Mark Hildreth
Encyclopedia
Mark Hildreth is an American
former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling
under the ring name
Van Hammer.
and Dan Spivey
, Hildreth made his debut on July 19, 1991 as The Hammer, where he teamed with "Iceman" King Parsons
to defeat Billy Travis and Khris Germany in a tag team
match for the Global Wrestling Federation
. Two months later, he signed with World Championship Wrestling
.
as "Heavy Metal" Van Hammer, a rock guitarist character. He made his debut for the promotion at Clash of the Champions XVI, in which he easily defeated veteran wrestler Terrance Taylor
in 39 seconds. Van Hammer made his WCW television debut on the October 15 episode of Saturday Night
, where he defeated Paul Lee. Twelve days later, he made his pay-per-view
debut at Halloween Havoc, where he defeated Doug Somers
. After being undefeated on both television and house show
s, Hammer's streak ended after he lost a match to Cactus Jack
at Clash of the Champions XVII. At Starrcade, Hammer teamed with Big Josh
in a losing effort to Steve Austin
and Rick Rude.
on the January 12 episode of Main Event
, but was unable to win the title. After the loss, Hammer competed sporadically throughout the rest of the year, including a brief feud with JT Southern
, before making his second Starrcade appearance, where he and his trainer Dan Spivey
defeated Cactus Jack
and Johnny B. Badd
to qualify for the Battlebowl. In the main event, The Great Muta
defeated both Hammer, Spivey and five other wrestlers to win the Battlebowl.
In the beginning of 1993, Van Hammer lost to Tony Atlas
in the quarterfinals of a tournament for the vacant United States Heavyweight Championship
on the January 2 episode of Saturday Night
. After the loss, Hammer continued to be a mainstay on Saturday Night, winning the majority of his matches. At the first ever Slamboree
pay-per-view
, Van Hammer lost his final match for the promotion to Sid Vicious
in only 35 seconds.
's arm wrestling challenges, where the man who could defeat Page earned a date with The Diamond Doll
. In their first confrontation, Page injured himself, canceling the match. Weeks later, Hammer took another contestant's place and arm wrestled Page. Hammer was close to victory when Max Muscle
kicked Hammer's legs from behind, giving Page the win. Between 1995 and 1997, Van Hammer stayed out of the spotlight, dealing with personal issues.
's villain
faction The Flock. He pursued the U.S. Title and faced champion Diamond Dallas Page
on the February 23, 1998 episode of Monday Nitro
, but lost the match. On the March 2, 1998 episode of Nitro, Hammer lost to Page via disqualification in a title rematch.
to several top stars before winning a Loser Leaves The Flock match against fellow Flock member Perry Saturn on a special Friday episode of Nitro on May 4. Despite the win, The Flock attacked Hammer after the match and was thrown out of the group. He faced U.S. Champion Goldberg
for the title the following night on Saturday Night
, but again lost. Hammer then abandoned the grunge
character he had while with The Flock and became a fan favorite
while adopting a hippie
-based persona. After spending the rest of 1998 and January 1999 losing consistently to bigger stars
, he became a villain
, changed his character to an anti-pacifist and returned to using his full Van Hammer name. Van Hammer soon began a short winning streak over the next few weeks before losing to Bam Bam Bigelow on the February 22, 1999 episode of Nitro
. Hammer then began another winning streak over the following weeks on Nitro, Thunder
and Saturday Night. On June 13, 1999 Van Hammer wrestled his first pay-per-view
match in over six years as he defeated Mikey Whipwreck
at The Great American Bash. Hammer kept his new winning streak alive for the next weeks before losing to Rick Steiner
in a match for Steiner's World Television Championship
on July 11 at Bash at the Beach. On the October 11, 1999 episode of Nitro, Hammer lost to Sid Vicious
in a match for the United States Heavyweight Championship
.
to determine the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship
, which Ric Flair
won. Soon afterward, Hammer joined the Misfits In Action
and was renamed Major Stash. Although he was originally to be named "Private Stash" as a coy reference to marijuana, he balked at being given the lowest ranking in the group, and WCW producers renamed him Major Stash. After only a few tag team matches with his fellow Misfits, Stash wrestled his last match, a loss to The Demon
, on the July 12, 2000 episode of Thunder before being released from his contract.
and rock star character, where he lost to Thrasher
in a match for Maryland Championship Wrestling
. He returned to MCW on June 9 and defeated Dino Devine. On December 16, Van Hammer and Cowboy defeated Devine and Chad Bowman before taking a brief hiatus. On February 16, 2002, Hammer teamed with Cowboy in a rematch against Devine and Bowman, but lost. After a year long hiatus, Van Hammer returned to MCW on July 16, 2003 at MCW's annual Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup, where he won an eight-man tag team match with Gillberg
, Thrasher and Kelly Bell against Brock Singleton, Genesis and The Holy Rollers (Earl the Pearl and Rich Meyes).
