Tommy Dreamer
Encyclopedia
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin (born February 14, 1971) is an American
professional wrestler
better known by his ring name
Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit
. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling
(ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). After leaving WWE after a nine year stint in 2010, Dreamer worked a year for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA). Among other accolades, he is a fourteen-time WWF/E Hardcore Champion
and a two-time world champion, having won the ECW World Championship
twice, and is the only man to have won this title in both the original company and in the WWE relaunch.
In addition to his most recent role, Dreamer is known for the time he spent in the Philadelphia-based Extreme Championship Wrestling
(ECW) promotion
, of which he has been called the "heart and soul". Though he only held the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once in his time with the company – for a total of about 30 minutes – he was regularly embroiled in the company's most visible angles on-screen and involved in the booking, some of the business decisions, and, like a number of other ECW wrestlers, was part of the day-to-day operations of the company off-screen. He is known as the "Innovator of violence."
. His first notable foray into the business came when he worked in International World Class Championship Wrestling
(IWCCW) under the name T.D. Madison. While there he and his storyline
brother, G.Q., held the IWCCW Tag Team Championship
three times in 1991. He changed his name to Tommy Dreamer, reportedly after taking his given first name and adding "Dreamer" in tribute to Dusty Rhodes
, in 1992 while working in the New England
based Century Wrestling Alliance
(CWA). While in the CWA, he became its first Heavyweight Champion by defeating "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas
in a tournament final held in Wallingford, Connecticut
on November 5, 1992. He held the title for over four months before losing it to The Iron Sheik in Burlington, Vermont
.
. His first major gimmick in the company had him wrestling in matches in garish green suspenders
and acting as something of a "pretty boy
" – at least in relation to the rest of the ECW roster. This gimmick got him soundly booed by crowds, even when he became the first person in wrestling history to kick out of the pin that follows the Superfly Splash of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
.
After Michael Fay
was arrested in Singapore
and sentenced to a caning
, ECW head booker Paul Heyman
decided to capitalize on the publicity by holding a Singapore Cane match between Dreamer and The Sandman — with the loser having to take 10 lashes. After losing the match Dreamer took his lashes, then asked The Sandman for another, causing the crowd to feel sympathy for him as he took the extra, and another. This was a launching point to an angle that ended up blurring the divide between fan faces
and heels
in wrestling, as well as start a new way of working the fans, especially the "smarks" — fans with some amount of inside information. In a later match, Dreamer kayfabe
accidentally blinded The Sandman, first by knocking a lit cigarette into his eye, then hitting in the other with a Singapore cane
. Immediately after, Dreamer seemed to break kayfabe and started aiding The Sandman. He professed that he "didn't mean to do it" and that it was "an accident" as other wrestlers — fan face and heel — swarmed out to help. The feud eventually ended with Sandman planning to announce his retirement at an ECW show, only to attack Dreamer and reveal he was never actually blind.
Though the blind Sandman angle was his first "major" feud
in ECW, his later, years-long feud against Raven that started in April 1995 is arguably his most memorable. The two were portrayed as childhood friends who had been competing in different ways their entire lives. Raven's entrance into ECW had him accompanied by Beulah McGillicutty
, an overweight girl from their kayfabe
childhood who had a crush on Dreamer and was now a Penthouse
Pet. Dreamer and Raven (and Raven's Nest
) feuded for two years with Dreamer never getting a win over Raven until Raven's last match in ECW, a Loser Leaves Town match at Wrestlepalooza 1997. By the end of the feud, Beulah had left Raven and was Tommy's valet
.
Throughout 1996, during the feud with Raven, Dreamer was also involved in an additional feud with "Prime Time" Brian Lee
, who was brought in as Raven's bodyguard. The two had several encounters that ended with Dreamer being chokeslam
med through tables. During other fights, the pair brawled outdoors onto the street and into traffic. The feud culminated in a scaffold match at the October 1996 High Incident event, where Dreamer sent Lee off the scaffolding through several tables in the ring below.
After Raven went to World Championship Wrestling
, Dreamer began a feud with the World Wrestling Federation
's Jerry "The King" Lawler
. The feud was largely symbolic, with Dreamer representing Extreme Championship Wrestling's "new school" style of wrestling as a concept and Lawler (with James E. Cornette
) representing the World Wrestling Federation and United States Wrestling Association
's more "old school" way of doing things.
In 1998, Dreamer had a short feud
with the Dudley Boyz
(Buh Buh Ray and D-Von), during which they "broke" Beulah's neck. In 1999, on their last night in the company, they cited this incident to get Dreamer to accept a challenge for the ECW Tag Team Championship
they had won earlier in the night. He did accept, and got the title, but was paired with the unexpected partner Raven, who slid into the ring at the last second and made the pin. The team only lasted a short time before it dissolved, with Raven taking the title and choosing Mike Awesome
as his new partner. He also, begrudgingly, became World Heavyweight Champion in 2000 by beating Tazz
at CyberSlam, only to lose it to Justin Credible
just 30 minutes later.
When speaking of his title reigns on The Rise and Fall of ECW
documentary produced by WWE Home Video, Dreamer is quoted as saying:
Dreamer stayed with ECW until it folded in 2001, defeating C.W. Anderson
in an "I Quit" match at Guilty as Charged – the final pay-per-view – and teaming
with Danny Doring
in a win over Julio Dinero
and EZ Money
in the final independent ECW show.
throughout the country, such as Jersey All Pro Wrestling
and Combat Zone Wrestling
before he signed with the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF). He was introduced to WWF audiences on the July 9, 2001 episode of Raw
as a member of the WCW/ECW Alliance during the Invasion angle. When the angle ended in November, Dreamer was sent to the WWF's "farm territory
" Heartland Wrestling Association
.
"brand
". There, he turned face and was given a gimmick that saw him proclaim that he was "Just a Regular Guy", for which he was featured in vignettes and backstage segments showing him in normal situations that were then augmented by "disgusting" antics such as brushing his teeth
and his dogs teeth with the same brush and eating food from the floor. However, this angle was short-lived. He soon reverted back to his "Innovator of Violence" gimmick and amassed fourteen reigns as Hardcore Champion
. During this time, he was the final person to hold it before it became unified
with the Intercontinental Championship
in a match with Rob Van Dam
. After losing the Hardcore Championship, Dreamer renewed his feud with Raven, defeating him in a Loser Leaves Raw match on June 24 to send him to Raw' s sister show
, Heat
.
As 2003 and 2004 went on, Dreamer was used less and less on WWE television, and they began allowing him to take independent bookings
and work as color commentator
for their developmental territories
, Ohio Valley Wrestling
and Deep South Wrestling. When his performers contract expired, he took a succession of "office jobs" inside World Wrestling Entertainment.
