Peter Alan Gruner Jr. (born May 11, 1974)
is an American retired
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
, better known by his
ring name Billy Kidman. He is currently employed by
WWE as a producer.
As a wrestler, Kidman is best known for his work with
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (WWF/E) throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. While in WCW, Kidman gained fame as a key member of several
stables. In addition to being a member of
Raven's Flock
Raven's Flock was a professional wrestling stable led by Raven that was present in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1995 and 1997.
Later, Raven created other incarnations of the group in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) such as ...
, he also was a member of
The Filthy Animals and later
The New Blood.
As a member of these stables, Kidman participated in memorable
feuds with top WCW names, including
Hulk Hogan,
Jeff Jarrett, and
Rey Mysterio[ Kidman also found championship success while in WCW, where he became a three time Cruiserweight Champion,][ a two time World Tag Team Champion] (once with Mysterio Jr. and once with Konnan) and a one time (and the final) Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion with Mysterio Jr.
Upon WCW's purchase by the World Wrestling Federation, Kidman became a member of the WCW/ECW Alliance. During his time in the WWF (later renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment), Kidman once again found success upon winning the Cruiserweight Championship an additional four times[ while the title was under the WCW banner and later the WWF/E banner, in addition to winning WWE's ]Tag Team Championship
A championship or title in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.
Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
once with Paul London.[
]
Early life and education
Gruner grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley
The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the n ...
region of eastern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
, where he graduated from Parkland High School. Gruner was a banker before he started training to be a professional wrestler and was good friends with fellow professional wrestler Chris Kanyon, who he met at the Wild Samoan training center in Pennsylvania. He is a cousin of fellow professional wrestler Mikey Batts.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1994–1996)
Gruner was trained by Afa Anoaʻi, one half of The Wild Samoans, and wrestled his first match on September 11, 1994 in Hellertown, Pennsylvania against "Wild Thing" Dan Kallis on the independent circuit as Kid Flash. He formed a tag team with Ace Darling known as The Shooting Stars, and they would find success by winning the ECWA Tag Team Championship.
World Championship Wrestling (1996–2001)
The Flock (1996–1998)
Gruner first started wrestling as Billy Kidman, or simply Kidman, for World Championship Wrestling in mid-1996, where he spent over a year as an enhancement talent with no character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
. In 1997, Kidman was added to Raven's Flock
Raven's Flock was a professional wrestling stable led by Raven that was present in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1995 and 1997.
Later, Raven created other incarnations of the group in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) such as ...
and to fit in with the Flock's gimmick of being outcasts, Kidman was given the gimmick of a heroin addict, where he constantly scratched his arms and named his shooting star press the ''Seven Year Itch''. Kidman found little personal success with the group and aided Perry Saturn in defeating Raven in a match, thus disbanding the group.
Cruiserweight Champion (1998–1999)
Following the Flock's disbanding, Kidman shed his grungy attire and heroin gimmick and began performing as a clean-cut fan favorite before eventually defeating Juventud Guerrera to win his first Cruiserweight Championship. Although Guerrera won the title back a few weeks later, Kidman would regain it at World War 3
World War III or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World War I and World War II. The term has been in use since a ...
in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Kidman eventually lost the title on an episode of '' Nitro'' to Rey Mysterio.
Following this, Mysterio asked Kidman to be his tag team partner in a match for the World Tag Team Championship. Kidman at first declined, as a previous attempt at a tag team between the two did not reach any level of success. The two, however, faced Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko for the titles and succeeded with unwanted aid from Raven and Saturn. Kidman then faced off against Mysterio in an attempt to win back the Cruiserweight Championship at Spring Stampede
Spring Stampede was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held in the month of April in 1994 and then from 1997 to 2000. As it was called Spring Stampede, the event was usually Cowboy/Wild West ...
, however, Mysterio retained his title.
The three teams feuded for several weeks, which ended in a three-way tag team match for the titles. Chris Kanyon's interference led to the victory for Raven and Saturn. Kidman spent the next several months in assorted feuds. He won the Cruiserweight Championship one more time from Prince Iaukea at a house show, but lost it to Iaukea one day later. Kidman also defeated Psicosis in a hair vs. mask match, and came close to defeating Jeff Jarrett for the United States Heavyweight Championship The NWA United States Heavyweight Championship is a name used for several secondary championship (professional wrestling), championships used by various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) members since 1953. At least twelve different versions of the ...
.
Filthy Animals (1999–2001)
During this time, Kidman joined Filthy Animals alongside Rey Mysterio, Konnan, and Eddie Guerrero. Guerrero left the group when he left WCW, and Kidman left the stable when the rest of its members turned heel. He later rejoined the Animals when they turned face once again during the last few months of WCW's existence.
