Steve Blackman
Encyclopedia
Steve Blackman is a American
professional wrestler
who is best known for his career in the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) under his own name.
, training at Tony Altamore's wrestling school. Him and his tag team partner Dangerous Dings Damage Snowberger were pushed for a short time as champs. In Calgary
, he worked for Stu Hart
's Stampede Wrestling
. He competed briefly as a jobber in 1988 and was being considered for a full-time contract with the WWF when he contracted malaria
and dysentery
while wrestling in South Africa
in 1989 and "was on his death bed for two years".
and Owen Hart
for a new WWF try-out.
when he jumped the guardrail, to help Vader fend off an attack from the Hart Foundation. Vince McMahon opted for a martial arts
gimmick. Blackman was a replacement for the injured Patriot
on Team USA (Vader, Goldust, and Marc Mero
), at Survivor Series 1997
, against Team Canada (British Bulldog
, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
, Phillip Lafon, and Doug Furnas
).
The following year, Blackman joined Ken Shamrock
in his efforts to combat the Nation of Domination
. Eventually Blackman broke out on his own, establishing his trademark entrance involving swinging glow-in-the-dark eskrima
sticks before walking to the ring. He eventually turned heel
after siding with then-heel Shane McMahon
. During his run as a heel, he brought a gym bag full of martial arts weapons with him to the ring, including kendo
shinai. Blackman would attempt to use the weapons in the bag during or after the match. This was also during the time when he feuded with his former partner, Ken Shamrock. The two engaged in a heated feud throughout the summer, with it culminating in a Lions Den match at Summerslam 1999.
In late-1998, Blackman competed in the WWF Brawl for All
tournament, defeating Marc Mero in the first round. However, he had to withdraw due to injury, allowing Mero to advance by default.
Blackman and Al Snow
then formed a tag team that was known unofficially as Head Cheese, as Snow made Blackman wear a cheesehead
hat to complement the mannequin
head that Snow carried to the ring. Blackman had a reputation for being very serious and not displaying emotion, so the two put on comedy duo
skits with Blackman as the straight-faced man. Many of the skits involved Snow's attempts to come up with a gimmick for their team. In one backstage scene, Snow proposed that the duo develop a TV show wherein they travel through time and solve mysteries. Another memorable sketch involved Snow scheduling an unsuspecting Blackman to perform stand-up comedy at a retirement home, with humorously disastrous results.
. At the time, the title was defended 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as established by Crash Holly
. Because of this, WWF often ran matches wherein the champion was attacked and defeated in locations not typically associated with wrestling matches, such as backstage or in a hotel. With Blackman as champion, however, surprise attacks no longer resulted in title changes: within the matches, Blackman was so dangerous in hand-to-hand combat that surprise attacks were not effective enough to defeat him. During his stint as Hardcore Champion, Blackman's full martial arts talent was utilized. The first time he lost the title for a significant amount of time was against Shane McMahon, largely due to interference from Test, Albert, Edge, and Christian, with Mick Foley
suspending the 24/7 rule to make sure McMahon didn't try to get out of facing Blackman in a rematch. At SummerSlam
, Blackman fought McMahon for the title. During that match, they both climbed the TitanTron
with Blackman able to knock Shane off with a Singapore cane, then performed a diving elbow drop for the pin fall . Blackman would go on to defend the title on several occasions, but he would ultimately lose the title on a more permanent basis to Raven
in late 2000.
Early in 2001, Blackman formed another tag team, this time with Grandmaster Sexay
. Blackman again played the straight-faced man: a recurring element was that Grandmaster would always try to convince Blackman to dance with him after their matches. In the summer of 2001, Lawler was released from his WWF contract. At around the same time, Blackman suffered an injury, and was released in October 2002. He is rumored to be returning for the 2012 royal rumble at the scottrade center St. Louis, Missouri.
called "BlackmanMMA" in mid-2003. Blackman and MMA
fighter (UFC
Hall of Famer) and wrestler Ken Shamrock
were brought in to help promote a clothing line for professional fighters, called Ground 'n' Pound gear (GnP). As of July 2006, Blackman has re-opened "Steve Blackman's Fighting Systems", which features MMA classes as well as professional wrestling training with Classic Championship Wrestling, a local independent wrestling promotion in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Blackman has hosted 4 MMA events in the Harrisburg,PA starting in 2009 and the most recent being on November 20th 2010, at the Zembo Mosque. The events are part of the Pennsylvania Fighting Championships (PFC).