In 2005, Dreamer was a major part of the ECW One Night Stand
"reunion show" pay-per-view
held under the World Wrestling Entertainment banner. He, along with a number of former ECW stars, took part in promotional hype for the event on episodes of Raw
and, with The Sandman, he wrestled the Dudley Boyz
in the main event. For the 2006 event
, he was placed into an angle that had him and Terry Funk
— who had been his "mentor" in the early days of the original ECW — at odds with then-heels, Mick Foley
and Edge over the meanings of "extreme
". The angle ended with a six-person-intergender-tag team match at the pay-per-view where Dreamer, Funk, and Beulah McGillicutty
lost to Edge, Foley, and Lita
.
When the ECW brand officially launched on the Sci Fi channel
, Dreamer and the Sandman were put into one of the brands first feuds
, an "old school versus new school" feud, against Test and Mike Knox
. In November and December he engaged in a short feud with Daivari
and The Great Khali, but Khali was sent to the Raw brand before it could come to a conclusion. Not long after Khali left ECW, The New Breed
stable was established, consisting of wrestlers new to ECW: Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker and Kevin Thorn. In response, a stable of ECW Originals
was created, and the teams continued to clash in singles and tag
matches, trading wins on the weekly ECW show throughout the spring of 2007. The Originals won a standard-rules four-on-four match at WrestleMania 23
, but lost an extreme-rules
rematch on the next Tuesday's show.
The feud continued until a number of roster moves left the Originals nearly barren.
In late 2007, Dreamer took part in the ECW brand's elimination chase to name a number one contender to the ECW Championship
. During the series of matches, also involving Stevie Richards
, Elijah Burke
, and Kevin Thorn
he added a bandana
, worn on his head, to his ring gear. He received the original one from a young boy with a brain tumor, and from then on began wearing one as a sign of solidarity and strength to anyone going through that struggle. Dreamer emerged victorious in the final match against Burke, only to be surprised by ECW's General Manager Armando Estrada forcing him to face Big Daddy V
, who promptly beat him for the number one contendership.
In the beginning of 2008, Dreamer was paired with ECW brand enhancement talent
Colin Delaney
as a sort of mentor after Delaney was consistently and easily defeated on the weekly ECW television show. They challenged The Miz and John Morrison
for the WWE Tag Team Championship
after they defeated them in a non-title match, but they lost the title match in an Extreme rules match. At WrestleMania, he participated in a 24-man battle royal to earn an opportunity for the ECW Championship later in the event, but failed to win. On the 100th episode of ECW, Dreamer was defeated in an extreme rules match by Mike Knox. He participated in a Singapore cane match at One Night Stand, but failed to win. At The Great American Bash
on July 20, 2008, Delaney turned on Dreamer, costing him his ECW Championship match against Mark Henry
. He defeated Delaney in an extreme rules match. After that, Dreamer started a feud with the new superstar Jack Swagger. They faced in a classic wrestling match, but Dreamer lost the match after he used his DDT on Swagger. Then Swagger defeated Dreamer in an Extreme rules match, ending the feud.
on the February 24 edition of ECW. On the April 28 edition, Dreamer received a match for the ECW Championship against then-champion Christian, which went to a no-contest when Jack Swagger interfered. Dreamer was granted a one-day extension on his contract, allowing him one last chance at the ECW Championship, challenging the champion Christian and Jack Swagger in a triple threat match at Extreme Rules. At Extreme Rules, Dreamer pinned Jack Swagger in a hardcore triple threat match, capturing his second ECW Championship almost a decade after he claimed the title in the original ECW. The victory also made Dreamer the only wrestler in history to capture the ECW Championship before and after WWE's acquisition of the title.
After successful title defenses, one against Christian and also a Championship Scramble match at The Bash
, Dreamer eventually lost the championship back to Christian at Night of Champions
. On the July 28 episode of ECW, Dreamer announced he would exercise his rematch clause against Christian the following week. The two faced off in an Extreme Rules match, in which Christian retained the championship.
After his championship pursuit had ceased, Dreamer began teaming up with Christian, Yoshi Tatsu
and Goldust on various occasions to take on William Regal and his allies Vladimir Kozlov
and Ezekiel Jackson, exchanging victories and losses. On the December 29 episode of ECW, Dreamer wrestled Zack Ryder
and lost. If Dreamer was to lose the match then he would be (kayfabe
) forced to retire from in-ring competition. After the match, Dreamer made a farewell speech in which he thanked the fans before exiting the ring with his two daughters. A few days later on January 4, 2010, Dreamer was officially released by WWE.
on January 17, 2010, in a non-wrestling role, getting involved in a match which lead to him brawling with Jimmy Jacobs
. Later that month, on January 23, Dreamer debuted for Dragon Gate USA
, saving Jimmy Jacobs
and Lacey
from a beating at the hands of Jon Moxley
. On March 27, Dreamer made his pay-per-view
debut for Dragon Gate USA in Phoenix, Arizona
, where he lost a hardcore match to Moxley, which was taped for the Mercury Rising pay-per-view.
On April 2, Universal Championship Wrestling added Dreamer to their roster. He defeated fellow former ECW Champion Shane Douglas
to become the promotion's Universal Heavyweight Champion on February 20.
Dreamer wrestled on all three nights of Maximum Pro Wrestling
's Spring Loaded event. April 9 was night one and before his match, Dreamer was presented with the Most Shocking Moment of the Decade for his win of the BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship
. Following the presentation, Dreamer defeated Jon Bolen. The following night, he lost to MaxPro Triple Crown Champion Tyson Dux
, but put Dux through a table afterward. On April 25, Dreamer made his debut for Philadelphia-based Chikara, challenging Eddie Kingston
to a match at the Anniversary show on May 23. Kingston won the match via disqualification when Ares
and Claudio Castagnoli
of the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
(BDK) attacked him. Dreamer assisted Kingston in taking care of BDK and then made a challenge for a tag team match on July 25 at The Arena in Philadelphia. Earlier that same day, Kingston inducted Dreamer into the Hardcore Hall of Fame. BDK ended up defeating Dreamer and Kingston, when Castagnoli pinned Dreamer.
On August 14, 2010, Dreamer appeared for Montreal
-based Northern Championship Wrestling
(nCw), challenging "The War Machine" Tank and James Stone to a match at DreamSlam for the nCw Quebec Championship.
Dreamer also appeared the following week on August 21 in Ontario at "Carrot Fest" and is booked to re-appear in 2011 on August 20.
Dreamer returned to Chikara on November 13, 2011, at the promotion's first ever internet pay-per-view, High Noon
, accompanying Eddie Kingston to his Chikara Grand Championship
match.
Dreamer made his debut for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA), appearing in the crowd and thus distracting Brother Ray and costing him his match against Jesse Neal
. On the June 24 edition of Impact!
