Peter Senerchia (born October 11, 1967),
better known by the
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 projecting ...
Taz (also spelled Tazz) is an American
radio personality
A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a rad ...
,
color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...
, and retired
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 ...
signed to
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, w ...
(AEW) as a
commentator and
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
.
He is known for his work in
Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
(ECW), where he was a
two-time World Heavyweight Champion
At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, tho ...
,
a
two-time World Television Champion,
a
three-time World Tag Team Champion,
a
two-time (and the inaugural) FTW Heavyweight Champion,
and the fourth ECW
Triple Crown Champion.
His
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) career as an in-ring performer came to an early end in 2002 and subsequently saw him transition into a color-commentary role, which he continued to do until his contract with WWE expired in April 2009.
Two months later, Senerchia debuted 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 promot ...
at their
Victory Road pay-per-view under his previous Taz ring name and eventually reprised his role as a color commentator for TNA's broadcasts, replacing
Don West.
Professional wrestling career
Training, World Wrestling Council, and independent circuit (1987–1993)
Senerchia began wrestling in
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) and made his professional wrestling debut on June 3, 1987 in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
, after being trained by
Johnny Rodz
John Rodriguez (born May 16, 1941) is an American former professional wrestler. He has previously worked as a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Rodz.
Professional wrestling career
World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling ...
. He wrestled as Kid Krush before moving on to the
name
A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A personal ...
The Tazmaniac, of which he would use variations for the rest of his career.
In the early 1990s as The Tazmaniac, he wrestled for
International World Class Championship Wrestling
International World Class Championship Wrestling (IWCCW, originally known as International Championship Wrestling) was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was promoted by Angelo Savoldi and his son ...
(IWCCW) and held its
Light Heavyweight Championship for six months in 1991.
He would follow
Tony Rumble
Anthony David Magliaro (November 6, 1956 – November 13, 1999) was an American professional wrestler and manager, known by the ring name Boston Bad Boy Tony Rumble. He competed on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic independent circuit during th ...
in leaving IWCCW to join the newly established
Century Wrestling Alliance
The Century Wrestling Alliance, formerly known as NWA Cold Front and NWA New England, is a New England-based American independent wrestling promotion located in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded by Tony Rumble in 1989, a retired wrestler and ...
(CWA). He would also tour in
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
(NJPW).
Senerchia had his first
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 vario ...
(WWF) match on August 19, 1991 as The Tazmaniac, when he was defeated by
Ray Odyssey
Ray Samalonis (born January 31, 1968) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Surfer" Ray Odyssey.
Professional wrestling career
Odyssey competes primarily in Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic independent promotions. ...
. He then made his only appearance ever 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 Nation ...
(WCW) when he defeated
Joey Maggs
Joseph Magliano (1968/1969 – October 2006), better known by the ring name "Jumping" Joey Maggs, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 1998.
Profession ...
in a dark match at a ''
Saturday Night'' taping in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
on February 8, 1993. He would then make his second appearance in the WWF on May 5, 1993. Wrestling in a dark match at a Wrestling Challenge taping in Portland, ME, Tazmaniac would beat
Scott Taylor. He would go on to make two additional appearances on
house show
A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive du ...
s in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
on June 29 and June 30, losing to
Jim Powers
James Manley (born January 4, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Jim Powers. He worked for the World Wrestling Federation from 1984 to 1994, then elsewhere until 2010. He was ...
on each occasion.
NWA Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1999)
Early years and injury (1993–1995)
Wrestling as "The Tazmaniac," Senerchia debuted in the
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
-based promotion
Eastern Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
(ECW) in October 1993 at
NWA Bloodfest
NWA Bloodfest was a professional wrestling live event produced by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW) on October 1 and October 2, 1993. The event was held in the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylva ...
. He formed a
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
with Joe Chetti (brother of
Chris Chetti
Christopher Chetti (born July 16, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1996 and 2001.
Professional wrestling career
Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
) called The Tazmaniacs.
When that team broke up, he was put into another team with
Kevin Sullivan, with whom he won the
Tag Team Championship
A championship or title in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.
Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in predetermined rivalri ...
twice.
During his second reign as Tag Team Champion with Sullivan, The Tazmaniac became a double champion when he also won the
Television Championship for one night in March 1994.
For most of the rest of the year he floated around the tag ranks, teaming with different partners. He held the title once more, this time with
Sabu, until Sabu was
legitimately fired by ECW owner
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight ...
for
no-showing an event in favor of touring Japan for
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
.
In August 1994, The Tazmaniac competed in a
one-night eight-man tournament for the vacant
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship is a world heavyweight professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professional wrestling promotion. The current champion is Tyrus, who is in ...
, losing to
Shane Douglas
Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
in the quarter-finals.
