Zach Gowen
Encyclopedia
Zach Gowen is an American professional wrestler
. Gowen has competed for World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) on their SmackDown! brand
, as well as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA).
Gowen was diagnosed with cancer
in 1991, and as a result, lost his left leg due to amputation
at the age of 8. Gowen walks with a prosthesis and claims he can wrestle with or without it. However, he wrestles most of his matches without it due to the inherent marketability of seeing a one-legged wrestler compete. He is known for his high-flying ability as well as his "one-legged" moonsault
and is known for his one legged leg drop.
, Alex Shelley
, Jimmy Jacobs
and many other popular Midwest indy wrestlers.
during early 2003 under the name Tenacious Z, but soon left TNA, after signing a developmental contract for World Wrestling Entertainment.
Gowen later returned to TNA on May 15, 2005 at their Hard Justice pay-per-view event, as the second entrant in the 20-Man Gauntlet for the Gold match. He lasted just under five minutes in the ring before being eliminated by Shark Boy
. The next month, Gowen wrestled at the Slammiversary pay-per-view, losing in a six way match. He also appeared on TNA Impact!
, wrestling Mikey Batts
to a no contest before leaving the promotion once again later that year. In October 2006, at Bound For Glory, Gowen returned to TNA during the Kevin Nash
X-Division Open Battle Royal Gauntlet match as the sixth entrant, but was eliminated by Johnny Devine
.
debut on the May 15, 2003 edition of SmackDown! as a planted fan in the audience. As Mr. America (a masked Hulk Hogan) was making his way to the ring, he acknowledged Gowen personally as a loyal fan near the walkway, giving him the American flag he was carrying. Later, when Mr. America was being unfairly beaten by Roddy Piper
and Sean O'Haire
, Gowen jumped the wall dividing the fans from the wrestler's walkway and entered the ring to aid him. Gowen shielded Mr. America's body with his own. His legless condition was then revealed when Roddy Piper grabbed Gowen and in an attempt to drag him away from Mr. America, pulled Gowen's prosthetic leg completely off and into his own hands. Fans thought the stunt was legitimate until an additional segment saw Piper be "punished" by being added to the forth-coming pay-per-view. This began a short collaboration of Gowen and Mr. America, and a feud
pitting the two against Roddy Piper and Sean O'Haire. This storyline culminated at WWE Judgement Day (2003)
where Mr. America with Zach Gowen in his corner defeated Roddy Piper with Sean O'Haire in his corner. Gowen's partnership with Mr. America put him on bad terms with Mr. McMahon, as McMahon was convinced Mr. America was Hulk Hogan in disguise.
On the June 26 edition of SmackDown!, McMahon told Gowen that if he would join his "Kiss My Ass Club", he would be awarded a WWE contract. Instead Gowen hit McMahon with a low-blow. As a result on July 3, 2003 to win his WWE contract, Gowen, along with supporter Stephanie McMahon, faced off against the Big Show
in what Mr. McMahon billed as the first "real" handicap match (referring to Gowen and his amputee status in addition to the two vs. one parameters of the match). With run-in help from Kurt Angle
and then Brock Lesnar
, the team of Gowen and McMahon were able to defeat the Big Show and thus won Gowen a WWE contract as per the stipulations of the match.
Gowen's win further fueled the ill-feelings toward him from Mr. McMahon. This feud
culminated in a one-on-one match between the two at Vengeance (2003)
in which McMahon defeated Gowen.
As a result of his feud with McMahon, Gowen was then forced into a match with former WWE Champion
Brock Lesnar
, who was in the process of being put over with a recent heel
turn. In his hometown of Detroit
, Gowen won his match via disqualification when Lesnar attacked him with a steel chair. After the match, the assault continued. With his family watching at ringside, Gowen's only leg was worked over by Lesnar using his signature F5 maneuver and the steel ring post. Gowen's mother intervened to end the attack. Weeks later, Lesnar kidnapped Gowen, who now used a wheelchair, and threw him down a flight of stairs. As a result, on July 31, 2003, Gowen was the object of a feature report on SmackDown! and was not seen on-screen for over a month.
