMEGA;^[3] used as a regular move in TNA^[185]
- Swanton Bomb / The Swanton (WWE/TNA) (High-angle senton bomb)^[2]^[4]
- Twist of Fate / Twist of Hate^[186] (TNA; 2010–present) (Front facelock dropped either into a cutter – WWE/ TNA or a stunner – TNA; 2004–2006)^[2]

Signature moves
- Baseball slide^[187]
- Diving clothesline from off a barricade^[188]
- Double leg drop to the opponent's groin or midsection^[3]
- Hardyac Arrest^[189] (Rope aided corner dropkick)^[190]
- Mule kick^[191]
- Plancha^[192]^[193]
- Positioned at the top rope or on another ladder, Hardy performs a diving leg drop after leapfrogging over a ladder^[185]
- Sitout inverted suplex slam^[190]
- Sitout jawbreaker^[3]
- Whisper in the Wind (Turnbuckle climb into a rebounded corkscrew senton to a standing opponent)^[2]

Managers

Nicknames
- "The Charismatic Enigma"^[3]^[194] (TNA / WWE)
- "The Extreme Enigma" (WWE)
- "The Legend Thriller"^[119] (WWE)
- "The Rainbow–Haired Warrior"^[11] (WWE)

Entrance themes
- "Loaded" by Zack Tempest^[195] (WWF / WWE; 1999–2003, 2006–2008)
- "Tourniquet" by Marilyn Manson^[196] (ROH; 2003)
- "Modest" by Peroxwhy?gen^[63] (TNA; 2004–2006, 2010)
- "No More Words" by Endeverafter^[197] (WWE; 2008–2009)
- "Modest (Remix)" by Peroxwhy?gen and Dale Oliver (TNA; 2010)
- "Another (Remix)" by Peroxwhy?gen and Dale Oliver (TNA; 2010–present)

Championships and accomplishments

National Championship Wrestling
- NCW Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[3]

New Dimension Wrestling
- NDW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[5]
- NDW Tag Team Championship (1 time)¹^[198] – with Matt Hardy

New Frontier Wrestling Association
- NFWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[5]

North East Wrestling
- NEW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[5]

NWA 2000
- NWA 2000 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[5]

Jeff Hardy as World Tag Team Champion

Jeff Hardy as the WWE Intercontinental Champion

Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts
- OMEGA New Frontiers Championship (1 time)^[27]
- OMEGA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[5]^[199]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Comeback of the Year (2007)^[200]
- PWI Match of the Year (2000) with Matt Hardy vs. The Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian in a Triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000^[201]
- PWI Match of the Year (2001) with Matt Hardy vs. The Dudley Boyz and Edge and Christian in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at WrestleMania X-Seven^[202]
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2008, 2009)^[203]
- PWI Tag Team of the Year (2000) with Matt Hardy^[201]
- PWI ranked him #13 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2009^[204]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- TNA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time, current)^[155]

Universal Wrestling Association
- UWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)^[5]

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Matt Hardy^[3]
- World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[136]^[205]
- WWE Championship (1 time)^[9]^[10]
- WWE European Championship (1 time)^[9]^[52]
- WWF Hardcore Championship (3 times)^[40]
- WWF / WWE Intercontinental Championship (4 times)^[38]
- WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[39]
- WWF / WWE World Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Matt Hardy^[9]^[206]
- Terri Invitational Tournament^[32] – with Matt Hardy
- Ninth Grand Slam Champion
- Eighteenth Triple Crown Champion
- Slammy Award for Extreme Moment of the Year (2008) Swanton Bomb to Randy Orton from the top of the Raw set (Raw, January 14) ^[207]
- Slammy Award for Extreme Moment of the Year (2009) Jumping from ladder onto CM Punk at SummerSlam

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Flying Wrestler (2000)^[208]
- Feud of the Year (2009) vs. CM Punk
- Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic (2008) Hardy attacked in stairwell before Survivor Series^[209]

rey mysterio

Rey Mysterio, Jr.

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"Rey Mysterio" redirects here. For his uncle, the original Rey Misterio, see Rey Misterio, Sr..

Rey Mysterio, Jr.
Rey Mysterio, December 2008.
Ring name(s)	Green Lizard Colibrí^[1] Rey Misterio, Jr.^[1] Rey Mysterio^[1]
Billed height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)^[2]
Billed weight	175 lb (79 kg)^[2]
Born	December 11, 1974 (1974-12-11) (age 35)^[3] Chula Vista, California^[4]
Resides	San Diego, California^[1]
Billed from	San Diego, California^[2]
Trained by	Rey Misterio, Sr.^[1]
Debut	April 30, 1989^[5]

Oscar Gutierrez (born December 11, 1974)^[3] is a Mexican American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), wrestling on its SmackDown brand. Gutiérrez was trained by his uncle Rey Misterio and wrestled early on in Mexico where he learned the Lucha Libre high flying style that has been his trademark BC13. Despite weighing only 175 lb (79 kg) Gutiérrez has achieved success wrestling in both the heavyweight and cruiserweight weightclasses, as well as tag team competition. He is also known for the way he follows the Mexican luchador traditions.

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, from 1996 to 2001, as Rey Misterio, Jr./Rey Mysterio, Jr. but dropped the "Junior" from his name when he began working for the 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 has won the World Heavyweight Championship twice, 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, making him the 21st person to win the Triple Crown Championship. Mysterio was also the winner of the 2006 Royal Rumble.

[hide]

1 Professional wrestling career
2 Personal life
3 Other media
4 In wrestling
5 Championships and accomplishments
- 5.1 Luchas de Apuestas record
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Óscar Gutiérrez was born on December 11, 1974. He was trained by his uncle Rey Mysterio, Sr. and made his pro debut in 1989 in a Flyin Mexican church.^[5] He began a feud with Psicosis using the ring name Colibrí (Spanish for hummingbird). The feud lasted several years, continuing even after Mysterio's career moved to the United States of America.

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.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)

After AAA, Rey Mysterio Jr. along with Juventud Guerrera and Psicosis were contacted by Paul Heyman to sign a contract for ECW in the states. Though Rey Mysterio Jr. only had a brief stint in ECW, he had a Mexican Death match with Psicosis that was ranked as best match of the year 1995. Mysterio left ECW however to join World Championship Wrestling.

World Championship Wrestling (1996-2001)

Cruiserweight division (1996–1999)

Rey Mysterio, Jr. made his 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. At Bash at the Beach, he defeated longtime rival Psycosis in a number one contender's match to earn another shot at the Cruiserweight Title.^[6] The next night on the July 8 edition of WCW Monday Nitro, he defeated Malenko to win his first Cruiserweight Championship.^[7] 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.^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11] After his first Cruiserweight title reign ended, Mysterio challenged Ultimate Dragon for the J-Crown Championship, but was unsuccessful in his title match at the 1996 World War 3.^[12] In early 1997, he feuded with Prince Iaukea over the WCW World Television Championship. He challenged Iaukea for the title at SuperBrawl VII, which Mysterio lost after Lord Steven Regal attacked him.^[13] Mysterio lost again in a rematch for the title at Uncensored.^[14] He had short feuds for the rest of the year before he began a feud with his real-life friend and Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero. He defeated Guerrero in a Title vs. Mask match at Halloween Havoc for his second Cruiserweight Championship.^[15] On the November 10 edition of Nitro, he lost the title back to Guerrero. They had a rematch at World War 3, which Mysterio also lost.^[16]

On the January 15, 1998 edition of WCW Thunder, Mysterio defeated Juventud to win his third Cruiserweight Championship, but lost it nine days later to Chris Jericho at Souled Out.^[15]^[17] 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.^[18] The next night, however, the result was overturned and the belt returned to Jericho due to the interference by Dean Malenko.^[18] 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 long time rival and LWO member Psychosis in a match at Road Wild.^[19] 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 Psychosis and Juventud.^[20]^[21]

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 psychologically wise 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.^[22]

”

Mysterio later became a "giant killer" by defeating large opponents such as Kevin Nash,^[23] Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Norton.^[24] He faced Nash at Uncensored 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 Bischoff utilizing 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. But later on he was interrupted by rising superstar Iffah. But 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.^[22]

”

The next night on Nitro, he defeated Billy Kidman to win his fourth Cruiserweight Championship.^[15] Two weeks later, both men teamed with each other and defeated Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship,^[25] making Mysterio a double champion. Mysterio successfully defended his Cruiserweight Title against his tag team partner Kidman at Spring Stampede^[26] before losing the title on the April 19 edition of Nitro to Psychosis in a Fatal Four-Way match that also involved Juventud Guerrera and Blitzkrieg.^[27] On the following edition of Nitro, he defeated Psychosis to win his fifth Cruiserweight Championship.^[15] 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.^[28]

