Cody Deaner
Encyclopedia
Chris Grey better known by his ring name Cody Deaner, is a Canadian professional wrestler
, who worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
.
and subsequently made his professional wrestling debut for the now defunct Hardcore Wrestling Federation in 2000 under the ring name Cody Steele. Upon the HWF's closure, he then wrestled for numerous Canadian and American independent wrestling promotions, winning numerous titles across both countries.
He had a number of WWE tryouts under the Cody Steele moniker, including an appearance on SmackDown!.
As Cody Steele, Grey won numerous independent wrestling titles across the US and Canada. He held gold for a number of promotions including: Fighting Spirit Pro Wrestling, Neo Spirit Pro Wrestling, Canadian International Wrestling Alliance, Great Lakes Championship Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Xtreme, Great Canadian Wrestling, and others. Other independent wrestling promotions he has wrestled for include Border City Wrestling, Ballpark Brawl, Pier 6 Wrestling, Empire State Wrestling, International Wrestling Federation, NWA-Empire, NWA-Upstate, AWA-Ontario, Twins Wrestling Entertainment, Classic Championship Wrestling, WAR Wrestling, and Prime Time Wrestling.
In 2005, Grey began wrestling in the newly founded independent promotion
, Great Canadian Wrestling
(GCW). He made his GCW debut at a GCW event on June 26 as "Completely" Cody Steele, defeating Derek Wylde. At Rage of the Cage, he began wrestling as Cody Deaner and lost to Shawn Spears in the main event
. At Stampede Showdown, Deaner was booked to defeat Hayden "The Destroyer" Avery for his newly won GCW Ontario Independent Championship. As a result, Deaner began feuding
with Avery for the title. Deaner held the title for three months before losing it back to Avery at Ugandan Invasion. At Veni! Vidi! Vici, Avery defeated Deaner in a Motorcity Street Fight
rematch to retain the title.
At Beyond the Limit, Deaner and Avery ended their feud as they teamed up to defeat defending champions Derek Wylde & Andrew Davis and Ash & Otis Idol in a triple threat tag team
match for the GCW Tag Team Championship. Shortly after the title win, Deaner and Avery began feuding with The Flatliners (Asylum and Matt Burns) for the belts and defeated them in several matches throughout the rest of the year, before losing the tag championships to Flatliners at Genesis 11:25:07. The feud between the teams continued, until Deaner and Avery regained the titles from Flatliners in a steel cage tag team match at Game Over. They lost the titles to The Houses of Virtue (Andrew Davis and Sebastian Suave) at Random Acts of Violence. After losing the belts, Deaner and Avery continued to team up and challenged for the titles but failed in winning them, so they broke up their tag team and focused on singles competition.
In the fall of 2008, Deaner was put into a feud with the GCW National Champion Otis Idol over the belt, which culminated in a series of matches but Deaner failed to win it. Their feud ended after Idol lost the title. During this time, Deaner began appearing in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA), but he still continues to wrestle for GCW. On July 12, 2009, Deaner defeated "Tenacious" Scotty Turner to win the TWA Heavyweight Championship. After his release from TNA, Deaner dropped his old redneck gimmick and dubbed himself "The Everyman". On April 25, 2010, Deaner lost the TWA Heavyweight Championship to former WWE Superstar Robbie MacAllister
at TWA Wrestlelusion II.
(WWE) under the ring name
Cody Steele in a dark match, where he would lose to Muhammad Hassan. Three days later, on November 25, he made a televised appearance on WWE's program, SmackDown! as a planted hometown hero against Kurt Angle
in a match for Angle's Olympic gold medal. Angle defeated Steele to retain his medal.
, TNA Knockout
ODB
cut a promo about letting "one lucky guy spend the night" with her and at Destination X
, she chose Deaner as her date. Since then, Deaner has been serving as ODB's manager
. On April 16 edition of Impact!, Deaner wrestled his first TNA match, a mixed tag team match with ODB against Abyss
and Daffney. Abyss and Daffney won the match. Two weeks later on Impact!, Abyss defeated Deaner in Deaner's first singles match in TNA.
At Hard Justice
, ODB and Deaner faced The Beautiful People
(Angelina Love
and Velvet Sky
) in a tag team match where Love's TNA Women's Knockout Championship
was on the line. Deaner pinned Sky to apparently make ODB the new champion, but afterwards began arguing with her over who the champion really was. On August 27 edition of Impact!, it was announced that at No Surrender
, he would face ODB to determine the true Knockout Champion. On the September 10 edition of Impact! Deaner defeated Tara
in an MMA
rules match, after Awesome Kong
hit Tara with the Implant Buster while Deaner was inadvertently distracting the referee. At No Surrender
, ODB defeated Deaner to win the Knockout Championship. On November 5, he lost to Desmond Wolfe
in just seconds. On December 20 at Final Resolution
Deaner competed in what would turn out to be his last TNA match, a twelve man "Feast or Fired" match, in which he was unsuccessful in capturing any of the four briefcases. He was released from TNA on December 29, 2009.
