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Mideon

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Mideon
Birth nameDennis Knight
Born(1968-12-26)December 26, 1968(age 55)[1]
Clearwater, Florida,U.S.[2]
FamilyRon Slinker(stepfather)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Dennis Knight
Leatherface[2]
Mideon[1]
Midian
Naked Mideon[1]
Phineas I. Godwinn[1]
Tex Slazenger[1]
Billed height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[3]
Billed weight288 lb (131 kg)[3]
Billed from"Bitters,Arkansas"
(as Phineas I. Godwinn)[1]
Trained bySteve Keirn[2]
DebutJuly 23, 1989
RetiredDecember 1, 2012

Dennis Knight(born December 26, 1968) is an American chef and retiredprofessional wrestler.He is best known for his appearances withWorld Championship Wrestlingbetween 1992 and 1994 under thering nameTex Slazengerand with theWorld Wrestling Federation(WWF, now WWE) between 1996 and 2001 under the ring namesPhineas I. GodwinnandMideon,as well as his real name.[2][1][4]

Early life[edit]

Knight grew up in theTampa Bay Area,in the city ofClearwater, Florida.He attendedSalem UniversityinSalem, West Virginia,where he playedAmerican footballfor the Tigers. After suffering a severe shoulder injury, Knight left Salem College and returned to Florida, where he worked as abouncer.[2]

Professional wrestling career[edit]

Early career (1989–1992)[edit]

While working as a bouncer inClearwater, Florida,Knight was introduced toSteve Keirn,who trained him as a professional wrestler.[2]He debuted in 1989 under the ring name "Tex Slazenger", facing his stepfather,Ron Slinker,in his first match. Knight went on to wrestle on theindependent circuitin theCarolinas.[2]

In 1991, Knight joined theMemphis, Tennessee-basedUnited States Wrestling Association,where he adopted the ring name "Leatherface" and agimmickbased onthe characterfrom the 1974 filmThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre,complete with "bloodstained" apron, leather mask andchainsaw(without the chain). He was pushed as a "monster" in a feud withJerry Lawler.During one infamous match between the two, Knight was set on fire.[5]After dropping the Leatherface gimmick, Tex teamed up withMark Canterburywho wrestled as the masked "Master Blaster".

After leaving the USWA, Knight wrestled inFlorida,Puerto RicoandJapanbefore receiving a tryout withWorld Championship Wrestlingin 1992.[2]

World Championship Wrestling (1992–1994)[edit]

In 1992, Knight was hired byWorld Championship Wrestling,where he was renamed "Tex Slazenger" and given the character of an "ornery Texas outlaw". Knight formed atag teamwithShanghai Pierce.Knight and Pierce left WCW in 1994.[2]

United States Wrestling Association (1995–1996)[edit]

When both men left WCW, Canterbury signed with theWorld Wrestling Federationunder thering name"Henry Godwinn" while Slazenger returned to the USWA. In the USWA, Slazenger captured theUSWA Southern Titleon two occasions, defeatingBrian Christopherboth times.[6]

World Wrestling Federation (1996–2001)[edit]

The Godwinns and Southern Justice (1996–1998)[edit]

Main article:The Godwinns

In 1996, Knight signed with the WWF and was therefore reunited with Canterbury and renamed "Phineas I. Godwinn" (abbreviated toP.I.G.). The duo were portrayed as being cousins (later brothers) and were collectively known asThe Godwinns.Phineas made his in-ring debut on the January 29 episode ofMonday Night Rawin a tag team victory for Godwinns overThe Bodydonnasand began a feud with Bodydonnas over their managerSunny.They soon entered a tournament for the vacantTag Team Championshipand defeated The New Rockers andOwen Hart and British Bulldogto qualify for the finals on the March 31 episode ofFree for All,where they lost to Bodydonnas. They failed to win the titles from Bodydonnas in a rematch for the titles atIn Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies.On May 19, Godwinns defeated Bodydonnas to win the Tag Team Championship at alive eventinMadison Square Garden.As a result, they gained Bodydonnas' valet Sunny as their manager on the May 26 episode ofFree for All,where they lost their newly won titles toThe Smoking Gunns.

