Reno Riggins

Reno Riggins
Birth nameNeal Hargrove
Born (1967-01-13) January 13, 1967 (age 57)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Reno Riggins
Billed height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Billed weight229 lb (104 kg)
Trained byTojo Yamamoto
Debut1986
Retired2011

Neal Hargrove, better known by his ring name, Reno Riggins, (born January 13, 1967) is an American retired professional wrestler. Riggins has competed in Southeastern independent promotions including the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) during the 1990s.

Professional wrestling career

Hargrove was the final wrestler to be trained by Tojo Yamamoto before Yamamato's death in 1992.

Hargrove made his World Wrestling Federation (WWF) debut as Reno Riggins in March 1988, spending several years as an enhancement talent, competing against many of the top heels of the time.[1] He also appeared in a dark match losing to Rip Rogers at the NWA's Halloween Havoc in October 1990.[2] Leaving the WWF in 1992, he began competing for the USWA and eventually won the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship from Brian Christopher in August 1992.[3] After a brief stint in Smoky Mountain Wrestling in early 1993, he returned to the WWF and frequently appeared as an enhancement talent (now as a heel putting over numerous faces) on Monday Night Raw until deciding to retire in early 1995.

Following the close of the USWA in 1997, Hargrove came out of retirement and began teaming with Steven Dunn as "The Tennessee Volunteers" in Music City Wrestling feuding with Flash Flanagan and Wolfie D over the promotion's North American tag team titles (later renamed the NWA North American Tag Team Championship) during the late 1990s.[4] They also made an appearance for the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment) on an episode of Shotgun Saturday Night against The Hardy Boyz. Appearing at the first Brian Pillman Memorial Show in 1998, he and Dunn would later compete as "Main Event" in the National Wrestling Alliance eventually winning the NWA World Tag Team titles in Eskan, Saudi Arabia on April 7, 2000. Hargrove now does advertising, commentating and booking for Showtime All-Star Wrestling.[5] He retired from wrestling in 2011.

Championships and accomplishments

1His reign as NWA World Tag Team Champion began while wrestling on a card in Saudi Arabia. Records are unclear as for what promotion he wrestled at the time, as they are for when he first became NWA North American Tag Team Champion.

References

  1. ^ "Reno Riggins: Getting the job done". CANOE SLAM! Sports. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012.
  2. ^ Karlsson, Peter. "Halloween Havoc 1990". American Wrestling Trivia. Retrieved April 17, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  4. ^ "N.W.A. North American Tag Team Titles". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. Retrieved April 5, 2007.
  5. ^ "N.W.A. World Tag Team Title". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. Retrieved April 17, 2007.
  6. ^ "SAW International Heavyweight Title History". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved February 13, 2010.