John Stagikas

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John Stagikas
Statistics
Ring name(s) "Hurricane" John Walters
Billed height 6 ft. (183 cm)
Billed weight 225 lb. (102 kg)
Born July 31, 1979 (1979-07-31) (age 28)
Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Billed from Framingham, Massachusetts
Trained by Killer Kowalski
Debut 2001

John Stagikas (born July 31, 1979) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Hurricane" John Walters.

Contents

[edit] Early career

John Stagikas attended Framingham High School, where he was a wide receiver on the football team and graduated in 1997. He then attended Assumption College in Worcester, where he played football for a further two years as a wide receiver until his career was ended by an operation to remove a cyst from his neck in his junior year. Stagikas graduated in 2001 with a degree in Communications. [1] [2]

While in college, Stagikas harbored dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. After his neck surgery forced an end to his football career, Stagikas sent applications to several wrestling schools, but the only trainer to reply to him was Killer Kowalski, the trainer of wrestlers such as Triple H and Chyna. Stagikas joined the school run by Kowalski in Malden on January 27, 2001, and trained under Kowalski for five months. [1] [2]

After debuting in mid-2001, with his singles debut coming in August 2001, Stagikas began wrestling on the Bostonian independent circuit, adopting the name John Walters five months later as a tribute to Kowalski (whose real first name translates to "Walter" in English). He later prefixed his name with "Hurricane" at the suggestion of a college roommate. Wrestling for promotions such as the World Wrestling Alliance for the meagre sum of $25, Stagikas supplemented his income by working as a waiter and bartender at an Applebee's restaurant in Hudson. Stagikas worked for promotions throughout New England, most prominently Chaotic Wrestling. [1]

[edit] Chaotic Wrestling (2001-2006)

Walters joined Chaotic Wrestling, based in his home state of Massachusetts, soon after debuting, and received supplementary training from Mike Hollow, a former trainer under Kowalski who had become the head trainer of the Chaotic Training Center. On September 7, 2001 in Lawrence, Walters defeated Slyk Wagner Brown in a match for the CW Television Championship. He lost the title to CW Light Heavyweight Champion Dukes Dalton in Lowell on February 16, 2002 in a title unification match.

In the course of his Television Championship reign, Walters formed a tag team known as 12 Pack with "Good Time" Vince Vicallo. The tag team partners were the epitome of a personality clash, as Walters had the wrestling gimmick of being a strait-laced, well-conditioned athlete, while Vicallo was known as a beer-drinking "party animal". On December 14, 2001 in Lawrence, 12 Pack defeated Edward G. Xtasy and Aaron Stevens for the CW Tag Team Championship. They lost the title to Adam Booker and Frankie Armadillo on July 13, 2002 in Lawrence after Vicallo began drinking during the match - "prematurely celebrating" - and an incensed Walters hit him with a beer can, causing him to bleed and costing 12 Pack the match. The former teammates then feuded for several months.

With two title reigns to his name, Walters challenged for the CW Championship at "Summer Chaos" on August 16, 2002 in Methuen and defeated Aaron Stevens for the title, thus becoming the second ever Chaotic Wrestling Triple Crown winner. Following a successful ladder match title defence against Vicallo, he began a lengthy feud with the first ever Triple Crown winner, "The Latin Fury" Luis Ortiz. Walters lost the belt to Ortiz on April 5, 2003 in Methuen, but regained it from Billy Kryptonite on January 16, 2004 in a "loser leaves Chaotic Wrestling" match. His second reign ended on March 13 of that year when he lost to Arch Kincaid.

Walters was a regular performer in Chaotic Wrestling until leaving the promotion in January 2006.

[edit] Eastern Wrestling Alliance (2002-2003)

Walters wrestled for the Maine-based Eastern Wrestling Alliance in both Maine and Massacusets, and on December 20, 2002 in Southbridge, Massachusetts he defeated Adam Hastey for the EWA New England Heavyweight Championship. In the course of his reign, Walters received a shot at the EWA Heavyweight Championship on January 31, 2003 in Southbridge, MA. where he defeated Adam Booker for the title. Walters' dual title reign lasted until February 22, 2003, when he was stripped of both titles for no-showing the event.