Dreamer appeared in the crowd of the Impact! Zone, beside fellow ECW alumni Raven and Stevie Richards. The following week the three were joined by Rhino. On the July 15 edition of Impact! Dreamer, Raven, Richards, Rhino, Brother Devon, Pat Kenney
and Al Snow
, led by Mick Foley, aligned themselves with the TNA World Heavyweight Champion
Rob Van Dam by attacking Abyss and the rest of the TNA locker room. The following week, TNA president Dixie Carter agreed to give the ECW alumni their own reunion pay–per–view event, Hardcore Justice: The Last Stand
, as a celebration of hardcore wrestling and a final farewell to the company, while also placing Dreamer in charge of the show. Dreamer made his TNA in–ring debut on the July 29 edition of Impact!, losing to Abyss in a No Disqualification match. After the match Raven re–ignited his old feud with Dreamer by turning on him, laying him out with a DDT on a chair and licking his face. The following week Raven explained his turn by saying that he hadn't forgotten how Dreamer had "stolen", and later married, his girlfriend Beulah McGillicutty back in 1996. On August 8 at Hardcore Justice Dreamer was defeated by Raven in a "Final Showdown" match refereed by Mick Foley. On the following edition of Impact!, the ECW alumni, known collectively as Extreme, Version 2.0 (EV 2.0)
, were assaulted by A.J. Styles
, Kazarian
, Robert Roode, James Storm
, Douglas Williams
and Matt Morgan of Ric Flair
's Fourtune
stable, who thought they didn't deserve to be in TNA. The following week TNA president Dixie Carter gave each member of EV 2.0 TNA contracts in order for them to settle their score with Fourtune. At No Surrender
Dreamer lost an "I Quit" match to A.J. Styles due to Styles putting a fork into his eye. Dreamer admitted EV 2.0's defeat on the following edition of Impact! and tried to reach a truce with Fourtune, but was beaten down. The following week he returned with Raven, Stevie Richards, Sabu
and Rhino and announced that Dixie Carter had given the five of them a Lethal Lockdown match against Fourtune at Bound for Glory
. At Bound for Glory Dreamer, Raven, Rhino, Richards and Sabu defeated Fourtune members Styles, Kazarian, Morgan, Roode and Storm in a Lethal Lockdown match, when Dreamer pinned Styles. After weeks of dissension between Rob Van Dam and the rest of EV 2.0, caused by Van Dam's belief that there was a traitor within the group, Dreamer challenged him to a match. At Turning Point
Van Dam defeated Dreamer and afterwards made peace with him. On the following edition of Impact! Rhino turned heel by attacking Van Dam and Dreamer, revealing himself as the traitor Van Dam had been looking for. The following week Dreamer defeated Rhino in a Street Fight. After spending some time off television, Dreamer returned on the February 24 edition of Impact!, becoming entangled in the feud between former tag team partners Bully Ray and Brother Devon. On March 13 at Victory Road
, Dreamer defeated Ray in a Falls Count Anywhere match, following interference from Devon.
in order to save his job in TNA. Dreamer was later confronted on his choice by A.J. Styles, which led to a match at Sacrifice
, where Dreamer was victorious following interference from Bully Ray. On the following edition of Impact Wrestling, Dreamer officially turned heel, citing the first time he attacked Styles was due to being forced by Ray, before willingly attacking Styles because he wanted to and proceeding to berate the crowd by calling them "pieces of crap". On the May 26 edition of Impact Wrestling, Styles and Christopher Daniels
defeated Dreamer and Ray in a no disqualification street fight. On June 6 Dreamer confirmed that TNA's house show
in Memphis, Tennessee
on June 11 would be his final appearance for the promotion. In his final TNA match, Dreamer teamed with Bully Ray in a losing effort against A.J. Styles and Brother Devon.
in the "Mel Schwartz, Bounty Hunter" episode of the TV series Early Edition
as a biker. In October 2011, Dreamer started his own YouTube
series, titled "The Tommy Dreamer TV".
, better known by her ring name
Beulah McGillicutty, on October 12, 2002, with whom he has twin daughters — Kimberly and Briana. Kimberly and Briana appeared in a sixth season episode, "The Ride
", of the HBO drama The Sopranos
playing Domenica Baccalieri, Tony Soprano
's baby niece.
1Dreamer's second ECW World Heavyweight Championship reign overall and first under the WWE banner.
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...
better 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:...
Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the 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...
. He is best known for his time spent with 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...
(ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). After leaving WWE after a nine year stint in 2010, Dreamer worked a year for 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...
(TNA). Among other accolades, he is a fourteen-time WWF/E Hardcore Champion
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
and a two-time world champion, having won the ECW World Championship
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
twice, and is the only man to have won this title in both the original company and in the WWE relaunch.
In addition to his most recent role, Dreamer is known for the time he spent in the Philadelphia-based 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...
(ECW) promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, of which he has been called the "heart and soul". Though he only held the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once in his time with the company – for a total of about 30 minutes – he was regularly embroiled in the company's most visible angles on-screen and involved in the booking, some of the business decisions, and, like a number of other ECW wrestlers, was part of the day-to-day operations of the company off-screen. He is known as the "Innovator of violence."
Debut
Laughlin was trained in professional wrestling by Johnny RodzJohnny Rodz
Johnny Rodriguez is a retired American professional wrestler. He has previously worked as a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Rodz.-World Wide Wrestling Federation:...
. His first notable foray into the business came when he worked in International World Class Championship Wrestling
International World Class Championship Wrestling
International World Class Championship Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was promoted by Angelo Savoldi and his sons Mario, Tom, and Joseph Savoldi....
(IWCCW) under the name T.D. Madison. While there he and his storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
brother, G.Q., held the IWCCW Tag Team Championship
IWCCW Tag Team Championship
The ICW / IWCCW Tag-Team Championship was the top tag-team championship of International World Class Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1995 where IWCCW closed down operations...
three times in 1991. He changed his name to Tommy Dreamer, reportedly after taking his given first name and adding "Dreamer" in tribute to Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
, in 1992 while working in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
based Century Wrestling Alliance
Century Wrestling Alliance
The Century Wrestling Alliance, formerly known as NWA Cold Front and NWA New England, is a New England-based American independent wrestling promotion located in Boston, Massachusetts...
(CWA). While in the CWA, he became its first Heavyweight Champion by defeating "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas
Tony Atlas
Anthony White better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr...
in a tournament final held in Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
on November 5, 1992. He held the title for over four months before losing it to The Iron Sheik in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1992–2001)
Dreamer joined Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1992, just before its name change to Extreme Championship WrestlingExtreme 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...
