William Murray Happer
(born October 4, 1972
) is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
and
trainer, best known by his
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
Otto Schwanz. He competed primarily in
the Carolinas
The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean ...
since the mid-2000s, and has wrestled for many promotions including
CWF Mid-Atlantic
Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic (CWF Mid-Atlantic, formerly known as the Carolina Wrestling Federation and FWA-Carolinas) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Rudd in 2000. The promotion is based ...
,
Cueball Carmichael
Chris Jackson (born June 10, 1960) is an American professional wrestler, Personal trainer, trainer and promoter (entertainment), promoter, known by his ringname Cueball Carmichael, who competes in the Mid-Atlantic United States, Mid-Atlantic and ...
's
Independent Pro Wrestling Alliance,
OMEGA
Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...
, and
Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorja ...
.
From 1998 to 2003, Happer was also a member of
The Dupps
The Dupps were a professional wrestling tag team in southern independents and ECW during the late 1990s composed of four wrestlers and one valet. Each of their names is a play on different phrases: "Bowed up", "Jacked up", "Pucked up", "Stand up" ...
, along with
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced ) is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants. The term has evolved to become a code word ...
"cousins"
Jack
Jack may refer to:
Places
* Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community
* Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas
People and fictional characters
* Jack (given name), a male given name, incl ...
and
Puck Dupp, wrestling as Bo Dupp
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
. "Statistics for Professional Wrestlers." ''PWI 2001 Wrestling Almanac and Book of Facts''. Vol. IV. No. 1. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Co., 2001. (pg. 41) in
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was an American professional wrestling promotion that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and operated by its parent company HHG Corporation. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as Nationa ...
,
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
, and
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
. While under a developmental contract with WWE, Happer also competed under his real name until being released in 2001.
Outside of pro wrestling, Happer is an educator and instructor in
high school athletics
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. The distinction is made between amateur sporting participants and professional sports, professional sporting participants, who are paid for the time t ...
. He was a co-captain of the
Georgetown Hoyas football
The Georgetown Hoyas football team represents Georgetown University in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level of college football. Like other sports teams from Georgetown, the team is named Georgetown Hoyas, the Hoyas, which deri ...
team while attending
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
and, in 2003, became head coach of
South Johnston High School
South Johnston High School (also referred to as "South") is a high school for grades 9–12 located in Four Oaks, North Carolina, near Benson. The school was built in 1969 in order to integrate the area's "all-white" and "all-black" schools. Th ...
's Trojans wrestling team in addition to teaching
civics
In the field of political science, civics is the study of the civil and political rights and obligations of citizens in a society. The term ''civics'' derives from the Latin word ''civicus'', meaning "relating to a citizen". In U.S. politics ...
and history.
Early life
William Murray Happer was born in
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
, on October 4, 1972. He was a four-year
letterman
Letterman may refer to:
* Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States
People
* David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host
** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...
and co-captain of the
Georgetown Hoyas football team,
along with Steve Colello and Jim Klessel,
while attending
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
and received the George L. Murtagh Award in 1994.
He pursued an athletic career following his graduation the next year – specifically as a professional wrestler.
He trained under
Cueball Carmichael
Chris Jackson (born June 10, 1960) is an American professional wrestler, Personal trainer, trainer and promoter (entertainment), promoter, known by his ringname Cueball Carmichael, who competes in the Mid-Atlantic United States, Mid-Atlantic and ...
and
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene Corino (born May 29, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestling trainer and former professional wrestler. , he works for the American professional wrestling promotion WWE as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center and as a produ ...
at the
IPWA training facility during the first half of 1997, with additional training with
Matt and Jeff Hardy, and made his pro debut on July 18, 1997.
Prior to this, Happer wrote a guest column for the Insight from the Squared Circle website entitled "Bull from the Baron". This served as an
online journal
An academic journal (or scholarly journal or scientific journal) is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. They serve as permanent and transparent forums for the dissemination, scr ...
, which was unique for the time, chronicling his training and early career.
Professional wrestling career
Early career in the Southern independents
Though initially using the name "Baron von Happer" as a student, Happer wrestled as Otto Schwanz upon making his debut.
While resembling a throwback to the
archetypical foreign villains of the 1960s and 70s,
his unique and bizarre in-ring behavior made him a stand out on the independent circuit. He was also introduced by
sexual innuendos in the form of various fictitious locations in Germany such as "Blasmireinen" or "Grobe-Muschie". In IPWA, his ring introduction was spoken in the
German language
German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switze ...
.
Without notice, he would switch from
speaking stereotypical German to his native
North Carolina accent during in-ring interviews. Happer would often perform "struts, chicken walks, dances, prances, and pounces" during wrestling matches and was later described by one writer as the "
clown prince of the ropes".
Happer spent much of his early career wrestling for numerous regional promotions in the
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...
. These included the
Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance
The Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance (IPWA, sometimes shortened to the Independent Pro Wrestling Alliance) was an American independent professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States ...
,
Live Action Wrestling,
NWA 2000, New Dimension Wrestling, and
Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorja ...
. He also had a brief stint in
Southern States Wrestling
Southern States Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Kingsport, Tennessee. Founded by wrestler Beau James in early 1991, SSW (along with NWA Bluegrass) succeeded Smoky Mountain Wrestling as the top prom ...
where, on September 1, 1997, he was pinned by Johnny Thunder in a
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
match for the vacant
SSW Heavyweight Championship
The Southern States Wrestling (SSW) Heavyweight Championship is the primary professional wrestling championship in Southern States Wrestling. It was first won by The Tennessee Equalizer when he defeated George Hiatt in Elizabethton, Tennessee on ...
in
Fall Branch, Tennessee
Fall Branch is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washington County, Tennessee, Washington and Greene County, Tennessee, Greene counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 1,291 at the 2010 census. Some areas in Sullivan County, T ...
.
Southern Championship Wrestling (1997–1999)
That same year Happer began wrestling for
Count Grog's
Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorja ...
based in his hometown of Raleigh. On May 2, 1998, he beat Boris Dragoff for the
SCW North Carolina Championship,
["The PWI 500." '']Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1998): pg. 74. his first singles title, in
Durham, North Carolina
Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...
