Paul Neu
Encyclopedia
Paul Neu is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 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...

. He is perhaps best known under the 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:...

 PN News and for his stints in Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...

 and 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...

. He currently works on the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an independent circuit
Independent circuit
In 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...

 as American Avalanche.

Catch Wrestling Association and World Championship Wrestling (1989–1992)

After debuting in 1987, Neu traveled to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 to compete for the Catch Wrestling Association
Catch Wrestling Association
The Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...

 under the ring name Cannonball Grizzly in 1989. After returning to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in 1991, Neu joined 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...

. He made his debut for the promotion on the May 13 episode of World Championship Wrestling
WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...

as PN News, a rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

 character, where he defeated Al Steele. While making his entrance, he would rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

 before his matches.

He soon began a brief 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...

 against World Television Champion
WCW World Television Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....

 "Stunning" Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...

. At The Great American Bash, News and Bobby Eaton
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...

 defeated Austin and his partner Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor , is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation...

 in a scaffold match. On November 19, News lost to Austin in a title match at Clash of the Champions XVII.

After their feud, News was moved down the card and on January 21, 1992, he wrestled his final high profile match for the promotion, as he defeated Diamond Dallas Page
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...

 at Clash of the Champions XVIII.. During a match with Dave Sheldon, aka The Angel of Death, Neu miscalculated with his "Broken Record" top rope splash and came down on Sheldon's knees, effectively ending his career. News' final televised appearance for WCW would be on the May 9, 1992 edition of WCW Power Hour, teaming with Johnny Rich in a losing effort against U.S. Tag Team Champions Greg Valentine and The Taylor-Made Man.

Return to the CWA (1992–1998)

After leaving WCW, Neu returned to the Catch Wrestling Association
Catch Wrestling Association
The Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...

 in late 1992 under his Cannonball Grizzly ring name and character. On November 5, 1995, Grizzly and John Hawk
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...

 defeated August Smisl and Ulf Herman
Ulf Herman
Ulf Nadrowski is a German professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ulf Herman. He is best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1998-1999 where he would join with the Full Blooded Italians faction...

 to win the World Tag Team Championship
CWA World Tag Team Championship (Germany)
The CWA World Tag Team Championship was the tag team professional wrestling title in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association. It was established in 1988, and lasted until the promotion's 2000 closing.-Title history:...

 for the first time. On December 16, Grizzly and Hawk lost the titles to Smisl and Tony St. Clair. After the loss, Grizzly began teaming with his cousin Bruiser Mastino
Mike Hallick
Michael "Mike" Hallick is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Mantaur.-Catch Wrestling Association :...

 to form the tag team The Brotherhood. On July 7, 1996, Grizzly and new partner Jesse James Armstrong
Brian Gerard James
Brian Gerard James is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE as an agent and producer. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation as "The Road Dogg" Jesse James or simply Road Dogg...

 won the World Tag Team Title before losing them to August Smisl and Ulf Herman on August 3. After the title was vacated, Grizzly and Wildcat Brookside
Robbie Brookside
Robert Edward Brooks , better known by his ring name Robbie Brookside, is a British professional wrestler. He has toured all over the world during his career including such countries as the United States, Japan, Germany, and Mexico...

 won the title on December 21 after defeated Tony St. Clair and Mick Tierney in a tournament. They would hold the title until it was vacated in July 1997. On October 10, 1998, Grizzly would then face Brookside to determine who would claim the vacant Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
The CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship was the secondary singles title in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association. The title was active from 1991 through the promotion's close in 2000.-See also:...

, but he lost the match via countout. Neu left the promotion in late 1998.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1999)

On September 17, 1999, Neu, under his PN News ring name and character, debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...

. In a losing effort to Spike Dudley
Matt Hyson
Matthew "Matt" Hyson is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his performances in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Spike Dudley and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brother Runt.In ECW, he was a two-time...

, Neu paraded around the ECW Arena singing his signature line "Yo baby, yo baby, yo!" to rile up the WCW hating ECW faithful. News then joined Da Baldies, a villainous
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...

 faction composed of wrestlers who were all bald
Baldness
Baldness implies partial or complete lack of hair and can be understood as part of the wider topic of "hair thinning". The degree and pattern of baldness can vary greatly, but its most common cause is male and female pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, alopecia androgenetica or...

. At November to Remember, Da Baldies (News, Spanish Angel, Tony DeVito
Tony DeVito
Anthony "Tony" DeVito is an American professional wrestler, best known for working in Extreme Championship Wrestling and Ring of Honor...

 and Vito LoGrasso
Vito LoGrasso
Vito Joseph LoGrasso is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, best known for his work in World Championship Wrestling as Big Vito and more recently World Wrestling Entertainment and working for their "developmental territories" Ohio Valley Wrestling and Deep South Wrestling as...

