Bryan Wenzel
Encyclopedia
Bryan Wenzel is an American
professional wrestler
. He is perhaps best known for his stint in Ohio Valley Wrestling
under the ring name
Mr. Strongko.
in management and marketing sales in 2004.
and Gino Caruso, Wenzel made his debut on February 26, 1999 for Caruso's East Coast Professional Wrestling promotion with a disqualification victory over Pub Bully. Soon after his debut, Wenzel began wrestling all over the United States
independent circuit
, competing against and teaming with legendary performers such as The Honky Tonk Man
, the Road Warriors
, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
. Wenzel then a joined Jersey Championship Wresting full-time, forming a tag team with Danny Gimondo called The Hybrid.
called the Moondogs 2000, renaming themselves to Moondog Wenzel and Moondog Molsoon, respectively. As their name implied, the team was that of a new version of the prominent tag team of the same name
. The team found success soon after forming, as they won the promotion's Tag Team Championship on June 24, 2000 after defeating Judas Young and Ryan Wing in the finals of a tournament for the vacant title. They held the championship for 341 days, beating out Glen Osbourne
and Julio Sanchez
's reign by one day to become the longest reigning champions in the title's history, and they ultimately became the final champions after the promotion folded in 2001.
. On October 15, 2000, the Moondogs defeated the Latin Hit Squad (Nuisance and Puerto Rican Chile) to win the Tag Team Championship, their first in WXW. They would hold remain champions for a few months before losing the title back to the Latin Hit Squad on January 9, 2001. The Moondogs would then reclaim the title after defeating the New Jersey Hit Squad
(Mafia
and Monsta Mack) on July 13, 2001 and would hold the title for just over a month before losing it to Neil and Bob. After the title loss, Wenzel took a hiatus from wrestling.
Wenzel returned to wrestling in 2003 and in that same year, he reunited with Molsoon and together, they won their third and final Tag Team Championship on January 4. The Moondogs would then lose the title to Los Lunatics (Eddie Guapo and Low Ryda) on March 8.
on April 12, 2006 as Alexei Strongkov, a Russia
n shoot fighter
and "comrade
" to Boris Alexiev. His ring name was soon tweaked to Mr. Strongko and in addition to being Alexiev's cornerman
, Strongko would also wrestle in matches. On July 26, Strongko made his in-ring debut for OVW and lost to Chet the Jett. The next day, he competed in a battle royal
to name the number one contender for the Heavyweight Championship
, which was won by The Miz. On August 19, Strongko wrestled in another battle royal, this time to name the number one contender for the Television Championship
, which was won by Ryan Reeves
. Wenzel made his World Wrestling Entertainment
debut on the March 18, 2007 episode of Heat
, where he and Mike Tolar lost to Cryme Tyme
. After Alexiev was called up to World Wrestling Entertainment
's main roster in April, Strongko began teaming with Vladimir Kozlov. Strongko and Kozlov conitnued to team throughout 2007 and on August 22, Strongko wrestled his last match in OVW as he lost to Jacob Duncan
.
Saint Stronko. At the event, he wrestled in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant ISPW Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Judas Young, and he also wrestled a tag team match with Mauritzio Bokara in a losing effort to The Logan Brothers (Bryan and Matt).
After leaving OVW and returning to New Jersey, Wenzel began to take college classes in order to become an elementary school teacher.
Wenzel is also a big fan of the New York Yankees
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. He is perhaps best known for his stint in Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Mr. Strongko.
Before wrestling
Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, Wenzel was an amateur wrestling champion in high school and was also on his high school's varsity football and baseball teams. After graduating in 1998, Wenzel later attended Penn State University in 2001 and graduated with a degreeAcademic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in management and marketing sales in 2004.
Professional wrestling career
After training under Afa Anoa'iAfa Anoa'i
Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. is a Samoan American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring in the 1990s, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Facility.-Early life:Anoa'i was born in Samoa, but...
and Gino Caruso, Wenzel made his debut on February 26, 1999 for Caruso's East Coast Professional Wrestling promotion with a disqualification victory over Pub Bully. Soon after his debut, Wenzel began wrestling all over the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
, competing against and teaming with legendary performers such as The Honky Tonk Man
The Honky Tonk Man
Roy Wayne Farris , better known by his ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American professional wrestler. A 1975 graduate from University of Memphis with a B.S. degree in Education. Coached high school football 2 seasons at Munford High School in Munford, Tennessee...
, the Road Warriors
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
Edward Leslie
Edward Harrison "Ed" Leslie is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Brutus The Barber Beefcake. He later worked for World Championship Wrestling under a variety of names, mainly as "The Disciple" of real-life best friend...
and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
. Wenzel then a joined Jersey Championship Wresting full-time, forming a tag team with Danny Gimondo called The Hybrid.
The Moondogs 2000
In 2000, Wenzel and Jak Molsoon, both wrestling as singles competitors in Independent Superstars of Professional Wrestling, joined together to form a tag teamTag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
called the Moondogs 2000, renaming themselves to Moondog Wenzel and Moondog Molsoon, respectively. As their name implied, the team was that of a new version of the prominent tag team of the same name
Moondogs
The Moondogs were a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation and in two Memphis promotions: the Continental Wrestling Association and the United States Wrestling Association...
. The team found success soon after forming, as they won the promotion's Tag Team Championship on June 24, 2000 after defeating Judas Young and Ryan Wing in the finals of a tournament for the vacant title. They held the championship for 341 days, beating out Glen Osbourne
Glen Osbourne
Glen Osbourne is an American professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Eastern Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s, where he was the youngest holder of the ECW World Television Championship...
and Julio Sanchez
Brian Wohl
Brian Wohl is an American professional wrestler better known under his ring name Julio Dinero.-Career:Wohl debuted in 1994 after training at the Baltimore Wrestling Factory under Axl Rotten and Hack Myers...
