Nicholas David Dinsmore (born December 17, 1975), better known by his ring name Eugene, is an American professional wrestler.
Dinsmore's career began in 1996 in Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he became the OVW Heavyweight Champion a record eight times as well as the OVW 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 like Triple H and Kurt Angle. He also won the World Tag Team Championship with William 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.
Professional wrestling career
Early years (1996–2003)
Dinsmore debuted in 1996, and soon began wrestling in the United States Wrestling Association (USWA).
Dinsmore also appeared in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from August 1998 to January 1999, mainly used as a jobber on Saturday Night he also worked on two episodes of WCW Thunder (losing to Ernest Miller and Chris Kanyon), and on two episodes of Nitro (first teaming with Lenny Lane to lose a handicap match to Scott Steiner, then losing a singles match to Bryan Clark).
In Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), he formed a successful tag team with Rob Conway, called The Lords of The Ring.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2004–2007)
Teaming with William Regal (2004–2005)
On the April 5, 2004, episode of
WWE Raw, Dinsmore made his
WWE (WWE) debut as
Eugene. WWE wrote Eugene as the "special" and overly excited nephew of Raw General Manager
Eric Bischoff, who had savant-like wrestling ability from watching his favorites on television, Dinsmore has described his portrayal of Eugene as being inspired by
Rip Rogers' autistic child and
Dustin Hoffman's performance in the film
Rain Man.
Bischoff soon placed him under the care of the newly returned
William Regal.
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 with Jonathan Coachman, who attempted to banish him from WWE (only to be stopped by
Dwayne Johnson). The feud culminated in Eugene's pay-per-view debut, when he defeated Coachman at Bad Blood on June 13.
Eugene then feuded with
Triple H,
which led to a match between the two at SummerSlam on August 15, which Eugene lost.
Two weeks later on the August 30 episode of
Raw, they fought a
Hardcore match, which Eugene won after interference from
Randy Orton.
The next week, they had a steel cage match, which Eugene lost and suffered a
kayfabe dislocated shoulder, ending the feud.
After taking a few weeks off to sell his injuries, he feuded with his uncle, Eric Bischoff. This led to a match at the first-ever Taboo 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 from Vince McMahon) and subsequently shaved Bischoff's head.
With Regal, Eugene won his first and only championship in WWE, taking the World Tag Team Championship from La Résistance on the November 15 episode of Raw.
Singles competition (2005–2006)
Eugene returned to wrestling on the July 25 episode of
Raw, taking part in
Kurt Angle's regular "Kurt Angle Invitational" challenge. Eugene defeated Angle, winning his cherished Olympic gold medal (per match stipulation), and starting a feud between the two.
The feud culminated at SummerSlam on August 21, where Angle defeated Eugene to regain his medal.
Eugene then briefly teamed with
Yoshihiro Tajiri (who, incidentally, had also previously teamed with William Regal). The team lasted until Tajiri's release in December.
At Taboo Tuesday on November 1, Rob Conway teamed with Travis Tomko to face Eugene and a "WWE Legend", to be chosen by the fans. "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka was chosen over Kamala and Jim Duggan, and pinned Conway with his Superfly Splash to win the match.
On November 18, WWE.com reported Dinsmore was rushed to the hospital the previous night, after passing out in a hotel lobby in Manchester, and was suspended indefinitely. Days later, WWE.com stated Dinsmore admitted to taking prescription drugs, including Carisoprodol.
Eugene made his return to WWE in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble on January 29, 2006, as the eighteenth entrant. He was eliminated by Chris Benoit.
Brand switches and departure (2007)
On the March 19, 2007, episode of
Raw, Eugene was forced into a match with Umaga, as a punishment for accidentally spilling a drink on
Vince McMahon. After losing, McMahon shaved Eugene's head.
Eugene wrestled on the June 2, 2007
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIV, where he debuted a new "
Superman-esque" wrestling attire. He teamed with Kane and Doink The Clown to defeat
Kevin Fertig, Viscera, and Umaga.
On June 17, Eugene was drafted to the SmackDown! brand as their final pick of the 2007 Supplemental Draft.
On the July 20 episode of SmackDown!, Eugene participated in a battle royal for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, and was eliminated by Dave Batista and Kane. Eugene made his final WWE appearance on the August 31 edition of SmackDown!. 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.
Juggalo Championship Wrestling (2007, 2011–2013)
Dinsmore debuted in Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) in October 2007, as
U-Gene.
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 brief
narrative thread in which he was infatuated with the wrestler Jailbird Man, inadvertently costing Jailbird his matches.
U-Gene participated in JCW's first
internet pay-per-view, Hatchet Attacks, where he defeated Raven.
He formed a tag team with
Zach 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.
On July 28, Gowen and U-Gene defeated the Ring Rydas to win the JCW Tag Team Championship.
However, Gowen forfeited the championship after realizing that U-Gene cheated to win, causing U-Gene to attack him and disband the team.
U-Gene defeated Gowen at Bloodymania 5, but the referee reversed the decision after realizing U-Gene cheated to win.
Independent circuit (2007–2013)
In October 2007, Dinsmore became the head official in charge of Derby City Wrestling, the intermediate-level group affiliated with Ohio Valley Wrestling, after
Adam Birch left the position. He made some appearances in Puerto Rico's World Wrestling Council (WWC), as Eugene.
[ 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 with Luke Williams, better known as one half of The Bushwhackers. He wrestled for Ring of Honor (as Nick Dinsmore) in a Ring of Honor Wrestling taping, against "The Prodigy" Mike Bennett.]
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 in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA) India project, Ring Ka King as Dr. Nicholas Dinsmore.
Return to OVW (2008–2013)
On February 20, 2008, Dinsmore returned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) under his real name and defeated Jay Bradley to win his ninth Heavyweight 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.
Returns to WWE (2009, 2013–2014)
In July 2009, Dinsmore signed a contract to return to WWE.
Dinsmore was re-hired by WWE on September 20, 2013, as trainer on NXT, and he lasted a year before he was released on October 2, 2014.
Return to the independent circuit (2015–present)
On January 10, 2015, Dinsmore returned to wrestling, this time with the British promotion . He defeated Grado in his first match for the promotion.
Professional wrestling style, persona and reception
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 with intellectual disability. The idea of the gimmick came from then OVW trainer Rip Rogers, who was inspired by his autistic son.
Personal life
In 2009, Dinsmore became engaged to Stephanie Fischer, whom he married in November 2015.
Championships and accomplishments
-
No Regrets Wrestling
-
NRW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Local Dad Erik
-
Canadian Wrestling's Elite
-
123Approved.ca Open Rules Championship (1 time)
-
Covey Promotions
-
CP Tag Team Championships (1 time) – with Krazy T
-
Heartland Wrestling Association
-
HWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
-
United States Wrestling Association
-
USWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Flash Flanagan
-
Music City Wrestling
-
MCW North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rob Conway
-
Ohio Valley Wrestling
-
OVW Heavyweight Championship (10 times)
-
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (11 times) – with Rob Conway (10) and Flash Flanagan (1)
-
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
-
PWI ranked him # 21 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2004
-
River City Championship Wrestling
-
RCCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
-
Pro Wrestling Experience
-
BBQ Fest Battle Royal (2013)
-
UPW Pro Wrestling
-
UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
-
Wisconsin Pro Wrestling
-
WPW Gather On Broadway Championship (1 time)
-
WWE
-
XWE Wrestling
-
xWe United Liberty Championship (1 time)
External links