In 1997, in a match between The Godwinns and theLegion of Doom,Canterbury suffered a crackedC7vertebrawhen the Legion of DoombotchedaDoomsday Device.He was advised by doctors to rest for 15 weeks, but returned to the ring in less than eight weeks.[7]In early 1998, the Godwinns dropped their pig farmer gimmicks and became "Southern Justice", the bodyguards ofTennessee Lee,using their real names.[8]Six months later, Canterburyherniatedhis C7 vertebra and pinched a spinal nerve, necessitating spinal fusion surgery. This came as a result of him returning to the ring too early after his neck injury. He eventually left the WWF and retired, due to the neck injury suffered in 1998 leaving Knight without a partner.[7]

The Ministry of Darkness (1999)[edit]

See also:The Ministry of DarknessandThe Corporate Ministry

In late 1998, Knight returned to the WWF after a brief hiatus, and in a short time, was kidnapped by theAcolytesand brainwashed into joining theMinistry of Darkness,a heelSatanic-themedstableled byThe Undertaker,who rechristened him as the derangedsoothsayer"Midian" (spelling later changed to "Mideon" ). Throughout 1999, The MinistryfeudedwithStone Cold Steve Austin,with Mideon often teaming up withViscera.Mideon "won" theWWF European Championshipin this time when he found it inShane McMahon's bag.[6]Mideon held the belt for over a month until losing it toD'Lo BrownatFully Loaded.When The Undertaker was injured in late 1999, the Ministry disbanded, however, Mideon continued the gimmick and union with Viscera, including doing The Undertaker's biddings in matches well after The Ministry had dissolved, although no clear stable was ever established again.

Various storylines (2000–2001)[edit]

In early 2000, Knight appeared briefly as aMankindimitator.

Knight returned in a limited capacity in mid-2000 as "Naked Mideon", a persona who ran around arenas wearing only afanny pack,a pair ofbootsand athong.AtNo Mercy 2000he tried to reclaim the European Championship fromWilliam Regal,but was defeated.[9]AtArmageddon 2000,Knight briefly interfered in the match betweenChris JerichoandKane.Knight then wrestled in a fewdark matchesunder his previousmonikerTex Slazenger, but was released in January 2001.

Later career and retirement (2001–present)[edit]

Following his run with the WWF, Knight returned to his home inTampa, Floridaand spent time training students at Steve Keirn's Pro Wrestling school. During this time he also continued to wrestle for several Florida independent promotions such as IPW and the FSPW, as well as touring Europe.

From 2003 to 2004, Knight returned for several dark matches forWorld Wrestling Entertainmentunder his own name.

Knight appeared at theNWA Total Nonstop ActioneventTNA Destination X 2005on March 13, 2005 during the scheduled match betweenMonty BrownandTrytan.In the course of the match, the lights went off and Trytan vanished from the ring. When the lights came on, a masked Knight was in his place and was quickly pinned by Brown. TNA never revealed on air who was under the mask and released Knight the following day.[10]

Knight retired from professional wrestling in 2006. He wrestled several matches for Great Lakes Championship Wrestling in 2011 and 2012. On November 22, 2020, Knight returned to WWE together withHenry O. GodwinnasThe Godwinns,to take part inThe Undertaker's retirement ceremony atSurvivor Series.Several other members of theBone Street Krewalso appeared to pay tribute.

Personal life[edit]

After retiring from professional wrestling, Knight began working as a chef inClearwater, Florida.[2][11]

Knight has aneyeballtattooedon the back of his head and a tattoo ofDoc Hollidayon his left arm.

In 2023, Knight lost all of the toes on his right foot after developing an infection which caused for them to be amputed.[12]

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefg"Mideon Profile".Online World Of Wrestling.RetrievedMarch 21,2008.
  2. ^abcdefghijMelok, Bobby (July 31, 2013)."Where Are They Now?: Mideon".WWE.com.WWE.RetrievedFebruary 23,2016.
  3. ^abShields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009).WWE Encyclopedia.DK.p.206.ISBN978-0-7566-4190-0.
  4. ^"Mideon".WWF.com(viaWayback Machine).World Wrestling Federation.2000. Archived fromthe originalon May 10, 2000.RetrievedFebruary 23,2016.
  5. ^Lawler, Jerry(2002).It's good to be the King… Sometimes.Pocket Books.ISBN9780743457682.
  6. ^abRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2006).Wrestling Title Histories(4th ed.). Archeus Communications.ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
  7. ^ab"O Henry!".WWE.RetrievedApril 17,2007.
  8. ^Graham Cawthon."WWF Show Results 1998".RetrievedApril 16,2007.(June 1, 1998) Jeff Jarrett (w/ Tennessee Lee & Southern Justice) pinned Faarooq after hitting him with Lee's belt buckle as Southern Justice distracted the referee; prior to the bout Tennessee Lee introduced the repackaged Godwinns as Southern Justice
  9. ^prowrestlinghistory.com."WWF No Mercy Results (2000)".RetrievedApril 16,2007.
  10. ^prowrestlinghistory.com."TNA No Mercy Results (2005)".RetrievedApril 16,2007.
  11. ^Marvez, Alex (April 16, 2004)."Ravens must make QB beat them".SunSentinel.com.South Florida Sun-Sentinel.RetrievedApril 5,2012.
  12. ^"Former WWE Star Says Half of His Foot Was Cut off Months Ago".October 30, 2023.
  13. ^"Independent Wrestling Results - April 2003".onlineworldofwrestling.com.RetrievedJuly 5,2008.

External links[edit]

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