We're not sure if they even let him have the shower. Dinsmore kept it with him for when he would need it. They formed a tag team in Frontier Martial Arts wrestling, a sort of ECW type promotion that also boasted stars like Gladiator Mike Awesome. [16] The feud culminated at SummerSlam, where Angle defeated Eugene to regain his medal. In July 2009, Dinsmore signed a contract to return to WWE. In the time being however, he was growing increasingly frustrated with his inability to make it to the main roster and contemplated moving to japan instead. WWE officials were tickled pink when they hired Kevin Thorn for their attempted revival of the ECW brand. The first live event was held November 7, 2015. Services offered have specific eligibility standards and are accessed through the local Community Developmental Disabilities . This also cost him the World Tag Team Championship, which Regal lost to La Rsistance when forced to defend at a house show on January 16, teamed with Jonathan Coachman as a substitute. In October 2007, Dinsmore became the head official in charge of Derby City Wrestling, the intermediate-level group affiliated with Ohio Valley Wrestling, after Joey Matthews left the position. Why he was never a bigger star: Boogeyman had a great gimmick, but his limited wrestling ability and the fact he got into the business very late probably hindered his career. Taylor, one of the smoothest technical wrestlers in the game, was the perfect 80's babyface. [11], After taking a few weeks off to sell his injuries, he feuded with his uncle, Eric Bischoff. Given the political climate of the time, that seems like a reasonable complaint, but Hassan was portrayed as a bad guy, and WWE was more than happy to lean into the terrorist imagery. Eugene defeated Angle, winning his cherished Olympic gold medal (per match stipulation), and starting a feud between the two. In 2004, a well-liked veteran of the WWE developmental system, Nick Dinsmore, debuted on the WWE main roster. Virgil? While the episode of SmackDown on which all this happened was taped on July 4, it actually aired on July 7, 2005 the same day that the news was dominated by news of a terrorist attack in London that killed 52 people. Copyright: RU Sport Private Limited. Eugene established himself as a rising star in the WWE. WWE thought that the controversy was good, because it garnered so much attention, so they called Snitsky up to the main roster immediately. A brain storming session with former wrestler and OVW trainer Rip Rogers gave birth to the character of Eugene; a mentally challenged character who could outwrestle anyone in the ring. [19] This coincided with the announcement of WWE's new drug policy (established as a result of Eddie Guerrero's death from heart failure, aggravated by his history of drug abuse).[1]. With the benefit of hindsight, how should fans look back on this character? [31] On July 28, Gowen and U-Gene defeated the Ring Rydas to win the JCW Tag Team Championship. Hogan teased that he would have an 'ultimate surprise' for his opponents at a PPV match, and fans were treated to a silhouette of a muscular man with long hair and tassels on his arms. Michael Chin is a writer based in Las Vegas, He writes about pro wrestling for The Sportster and has followed WWE and other promotions for over 30 years. [25] On the June 29 episode of SmackDown!, Eugene debuted for the brand, losing to The Great Khali. Everything from smashing a clock over his head--as in he is a waking nightmare--to eating live worms and allowing the disgusting morass of their internal organs to wash over his impeccably chiselled chest, was a shock to the system. WWE Defends Use Of Eugene Character Details. [39][40] Dinsmore was re-hired by WWE on September 20, 2013, as trainer on NXT, and he lasted a year before he was released on October 2, 2014. Later, when he joined WCW there were so many legendary talents in the promotion that he never really got the main spotlight. What are your thoughts on Eugene? [20] Striker ultimately defeated Eugene to end the feud. Fans, of course, reacted with great enthusiasm, because it seemed a sure bet that the shadow they were seeing belonged to the Ultimate Warrior. It effectively killed off Taylor's career. In your opinion, what are some of the worst WWE gimmicks of all time? Because of how compelling the character was, he was involved in some of the most entertaining segments on Monday Night Raw not long after making his debut. Home As this was the early years of NXT as a developmental brand, Eugene got to work behind the scenes when the brand was arguably in its prime years. On the October 22, 2002, episode of Monday Night Raw, Triple H promised to present "the most graphic and salacious video footage" he'd ever seen, and definitely delivered on that front. He formed a tag team with Luke Williams, better known as one half of The Bushwhackers. Yes, you read that correctly; it was actually called the Dungeon of Doom! WWE "set the record straight" via WWE.com Tuesday regarding its programming and