No Limit Soldiers; Filthy Animals (1999–2001)

Main articles: No Limit Soldiers and Filthy Animals

In the summer of 1999, Mysterio teamed with long time friend 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.^[29] At Bash at the Beach, they defeated the Rednecks in a four-on-four Elimination tag team match when Mysterio pinned Hennig.^[30] After Master P's departure from WCW, Mysterio formed a stable with Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman known as the Filthy Animals.^[31] 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.^[32]^[33] On the August 19 edition of Thunder, Mysterio lost the Cruiserweight Title to Lenny Lane.^[34]

On the October 18 edition of Nitro, Mysterio and Konnan teamed up together (after Konnan joined the Filthy Animals) to defeat Harlem Heat for the World Tag Team Championship.^[25] 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.^[35] On the August 14 edition of Nitro, Mysterio and Juventud defeated The Great Muta and Vampiro to win the World Tag Team Championship.^[36] 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.^[37] 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.^[38]

At the beginning of 2001, the Filthy Animals feuded with Team Canada, to whom they lost in a Penalty Box match at Sin.^[39] At SuperBrawl Revenge, Mysterio unsuccessfully challenged Chavo Guerrero, Jr. for the Cruiserweight Title.^[40] 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.^[41] On the March 26 (and the final) edition 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).^[42]

Independent circuit and Mexico (2001–2002)

After WCW closed Mysterio still received a paycheck from WCW owners Time Warner but was allowed to work for independent promotions and still receive his salary. Mysterio wrestled for the short lived X Wrestling Federation (XWF) promotion. During this time, he also made some appearances for the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) promotion in Mexico, wrestling without his mask. In 2001, Mysterio competed with Eddie Guerrero and CM Punk in a three-way match for the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship, a match Guerrero won.^[43]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–present)

Debut and Tag Team Champion (2002)

In June 2002, Mysterio signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and promos were aired hyping his debut simply as Rey Mysterio. Mysterio made his WWE debut on the July 25, 2002 edition of SmackDown! as a fan favorite in a match against Chavo Guerrero, which Mysterio won.^[44] 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.^[45] Later on he 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.^[46] After they failed in winning the title, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 edition of SmackDown! to earn a title shot.^[47] On the November 7 edition of SmackDown!, they defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out of three falls match to win their first Tag Team Championship.^[48] They were the shortest reigning champions in the title's history with a reign of 13 days as they lost the tag titles to Los Guerreros in a Triple Threat Elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series.^[49] After losing the title, Edge and Mysterio went their separate ways to focus on their singles careers.

Cruiserweight Champion (2003–2004)

Mysterio signing autographs in 2004

On the March 6, 2003 edition of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri and Jamie Noble in a Triple Threat match to earn a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.^[50] At WrestleMania XIX, he challenged the champion Matt Hardy for the title but lost after Shannon Moore interfered.^[51] On the May 22 edition of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Shannon Moore and Crash Holly in a Handicap Elimination match to become the number one contender for the Cruiserweight title.^[52] On the June 5 edition of SmackDown!, he defeated Hardy to win his sixth Cruiserweight Championship.^[53] Mysterio's Cruiserweight reign ended when he lost the title to Tajiri on the September 25 edition of SmackDown!.^[54] On the January 1, 2004 edition of SmackDown!, Mysterio defeated Tajiri to win his seventh Cruiserweight Championship.^[55] After a successful title defense against Jamie Noble at Royal Rumble,^[56] Mysterio lost the title to Chavo Guerrero at No Way Out.^[57] At WrestleMania XX, Mysterio took part in a Cruiserweight Open for the title, but lost as Chavo retained the title.^[58]

On the June 17 edition of SmackDown!, he defeated Chavo Classic for a record-setting eighth Cruiserweight Championship.^[59] He successfully defended the title against Classic's son Chavo Guerrero at The Great American Bash.^[60] 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 edition of SmackDown!.^[61] 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.^[62]

Feud with Eddie Guerrero (2005)

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 edition of SmackDown!.^[63] They successfully defended the title against the former champions at Armageddon,^[64] before losing the title to the Basham Brothers on the January 13, 2005 edition of SmackDown! after Van Dam was injured.^[65] Mysterio then teamed up with Eddie Guerrero to win the Tag Team Championship back from the Bashams at No Way Out.^[66]^[67] 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.^[68] Three months later, at ECW One Night Stand, Mysterio faced and defeated long-time rival Psychosis for the first time in nearly five years.

Mysterio during a WWE house show.

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.^[69] 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.^[70] Guerrero and Mysterio continued to feud, with Guerrero threatening to reveal a secret he and Mysterio shared involving Mysterio's real-life son Dominik, unless Mysterio deferred to Guerrero's authority. Guerrero later revealed that, in the storyline, he was Dominik's biological father. The storyline went that Guerrero knew Mysterio was having trouble starting his own family, so Guerrero left Dominik as a baby with Mysterio and his wife Angie to raise. In subsequent weeks, Guerrero threatened to take custody of Dominik, drawing up custody papers and having his lawyer present them to Mysterio.^[1] At SummerSlam, Mysterio defeated Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Dominik.^[71] Their feud ended when Guerrero gained a victory over Mysterio in a steel cage match.^[72] 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.^[1]

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).^[73]^[74] After Survivor Series, Mysterio faced Big Show in a match billed as "David vs. Goliath" in a SmackDown! special show.^[1] 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 edition of SmackDown! to win the Tag Team Championship in a match they both dedicated to Eddie Guerrero.^[75]^[76] 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.^[77] On the December 30 edition of SmackDown!, 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.^[78]^[79]

World Heavyweight Champion (2006)

Mysterio during his first reign as World Heavyweight Champion.

At Royal Rumble, Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match after entering at the number two spot and lastly eliminating Randy Orton to win the match. By winning the Royal Rumble, Mysterio earned a World Heavyweight title shot at WrestleMania 22. By lasting over sixty-two minutes in the match, Mysterio also set a Royal Rumble record for longevity.^[80] Mysterio dedicated his performance at the Royal Rumble to Eddie Guerrero. After his win, he was congratulated by Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Chavo Guerrero, and Rob Van Dam – all close friends and family of Eddie. During the February 3, 2006 episode of SmackDown!, an upset Orton interrupted Mysterio's victory speech, challenging Mysterio to a match for his WrestleMania world title shot.^[81] As Mysterio looked upward for guidance on this decision, Orton verbally attacked him and the memory of Guerrero, saying "Eddie ain't in heaven, Eddie's 'down there' – IN HELL!" Mysterio proceeded to attack Orton and later accepted the challenge.^[81] Orton defeated Mysterio at No Way Out after illegally using the ropes to get the pin.^[82] On the next edition of SmackDown!, however, General Manager Theodore Long added Mysterio to the title match, making it a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight title.^[83] At WrestleMania 22, Mysterio defeated Orton and then-World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle, pinning Orton after a 619 to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.^[84]^[85]

On the April 7 edition of SmackDown!, Mysterio – who was billed as being an "underdog champion", made his first successful World Heavyweight title defense against Randy Orton.^[86] Mysterio went on to retain his title again during a WrestleMania rematch on SmackDown! against Kurt Angle, three weeks later.^[87] 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.^[88] 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.^[89] Mysterio was defeated by Mark Henry and The Great Khali in separate non-title matches before wrestling Kane to a "no contest";^[89]^[90]^[91] Mysterio retained his title against JBL at Judgement Day.^[92] 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.^[93] This led JBL to vow that if he did not win his rematch against Mysterio, he would quit SmackDown!.^[93] 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.^[93]^[94]

It was revealed that Mysterio would have to defend his title against ECW wrestler Sabu at One Night Stand.^[95] In the weeks leading up to his title defense, Mysterio defeated Cruiserweight Champion Gregory Helms in a Champion vs. Champion match but was defeated by Rob Van Dam at WWE vs. ECW Head to Head on June 7.^[96]^[97] At One Night Stand, Mysterio (who was wearing a mask with the letters "ECW" written on the back, despite being a fan favorite was booed by ECW fans) 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.^[94]

Mysterio began a feud with King Booker after Booker won a battle royal to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship.^[98] Booker attacked Mysterio from behind backstage with the help of Booker's wife Queen Sharmell.^[99] The next week on SmackDown!, Mysterio gained revenge by attacking Booker and his "court".^[99] This rivalry continued for several weeks and saw Mysterio defeating Booker's court member William Regal on an edition of SmackDown!, moments before attacking the challenger and hitting him with a 619 around the steel post.^[99] At The Great American Bash, Mysterio lost the World Heavyweight Championship after Chavo Guerrero turned on Mysterio and hit him with a steel chair; Chavo cost Mysterio his rematch the following week.^[100]^[101] Subsequently Guerrero challenged Mysterio to an "I Quit" match.^[102] 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.^[103]

