JohnCenaFan28
01-06-2009, 09:00 PM
Terry Gerin epitomizes his homeland Michigan -- tough, no-nonsense, blue collar worker. You know this rough houser better as intense TNA star Rhino.
Michigan is a great state when thinking wrestling intensity. The Original Sheik, Bobo Brazil, RVD, Sabu and the Steiner Brothers to name a few. Let's not forget Kevin Nash and up-n-comers like the Motor City Machine Guns.
Some, men of action with little words. Others, men of action with lots of words.
Rhino, 33, lets his actions do much of the talking.
''I'm just focused,'' he said. ``A little before my match, I start to get into it. Then once my music hits, that's when the intensity kicks in.''
Gerin grew up in Detroit, playing youth league and high school football. He also wrestled (amateur) in high school.
''About a year and a half after high school, I got into pro wrestling,'' he said. ``I really didn't think I wanted to do it until then.''
Rhino paid his dues on the indie circuit, and hard work paid off. The companies trusted Rhino twice with a world title -- TNA/NWA and original ECW. Also, he is a three-time WWF Hardcore champion, a two-time ECW Television champion and a WCW/WWF U.S. champ.
''Not everybody can get the crowd up,'' he said, ``but I've been pretty fortunate. The fans really take to me.''
Debuting in 1994 on the Detroit independent circuit as Terry Richards, he later became Rhino Richards and began wrestling in Canada, where he initially trained. He was part of the stable Thug Life with friends Christian Cage, Joe E. Legend, Bloody Bill Skullion and Sexton Hardcastle (WWE's Edge).
In 1999, Rhino stormed into ECW. He started to acquire more notoriety while the upstart company gained television exposure throughout the East and South and via WWE during the first invasion type angle.
ECW fused hardcore styles from Japan and aerial tactics via Mexico with Paul Heyman's mastermind.
''The hardcore style worked for me,'' Rhino said. ``That was my style, and that's why Paul Heyman hired me.''
When ECW closed, Rhyno wrestled for WWE from 2001-05. Because of personal issues away from the ring, WWE released him. Soon after, the WWE 'y' returned to an 'i' as Rhino joined TNA. Trademark purposes.
''My time with WWE was fine. It was good,'' he said. ``I enjoyed it and had a lot of big matches.''
Just look at the solid 5-10, 270-pound Rhino. He resembles a rhino. Naturally, he had to gore somebody.
''Tracy Smothers told me to hit my opponent with it, my first match in ECW,'' Rhino recalled. ``I'd done it before at an indie show in 1996. I did it again that first match in ECW.''
The crowd erupted.
''After that, I kept doing it,'' Rhino said. ``Then Paul Heyman named it because of a rhino goring someone.''
Elevating his game, Rhino also uses the gore to finish opponents in TNA.
In TNA, Rhino has worked with Jeff Jarrett, Raven, Jeff Hardy, Abyss, Sabu, Kevin Nash, Scott D'Amore, Robert Roode, A-1, Eric Young, Sting, A.J. Styles, Ron Killings, Booker T, Team 3D, Samoa Joe, Scott Steiner, Larry Zbyszko, Monty Brown, Christian Cage, Christopher Daniels, James Storm, Jackie, Black Reign, Rellik, Tomko, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Cute Kip, the Beautiful People, Taylor Wilde, ODB, Rhaka Khan and Kurt Angle.
Is Angle the best pro wrestler going today? Hard to argue.
Rhino, who's wrestled a Who's Who list of talent in his career, can attest to the quality of Angle. He competed against the former Olympic gold medalist in the co-main event at TNA's pay-per-view Final Resolution in December at Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios Orlando.
''Obviously when you wrestle an Olympic gold medalist, it's not going to be a walk in the park,'' Rhino said before an iMPACT taping at Universal Studios Orlando. ``It was a great pay-per-view overall, and to be a part of the main event is something that will live in history. It's an honor.''
With matches like that, TNA continues to grow.
''We're all working hard together -- the people in the office, the whole staff, the wrestlers,'' Rhino said. ``We're all working hard to make this thing grow. The fans see the growth. They're entertained, and they're there for us. It's a rewarding feeling to see the crowds grow and the pay-per-view buy rates grow.''
Rhino's intensity and passion earned him a new nickname in TNA.
''TNA came up with the War Machine,'' he said. ``I wrestled as Rhino since 1997 before ECW. D-Lo Brown and Reckless Youth came up with the name Rhino. No one's ever used that name. Why not use it. It fit. Yeah. Might as well.''
Rhino trained under the watchful eye of Scott D'Amore at the Can-Am Wrestling School in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. D'Amore, a former creative mind in TNA, has also trained A-1, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Christy Hemme and Petey Williams to name a few.
''I found Scott D'Amore's school, which is still there, by the way,'' Rhino said. ``They basically said, `This isn't for everybody.'
``The first time I stepped into the ring I knew this is what I wanted to do.''
Rhino learned well.
