.jpg) Amore in February 2022 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eric Arndt (1986-12-08)December 8, 1986 (age 39)[2] Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Enzo Amore[1] Eric Anthony[2] nZo[3][4] Real1[5] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 200 lb (91 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Hackensack, New Jersey[1] |
| Trained by | WWE Performance Center |
| Debut | October 25, 2012[2] |
Eric Arndt (born December 8, 1986) is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure inWWE under the ring nameEnzo Amore and came to prominence for hispartnership withBig Cass, whom he teamed with from 2013 to 2017. Together, they won theNXT Year-End Award for Tag Team of the Year in2015. He was later moved to the205 Live brand, where he was a two-timeWWE Cruiserweight Champion. Since leaving WWE for controversial reasons in January 2018, he has also embarked on a rap music career initially under the nameReal1,[6] but now goes under the same name he uses on the independent circuit.
Eric Arndt was born inHackensack, New Jersey,[7] on December 8, 1986.[8] He is ofGerman descent. Arndt grew up inWaldwick, New Jersey, where he attended Julia A. Traphagen School, Crescent School andWaldwick High School, having playedfootball at the latter school.[7] Arndt continued hisfootball career atDivision III (NCAA)Salisbury University, playinglinebacker andsafety for the Sea Gulls from 2007 to 2009.[7][9][10] Arndt ultimately earned a degree in journalism.[7] He formerly worked as aDJ, a ticket salesman for theNew York Jets,[9] a piano mover, and a manager at a localHooters.
Arndt had no prior wrestling experience beforeWWE signed him.[11] He had trained with Joe DeFranco at the DeFranco's Training Systems gym inWyckoff, New Jersey since the age of 16. By chance, WWE executiveTriple H also started training with DeFranco; Arndt, a lifelong fan of professional wrestling, made a compilation video of himself doing various exercises andcutting a promo. When DeFranco showed the video to Triple H, Arndt was given a tryout at WWE,[11] ultimately resulting in his signing.[7] In August 2012, WWE signed Arndt, who then started using thering name Eric Anthony.[12] In November 2012, he was given the ring name of Enzo Amore when he debuted in WWE'sdevelopmental systemNXT as a wrestler.[7][13]
On May 22, 2013, Amore debuted onNXT television as aheel, portraying anItalian American who is described as a "stereotypical cocky,Jersey Shore loudmouth" and an "outsized version of the man playing the part",[7] where he was squashed byMason Ryan.[14] On the July 3 episode ofNXT, Amore went on to form an alliance withColin Cassady,[15] who had also lost to Ryan,[16] and they named themselves "the realest guys in the room".[15] Despite Amore and Cassady's alliance, Ryan easily defeated them in consecutive singles matches in July,[17] but lost to them in a handicap match.[18] After the feud with Ryan, Amore and Cassady went on to feud withAlexander Rusev,Scott Dawson and their managerSylvester Lefort, turningface in the process.[19][20] On the September 25 episode ofNXT, Amore and Cassady participated in a gauntlet match for a future shot at theNXT Tag Team Championship; they started the match, first defeatingCJ Parker andTyler Breeze, then defeating Rusev and Dawson but lost toThe Ascension (Konnor andViktor).[21] In November 2013, Amore suffered a broken leg while training.[22] According to fellow wrestlerSimon Gotch, who at the time was also signed to NXT, Amore "broke his own leg trying to counter a wristlock. He blamed it on the canvas being loose."[23]
Amore returned on June 26, 2014 episode ofNXT, saving Cassady from an attack from Sylvester Lefort andMarcus Louis.[24] In early August, Amore and Cassady participated in the NXT Tag Team Championship tournament. They defeatedJason Jordan andTye Dillinger in the first round, but were eliminated byThe Vaudevillains (Aiden English andSimon Gotch) in the second round.[25][26] Lefort and Louis then renewed their rivalry with Amore and Cassady by attacking them and shaving Amore's beard. As a result, Amore challenged Lefort to a match with the loser's hair as forfeit atNXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way which Amore won, but Lefort ran away, leaving his partner Louis to lose his hair and eyebrows.[27] Amore and Cassady then formed an alliance with the debutingCarmella. The duo had accidentally cost Carmella her hairdressing job, causing her to demand to get a job as a wrestler.[28][29] Carmella had her televised in-ring debut on the October 16, 2014, episode ofNXT.[30] On the March 11, 2015, episode ofNXT, Amore and Cassady defeated TheLucha Dragons to become the number one contenders for the NXT Tag Team Championship. AtNXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, Amore and Cassady facedBlake and Murphy for the title in a losing effort after interference fromAlexa Bliss. In December, Amore and Cassady began a feud withDash and Dawson, where they challenged them for the NXT Tag Team Championship at bothNXT TakeOver: London andRoadblock unsuccessfully.
