Chris Chavis
Encyclopedia
Christopher "Chris" Chavis (born June 8, 1961), is a Native American
professional wrestler
best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment
as Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and from 2005 to 2007. His ring name is a Lakota
word that literally means "bull buffalo." He is descended from the Lumbee
Native American tribe.
, he competed in his first bodybuilding
contest, Mr. Virginia Beach, placing second. He won many competitions during his time in bodybuilding, but decided against competing on the national level and possibly turning pro for personal reasons. From 1985 to 1990 he worked for Bally's Health and Tennis Corporation
, becoming a Divisional Manager.
In 1987 he received many tryouts for the National Football League
, from teams such as the Miami Dolphins
, Detroit Lions
, Washington Redskins
, and the Los Angeles Raiders
. He decided to pursue a career with the Dolphins. Chavis was one of 20 hopefuls offered a deal out of approximately 2,000 tryouts. The Dolphins offered him a free agent contract with the availability to increase after the first year. He declined, however, since his income at Bally's exceeded the value of the contract.
at a video store while Chavis was looking for wrestling tapes. Rogers had Chavis call Larry Sharpe, who ran a wrestling school in southern New Jersey
called "The Monster Factory." He had his first match, as Tatanka, against Joe Thunderstorm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
on January 13, 1990.
Rogers then introduced Chavis to George Scott
, the booker for the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) during the 1980s. Scott was starting his own promotion called the North American Wrestling Association, later known as South Atlantic Pro Wrestling. Chavis wrestled under the name "The War Eagle" Chris Chavis and was voted 3rd runner up for Rookie of the Year in Pro Wrestling Illustrated
for 1990. Also in 1990, he became The South Atlantic Heavyweight Champion by beating Ken Shamrock
. Not long after, he was signed to a WWF contract.
Tatanka. After wrestling in tryout matches at house show
, Tatanka made his television debut as a fan favorite
on February 1, 1992 episode of Superstars
, defeating Pat Tanaka
in his debut match. As Tatanka, Chavis performed a war dance on the Lumbee
tribal war cry that preceded his entrance to the ring, and had a red stripe dyed in the middle of his hair.
Tatanka was pushed as undefeated on WWF television as he had not suffered any defeat by pinfall or submission. Although, he did lose several matches at house shows. Tatanka's earliest rivalry
on television was against Rick Martel
that culminated in Tatanka's pay-per-view debut at WrestleMania VIII
, with Tatanka winning the match. On May 18, 1992, Tatanka reached the peak of success by winning the 40-man Bashed in the USA battle royal
. He would go on to renew his feud with Rick Martel, defeating him again at Survivor Series
.
At WrestleMania IX
, Tatanka received his first televised title shot in WWF against Shawn Michaels
for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
. Tatanka won the match by count-out. Since a title could not change hands on a count-out, Michaels retained the title. On October 30, 1993 edition of Superstars, Tatanka suffered his first televised defeat in the WWF, losing to Ludvig Borga
(Borga had hit Tatanka in the back with a steel chair while Mr. Fuji
distracted the referee). After the match, he was attacked by WWF Champion
Yokozuna and was subsequently out of action for three months. Tatanka returned to WWF in the fall of 1993.
and Chief Wahoo McDaniel
and Lumbee
tribesman Ray Littleturtle on an edition of Raw
. Littleturtle presented him with a full length Lumbee tribe Chief Headdress. Tatanka engaged in a storyline feud with Irwin R. Schyster
, who insisted he pay a gift tax on the item, while Tatanka insisted his Lumbee heritage afforded him tax deductible privileges. Strongbow briefly served as Tatanka's mentor and manager during the duration of the feud.
During the summer of 1994, Tatanka accused Lex Luger
of selling out to Ted DiBiase
, which resulted in a match between the two. Afterward, DiBiase entered the ring with a red, white and blue bag full of money. Luger kicked the bag out of DiBiase's hands resulting in Tatanka attacking him and turning him into a villain
at SummerSlam
, joining DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation
. He spent the remainder of the year feuding with Luger which topped off in a cage match on Raw that saw Luger come out the victor.