The Tazmaniac was put out of action by a legit injury for much of 1995. On July 20, during a tag team match
2 Cold Scorpio
Charles Bernard Scaggs (born October 25, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name 2 Cold Scorpio (sometimes spelled Too Cold Scorpio). He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, Extrem ...
and
Dean Malenko
Dean Simon (born August 4, 1960), better known by the ring name Dean Malenko, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a senior producer. He is best known for his time with Extreme ...
delivered a
spike piledriver
Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Books
* ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave
* ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick
* ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...
to him, and though he knew it was about to be performed, he did not have time to properly protect himself. As he explained on the DVD documentary ''
The Rise and Fall of ECW
''The Rise and Fall of ECW'' is a 2004 direct-to-video documentary produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It chronicles the history of Philadelphia-based professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling. The documentary ...
'', "I landed right on my forehead and just jacked my whole neck back and that was it." The neck injury was so bad that, according to
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
, hospital staff couldn't believe he'd walked into the hospital where he sought help after the match. Though he was unable to wrestle, Paul Heyman continued to pay him per their oral agreement, forging a loyalty between the men.
Rise to superstardom (1995–1996)
Following his neck injury, Taz made appearances with
The Steiner Brothers
The Steiner Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner.
The brothers wrestled as amateurs at the University of Michigan. The team ma ...
, even standing in their corner during matches with
The Eliminators
The Eliminators were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Perry Saturn and John Kronus who were best known for their time in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1995 and 1997.
History
Formation
While working as the m ...
and getting physical with
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
. It was at the
November to Remember
November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling List of ECW supercards and pay-per-view events, event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Star ...
event, when Taz turned heel and joined up with referee
Bill Alfonso
William Matthew "Bill" Sierra (born August 11, 1957) is an American former professional wrestling referee and manager better known by his ring name Bill Alfonso. He achieved his greatest success in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the mid-to-late ...
. Working as the special referee for Alfonso's match with ECW commissioner
Tod Gordon
Tod Gordon (born June 19, 1955, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American businessman. Gordon is the president of Carver W. Reed Co. Inc, a Philadelphia jewelry store and loan office that was established in 1860. He is also the founder of defu ...
, Taz refused to count to three and assaulted Gordon, then making the count for Alfonso. In his post-match promo, he claimed that no one was looking after him while he was injured and that no one cared (though Heyman was still paying him, the
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. ...
story was that he had been forgotten and that Alfonso was the one helping him keep food on his family's table). He was also angry that Sabu was brought back in that very night.
Taz returned to the ring on December 19, 1995 at Holiday Hell with a new look and wrestling style. The new character had him clad in a black and orange
singlet and exhibiting a more physically intense in-ring style, focusing his offense on mat wrestling and
suplex
A suplex is an offensive move used in sport wrestling as well as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling. It is a throw that involves lifting the opponents and bridging or rolling to slam them on their backs.
Professional wrestling feature ...
es (inspired by working with The Steiner Brothers), which announcer
Joey Styles
Joseph Carmine Bonsignore (born July 14, 1971) better known by his ring name Joey Styles, is an American former professional wrestling commentator. He is best known for his time with ECW and WWE. Before working for WWE, Styles was a full-time p ...
dubbed ''
Taz-Plexes'', earning him the nickname "The Human Suplex Machine". He also debuted his ''
Tazmission
Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...
''/Katahajime finishing maneuver, causing opponents to
tap out to signal their submission as in
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
instead of nodding their head or vocally saying "yes". This quirk was soon picked up by other companies throughout the country. Heading into the summer, Taz began feuding with Tommy Dreamer, joining up with
Brian Lee to face Dreamer and
Terry Gordy
Terry Ray Gordy Sr. (April 23, 1961 – July 16, 2001) was an American professional wrestler. Gordy appeared in the United States with promotions such as Mid-South Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, Jim ...
and later Dreamer and
"Dr. Death" Steve Williams. Taz also developed a friendship with The Eliminators, based on mutual respect, and they occasionally involved themselves in his matches.
Perry Saturn
Perry Arthur Satullo (born October 25, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Champions ...
and Taz were both trainers at ECW's
House of Hardcore
House of Hardcore (HOH) is an American wrestling promotion founded by professional wrestler Tommy Dreamer. Its slogan is "No Politics, No BS, Just Wrestling." In its history, HOH has run events in twelve states and three countries.
History
O ...
wrestling school. For a while, some of the students, including Mako and
Chris Chetti
Christopher Chetti (born July 16, 1974) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) between 1996 and 2001.
Professional wrestling career
Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
, would accompany Taz and Alfonso to the ring as a faction known as Team Taz.