''My first break was going over to Germany [in 1998] to wrestle for the Catch Wrestling Association,'' he said. ``A lot of great wrestlers went through that territory.''
CWA alum: Chris Benoit, Ludvig Borga, Robbie Brookside, Duke Droese, Fit Finlay, Tatsumi Fujinami, John Bradshaw Layfield, Ulf Herman, Barry Horowitz, Don Leo Jonathan, Marty Jones, Carl Ouellet, Chris Jericho, Joe E. Legend, Bob Orton Jr., Road Warrior Hawk, Paul Roma, Lance Storm, Hiroyoshi Yamamoto, Vader and Otto Wanz.
''[In CWA], they sometimes wrestled 62 days straight in the same place,'' he said. ``I tagged with a buddy of mine Joe E. Legend there. I've tagged with Christian [at times including TNA]. It's definitely different than singles wrestling. I like both but prefer singles.''
The CWA worked as a springboard for Rhino landing in ECW.
Rhino worked with Tommy Dreamer, Raven, The Sandman, Kid Kash, Steve Corino, Jack Victory, Super Crazy, Yoshihiro Tajiri and more. He was the original company's final ECW heavyweight and television champ.
ECW built new stars. TNA is trying to do the same.
The company shows promise with some of its newer stars. Rhino agrees.
He mentioned ODB, Kong, Petey Williams, The Motor City Machine Guns, Sonjay Dutt. ``You name it. The TNA roster is full of them.''
• Rhino follows-up the Final Resolution battle with another big match at the TNA pay-per-view Genesis when he faces Sting for the TNA title on Sunday, Jan. 11 at the Cricket Arena in Charlotte.
Also, Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett. Lumberjill match for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship: Awesome Kong vs. Christy Hemme.
Mick Foley and The TNA Frontline (A.J. Styles and Brother Devon) vs. The Main Event Mafia (Booker T, Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner).
Tournament final for the TNA X Division Title: Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley or Eric Young and more.
• TNA tapes four shows a month for its TNA iMPACT! TV shows at Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios Orlando.
See Kurt Angle, A.J. Styles, Sting, Samoa Joe, Booker T, Rhino, Scott Steiner, Matt Morgan, Kevin Nash, Awesome Kong, Abyss, Hernandez, Homicide, Roxxi, the Motor City Machine Guns, the Beautiful People, Beer Money Inc., ODB, Sonjay Dutt, Hector Guerrero, Jay Lethal and more.
Admission is free.
• TNA iMPACT! is 9-11 p.m. EST Thursdays on Spike.
Source: MiamiHerald
Michigan is a great state when thinking wrestling intensity. The Original Sheik, Bobo Brazil, RVD, Sabu and the Steiner Brothers to name a few. Let's not forget Kevin Nash and up-n-comers like the Motor City Machine Guns.
Some, men of action with little words. Others, men of action with lots of words.
Rhino, 33, lets his actions do much of the talking.
''I'm just focused,'' he said. ``A little before my match, I start to get into it. Then once my music hits, that's when the intensity kicks in.''
Gerin grew up in Detroit, playing youth league and high school football. He also wrestled (amateur) in high school.
''About a year and a half after high school, I got into pro wrestling,'' he said. ``I really didn't think I wanted to do it until then.''
Rhino paid his dues on the indie circuit, and hard work paid off. The companies trusted Rhino twice with a world title -- TNA/NWA and original ECW. Also, he is a three-time WWF Hardcore champion, a two-time ECW Television champion and a WCW/WWF U.S. champ.
''Not everybody can get the crowd up,'' he said, ``but I've been pretty fortunate. The fans really take to me.''
Debuting in 1994 on the Detroit independent circuit as Terry Richards, he later became Rhino Richards and began wrestling in Canada, where he initially trained. He was part of the stable Thug Life with friends Christian Cage, Joe E. Legend, Bloody Bill Skullion and Sexton Hardcastle (WWE's Edge).
In 1999, Rhino stormed into ECW. He started to acquire more notoriety while the upstart company gained television exposure throughout the East and South and via WWE during the first invasion type angle.
ECW fused hardcore styles from Japan and aerial tactics via Mexico with Paul Heyman's mastermind.
''The hardcore style worked for me,'' Rhino said. ``That was my style, and that's why Paul Heyman hired me.''
When ECW closed, Rhyno wrestled for WWE from 2001-05. Because of personal issues away from the ring, WWE released him. Soon after, the WWE 'y' returned to an 'i' as Rhino joined TNA. Trademark purposes.
''My time with WWE was fine. It was good,'' he said. ``I enjoyed it and had a lot of big matches.''
Just look at the solid 5-10, 270-pound Rhino. He resembles a rhino. Naturally, he had to gore somebody.
''Tracy Smothers told me to hit my opponent with it, my first match in ECW,'' Rhino recalled. ``I'd done it before at an indie show in 1996. I did it again that first match in ECW.''
The crowd erupted.