. His first major gimmick in the company had him wrestling in matches in garish green suspenders
Suspenders
Suspenders or braces are fabric or leather straps worn over the shoulders to hold up trousers. Straps may be elasticated, either entirely or only at attachment ends and most straps are of woven cloth forming an X or Y shape at the back. Braces are typically attached to trousers with buttons...
and acting as something of a "pretty boy
Effeminacy
Effeminacy describes traits in a human male, that are more often associated with traditional feminine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or gender roles rather than masculine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or roles....
" – at least in relation to the rest of the ECW roster. This gimmick got him soundly booed by crowds, even when he became the first person in wrestling history to kick out of the pin that follows the Superfly Splash of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
.
After Michael Fay
Michael P. Fay
Michael Peter Fay is an American who briefly shot to international notoriety when he was sentenced to caning in Singapore as an 18-year-old in 1994 for theft and vandalism...
was arrested in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and sentenced to a caning
Caning in Singapore
Caning is a widely used form of legal corporal punishment in Singapore. It can be divided into several contexts: judicial, military, school, reformatory/prison, and domestic/private....
, ECW head booker Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
decided to capitalize on the publicity by holding a Singapore Cane match between Dreamer and The Sandman — with the loser having to take 10 lashes. After losing the match Dreamer took his lashes, then asked The Sandman for another, causing the crowd to feel sympathy for him as he took the extra, and another. This was a launching point to an angle that ended up blurring the divide between fan faces
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...
and heels
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...
in wrestling, as well as start a new way of working the fans, especially the "smarks" — fans with some amount of inside information. In a later match, Dreamer kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
accidentally blinded The Sandman, first by knocking a lit cigarette into his eye, then hitting in the other with a Singapore cane
Shinai
is a weapon used for practice and competition in kendo representing a Japanese sword. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different characters....
. Immediately after, Dreamer seemed to break kayfabe and started aiding The Sandman. He professed that he "didn't mean to do it" and that it was "an accident" as other wrestlers — fan face and heel — swarmed out to help. The feud eventually ended with Sandman planning to announce his retirement at an ECW show, only to attack Dreamer and reveal he was never actually blind.
Though the blind Sandman angle was his first "major" 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...
in ECW, his later, years-long feud against Raven that started in April 1995 is arguably his most memorable. The two were portrayed as childhood friends who had been competing in different ways their entire lives. Raven's entrance into ECW had him accompanied by Beulah McGillicutty
Trisa Hayes
Trisa Hayes Laughlin is an American professional wrestling valet, better known by her ring name, Beulah McGillicutty. She is best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s...
, an overweight girl from their kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
childhood who had a crush on Dreamer and was now a Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
Pet. Dreamer and Raven (and Raven's Nest
Raven's Nest
Raven's Nest was a professional wrestling stable led by Raven that was present in Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1995 and 1997.Later, Raven created other incarnations of the group in World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .-Raven's Nest:Raven's Nest was a large...
) feuded for two years with Dreamer never getting a win over Raven until Raven's last match in ECW, a Loser Leaves Town match at Wrestlepalooza 1997. By the end of the feud, Beulah had left Raven and was Tommy's valet
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...
.
Throughout 1996, during the feud with Raven, Dreamer was also involved in an additional feud with "Prime Time" Brian Lee
Brian Lee
Brian Lee Harris is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Prime Time" Brian Lee...
, who was brought in as Raven's bodyguard. The two had several encounters that ended with Dreamer being chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their 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 powerful on camera...
med through tables. During other fights, the pair brawled outdoors onto the street and into traffic. The feud culminated in a scaffold match at the October 1996 High Incident event, where Dreamer sent Lee off the scaffolding through several tables in the ring below.
After Raven went to 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...
, Dreamer began a feud with 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...
's Jerry "The King" Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
. The feud was largely symbolic, with Dreamer representing Extreme Championship Wrestling's "new school" style of wrestling as a concept and Lawler (with James E. Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
) representing the World Wrestling Federation and United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The 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:...
's more "old school" way of doing things.
In 1998, Dreamer had a short 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 the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
(Buh Buh Ray and D-Von), during which they "broke" Beulah's neck. In 1999, on their last night in the company, they cited this incident to get Dreamer to accept a challenge for the ECW Tag Team Championship
ECW Tag Team Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling...
they had won earlier in the night. He did accept, and got the title, but was paired with the unexpected partner Raven, who slid into the ring at the last second and made the pin. The team only lasted a short time before it dissolved, with Raven taking the title and choosing Mike Awesome
Mike Awesome
Michael Lee Alfonso , better known by his ring name Mike Awesome, was an American professional wrestler best known in America for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and in World Wrestling Federation and also in Japan for his work with Frontier Martial-Arts...
as his new partner. He also, begrudgingly, became World Heavyweight Champion in 2000 by beating Tazz
Tazz
Peter Senerchia is a retired American professional wrestler and current color commentator best known by his ring name Tazz, originally Tazmaniac and later shortened to simply Taz...
at CyberSlam, only to lose it to Justin Credible
Peter Polaco
Peter Joseph Polaco is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Justin Credible. He is also known for his earlier stint with the WWF under the ringname Aldo Montoya...
just 30 minutes later.
When speaking of his title reigns on The Rise and Fall of ECW
The Rise and Fall of ECW
The Rise and Fall of ECW is a documentary DVD produced by World Wrestling Entertainment, now known as WWE. It chronicles the history of Philadelphia-based professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling...
documentary produced by WWE Home Video, Dreamer is quoted as saying:
Dreamer stayed with ECW until it folded in 2001, defeating C.W. Anderson
C.W. Anderson
Chris Wright is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name, C.W. Anderson. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Early life:...
in an "I Quit" match at Guilty as Charged – the final pay-per-view – 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 Danny Doring
Danny Doring
Dan Morrison is an American wrestler better known as Danny Doring, most known for his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling, as the tag team partner of Roadkill...
in a win over Julio Dinero
Brian Wohl
Brian Wohl is an American professional wrestler better known under his ring name Julio Dinero.-Career:Wohl debuted in 1994 after training at the Baltimore Wrestling Factory under Axl Rotten and Hack Myers...
and EZ Money
Jason Broyles
Jason Broyles is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring name EZ Money...
in the final independent ECW show.
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (2001–2010)
After ECW closed its doors, Dreamer spent time in various independent leaguesIndependent 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...
throughout the country, such as Jersey All Pro Wrestling
Jersey All Pro Wrestling
Jersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey.-1997:Jersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia on April 19, 1997. This promotion was born out of a dream of "Fat" Frank. He wanted to take the promotion...
and Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
before he signed with 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). He was introduced to WWF audiences on the July 9, 2001 episode 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...
as a member of the WCW/ECW Alliance during the Invasion angle. When the angle ended in November, Dreamer was sent to the WWF's "farm territory
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
" Heartland Wrestling Association
Heartland Wrestling Association
The Heartland Wrestling Association is a Midwestern independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cincinnati, Ohio. A former developmental territory for both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation during the 1990s, it was listed as one of the top independent...