. On June 27, while champion, he lost to Boris Dragoff in a three-way match with Chris Stephenson for the vacant heavyweight championship. He held the North Carolina title for seven months before dropping the belt to
C. W. Anderson in Raleigh on December 3, 1998.
Throughout his time in SCW, Happer was associated with its top
"heel" stable
A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed.
Styles
There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
, The Brotherhood, led by Count Grog. Grog later listed Happer as his second favorite wrestler to manage, after
Major DeBeers, commenting "this big German has the most potential of anyone I've ever managed. He's big, mean, and insane, all qualities I look for in a wrestler".
Happer feuded with
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
during this time
which saw Count Grog betraying him and siding with Venom. With the help of his former House of Pain tag team partner
Cham Pain, Happer defeated
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
to win the
SCW Heavyweight Championship
The SCW Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling)#Prime championships, heavyweight championship in Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW). It remained active until November 20, 2004, when SCW was cl ...
in Raleigh on February 25, 1999.
Shortly after his title victory, Happer was voted by fans as "SCW Wrestler of the Year".
["The PWI 500." '']Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
''. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1999): pg. 64, 65. Coincidentally Happer's former trainer, Cueball Carmichael, had been the previous SCW champion before being forced to vacate the title.
Happer, having been trained at Carmichael's IPWA Training Center, continued wrestling for the promotion up until the spring of 1999
at which time he was interviewed by the
Washington City Paper
The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area since 1981. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial ...
.
He won the heavyweight title two more times before leaving SCW near the end of 1999.
OMEGA (1997–1999)
Happer was a mainstay in
Matt and Jeff Hardy's
OMEGA
Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...
throughout the late-1990s.
One of his earliest matches with the promotion was against
Surge
Surge means a sudden transient rush or flood, and may refer to:
Science
* Storm surge, the onshore flow of water associated with a low-pressure weather system
* Surge (glacier), a short-lived event where a glacier can move up to velocities 100 t ...
in
Sanford, North Carolina
Sanford is a city in Lee County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 30,261 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lee County. The geographic center of North Carolina is located northwest of the city, in Chatham County.
His ...
, on November 8, 1997. He also did battle against regulars such as Bobby Burnette, Harold Bison, and Toad. It was in OMEGA that he formed an alliance with future tag team partner
Cham Pain against Happer's archrival Venom. At OMEGA's "Livin' La Vida Lucha" on July 24, 1998, he and Cham Pain wrestled Venom in a
handicap match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...
.
By the end of OMEGA's three-year run, Happer was among the promotion's stars that went on to join the "mainstream" wrestling organizations including Venom,
C. W. Anderson,
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene Corino (born May 29, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestling trainer and former professional wrestler. , he works for the American professional wrestling promotion WWE as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center and as a produ ...
,
Shane Helms
Gregory Shane Helms (born July 12, 1974) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE under a legends contract, and currently works for the company as a backstage producer. In WWE, Helms has wrestled as The Hurricane, Gregory Helms, ...
,
Kid Dynamo,
Amy, and
The Bad Street Boys
In professional wrestling, the Bad Street Boys was a stable and tag team that competed on the independent circuit. It was initially composed of Gregory Helms, Shannon Moore, Joey Matthews, and Christian York, being reduced to York and Matthews wh ...
(
Joey Matthews
Adam Birch (born July 18, 1979), better known by the ring name Joey Mercury, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Ring of Honor.
Birch was trained by fellow wrestler Jimmy Cicero and made his wrestl ...
and
Christian York
Jason Spence (born April 13, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Christian York. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
).
Happer was featured in the 2009 documentary "OMEGA: Uncommon Passion" and several former OMEGA alumni, including former co-owner Thomas Simpson, spoke highly of him. Corino, in particular, voiced his wish that "
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon ( ; born August 24, 1945) is an American businessman and former professional wrestling promoter. McMahon, along with his later-estranged wife Linda McMahon, Linda, is a co-founder of the modern WWE, the world's largest ...
would take another look at him because he's got that old school vibe and he's funny without even trying".
The Dupps (1999–2003)
In the summer of 1999, the then reigning SCW Tag Team Champions, The Serial Thrillaz, broke up when Shane Helms left SCW for
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
and saw Helms give his half of the title to Happer. He and Mike Maverick defended the titles together for a short time before changing their names to Bo and Jack Dupp respectively.
It was during this period that Happer, along with Maverick and Cham Pain, sent a tape to
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was an American professional wrestling promotion that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and operated by its parent company HHG Corporation. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as Nationa ...
which introduced themselves as "a family of
redneck
''Redneck'' is a derogatory term mainly applied to white Americans perceived to be crass and unsophisticated, closely associated with rural whites of the southern United States.Harold Wentworth, and Stuart Berg Flexner, ''Dictionary of American ...
s from
Lizard Lick, North Carolina
Lizard Lick is an unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The community is located at the crossroads of Lizard Lick Road and NC 97. Lizard Lick has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.
The commu ...
, named 'The Dupps'". They received a call from
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and professional wrestling promotion, promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestli ...
who invited them to the
ECW Arena
2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named XPW Arena, New A ...
for a tryout match. Dreamer later told them that their video was "one of the funniest, most original tapes they had ever received". On October 29, 1999, The Dupps wrestled
David "Kid" Cash and
Super Nova at the Packard Music Hall in
Warren, Ohio
Warren is a city in Trumbull County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along the Mahoning River, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown, Ohio, Y ...
. The trio eventually forfeited the SCW tag team belts, and Happer the heavyweight title, and left for ECW a month later.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1999–2000)
The Dupps made their official ECW debut on November 27, 1999, at the
ECW Arena
2300 Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, used primarily for professional wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and concert events. Originally known as Viking Hall, the venue has since been named XPW Arena, New A ...
again wrestling Kid Cash and
Super Nova. Bo and Jack Dupp were wrestling while Puck Dupp acted as manager. The following night, they appeared on the November 28 edition of ''
Hardcore TV'' against
Danny Doring
Daniel Morrison (born February 19, 1974) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Danny Doring. He is best known for his appearances with the professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championsh ...
and
Roadkill
Roadkill is a wild animal that has been killed by collision with motor vehicles. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how they can be mitigated.
