Dylan Postl
Encyclopedia
Dylan Postl is an American
professional wrestler, better known by his ring name
s Hornswoggle or Little Bastard. He is employed by WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand. In WWE, he was the last Cruiserweight Champion
before the belt was retired.
, Dylan appeared with NWA
Wisconsin in 2005 as "The World's Sexiest Midget" $hortstack, where he won the NWA Wisconsin X Division Championship.
He also would go on to capture the SSW Tag Team Championship with Devin Diamond from "The Pretty Hott Thangs" Ryan Kross and Josh Maxim on May 19, 2006 in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, but relinquished the belt due to having signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.
on SmackDown! as the leprechaun
partner of the fellow Irish wrestler, Finlay
. After Finlay’s victory over Paul Burchill
, an extremely hyper, dirty, mysterious little man (Postl) in a leprechaun costume scurried out from under the ring and jumped on Burchill, laughing maniacally all the while. Finlay pulled him off, only to slam him back down onto Burchill again and again. For the next few weeks, Postl continued to appear from under the ring after matches and attack Finlay's opponents. Eventually, SmackDown play-by-play commentator Michael Cole
began referring to him as the Little Bastard. Little Bastard soon became more and more aggressive and started attacking Finlay's opponent during matches, much to Finlay's dismay. On numerous occasions, Finlay either physically shoved Little Bastard back under the ring or was forced to tackle him before he could hit an opponent. At one point, Little Bastard attacked Finlay, biting him when Finlay tried to stop him from attacking Gunner Scott
. Little Bastard helped Finlay win the WWE United States Championship
when he tossed him a shillelagh
to knock out the United States Champion Bobby Lashley and pick up the win.
On November 1, 2006, WWE.com ran an article titled "Little Bastard Exposed". It was an email sent by an anonymous WWE fan, who said he spotted Little Bastard in a Green Bay, Wisconsin
parking lot, in the back of a car with an unidentified woman. Little Bastard then went berserk and drove off. As part of the storyline, Bastard threatened to sue WWE for invasion of privacy when the picture was taken. He also requested that he receive a public apology from commentator Michael Cole for giving him the name "Little Bastard."
and Michael Cole. Afterward, Finlay intimidated Cole, warning him to refer to Little Bastard as "Hornswoggle." In spite of this, Cole continued to occasionally refer to him as "Little Bastard". On March 30, 2007, Hornswoggle helped Finlay beat Mr. Kennedy by performing a senton bomb off a stepladder onto Mr. Kennedy, essentially copying Kennedy's move, the Kenton Bomb. SmackDown! announcers Michael Cole and JBL immediately referred to the move as the "Nuclear Bomb." During the Money in the Bank ladder match
at WrestleMania 23
, which Finlay was involved in, Mr. Kennedy hit Hornswoggle with a Green Bay Plunge off of a ladder when Hornswoggle tried to interfere. On the following edition of SmackDown!, Finlay attacked Mr. Kennedy after his match and challenged him to a handicap match with Postl as Finlay's partner. Before the match, Mr. Kennedy apologized for hurting Hornswoggle. Finlay accepted his apology and formed a team with Kennedy.
Hornswoggle won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
after he pinned Jamie Noble
in a Cruiserweight Open at The Great American Bash
. The match stipulation declared that any and all people who qualified to compete in the division could enter this match. He briefly ran across the ring as the bell was rung before going back under the ring making him an official participant in the match. The other participants and commentators were unaware that he was a participant in the match until the referee
counted the pin and awarded him the belt becoming a fan favorite
in the process. This made him the first little person wrestler to win a championship in WWE history. He also became the lightest, shortest, youngest (21 years, 51 days), and the final wrestler to ever win the Cruiserweight Championship before the title was retired. Hornswoggle then began a feud
with Noble over the belt. The next week on SmackDown!, Hornswoggle retained the title when he defeated Noble by countout. He attacked Noble in the following weeks by shoving a pie in his face, spraying him with a fire extinguisher
, pushing him into Kane and causing him to get chokeslam
med, and locking him in a large box.