Return and Feud with Chavo Guerrero (2007–2008)

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.^[104]

On the August 31 edition of SmackDown!, Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" to become the number 1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Batista and Finlay.^[105] On the September 7 edition of SmackDown!, Mysterio had an "I Quit" match with Chavo Guerrero,^[106] 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.^[106] 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.^[107]

Mysterio during his ring entrance

Mysterio then began a feud with Finlay, an opponent chosen by JBL.^[108] 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.^[109] On October 28, after fighting to a "no contest" at No Mercy,^[110] followed by a double-disqualification in a number one contender's match for Batista's World Heavyweight title on the next SmackDown!^[111] (The Undertaker would succeed the pair), he defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday.^[112] 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.^[113]^[114]^[115]

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.^[116] However, he was unsuccessful in winning the championship.^[117] WWE.com announced on February 14 that Mysterio suffered a biceps injury during an overseas tour.^[118] Despite the injury, Mysterio faced Edge for the title again at No Way Out.^[118] On the February 22 edition 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.^[119]^[120]

Raw and Intercontinental Champion (2008–2009)

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.^[121] On the June 30 edition of Raw, Mysterio came to make an announcement to all the Raw fans which led to a minor fight with Santino Marella.^[122] Mysterio made his Raw in-ring debut the next week, pinning Marella after a 619.^[123] 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 Glenn Jacobs, turning back numerous claims that Kane had "ended his career".^[124] Mysterio then made his in-ring return at Unforgiven, competing in the Raw Championship scramble match.^[125] Later, Mysterio accepted John "Bradshaw" Layfield's (JBL) challenge for Layfield's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania XXV, which Mysterio won in 21 seconds.^[126] With this win, Mysterio became the twenty first Triple Crown Champion in WWE history.

Rey Mysterio in No Way Out 2006.

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.^[127] 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 August 2, WWE announced that Mysterio would be suspended for 30 days, effective September 2, for violating the company's Wellness Policy.^[128] In an interview with Mexican newspaper Record, Mysterio stated that he was suspended for a drug he was using for his knee and arm.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} On the September 4 episode of SmackDown (taped on September 1), Mysterio lost the Intercontinental Championship to John Morrison.

Return to SmackDown (2009–present)

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Mysterio returned from his suspension at Hell in a Cell to face 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.^[129] 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, leading to Batista losing his temper. After the match, he attacked Mysterio. This led to Batista entering into a dramatic change of attitude, stretching into an ongoing storyline in which Batista turned heel.^[130] Mysterio faced Batista at Survivor Series where Batista delivered three Batista Bombs on Mysterio leading to the referee stopping the match.^[131] Mysterio and Batista faced off during a later Smackdown episode that saw the Undertaker interfere in the match when he attacked Batista.^[132] A few weeks later Mysterio successfully defeated Batista to win a shot at World Heavyweight Championship.^[133] Mysterio faced Undertaker for the World title on December 25, 2009 but Batista interfered resulting in a disqualification.^[134] On January 1, 2010 Mysterio participated in a Beat the Clock Tournament for the #1 contendership of The Undertaker's World Heavyweight Championship at [[Royal Rumble (2009)|Royal Rumble. In the tournament, he faced his former rival Chris Jericho whom he handed defeat only to beat 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 while he was counting for a pin resulting in Batista losing the challenge as time ran out. Later it was announced that Mysterio and Batista would face each other the following week to decide the Number #1 Contender. During that match, both were seemingly knocked out by The Undertaker after the lights went out, resulting in a No Contest.^[135]^[136] 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 title against Mysterio, putting an end to the storyline between Mysterio, Batista, and himself.

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" (SES: Luke Gallows, and Serena). During the Elimination Chamber match, Mysterio eliminated Punk from the match, but ultimately lost the match when he himself was eliminated by John Morrison. In the weeks following the Elimination Chamber event, tension between Punk and Mysterio rose after Mysterio interfered in a Money in the Bank qualifing match, causing Punk to lose. The next week on Smackdown, Mysterio was scheduled for a match with Luke Gallows, which Mysterio successfully won. During the on-screen celebration of Rey Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday the SES showed up, taunting Mysterio and challenging him to a match at WrestleMania XXVI as well as a match right there and then. Mysterio declined to answer as he escorted his family away from the arena while Punk declared that Mysterio was a coward. Later in the night, during Luke Gallows' match against Kane, Mysterio returned to the ring and proceeded to attack Punk after the latter interfered in the match, chasing Punk from the arena. Mysterio later accepted the challenge for WrestleMania, making it a "Street Fight". Punk told Mysterio he would have to beat Gallows for him to accept the challenge as a Street Fight, which Mysterio was unable to do. After the match, Punk said that if Mysterio were to lose at Wrestlemania, he would be forced to join the SES. Punk's attempt to convert Mysterio failed as Mysterio defeated Punk at Wrestlemania. Five days later on Smackdown, Punk challenged Mysterio to another match at Extreme Rules, and if Mysterio won, Punk would shave his head bald. At Extreme Rules, Mysterio lost to Punk due to interference from a masked SES member, which meant Punk saved his hair on the night. At Over the Limit, Mysterio faced Punk once again with both men reinstating previous stipulations (Mysterio's allegiance to The SES vs Punk's hair.) Mysterio defeated Punk thus resulting in Mysterio shaving Punk's hair.^[137]

On the May 28th edition of SmackDown, Mysterio fought The Undertaker unsuccessfully, to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship title match at Fatal 4-Way but in fact injured him and forced Taker to pull out from 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. Fortunately, he was able to put his hands on the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time in his entire career. For the next one month, Swagger continuously assaulted Mysterio using his "Ankle Lock". He also saved Big Show and Kane respectively from his attacks. Mysterio became weak and used ankle braces to support.

At Money in the Bank, Mysterio defeated Swagger to retain the 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, defeating Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Championship in a very short duration. Seemingly denying his rematch clause, on the July 20 Smackdown tapings, Mysterio defeated Swagger in a 2 out of 3 falls match to remain the #1 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 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 and ended up clearing his name when Kane was revealed to be the one behind the attack on him (The Undertaker). The following SmackDown he lost via submission to the debuting Alberto Del Rio.^[138]

On the August 27, 2010 edition of SmackDown, he lost a No Disqualification match to Kane, and afterwards was attacked by Alberto Del Rio on his injured left arm, fracturing Mysterio's wrist and sparking a feud between the two.^[139] Mysterio returned on the first episode of SmackDown! on Syfy and confronted Alberto Del Rio, where he hit Del Rio's personal Ring Announcer with a 619 after Alberto escaped the ring. On the October 8 edition of Smackdown, Mysterio defeated Del Rio, and thus ending his undefeated streak.^[140] On the October 15, 2010 episode of Smackdown, Mysterio defeated Cody Rhodes making him the second member of the Smackdown Bragging Rights Team. On the October 22, edition of Smackdown, Mysterio teamed up with Big Show and Kofi Kingston to defeat The Miz, Sheamus and Ezekiel Jackson in an Interpromotional six-man tag team match. At the Pay-Per-View, despite being on the same team, Mysterio was attacked by Del Rio and was forced to get back. However, he later returned to help Edge defeat the rest of Team Raw giving SmackDown the victory. The following edition of Smackdown, Mysterio participated in a Triple Threat #1 contender's match for Kane's World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series also involving Edge and Alberto Del Rio, but was unsuccessful in winning as Edge became victorious.

Personal life

Mysterio has a wide variety of tattoos, including dedications to his family.

Mysterio and his wife Angie have two children, a son, Dominik, born 1998, and a daughter, Aalyah, born 2001.^[5]^[141]^[142] In an interview with The Miami Herald in January 2009, Mysterio revealed that he and his wife are expecting their third child.^[142] He has tattoos of his two children's names on his right and left biceps. He also has tattoos dedicated to his wife, Angie.^[143] His wife and two oldest children have all appeared on wrestling shows alongside Gutiérrez, including Dominik being in a storyline between Rey and Eddie Guerrero.

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.^[144] WWE subsequently stated that the allegations preceded the Talent Wellness program WWE launched in February 2006.^[145] On August 27, 2009, WWE announced that Gutiérrez would receive a 30 day suspension due to a violation of the wellness program.^[128] 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.^[146] He has a cousin who wrestles in the Tijuana area as El Hijo de Rey Misterio ("The Son of Rey Misterio"). He wears a similar mask and ring attire. Gutiérrez's father's name is Roberto Sr., his mother's name is Maria and he has three brothers: Luis, Lalo, and Roberto Gutiérrez; he is the nephew of Rey Misterio, Sr.

