Gary Williams (wrestler)
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| Gary Williams | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Gary Williams Wildman Austin |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Billed weight | 222 lb (101 kg) |
| Born | June 2, 1972 Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Debut | May 24, 1997 |
| Website | Wildman.MartitimeWrestling.com (official website) School.MaritimeWrestling.com (Wildman Academy) |
Gary Williams is a Canadian professional wrestler who has competed in Canadian independent promotions during the 1990s and has had brief stints in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation.
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[edit] Early career
Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Williams was a wrestling fan growing up and eventually contacted local referee Frank Parker and wrestler Todd "The Bodd" Douglas in 1996 to begin training for a career in professional wrestling.
Training with Douglas for a short time, Williams later trained with Stampede Wrestling veteran Hubert Gallant in March 1997 before making his professional debut three months later on May 24 in Truro, Nova Scotia for Emile Dupree's Grand Prix Wrestling. Remaining with the promotion throughout the summer, he was eventually noticed at an event in Cocagne, New Brunswick by Leo Burke who was scouting talent in the Maritimes and invited Williams to train with Bret Hart at the Hart Dungeon in Calgary, Alberta. [1]
Arriving in Calgary in January 1998, Williams would spend much of the year training with Bret Hart and Bad News Allen before returning to the Maritimes.
[edit] World Championship Wrestling & the World Wrestling Federation
During the next few years, Williams would compete for numerous independent promotions including Stampede Wrestling, the Can-Am Wrestling Federation and promoter Tony Condello's IWA promotion feuding with Steve Rivers and Massive Damage while continuing to compete for Grand Prix Wrestling eventually becoming one of the leading independent wrestlers on the Canadian independent circuit.
In March 1999, Burke negotiated with World Championship Wrestling for Williams to appear in several tryout matches which wrestling his former trainer Todd Douglas on Monday Night Nitro in Toronto and on WCW Saturday Night in Kitchener. After another tryout match in Winnipeg a year later, he contacted Kevin Kelly and received a tryout match on WWF Jakked against Billy Gunn at the Calgary Saddledome.
[edit] Return to the Maritimes
Continuing to compete in Canada, Williams worked with several younger wrestlers in Grand Prix Wrestling including Mike Hughes and Kingman during the late 1990s. One of several wrestlers who joined Hughes in Real Action Wrestling, a rival promotion of Grand Prix Wrestling, he would feud with Hughes and Bobby Rude defeating them in several singles and tag team matches with Chi Chi Cruz before losing to Hughes on July 22, 2001.
While in the promotion, he would also feud with rival Massive Damage, Hughes and members of his stable The Kardinal Sinners as well as wrestling against Barry Horowitz, Eddie Watts and Duke McIsaac during the summer.
Feuding with Chi Chi Cruz over the RAW Heavyweight title during 2002, Williams eventually lost to Cruz in a ladder cage match on July 29, 2002. During the next two years, he would tour Canada defeating Steve Wilde to win Can-Am Heavyweight title on February 3, 2003 and won three-way match over Sinn and King Lau at an event for Monster Pro Wrestling in Edmonton on February 4, 2004.
[edit] Recent years
In early 2004, Williams relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia after the decline of wrestling events in the Calgary-area and eventually opened his own wrestling school the Wildman Academy on February 1, 2005. With his previous experience helping run training camps at Sean Dunster's wrestling school in Edmonton, the Wildman Academy soon became one of the leading wrestling schools in the Maritimes. [2]
Williams also competed in the first [3] and second annual Maritime Cup tournament held by NewScott.com which featured many of the top independent wrestlers in Canada including Kingman, Duke MacIsaac, Trash Canyon, Scott Savage, Tony Armstrong, Cinder, "Mr. Turd Burglar, And The Owner of a Big Chicken" Lincoln Steen, Marko Estrada and Vinny Glyde. [4] Williams would defeat Paco Loco in the opening rounds and Scott Savage in the semifinals before losing to Duke McIsaac in the finals. He would also defeat Tony Armstrong and Scott Savage while in ECPW during early May.
Starting in September 2007, he has been appearing in the documentary television series "Wrestling Reality" which features many Canadian independent wrestlers including Mike Hughes, Sidewinder, Marisa, Titus and Krysta Lynn Scott. [5] [6] [7] [8]
He would go on to win the first match on Wrestling Reality teaming with Bobby Roode to defeat Trash Canyon & Duke MacIsaac on June 2, 2006; he would later defeat Roode in a singles match to become the first Wrestling With Reality Champion. He would later face Titus, who recently won the third Maritime Cup Tournament, defeating him at the Halifax Forum on August 18, 2006. [9]
Defeating Titus and Mike Hughes during early 2007, he and Trash Canyon lost a tag team match to Mike Hughes and Lincoln Steen on May 2. Teaming with James Mason, he defeated Tommy Osbourne & Scott Savage in Sussex, New Brunswick on May 4 although he lost to Brody Steele in Bathurst, New Brunswick and to Steele, Mike Hughes and Lincoln Steen in a 6-man tag-team match with Trash Canyon and James Mason during the next two days.
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- Can-Am Wrestling Federation
- Grand Prix Wrestling
- GPW International Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [10]
- Monster Pro Wrestling
- Monster Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Real Action Wrestling
- RAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Wrestling Reality
- Wrestling Reality Heavyweight Champion (1 time)
[edit] References
- ^ Williams born to be a "Wildman". SLAM! Wrestling (2005-02-21).
- ^ "Wildman" Gary Williams Interview: April 18th, 2007. NewScott.com (2007-04-18).
- ^ "Wildman" Gary Williams Interview: October 1st, 2006. NewScott.com (2006-10-01).
- ^ Follett, Jason (2005-05-02). Maritime Cup up for grabs, Second annual tournament goes May 4 in Kentville, N.S.. SLAM! Wrestling.
- ^ Starratt, Kirk. National "Wrestling Reality" TV taping set to explode in Kentville Arena. NovaNewsNow.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
- ^ Starratt, Kirk (2005-04-15). Local production company ready to wrestle with reality. Kentville Advertiser.
- ^ Delaney, Gordon (2005-04-16). Wrestling with Reality in Kentville. Halifax Herald.
- ^ Starratt, Kirk (2007-04-20). National "Wrestling Reality" TV show began in Kentville. Nova Scotia Business Journal.
- ^ More Wrestling With Reality. HeroHill.com (2006-08-16).
- ^ a b c Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