On the September 10 edition of Raw
, Hornswoggle was revealed to be Mr. McMahon's
illegitimate son
. Hornswoggle continued to appear on SmackDown!, as well. Although his partnership with Finlay was quietly phased out, Hornswoggle still continued to feud with Jamie Noble. His feud with Noble ended on the September 28 edition of SmackDown! when Acting General Manager Vickie Guerrero
forced Hornswoggle to surrender the Cruiserweight Championship (which was later abandoned), citing that his status as Mr. McMahon's son and his diminutive stature would eventually jeopardize his well-being. After the affair of finding out who the illegitimate son was, Mr. McMahon began giving Hornswoggle matches against competitors that were much larger than him. His reason for doing this, was that he was showing his son, "tough love." Hornswoggle was placed into a match against The Great Khali at Survivor Series
. At the event, Khali defeated Hornswoggle by disqualification when Finlay attacked Khali on Hornswoggle's behalf. This was the first time that Finlay appeared together with Hornswoggle since the beginning of the Hornswoggle and Mr. McMahon storyline. Finlay's attack on Khali started a feud between the two. At Armageddon
, Finlay defeated Khali with the help of Hornswoggle. In addition, Hornswoggle also faced Khali on the 15th Anniversary of Raw, but Hulk Hogan
made a surprise return in a one night appearance to come to Hornswoggle's aid.
Hornswoggle appeared in the Royal Rumble
match, hiding under the ring upon entering until he came out and eliminated The Miz
; Finlay appeared to protect Hornswoggle and took himself out of the match. Finlay became the only person in WWE history to be disqualified in the Royal Rumble match. On the February 18 edition of Raw, Hornswoggle had a scheduled steel cage match against his father, Mr. McMahon. During this match, Hornswoggle was whipped with a leather belt by Mr. McMahon. Finlay tried to get involved, but was attacked and handcuffed to the ring ropes by JBL. Mr. McMahon left the ring and allowed JBL to beat up Hornswoggle while an enraged Finlay watched. Following this, WWE.com announced that Hornswoggle had suffered internal injuries, including bleeding of the brain and spinal trauma. On February 25, JBL claimed that Hornswoggle is not Mr. McMahon's son, but "in reality is the son of Finlay". The next week on Raw, Finlay confirmed Hornswoggle was indeed his son, then was forced to watch helplessly as JBL assaulted Hornswoggle in his hospital bed. Postl returned to live television at WrestleMania XXIV
, accompanying Finlay to the ring for his Belfast Brawl
with JBL, once interfering by hitting JBL with a kendo stick, allowing Finlay to get the shot in with the shillelagh. JBL won the match by hitting Finlay with the kendo stick in the shins and following up with the Clothesline from Hell.
He made his in-ring return on April 18 episode of SmackDown, defeating Matt Striker after a Tadpole Splash. On the April 21 edition of Raw, Hornswoggle was entered in the 2008 King of the Ring, but he was unsuccessful as he lost to William Regal in the first round after submitting to the Regal Stretch in 19 seconds. As part of the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft, Hornswoggle was drafted to the ECW brand along with Finlay. At Night of Champions
, Hornswoggle and Finlay challenged John Morrison and The Miz
for the WWE Tag Team Championship
, but failed to win.
Hornswoggle's then entered into a feud with Chavo Guerrero
, in which they competed in a series of comedy gimmick matches each week determined by the weekly Guest Host for Raw (Texas Bullrope Match, Blindfold Match, Falls Count Anywhere, etc.). The program began on July 7, 2009 on WWE Superstars
and continued on to Raw. Hornswoggle would emerge victorious in every match in this feud.
