Name: Tommy Idol Height: 5'9" Weight: 194 lbs Home Town: Shell Beach Born: March 12 Pro Debut: April 21, 1995 Titles Held: WSWF Cruiserweight FWA Title 2X FWA Tag Team Title LWF Light-Heavyweight Title I was born in Lebanon, PA on March 12, 1972 and grew up mostly in Palmyra, PA, with the exception of a four-year stint in near-by Lemoyne, where my mom moved to be closer to her job. It was here in Lemoyne where two neighborhood kids, who were brothers, introduced my brother and me to the world of pro wrestling. Before this, my only exposure to wrestling was a brief conversation between my mom and my babysitter when I was in probably first grade. For some reason, they were discussing boxing and pro wrestling. One of them said something to the effect that wrestling was "fake," to which I was taken aback. I did not even know what wrestling was at the time, other than it took place in a ring and the people beat the crap out of each other. To me, it looked like boxing without the big gloves--how could that be fake? Anyway, fast forward to 1981, Lemoyne. My brother and I made friends with two other brothers who were wrestling marks. We were invited over to their house one day to watch "Spectrum Wrestling," a once a month WWF house show from the Philadelphia Spectrum televised exclusively on the Prism channel, a local HBO type cable station from Philadelphia. The first match I can recall was a WWF Title match in a steel cage, pitting defending champion Bob Backlund against either SGT Slaughter or "Superstar" Billy Graham. I don't remember which. From that day on, I was a mark. "Spectrum Wrestling" became a regular event and I watched everything I could on TV. In '86, a local TV station picked up the NWA. I don't know if it was World Wide Wrestling, NWA Pro, or still just Mid-Atlantic back then, but I was hooked. The first match I remember was Ricky Morton of the Rock and Roll Express versus The Barbarian; the match was from the Greensboro Coliseum (my favorite building to watch on TV) and Morton won by DQ after Barby threw him over the top rope. I soon became a huge RandR mark. I remember arguments between a friend and me a few years later, when I was in the Eighth Grade, over who was better, the RandR or the Road Warriors. In May of 1986--May 3 to be exact--my mom bought a house in Palmyra, and we moved back. I remember the date specifically because that night Saturday Night's Main Event was on. I'm not sure if it's just because SNME aired that night that I can recall the date so easily, or the events that took place during, and after, the show make that day stick out in my mind. The last match of the show was a "Best 2 out of 3 Falls Match" with current Tag Champs the British Bulldogs taking on my favorite heel combo at the time of Nicolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik. During the match, I had to take one hell of a wizz, but I refused to go because I didn't want to miss any of the matches. It got to the point where I was actually holding my crotch, so I wouldn't piss my pants, but I refused to get up until the match was over. I was in serious pain! Finally, the match ended and I could go. The problem was, to get to the upstairs bathroom, you had to go through my mom's bedroom, and I didn't want to risk waking her, so I decided to go all the way downstairs to the other one. Stumbling over boxes in near pitch-black darkness--I couldn't turn any lights on because I didn't know yet where any light switches were, and I damn sure couldn't afford to take the time to find them--I made it to the bathroom door, which of course was closed. I reached blindly for the doorknob and I couldn't find the damned thing! I tried both sides of the door out of desperation as my bladder screamed in bloated protest. I thought to myself, "How hard can it be to find the freakin' door knob?!" Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. With my right hand on the door, I stood still in silent reservation and defeat...and just pissed my pants. After I finished relieving myself, I moved my right hand-still on the door-down a few inches and found the knob. It's almost like Volkoff, Sheik and the Bulldogs ribbed me by going long in their match. Coincidentally, ten years later, I traded a tape to the brother of my girlfriend's college roommate. On the tape he gave me was Wrestlemania 5 and, believe it or not, the May 3, 1986 edition of SNME; it is the only episode of that show that I have on tape. I graduated from Palmyra High in 1990. I joined the US Army in April 1990 on the Delayed Entry Program. I