Gene Snitsky

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Gene Snitsky
An image of Gene Snitsky.
Statistics
Ring name(s) Gene Snitsky[1]
Snitsky[2]
"Mean" Gene Mondo[1]
"Mean" Gene Snisky
Billed height 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)[2]
Billed weight 307 lb (139 kg)[2]
Born January 14, 1970 (1970-01-14) (age 38)[1]
Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania
Resides Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania
Billed from Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania[2]
Trained by Afa Anoa'i[1]
Debut 1997[1]

Eugene Alan Snisky[1] (born January 14, 1970)[1] is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Snitsky, who is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestling on its Raw brand.[2]

Contents

Career

Snitsky was an offensive lineman for the University of Missouri Tigers football team. Snitsky wrestled in Ohio Valley Wrestling as "Mean Gene" Mondo, the kayfabe brother of Mike Mondo. He signed with Allentown, PA based World Xtreme Wrestling under the name "Mean Gene" Snisky (a name inspired by "Mean Gene" Okerlund) and won the tag-team championship along with his partner Robb Harper as the Twin Tackles. When he entered singles competition, he won the wXw Heavyweight Championship.

World Wrestling Entertainment

RAW

He made his WWE debut on the September 13, 2004 edition of RAW[2] as an apparent jobber against Kane in a no-disqualification match. During this match, Snitsky hit Kane on the back with a steel chair, causing Kane to fall on his (kayfabe) pregnant wife Lita, which lead her to having a miscarriage. Snitsky claimed that he was not responsible for the child's death. "It wasn't my fault" would become his catchphrase for a time.

He was then situated in a major feud with Kane, which led to a match at Taboo Tuesday 2004. In this match, Snitsky used a steel chair and crushed Kane's larynx. WWE used this angle as an excuse for Kane's absence, when in reality Kane was going to film his movie, See No Evil. This feud resumed at the New Year's Revolution pay-per-view, when Kane came back from filming his WWE-produced movie, with Snitsky losing to Kane.[3]

At Survivor Series 2004, Snitsky had an encounter with another psychotic individual from SmackDown!, Heidenreich, in which they both exchanged their views on each other – "I like .. your poetry."; "I .. like what you do.. to babies." — while breathing hard, both their trademark ways of talking. At Royal Rumble 2005, the two met up again as Snitsky secretly partnered with Heidenreich, planning to interfere in Heidenreich's Casket Match with The Undertaker. It was later revealed that Kane was hidden in the casket, who pounced on both Snitsky and Heidenreich. They continued their fight in the crowds, before letting the Casket Match continue.

Snitsky Irish-whips Brian Kendrick to the turnbuckle
Snitsky Irish-whips Brian Kendrick to the turnbuckle

He was absent from WWE television between April and May 2005 due to a blood clot in his stomach. He returned to house show action on May 28, 2005, and reappeared on RAW on May 30, 2005, where he began in earnest his televised feud with house show opponent Chris Benoit.[4] The feud concerned Benoit's appearance in the June 12, 2005 One Night Stand 2005 pay-per-view; Snitsky was a "hired gun" for Eric Bischoff's RAW volunteers, brought in to try to invade the pay-per-view and ruin the ECW reunion.[5]

Since then, Snitsky was used by Edge and Lita to attack Kane and by Eric Bischoff as punishment to anybody that he didn't like. On July 11, 2005 Edge informed Snitsky that he knew about his female foot fetish and offered Snitsky to "have a go with Lita's feet" if he'd help him in a match against Kane.[6] Lita and Snitsky's past was addressed when Lita actually thanked Snitsky for his actions nine months prior, saying that she was better off for not having birthed the spawn of Kane, and then gave him a kiss as a reward.

On the July 18, 2005 edition of RAW, Snitsky faced WWE Champion John Cena in the Lumberjack match where Chris Jericho picked all heel lumberjacks to make the odds unfair for Cena.[7]

After a few weeks mainly wrestling on Heat, Snitsky formed a tag team with an initially reluctant Tyson Tomko. In their first team match together, the pair squashed the tag team of Viscera and Val Venis. The pair would have some success as a tag team, earning the #1 contenders spot for the World Tag Team Championships at one point. However, the pair were unable to dethrone then-champions Kane and Big Show, both of whom Snitsky had feuded with in the past. The team was broken up in April 2006 when Tomko left WWE on good terms.

