Shad Gaspard

Shad Gaspard
Gaspard in November 2008
Birth name	Shad Chad Javair Chittick Gaspard
Born	(1981-01-13) January 13, 1981[1] Brooklyn, New York[1]
Resides	Brooklyn, New York / Los Angeles, California
Spouse(s)	Siliana Gaspard
Children	1
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Da Beast[1] Shad Gaspard[1] Shad
Billed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)[2]
Billed weight	250 lb (110 kg)[2]
Billed from	Brooklyn, New York
Trained by	Ohio Valley Wrestling[1]
Debut	2004[1]

Shad Chad Javair Chittick Gaspard (born January 13, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with Inoki Genome Federation (IGF). Gaspard is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he once teamed with his partner JTG as a member of Cryme Tyme.^[2] He is also an actor, bodybuilder, model, and former bodyguard.

Early life and career

Gaspard was born in Brooklyn, New York. He is of Haitian and Curaçaoan descent.^[3] His father, Ben Gaspard, is a former street enforcer for street gangs and personal security guard in the early 1970s, who worked for gangster Frank Lucas and now owns Mcfay Contracting Inc. Shad is the third of six siblings.

At five years old Shad’s father began training him in boxing and at age eight, he began training in a mixture of different martial arts. As a student, Shad loved to fight and quickly developed into an aggressive fighter, winning many fights as an amateur. His mother gave him the nickname “Beast” as a result of his aggressiveness. At the age of sixteen, Shad began prize fighting for promoter Hardbody Harrison, a former World Championship Wrestling wrestler and FX Tough Man Champion, in bar fighting tournaments such as boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), and tough man competitions. Even though Shad was only sixteen years old, he competed against adults who were older than he was by five to twenty years. Gaspard holds won-loss records as a No Holds Barred fighter (35-7) and an amateur boxer (57-26).

Gaspard was extensively involved in athletics during his high school years, specializing in wrestling, track, and basketball.^[4] After high school, he continued to play basketball at Georgia Perimeter College, and after leaving, he became a bodyguard for several rappers and actors, including pop star Britney Spears, Puff Daddy, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and Mike Tyson.

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2007)

Tough Enough and Ohio Valley Wrestling (2002-2006)

Gaspard then decided to become a professional wrestler. He qualified for the finals of the reality television program Tough Enough 2 in 2002, but was disqualified and replaced after failing a physical.^[4]

After Tough Enough, Gaspard was recruited by WWF talent scout Tom Prichard and allowed to attempt a career as a professional wrestler.^[4] He first trained with Sgt. Dewayne Bruce from the WCW Power Plant for six months.^[4][5] Afterwards, he attended Prichard's first Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) "training camp", after which he was offered an opportunity to return to train full-time.^[4]

Gaspard debuted in OVW in 2003 under the ring name "Da Beast",^[6] eventually joining Kenny Bolin's Bolin Services stable.^[4] Originally, he acted as Bolin's personal enforcer, until he was placed into a tag team with Carlos Colón, Jr. in February 2004.^[4]

After Colón left OVW in October 2004, Gaspard left "Bolin Services" and formed several short lived tag teams with Osama,^[1] Mike Mondo,^[1] Ken Doane,^[1] and Ryan Wilson,^[1] before he began wrestling under his real name as a singles wrestler.^[4] In June 2005, he was signed to a developmental contract by World Wrestling Entertainment.^[4]

Cryme Tyme and departure (2006-2007)

In early 2006, during his feud in OVW with CM Punk, Gaspard was joined by the Neighborhoodie and formed a new tag team known as "The Gang Stars".^[4][7] The new team won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship once,^[8] before they were called up to the WWE Raw brand roster as Cryme Tyme. On September 4, 2006, a series of vignettes began airing on Raw, hyping the debut of Cryme Tyme.^[1] On the October 16 edition of Raw, Cryme Tyme debuted and defeated then-World Tag Team Champions, the Spirit Squad (Mikey and Johnny) in a non-title match.^[9]

In November 2006, at Cyber Sunday, Cryme Tyme defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, Charlie Haas and Viscera and The Highlanders in a Texas Tornado match (as voted by the fans).^[1][10] A few months later at the New Year's Revolution pay-per-view, Cryme Tyme won a Tag Team Turmoil Match against The Highlanders, The World's Greatest Tag Team, Cade and Murdoch, and Jim Duggan and Super Crazy, earning them a shot at the World Tag Team Championships.^[1][11] Later that year, at WrestleMania 23, Cryme Tyme made a cameo appearance and started a dance party with Eugene and some WWE Legends in the backstage area.^[1] In June 2007, on an episode of SmackDown!, Deuce 'n Domino (with Cherry) defeated Cryme Tyme in an inter-brand match tag match.^[12] While Deuce, Domino and Cherry celebrated their victory, Cryme Tyme appeared on the titantron and kayfabe stole their car, taking it to Brisco Brothers Auto Shop to sell it for parts chanting "Money, money, yeah, yeah".^[12] The next month, on July 22, 2007 The James Boys defeated Cryme Tyme to win back the OVW Southern Tag Team titles.^[1][8]

