Anthony Durante
Encyclopedia
Anthony Durante was a professional wrestler
best known as "Pitbull #2" as one half of the tag team
The Pitbulls
, with "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe.
, and The Barbarian. He, along with tag team partner Gary Wolfe (then going by Gary Wolf) also tag-teammed against The Hart Foundation
and The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers on the WWF's weekend show "Superstars". Typically Durante's matches in the WWF were squash matches, lasting three minutes or less.
in ECW
, along with Pitbull #1, Gary Wolfe. The Pitbulls won the ECW World Tag Team Championship on September 16, 1995 from Raven
and Stevie Richards
after interference from their manager, Francine
.
On May 11, 1996, at A Matter of Respect, Durante faced off against Raven
in a losing effort for the ECW World Championship, in a match that also involved The Sandman
.
On June 1, 1996, at Fight the Power, Durante defeated Shane Douglas
to win the ECW World Television Championship
.
On April 13, 1997, at the first ECW pay-per-view
, Barely Legal
, Durante faced Shane Douglas in a losing effort for the ECW World Television Championship.
.
of fentanyl. He and his girlfriend were found after lying in their home dead for days, all while their two small children, a 21-month-old boy and 8-month-old girl, were apparently alone in the house among the bodies.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
best known as "Pitbull #2" as one half of the tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
The Pitbulls
The Pitbulls
The Pitbulls were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe and "Pitbull #2" Anthony Durante. They were best known for their tenure in Extreme Championship Wrestling, where they were one-time World Tag Team Champions...
, with "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe.
WWF
Durante got his start in the WWF in 1989, competing as a jobber under his real name (Tony Durante). Durante would face WWF stars such as Rick Rude, the then-Intercontinental Champion The Honky Tonk ManThe Honky Tonk Man
Roy Wayne Farris , better known by his ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American professional wrestler. A 1975 graduate from University of Memphis with a B.S. degree in Education. Coached high school football 2 seasons at Munford High School in Munford, Tennessee...
, and The Barbarian. He, along with tag team partner Gary Wolfe (then going by Gary Wolf) also tag-teammed against The Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation
The Hart Foundation referred to several teams or stables in the World Wrestling Federation , usually consisted of members or close friends of the Hart wrestling family from Canada....
and The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers on the WWF's weekend show "Superstars". Typically Durante's matches in the WWF were squash matches, lasting three minutes or less.
ECW
Durante was best known as being one half of the tag team The PitbullsThe Pitbulls
The Pitbulls were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe and "Pitbull #2" Anthony Durante. They were best known for their tenure in Extreme Championship Wrestling, where they were one-time World Tag Team Champions...
in ECW
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
, along with Pitbull #1, Gary Wolfe. The Pitbulls won the ECW World Tag Team Championship on September 16, 1995 from Raven
Scott Levy
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
and Stevie Richards
Stevie Richards
Michael Manna is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Stevie Richards. Also known by his ring names, Steven Richards and Dr...
after interference from their manager, Francine
Francine Fournier
Francine Fournier , known simply as Francine, is an American former professional wrestling valet most known for her work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
.
On May 11, 1996, at A Matter of Respect, Durante faced off against Raven
Scott Levy
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
in a losing effort for the ECW World Championship, in a match that also involved The Sandman
Jim Fullington
James "Jim" Fullington better known by his ring name Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling , where he developed into a "Hardcore Icon"...
.
On June 1, 1996, at Fight the Power, Durante defeated Shane Douglas
Shane Douglas
Troy Alan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly...
to win the ECW World Television Championship
ECW World Television Championship
The ECW World Television Championship was a professional wrestling television championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling . It was introduced in National Wrestling Alliance affiliate and ECW precursor, Eastern Championship Wrestling in 1992 but was established under ECW in 1994...
.
On April 13, 1997, at the first ECW pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
, Barely Legal
ECW Barely Legal
Barely Legal was the first professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling . It took place on April 13, 1997 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Production:...
, Durante faced Shane Douglas in a losing effort for the ECW World Television Championship.
JAPW
The first JAPW Heavyweight Champion was Joe Rules, who won the title on October 31, 1997. He eliminated Durante in a 20 man battle royal to become the champion. But later in the evening Durante would defeat Joe Rules for the title. His reign would last until December 5, 1997 when he would be stripped due to injuryInjury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
.
Death
Durante died on September 25, 2003 along with his girlfriend, Dianna Hulsey, both from drug overdoseDrug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
of fentanyl. He and his girlfriend were found after lying in their home dead for days, all while their two small children, a 21-month-old boy and 8-month-old girl, were apparently alone in the house among the bodies.
In wrestling
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- FrancineFrancine FournierFrancine Fournier , known simply as Francine, is an American former professional wrestling valet most known for her work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
- Lance Wright
- Terri Runnels
- Rick Rude
- Jason Knight
- Tod Gordon
- Cassy Strayter
- Robert Fuller
- Francine
Championships and accomplishments
- Allied Powers Wrestling Federation
- APWF Tag Team Championship (1 Time) - with Pitbull #1
- Catch Wrestling AssociationCatch Wrestling AssociationThe Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...
- CWA World Tag Team ChampionshipCWA World Tag Team Championship (Germany)The CWA World Tag Team Championship was the tag team professional wrestling title in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association. It was established in 1988, and lasted until the promotion's 2000 closing.-Title history:...
(2 times) – with Larry Cameron
- CWA World Tag Team Championship
- Extreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
- ECW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pitbull #1
- ECW World Television ChampionshipECW World Television ChampionshipThe ECW World Television Championship was a professional wrestling television championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling . It was introduced in National Wrestling Alliance affiliate and ECW precursor, Eastern Championship Wrestling in 1992 but was established under ECW in 1994...
(1 time)
- Grande Wrestling Alliance
- GWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pitbull #1
- High Risk Championship Wrestling
- HRCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pitbull #1
- Jersey All Pro WrestlingJersey All Pro WrestlingJersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey.-1997:Jersey All Pro Wrestling is an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia on April 19, 1997. This promotion was born out of a dream of "Fat" Frank. He wanted to take the promotion...
- JAPW Heavyweight ChampionshipJAPW Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Jersey All Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship in the American independent professional wrestling promotion Jersey All Pro Wrestling. Being a professional wrestling championship, it is not won via direct competition; it is instead won via a...
(1 time)
- JAPW Heavyweight Championship
- Mid-Eastern Wrestling FederationMid-Eastern Wrestling FederationThe Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation was a Mid-Atlantic independent professional wrestling promotion based in Essex, Maryland. Founded by promoter Dennis Wippercht and wrestler Tim "Lucifer" Burke in 1991, the MEWF was one of the leading independent promotions on the East Coast during the 1990s...
- MEWF Heavyweight ChampionshipMEWF Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Championship is the highest ranking singles title in the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation, one of three in the promotion....
(1 time)
- MEWF Heavyweight Championship
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA United States Tag Team ChampionshipWCW United States Tag Team ChampionshipThe WCW United States Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the United States-based National Wrestling Alliance , Jim Crockett Promotions , and World Championship Wrestling promotions. The title was only contestable by male tag teams and in tag...
(2 times) – with Pitbull #1
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 76 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1997
External links
- Anthony "Pitbull II" Durante (Archived 2009-10-25)
- Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster contains a summary of his pay-per-view television appearances
- Anthony Durante at the Online World of Wrestling
- December 30th, 2008 Interview with Anthony Durante's Partner Pitbull #1 Gary Wolf