.
Raw
He was brought back to the main roster of the now renamed World Wrestling Entertainment in April and placed on the RawWWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
"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...
". There, he turned face and was given a gimmick that saw him proclaim that he was "Just a Regular Guy", for which he was featured in vignettes and backstage segments showing him in normal situations that were then augmented by "disgusting" antics such as brushing his teeth
Tooth brushing
Tooth brushing is the act of cleaning teeth with a toothbrush.Modern medical research has shown that brushing teeth properly can prevent cavities, and periodontal, or gum disease, which causes at least one-third of adult tooth loss. If teeth are not brushed correctly and frequently, it could lead...
and his dogs teeth with the same brush and eating food from the floor. However, this angle was short-lived. He soon reverted back to his "Innovator of Violence" gimmick and amassed fourteen reigns as Hardcore Champion
WWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
. During this time, he was the final person to hold it before it became unified
Championship unification
Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title.-History:In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a given promotion, or to add legitimacy and prestige to a...
with the 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...
in a match with Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
. After losing the Hardcore Championship, Dreamer renewed his feud with Raven, defeating him in a Loser Leaves Raw match on June 24 to send him to Raw
Sister show
Sister shows are two or more television shows which exist in the same fictional universe and which may have crossovers. They differ to a degree from spin-offs in that shows may air simultaneously, rather than being derived from, and replacing, another. The popularity of most shows is limited to a...
, Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
.
As 2003 and 2004 went on, Dreamer was used less and less on WWE television, and they began allowing him to take independent bookings
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...
and work as color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for their developmental territories
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
, Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
and Deep South Wrestling. When his performers contract expired, he took a succession of "office jobs" inside World Wrestling Entertainment.
Launching of the ECW brand
ECW One Night Stand (2005)
ECW One Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was held on June 12, 2005 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York. The main event was a tag team match between The Dudley Boyz and the team of Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman...
"reunion show" pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
held under the World Wrestling Entertainment banner. He, along with a number of former ECW stars, took part in promotional hype for the event on episodes 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...
and, with The Sandman, he wrestled the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
in the main event. For the 2006 event
ECW One Night Stand (2006)
ECW One Night Stand was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It was held on June 11, 2006 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, New York....
, he was placed into an angle that had him and Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
— who had been his "mentor" in the early days of the original ECW — at odds with then-heels, Mick Foley
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
and Edge over the meanings of "extreme
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
". The angle ended with a six-person-intergender-tag team match at the pay-per-view where Dreamer, Funk, and Beulah McGillicutty
Trisa Hayes
Trisa Hayes Laughlin is an American professional wrestling valet, better known by her ring name, Beulah McGillicutty. She is best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s...
lost to Edge, Foley, and Lita
Amy Dumas
Amy Christine Dumas , known by her primary stage name Lita, is the lead singer for the band The Luchagors as well as a retired professional wrestler and WWE Diva active from 1999 to 2006....
.
When the ECW brand officially launched on the Sci Fi channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, Dreamer and the Sandman were put into one of the brands first feuds
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...
, an "old school versus new school" feud, against Test and Mike Knox
Mike Knox
Michael Shawn Hettinga is a American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.-Independent circuit :...
. In November and December he engaged in a short feud with Daivari
Shawn Daivari
Dara Daivari is an Iranian American professional wrestler, currently performing on the American independent circuit as Shawn Daivari. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as simply Daivari and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Sheik Abdul Bashir.-Career:Daivari...
and The Great Khali, but Khali was sent to the Raw brand before it could come to a conclusion. Not long after Khali left ECW, The New Breed
New Breed (ECW)
The New Breed was a professional wrestling stable that appeared on the ECW brand of World Wrestling Entertainment in 2007. It was initially composed of Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker, Kevin Thorn, and Ariel...
stable was established, consisting of wrestlers new to ECW: Elijah Burke, Marcus Cor Von, Matt Striker and Kevin Thorn. In response, a stable of ECW Originals
ECW Originals
The ECW Originals was a professional wrestling stable that made sporadic appearances in various wrestling promotions, including World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
was created, and the teams continued to clash in singles and tag
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...
matches, trading wins on the weekly ECW show throughout the spring of 2007. The Originals won a standard-rules four-on-four match at WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
, but lost an extreme-rules
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
rematch on the next Tuesday's show.
The feud continued until a number of roster moves left the Originals nearly barren.
In late 2007, Dreamer took part in the ECW brand's elimination chase to name a number one contender to the ECW Championship
ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
. During the series of matches, also involving Stevie Richards
Stevie Richards
Michael Manna is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Stevie Richards. Also known by his ring names, Steven Richards and Dr...
, Elijah Burke
Elijah Burke
Elijah Samuel Burke is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the name of "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero; a gimmick in which he portrays a Harlem street preacher...
, and Kevin Thorn
Kevin Fertig
Kevin Matthew Fertig is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring names Mordecai and Kevin Thorn....
he added a bandana
Kerchief
A kerchief is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head or around the neck for protective or decorative purposes...
, worn on his head, to his ring gear. He received the original one from a young boy with a brain tumor, and from then on began wearing one as a sign of solidarity and strength to anyone going through that struggle. Dreamer emerged victorious in the final match against Burke, only to be surprised by ECW's General Manager Armando Estrada forcing him to face Big Daddy V
Nelson Frazier, Jr.
Nelson Frazier, Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Mabel, Viscera, Big Daddy V, and King V. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment...
, who promptly beat him for the number one contendership.
In the beginning of 2008, Dreamer was paired with ECW brand enhancement talent
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
Colin Delaney
Colin Delaney
Colin Matthew Delaney is a American professional wrestler, best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment. He has also wrestled for promotions such as 2CW Squared Circle Wrestling, Chikara, NWA Upstate, Pier 6 Wrestling, Buffalo Championship Wrestling, NWA Empire, LakeShore Wrestling,...
as a sort of mentor after Delaney was consistently and easily defeated on the weekly ECW television show. They challenged The Miz and John Morrison
John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz were a professional wrestling tag team and former WWE Tough Enough contestants. The team worked for World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, but also appeared on the SmackDown and Raw brands due to ECW's talent exchanges with those brands during their tenure as a team...
for the WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
after they defeated them in a non-title match, but they lost the title match in an Extreme rules match. At WrestleMania, he participated in a 24-man battle royal to earn an opportunity for the ECW Championship later in the event, but failed to win. On the 100th episode of ECW, Dreamer was defeated in an extreme rules match by Mike Knox. He participated in a Singapore cane match at One Night Stand, but failed to win. At The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2008)
The Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
on July 20, 2008, Delaney turned on Dreamer, costing him his ECW Championship match against Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
. He defeated Delaney in an extreme rules match. After that, Dreamer started a feud with the new superstar Jack Swagger. They faced in a classic wrestling match, but Dreamer lost the match after he used his DDT on Swagger. Then Swagger defeated Dreamer in an Extreme rules match, ending the feud.
