Ric Converse
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Richard "Ric" Converse (born December 26, 1979) 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 or ...
. He is one of the top "
heels 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 exert ...
" on the
Southeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
, especially in
the Carolinas The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east. Combining Nort ...
, and currently competes for
CWF Mid-Atlantic Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic (CWF Mid-Atlantic, formerly known as the Carolina Wrestling Federation and FWA-Carolinas) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Rudd in 2000. The promotion is based i ...
where he is a record 6-time CWF Mid-Atlantic Champion. He has wrestled for a considerable number of other independent wrestling promotions, most notably,
Count Grog Greg Mosorjak (born June 21, 1961), better known as Count Grog, is an American professional wrestling manager, referee, ring announcer, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Cueball Carmichael's Independent Profess ...
's
Southern Championship Wrestling Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorj ...
, NWA Carolinas, and
Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX (stylized as Pro Wrestling ZERO1), formerly known as Pro Wrestling Zero-One and Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max (stylised in all capital letters) and often referred to simply as Zero1, is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded in 2001. ...
. He was also a star in the short-lived AWA Superstars promotion holding both the promotion's world heavyweight title and tag team title (with Xsiris) during 2006 and 2007.


Early life

Converse was born in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
. In 1998, he graduated from
Robert B. Glenn High School Robert B. Glenn High School (commonly known as Glenn High School) is located in the town of Kernersville in Forsyth County, North Carolina. It is laid out in a college-campus style with numerous small buildings rather than a single large building ...
in
Kernersville, North Carolina Kernersville is a town in Forsyth County and the largest suburb of Winston-Salem. The town is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. A small portion of the town is also in Guilford County. The population was 26,481 at the 2020 census, u ...
. A victim of
bullying Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...
as a child, Converse was inspired after watching
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 ...
on television and decided on a career as a
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 or ...
when he was only 8-years-old. On September 15, 1998, Converse enrolled at Ken Spence's School of Pro Wrestling and spent the next four months in training.McCarthy, Scott. "AWA World Champion Ric Converse Interview." ''Declarationofindependents.net''. Ed. Sean McCaffrey. N.p., Jul. 2010. Web. Jan. 27, 2012. .


Professional wrestling career


Early career (1999–2002)

Converse made his professional debut on January 23, 1999, wrestling a tag team match with Mr. X against Dr. Feelgood and Double Trouble at Winston-Salem's VFW Hall. He went on to wrestle for a number of local "indy" promotions during the first two years of his career: Alternative Championship Wrestling, Carolina Championship Wrestling Alliance, New Empire Wrestling, Ringside Championship Wrestling, Southern Wrestling Alliance, and the World Wrestling Alliance. He also had a brief stint in
Count Grog Greg Mosorjak (born June 21, 1961), better known as Count Grog, is an American professional wrestling manager, referee, ring announcer, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Cueball Carmichael's Independent Profess ...
's
Southern Championship Wrestling Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Southeastern United States, especially in eastern and central North Carolina, from November 1994 to November 2004, when it was run by Greg Mosorj ...
. It was during this period that Converse developed a cocky "
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 Human leg, leg. Structure To distribute the compressive for ...
" in-ring persona, calling himself "Slick Ric" and "Slick Diddy", parodies of pro wrestler "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and rapper
P. Diddy Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...
respectively. His first major
feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
was with the Lumbee Warrior. Ten months into his rookie year he scored his first-ever victory by pinning the Warrior in July 1999. The two men eventually formed a tag team together, "Sudden Impact", which led to his first title victory on March 17, 2001, with an ECPW Tag Team title victory alongside his erstwhile rival. On September 7, 2001, he and Persephone teamed up a WWA show in
Statesville, North Carolina Statesville is a city in and the county seat of Iredell County, North Carolina, United States, and it is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. Statesville was established in 1789 by an act of the North Carolina Legislature. The population was r ...
, to defeat Mikael Yamaha and Amber Holly in a
mixed tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ma ...
. The following summer, Converse had won the major single titles of three different promotions in a three-week period. He was named "Performer of the Year" (2002) by the pro wrestling website IndyInsiders.com that same year.