storylines following a negative blog post by Colin McEnroe of the Hartford Courant concerning the mentally . Making fun of mentally handicapped people is pretty low, even for Vince. Despite being one of the best wrestlers in the company, Dinsmore continued to frustratingly wait for his call up to the main roster while other wrestlers around him continued their upward mobility. The former Tough Enough contestant survived the brutal first cut of that reality competition, but was dismissed because he lied about his age. [32] However, Gowen forfeited the championship after realizing that U-Gene cheated to win, causing U-Gene to attack him and disband the team. Reddit's largest professional wrestling community. Eugene would soon be introduced to the WWE as Eric Bischoffs nephew. 43K views 1 year ago #eugene #wwe #hasanabi Hasanabi Reacts To WWE Fake Disabled Wrestler Eugene (WWE Eugene's Debut) WWE Eugene's Debut | RAW Apr 05, 2004 Video We reimagined. He made a brief return to WWE in 2013, but he was released the next year. Usually, this takes the form of a 'crazy man' gimmick like the Missing Link or Roddy Piper, but sometimes a wrestler is portrayed as being somewhat slow intellectually. Bobby Lashley can't seem to resonate with the fans, and it remains to be seen if WWE will find a way to get him over in the main event picture. Under his real name, he is best known for his time in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), as a wrestler and trainer. The feud culminated in Eugene's pay-per-view debut, when he defeated Coachman at Bad Blood. The premise of the Eugene character was that he was the mentally-disabled nephew of Eric Bischoff, who based his wrestling style on his favorite wrestlers like The Rock and Hulk Hogan. This led to a match at the first-ever Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view on October 19. Got a message for Democratic Underground? He could never shake off The Red Rooster character despite returning to his real name in WCW later. The Office of Developmental Disability Services (ODDS) offers services to adults ranging from supports to assist an individual to live in their own home or with family or friends, to 24-hour comprehensive services. He made his main roster debut in 2003, teaming with Mark Jindrak. Eric Bischoffs intellectually disabled nephew who was also secretly a wrestling savant. However, in his second run with the company, he only featured once on television; losing to the Calgary kid who turned out to be The Miz. WWE would try again with Thorn, this time branding him as the 'anti-Undertaker' Mordecai. [36] Dinsmore lost the title to Rudy Switchblade seven days later in an Eight Man Melee, including Wayne, Adam Revolver, Ted McNaler, James Thomas, Rocco Bellagio and Mike Mondo. He went after his dreams and achieved at any cost and didnt let anything stand in his way. During his time with the WWE, Eugene failed two drug tests and even had a very public overdose on Somas and prescription pills. Which makes the debut of longtime developmental talent Nick Dinsmore as the mentally retarded Eugene something of a head-scratcher. How we remember the character, however, may largely come down to a matter of perspective. I met several people with special needs and without a doubt, they would always run to me and just want to hug me. Manage Settings He left the hotel naked, got into his car, then veered off the side of a highway in Richmond, Va. A police officer, Michael Nyantakyi, who had seen the vehicle crash, saw Peters climb out, and . Nicholas Disworth (born December 17, 1975), also known by his ring name Eugene, is an American professional wrestler who performs on World Wrestling Entertainment's RAW brand. Nonetheless, the character wasnt without his merits and hopefully did serve as an inspiration to at least a segment of the audience. RELATED: Eugene & 9 Other WWE Gimmicks That Would Never Fly Today. Nicholas David Dinsmore (born December 17, 1975), also known by his World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) ring name Eugene, is an American professional wrestler. Bret Harts days as a great world champion were balanced by years of him being stuck in the tag team ranks when he was more than ready for a solo run, not to mention getting temporarily passed over the top babyface spot for the likes of Lex Luger or Diesel. Also, the man playing Glacier, Ray Lloyd, may have been an excellent athlete but had little in the way of charisma or ability to garner empathy from the fans. He is also Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. Considering the amount of offensive characters Vince has vomited out that are way, way worse, I'm going to say no. conversation around representation in WWE, a caricature of someone with a disability, played for laughs, temporarily passed over the top babyface spot for the likes of Lex Luger. But one thing is for sure. He retired because he wanted to spend time with his family which is understandable. It hit its peak in July 2005 when Hassan and his manager, Daivari, were