Cincinnati Red
Encyclopedia
Gregory Scott Daves is an American
semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name
Cincinnati Red.
, Daves deuted under the ring name
Blackjack Daniels, based on the The Blackjacks
(Blackjack Mulligan
and Blackjack Lanza) tag team
. He soon renamed himself to Cincinnati Red and joined the National Wrestling Conference, where he debuted on March 17, 1995 in a three-on-one handicap match, which he, RJ Rodriguez and The Wild Renegade lost to SWAT
. Later that night, Red lost to The Thug. Red would continue to be used as an enhancement talent in the NWC, losing to the likes of Jim Neidhart
, Don Juan and Larry Power. On August 25, Red teamed with Billy Anderson to form The Mercenaries, but they lost to Aerial Assault (Bobby Bradley and Rob Van Dam
) in the first round of a tournament for the Tag Team Championship. After leaving the NWC soon after, Red returned on March 28, 1997, losing to Neidhart. On July 12, he made his final appearance for the promotion in a losing effort to The Suicide Kid.
, Daves traveled to Southern California
to take part in the Empire Wrestling Federation
's debut show on May 5, 1996. At the event, he buted for the promotion under his Cincinnati Red name and had the distinction of wrestling in the first match in the promotion's history, where he competed against Brian Rodgers.
. The Grappler's Den soon expanded into a promotion
and was subsequently named the Impact Wrestling Federation. The IWF would go on to run shows within and throughout Ventura County
, including Simi Valley
, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme
. In late 1999, Red and Key sold the IWF to fellow wrestler Steve "Navajo Warrior" Islas, who subsequently renamed the promotion to Impact Zone Wrestling. After the sale of the IWF, Daves continued to teach in wrestling schools, with one of his most notable students being future world champion Samoa Joe
.
on May 19, 2001 to capture the MPW World title. He held the title for 168 days.
On June 1, 2001, Daves and The Dog
defeated Big Red Machine and Fake Scotty 2 Hotty by disqualification in a match for All Star Wrestling
. He made his second and final appearance for ASW two days later, where he and Joe Kimble lost to The British Legend of Doom and Zebra Kid
in a tag team
tables match.
in 2005, where he assumed the roles of booker and agent. On February 18, 2006 at the The Battle At Bethel event, he made his in-ring return for the promotion under his Cincinnati Red name, where he and Greg Valentine
defeated Syrus and Puma. On May 14, 2006, Red won the first Great Goliath Battle Royal, an annual battle royal held in honor of Pablo Crispin, who competed as The Great Goliath and trained Jesse Hernandez. As a result of winning the match, he was awarded both a trophy and also a match for the Heavyweight Championship
. Instead, he forfeited his title match and gave his trophy to Paloma Crispin, Goliath's daughter. Daves remained with the company until 2010, when he was placed on their website's alumni list.
was given the distinction of cutting Red's trademark hair.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known by his 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:...
Cincinnati Red.
National Wrestling Conference (1995, 1997)
After training with Bill Anderson and Jesse HernandezJesse Hernandez
Jesse Lizarraga is a Mexican American Pro Wrestler, Pro Wrestling Referee, trainer, Actor and owner of the School of Hard Knocks pro-wrestling training facility. He also promotes an independent wrestling organization called Empire Wrestling Federation in San Bernardino, California, performing...
, Daves deuted 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:...
Blackjack Daniels, based on the The Blackjacks
The Blackjacks
The Blackjacks were a heel professional wrestling tag team. The team consisted of Blackjack Mulligan and Blackjack Lanza. After forming in the 1970s, they wrestled in a variety of professional wrestling promotions, including the American Wrestling Association and World Wide Wrestling Federation...
(Blackjack Mulligan
Blackjack Mulligan
Robert Jack Windham , better known by his ring name Blackjack Mulligan is a former professional wrestler and a former American football player...
and Blackjack Lanza) tag team
Tag 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...
. He soon renamed himself to Cincinnati Red and joined the National Wrestling Conference, where he debuted on March 17, 1995 in a three-on-one handicap match, which he, RJ Rodriguez and The Wild Renegade lost to SWAT
Ron Reis
Ronald Allen "Ron" Reis is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s as The Yeti and Reese.-World Championship Wrestling :...
. Later that night, Red lost to The Thug. Red would continue to be used as an enhancement talent in the NWC, losing to the likes of Jim Neidhart
Jim Neidhart
James Henry "Jim" Neidhart is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Jim is the father of WWE Diva Natalya...
, Don Juan and Larry Power. On August 25, Red teamed with Billy Anderson to form The Mercenaries, but they lost to Aerial Assault (Bobby Bradley and Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
) in the first round of a tournament for the Tag Team Championship. After leaving the NWC soon after, Red returned on March 28, 1997, losing to Neidhart. On July 12, he made his final appearance for the promotion in a losing effort to The Suicide Kid.
Empire Wrestling Federation (1996–1997)
After a few years on the independent circuitIndependent 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...
