Damien Demento
| Phil Theis | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 26, 1958 Long Island |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Mondo Kleen Damien Demento |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Billed weight | 258 lb (117 kg) |
| Billed from | Kleen: Man's Deepest Fear[1] Demento: The Outer Reaches of Your Mind |
| Trained by | Johnny Rodz[1] |
| Debut | July 22, 1990 |
| Retired | 2001 |
Phil Theis (born June 25 1958) is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his work as Damien Demento in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from October 1992 to October 1993.
Career
Early career
Born on June 25, 1958 in Long Island, Theis was trained by Johnny Rodz in the late 1980s and debuted as a professional wrestler in independent circuit as Mondo Kleen, wrestling his first match on July 22, 1990 at the age of 32.
World Wrestling Federation (1992-1993)
Theis signed a contract with World Wrestling Federation in the early 1990s and debuted in WWF at a live event on October 2, 1992 against Jeff Jarrett.[2] In WWF, he wrestled under the heel gimmick of "Damien Demento", who hailed from "The Outer Reaches of Your Mind" and showed such disturbed behavior as hearing and speaking to voices. Though his run in the WWF was relatively short-lived, he does have the distinction of having wrestled the first main event of the company's long lived Monday Night Raw program on January 11, 1993 in a loss to The Undertaker.[3] He competed in the 1993 Royal Rumble match and lasted over twelve minutes before being eliminated by Carlos Colón.[4] While the majority of his wins on television were over unknown enhancement talent, he attained several notable victories over the likes of Jumping Jim Brunzell, Tito Santana, and Virgil.[5] Theis left the WWF in October 1993[5] and after a stint on the east coast independent circuit, he left the wrestling business altogether.
Death
Phil Theis died Friday, April 10, 2009 at 1:36 am, at Lenox Hill Hospital, on Manhattan's Upper East Side.[6] The cause appears to be a tragic accident in relation to a plastic surgery operation due to Theis's jealously towards actor Mickey Rourke.[7]
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
References
- ^ a b "Damien Demento Interview". Icons of the Ring. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
- ^ "WWF Show Results 1992". Angelfire. October 2. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
Jeff Jarrett defeated Mondo Kleen
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "WWE Raw Results - 1993". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
January 11, 1993[...]The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer b Damien Demento
- ^ "Royal Rumble Entrance and Elimination Information: 1993". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
- ^ a b http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/93.htm
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/user/DamianThanksYou
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHQWb8ZE0iI&feature=channel_page
Further reading
- Mazer, Sharon. Professional Wrestling: Sport and Spectacle. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1998. ISBN 1-57806-020-6