FWA-Carolinas (2002–2004)

Converse began wrestling for FWA-Carolinas, one of two US affiliates for the
Frontier Wrestling Alliance Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) was a professional wrestling promotion in Britain. Established in 1993 as the Fratton Wrestling Association it soon became the Frontier Wrestling Alliance six years later and until 2007 when it lost a scripted ...
, in early-2002 where he aligned himself with manager Brad Stutts' Hostile Youth Project (HYP) with GeeStar, Special K, and J.T. Sparxx. He and GeeStar specifically feuded with Mikael Yamaha and Amber Holly, then FWA Women's World Champion, both in FWA-Carolinas and other promotions. Their first match, on April 26, 2002, at ''Final Judgement'' in
Graham, North Carolina Graham is a city in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the population was 17,153. It is the county seat of Alamance County. History ...
, resulted in Converse pinning Yamaha after knocking him out with Holly's championship belt. At ''Spring Showdown'' on May 11, they were joined by J.T. Sparxx for a 6-man tag team match against The Gemini Kid, Mikael Yamaha, and Amber Holly. The match ended with a second victory for the HYP when Converse pinned Yamaha after Stutts hit his opponent with a briefcase. Converse followed this up by winning the FWA-Carolinas Cruiserweight Championship from Sexton Tyler on July 20 at ''Payback''. A third and final mixed tag match took place at ''Explosive Elements'' on August 17, 2002, at A.L. Brown Middle School in
Kannapolis, North Carolina Kannapolis () is a city in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Cabarrus and Rowan County, North Carolina, Rowan counties, in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord, North Carolina, Concord and northeast of Charlotte, North Carolina, ...
which saw Sexton Tyler, Mikael Yamaha, and Amber Holly defeat Corey Edsel, Ric Converse, and GeeStar. The following year Converse appeared on the first episode of ''CWF Championship Wrestling'' where he lost his title to J-Money, ending his seven-month championship reign. He subsequently entered the heavyweight division and spent the next few months feuding with FWA-Carolinas Heavyweight Champion Corey Edsel who had previously left the HYP months earlier. The two finally met on August 9, 2003, in
Wentworth, North Carolina Wentworth is a town in Rockingham County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,646 at the 2020 census. Wentworth is the county seat of Rockingham County and is part of the Greensboro–High Point metropolitan area of the Piedmont ...
. Outside interference from Brad Stutts unintentionally caused Converse to lose the match. Afterwards, Converse turned against Stutts and hit him with his finisher. He was the last of the original HYPmembers to leave the group. The Converse-Edsel feud continued throughout the year and, on December 27, 2003, Converse defeated Corey Edsel for the title at the ''FWA-Carolinas Anniversary Show''. On January 17, 2004, he teamed with Shane West and Garry Stevens in a losing effort to Corey Edsel, Bounty Hunter, and Rob McBride. At the end of the month, Converse defeated both Edsel and ACW Heavyweight Champion Quinson Valentino to unify CWF and ACW titles. Converse was one of the wrestlers Valentino thanked upon his retirement four years later. Over the next four months, Converse successfully defended the title against Rob McBride, Bounty Hunter, Kid Justice, Trent Wylde, and Joey Silvia. He also took part in tag team matches. On March 6, he and Brad Rainz were beaten by Bounty Hunter and
Otto Schwanz William Murray Happer (born October 4, 1972) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Personal trainer, trainer, best known by his ring name Otto Schwanz. He competed primarily in the Carolinas since the mid-2000s, and has ...
. He also teamed with Shane West and Garry Stevens to beat Brass Munkey, American Steel Ninja, and Corey Edsel on April 17. Converse was later awarded a new title belt by legendary announcer
Bob Caudle Bob Caudle (born August 2, 1930) is an American professional wrestling announcer most notable for his time with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He started working with Jim Crockett Promotions in the late 1950s for promoter Jim Crockett, Sr. ...
which resembled the old
NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship The NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship promoted in Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), a territory-promotion governed by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Title history On October 13, 1970, the ch ...
. He also continued his rivalry with Edsel and lost to him in a non-title match on May 15. Their next meeting on July 10 ended in a double-countout. On August 28, he entered the 2004 Johnny Weaver Cup tournament in
Thomasville, North Carolina Thomasville is a city in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 27,183 at the 2020 census. The city was once notable for its furniture industry, as were its neighbors High Point and Lexington. This Piedmont Triad comm ...
and lost to Corey Edsel in the finals. Another match on September 15 ended in a time-limit draw. Converse finally lost the title to Corey Edsel on October 2. Converse was unable to regain the title from Edsel in subsequent rematches, however, he did win an impressive victory over
David Flair David Richard Fliehr (born March 6, 1979), better known by the ring name David Flair, is an American retired rofessional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he held the WCW United States ...
on October 23. He formed a brief partnership with Trent Wylde and Brad Attitude at the end of the year joining them in one or two 6-man tag team bouts. On November 20, the three wrestled Orlo, Kid Justice, and Jesse Ortega. A week later, he and Trent Wylde lost a tag team match to J-Money and Will B. Smooth at an interpromotional SWA/CWF Mid-Atlantic show. On December 4, 2004, Converse and Wylde were defeated by Corey Edsel and Orlo.


