Nicholas David Dinsmore (born December 17, 1975), better known by his
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or project ...
Eugene, is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
.
Dinsmore's career began in 1996 in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he would become the
OVW Heavyweight Champion
The OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) promotion. The original championship was designed and created in 1997 by Reggie Parks. The title was introduced on Aug ...
a record eight times as well as the
OVW Southern Tag Team Champion eleven times.
He debuted in the WWE in 2004 under the name Eugene Dinsmore,
Eric Bischoff's nephew, and an intellectually disabled wrestling savant. During his time in the company, he was involved in various storylines and competed against such wrestlers like Triple H and Kurt Angle. He also won the
World Tag Team Championship
The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions.
Nomenclature
The name of the promo ...
with
William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his ti ...
.
Dinsmore was eventually released in 2007, before returning to OVW, where he won the Heavyweight Championships two more times. He made a brief return to WWE in 2013, but he was released the next year. In 2015, he opened his own promotion, Midwest All Pro Wrestling.
Professional wrestling career
Early years (1996–2003)
Dinsmore debuted in 1996, and soon began wrestling in the
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrest ...
(USWA).
In
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
(OVW), he formed a successful tag team with
Rob Conway
Robert Thomas Conway Jr. (born November 28, 1974), is an American professional wrestler. He is known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he performed under his real name and as Robért Conway. Post-WWE, he is also known for hi ...
, called The Lords of The Ring.
The team had a record
ten reigns as
Southern Tag Team Champions.
Dinsmore also held the
OVW Heavyweight Championship a record
ten times.
While still in OVW, Dinsmore also made some appearances as a
jobber
Jobber may refer to:
Athletics
* Job (professional wrestling) - A professional wrestler who routinely loses a match.
* Wichita Jobbers, a minor league baseball team in the Western Association from 1905 to 1911
Commerce
* A person or corporation ...
in the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
(WWF), first on an episode of
Shotgun Saturday Night
''WWF Shotgun Saturday Night'' is a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired from January 4, 1997 through August 21, 1999 as a syndicated broadcast. ''Shotgun Saturday Night'' ...
in 1999. He wrestled in the WWF as
Doink the Clown
Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling persona originally and most popularly portrayed by Matt Osborne, who debuted the Doink persona in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1992. Doink is a clown (or evil clown) wearing traditional clo ...
on two later occasions, and as one half of
Los Conquistadores
Los Conquistadores was a temporary gimmick of storyline brothers, Edge and Christian Cage of a heel jobber professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), consisting of two masked wrestlers known as ''One'' (or Spanish ' ...
(with Rob Conway).
Dinsmore also appeared in
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...
(WCW) from August 1998 to January 1999, mainly used as a jobber on WCW Saturday Night he also worked on two episodes of ''
Thunder
Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
'' (losing to
Ernest Miller
Ernest Clifford Miller (born January 14, 1964) is an American actor and former professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) better known by his ring name, Ernest "The Cat" Miller. ...
and
Kanyon
The Poseidon (russian: Посейдон, " Poseidon", NATO reporting name Kanyon), previously known by Russian codename Status-6 (russian: Статус-6), is an autonomous, nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle under development by Ru ...
), and on two episodes of ''
Nitro
Nitro may refer to:
Chemistry
*Nitrogen, a chemical element and a gas except at very low temperatures, with which many compounds are formed:
**Nitro compound, an organic compound containing one or more nitro functional groups, -NO2
**Nitroalkene, ...
'' (first teaming with
Lenny Lane to lose a handicap match to
Scott Steiner
Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).
Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championshi ...
, then losing a singles match to
Wrath
Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat.
A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, s ...
).
World Wrestling Entertainment (2004–2007)
Teaming with William Regal (2004–2005)
On the April 5, 2004 episode of ''
Raw'', Dinsmore made his
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
(WWE) debut as Eugene. WWE wrote Eugene as the
"special" and overly excited nephew of
Raw General Manager
Eric Bischoff, who had savant-like wrestling ability from watching his favorites on television, Dinsmore has described his portrayal of Eugene as being inspired by a trainer's autistic child and
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
's performance in the film ''
Rain Man
''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road movie, road Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wikt:wheeler-dealer, wheeler-dealer C ...