When he returned, Gowen continued a previous short-lived feud with Matt Hardy
(which had been originally aborted to institute the Lesnar heel angle). Hardy was reportedly jealous that Gowen had been given a WWE contract after it took Hardy four years in development to finally make it onto the main roster. The Gowen/Hardy feud culminated at No Mercy
where Gowen defeated Hardy (who had Shannon Moore in his corner) in a one on one match, marking his first clean victory in the WWE. He then lost a match with Shannon Moore thanks to Hardys' interference.
On the following episode of SmackDown! Gowen lost a clean match against Tajiri
and was not seen on-screen thereafter. Immediately after this match, Gowen was given a modified STO by two Japanese men who had aligned themselves with Tajiri. Gowen was legitimately knocked out as a result. Months later in February 2004 it was announced Gowen was released from his WWE contract.
, he continues to appear in his hometown of Detroit for Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling and Independent Wrestling Revolution. He also travels and appears for independent promotions such as Border City Wrestling
, All American Wrestling, NWA Wisconsin, Cleveland All Pro Wrestling, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, IWA East Coast, and more.
In All American Wrestling, he is also a part of the "Michigan Invasion" heel stable (along with fellow Michigan wrestlers Truth Martini, "Amazing" N8 Mattson, Eddie Venom and Brian Gorie).
On April 14, 2007, Zach Gowen and his mystery partner Krotch defeated "Michigan Invasion" members Truth Martini and "Amazing" N8 Mattson to become new AAW Tag Team Champions. They would then go on to lose the titles to Trik Davis and Conrad Kennedy III in a 4-way elimination match on June 16, 2007.
Gowen continues to compete on the American indy scene most recently, July 18, 2010 where he became (MCWA) Michigan Championship Wrestling Association Heavyweight Champion by defeating "The Man With Class" Jason Harris ending Harris' 15 month reign as Champion.
(ROH) debut on October 7, 2006, losing to Delirious
in a singles match. Gowen would later return to ROH on February 22, 2008 in Deer Park, New York
, immediately aligning himself with The Age of the Fall
. On November 12, 2010, he appeared at an ROH show in Detroit, where he was announced as the newest member of Truth Martini's House of Truth faction. He teamed with ROH World Champion
Roderick Strong
and Michael Elgin in a loss to the Briscoe Brothers
and Christopher Daniels
. After a tag team loss against Grizzly Redwood and Bobby Dempsey at the following day's event in Toronto
, Elgin and Martini turned on Gowen and kicked him out of the House of Truth.
wrestling show SlamTV!. Initially a villain
, his hard work ethic and wrestling abilities earned him the respect of the juggalo
audience, per storyline
. Following a failed attempt to win the JCW Heavyweight Championship
from then-champion Trent Acid
, Gowen formed the tag team Pimp & Gimp Connection with Human Tornado
. The team made an immediate impact and earned themselves a spot in the 8 Team Tag-Team Elimination match for the JCW Tag Team Championship
at Bloodymania. They failed to capture the championship after Gowen was eliminated by Doug Basham
.
In the following season, Zach formed a tag team with Conrad Kennedy
to compete in the JCW Tag Team Tournament for the vacant championship. Tornado, though, saw villainous manager Scott D'Amore
leaving Kennedy's dressing room and grew suspicious. Two weeks later, Kennedy attacked Gowen after the team lost their match against The Bloody Brothers. Human Tornado ran into the ring to save Gowen, forcing Kennedy to retreat to the stage, where Scott D'Amore met with him. The following week, a match was set for Bloodymania II
between Pimp & Gimp Connection and Conrad Kennedy with a mystery partner. The match, however, was scrapped after Gowen legitimately no-showed the event. He was blacklist
ed from the company shortly after due to his drug addiction and personal issues.