On March 19, 1996, Tatanka wrestled his final televised match in WWF, losing to the WWF Champion Bret Hart
in a non-title match. Tatanka would leave the WWF in the spring of 1996, citing family and spiritual issues. At the time, the WWF and major rival World Championship Wrestling
(WCW) were in a major talent war, and WCW President Eric Bischoff
offered him a lucrative deal, but Chavis declined. He continued to appear for independent promotions, which allowed him to continue to wrestle while maintaining a lighter schedule.
In 1997, Chavis wrestled for the independent New York based promotion Ultimate Championship Wrestling (UCW), where he wrestled Bruce Hart
of the Hart wrestling family
, Falcon Coperis
, King Kong Bundy
, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Marty Jannetty
. He went from a playing the role of a face to a heel when he turned on Falcon Coperis
and Tommy Cairo
to align himself with the likes of the UWF faction of the organization which included Jim Neidhart
, Bruce Hart, and eventually Marty Jannetty
. Chavis captured the UCW Heavyweight Championship title and handed then champion Falcon Coperis, his first championship defeat, Chavis left champion when the organization folded its professional wrestling division in 1998.
in the "Eugene Invitational", a three-minute match with Kurt Angle
's Olympic gold medal on the line. Tatanka lost the match when Angle attacked Eugene with 27 seconds remaining, causing a disqualification.
Chavis returned to a full-time schedule for WWE as "Tatanka" at the tail end of 2005, debuting at a December 27 house show
, teaming
with Shelton Benjamin
in a win over Carlito
and Jonathan Coachman
. He returned to television in the Royal Rumble match at the January 2006 event
, where he was eliminated by Joey Mercury
and Johnny Nitro. The next month he began appearing on Velocity
before being moved full time to the SmackDown! brand
.
As a face
, Chavis teamed with Matt Hardy
to defeat MNM
, the then-Tag Team Champions, in a non title match at No Way Out
. They were granted a title shot on the next edition of SmackDown!, but lost. On the April 28 SmackDown! a vignette played announcing that "a new warrior would soon be forged in Tatanka." Over the next three weeks footage aired of Tatanka being (legitimately) adopted into the Oglala Sioux Tribe (Lakota). When he returned to wrestling Tatanka defeated Simon Dean
with his new finisher, "Wakinyan" (from the Lakota word for "Thunder").
Tatanka engaged in a mini-feud
with Sylvain Grenier
, trading victories with him, before he was moved into an angle where he entered into a losing streak due to, what he perceived to be, bad decision-making by referees
during his matches. This escalated until the October 27 SmackDown! when Tatanka, alongside partner Bobby Lashley, lost a match to William Regal and Dave Taylor
when Regal pinned Tatanka by illegally using the ropes. After the match Tatanka argued the decision again, then he turned heel
by attacking the referee, then Lashley when he tried to calm him down. The next week he appeared on SmackDown! with a new style of warpaint, covering the top of his face in black and the bottom in white, and cut a promo on Lashley saying he owed neither him nor the crowd an explanation for his actions. He compared his recent losing streak to the years of persecution that his people had suffered over the years and said that he "called upon his forefathers to unleash a new warrior in [him]".
He asked for and was released from his WWE contract in January 2007, but not before ending his losing streak by defeating Jimmy Wang Yang
, his first victory in months. WWE.com noted this event with these parting words: "Tatanka is an accomplished veteran of the squared circle. The Native American made a splash upon his entrance to the WWE in the early 90s, remaining undefeated for 2-years." Tatanka stated on his official website that he requested to be released and mentioned he was not done with WWE as he would like to return someday.Tatanka has appeared on the Old School Raw on 15 November, 2010.
Chavis is married to his wife Michelle, and together they have two daughters, Christiana and Rhea, and a son, Joseph Tatanka Chavis.
Tatanka appears briefly in the movie Natural Born Killers
, as Rodney Dangerfield
's character is watching wrestling on television.
Tatanka now is a head trainer and works for West Virginia based promotion, Covey Pro Wrestling.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
as Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and from 2005 to 2007. His ring name is a Lakota
Lakota language
Lakota is a Siouan language spoken by the Lakota people of the Sioux tribes. While generally taught and considered by speakers as a separate language, Lakota is mutually understandable with the other two languages , and is considered by most linguists one of the three major varieties of the Sioux...
word that literally means "bull buffalo." He is descended from the Lumbee
Lumbee
The Lumbee belong to a state recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. The Lumbee are concentrated in Robeson County and named for the primary waterway traversing the county...