After his eight-man tag team match, Hildreth retired from professional wrestling. Since retiring, Hildreth has been the owner of a sex shop
. In 2009, Hildreth attended an MCW show where wrestler Champ Champagne performed a promo in which he (in storyline
) said that Hildreth was washed up before comparing him to Mickey Rourke
's character Randy "The Ram" Robinson from the film The Wrestler. In response, Hildreth entered the ring, but Champagne fled before a fight could break out. It was then announced that Hildreth, as Van Hammer, would return to wrestling on April 11. On April 11 at MCW's event Xtreme Measures, Van Hammer defeated Champagne in a singles match, then retired once again shortly later.
after graduating from college and traveled around the world while on tour.
Hildreth was previously married to Georgia Mason from January 24, 1992 until they divorced on March 1, 1996.
He is also good friends with fellow WCW alumnus Diamond Dallas Page
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
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:...
Van Hammer.
Global Wrestling Federation (1991)
After being trained by Boris MalenkoBoris Malenko
Lawrence J. Simon better known by his ring name Boris Malenko, was an American professional wrestler who wrestled for the American Wrestling Association and National Wrestling Alliance in the 1960s and 1970s...
and Dan Spivey
Dan Spivey
Daniel Eugene "Dan" Spivey is a retired professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and All Japan Pro Wrestling between 1984 and 1995...
, Hildreth made his debut on July 19, 1991 as The Hammer, where he teamed with "Iceman" King Parsons
King Parsons
King Parsons is a former professional wrestler better know by his ringname Iceman King Parsons. King was called the Iceman from Jimmy Valiant after he saw him lying on a ice machine at a hotel.-Professional wrestling career:...
to defeat Billy Travis and Khris Germany 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...
match for the Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...
. Two months later, he signed with World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
.
Debut (1991)
In September 1991, Hildreth joined World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
as "Heavy Metal" Van Hammer, a rock guitarist character. He made his debut for the promotion at Clash of the Champions XVI, in which he easily defeated veteran wrestler Terrance Taylor
Terry Taylor
Terry Taylor , is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation...
in 39 seconds. Van Hammer made his WCW television debut on the October 15 episode of Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...
, where he defeated Paul Lee. Twelve days later, he made his pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
debut at Halloween Havoc, where he defeated Doug Somers
Doug Somers
Doug Somers is an American retired professional wrestler known by his ring name "Pretty Boy" Doug Somers...
. After being undefeated on both television and house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
s, Hammer's streak ended after he lost a match to Cactus Jack
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
at Clash of the Champions XVII. At Starrcade, Hammer teamed with Big Josh
Matt Osborne
Matthew "Matt" Wade Osborne is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. Osborne is a second generation wrestler, being son of "Tough" Tony Borne, but he is best known as the first wrestler to portray the character of Doink the Clown, which he still uses to this day.-Independent...
in a losing effort to Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
and Rick Rude.
Singles competition (1992–1993)
After briefly continuing his tag team with Big Josh, Hammer returned to singles competition and faced Steve Austin for the World Television ChampionshipWCW World Television Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
on the January 12 episode of Main Event
WCW Main Event
WCW Main Event is a televised wrestling program of World Championship Wrestling that aired from 1988 to 1998. For most of its run, it was the promotion's secondary show and aired on Sunday evenings on TBS. The show originally aired in 1988 as NWA Main Event...
, but was unable to win the title. After the loss, Hammer competed sporadically throughout the rest of the year, including a brief feud with JT Southern
JT Southern
JT Southern is a retired American professional wrestler. Though he achieved most notoriety during his 1992 feud with Van Hammer in World Championship Wrestling, Southern also competed for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association, Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis, Tennessee, and in...