Zach returned to the company on March 23, 2011, where he defeated Jimmy Jacobs
. He formed a tag team at Up in Smoke with U-Gene
, who believed that he could be Gowen's second leg. Though U-Gene cost his team the match by distracting the referee, Gowen forgave him and announced that the team would wrestle again at the next event. On July 28, Gowen and U-Gene defeated the Ring Rydas
to win the JCW Tag Team Championship
. However, Gowen forfeited the championship after realizing that U-Gene cheated to win, causing U-Gene to attack him and disband the team. Both men are now scheduled to wrestle each other at Bloodymania 5
.
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...
. Gowen has competed for World Wrestling Entertainment
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...
(WWE) on their SmackDown! brand
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
, as well as 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).
Gowen was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1991, and as a result, lost his left leg due to amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
at the age of 8. Gowen walks with a prosthesis and claims he can wrestle with or without it. However, he wrestles most of his matches without it due to the inherent marketability of seeing a one-legged wrestler compete. He is known for his high-flying ability as well as his "one-legged" moonsault
Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
and is known for his one legged leg drop.
Training
In 2002, Zach Gowen was trained by Truth Martini and Brian "The Playboy" Shotwell in Livonia, Michigan. The training school was named House of Truth by Student Tom Balish. Popular workers that trained and worked out there include Chris SabinChris Sabin
Joshua Harter is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Sabin. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he currently teams with Alex Shelley as The Motor City Machine Guns.After being trained by Scott D'Amore, Sabin debuted in 2000 for...
, Alex Shelley
Alex Shelley
Patrick Martin , is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Alex Shelley. He wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he currently teams with Chris Sabin as The Motor City Machine Guns. He previously gained fame on the independent circuit, working most notably for...
, Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs
Chris Scobille is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor , where he is a four-time World Tag Team Champion...
and many other popular Midwest indy wrestlers.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2003, 2005, 2006)
Gowen first gained national exposure wrestling for Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal 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...
during early 2003 under the name Tenacious Z, but soon left TNA, after signing a developmental contract for World Wrestling Entertainment.
Gowen later returned to TNA on May 15, 2005 at their Hard Justice pay-per-view event, as the second entrant in the 20-Man Gauntlet for the Gold match. He lasted just under five minutes in the ring before being eliminated by Shark Boy
Shark Boy
Dean Mathew Roll is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Shark Boy and his experience in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .-Early career:...
. The next month, Gowen wrestled at the Slammiversary pay-per-view, losing in a six way match. He also appeared on TNA 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...
, wrestling Mikey Batts
Michael Altieri
Michael Altieri is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Mikey Batts. He is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment as a referee.-Professional wrestling career:...
to a no contest before leaving the promotion once again later that year. In October 2006, at Bound For Glory, Gowen returned to TNA during the Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
X-Division Open Battle Royal Gauntlet match as the sixth entrant, but was eliminated by Johnny Devine
Johnny Devine
John Peter "J.P." Parsonage is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Hot Shot" Johnny Devine...
.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2003-2004)
He made his 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...
debut on the May 15, 2003 edition of SmackDown! as a planted fan in the audience. As Mr. America (a masked Hulk Hogan) was making his way to the ring, he acknowledged Gowen personally as a loyal fan near the walkway, giving him the American flag he was carrying. Later, when Mr. America was being unfairly beaten by Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
and Sean O'Haire
Sean O'Haire
Sean Christopher Haire is an American mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Sean O'Haire.-World Championship Wrestling:...
, Gowen jumped the wall dividing the fans from the wrestler's walkway and entered the ring to aid him. Gowen shielded Mr. America's body with his own. His legless condition was then revealed when Roddy Piper grabbed Gowen and in an attempt to drag him away from Mr. America, pulled Gowen's prosthetic leg completely off and into his own hands. Fans thought the stunt was legitimate until an additional segment saw Piper be "punished" by being added to the forth-coming pay-per-view. This began a short collaboration of Gowen and Mr. America, and a feud
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...
pitting the two against Roddy Piper and Sean O'Haire. This storyline culminated at WWE Judgement Day (2003)
Judgment Day (2003)
Judgment Day was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that took place on May 18, 2003, at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina...
where Mr. America with Zach Gowen in his corner defeated Roddy Piper with Sean O'Haire in his corner. Gowen's partnership with Mr. America put him on bad terms with Mr. McMahon, as McMahon was convinced Mr. America was Hulk Hogan in disguise.