AWA Mid-Atlantic (2004–2006)

On December 18, 2004, Converse regained the heavyweight championship from Edsel in Burlington, North Carolina. Earlier that year, the CWF had become the official AWA Superstars affiliate for the Mid-Atlantic United States and the title was renamed the AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. His second reign as champion lasted over six months with wins over Xsiris, Brad Attitude,
Otto Schwanz William Murray Happer (born October 4, 1972) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Personal trainer, trainer, best known by his ring name Otto Schwanz. He competed primarily in the Carolinas since the mid-2000s, and has ...
, The Gemini Kid, "Wild" Shane West, Jesse "El Fuego" Ortega, Donnie Dollars, and Mitch Conner. On May 21, 2005, Conner defeated Converse in a non-title match. A month later, he was also on the losing end of a 6-man tag team match with The $outh$ide Playas (J-Money and Will B. Smooth) (with Kiyia Moka) against Shane West, The Shadow, and Garry Stevens. Converse defended the title in a singles match against Stevens on June 24, which he won, but lost the title to him in a "King of the Road" match three weeks later at ''Friday Night Fights 2''. Despite losing the title, Converse continued to be successful in the singles division defeating Bobby Ramone, Mitch Connor, and Julios Augustus during the summer. On August 19, he and Brad Attitude defeated Garry Stevens and Michael McAllister in a tag team match. The next night, however, he and The $outh$ide Playas lost a 6-man tag team match to Stevens, Mitch Conner, and The Shadow. Converse and Jesse Ortega defeated Garry Stevens and Super Spoiler in yet another tag match on September 10. A week later, he unsuccessfully challenged
Steve Corino Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino (born May 29, 1973) is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler currently signed with WWE as a trainer and producer for their developmental territory NXT. He is best known for his tenure with Extreme Championship ...
for the
AWA World Heavyweight Championship The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight C ...
in a bout lasting nearly 40 minutes. Converse also made appearances in other companies during this time, Big Time Wrestling and Carolina Wrestling Association, with he and Brad Thomas defeating Beau James and Sheik of Araby on September 27 in the former promotion. On October 1, Converse won the 5th annual 30-man "CWF Rumble" to earn a title show for the championship of his choice. He and Chris Vega were the first two entrants and eliminated Alex Adonis (with GeeStar, Kamakazi Kid, and Xsiris), Donnie Dollars (with Rob McBride), Coco Rojo, Brad Attitude (with Marcellus King), and Marcellus King to win the event. He lasted a total of 36 minutes and 57 seconds setting a new record as the longest time in the CWF Rumble and, as of 2012, remains unbroken. The following month, he wrestled
Shannon Moore Shannon Moore (born July 27, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for several years in the 2000s. H ...
at a November 5 CWF show in Burlington, North Carolina. He was also accompanied by
Harley Race Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer. Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federatio ...
in his match against Jake Manning for a Carolina Wrestling Association show on November 17; he returned to the CWA a month later where he and Jesse Ortega lost a tag team match to Jake Manning and Jason Jones. On December 3, Converse teamed with Joey Silvia beat The Street Sweepers (Gregory Vercetti and Jay Sinn) in a Bounty match. Two weeks later, Converse defeated Garry Stevens in a "Winner Take All" Steel Cage match at ''BattleCade VI'' to regain the AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship. Due to the pre-match stipulations, Converse also received a title shot against then AWA World Heavyweight Champion Steve Corino. Corino lost the title to
Shinjiro Otani is a semi-retired Japanese professional wrestler and the current acting president of Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1). He is currently inactive from pro-wrestling competition due to a cervical spine injury substained in April 2022. A product of the ...
only a week prior to their scheduled match, which saw Converse successfully retain the AWA Mid-Atlantic title. In early-2006, Converse formed a brief partnership with Joey Silva. On January 7, 2006, they defeated Alpha & Omega (Julius Augustus & Marcellus King). On February 4, they joined Xsiris in a 6-man tag team match to wrestle Marcellus King, Brandon Day, and
Tony Kozina Tony Kozina (born October 23, 1970) is an American professional wrestler who is best known for his work in the Pacific Northwest especially in Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling and National Wrestling Alliance. He has also made appearances i ...