On the October 26 episode of Raw, after several weeks of wearing D-Generation X
clothing, Hornswoggle received legal notification that he was no longer allowed to wear any DX clothing. Later on in the night, he got his revenge by helping the Raw guest hosts, Kyle Busch
and Joey Logano
, pit DX against each other and John Cena
for the WWE Championship
at Survivor Series
. On the December 21st edition of Raw, Hornswoggle tried pressing charges against DX for assault on him, but later dropped them when DX agreed to make him DX's official mascot. On the January 18, 2010 edition of Raw backstage, Hornswoggle and Triple H confronted Big Show, The Miz and Jon Heder
. Triple H made the match a six man tag team match: DX and Hornswoggle against The Big Show, The Miz and Jon Heder which ended after Hornswoggle pinned Heder. Hornswoggle appeared on the April 12 edition of Raw in the 'Baywatch Triple Threat Diva Tag', performing a frog splash life saving maneuver on Santino Marella. On the next Raw he won a draft pick against Dolph Ziggler by count out after throwing his shoes at him, Ziggler attacked him after the match with the sleeper hold.
on WWE.com, Hornswoggle was drafted back to the SmackDown brand. On the October 8 edition of SmackDown!, Hornswoggle was named the official mascot for the SmackDown! team at Bragging Rights
. On the December 10th tapings of SmackDown, Hornswoggle defeated the Jack Swagger's Soaring Eagle mascot with a Tadpole Splash On January 30, 2011, Hornswoggle entered the 2011 Royal Rumble match
, helping John Cena
and Kofi Kingston
eliminate a few superstars, only for him to get eliminated by King Sheamus.
On the season premiere of NXT Redemption, Hornswoggle was revealed as the pro for Titus O'Neil. After his tag team victory over Darren Young
and Chavo Guerrero
, Young attacked O'Neil thus making him a heel. They later had a match against each other which Hornswoggle won. Hornswoggle would later be confronted by Titus O'Neil
's previous NXT
mentor, Zack Ryder
. Ryder lured Titus out of the ring by pretending to attack Hornswoggle, but he quickly re-entered the ring and ambushed Titus as he climbed back in, cementing the victory. On the July 26, 2011 edition of NXT
, Hornswoggle had found his admirer in the form of AJ, after so many failed attempts to woo
Maryse
. Maryse would come to AJ and say that Hornswoggle has finally got a lady of his own size, only for AJ to slap her with a bouquet. This would then make up to the current relationship of AJ
and Hornswoggle. But was discontinued after Hornswoggle sent a letter to AJ that he will move ship from NXT to SmackDown.
On the November 29, 2011 Live Holiday Edition of Smackdown, Hornswoggle won a battle royal eliminating Sheamus to receive a wish from Santa Claus (Mick Foley). With help from Sheamus, Hornswoggle wished for the ability to communicate. For the first time since joining WWE Hornswoggle spoke, ending the segment with Hornswoggle calling Vickie Guerrero "grandma"
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler, better known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
s Hornswoggle or Little Bastard. He is employed by WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand. In WWE, he was the last Cruiserweight Champion
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
before the belt was retired.
Professional wrestling career
Prior to joining World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, Dylan appeared with NWA
National Wrestling Alliance
The 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...
Wisconsin in 2005 as "The World's Sexiest Midget" $hortstack, where he won the NWA Wisconsin X Division Championship.
He also would go on to capture the SSW Tag Team Championship with Devin Diamond from "The Pretty Hott Thangs" Ryan Kross and Josh Maxim on May 19, 2006 in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, but relinquished the belt due to having signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2006-Present)
Postl signed with World Wrestling Entertainment in May 2006. On May 26, Postl made his televised debut in Bakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
on SmackDown! as the leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
partner of the fellow Irish wrestler, Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
. After Finlay’s victory over Paul Burchill
Paul Burchill
Paul Birchill , better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment , where he signed after training and debuting for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance in his home country.-Frontier Wrestling Alliance...
, an extremely hyper, dirty, mysterious little man (Postl) in a leprechaun costume scurried out from under the ring and jumped on Burchill, laughing maniacally all the while. Finlay pulled him off, only to slam him back down onto Burchill again and again. For the next few weeks, Postl continued to appear from under the ring after matches and attack Finlay's opponents. Eventually, SmackDown play-by-play commentator Michael Cole
Michael Cole
Michael Sean Coulthard , better known by his ring name Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestling commentator, currently signed to WWE on both its Rawand SmackDown brands. Coulthard is a former news journalist....
began referring to him as the Little Bastard. Little Bastard soon became more and more aggressive and started attacking Finlay's opponent during matches, much to Finlay's dismay. On numerous occasions, Finlay either physically shoved Little Bastard back under the ring or was forced to tackle him before he could hit an opponent. At one point, Little Bastard attacked Finlay, biting him when Finlay tried to stop him from attacking Gunner Scott
Brent Albright
Brent Alan Albright is an American professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment, during which he appeared on Friday Night SmackDown! as Gunner Scott...