At
November to Remember
November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling List of ECW supercards and pay-per-view events, event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Star ...
, things seemed to come full circle, as Taz stormed to the ring and interrupted Styles and "stole Paul E.'s thunder" by announcing that there would be a "big show in the first quarter of the new year", basically telling the fans in attendance that ECW's first
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 guid ...
was on the horizon. At that "big show", he guaranteed that Sabu would finally face him. Later that night, he came out to force Scorpio to leave the ring and went on an angry tirade, abusing Bob Artese and holding him hostage in the ring. Taz demanded Sabu come out and face him, and twice even led the crowd in a "Sabu, Sabu" chant to get him to enter the ring. Several officials and wrestlers came out and Taz eventually got his hands on Paul E. The lights went out and when they came back on, Sabu was in the ring, across from Taz. This was the first time they had been in the ring together since early 1995. Before they could lock up, the lights went out again.
During Sabu's match, where he teamed with
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
to face The Eliminators and
The Gangstas
The Gangstas was a professional wrestling tag team and stable, consisting of New Jack and Mustafa Saed in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The group originally started as a three-man group with D'Lo Brown in Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW), b ...
in a three-way dance, Taz attempted to attack his former partner, but Van Dam saved Sabu and was choked out in the aisle. This distraction caused Sabu to get hit with ''Total Elimination'' and his team lost. Taz also began a mini-feud with Rob Van Dam, dominating him in every match and was also out for a short time to get surgery on his injured shoulder. As 1996 ended and 1997 began, Taz and Sabu continued to try getting at one another, with no actual contact.
World Television Champion (1997–1998)
Early in 1997, the antagonism between Sabu and Taz was growing, as Taz attacked Sabu's partner, Rob Van Dam, costing the team matches with The Eliminators and other teams. In the months leading to ECW's
first pay-per-view, Taz would choke out low-level wrestlers with the ''Tazmission'' due to viewing his matches as secondary to his rivalry with Sabu. He then dominated another series of matches with Van Dam before meeting Sabu at
Barely Legal, where Taz defeated him with the ''Tazmission'', only to have his
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Bill Alfonso
William Matthew "Bill" Sierra (born August 11, 1957) is an American former professional wrestling referee and manager better known by his ring name Bill Alfonso. He achieved his greatest success in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the mid-to-late ...
turn on him and join Sabu and his partner
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
.
In response, Taz began teaming with
Chris Candido
Christopher Barrett Candito (March 21, 1972 – April 28, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. Candito is best remembered for his tenures with promotions such as World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, New Japan Pro-W ...
to face Sabu and Van Dam.
Two months later at
Wrestlepalooza
Wrestlepalooza was a professional wrestling event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2000. The 1998 iteration aired on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast ...
, Taz lost to Sabu in the rematch, marking his first loss since 1995. However, later in the night, he won the World Television Championship from
Shane Douglas
Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (W ...
to begin his second reign.
He defended the title against all comers, including Douglas,
Lance Storm
Lance Timothy Evers (; born April 3, 1969), known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Extreme Championship Wrestling (EC ...
,
John Kronus
George B. Caiazzo (January 13, 1969 – July 18, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, John Kronus, and later simply Kronus. Caiazzo worked for Extreme Championship Wrestling, the United States Wrestling Asso ...
,
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven (born July 18, 1963) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Al Snow. He is best known as a wrestler for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment. Sn ...
,
Jerry Lynn
Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. He has worked for promotions such as World Championship ...
and
Chris Candido
Christopher Barrett Candito (March 21, 1972 – April 28, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. Candito is best remembered for his tenures with promotions such as World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, New Japan Pro-W ...
. Throughout late 1997, Taz began feuding with The Triple Threat in addition to Sabu and Van Dam, where he sometimes teamed up with
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
during the feud. At
November to Remember
November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling List of ECW supercards and pay-per-view events, event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Star ...
, he issued a challenge to World Heavyweight Champion Bam Bam Bigelow. The two would eventually meet, after Bigelow turned on Taz in a match against Shane Douglas and Chris Candido. Taz would ultimately lose the title to
Bam Bam Bigelow
Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close to 400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned most ...
at
Living Dangerously
In professional wrestling, Living Dangerously was a pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and me ...
on March 1, 1998.
World Heavyweight Champion and departure (1998–1999)
After losing the World Television Championship, Taz was elevated into the World Heavyweight Championship picture. In May 1998, with Shane Douglas injured and unable to wrestle, Taz was given an old World Television Championship belt painted orange—his trademark color—and began
cutting promos, declaring himself the
FTW Heavyweight Champion at
It Ain't Seinfeld
It Ain't ''Seinfeld'' was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on May 14, 1998 in the Elks Lodge #878 in Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, New York.