ECW Champion and departure
On the January 13, 2009 episode of ECW, Dreamer announced that if he failed to win the ECW Championship by June 6, when his WWE contract was to expire, he would no longer wrestle for ECW. The storyline saw Dreamer start a losing streak that ended when he defeated Paul BurchillPaul Burchill
Paul Birchill , better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he signed after training and debuting for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance in his home country.-Frontier Wrestling Alliance...
on the February 24 edition of ECW. On the April 28 edition, Dreamer received a match for the ECW Championship against then-champion Christian, which went to a no-contest when Jack Swagger interfered. Dreamer was granted a one-day extension on his contract, allowing him one last chance at the ECW Championship, challenging the champion Christian and Jack Swagger in a triple threat match at Extreme Rules. At Extreme Rules, Dreamer pinned Jack Swagger in a hardcore triple threat match, capturing his second ECW Championship almost a decade after he claimed the title in the original ECW. The victory also made Dreamer the only wrestler in history to capture the ECW Championship before and after WWE's acquisition of the title.
After successful title defenses, one against Christian and also a Championship Scramble match at The Bash
The Bash (2009)
The Bash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 28, 2009 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. This was the sixth and final show in WWE's production lineage for The Great American Bash event and the only one to...
, Dreamer eventually lost the championship back to Christian at Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2009)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 26, 2009 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the second annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the...
. On the July 28 episode of ECW, Dreamer announced he would exercise his rematch clause against Christian the following week. The two faced off in an Extreme Rules match, in which Christian retained the championship.
After his championship pursuit had ceased, Dreamer began teaming up with Christian, Yoshi Tatsu
Naofumi Yamamoto
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former boxer, who is currently signed to WWE, performing on its SmackDown brand under the ring name Yoshi Tatsu.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
and Goldust on various occasions to take on William Regal and his allies Vladimir Kozlov
Oleg Prudius
Oleg Aleksandrovich Prudius is a Ukrainian American professional wrestler, also known by his ring name Vladimir Kozlov . Since competing for WWE, he won the WWE Tag Team Championships with Santino Marella on one occasion...
and Ezekiel Jackson, exchanging victories and losses. On the December 29 episode of ECW, Dreamer wrestled Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder
Matthew Joseph Cardona, Jr. better known by his ring name Zack Ryder, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE and works on the Raw brand as a wrestler and the SmackDown brand as an assistant to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long.Cardona wrestled mostly with his tag...
and lost. If Dreamer was to lose the match then he would be (kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
) forced to retire from in-ring competition. After the match, Dreamer made a farewell speech in which he thanked the fans before exiting the ring with his two daughters. A few days later on January 4, 2010, Dreamer was officially released by WWE.
Independent circuit (2010–present)
Dreamer appeared at the inaugural event of EVOLVE WrestlingEvolve (professional wrestling)
Evolve Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion based in the Northeast founded in 2010 by former Ring of Honor booker and current Dragon Gate USA vice president, Gabe Sapolsky, Full Impact Pro owner Sal Hamaoui, and independent wrestler Davey Richards...
on January 17, 2010, in a non-wrestling role, getting involved in a match which lead to him brawling with Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs
Chris Scobille is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor , where he is a four-time World Tag Team Champion...
. Later that month, on January 23, Dreamer debuted for Dragon Gate USA
Dragon Gate USA
Dragon Gate USA is an American professional wrestling promotion founded in 2009 as an international expansion of the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate.Gabe Sapolsky, former head booker of Ring of Honor, serves as the promotion's Vice President....
, saving Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs
Chris Scobille is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor , where he is a four-time World Tag Team Champion...
and Lacey
Lacey (wrestler)
Lacey is an American former professional wrestler, most known for working with numerous promotions throughout Northern America career such as Ring of Honor, Shimmer, IWA-Mid South, Full Impact Pro, and NWA Midwest. She has also wrestled for Chikara, ChickFight, and was part of Wrestling Society X...
from a beating at the hands of Jon Moxley
Jon Moxley
Jonathan Good is an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Jon Moxley. He is signed to WWE, wrestling in their developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling , under the ring name Dean Ambrose...
. On March 27, Dreamer made his pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
debut for Dragon Gate USA in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, where he lost a hardcore match to Moxley, which was taped for the Mercury Rising pay-per-view.
On April 2, Universal Championship Wrestling added Dreamer to their roster. He defeated fellow former ECW Champion Shane Douglas
Shane Douglas
Troy Alan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly...
to become the promotion's Universal Heavyweight Champion on February 20.
Dreamer wrestled on all three nights of Maximum Pro Wrestling
Maximum Pro Wrestling
Maximum Pro Wrestling is a Canadian independent professional wrestling organization, founded in 2010 with the merger of Scott D'Amore's Border City Wrestling out of Windsor, Ontario and BSE Pro Wrestling out of Toronto, Ontario.-History:...
's Spring Loaded event. April 9 was night one and before his match, Dreamer was presented with the Most Shocking Moment of the Decade for his win of the BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship
BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship
The BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship is the top title contested for in the Ontario-based professional wrestling promotion Border City Wrestling.-Title history:...
. Following the presentation, Dreamer defeated Jon Bolen. The following night, he lost to MaxPro Triple Crown Champion Tyson Dux
Tyson Dux
Tyson Moody is a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Tyson Dux , and is currently wrestling for various independent promotions. He is the nephew of martial artist Frank Dux-Career:...
, but put Dux through a table afterward. On April 25, Dreamer made his debut for Philadelphia-based Chikara, challenging Eddie Kingston
Eddie Kingston
Edward "Eddie" Moore is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Eddie Kingston. He is best known for competing in Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South and Ring of Honor...
to a match at the Anniversary show on May 23. Kingston won the match via disqualification when Ares
Marco Jaggi
Marco Jaggi is a Swiss professional wrestler and wrestling trainer, known by his ring name Ares , who primarily competes in European and American independent promotions. For much of his career, Jaggi teamed with Claudio Castagnoli and Marc Roudin as part of Swiss Money Holding...
and Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, working in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Antonio Cesaro...
of the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
Die Bruderschaft des Kreuzes is a professional wrestling stable in the Chikara promotion.-Background :...
(BDK) attacked him. Dreamer assisted Kingston in taking care of BDK and then made a challenge for a tag team match on July 25 at The Arena in Philadelphia. Earlier that same day, Kingston inducted Dreamer into the Hardcore Hall of Fame. BDK ended up defeating Dreamer and Kingston, when Castagnoli pinned Dreamer.
