Paul Roma

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Paul Centopani
An image of Paul Centopani.
Statistics
Ring name(s) Paul Roma
Billed height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Billed weight 244 lb (111 kg/17.4 st)
Born April 29, 1960 (1960-04-29) (age 48)
Kensington, Kentucky, U.S.
Resides Bridgeport, Connecticut
Debut 1985

Paul Roma (born Paul Centopani April 29, 1960) is a professional wrestler who is most known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.

Contents

[edit] World Wrestling Federation

Roma made his pro wrestling debut in 1985 and soon signed contracts with the WWF. His first big break came in 1987 when he was paired up with Jim Powers in a tag team called The Young Stallions.[1] The team seemingly received their name by accident when play-by-play commentator Vince McMahon referred to them once as "a couple of young stallions" thus naming the team. Powers and Roma were still viewed as enhancement talent when, during the August 8, 1987 episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling (taped August 4, they scored an upset disqualification victory over WWF Tag Team Champions the Hart Foundation.[2] The victory launched the team into a run as featured performers in the WWF. They were even one of only two surviving teams alongside The Killer Bees in the elimination tag team match at the first annual Survivor Series pay-per-view on November 26, 1987.[3]

It wasn't too long before WWF owner Vince McMahon seemed to lose interest in the idea of pushing the Young Stallions. This may have been due, in part, to the fact that Powers and Roma did not get along with each other. The team was placed in featured matches on television and at house shows, but most times ended up on the losing end. Following yet another loss, this time to Demolition on the March 19, 1989 episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge, the team began arguing after the match. Soon, they were split up off camera without an official announcement. Roma and Powers went their separate ways and both floundered on the undercard afterwards, for Powers it would be that way for the remainder of his career.

In the summer of 1990 Roma’s career took a turn as he turned heel alongside Hercules[4] and the two became Power and Glory managed by Slick. They had a high profile feud with the Rockers[5] and challenged WWF World Tag-Team Champions the Hart Foundation[6] but the two, despite working well together as a team, never seemed to be able to win that "big match" they needed to cement themselves as serious players in the tag-team division. When The Legion of Doom squashed them in under a minute at WrestleMania VII[7] the writing was on the wall, the team was not destined for greatness. After another loss at Summer Slam 1991[8] Roma left the WWF and Hercules spent the rest of his time in the WWF as an "Enhancement Talent".

[edit] Boxing career

After leaving the World Wrestling Federation, Roma turned to pro boxing, competing under Paul Roma since it was the name that he thought had the most recognition factor. He had a sum total of three professional boxing matches.[9]

In his debut match on March 6, 1992 Roma lost on points to a fighter named Jerry Arentzen, the victory was one of Arentzen’s two wins in 22 matches.[10]

On April 1, 1992 he defeated Norman Fortini and then on May 5, 1992 he fought and defeated Norman Shrink, this was both Fortini’s[11] and Shrink’s[12] only professional boxing match ever. After the third fight Roma stopped boxing and returned to professional wrestling mainly on the independent circuit.

[edit] World Championship Wrestling

In 1993 Roma signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling and would receive his biggest push of his career, as he became part of the legendary Four Horsemen alongside Ric Flair and Arn Anderson (so technically they were "the Three Horsemen"). This incarnation of the Horsemen was widely considered by wrestlers and fans alike as the weakest version because Roma had never been considered a main event caliber wrestler. Ric Flair had returned from the WWF in early 1993 to rejoin Arn and they promised a Horsemen reunion at Slamboree. The original plan was to have former horseman Tully Blanchard return, but the negotiations between WCW and Blanchard hit a snag after Blanchard failed a drug test and Roma was selected instead. The crowd was not receptive to Roma as a Horseman: he was last seen as a low carder in the WWF and not "Elite" like the Horsemen were supposed to be, which led to fans labeling this incarnation of the Horsemen as the weakest version. Roma and Arn Anderson teamed up and won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from "Stunning" Steve Austin and "Lord" Steven Regal (who was substituting for an injured Brian Pillman).[13] Roma and Anderson would only hold on to the gold for a little over a month before losing the gold to The Nasty Boys after a short and relatively uneventful title reign.[13]

After the 1993 WCW PPV Battlebowl the Horsemen Roma and Arn Anderson faced the semi-regular team of Paul Orndorff and "Stunning" Steve Austin on WCW Saturday Night. During the match Roma acted very indifferent to his tag-team partner sewing the seeds to his heel turn. Next Roma teamed with Erik Watts to take on the team of Orndorff and Austin once again, this time Roma took it a step further and attacked Erik Watts before announcing that he was now teaming with Paul Orndorff.

Under the tutelage of manager Masked Assassin the team quickly began to work well together in a feud with Marcus Alexander Bagwell and 2 Cold Scorpio.[14][15] After a few months as a team they targeted the then WCW World Tag Team Champions Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan. Going into Bash at the Beach 1994[16] Pretty Wonderful had the advantage as both champions were suffering from injuries inflicted by the challengers on previous occasions (or so the storyline went). Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan were unable to hold off Roma and Orndorff as Pretty Wonderful left the ring with the gold.[13][17] After winning the titles Pretty Wonderful was immediately challenged by the Nasty Boys but the Nasty Boys were never able to take the gold from the champions. Next Pretty Wonderful were challenged by the duo of Stars’N’Stripes (Marcus Alexander Bagwell & The Patriot) at Fall Brawl. The champions retained[18] but a week later the championship changed hands when Stars’N’Stripes got the 1-2-3.[13] Pretty Wonderful was granted a rematch against the new champions with a match booked for Halloween Havoc, Pretty Wonderful regained the titles when Roma dropped an elbow from the top rope on Bagwell, who had Orndorff trapped in a fisherman's suplex, but the referee's back was turned.