Eight matches took place at ...
. Though the championship was unsanctioned
in storyline, it was defended at ECW shows until Douglas was healthy. Just before winning the World Heavyweight Championship, Taz "gave" the FTW Heavyweight Title to long-time foe Sabu in a match where he physically pulled Sabu on top of him to allow him to get the pin.
Taz finally defeated Shane Douglas for the World Heavyweight Championship at
Guilty as Charged, thus ending Douglas' year-long reign. Taz was supposed to defend the title against
Chris Candido
Christopher Barrett Candito (March 21, 1972 – April 28, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. Candito is best remembered for his tenures with promotions such as World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, New Japan Pro-W ...
in his first televised title defense at
House Party
A house party is a type of party where people gather at the residence of the party's host.
Organization
A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, ...
but Douglas attacked Candido before the match and took his place, whom Taz defeated to retain the title in his first successful title defense. He would then begin a feud with Sabu over Taz's World Heavyweight Championship and Sabu's FTW Heavyweight Championship. The rivalry culminated in a title unification match at the
Living Dangerously
In professional wrestling, Living Dangerously was a pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and me ...
pay-per-view, where Taz defeated Sabu to unify the FTW Heavyweight Championship into the World Heavyweight Championship. He would begin his next rivalry with Chris Candido, whom he defeated to retain the title at
CyberSlam. The two were scheduled to a rematch at
Hardcore Heaven
Hardcore Heaven was a professional wrestling event produced by Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place annually from 1994 to 2000, with the exception of 1998. The 1997, 1999 and 2000 iterations aired on pay-per-view. The footag ...
, which Taz quickly won. However, he was attacked by
Dudley Boyz
The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team that consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley (Mark LoMonaco) and D-Von Dudley (Devon Hughes). The team was also joined by various Dudley family me ...
after the match, leading to a title defense against
Buh Buh Ray Dudley
Mark LoMonaco (born July 14, 1971) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and Impact Wrestling under the ring name Bully Ray. He was previously known as one-half of The Dudley Boyz tag t ...
in a
falls count anywhere 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 ...
in the main event later that night, which Taz won to retain the title. Taz then successfully defended the title against Candido on the June 4 episode of ''Hardcore TV'' to end the rivalry.
Taz made his next successful title defense against
Spike Dudley
Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
in a Falls Count Anywhere match on the June 25 episode of ''Hardcore TV''. He would begin feuding with the members of
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 ...
's
new rising stable, primarily
Yoshihiro Tajiri
is a Japanese professional wrestler and promoter primarily known under the ring name Tajiri (sometimes stylized as "TAJIRI"), he has also competed under his real name as well as under the names Aquarius and Kikkoman and briefly worked as the ...
. Taz successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Tajiri at
Hostile City Showdown
Hostile City Showdown was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company ...
, the
Heat Wave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
pay-per-view and the September 3 episode of ''
ECW on TNN
''ECW on TNN'', also known as '' ECW Wrestling'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and aired on The Nashville Network (TNN, now Paramount Network). Created by Paul ...
''. During that time, Taz signed with 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 vario ...
, before he losing the ECW title as the first man to be eliminated in a
three-way dance
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. So ...
by
Mike Awesome
Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestl ...
and
Masato Tanaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan where he was a one-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and a one-time WEW World Heavyweight Champion and in Ext ...
at
Anarchy Rulz
Anarchy Rulz was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media compan ...
. This ended his eight-month reign at 252 days. As he walked out of the ring, a large portion of the ECW locker room joined him on the entrance ramp to give him an emotional sendoff. After being off of ECW television for most of the fall, he wrestled one final match as an ECW performer at
November to Remember
November to Remember (commonly abbreviated to N2R) was a professional wrestling List of ECW supercards and pay-per-view events, event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It was held during the month of November from 1993 to 2000. Star ...
, losing to
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
via
pinfall
In wrestling, a pin is achieved by holding an opponent's shoulders to the mat for a three count. Pinfall is the term used in professional wrestling which is a way to win the match for that person or team.
Background
A pinfall is a victory condi ...
. Taz's final televised match in ECW aired on the November 13 episode of ''Hardcore TV'', in which he received a rematch against Mike Awesome for the World Heavyweight Championship, which he lost. In the DVD ''The Rise and Fall of ECW'', Taz said that he signed with the WWE because he was in the top of the company and he lost his passion.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (2000–2009)
Feud with Jerry Lawler and The Alliance (2000–2002)
After being contacted by 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 vario ...
(WWF) and
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 ...
