Maxx Payne
Encyclopedia
Darryl Peterson is an American
musician
, actor
and professional wrestler
who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling
as Maxx Payne and in the World Wrestling Federation
as Man Mountain Rock.
when he transferred from football
to amateur wrestling
as result of a personality clash with the football coach. His amateur career was halted by a motorcycle accident in his junior year of high school
. After playing a high school wrestler in the 1979 Buena Vista Pictures
release Take Down with Lorenzo Lamas
, Peterson married and had a child. He began working in the construction industry, but decided after two years to return to amateur wrestling.
Peterson earned wrestling
scholarship
s to junior college
and then to Iowa State University
, competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
. In 1985 he was an All American and placed fifth in the NCAA competition. After graduating, he relocated to Los Angeles
to pursue an acting career. While working as a security guard
, Peterson was introduced to professional wrestler Red Bastien by his wrestling fan boss, and decided to train with him.
in March 1986, and put together the steel cage used in the main event of WrestleMania 2
. With his training complete, Peterson debuted in June 1987 and soon after travelled to Japan
to work for New Japan Pro Wrestling
, where he trained in the New Japan Dojo
alongside fellow gaijin
Chris Benoit
for five months.
In 1988 Peterson developed the character "Max Pain" (short for "Maximum Pain"), a sinister, grungy
, Jimi Hendrix
-loving heavy metal
guitarist
. His original idea was "Lucifer Payne", but he felt that this was too foreboding. Peterson used the name "Max Payne", hailing from Hell's Kitchen, New York
nationally in the USA as well as in Europe and Japan. The character had a neo-noir look and feel, as far the live theater of professional wrestling would allow. The name Max came from the 1980s Coca-Cola
spokesman
Max Headroom
, and Peterson later added an extra "X" at the suggestion of a friend. As of 2006, the darker Rock and Roll theme Peterson used is now quite popular compared to the flamboyant colorful styles used by other wrestlers earlier in Peterson's career.
Following a short stint with the Universal Wrestling Federation, Peterson debuted in the Tennessee
-based Continental Wrestling Association. He quickly began pursuing the CWA Heavyweight Championship, and on February 8, 1988 in Memphis
he defeated Jerry Lawler
to take the title. Peterson then went after Lawler's AWA World Heavyweight Championship
, but was unable to take the more prestigious title from Lawler. He forfeited the title to Brickhouse Brown on May 23, but won the title once more on June 27. His second reign ended on July 10 when he was defeated by Phil Hickerson.
Peterson left the CWA after a year before returning to Utah
, where he opened his own promotion
, featuring wrestlers such as Louie Spicolli
. Peterson also made an appearance under his real name as a jobber
in a February 1989 episode of WWF Prime Time Wrestling
, losing to Bret Hart
. After his employees began to leave the territory, Peterson applied for a job with WordPerfect
. Soon after, he received a phone call from Benoit, who invited him to join an upcoming tour of Germany
. Peterson received his plane ticket to Germany half an hour before he received a job offer from WordPerfect, so decided to join the tour. He spent six months in the German Catch Wrestling Association as Heavy Metal Buffalo, and won the vacant CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship on December 19, 1992, defeating The Warlord
in Bremen
. He vacated the title the following year when he returned to America
.
booker Bill Watts
was impressed by Peterson's amateur credentials, and hired him in 1993, with Peterson relocating to Marietta, Georgia
(WCW was based in nearby Atlanta
). Peterson's first pay-per-view
match was the February 21 SuperBrawl, where (as "Maxx Payne") he played the National Anthem
on his guitar before challenging Dustin Rhodes for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
, substituting for the injured Ron Simmons
. After Rhodes locked him in an abdominal stretch from which he was unable to escape, Peterson pushed the referee over rather than submit and was subsequently disqualified.
At the June 17 Clash of the Champions, Peterson shot Johnny B. Badd
in the face with a confetti
gun
(Badd's "Badd Blaster"), scarring him so badly that he had to wear a mask and forcing him to forfeit their scheduled match. This led to a match at the July 18 Beach Blast, which Peterson lost. They faced one another again at the August 18 Clash in a mask versus guitar match, with Peterson putting his beloved guitar on the line in order to unmask and therefore humiliate the mutilated Badd. Badd won once more and took Peterson's guitar.
Peterson took part in the WCW Jesse "The Body" Ventura Strongest Arm Tournament in late 1993, but was eliminated in the first round by Sid Vicious
. On November 20 Peterson was entered in the Battlebowl
, a tournament which saw randomly-assigned tag team partners work together in order to progress to the Battlebowl battle royal
(the winner of which received a ring). Peterson was partnered with 2 Cold Scorpio
, with whom he lost in the first round to the formidable team of Stunning Steve Austin
and Ric Flair
.
Turning face
, Peterson formed a tag team
with Cactus Jack
towards the end of the year. At Starrcade 1993
they defeated Tex Slazenger
and Shanghai Pierce
, and at the January 27, 1994 Clash they defeated The Nasty Boys
. They faced the Nasty Boys once more, this time for the WCW World Tag Team Championship
s, in a Chicago
Street Fight on Spring Stampede 1994, but were defeated in a brutal brawl.
