Devon Nicholson

Devon Nicholson
Born October 16, 1982
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Hannibal
Hannibal Le Predateur
Adam Lust
Kid Nichols
Billed height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Billed weight 284 lb (129 kg)
Trained by Bruce Hart
Jacques Rougeau
Debut July 2001
Website
http://blogs.hepmag.com/devonnicholson/, http://hannibalprowrestling.ca/,

Devon Nicholson (born October 16, 1982) is a Canadian professional wrestler, who wrestles primarily under the name Hannibal. He was also known as Kid Nichols or Adam Lust. He has worked for various companies, including World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Great North Wrestling, the International Wrestling Association (IWA), the World Wrestling Council (WWC, Puerto Rico) and Stampede Wrestling as well as All Star Wrestling in the UK.

As an amateur wrestler Nicholson is a former National Champion in freestlyle wrestling and Canadian Olympic Qualification Trial Silver medalist in Greco Roman Wrestling. He has won the Canadian Open and Ontario Championships in grappling (submission wrestling).

Nicholson is also an actor and has played such roles as a character named Sid in a Canadian feature film, Kenneyville, released by Robanzo Pictures in 2010. He also was the feature performer in the Canadian documentary This is Hannibal, produced by Maximilian Moskal. The appeared in multiple film festivals and won 3 awards at the 2013 Los Angeles Movie Awards. In 2014 he had a role on the Science Fiction series "Haphead," about a futuristic videogame subculture.

Amateur wrestling career

Devon Nicholson enjoyed a lot of success in amateur wrestling before turning professional. He carried off a gold medal at the 2001 Junior National Championships in London, Ontario. A month later, he gained a spot on the Canadian Junior National Team after winning the National Team trials in Vancouver, British Columbia. Nicholson won the OFSAA wrestling high school championships in 2000 and also in 2001 without a single point scored against him.Baines, Tim (2007-08-23). "Orleans' Nicholson: 'I've got wrestling in my blood'". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-04-10. He has also held numerous City of Ottawa and Provincial titles in freestyle wrestling. He was named Amateur Wrestler of the Year by the City of Ottawa in 2001.

On December 18, 2011, Nicholson won a silver medal in the Canadian Greco-Roman Wrestling Olympic trials in Winnipeg, Manitoba, making him the alternate Olympian in the heavyweight division for the London 2012 Olympics.

In grappling (submission wrestling) Nicholson won the Joslin's Canadian Open in Hamilton in 2008 and the Ontario Grappling Championships in Ottawa in 2010.

Professional wrestling career

Nicholson started his career wrestling for Ted Hart and Eric Bischoff's Matrats promotion. After a stint with Jacques Rougeau, Jr.'s Lutte Internationale 2000 promotion in Montreal, he began training with Bruce Hart in Calgary's Dungeon. He spent most of his early career in Calgary, Alberta's Stampede Wrestling performing as Kid Nichols, regularly training with and wrestling against Teddy Hart, Harry Smith and TJ Wilson.

After leaving Calgary, for several years Nicholson wrestled in Puerto Rico and other areas of the Caribbean, where he was given the ring name Hannibal by IWA office member Bushwhacker Luke.[1] He has also participated in World Wrestling Entertainment's Deep South Wrestling and appeared on their TV show. He has wrestled for many independent companies across Canada. In June 2005 he took on Heidenreich at Rexall Place in Edmonton in a match that aired on WWE Smackdown. In Puerto Rico he defeated Ricky Banderas for the IWA Intercontinental title in 2005. He also feuded with Thunder and Lightning and with his tag team partner Mr. Big. At the end of his IWA run Hannibal became a babyface before switching to the WWC. In his first tour with the WWC in December 2005 he wrestled James Storm. He participated and a WWE try-out in Buffalo, New York in late December 2005. He faced Gavin Spears in his try-out match.

Hannibal returned to WWC in 2006 as a heel. With Black Pain he formed a team known as Terror Inc and held the WWC World Tag Team titles in 2006 and 2007. As a singles wrestler in WWC he often wrestled Eddie Colon and Orlando Colon. In May 2006 he wrestled against Eugene at the Thomas and Mac Center in Las Vegas in a match that aired on WWE Heat. Later that month he had a match at the New Japan Dojo in Los Angeles.