Oscar Gutiérrez is friends with Noah "Wuv" Bernardo, of P.O.D. The two met while in high school and P.O.D. performs Mysterio's theme song, Booyaka 619. He is a 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.^[143]

Other media

On an episode of the television show Heroes entitled "The Kindness of Strangers", the character Monica sees Mysterio give Randy Orton the 619 at WrestleMania 22. Later in the show, she uses her power to recreate any physical activity she sees to perform a modified 619, similar to Mysterio giving the 619 around a ringpost, to stop a robbery.^[147]

Mysterio has been a subject of several DVDs during his wrestling career, including "Rey Mysterio: 619", which was released in 2003, and the WWE produced "Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man", which was released on October 23, 2007.^[148] 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.^[149] Rey made a cameo appearance in the 2003 slasher film "Freddy vs. Jason" jumping. Oscar made a guest appearance on the Disney XD show Zeke and Luther as himself.

In wrestling

Rey Mysterio performing the 619 on Eddie Guerrero

Rey Mysterio preparing for a West Coast Pop on Kurt Angle

Rey Mysterio attempting a Seated senton on Kane.

Finishing moves

619^[1]^[2] (Tiger feint kick to the head of an opponent draped over the second rope) followed by:

Droppin' Da Dime (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 seated senton,^[150] a diving headbutt^[1] or a diving splash^[151]
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

Avalanche Frankensteiner^[1] – WCW; used as regular move in WWE

Tornado DDT – ECW / WCW

Signature moves

Air Mysterio (Hurricanrana to a cornered opponent, with the assistance of a steel chair or a tag team partner)
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]
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 oppent
Split-legged^[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
- Catapult by Kidman into a diving hurricanrana by Mysterio
- Double sitout chokeslam
- Wheelbarrow facebuster (Kidman) / Droppin' Da Dime (Mysterio) combination

With Edge

Catapult by Edge into a diving hurricanrana by Mysterio
Simultaneous powerbomb (Edge) / springboard seated senton (Mysterio) combination
Hurricanrana by Mysterio into a Spear by Edge

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)

With Batista

619^[2] (Tiger feint kick) followed by a Spinebuster from Batista
Simultaneous powerbomb (Batista) / springboard seated senton (Mysterio) combination

Nicknames

"El Super Duper Niño" ("The Super Duper Kid") (ECW)
"The Technical Kid From San Diego" (ECW / WCW)
"The Giant Killer" (WCW / WWE)
"The Master of the 619"^[2] (WWE)
"The Ultimate Underdog" (WWE)
"The Biggest Little Man" (WWE)
"The Masked Maestro"(WWE)
"The Sensation" (WWE)
"God's Humble Servant"(WWE)
"The Heart and Soul of Smackdown"

Entrance themes

"March of Death" by Jimmy Hart (1992–1999)
"Bow Wow Wow" by Konnan and Mad One (1999)
"Psycho" by Konnan and Mad One (WWF) (1999–2001)
"619" performed by Chris Classic & composed by Jim Johnston (WWE) (2002–2005)
"Booyaka" performed by Oscar Gutierrez and Mad One (WWE) (2005–2006)
"Booyaka 619" by P.O.D. (WWE) (2006–present)

Championships and accomplishments

Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero as WWE Tag Team Champions.

Mysterio in his first reign as Intercontinental Champion

Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
- Mexican National Trios Championship (1 time) – with Octagón and Super Muñeco^[152]
- Mexican National Welterweight Championship (1 time)^[153]
- AAA Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)

International Wrestling All-Stars
- IWAS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Konnan^[154]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #4 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999^[155]
- PWI ranked him #56 in the PWI Years in 2003^[156]

Tijuana, Mexico
- Tijuana Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)

World Championship Wrestling^[157]
- WCW Cruiserweight Championship (5 times)^[15]
- WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Billy Kidman^[42]
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Billy Kidman (1), Konnan (1), and Juventud Guerrera (1)^[25]

World Wrestling Association
- WWA Lightweight Championship (3 times)^[158]
- WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time)^[159] – with Rey Misterio
- WWA Welterweight Championship (3 times)^[160]

World Wrestling Council
- WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[161]

World Wrestling Entertainment^[157]
- World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[162]
- WWE Intercontinental Championship (2 times)^[163]^[164]
- WWE Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Edge (1), Rob Van Dam (1), Eddie Guerrero (1), and Batista (1)^[165]
- WWE Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)^[15]
- Royal Rumble (2006)^[80]
- 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, 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)

Luchas de Apuestas record

lamborghini

Lamborghini

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For other uses, see Lamborghini (disambiguation).

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

Type	Fully owned subsidiary^[1]
Industry	Automotive
Founded	October 30, 1963^[1]
Founder(s)	Ferruccio Lamborghini
Headquarters	Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Stephan Winkelmann, CEO Wolfgang Egger, Head of Design
Products	Automobiles
Revenue	US$ 97.5 million (2002)^[2]
Profit	US$ 18.1 million 2006^[3]
Owner(s)	AUDI AG
Employees	567 (2002)^[2]
Parent	Volkswagen Group
Website	Lamborghini.com

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.,^{[Notes 1]} commonly referred to as Lamborghini (pronounced [lamborˈɡiːni] ( listen)), is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini, who set out to create a refined grand touring car.

The company's first offerings, the 350GT and 400GT, were noted for their refinement, power, and comfort. Lamborghini gained wide acclaim in 1966 for the Miura sports coupé, which established mid-engine design as the standard layout for high-performance cars of the era. After a decade of rapid growth, hard times befell the company in the mid-1970s, as sales plunged in the wake of the 1973 world financial downturn and oil crisis. After a bankruptcy and three changes in ownership, Lamborghini came under the corporate umbrella of the Chrysler Corporation. The American company failed to return the automaker to profitability and sold it to Indonesian interests in 1994. Lamborghini's lack of success continued through the 1990s, until the company was sold in 1998 to AUDI AG, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, a German automotive concern. Audi's ownership marked the beginning of a period of stability and increased productivity for Lamborghini, with sales increasing nearly tenfold over the course of the 2000s. A world financial crisis in the late 2000s saw Lamborghini's sales cut in half, leading CEO Stephen Winkelmann to predict continued poor sales for supercar makers.

Assembly of Lamborghini cars continues to take place at the automaker's ancestral home in Sant'Agata Bolognese, where engine and automobile production lines run side-by-side at the company's single factory. Each year, the facility produces fewer than 3,000 examples of the four models offered for sale, the V10-powered Gallardo coupé and roadster and the flagship V12-powered Murciélago coupé and roadster. The range is occasionally complemented by limited-edition variants of the four main models, such as the Reventón and a number of Superleggera trim packages.

[edit] History

[edit] Origin

A green and red tractor parked in a gravel patch with trees and hills in the background

A Lamborghini 22PS from 1951.

Main article: Ferruccio Lamborghini

Automobili Lamborghini was founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini, the child of viticulturists from the comune (township) of Renazzo di Cento, Province of Ferrara, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy.^[1]^[4] After serving as a mechanic in the Regia Aeronautica,^[5]^[6] during World War II, Lamborghini went into business building tractors out of leftover military hardware from the war effort. By the mid-1950s, Lamborghini's tractor company, Lamborghini Trattori S.p.A.,^[7] had become one of the largest agricultural equipment manufacturers in the country.^[8] He was also the owner of a successful gas heater and air conditioning manufacturer.^[5]^[8]^[9]

Lamborghini's wealth allowed him to cultivate a childhood interest in cars, owning a number of luxury automobiles including Alfa Romeos, Lancias, Maseratis, and a Mercedes Benz.^[9] He purchased his first Ferrari, a 250GT, in 1958, and went on to own several more. Lamborghini was fond of the Ferraris, but considered them too noisy and rough to be proper road cars, likening them to repurposed track cars.^[9] Lamborghini decided to pursue an automobile manufacturing venture, with the goal of bringing to life his vision of a perfect grand tourer.^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