''. Bischoff soon placed him under the care of the newly returned
William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his ti ...
. Although Regal was originally dispirited at having to manage Eugene, he would grow fond of him and the two would quickly become firm friends. In May 2004, Eugene began a feud with
Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan William Coachman (born August 12, 1973), also known as "The Coach", is an American sports analyst and former professional wrestling personality currently signed to WWE and XFL.
Early life
Before embarking on an announcing career in p ...
, who attempted to banish him from WWE (only to be stopped by
The Rock). The feud culminated in Eugene's pay-per-view debut, when he defeated Coachman at
Bad Blood. Eugene then feuded with
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
,
which led to match at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, which Eugene lost. Two weeks later on ''Raw'', they fought a
no disqualification match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, which Eugene won after interference from
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
. The next week, they had a
steel cage match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, which Eugene lost and suffered a
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...
dislocated shoulder, ending the feud.
After taking a few weeks off to sell his injuries, he
feuded with his uncle, Eric Bischoff. This led to a match at the first-ever
Taboo Tuesday
WWE Cyber Sunday (originally known as WWE Taboo Tuesday) was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Established in 2004, th ...
pay-per-view on October 19. The fan-chosen (via voting at WWE's website) stipulation for the match was that the loser would have his head shaved. Eugene won this match (with help from
Mr. McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the w ...
) and subsequently shaved Bischoff's head.
With Regal, Eugene won his first and only championship in WWE, taking the
World Tag Team Championship
The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions.
Nomenclature
The name of the promo ...
from
La Résistance on the November 15 episode of ''Raw''. Eugene suffered an injury at
New Year's Revolution
WWE New Year's Revolution was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 2005 and its name was a play on the Western tradition of New Year's resolutions, ...
on January 9, 2005, in a match with
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...
and
Tyson Tomko, after
botching a
dropkick
A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they jump so that when the feet conne ...
. Although they won the match, he suffered a ruptured left
patellar ligament
The patellar tendon is the distal portion of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tibial tuberosity. It is also sometimes called the patellar ligament as it forms a bone to bone connection when ...
, which required surgery and sidelined him for six months. This also cost him the World Tag Team Championship, which Regal lost to La Résistance when forced to defend at a
house show
A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that t ...
on January 16, teamed with Jonathan Coachman as a substitute. During recovery, Eugene made a surprise appearance at
WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21 was the 21st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event too ...
, delivering a
promo until being interrupted and attacked by
Muhammad Hassan and
Daivari. He would be saved by returning
Hulk Hogan
Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
, after he attacked the villainous duo.
Singles competition (2005–2006)
Eugene returned to wrestling on the July 25, 2005 episode of ''Raw'', taking part in
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
's regular "Kurt Angle Invitational" challenge. Eugene defeated Angle, winning his cherished
Olympic gold medal
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece be ...
(per match stipulation), and starting a feud between the two. The feud culminated at
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, where Angle defeated Eugene to regain his medal. Eugene then briefly teamed with
Tajiri (who, incidentally, had also previously teamed with William Regal). The team lasted until Tajiri's release in December 2005.
At
Taboo Tuesday
WWE Cyber Sunday (originally known as WWE Taboo Tuesday) was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Established in 2004, th ...
, Rob Conway teamed with
Tyson Tomko to face Eugene and a "WWE Legend", to be chosen by the fans. "Superfly"
Jimmy Snuka
James Reiher Snuka (born James Wiley Smith; May 18, 1943 – January 15, 2017) was a Fijian American professional wrestler. He is better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.
Snuka wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010 ...
was chosen over
Kamala and
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known character is that of an American patriot, which ...
, and pinned Conway with his Superfly Splash to win the match.
On November 18, 2005, WWE.com reported Dinsmore was rushed to the hospital the previous night, after passing out in a hotel lobby in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
, and was suspended indefinitely. Days later, WWE.com stated Dinsmore admitted to taking prescription drugs, including
somas. This coincided with the announcement of WWE's
new drug policy (established as a result of
Eddie Guerrero
Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero ...
's death from heart failure, aggravated by his history of drug abuse).
