Mortimer Plumtree
Encyclopedia
David Webber is an actor
and former professional wrestling
manager
, best known by his ring name
Mortimer Plumtree. His biggest exposure came during the early days of NWA Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
in 2002.
, Rick Rude
, the Road Warriors
, Barry Darsow
, Nikita Koloff
, Tom Zenk
, Brady Boone and John Nord
, among others. Webber has amateur wrestling and judo background, and performed high school theater with actor Steve Zahn
and in college theater with actress Melissa Peterman
. He has several stage and independent film credits, including The Orb, written and directed by Matthew Burns (wrestler Nick Mondo
).
ring announcer Mick Karch in June 1994. Early on, his character was aligned with future WCW
Cruiserweight Champion Lenny Lane
, and the duo appeared on independent cards throughout the upper Midwest region. In 1996, Webber appeared in Paul Alperstein’s nationally-televised promotion, the American Wrestling Federation
, under the guise of Aloysius Hayes, Lord Alfred Hayes’ nephew.
Though slated for a try-out with WCW in the fall of 1997, Webber was ejected from the locker room following a misunderstanding with then-Vice President Eric Bischoff
. After the incident, Webber appeared less-frequently and was rumored to have retired to focus on religion. However, he began to make waves in the newly formed Steel Domain Wrestling in mid-1998 and became manager for the “Chicago Group” of Ace Steel
, Danny Dominion and Brad Bradley
, along with Magnus Maximus
and others.
, who had given him a great deal of exposure on his Wrestling Radio show. Borash was in the midst of forming Total Nonstop Action along with Jeff Jarrett
, Jerry Jarrett
, and Bob Ryder. After Borash had previewed a videotape of Webber for the Jarretts from years earlier, the Jarretts immediately showed interest in signing the manager to his first national contract.
Webber appeared as Mortimer Plumtree for NWA TNA on its first worldwide broadcast on June 19, 2002, from Huntsville, Alabama
, managing the masked Johnson Brothers, Richard and Rod (aka the Shane Twins
). After only two shows, the Johnsons were released from their contracts and Plumtree appeared only infrequently. During this time, Webber became a full-time staff member for the fledgling promotion, traveling between his home in Minnesota
, where his family continued to live, and Nashville, Tennessee
, where the TNA offices are located.
In October 2002, Plumtree was paired with his old friend from the SDW days, Ace Steel. Again, TNA dropped Steel from his contract after only a few shows, and realigned Plumtree with standout A.J. Styles
. Over the next few months, Plumtree aided Styles in wars against two fellow Minnesotans, Sean Waltman
and Jerry Lynn
.
In January 2003, TNA booker Vince Russo
allegedly wrote the Plumtree character out of all future TNA programming due to his feeling that Webber was aligned with Jerry Jarrett in office politics. He remained on staff full-time until June, when he moved back to Minnesota. He would appear only a handful of times after that, both for the failed Force 1 Wrestling promotion he assisted with booking and with another short-lived group, the American Wrestling League.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and former professional wrestling
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...
manager
Manager (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...
, best known by his ring name
Ring 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:...
Mortimer Plumtree. His biggest exposure came during the early days of NWA Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
in 2002.
History
Webber grew up in the same area of Minnesota as the infamous “Robbinsdale” crew of Curt HennigCurt Hennig
Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig , also known by the ring name Mr. Perfect, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who worked for, among other promotions, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , the American Wrestling Association , World Championship Wrestling and the World...
, Rick Rude
Richard Rood
Richard Erwin Rood , better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, including World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation , in the 1980s and 1990s.Among other accolades, Rude was a four-time world...
, the Road Warriors
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
, Barry Darsow
Barry Darsow
Barry Darsow is a former American professional wrestler who is known as Smash, one half of the tag team Demolition, and as Krusher Kruschev, Repo Man, and The Blacktop Bully...
, Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff
Nikita Koloff is a retired American professional wrestler,. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, he wrestled as "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff, which was a play on the nickname of fan favorite "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes .Nikita was brought into the National...
, Tom Zenk
Tom Zenk
Thomas Erwin "Tom" Zenk is a former Mr. Minnesota Bodybuilder, and most notably a American professional wrestler, also known by his nickname Z-Man.-Early career:...
, Brady Boone and John Nord
John Nord
John Nord is a retired American professional wrestler. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.-Career:John Nord started wrestling in late 1984 as "The Barbarian" for Mid-South Wrestling under manager Skandor Akbar...
, among others. Webber has amateur wrestling and judo background, and performed high school theater with actor Steve Zahn
Steve Zahn
-Early life:Zahn was born in Marshall, Minnesota, the son of Zelda, who worked for the YMCA, and Carleton E. Zahn, a retired Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor. Zahn spent part of his childhood in Mankato, Minnesota, attending Kennedy Elementary School...
and in college theater with actress Melissa Peterman
Melissa Peterman
Melissa Margaret Peterman is an American actress and comedienne who is best known for her role as Barbara Jean in the television comedy series Reba...