. A week later, he wrestled Johnny Blaze on a special "legends" show for Carolina Championship Wrestling at the sold-out Mulberry Rec Center in
Lenoir, North Carolina Lenoir is a city in and the county seat of Caldwell County, North Carolina, Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,263 at the 2020 census. Lenoir is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. To the north ...
also featuring
Amber O'Neal Kimberly Dawn Davis (born June 22, 1974) is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Amber O’Neal. She formerly wrestled in Ring of Honor (ROH) in their "Women of Honor" division as well as various promotions on the U. ...
,
Krissy Vaine Kristin Parmeter (née Eubanks; born January 12, 1981) is an American model, professional wrestler and valet. She is better known by her ring name Krissy Vaine and also for her time in World Wrestling Entertainment. She also trained at WWE's devel ...
, The Midnight Express (
Dennis Condrey Dennis Condrey (born February 1, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling in the 1970s and 1980s. ...
and
Bobby Eaton Bobby Lee Eaton (August 14, 1958 – August 4, 2021) was an American professional wrestler best known as "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton. He was most famous for his work in tag teams, especially as one-half of The Midnight Express. Under the managemen ...
),
The Rock 'n' Roll Express The Rock 'n' Roll Express is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of professional wrestlers Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton. The duo began teaming together in Memphis in the early 1980s, followed by Mid-South Wrestling (later to be known ...
( Robert Gibson and
Ricky Morton Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit. He is the current GCW Television Champion, after pinning Matt Cardona at GCW Say You Wi ...
), Total Protection ( Curtis_Hughes[Mr._Hughes_and_ Curtis_Hughes[Mr._Hughes_and_The_Barbarian_(wrestler)">The_Barbarian),_Tom_Prichard.html" ;"title="The_Barbarian_(wrestler).html" ;"title="r._Hughes.html" ;"title="Curtis Hughes[Mr. Hughes">Curtis Hughes[Mr. Hughes and The Barbarian (wrestler)">The Barbarian), Tom Prichard">The_Barbarian_(wrestler).html" ;"title="r._Hughes.html" ;"title="Curtis Hughes[Mr. Hughes">Curtis Hughes[Mr. Hughes and The Barbarian (wrestler)">The Barbarian), Tom Prichard, Bob Armstrong, Brad Armstrong (wrestler), Brad Armstrong, George South, Ronnie Garvin, Tully Blanchard, and Dusty Rhodes (wrestler), Dusty Rhodes. On February 18, Converse again teamed with Joey Silva and Xsiris to wrestle Alpha & Omega and Brandon Day which ended in a no-contest. Trent Wylde joined the match on the pretense of helping Converse after Silva was injured, bowing out at the last minute, and Xsiris became incapacitated. Silva later returned to ringside where he and Wylde turned on Converse. Wylde, who had previously been banned from the promotion, was reinstated by Commissioner William L. Cross at the request of Converse following the attack. Silva and Wylde subsequently formed "The New Dynasty" which was intended to mock the stable which Converse had founded. On a March 11 television taping for ''CWF Championship Wrestling'', interference from Silva and Wylde cost Converse his match against Marcus King, losing via countout. On April 9, he defended his title in Pro-Wrestling WORLD-1 against Justin Smith. On April 22, he defeated
Tracy Smothers Tracy Stanton Smothers (September 2, 1962 – October 28, 2020) was an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and Extreme Champ ...
at CWF's Carolina Sports Arena. The following week at ''Gate City Superclash'' in
Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
, he faced Joey Silvia, Trent Wylde, and Steve Green in a 6-man tag team match with Xsiris and Jesse Ortega, which Converse's team lost. On May 13, a "best of four" team series was held between Team Dynasty (Joey Silva, Trent Wylde and Steve Greene) and Team Converse (Ric Converse, Jesse Ortega and Xsiris) at AC Fitness in Greensboro. Team Dynasty ended up winning the match series when Greene defeated Ric Converse in a no-submission, falls count anywhere "West Market Street Fight". This also allowed Greene to pick the opponent for Converse's next title defense. The opponent was revealed to be Converse's teammate Xsiris with their match ending in a no-contest. It was strongly hinted by The New Dynasty the Xsiris was their newest member, and while it appeared as though Xsiris was going to side with the group during their match, he ended up staying loyal to Converse. Afterwards, Converse challenged The New Dynasty to a 6-man tag match between members of the Original Dynasty versus Silva and Wyle's recent incarnation, which was accepted by his arch-rivals. The two teams met at CWF's ''Summer Action Series'' on June 10 which saw Converse, Xsiris, and Brad Attitude beat Steve Greene, Joey Silvia, and Trent Wylde.