On the June 26 edition of SmackDown!, McMahon told Gowen that if he would join his "Kiss My Ass Club", he would be awarded a WWE contract. Instead Gowen hit McMahon with a low-blow. As a result on July 3, 2003 to win his WWE contract, Gowen, along with supporter Stephanie McMahon, faced off against the Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
in what Mr. McMahon billed as the first "real" handicap match (referring to Gowen and his amputee status in addition to the two vs. one parameters of the match). With run-in help from 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...
and then Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
, the team of Gowen and McMahon were able to defeat the Big Show and thus won Gowen a WWE contract as per the stipulations of the match.
Gowen's win further fueled the ill-feelings toward him from Mr. McMahon. This feud
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...
culminated in a one-on-one match between the two at Vengeance (2003)
Vengeance (2003)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on July 27, 2003 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. It was the third annual Vengeance event and starred wrestlers from the SmackDown brand.Eight professional wrestling...
in which McMahon defeated Gowen.
As a result of his feud with McMahon, Gowen was then forced into a match with former WWE Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar
Brock Edward Lesnar is an American mixed martial artist, actor and a former professional and amateur wrestler. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked the No.5 Heavyweight in the world by Sherdog...
, who was in the process of being put over with a recent 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...
turn. In his hometown of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Gowen won his match via disqualification when Lesnar attacked him with a steel chair. After the match, the assault continued. With his family watching at ringside, Gowen's only leg was worked over by Lesnar using his signature F5 maneuver and the steel ring post. Gowen's mother intervened to end the attack. Weeks later, Lesnar kidnapped Gowen, who now used a wheelchair, and threw him down a flight of stairs. As a result, on July 31, 2003, Gowen was the object of a feature report on SmackDown! and was not seen on-screen for over a month.
When he returned, Gowen continued a previous short-lived feud with Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
(which had been originally aborted to institute the Lesnar heel angle). Hardy was reportedly jealous that Gowen had been given a WWE contract after it took Hardy four years in development to finally make it onto the main roster. The Gowen/Hardy feud culminated at No Mercy
No Mercy (2003)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 19, 2003 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the sixth event under the No Mercy chronology and starred wrestlers from the SmackDown! brand.Nine...
where Gowen defeated Hardy (who had Shannon Moore in his corner) in a one on one match, marking his first clean victory in the WWE. He then lost a match with Shannon Moore thanks to Hardys' interference.
On the following episode of SmackDown! Gowen lost a clean match against Tajiri
Yoshihiro Tajiri
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is currently competing in SMASH as TAJIRI.-Early years :...
and was not seen on-screen thereafter. Immediately after this match, Gowen was given a modified STO by two Japanese men who had aligned themselves with Tajiri. Gowen was legitimately knocked out as a result. Months later in February 2004 it was announced Gowen was released from his WWE contract.
Independent circuit (2004-present)
Although Gowen has taken a hiatus from the world of televised professional wrestling to pursue his college degree at Eastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
, he continues to appear in his hometown of Detroit for Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling and Independent Wrestling Revolution. He also travels and appears for independent promotions such as Border City Wrestling
Border City Wrestling
Border City Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion once based in Windsor, Ontario. It was the base promotion for several Total Nonstop Action Wrestling wrestlers, including all of the former Team Canada, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. Many BCW employees were trained by Scott...
, All American Wrestling, NWA Wisconsin, Cleveland All Pro Wrestling, Juggalo Championship Wrestling, IWA East Coast, and more.
In All American Wrestling, he is also a part of the "Michigan Invasion" heel stable (along with fellow Michigan wrestlers Truth Martini, "Amazing" N8 Mattson, Eddie Venom and Brian Gorie).
On April 14, 2007, Zach Gowen and his mystery partner Krotch defeated "Michigan Invasion" members Truth Martini and "Amazing" N8 Mattson to become new AAW Tag Team Champions. They would then go on to lose the titles to Trik Davis and Conrad Kennedy III in a 4-way elimination match on June 16, 2007.