Blackman resurfaced in July 2007 as a guest on Nancy Grace
's show during the media blitz surrounding the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide
, where he argued with fellow former wrestler Marc Mero
. He also made appearances on Larry King Live
and Dan Abrams
' MSNBC talk show to discuss the same topic. Blackman made a guest appearance in the WWE later that year during the Raw 15th Anniversary Special, appearing in a 15-man battle royal
. He was eliminated by Flash Funk
. He has been mentioned on WWE NXT several times by Daniel Bryan. Many people have shown interest of Blackman making a return to the WWE, also on Blackman's 'Where are they now' page on WWE.com he admitted, 'Sometimes I get really tempted' and 'I miss it out there.'
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...
who is best known for his career in the World Wrestling Federation
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...
(WWF) under his own name.
Stampede Wrestling and South Africa (1986-1989)
Steve Blackman began as a competitive bodybuilder and weightlifter before entering professional wrestling in 1986 in ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, training at Tony Altamore's wrestling school. Him and his tag team partner Dangerous Dings Damage Snowberger were pushed for a short time as champs. In Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, he worked for Stu Hart
Stu Hart
Stewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
's Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
. He competed briefly as a jobber in 1988 and was being considered for a full-time contract with the WWF when he contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
while wrestling in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1989 and "was on his death bed for two years".
Recovery (1991-1997)
After finally beating his two year bout with malaria, during which he lost much of his muscle-mass, Blackman spent another four years in physical therapy to recover his conditioning, and incorporated martial arts training, specifically escrima and tae kwon do, into his physical therapy. Once back in fighting shape Blackman contacted his friends Brian PillmanBrian Pillman
Brian William Pillman was an American football player and professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling....
and Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
for a new WWF try-out.
Debut and early years (1997–1999)
Blackman made his WWF debut on the November 3, 1997 episode of Raw is WarWWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
when he jumped the guardrail, to help Vader fend off an attack from the Hart Foundation. Vince McMahon opted for a martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
gimmick. Blackman was a replacement for the injured Patriot
Del Wilkes
Del Wilkes is a former American professional wrestler. Over the span of 14 years, he performed in various promotions such as American Wrestling Association, All Japan Pro Wrestling...
on Team USA (Vader, Goldust, and Marc Mero
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...
), at Survivor Series 1997
Survivor Series (1997)
Survivor Series was the eleventh annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on November 9, 1997 at the Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec....
, against Team Canada (British Bulldog
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
, Jim "The Anvil" 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...
, Phillip Lafon, and Doug Furnas
Doug Furnas
Doug Furnas is a former American professional wrestler and powerlifter. Furnas briefly worked for World Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s...
).
The following year, Blackman joined Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
in his efforts to combat the Nation of Domination
Nation of Domination
The Nation of Domination was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Federation from November 18, 1996 to November 28, 1998. The Rock was a 1 time Intercontinental Champion and D'Lo Brown was a 2 time European Champion while in the group.-United States Wrestling Association :The...
. Eventually Blackman broke out on his own, establishing his trademark entrance involving swinging glow-in-the-dark eskrima
Eskrima
Eskrima is the umbrella term for the traditional martial arts of the Philippines, which emphasize weapon-based fighting with sticks, knives and other bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons...
sticks before walking to the ring. He eventually turned heel
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...
after siding with then-heel Shane McMahon
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
. During his run as a heel, he brought a gym bag full of martial arts weapons with him to the ring, including kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
shinai. Blackman would attempt to use the weapons in the bag during or after the match. This was also during the time when he feuded with his former partner, Ken Shamrock. The two engaged in a heated feud throughout the summer, with it culminating in a Lions Den match at Summerslam 1999.
In late-1998, Blackman competed in the WWF Brawl for All
WWF Brawl For All
The WWF Brawl for All was a shootfighting tournament held in the World Wrestling Federation that lasted from June 29, 1998 to August 24, 1998.-Inception:...
tournament, defeating Marc Mero in the first round. However, he had to withdraw due to injury, allowing Mero to advance by default.
Blackman and Al Snow
Al Snow
Allen Ray Sarven is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name of Al Snow. He is best known for his work in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment and currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as a road agent.-Early career:Sarven...
then formed a tag team that was known unofficially as Head Cheese, as Snow made Blackman wear a cheesehead
Cheesehead
Cheesehead is a nickname, sometimes used disparagingly, referring to a person from Wisconsin, referring to the large volume of cheese production of the state...
hat to complement the mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
head that Snow carried to the ring. Blackman had a reputation for being very serious and not displaying emotion, so the two put on comedy duo
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
skits with Blackman as the straight-faced man. Many of the skits involved Snow's attempts to come up with a gimmick for their team. In one backstage scene, Snow proposed that the duo develop a TV show wherein they travel through time and solve mysteries. Another memorable sketch involved Snow scheduling an unsuspecting Blackman to perform stand-up comedy at a retirement home, with humorously disastrous results.