History
Essenti ...
. A month later, The Dupps wrestled both teams in a
three-way dance
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
which aired on ''
ECW on TNN
''ECW on TNN'', also known as '' ECW Wrestling'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and aired on The Nashville Network (TNN, now Paramount Network). Created by Pau ...
''
on January 7, 2000.
World Wrestling Federation (2000–2001)
Despite being promised contracts with ECW, Happer and Maverick instead decided to accept a contract offer with the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...
in March 2000.
The Dupps mainly wrestled in
dark match
Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnival
Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that o ...
es on WWF television while the majority of their time was spent in the WWF's developmental territories,
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Mem ...
and
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promotion and former developmental territory based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow, Matt Jones (radio host), Ma ...
.
One of their first matches for the WWF was against
Rob Conway
Robert Thomas Conway Jr. (born November 28, 1972), is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Conway is also known for his work with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where ...
and Danny Dominion, who they defeated, at the sold-out All-State Arena in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
on March 20, 2000. They returned to the All-State Arena six months later where they defeated the Texas Hangmen.
Memphis Championship Wrestling (2000–2001)
The Dupps were sent to Memphis Championship Wrestling in late 2000. On October 14, 2000, they teamed with
Joey Abs
Jason Arhndt (born October 15, 1971) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Joey Abs as part of the Mean Street Posse. He also performed us ...
in a 6-man tag team match against
K-Krush and the
Mean Street Posse. Two weeks later they won the
MCW Southern Tag Team Championship
The MCW Southern Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in Memphis Championship Wrestling from 2000 until the promotion closed in 2002.
Title history
See also
*Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW) was a ...
from the Mean Street Posse in
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Jonesboro () is a city located on Crowley's Ridge in the northeastern corner of the U.S. State of Arkansas. Jonesboro is one of two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, Craighead County. In 2023, the city had an estimated population of ...
. They defended the titles for three weeks before losing the belts to The Triad (Seven and Thrash) in a no-disqualification match. Happer was unable to appear for the show, held in
Newbern, Tennessee
Newbern is a town in Dyer County, Tennessee, Dyer County, Tennessee. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the town population was 3,313.
History
The first settlers came to the area in the 1840s. Owen Philly is credited with erecting ...
, and was substituted by Joey Abs. That same year, The Dupps became the first tag team champions for
Carolinas Wrestling Federation, however, the titles were vacated when they left the promotion in 2001.
The Dupps also faced teams such as
Spellbinder and Bulldog Raines, Alan Steel and Blade Boudreaux, and Joey Abs and
Lance Cade
Lance Kurtis McNaught (March 2, 1981 – August 13, 2010) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) where he performed under the ring names Garrison Cade and Lance Cade.
After be ...
. They briefly regained the tag titles from Spanky and Shooter Schultz, the latter taking the place of The American Dragon, in
Corinth, Mississippi
Corinth is a city in and the county seat of Alcorn County, Mississippi, Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,622 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with Tennessee.
His ...
, on January 13, 2001. The following night, they appeared at a WWF house show in
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...
, against
The Acolytes (
Bradshaw and
Faarooq
Ronald K. Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American former professional wrestler and football player. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, Simmons played fo ...
). Happer also made three appearances in singles competition wrestling Joey Abs at Chicago's All-State Arena (January 16),
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and World Championship Wrestling ...
in
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...
(February 18), and The Drill Instructor in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
(February 19) which he won.
He made a fourth and final appearance in a dark match prior to a television taping for the February 20 edition of SmackDown! as the opponent for fellow ECW star
Rhyno
Terrance Guido Gerin (born October 7, 1975) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Rhyno (or Rhino). He is a freelancer, appearing for various promotions such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW), National Wrestling Alliance ...
in what would be his second "unofficial" WWF debut. They dropped the belts to
The Haas Brothers
The Haas Brothers was a Professional wrestling Tag team consisting of real life brothers Charlie and Russ Haas. The team was very successful in the independent wrestling circuit, but Russ's death on December 15, 2001, led to the end of the tag ...
(Charlie Haas and Russ Haas) on February 21, 2001, in Jonesboro.
Happer's final match for MCW was against Spellbinder on March 10, 2001.
Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan William Coachman (born August 12, 1973), also known as "The Coach", is an American sports analyst and former professional wrestling personality.
Early life
Before embarking on an announcing career in professional wrestling, Coachman w ...
was the guest commentator.
World Wrestling Federation (2001)
Shortly before The Dupp's departure from Memphis, Happer was brought in for several matches with the company. On March 4, he faced
Albert
Albert may refer to:
Companies
* Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s
* Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic
* Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands
* Albert Market, a street mar ...
at a WWF house show in
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to the Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey ...
, where he was pinned following a "
Baldo Bomb". Two days later, he teamed with
Scott Vick
Robert Scott Vick (born March 20, 1973) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling from 1997 to 1999 under the ring name Sick Boy, where he was a member of Raven's Flock.
Profes ...
against The Haas Brothers at the
MCI Center
Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. Located in the Chinatown section of the larger Penn Quarter neighborhood, the arena sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. The arena was opened on D ...
in Washington, D.C. On March 19, Happer faced his former partner in a singles match at the sold-out
Pepsi Arena in
Albany, New York
Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...
, pinning Vick with a charging headbutt and splash. He lost to Vick the next day at
Civic Center
A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains of one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, ...
in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...
.
This was Happer's last appearance with the WWF with he and Maverick being released in the Spring of 2001.
Total Non-Stop Action (2002)
In June 2002, The Dupps were among those signed by
Total Non-Stop Action to appear on its debut PPV event. In front of 3,000 fans, on June 19, 2002, he and Stan Dupp defeated Christian York and Joey Matthews when Bo pinned York at the Von Braun Civic Center in
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...
.
Bo and Stan Dupp would team together only twice more after their TNA debut. The first was against
The Flying Elvises
Jorge Moraza is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jorge Estrada. He is a former National Wrestling Alliance NWA North American Heavyweight Championship, North American Heavyweight champion and participated in the fi ...