Native American tribe.
Bodybuilding and football careers
Chavis started competing in powerliftingPowerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
, he competed in his first bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
contest, Mr. Virginia Beach, placing second. He won many competitions during his time in bodybuilding, but decided against competing on the national level and possibly turning pro for personal reasons. From 1985 to 1990 he worked for Bally's Health and Tennis Corporation
Bally Total Fitness
Bally Total Fitness is an American fitness club chain which operates 100 gyms, in several U.S. states. In November of 2011, competitor L.A. Fitness took over operation of 171 former Bally locations...
, becoming a Divisional Manager.
In 1987 he received many tryouts for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, from teams such as the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, and the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He decided to pursue a career with the Dolphins. Chavis was one of 20 hopefuls offered a deal out of approximately 2,000 tryouts. The Dolphins offered him a free agent contract with the availability to increase after the first year. He declined, however, since his income at Bally's exceeded the value of the contract.
Professional wrestling career
In 1989, Chavis left Bally's to pursue an accounting career. He met "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
at a video store while Chavis was looking for wrestling tapes. Rogers had Chavis call Larry Sharpe, who ran a wrestling school in southern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
called "The Monster Factory." He had his first match, as Tatanka, against Joe Thunderstorm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
on January 13, 1990.
Rogers then introduced Chavis to George Scott
George Scott (wrestler)
George Scott was a Canadian professional wrestler, booker and promoter. From the 1950s until the 1970s, he and his younger brother Sandy competed as The Flying Scotts in North American regional promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, particularly the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic...
, the booker for the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) during the 1980s. Scott was starting his own promotion called the North American Wrestling Association, later known as South Atlantic Pro Wrestling. Chavis wrestled under the name "The War Eagle" Chris Chavis and was voted 3rd runner up for Rookie of the Year in Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
for 1990. Also in 1990, he became The South Atlantic Heavyweight Champion by beating Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
. Not long after, he was signed to a WWF contract.
Undefeated Streak (1992–1993)
Chris Chavis started his WWF career in late 1991 under his given name. Soon after, he took on the ring nameRing name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Tatanka. After wrestling in tryout matches at house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
, Tatanka made his television debut as a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
on February 1, 1992 episode of Superstars
WWF Superstars
WWF Superstars is an arcade game manufactured by Technos and released in 1989. It is the first WWF arcade game to be released. A series of unrelated games with the same title were released by LJN for the original Game Boy...
, defeating Pat Tanaka
Pat Tanaka
Patrick "Pat" Tanaka is a semi-retired American professional wrestler best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association as one half of Badd Company and the World Wrestling Federation as one half of The Orient Express...
in his debut match. As Tatanka, Chavis performed a war dance on the Lumbee
Lumbee
The Lumbee belong to a state recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. The Lumbee are concentrated in Robeson County and named for the primary waterway traversing the county...
tribal war cry that preceded his entrance to the ring, and had a red stripe dyed in the middle of his hair.
Tatanka was pushed as undefeated on WWF television as he had not suffered any defeat by pinfall or submission. Although, he did lose several matches at house shows. Tatanka's earliest rivalry
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
on television was against Rick Martel
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
that culminated in Tatanka's pay-per-view debut at WrestleMania VIII
WrestleMania VIII
WrestleMania VIII was the eighth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 5, 1992 at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, with Tatanka winning the match. On May 18, 1992, Tatanka reached the peak of success by winning the 40-man Bashed in the USA battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
. He would go on to renew his feud with Rick Martel, defeating him again at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1992)
Survivor Series was the sixth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on November 25, 1992 at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio...
.
At WrestleMania IX
WrestleMania IX
WrestleMania IX was the ninth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. The event took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 4, 1993 and was the first WrestleMania event held outdoors...
