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Mason Ryan

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Mason Ryan
Griffiths in November 2011
Birth nameBarri Griffiths
Born(1982-01-13)13 January 1982(age 42)
Tremadog,Wales
Spouse(s)
Julie Rolfe
​
​
(m.2015)​
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Barri Griffiths[1]
[2][3]
Gladiator Goliath
Mason Ryan[2]
Mason Williams[4]
Smackdown Warrior[3]
Billed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[4]
Billed weight297 lb (135 kg)[4]
Billed fromCardiff, Wales[5]
Trained byOrig Williams[2]
Florida Championship Wrestling[1]
Debut2007
Retired2015

Barri Griffiths(born 13 January 1982) is a Welsh stunt performer, actor, and formerprofessional wrestler.He is best known for his time withWWE,where he performed under thering nameMason Ryanfrom 2009 to 2014. He joinedCirque du Soleilin 2016.

Griffiths played as acentre backforPorthmadog FC,but a knee injury curtailed his career. He appeared asGoliathonGladiatorsin 2009. He began training to be a professional wrestler in 2006, and competed around Europe for the next three years. In 2009, he signed a contract with WWE, debuting inFlorida Championship Wrestling(FCW) and becoming a one-timeFCW Florida Heavyweight Champion.He made his main roster debut in 2011 and joinedThe New Nexus.In 2013, he started working on WWE'sNXTbrand until his release the following year.

Early life[edit]

Griffiths was born inTremadog,[2][4][6]the son of Carys and Malcolm Griffiths.[7]He has a sister named Catrin.[7][8]He attendedYsgol y Gorlanprimary school in Tremadog andYsgol Eifionyddsecondary school inPorthmadog,before studyingconstruction managementatCardiff Universityfor 18 months.[8][9]He worked as a trainee carpenter and in his family'sfuneral homeprior to becoming a wrestler.[2][3]Griffiths playedfootballas acentre backforPorthmadog FC,but had to curtail his career due to a knee injury.[10]

Professional wrestling career[edit]

Training and early career (2006–2009)[edit]

Griffiths began training to be aprofessional wrestlerin 2006 after attending a wrestling show with a friend where thepromoterand refereeOrig Williamsrecommended he start wrestling.[3][11][8][12]He trained at aprofessional wrestling schoolinBirkenhead.[3][11]

Prior to appearing onGladiators,Griffiths had wrestled under the names "Celtic Warrior" and "Smackdown Warrior" since 2007, and had competed in almost 100 matches in countries includingEgyptandVenezuela.[3]He represented the UK in a 'Battle of the Nations'tag team matchbetween the UK and Austria, teaming withDrew McDonaldandSheamus O'Shaunessyin a losing effort toChris Raaber,Michael Kovac, and Robert Ray Kreuzer at the European Wrestling Association'sNight of Gladiatorsshow in June 2007.[13]After signing withWorld Wrestling Entertainment(WWE), Griffiths had his final show in Wales in October 2008 inPorthmadog,when he won asingles matchandbattle royal.[14]

World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2009-2014)[edit]

Florida Championship Wrestling (2009–2011)[edit]

Ryan as theFCW Florida Heavyweight Championin 2010

In 2009, Griffiths signed a five-year contract withWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[15]When he received his work visa, he debuted in theirdevelopmental territory,Florida Championship Wrestling(FCW) in January 2010.[2]Under the name Mason Ryan, he competed against wrestlers includingJohnny Curtis,Tyler Reks,Johnny Prime,andHunicoin his first matches.[1]

On 22 July, Ryan won atriple threat matchagainst defending championAlex RileyandJohnny CurtisbypinningRiley to win theFCW Florida Heavyweight Championshipfor the first time.[2][11][16]

Over the next few months, Ryan successfully defended the championship against wrestlers includingBo Rotundo,Richie Steamboat,and Eli Cottonwood.[17]At the tapings of FCW television on 2 September, Ryan successfully defended the championship againstJohnny Curtiswhen FCW commentatorByron Saxtoninterfered and aided him.[17]The following week, Saxton became aligned with Ryan, accompanying him to the ring and acting as hismanager.[17]

In November 2010, Ryan toured Europe with theSmackDownbrand,defeatingChavo GuerreroinBelfaston 4 November and again inLiverpoolon 6 November.[18][19]On 3 February 2011, Ryan lost the Florida Heavyweight Championship to Bo Rotundo, ending a six-and-a-half month reign.[20]

Raw (2011–2012)[edit]

Ryan withThe New Nexusin 2011

Griffiths, as Mason Ryan, made his WWE television debut on 17 January 2011 episode ofRawby interfering in a match betweenCM PunkandJohn Cena.Following his interference, Punk presented him with a 'Nexus' armband, inducting him into the group.[15][21]Ryan then participated in the2011Royal Rumble match.[22]On 7 February 2011, he had his debut match onRaw,losing toR-Truthviadisqualification.[23]In late February, it was announced that Punk would faceRandy OrtonatWrestleMania XXVII,with each member of The Nexus facing Orton to win the right to accompany Punk to the ring in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania.[24]Ryan was the final member to face Orton, but lost on 14 March episode ofRaw.Following the match, OrtonpuntedRyan in the head.[25]He was absent from television for nearly a month, making his return on 11 April onRawwith the other New Nexus members, attacking Orton and preventing him from earning a WWE Championship match.[26]On 2 May, Ryan lost toKaneby disqualification following interference from Punk, and went on to attack both Kane andBig Show.[27]At theOver the Limitpay-per-view on 22 May, Ryan and Punk challengedBig Show and Kanefor theWWE Tag Team Championship,but were unsuccessful.[28]The following month, Ryan suffered an injury and was absent from television to recuperate.[29]