[edit] Early 1960s

Prior to founding his company, Lamborghini had commissioned the engineering firm Società Autostar to design a V12 engine for use in his new cars. Lamborghini wanted the engine to have a similar displacement to Ferrari's 3-litre V12; however, he wanted the engine to be designed purely for road use, in contrast to the modified racing engines used by Ferrari in its road cars. Autostar was led by Giotto Bizzarrini, a member of the "Gang of Five" of Ferrari engineers, who had been responsible for creating the famous Ferrari 250 GTO, but left the company in 1961 after founder Enzo Ferrari announced his intention to reorganize the engineering staff.^[12] The engine Bizzarrini designed for Lamborghini had a displacement of 3.5 litres, a 9.5:1 compression ratio, and a maximum output of 360 bhp at 9800 rpm.^[13] Lamborghini was displeased with the engine's high revolutions and dry-sump lubrication system, both characteristic of the racing engines he specifically did not wish to use; when Bizzarrini refused to change the engine's design to make it more "well-mannered", Lamborghini refused to pay the agreed-upon fee of 4.5 million Italian lire (plus a bonus for every unit of brake horsepower the engine could produce over the equivalent Ferrari engine).^[13]^[14] Lamborghini did not fully compensate the designer until ordered to do so by the courts.^[14]

The chassis design for the first Lamborghini car was created by famed Italian chassis engineer Gian Paolo Dallara.^[14] Drawing on his experience working for Ferrari and Maserati, he assembled a team that included recent college graduate Paolo Stanzani and New Zealander Bob Wallace, who had previously been employed at Maserati, and was known for his keen sense of chassis handling and excellent feedback and developmental skills.^[14]^[15] Lamborghini hired then-relatively unknown designer Franco Scaglione to style the car's body, after turning down highly regarded names like Vignale, Ghia, Bertone, and Pininfarina.

Ferruccio was unimpressed with the quality of the 350GTV, and ordered a complete redesign for Lamborghini's first production car.

The Lamborghini 350GTV was designed and built in only four months, in time for an October unveiling at the 1963 Turin Motor Show.^[13] Due to the ongoing disagreement with engine designer Giotto Bizzarrini, a working powerplant was not available for the prototype car in time for the show. The car went on display in Turin without an engine under its hood; according to lore, Ferruccio Lamborghini had the engine bay filled with bricks so that the car would sit at an appropriate height above the ground, and made sure that the bonnet stayed closed to hide the missing engine.^[14]^[16] The motoring press gave the 350GTV a warm response.^[13]

The Automobili Lamborghini Società per Azioni was officially incorporated on October 30, 1963.^[5] Ferruccio Lamborghini purchased a property at Via Modena, 12, in the township of Sant'Agata Bolognese, less than 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Cento. A sign at the entranced declared "Qui Stabilimento Lamborghini Automobile" (English: Lamborghini car factory here), boasting 46,000 square metres (500,000 sq ft) of space. Sant'Agata was chosen as the location for the factory due to a favorable financial agreement with the city's communist leadership, which would not tax the plant's profits for its first ten years of trading, along with receiving an interest rate of 19% on those profits when they were deposited in the bank. As part of the agreement, the workers would have to be unionized. Sant'Agata was deep in the cradle of Italy's automobile industry, meaning that Lamborghini's operation would have easy access to machine shops, coachbuilders, and workers with experience in the automotive industry.^[17]

The 350GTV was reworked into the production 350GT; the grand tourer sold a total of 120 copies

Despite the favorable press reviews of the 350GTV, Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to rework the car for production. The production model, which would be called the 350GT, was restyled by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, and a new chassis was constructed in-house. Bizzarrini's V12 engine would be detuned for mass production, developing only 280 hp rather than the designer's intended 360 bhp.^[18] The completed design debuted at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show, once again garnering positive reviews from the press. Production began shortly afterwards, and by the end of the year, cars had been built for 13 customers; Lamborghini sold each car at a loss in order to keep prices competitive with Ferrari's. The 350GT remained in production for a further two years, with a total of 120 cars sold.^[19]

[edit] 1965–1966

The 400GT (foreground) featured an uprated 3.9 litre engine. The Miura (background) became Lamborghini's first high-performance two-seater.

In 1965, Gian Paolo Dallara made improvements to the Bizzarrini V12, increasing its displacement to 3.9 litres, and its power output to 320 bhp at 6,500 rpm.^[19] The engine was first installed in the 400GT, essentially a 350GT with the larger engine. At the 1966 Geneva Auto Show, Lamborghini debuted the 400GT 2+2, a stretched revision of the 350GT/400GT that featured 2+2 seating and other minor updates. The 400GT 2+2, like its predecessors, was well-received by the motoring press.^[20] The revenue from sales of the 2+2 allowed Lamborghini to increase the labor force at his factory to 170 employees, and expand services offered to Lamborghini customers.^[19]

During 1965, Dallara, Stanzani, and Wallace invested their personal time into the development of a prototype car that they envisioned as a road car with racing pedigree, capable of winning on the track as well as being driven on the road by enthusiasts.^[15] They hoped to eventually sway Ferruccio Lamborghini away from the opinion that such a car would be too expensive and distract from the company's focus. When finally brought aboard, Lamborghini allowed his engineers to go ahead, deciding that the car, known as the P400, would be useful as a potential marketing tool, if nothing more.

The car's rolling chassis, featuring an unusual-for-Lamborghini transversely mounted mid-engine layout, was displayed at the Turin Salon in 1965, impressing showgoers. A version with bodywork styled by Bertone was finished only days before its debut at the 1966 Geneva motor show. As had happened three years earlier at the debut of the 350GTV, an ill-fitting engine meant the prototype's engine bay was filled with ballast, and the hood kept locked.^[21] The favorable reaction to the P400 at Geneva led Lamborghini to slate the car for production by 1967, under the name Miura. The Miura's layout and styling would become the standard for mid-engine two-seat high-performance sports cars,^[22] a trend that continues today.

Lamborghini now had an offering that positioned the fledgling automaker as a leader in the world of supercars, while the 400GT was the sophisticated road car that Ferruccio Lamborghini had long desired to build. By end of 1966, the workforce at the Sant'Agata factory had expanded to 300, and enough deposits were made by prospective buyers to begin final development on the Miura in 1967. The first four cars produced were kept at the factory, where Bob Wallace continued to improve and refine the car. By December, 108 cars had been delivered.^[23]

[edit] 1967–1968

Production of the 400GT continued, with Ferruccio Lamborghini seeking to replace the four-year-old design. Lamborghini commissioned Touring, which had styled the 350GT and original 400GT, to design a possible replacement based on the same chassis. Touring's 400 GT Flying Star II did not win Lamborghini's approval. Giorgio Neri and Luciano Bonacini, of Neri and Bonacini coachbuilders in Modena produced their own design, the 400GT Monza, which was rejected as well.^[24] Facing mounting financial difficulties, Touring would close its doors later that year.

The Islero was a sales disappointment, but faithful to Ferruccio's ideal of a reliable grand tourer.

Ferruccio Lamborghini turned to Bertone designer Mario Marazzi, who had formerly worked at Touring. Together with Lamborghini's engineers, he created a four-seater named the Marzal. The car rode on a stretched Miura chassis, and was powered by an in-line six-cylinder that was made from one-half of Lamborghini's V12 design.^[25] Despite an innovative design that featured gullwing doors and enormous glass windows, Lamborghini rejected the design. Eventually, a toned-down version became the Islero 400GT. While the car was not the full four-seater that he desired, Ferruccio Lamborghini thought the car represented a well-developed gran turismo product.^[26] It failed to attract buyers, with only 125 cars produced between 1968 and 1969.^[27]

External videos
	1968 video of the Sant'Agata factory, followed by 1969 footage of a drive in an Islero

New versions of the Miura arrived in 1968; the Miura P400 S (more commonly known as the Miura S) featured a stiffened chassis and more power, with the V12 developing 370 bhp at 7000 rpm. At the 1968 Brussels auto show, the automaker unveiled the Miura P400 Roadster (more commonly the Miura Spider), an open-top version of the coupé. Gandini, by now effectively the head of design at Bertone, had paid great attention to the details, particularly the problems of wind buffeting and noise insulation inherent to a roadster.^[28] For all of Gandini's hard work, Sgarzi was forced to turn potential buyers away, as Lamborghini and Bertone were unable to reach a consensus on the size of a theoretical roadster production run. The Miura Spider was sold off to an American metal alloy supplier, who wanted to use it as a marketing device. 1968 was a positive time for all of Ferruccio's businesses, and Automobili delivered 353 cars over the course of the year.^[28]

The Espada was Lamborghini's first truly popular model, with more than 1,200 sold during its ten years of production.