Following his first departure from the Filthy Animals, Kidman joined Vince Russo's New Blood stable, signalling another heel turn. Reflecting the gimmick of the New Blood, Kidman began acting as hotshot who refused to be held back by wrestlers beyond their prime. This led to the biggest feud of his career with Hulk Hogan, defeating him in three matches in a row. After the New Blood split up, Kidman became a face once more by entering a feud with Shane Douglas for the affection of his on-screen
An on-screen display (OSD) is an image superimposed on a screen picture, commonly used by modern television sets, VCRs, and DVD players to display information such as volume, channel, and time.
History
In the past, most adjustments on TV se ...
girlfriend Torrie Wilson. During the feud, Wilson turned on Kidman. Kidman was legitimately injured in a match at New Blood Rising in August 2000, when in a strap match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. So ...
, Douglas hung Kidman from the neck using the strap, and was forced to take several weeks off to recover.
Following the Douglas feud, Kidman began teaming with Mysterio Jr. again. They entered the Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship tournament, but lost in the finals to Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. On the final episode of ''Nitro'', Kidman and Mysterio Jr. won the title from Skipper and Romeo. That night, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) purchased WCW and Kidman's contract was picked up by the WWF.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (2001 - 2005)
Cruiserweight Championship pursuit (2001–2003)
When the WWF purchased WCW, the contract of Gruner (who was still wrestling as Billy Kidman) was one of twenty-five involved in the purchase. When The Invasion commenced, Gruner appeared on WWF television under his Billy Kidman ring name as a tweener
Tweener may refer to:
In sports:
* A shot in racket sports that is performed by hitting the ball between the legs:
** Tweener (tennis)
** Tweener (pickleball)
* Tweener, a basketball player able to play two different positions
* Tweener, a pro ...
for The Alliance. In July 2001, he won the Cruiserweight Championship from Gregory Helms in the first televised WCW match on '' SmackDown!''.[ As the WCW Cruiserweight Champion, Kidman proceeded to defeat the WWF Light Heavyweight Champion X-Pac at Invasion. After this, Kidman was later sidelined with an injury during the Invasion angle and thus did not have as big of an impact as other WCW wrestlers. On the October 11 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Kidman won his record-tying fifth Cruiserweight Championship after defeating X-Pac.][
Following the end of The Alliance, Kidman turned fan favorite and was subsequently drafted to ''SmackDown!'' as part of the ]brand extension
Brand extension or brand stretching is a marketing strategy in which a firm marketing a product with a well-developed image uses the same brand name in a different product category. The new product is called a spin-off.
Organizations use th ...
. In his return match, Kidman defeated Tajiri to win his record-breaking sixth Cruiserweight Championship.[ However, Tajiri reclaimed the title at Backlash. At ]Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
, Kidman and his real-life girlfriend Torrie Wilson defeated John Cena and Dawn Marie
Dawn Marie Psaltis (born November 3, 1970) is an American actress, nurse and a retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling valet. She is perhaps best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the Smack ...
in an intergender tag team match. After this, he went on to win his record-breaking seventh Cruiserweight Championship after defeating Jamie Noble at Survivor Series.[ He later lost the title three months later to Matt Hardy at No Way Out.
]
Teaming and feuding with Paul London (2004–2005)
Following the title loss, Kidman proceeded to spend the next few years as a cornerstone of the cruiserweight division before forming a tag team with newcomer Paul London in early 2004. Together, they slowly worked their way up the tag team ranks before ultimately winning the Tag Team Championship
A championship or title in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.
Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rival ...
from the Dudley Boyz on the July 8, 2004 episode of ''SmackDown!''.[ Proving the win was not an upset, they went on to defeat the Dudley Boyz in a rematch for the title.
Their championship run came to an abrupt end after Kidman turned his back on London. The heel ]turn
Turn may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Dance and sports
* Turn (dance and gymnastics), rotation of the body
* Turn (swimming), reversing direction at the end of a pool
* Turn (professional wrestling), a transition between face and heel
* Turn, ...
played off of a legitimate injury which occurred on an August 24, 2004 taping of ''SmackDown!'', when Kidman's shooting star press unintentionally caused Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Salvador Guerrero IV (born October 20, 1970) better known by his ring names Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr., is an American professional wrestler. He has previously worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), WWE, World Wrestling Feder ...
to suffer a concussion. The next week, Kidman was on the top rope ready to hit the shooting star press, but hesitated, climbed down the turnbuckles, and slowly walked backstage overwhelmed with guilt after injuring Guerrero. London was left alone to defend the title against Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée, and was easily defeated. As a result, London and Kidman faced each other at No Mercy, where Kidman defeated London before performing the shooting star press on London while he was strapped to a stretcher. This completed Kidman's heel turn, as he proceeded to blame the fans for wanting him to be more brutal with his in-ring style. Kidman and Guerrero ended their feud upon Chavo's return, the latter being victorious in the final match. Kidman then competed against London over the Cruiserweight Championship in the coming months. At the start of 2005, Kidman suffered a broken orbital bone, which sidelined him for three months.
Gruner was released from his WWE contract on July 6, 2005. Gruner stated that the release was due to an argument with management over their decision to stop booking wrestlers on first class flights overseas.