. Little Bastard helped Finlay win the WWE United States Championship
WWE United States Championship
The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It was originally a National Wrestling Alliance and World Championship Wrestling championship, and is currently the secondary championship of the Raw brand....
when he tossed him a shillelagh
Shillelagh (club)
A shillelagh is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top, that is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore.- Construction :...
to knock out the United States Champion Bobby Lashley and pick up the win.
On November 1, 2006, WWE.com ran an article titled "Little Bastard Exposed". It was an email sent by an anonymous WWE fan, who said he spotted Little Bastard in a Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
parking lot, in the back of a car with an unidentified woman. Little Bastard then went berserk and drove off. As part of the storyline, Bastard threatened to sue WWE for invasion of privacy when the picture was taken. He also requested that he receive a public apology from commentator Michael Cole for giving him the name "Little Bastard."
Hornswoggle, Cruiserweight Champion (2007)
On February 23, 2007, the character's name was changed to Hornswoggle on WWE's website and all references to the name "Little Bastard" were removed. The meaning of Hornswoggle is to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. The name change became official on the March 2 episode of SmackDown! when Hornswoggle attacked John "Bradshaw" LayfieldJohn Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
and Michael Cole. Afterward, Finlay intimidated Cole, warning him to refer to Little Bastard as "Hornswoggle." In spite of this, Cole continued to occasionally refer to him as "Little Bastard". On March 30, 2007, Hornswoggle helped Finlay beat Mr. Kennedy by performing a senton bomb off a stepladder onto Mr. Kennedy, essentially copying Kennedy's move, the Kenton Bomb. SmackDown! announcers Michael Cole and JBL immediately referred to the move as the "Nuclear Bomb." During the Money in the Bank ladder match
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
at WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
, which Finlay was involved in, Mr. Kennedy hit Hornswoggle with a Green Bay Plunge off of a ladder when Hornswoggle tried to interfere. On the following edition of SmackDown!, Finlay attacked Mr. Kennedy after his match and challenged him to a handicap match with Postl as Finlay's partner. Before the match, Mr. Kennedy apologized for hurting Hornswoggle. Finlay accepted his apology and formed a team with Kennedy.
Hornswoggle won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
after he pinned Jamie Noble
Jamie Noble
James Howard Gibson better known by his WWE ring name Jamie Noble, is an American former professional wrestler currently working for WWE as a trainer. He is best known for his work from 2002 to 2009 when a severe back injury forced him to retire from competition...
in a Cruiserweight Open at The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2007)
The Great American Bash was the fourth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
. The match stipulation declared that any and all people who qualified to compete in the division could enter this match. He briefly ran across the ring as the bell was rung before going back under the ring making him an official participant in the match. The other participants and commentators were unaware that he was a participant in the match until the referee
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
counted the pin and awarded him the belt becoming a fan favorite
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
in the process. This made him the first little person wrestler to win a championship in WWE history. He also became the lightest, shortest, youngest (21 years, 51 days), and the final wrestler to ever win the Cruiserweight Championship before the title was retired. Hornswoggle then began a feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Noble over the belt. The next week on SmackDown!, Hornswoggle retained the title when he defeated Noble by countout. He attacked Noble in the following weeks by shoving a pie in his face, spraying him with a fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
, pushing him into Kane and causing him to get chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
med, and locking him in a large box.
Mr. McMahon's illegitimate son; Finlay's legitimate son (2007–2008)
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Hornswoggle was revealed to be Mr. McMahon's
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
illegitimate son
Legitimacy (law)
At common law, legitimacy is the status of a child who is born to parents who are legally married to one another; and of a child who is born shortly after the parents' divorce. In canon and in civil law, the offspring of putative marriages have been considered legitimate children...