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...
, who worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
.
Independent wrestling (2000–present)
Grey was trained by "Dangerboy" Derek Wylde in Niagara Falls, OntarioNiagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
and subsequently made his professional wrestling debut for the now defunct Hardcore Wrestling Federation in 2000 under the ring name Cody Steele. Upon the HWF's closure, he then wrestled for numerous Canadian and American independent wrestling promotions, winning numerous titles across both countries.
He had a number of WWE tryouts under the Cody Steele moniker, including an appearance on SmackDown!.
As Cody Steele, Grey won numerous independent wrestling titles across the US and Canada. He held gold for a number of promotions including: Fighting Spirit Pro Wrestling, Neo Spirit Pro Wrestling, Canadian International Wrestling Alliance, Great Lakes Championship Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Xtreme, Great Canadian Wrestling, and others. Other independent wrestling promotions he has wrestled for include Border City Wrestling, Ballpark Brawl, Pier 6 Wrestling, Empire State Wrestling, International Wrestling Federation, NWA-Empire, NWA-Upstate, AWA-Ontario, Twins Wrestling Entertainment, Classic Championship Wrestling, WAR Wrestling, and Prime Time Wrestling.
In 2005, Grey began wrestling in the newly founded independent promotion
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...
, Great Canadian Wrestling
Great Canadian Wrestling
Great Canadian Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion company based in Oshawa, Ontario. GCW was founded in 2005 and promotes shows throughout Southern Ontario. The company also hosts since 2005 an annual Great Canadian Wrestling Expo that takes place over several days and...
(GCW). He made his GCW debut at a GCW event on June 26 as "Completely" Cody Steele, defeating Derek Wylde. At Rage of the Cage, he began wrestling as Cody Deaner and lost to Shawn Spears in the main event
Main Event
Main Event is Australia's only pay-per-view channel. It transmits through Foxtel, Optus Television and Austar, which jointly own the channel...
. At Stampede Showdown, Deaner was booked to defeat Hayden "The Destroyer" Avery for his newly won GCW Ontario Independent Championship. As a result, Deaner began feuding
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Avery for the title. Deaner held the title for three months before losing it back to Avery at Ugandan Invasion. At Veni! Vidi! Vici, Avery defeated Deaner in a Motorcity Street Fight
Street Fight
Street Fight may refer to:*Street Fight , about the 2002 Newark, New Jersey mayoral election*Coonskin , a 1975 animated film, re-released under the title Street Fight*Street Fight , a 2007 song by Hedley...
rematch to retain the title.
At Beyond the Limit, Deaner and Avery ended their feud as they teamed up to defeat defending champions Derek Wylde & Andrew Davis and Ash & Otis Idol in a triple threat 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...
match for the GCW Tag Team Championship. Shortly after the title win, Deaner and Avery began feuding with The Flatliners (Asylum and Matt Burns) for the belts and defeated them in several matches throughout the rest of the year, before losing the tag championships to Flatliners at Genesis 11:25:07. The feud between the teams continued, until Deaner and Avery regained the titles from Flatliners in a steel cage tag team match at Game Over. They lost the titles to The Houses of Virtue (Andrew Davis and Sebastian Suave) at Random Acts of Violence. After losing the belts, Deaner and Avery continued to team up and challenged for the titles but failed in winning them, so they broke up their tag team and focused on singles competition.
In the fall of 2008, Deaner was put into a feud with the GCW National Champion Otis Idol over the belt, which culminated in a series of matches but Deaner failed to win it. Their feud ended after Idol lost the title. During this time, Deaner began appearing in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA), but he still continues to wrestle for GCW. On July 12, 2009, Deaner defeated "Tenacious" Scotty Turner to win the TWA Heavyweight Championship. After his release from TNA, Deaner dropped his old redneck gimmick and dubbed himself "The Everyman". On April 25, 2010, Deaner lost the TWA Heavyweight Championship to former WWE Superstar Robbie MacAllister
The Highlanders (professional wrestling)
The Highlanders are a Scottish professional wrestling tag team consisting of storyline cousins Robbie and Rory McAllister who were best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on the Raw brand.-History:Couch and Murray were both born and raised in Oban, Scotland The Highlanders are...
at TWA Wrestlelusion II.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2004)
His earliest WWE match to record was on November 22, 2004, where he wrestled for World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld 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...
(WWE) 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:...
Cody Steele in a dark match, where he would lose to Muhammad Hassan. Three days later, on November 25, he made a televised appearance on WWE's program, SmackDown! as a planted hometown hero against Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...
in a match for Angle's Olympic gold medal. Angle defeated Steele to retain his medal.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2009)
Deaner was signed to a contract by TNA in 2009. On February 12 edition of Impact!TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
, TNA Knockout
TNA Knockout
Knockout is a term used by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling to refer to its female talent. The term is applied universally to wrestlers, backstage interviewers, and managers/valets. They are analogous to the Divas of rival WWE.-History:...