AWA Superstars (2006–2007)

Converse (now dubbing himself "The 1st" Ric Converse) won the
AWA World Heavyweight Championship The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight C ...
when he defeated ZERO1 wrestler
Takao Omori is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is a one-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and seven-time World Tag Team Champion. He is also part of the All Japan Board of Directors. He ...
for the title in
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
on June 14, 2006. Converse achieved a near-7 month reign before finally being defeated by Steve Corino on January 7, 2007, including victories over
WWE 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 vario ...
superstars
John Heidenreich Jon Heidenreich (born June 28, 1972) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known simply as Heidenreich. He is best known for his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its SmackDown brand where he was a one time Tag ...
and
Aaron Aguilera Aaron Aguilera (born February 28, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and actor best known as Jesús and Uno on World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), MTV's Wrestling Society X, All Japan Pro Wrestling as Zodiac and Lucha Libre USA as Lujo E ...
, and
Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was so ...
's
Ricky Landell Ricky Landell (born April 25, 1982) is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for competing in various independent promotions, the most notable being Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX / Pro Wrestling Zero1 and AWA Supe ...
. Meanwhile, in his home promotion, Converse continued feuding with The New Dynasty. At the August 5th ''Summer Action Series'', the original Dynasty defeated Joey Silvia, Trent Wylde, and AWA World-1 Champion Ricky Landell. Less than a week later, Converse successfully defended the AWA World title against Aaron Aguilera at ''AWA Super Clash'' in
Amite, Louisiana Amite City ( or ; commonly just Amite) is a town in Tangipahoa Parish, of which it is the parish seat, in southeastern Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,141 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical A ...
. On August 21, Converse also defended his title at a CWF show against
Otto Schwanz William Murray Happer (born October 4, 1972) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler and Personal trainer, trainer, best known by his ring name Otto Schwanz. He competed primarily in the Carolinas since the mid-2000s, and has ...
. In the fall of 2006, Converse toured the Mid-Atlantic defending the AWA World title against Ken Magnum in AWA Power Pro and Damian Wayne in NWA Virginia. On November 18, the Original Dynasty (Ric Converse, Brad Attitude and Xsiris) beat The New Dynasty (Joey Silvia, Steve Greene, and Jake Manning) (with Ty Dillenger) in Best 2-of-3 Falls match to win the rights to the Dynasty name. This match also saw the end of Converse's year-long feud with The New Dynasty, however, he did face Silvia once more in a singles match at ''BattleCade VII'' for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship on December 30, 2006. One week after this match, Converse dropped the belt to Corino in
Pottstown, Pennsylvania Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the incorporation as a borough in 1815. In 1888 ...
. Weeks earlier, Converse had interfered in an
AWA World Tag Team Championship The American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991. History When the NWA Minneapolis ...
match between The Old School Blondes (Steve Corino and Ricky Landell) and AWA Mid-Atlantic Champions Tank Lawson and Rob McBride, counting the pinfall which awarded the belts to Lawson and McBride. Corino and Landell made an official complaint to the AWA Board of Directors, which was supported by Commissioner William L. Cross, and the belts were returned to their former owners. Three months after his world title loss Converse and Xsiris, as "The New Generation Dynasty", defeated Ricky Landell and Jonnie Stewart at AWA Power Pro Wrestling's "Night of Champions" for the
AWA World Tag Team Championship The American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991. History When the NWA Minneapolis ...
at
Union Pines High School Union Pines High School is a four-year public high school located in Cameron, North Carolina. Opened in 1964, the school currently enrolls 1,359 students and is one of the three public high schools in the Moore County Public School Systems. Unio ...
in
Cameron, North Carolina Cameron is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 359 at the 2020 census. History Cameron grew up around a plank road that was followed in later years by a railroad. The town was planned in 1875 and incorporated ...
. Stewart was substituting for Landell's regular tag team partner Steve Corino who was touring Australia at the time. He and Xsiris successfully defended the titles in AWA Mid-Atlantic against Fatback Enterprises (Mitch Connor and Donnie Dollars) at ''Enter The Triad'' on April 14 and against Mitch Connor and Jesse Ortega in a non-title Texas Tornado match at a ''CWF-MAX!'' show a week later. At ''Cinco De Mayhem'' on May 5, Converse and Kamakazi Kid defeated AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Joey Silvia, AWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion Steve Greene, and CWF Mid-Atlantic Commissioner Ty Dillinger in a 3-on-2
handicap 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 ...
. Near the end of his tag team title reign Converse met Steve Corino, accompanied by C. W. Anderson, in a special grudge match at a show for UWF Wrestling in
Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...
. Converse and Xsiris were eventually stripped of the AWA World Tag Team titles which were returned to the former champions Ricky Landell and Jonnie Stewart in
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
on June 13. Converse and Xsiris were still billed as the champions when they appeared at CWF Mid-Atlantic's ''Absolute Justice'' three days later. In the main event, they wrestled The Neon Lions (Lee Valiant and Chris Collins), AWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Joey Silvia and AWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion Steve Greene, and AWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions Rob McBride and Tank Lawson in an "Everything To Lose" Four Corners tag team match.


