Jonathan Rechner (April 11, 1972 – April 12, 2016), better 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 ...

Balls Mahoney, was 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 ...

best known for his appearances with

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 ...

(ECW) 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, ...

(WWE).

Early life

Rechner was born in

Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey Spring Lake Heights is a borough located in the southern coastal portion of Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,890, an increase of 177 (+3.8%) from the 2010 census co ...

and graduated from

Manasquan High School Manasquan High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Manasquan, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone high school of the ...

in 1991, where he competed on the school's wrestling team.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1987–1993)

After training at Larry Sharpe's

Monster Factory Monster Factory is a professional wrestling school located in Paulsboro, New Jersey, owned and operated by Danny Cage. It is considered to be the first publicly available professional wrestling school. Larry Sharpe opened the Monster Factory ...

, Rechner debuted at the age of 15 in 1987. He wrestled under the

Middle Eastern The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand out ...

of "Abbudah Singh" on the New Jersey

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...

and threw fireballs at his opponents, on one occasion accidentally scorching

Abdullah the Butcher Lawrence Robert Shreve (born January 11, 1941), better known by the ring name Abdullah the Butcher, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He has a reputation for being involved in some of the most violent and bloody hardcore wrestling mat ...

when he spat fire onto his chest.

Smoky Mountain Wrestling (1994–1995)

He made a name for himself as Boo Bradley Jr. (a take-off of the character

Boo Radley Harper Lee's ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' was published in 1960. Instantly successful, widely read in middle and high schools in the United States, it has become a classic of modern American literature, winning the Pulitzer Prize. She wrote the novel ' ...

from ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a 1960 Southern Gothic novel by American author Harper Lee. It became instantly successful after its release; in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' ...

'') in

Smoky Mountain Wrestling Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Appalachian area of the United States from October 1991 to December 1995, when it was run by Jim Cornette. The promotion was based in Knoxville, Tennessee, wit ...

(SMW). He was originally allied with

Chris Candido Christopher Barrett Candito (March 21, 1972 – April 28, 2005) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Candito is best remembered for his tenures with professional wrestling promotion, promotions such as World Championship ...

and managed by Tammy Sytch, who abused him for months, but they eventually turned on him, killing his pet cat and turning him into a fan favorite in the process. He formed a friendship with Cactus Jack during this time. After his battles with Candido, he moved on to a feud with Killer Kyle of the Gangstas. During his time in SMW Bradley won the SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship twice.

World Wrestling Federation (1992–1993, 1995–1996)

From September 1992 to July 1993, he appeared under his real name in 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, ...

(WWF) as a jobber, losing to the likes of Papa Shango, Marty Jannetty and

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

on ''Superstars'' and ''Wrestling Challenge''. At the In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...

on December 17, 1995, while

Savio Vega Savio Vega (born August 10, 1964) is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is known for his work in World Wrestling Federation, World Wrestling Council and International Wrestling Association. After leaving the WWF in 1999, Rivera returned ...

and "

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

" were at ringside handing out presents and playing to the fans, villainous manager "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase appeared and proclaimed that everyone had a price, even Santa. As Vega argued with DiBiase, Rechner, as "Santa", jumped him from behind and attacked him. DiBiase laughed his trademark laugh and introduced this warped Santa as Xanta Klaus, who was from the South Pole and stole presents. Rechner made two more appearances under this character, including on the following night's edition of ''

Monday Night 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 every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show features character ...

'' before never being mentioned again.

Mid Eastern Wrestling Federation (1996–1997)

After WWF, Rechner wrestled as Boo Bradley for Mid Eastern Wrestling Federation where he became the MEWF Mid-Atlantic Champion.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996–2001)

The Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks (1996–1999)

In 1996, Rechner signed with

(ECW) and debuted at Holiday Hell on December 7 as "Balls Mahoney", defeating Devon Storm. His original

was that of a

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...

biker who humped his opponents. In early 1997, he went on a losing streak against opponents like

Mike Awesome Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling ...

House Party A house party is a type of party held at the home of the party's host. Organization A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, word of mouth, pos ...

on January 11,

Lance Storm Lance Timothy Evers (; born April 3, 1969), known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a Canadians, Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he works as a producer. He is best known ...

on February 1 at Crossing the Line Again,

Stevie Richards Michael Stephen Manna (born October 9, 1971), better known by his ring name Stevie Richards, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and media personality. Since June 2024, Richards has hosted ''#The Stevie Richard ...

on February 22 at CyberSlam and The Sandman on March 15 at Hostile City Showdown. On July 6, at Wrestlepalooza, Mahoney and Sandman were defeated by

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 Brothers, Dudley family members, notably ...