(
Jorge Estrada
Jorge Moraza is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jorge Estrada. He is a former National Wrestling Alliance North American Heavyweight champion and participated in the first televised match of NWA Total Nonstop A ...
and
Sonny Siaki
Sonny Siaki (born July 23, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler of American Samoan descent. He is best known for his time in NWA Total Nonstop Action, where he was a one-time TNA X Division Champion.
Early life
When Siaki was ...
) at the City Auditorium on July 10 and the second defeating
Mike Rapada
Michael Rapada (born August 28, 1964), best known as "The Colorado Kid" Mike Rapada, is an American professional wrestler.
Professional wrestling career
Mike Rapada started out in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It took three months, but eventuall ...
and Big Bully Douglas a week later at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. While The Dupps were only together for an eight-week period, they had a notable impact during the first year of the promotion. On the July 24 edition of TNA Impact, Happer's "bumping" into
Ian Harrison set up an impromptu match ending in a disqualification when Stan Dupp interfered on Bo Dupp's behalf. Another storyline involving The Dupp's was the so-called "Dupp Cup"
which Happer defended in "hardcore" matches, most notably against
Ed Ferrara
Edward Ferrara (born November 22, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler, writer and agent for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), often co-working alongside Vince Russo. He is most ...
, during his last two months with TNA. On August 14, 2002, in what would be his final appearance with the company, Happer was defeated by Teo in a "hardcore" match at Nashville's Fairgrounds Coliseum to win the NWA Dupp Cup. Blade Braxton of
Wrestlecrap
''WrestleCrap'' is a professional wrestling website created by R. D. Reynolds and Merle Vincent, serving as a "hall of shame" for some of the worst gimmicks and storylines in professional wrestling history. The site is currently run by Reynolds ...
.com briefly touched on their career during the first year of the company.
In 2007,
R. D. Reynolds ranked Happer's ring name "Bo Dupp" 7 of the top 8 "Stupidest Ring Names In Wrestling History" in ''
The Wrestlecrap Book of Lists!''.
Return to the "Indies" (2001–2002)
In between his release from the WWE and being hired by TNA, Happer continued his appearances on the Mid-Atlantic and Southern independent circuit. On September 1, 2001, Happer appeared at
NWA Wildside
NWA Wildside was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cornelia, Georgia, with an office in Atlanta, Georgia, operating between September 1999 and April 2005. It was originally formed when National Championship Wrestli ...
's "2nd Anniversary Show" held at the NWA Wildside Arena in
Cornelia, Georgia
Cornelia is a city in Habersham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,160 at the 2010 census, up from 3,674 at the 2000 census. It is home to one of the world's largest apple sculptures, which is displayed on top of an obelisk-sh ...
, where he joined
Lodi and
Chris Hamrick
Christopher Hamrick (born October 21, 1966) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in ECW, though he is also known for his appearances in WWE, TNA and throughout the independent circuit.
Professional wrestling car ...
in a 6-man tag team match against Adam Booker,
Dr. Heresy
Jeremy Barron (born September 25, 1976), better known by the ring name Dr. Reginald Heresy, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, manager, promoter, and trainer. A mainstay of the New England independent circuit, Barron has wrestled ...
, and Cru Jones. Hamrick later included this match on his personal "Best of Chris Hamrick" video series. In late 2001, he returned to the Carolinas Wrestling Federation, now known as FWA-Carolinas, one of two U.S. affiliate promotions under the UK's
Frontier Wrestling Alliance
Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) was a professional wrestling promotion in Britain. Established in 1993 as the Fratton Wrestling Association it soon became the Frontier Wrestling Alliance six years later and until 2007 when it lost a scripted ...
. It was there, as "Otto Schwanz", that he began a feud with FWA Carolinas Heavyweight Champion Madd Maxx. Happer wrestled Maxx in a non-title
lumberjack match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a storyline. ...
at A Matter of Pride on November 11, which he won, due to outside interference by Jeff Justice, and caused Maxx to lose the title at BattleCade (2001) to Eddie Brown on December 29, 2001.
Happer also came back to Southern Championship Wrestling where, on January 31, 2002, he defeated Kross a tournament final to win the then vacant heavyweight title. At a benefit show for SCW wrestler Josh "Tears" Duke, who was left paralyzed following a car accident, he successfully defended his title against TNA's
Lazz.
He held the title for six months before surrendering the title in June 2002. Elsewhere on the "indy circuit" Happer also faced another former ECW star,
Roadkill
Roadkill is a wild animal that has been killed by collision with motor vehicles. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how they can be mitigated.
History
Essenti ...
, at a show for Wrestle Force of America in
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, on February 2, 2002. That summer, he was invited by
Phoenix Championship Wrestling
Phoenix Championship Wrestling was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Toms River, New Jersey. It was founded by twin brothers Don and Mike Bucci in 2001 and promoted by Don Bucci until its close two years later. Th ...
to participate in the 12-team Invitational Tag Team Tournament for the Russ Haas Memorial Cup being held in
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a Township (New Jersey), township and coastal town located on the Jersey Shore in Ocean County, New Jersey, Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its mainland United States, mainland portion is also a census-designated ...
. He was originally scheduled to team with Pete Gas, however, he was paired with Matt Vandal when Gas was not able to make it to the event. The team was eliminated in the opening rounds by The United Nations (Prophet and Tiger Khan) in a three-way match also involving Lance Cade and
Nick Dinsmore
Nicholas David Dinsmore (born December 17, 1975), better known by his ring name Eugene, is an American professional wrestler.
Dinsmore's career began in 1996 in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he became the OVW Heavyweight Champion a record eight ...
. Back in FWA-Carolinas, he defeated Brown for the promotion's heavyweight title at the June 29 supercard "Hostile Intentions" in
Graham, North Carolina
Graham is a city and the county seat of Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the population was 17,153.
History
Graham was laid ou ...
. He defended the title for over three months before his defeat by Corey Edsel at FWA's "The Next Level" on November 2, 2002.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2003)
In the summer of 2003, Happer was brought in for a third and final WWE stint. On the August 19 edition of ''
SmackDown!
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on USA Network in the United ...