CWF Mid-Atlantic (2007–2010)

A few weeks after losing the AWA World Tag Team title, AWA Superstars was forced to drop the CWF and other promotions as an AWA affiliate due to a court order. Converse remained with his home promotion, CWF Mid-Atlantic, where he resumed his feud with Joey Silvia. He wrestled Silvia for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship at an August 11 ''CWF Championship Wrestling'' television taping defeating Silvia via disqualification; this was the first championship match to end in a DQ in over seven years. He followed this up with victories over Little J at the 2007 Johnny Weaver Cup tournament on August 25 and Corey Edsel at ''Sumner Civitan SuperClash'' on September 8. Despite the win over the legend, Converse still has a losing record against Edsel. Later that month, Destiny's manager Ty Dillinger "set up" Converse's brother Joseph for an attack by Silvia and Steve Greene resulting in a broken arm and an overnight stay in a local hospital. Two days after the attack, Converse "went berserk" at a TV taping for ''CWF Championship Wrestling'' interfering in a match between CWF Mid-Atlantic Rising Generation League Champion Roy Wilkins and "Jersey" Nick Richards, attacking both men with a steel chair, and knocking out the referee. He was eventually confronted by one-time rival Garry Stevens and the two agreed to join forces against Dynasty. Converse entered CWF Mid-Atlantic's "Lethal Lottery" in Greensboro a week later. Using rules similar to
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 Nation ...
's ''
Battlebowl BattleBowl was a one-time professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The show took place on November 20, 1993, at the Pensacola Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida. The event featured only the ...
'', the participants were chosen at random with the winning teams meeting in a 10-man "Battle Bowl Battle Royal" main event. Converse was paired with Steve Greene (with Ty Dillinger) and the two defeated Gemini Kid and Black Pegasus to advance to the battle royal. Greene later eliminated Converse to win the Battle Bowl and become the 30th entrant in the upcoming "CWF Rumble". Converse himself was the 24th entrant at the "CWF Rumble!" on October 6 and the third last participant to be eliminated. Afterwards, he and former CWF Mid-Atlantic Commissioner William L. Cross got into a brawl with Ty Dillinger and Destiny which had to be broken up by security. Converse and Cross later accepted a challenge from Dillinger to a "street fight" with Destiny at an upcoming show. At ''Date With Destiny'' on October 20, Team Cross (William L. Cross, Ric Converse and Garry Stevens) defeated Destiny (Ty Dillinger, Joey Silvia and Steve Greene) in a double pinfall with Stevens pinning Silvia for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship and Cross pinning Ty Dillinger to regain his position as CWF Commissioner. Blamed for the loss, Silvia was attacked by his stablemates Steve Greene and The VIPs (Jesse Ortega and Gemini Kid) causing the breakup of Destiny. With the end of his feud with Destiny, Converse challenged newly crowned heavyweight champion Garry Stevens. Shortly after their victory at ''Date With Destiny'', Converse was attacked by his former ally at an October 3 ''CWF Championship Wrestling'' television taping. At ''Ultimate Survivor IV'' on November 17, Converse and a mystery partner (revealed to be Dynasty's Brad Attitude) defeated Stevens and Steve Greene in a "Triathlon Survivor" Best 2-of-3 Falls tag team match. Converse regained the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship from Stevens in an Iron Man match at ''Battlecade VIII'' on December 15, 2007. At the end of the 60 min. time limit the score was tied (2–2) and went into overtime with Converse winning via submission when Stevens' daughter Brandi Richardson and Stevens cornerman Little Billy threw in the towel. After the match Stevens announced his retirement and shook hands with the new champion. On January 5, 2008, Converse pinned Rising Generation League Champion "Jersey" Nick Richards in a non-title match at ''New Year's Knockout''. A few weeks later, he made his first title defense against CWF Mid-Atlantic Television Champion Steve Greene at ''A Cold Day in Hell'' on January 19, 2008. On February 2, Converse reunited with Xsiris to defeat CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion Jesse Ortega and Marcellus King (with Sheik Lumpkin). Due to the pre-match stipulation, Xsiris and Kamakazi Kid won the right to challenge The VIPs for the tag team titles; the champions had previously stopped defefending the belts against US tag teams. At ''Civitans SuperBrawl II'' on April 19, Converse faced longtime friend Rob "Boogie Woogie Man" McBride. The following month, he joined McBride and Tank Lawson in a 6-Man Tag Team match against Gemini Kid, Jesse Ortega, and CWF Mid-Atlantic TV Champion Steve Greene at ''Six Man Vendetta'' on May 3. He also had successful title defenses against Evan Banks at ''Revelations'' and Matthew de Nero at ''Fallout!''. It was at the latter event that Commissioner Cross, who had since " turned heel ", confronted Converse demanding that he join his new "Aftermath" stable. Converse, supported by McBride and Brass Munkey, refused the offer causing Cross to make McBride his next opponent. Their match at ''Absolute Justice II'' saw McBride defeat Converse for the belt, however, a distraction by Cross and the Aftermath (in the form of a coded message on the Insiders-Tron) revealed was indeed the newest member of the Aftermath. On August 16, Converse entered the 2008 Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup tournament and lost in the finals to Brass Munkey in a Triple Threat match with Marcellus King. Over the summer he was also a guest on the Canadian internet radio show '' Tha O Show'' hosted by Big Daddy Donnie and
