 Jindrak in 2005 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mark Robert Jindrak (1977-06-26)June 26, 1977 (age 48) Throop, New York, U.S.[2] |
| Alma mater | Keuka College[2] |
Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Marco Corleone Mark Jindrak[1] Sodom |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 253 lb (115 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Auburn, New York[1] |
| Trained by | Paul Orndorff[2] |
| Debut | March 2, 1999[3] |
Mark Robert Jindrak (born June 26, 1977) is an Americanprofessional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances withWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) andWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) under his birth name, and for his appearances withConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) under thering nameMarco Corleone. He is a formerCMLL World Heavyweight Champion,CMLL World Trios Champion, andWCW World Tag Team Champion.
Jindrak trained in theWCW Power Plant underPaul Orndorff.[2][4] He made his WCW debut on the March 2, 1999, taping ofWCW Saturday Night, teaming withChuck Palumbo as "The Soul Surfers" in a loss to Disorderly Conduct.[3] He was promoted to the main WCW roster in June 2000 under theVince Russo era where he formed a tag team with fellow Power Plant graduateSean O'Haire. In August 2000, Jindrak and O'Haire helped formThe Natural Born Thrillers withMike Sanders,Shawn Stasiak,Chuck Palumbo,Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli, andReno.[4] They were briefly "coached" byKevin Nash.[4] In September 2000, Jindrak won theWorld Tag Team Championship with O'Haire for the first time, despite being relatively new in the business. The pair won the World Tag Team Championship once more before splitting in early January 2001 when Jindrak would begin teaming with Stasiak instead. The team was short-lived, as Stasiak went on to pick up the managerial service ofStacy Keibler and Jindrak was taken off of television.
After the World Wrestling Federation purchased WCW in March 2001, Jindrak came into the company in July 2001 as part ofThe Alliance that invaded the WWF roster. Jindrak wrestled indark matches and athouse shows throughout July. His first televised debut was on the July 28, 2001, episode ofWWF Jakked/Metal, defeatingJerry Lynn. In late August of that year Mark Jindrak was sent to theHeartland Wrestling Association. There he was a member of Team WCW along with Mike Sanders, Johnny The Bull, Reno,Jason Jett,Lash LeRoux,Shannon Moore,Evan Karagias,Kwee Wee,Elix Skipper, andJamie Knoble. In October 2001 Jindrak was moved toOhio Valley Wrestling (OVW) for training until March 2002 when he suffered a knee injury. Jindrak returned to OVW in July 2002. He also returned to WWE on the October 13, 2002, episodeSunday Night Heat defeatingJustin Credible. He made a few more appearances onHeat in late 2002, defeating wrestlers such as Credible,Raven andStevie Richards until suffering an ankle injury. Jindrak returned to OVW in March 2003 following his recovery and joined Kenny Bolin's "Bolin Services" stable and teamed withGarrison Cade while in OVW.
Jindrak was soon called up by WWE.Triple H would reveal on his 2013Triple H - Thy Kingdom Come DVD that Jindrak was originally planned to be inEvolution alongside himself,Ric Flair, andRandy Orton. This claim was further confirmed by vignettes filmed that feature Jindrak with Evolution. However, for then-undisclosed reasons, his spot as theArn Anderson-like enforcer of the group ended up going toBatista instead.[5] This would be elaborated on in 2020 in the Evolution episode of theWWE Network seriesRuthless Aggression, when it was revealed thatVince McMahon wanted Jindrak in the group to replace Batista due to his triceps injuries in 2003. However, Triple H felt that while Jindrak had the talent, he lacked the maturity for the group and felt that he was draggingRandy Orton down. Jindrak, who made his first WWE programming appearance in 15 years in the interview, agreed with Triple H's assessment.[6]
After being pulled out of the Evolution angle, Jindrak joined theRaw brand on July 7, 2003, episode ofRaw as aface againstChris Jericho in a losing effort. On the July 19 episode ofHeat, Jindrak formed atag team withGarrison Cade by defeating theWorld Tag Team ChampionsLa Résistance in a non-title match, thus earning a title shot against La Résistance on the July 28 episode ofRaw but failed to win the titles. They would become a staple in Raw's tag team division by feuding with La Résistance, Evolution and TheDudley Boyz over the tag team titles. AtArmageddon, Jindrak and Cade participated in atag team turmoil match for the World Tag Team Championship and eliminatedThe Hurricane and Rosey and the team ofVal Venis andLance Storm before being eliminated by Dudley Boyz. On the March 1, 2004, episode ofRaw, Jindrak and Cade defeated Rosey and The Hurricane to qualify for afatal four-way match for the World Tag Team Championship atWrestleMania XX, which they failed to win.