. Hornswoggle continued to appear on SmackDown!, as well. Although his partnership with Finlay was quietly phased out, Hornswoggle still continued to feud with Jamie Noble. His feud with Noble ended on the September 28 edition of SmackDown! when Acting General Manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Lynn Guerrero is an American professional wrestling personality, manager, shifting authority figure and occasional wrestler. She is the widow of professional wrestler Eddie Guerrero, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand...
forced Hornswoggle to surrender the Cruiserweight Championship (which was later abandoned), citing that his status as Mr. McMahon's son and his diminutive stature would eventually jeopardize his well-being. After the affair of finding out who the illegitimate son was, Mr. McMahon began giving Hornswoggle matches against competitors that were much larger than him. His reason for doing this, was that he was showing his son, "tough love." Hornswoggle was placed into a match against The Great Khali at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2007)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 18, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida...
. At the event, Khali defeated Hornswoggle by disqualification when Finlay attacked Khali on Hornswoggle's behalf. This was the first time that Finlay appeared together with Hornswoggle since the beginning of the Hornswoggle and Mr. McMahon storyline. Finlay's attack on Khali started a feud between the two. At Armageddon
Armageddon (2007)
Armageddon was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on December 16, 2007 at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the eighth event produced under the Armageddon name and starred wrestlers from the Raw,...
, Finlay defeated Khali with the help of Hornswoggle. In addition, Hornswoggle also faced Khali on the 15th Anniversary of Raw, but Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
made a surprise return in a one night appearance to come to Hornswoggle's aid.
Hornswoggle appeared in the Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2008)
Royal Rumble was the twenty-first annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on January 27, 2008 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands. The event was...
match, hiding under the ring upon entering until he came out and eliminated The Miz
Mike Mizanin
Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler and reality television personality better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand...
; Finlay appeared to protect Hornswoggle and took himself out of the match. Finlay became the only person in WWE history to be disqualified in the Royal Rumble match. On the February 18 edition of Raw, Hornswoggle had a scheduled steel cage match against his father, Mr. McMahon. During this match, Hornswoggle was whipped with a leather belt by Mr. McMahon. Finlay tried to get involved, but was attacked and handcuffed to the ring ropes by JBL. Mr. McMahon left the ring and allowed JBL to beat up Hornswoggle while an enraged Finlay watched. Following this, WWE.com announced that Hornswoggle had suffered internal injuries, including bleeding of the brain and spinal trauma. On February 25, JBL claimed that Hornswoggle is not Mr. McMahon's son, but "in reality is the son of Finlay". The next week on Raw, Finlay confirmed Hornswoggle was indeed his son, then was forced to watch helplessly as JBL assaulted Hornswoggle in his hospital bed. Postl returned to live television at WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was the twenty-fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida...
, accompanying Finlay to the ring for his Belfast Brawl
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
with JBL, once interfering by hitting JBL with a kendo stick, allowing Finlay to get the shot in with the shillelagh. JBL won the match by hitting Finlay with the kendo stick in the shins and following up with the Clothesline from Hell.
He made his in-ring return on April 18 episode of SmackDown, defeating Matt Striker after a Tadpole Splash. On the April 21 edition of Raw, Hornswoggle was entered in the 2008 King of the Ring, but he was unsuccessful as he lost to William Regal in the first round after submitting to the Regal Stretch in 19 seconds. As part of the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft, Hornswoggle was drafted to the ECW brand along with Finlay. At Night of Champions
Night of Champions (2008)
Night of Champions was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 29, 2008 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. It was the first annual event to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name and the eighth...
, Hornswoggle and Finlay challenged John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz
John Morrison and The Miz were a professional wrestling tag team and former WWE Tough Enough contestants. The team worked for World Wrestling Entertainment on its ECW brand, but also appeared on the SmackDown and Raw brands due to ECW's talent exchanges with those brands during their tenure as a team...
for the WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
, but failed to win.
Feud with Chavo Guerrero and association with DX (2009–2010)
On April 13, 2009, Hornswoggle was drafted to the Raw brand, without Finlay, as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft.Hornswoggle's then entered into a feud with Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
, in which they competed in a series of comedy gimmick matches each week determined by the weekly Guest Host for Raw (Texas Bullrope Match, Blindfold Match, Falls Count Anywhere, etc.). The program began on July 7, 2009 on WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars
WWE Superstars is a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment that originally aired on WGN America in the United States. It debuted on April 16, 2009 and ended its domestic broadcasting on April 7, 2011...
and continued on to Raw. Hornswoggle would emerge victorious in every match in this feud.