( Buh Buh Ray and D-Von). On August 2, Mahoney teamed with

Axl Rotten Brian Knighton (April 21, 1971 – February 4, 2016), better known by the ring name Axl Rotten, was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. In the early 1990s, he was a part of the tag team The Bad Breed with Ian Rotten. He had ...

to defeat the Full Blooded Italians (

Little Guido James Maritato (born March 12, 1972) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under the ring names Little Guido and Nunzio. A high-school ...

and

Tracy Smothers Tracy Stanton Smothers (September 2, 1962 – October 28, 2020) was an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the WWE, World Wrestling ...

), but lost to them in a rematch at

As Good As It Gets ''As Good as It Gets'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Andrus. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, bigoted and obsessive–compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt ...

on September 20. Capitalizing on the ECW crowd's lust for violence and the hardcore attitude, Mahoney was never seen without his signature steel chair, usually with some kind of writing or sign placed on it, which he used as a weapon. He would come to the ring to the

AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...

song " Big Balls" and lead the crowd in singing the chorus before or after his matches. The duo were now a regular

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 ...

and were informally known as "The Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks". At

November to Remember November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Starting with the 1997 edition the event was broadc ...

on November 30, he and Rotten took part in a Four-Way Dance for the

ECW World Tag Team Championship The ECW World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was introduced in National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate and ECW precursor, Eastern Championship Wrestli ...

; The F.B.I. retained the titles. At

on January 10, 1998, they teamed with

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 ...

to defeat The F.B.I. and

Tommy Rich Thomas Richardson (born July 26, 1956) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tommy "Wildfire" Rich. He is a one time former National Wrestling Alliance NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Wo ...

in a six-man tag team match. Mahoney and Rotten participated in three-way dances at CyberSlam on February 21 and

Living Dangerously Living Dangerously was a pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was an American professional wrestling promotion that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and operated b ...

on March 1 and failed to win the titles from

and Lance Storm on May 3 at Wrestlepalooza. At

on November 1, Mahoney and new partner

Masato Tanaka is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship#Title History, one-time FMW Brass Knuckle ...

won the ECW World Tag Team Championship from the Dudley Boyz. Six days later, Mahoney and Tanaka dropped the titles to the Dudleyz in a rematch. At Guilty as Charged on January 10, 1999, he and Rotten defeated the F.B.I. and

Danny Doring and Roadkill Danny Doring and Roadkill (wrestler), Roadkill were a tag team in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1996 to 2001. They were the final ECW World Tag Team Champions, holding the titles until the promotion closed in 2001. History Extreme Champion ...

in a three-way dance. After defeating

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 ...

on March 21 at

, Mahoney, Rotten and

New Jack Jerome Young (January 3, 1963 – May 14, 2021) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name New Jack. He was best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he became notorious for his willingn ...

lost to the Dudleyz and Mr. Mustafa in an Ultimate Jeopardy match at CyberSlam on April 3. At Hardcore Heaven on May 16, Mahoney and Spike Dudley failed to win the World Tag Team Championship from the Dudleyz, but won them in a Street Fight on July 18 at

Heat Wave A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...

. They again lost the titles to the Dudleyz on August 12. On August 14, Mahoney and Dudley defeated the Dudleyz in another rematch on '' ECW on TNN'' to win back the World Tag Team Championship. At

The Last Show at the Madhouse The Last Show at the Madhouse was a professional wrestling live event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on August 26, 1999. The event was held in Elks Lodge #878 in New York City, New York in the United States. Excerpts from the La ...

on August 26, they again lost the titles to the Dudleyz. At Anarchy Rulz on September 19, ECW World Television Champion

Rob Van Dam Robert Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD) is an American professional wrestler. Known for his unique ring style—which includes his variety of kicks, acrobatic movemen ...

was scheduled to defend his title against

Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote " Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great ...

but before the match, Mahoney, Rotten and Dudley attacked Smith and took him out of the match. Mahoney then challenged RVD for the title in a losing effort. At

on November 7, Mahoney and Rotten lost to Da Baldies ( Spanish Angel, Tony DeVito, Vito LoGrasso, and

P. N. News Paul Neu (born July 9, 1966) is an American professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his stints in World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring name P. N. News and accompanying hip hop-influenced p ...