'' at Detroit's
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena was an arena in Downtown Detroit. Completed in 1979 at a cost of US$57 million as a replacement for Olympia Stadium, it sat adjacent to Cobo Center on the bank of the Detroit River and was accessible by the Joe Louis Arena ...
he and Pat Cusick took on
Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under his real name of Paul Wight. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) f ...
in a handicap match. Happer and Cusick had a combined weight of 515 compared to the 500-lbs. Big Show. The two men again wrestled Big Show at Raleigh's
RBC Center
RBC may refer to:
Media and arts
* Radio Beijing Corporation, a family of municipal radio stations in Beijing, China
* RBC Ministries, now Our Daily Bread Ministries, a Christian media outlet in Grand Rapids, Michigan
* RBC Radio, the former na ...
on the September 16 edition of ''SmackDown!''. The first match ended after Cusick was pinned by Big Show with a
chokeslam
A chokeslam is a type of body slam in professional wrestling, in which a wrestler grasps an opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerf ...
. They later returned to the ring where Happer challenged Big Show to a re-match. Big Show obliged by coming out and attacking both men. The second match lasted shorter than the first ending with Big Show again pinning Cusick.
He and Cusick continued teaming for another month wrestling dark matches against
Spanky and Paul London on ''
WWE Velocity
''WWE Velocity'' is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and ran from May 25, 2002 to June 11, 2006. It replaced two syndicated WWE shows, ''Jakked'' and ''Metal''. Once ...
'' (November 1, 2003). and
World Tag Team Champions The
Dudley Boyz
The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley. The team was also joined by various Dudley family members, notably Spike Dudley and ...
on ''
WWE Raw
''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It currently airs Live television, live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show fe ...
'' (November 2, 2003) in
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city.
Fayetteville has received the All-Ameri ...
. Happer had one more appearance on the
Fourth of July
Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...
edition of ''
WWE Heat
''WWE Heat'' (formerly known as ''Sunday Night Heat'' and also known as ''Heat'') is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and aired from August 2, 1998 to May 30, 2008. Or ...
'' against
Val Venis
Sean Allen Morley (born March 6, 1971), better known by his ring name Val Venis, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE) from 1998 to 20 ...
.
Southern Championship Wrestling (2003–2004)
Happer returned to Southern Championship Wrestling and remained with the promotion during its final two years in operation. On July 12, 2003, he lost to
C. W. Anderson at Heatwave (2003) in a match for the SCW Heavyweight Championship. Happer regained the title from Anderson, a record fifth time, at SCW's final show "Blowout Bash" on November 20, 2004. His one-time manager, Count Grog, helped Happer win the title. While wrestling for SCW,
Josh Daniels
Joshua Christopher Daniels (born Joshua Christopher Tracey on 22 February 1996) is an Irish professional footballer who is a winger/wing-back playing for The New Saints.
Club career
Born in Derry, began his career with Derry City. He scored hi ...
called his match with Happer one of his better matches and "a great learning experience for me".
[McCaffrey, Sean. "Josh Daniels." ''Declarationofindependents.net''. Ed. Sean McCaffrey. N.p., Jan. 2007. Web. Mar. 27, 2011. .]
AWA Mid-Atlantic (2004–2006)
During SCW's last year, Happer started working for
AWA Mid-Atlantic. From May 2004 to February 2005, he wrestled against Krazy K, Trent Wylde, Brad Attitude, Joey Silvia, and Matt Stryker. On February 19, 2005, Happer unsuccessfully challenged Ric Converse for the AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship in
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance County, North Carolina, Alamance and Guilford County, North Carolina, Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which en ...
. At April 2 "Fallout" supercard, his match against AWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion Jesse "El Fuego" Ortega ended in a time limit draw. At the end of the month, Happer defeated
AWA Mid-Atlantic Rising Generation League Champion Kid Justice in non-title match. However, he came up on the losing end in a rematch on June 4, 2005.
During the first half of 2006, he scored victories over Jake Manning, Xsiris, Sonny Blaze, T.J. Mack, and "Rock ’n' Roll" Matty Dee. He also teamed with Tank Lawson against The New Dynasty (Steve Greene & Joey Silvia) on May 6, and a 6-man tag team match with Lawson and Rob McBride against Steve Greene, Joey Silvia, and Trent Wylde on July 22. On August 5, Happer won the 14-man Torneo Cibernetico (his team consisting of Chris Collins, Brandon Day, Jesse Ortega, Kamakazi Kid, Tank Lawson, and Rob McBride) for a title shot against then
AWA World Heavyweight Champion
The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling professional wrestling championship#World championships, world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). A ...
Ric Converse. The two men met at Burlington's Carolina Sports Arena two weeks later, with
Allison Danger
Cathy Allison Corino (born March 31, 1977) is a Canadians, Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Manager (professional wrestling), professional wrestling manager, better known by her stage name, ring name, Allison Dang ...
in Happer's corner, but was unable to unseat the heavyweight champion.
Happer mostly wrestled in tag team matches for the remainder of the year. He and Las Chivas Numéro Dos defeated Marcellus King and Michael McAllister on October 28 and beat Gregory Vercetti and Jerry Wayne with Cham Pain on November 4. He and Brass Munkey, however, lost to Joey Silvia and Steve Greene (with Ty Dillinger) on December 2. At BattleCade 7, Happer defeated Damien Wayne at the Carolina Sports Arena on December 30, 2006.
GOUGE (2006–2007)
In early 2006,
Count Grog started running shows out of Raleigh's Kings Barcade again under the
G.O.U.G.E. Wrestling banner. Happer was among the former SCW stars to star in the new promotion. He appeared on its second-ever show defeating Yuk at Kings Barcade on May 17, 2006. He also defeated Joey Silvia and, in a tag team match with Mudd Face, lost to The Urban Legends (Luther Thesz & Cowboy Willie Watts) at the same venue. On August 5, he met his former tag team partner, Cham Pain, at the Butner Sports Arena which ended in a 15-min. time-limit draw. That fall, he also reunited with his former manager Count Grog who was in Happer's corner when he defeated Seymour Snott in Stem, North Carolina on September 16. At GOUGE's December 13 "Holiday Hell" supercard, Happer Kid Sydye with the Russian sickle.