On theRaw afterWrestleMania 32, Amore and Cassady debuted on the main roster and confrontedThe Dudley Boyz.[31] A week later onSmackDown, Amore and Cassady defeated The Ascension in a tournament to determine the number one contenders for theWWE Tag Team Championship.[32] The team went on to defeat The Dudley Boyz on the following week'sRaw in the semi-final of the tag team tournament, advancing them to the finals. In the finals, they faced the Vaudevillains atPayback, with the match ending in a no contest after Amore suffered a legitimate concussion during the match.[33] AtMoney in the Bank, Enzo and Cass facedThe New Day, The Vaudevillains andLuke Gallows and Karl Anderson, in a fatal-four-way tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, in which The New Day retained their titles. On the July 4 episode ofRaw, Enzo and Cass helpedJohn Cena, who was getting attacked by The Club (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) involving themselves in the feud between Cena and The Club. AtBattleground, Enzo and Cass teamed with Cena to defeat The Club in a six-man tag team match.
On July 19 at the2016 WWE draft, Enzo and Cass were drafted to theRawbrand.[34] Enzo and Cass then proceeded to feud withChris Jericho andKevin Owens, which culminated atSummerSlam, where the two lost to Jericho and Owens. On the November 7 episode ofRaw, Enzo and Cass joined Team Raw for theSurvivor Series Tag Team Elimination match atSurvivor Series, during which Team Raw defeated Team SmackDown. On the November 21 episode ofRaw, after Amore was locked out of the locker room naked by Cass as a practical joke and ran intoLana in the hallway, her husbandRusev challenged Amore to a match later that night, in which Amore was quickly defeated. On the December 5 episode ofRaw, after Amore stood up for Lana after seeing her and Rusev argue backstage, Lana invited Amore to her hotel room. Later that night, this was revealed to be a trap when Rusev attacked Amore in the hotel room. Over the following weeks, Enzo and Cass feuded with Rusev andJinder Mahal.[35] On January 29, 2017, Amore participated in theRoyal Rumble match, entering at number 27 but was eliminated byBrock Lesnar. AtWrestleMania 33, Enzo and Cass competed in a fatal-four-way ladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championship against defending champions Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson,Cesaro and Sheamus, and the returning TheHardy Boyz, where The Hardy Boyz emerged victorious. The following night onRaw, Amore and Cass were defeated by Cesaro and Sheamus in a tag team match to determinate the number one contenders for the Raw Tag Team Championship.
On the May 22 episode ofRaw, Amore was found unconscious backstage after being attacked from behind by an unknown assailant, and again the following week. Big Cass went on to accuseThe Revival, who had been seen in the background in the aftermath of the attacks. On the June 5 episode ofRaw, Cass was found knocked out backstage in the same fashion as Amore was. Later, Cass claimed he was not cleared to wrestle, so Amore teamed withBig Show in a match against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, which they won.[36] The following week, Cass was again found knocked out backstage. He claimed the attacker had to have had a giant fist and blamed Big Show, who denied having been the attacker. On the June 19 episode ofRaw, General ManagerKurt Angle attempted to expose the attacker before security footage found byCorey Graves revealed that Cass had faked his own attack in order to lure away suspicion. Cass admitted to this, expressing his frustration during his time teaming with Amore. Cass then attacked Amore, thus disbanding the team.[37] On the June 26 episode ofRaw, Amore called out Cass to the ring and the two seemingly reconciled; however, Cass again viciously attacked Amore on the stage.[38] At theGreat Balls of Fire pay-per-view, Amore was defeated by Cass. AtSummerSlam, Cass defeated Big Show while Amore was suspended above the ring inside ashark cage. During the match, Amore escaped from the shark cage, but was quickly attacked by Cass. The next night, on the August 21 episode ofRaw, Amore challenged Cass to a Street Fight, which he won after the referee stopped the match after Cass suffered a legitimate knee injury.
On the August 22 episode of205 Live, Amore debuted in the cruiserweight division and began a feud withCruiserweight ChampionNeville. On the September 5 episode of205 Live, Amore earned a title opportunity against Neville, winning aFatal five-way elimination match also involvingCedric Alexander,The Brian Kendrick,Gran Metalik andTony Nese. AtNo Mercy on September 24, Amore defeated Neville with alow blow to win the Cruiserweight Championship. This decision was made because of205 Live's lack of success;Vince McMahon thought a "strong" character as Amore would improve the brand, making him the core of the show.[39] The following night onRaw, Amore closed the show with a "championship celebration", where he insulted the cruiserweight division and stated that he made205 Live "relevant" and that the205 Live roster was "jealous" of his accomplishments, turning heel for the first time since 2013. He also showed a signed clause by General Manager Kurt Angle that if any cruiserweight touched him, they would lose their title opportunities.[40] The week after onRaw, Amore revealed another paper clause stating that any cruiserweight that tried to touch him would be fired. Subsequently,Kalisto was introduced as the newest member of the cruiserweight division and attacked Amore. On the October 9 episode ofRaw, Amore lost the Cruiserweight Championship to Kalisto in alumberjack match.[41] However, he regained the title in the rematch atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on October 22, via anillegal thumb shot to the eye behind the referee's back.[42] At theSurvivor Series pre-show on November 19, Amore successfully defended the title against Kalisto. This was his last WWE pay-per-view appearance. In early January 2018, Amore was unable to compete due to suffering frominfluenza.[43]