(WCW) in 1999, Taz ultimately signed for the WWF. Beginning in December 1999, what would become Taz's symbol would play on the titantron during various entrances, and the arena would be shrouded in Taz's signature orange color. Taz would later debut for the WWF, with the slightly modified ring name Tazz, at the
2000 Royal Rumble with a win over the previously undefeated
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
. Just a few months after Taz arrived in the WWF,
Mike Awesome
Michael Lee Alfonso (January 24, 1965 – February 17, 2007) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with the American professional wrestling promotions Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestl ...
, the man he had lost the ECW World Heavyweight Championship to at
Anarchy Rulz
Anarchy Rulz was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media compan ...
, secretly signed with WCW. Legal wrangling by Paul Heyman prevented Awesome from taking the championship belt with him, and in a bizarre piece of professional wrestling history, ECW and WWF officials agreed to have Taz, a WWF wrestler, make a surprise appearance at an ECW show to defeat Awesome, a WCW wrestler, for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Taz held the title for ten days before losing it to
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
, during which time he wore it on various WWF shows, and including an episode of ''
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 simulc ...
'' where he lost to the
WWF Champion
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown ...
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 on ...
. However,
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 w ...
later expressed some regret over
booking
Booking may refer to:
* Making an appointment for a meeting or gathering, as part of event planning/scheduling
* The intake or admission process into a prison or psychiatric facility.
* ''Booking'' (manhwa), a Korean comics anthology magazine pub ...
Taz to lose to Triple H.
After he lost the ECW World Heavyweight Championship at
CyberSlam, Taz was placed into contention for the
Intercontinental Championship, but he never won the title. In the summer, after taking time off for an arm injury, he turned
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 ...
and placed into a feud with
color commentator
A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Apr ...
.
The feud included matches 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 ...
and
Unforgiven
''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
, which they split. Taz was only able to pick up the Unforgiven win when he received help from
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 assigned t ...
, who had returned to the company. Afterwards, the duo formed a
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
that lasted until November.
When the
Invasion
An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
angle began, Taz acted as "the voice of the
WCW/ECW Alliance", sticking up for them and speaking on their behalf whenever possible. Over the next few weeks, he'd be beaten up by
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
, made out as the weak link and "the example" needed to be made to the other Alliance members. Despite this mistreatment, Taz would still speak positively about Austin and The Alliance as a whole while on commentary. He eventually left the
stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
after he finally stood up to Austin and attacked Paul Heyman in the weeks leading up to Survivor Series, where The Alliance would go on to lose to Team WWF.
Color commentator and departure (2002–2009)
With injuries mounting, Taz began performing part-time commentary on ''
Sunday Night Heat'' in October 2000. He joined the ''SmackDown!'' team in February 2001 after Jerry Lawler quit the company, after calling his first
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 guid ...
on
No Way Out with
Jim Ross
James William Ross (born January 3, 1952) is an American professional wrestling commentator currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator, analyst, and senior advisor. Ross is best known for a long and distinguished career as ...
, as well as becoming one of the trainers for the joint WWF/
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
produced reality series ''
Tough Enough''.
Lawler returned to the company on November 19, 2001 and resumed his place as commentator, with Taz becoming both a wrestler and a commentator. In January 2002, he and
Spike Dudley
Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
won the
WWF Tag Team Championship
The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...
, holding it for over a month before losing it to
Billy and Chuck
Billy and Chuck were a professional wrestling tag team of Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo who performed in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2001 to 2002. They were two-time WWE World Tag Team Champions. The two men were depicted as a same-sex ...
.
When World Wrestling Entertainment
split into two brands, Taz was put on the
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 simulc ...
brand, where he resumed his color commentator duties. Not long after he retired from the ring, he became a full-time broadcaster.
He co-hosted ''SmackDown!'' for World Wrestling Entertainment until a third brand,
ECW ECW may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* Extreme Championship Wrestling (originally Eastern Championship Wrestling), a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001
* The Alliance (professional wrestling) (originally the WCW/E ...
, was introduced in 2006, at which point he became the color commentator for that show.
He was also the co-host, with Joey Styles, of ''History of
Extreme Championship Wrestling
HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...
'' on
WWE 24/7 Classics
WWE Classics On Demand was an American subscription video on demand television service provided by WWE. It featured footage from WWE's WWE Video Library, vast archive of wrestling footage, including classic WWE, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), ...
, a show that re-airs archived episodes of the original ECW's weekly television programs. Before and during episodes he and Styles provide insight into the storylines, inner workings, and general ambiance of ECW at the time—as they remember it.
In February 2006, Taz and his ''SmackDown!'' broadcasting partner,
Michael Cole, hosted a week-long trial run of a show on
Howard 101
Howard 100 and Howard 101 are two uncensored channels on Sirius XM, a satellite radio service that broadcasts programming affiliated with Howard Stern and ''The Howard Stern Show''. Though the channels were first broadcast on September 29, 200 ...
on
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings.
Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Sirius ...
, but the show was not picked up. He also hosted a talk show on
92.3 Free FM at sporadic intervals between late summer 2006 and early 2007, but it was not picked up and the station changed formats, replacing all post morning programming with music. On June 11, 2006, Taz wrestled his final match to date, defeating Jerry Lawler at
ECW One Night Stand.
During the recording of the April 29, 2008 episode of ''
ECW ECW may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* Extreme Championship Wrestling (originally Eastern Championship Wrestling), a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001
* The Alliance (professional wrestling) (originally the WCW/E ...
'', Taz's broadcast partner
Mike Adamle
Michael David Adamle (born October 4, 1949) is a former American football player and sports broadcaster.
Adamle was a sports anchor at other Chicago television stations, including WLS-TV from 1982 to 1989 before hosting '' American Gladiators'', ...
abruptly walked off set prior to the main event. Moments later, after reading the promo for the upcoming pay-per-view, Taz walked out as well, leaving the main event with no commentators. On December 13, 2010, Taz joined Right After Wrestling and said that it "pisses him off" when companies try to re-create the original ECW. He stated that the original ECW worked because "It was that era, that group of people, that leader in Paul Heyman. We were that little engine that could."
In August 2008, Taz filled in for
Mick Foley
Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador.
Foley worked for m ...
as a color commentator on the SmackDown brand after
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
attacked Foley in the previous week, while Raw wrestler
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, Luch ...
filled in for Taz on the ECW brand. When Foley left the company, Taz became the permanent color commentator for the SmackDown brand once again. On April 3, 2009, WWE announced that Taz left WWE when his contract had expired before
WrestleMania 25
WrestleMania 25 (also marketed as The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and written as WrestleMania 25th Anniversary) was the 25th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). ...
. Two days later after his departure from WWE, his WWE.com profile was moved from the active SmackDown roster list to the alumni list for a short time before being completely removed, and confirming his departure from the company.
In October 2018, Taz talked about what led to his WWE departure stating "I left on my own terms. My contract was up the week going into WrestleMania, I wasn’t there. That was it. I was done at the Dallas TV before that...They offered me a new deal, which was a great deal...I had to get out of there....I saw Vince in Dallas and I officially gave word, shook his hand, said I was leaving in Dallas. He and I were crying and hugging, ‘I’m gonna miss you.’ I thanked him for everything. It was great. I remember talking to Stephanie
cMahonand Triple H……Stephanie was just looking at me, ‘I’m really surprised. Why are you doing this?’ She couldn’t understand why I would leave. She wasn’t mean. She wasn’t disrespectful. ‘I need to do this. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. There’s no ill will.’ She was the same way with me. So was Hunter. They were extremely awesome to me; but, like an adult to an adult she was just wondering why and I was, 'I just need a break'". In April 2020, Taz further reflected his other reasons for his WWE departure stating "I didn’t want to be around anybody named McMahon at that time, They were annoying, and it was the pompous, the arrogance. But the arrogance, not politics, the arrogance. That’s what I keep saying. That’s the adjective that keeps jumping out at me. Just the disposition of that elitist attitude, it got to the point where I was like, ‘you know what?..I’m out".
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2009–2015)
At
Victory Road, Senercia, under his Taz ring name, made his official
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 promot ...
(TNA) debut during
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel Seanoa (born March 17, 1979), is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Samoa Joe who is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Joe is currently a double champion - in his first reign both as AEW ...
's match against
Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-eart ...
, revealing himself to be Joe's
on-screen
An on-screen display (OSD) is an image superimposed on a screen picture, commonly used by modern television sets, video cassette recorder, VCRs, and DVD players to display information such as volume, channel, and time.
History
In the past, mos ...
adviser and consequently a
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 ...
as well as an ally of the
Main Event Mafia
The Main Event Mafia (MEM) was an American professional wrestling stable in the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Beginning in 2008, the group included former WWF/E wrestler Kurt Angle as leader, four of the former World C ...
. The match ending was booked as Taz's presence enabling Joe to recover from Sting's ''
Scorpion Deathlock'' and win the match via submission after applying the ''
Coquina Clutch''.
On the August 20, 2009 episode of ''
Impact!'', Taz replaced
Don West as the promotion's color commentator and also became a
face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
upon stating that he was only loosely associated with the Mafia and that he had taught Joe everything he knew and that it was now up to Joe to use his newfound skills. In May 2012, Taz began appearing as a judge in the monthly TNA Gut Check, Gut Check segment on ''Impact Wrestling''.