On March 31, 2007, Happer and Tennessee Ernie Nord lost a tag team match to The Urban Legends (Cowboy Willie Watts & Leroy Zbyszko) at "March Mayhem" in
Stem, North Carolina
Stem is a town in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 960 at the 2020 census.
History
File:Stem Town Hall.jpg, Stem Town Hall
File:The Negro tenants and neighbors eating dinner after the whit... (3109741227).j ...
. A few days later at "The Final Count Down", he was involved in a four-way match with King F’n Chilly Willy, C.W. Anderson, and Trailer Park Heat for the GOUGE Heavyweight Championship. He continued teaming with Tennessee Ernie Nord and Seymour Snott during the summer as well as winning a number of singles matches against Damien Wayne, Cowboy Willie Watts, Leroy Zbyszko, and Ravishing Rico Rage.
On August 25, 2007, Happer wrestled Snott for a GOUGE fundraiser to benefit the FVAA 93 Flash White soccer team. This show also marked the promotion's first-ever show in
Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
Fuquay-Varina ( ) is a town in southern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, lying south of Holly Springs and southwest of Garner. The population was 34,152 at the 2020 census, and estimated at 36,736 as of July 2021. The hyphenated na ...
.
CWF Mid-Atlantic (2007–2008)
In early 2007, Happer formed a brief tag team with Marcellus King. The two defeated Mitch Connor and Donnie Dollars at CWF Mid Atlantic's "War Games" on February 24, 2007, and Corey Edsel and Gregory Vercetti at "D-Day: The Fallout from War Games" on March 10. A month later, he lost to Joey Silvia (with Commissioner Ty Dillinger) in a match for the AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. On May 6, he wrestled T.J. Mack in
Manning, South Carolina
Manning is a city in and the county seat of Clarendon County, South Carolina, Clarendon County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,245 as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, with an estimated population in 2018 of 3,94 ...
, in a qualifying match to enter the
2007 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup.
He continued wrestling in tag teams over the summer. He and King lost to Donnie Dollars and Mitch Connor at "Absolute Justice" in Burlington on June 16 and, later that month, with Derek Ryze against
Team Macktion (
Kirby
Kirby may refer to:
Buildings
* Kirby Building, a skyscraper in Dallas, Texas, United States
* Kirby Lofts, a building in Houston, Texas, United States
* Kirby Hall, an Elizabethan country house near Corby, Northamptonshire, England
* Kirby Ho ...
and T.J. Mack). On the August 11 edition of ''CWF Championship Wrestling'', Happer battled Mid-Atlantic Television Champion "Simply" Steve Greene (with Ty Dillinger) to a time limit draw. He followed this up with a victory over Jerry Wayne at A Date With Destiny on October 20, 2007.
Happer was also involved as an instructor with the promotion training, most notably, female wrestler
Krissy Vaine
Kristin Eubanks (born January 12, 1981) is an American model, professional wrestler and valet. She is better known by her ring name Krissy Vaine and also for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment. She also trained at WWE's developmental terr ...
.
Several months later, he defeated Marcellus King on the March 15, 2008 edition of ''CWF Championship Wrestling''. He also defeated Evan Banks at Absolute Justice 2008 (June 21), "Big" Ray Kandrick at Valediction (July 19), teamed with Chase Dakota to defeat Wallabee Joe and Ray Kandrack at the
2008 Johnny Weaver Memorial Tournament (August 16). On October 18, 2008, at 8th annual CWF Rumble, Happer unsuccessfully challenged Ric Converse (with William L. Cross) for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship.
GOUGE (2008–2009)
On January 25, 2008, Happer defeated Colin Troy and Shady Chris Xion in a handicap match, with Brandi Richardson in his corner, for GOUGE's "Winter Wars" supercard at Vintage 21 in Raleigh, North Carolina. He also beat Charlie Dreamer at "Downtown Destruction" (February 29), teamed with Prince Kofi Jabba against Dick Foley and Seymour Snott at "March Mayhem" (March 29), and King Chilly Willy at GOUGE's 2nd Anniversary Show (April 11); as a result of Happer's victory his opponent was no longer able to use the "King Chilly Willy" gimmick.
On May 3, Happer defeated Luther Thesz and Chris Phoenix in a three-way dance at Kyle Petty's Victory Junction Fundraiser at The Iron Horse in
Apex, North Carolina
Apex () is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. At its southern border, Apex encompasses the community of Friendship. In 1994, the downtown area was designated a historic district, and the Apex train depot, built in 1867, is de ...
. At the end of the month, he wrestled Cowboy Willie Watts and Blackjack Billy Watts in a tag team match with Johnny Atlas. During the last half of 2008 he won matches against El Mariachi, Vinnie Damooche, Prince Kofi Jabba, Nicky Richards, The Taker, and Damien Wayne. He also wrestled in a three-way tag team match with Seymour Snott against Cowboy Willie Watts & Blackjack Billy Watts, The Trailer Park Model & Frankie Fontaine, and the Krazy Killer Klowns. The latter match was held at "Maul-O-Ween" in
Youngsville, North Carolina
Youngsville is a town in Franklin County, North Carolina, United States.
The population was 2,016 at the 2020 census.
History
The settlement was originally established as Pacific around 1839 on land owned by John "Jack" Young. It was renamed Yo ...
, with
Baby Doll
''Baby Doll'' is a 1956 American black comedy film directed by Elia Kazan and starring Carroll Baker, Karl Malden and Eli Wallach. It was produced by Kazan and Tennessee Williams, and adapted by Williams from two of his own one-act plays: '' 2 ...
in his opponent's corner, and ended in a disqualification.
At a special fundraiser co-promoted by Alternative Championship Wrestling and GOUGE, the 7th Annual Seagrove SuperShow, Happer wrestled
Jerry "the King" Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "the King" Lawler, is an American retired color commentator and professional wrestler signed to WWE under a Legends contract.
Prior to joining the World Wrestling Federation ( ...
in the main event with
"Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant as the
special guest referee
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
* Special police forces
M ...
. The event was held to raise money for
Seagrove Elementary School. At the end of the match, when his manager Count Grog climbed into the ring to interfere on Happer's behalf, he was put in the sleeper hold by Valiant and
dropkick
A dropkick is an Professional wrestling strikes, attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they ju ...
ed by Lawler over the top rope.
