Tommy Dreamer: Difference between revisions
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/extremists/tommydreamer/profile/ ECW Profile] |
*[http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/extremists/tommydreamer/profile/ ECW Profile] |
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*[http://www.declarationofindependents.net/doi/pages/xpwbarberaug.html Tommy Dreamer achknowledges adult film appearance] |
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[[Category:1971 births|Dreamer, Tommy]] |
[[Category:1971 births|Dreamer, Tommy]] |
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Revision as of 01:35, 6 January 2007
| Thomas Laughlin | |
|---|---|
| File:TDreamer.jpg | |
| Born | February 14, 1971 Yonkers, New York |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Bobby Ocean T.D. Madison Tommy Dreamer |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Trained by | Johnny Rodz |
| Debut | 1989 |
Thomas Laughlin (born February 14, 1971), better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer, is an American professional wrestler, of Italian and Irish descent, currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling for the ECW brand.
Career
Breaking In
Laughlin started wrestling in the New England area as Bobby Ocean against "Curly Moe" (a wrestler with a gimmick inspired by the Three Stooges) in 1989. He soon changed his name to T.D. Madison to team with G.Q. Madison as The Madison Brothers in International World Class Championship Wrestling, where they won the tag team titles twice.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
He debuted as Tommy Dreamer in 1993 for Extreme Championship Wrestling and was a mainstay there until it closed in 2001. While there he was often considered "the heart" of ECW and a number of the best remembered moments from ECW involve him, including attacking an opponent with a Shiwala wash (a car-washing brush) while ECW was being aired on SportsChannel America. The Shiwala attack was mostly a joke as infomercials for the Shiwala Wash were often aired on the same channel, sometimes right after the ECW show ended[citation needed]. He was also the first wrestler to kick out of "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka's Superfly Splash.
His original gimmick was that of a pretty boy, wearing suspenders and loose fitting tights. As time went on Dreamer evolved with the ECW mindset becoming more and more extreme. One of the catalysts for the change was his first major feud with The Sandman which saw him (kayfabe) accidentally hit The Sandman, which knocked a cigarette into his eye when he struck him with a Singapore cane. When The Sandman went down to the mat grabbing his eye Dreamer (seemingly) broke kayfabe by standing over what moments ago was his opponent and screaming about how he "didn't mean to do it" and that it was "an accident". In truth this was all a (rather revolutionary) planned out ECW angle that was designed to blur the line between real life and the world of wrestling.
Though the blind Sandman angle was his first major feud in ECW, his most memorable came against Raven and started in April of 1995. The two, who had been (kayfabe) childhood friends, constantly brawled through ECW for over two years. They threw everything they had at each other, including Raven bringing another childhood friend Beulah McGillicutty out as a way to get into Dreamers head. Dreamer was unable to score a pinfall on Raven for the entire feud until he pinned Raven in a Loser Leaves Town match before Raven went to World Championship Wrestling.
He also feuded with Justin Credible and Shane Douglas while there, and was the main ECW representative in the ECW vs. United States Wrestling Association (USWA) feud with Jerry Lawler in 1997.
In 1999 Dreamer found himself actually teaming with his former blood enemy Raven when he returned to ECW. He would also become an ECW World Heavyweight Champion when he won the belt in 2000 from Taz, but then lost the belt just 18 minutes later to Justin Credible via interference by Francine.
ECW would close its doors soon after and Dreamer would follow former ECW owner Paul Heyman to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2001 after a few appearances on the independent circuit.
World Wrestling Entertainment
While in WWE, Dreamer won the WWE Hardcore Championship on several occasions, including being the last Hardcore champion before the title was unified with the WWE Intercontiental Title. Dreamer would also renew his feud with Raven even picking up another win over him, this time in a loser leaves RAW match on June 24, 2002 which sent Raven to RAW's sister show, HEAT. Tommy Dreamer also did a short-lived angle where he ate disgusting things, which was based on the MTV television show Jackass. Tommy would also have shortlived feuds with Big Show, Christopher Nowinski and the tag team of William Regal and Lance Storm.
As 2003 and 2004 went on, Dreamer slowly began to drop off WWE TV and could be occasionally found wrestling on the independent circuit all over the world. Dreamer would occasionally appear to do guest commentary in WWE and went on to forge a close association with some of WWE's training territories. This lead to him becoming a part of RAW's creative team and then, when his performers contract expired, a road agent.
ECW brand
Dreamer played a major part in the revival of ECW in WWE. He, along with Paul Heyman, booked the first One Night Stand pay-per-view event (Vince McMahon had most control over the second) and then Dreamer joined the extension brand as a part of the main roster.
During the build up to the relaunch of ECW Dreamer feuded with RAW's Edge and Mick Foley leading to a match at One Night Stand which saw Dreamer, Terry Funk and Beulah lose to Foley, Edge and Lita. He briefly feuded with Big Show before embarking on a feud with Sandman against Paul Heyman, Test and Mike Knox. His feud with them ended on August 22, 2006 when Dreamer pinned Mike Knox. It was Dreamer's first TV win in a WWE ring since October 2003 and in ECW since January 2001. WWE announced on August 9 that Laughlin (Dreamer) was no longer director of WWE's developmental program, Laughlin reportedly wanted to be a full-time wrestler and is pleased with the decision. Mike Bucci (Super Nova/Simon Dean) has replaced Laughlin. Dreamer had a brief two week feud with Kevin Thorn where Dreamer gave Thorn his first loss. Dreamer is currently involved in a feud with The Great Khali.
Personal life
On October 12, 2002 at the Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester, New York, Laughlin married Trisa Hayes (Beulah McGillicutty), with whom he later had twin girls, Brianna Laughlin and Kimberly Laughlin.
The twins appeared in a sixth season episode of "The Sopranos" (The Ride) as Domenica Baccalieri, Tony Soprano's baby niece.
Career Outside of wrestling
Tommy has appeared in comedy shows such as Comedy At Club 54 [citation needed]
Tommy Dreamer makes a cameo in the adult film "Whack Attack 5" by Extreme Associates.
He and New Jack appeared together in an episode of the TV series "Early Edition" as bikers.
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
- Dreamer DDT (Vertical snap DDT)
- Dreamer Driver / Spicolli Driver (Death Valley driver)
- Sitout side powerslam
- Dreamer Cutter (Cutter)
- Tommyhawk (Reverse crucifix hold into cutter)
- Piledriver
- Signature foreign object: Barbed wire Wrapped 2x4
- Various other weapons (garbage cans, chairs, etc.)
- Managers
- Nicknames
- "The Innovator of Violence"
- Theme music
- For the majority of his ECW career, Dreamer used the Alice In Chains song Man in the Box for his theme music. At the 2005 One Night Stand he used an instrumental of Man in the Box performed by "Harry Slash & The Slashtones". They preformed yet another version for the WWE vs. ECW special on June 7, 2006, and he has since adopted that one as his theme for the new ECW.
Championships and accomplishments
- Century Wrestling Alliance
- CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- ECW World Championship (1 time)
- ECW Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Johnny Gunn (1), Raven (1), and Masato Tanaka (1)
- KYDA Pro Wrestling
- KYDA Pro Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA New England Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Southwest Premier Wrestling
- SPW Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Ranked #184 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.