ODB
Jessica Kresa
Jessica Kresa is an American professional wrestler and actress better known as ODB , currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where she is a former three–time TNA Women's Knockout Champion....
cut a promo about letting "one lucky guy spend the night" with her and at Destination X
Destination X (2009)
Destination X was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on March 15, 2009 at the TNA Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, she chose Deaner as her date. Since then, Deaner has been serving as ODB's manager
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...
. On April 16 edition of Impact!, Deaner wrestled his first TNA match, a mixed tag team match with ODB against Abyss
Chris Parks
Christopher J. "Chris" Parks , better known by his ring name "The Monster" Abyss, is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
and Daffney. Abyss and Daffney won the match. Two weeks later on Impact!, Abyss defeated Deaner in Deaner's first singles match in TNA.
At Hard Justice
Hard Justice (2009)
Hard Justice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on August 16, 2009 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the fifth event under the Hard Justice chronology....
, ODB and Deaner faced The Beautiful People
The Beautiful People (professional wrestling)
The Beautiful People was an alliance of professional wrestlers that appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , consisting of Angelina Love, Velvet Sky, Cute Kip, Madison Rayne and Lacey Von Erich. The stable was known for their narcissistic gimmick, and holding the TNA Women's Knockout...
(Angelina Love
Angel Williams
Lauren Williams is a Canadian professional wrestler, who is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Angelina Love. She is a record-setting five-time TNA Women's Knockout Champion and a former a one-time TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with Winter...
and Velvet Sky
Velvet Sky
Jamie Szantyr is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Velvet Sky. She is a former TNA Women's Knockout Champion and TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champion with her former Beautiful People partners Madison Rayne and Lacey Von Erich...
) in a tag team match where Love's TNA Women's Knockout Championship
TNA Women's Knockout Championship
The TNA Women's Knockout Championship, often referred to simply as the Knockouts Championship, is a professional wrestling women's world championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested for in TNA's women's division...
was on the line. Deaner pinned Sky to apparently make ODB the new champion, but afterwards began arguing with her over who the champion really was. On August 27 edition of Impact!, it was announced that at No Surrender
No Surrender (2009)
No Surrender was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on September 20, 2009 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, he would face ODB to determine the true Knockout Champion. On the September 10 edition of Impact! Deaner defeated Tara
Lisa Marie Varon
Lisa Marie Varon , is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder and fitness competitor of Puerto Rican and Turkish descent...
in an MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
rules match, after Awesome Kong
Kia Stevens
Kia Michelle Stevens , better known by her ring names Amazing Kong, Awesome Kong and Kharma. She is signed with WWE, but has been inactive since May 2011 due to pregnancy...
hit Tara with the Implant Buster while Deaner was inadvertently distracting the referee. At No Surrender
No Surrender (2009)
No Surrender was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on September 20, 2009 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
, ODB defeated Deaner to win the Knockout Championship. On November 5, he lost to Desmond Wolfe
Nigel McGuinness
Steven Haworth is an English professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Desmond Wolfe and Nigel McGuinness. As McGuinness he first gained notoriety working for Ring of Honor in the United States and Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
in just seconds. On December 20 at Final Resolution
Final Resolution (2009)
Final Resolution was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on December 20, 2009 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...
Deaner competed in what would turn out to be his last TNA match, a twelve man "Feast or Fired" match, in which he was unsuccessful in capturing any of the four briefcases. He was released from TNA on December 29, 2009.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Giver Drop (Springboard backflip three-quarter facelock diving reverse DDT)
- Mulletbutt (Diving headbutt)
- Unemployment Line (Clothesline)
- 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 (self-proclaimed) King of the Knockouts"
- "The Everyman"
- "Working Class Warrior"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Pour Some Sugar on MePour Some Sugar on Me"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
" by Def LeppardDef LeppardDef Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
(Independent circuitIndependent circuitIn 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...
)
- "Pour Some Sugar on Me
Championships and accomplishments
- Great Canadian WrestlingGreat Canadian WrestlingGreat Canadian Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion company based in Oshawa, Ontario. GCW was founded in 2005 and promotes shows throughout Southern Ontario. The company also hosts since 2005 an annual Great Canadian Wrestling Expo that takes place over several days and...
- GCW Ontario Independent Championship (1 time)
- GCW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Hayden Avery
- 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 #168 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2009
- Pro Wrestling Xtreme
- PWX Pro Division Championship (1 time, current)
- PWX X Division Championship (1 time)
- PWX Xtreme Championship (1 time)
- TWA Powerhouse
- TWA Championship (1 time)
- TWA Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) (w/ Derek Wylde)