[edit] East Coast Wrestling Association (2003-2005)

After two years spent working on the New England independent circuit, Walters relocated to New Jersey for three months in order to work for larger promotions, such as the East Coast Wrestling Association in Delaware.

After winning a six man qualifying bout on February 28, 2003, Walters took part in the eighth annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament on April 3, 2003. He defeated Nicho El Millionario in the first round of the tournament, but lost to Austin Aries in the semi-finals. On May 1, 2004 in Wilmington, Delaware, Walters challenged "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels, who had won the ECWA Heavyweight Championship in the Super 8 Tournament semi-finals. Walters won a four way match which also included Aries and Mike Kruel to become the new ECWA Heavyweight Champion. His reign lasted nine months, before he lost the title to Scotty Charisma in a five way match on February 12, 2005 in Newark, Delaware.

[edit] Ring of Honor (2003-2005)

Following the formation of Ring of Honor in early-2002, Stagikas sent a videotape of his work to the owners of ROH, but did not hear from them. After he met ROH ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta at a Chaotic Wrestling show, Stagikas sent his résumé to ROH once more, and was contacted by booker Gabe Sapolsky in May 2003. John Walters debuted in ROH on May 31, 2003 as a face, wrestling against Andy Anderson at Do Or Die. Walters entered the 2003 Field Of Honor event, but was eliminated by Matt Stryker. He then began feuding with Xavier, facing him for the first time on September 20 at Glory By Honor II, and defeating him decisively on December 27 at Final Battle 2003 in a hardcore "fight without honor". [1]

On February 14, 2004 Walters entered a one-night tournament for the ROH Pure Championship, but was eliminated by CM Punk in the opening round. In mid-2004, he began a feud with Generation Next, a stable of young wrestlers with no respect for tradition. At Generation Next on May 22, 2004, Walters teamed with Jimmy Rave and the Briscoe Brothers to face Generation Next in an eight man tag match. Generation Next won the forty minute bout after stable leader Alex Shelley forced Walters to submit with the Border City Stretch. Walters won the ROH Pure Championship from Doug Williams on August 28, and turned heel on December 26 of that year by siding with Prince Nana's Embassy stable at Final Battle 2004 after Nana offered him a large bribe. After losing the Pure Championship to Jay Lethal on March 5, 2005, Walters left ROH in order to heal from several nagging injuries.

John Walters returned to Ring of Honor for one match on November 3, 2006 in Braintree, Massachusetts, competing in a losing effort to Nigel McGuinness.

[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment

After then-WWE employee Tom Prichard held a training seminar at Chaotic Wrestling in 2003, Stagikas began working sporadically for World Wrestling Entertainment as a jobber, facing Ohio Valley Wrestling mainstay Aaron Stevens in his first match for the company in April 2003. Stagikas wrestled numerous dark matches for WWE, with his most prominent appearance being a loss to The Big Show on the episode of SmackDown! preceding WrestleMania XX. At the event itself, on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden, he accompanied The Undertaker to the ring while dressed as a black-clad druid and wielding a flaming torch. [1] [2]

[edit] Wrestling facts

  • Nicknames
    • "Hurricane"
    • "Bringo"

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • Chaotic Wrestling
    • CW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
    • CW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Vince Vicallo
    • CW Television Championship (1 time)
  • Squared Circle Wrestling
    • 2CW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Clevett, J. (2004-04-21). John Walters building a 'Killer' career. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved on 2007-04-12.
  2. ^ a b c Pave, M. (2004-03-28). Local boy turns into 'Hurricane'. The Boston Globe. Retrieved on 2007-04-12.

[edit] External links

Professional wrestling
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