) in a 4-on-2

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 ...

Final days of ECW (2000–2001)

Mahoney defeated

Kintaro Kanemura , better known by his ring name , is a Zainichi Korean retired professional wrestler. He also wrestled under the ring name (stylized as W*ING Kanemura). He is best known for his death matches in Apache Army, Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW), Ext ...

on March 10, 2000, lost to former tag team partner Masato Tanaka at Hardcore Heaven on May 14 and F.B.I. member Sal E. Graziano at

on July 16. He then formed a tag team with Chilly Willy and lost to Da Baldies at Anarchy Rulz on October 1, before defeating them in a Flaming Tables match at

on November 5. At Massacre on 34th Street on December 3, Mahoney lost to EZ Money. Mahoney's final ECW appearance was at ECW's final pay-per-view Guilty as Charged on January 7, 2001, where Mahoney and Chilly Willy's match with

Simon Diamond Patrick Joseph Michael Kenney (born May 26, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler and baseball player, better known by his ring name, Simon Diamond. He is working for the National Wrestling Alliance as Director of Talent Relation ...

and

Johnny Swinger Joseph Dorgan (born July 3, 1975) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), using the ring name Johnny Swinger. Dorgan is also known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and Ext ...

ended in a

no contest ''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an ...

Independent circuit (2001–2006)

After ECW folded, Rechner spent time in a number of independent promotions, most notably USA Pro Wrestling (UXW) and as Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW), where he united with The Dead Pool (

Violent J Joseph Frank Bruce (born April 28, 1972), known by his stage name Violent J, is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler, actor, and part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse (ICP). He is a co-founder of the record label Ps ...

Shaggy 2 Dope Joseph William Utsler (; born October 14, 1974), known by his stage name Shaggy 2 Dope, is an American rapper, actor, record producer and professional wrestler. He is part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the rec ...

, and

Raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

) to become The Dead Pool 2000. He made his debut for the

International Wrestling Cartel International Wrestling Cartel is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is owned and operated by Justin Plummer, has become the longest tenured owner. Norm Connors ran the promotion for ...

(IWC) at Super Indy on March 22, 2002, where he teamed with The Sandman to face Jimmy Vegas and Shirley Doe in a losing effort. On January 9, 2004, he appeared at the

Jersey All Pro Wrestling Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) was an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey, United States. History 1997 Jersey All Pro Wrestling was an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia and Angel Surit ...

(JAPW) and

Ring Of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...

(ROH) joint show Collision Course, losing to ROH World Champion

Samoa Joe Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), better known by the ring name Samoa Joe, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Opps, and is one-third of the AEW Worl ...

. He made an appearance in

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 ...

(TNA) on January 21, teaming with The Sandman in a loss to

The Gathering The Gathering may refer to: Film and television * ''The Gathering'' (1977 film), an American television film directed by Randal Kleiser * The Gathering (1998 film), an American thriller film directed by Danny Carrales * ''The Gathering'' (2003 ...

. On November 13, Mahoney defeated Doe at Accept No Limitations to win the

IWC Heavyweight Championship The IWC World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship in the wrestling promotion, International Wrestling Cartel. The championship was first awarded March 17, 2001 when Powerhouse Hughes defeated Bubba ...

. He lost the title back to Doe in a Street Fight on December 11 at A Call To Arms 2. At the Hardcore Homecoming Reunion Tour on September 16, 2005, Mahoney and

Ian Rotten John Benson Williams (born June 1, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and Promoter (entertainment), promoter better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), Extreme Championship Wrestli ...

lost to the Dudleyz.

Return to WWE (2005, 2006–2008)

On June 12, 2005, Balls Mahoney made a non-wrestling appearance at the

-promoted ECW One Night Stand reunion show, taking part—alongside Axl Rotten—in a brawl with

Kid Kash David Tyler Cash (born July 31, 1969), better known by his ring name Kid Kash, is an American mixed martial artist and retired professional wrestler, best known for his tenures with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Total Nonstop Action Wre ...

, The Sandman, the Dudley Boyz, and

The Blue World Order The Blue World Order (bWo) was a stable of professional wrestlers formed at Extreme Championship Wrestling's November to Remember 1996 event. The stable lasted until August 1998 and was revived briefly in World Wrestling Entertainment during th ...