Eugene made his return to WWE in the
Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
at the
namesake event on January 29, 2006, as the eighteenth entrant. He was eliminated by
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...
.
At
WrestleMania 22
WrestleMania 22 was the 22nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took ...
, Eugene competed in a preshow battle royal which was won by
Viscera
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a f ...
. Eugene briefly feuded with
Matt Striker
Matthew Kaye (born June 26, 1974) is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling commentator, actor and former high school teacher, using the ring name Matt Striker. During his career he has worked for WWE, Impact Wrestling, Luc ...
, after appearing in the "Matt Striker's Classroom" segment of
Backlash on April 30, 2006.
Striker ultimately defeated Eugene to end the feud. After appearing at
ECW One Night Stand,
Eugene formed a tag team with "Hacksaw"
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known character is that of an American patriot, which ...
.
He challenged
Umaga to a match at
Vengeance and lost, despite having Duggan,
Doink the Clown
Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling persona originally and most popularly portrayed by Matt Osborne, who debuted the Doink persona in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1992. Doink is a clown (or evil clown) wearing traditional clo ...
, and
Kamala in his corner.
He defeated
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
and
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon (; born January 15, 1970) is an American businessman and professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he was a wrestler, producer and minority owner. He is the founder and executive chairman of Idean ...
in a handicap match on the July 10 ''Raw'', after interference from
D-Generation X
D-Generation X (DX) is an American professional wrestling stable, and later a tag team, who consisted of Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
The group originated in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) in the midst of the "Attitud ...
. On the September 4 ''Raw'', Eugene and Duggan challenged World Tag Team Champions the
Spirit Squad
The Spirit Squad was an American professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) consisting of Kenny, Mikey, Johnny, Mitch, and Nicky. The team's ring personas were those of an all-male cheerleading squad.
Before forming ...
for the title, but were unsuccessful. The team split up on the November 6 ''Raw''. After losing a rematch to The Spirit Squad, Eugene attacked Duggan, turning
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive forces exer ...
. However, the angle was soon dropped and, before the end of the year, Eugene became a face again. After this, he wrestled mainly on the ''Raw'' B-show, ''
Heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
''.
Brand switches and departure (2007)
On the March 19, 2007 episode of ''Raw'', Eugene was forced into a match with Umaga, as a punishment for accidentally spilling a drink on
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
. After losing, McMahon shaved Eugene's head. Eugene wrestled on the June 2, 2007 ''
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIV
''Saturday Night's Main Event'' is an American professional wrestling television program that is produced by WWE (known at the time of launch as the World Wrestling Federation). Premiering in 1985, it originally aired on NBC in the United Stat ...
'', where he debuted a new "
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
-esque" wrestling attire. He teamed with
Kane and
Doink The Clown
Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling persona originally and most popularly portrayed by Matt Osborne, who debuted the Doink persona in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1992. Doink is a clown (or evil clown) wearing traditional clo ...
to defeat
Kevin Thorn
Kevin Matthew Fertig (born January 17, 1977) is an American realtor and professional wrestler. He is best known for working with WWE under the ring names Mordecai and Kevin Thorn.
Fertig made his professional wrestling debut in 2000, and quickl ...
,
Viscera
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a f ...
, and Umaga.
On June 17, Eugene was drafted to the
SmackDown! brand as their final pick of the 2007
Supplemental Draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
. On the June 29 episode of ''
SmackDown!'', Eugene debuted for the brand, losing to
The Great Khali
Dalip Singh Rana (born 27 August 1972) is an Indian professional wrestler and wrestling promoter better known by his ring name The Great Khali. He is best known for his tenure in WWE where he became the first Indian-born WWE World Heavy ...
. The following week, he was tricked into thinking
Deuce 'n Domino
Deuce 'n Domino is an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Deuce Shade and Dice Domino, who were managed for the majority of their run by Cherry Pie and briefly by Maryse. The pair teamed together in World Wrestling Entertain ...
were helping him win his match against
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
, which led to a quick defeat.