's reign by one day to become the longest reigning champions in the title's history, and they ultimately became the final champions after the promotion folded in 2001.
World Xtreme Wrestling
While in ISPW, the Moondogs 2000 also competed in World Xtreme WrestlingWorld Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....
. On October 15, 2000, the Moondogs defeated the Latin Hit Squad (Nuisance and Puerto Rican Chile) to win the Tag Team Championship, their first in WXW. They would hold remain champions for a few months before losing the title back to the Latin Hit Squad on January 9, 2001. The Moondogs would then reclaim the title after defeating the New Jersey Hit Squad
Da Hit Squad
Da Hit Squad was a professional wrestling tag team in Ring of Honor, Jersey All Pro Wrestling and many other independent promotions. The members were Monsta Mack and Mafia. They were known as the Hardest Hitting tag team in ROH. This duo of Repeat Offenders brutalized their opponents with...
(Mafia
Dan Lopez
Dan Lopez is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Dan "Danny" Maff. He retired in March 2005 following an as yet undisclosed incident involving his trainer, Homicide, and remained inactive until returning in June 2008....
and Monsta Mack) on July 13, 2001 and would hold the title for just over a month before losing it to Neil and Bob. After the title loss, Wenzel took a hiatus from wrestling.
Wenzel returned to wrestling in 2003 and in that same year, he reunited with Molsoon and together, they won their third and final Tag Team Championship on January 4. The Moondogs would then lose the title to Los Lunatics (Eddie Guapo and Low Ryda) on March 8.
Ohio Valley Wrestling
After another hiatus, Wenzel made his debut in Ohio Valley WrestlingOhio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
on April 12, 2006 as Alexei Strongkov, a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n shoot fighter
Shootfighting
Shootfighting is a combat sport and martial art, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association . Shootfighting incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principle of these being Muay Thai and Catch Wrestling.Shootfighting was...
and "comrade
Comrade
Comrade means "friend", "colleague", or "ally". The word comes from French camarade. The term is frequently used by left-wing organizations around the globe. "Comrade" has often become a stock phrase and form of address. This word has its regional equivalents available in many...
" to Boris Alexiev. His ring name was soon tweaked to Mr. Strongko and in addition to being Alexiev's cornerman
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
, Strongko would also wrestle in matches. On July 26, Strongko made his in-ring debut for OVW and lost to Chet the Jett. The next day, he competed in a battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
to name the number one contender for the Heavyweight Championship
OVW Heavyweight Championship
The OVW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship owned by the Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion. The title was introduced on August 17, 1997 at an OVW live event, then known as the NWA-OVW Heavyweight Championship due to OVW's relationship with the National...
, which was won by The Miz. On August 19, Strongko wrestled in another battle royal, this time to name the number one contender for the Television Championship
OVW Television Championship
The OVW Television Championship is the secondary championship of Ohio Valley Wrestling started on January 5, 2005. When the title was originally conceived, the champion defended against randomly selected opponents, with the winner receiving a check for $1000...
, which was won by Ryan Reeves
Ryan Reeves
Ryan Reeves is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, but is inactive due to injury. After being one of the eight finalists on WWE Tough Enough 4, he later signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and wrestled in Deep South Wrestling and Florida...
. Wenzel made his World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
debut on the March 18, 2007 episode of Heat
WWE HEAT
WWE Heat was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, where he and Mike Tolar lost to Cryme Tyme
Cryme Tyme
For animated series named Crime Time, visit Crime TimeCryme Tyme was a professional wrestling tag team that was signed to WWE.The team consisted of JTG and Shad , an over-the-top parody of stereotypical street thugs.-Early lives:Of Haitian and...
. After Alexiev was called up to World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's main roster in April, Strongko began teaming with Vladimir Kozlov. Strongko and Kozlov conitnued to team throughout 2007 and on August 22, Strongko wrestled his last match in OVW as he lost to Jacob Duncan
Ryan Wilson
Ryan Wilson is an American professional wrestler who formerly worked for World Wrestling Entertainment in the Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental promotion as Jacob Duncan where he was a former OVW Heavyweight Champion...
.
Hiatus and return
After leaving OVW, Wenzel took a two year hiatus from wrestling before returning to the ring for Independent Superstars of Professional Wrestling's one day only reunion show, Summer Rumble, on July 11, 2009 under the ring nameRing name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Saint Stronko. At the event, he wrestled in a 20-man battle royal for the vacant ISPW Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Judas Young, and he also wrestled a tag team match with Mauritzio Bokara in a losing effort to The Logan Brothers (Bryan and Matt).
Personal life
Wenzel has five brothers and sisters and sixteen nieces and nephews. His cousin, Lee Mandon, is also a professional wrestler, who competes under the ring name Ashe Samuels. In 2007, Wenzel's father, Paul, died after battling cancer.After leaving OVW and returning to New Jersey, Wenzel began to take college classes in order to become an elementary school teacher.
Wenzel is also a big fan of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Half nelson choke
- Spinning powerbomb
- Signature moves
- PowerbombPowerbombA powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
- Reverse chokeslam facebuster
- Spear
- Powerbomb
- Wrestlers managedManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Boris Alexiev
- Vladimir Kozlov
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Raging Beast" Bryan Wenzel
Championships and accomplishments
- Independent Superstars of Professional Wrestling
- ISPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Moondog Molsoon
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #365 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2001
- World Xtreme WrestlingWorld Xtreme WrestlingWorld Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....
- WXW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – Moondog Molsoon