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Reginald Vanderhoff (real name Jason Matthew Willis born June 28 1972) is an independent wrestling manager, referee and announcer. Vanderhoff is primarily based in South Carolina, however, his promotional radius includes the states of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and West Virginia.

Early Career

Introduced to ring announcer Kevin Moon and wrestler Jess Bradley, Vanderhoff was introduced to Eastern Wrestling Federation (Charleston, SC) promoter Beth Garrett in July of 2000. After several meetings, Garrett hired Vanderhoff as a referee. Despite no formal wrestling training, Vanderhoff would stay with the promotion for six months and its head referee under the name Reggie Hoffman.

Vanderhoff would eventually split with the EWF and enter into a training school under the tutelage of Bob Keller, Buck Forrester and Glen Moran. After several weeks, Keller deemed Vanderhoff ready to continue work as a referee. Vanderhoff traveled with Keller to Championship Pro Wrestling in Moorefield West Virginia in February of 2001. Vanderhoff would travel extensively throughout 2001, bouncing from Jay Eagle’s American Pro Wrestling in Chesnee, SC, Championship Pro Wrestling, Carolina Championship Wrestling (CCW) in Columbia, SC and would eventually land in another Charleston, SC based promotion none other than the re-started American Classic Wrestling (ACW) in November 2001.

The Birth of Reginald Vanderhoff

It was during his stint in Carolina Championship Wrestling that the Reginald Vanderhoff character was born. Vanderhoff was inserted at the last minute as Jess Bradley’s manager in June 2001 in a match in Batesburg, SC at the urging of Bradley and one of Bradley’s opponents for the evening, the Amazing Velvet. Despite promoter Jason Hutto’s instructions “don’t get too involved”, the match would see Vanderhoff leveled on the outside by participant Tommi Feathers. Feathers would make liberal use of a steel chair on Vanderhoff that evening.

As for his name…it was a simple extension of Reggie Hoffman. Reginald is a more formal version of Reggie and Vanderhoff because according to the man himself “every rich snob you see in film has the ‘Vander’ prefix in their name whether it be Vanderburg, Vandergill, etc.”

Although introduced a manager, Vanderhoff eventually became CCW’s lead referee. Vanderhoff originally included elements of his heel or “bad guy” persona but eventually dropped them altogether.

However, in American Classic Wrestling the Jess Bradley/Amazing Velvet feud raged on. TZK (The Zebra Kid aka Skip Cook) was eventually added to counter Tommi Feathers. The duo of Bradley and Cook was now dubbed JBE or Jess Bradley Enterprises managed by Vanderhoff. Vanderhoff was a participant in a six-man tag team contest that saw him pinned by Velvet after interference by wrestler Mike Madden. The feud eventually concluded after Bradley and Velvet traded Hardcore match victories in the ACW and CCW. JBE also added a legitimate heavyweight, Mike Nova, to their stable.

The War for Control of JBE

Bradley moved into a feud with Japanese wrestler Mykata in March of 2002. Mykata was managed by Jasmine Bradley, the wife of Jess. In the storyline, JBE was part of the assets of the dissolving Bradley marriage and thus Jasmine wanted to reclaim her share. In addition Bradley and Mykata fought over the ACW Cruiserweight Championship. Mykata became the eventual champion, winning a six-man elimination contest after he pinned Bradley. A tag team contest was set up for the following month that included Alan Funk (aka Kwee Wee in WCW). Mykata and Funk won the bout and it looked as though Jasmine Bradley as well, won the control of JBE per the contractual agreement. The Swerve

Vanderhoff had been merely a background player throughout the feud with Mykata. But this quickly changed in June 2002. Thinking he would achieve more success as a babyface , Bradley purposed splitting from Vanderhoff and Cook and set about reuniting with Jasmine. The eventual angle played out to where Vanderhoff had manipulated Jess into selling him JBE’s assets prior to the tag team contract signing thus JBE itself was never on the line in the match. Mykata turned heel attacking Jasmine and Jess Bradley suddenly didn’t know on which side he stood. He protected Jasmine from further punishment and eventually ACW commissioner Tony Charles cleared the ring. Bradley reluctantly came out with Vanderhoff during his match with Paul Phoenix . Upon conclusion of the bout, Vanderhoff attacked Bradley, seeing his earlier compassion for Jasmine as a sign of weakness. Mike Nova looked to make the save but he turned on Jess as well. Unfortunately for Vanderhoff, Mykata would lose the ACW Cruiserweight title later that evening to Velvet and he would lose Mike Nova for several months as he tore his ACL in the main event with wrestler Michael Devine.

