Phi Delta Slam (ΦΔS) is a
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
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 establish ...
, consisting of
Big Tilly and
Bruno Sassi. They wrestle principally on the
Floridian independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
.
History
When Sassi began wrestling on the Floridian independent circuit, he formed a tag team with "Brother" Dan Evans. Evans and Sassi used the
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 ou ...
of a pair of boisterous,
prank
A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...
playing
fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, "brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in ...
members. After Evans retired for several years, Sassi continued to use the gimmick, and eventually found a new tag team partner, Big Tilly. Sassi and Tilly then became known collectively as "Phi Delta Slam".
Phi Delta Slam made their debut in
ECW on June 26, 1994. Their first match was on
ECW Hardcore TV
''ECW Hardcore TV'' is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by the Philadelphia based promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) composed of footage from live shows and recorded interviews. It ran in synd ...
episode #64 on July 5, 1994 against ECW Tag Team Champions Public Enemy. They appeared in the now-defunct
Future of Wrestling promotion
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
in 2001 and remained there until the promotion folded in 2002. They were rejoined by Evans, expanding Phi Delta Slam to a
stable. Phi Delta Slam appeared with the
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of ...
based Coastal Championship Wrestling promotion throughout 2004.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2005–2007, 2009, 2010)
In 2005, Phi Delta Slam were signed by
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
. Phi Delta Slam were introduced to TNA after
Dusty Rhodes
Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crocke ...
told his two competing assistants,
Traci Brooks
Tracy Brookshaw (born May 22, 1975) is a Canadians, Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, Manager (professional wrestling), professional wrestling valet and Referee (professional wrestling), professional wrestling referee ...
and
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the ...
, to each find a tag team. The tag teams would wrestle one another at
Destination X, with the winning tag team's sponsor becoming Rhodes' sole assistant. Trinity selected Phi Delta Slam, and they debuted in February 2005, wrestling
dark matches, and made their onscreen debut on March 13 at Destination X, where they lost to Traci's choice,
The Harris Brothers
Donald Harris and Ronald Harris (born October 23, 1960) are American twin brothers best known for their professional wrestling careers with promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestlin ...
. Phi Delta Slam remained in TNA for several weeks afterwards, but were unable to get
over
Over may refer to:
Places
*Over, Cambridgeshire, England
*Over, Cheshire, England
*Over, South Gloucestershire, England
*Over, Tewkesbury, near Gloucester, England
**Over Bridge
*Over, Seevetal, Germany
Music
Albums
* ''Over'' (album), by Pete ...
with fans, and began appearing only sporadically with the promotion. In September 2005, their profiles were removed from the TNA website, confirming that the team was gone from TNA.
Tilly and Sassi later made a cameo appearance in a series of comedy segments on the December 20, 2007 episode of ''
Impact!'' where they were seen at Eric Young's Christmas party, which also involved the likes of
Bushwhacker Butch,
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...
,
ODB, and
Awesome Kong.
In early 2009, both Tilly and Sassi returned to TNA as the personal security of
The Main Event Mafia in order to help them fend off the
TNA Frontline.
In order play into the
mafia
"Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of ...
aspect of the stable, both were renamed to Rocco and Sal respectively, both began wearing sunglasses at all times and Sassi dyed his normally blond hair to black and began sporting a beard. On the March 13 edition of ''Impact!'', Sal and
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Actio ...
accompanied Rocco as he wrestled Frontline member
Eric Young in the main event, which Rocco lost after Young pinned him following a Death Valley driver. On the April 2 edition of ''Impact!'' they were defeated in a tag team match by
Team 3D. On the May 7 edition of ''Impact!'' they were defeated in a handicap match by
Matt Morgan. On the May 28 edition of ''Impact!''
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-ear ...
, the new leader of the Main Event Mafia, fired Rocco and Sal. On the June 4, 2009, edition of ''Impact!'' Rocco and Sal were hired by
Mick Foley
Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador.
Foley worked for ...
, thus turning face. They wrestled their first title match on the July 23 edition of impact, losing to
TNA World Tag Team Champions
The Impact World Tag Team Championship (formally known as the TNA World Tag Team Championship) is a professional wrestling world tag team championship which is owned by the Impact Wrestling promotion. The current champions are The Motor City Mach ...
Scott Steiner
Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championshi ...
and
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to
* Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century
** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T."
* Booker T. Jones (born 1944 ...
. The two of them have since made only sporadic appearances as security men.
Championships and accomplishments
*American Wrestling Federation (Puerto Rico)
:*AWF Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*Coastal Championship Wrestling
:*CCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*Florida Wrestling Alliance
:*FWA Tag Team Championship (4 times)
*Independent Pro Wrestling Association
:*IPWA Tag Team Championship (5 times)
*International Wrestling Federation
:*IWF Tag Team Championship (4 times)
*South Eastern Championship Wrestling
:*SECW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
*World Wide Wrestling
:*WWW Tag Team Championship (2 times)
References
{{reflist
Impact Wrestling teams and stables