Spike Dudley
 |
Matt Hyson  | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 13, 1971 Providence, Rhode Island, United States |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Runt Brother Runt Matt Hyson Spike Dudley Little Spike Dudley |
| Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Billed weight | [undue weight? – discuss] |
| Billed from | Dudleyville, New York City, New York, United States |
| Trained by | Ric Thompson (APW Boot Camp) |
| Debut | 1996 |
Matthew Johnathan Hyson (born August 13, 1971) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his performances in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name "Spike Dudley" and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name "Brother Runt". He is currently employed under the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion.
Early career
Prior to his wrestling career, Hyson was a third grade English teacher. During the documentary Beyond the Mat, a heavily bleeding Hyson delivers the line "I shall, I do" (Henry IV of England's response to a request by Sir John Falstaff in the Shakespearean play Henry IV, Part 1).
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Hyson gained fame as "Little" Spike Dudley, as a part of Extreme Championship Wrestling's infamous Dudley family. His part in the family was an underdog. His initials (LSD) and finishing move (a three-quarters facelock bulldog named the "Acid Drop") were both drug references and, at times, he would stare at his hands waving in front of him as if he were on a trip. He was also originally played off as the very incompetent and mentally handicapped member of the Dudley family, a problem that saw him usually fighting with the other members of the Dudley clan. He was also the last member of the Dudley family to remain in ECW until the company's demise in 2001.
He was the "runt" of the family.
Spike became popular with the fans, teaming with multiple people while feuding with his brothers. He was even able to take the ECW Tag Team titles from The Dudley Boyz with his partner Balls Mahoney on two occasions, as well as been in the main event on some occasions, such as Guilty as Charged 2000, where he would face Mike Awesome for the ECW world heavyweight championship, in a losing effort.
In one memorable moment in not only Spike's career but in ECW history in general Bam Bam Bigelow threw Spike from the ring, over the top rope, and into the crowd. The fans caught him and proceeded to body surf him around the ECW Arena. This incident was incorporated into the ECW TV introduction for years. Spike stayed with ECW until it folded in 2001.
World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
After moving to World Wrestling Federation the drug elements of his character were dropped and his finisher was renamed the "Dudley Dog".
Spike made his WWF TV debut on the March 19, 2001 episode of Raw is War, helping The Dudley Boys win the Tag Team titles. He had an on-screen courtship with Molly Holly which enraged both his brothers and The Holly Cousins leading to a feud between the two tag teams and put Molly and Spike in the middle of the feud. They reportedly had a backstage relationship as well.
Spike wrestled mainly as a face during his time in WWF/WWE. His feuds and alliances with his two older brothers, Bubba Ray and D-Von often took center stage, but he would go on to form short lived tag teams with The Big Show (nicknamed The Little Show), Bubba Ray, and Tazz with whom he won the Tag Team titles from the Dudley Boyz with in 2002. In that same year he won the European and Hardcore championships. During WWE's feud with the Alliance, Spike Dudley was thrown through a table by his older brothers. Spike usually was tossed around like a rag doll during this time period.
Spike was drafted to the SmackDown! brand in 2004 where he would at one point hold the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. During this time Spike's biggest exposure came when he turned heel by attacking popular face wrestler Rey Mysterio; he then began to wrestle as the "boss" of the Dudley Boyz. He made his last appearance with WWE at ECW One Night Stand on June 12, 2005.
Hyson was released from WWE on July 5, 2005 along with seven other WWE wrestlers in what was thought to have been a cost-cutting measure by the company.
Independent Circuit / Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Upon leaving WWE, Hyson renamed himself Matt "LSD" Hyson, due to the fact he does not legally own the term Spike Dudley. Hyson went on to wrestle at Shane Douglas' Hardcore Homecoming and would compete regularly for both the NYWC and Top Rope Promotions.
Hyson debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling on the April 13, 2006 episode of TNA iMPACT!, preventing Eric Young from driving Devon Hughes through a table and attacking each member of Team Canada. Hyson then celebrated with Hughes and Lamonica (now known as Brother Devon and Brother Ray), with TNAWrestling.com identifying him as "Brother Runt". Brother Runt would continue to be a part of Team 3D during feuds with Abyss and the James Gang.
In mid-2006, Hyson opened his own pro wrestling training school in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
At TNA's "Hardcore War" show, Spike stated that he had been sent a contract to compete at WWE's One Night Stand. Spike took out the contract and tore it into pieces in front of the live crowd stating that he was remaining loyal to TNA.
Through the rest of the year, Brother Runt continued to feud with Abyss and several other heavyweight wrestlers while having a short-lived alliance with Raven (Raven saved Brother Runt from being smashed through two stacked tables covered in thumbtack-covered boards from Abyss, before throwing Abyss in himself), before he turned on Raven on September 15, 2006. In September/October of 2006 Hyson had formed a new look, very similar to Travis Bickle in the hit 1976 movie Taxi Driver complete with Bickle's trademark green army jacket and mohawk. On the December 21 episode of iMPACT! Brother Runt made his first TNA appearance in a while dressed up as Santa Claus, and was subsequently beaten down by The Latin American Exchange until being saved by Eric Young, Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal, and Petey Williams.
On an episode of iMPACT, Runt went against Homicide of The Latin American Exchange in a Mexican Street Fight. Homicide would win after Hernandez did the Border Toss to Runt on to a ladder. After the match Homicide tried to use Da Gringo Killa on Runt, but Brother Ray and Brother Devon came out to make the save.
However just a few weeks later at TNA's 'Final Resolution' Pay-Per-View on January 21st 2007, a drunk Brother Runt cost his Team 3D team mates Ray and Devon their NWA World Tag Team Title match against The LAX (Latin American Exchange) by jumping onto Homicide.
Runt soon returned to the April 12 edition of iMPACT! after being attacked by LAX backstage. He was mocked by Konnan who fired a taser gun at him causing Runt to roll around in pain. Brother Runt did not appear on TV since, although he did appear at TNA house shows.
On August 15, 2007, Runt was released from TNA.
CZW
On August 23, 2007, it was announced that Hyson would be working for CZW. Hyson will be wrestling under the name Spike Dudley again as he did in WWE and the original ECW. Hyson made his CZW debut on September 8, 2007.
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
- Nicknames
- The Runt of the Litter (When referring to the Dudley Family, or just in general)
- The Boss (when he led the Dudley Boys)
- The Giant Killer (making fun of Legend killer"Randy Orton) except he takes down giants
- L.S.D.
- The Little Show/Little Show (when he teamed with The Big Show)
Championships and accomplishments
- Chaotic Wrestling
- CW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kyle Storm
- New York Wrestling Connection
- NYWC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- PWI ranked him # 455 of the 500 Best Singles Wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
External links