After helping Bruce and Ross Hart promote some rural Stampede Wrestling events in Alberta in 2006, Nicholson began promoting for himself in 2007 under the company name Great North Wrestling. The Bad News Allen Tribute Show in May 2007 was his first event. Hannibal defeated Abdullah The Butcher in the main event of that show. He also promoted the Ottawa Super EX When Legends Collide show in August 2007.

In March 2015, Nicholson described an incident from 2006 that Bill DeMott was involved with while he was head trainer for the WWE's Deep South Wrestling developmental territory. Nicholson described an incident where Drew Hankinson was completely naked in the ring for a long period of time and gave naked stinkfaces to Zack Ryder and Melissa Coates while DeMott held jelly donuts over their faces. The wrestlers agreed to do this (with the other talent encouraging them) to get out of regular training for that day.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] DeMott refuted the notion that it was his idea, stating that the other trainees came up with because they wanted to skip the session.[9][10]

Nicholson continued to promote events in Alberta and Ontario after that and promoted Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's December 2007 Canadian tour.[11]

In May 2009 Nicholson attended a WWE try-out camp in Tampa, Florida. The same year Nicholson was offered a World Wrestling Entertainment contract, but the offer was rescinded when a medical examination revealed that he had contracted hepatitis C, which he later blamed on his matches with Abdullah the Butcher.[12][13] He also did a try-out with TNA Wrestling in October 2010 in Saginaw, Michigan, but although he impressed the TNA management,[14] they could not hire him because of his Hepatitis C.

On September 30, 2011, Nicholson announced his retirement from professional wrestling, with his final match scheduled for October 8. In this retirement match, which took place in Renfrew, Ontario Hannibal defeated Darko. On January 30, 2014, Nicholson stated on a live episode of False Finish Wrestling Radio podcast that on May 14, 2014, he will return to wrestling again. On May 10, 2014 Hannibal won the Great North Wrestling Canadian Heavyweight Championship from Jeremy Prophet in Smiths Falls ON.[15]

The Ottawa Citizen and other media have reported that Nicholson will be getting another WWE try out in July 2014.[16]

The Hawkesbury Tribune Epress reported that Hannibal is wrestling in a 2 out of 3 falls title match against New Japan Pro Wrestling IWGP World Champion "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles August 30, 2014 at the Robert Hartley Arena in Hawkesbury ON.[17]

Net News Ledger reported on November 26, 2014 that Hannibal will be defending his Canadian Heavyweight pro wrestling title against former UFC Champion Dan Severn on February 28, 2015 at the Robert Hartley Arena in Hawkesbury Ontario Canada.[18]

Hannibal pinned Dan "The Beast" Severn on Feb. 28th 2015 in Hawkesbury Ontario to retain the Great North Wrestling Canadian Championship.[19]

In March 2015 it was announced that Hannibal will be joining the new, US based Crucial Conflict Wrestling (CCW) league which has a National Television deal. According to Slam Sports his first matches for the company will be May 16th in Winston-Salem North Carolina at The Annex and May 23rd in Asheville North Carolina at the US Cellular Center. [20]

Personal life

On October 15, 2012 Nicholson began his second Hepatitis C treatment which includes the new Hepatitis C medication Incivec (Telaprivir). He is the first Genotype 2 patient in Canada to undergo the medication regime, which is still in the experimental phase. Devon has been testing negative for the Virus since November 2012. If the treatment is successful he will have a sustained viral response and be declared cured of Hepatitis C. He completed the treatment on June 24, 2013. On September 23, 2013, Nicholson received news that his Hepatitis C Virus blood tests came back negative. He will find out if he has a Sustained Viral Response (SVR) after his next test will be on December 9, 2013.[21] On November 9, 2013 it was reported that Nicholson won a motion to have Abdullah the Butcher's defense stricken from the record in his Hepatitis C transmission lawsuit. The trial for damages is moving forward.[22] On December 20, 2013, Devon Nicholson announced via YouTube that he was cured of Hepatitis C.[23][24]

Other media

In the summer of 2009 Nicholson played a character named Sid in the Canadian movie Kenneyville, which was released by Robanzo Pictures.