didn't want to leave for Basic Training immediately after graduation because I wanted to have one last summer to myself to mess around as a kid before I had to "grow up." I left for Basic on Nov. 08, 1990 and attended Basic Infantry, Advanced Individual (AIT), and Airborne Training at Fort Benning, GA. In June 1991, I was sent to my permanent duty station at Fort Bragg, NC as a soldier in Bravo Company, 4th Battalion 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division. While I was stationed there, I met Chuck Smith, a.k.a "German Stormtrooper" Helmut Hessler, who in turn introduced me to Ivan Koloff, who trained me. I was honorably discharged from active service on December 4, 1994 and I moved back to Palmyra, PA. In February 1995, I contacted Johnny Rebel, whose son I attended high school with, about wrestling. At the time, Rebel was running the Lebanon, PA branch of the Wild Samoan Training Center and told me to come down for a try-out. There I worked out with Rebel's top graduate and training assistant, Paul Mitchell. Mitchell gave much appreciated praise to Rebel about my ability and potential, and I was booked to work Rebel at a show the next day in town for the Trans-World Wrestling Federation. The promoter, Afa the Wild Samoan, over-booked and under-advertised the show, took what was rumored to be an $8,000 bath, and decided not to run the town again and closed the school. I didn't know anybody else to work for, so I sat for a year. Paul kept in contact with me, and in April of '96, floated my name to Johnny Glitter, who was starting to run in Hazleton, PA with Afa under the World Star Wrestling Federation banner. I worked there, and only there, until I broke my arm in September 1997. I only worked with that company because no one ever taught me that indy guys were allowed to go different places. In the locker room, all I heard was Afa bitching that he didn't want his boys to work for this guy, or that guy, and if we did, we couldn't come back to Hazleton. It was B.S., but at the time, I thought I was just being loyal and I was proud of it. On September 19, 1997, during a match, I broke my arm while trying to hit a frog splash. It was the first time I ever attempted the maneuver and, looking back, I know I should not have tried it without practice; I learned the hard way, no pun intended. In trying to protect my opponent, The Perfect Creation, I took a lousy bump, coming down on my right knee and left elbow, with my left leg and right arm extended. According to the orthopedic surgeon, I hyper-extended my right arm at the elbow, which caused a tendon to snap out of place. When it whipped back into position, it sliced a huge chunk off my elbow. I was out for eight months. In May ‘98, I was cleared by the doc to wrestle and once again, it was Paul Mitchell who helped me out. Paul was running Steve Blackman's wrestling school and had a new guy, "Steelworker" Dana Hinkle, that he wanted somebody to put over in front of Hink's hometown for an International Pro Wrestling show. So, thanks to Paul, I started working for IPW, which ran Steelton and Lebanon, PA. Steelton was quickly abandoned after four shows due to poor crowds, and the Lebanon shows were eventually taken over by Larry Brown under the Lethal Wrestling Federation banner after disputes with IPW promoter Doug Flex and booker Ed Zohn left the town open. I've basically been a mainstay in Lebanon, no matter who ran the show. During the IPW run, I was approached by the camera crew, Smart Mark Video, who was starting their own group based out of Palo Alto, PA. It was called the Future Wrestling Alliance, and it is by FAR the greatest place I have ever had the opportunity to work. The fed only lasted from September, 1998 to November, 2000, but it left a positive mark on the indy scene as a testament to the way any fed, big or small, should be run. These guys busted their asses to put on a show that would leave fans happy every time. They treated the fans and especially their workers with a ton of respect. After their last show, I told the guys in charge that the best way to describe working for the FWA was to compare their fed to a PPV, and every other fed I worked for as just a house show. I truly miss the FWA and, even though I know they will probably never run again, I hope a little every day that another run will happen. I feel, since the FWA closed its doors, like Tommy doesn't have a home. That's a shoot in every sense of the word... Thanks to the exposure from the FWA, I have been given work in several other promotions, like the