Hardcore division (2000-2002)
After the Head Cheese team went their separate ways, Blackman entered the WWF's Hardcore DivisionWWE Hardcore Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
. At the time, the title was defended 24 hours a day, 7 days a week as established by Crash Holly
Mike Lockwood
Michael John "Mike" Lockwood was an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment under the ring name Crash Holly....
. Because of this, WWF often ran matches wherein the champion was attacked and defeated in locations not typically associated with wrestling matches, such as backstage or in a hotel. With Blackman as champion, however, surprise attacks no longer resulted in title changes: within the matches, Blackman was so dangerous in hand-to-hand combat that surprise attacks were not effective enough to defeat him. During his stint as Hardcore Champion, Blackman's full martial arts talent was utilized. The first time he lost the title for a significant amount of time was against Shane McMahon, largely due to interference from Test, Albert, Edge, and Christian, with Mick Foley
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...
suspending the 24/7 rule to make sure McMahon didn't try to get out of facing Blackman in a rematch. At SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2000)
SummerSlam was the thirteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event took place on August 27, 2000 at the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina....
, Blackman fought McMahon for the title. During that match, they both climbed the TitanTron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
with Blackman able to knock Shane off with a Singapore cane, then performed a diving elbow drop for the pin fall . Blackman would go on to defend the title on several occasions, but he would ultimately lose the title on a more permanent basis to Raven
Scott 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...
in late 2000.
Early in 2001, Blackman formed another tag team, this time with Grandmaster Sexay
Brian Lawler
Brian Christopher Lawler is a professional wrestler. He is the son of color commentator and professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and brother of wrestling referee Kevin Christian...
. Blackman again played the straight-faced man: a recurring element was that Grandmaster would always try to convince Blackman to dance with him after their matches. In the summer of 2001, Lawler was released from his WWF contract. At around the same time, Blackman suffered an injury, and was released in October 2002. He is rumored to be returning for the 2012 royal rumble at the scottrade center St. Louis, Missouri.
After WWE
Blackman opened a self-defense school in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
called "BlackmanMMA" in mid-2003. Blackman and 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...
fighter (UFC
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
Hall of Famer) and wrestler Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
were brought in to help promote a clothing line for professional fighters, called Ground 'n' Pound gear (GnP). As of July 2006, Blackman has re-opened "Steve Blackman's Fighting Systems", which features MMA classes as well as professional wrestling training with Classic Championship Wrestling, a local independent wrestling promotion in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Blackman has hosted 4 MMA events in the Harrisburg,PA starting in 2009 and the most recent being on November 20th 2010, at the Zembo Mosque. The events are part of the Pennsylvania Fighting Championships (PFC).
Blackman resurfaced in July 2007 as a guest on Nancy Grace
Nancy Grace
Nancy Ann Grace is an American legal commentator, television host, television journalist, and former prosecutor. She frequently discusses issues from what she describes as a victims' rights standpoint, with an outspoken style that has won her both praise and condemnation...
's show during the media blitz surrounding the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide
Chris Benoit double murder and suicide
The Chris Benoit double murder suicide occurred over a three-day period ending on June 24, 2007. World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler Chris Benoit killed his wife, Nancy Benoit, strangled his seven-year-old son, Daniel, and subsequently committed suicide by hanging. Autopsy results...
, where he argued with fellow former wrestler Marc Mero
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...
. He also made appearances on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
and Dan Abrams
Dan Abrams
Dan Abrams is an American television host, legal commentator, web entrepreneur and best-selling author. He is currently Legal Analyst at ABC News Good Morning America , and a substitute anchor for the network. He formerly served as Chief Legal Analyst for NBC News, as General Manager of MSNBC and...
' MSNBC talk show to discuss the same topic. Blackman made a guest appearance in the WWE later that year during the Raw 15th Anniversary Special, appearing in a 15-man 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...
. He was eliminated by Flash Funk
2 Cold Scorpio
Charles Scaggs is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name 2 Cold Scorpio . Scaggs has competed in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment and Pro Wrestling Noah...
. He has been mentioned on WWE NXT several times by Daniel Bryan. Many people have shown interest of Blackman making a return to the WWE, also on Blackman's 'Where are they now' page on WWE.com he admitted, 'Sometimes I get really tempted' and 'I miss it out there.'
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Bicycle kick
- Guillotine choke
- Signature moves
- Crucifix armbar
- Overhead chop
- Scissors kick
- Sole kick
- 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 Lethal Weapon"
- "The Silent Assassin"
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 #70 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2001
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- Stampede British Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld 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...
- WWF Hardcore ChampionshipWWE Hardcore ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
(6 times)
- WWF Hardcore Championship
External links
- Where are they now?
- Steve Blackman's Harrisburg Mixed Martial Arts
- Online World of Wrestling profile
- Steve Blackman on TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
- Steve Blackman on IMDb.com