Gowen continues to compete on the American indy scene most recently, July 18, 2010 where he became (MCWA) Michigan Championship Wrestling Association Heavyweight Champion by defeating "The Man With Class" Jason Harris ending Harris' 15 month reign as Champion.
Ring of Honor (2006, 2008, 2010)
Gowen made his Ring of HonorRing of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
(ROH) debut on October 7, 2006, losing to Delirious
Delirious (wrestler)
Hunter Johnston is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Delirious. He is currently wrestling for Ring of Honor, International Wrestling Cartel, Chikara, Pro Wrestling Noah, and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
in a singles match. Gowen would later return to ROH on February 22, 2008 in Deer Park, New York
Deer Park, New York
Deer Park is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 27,745 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, immediately aligning himself with The Age of the Fall
The Age of the Fall
The Age of the Fall was a professional wrestling stable, primarily in Ring of Honor and its sister promotion Full Impact Pro, but also in other independent promotions such as Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.-2007:...
. On November 12, 2010, he appeared at an ROH show in Detroit, where he was announced as the newest member of Truth Martini's House of Truth faction. He teamed with ROH World Champion
ROH World Championship
The Ring of Honor World Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in Ring of Honor. The championship has also been through other companies in cooperation with ROH through the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance , the governing body of many independent wrestling...
Roderick Strong
Roderick Strong
Chris Lindsey is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Roderick Strong. Strong currently competes in several independent promotions, most notably Ring of Honor , Full Impact Pro , and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla .He initially debuted as The Jester on the Floridian...
and Michael Elgin in a loss to the Briscoe Brothers
Briscoe Brothers
The Briscoe Brothers are the professional wrestling tag team of Jay and Mark Briscoe. They are currently wrestling for the American promotions Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as occasionally for the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling Noah.Their wrestling careers have...
and Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels
Daniel Christopher Covell is an American professional wrestler, best known in the United States by his ring name "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels. He is also known for performing under the ring name Curry Man. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , while also...
. After a tag team loss against Grizzly Redwood and Bobby Dempsey at the following day's event in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Elgin and Martini turned on Gowen and kicked him out of the House of Truth.
Juggalo Championship Wrestling (2007-2008; 2011-present)
Gowen debuted in Juggalo Championship Wrestling as a part of their 2007 internetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
wrestling show SlamTV!. Initially 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...
, his hard work ethic and wrestling abilities earned him the respect of the juggalo
Juggalo
Juggalo or Juggalette is a name given to fans of Insane Clown Posse or any other Psychopathic Records hip hop group. Juggalos have developed their own idioms, slang, and characteristics.-History:...
audience, per storyline
Narrative thread
A narrative thread, or plot thread , refers to particular elements and techniques of writing to center the story in the action or experience of characters rather than to relate a matter in a dry 'All knowing' sort of narration...
. Following a failed attempt to win the JCW Heavyweight Championship
JCW Heavyweight Championship
The JCW Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling heavyweight championship in Juggalo Championship Wrestling. It was established in 1999 at JCW's first show, the taping for the DVD JCW Volume 1, with Evil Dead winning a 20-man battle royal...
from then-champion Trent Acid
Trent Acid
Michael Verdi was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Trent Acid. Verdi had worked as a tag team wrestler for most of his career, primarily as part of The Backseat Boyz with Johnny Kashmere, in several independent promotions in America, including Combat Zone Wrestling,...
, Gowen formed the tag team Pimp & Gimp Connection with Human Tornado
Human Tornado
Craig Williams , better known by his ring name, Human Tornado, is an American retired professional wrestler. His character was that of a stereotypical 1970s blaxploitation street pimp. He performed primarily on the Californian independent circuit, most prominently for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, the...