Bertone was able to persuade Lamborghini to allow them to design a brand-new four-seater. The shape was penned by Marcello Gandini, and a bodyshell delivered to Ferruccio for inspection. The businessman was less than pleased with the enormous gullwing doors that Gandini had included, and insisted that the car would have to feature conventional doors.^[25] The car that resulted from the collaboration was debuted at the 1969 Geneva show with the name Espada, powered by a 3.9-litre, front-mounted evolution of the factory's V12, producing 325 bhp. The Espada was a runaway success, with a total production run of 1,217 cars over ten years of production.^[26]

In August 1968, Gian Paolo Dallara, frustrated with Ferruccio Lamborghini's refusal to participate in motorsport, was recruited away from Sant'Agata to head the Formula One program at rival automaker De Tomaso in Modena. With profits on the rise, a racing program would have been a possibility, but Lamborghini remained against even the construction of prototypes, stating his mission as: "I wish to build GT cars without defects - quite normal, conventional but perfect - not a technical bomb."^[29] With cars like the Islero and the Espada, his aim to establish himself and his cars as equal or superior to the works of Enzo Ferrari had been satisfied. Dallara's assistant, Paulo Stanzani, would assume his old boss' role as technical director. Unfortunately for Dallara, the De Tomaso F1 program was underfunded, and the automaker barely survived the experience; the engineer left the company soon after.^[30]

[edit] 1969–1970

In 1969, Automobili Lamborghini encountered problems with its fully unionized work force, among which the machinists and fabricators had begun to take one-hour token stoppages as part of a national campaign due to strained relations between the metal workers' union and Italian industry.^[30] Ferruccio Lamborghini, who often rolled up his sleeves and joined in the work on the factory floor, was able to motivate his staff to continue working towards their common goal despite the disruptions.

The Jarama was a shortened, sportier version of the Espada.

Throughout that year, Lamborghini's product range, then consisting of the Islero, the Espada, and the Miura S, received upgrades across the board, with the Miura receiving a power boost, the Islero being upgraded to "S" trim, and the Espada gaining comfort and performance upgrades which allowed it to reach speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h). The Islero was slated to be replaced by a shortened yet higher-performing version of the Espada, the Jarama 400GT. The 3.9-litre V12 was retained, its compression ratio increasing to 10.5:1.^[31]

The Urraco was the first clean-sheet Lamborghini design since the 350GTV.

By the time the Jarama was unveiled at the 1970 Geneva show, Paulo Stanzani was at work on a new clean-sheet design, which would use no parts from previous Lamborghini cars. Changes in tax laws and a desire to make full use of the factory's manufacturing capacity meant that the Italian automaker would follow the direction taken by Ferrari, with its Dino 246 and Porsche, with its 911, and produce a smaller, V8-powered 2+2 car, the Urraco. The 2+2 body style was selected as a concession to practicality, with Ferruccio acknowledging that Urraco owners might have children.^[31] The single overhead cam V8 designed by Stanzani produced 220 bhp at 5000 rpm. Bob Wallace immediately began road testing and development; the car was to be presented at the 1970 Turin motor show.^[31]

In 1970, Lamborghini began development of a replacement for the Miura, which was a pioneering model, but had interior noise levels that Ferruccio Lamborghini found unacceptable and nonconforming to his brand philosophy.^[32] Engineers designed a new, longer chassis that placed the engine longitudinally, further away from the driver's seat. Designated the LP500 for its 4.97-litre version of the company's V12, the prototype was styled by Marcello Gandini at Bertone. The car that was presented was debuted at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, alongside the final revision of the Miura, the P400 SuperVeloce. Completing the Lamborghini range were the Espada 2, the Urraco P250, and the Jarama GT.^[33]

[edit] 1971–1972

As a world financial crisis began to take hold, Ferruccio Lamborghini's companies began to run into financial difficulties. In 1971, Lamborghini's tractor company, which exported around half of its production, ran into difficulties. Cento, Trattori's South African importer, cancelled all its orders. After staging a successful coup d'état, the new military government of Bolivia cancelled a large order of tractors that was partially ready to ship from Genoa. Trattori's employees, like Automobili's, were unionized and could not be laid off. In 1972, Lamborghini sold his entire holding in Trattori to SAME, another tractor builder.^[7]^[34]

The entire Lamborghini group was now finding itself in financial troubles. Development at the automaker slowed; the production version of the LP500 missed the 1972 Geneva Show, and only the P400 GTS version of the Jarama was on display. Faced with a need to cut costs, Paulo Stanzani set aside the LP500's powerplant, slating a smaller, 4-litre engine for production.^[35] Ferruccio Lamborghini began courting buyers for Automobili and Trattori; he entered negotiations with Georges-Henri Rossetti, a wealthy Swiss businessman and friend of Ferruccio's, as well as being the owner of an Islero and an Espada.^[35] Ferruccio sold Rossetti 51% of the company for US$600,000, thereby relinquishing control of the automaker he had founded. He continued to work at the Sant'Agata factory; Rossetti rarely involved himself in Automobili's affairs.^[34]

[edit] 1973–1977

The 1973 oil crisis plagued the sales of high performance cars from manufacturers around the world; the rising price of oil caused governments to mandate new fuel economy laws, and consumers to seek smaller, more practical modes of transportation. Sales of Lamborghini's exotic sports cars, propelled by high-powered engines with little consideration for fuel efficiency, (the 1986 Countach, powered by a 5.2-litre evolution of the V12 engine, had a 6 mpg_-US (39 L/100 km; 7.2 mpg_-imp) city and 10 mpg_-US (24 L/100 km; 12 mpg_-imp) highway United States Environmental Protection Agency rating)^[36] suffered greatly.

The Countach, then the most popular and successful Lamborghini in history, was in production from 1974 to 1988.

In 1974, Ferruccio Lamborghini sold his remaining 49% stake in the company to René Leimer, a friend of Georges-Henri Rossetti.^[1] Having severed all connections with the cars that bore his name, he retired to an estate on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, in the frazione of Panicarola in Castiglione del Lago, a town in the province of Perugia in the Umbria region of central Italy, where he would remain until his last days.^[6]

In 1974, the LP500 finally entered production as the Countach, powered by a smaller, 4.0-litre V12. The first production model was delivered in 1974. In 1976, the Urraco P300 was revamped into the Silhouette, featuring a Targa top and a 3-litre V8. Its poor build quality, reliability, and ergonomics all worked against it, as did the fact that it could only be imported into the U.S. via the "grey market". Only 54 were produced.^[37] The Countach was also hampered by its lack of direct participation in the American market until the LP500 version, released in 1982.

[edit] 1978–1986

The Jalpa, an update of the failed Silhouette, was the only new car released during receivership.

As the years passed, Lamborghini's situation became even more dire; the company entered bankruptcy in 1978, and the Italian courts took control. They first appointed Dr. Alessandro Arteses to run the company's operations, but a year later, Raymond Noima and Hubert Hahne, who was Lamborghini’s German importer, were appointed to take over the running of the company.^[38] In 1980, the Swiss Mimran brothers (Jean-Claude and Patrick),^[39] famed food entrepreneurs^[40] with a passion for sports cars, were appointed to administer the company during its receivership. During administration, the automaker reworked the failed Silhouette into the Jalpa, which was powered by a 3.5-litre V8 that had been modified by former Maserati great, Giulio Alfieri. More successful than the Silhouette, the Jalpa came closer to achieving the goal of a more affordable, livable version of the Countach.^[41] The Countach was also updated, finally allowing it to be sold in the U.S. with the release of the LP500 model in 1982.^[42] By 1984, the company was officially in the hands of the Swiss. The Mimrans began a comprehensive restructuring program, injecting large amounts of capital into the floundering automaker. The Sant'Agata facilities were rehabilitated, and a worldwide hiring campaign to find new engineering and design talent began in earnest.^[1]

The LM002 sport-utility vehicle was introduced under Mimran ownership.