On the July 20 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Eugene participated in a battle royal for the vacant
World Heavyweight Championship, and was eliminated by
Batista and
Kane. Eugene made his final WWE appearance on the August 31 edition of ''SmackDown!''. While shooting T-shirts into the crowd via T-shirt gun, he accidentally shot Mark Henry. Henry retaliated by squeezing him with a bearhug until he passed out. On September 1, 2007, Nick Dinsmore was released from his WWE contract.
Juggalo Championship Wrestling (2007, 2011–2013)
Dinsmore debuted in
Juggalo Championship Wrestling
Juggalo Championship Wrestling (formerly Juggalo Championshit Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler), better known as the hip-hop duo In ...
(JCW) in October 2007, as U-Gene.
He returned in 2010, at the "Flashlight Wrestling: Legends & Loonies" event, and lost to Breyer Wellington. He became a full-time member of the roster the following year. He had a brief
storyline in which he was infatuated with the wrestler Jailbird Man, inadvertently costing Jailbird his matches.
U-Gene participated in JCW's first
internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, p ...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
,
Hatchet Attacks, where he defeated
Raven
A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between " crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigne ...
.
He formed a tag team with
Zach Gowen
Zachary Mark Gowen (born March 30, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. Gowen competed for World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
Gowen's left leg was amputated when he was eight years old. He is t ...
at Up in Smoke, believing that he could be Gowen's second leg, but ended up costing his team the match by distracting the referee.
On July 28, Gowen and U-Gene defeated the
Ring Rydas to win the
JCW Tag Team Championship
The JCW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in Juggalo Championship Wrestling
Juggalo Championship Wrestling (formerly Juggalo Championshit Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promo ...
.
However, Gowen forfeited the championship after realizing that U-Gene cheated to win, causing U-Gene to attack him and disband the team.
U-Gene defeated Gowen at
Bloodymania 5, but the referee reversed the decision after realizing U-Gene cheated to win.
Independent circuit (2007–2013)
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
Adam Birch (born July 18, 1979), better known by the ring names Joey Mercury and Joey Matthews, is an American professional wrestler who is best known for his two tenures in WWE. Birch was most recently signed to Ring of Honor, where he worked ...
left the position. He made some appearances in Puerto Rico's
World Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council (WWC) (Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha"), is a Puerto-Rican professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón Sr., Victor J ...
(WWC), as Eugene.
[ Dinsmore wrestled for WFX Wrestling in Canada, in a role similar to the one he played in WWE, under the names "U-Gene" and "U-gene Dinsmore". He formed a tag team with Luke Williams, better known as one half of ]The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers are a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, ...
. He wrestled for Ring of Honor (as Nick Dinsmore) in a ''Ring of Honor Wrestling
''Ring of Honor Wrestling'', often shortened as ''ROH Wrestling TV'' or ''ROH TV'', is an American professional wrestling television series produced by Ring of Honor (ROH). The series featured professional wrestlers competing in matches and condu ...
'' taping, against "The Prodigy" Mike Bennett. In 2009, he was part of Hulk Hogan
Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
's Australian tour, Hulkamania: Let The Battle Begin, where he wrestled as U-Gene.
Dinsmore made his Ring of Honor debut on December 9, 2010, at ROH Wrestling tapings, losing to Mike Bennett. In December 2011, Dinsmore took part in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the prom ...
's (TNA) India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
project, Ring Ka King as Dr. Nicholas Dinsmore. On July 27, Dinsmore, as "U-Gene", unsuccessfully challenged Freight Train for the 5 Dollar Wrestling championship in the main event of that promotion's internet PPV debut.
Return to OVW (2008–2013)
On February 20, 2008, Dinsmore returned to Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
(OVW) under his real name and defeated Jay Bradley
Bradley Thomas Jay (born November 17, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in Impact Wrestling under the ring names of Jay Bradley and Aiden O'Shea, and WWE as Ryan Braddock.
Professional wrestling career Earl ...
to win his ninth Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title to Anthony Barvado on July 25, 2008. On October 26, 2011, Dinsmore defeated Jason Wayne to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship for the tenth time, turning heel in the process. 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
Michael Brendli (born March 26, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE as Mike Mondo and Mikey as a member of The Spirit Squad. He also appeared in Major League Wrestling (MLW) in a tag team with fellow ...
.