On August 14, 2010, Dreamer appeared for Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
-based Northern Championship Wrestling
Northern Championship Wrestling
Northern Championship Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.It was founded in 1986 by François Poirier and Phil Bélanger in Joliette, Quebec...
(nCw), challenging "The War Machine" Tank and James Stone to a match at DreamSlam for the nCw Quebec Championship.
Dreamer also appeared the following week on August 21 in Ontario at "Carrot Fest" and is booked to re-appear in 2011 on August 20.
Dreamer returned to Chikara on November 13, 2011, at the promotion's first ever internet pay-per-view, High Noon
Chikara High Noon
High Noon was a professional wrestling internet pay-per-view event produced by the Chikara promotion, that took place on November 13, 2011 at the Asylum Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event marked Chikara's first ever live pay-per-view and it was headlined by the finals of a tournament...
, accompanying Eddie Kingston to his Chikara Grand Championship
Chikara Grand Championship
The Chikara Grand Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Chikara promotion. The first champion was crowned on November 13, 2011, at the High Noon pay-per-view, when Eddie Kingston defeated Mike Quackenbush at the conclusion of a six-month long, twelve-person...
match.
EV 2.0
On June 13, 2010, at Slammiversary VIIISlammiversary VIII
Slammiversary VIII was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on June 13, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. Despite the Roman numeral eight used in promotional material, it was the sixth event under the Slammiversary...
Dreamer made his debut for 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...
(TNA), appearing in the crowd and thus distracting Brother Ray and costing him his match against Jesse Neal
Jesse Neal
Jesse Neal is an American professional wrestler and a former member of the U.S. military. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is one half of the tag team Ink Inc., with his partner Shannon Moore....
. On the June 24 edition of Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
Dreamer appeared in the crowd of the Impact! Zone, beside fellow ECW alumni Raven and Stevie Richards. The following week the three were joined by Rhino. On the July 15 edition of Impact! Dreamer, Raven, Richards, Rhino, Brother Devon, Pat Kenney
Pat Kenney
Patrick Joseph Michael "Pat" Kenney , known also by his ring name, Simon Diamond, is a retired American professional wrestler, currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent...
and Al Snow
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
, led by Mick Foley, aligned themselves with the TNA World Heavyweight Champion
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...
Rob Van Dam by attacking Abyss and the rest of the TNA locker room. The following week, TNA president Dixie Carter agreed to give the ECW alumni their own reunion pay–per–view event, Hardcore Justice: The Last Stand
Hardcore Justice (2010)
Hardcore Justice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on August 8, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, as a celebration of hardcore wrestling and a final farewell to the company, while also placing Dreamer in charge of the show. Dreamer made his TNA in–ring debut on the July 29 edition of Impact!, losing to Abyss in a No Disqualification match. After the match Raven re–ignited his old feud with Dreamer by turning on him, laying him out with a DDT on a chair and licking his face. The following week Raven explained his turn by saying that he hadn't forgotten how Dreamer had "stolen", and later married, his girlfriend Beulah McGillicutty back in 1996. On August 8 at Hardcore Justice Dreamer was defeated by Raven in a "Final Showdown" match refereed by Mick Foley. On the following edition of Impact!, the ECW alumni, known collectively as Extreme, Version 2.0 (EV 2.0)
ECW Originals
The ECW Originals was a professional wrestling stable that made sporadic appearances in various wrestling promotions, including World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
, were assaulted by 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...
, Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, Robert Roode, James Storm
James Storm
James Allen Cox is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm. Since 2002, Storm has been employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he, along with A.J...
, Douglas Williams
Doug Williams (wrestler)
Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams...
and Matt Morgan of Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
's Fourtune
Fortune (professional wrestling)
Fortune is a professional wrestling alliance in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It currently consists of A.J. Styles, James Storm and Kazarian...
stable, who thought they didn't deserve to be in TNA. The following week TNA president Dixie Carter gave each member of EV 2.0 TNA contracts in order for them to settle their score with Fourtune. At No Surrender
No Surrender (2010)
No Surrender was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on September 5, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
Dreamer lost an "I Quit" match to A.J. Styles due to Styles putting a fork into his eye. Dreamer admitted EV 2.0's defeat on the following edition of Impact! and tried to reach a truce with Fourtune, but was beaten down. The following week he returned with Raven, Stevie Richards, Sabu
Sabu (wrestler)
Terry Michael Brunk , better known by his ring name Sabu, is an American professional wrestler best known for his extreme wrestling style...
and Rhino and announced that Dixie Carter had given the five of them a Lethal Lockdown match against Fourtune at Bound for Glory
Bound for Glory (2010)
Bound for Glory was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that took place on October 10, 2010 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was the sixth annual event under the Bound for Glory chronology. Bound For Glory is considered to be...
. At Bound for Glory Dreamer, Raven, Rhino, Richards and Sabu defeated Fourtune members Styles, Kazarian, Morgan, Roode and Storm in a Lethal Lockdown match, when Dreamer pinned Styles. After weeks of dissension between Rob Van Dam and the rest of EV 2.0, caused by Van Dam's belief that there was a traitor within the group, Dreamer challenged him to a match. At Turning Point
Turning Point (2010)
Turning Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that took place on November 7, 2010 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
Van Dam defeated Dreamer and afterwards made peace with him. On the following edition of Impact! Rhino turned heel by attacking Van Dam and Dreamer, revealing himself as the traitor Van Dam had been looking for. The following week Dreamer defeated Rhino in a Street Fight. After spending some time off television, Dreamer returned on the February 24 edition of Impact!, becoming entangled in the feud between former tag team partners Bully Ray and Brother Devon. On March 13 at Victory Road
Victory Road (2011)
Victory Road was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on March 13, 2011 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, Dreamer defeated Ray in a Falls Count Anywhere match, following interference from Devon.
Immortal
On the May 5 edition of Impact!, Dreamer was forced to join ImmortalImmortal (professional wrestling)
Immortal is a villainous professional wrestling alliance in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . It currently consists of Eric Bischoff, Bully Ray, Gunner, TNA founder and AAA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, his wife and valet Karen Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and Scott Steiner...
in order to save his job in TNA. Dreamer was later confronted on his choice by A.J. Styles, which led to a match at Sacrifice
Sacrifice (2011)
Sacrifice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on May 15, 2011 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, where Dreamer was victorious following interference from Bully Ray. On the following edition of Impact Wrestling, Dreamer officially turned heel, citing the first time he attacked Styles was due to being forced by Ray, before willingly attacking Styles because he wanted to and proceeding to berate the crowd by calling them "pieces of crap". On the May 26 edition of Impact Wrestling, Styles and Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
defeated Dreamer and Ray in a no disqualification street fight. On June 6 Dreamer confirmed that TNA's 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...
in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
on June 11 would be his final appearance for the promotion. In his final TNA match, Dreamer teamed with Bully Ray in a losing effort against A.J. Styles and Brother Devon.