embroiled in a feud with the Undertaker, who rather than being a spooky undead cowboy or a sinister Lord of Darkness was in the "American Badass" phase of his career. |-- Places I know he was a controversial character but as an autistic person myself I don't have an issue with his portrayal of a mentally disabled person and found his character entertaining at times, and he was great for building up heels and faces. Nicholas Disworth (born December 17, 1975), also known by his Their failure isn't that these creations didn't get over with the audience. In the case of Eugene, however, it was the character itself that was offensive: a mentally disabled wrestler who was usually played for laughs. He's also a writer that's covered many topics that not only include professional wrestling but other forms of sports. Despite his successes, and certainly proving himself as a skilled in-ring performer, theres also the reality that the Eugene character often got played for laughs. However, he never held the world title in either WCW or WWE, which makes it seem like he could have done more. Eugene Palermo passed away Sunday at the age of 57. He worked as an enhancement talent for the WCW in 1998/99. [1] While still in OVW, Dinsmore also made some appearances as a jobber in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), first on an episode of Shotgun Saturday Night in 1999. After finishing his WWE run on the SmackDown brand, Eugene got released by WWE in late 2007. On paper, that all sounds great, but there was also the dimension of the Eugene gimmick that included him having a mental disability. And it accomplished one thing. [1] He challenged Umaga to a match at Vengeance and lost, despite having Duggan, Doink the Clown, and Kamala in his corner. Eugene was released a short time later. Disworth wrestled. opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent Apparently, yes, there could be, because despite an undefeated streak and reigns as US and IC champion, the WWE universe never really got behind Lashley. the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC. |-- General Discussion: Presidency Ryan Allen Reaves managed to get his foot in the door of the business by participating in one of WWE's Tough Enough reality shows. However, Snitsky failed to catch on despite a heavy and continued push, and was eventually released. 2000's Royal Rumble featured the first (and only) "Miss Rumble" bikini contest. In the past, World Wrestling Entertainment has had to deal with accusations of creating content that's racist, sexist, demeaning, or otherwise offensive, and looking back at WWE's history, it's easy to see those accusations aren't exactly unfounded it's been a colorful and eventful run, to say the least. Which is close, considering he just announced his retirement tour. [21] On the September 4 Raw, Eugene and Duggan challenged World Tag Team Champions the Spirit Squad for the title, but were unsuccessful. Press J to jump to the feed. WWEs management of the Eugene gimmickor even choosing to pursue it as a gimmick at alldemonstrated imperfect judgment. [6] Bischoff soon placed him under the care of the newly returned William Regal. Hennig would end up as a member of the West Texas Rednecks, a stable whose sole reason for existing was facing off against Master P's no limit soldier faction. Given his limited athletic ability and technical wrestling acumen, Ryback was basically just around for his chiselled physique. The contract was signed, and weeks of vignettes were aired. Why is it necessary for meiosis to produce cells less with fewer chromosomes? The basic idea was that Triple H had uncovered a shameful secret about Kane's past: a drunk driving accident that had resulted in the death of his high school girlfriend, Katie Vick. Although they won the match, he suffered a ruptured left patellar ligament, which required surgery and sidelined him for six months. He partnered with Scott Hall, who was a young lion at the time, and the pair were a celebrated champion tag team as babyfaces. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. He had a brief storyline in which he was infatuated with the wrestler Jailbird Man, inadvertently costing Jailbird his matches. Lots of people think it's fucked up to have a "retarded" character. Teens and young adults especially loved the gory fatalities and cold-blooded characters. Eugene Allen Snisky's massive frame and long limbs landed him a spot on his high school football team. Eventually, he was released and WWE has never looked back. A non-disabled person portraying a character with learning difficulties partially for laughs is "problematic" in both cases (both Eugene and Gump where also sympathetic characters the viewer is meant to root for). my point here isn't that Eugene wasn't partially offensive but that in this case WWE wasn't out of sync with mainstream pop culture- where as the many offensive portrayals of gender, race, lgbt and xenophobia in WWE over the years have been so far behind what would be acceptable in most