On the October 26 episode of Raw, after several weeks of wearing D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
clothing, Hornswoggle received legal notification that he was no longer allowed to wear any DX clothing. Later on in the night, he got his revenge by helping the Raw guest hosts, Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...
and Joey Logano
Joey Logano
Joseph Thomas "Joey" Logano , nicknamed "sliced bread" by Randy LaJoie, is an American stock car auto racing race car driver who currently drives the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series and the #20 GameStop/Sport Clips Toyota Camry in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs...
, pit DX against each other and John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
for the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (2009)
Survivor Series was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 22, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.. It was the 23rd annual Survivor Series event. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
. On the December 21st edition of Raw, Hornswoggle tried pressing charges against DX for assault on him, but later dropped them when DX agreed to make him DX's official mascot. On the January 18, 2010 edition of Raw backstage, Hornswoggle and Triple H confronted Big Show, The Miz and Jon Heder
Jon Heder
Jonathan Joseph "Jon" Heder is an American screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite...
. Triple H made the match a six man tag team match: DX and Hornswoggle against The Big Show, The Miz and Jon Heder which ended after Hornswoggle pinned Heder. Hornswoggle appeared on the April 12 edition of Raw in the 'Baywatch Triple Threat Diva Tag', performing a frog splash life saving maneuver on Santino Marella. On the next Raw he won a draft pick against Dolph Ziggler by count out after throwing his shoes at him, Ziggler attacked him after the match with the sleeper hold.
Smackdown and NXT Pro, Relationship with A.J. (2010–2011)
As part of the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft2010 WWE Draft
The 2010 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft was the eighth Draft produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The Draft took place over two days: the first day was televised live for three hours on April 26, and the second part, the "Supplemental Draft", was held on April 27...
on WWE.com, Hornswoggle was drafted back to the SmackDown brand. On the October 8 edition of SmackDown!, Hornswoggle was named the official mascot for the SmackDown! team at Bragging Rights
Bragging Rights (2010)
Bragging Rights was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on October 24, 2010 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the second and final Bragging Rights event. Seven matches took place at the event...
. On the December 10th tapings of SmackDown, Hornswoggle defeated the Jack Swagger's Soaring Eagle mascot with a Tadpole Splash On January 30, 2011, Hornswoggle entered the 2011 Royal Rumble match
Royal Rumble (2011)
Royal Rumble was the 24th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on January 30, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts....
, helping John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
and Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
eliminate a few superstars, only for him to get eliminated by King Sheamus.
On the season premiere of NXT Redemption, Hornswoggle was revealed as the pro for Titus O'Neil. After his tag team victory over Darren Young
Darren Young
Darren Young is the name of:*Darren Young , Scottish football player*Darren Young , New Zealand football defender*Darren Young , African American wrestler...
and Chavo Guerrero
Chavo Guerrero
Salvador Guerrero III , better known as Chavo Guerrero or Chavo Guerrero, Sr., is a former professional wrestler. He is known for his work in Universal Wrestling Federation , American Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Entertainment and for being the father of third generation wrestler...
, Young attacked O'Neil thus making him a heel. They later had a match against each other which Hornswoggle won. Hornswoggle would later be confronted by Titus O'Neil
Thaddeus Bullard
Thaddeus Michael Bullard is an American professional wrestler and former college and professional football player. Bullard played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally in the Arena Football League. Bullard is a professional wrestler, and is signed...
's previous NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
mentor, Zack Ryder
Zack Ryder
Matthew Joseph Cardona, Jr. better known by his ring name Zack Ryder, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE and works on the Raw brand as a wrestler and the SmackDown brand as an assistant to SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long.Cardona wrestled mostly with his tag...
. Ryder lured Titus out of the ring by pretending to attack Hornswoggle, but he quickly re-entered the ring and ambushed Titus as he climbed back in, cementing the victory. On the July 26, 2011 edition of NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
, Hornswoggle had found his admirer in the form of AJ, after so many failed attempts to woo
Courtship
Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...