. The team made an immediate impact and earned themselves a spot in the 8 Team Tag-Team Elimination match for the JCW Tag Team Championship
JCW Tag Team Championship
The JCW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in Juggalo Championship Wrestling. Nine teams, comprising a total of eighteen wrestlers, have held the JCW Tag Team Championship, combining for a total of thirteen title reigns....
at Bloodymania. They failed to capture the championship after Gowen was eliminated by Doug Basham
Doug Basham
This article is about the wrestler, for the talk show host see Doug Basham Lyle Douglas "Doug" Basham, Jr. is an American professional wrestler, He is best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment between 2002 and 2007, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name...
.
In the following season, Zach formed a tag team with Conrad Kennedy
Conrad Kennedy III
Justin Carnes better known as Conrad Kennedy III is an American professional wrestler, who is currently working for Pro Wrestling Ohio as Krimson.-Independent circuit :...
to compete in the JCW Tag Team Tournament for the vacant championship. Tornado, though, saw villainous manager Scott D'Amore
Scott D'Amore
Scott Francis D'Amore is a Canadian professional wrestler, manager, promoter, booker and entrepreneur. He formerly managed Team Canada in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He was also the former head of the creative team...
leaving Kennedy's dressing room and grew suspicious. Two weeks later, Kennedy attacked Gowen after the team lost their match against The Bloody Brothers. Human Tornado ran into the ring to save Gowen, forcing Kennedy to retreat to the stage, where Scott D'Amore met with him. The following week, a match was set for Bloodymania II
Bloodymania II
Bloodymania II was a professional wrestling event produced by Juggalo Championship Wrestling , which took place at midnight on August 10, 2008 at Hog Rock in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. Professional wrestling is a type of sports entertainment in which theatrical events are combined with a competitive...
between Pimp & Gimp Connection and Conrad Kennedy with a mystery partner. The match, however, was scrapped after Gowen legitimately no-showed the event. He was blacklist
Blacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
ed from the company shortly after due to his drug addiction and personal issues.
Zach returned to the company on March 23, 2011, where he defeated Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs
Chris Scobille is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor , where he is a four-time World Tag Team Champion...
. He formed a tag team at Up in Smoke with U-Gene
Nick Dinsmore
Nicholas "Nick" Dinsmore , better known by his ring names Eugene and U-Gene, is an American professional wrestler...
, who believed that he could be Gowen's second leg. Though U-Gene cost his team the match by distracting the referee, Gowen forgave him and announced that the team would wrestle again at the next event. On July 28, Gowen and U-Gene defeated the Ring Rydas
The Irish Airborne
The Irish Airborne is an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of brothers Dave Crist and Jake Crist from Dayton, Ohio...
to win the JCW Tag Team Championship
JCW Tag Team Championship
The JCW Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in Juggalo Championship Wrestling. Nine teams, comprising a total of eighteen wrestlers, have held the JCW Tag Team Championship, combining for a total of thirteen title reigns....
. However, Gowen forfeited the championship after realizing that U-Gene cheated to win, causing U-Gene to attack him and disband the team. Both men are now scheduled to wrestle each other at Bloodymania 5
Bloodymania 5
Bloodymania 5 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by Juggalo Championship Wrestling , which was only available online. It took place on August 14, 2011 at Hog Rock in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. Professional wrestling is a type of sports entertainment in which theatrical events are...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- MoonsaultMoonsaultA moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
- Moonsault
- Signature moves
- Baseball slide
- Single leg running dropkick
- Springboard moonsault
- Swinging neckbreaker
- Managers
- Stephanie McMahon
- Truth Martini
- 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- "Z"
- "Zach Attack"
Championships and accomplishments
- 3X Wrestling
- 3XW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- All American Wrestling
- AAW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Krotch
- Blue Water Championship Wrestling
- BWCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling
- CAPW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Independent Wrestling Revolution
- IWR King of the Indies Championship (1 time)
- IWR Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kamikaze
- Michigan Championship Wrestling Association
- MCWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Mid American Wrestling
- MAW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Silas Young
- 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 Most Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2003)
- PWI Rookie of the Year (2003)
- New Wrestling Association
- NWA Legends Championship (2 times)
- Twin Wrestling Entertainment
- TWE Nacho Cup (2006)
- Other titles
- TZW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Super Meetsee