, before making his second Starrcade appearance, where he and his trainer Dan Spivey
Dan Spivey
Daniel Eugene "Dan" Spivey is a retired professional wrestler who worked for World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and All Japan Pro Wrestling between 1984 and 1995...
defeated Cactus Jack
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
and Johnny B. Badd
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
to qualify for the Battlebowl. In the main event, The Great Muta
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
defeated both Hammer, Spivey and five other wrestlers to win the Battlebowl.
In the beginning of 1993, Van Hammer lost to Tony Atlas
Tony Atlas
Anthony White better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr...
in the quarterfinals of a tournament for the vacant United States Heavyweight Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
on the January 2 episode of Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...
. After the loss, Hammer continued to be a mainstay on Saturday Night, winning the majority of his matches. At the first ever Slamboree
Slamboree (1993)
Slamboree 1993: A Legends' Reunion was the first annual Slamboree professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Championship Wrestling...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
, Van Hammer lost his final match for the promotion to Sid Vicious
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
in only 35 seconds.
Brief return (1994–1995)
In late 1994, Hammer returned to WCW, where he took part in Diamond Dallas PageDiamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...
's arm wrestling challenges, where the man who could defeat Page earned a date with The Diamond Doll
Kimberly Page
Kimberly Lynn Bacon is an American former actress and valet for ex-husband Diamond Dallas Page, during which she was known by the ring name Kimberly Page...
. In their first confrontation, Page injured himself, canceling the match. Weeks later, Hammer took another contestant's place and arm wrestled Page. Hammer was close to victory when Max Muscle
Max Muscle
John Czawlytko , better known by his ring name Max Muscle, is a retired Polish professional wrestler best known for his appearances in WCW in the mid-late 1990s....
kicked Hammer's legs from behind, giving Page the win. Between 1995 and 1997, Van Hammer stayed out of the spotlight, dealing with personal issues.
The Flock (1997–1998)
Hildreth returned to WCW in November 1997 under the shortened ring name Hammer, joining RavenScott Levy
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
's villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
faction The Flock. He pursued the U.S. Title and faced champion Diamond Dallas Page
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...
on the February 23, 1998 episode of Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
, but lost the match. On the March 2, 1998 episode of Nitro, Hammer lost to Page via disqualification in a title rematch.
Singles competition (1998–1999)
Hammer began losing frequentlyJob (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
to several top stars before winning a Loser Leaves The Flock match against fellow Flock member Perry Saturn on a special Friday episode of Nitro on May 4. Despite the win, The Flock attacked Hammer after the match and was thrown out of the group. He faced U.S. Champion Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
for the title the following night on Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...
, but again lost. Hammer then abandoned the grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
character he had while with The Flock and became a fan favorite
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...
while adopting a hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
-based persona. After spending the rest of 1998 and January 1999 losing consistently to bigger stars
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
, he became a villain
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
, changed his character to an anti-pacifist and returned to using his full Van Hammer name. Van Hammer soon began a short winning streak over the next few weeks before losing to Bam Bam Bigelow on the February 22, 1999 episode of Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
. Hammer then began another winning streak over the following weeks on Nitro, Thunder
WCW Thunder
WCW Thunder was a professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001...
and Saturday Night. On June 13, 1999 Van Hammer wrestled his first pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
match in over six years as he defeated Mikey Whipwreck
Mikey Whipwreck
John Watson , better known by his ring name Mikey Whipwreck, is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling where he became the third ECW Triple Crown Champion....
at The Great American Bash. Hammer kept his new winning streak alive for the next weeks before losing to Rick Steiner
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
in a match for Steiner's World Television Championship
WCW World Television Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
on July 11 at Bash at the Beach. On the October 11, 1999 episode of Nitro, Hammer lost to Sid Vicious
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
in a match for the United States Heavyweight Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
.
Misfits In Action and departure (2000)
On the May 2, 2000 episode of Thunder, Hammer participated in a 41-man battle royalBattle 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 determine the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...
