| Joey Maggs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Joseph Magliano |
| Born | September 29, 1967 Baltimore,Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 2006 (aged 39) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Joey Knight Joey Maggliano Joey Maggs The Magnificent Magliano Creature 1 |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 250 lb (110 kg; 18 st)[1] |
| Debut | 1987 |
| Retired | 1998 |
Joseph Magliano (September 29, 1967 – October 15, 2006), better known by thering name "Jumping"Joey Maggs, was an Americanprofessional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances withWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 1998.
Magliano made his professional debut in 1987 for Deep South Wrestling (laterSouthern Championship Wrestling), where he won the promotion's Southern Heavyweight Championship twice. Early in his career, he wrestled as "Hotshot"Joey Knight in a tag team withRicky Lawless known as The Heavy Metal Connection.[1] Magliano competed for promotions inMississippi andLouisiana before finding success in theMemphis-based United States Wrestling Association during the early 1990s.[2]
In mid-1990, Magliano made his debut for the USWA, winning theUSWA World Tag Team Championship withRex King from the Dirty White Boys (Tony Anthony andTom Burton) on June 23.[3] They held the titles until August 11, when they dropped it toBrian Lee andDon Harris.[3] Magliano wrestled in singles competition over the next few months, but often came up short against the likes of King Cobra,Doug Gilbert, MC Jammer, andDanny Davis.[4] During his last months in the promotion, he briefly held theUSWA Junior Heavyweight Championship, winning it from Davis in December before losing it back to him on January 6, 1991.[5]
He made his debut as "Jumping"Joey Maggs inWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) in January 1991, facingTom Zenk inDothan, Alabama.[6] Less than a month after his debut on January 30, Maggs facedSid Vicious atClash of the Champions XIV in a losing effort.[7] On June 12, he challenged"Stunning" Steve Austin for theWCW World Television Championship atClash of the Champions XV, but was defeated.[8] That same month, Maggs entered the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament, losing toBadstreet in the opening rounds on August 31.[9] On October 27 atHalloween Havoc, Maggs teamed withJohnny Rich under masks as The Creatures, losing toBig Josh andP. N. News.[10]
Maggs had a brief stint withSmoky Mountain Wrestling in 1992, where he and former rival Danny Davis participated in an eight-team tag team championship tournament for the vacantSMW Tag Team Championship on April 23. They scored an upset victory overIvan andVladimir Koloff in the opening rounds before being eliminated by theHeavenly Bodies in the semi-finals.[11] The following month on May 22, Maggs andHector Guerrero defeatedRip Rogers andBarry Horowitz at thesupercard Volunteer Slam.[12]
In late 1995, Maggs acquiredTeddy Long as hismanager.[13] He defeatedDisco Inferno on January 1, 1996, and five days later, teamed withFrankie Lancaster andMen at Work in a loss toThe Four Horsemen (Ric Flair,Arn Anderson,Brian Pillman, andChris Benoit) in a four-man tag team match onWCW Pro.[14] Maggs entered afeud withV.K. Wallstreet on January 27 after winning their match by disqualification.[14] On February 11 atSuperBrawl VI, Maggs andSgt. Craig Pittman lost to Wallsteet andBig Bubba Rogers in a tag team match.[15] Wallstreet would defeat Maggs in a rematch on March 6, ending their feud.[14]
While still making appearances for WCW, Magliano began competing part-time in various independent promotions during the late 1990s, including theMid-Eastern Wrestling Federation. There, he defeated Quinn Nash for theMEWF Mid-Atlantic Championship on September 17, 1997.[16] On February 14, 1998, Maggs wrestled his final match in WCW and of his career onWCW WorldWide, where he lost toBill Goldberg.[17]
Maggs first appeared for theWorld Wrestling Federation in 1992, facingRick "The Model" Martel onSummerSlam Spectacular,Ric Flair onSuperstars andRazor Ramon onWWF Wrestling Challenge.[1] On July 5, 1993, Maggs lost toBam Bam Bigelow onMonday Night Raw.[18] His last match for the company was a loss toDuke Droese on the May 24, 1994 edition ofWrestling Challenge.[1]
Magliano retired from professional wrestling in 1998 due to a nagging shoulder injury and moved back toMaryland, where he enrolled inflight school to become a cargo pilot.[6]
In October 2006, Magliano died ofcardiac arrest at the age of 39.[2]