In March 2011 a documentary called Don't Bleed on Me was released. The documentary centered around Nicholson's claim that he contracted Hepatitis C from Abdullah the Butcher cutting him with a razor blade that Abdullah had used on himself earlier in the match. Nicholson's claims are supported in this video by many WWE legends including "Superstar" Billy Graham and The Honky Tonk Man. Hepatitis C is a blood-to-blood disease spread mainly from the sharing of needles and razor blades. In July 2011, Nicholson filed a $6.5 million lawsuit against Larry "Abdullah the Butcher" Shreve over the Hepatitis C incident, claiming it had caused WWE to rescind his contract.[25]

On August 26, 2011, Nicholson filed another $6 million lawsuit against WWE for rescinding his contract offer, claiming they were discriminating against his human rights because of his Hepatitis C, even though the promotion currently has a "No Blood" policy. In September 2011, McLean's Magazine, a Canadian nationally-distributed news magazine, ran a detailed article that profiled Nicholson and his situation with Abdullah the Butcher entitled "Blood, Sweat, Fears." On November 26, 2011, Canada's Global TV network aired a half-hour documentary on Nicholson as part of their 16:9 weekly news magazine show. The documentary reviewed Nicholson's career and went in depth into his lawsuits against Abdullah The Butcher and WWE. WWE refused to comment in the documentary, though Abdullah The Butcher was interviewed. Abdullah demonstrated how he used blades but denied having Hepatitis C and cutting Nicholson despite the screening of video evidence of him doing so. The documentary also detailed the hardships suffered by Devon as a result of his Hepatitis C. The documentary re-ran Canada wide on April 7, 2012. According to the 2013 version of This is Hannibal the WWE lawsuit has been resolved and the Shreve lawsuit is ongoing. It has since been reported in the media that Larry "Abdullah The Butcher" Shreve is Hepatitis C positive.

On December 19, 2011 CTV News Ottawa did a feature on his becoming Canada's Heavyweight Alternate in Greco-Roman Wrestling for the London Olympics. They had presented an extended story on his training for the Olympic trials the week before. The Atlantic Magazine, the oldest magazine in the US, carried a story about Nicholson's lawsuit against Abdullah The Butcher in their July/August 2012 issue. Nicholson's story was also covered in an Atlantic article about blood in WWE's Wrestlemania on March 29, 2012.

Later in 2012 the Ottawa Film Festival and the Montreal Young Cuts Film Festival will feature a movie about Devon Nicholson titled This is Hannibal. Produced by Maximilian Moskal, the new film chronicles the history of the wrestler's career and his struggle with hepatitis C.

In on March 3, 2013 an updated and re-edited verson of This is Hannibal made its theatrical debut at the historic Mayfair Theater located in Nicholson’s hometown of Ottawa Ontario Canada. The new version won 3 awards at the 2013 LA Movie Awards.[26]

On January 14, 2014 the Canadian Broadcast Corporation ran a news story on Nicholson being cured of Hepatitis C.

On April 27, 2014 Nicholson tried out for the Ottawa RedBlacks Canadian Football League expansion team.[27]

On June 3, 2014, Nicholson won a $2.3 million lawsuit against Larry Shreve.[28]

On September 5, 2014 The Wrestling Observer reported that Devon Nicholson has a role on the Science Fiction series "Haphead," about a futuristic videogame subculture. Six episodes of the show have been ordered.[29]

On December 20th 2014 it was reported that Nicholson played a kidnapper in an episode in season 2 of the Canadian series "Hero's of The North" that will be released in 2015.[30]

Nicholson had a second try out with The Ottawa RedBlacks of The Canadian Football League the weekend of April 19th in Princeton New Jersey. [31]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur

Professional

References

  1. ↑ McIntyre, Doug (2005-06-09). "Kid Nichols headed to Puerto Rico". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  2. ↑ Harris, Keith (December 9, 2012). "Head WWE trainer Bill DeMott attacked on Twitter by former trainee Kevin Matthews". Cageside Seats. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  3. ↑ Giri, Raj (March 7, 2015). "Independent Wrestler Tells Gross Bill DeMott Story Involving Zack Ryder And Female Wrestler (Video)". WrestlingInc.com. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  4. ↑ Paglino, Nick (March 7, 2015). "Independent Wrestler Tells Bizarre Story of What Bill DeMott Once Made Zack Ryder & Luke Gallows Do During Training". Wrestle Zone. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ "An Indy Wrestler Reveals A Bizarre Story On Bill DeMott In WWE Developmental - Video Inside". eWrestlingNews.com. March 7, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  6. ↑ "VIDEO: Indy Wrestler Details A Bizarre Bill DeMott Incident". ProWrestling.com. March 7, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  7. ↑ Lugo, Johnny (March 12, 2015). "WWE News: Latest On Bill DeMott Controversies, Another Gross Story Surfaces". Wrestling News Depot. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  8. ↑ Lee, Joseph (March 7, 2015). "Independent Wrestler Tells Story About Bizarre Thing Bill DeMott Made Wrestlers Do". 411MANIA. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  9. ↑ Alba, Jon (March 13, 2015). "Bill DeMott Has Taken to Twitter to Respond to Allegations". Wrestling Rumours. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Luke Gallows absent". Wrestling Revealed. March 3, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  11. ↑ Baines, Tim (2007-12-29). "Ottawa wrestler gets shot with TNA". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  12. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (2011-03-31). "Thurs. update: TUF rating; UFC changes; Rock media; WWE Hall of Fame; King on Cole; Edge; Cornette". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
  13. ↑ Baines, Tim (2011-04-16). "How Hep C derailed Devon Nicholson's WWE deal". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  14. ↑ http://www.tnasylum.com/2010/10/indy-wrestler-gets-tna-tryout.html
  15. ↑ http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/36954-sun-update-more-from-last-nights-ufc-a-roh-shows-plus-how-to-watch-replays-several-tna-debuts-yesterday-one-of-the-all-time-greats-retired-one-year-ago-today-night-of-upsets-wwe-raw-a-smackdown-notes-promotion-plays-to-audience-of-one-hercules-
  16. ↑ http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/judge-delivers-piledriver-awards-bloody-wrestler-2m-decision
  17. ↑ http://www.editionap.ca/fr/node/3467
  18. ↑ http://www.netnewsledger.com/2014/11/26/dan-severn-coming-to-great-north-wrestling/
  19. ↑ http://www.pro-wrestling.com/news/viewNews/5855
  20. ↑ http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/news.html
  21. ↑ http://blogs.hepmag.com/devonnicholson/2013/10/three_months_post_hepatitis_c_treatment.html#.UlQ1Pnb3Q4g.facebook
  22. ↑ http://www.netnewsledger.com/2013/11/09/abdullah-getting-butchered-court/
  23. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScOBVacb-lc
  24. ↑ http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_News_4/article_75287.shtml
  25. ↑ "$6.5M Dollar Lawsuit filed by Ottawa wrestler "Devon (Hannibal) Nicholson" against "WWE Legend" and "WWE Hall of Famer" Abdullah the Butcher". NetNewsledger.com. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  26. ↑ http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2013/06/15/20903066.html
  27. ↑ http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/04/27/hanibal-the-wrestler-gives-football-a-whirl
  28. ↑ http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/37309-devon-nicholson-wins-23-million-judgment-from-abdullah-the-butcher
  29. ↑ http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/38791-fri-update-huge-weekend-rundown-two-more-wwe-ppv-matches-official-possible-next-ufc-vs-bellator-head-to-head-with-higher-stakes-ricochet-groomed-to-be-top-star-of-nationa-group-foley-surgery-king-mo-raw-promo-liddell
  30. ↑ http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/40412-fri-update-weekend-preview-uncomfortable-punk-media-rock-on-tv-tonight-ross-in-usa-today-hogans-place-plays-music-too-late-and-loud-rousey-talks-appearing-in-wwe-wwe-ratings-ufc-lawsuit-rvd-vs-styles-plus-bullet-club-in-house-tomorrow-night-
  31. ↑ ttp://www.netnewsledger.com/2015/04/24/devon-hannibal-nicholson-and-the-cfl-ottawa-redblacks/
  32. ↑ http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/h/hannibal/

External links