, Tatanka received his first televised title shot in WWF against Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
for the WWF Intercontinental Championship
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
. Tatanka won the match by count-out. Since a title could not change hands on a count-out, Michaels retained the title. On October 30, 1993 edition of Superstars, Tatanka suffered his first televised defeat in the WWF, losing to Ludvig Borga
Tony Halme
Tony Christian Halme was a member of the Finnish Parliament, representing the True Finns party. He was also known by the pseudonym Viikinki he used while appearing in the Finnish version of the TV game show Gladiators in the 1990s...
(Borga had hit Tatanka in the back with a steel chair while Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
distracted the referee). After the match, he was attacked by WWF Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
Yokozuna and was subsequently out of action for three months. Tatanka returned to WWF in the fall of 1993.
Million Dollar Corporation & Departure (1994–1996)
Tatanka was honored by previous Native American professional wrestlers Chief Jay StrongbowJoe Scarpa
Joseph Luke Scarpa is a former professional wrestler who was best known by his famous ring moniker, Chief Jay Strongbow...
and Chief Wahoo McDaniel
Wahoo McDaniel
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...
and Lumbee
Lumbee
The Lumbee belong to a state recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. The Lumbee are concentrated in Robeson County and named for the primary waterway traversing the county...
tribesman Ray Littleturtle on an edition of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
. Littleturtle presented him with a full length Lumbee tribe Chief Headdress. Tatanka engaged in a storyline feud with Irwin R. Schyster
Mike Rotunda
Lawrence Michael "Mike" Rotunda is a former American professional wrestler, perhaps best known under the name Irwin R. Schyster or I.R.S. for short. He is currently signed with WWE working as a road agent and making occasional appearances on WWE shows as Irwin R...
, who insisted he pay a gift tax on the item, while Tatanka insisted his Lumbee heritage afforded him tax deductible privileges. Strongbow briefly served as Tatanka's mentor and manager during the duration of the feud.
During the summer of 1994, Tatanka accused Lex Luger
Lex Luger
Lawrence Wendell "Larry" Pfohl , better known by his ring name Lex Luger, is an American former professional wrestler and football player currently working with WWE on their wellness policy...
of selling out to Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
, which resulted in a match between the two. Afterward, DiBiase entered the ring with a red, white and blue bag full of money. Luger kicked the bag out of DiBiase's hands resulting in Tatanka attacking him and turning him into a villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (1994)
SummerSlam was the seventh annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 29, 1994 at the newly-opened United Center in Chicago, Illinois, which had opened eleven days earlier.The pay-per-view had two main events...
, joining DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation
Million Dollar Corporation
The Million Dollar Corporation was a heel stable in the World Wrestling Federation from April 1994 to May 1996 and was led and managed by the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase.-Beginning :...
. He spent the remainder of the year feuding with Luger which topped off in a cage match on Raw that saw Luger come out the victor.
On March 19, 1996, Tatanka wrestled his final televised match in WWF, losing to the WWF Champion Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
in a non-title match. Tatanka would leave the WWF in the spring of 1996, citing family and spiritual issues. At the time, the WWF and major rival World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW) were in a major talent war, and WCW President Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
offered him a lucrative deal, but Chavis declined. He continued to appear for independent promotions, which allowed him to continue to wrestle while maintaining a lighter schedule.
Independent wrestling (1997)
Bruce Hart
Bruce Hart may refer to:* Bruce Hart , American songwriter and screenwriter* Bruce Hart , Canadian wrestler...
of the Hart wrestling family
Hart wrestling family
The Hart wrestling family is a Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family is wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart, amateur and professional wrestler, promoter and trainer, who not only owned and operated his own wrestling...
, Falcon Coperis
Falcon Coperis
Falcon Coperis, real name Louis Velazquez , is a retired American professional wrestler.-Early career:Louis Velazquez grew up in the Bronx in New York City until the age of 13 when his family relocated to the borough of Queens...
, King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty
Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
. He went from a playing the role of a face to a heel when he turned on Falcon Coperis
Falcon Coperis
Falcon Coperis, real name Louis Velazquez , is a retired American professional wrestler.-Early career:Louis Velazquez grew up in the Bronx in New York City until the age of 13 when his family relocated to the borough of Queens...
and Tommy Cairo
Tommy Cairo
Thomas "Tommy" Cairo is an American retired professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his 1994 feud with The Sandman in Extreme Championship Wrestling. He is the former co-owner of the New Jersey-based Force One Pro Wrestling promotion and school.-Career:Cairo was a bodybuilder before...
to align himself with the likes of the UWF faction of the organization which included Jim Neidhart
Jim Neidhart
James Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...
