Kipp Christianson
Encyclopedia
Kipp Christianson is an American
professional wrestler
and former basketball
player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works in their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling
(FCW) and was part of the second season of NXT
under his ring name Eli Cottonwood. The Soup
awarded him for the "Best Description of a Mustache By Somebody Who Really, Really Wants To Be a WWE Superstar" award in 2011 which he accepted in-person.
and later St. John's University in Minnesota
. While attending St. John's, he averaged 20 points and eight rebounds
, and in his junior season there, he led the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
in field goal percentage
. During his basketball career, Christianson played in several countries, including Lithuania
and China
. He played in the International Basketball Association
and Continental Basketball Association
, for both Quad City Thunder
, Yakama Sun Kings
, and Sioux Falls Skyforce
. He attended a camp for the Milwaukee Bucks
in 1998, and played for the Dallas Mavericks
team in the NBA Summer League
. On March 16, 2004, he signed a contract with the Charleston Lowgators
.
(FCW) in 2008 under his real name. In August 2009, his name was changed to Eli Cottonwood, and he utilized a gimmick of being recently reintroduced to society from the Kelloggs Sanitarium
. He spent most of his time defeating opponents such as DJ Gabriel
, Tyler Reks
, and Max McGuirk. He soon aligned with Aksana
and turned face
.
, with John Morrison as his storyline mentor. He debuted on the June 8 episode of NXT, teaming with Morrison to defeat Titus O'Neil
and Zack Ryder
. In the first poll three weeks later, Cottonwood was ranked sixth out of the eight rookies. Cottonwood's performance in the "Talk the Talk" challenge on the July 6 episode of NXT, in which he had to talk about mustaches, earned him a clip on the following episode of E! Television's episode of The Soup
in the "What your Boyfriend is Watching" segment. On the July 27 episode of NXT Cottonwood and Morrison both wore shirts that said "Mustache". On the same episode, he was eliminated after being ranked seventh out of the remaining seven rookies, and attacked both Husky Harris
and Lucky Cannon
as a result. Cottonwood returned on August 31 for the season finale, where he and the other eliminated rookies attacked Kaval, who had won the competition.
in psychology
.
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...
and former basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works in their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
(FCW) and was part of the second season of NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
under his ring name Eli Cottonwood. The Soup
The Soup
The Soup is an E! Entertainment Television weekly series; it is a revamped version of Talk Soup that focuses on recaps of various pop culture and television show moments of the week...
awarded him for the "Best Description of a Mustache By Somebody Who Really, Really Wants To Be a WWE Superstar" award in 2011 which he accepted in-person.
Basketball career
Christianson attended River Falls High SchoolRiver Falls High School
River Falls High School is a public high school located in . There are approximately 250 students in each class. The school is known for its outstanding marching band program, which has won the State Title 18 of the past 27 years. It is also known for its St...
and later St. John's University in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. While attending St. John's, he averaged 20 points and eight rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
, and in his junior season there, he led the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. As the name implies, member schools are located in the state of Minnesota...
in field goal percentage
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
. During his basketball career, Christianson played in several countries, including Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He played in the International Basketball Association
International Basketball Association
The International Basketball Association was founded by Alexandria, Minnesota entrepreneur Thomas Anderson in 1995. Anderson traveled the Upper Midwest searching for franchise owners for a couple of years before the league began play with five teams in the 1995-1996 season...
and Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
, for both Quad City Thunder
Quad City Thunder
The Quad City Thunder are a defunct professional basketball team that was based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. They played in the Continental Basketball Association from the 1987-1988 season until the league folded in 2001. The teams was CBA champions in the 1993-1994 and 1997-1998...
, Yakama Sun Kings
Yakama Sun Kings
The Yakama Sun Kings were a Continental Basketball Association franchise located in Yakima, Washington, United States, covering the central Washington sports market of Yakima, Tri-Cities and Ellensburg...
, and Sioux Falls Skyforce
Sioux Falls Skyforce
The Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
. He attended a camp for the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
in 1998, and played for the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
team in the NBA Summer League
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
. On March 16, 2004, he signed a contract with the Charleston Lowgators
Florida Flame
The Florida Flame were a NBA Development League team based in Fort Myers, Florida. Its logo represents a basketball on fire moving at high speed....
.
Florida Championship Wrestling (2008-present)
Kipp Christianson began competing in WWE's developmental territory, Florida Championship WrestlingFlorida Championship Wrestling
Championship Wrestling from Florida was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as Florida Championship Wrestling...
(FCW) in 2008 under his real name. In August 2009, his name was changed to Eli Cottonwood, and he utilized a gimmick of being recently reintroduced to society from the Kelloggs Sanitarium
Battle Creek Sanitarium
The Battle Creek Sanitarium, in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States, first opened on September 5, 1866, as the Western Health Reform Institute, based on the health principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1876, John Harvey Kellogg became the superintendent, and his brother, W....
. He spent most of his time defeating opponents such as DJ Gabriel
Steven Lewington
Steven Paul Lewington is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment where he competed as DJ Gabriel.- All Star Promotions and Ohio Valley Wrestling :...
, Tyler Reks
Gabe Tuft
Gabriel Allan Tuft is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on its Raw brand under the ring name Tyler Reks...
, and Max McGuirk. He soon aligned with Aksana
Zivile Raudoniene
Živilė Raudonienė is a Lithuanian fitness model, bodybuilder and professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE, performing on their SmackDown brand under the ring name Aksana, and is training in Florida Championship Wrestling , WWE's developmental territory...
and turned face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
.
NXT (2010)
On June 1, 2010, it was announced that Cottonwood would be part of the second season of WWE NXTWWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
, with John Morrison as his storyline mentor. He debuted on the June 8 episode of NXT, teaming with Morrison to defeat Titus O'Neil
Thaddeus Bullard
Thaddeus Michael Bullard is an American professional wrestler and former college and professional football player. Bullard played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally in the Arena Football League. Bullard is a professional wrestler, and is signed...
and Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder
Matthew Joseph Cardona, Jr. better known by his ring name Zack Ryder, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE and works on the Raw brand as a wrestler and the SmackDown brand as an assistant to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long.Cardona wrestled mostly with his tag...
. In the first poll three weeks later, Cottonwood was ranked sixth out of the eight rookies. Cottonwood's performance in the "Talk the Talk" challenge on the July 6 episode of NXT, in which he had to talk about mustaches, earned him a clip on the following episode of E! Television's episode of The Soup
The Soup
The Soup is an E! Entertainment Television weekly series; it is a revamped version of Talk Soup that focuses on recaps of various pop culture and television show moments of the week...
in the "What your Boyfriend is Watching" segment. On the July 27 episode of NXT Cottonwood and Morrison both wore shirts that said "Mustache". On the same episode, he was eliminated after being ranked seventh out of the remaining seven rookies, and attacked both Husky Harris
Windham Rotunda
Windham Lawrence Rotunda is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE and is working as Husky Harris. Harris is competing in Florida Championship Wrestling , WWE's developmental territory....
and Lucky Cannon
Johnny Prime
Jonathon David "Jon" Emminger is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names Johnny Prime and Lucky Cannon. He is best known for his appearances for WWE, where he performed on the second and fifth seasons of NXT, while also working in the promotion's developmental territory...
as a result. Cottonwood returned on August 31 for the season finale, where he and the other eliminated rookies attacked Kaval, who had won the competition.
Personal life
Christianson graduated from St. John’s University with a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Reverse chokeslam facebuster
Championships and accomplishments
- 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 #330 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011