At Clash of the Champions XXIX Stars’N’Stripes were granted a final shot at the tag-team titles, but the challengers also had to put up he Patriot’s mask on the line, if they lost he would unmask. After a controversial double pin finish Stars’N’Stripes were declared the winners and thus the champions putting the end to Pretty Wonderful’s second and final run with the gold.[13] After the loss Roma and Orndorff went their separate ways with Roma being used as "Enhancement talent" to help build young stars.

When Roma was asked to help make WCW newcomer "Das Wunderkind" Alex Wright look good at SuperBrawl V[19] he refused to cooperate even going so far as to openly mocking Wright during the match and was then fired for not following the instructions.

[edit] Post WCW-career

He attempted to make a WWF comeback in late 1997 alongside a student of Mr. Fuji called Alex Roma, calling themselves the Pretty Primos. However, they only made one appearance together at a WWF house show[20] and no contract was ever offered to the two. After failing to make it into the WWF again Roma decided to retire in 1998 and focus on other business ventures in relation to bodybuilding and wrestling.

In 2006 Roma resurfaced on the wrestling scene as he was named the commissioner of the independent promotion, Connecticut Championship Wrestling, a federation which is currently closed down. He also had a "Pretty Wonderful" reunion with Paul Orndorff in Connecticut Championship Wrestling. Roma has since been competing in the IAW (Independent Association of Wrestling) wrestling promotion

[edit] IAW Wrestling

Roma won the IAW Heavyweight Championship, after beating Brian Costello (aka The Crippler), on July 8, 2006 at IAW Clash at the Cove VIII, in South Bend, IN.[21] He would eventually lose the title to The Crippler on March 24, 2007 at IAW Clash at the CAVE II[21] (held in the gym of Mishawaka High School in Mishawaka, IN) after receiving a piledriver onto a chair, behind the back of special referee Brandon Trtan, who was attacked and knocked out of the ring by Roma.

[edit] Personal life

Roma got married in September of 2006, and he is running a wrestling training school in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

[edit] In wrestling

[edit] *Finishing moves

[edit] Managers

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • Catch Wrestling Association
  • CWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)
  • Independent Association of Wrestling
  • IAW Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
  • IAW Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Repo Man (1), Hercules (1), and Alex Roma (1)
  • PWI # 434 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
  • PWI Most Improved Wrestler Award in 1990

[edit] See also

Professional wrestling
Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ Graham Cawthon. WWF Show Results 1987. Retrieved on 04-03, 2007. “Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart (w/ Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis) defeated Paul Roma & Jim Powers”
  2. ^ Graham Cawthon. WWF Show Results 1987. Retrieved on 04-07, 2007. “Roma & Jim Powers defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart (w/ Jimmy Hart) via disqualification when the champions illegally double teamed the challengers”
  3. ^ Brian Shields (4th Edition 2006). Main event – WWE in the raging 80s. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-3257-6. 
  4. ^ Graham Cawthon. WWF Show Results 1990. Retrieved on 04-03, 2007. “after the bout, the Rockers came out to help Roma but ended up getting into a shoving match with Roma & Hercules”
  5. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WWF SummerSlam Results (1990). Retrieved on 04-03, 2007.
  6. ^ Graham Cawthon. WWF Show Results 1990. Retrieved on 04-03, 2007. “December 27, 1990: WWF Tag Team Champions Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart defeated Paul Roma & Hercules”
  7. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WWF WrestleMania Results (VII). Retrieved on 04-03, 2007.
  8. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WWF SummerSlam Results (1991). Retrieved on 04-03, 2007.
  9. ^ BoxRec. Paul Roma (Boxing Record). Retrieved on 04-03, 2007.
  10. ^ BoxRec. Jerry Arentzen (Boxing Record). Retrieved on 04-03, 2007.
  11. ^ BoxRec. Norman Fortini (Boxing Record). Retrieved on 04-03, 2007.
  12. ^ BoxRec. Norman Shrink (Boxing Record). Retrieved on 04-03, 2007.
  13. ^ a b c d e Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  14. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WCW Starrcade Results (1993). Retrieved on 04-07, 2007.
  15. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WCW Clash of the Champions Results (XXVI). Retrieved on 04-07, 2007.
  16. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WCW Bash at the Beach Results (1994). Retrieved on 04-07, 2007.
  17. ^ Mick Foley (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins, 277. ISBN 0061031011. 
  18. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WCW Fall Brawl Results (1994). Retrieved on 04-07, 2007.
  19. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. WCW SuperBrawl Results (V). Retrieved on 04-07, 2007.
  20. ^ Graham Cawthon. WWF Show Results 1998. Retrieved on 04-07, 2007. “December 30, 1997: Alex & Paul Roma defeated Ross Greenburg & Brian Walsh”
  21. ^ a b Solie’s Vintage Wrestling. IAW Heavyweight Title History. Retrieved on 04-07, 2007.

[edit] External links