(bWo) before the main event. After the main event, Mahoney and Rotten returned to the ring to brawl with the "invading" Raw and SmackDown! wrestlers. In 2006, when WWE relaunched ECW as their own

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

, Mahoney was one of the first wrestlers to be signed. In an exchange of blows, ECW fans would often chant "Balls!" when Rechner landed a punch or kick on an opponent, and "Nuts!" when his opponent retaliated. During the "cross promotion" hype, Balls appeared on the June 5 edition of '' Raw'' with other ECW wrestlers who proceeded to attack

WWE Champion The WWE Championship, also referred to as the Undisputed WWE Championship since April 2024, is a men's professional wrestling world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand ...

John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE , where he is the current WWE Championship, Undisputed WWE Champion in his record 14th reign, which is ...

. He appeared again as part of the ECW team in the "WWE vs. ECW team battle royal" at the WWE vs. ECW Head to Head event on June 7. At ECW One Night Stand on June 11, he defeated Masato Tanaka following a chair shot to Tanaka's head. Balls3

When ''ECW on Sci Fi'' debuted, Balls wrestled sporadically and his internal name within the company became "Blue Balls' due to his distinctive blue coloring. He started to appear in vignettes talking about how tough he was, elevating his role on the show. On the September 5 episode, Mahoney entered a feud with

Kevin Thorn Kevin Matthew Fertig (born January 17, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE under the ring names Mordecai and Kevin Thorn. Fertig made his profe ...

after Thorn and his

valet A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, ''valet de chambre'' was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "va ...

Ariel Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki *, a Russian film directed by Yevgeni Kotov * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', a 1989 and 1991 ...

cost him a match against

and René Duprée the next week. The following week, he brought

Francine :''This is a disambiguation page for the common name Francine.'' Francine is a female given name. The name is of French origin. The name Francine was most popular in France itself during the 1940s (Besnard & Desplanques, 2003), and was well used ...

to ringside with him in her first appearance in a revived ECW ring, where she got into a catfight with Ariel. This pairing was short-lived as Francine was released shortly after. On December 3, at December to Dismember, Mahoney defeated

Matt Striker Matthew Kaye (born June 26, 1974) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, professional wrestling Sports commentator, commentator, actor and former high school teacher, signed to Major League Wrestling, using the ring name ...

in a Striker's Rules match. On January 2, 2007, on ''ECW on Sci Fi'', he had one of his front teeth legitimately knocked out during a match with Thorn. Mahoney, Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman faced

Bobby Lashley Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Hurt Syndicate and is one-half of the AEW World Tag Team C ...

in a 3-on-1 Hardcore handicap match for the ECW World Championship on the June 5 episode of ''ECW'', in which they were defeated. On the August 7 episode of ''ECW'', during a match with

The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fame a ...

, which he lost,

Kelly Kelly Barbara Jean Blank Coba (née Blank; January 15, 1987), known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American model and former professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under a legends contract. Blank has a ...

showed concern about Mahoney. In the following weeks, he asked her out and flirted with her backstage, but was interrupted by The Miz, Brooke and

Layla "Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded with their band Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, '' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movemen ...

before Kelly could get a word in. Regardless, Kelly still showed interest in him each week, wishing him good luck before his match and cheering him on during his match. He asked if she would go out with him, to which she could not respond due to The Miz taking her backstage. On the October 17 episode of ''ECW'', Kelly asked Mahoney out, starting an on-screen relationship between the two. On February 29, 2008, Balls made his return to television on '' SmackDown'', facing Big Daddy V. The match ended in a no contest after

The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by his ring name the Undertaker, is an American retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway ...

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 ...

med Mahoney. Mahoney was released from his WWE contract on April 28.

Later career (2008–2016)

Mahoney returned to the independent circuit for

Maryland Championship Wrestling MCW Pro Wrestling (formerly known as Maryland Championship Wrestling) is a regional independent wrestling promotion based in Joppa, Maryland. It has regularly run events in the Mid-Atlantic region since the late 1990s. History Maryland Champions ...

(MCW) on May 4, 2008, teaming with

Adam Flash Douglas Adam Becker (born on October 22, 1971) is an American retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Adam Flash. Over his career, he has worked for various independent promotions, including Maryland Championship Wrestling, ...

Corporal Punishment A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. When it is inflicted on Minor (law), minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or Padd ...

and

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 ...

to defeat

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 ...

, Joey Matthews, The Bruiser and Zachary Shane. He appeared for the

International Wrestling Syndicate International Wrestling Syndicate (IWS) is a professional wrestling promotion based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originating from the Dawson Wrestling Federation, it was formerly known as the Internet Wrestling Syndicate and World Wrestling S ...