Independent circuit (2005–2007)
Following his departure from WWE, Kidman began touring the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. During the tour, he competed for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance in a three-way match with Jody Fleisch
Jerome Fleisch (born 2 April 1980) is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jody Fleisch. He is best known for his work with the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, One Pro Wrestling and Real Quality Wrestling. He is currentl ...
and Jonny Storm. He also wrestled British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside in a losing effort to determine the inaugural Real Quality Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.
In 2007, Kidman made his International Wrestling Association debut in a match for the IWA World Heavyweight Championship IWA World Heavyweight Championship is the name given for the principal title of a number of professional wrestling promotions that operate under the acronym "I.W.A." (despite not sharing corporate name).
It may refer to:
* IWA World Heavyweight ...
against Ray González, which he lost. Kidman also took part in the East Coast Australian International Assault II Tour from June 1–3, 2007, where he competed against Australian wrestlers TNT and Mark Hilton before defeating Bryan Danielson
Bryan Lloyd Danielson (born May 22, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He is also known for his time in WWE, where he worked fr ...
to win the WSW World Heavyweight Championship on the third night in Newcastle.
On July 8, 2007, Kidman teamed up with Sean Waltman as part of a triple threat match in McAllen, Texas to crown the new NWA World Tag Team Champions
The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed member promotions to create their own territorial version of the "NWA World ...
. The title was previously vacated by Team 3D after Total Nonstop Action Wrestling officially pulled out of the National Wrestling Alliance. However, Kidman and Waltman lost the match to Karl Anderson and Joey Ryan.
Return to WWE (2007–present)
Kidman returned to WWE in 2007, helping train upcoming wrestlers in its then developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling throughout 2007 and 2008.[ On February 23, 2008, he wrestled his last match, losing to Afa Jr. Gruner was rehired by World Wrestling Entertainment in 2010 as a ]producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
. On September 21, 2011, WWE ran a story on their website about Gruner and his role as a producer.
On April 9, 2012, Gruner along with former wrestlers Jamie Noble, Goldust and other officials and WWE wrestlers broke up the brawl between John Cena and Brock Lesnar. In November 2013, Gruner appeared on WWE's European tour as Paul Heyman's doctor, under the name of "Dr. Weisenburg". On August 23, 2016 episode of ''SmackDown Live'', he appeared along with Jamie Noble to prevent Dolph Ziggler from attacking AJ Styles.
Kidman's contract was furloughed by the company on April 15, 2020, due to COVID-19 cutbacks. He returned on September 25, 2020.
Personal life
Gruner is Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. After being together for four years, Gruner married former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson on July 11, 2003. They lived together in Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...
when not traveling. The couple separated in mid-2006 and divorced in 2008.
A book detailing Gruner's career, ''Billy Kidman: The Shooting Star,'' was released in early 2014.
In 2014, Kidman began appearing on ''The JBL Show'', where he attempts to promote his Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
page but is always interrupted due to technical difficulties, which has become a running gag on the show.
Championships and awards
* East Coast Wrestling Association
** ECWA Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Ace Darling
** ECWA Hall of Fame ( Class of 2004)
*'' Pro Wrestling Illustrated''
**Ranked No. 31 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in '' PWI 500'' in 1999
** Ranked No. 313 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the "PWI Years" in 2003
*Revolution Xtreme Wrestling
**RXW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* Trans-World Wrestling Federation
**TWWF Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
* World Championship Wrestling
** WCW Cruiserweight Championship ( 3 times)
**WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship
The WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship was a title created in 2001 just prior to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) being sold to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
History
The WCW Cruiserweight Championship and the matches contested for ...
( 1 time) – with Rey Mysterio Jr.
** WCW World Tag Team Championship (2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outsid ...
) – with Rey Mysterio Jr. (1) and Konnan (1)
* World Series Wrestling
**WSW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
** WCW/WWF/E Cruiserweight Championship (4 times
"4 Times" (stylized as "4 TIMES") is the 50th single by pop/ R&B singer Koda Kumi. It was released on August 17, 2011 and debuted at No. 6, remaining on the Oricon charts for nine consecutive weeks. In commemoration of it being the fiftieth singl ...
)
** WWE Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Paul London
*''Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
''
** Worst Feud of the Year (2000)
Bibliography
*Carrington, L. Anne (2014). ''Billy Kidman: The Shooting Star.'' Palm Tree Books
See also
* List of Jewish professional wrestlers
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kidman, Billy
1974 births
American male professional wrestlers
Jewish American sportspeople
Jewish professional wrestlers
Living people
Parkland High School (Allentown, Pennsylvania) alumni
Sportspeople from Tampa, Florida
Sportspeople from Allentown, Pennsylvania
Professional wrestlers from Pennsylvania
Professional wrestling trainers
21st-century American Jews
20th-century professional wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
WCW/WWE Cruiserweight Champions
WCW World Tag Team Champions