Jindrak's team with Garrison Cade ended when Jindrak was drafted to theSmackDown! brand on March 22, 2004. He made his debut as a member of SmackDown on the March 27 episode ofVelocity, during which he appeared as "The Reflection of Perfection", anarcissisticheelgimmick obsessed with his own physique, similar toLex Luger's "Narcissist" character. He defeatedTyson Dux in his first match as part of the SmackDown! roster. On April 8, 2004, Jindrak gainedTheodore Long'smanagerial services for a brief period until the pair split in July when Long turnedface and became the general manager of SmackDown! while Jindrak remained onVelocity. Jindrak was initially pushed with an undefeated streak against the likes ofScotty 2 Hotty,Hardcore Holly,Shannon Moore,Spike Dudley,Orlando Jordan,Funaki andBilly Kidman during his first few months on the SmackDown! roster before suffering his first loss in three months againstCharlie Haas on the July 3 episode ofVelocity.
In September, Jindrak aligned himself withKurt Angle andLuther Reigns to assist Angle in assaulting and shavingBig Show bald during the fifth anniversary episode ofSmackDown!. Jindrak and Reigns continued to serve as Kurt Angle's proteges until February 2005, at which point they split from Angle to continue their own feud withThe Undertaker. However, Jindrak and Reigns' team began to have a falling out, most notably after they lost to Undertaker in a "Double Jeopardy" handicap match on the February 24, 2005, episode ofSmackDown! because of Jindrak submitting to a triangle choke. The following week, Jindrak and Reigns lost aTag Team Championship match againstEddie Guerrero andRey Mysterio. Following the loss, Jindrak turned face by getting into a fight with Reigns and knocking him out with a left hook. On the March 10 episode ofSmackDown!, Jindrak defeated Reigns in a singles match. After this, Jindrak became a low-card star who performed onVelocity and only appeared onSmackDown! tojob against other wrestlers, during which he alternated between face and heel alignments. On the May 28 episode ofVelocity, Jindrak unsuccessfully facedOrlando Jordan for theUnited States Championship. He then wrestled his last match on the SmackDown! brand on the June 18 episode ofVelocity, which he lost toRené Duprée. On June 30, Jindrak became one of the last-minute trades in the2005 WWE Draft Lottery, returning him back to the Raw brand. However, Jindrak never made his Raw re-debut, as he was released from his contract on July 5, 2005.[7]
Following his departure from WWE, Jindrak touredNew Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2006, where he was primarily used as a low-carder. He did, however, pick up a surprise win over long-time veteranOsamu Nishimura during the tour. Soon after, Jindrak began working for the Japanese promotionHUSTLE as "Sodom", teaming withGomorrah.[8]
In late 2006, Jindrak began working for theMexican promotionConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre under the name Marco Corleone. As a part of his new ring name, which he derived fromThe Godfather,[9] Corleone also accentuated hisItalian American heritage as a part of his new gimmick, which included allying with fellow WCW and WWE alumnusJohnny Stamboli.[9] Initially arudo (heel), Corleone turned into atechnico (face) because of crowd support.[9] In 2008, it was announced that Jindrak had been officially banned from performing at wrestling shows inTijuana,Mexico, for a year due to him pulling his tights down exposing his buttocks to Damien 666.[10]
On March 15, 2009, Jindrak, under his Marco Corleone ring name, made a surprise jump from CMLL toAAA, appearing as a surprise corner man forVampiro during AAA's 2009Rey de Reyes show. Corleone helped Vampiro win the match against AAA's top heel Konnan.[11] On June 13, 2009, atTriplemanía XVII Corleone teamed withLatin Lover against La Hermandad 187 (Nicho El Millonario andJoe Líder) in a match for theWorld Tag Team Championship, but were unsuccessful. On March 22, 2010, AAA released Jindrak.[12] Corleone later stated that he had initially only signed a one-year contract with AAA and had declined to re-sign.[13] On April 11, 2010, Mexican promotionPerros del Mal announced that they had signed Jindrak, still using the ring name Marco Corleone, to a contract.[14]
Corleone competed on MTV's lucha libre show,Lucha Libre USA. He became involved with the promotion shortly after leaving AAA in early 2010, and was involved in finding and signing wrestlers for the show.[13][15] On December 12, 2010, Corleone,Charly Malice andR. J. Brewer were defeated in a four-way elimination match byLizmark, Jr., who became the inauguralHeavyweight Champion in the process. This episode aired on tape delay on October 1, 2011.[16] On October 3, 2012, Corleone unsuccessfully challenged in a three-way match for the LLUSA Heavyweight Championship losing toR. J. Brewer and the match also includedLizmark Jr.