Dan-e-o Daniel Faraldo (born June 10, 1977), known professionally as Dan-e-o, is a Canadian hip hop artist and actor of Jamaican and Spanish descent. In June 2015, Dan-e-o received the award for ''Best Hip Hop Artist'' at the ''Black Canadian Awards''. He ...
where he shared a somewhat risque road story during his early career. Converse (with Commissioner Cross and an unknown
masked man The Masked Man is a fictional comic book crime-fighter created by B.C. Boyer and published by Eclipse Comics. His first appearance was in '' Eclipse'' #7, dated November 1982. The Masked Man is the alter ego of private eye Dick Carstairs, w ...
) attempted to win the title back from McBride in the fall. He was unsuccessful at ''Sumner Civitans SuperBrawl III'' on September 6 but regained the belt in a "street fight challenge" at ''Fatback Rising!'' two weeks later. After a victory over Otto Schwanz at the 8th annual ''CWF Rumble!'', Converse and stablemate
Ryan O'Reilly Ryan O'Reilly (born February 7, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres. O'Reilly was dra ...
briefly feuded with CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions Xsiris and Mikael Yamaha. They lost to the tag team champions at CWF Mid-Atlantic's "200th Live Event Celebration" on November 1. With Soloman Spades, they also lost a best 2-of-3 falls 6-man tag team match to Xsiris, Yamaha, and Brass Munkey at ''Ultimate Survivor VI'' on November 15. Converse ended up losing the heavyweight title to Brass Munkey at ''BattleCade IX'' on December 20, 2008. On January 3, 2009, at ''New Years Knockout'', Alex Adonis interrupted an in-ring promo with Converse and William L. Cross to issue a challenge to the former champion. Adonis had been brought into the CWF by Converse several years earlier and pointed out that he was the only person on the active roster that Converse had never beaten. Converse responded by leading the Aftermath in a 4-on-1 attack on the young wrestler and leaving him unconscious in the ring. Two weeks later, he and O'Reilly again wrestled Xsiris and Mikael Yamaha for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship at ''Night of Challenges'' but were unable to win the belts. He also faced former rivals Joey Silvia and Steve Greene in a tag team match with Marcellus King at ''End of an Era'' on February 7. At ''Fallout!'' on February 21, he pinned Cecil Scott. Nearly two months after ''New Years Knockout'', Converse finally met Alex Adonis in a match at ''Don't Call It A Comeback!'' on March 7, which he won by pinfall. He and Marcellus King also defeated Adonis and Mitch Connor in a tag team match at ''Holding Out For A Hero!'' later that month. On April 4, Converse attempted to interfere in the Adonis-King match at ''Nowhere To Run!'' but was unable to prevent Adonis' victory. Afterwards Commissioner Garry Stevens ordered Converse to face Adonis, with The Kamakazi Kid as
special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
, at the promotion's next show. Converse's match against Adonis at ''The Bunkhouse Stampede'' on April 25 ended in his defeat. On May 5, Converse defeated
Chiva Kid Andrew Everett Wenkel (born July 9, 1992) better known by the ring name Andrew Everett, is an American professional wrestler best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he was a former Impact World Tag Team Champion. He's also wrestli ...
by submission in a non-title match at ''Heartache Tonight''. At the end of the month at ''Goodbye, Farewell & Amen'' Converse took part in a 10-man Farewell match with Steve Greene, Michael McAllister, and The VIPs (Gemini Kid and Jesse Ortega) wrestling Mikael Yamaha, Lee Valiant, Brass Munkey, Corey Edsel, and
Amber O'Neal Kimberly Dawn Davis (born June 22, 1974) is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name Amber O’Neal. She formerly wrestled in Ring of Honor (ROH) in their "Women of Honor" division as well as various promotions on the U. ...
. At ''Absolute Justice III'' on June 20 Converse lost to Kamakazi Kid in a grudge match. He also entered the 2009 Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup tournament and made it to the finals in Burlington where he was eliminated by Kamakazi Kid on August 15. On September 9, Converse and King joined Joey Silvia, Steve Greene, and Ty Dillinger (with William L. Cross and Jaxson Dane) at ''Fatback Rising 2'' to defeat CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Brass Munkey, Rob McBride, Kamakazi Kid, and The Neon Lions (Lee Valiant and Chris Collins) in a 10-man tag team match. Converse also defeated Tank Lawson at ''SuperBrawl IV'' on September 12 and teamed with Jaxson Dane to beat CWF Heavyweight Champion Brass Munkey and Kamakazi Kid in a tag team match at ''Unfinished Business'' a week later. At ''Ultimate Survivor VII'', Converse was teamed with Xsiris, Alex Adonis, and Brass Munkey during the Incredible Pairs Wildcard Elimination match against Mikael Yamaha, Marcellus King, Jaxon Dane, and Kamakazi Kid. Converse's team won the match with he and Brass Munkey being the sole survivors. Converse was allowed a title shot at the heavyweight belt due to winning the event. On January 2, 2010, Converse lost a Three Way Dance with Brass Munkey and the Kamakazi Kid for the CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship at ''Battlecade X''. He also lost Brass Munkey at ''New Years Knockout'' on January 16 to decide the number-one contender for the CWF Championship. That summer, he won the 2010 Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup tournament defeating "High Definition" Steve Greene in the semi-finals and PWI International Ultra-J Crown Champion Xsiris in the finals on August 21, 2010.