Ryan returned from injury at ahouse showinJackson, Mississippiin late August.[30]He made his television return on 8 September episode ofWWE Superstars,defeatingJTG.[31]On 26 September, onRaw,Ryan was chosen byVickie Guerreroas the partner forJack SwaggerandDolph Zigglerin asix-man tag team matchagainstZack Ryderand Air Boom (Evan BourneandKofi Kingston), but Ryan turned on Swagger and Ziggler turning Ryanface,allowing Ryder to pick up the victory for his team.[32]

The following week onRaw,Ryan teamed with Air Boom,Sheamus,CM Punk,andJohn Cenain a12-man tag team matchto defeat the team ofAlberto Del Rio,Christian,Cody Rhodes,David Otunga,Ziggler, and Swagger.[33]Ryan began feuding with Ziggler, with the pair trading wins via disqualification.[34][35]Ryan was part of Team Orton at theSurvivor Seriespay-per-view in November, where he was eliminated by Cody Rhodes.[36]

For 2012, Ryan worked in house shows andWWE SuperstarsTV appearances until June of that year. He was sent back toFlorida Championship Wrestling.

NXT (2012–2014)[edit]

He appeared only sporadically on television throughout 2012, and he then rejoined the rebranded developmental systemNXT.[37]He returned to the ring in November for house shows and debuted on the rebootedWWE NXTshow and began his singles winning streak on 30 January 2013, by defeatingSakamoto.[38]

Ryan then entered into a feud against Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady; although he easily defeated them in singles matches,[39]he lost to them in a handicap match.[40]Mason was then rarely used on WWE television until he had his final televised match on 24 April 2014 episode of NXT, in a losing effort to number one contender for the NXT Championship. On 30 April 2014, it was reported that Ryan had been released by WWE.[41]

Independent circuit (2014–2015)[edit]

After his release from WWE, Griffiths began wrestling on theindependent circuit,still using his WWE name. His first appearance was for the American Pro Wrestling Alliance promotion, where he became the new APWA Tri State Champion on 31 May.[42]Mason made his debut for the WrestleSport promotion on 16 August where he defeatedAdam Pearceto become the first WrestleSport Heavyweight Champion.[43]On 5 September, atFull Impact Pro'sFallout,Ryan along withMichael TarverandShaun Rickerparticipated in a trios tournament, but were defeated by the Full Impact Puerto Ricans (Lince Dorado,Jay Cruz, and Jay Rios).[44]On 5 June 2015, Ryan was defeated by then-Full Impact Pro Heavyweight Champion,Rich Swann.[45]This was his final appearance for the promotion.

On 11 October 2014, Ryan won the UPWA Heavyweight Championship inShallotte, North Carolina.[46]On 16 February 2015, Ryan took part in a dark match before theTNA One Night Only's Gut check event defeatingShaun Ricker.[47]His last wrestling appearance to date, was in theUnited Kingdomfor Pro Wrestling Pride on 1 November 2015, he was on the losing team in an 8-man tag team match.[48]

Inoki Genome Federation (2015)[edit]

On 20 February 2015, Griffiths, working under the ring name Mason Williams, made his debut for the JapaneseInoki Genome Federation(IGF) promotion, losing toShogun Okamoto.[49]

Cirque du Soleil career[edit]

In January 2016, Ryan announced on his Twitter account that he is now working atCirque du Soleil,as the chief archer ofKà.[50][51]

Other media[edit]

Griffiths appeared in the second series of the revivedGladiatorstelevision show in 2009, and competed under the name "Goliath".[6]When he was working on a television show in Wales about being a wrestler, he was told that producers were looking for new gladiators, and he applied with the encouragement of his trainer,Orig Williams.[3][10]He began filming the first show approximately a month later and had to grow a beard especially for the role.[3][8]

Griffiths has appeared onThe Paul O'Grady Show.[52]Barri Griffiths: Y Reslar,aWelsh languagedocumentary about Griffiths' life in the months before he moved to the United States, aired in September 2010 onS4C.[53]

In December 2011, Griffiths appeared on the TV documentaryOrig,where he was interviewed byTara Bethan,the daughter of his first trainerOrig Williams.[54]

Personal life[edit]

Griffiths marriedAmerican footballplayer Julie Rolfe in 2015.[55][56]They reside inTampa, Florida.[57]

Griffiths speaksWelshfluently.[3][58]He is an avid weightlifter[59]and once set a world record for holding 20 kg (approx. 44 lbs) of weight with his arms straight for just over one minute.[60]He often trains with professional bodybuilder and powerlifterStan Efferding.

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

References[edit]

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  3. ^abcdefghiWilliams, Andrew (8 January 2009)."Gladiator in hot pants trouble".Metro.Retrieved11 August2010.
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  9. ^Hughes, Owen R (26 January 2011)."Gwynedd WWE star Barri Griffiths billed as from Cardiff".North Wales Daily Post.Retrieved30 January2011.
  10. ^abDevine, Darren (4 January 2009)."Welsh duo are TV gladiators".Wales Online.Retrieved11 August2010.
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External links[edit]

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