On August 13 Cryme Tyme returned to their hometown of New York City on an episode of Raw from Madison Square Garden, losing to then-World Tag Team Champions Cade and Murdoch in a non-title match by disqualification when Shad used a chair on Murdoch.^[13] On the August 27 edition of Raw, Cryme Tyme stole Murdoch's hat and gave it away to a fan.^[14] In the middle of the feud with Cade and Murdoch, on September 2, 2007, Gaspard (along with JTG) was released from his World Wrestling Entertainment contract.^[1][15] After his release, he performed on the independent circuit.^[16]

Independent circuit (2007–2008)

Gaspard, along with Paul wrestled at the Jersey All Pro Wrestling 10th Anniversary Show on October 27, 2007. Wrestling as "Crime Time", they defeated the "Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz".^[16]

Return to WWE (2008–2010)

WWE Tag Team Championship pursuit (2008–2009)

Shad and JTG returned to WWE on the March 31, 2008 edition of Raw, as Cryme Tyme where they defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch in their first televised WWE match in nearly 6 months.^[17]

Cryme Tyme began working with John Cena on the June 30 edition of Raw when they helped him interfere during John "Bradshaw" Layfield's match.^[18] The following week, they again appeared together in a backstage segment when they vandalized JBL's limo.^[19] After a house show match, Cena confirmed that they had created a faction and announced that it was called CTC, "Cryme Tyme Cenation".^[20] Cryme Tyme also started a feud with the World Tag Team Champions Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, stealing their championship belts for a time,^[21] then losing a title match to them at the Unforgiven pay-per-view event.^[22]

Feud with JTG and departure (2009-2010)

On April 15, 2009, Cryme Tyme were drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft.^[23] He made his debut along with JTG, hosting a dance contest between Layla and Eve Torres. He and JTG made their in-ring debut as they teamed with John Morrison to defeat Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas and Ricky Ortiz. They earned a Unified Tag Team Title shot against Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) or SummerSlam after defeating The Hart Dynasty on the July 31 edition of SmackDown!. But at SummerSlam they lost the match after illegal partner The Big Show hit JTG in the face and Chris Jericho pinned him.

Cryme Tyme then competed in a 26 man Battle Royal at WrestleMania XXVI as Shad and JTG worked together and eliminated Luke Gallows with Shad eliminating JTG. Shad later eliminated himself after trying to take out William Regal who was eliminated by Finlay. A couple of days later, Cryme Tyme was defeated by R- Truth and John Morrison.

After the match, Shad turned heel by attacking JTG for not coming to his aid. When interviewed backstage, Shad told Josh Mathews that there will be no more Cryme Tyme and that this is his time. Shad kicked JTG after that. Shad tried to repeat that performance by doing it again after JTG beat Caylen Croft but failed. At Extreme Rules Shad lost to JTG in a Strap match but won his rematch on WWE Superstars. Soon after, Shad went on a hiatus from television and was sent to Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory.

Shad's last televised appearance for WWE saw him defeat a jobber named Jesse Guyver on the May 14, 2010 edition of SmackDown. Shad never returned to SmackDown as he and several other superstars (Luke Gallows, Caylen Croft, Vance Archer, Tiffany and Jillian Hall) were released from their contracts on November 19, 2010.^[24]

Return to the independent circuit (2012-present)

Gaspard, wrestled at the NWA Pro on 2012. It was announced on June 19, 2014 that Shad and JTG were looking for booking interests labeled now as the slightly altered "Crime Time". JTG and Shad Gaspard wrestled the first match on their Crime Time World Tour on August 23, 2014 for the Warriors of Wrestling promotion in Staten Island as Crime Time and ECW Original The Blue Meanie defeated Chachi, Verna and J-George.

Other media

It was rumored that Shad was interested in a MMA career. On January 3, 2011, in an interview for Right After Wrestling, he dispelled this rumor.^[25][26]

^[27][28] In January 2012 he was advertised as appearing on BET television series The Game,^[29] as well as TV Land original situation comedy, The Exes in October 2012.^[30] He is also working on other upcoming films. Besides wrestling and acting, Gaspard also does modeling and works on a comic book.

Personal life

Gaspard is married to female bodybuilder Siliana Gueorguiev Gaspard. The couple had their first child, a son named Aryeh in April 2010.^{[31] [32]}

On March 5, 2011, Gaspard was arrested by police in Columbus, Ohio for having allegedly refused the commands of a police officer and then resisting arrest for jaywalking.^[33] He was later cleared of all charges in July 2011.^[34]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Thugnificent^[35] / Shad Taking Over (STO)^[36]

• Signature moves
  • Big boot
  • Gorilla press slam^[37]
  • Scoop powerslam^[38]
  • Shoulder block^[39]
  • Sidewalk slam^[40]
  • Snake eyes^[40]

• With JTG
  • Double team finishing moves
    • G9^[41] (Samoan drop (Gaspard) / Running corkscrew neckbreaker (JTG) combination)

• Entrance themes
  • "Bringin' Da Hood T U"^[42] by Jim Johnston (October 16, 2006–September 2, 2007 ;March 31, 2008-April 2, 2010; Used while Teaming with JTG)
  • "In a Fix by Jim Johnston (April 9, 2010-November 19, 2010)

Championships and accomplishments

• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with The Neighborhoodie / JTG^[8]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #85 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010

See also

• Cryme Tyme

References

External links

• Official website
• Shad Gaspard at Online World of Wrestling
• Shad Gaspard at the Internet Movie Database