He also wrestled The Mommas Boy at the "Redneck Rumble" (March 7), a three-way match against Trailer Park Heat and Cueball Carmichael at GOUGE's "3rd Anniversary Show" (April 25), beat William Alexander Huckabee at "Showdown" (May 30), and another three-way match with Rob McBride and the Goat at "Super Summer Sizzler" (June 27). On August 15, he teamed with
Demolition Ax
William Reid Eadie (born December 27, 1947) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for performing under the ring names The Masked Superstar and Ax, the latter as part of Demolition.
Early life
Eadie was born in Brownsville, ...
and Rob McBride (with Count Grog) in a 6-man tag team match to defeat Cueball Carmichael, Wrestling Superstar, and Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. (with Smart Mark Greene) at "August Armageddon" in
Wake Forest, North Carolina
Wake Forest is a town in Wake and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it lies just north of the state capital, Raleigh. At the 2020 census, the population was 47,601, up from 30,117 in ...
; after the match, Grog put a dress on Greene.
That fall, he also defeated Andrea the Giant at "Fallout" (September 19) and The Mamas Boy at "Eruption" (October 10). On November 7, 2009, Happer lost a three-way
"I Quit" match at "Maul-O-Ween 2009" in
Youngsville, North Carolina
Youngsville is a town in Franklin County, North Carolina, United States.
The population was 2,016 at the 2020 census.
History
The settlement was originally established as Pacific around 1839 on land owned by John "Jack" Young. It was renamed Yo ...
, when
"Wiseguy" Jimmy Cicero (with Brian Perry) made the third participant Broderick McQueen "quit".
CWF Mid-Atlantic (2009–2010)
At Holding Out for a Hero on March 21, 2009, Happer joined Rob McBride and Roy Wilkins in a 6-man tag team match against Fatback Enterprises (Corey Edsel, Donnie Dollar$, and Nick Richards). On May 16, he beat Cecil Scott at Enter the Dragon. He also entered the
2009 Johnny Weaver Memorial Tournament defeating Sgt. Long in the opening rounds at Absolute Justice III in
Oxford, North Carolina
Oxford is a town in Granville County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 8,628 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Granville County.
History
The town's history dates to 1761, when local legislator Samuel Benton bui ...
, on June 20. Happer was eliminated in the quarter-finals by CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Brass Munkey at the Mid-Atlantic Sportatorium. He competed in a non-tournament match at the August 1 Johnny Weaver Cup Quarterfinals wrestling Jaxson Dane to a 10-min. time limit draw.
On September 5, a match between Happer and Jaxson Dane (with William L. Cross) at "Fatback Rising 2" ended in a 10-minute time limit draw. Similarly, his match with Chase Dakota at the 9th annual CWF Rumble also ended in a draw. On November 14, 2009 he beat Shane Phoenix in a Five Minute Challenge match at an interpromotional "Pro Wrestling International" event co-hosted by CWF Mid-Atlantic, Premier Wrestling Showcase, and Rider's Championship Wrestling.
He would appear twice more in CWF Mid Atlantic during the next year. The first being New Year's Knockout on January 16, 2010, defeating T.J. Mack, and CWF Rumble on October 16, 2010, where he and Jimmy Parker fought to a no-contest.
Later career (2010-2021)
On January 23, 2010, Happer appeared at the Sports Factory in Wake Forest, North Carolina for the Melissa Jo Bullock Fundraiser. He and Buddy Langley defeated Andrea the Giant and Robert Royal (with Neil Sharkey). He returned to Wake Forest a month later for "The Redneck Rumble" on February 27 where he defeated Q Sic. At the March 27 "March Mayhem" show, he and Rob McBride beat Rev Jimmy Swagger and Paco Loco at the Stem Fire Hall. Returning to in Wake Forest, Happer also beat William Alexander Huckaby at GOUGE's 4th Year Anniversary Show on April 17.
At Cincon De Mayhem on May 15, Happer teamed with The Mommas Boy to defeat Paco Loco & Rev Jimmy Swagger once again. The following month, he and Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. (with Count Grog) beat
"Handsome" Frank Stalletto and Mickey Gambino (with Phildel Castra (the former Smart Mark Greene)) at the Cherry Bounce Festival in Raleigh. It was at this same event that Happer won a
battle royal
Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...
to become GOUGE's Raleigh Heavyweight Champion. On September 11, at "Fall Out", he was disqualified during a title defence against Mickey Gambino when Happer hit the referee. He did, however, successfully defend the title against Frank Stelletto at "Too Hot to Handle" (September 25), Scapyard Dog at Maul-O-Ween, Night 1 (October 23), and wrestled GOUGE Tag Team Champions Frank Stelletto & Mickey Gambino with Rob McBride at Maul-O-Ween, Night 2 (October 30). During the event, Happer was interviewed by
The Herald-Sun
''The Herald-Sun'' is an American, English language daily newspaper in Durham, North Carolina, published by the McClatchy Company.
History
''The Herald-Sun'' began publication on January 1, 1991, as the result of a merger of ''The Durham Morn ...
where he discussed his experience working on the "indy circuit".
Happer continued to appear for G.O.U.G.E. throughout 2011. He defeated
Lou Marconi
Lou Marconi (born June 19, 1973Pro Wrestling Illustrated. "Statistics for Professional Wrestlers." ''PWI 2001 Wrestling Almanac and Book of Facts''. Vol. IV. No. 1. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Co., 2001. (pg. 46)) is an Ame ...
at Redneck Rumble (January 8), Sean Van Halen at Winter Wars (February 19), and Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. at G.O.U.G.E's 5th Year Anniversary Show (April 9). On April 14, at the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo, a rematch with Funk (with Admir Al Akbar, Greene in another gimmick) ended in a double-disqualification due to outside interference from Count Grog, Mickey Gambino, Seymour Snott and Rob McBride; he and Gambino lost to Seymour Snott and Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. in a tag team match later that night.
That summer, he travelled to
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
where he appeared on Florida Underground Wrestling's debut show in
Ybor City
Ybor City ( ) is a historic neighborhood just northeast of downtown Tampa, downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It was founded in the 1880s by Vicente Martinez Ybor and other cigar manufacturers and populated by thousands of immigrants, mai ...