) defeated New Jack
New Jack
Jerome Young is an American professional wrestler, better known by his stage name New Jack in ECW.He is known for his willingness to take dangerous bumps and his stiff hardcore wrestling style, often taking high risks and "shooting" on opponents, though he is only known to shoot on opponents who...

 and The Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks (Axl Rotten
Axl Rotten
Brian Knighton is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Axl Rotten.-Early years:After watching a professional wrestling match on television, Knighton decided to become a wrestler...

 and Balls Mahoney
Balls Mahoney
Jonathan Rechner better known by his ring name Balls Mahoney , is an American professional wrestler...

) in a handicap match. On November 19, News and LoGrasso lost to The Hardcore Chair Swingin' Freaks in a Loser Leaves Town match, ending Neu's stint in ECW.

Return to the European independent circuit (2000–present)

On November 17, 2000, Neu, as Cannonball Grizzly, returned to wrestling and defeated "Big" Tiger Steele in a tournament final to win the European Wrestling Promotion's Iron Man Championship. He then began performing for both EWP and All Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling is a British Professional wrestling promotion also known as All Star Promotions, Superslam Wrestling and Big Time Wrestling and originally known as Wrestling Enterprises , run by Brian Dixon and based in Liverpool, England...

. On September 23, 2001, Grizzly lost the Iron Man Title to Robbie Brookside
Robbie Brookside
Robert Edward Brooks , better known by his ring name Robbie Brookside, is a British professional wrestler. He has toured all over the world during his career including such countries as the United States, Japan, Germany, and Mexico...

. On November 27, he won the EPW World Heavyweight Championship after defeating Bam Bam Bigelow. On November 26, 2003, Grizzly lost the World Heavyweight Title to Thunder. Since then, Neu continues to compete on the European independent circuit.

Personal life

Neu was married to a woman named Connie. He has since remarried to Anja von Stanic. He is also a cousin of Mike Hallick
Mike Hallick
Michael "Mike" Hallick is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Mantaur.-Catch Wrestling Association :...

, who was best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation as Mantaur.

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • As Cannonball Grizzly / American Avalanche
      • Senton, sometimes while performing a somersault
      • Spin-out powerbomb
    • As PN News / PN Neuz
      • Broken Record (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...

         / ECW
        Extreme Championship Wrestling
        Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...

        ) / Diving splash (WCW / Independent circuit
        Independent circuit
        In 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...

        )

  • Signature moves
    • Belly to belly suplex
    • Body avalanche

  • Nickname
    Nickname
    A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

    s
    • "The Rapmaster" PN News

  • Entrance themes
    Music in professional wrestling
    Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...

    • "Give It Up" by The Public Enemy (ECW)
    • "Iron Man
      Iron Man (song)
      "Iron Man" is a song by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath from their second studio album Paranoid released in 1970. It was later included on their initial greatest hits compilation We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll , as well as all subsequent greatest hits compilations.-Writing and...

      " by Black Sabbath
      Black Sabbath
      Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...

    • "Living After Midnight
      Living After Midnight
      "Living After Midnight" is a song by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, originally featured on their 1980 album British Steel. Speaking to the hedonistic, rebellious spirit of the 1980s, is one of the band's most popular songs....

      " by Judas Priest
      Judas Priest
      Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...

    • "Everything About You" by Ugly Kid Joe
      Ugly Kid Joe
      Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California. The band's name spoofs that of another band, Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe's sound includes a range of styles, including rock, glam metal, hard rock and heavy metal....


Championships and accomplishments

  • Catch Wrestling Association
    Catch Wrestling Association
    The Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...

    • CWA World Tag Team Championship
      CWA World Tag Team Championship (Germany)
      The CWA World Tag Team Championship was the tag team professional wrestling title in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association. It was established in 1988, and lasted until the promotion's 2000 closing.-Title history:...

       (3 times) – with John Hawk
      John Layfield
      John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...

       (1), Jesse James Armstrong
      Brian Gerard James
      Brian Gerard James is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE as an agent and producer. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation as "The Road Dogg" Jesse James or simply Road Dogg...

       (1) and Wildcat Brookside
      Robbie Brookside
      Robert Edward Brooks , better known by his ring name Robbie Brookside, is a British professional wrestler. He has toured all over the world during his career including such countries as the United States, Japan, Germany, and Mexico...

       (1)

  • European Wrestling Association
    • EWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

  • European Wrestling Promotion
    • EWP Iron Man Championship (1 time)
    • EWP World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

  • Pacific Northwest Wrestling
    Pacific Northwest Wrestling
    Pacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...

    • NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship
      NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship
      The NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...

       (2 times) – with Mike Golden (1) and Buddy Rose (1)

  • Professional Wrestling Alliance (Germany)
    • PWA Weltmeisterschaft Championship (1 time)

  • 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...

    • PWI ranked him #86 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1991

  • Riotgas Wrestling Alliance
    • RWA International Championship (2 times)

  • 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...

    • Rookie of the Year (1991)

  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
    • Worst Worked Match of the Year (1991) with Bobby Eaton
      Bobby Eaton
      Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...

       vs. Steve Austin
      Stone Cold Steve Austin
      Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...

       and Terry Taylor
      Terry Taylor
      Terry Taylor , is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation...

       in a scaffold match at The Great American Bash

  • Other titles
    • EWA Iron Man Championship (5 times)
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