The immediate results of the investment were good. A Countach "Quattrovolve", producing a mighty 455 bhp, was released in 1984; the fumbling Cheetah project resulted in the release of the Lamborghini LM002 sport utility vehicle in 1986. However, despite the Mimrans' efforts, the investments proved insufficient to revive the company. Seeking a large, stable financial partner, the brothers met with representatives of one of America's "Big Three" automakers, the Chrysler Corporation.^[1]

[edit] 1987–1993

In April 1987, in an acquisition spearheaded by Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca, the American company took control of the Italian automaker, after paying out US$33 million^{[Notes 2]} to the Mimrans.^[43] According to Jolliffe, the Mimran brothers were the only owners of Lamborghini to ever make money out of the company, having sold it for many times the dollar amount they paid for it six years earlier.^[43]

Iacocca, who had previously orchestrated a near-miraculous turnaround of Chrysler after the company nearly fell into bankruptcy, carried out his decision to purchase Lamborghini with no challenges from the board of directors. Chrysler people were appointed to Lamborghini's board, but many of the company's key members remained in managing positions, including Alfieri, Marmiroli, Venturelli, and Ceccarani. Ubaldo Sgarzi continued in his role as head of the sales department.^[44] To begin its revival, Lamborghini received a cash injection to the tune of $50 million.^[1] The automaker's new owner was interested in entering the "extra premium" sports car market, which it estimated at about 5,000 cars per year, worldwide. Chrysler aimed to produce a car to compete with the Ferrari 328 by 1991,^[44] and also wanted the Italians to produce an engine that could be used in a Chrysler car for the American market. The decision was made to finally take the company into motorsport; the effort would be known as Lamborghini Engineering S.p.A., and would develop engines for Grand Prix teams. The new division was based in Modena, and given an initial budget of $5 million.^[45] Danielle Audetto would be the manager, and Emile Novaro the president; their first recruit was Mauro Forghieri, a man with a stellar reputation in the world of motorsport, who had formerly managed Ferrari's Formula 1 team. Forghieri set about designing a 3.5-litre V12 engine, independent of road-car engine design undertaken at Sant'Agata.^[46]

Forghieri designed a V12 engine for Lamborghini's Formula 1 venture.

At the time, Lamborghini was working on a successor to the Countach, the Diablo. The car's original design had been penned by Marcello Gandini, the veteran who had penned the exterior appearances of the Miura and the Countach while working for coachbuilder Bertone. However, Chrysler executives, unimpressed with Gandini's work, commissioned the American car-maker's own design team to execute a third extensive redesign of the car's body, smoothing out the trademark sharp edges and corners of Gandini's original design; the Italian was left famously unimpressed with the finished product.^[47]^[48] The Diablo had been intended for release in time for September 1988, when Lamborghini would celebrate its 25th anniversary; once it was clear that mark would be missed, a final version of the Countach was rushed into production instead.^[49] The Anniversary Countach was later acclaimed as the finest version of the car to be built.^[50]

By the end of 1987, Emile Novaro had returned from his long recovery, and used his authority to halt Chrysler's increasing interference in the development of the Diablo. Much to the chagrin of the Fighting Bull, Chrysler exhibited a four-door concept car at the Frankfurt Auto Show, badged as a 'Chrysler powered by Lamborghini'. The Portofino was poorly received by the motoring press and Lamborghini's employees alike,^[51] but went on to become the inspiration for the Dodge Intrepid sedan.

In April 1988, the Bertone Genesis, a Quattrovalvole V12-powered, Lamborghini-branded vehicle resembling a minivan was debuted at the Turin motor show. The unusual car, intended to gauge public reactions, was abandoned, a misfit in both Lamborghini's and Chrysler's product ranges.^[51] The Genesis had been commissioned alongside the new "baby Lambo" that would replace the Jalpa, occupying the then-empty space below the Diablo in Lamborghini's lineup. The project had been allocated a $25 million budget, with the prospect of selling more than 2,000 cars per year.^[51]

The Diablo was the fastest car in production when it was released in 1990.

The Diablo was released to the public on January 21, 1990, at an event at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. The Diablo was the fastest car in production in the world at the time,^{[citation needed]} and sales were so brisk that Lamborghini began to turn a profit. The company's U.S. presence had previously consisted of loosely affiliated and disorganized private dealer network; Chrysler established an efficient franchise with full service and spare parts support. The company also began to develop its V12 engines for powerboat racing. Profits increased past the $1 million mark in 1991, and Lamborghini enjoyed a positive era.^[1]

The uptick in fortunes was to be brief; in 1992, sales crashed, as the $239,000 Diablo proved ultimately to be unaccessible to American enthusiasts. With Lamborghini bleeding money, Chrysler decided that the automaker was no longer producing enough cars to justify its investment.

[edit] 1994–1997

Setiawan Djody also owned supercar maker Vector (a Vector W8 is pictured here), and hoped that Lamborghini and Vector would collaborate to the benefit of both companies.

Chrysler began looking for someone to take Lamborghini off its hands, and found it in a holding company called MegaTech. The company was registered in Bermuda and wholly owned by Indonesian conglomerate SEDTCO Pty., headed by businessmen Setiawan Djody and Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of then-Indonesian President Suharto. By February 1994, after $40 million had changed hands, Lamborghini had left Italian ownership, and MegaTech took over the automaker, its Modena racing engine factory, and the American dealer interest, Lamborghini USA.^[1] Djody, who also owned a 35% stake in troubled American supercar manufacturer Vector Motors, thought Vector and Lamborghini might be able to collaborate to improve their output. Michael J. Kimberly, formerly of Lotus, Jaguar and executive vice-president General Motors, was appointed president and managing director. After reviewing the entire Lamborghini operation, Kimberly concluded that the company needed to expand its offerings from more than just one or two models, and provide a car accessible to American car enthusiasts. He implemented a marketing strategy to raise awareness of Lamborghini's heritage and mystique. In 1995, Lamborghini produced a hit, when the Diablo was updated to the top-end SuperVeloce model. But in 1995, even as sales were climbing, the company was restructured, with Tommy Suharto's V'Power Corporation holding a 60% interest, MyCom Bhd., a Malaysian company controlled by Jeff Yap, holding the other 40%.^[1]

The Diablo would be Lamborghini's mainstay throughout the 90s, and was continually updated throughout the various changes in ownership.

Never leaving the red despite its increase in sales, in November 1996 Lamborghini hired Vittorio di Capua as President and CEO, hoping that the veteran of more than 40 years at auto giant Fiat S.p.A. could finally make the sports car maker profitable again. Di Capua immediately launched cost-cutting measures, letting go of a number of company executives and consultants, and overhauling production in order to achieve a 50 percent gain in productivity. In 1997, Lamborghini finally passed its break-even point, selling 209 Diablos, thirteen more than it needed to be profitable. Di Capua also leveraged the Lamborghini name and identity, implementing aggressive merchandising and licensing deals. Development of the "baby Lambo" finally began, moving forward with a $100 million budget.^[1]

[edit] 1998–present

The financial crisis that gripped Asia in July of that year set the stage for another ownership change. The new chairman of Volkswagen AG, Ferdinand Piëch, grandson of Volkswagen's founder, Ferdinand Porsche, went on a buying spree through 1998, which included the acquisition of Lamborghini for around $110 million. Lamborghini was purchased through Volkswagen's luxury car division, AUDI AG. Audi spokesman Juergen de Graeve told the Wall Street Journal that Lamborghini "could strengthen Audi's sporty profile, and on the other hand Lamborghini could benefit from our technical expertise."^[1]

Only five years after leaving American ownership, Lamborghini was now under German control. Yet again, the troubled Italian automaker was reorganized, becoming restructured into a holding company, Lamborghini Holding S.p.A., with Audi president Franz-Josef Paefgen as its chairman. Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. became a subsidiary of the holding company, allowing it to focus specifically on designing and building cars while separate interests took care of the company's licensing deals and marine engine manufacturing. Vittorio Di Capua originally remained in charge, but eventually resigned in June 1999. He was replaced by Giuseppe Greco, another industry veteran with experience at Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Ferrari. The Diablo's final evolution, the GT, was released, but not exported to the U.S., its low-volume production making it uneconomical to go through the process of gaining emissions and crashworthiness approval.

In much the same way that American ownership had influenced the design of the Diablo, Lamborghini's new German parent played a large role in the creation of the Diablo's replacement. The first new Lamborghini in more than a decade, known internally as Project L140, represented the rebirth of Lamborghini, and was named, fittingly, for the bull that originally sired the Miura line that had inspired Ferruccio Lamborghini almost 40 years before: Murciélago. The new flagship car was styled by Belgian Luc Donckerwolke, Lamborghini's new head of design.

The "Baby Lambo", envisioned in 1997, was introduced in 2003 as the Gallardo.

Under German ownership, Lamborghini found stability that it had not seen in many years. In 2003, Lamborghini followed up the Murciélago with the smaller, V10-equipped Gallardo, intended to be a more accessible and more livable than the Murciélago. In 2007, Wolfgang Egger was appointed as the new head of design of Audi and Lamborghini, replacing Walter de'Silva, who was responsible for the design of only one car during his appointment, the Miura Concept of 2006.

Towards the end of the 2000s, Lamborghini produced a number of revisions of the Murciélago and Gallardo. The Reventón, a limited-edition derivative of the Murciélago featuring revised, angular styling, was released in 2008, with a roadster following the year after.