.
Five months later, this time with Admir Al Akbar in his corner, Happer returned to the Food Truck Rodeo where he successfully defended the GOUGE Raleigh Championship against Seymour Snott. Later on, he wrestled against Snott, Rob McBride, Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. in a 6-man tag team match with Mikey Gambino and Lou Marconi. Happer also beat Mike West at the September 24 "Fallout in Butner" show. On October 8, he defeated Lou Marconi (with Count Grog) at Bud Light Concert Series in Raleigh. During the show, Happer attacked Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. following his match with Gluteus Maximus. At Maul-O-Ween 2011, he beat Leatherface to retain the Raleigh Championship.
On November 5, 2011, Happer made a surprise appearance at CWF Mid-Atlantic's home arena, the Mid-Atlantic Sportatorium in
Burlington, during its "Settling the Score" supercard demanding a match on the card. His challenge was accepted by Chase Dakota, a two-time
CWF Mid Atlantic Heavyweight Champion, with their match nearly ending in a time-limit draw. Happer was able to pin Dakota only two seconds before the 10 min. time limit was to expire.
Teaching career
In 2003, shortly after his final stint with WWE, Happer began teaching part-time upon returning to the "indy circuit".
His mother, Dr. Carolyn Happer, is a
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...
at
Meredith College
Meredith College is a private women's liberal arts college and coeducational graduate school
Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qu ...
. He took a job as a civics and history teacher at
South Johnston High School
South Johnston High School (also referred to as "South") is a high school for grades 9–12 located in Four Oaks, North Carolina, near Benson. The school was built in 1969 in order to integrate the area's "all-white" and "all-black" schools. Th ...
located in
Four Oaks, North Carolina
Four Oaks is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census it had a population of 1,921, up from 1,424 in 2000 United States census, 2000.
History
Four ...
. That same year he accepted a position as head coach for the school's wrestling team,
the South Johnson Trojans, which he led to the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference's dual-meet championship four years later. It was the first conference title the school had won the title since the 1991–92 season. The Trojans followed up this victory by capturing seven individual conference championships at the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference on February 3, 2007.
In December 2010, Murray and the Trojans were part of a trio of Johnston County wrestling teams which opened their season at South Johnston High. They were defeated by The Comets (60–21) while also competing against Knightdale and the Chargers. On January 26, 2012, Happer and the Trojans competed against, and lost to, county rivals Cleveland High School and the Rams for the Eastern Carolina 3A Conference's regular-season wrestling championship. The teams were preparing for Saturday night's
Johnston County tournament held at
Corinth-Holders. Earlier that month, in a meeting between South Johnston and Southern Wayne, Happer allowed Trojans team member Quincey Williams to wrestle Southern Wayne's 263-pound heavyweight Deonta Hayes in an exhibition match. Their bout, in which one of the participants outweighed the other by 110 pounds, was called "one of the strangest matchups of the year".
* Wrestlers trained
**
Krissy Vaine
Kristin Eubanks (born January 12, 1981) is an American model, professional wrestler and valet. She is better known by her ring name Krissy Vaine and also for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment. She also trained at WWE's developmental terr ...
Championships and accomplishments
College football
*
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
** George L. Murtagh Award (1994)
Professional wrestling
*
CWF Mid-Atlantic
Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic (CWF Mid-Atlantic, formerly known as the Carolina Wrestling Federation and FWA-Carolinas) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Rudd in 2000. The promotion is based ...
**
CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship
The CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship in Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic (CWF Mid-Atlantic).
Title history
Overall, there have been 38 reigns shared between 23 wrestlers, ...
(
1 time)
**
CWF Mid-Atlantic Television Championship
The CWF Mid-Atlantic Television Championship was a professional wrestling main championship in Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic (CWF Mid-Atlantic). It was the original cruiserweight title of the Carolina Wrestling Federation promotio ...
(
1 time)
**
CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship
The CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship in Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic (CWF Mid-Atlantic). It was the original tag team title of the Carolina Wrestling Federation promotion, lat ...
(
1 time) – with Jack Dupp
*
G.O.U.G.E.
**G.O.U.G.E. Raleigh Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**G.O.U.G.E. Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Alex Adonis
*
Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW) was a professional wrestling promotion run by Terry Golden, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The promotion's first event was on February 20, 2000, and it remained active until mid-2001. It was employed as a World ...
**
MCW Southern Tag Team Championship
The MCW Southern Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in Memphis Championship Wrestling from 2000 until the promotion closed in 2002.
Title history
See also
*Memphis Championship Wrestling
Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW) was a ...
(
2 times
"2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...
) – with Jack and Puck Dupp
*New Dimension Wrestling
**NDW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*
OMEGA
Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...
**
OMEGA Tag Team Championship
The OMEGA Tag Team Championship is the top tag team title in the Organization of Modern Extreme Grappling Arts independent professional wrestling promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mi ...
(
1 time) – with Mike Maverick
*
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
** PWI ranked him No. 232 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
in 2003
*
Southern Championship Wrestling
Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorja ...
**
SCW Heavyweight Championship
The SCW Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling)#Prime championships, heavyweight championship in Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW). It remained active until November 20, 2004, when SCW was cl ...
(
5 times)
**
SCW North Carolina Championship (
2 times
"2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...
)
**
SCW Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
**
SCW Tag Team Championship
The SCW Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling
Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional w ...
(
1 time) – with Jack Dupp
**
SCW Hall of Fame (Class of 2000)
** Wrestler of the Year (1999)
*
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...
**
Dupp Cup (1 time) – with
Stan Dupp
* Other titles
** Global Television Championship (1 time)
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
Official website(original)
at
OMEGA
Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...
Bo Duppat
OMEGA
Omega (, ; uppercase Ω, lowercase ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and last letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numerals, Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value ...
*
*
Otto Schwanz at Cagematch.netMurray Happer at WrestlingData.comOtto Schwanz at Johnny O's Wrestling Website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwanz, Otto
1972 births
Living people
American male professional wrestlers
Sportspeople from Raleigh, North Carolina
Professional wrestlers from North Carolina