Amore was suspended from WWE on January 22, 2018, due to his sexual assault allegations (see below).[44] As a result, his scheduled title defense against Cedric Alexander at theRoyal Rumble was canceled.[45] The next day, Amore was fired from WWE and the title was vacated.[46][47] After his release, Amore retired from professional wrestling to focus on his music career.[48][49]
On November 18, 2018, Arndt attended theSurvivor Series event. He stood on his seat, causing a disruption, and was eventually removed from the venue by security as well as banned from future events at theStaples Center.[50][51]
Arndt, alongside former tag team partner William Morrissey, appeared at theG1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden. Following a tag team match involvingRing of Honor andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling talent, the two jumped the barricade and attacked several wrestlers.[52] The broadcast cameras cut away from the incident to indicate alegit outside attack, but it was later reported the angle was aworked shoot.[52] However, following the angle, the duo were not booked for any following shows and the incident was never mentioned again.[53]
On June 15, Arndt, under the ring name nZo, debuted forNortheast Wrestling (NEW), accompanying Morrissey, now known as CaZXL, in his match againstJon Moxley. During the match, nZo attempted to interfere, but was attacked by Moxley as a result. Caz would go on to lose the match.[54] At NEW's "Prison Break" on August 16, nZo wrestled his first match since January 2018, defeatingBrian Pillman Jr.[55]
Amore was set to make hisNJPW debut in a six-man tag team match in 2019, but the match never materialized.[56] Four years later, Amore made his debut on August 19, 2023, in a six-man tag team match, teaming up withJack Cartwheel and Starboy Charlie in a losing effort againstRich Swann,Ryusuke Taguchi, and The DKC.[57][58]
On November 6, 2021, atWar Chamber, nZo made hisMLW debut, defeatingMatt Cross. He subsequently changed his ring name to Real1 and worked as a heel in feuds against the likes ofJacob Fatu,KC Navarro andMance Warner.[59] On April 1, 2023, it was reported that MLW would no longer be working with Arndt, who had been working on a per-appearance agreement.Fightful reported that Arndt was refusing mostangles pitched to him, including a scheduled match againstAlexander Hammerstone for theMLW World Heavyweight Championship atBattle Riot V on April 8, 2023.[60] Arndt claimed the match against Hammerstone was advertised without him agreeing to the match. He also claimed he turned down a program withRichard Holliday after the company wanted him to "bury a guy who just beat cancer". nZo had been written off TV atBlood and Thunder after losing toMicroman in a quick squash.[61]
On July 20, 2025 at the pre-show edition ofSlammiversary, Real1 made hisTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) debut, teaming withZilla Fatu and Josh Bishop to defeatSteve Maclin,Jake Something, andMance Warner.[62]
Under the stage nameReal1, Arndt began pursuing a career as arapper in May 2018, releasing his first song titled "Phoenix" throughWorldStarHipHop on May 28, 2018.[63] He released a second song titled "Bury Me a G" on June 7.[64] On November 18, using the namenZo, Arndt released an album titledRosemary's Baby Pt. 1: Happy Birthday.[65] Arndt's second album,Born in N.J. was released on August 15, 2019.[66] On March 31, 2020, Arndt releasedCertified G Series: Zo's Exotic Quarantine Music, the first mixtape under the Real1 Entertainment label.[67]
Arndt is a playable character inWWE 2K16,WWE 2K17, andWWE 2K18 as Enzo Amore.[68][69][70]
Before his employment with WWE, Arndt metWilliam Morrissey, while playing basketball together atthe Cage ofManhattan,New York, nearly ten years before reuniting on NXT in July 2013.[9] Arndt's friendship with Morrissey became rocky in August 2017 after Arndt publicly criticized Morrissey for not finishing their August 21 match after injuring his knee.[71] The two have since reconciled.[72]
Arndt was in a relationship with fellow professional wrestler and New Jersey native Gionna Daddio, who currently performs in WWE asLiv Morgan.[73] Their relationship ended when Daddio accused Arndt of cheating on her.[74]
On January 22, 2018, thePhoenix Police Department confirmed that Arndt was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault that was reported to authorities in October 2017.[75][76] Later that day, Arndt was suspended by WWE due to violating their zero tolerance policy for matters involving sexual harassment and sexual assault. WWE released a statement indicating that he would remain suspended until the matter was resolved.[44] In an interview on January 23, Philomena Sheahan accused him of raping her in aPhoenix, Arizona, hotel room on October 19, 2017.[77] Arndt was fired from WWE the same day, due to his failure to inform WWE of the investigation. Arndt responded, via his lawyer, that he was not even aware of the investigation until it was made public.[78][79][80] On Twitter, Arndt "fully and unequivocally" denied the allegations against him.[81] Soon afterward, a friend of Sheahan came forward publicly to admit that allegations had been falsified, presenting a text conversation as evidence.[82] On May 16, 2018, the Phoenix Police Department ceased their investigation due to insufficient evidence.[78]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enzo Amore (hair) | Sylvester Lefort (hair) | Orlando, Florida | NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way | September 11, 2014 | [27][Note 1] |
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database