, Bruce Hart, and eventually Marty Jannetty
Marty Jannetty
Frederick Marty Jannetty is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation as part of tag team The Rockers with partner Shawn Michaels, and later as a singles competitor. While in the WWF, he became a one time Intercontinental Champion and a one time...
. Chavis captured the UCW Heavyweight Championship title and handed then champion Falcon Coperis, his first championship defeat, Chavis left champion when the organization folded its professional wrestling division in 1998.
Return to WWE (2005–2007)
On August 1, 2005 Chavis returned to Raw as a face once again which was intended to be a special one-time appearance to face EugeneNick Dinsmore
Nicholas "Nick" Dinsmore , better known by his ring names Eugene and U-Gene, is an American professional wrestler...
in the "Eugene Invitational", a three-minute match with Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
's Olympic gold medal on the line. Tatanka lost the match when Angle attacked Eugene with 27 seconds remaining, causing a disqualification.
Chavis returned to a full-time schedule for WWE as "Tatanka" at the tail end of 2005, debuting at a December 27 house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
, teaming
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with Shelton Benjamin
Shelton Benjamin
Shelton James Benjamin is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment. Benjamin has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling in high school and at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Benjamin has acted...
in a win over Carlito
Carly Colon
Carlos Edwin "Carly" Colón, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known internationally by his ring name Carlito. He is best known for his work in the World Wrestling Entertainment , but was released from his contract on May 21, 2010. In his native Puerto Rico, he is known as both...
and Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan William Coachman , also known as "The Coach", is a former professional wrestling color commentator and authority figure. He is also a former college basketball player, and football play-by-play announcer...
. He returned to television in the Royal Rumble match at the January 2006 event
Royal Rumble (2006)
Royal Rumble was the nineteenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 29, 2006 in the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida and featured talent from the Raw and SmackDown! brands...
, where he was eliminated by Joey Mercury
Adam Birch
Adam Birch is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment , and training in WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, as Joey Mercury...
and Johnny Nitro. The next month he began appearing on Velocity
WWE Velocity
WWE Velocity was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It replaced two syndicated WWE shows, Jakked/Metal. Once a weekly Saturday night show on Spike TV and on Sky Sports 2 in the UK on Sunday mornings, Velocity became a webcast from 2005 to 2006...
before being moved full time to the SmackDown! brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
.
As a face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
, Chavis teamed with Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
to defeat MNM
MNM
MNM was a villainous professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling that consisted of Joey Mercury , Johnny Nitro, and their manager Melina Perez....
, the then-Tag Team Champions, in a non title match at No Way Out
No Way Out (2006)
No Way Out was the eighth annual No Way Out professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on February 19, 2006 at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland and was a SmackDown! brand-exclusive event...
. They were granted a title shot on the next edition of SmackDown!, but lost. On the April 28 SmackDown! a vignette played announcing that "a new warrior would soon be forged in Tatanka." Over the next three weeks footage aired of Tatanka being (legitimately) adopted into the Oglala Sioux Tribe (Lakota). When he returned to wrestling Tatanka defeated Simon Dean
Mike Bucci
Michael "Mike" Bucci is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. Bucci is probably best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling as Nova, Super Nova, and "Hollywood" Nova and World Wrestling Entertainment as Simon Dean...
with his new finisher, "Wakinyan" (from the Lakota word for "Thunder").
Tatanka engaged in a mini-feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Sylvain Grenier
Sylvain Grenier
Sylvain Grenier is a Canadian professional wrestler, who is best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment in the La Résistance tag team. He is currently a French language announcer for TNA Impact! on RDS....