Lacking a big man, Vanderhoff would hire former CCW heavyweight champion Mack Truck. Vanderhoff would compile JBE’s assets into a new company he simply called the Vanderhoff Foundation or just The Foundation for short. Mack Truck and Mykata would feud with Bradley and Devine until the eventual end of the promotion in January 2003. Power Alley Championship Wrestling

As a result of some real life tension with Velvet (he had been the promoter of ACW), Vanderhoff set forth to form a new wrestling company. Dubbed Power Alley Championship Wrestling or PACW for short, Vanderhoff abandoned the JBE and Foundation concepts altogether instead deciding to focus on a feud with Solitude and Tank Lewis, The Armed Forces. As originally conceived, the AF would win the PACW tag team titles and would feud with a team managed by Vanderhoff. However, Tank Lewis would leave to pursue a career in Florida and Eric Gibson was inserted as Solitude’s partner and dubbed Team USA. Vanderhoff’s team of the Fabulous Playboy and Sonny Landell won the title tournament. Having heard rumors that a better financed group was thinking of running in the same area, Vanderhoff close the company after PACW drew poorly and sustained heavy box office losses.

Southern Championship Wrestling

Vanderhoff would manage Mykata in Southern Championship wrestling based in Joanna, SC in May of 2003 as they were brought in the promotion along with Solitude and Mack Truck as part of SCW’s search for fresh talent. Despite losing at small house shows throughout the year, Mykata would score big wins over Deon Johnson and The Jester in front of packed crowds of 600-700 at the Laurens Fairgrounds. It was a good time for Vanderhoff personally as SCW was a “no-pressure” company to work for as he and Myaka “simply went out, did our job, and had fun” according to Vanderhoff. Sadly the promotion closed its doors in January 2004. Carolina Pro Wrestling

After a five month absence in the Charleston area, Vanderhoff returned with a brand new Foundation: Lotus, Section 8 and Mack Truck in August of 2003.. Lotus was pushed as a singles wrestler and Truck and Section 8 targeted the CPW tag team titles. Section 8 abruptly left the promotion after his first appearance and a scramble for a new tag team partner began. Eventually the decision was made to make Mike Nova a heel (he had entered the promotion as a babyface as was the company’s heavyweight champion). Nova dropped the heavyweight title to Malachi and teamed with Mack Truck later that evening in a fatal four-way tag team match. The Armed Forces won the bout and the titles. Vanderhoff demanded that CPW Commissoner Wayne Carnagie declare The Foundation the number one contenders as they were not pinned in the bout. Carnagie, a heel, naturally granted the request.

The Foundation won the CPW tag team titles on November 4, 2003. Earlier in the evening they attacked Solitude leaving Tank Lewis to defend the titles alone. A battered Solitude eventually made his way to the ring to try to save his partner, but he was in no condition to compete and was pinned by Mack Truck. A DQ victory followed at the North Charleston Coliseum in front of over 2000 fans. The Foundation eventually lost the titles back to the Armed Forces at the Music Farm in downtown Charleston in March of 2004 with former WWE women’s champion Molly Holly in attendance. Solitude and Tank Lewis finally got their revenge on Vanderhoff as per contractual agreement Vanderhoff had to enter the ring if the Foundation lost the belts.

CPW in decline

In June of 2004, CPW began running at a small venue in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Mack Truck and Mike Nova eventually left the promotion leaving Vanderhoff in a state of flux. Over the next several months he bounced from managing different wrestlers to eventually becoming a babyface as the company’s storyline General Manager to finally becoming a ring announcer. CPW eventually closed its doors in May of 2005 due to steadily declining crowds.

CWA

While ring announcing in March of 2005 at another Music Farm show, he was discovered by David Garrick who was also the booker of CWA based in Orangeburg, SC. At the same time Bob Keller, who was working for the company as a color commentator, recommended Vanderhoff for a slot as a referee. Vanderhoff entered the promotion in April 2005 eventually becoming the ring announcer under his real name. In January 2006, Vanderhoff as Jason Willis became the company’s lead announcer on its television and DVD packages. He remains with the promotion to this day.

Old School Championship Wrestling

Formed out of the remains of CPW, OSCW began running shows in March of 2006. Vanderhoff currently manages Mack Truck who is the OSCW Heavyweight Champion as well as Lotus (formerly introduced as Roughhouse Matthews). The group runs exclusively at Weekend’s pub in Goose Creek, SC on a monthly basis.

Reginald Vanderhoff can be contacted by email at [1]