, which Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
won. Soon afterward, Hammer joined the Misfits In Action
Misfits In Action
The Misfits In Action were a stable in World Championship Wrestling They were originally formed in 2000 from a group of wrestlers that Vince Russo considered too lazy to get over...
and was renamed Major Stash. Although he was originally to be named "Private Stash" as a coy reference to marijuana, he balked at being given the lowest ranking in the group, and WCW producers renamed him Major Stash. After only a few tag team matches with his fellow Misfits, Stash wrestled his last match, a loss to The Demon
Dale Torborg
Dale Christian Torborg is an American baseball trainer and former professional wrestler. He is the son of former Major League Baseball manager Jeff Torborg. He is currently the conditioning coordinator for the Chicago White Sox....
, on the July 12, 2000 episode of Thunder before being released from his contract.
Maryland Championship Wrestling and retirement (2001–2003, 2009)
After leaving WCW, Hildreth took a brief hiatus before returning to wrestling on March 16, 2001 under his Van Hammer 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:...
and rock star character, where he lost to Thrasher
Glen Ruth
Glen Ruth is a former American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Thrasher.-Career:Ruth trained under Larry Sharpe and debuted in 1990 as The Spider. He later became Sharpe's assistant and trained wrestlers such as the Big Show and others at Sharpe's "Monster Factory"...
in a match for Maryland Championship Wrestling
Maryland Championship Wrestling
Maryland Championship Wrestling is a regional independent wrestling promotion based in Dundalk, Maryland, and has regularly run events in the Mid-Atlantic region since the late 1990s as well as participating in numerous fundraising events throughout the state.Rivaling other east coast independent...
. He returned to MCW on June 9 and defeated Dino Devine. On December 16, Van Hammer and Cowboy defeated Devine and Chad Bowman before taking a brief hiatus. On February 16, 2002, Hammer teamed with Cowboy in a rematch against Devine and Bowman, but lost. After a year long hiatus, Van Hammer returned to MCW on July 16, 2003 at MCW's annual Shane Shamrock Memorial Cup, where he won an eight-man tag team match with Gillberg
Duane Gill
Duane Gill is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation as Gillberg, a parody of then-rival promotion World Championship Wrestling's top star Goldberg. During his tenure in the WWF, Gill became a one time Light Heavyweight Champion...
, Thrasher and Kelly Bell against Brock Singleton, Genesis and The Holy Rollers (Earl the Pearl and Rich Meyes).
After his eight-man tag team match, Hildreth retired from professional wrestling. Since retiring, Hildreth has been the owner of a sex shop
Sex shop
A sex shop, erotic shop is a shop that sells products related to adult sexual or erotic entertainment, such as sex toys, lingerie, clothing, pornography, and other related products...
. In 2009, Hildreth attended an MCW show where wrestler Champ Champagne performed a promo in which he (in storyline
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
) said that Hildreth was washed up before comparing him to Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
's character Randy "The Ram" Robinson from the film The Wrestler. In response, Hildreth entered the ring, but Champagne fled before a fight could break out. It was then announced that Hildreth, as Van Hammer, would return to wrestling on April 11. On April 11 at MCW's event Xtreme Measures, Van Hammer defeated Champagne in a singles match, then retired once again shortly later.
Personal life
Before becoming a wrestler, Hildreth joined the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
after graduating from college and traveled around the world while on tour.
Hildreth was previously married to Georgia Mason from January 24, 1992 until they divorced on March 1, 1996.
He is also good friends with fellow WCW alumnus Diamond Dallas Page
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Cobra clutch slam
- Flashback (Double leg slam)
- Signature moves
- Airplane spin
- Body avalanche
- Inverted atomic drop
- Hammer Rocks (Slingshot suplex)
- Lariat
- PowerslamPowerslamA powerslam is a professional wrestling body slam move in which the wrestler performing the slam falls face-down on top of his/her opponent. The use of the term "powerslam" usually refers to the front powerslam and the scoop powerslam.-Emerald Flowsion:...
- Sidewalk slam
- Spinebuster
- Superplex
- ManagersManager (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...
- Major GunnsTylene BuckTylene Buck is an American Pornographic actress & model and a former wrestler and valet under the name of Major Gunns.-Professional Wrestler:...
- Major Gunns
- 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- "Heavy Metal"
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 #112 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1993
- World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
- Jesse VenturaJesse VenturaJames George Janos , better known as Jesse Ventura, is an American politician, the 38th Governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003, Navy UDT veteran, former SEAL reservist, actor, and former radio and television talk show host...
Strongest Arms Arm Wrestling Tournament (1992)
- Jesse Ventura
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Most Embarrassing Wrestler (1991)