 Dinsmore as Eugene in 2005 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nicholas David Dinsmore (1975-12-17)December 17, 1975 (age 49)[3] |
| Alma mater | Indiana University Southeast |
Spouse | |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring names | |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[4] |
| Billed weight | 235 lb (107 kg)[5] |
| Billed from | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Trained by | Nightmare Danny Davis[3] |
| Debut | 1996[3] |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2024–present |
| Genre | Professional wrestling |
| Subscribers | 22.5 thousand |
| Views | 1 million |
| Last updated: February 23, 2025 | |
Nicholas David Dinsmore (born December 17, 1975), better known by hisring nameEugene, is an Americanprofessional wrestler.
Dinsmore's career began in 1996 inOhio Valley Wrestling, where he became theOVW Heavyweight Champion a record eight times as well as theOVW Southern Tag Team Champion eleven times.
He is best known for his time in WWE from 2004 to 2007 under the ring name Eugene, where he portrayed an intellectually disabled wrestling savant. During his time in the company, he was involved in various storylines and competed against such wrestlers likeTriple H andKurt Angle. He also won theWorld Tag Team Championship withWilliam Regal.
Upon Dinsmore's release from his WWE contract in 2007, he returned to OVW, where he won the Heavyweight Championships twice more. He made a brief return to WWE in 2013, but he was released the next year. In 2015, he opened his own promotion, Midwest All Pro Wrestling.
Dinsmore debuted in 1996, and soon began wrestling in theUnited States Wrestling Association (USWA).
Dinsmore also appeared inWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW) from August 1998 to January 1999, mainly used as a jobber onSaturday Night he also worked on two episodes ofThunder (losing toErnest Miller andKanyon), and on two episodes ofNitro (first teaming withLenny Lane to lose a handicap match toScott Steiner, then losing a singles match toWrath).[7]
InOhio Valley Wrestling (OVW), he formed a successful tag team withRob Conway, calledThe Lords of The Ring.[3] The team had a recordten reigns asSouthern Tag Team Champions.[3] Dinsmore also held theOVW Heavyweight Championship a recordten times.[3] While still in OVW, Dinsmore also made some appearances as ajobber in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF), first on an episode ofShotgun Saturday Night in 1999. He wrestled in the WWF asDoink the Clown on two later occasions, and as one half ofLos Conquistadores (with Rob Conway).[3]
On the April 5, 2004, episode ofRaw, Dinsmore made hisWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) debut asEugene. WWE wrote Eugene as the "special" and overly excited nephew ofRaw General ManagerEric Bischoff, who had savant-like wrestling ability from watching his favorites on television, Dinsmore has described his portrayal of Eugene as being inspired byRip Rogers' autistic child andDustin Hoffman's performance in the filmRain Man.[8] Bischoff soon placed him under the care of the newly returnedWilliam Regal.[9] Although Regal was originally dispirited at having to manage Eugene, he would grow fond of him and the two would quickly become firm friends. In May, Eugene began a feud withJonathan Coachman, who attempted to banish him from WWE (only to be stopped byThe Rock). The feud culminated in Eugene's pay-per-view debut, when he defeated Coachman atBad Blood on June 13.[10] Eugene then feuded withTriple H,[3] which led to a match between the two atSummerSlam on August 15, which Eugene lost.[11] Two weeks later on the August 30 episode ofRaw, they fought ano disqualification match, which Eugene won after interference fromRandy Orton.[12] The next week, they had asteel cage match, which Eugene lost and suffered akayfabe dislocated shoulder, ending the feud.[13]
After taking a few weeks off to sell his injuries, hefeuded with his uncle, Eric Bischoff. This led to a match at the first-everTaboo Tuesday pay-per-view on October 19. The fan-chosen (via voting at WWE's website) stipulation for the match was that the loser would have his head shaved. Eugene won this match (with help fromMr. McMahon) and subsequently shaved Bischoff's head.[14]