Trans-World Wrestling Alliance, run by Todd Amos. He only booked me once, probably because I expected to actually be paid. I was also approached on a strictly platonic level by Barry Casino to work for Atlantic Terror Championship Wrestling, where I had the opportunity to work with Chad Austin in one of my favorite matches. Unfortunately, promoter Mike Brantzen let me go after only three shows because he thought I was too small. See how small my middle finger is. I was also introduced to Timothy A. Walker, a photographer for the infamous Apter Mags, who for some reason took a liking to me and gave my partner, Qenaan Creed, and I several good shots in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestle America. Hanging out with the FWA crew, I was introduced to Jimmy Deo, who is a lousy, piec of sh*t crook, but booked me on his shows against Roadkill and a tag match against Samu. The Eastern Wrestling Federation also added me to their roster, thanks to Future. In the summer of 2000, the World Star Wrestling Federation resurfaced under the charge of Johnny Glitter, and I worked its first three shows. I continue to work for the EWF and LWF on a regular basis, and have been booked consistently with Doug Flex's IPW, with the exception of January 4, 2000 when I was already booked for my last ATCW show in Leesburg, VA. I am looking to expand my borders as far as possible and hope to one day have a chance at the Big Two. Title History: WSWF Cruiserweight: defeated Bodacious Pretty Boy with the "Fujita Bomb" in a tourney final to become 1st champ (Hazleton, PA, 5/24/97). Lost title to Perfect Creation after interference by Creation's mgr, Johnny Glitter (Nescopeck, PA, 7/12/97). Defeated Creation w/ small-package to regain title (Hazleton, PA, 9/19/97). Broke right arm during match and was forced to forfeit title due to injury. Out of action for eight months. FWA Title: In a tourney final three-way dance, "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush pinned Don Montoya with a huracanrana/cradle combo; Idol defeated Quack by submission, utilizing the "Idolyz'r", to become the 1st champ (Palo Alto, PA, 9/12/97). Idol beat Joe Rules and "Celebrity" Chris Kruger in the 1st & 2nd rds. Quack pinned Idol following the "Quackendriver" to win the title (Palo Alto, PA, 11/20/98). FWA Tag Team Title: ("Sex Idols" w/ Qenaan Creed): in a four-way dance elimination match to crown the 1st champs, The Sex Idols outlasted The Family of Freaks("Doomsday" Danny Rose & Adam Flash), The Fin Twins(Mark "The Shark" Shrader & Gregory Martin), and The Intimidators(Mark Mest & Maxx Crimson). Mest was pinned by Martin with a top-rope cross-body block to eliminate the Intimidators; Idol pinned Flash with a school-boy roll-up & a hand-full of tights to down the Freaks; and, Creed pinned Shrader following a combo of Idol's "Broken Arrow" finisher and a Creed top-rope elbow drop to end the match (Palo Alto, PA, 10/2/99). The Fin Twins defeated The Sex Idols when Fin's mgr, Gabriella Leigh, substituting for an injured Mark Shrader, pinned Tommy Idol following a top-rope "Gabycanrana"(Palo Alto, PA, 3/11/00). S.I. regained the titles in a match against Tag Champ Gregory Martin and "Doomsday" Danny Rose, who subbed for the still injured Shrader, on the stip that The Family of Freaks would get a title shot at the next show, regardless of who won. Rose turned on Martin, planted him with a Spicolli Driver, and Creed took the pinfall (Palo Alto, PA, 4/15/00). In a three-way dance elimination, featuring S.I., The Family of Freaks, and Mark "The Shark" Shrader & Reckless Youth (subbing for the injured Gregory Martin), Creed was pinned following a superplex/power- bomb combo w/ Rose & Shrader, ending the Idol's 2nd title reign. Shrader was subsequently pinned by Adam Flash to end the match (Palo Alto, PA, 6/3/00). LWF Light-Heavyweight Title: Idol utilized the "Broken Arrow" to put away Major Mark in a tourney final to crown the 1st champ (Lebanon, PA, 1/18/00). Lost the title to Mongoose by mysterious circumstances (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3/10/00). Career Highlights: 4/21/95 Lebanon, PA: Defeated by Johnny Rebel in first match. Rebel was the Southern Junior Heavyweight Champion. Also on the card were Yokozuna vs Typhoon, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart vs Doink, The Headshrinkers vs Vampire Warrior(Gangrel & Tahitian Warrior, and Pete "The Spider" Donato(Kidman's first wrestling gimmick, even before Kid Flash). 