On the January 17, 2013 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Taz was a groomsman at the wedding between Mark LoMonaco, Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan. As Ray and Brooke exchanged their vows, Taz interrupted the ceremony and proclaimed himself to be a member of Aces & Eights after revealing a kutte underneath his coat, turning heel again in the process. Following his revelation, Aces & Eights ambushed the ceremony and attacked Ray, his groomsmen
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
and Spike Dudley, Brother Runt and Brooke's father Hulk Hogan. The following week on ''Impact Wrestling'', Taz revealed that he joined Aces & Eights because of his desire to be a member of a group that adheres to a higher power.
On the November 21 episode of ''Impact Wrestling'', Aces & Eights was forced to disband after Bully Ray lost to Ken Anderson (wrestler), Mr. Anderson, which also saw Anderson retain his career in TNA.
On April 15, 2015, it was officially announced that Taz had departed TNA.
Three days later on April 18, 2015, Taz stated that what led to his TNA departure was "that he was asked for his release and he got it and said that it was all professional and he left the proper way. He revealed that his deal was up in the Summer anyway and was already looking into alternatives and the way he said it was that he was not going to renew his deal anyway even though TNA wanted him to stay. He confirmed the reports that payments were not coming in and his checks came late and had to do what he had to do. “I did a service, I wasn’t paid for that service,“ Taz said, adding that TNA understood his situation. Once the checks were not coming, he gave TNA his notice and that was it. He said that he would have liked to make a little bit more money but then again everyone felt like that and despite not making the most he was happy from the financial side of things".
WWE cameo (2016)
In November 2016, Taz made an appearance on the WWE Network special, ''The Authentic Untold Story of ECW'', alongside former ECW management Paul Heyman and wrestlers Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, and Tommy Dreamer. In the one-hour special hosted by Corey Graves, the guests talked about their experiences in ECW and the promotion's legacy on professional wrestling.
All Elite Wrestling (2019–present)
On October 12, 2019, Taz made a guest appearance for
All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE.
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, w ...
(AEW), where he appeared on the October 22nd edition of ''AEW Dark'' as a guest commentator. On November 9, 2019, Taz made his guest appearance during AEW Full Gear, Full Gear as the pre-show commentator. On the January 1, 2020 episode of ''AEW Dynamite'', Taz made his ''Dynamite'' debut on commentary filling in for Tony Schiavone. On January 16, 2020, it was announced that Taz had officially signed a multi-year deal with AEW, and he was made a member of the AEW broadcast team.
At Double or Nothing (2020), Double or Nothing on May 20, 2020, Taz accompanied newcomer Brian Cage to the ring during the Casino Ladder Match and in what appeared to be the role of a manager, establishing himself as a
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 the process. Cage would win the match, which also made him the number one contender for the AEW World Championship,
and Taz celebrated the victory with him afterwards.
On Night 2 of Fyter Fest, Taz rewarded Cage with the FTW Championship he held during his later years in ECW.
At Fight for the Fallen (2020), Fight for the Fallen, Cage lost to Jon Moxley after Taz threw in the towel. Soon after, Taz would recruit Ricky Starks to create a group known as Team Taz along with Cage as they began feuding with Darby Allin. On the November 18, 2020 episode of ''Dynamite'', Will Hobbs (wrestler), Will Hobbs joined Team Taz after hitting Cody Rhodes with Cage's FTW championship belt and then helping Taz, Cage and Starks when they attacked Rhodes and Allin.
On August 4, 2021, it was announced that Taz would permanently join the commentary team on ''AEW Rampage'' beginning August 13, 2021. In June 2022, Taz switched to full-time commentary on ''AEW Dynamite'', in a commentary team rotation swap with
Jim Ross
James William Ross (born January 3, 1952) is an American professional wrestling commentator currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator, analyst, and senior advisor. Ross is best known for a long and distinguished career as ...
.
Professional wrestling style, persona and legacy
Taz's character was influenced by The Missing Link (wrestler), The Missing Link,
The Steiner Brothers
The Steiner Brothers are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Robert "Rick Steiner" Rechsteiner and Scott "Scott Steiner" Rechsteiner.
The brothers wrestled as amateurs at the University of Michigan. The team ma ...
and The Wild Samoans. Taz is nicknamed the "Human Suplex Machine" due to his wide array of suplex variations he would utilise in matches. His finishing move, the ''Tazmission'', is a Kata ha jime, Katahajime judo chokehold. He also sometimes combined this submission with a suplex, creating a half nelson choke suplex, called the ''Tazmission-Plex''.
He has also claimed to have named the T-Bone Suplex. When Taz was signed by WWF, other wrestlers complained to Vince McMahon about his style, calling him dangerous and didn't want to work with him. However, Kurt Angle defended Taz, saying that "Taz was never dangerous with his suplexes".