(IWS) on May 17, losing to

Abyss Abyss may refer to: Religion * Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld * Abyss (Thelema), a spiritual principle within the system of Thelema Film and television * ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film s ...

in a No Disqualification match. In August, Mahoney wrestled for Pro Wrestling Revolution (PWR) as part of a tour in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. On December 13, he took part in the

World Wrestling Council The World Wrestling Council (WWC; Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha") is a professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón, Victor Jovica, and Goril ...

's (WWC) annual event WWC Lockout in

Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón (, ) is a Bayamón barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain, it is bounded by Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Guaynabo to the east, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, Toa A ...

, facing

in his final WWC match with Carlos Colón as the special guest referee, which Abdullah won by disqualification. On February 28, 2009, he appeared for

(JAPW) and took part in the Jersey City Rumble, but was eliminated by Danny Demanto. On April 16, Mahoney and Brother Runt appeared on ''

TNA Impact! ''TNA Impact!'' (stylized as ''TNA iMPACT!'') is an American professional wrestling television program produced by the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) that debuted on June 4, 2004. It also features wrestlers from WWE's ...

'' to wish

Team 3D 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 ...

luck in their match at

Lockdown A lockdown () is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison protocol that us ...

. They were later attacked by

Beer Money, Inc. Beer Money, Inc. was a professional wrestling tag team which consisted of Robert "Bobby" Roode and James Storm in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where they are record-tying five-time TNA World Tag Tea ...

During this time, he regularly made appearances for National Wrestling Superstars (NWS). Mahoney made an appearance for

Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler). Insan ...

's Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) at the 10th Annual Gathering Of The Juggalos on August 8, interfering in a "Loser Leaves JCW" match between 2 Tuff Tony and

Viscera In a multicellular organism, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to a ...

, which also featured WWE Hall of Famer

Terry Funk Terrance Dee Funk (June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023) was an American professional wrestler and actor. Widely considered one of the most influential and greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Funk was known for the longevity of his car ...

as a special guest referee. After Viscera won the match, Mahoney joined him and Funk in attacking Tony. Mahoney Homicide

He made his sole debut for Ring of Honor (ROH) on May 8, 2010, saving Grizzly Redwood from Erick Stevens and The Embassy. On July 29, it was confirmed that Mahoney would take part in TNA's ECW reunion show

Hardcore Justice Hardcore Justice, originally known as Hard Justice, was an annual professional wrestling Impact Plus event produced by Impact Wrestling. It was originally introduced as a pay-per-view (PPV) event held by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in ...

on August 8. His name was later erased from the event's official website. At the event, Rechner, using the ring name Kahoneys, teamed with Axl Rotten and lost to Team 3D in a South Philadelphia Street Fight. After the match, he vented his frustrations on Rotten, proclaiming that he would never team with him again. On September 11, at Glory By Honor IX, now under the ring name Ballz Mahoney, he and Redwood lost to Stevens and

Necro Butcher Dylan Keith Summers (born July 13, 1973), better known by the ring name Necro Butcher, is an American professional wrestler. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA Mid-South, Pr ...

. Mahoney reunited with Rotten at a JAPW show on October 23, where they unsuccessfully challenged Monsta Mack and Havok for the JAPW Tag Team Championship in a three-way match, which was won by

Sami Callihan Samuel Alton Johnston (born September 1, 1987), better known by the ring name Sami Callihan, is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and promoter. He is signed to Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestlin ...

and Chris Dickinson. On July 31, 2011, Mahoney appeared at the International Wrestling League (IWL) pay-per-view Extreme Reinforcements in

Tlalnepantla de Baz Tlalnepantla de Baz ( Otomi: ) is one of 125 municipalities of the state of Mexico, north of Mexico City. The municipal seat and largest city in the municipality is the city of Tlalnepantla. ''Tlalnepantla'' comes from the Náhuatl words ''tlall ...

. He returned to JCW at "Legends and Icons" on August 12, competing in a seven-way, which

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 ...

won. At IWL's First Anniversary show on September 17, Mahoney and Low Rider won a fatal four-way tag team match to become the number one contenders for the IWL Tag Team Championship, but they never held the titles. On October 18, 2014, Mahoney was defeated by Sabu to crown the first WWL Extreme Champion at Insurrection. Mahoney's last match took place at the Deathproof Fight Club (DFC) event A Very Deathproof Christmas on December 6, 2015 in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, defeating Shaunymo in a Flaming Tables match.