Maryse
Maryse Ouellet
Maryse Ouellet is a Professional Glamour Model and a former professional wrestler, better known simply as Maryse. She most recently worked for WWE...
. Maryse would come to AJ and say that Hornswoggle has finally got a lady of his own size, only for AJ to slap her with a bouquet. This would then make up to the current relationship of AJ
AJ
AJ may refer to:-Products, brands, tools:* Aj Daily, a newspaper* AJ Savage, a United States Navy aircraft built by North American Aviation* Adjustable spanner* An inbred strain of mouse-Places:* Apache Junction, Arizona...
and Hornswoggle. But was discontinued after Hornswoggle sent a letter to AJ that he will move ship from NXT to SmackDown.
On the November 29, 2011 Live Holiday Edition of Smackdown, Hornswoggle won a battle royal eliminating Sheamus to receive a wish from Santa Claus (Mick Foley). With help from Sheamus, Hornswoggle wished for the ability to communicate. For the first time since joining WWE Hornswoggle spoke, ending the segment with Hornswoggle calling Vickie Guerrero "grandma"
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Tadpole Splash (Frog splash) - Adopted from Eddie GuerreroEddie GuerreroEduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
- Celtic Cross (Running fireman's carry over the shoulder back to belly piledriver) - Adopted from FinlayDave FinlayDavid John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
- Lepraton Bomb (High-angle senton bomb) - Adopted from Ken AndersonKen Anderson (wrestler)Kenneth Anderson is an American professional wrestler and occasional actor. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Mr. Anderson. He is a former two-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion, making him an overall two time world champion. He wrestled under the ring...
- Tadpole Splash (Frog splash) - Adopted from Eddie Guerrero
- Signature moves
- Lil' Stinkface (Stink face) - Adopted from Rikishi
- Hurricanrana
- Hornswoggle Mist (Asian mist)
- Hornswoggle Stunner (Leaping sitout three-quarter facelock jawbreakerStunner (professional wrestling)A stunner is a common term in professional wrestling referring to the seated three-quarter facelock jawbreaker maneuver, predominantly used by Stone Cold Steve Austin and named for his Stone Cold Stunner finisher...
) - Adopted from Stone Cold Steve AustinStone Cold Steve AustinSteve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler... - Sweet Shin Music (Superkick to the shin, with theatrics) - Adopted from Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
- 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...
- FinlayDave FinlayDavid John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
- AJ
- Finlay
- Wrestlers managed
- FinlayDave FinlayDavid John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
- D-Generation XD-Generation XD-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
(Triple HTriple HPaul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
and Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
) - Big Show
- Titus O'NeilThaddeus BullardThaddeus Michael Bullard is an American professional wrestler and former college and professional football player. Bullard played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally in the Arena Football League. Bullard is a professional wrestler, and is signed...
- Finlay
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Hes Ma Da" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(October 15, 2007 – Present) - "Break It DownWWF The Music, Vol. 3WWF The Music, Vol. 3 is a compilation album released by the World Wrestling Federation in 1998. It features mostly recent theme tunes of wrestlers on the roster at the time. All of the songs were produced by Jim Johnston; although, a few themes were performed by other bands. This is also the first...
" by The DX BandChris Warren (musician)Christopher Warren is an American musician who has performed in numerous bands. He is currently the singer in...
(December 21, 2009-January 18, 2010; used while a mascot of D-Generation X)
- "Hes Ma Da" by Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- NWA Wisconsin
- NWA Wisconsin X Division Championship (1 time)
- 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 Rookie of the Year (2007)
- South Shore Wrestling
- SSW Tag Team Championship – with Devin Diamond (1 time)
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Cruiserweight ChampionshipWWE Cruiserweight ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Cruiserweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and was originally a World Championship Wrestling title. It was challenged by cruiserweights at a maximum weight of 215 lbs...
(1 time)
- WWE Cruiserweight Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Worst Gimmick (2009)
- Worst Feud of the Year (2009) with Chavo GuerreroChavo Guerrero, Jr.Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...