With Regal, Eugene won his first and only championship in WWE, taking theWorld Tag Team Championship fromLa Résistance on the November 15 episode ofRaw.[15] Eugene suffered an injury atNew Year's Revolution on January 9, 2005, in a match withChristian andTyson Tomko, afterbotching adropkick. Although they won the match, he suffered a ruptured leftpatellar ligament, which required surgery and sidelined him for six months. This also cost him the World Tag Team Championship, which Regal lost to La Résistance when forced to defend at ahouse show on January 16, teamed with Jonathan Coachman as a substitute.[16] During recovery, Eugene made a surprise appearance atWrestleMania 21 on April 3, delivering apromo until being interrupted and attacked byMuhammad Hassan andDaivari. He would be saved by returningHulk Hogan, after he attacked the villainous duo.[17]
Eugene returned to wrestling on the July 25 episode ofRaw, taking part inKurt Angle's regular "Kurt Angle Invitational" challenge. Eugene defeated Angle, winning his cherishedOlympic gold medal (per match stipulation), and starting a feud between the two.[18] The feud culminated atSummerSlam on August 21, where Angle defeated Eugene to regain his medal.[19] Eugene then briefly teamed withTajiri (who, incidentally, had also previously teamed with William Regal). The team lasted until Tajiri's release in December.[3]
AtTaboo Tuesday on November 1, Rob Conway teamed withTyson Tomko to face Eugene and a "WWE Legend", to be chosen by the fans. "Superfly"Jimmy Snuka was chosen overKamala and"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, and pinned Conway with his Superfly Splash to win the match.[20]
On November 18, WWE.com reported Dinsmore was rushed to the hospital the previous night, after passing out in a hotel lobby inManchester, and was suspended indefinitely. Days later, WWE.com stated Dinsmore admitted to taking prescription drugs, includingsomas.[21] This coincided with the announcement of WWE'snew drug policy (established as a result ofEddie Guerrero's death from heart failure, aggravated by his history of drug abuse).[3]
Eugene made his return to WWE in theRoyal Rumble match at theRoyal Rumble on January 29, 2006, as the eighteenth entrant. He was eliminated byChris Benoit.[3] Eugene briefly feuded withMatt Striker, after appearing in the "Matt Striker's Classroom" segment ofBacklash on April 30.[22] Striker ultimately defeated Eugene to end the feud. After appearing atECW One Night Stand on June 11,[22] Eugene formed a tag team with "Hacksaw"Jim Duggan.[3] He challengedUmaga to a match atVengeance on June 25 and lost, despite having Duggan,Doink the Clown, andKamala in his corner.[22] He defeatedVince McMahon andShane McMahon in a handicap match on the July 10Raw, after interference fromD-Generation X (DX).[23] On the September 4Raw, Eugene and Duggan challenged World Tag Team Champions theSpirit Squad for the title, but were unsuccessful. The team split up on the November 6Raw. After losing a rematch to The Spirit Squad, Eugene attacked Duggan, turningheel.[24] However, the angle was soon dropped and, before the end of the year, Eugene became a face again. After this, he wrestled mainly on theRaw B-show,Heat.
On the March 19, 2007, episode ofRaw, Eugene was forced into a match with Umaga, as a punishment for accidentally spilling a drink onVince McMahon. After losing, McMahon shaved Eugene's head.[25] Eugene wrestled on the June 2, 2007Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIV, where he debuted a new "Superman-esque" wrestling attire. He teamed withKane andDoink The Clown to defeatKevin Thorn,Viscera, and Umaga.[26]
On June 17, Eugene was drafted to theSmackDown! brand as their final pick of the 2007Supplemental Draft.[27] On the June 29 episode ofSmackDown!, Eugene debuted for the brand, losing toThe Great Khali. The following week, he was tricked into thinkingDeuce 'n Domino were helping him win his match againstMark Henry, which led to a quick defeat.