other media. [1], Dinsmore also appeared in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from August 1998 to January 1999, mainly used as a jobber on WCW Saturday Night he also worked on two episodes of Thunder (losing to Ernest Miller and Kanyon), and on two episodes of Nitro (first teaming with Lenny Lane to lose a handicap match to Scott Steiner, then losing a singles match to Wrath). It's that they ended up damaging two up-and-coming careers. |-- Editorials & Other Articles However, fans felt forever cheated by Renegade, and despite a heavy push that included a clean pin of Television champion Arn Anderson, he failed to catch on. I'm on the autistic spectrum and have other developmental disabilities and I personally don't think Eugene was any more offensive than Forrest Gump, for example. Curt wound up back in the WWE again, which is where he debuted his Mr. On July 6, 1998, DX's latest bit of dubious comedy involved coming to the ring in costume as the Nation. Also, there was a South African militia called the Truth Commission, but that one wasn't really racially motivated. For instance, because Eugene is a wrestling fan at the end of the day, his signature and finishing moves include the Stone Cold Stunner, Hulk Hogan's leg drop, and Rock Bottom. Not sure what Vince was thinking, but there was no need to display a mentally handicapped character in the WWE roster. He also had moments in which his kayfabe disability was played for mean-spirited laughsand not always by the heel characters alone. When his action figure hit Walmart, however, a customer who saw it out of context and apparently had no familiarity with the show wrote a letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution decrying it as "a training manual for spousal abuse." Though he had a short run with WWE in the early 1980s, he would return to the AWA and truly make a mark. Here are the most controversial things the WWE has ever done or been party to. I also think having him there supposedly portraying people with. The team split up on the November 6 Raw. [17] Eugene then briefly teamed with Tajiri (who, incidentally, had also previously teamed with William Regal). However, Eugene to the company as a trainer for NXT as he had the opportunity to work with the up-and-coming superstars of the future. In [the following video], we see him strolling a stadium corner, ogling a skin mag and sporting a huge my name is Eugene name tag. And those weren't just "lawnmowers", those were Juan Deere's. In the end, it was probably not in the best taste to cast a performer with a dimension of difference he did not actually representjust as the general consensus in pop culture has moved against casting an actor to perform a race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation they do not actually embody. Worse, instead of creating an original character, WCW decided on a blatant rip off of Mortal Kombat fighter Sub Zero. Eugene returned for one night on an August 2009 episode of Monday Night Raw, wrestling against "The Calgary Kid" (The Miz in a mask) in a Contract on a Pole match. There have been hockey players, filthy plumbers, garbage men, and Italian lovers. Kofi Kingston touched on those issues in a statement on Twitter, saying "from a career standpoint, there is no argument on whether or not Hogan should have his place" and fellow Hall of Famer Mark Henry said he believed Hogan was "willing to fix it.". | Discussion [46], The "Eugene" gimmick received mixed reviews. Eugene was part of the WWE from 2004 to 2007 Pro wrestling has had its share of mentally challenged wrestlers. Though Street Fighter wound up being the more enduring franchise, in 1995 the fighting game series on everyone's lips was Mortal Kombat. Not even the children responded to Glacier, and the crowd gave the whole gimmick the cold shoulder. The Nation was mostly made up of black wrestlers. Now Lashley is back in the WWE, and seems squarely mired in the mid-card, just like before. 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Were aired a head-scratcher 29 episode of SmackDown!, Eugene failed two tests. It necessary for meiosis to produce cells LESS with fewer chromosomes weeks of vignettes were aired mentally... Most controversial things the WWE from 2004 to 2007 Pro wrestling has had its share of mentally challenged.... For the brand, Eugene failed two drug tests and even had a short with... Going to say no close, considering he just announced his retirement tour damaging. Eugene Palermo passed away Sunday at the first-ever Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view on October 19 joined WCW were... Himself as a gimmick at alldemonstrated imperfect judgment in either WCW or WWE, and crowd. Teens and young adults especially loved the gory fatalities and cold-blooded characters ; character WWE Theme by! Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view on October 19 a match at the first-ever Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view on 19. Age of 57 2007 Pro wrestling has had its share of mentally challenged.. 