Dennis Knight

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Dennis Knight
Statistics
Ring name(s) Dennis Knight
Leatherface
Bogus Mankind
Midian
Mideon[1]
Naked Mideon[1]
Phineas I. Godwinn[1]
Tex Slazenger[1]
Billed height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[1]
Billed weight 288 lb (131 kg)[1]
Born December 26, 1968 (1968-12-26) (age 39)[1]
Biggers, Arkansas, U.S.[1]
Resides Tampa, Florida, U.S.[1]
Trained by Steve Keirn
Debut 1988[1]
Retired 2006

Dennis Knight[1] (born December 26, 1968)[1] is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.

Contents

[edit] Career

While working as a bouncer in Clearwater, Florida, in 1989, Dennis Knight was introduced to Steve Keirn, who trained him as a professional wrestler. He debuted in the same year using the name Tex Slazenger, facing his stepfather in his first match. When Slazenger signed with the United States Wrestling Association, he was given a Leatherface gimmick based on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre character complete with “bloodstained” apron, leather mask and chainsaw (without the chain). He was pushed as a “Monster” into a program with Jerry Lawler. During one infamous match between the two, Slazenger was set on fire in a preplanned stunt. Despite being briefly engulfed in flames after a fireball by Jerry Lawler (and gasoline being squirted on Slazenger’s apron) he walked away without a scratch because of his thick clothing.[2] After dropping the Leatherface gimmick, Tex teamed up with Mark Canterbury who wrestled as the masked “Master Blaster”.

Slazenger was later hired by World Championship Wrestling alongside the Master Blaster who was renamed “Shanghai Pierce” The team was dubbed "The Texicans" by color commentator Jesse Ventura. They remained with the promotion until 1994 without achieving much success.

When both men left WCW, Canterbury signed with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name "Henry Godwinn" while Slazinger returned to the USWA. In the USWA, Slazinger captured the USWA Southern Title on two occasions, defeating Brian Christopher both times.[3]

In 1996, Knight was reunited with Canterbury and renamed Phineas I. Godwinn when he signed with the WWF. The duo were portrayed as being cousins and were collectively known as The Godwinns. Over the following two years, The Godwinns held the WWF Tag Team Championship on two occasions.[3] They were managed by Cletus Godwinn (Tony Anthony), Hillbilly Jim, and Sunny.

In 1997, in a match between The Godwinns and the Legion of Doom, Canterbury suffered a cracked C7 vertebra when the Legion of Doom botched a Doomsday Device. He was advised by doctors to rest for 15 weeks, but returned to the ring in less than eight weeks.[4] Later that year, the Godwinns dropped their pig farmer gimmicks and became "Southern Justice", the bodyguards of Tennessee Lee.[5] Six months later, Canterbury herniated his C7 vertebra and pinched a spinal nerve, necessitating spinal fusion surgery. This came as a result of him returning to the ring too early after his neck injury. He eventually left the WWF and retired, due to the neck injury suffered in 1997 leaving Knight without a partner.[4]

In early 1999, Knight returned to the WWF as Midian (later changed to Mideon), a deranged soothsayer. He was kidnapped by the Acolytes and brainwashed into joining The Ministry of Darkness, a heel stable led by The Undertaker. Throughout 1999, The Ministry feuded with Stone Cold Steve Austin, with Knight often teaming up with Viscera. Knight "won" the European Championship in this time when he found it in Shane McMahon's bag.[3] When The Undertaker was injured in late 1999, the Ministry disbanded, and Knight was once again removed from television. He reappeared briefly as a Mankind imitator.

Knight returned in a limited capacity in 2000 as Naked Mideon, a comedy character who ran around arenas wearing only a fanny pack and a thong. At No Mercy 2000 he tried to reclaim the European Championship from William Regal, but was defeated.[6] Knight then wrestled in a few dark matches under his previous moniker Tex Slazenger, but was eventually released on good terms.

Knight appeared at the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling event TNA Destination X 2005 on March 13, 2005 during the scheduled match between Monty Brown and Trytan. In the course of the match, the lights went off and Trytan vanished from the ring. When the lights came on, a masked Knight was in his place and was quickly pinned by Brown. TNA never revealed on air who was under the mask.[7] In March 2006, Knight wrestled several dark matches for World Wrestling Entertainment under his own name.[8]

[edit] In wrestling

  • Finishing and signature moves
  • Managers

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • Independent Professional Wrestling
  • IPW Hardcore Championship(1 time)
  • Fighting Spirit Pro Wrestling
  • FSPW Hardcore Championship(1 time)

[edit] Personal life

  • Knight has an eyeball tattooed on the back of his head and a tattoo of Doc Holliday on his left arm. He also has other tattoos on both of his arms including a rebel flag on his right arm.

[edit] References

Professional wrestling
Portal
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Mideon Profile. Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  2. ^ Lawler, Jerry (2002). It’s good to be the King… Sometimes. 
  3. ^ a b c Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0969816154. 
  4. ^ a b O Henry!. WWE.com. Retrieved on April 17, 2007.
  5. ^ Graham Cawthon. WWF Show Results 1998. Retrieved on April 16, 2007. “(June 1, 1998) Jeff Jarrett (w/ Tennessee Lee & Southern Justice) pinned Farooq after hitting him with Lee's belt buckle as Southern Justice distracted the referee; prior to the bout Tennessee Lee introduced the repackaged Godwinns as Southern Justice”
  6. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WWF No Mercy Results (2000). Retrieved on April 16, 2007.
  7. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. TNA No Mercy Results (2005). Retrieved on April 16, 2007.
  8. ^ Graham Cawthon. WWF Show Results (2006). Retrieved on April 16, 2007.
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