On the July 20 episode ofSmackDown!, Eugene participated in a battle royal for the vacantWorld Heavyweight Championship, and was eliminated byBatista andKane. Eugene made his final WWE appearance on the August 31 edition ofSmackDown!. While shooting T-shirts into the crowd via T-shirt gun, he accidentally shot Mark Henry. Henry retaliated by squeezing him with a bearhug until he passed out. On September 1, 2007, Nick Dinsmore was released from his WWE contract.[28][29]
Dinsmore debuted inJuggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) in October 2007, asU-Gene.[3] He returned in 2010, at the "Flashlight Wrestling: Legends & Loonies" event, and lost to Breyer Wellington. He became a full-time member of the roster the following year. He had a briefstoryline in which he was infatuated with the wrestler Jailbird Man, inadvertently costing Jailbird his matches.[30][31] U-Gene participated in JCW's firstinternetpay-per-view,Hatchet Attacks, where he defeatedRaven.[32] He formed a tag team withZach Gowen at Up in Smoke, believing that he could be Gowen's second leg, but ended up costing his team the match by distracting the referee.[33] On July 28, Gowen and U-Gene defeated theRing Rydas to win theJCW Tag Team Championship.[34] However, Gowen forfeited the championship after realizing that U-Gene cheated to win, causing U-Gene to attack him and disband the team.[34] U-Gene defeated Gowen atBloodymania 5, but the referee reversed the decision after realizing U-Gene cheated to win.
In October 2007, Dinsmore became the head official in charge of Derby City Wrestling, the intermediate-level group affiliated with Ohio Valley Wrestling, afterJoey Matthews left the position. He made some appearances in Puerto Rico'sWorld Wrestling Council (WWC), as Eugene.[29] Dinsmore wrestled for WFX Wrestling in Canada, in a role similar to the one he played in WWE, under the names "U-Gene" and "U-gene Dinsmore". He formed a tag team withLuke Williams, better known as one half ofThe Bushwhackers.[citation needed] He wrestled for Ring of Honor (as Nick Dinsmore) in aRing of Honor Wrestling taping, against "The Prodigy"Mike Bennett.[35] In 2009, he was part ofHulk Hogan's Australian tour,Hulkamania: Let The Battle Begin, where he wrestled as U-Gene.
Dinsmore made his Ring of Honor debut on December 9, 2010, at ROH Wrestling tapings, losing to Mike Bennett. In December 2011, Dinsmore took part inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA)India project,Ring Ka King asDr. Nicholas Dinsmore.[2][36] On July 27, Dinsmore, as "U-Gene", unsuccessfully challenged Freight Train for the 5 Dollar Wrestling championship in the main event of that promotion's internet PPV debut.[37]
On February 20, 2008, Dinsmore returned toOhio Valley Wrestling (OVW) under his real name and defeatedJay Bradley to win his ninthHeavyweight Championship. He lost the title to Anthony Barvado on July 25, 2008. On October 26, 2011, Dinsmore defeated Jason Wayne to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship for the tenth time, turning heel in the process.[38] Dinsmore lost the title to Rudy Switchblade seven days later in an Eight Man Melee, including Wayne, Adam Revolver, Ted McNaler, James Thomas, Rocco Bellagio andMike Mondo.
In July 2009, Dinsmore signed a contract to return to WWE.[39][40] On August 1, Dinsmore (as Eugene) defeatedRicky Ortiz at aSmackDown/ECW house show inManchester, New Hampshire. On the August 10Raw, Eugene returned to television, losing aContract on a Pole match to The Calgary Kid, who afterwards removed his mask to reveal himself asThe Miz. Four days later, Dinsmore was once again released from WWE, as a wrestler and a trainer.[41][42]
Dinsmore was re-hired by WWE on September 20, 2013, as trainer onNXT, and he lasted a year before he was released on October 2, 2014.[43]
On January 10, 2015, Dinsmore returned to wrestling, this time with the British promotionInternational Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom. He defeated Grado in his first match for the promotion.[44] Dinsmore began running his own shows in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, under the banner of Midwest All Pro Wrestling. The first live event was held November 7, 2015.[45] He sold Midwest All Pro Wrestling at the end of 2021.[46]
During his run with WWE, Dinsmore's character was "Eugene", an overly-excited and "special" person who could outwrestle anyone in the ring, based upon some people withintellectual disability. The idea of the gimmick came from then OVW trainerRip Rogers, who was inspired by his autistic son.[47]
In 2009, Dinsmore became engaged to Stephanie Fischer, whom he married in November 2015.[48]
La Resistance b William Regal & The Coach (sub for Eugene) to WIN the TAG TEAM titles!
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