Darren Drozdov
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| Darren Drozdov | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Droz Puke |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Billed weight | 280 lb (122 kg) |
| Born | April 7, 1969 Mays Landing, New Jersey |
| Debut | 1998 |
| Retired | 1999 |
Darren Drozdov, (born April 7, 1969 in Mays Landing, New Jersey) better known as Puke or Droz, is an ex-NFL player and retired professional wrestler who competed in the WWF from 1998 until 1999. He was featured in the documentary Beyond the Mat (by Barry W. Blaustein) in 1998, as footage of his meeting with Vince McMahon was one (along with his paralysis being mentioned in the end) of the focal points of the film.
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[edit] NFL career
Before his wrestling career, Drozdov was a professional football player for a few seasons with the NFL's New York Jets and Denver Broncos. He gained some notoriety (and the nickname "Puke") when he vomited on TV during a Monday Night Football game. A 1993 Sports Illustrated article stated that he had vomited at nearly every game that season [1] and would reportedly see a psychiatrist for a "chronic vomiting" problem. Apparently, many in the football industry found his antics bizarre and appalling. This "off-the-wall" and unusual attitude was given a spot in the World Wrestling Federation, however.
[edit] Professional Wrestling Career
Following a short stint in ECW during 1997-1998, Drozdov made his WWF debut on the May 25, 1998 episode of Raw is War as an associate of the tag team, The Road Warriors. Dubbed "Puke", he was the unofficial third member of the group. In late 1998, Drozdov competed in the WWF's Brawl For All tournament, making it to the semifinals before losing to Bradshaw.
He was involved in a storyline involving L.O.D. member Hawk's alcoholism. In this storyline, Hawk was seen by his partner Animal as unfit to wrestle and Drozdov was tapped to take Hawk's place in the tag team. The storyline ended with accusations that Drozdov had been the "enabler" of Hawk's problems and had dosed the L.O.D. member to take his place in the team. During this segment, Hawk infamously was shown to have fallen off the TitanTron.
After Drozdov's stint with the L.O.D., efforts were made to rebrand his character including one involving a series of skits called "Droz's World" where he would tell stories about his life as a pro wrestler. He started to come into his own after turning heel. He started to build a stable of wrestlers who shared his bizarre lifestyle. He added Prince Albert to his faction as his personal "body piercing artist" and Vic Grimes was brought in briefly as Key, allegedly to play Drozdov's dealer.
[edit] Injury
Drozdov's active wrestling career in WWF ended suddenly when he suffered a severe neck injury during a match with D'Lo Brown during a WWF SmackDown! taping on October 5 , 1999 at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. A fan had thrown a drink into the ring, spilling its contents over one section. Brown went for his trademark running powerbomb and subsequently slipped on the wet patch of the ring while holding Drozdov in his arms, resulting in the botching of the move. Drozdov landed on his head, and fractured two disks in his neck. [2] He was immediately rushed to Nassau County Medical Center where he underwent hours of surgery to reduce and stabilize the pressure on his injured neck. Even with intensive medical care, his injury left him a quadriplegic.
[edit] Personal life
Drozdov married a fellow WWE worker on November 8, 1999, only weeks after his accident. He later stated that the one thing he would like to do would be to walk her down the aisle. However, the couple divorced in 2005.
Darren currently has two Great Dane dogs which he loves immensely.
Drozdov played football as a defensive tackle at the University of Maryland where he graduated with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. He attended Fork Union Military academy and also was a stand-out track star at Oakrest High School.
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
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- Droz Bomb / New Jersey Naptime (High-speed powerbomb)
- Spear
- Three point stance clothesline
- Flying clothesline
- Diving elbow drop
- With Road Warrior Animal