9/19/97 Hazleton, PA: Won 2nd WSWF Cruiserweight Title by pinning The Perfect Creation. Minutes before the end of the match, Idol broke his right arm after executing a frog splash. The injury would require two stainless steel screws to reattach a bone chip in the right elbow. 10 days after the surgery, it was discovered the screws were unwinding themselves, and another surgery had to be performed to remove the old screws and replace them. Idol didn't return to action until May 16, 1998. 2/98 Allentown, PA: Interviewed Bruno Sammartino about the current state of the industry. Sammartino said he didn't like the direction the business was going, citing excessive violence and women showcasing their "silicones." Said he wished the WWF and WCW "would just die." Said ECW once contacted him about an appearance. Told them he'd never seen their product, so ECW sent him a tape; upon viewing the tape, he declined the offer. Suffered three concussions in a six-month period, 3/14/99, 7/10/99, and 9/24/99, in matches against "Precious" Paul Mitchell, Mark "The Shark" Shrader, and Don Rott, respectively. 6/5/99 Phillipsburg, NJ: Defeated in a match by FWA Champ "Lightning" Mike Quackenbush after taking three consecutive Running Lygerbombs. Prior to the third, Quack annunciated the succession with three STIFF Kawada-like kicks to the face. 6/3/00 Reading, PA: Teamed w/ Tommy Golden against Rapid Fire Maldonado and "Headshrinker" Samu. 9/00 Reading,PA: Wrestled ECW's Roadkill. 12/1/00 Bethlehem, PA: Defeated in a match by EWF Lt-Hvywt Champ Ric Blade after being devastated by the Bladeterminator while "tied to the tree of woe." Blade followed this up with his patented 4-story moonsault/ Cancun tornado. April 2000 & Oct. 2000Photos appeared in issues of Wrestle America, in the "Focus on..." column, featuring the Future Wrestling Alliance; also appeared in the April, 2000 issue's official ratings for the FWA, at No. 6. The pics both showed Idol performing a Boston Crab on opponent Gregory Martin, while Qenaan Creed sailed through the air about to deliver a knee drop to the back of Martin's head. April 2001Appeared in an issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, the 2000 Year in Review issue, in the "Arena Report" column; also appeared in that issue's official ratings for the EWF, at No. 7. Coincidentally, the pic showed the same Boston Crab/ knee drop double-team combo by Idol and Creed, this time delivered to Bad Crew #1. May 1998Clips of match with "Steelworker" Dana Hinkle from Steelton, PA were aired as part of a news story on Steve Blackman's Lethal Weapon Academy on ABC WHTM Channel 27 News, Harrisburg, PA December 1998Appeared in a news story about Blackman's school on CBS WHP Channel 21, Harrisburg, PA. My cameo is only a few seconds long. It shows me attempting a leap-frog with my back turned to Paul Mitchell, who catches me in mid-air and delivers a vicious belly-to-back suplex. July 22, 2000Appeared on the front page of The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA, as part of an article hyping the Back Breakers Pro Wrestling Training Center in Mechanicsburg, PA, run by Johnny Glitter. The photo features a close-up of my face in a grimace of pain as Paul Mitchell's boot smashes the side of my head into the mat; the move Paul was doing was actually a single-leg Boston Crab, with the boot to the head for added leverage, a legitimately painful maneuver. Only the close-up was featured, however. The funny part about this photo was, at the time I was in serious pain, but ever the smartass, I attempted to smile for the photographer. Apparently, he snapped the picture as I just started to smile, so if you look close, you can kinda see a grin in there Promotions Tommy Worked For: ATLANTIC TERROR CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING Martinsburg, WV ATOMIC CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING Ephrata, PA EASTERN WRESTLING FEDERATION Bethlehem, PA FUTURE WRESTLING ALLIANCE Palo Alto, PA INDEPENDENT WRESTLING ALLIANCE Reading, PA INTERNATIONAL PRO WRESTLING Tamaqua, PA LETHAL ARTS WRESTLING Lebanon, PA LETHAL WRESTLING FEDERATION Lebanon, PA NITTANY WRESTLING FEDERATION State College, PA TOP ROPE PRODUCTIONS Allentown, PA TRANS-WORLD WRESTLING ALLIANCE Pottsville, PA TRANS-WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION Allentown, PA WORLD PRO WRESTLING Hamburg, PA WORLD STAR WRESTLING FEDERATION Harrisburg/ Hazleton, PA FAR NORTH WRESTLING Irwin, PA WORLD POWER WRESTLING (Lucha Libre) California Tommy Idol & As Cool As Aids Network, All Right Reserved All images and forms on this web site ©2001-2002