Personal life

Rechner's son, Christopher, was born on November 15, 2007. Rechner had numerous tattoos, including two tribal pieces, a

dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

and inverted

pentagram A pentagram (sometimes known as a pentalpha, pentangle, or star pentagon) is a regular five-pointed star polygon, formed from the diagonal line segments of a convex (or simple, or non-self-intersecting) regular pentagon. Drawing a circle around ...

on his arm (he was a member of the

Church of Satan The Church of Satan (CoS) is a religious organization dedicated to the religion of LaVeyan Satanism, Satanism as defined by Anton Szandor LaVey. Founded in San Francisco in 1966, by Anton LaVey, LaVey, it is considered the "oldest satanic reli ...

), and a tattoo dedicated to deceased wrestler, and the

namesake A namesake is a person, place, or thing bearing the name of another. Most commonly, it refers to an individual who is purposely named after another (e.g. John F. Kennedy Jr would be the namesake of John F. Kennedy). In common parlance, it may ...

of his son, late friend,

. Rechner and Candido were childhood friends who got their start in the wrestling business setting up rings for local shows during their teenage years and eventually trained together at the

. On August 21, 2010, Rechner was charged with disorderly conduct after brandishing a knife during a staged fight with fellow wrestler "Calypso" Jim Zaccone in

South Brunswick, New Jersey South Brunswick is a Township (New Jersey), township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is centrally located within the Raritan River, Raritan Valley region and is an outer-ring subur ...

. The fight was meant to drum up publicity for an upcoming match in

Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in northeastern Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area, New York Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city' ...

Death

On April 12, 2016, a day after his 44th birthday, Rechner died suddenly at his home in

. While watching ''

Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead g ...

'' on TV he laid on his side to get more comfortable, and moments later his wife noticed he was unconscious. She immediately called 911 and attempted

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure used during cardiac or respiratory arrest that involves chest compressions, often combined with artificial ventilation, to preserve brain function and maintain circulation until sp ...

, but he was dead before medics arrived. Days before his death, he injured his hip after a fall and had to use a walker. An autopsy report in August revealed that Rechner had died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

. In October, it was revealed Rechner had experienced CTE. As a result of the diagnosis, the Rechner family became part of a class-action lawsuit against the WWE over these reports and was represented by attorney Konstantine Kyros. U.S. district judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed the lawsuit in September 2018.

Championships and accomplishments

Assault Championship Wrestling Assault Championship Wrestling is an American independent wrestling promotion originally based in Connecticut, more recently Milford, PA, and promoted by Jason Knight, a pro wrestler and manager, best known for his time in the ECW. The first maj ...

ACW Heavyweight Championship The ACW Heavyweight Championship was the top professional wrestling championship title in the American independent promotion Assault Championship Wrestling. The first-ever champion was Chris Hamrick who won the title in a championship tourna ...

( 1 time) ** ACW Hardcore Championship ( 1 time) *All World Wrestling League **AWWL Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

( 3 times) – with

Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American semi-retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for his tenure in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing ...

(2), and

(1) *Fight The World Wrestling **FTW World Heavyweight Championship (2 times) * International Wrestling Association **

IWA Hardcore Championship IWA Hardcore Championship was a title contested under hardcore wrestling rules (with the application of the 24/7 rules) in the International Wrestling Association in Puerto Rico. On October 4, 2008, the title was unified with the IWA Puerto Rico ...

( 1 time) *International Wrestling Cartel **IWC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *National Wrestling Superstars **NWS Hardcore Championship (1 time) **NWS Six Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ba-Bu and La-Fu *''

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 #99 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 2000 **PWI ranked him #443 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003. *Pro Wrestling Xtreme / Classic Championship Wrestling **PWX World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

** SMW Beat the Champ Television 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 ...

) *USA Xtreme Wrestling **UXW Heavyweight Championship (7 times)

References

External links

*
Balls Mahoney Interview with WrestlingNewsSource.com Podcast
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mahoney, Balls 1972 births 1987 professional wrestling debuts 2016 deaths 20th-century American professional wrestlers 20th-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers American LaVeyan Satanists American male professional wrestlers ECW Originals members ECW World Tag Team Champions Manasquan High School alumni Million Dollar Corporation members People from Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey Professional wrestlers from New Jersey Professional wrestlers with chronic traumatic encephalopathy People from the New York metropolitan area SMW Beat the Champ Television Champions American Satanists American atheists