''After that, I kept doing it,'' Rhino said. ``Then Paul Heyman named it because of a rhino goring someone.''
Elevating his game, Rhino also uses the gore to finish opponents in TNA.
In TNA, Rhino has worked with Jeff Jarrett, Raven, Jeff Hardy, Abyss, Sabu, Kevin Nash, Scott D'Amore, Robert Roode, A-1, Eric Young, Sting, A.J. Styles, Ron Killings, Booker T, Team 3D, Samoa Joe, Scott Steiner, Larry Zbyszko, Monty Brown, Christian Cage, Christopher Daniels, James Storm, Jackie, Black Reign, Rellik, Tomko, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Cute Kip, the Beautiful People, Taylor Wilde, ODB, Rhaka Khan and Kurt Angle.
Is Angle the best pro wrestler going today? Hard to argue.
Rhino, who's wrestled a Who's Who list of talent in his career, can attest to the quality of Angle. He competed against the former Olympic gold medalist in the co-main event at TNA's pay-per-view Final Resolution in December at Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios Orlando.
''Obviously when you wrestle an Olympic gold medalist, it's not going to be a walk in the park,'' Rhino said before an iMPACT taping at Universal Studios Orlando. ``It was a great pay-per-view overall, and to be a part of the main event is something that will live in history. It's an honor.''
With matches like that, TNA continues to grow.
''We're all working hard together -- the people in the office, the whole staff, the wrestlers,'' Rhino said. ``We're all working hard to make this thing grow. The fans see the growth. They're entertained, and they're there for us. It's a rewarding feeling to see the crowds grow and the pay-per-view buy rates grow.''
Rhino's intensity and passion earned him a new nickname in TNA.
''TNA came up with the War Machine,'' he said. ``I wrestled as Rhino since 1997 before ECW. D-Lo Brown and Reckless Youth came up with the name Rhino. No one's ever used that name. Why not use it. It fit. Yeah. Might as well.''
Rhino trained under the watchful eye of Scott D'Amore at the Can-Am Wrestling School in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. D'Amore, a former creative mind in TNA, has also trained A-1, Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Christy Hemme and Petey Williams to name a few.
''I found Scott D'Amore's school, which is still there, by the way,'' Rhino said. ``They basically said, `This isn't for everybody.'
``The first time I stepped into the ring I knew this is what I wanted to do.''
Rhino learned well.
''My first break was going over to Germany [in 1998] to wrestle for the Catch Wrestling Association,'' he said. ``A lot of great wrestlers went through that territory.''
CWA alum: Chris Benoit, Ludvig Borga, Robbie Brookside, Duke Droese, Fit Finlay, Tatsumi Fujinami, John Bradshaw Layfield, Ulf Herman, Barry Horowitz, Don Leo Jonathan, Marty Jones, Carl Ouellet, Chris Jericho, Joe E. Legend, Bob Orton Jr., Road Warrior Hawk, Paul Roma, Lance Storm, Hiroyoshi Yamamoto, Vader and Otto Wanz.
''[In CWA], they sometimes wrestled 62 days straight in the same place,'' he said. ``I tagged with a buddy of mine Joe E. Legend there. I've tagged with Christian [at times including TNA]. It's definitely different than singles wrestling. I like both but prefer singles.''
The CWA worked as a springboard for Rhino landing in ECW.
Rhino worked with Tommy Dreamer, Raven, The Sandman, Kid Kash, Steve Corino, Jack Victory, Super Crazy, Yoshihiro Tajiri and more. He was the original company's final ECW heavyweight and television champ.
ECW built new stars. TNA is trying to do the same.
The company shows promise with some of its newer stars. Rhino agrees.
He mentioned ODB, Kong, Petey Williams, The Motor City Machine Guns, Sonjay Dutt. ``You name it. The TNA roster is full of them.''
• Rhino follows-up the Final Resolution battle with another big match at the TNA pay-per-view Genesis when he faces Sting for the TNA title on Sunday, Jan. 11 at the Cricket Arena in Charlotte.
Also, Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett. Lumberjill match for the TNA Women's Knockout Championship: Awesome Kong vs. Christy Hemme.
Mick Foley and The TNA Frontline (A.J. Styles and Brother Devon) vs. The Main Event Mafia (Booker T, Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner).
Tournament final for the TNA X Division Title: Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley or Eric Young and more.
• TNA tapes four shows a month for its TNA iMPACT! TV shows at Soundstage 21 at Universal Studios Orlando.
See Kurt Angle, A.J. Styles, Sting, Samoa Joe, Booker T, Rhino, Scott Steiner, Matt Morgan, Kevin Nash, Awesome Kong, Abyss, Hernandez, Homicide, Roxxi, the Motor City Machine Guns, the Beautiful People, Beer Money Inc., ODB, Sonjay Dutt, Hector Guerrero, Jay Lethal and more.
Admission is free.
• TNA iMPACT! is 9-11 p.m. EST Thursdays on Spike.
Source: MiamiHerald