. He has several stage and independent film credits, including The Orb, written and directed by Matthew Burns (wrestler Nick Mondo
Nick Mondo
Matthew "Matt" Burns better known by his ring name "Sick" Nick Mondo is a retired American professional wrestler. Burns is best known for his appearances with Combat Zone Wrestling...
).
Independents
Webber broke into the professional wrestling ranks under the tutelage of former AWAAmerican Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
ring announcer Mick Karch in June 1994. Early on, his character was aligned with future WCW
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...
Cruiserweight Champion Lenny Lane
Lenny Lane
Leonard "Lenny" Carlson is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Lenny Lane. During his time tenure in WCW, he was a one time Cruiserweight Champion....
, and the duo appeared on independent cards throughout the upper Midwest region. In 1996, Webber appeared in Paul Alperstein’s nationally-televised promotion, the American Wrestling Federation
American Wrestling Federation
The American Wrestling Federation was a national professional wrestling federation founded by Paul Alperstein.-History:Alperstein, a promoter from Chicago, founded the AWF in 1994 and was on-air president of the company....
, under the guise of Aloysius Hayes, Lord Alfred Hayes’ nephew.
Though slated for a try-out with WCW in the fall of 1997, Webber was ejected from the locker room following a misunderstanding with then-Vice 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...
. After the incident, Webber appeared less-frequently and was rumored to have retired to focus on religion. However, he began to make waves in the newly formed Steel Domain Wrestling in mid-1998 and became manager for the “Chicago Group” of Ace Steel
Ace Steel
Chris Guy is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ace Steel. He is perhaps best known for his time with Ring of Honor and occasional appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment, as well as his stint with its Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental territory...
, Danny Dominion and Brad Bradley
Brad Bradley
Brad Bradley is an American professional wrestler, best known for working for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Ryan Braddock.-Early career:...
, along with Magnus Maximus
Justin LaRouche
Justin Bruce Rocheleau is an American professional wrestler, who worked on World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW brand under the name Bam Neely...
and others.
TNA
In early 2002, Webber was contacted by Jeremy BorashJeremy Borash
Jeremy Borash , is an American professional wrestling play-by-play commentator, announcer, ring announcer, booker, interviewer, producer and website designer...
, who had given him a great deal of exposure on his Wrestling Radio show. Borash was in the midst of forming Total Nonstop Action along with Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
, Jerry Jarrett
Jerry Jarrett
Jerry W. Jarrett is an American promoter and former professional wrestler, and the father of wrestler Jeff Jarrett. He is the co-founder and former part-owner of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, and Bob Ryder. After Borash had previewed a videotape of Webber for the Jarretts from years earlier, the Jarretts immediately showed interest in signing the manager to his first national contract.
Webber appeared as Mortimer Plumtree for NWA TNA on its first worldwide broadcast on June 19, 2002, from Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, managing the masked Johnson Brothers, Richard and Rod (aka the Shane Twins
Shane Twins
The Shane Twins are a professional wrestling tag team that consist of twin brothers Mike and Todd Shane. They were best known for their appearances in World Wrestling Entertainment as Gymini.-History:The Shane Twins debuted in the Florida based Independent Pro Wrestling promotion in 1998...
). After only two shows, the Johnsons were released from their contracts and Plumtree appeared only infrequently. During this time, Webber became a full-time staff member for the fledgling promotion, traveling between his home in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, where his family continued to live, and Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where the TNA offices are located.
In October 2002, Plumtree was paired with his old friend from the SDW days, Ace Steel. Again, TNA dropped Steel from his contract after only a few shows, and realigned Plumtree with standout A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
. Over the next few months, Plumtree aided Styles in wars against two fellow Minnesotans, Sean Waltman
Sean Waltman
Sean Michael Waltman is an American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE in their developmental program. He wrestled there under the ring names 1–2–3 Kid and X-Pac off and on from 1993–2002, World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Syxx, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ...
and Jerry Lynn
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy "Jerry" Lynn is an American professional wrestler who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
.
In January 2003, TNA booker Vince Russo
Vince Russo
Vincent James "Vince" Russo is an American creative writer and author, well known for his work in the professional wrestling industry. He is notable for his tenure with World Wrestling Federation, World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
allegedly wrote the Plumtree character out of all future TNA programming due to his feeling that Webber was aligned with Jerry Jarrett in office politics. He remained on staff full-time until June, when he moved back to Minnesota. He would appear only a handful of times after that, both for the failed Force 1 Wrestling promotion he assisted with booking and with another short-lived group, the American Wrestling League.
Wrestlers managed by Plumtree
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