, trading victories with him, before he was moved into an angle where he entered into a losing streak due to, what he perceived to be, bad decision-making by referees
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
during his matches. This escalated until the October 27 SmackDown! when Tatanka, alongside partner Bobby Lashley, lost a match to William Regal and Dave Taylor
Blue Bloods
The Blue Bloods was the name of the professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling that consisted of "Lord" Steven Regal, "Earl" Robert Eaton, and "Squire" David Taylor, along with their butler Jeeves, that operated in the middle to late 1990s....
when Regal pinned Tatanka by illegally using the ropes. After the match Tatanka argued the decision again, then he turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
by attacking the referee, then Lashley when he tried to calm him down. The next week he appeared on SmackDown! with a new style of warpaint, covering the top of his face in black and the bottom in white, and cut a promo on Lashley saying he owed neither him nor the crowd an explanation for his actions. He compared his recent losing streak to the years of persecution that his people had suffered over the years and said that he "called upon his forefathers to unleash a new warrior in [him]".
He asked for and was released from his WWE contract in January 2007, but not before ending his losing streak by defeating Jimmy Wang Yang
James Yun
James Carson Yun is an American professional wrestler and actor, best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Jimmy Wang Yang, in World Championship Wrestling as one-third of the Jung Dragons as Yang, and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit...
, his first victory in months. WWE.com noted this event with these parting words: "Tatanka is an accomplished veteran of the squared circle. The Native American made a splash upon his entrance to the WWE in the early 90s, remaining undefeated for 2-years." Tatanka stated on his official website that he requested to be released and mentioned he was not done with WWE as he would like to return someday.Tatanka has appeared on the Old School Raw on 15 November, 2010.
Independent wrestling and TNA (2008–2009)
In 2008 Tatanka toured Ireland and France with the American Wrestling Rampage tour. He also wrestled for All Star Promotions in the United Kingdom. He competed in All Star and American Wrestling between August 29 to October 31, 2008 in The Tower Circus area of Blackpool Tower. He also appeared in TNA for Jay Lethal's invitational tournament, defeating him with an End of the Trail.WWE (2010)
Tatanka made an appearance on the Old School Raw on November 15 backstage along with Ron Simmons, Dusty Rhodes, IRS, and The "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase.Personal life
Chavis divorced his first wife Dawn.Chavis is married to his wife Michelle, and together they have two daughters, Christiana and Rhea, and a son, Joseph Tatanka Chavis.
Tatanka appears briefly in the movie Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers is a 1994 crime/black comedy film directed by Oliver Stone about two victims of traumatic childhoods who became lovers and psychopathic serial killers, and are irresponsibly glorified by the mass media...
, as Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
's character is watching wrestling on television.
Tatanka now is a head trainer and works for West Virginia based promotion, Covey Pro Wrestling.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- End of the Trail / Papoose to Go / -Indıan death drop (Samoan drop, sometimes catching an opponent thrown into the ropes)
- Wykea (Swinging side slam) – 2006–present
- Signature moves
- Battering ram
- Multiple chop variations
- Backhand
- Open hand
- Tomahawk Chop (Overhead, sometimes from the top rope)
- Diving crossbody
- Running DDT
- Running knee smash
- Running leg drop
- Snap suplex
- Savate kick
- Shoulder block
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- "Sensational" Sherri MartelSherri MartelSherri Schrull was an American professional wrestler and manager, better known by her ring names, Sherri Martel and Sensational Sherri....
- Chief Jay StrongbowJoe ScarpaJoseph Luke Scarpa is a former professional wrestler who was best known by his famous ring moniker, Chief Jay Strongbow...
- Ted DiBiaseTed DiBiaseTheodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Sr. is a retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career...
- "Sensational" Sherri Martel
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Federation
- AWF United States Championship (1 times)
- Covey Pro
- Covey Pro Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- i-Generation Superstars of WrestlingI-Generation Superstars of Wrestlingi-Generation Wrestling Superstars of Wrestling was a small series of professional wrestling shows in 2000.The roster consisted of wrestlers who had previously achieved fame in other promotions. The tour promoted a World Championship, an International Championship and a Tag Team...
- i-Generation Australasian Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- North American Wrestling Association
- NAWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- South Atlantic Pro Wrestling
- SAPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- Stampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipStampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top...
(1 time)
- United States Wrestling AssociationUnited States Wrestling AssociationThe United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipUSWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from the American Wrestling...
(1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 279 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003
- International Wrestling Superstars
- Wrestler of the Year in 2003
- Other titlesIndependent circuitIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
- ASW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Joe Gomez
- CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- TRCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- UCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- DWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)