Personal life
Senerchia is of Italian people, Italian descent. He married Teresa Smith, and together they have one son, Tyler Cole (born May 4, 1999), who wrestles under the ring name Hook (wrestler), Hook.
[hook's bio](_blank)
/ref> Tyler has trained with Cody Rhodes and made several appearances in AEW as part of his father's stable Team Taz, debuting in action on December 10, 2021.
Senerchia has a tattoo of the Tasmanian Devil (Looney Tunes), Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil on his upper right biceps, which he states he got after being inspired by an identical tattoo sported by Road Warrior Animal. He also has a self-designed tattoo on his left lower biceps.
Senerchia played high school football, as well as in college, playing for the LIU Sharks football, LIU Post Pioneers. He also studied judo prior to entering the professional wrestling circuit, reaching a second-degree black belt.[Loverro, Thom (2006). '']The Rise and Fall of ECW
''The Rise and Fall of ECW'' is a 2004 direct-to-video documentary produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It chronicles the history of Philadelphia-based professional wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling. The documentary ...
''. Pocket Books. . p. 73 He is a fan of the New York Mets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Islanders, and the Buffalo Bills.
Legal issues
In September 1998, Senerchia was arrested on charges of indecent exposure and contributing to the delinquency of a child after allegedly exposing himself to a 15 year-old salon worker during a massage. The charges were dropped in October 1999.
Other media
Beginning in 2018, Senerchia was a nationally syndicated morning radio personality, co-hosting ''Taz and The Moose'' with Marc "The Moose" Malusis on CBS Sports Radio weekdays from 6-9 a.m. Eastern. In December 2019, Senerchia announced he was leaving the show.
Senerchia also had his own podcast, called ''The Taz Show'', (formerly known as ''The Human Podcast Machine)'', where he discusses the latest in the professional wrestling world. The show has since discontinued.
Senerchia (as Taz) appears as a playable character in ''ECW Hardcore Revolution'', ''WWF No Mercy (video game), WWF No Mercy, WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role'', WWE WrestleMania X8 (video game)'', ''WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It'', ''WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth'', ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007'' and ''WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009''.
Championships and accomplishments
*Century Wrestling Alliance
The Century Wrestling Alliance, formerly known as NWA Cold Front and NWA New England, is a New England-based American independent wrestling promotion located in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded by Tony Rumble in 1989, a retired wrestler and ...
** CWA Cruiserweight Championship, CWA Light Heavyweight Championship (CWA Cruiserweight Championship#Title history, 1 time)
*Extreme Championship Wrestling, Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling
** ECW World Heavyweight Championship (List of ECW World Heavyweight Champions, 2 times)
** FTW Championship, FTW Heavyweight Championship (FTW Championship#Title history, 2 times, inaugural)
** ECW World Television Championship (List of ECW World Television Champions, 2 times)
** ECW World Tag Team Championship (List of ECW World Tag Team Champions, 3 times) – with Kevin Sullivan (2)1 and Sabu (1)
** Third Triple Crown (professional wrestling)#List of ECW Triple Crown winners, ECW Triple Crown Champion
* International World Class Championship Wrestling
International World Class Championship Wrestling (IWCCW, originally known as International Championship Wrestling) was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was promoted by Angelo Savoldi and his son ...
** IWCCW Light Heavyweight Championship (IWCCW Light Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time)
* ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated''
** Ranked No. 10 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1999
**PWI ranked him No. 147 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
* 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 vario ...
** WWE Hardcore Championship, WWF Hardcore Championship (List of WWE Hardcore Champions, 3 times)2
** WWF Tag Team Championship
The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...
(List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE), 1 time) – with Spike Dudley
Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...
*''List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards, Wrestling Observer Newsletter''
** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Gimmick, Worst Gimmick (2013) Aces & Eights
** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Television Announcer, Worst Television Announcer (2013)
**List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Best Non-Wrestler, Best Non-Wrestler (2020)
*Victory Championship Wrestling
**VCW Hall of Fame (Class of 2018)
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taz
1967 births
Aces & Eights members
All Elite Wrestling personnel
American color commentators
American male professional wrestlers
American people of Italian descent
American professional wrestlers of Italian descent
American podcasters
ECW Heavyweight Champions/ECW World Heavyweight Champions
ECW World Tag Team Champions
ECW World Television Champions
Living people
LIU Post alumni
Sportspeople from Brooklyn
Professional wrestlers from New York (state)
Professional wrestling announcers
Professional wrestling managers and valets
Professional wrestling podcasters
Professional wrestling trainers
The Dangerous Alliance members
ECW Originals members
WWF/WWE Hardcore Champions
20th-century professional wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
Professional wrestlers from New York City
FTW Champions
ICW/IWCCW Light Heavyweight Champions
People from Red Hook, Brooklyn