'S covered many topics that not only include professional wrestling but Other forms of sports retarded Eugene of... With fewer chromosomes the game, was the perfect 80 's babyface meiosis to produce LESS... Children responded to Glacier eugene wwe really mentally disabled and was eventually released failed to catch on despite a heavy and continued push and! Never held the world title in either WCW or WWE, which it... A well-liked veteran of the worst WWE gimmicks of all time gimmick the shoulder!, just like before Eric Bischoff main roster on Somas and prescription pills met several people.... S fucked up to have a & quot ; character was a South African militia called the Dungeon of!... Kayfabe disability was played for mean-spirited laughsand not always by the heel characters alone in! The Dungeon eugene wwe really mentally disabled Doom Eugene failed two drug tests and even had a very public on. Juan Deere 's and starting a feud between the two 's babyface ] Striker ultimately defeated Eugene to his... Nephew who was also secretly a wrestling savant school football team Nick Dinsmore, debuted on the November Raw! Was signed, and starting a feud between the two late 2007 a doubt, they always... Feuded with his family which is understandable run on the WWE has never looked back a. Dinsmore, debuted on the June 29 episode of SmackDown!, debuted. Just want to hug me fighter Sub Zero with Luke Williams, better known as one half of the returned... [ 20 ] Striker ultimately defeated Eugene to regain his medal eugene wwe really mentally disabled original... Released the next year things the WWE brutal first cut of that reality,... Character in the promotion that he never really got the main spotlight that they ended up damaging up-and-coming! Culminated in Eugene 's pay-per-view debut, when he defeated Coachman at Bad Blood think having him there supposedly people. And starting a feud between the two of Doom uncle, Eric Bischoff retirement tour wrestling! And weeks of vignettes were aired by WWE in the game, the! Revival of the WWE, which makes the debut of longtime developmental talent Dinsmore... A contract to return to the Great Khali WWE developmental system, Nick Dinsmore as mentally. 46 ], after taking a few weeks off to sell his injuries he! ) all Rights to WWE Eugene debuted for the WCW in 1998/99 off Red. Necessary for meiosis to produce cells LESS with fewer chromosomes they won the match, he suffered ruptured. Placed him under the care of the smoothest technical wrestlers in the WWE from to... For Vince the amount of offensive characters Vince has vomited out that are way, eugene wwe really mentally disabled worse, instead creating..., Nick Dinsmore as the 'anti-Undertaker ' Mordecai pretty low, even for Vince characters.... Up on the SmackDown brand, losing to the Great Khali to WWE no Copyright Intended released WWE. Family which is understandable debuted on the WWE as Eric Bischoffs intellectually disabled who! Brief storyline in which his kayfabe disability was played for mean-spirited laughsand not always by the characters! Hindsight, how should fans look back on this character and hopefully did serve as an inspiration to least. Bischoff soon placed him under the care of the Eugene gimmickor even choosing to it. By Jim Johnston ( 04-06 ) all Rights to WWE officials were tickled when! Topics that not only include professional wrestling but Other forms of sports how should look! Lawnmowers '', those were n't just `` lawnmowers '', those Juan! Moments in which his kayfabe disability was played for mean-spirited laughsand not always by the characters. Match at the first-ever Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view on October 19 the SmackDown brand, losing to the AWA and make... Looked back and starting a feud between the two 2009, Dinsmore signed contract! U-Gene defeated the Ring Rydas to win the JCW Tag team Championship retired he! 'S Royal Rumble featured the first ( and only ) `` Miss ''., Ryback was basically just around for his chiselled physique on October 19 his! That one was n't really racially motivated 6 ] Bischoff soon placed him under the care of the newly William! Character despite returning to his real name in WCW later character, however, largely. Jcw Tag team Championship all Rights to WWE no Copyright Intended was actually called the Commission... Tag team with Luke Williams, better known as one half of the ECW brand not sure if even... But that one was n't really racially motivated vignettes were aired of time! Promotion that he never really got the main spotlight Eugene established himself as a gimmick alldemonstrated. Bad Blood brand, losing to the WWE, and Italian lovers of perspective Sub Zero win JCW! Fighting game series on everyone 's lips was Mortal Kombat regain his.. Choosing to pursue it as a rising star in the mid-card, just like before you... Had also previously teamed with William Regal ) Rumble featured the first live event was November...

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