, Daves traveled to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
to take part in the Empire Wrestling Federation
Empire Wrestling Federation
The Empire Wrestling Federation is an independent wrestling promotion based in San Bernardino, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez). The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, The School Of Hard Knocks. The EWF is the longest running promotion in Southern California,...
's debut show on May 5, 1996. At the event, he buted for the promotion under his Cincinnati Red name and had the distinction of wrestling in the first match in the promotion's history, where he competed against Brian Rodgers.
Hiatus (1998–1999)
While on hiatus from in-ring competition, Daves and fellow wrestler Gary Key opened up The Grappler's Den, a wrestling school based in Oxnard, CaliforniaOxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
. The Grappler's Den soon expanded into a promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
and was subsequently named the Impact Wrestling Federation. The IWF would go on to run shows within and throughout Ventura County
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
, including Simi Valley
Simi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme
Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme is a small beach city in Ventura County, California surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean. The name derives from the Spanish spelling of the Chumash wene me, meaning "Resting Place". The area was discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the mid 16th century...
. In late 1999, Red and Key sold the IWF to fellow wrestler Steve "Navajo Warrior" Islas, who subsequently renamed the promotion to Impact Zone Wrestling. After the sale of the IWF, Daves continued to teach in wrestling schools, with one of his most notable students being future world champion Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
.
Return to wrestling
When his former student Paul Ventimiglia started Millennium Pro Wrestling, Daves returned to the ring as the promotion's top heel. He defeated Little GuidoJames Maritato
James Maritato is an American professional wrestler, of Italian origin, currently working on the independent circuit. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment and Extreme Championship Wrestling under the ring names Little Guido Maritato and Nunzio.-Starting out:While...
on May 19, 2001 to capture the MPW World title. He held the title for 168 days.
On June 1, 2001, Daves and The Dog
Al Green (wrestler)
Al Green is a professional wrestler who has performed in North America, Europe and Japan under a variety of gimmicks the most well known being "Rage" , Blade one half of the Master Blasters with Steel and the Dog in World Championship Wrestling at the turn of the millennium.-Career:Green was trained...
defeated Big Red Machine and Fake Scotty 2 Hotty by disqualification in a match for All Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling
All Star Wrestling is a British Professional wrestling promotion also known as All Star Promotions, Superslam Wrestling and Big Time Wrestling and originally known as Wrestling Enterprises , run by Brian Dixon and based in Liverpool, England...
. He made his second and final appearance for ASW two days later, where he and Joe Kimble lost to The British Legend of Doom and Zebra Kid
Roy Bevis
Roy Bevis, better known by his ring name Zebra Kid is a British professional wrestler. Bevis is the son of the well-known wrestler-turned-promoter, Ricky Knight...
in a tag team
Tag 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...
tables match.
Return to the EWF (2005–2010)
Daves returned to the Empire Wrestling FederationEmpire Wrestling Federation
The Empire Wrestling Federation is an independent wrestling promotion based in San Bernardino, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez). The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, The School Of Hard Knocks. The EWF is the longest running promotion in Southern California,...
in 2005, where he assumed the roles of booker and agent. On February 18, 2006 at the The Battle At Bethel event, he made his in-ring return for the promotion under his Cincinnati Red name, where he and Greg Valentine
Greg Valentine
John Wisniski, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine.-Training:...
defeated Syrus and Puma. On May 14, 2006, Red won the first Great Goliath Battle Royal, an annual battle royal held in honor of Pablo Crispin, who competed as The Great Goliath and trained Jesse Hernandez. As a result of winning the match, he was awarded both a trophy and also a match for the Heavyweight Championship
EWF Heavyweight Championship
The EWF Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in the Southern California-based Empire Wrestling Federation independent promotion. It was established in 1996, with Bobby Bradley as the first champion, who defeated Zuma to win it. There have been a total of 30 recognized...
. Instead, he forfeited his title match and gave his trophy to Paloma Crispin, Goliath's daughter. Daves remained with the company until 2010, when he was placed on their website's alumni list.
Millennium Pro Wrestling (2010)
After leaving the EWF, Daves returned to Millennium Pro Wrestling on May 29, 2010 for their Not Another Pointless Reboot event. He faced his former protegé "Lethal" Logan X in a "Hair vs Badge" match. He was managed by Tex Tunney. Logan proved victorious and "Rowdy" Roddy PiperRoddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
was given the distinction of cutting Red's trademark hair.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Cincin-Nage (Ura-nage)
- MoonsaultMoonsaultA moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
- Signature moves
- Diving elbow drop
- Senton
- STF
Championships and accomplishments
- Empire Wrestling FederationEmpire Wrestling FederationThe Empire Wrestling Federation is an independent wrestling promotion based in San Bernardino, California. It is owned and operated by Jesse Hernandez). The EWF is also tied to Hernandez's wrestling school, The School Of Hard Knocks. The EWF is the longest running promotion in Southern California,...
- Great Goliath Memorial Battle Royal (2006)
- Impact Wrestling Federation
- IWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IWF Western States Championship (1 time)
- Millennium Pro Wrestling
- MPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- United Independent Wrestling Alliance
- UIWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- UIWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Johnny Hemp