The final update to the Murciélago came in 2009 with the release of the LP 670-4 SV ("SuperVeloce"). The 4,000th Murciélago was produced in 2010. The car was delivered to China. At the time, the growing Asia-Pacific vehicle market represented 25 percent of Lamborghini's sales.^[52]

A slide in Lamborghini's sales that began at a high of 2,580 units in 2007 was attributed to the effects of the world financial crisis. CEO Stephan Winkelmann predicted that poor sales figures for supercars would continue through 2011.^[53]

[edit] Vehicle lineup

Main article: List of Lamborghini automobiles

[edit] Current range

As of 2010, Lamborghini's product range consists entirely of mid-engine two-seat sports cars: the V12-powered Murciélago LP640, LP640 Roadster and LP670-4 SV, and the smaller, V10-powered Gallardo LP560-4 and Spyder. Limited-production editions of these cars are also produced from time to time.

[edit] Concept models

The Concept S, a Gallardo derivative.

The Estoque, a 2008 sedan concept.

Throughout its history, Lamborghini has envisioned and presented a variety of concept cars, beginning in 1963 with the very first Lamborghini prototype, the 350GTV. Other famous models include Bertone's 1967 Marzal, 1974 Bravo, and 1980 Athon, Chrysler's 1987 Portofino, the Italdesign-styled Cala from 1995, and the Zagato-built Raptor from 1996.

A retro-styled Lamborghini Miura concept car, the first creation of chief designer Walter de'Silva, was presented in 2006. President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann denied that the concept would be put into production, saying that the Miura concept was "a celebration of our history, but Lamborghini is about the future. Retro design is not what we are here for. So we won’t do the [new] Miura.”^[54]

At the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini revealed the Estoque, a four-door sedan concept. Although there had been much speculation regarding the Estoque's eventual production,^[55]^[56] Lamborghini management has not made a decision regarding production of what might be the first four-door car to roll out of the Sant'Agata factory.^[57]

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Lamborghini unveiled the Sesto Elemento. The concept car is made almost entirely of carbon fibre making it extremely light, weighing only 999 kg. The Sesto Elemento shares the same V10 engine found in the Lamborghini Gallardo. Lamborghini hopes to signal a shift in the company's direction from making super cars focused on top speed to producing more agile, track focused cars with the Sesto Elemento. The concept car can reach 0-62 in 2.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of over 180 mph.^[58]

[edit] Motorsport

The Miura began as a clandestine prototype, a car that had racing pedigree in a company that was entirely against motorsport.

In contrast to his rival Enzo Ferrari, Ferruccio Lamborghini had decided early on that there would be no factory-supported racing of Lamborghinis, viewing motorsport as too expensive and too draining on company resources.^{[citation needed]} This was unusual for the time, as many sports car manufacturers sought to demonstrate the speed, reliability, and technical superiority through motorsport participation. Enzo Ferrari in particular was known for considering his road car business merely a source of funding for his participation in motor racing. Ferrucio's policy led to tensions between him and his engineers, many of whom were racing enthusiasts; some had previously worked at Ferrari. When Dallara, Stanzani, and Wallace began dedicating their spare time to the development of the P400 prototype, they designed it to be a road car with racing potential, one that could win on the track and also be driven on the road by enthusiasts.^[15] When Ferruccio discovered the project, he allowed them to go ahead, seeing it as a potential marketing device for the company, while insisting that it would not be raced. The P400 went on to become the Miura. The closest the company came to building a true race car under Lamborghini's supervision were a few highly modified prototypes, including those built by factory test driver Bob Wallace, such as the Miura SV-based "Jota" and the Jarama S-based "Bob Wallace Special".

Under the management of Georges-Henri Rossetti, Lamborghini entered into an agreement with BMW to build a production racing car in sufficient quantity for homologation. However, Lamborghini was unable to fulfill its part of the agreement. The car was eventually developed in-house by the BMW Motorsport Division, and was manufactured and sold as the BMW M1.^[59]^[60]

The 1991 Lotus 102B, which featured a Judd V8 in place of the unreliable Lamborghini V12 used in the original 102.

In the 1980s, Lamborghini developed the QVX for the 1986 Group C championship season. One car was built, but lack of sponsorship caused it to miss the season. The QVX competed in only one race, the non-championship 1986 Southern Suns 500 km race at Kyalami in South Africa, driven by Tiff Needell. Despite the car finishing better than it started, sponsorship could once again not be found and the program was cancelled.^[61]

Lamborghini was an engine supplier in Formula One between the 1989 and 1993 Formula One seasons. It supplied engines to Larrousse (1989–1990,1992–1993), Lotus (1990), Ligier (1991), Minardi (1992), and to the Modena team in 1991. While the latter is commonly referred to as a factory team, the company saw themselves as a supplier, not a backer. The 1992 Larrousse–Lamborghini was largely uncompetitive but noteworthy in its tendency to spew oil from its exhaust system. Cars following closely behind the Larrousse were commonly colored yellowish-brown by the end of the race.^{[citation needed]}

In late 1991, a Lamborghini Formula One motor was used in the Konrad KM-011 Group C sports car, but the car only lasted a few races before the project was canceled. The same engine, re-badged a Chrysler, Lamborghini's then-parent company, was tested by McLaren towards the end of the 1993 season, with the intent of using it during the 1994 season. Although driver Ayrton Senna was reportedly impressed with the engine's performance, McLaren pulled out of negotiations, choosing a Peugeot engine instead, and Chrysler ended the project.

A Murcielago R-GT participating in the FIA GT Championship at Silverstone in 2006.

Two racing versions of the Diablo were built for the Diablo Supertrophy, a single-model racing series held annually from 1996 to 1999. In the first year, the model used in the series was the Diablo SVR, while the Diablo 6.0 GTR was used for the remaining three years.^[62]^[63] Lamborghini developed the Murciélago R-GT as a production racing car to compete in the FIA GT Championship, the Super GT Championship and the American Le Mans Series in 2004. The car's highest placing in any race that year was the opening round of the FIA GT Championship at Valencia, where the car entered by Reiter Engineering finished third from a fifth-place start.^[64]^[65] In 2006, during the opening round of the Super GT championship at Suzuka, a car run by the Japan Lamborghini Owners Club garnered the first victory (in class) by an R-GT. A GT3 version of the Gallardo has been developed by Reiter Engineering.^[66] A Murciélago R-GT entered by All-Inkl.com racing, driven by Christophe Bouchut and Stefan Mücke, won the opening round of the FIA GT Championship held at Zhuhai International Circuit, achieving the first major international race victory for Lamborghini.^[67]

[edit] Identity

The Lamborghini wordmark, as displayed on the back of its cars.

The world of bullfighting is a key part of Lamborghini's identity.^[68]^[69]^[70] In 1962, Ferruccio Lamborghini visited the Seville ranch of Don Eduardo Miura, a renowned breeder of Spanish fighting bulls. Lamborghini, a Taurus himself, was so impressed by the majestic Miura animals that he decided to adopt a raging bull as the emblem for the automaker he would open shortly.^[12]

After producing two cars with alphanumeric designations, Lamborghini once again turned to the bull breeder for inspiration. Don Eduardo was filled with pride when he learned that Ferruccio had named a car for his family and their line of bulls; the fourth Miura to be produced was unveiled to him at his ranch in Seville.^[12]^[21]

The automaker would continue to draw upon the bullfighting connection in future years. The Islero was named for the Miura bull that killed the famed bullfighter Manolete in 1947. Espada is the Spanish word for sword, sometimes used to refer to the bullfighter himself. The Jarama's name carried a special double meaning; intended to refer only to the historic bullfighting region in Spain, Ferruccio was concerned about confusion with the also historic Jarama motor racing track.^[31]

The Diablo (background) was named for a legendary bull, while the Countach (foreground) broke from the bullfighting tradition.

After christening the Urraco after a bull breed, in 1974, Lamborghini broke from tradition, naming the Countach not for a bull, but for countach! (pronounced [kunˈtɑtʃ]( listen)), an exclamation of astonishment used by Piedmontese men upon sighting a beautiful woman.^[71] Legend has it that stylist Nuccio Bertone uttered the word in surprise when he first laid eyes on the Countach prototype, "Project 112".^[72] The LM002 sport utility vehicle and the Silhouette were other exceptions to the tradition.

The Jalpa of 1982 was named for a bull breed; Diablo, for the Duke of Veragua's ferocious bull famous for fighting an epic battle against "El Chicorro" in Madrid in 1869;^[46]^[47] Murciélago, the legendary bull whose life was spared by "El Lagartijo" for his performance in 1879; Gallardo, named for one of the five ancestral castes of the Spanish fighting bull breed;^[73] and Reventón, the bull that defeated young Mexican torero Félix Guzmán in 1943. The Estoque concept of 2008 was named for the estoc, the sword traditionally used by matadors during bullfights.^[74]

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