Recent years (2011–)

On April 1, 2011, Converse was one of several CWF Mid-Atlantic stars to take part in an interpromotional show with
Dragon Gate USA Dragon Gate USA (DGUSA) was 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, served as the promotion's Vice Pr ...
. He was originally scheduled to wrestle Shane "Hurricane" Helms in a qualifying match for the PWI International Heavyweight Championship, however, this was changed to an official title bout at the last minute, which Helms won. On August 20, he entered the 2011 Johnny Weaver Memorial Cup tournament but was eliminated by Arik Royal. At ''Ultimate Survivor IX'' on November 19, he was part of the semi-main event wrestling in a Wildcard Incredible Pairs 8-man elimination tag team match with
Trevor Lee :not to be confused with actress Camryn Grimes who voices Mrs. Claus in Mickey Saves Christmas Trevor Lee Caddell (born September 30, 1993) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ...
, "Arrogant" Aric Andrews, and Joe Black against CWF Mid Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Xsiris, Ben Tyler, Jason Miller, and Mikael Yamaha. Converse was the final man eliminated when he was pinned by Yamaha. On December 3, 2011, Converse (with William L. Cross) pinned Mikael Yamaha at CWF's ''Road to BattleCade'' in
Burlington, North Carolina Burlington is a city in Alamance County, North Carolina, Alamance and Guilford County, North Carolina, Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
. Along with all his accomplishments, Converse is also credited for giving Robby "Whisker Biscuits" Walsh his start in professional wrestling.


Championships and accomplishments

*Alternative Championship Wrestling **ACW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * AWA Superstars **
AWA World Heavyweight Championship The AWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association (AWA). All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight C ...
(1 time) **
AWA World Tag Team Championship The American Wrestling Association (AWA) World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in the American Wrestling Association from 1960 until the promotion folded in 1991. History When the NWA Minneapolis ...
(1 time) – with Xsiris *
CWF Mid-Atlantic Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic (CWF Mid-Atlantic, formerly known as the Carolina Wrestling Federation and FWA-Carolinas) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Rudd in 2000. The promotion is based i ...
**
CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship The CWF Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship in Carolina Wrestling Federation Mid-Atlantic (CWF Mid-Atlantic). Title history Overall, there have been 38 reigns shared between 23 wrestlers, ...
(6 times) **CWF Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championships (1 time) - with Xsiris ** CWF Mid-Atlantic Cruiserweight Championship (1 time) ** Johnny Weaver Cup Tournament winner (2010) *East Coast Professional Wrestling **ECPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Lumbee Warrior *New Empire Wrestling **NEW Regional Championship (1 time) *National Wrestling Alliance Carolinas Pro Wrestling (NWA Carolinas) **NWA Carolinas Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Premier Wrestling Showcase **PWS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Marcellus King *Ringside Championship Wrestling **RCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Pro Wrestling International **PWI International Heavyweight Championship (2 times)http://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=2805 *
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 Publish ...
**PWI ranked him #324 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 Publishi ...
in 2009. *Southern Wrestling Alliance **SWA Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)


References


External links

*
CWF Mid-Atlantic profile
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Converse, Ric 1979 births Living people American male professional wrestlers Professional wrestlers from North Carolina Sportspeople from Winston-Salem, North Carolina