On December 10, 2011, CMLL announced that Corleone would return to the promotion on December 16 at CMLL'sSin Piedad show.[17] In his return match, Corleone,Máximo andRush defeatedMr. Niebla,Negro Casas andRey Bucanero in two straight falls.[18] After the event, the trio of Corleone, Rush and Máximo was given the nameLa Tercia Sensación,[19] which was later changed toEl Bufete del Amor.[20] On February 19, 2012,El Bufete del Amor defeatedLos Hijos del Averno (Averno,Ephesto andMephisto) to win theWorld Trios Championship.[21] On August 24, 2012, Corleone was defeated byHiroshi Tanahashi in the quarterfinal round of theUniversal Championship Tournament. In the fall of 2012El Bufete began a feud against theMexican National Trios ChampionsLos Invasores (Volador Jr.,Mr. Águila andKraneo). The two teams fought several occasions withEl Bufete's World Trios Championship on the line, whileLos Invasores' Mexican National Trios Championship being passed over was compared to the more prestigious CMLL title.[22] Corleone was forced to team up with Kraneo for the 2013Torneo Nacional de Parejas Increibles ("National Incredible Pairs Tournament"), a tag team tournament teaming up wrestlers who would never team up otherwise, often because they are rivals, would be forced to work together. The team lost toShocker and Mr. Niebla in the opening round because of their inability to get along for only match.[23][24] In May, Corleone was sidelined with a knee injury, leading to CMLL stripping him, Máximo and Rush of the World Trios Championship.[25]
On August 2, 2013, Corleone returned from injury teaming withLa Sombra and Rush defeating Averno, Mephisto and Volador Jr. in a two out of three falls match.[26] On September 16, 2014, Corleone and Rush defeatedEl Terrible andRey Escorpión to win La Copa CMLL.[27] On December 7, Corleone was knocked unconscious during a match with El Terrible, after being hit on the back of the head by a ring rope. He regained consciousness shortly thereafter and was reportedly doing well.[28] On March 17, 2015,Los Ingobernables (Corleone and Rush) unsuccessfully challenged Negro Casas and Shocker in a two out of three falls match for theWorld Tag Team Championship.[29]
On June 6, 2017, Corleone defeatedEuforia,Dragón Rojo Jr., El Terrible,Gran Guerrero,Kráneo, Mr. Niebla,Pierroth, Rey Bucanero and Rush in atorneo cibernetico elimination match to win theWorld Heavyweight Championship, the first singles title of his career.[30] On June 18, Corleone made his first successful title defense against El Terrible. On August 22, 2018, Corleone had to vacate the title due to an injury and thus confirmed his departure from CMLL.[31][32]
Jindrak has appeared on several Mexican game shows, soap operas, television shows and magazine covers.[9] He was also named "Best Body in Mexico".[9] In 2012, Jindrak starred in the Mexican telenovelaPorque el amor manda as Ury Petrovsky.[33] Jindrak tried out for the filmRemember the Titans, and was offered a role as afootball player. As he was in training at the WCW Power Plant at the time however, he turned the role down.[34]
Jindrak wrote a book in Spanish entitledMarco Corleone: las primera luchas de mi vida (Marco Corleone: the first fights of my life) for children, to help them cope with bullying in schools.[9]
Jindrak has also made appearances in video games. He made an appearance inWWE Day of Reckoning,WWE SmackDown! vs Raw,WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006,AND 1 Streetball, andLucha Libre AAA: Héroes del Ring.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | MTV's The 70s House | Himself | Season 1, Episode 3 |
| 2010 | Sábado Gigante | Himself | |
| 2012–13 | Porque el amor manda | Ury Petrovsky | |
| 2013 | Noches con Platanito | Himself | |
| 2014–15 | Mi corazón es tuyo | Mike | |
| 2017 | La doble vida de Estela Carrillo | Asdrúbal | |
| 2017 | Como dice el dicho | Season 7, Episode 55 |
Jindrak has a degree in marketing.[35][2] He also playedbasketball for theKeuka College's Storm inDivision III of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association.[4] Jindrak has the highest vertical leap in WWE history, and his personal best is over 42 inches (110 cm).[34]
His father is of German descent and his mother is of Italian descent.[9] On November 3, 2015, Jindrak announced that he married Mexican fashion designer and model Miroslava Luna.[36] Jindrak resides in Knoxville, TN with his wife and son.[9]
In July 2016, Jindrak was named part of aclass action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.[37] The case was dismissed by US District JudgeVanessa Lynne Bryant in September 2018.[38]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shocker andUniverso 2000 (hair) | Marco Corelone andKenzo Suzuki (hair) | Mexico City | Sin Piedad | December 15, 2006 | [46] |
| Marco Corleone (hair) | Universo 2000 (hair) | Mexico City, Mexico | Homenaje a Dos Leyendas | March 30, 2007 | |
| Marco Corleone (hair) | Lizmark Jr. (hair) | Mexico City | CMLL show | October 17, 2008 |
,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database