Following that, Snitsky turned face and started a tag team with Goldust, defeating various teams of wrestlers on Heat, which eventually earned them an unsuccessful title shot against then-champions the Spirit Squad. However, this team was also broken up when Goldust was released from WWE.[8]

Following the release of Goldust, Snitsky was primarily used as a jobber to the stars of RAW, but was considered a major star on Heat.

ECW

On the February 6, 2007 edition of ECW, a vignette aired of Snitsky (now bald and clean shaven, even his eyebrows) and was portrayed as a psychotic madman coming to ECW. Snitsky also changed his look by having dark yellow stained teeth. Later during the same show, Snitsky debuted and assaulted Bobby Lashley.[9] This re-established himself as a monster heel, similar to Kane's then heel character. Over the next several weeks, Snitsky would run into the ring after matches and attack various ECW superstars, including CM Punk[10], Hardcore Holly[11], Balls Mahoney[12], and Matt Striker[12]

On April 3, 2007, Snitsky faced Holly in a match, which he won. After the match, Snitsky wedged Holly's arm in between two steel steps and repeatedly hit the steps with a steel chair, (kayfabe) breaking Hardcore Holly's arm.[13] Snitsky then began a short feud with Balls Mahoney.[14] Then, Snitsky would begin another short feud with Rob Van Dam. During this feud, Snitsky would suffer his first loss when he was defeated by RVD by disqualification.[15]

Returning to RAW

Snitsky enters the arena
Snitsky enters the arena

On the June 11 edition of Raw, Snitsky was drafted from ECW to RAW as part of the WWE Draft after Randy Orton won a 15-man battle royal to get the last two selections for RAW (RAW got Mr. Kennedy with their other selection). Snitsky made his RAW re-debut on the July 9 edition defeating Super Crazy.[16]

Snitsky continued to go undefeated (on RAW) throughout the summer months, having pinfall victories over wrestlers like Super Crazy, Val Venis, Rory McAllister,[17] and Robbie McAllister.[18]

On August 20, Snitsky competed in his first one-on-one main-event match since losing to John Cena on RAW in 2005, once again against Cena, which he lost via disqualification when Randy Orton interfered.[19] This was Snitsky's first loss since returning to RAW. Snitsky returned on the October 8 edition of RAW, defeating Val Venis while acting as a substitute for Santino Marella, who was in a feud with Venis.[20] On December 3 Snitsky was pinned by Jeff Hardy in an Intercontinental Championship match, in his first pinfall loss in the year.[21] Snitsky then mainly fought on WWE Heat usually winning. On the final episode of Heat Snitsky defeated Super Crazy.

In wrestling

Snitsky towers over the referee and Brian Kendrick during his monster heel run in 2007
Snitsky towers over the referee and Brian Kendrick during his monster heel run in 2007

Championships and accomplishments

References

Professional wrestling
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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Gene Snitsky Profile. Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-03-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g WWE Profile. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  3. ^ New Year's Revolution 2005 Results. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  4. ^ A BARBARIC BATISTA. WWE.com.
  5. ^ ONE NIGHT STAND RESULTS. WWE (June 12, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  6. ^ HBK challenges Hogan for SummerSlam. WWE.com.
  7. ^ Cena overcomes the odds. WWE.com.
  8. ^ Goldust released. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
  9. ^ Louie Dee (February 6, 2007). Making trouble. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  10. ^ Craig Tello (February 13, 2007). Well-bred. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  11. ^ Craig Tello (March 6, 2007). Rattlesnake's venomous visit. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  12. ^ a b Craig Tello (February 27, 2007). To hell and back. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  13. ^ Craig Tello (April 3, 2007). Fatal fallout. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  14. ^ Bryan Robinson (April 24, 2007). Making painful statements. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  15. ^ Bryan Robinson (May 15, 2007). Focused on Judgment. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  16. ^ Lennie DiFino (July 9, 2007). Bulldozed in the Bayou. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  17. ^ Corey Clayton (August 6, 2007). Checkmate. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  18. ^ Greg Adkins (August 13, 2007). Rhodes keeps on rolling. WWE. Retrieved on 2077-12-27.
  19. ^ Corey Clayton (August 20, 2007). Royally wrong. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  20. ^ Greg Adkins (October 8, 2007). In a Snit. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
  21. ^ Greg Adkins (December 3, 2007). Pioneer Pin. WWE. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
  22. ^ a b World Xtreme Wrestling Title Histories. Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved on 2008-07-05.