Returns to WWE (2009, 2013–2014)
In July 2009, Dinsmore signed a contract to return to WWE. On August 1, Dinsmore (as Eugene) defeated Ricky Ortiz at a SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
/ ECW house show in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644.
Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Ha ...
. On the August 10 ''Raw'', Eugene returned to television, losing a Contract on a Pole match to The Calgary Kid, who afterwards removed his mask to reveal himself as The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fa ...
. Four days later, Dinsmore was once again released from WWE, as a wrestler and a trainer. Dinsmore was re-hired by WWE on September 20, 2013, as trainer on NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
, and he lasted a year before he was released on October 2, 2014.
Return to the independent circuit (2015–present)
On January 10, 2015, Dinsmore returned to wrestling, this time with the British promotion International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom. He defeated Grado in his first match for the promotion. Dinsmore began running his own shows in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, under the banner of Midwest All Pro Wrestling. The first live event was held November 7, 2015. In December 2021, Dinsmore announced his retirement tour. He also sold Midwest All Pro Wrestling at the end of 2021.
Professional wrestling style, persona and reception
During his run with WWE, Dinsmore's character was "Eugene", an overly-excited and "special" person who could outwrestle anyone in the ring, based upon some people with intellectual disability
Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability in the United Kingdom and formerly mental retardation, Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010). is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by signif ...
. The idea of the gimmick came from then OVW trainer Rip Rogers
Mark Sciarra (born February 7, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rip Rogers.
Early life
Sciarra was born in Seymour, Indiana on February 7, 1954. He graduated from Seymour High School in 1972 an ...
, who inspired it from his autistic son.
The "Eugene" gimmick received mixed reviews. Although WWE believed the gimmick would be a positive role model for mentally disabled people. However, the legacy of the gimmick has been criticised as being offensive towards people with intellectual disability.
Personal life
In 2009, Dinsmore became engaged to Stephanie Fischer, whom he married in November 2015.
Championships and accomplishments
* Canadian Wrestling's Elite
** 123Approved.ca Open Rules Championship (1 time)
*Covey Promotions
**CP Tag Team Championships (1 time) – with Krazy T
* Heartland Wrestling Association
** HWA Heavyweight Championship
The HWA Heavyweight Championship was the heavyweight title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualific ...
( 1 time)
* United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrest ...
** USWA World Tag Team Championship
The USWA World Tag Team Championship was the primary professional wrestling tag team championship promoted by the Memphis, Tennessee-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA). The Continental Wrestling Association and World Class Wrestling ...
( 1 time) – with Flash Flanagan
Christopher Kindred (born April 6, 1974) is an American professional wrestler who has appeared in numerous independent wrestling leagues, such as Xtreme Championship Wrestling, as well as the global phenomenon companies, World Wrestling Entertainm ...
* Music City Wrestling
** MCW North American Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Rob Conway
Robert Thomas Conway Jr. (born November 28, 1974), is an American professional wrestler. He is known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he performed under his real name and as Robért Conway. Post-WWE, he is also known for hi ...
* Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg.
...
** OVW Heavyweight Championship ( 10 times)
** OVW Southern Tag Team Championship ( 11 times, inaugural) – with Rob Conway (10) and Flash Flanagan
Christopher Kindred (born April 6, 1974) is an American professional wrestler who has appeared in numerous independent wrestling leagues, such as Xtreme Championship Wrestling, as well as the global phenomenon companies, World Wrestling Entertainm ...
(1)
* ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
''
** PWI ranked him #21 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
in 2004
*River City Championship Wrestling
**RCCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* Wisconsin Pro Wrestling
**WPW Gather On Broadway Championship (1 time)
* World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
** World Tag Team Championship
The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions.
Nomenclature
The name of the promo ...
( 1 time) – with William Regal
Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his ti ...
References
External links
Online World of Wrestling profile
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{{OVW Heavyweight Championship
{{OVW Tag Team Championship
{{USWA World Tag Team Championship
{{World Tag Team Championship (WWE)
1975 births
20th-century professional wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
American male professional wrestlers
Indiana University Southeast alumni
Living people
People from Jeffersonville, Indiana
Professional wrestlers from Indiana
Professional wrestling trainers
USWA World Tag Team Champions
OVW Heavyweight Champions