Other media
Dreamer appeared along with fellow ECW wrestler New JackNew 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...
in the "Mel Schwartz, Bounty Hunter" episode of the TV series Early Edition
Early Edition
Early Edition is an American television series that aired on CBS from September 28, 1996 to May 27, 2000. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois, it follows the adventures of a man who mysteriously receives each Chicago Sun-Times newspaper the day before it is actually published, and who uses this...
as a biker. In October 2011, Dreamer started his own YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
series, titled "The Tommy Dreamer TV".
Personal life
Dreamer married Trisa HayesTrisa Hayes
Trisa Hayes Laughlin is an American professional wrestling valet, better known by her ring name, Beulah McGillicutty. She is best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s...
, better known by her 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:...
Beulah McGillicutty, on October 12, 2002, with whom he has twin daughters — Kimberly and Briana. Kimberly and Briana appeared in a sixth season episode, "The Ride
The Ride (The Sopranos episode)
"The Ride" is the seventy-fourth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the ninth of the show's sixth season. It was written by Terence Winter, directed by Alan Taylor and originally aired on May 7, 2006.-Guest starring:...
", of the HBO drama The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
playing Domenica Baccalieri, Tony Soprano
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
's baby niece.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- DDTDDT (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...
- Dreamer Driver (WWE) / Spicolli Driver (ECWExtreme Championship WrestlingExtreme 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...
) / Death Valley driver (TNATotal Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal 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...
/ Independent circuitIndependent 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...
) – adopted from and used in tribute to Louie SpicolliLouie SpicolliLouis Mucciolo, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He performed in Mexico under the ring name Madonna's Boyfriend, for the World Wrestling Federation as Rad Radford, and in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s as Louie Spicolli... - TommyHawk (Inverted crucifix cutter) – ECW
- DDT
- Signature moves
-
- Fallaway slam
- Falling neckbreaker
- Inverted DDT
- Piledriver
- 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...
- Beulah McGillicuttyTrisa HayesTrisa Hayes Laughlin is an American professional wrestling valet, better known by her ring name, Beulah McGillicutty. She is best known for her appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s...
- Luna Vachon
- Beulah McGillicutty
- NicknameNicknameA 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 Innovator of Violence"
- "The Heart and Soul of ECW"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic 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...
- "Man in the BoxMan in the Box"Man in the Box" is a single by the rock group Alice in Chains. It was released as a single in 1991 after being featured on the group's debut full-length album Facelift...
" by Alice In ChainsAlice in ChainsAlice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
(ECW / Independent circuit) - "Even FlowEven Flow"Even Flow" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Even Flow" was released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album, Ten . The song peaked at number three on the Billboard...
" by Pearl JamPearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
(ECW) - "Thunder Kiss '65Thunder Kiss '65"Thunder Kiss '65" is the first and only official single off the album La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1 by White Zombie. The song can also be found on Rob Zombie's Past, Present & Future and the greatest hits album The Best of Rob Zombie.-Music:...
" by White ZombieWhite ZombieWhite Zombie was a Grammy Award-nominated American heavy metal band. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band. White Zombie are better-known for their later heavy metal-oriented sound...
(ECW) - "Bad Dream" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(WWE)
- "Man in the Box
Championships and accomplishments
- Border City WrestlingBorder City WrestlingBorder City Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion once based in Windsor, Ontario. It was the base promotion for several Total Nonstop Action Wrestling wrestlers, including all of the former Team Canada, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. Many BCW employees were trained by Scott...
- BCW Can-Am Heavyweight ChampionshipBCW Can-Am Heavyweight ChampionshipThe BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship is the top title contested for in the Ontario-based professional wrestling promotion Border City Wrestling.-Title history:...
(2 time) - BCW Can-Am Tag Team ChampionshipBCW Can-Am Tag Team ChampionshipThe BCW Can-Am Tag Team Championship is the tag team title contested for in the Ontario-based professional wrestling promotion Border City Wrestling.-Title history:...
(1 time) – with NovaMike BucciMichael "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...
- BCW Can-Am Heavyweight Championship
- Century Wrestling AllianceCentury Wrestling AllianceThe Century Wrestling Alliance, formerly known as NWA Cold Front and NWA New England, is a New England-based American independent wrestling promotion located in Boston, Massachusetts...
- CWA Heavyweight ChampionshipCWA Heavyweight Championship (New England)The CWA Heavyweight Championship is the primary professional wrestling singles title in the Century Wrestling Alliance. The title was first won by Tommy Dreamer who defeated "Mr...
(1 time)
- CWA Heavyweight Championship
- Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship WrestlingExtreme 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...
- ECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
(1 time) - ECW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Johnny GunnTom BrandiTom Brandi is a professional wrestler known for his work in World Wrestling Federation as Salvatore Sincere. He is also known for his current work as The Patriot, working for such companies as Pro-Wrestling WORLD-1, National Wrestling Superstars, and other independent promotions on the East...
(1), Raven (1) and Masato TanakaMasato TanakaMasato Tanaka is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling in Japan and in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the United States where he was a one-time world champion, having won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship once...
(1) - Hardcore Hall of Fame (2010)
- ECW World Heavyweight Championship
- International World Class Championship WrestlingInternational World Class Championship WrestlingInternational World Class Championship Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was promoted by Angelo Savoldi and his sons Mario, Tom, and Joseph Savoldi....
- IWCCW Tag Team ChampionshipIWCCW Tag Team ChampionshipThe ICW / IWCCW Tag-Team Championship was the top tag-team championship of International World Class Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1995 where IWCCW closed down operations...
(3 times) – with G.Q. Madison
- IWCCW Tag Team Championship
- International Wrestling AssociationInternational Wrestling AssociationThe International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...
- IWA Hardcore ChampionshipIWA Hardcore ChampionshipIWA Hardcore Championship is a title contested under Hardcore Wrestling rules in the International Wrestling Association in Puerto Rico. On October 4, 2008, the title was unified with the IWA Puerto Rican Heavyweight Championship.-Title history:...
(1 time)
- IWA Hardcore Championship
- KYDA Pro Wrestling
- KYDA Pro Heavyweight Championship (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 #28 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000
- Universal Championship Wrestling
- UCW Universal Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- ECW ChampionshipECW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Extreme Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
(1 time)1 - WWF/E Hardcore ChampionshipWWE Hardcore ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
(14 times)
- ECW Championship
1Dreamer's second ECW World Heavyweight Championship reign overall and first under the WWE banner.
External links
- Official website
- TNA profile
- Tommy Dreamer at Online World of Wrestling
- thetommydreamer TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
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