During his and Jack's feud with The Nasty Boys, Peterson had become increasingly unhappy with their stiffness and insistence on controlling the match. During their brawl at Spring Stampede, (Nasty Boy) Brian Knobbs
and Peterson did not cooperate on a fall, and Knobbs broke his shoulder as a result. After the match, WCW President Eric Bischoff
shouted at Peterson for hurting Knobbs, and Peterson responded in kind. As a result, Peterson was subsequently buried. He was fired from WCW soon after, although he did help Jack and his new partner, Kevin Sullivan
, decisively defeat The Nasty Boys with a well-placed guitar shot.
, who convinced WWF owner Vince McMahon
to hire him. Peterson was renamed "Man Mountain Rock" by the WWF, making his debut in February 1995. The Rock character was considerably more upbeat and less gritty than the popular Maxx Payne character, and did not achieve the same success. Debuting on an episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling
, Man Mountain Rock played a large electric guitar
shaped like the WWF logo. Rock would come to the ring during a commercial, with the arena going pitch black and ring announcer Manny Garcia saying "Ladies and Gentleman, Man Mountain Rock!" Rock would then play his "ax" (electric guitar) while pyro
burst off. Rock would frequently state, "If it's too loud, then you're too old!" Vince McMahon, then a commentator, would often comment that Rock "rocked the house". In the latter part of his WWF tenure, Rock's music incurred the wrath of the veteran Bob Backlund
, then playing the part of a cantankerous heel
crusading against the younger generation, who objected to the music Man Mountain Rock was playing.
Peterson had suffered several injuries during his amateur career, and had hoped to secure a backstage position with WCW. When he moved to the WWF, he asked to be made an announcer
, but his request was denied. His career in the WWF met with several disruptions, including a serious hernia
, an addiction to pain pills
and downers
and a marijuana
habit, which ultimately led to his release in October 1995.
While working for the WWF, Peterson filmed several hours of behind-the-scenes footage with a video camera
which he often carried. Peterson often claimed that he would release a documentary
called "The Thing that Should Not Be" or "The Real Maxx Payne" based on the footage, but never did. The footage reportedly contained scenes showing substance abuse
and solicitation
.
lawsuit
in the United States district court
for Utah
against Rockstar Games
, 3D Realms
, Gathering of Developers
, and Remedy Entertainment
. Peterson accused them of stealing his ring name Maxx Payne and his neo-noir
theme for the protagonist of the video game Max Payne
. The case was settled out of court.
Mississippi in 2000, and on October 7 he defeated Bob Serio for the NWA Mississippi Taped Fist Championship. He later vacated the title.
On April 17, 2004, Peterson addressed an audience in the Schubert Theater at the Western States College for the Performing Arts in Gooding, Idaho
, talking about professional wrestling.
Peterson continues to be involved in film projects.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and professional wrestler
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...
who wrestled in World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
as Maxx Payne and in the World Wrestling Federation
World 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...
as Man Mountain Rock.
Career
Peterson became involved in wrestling in grade schoolPrimary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
when he transferred from football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
to amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
as result of a personality clash with the football coach. His amateur career was halted by a motorcycle accident in his junior year of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. After playing a high school wrestler in the 1979 Buena Vista Pictures
Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group
Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, Inc. is a corporation which develops scripts and oversees theatrical production for The Walt Disney Company's production companies and imprints. The Group, one of Hollywood's major film studios, is based at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California...
release Take Down with Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas
Lorenzo Lamas y de Santos is an American actor. Lamas is known for playing Lance Cumson on the popular 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest, Reno Raines on the 1990s crime drama Renegade, and Hector Ramirez on the daytime soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful...
, Peterson married and had a child. He began working in the construction industry, but decided after two years to return to amateur wrestling.
Peterson earned wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s to junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
and then to Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
, competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
. In 1985 he was an All American and placed fifth in the NCAA competition. After graduating, he relocated to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to pursue an acting career. While working as a security guard
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
, Peterson was introduced to professional wrestler Red Bastien by his wrestling fan boss, and decided to train with him.
Early career
Peterson worked for the World Wrestling FederationWorld 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...
in March 1986, and put together the steel cage used in the main event of WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2
WrestleMania 2 was the second annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
. With his training complete, Peterson debuted in June 1987 and soon after travelled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to work for New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
, where he trained in the New Japan Dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
alongside fellow gaijin
Gaijin
is a Japanese word meaning "non-Japanese", or "alien". This word is a short form of gaikokujin , which literally means "person from outside of the country". The word is composed of two kanji: , meaning "outside"; and , meaning "person". Thus, the word technically means "outsider"...
Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit
Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
for five months.
In 1988 Peterson developed the character "Max Pain" (short for "Maximum Pain"), a sinister, grungy
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
-loving heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. His original idea was "Lucifer Payne", but he felt that this was too foreboding. Peterson used the name "Max Payne", hailing from Hell's Kitchen, New York
Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton and Midtown West, is a neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City between 34th Street and 59th Street, from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River....
nationally in the USA as well as in Europe and Japan. The character had a neo-noir look and feel, as far the live theater of professional wrestling would allow. The name Max came from the 1980s Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
spokesman
Spokesman
A spokesperson or spokesman or spokeswoman is someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others.In the present media-sensitive world, many organizations are increasingly likely to employ professionals who have received formal training in journalism, communications, public relations and...
Max Headroom
Max Headroom (character)
Max Headroom is a fictional British artificial intelligence, known for his wit and stuttering, distorted, electronically sampled voice. The character was created by George Stone, Annabel Jankel, and Rocky Morton in the mid nineteen eighties, and portrayed by Matt Frewer as "The World's first...
, and Peterson later added an extra "X" at the suggestion of a friend. As of 2006, the darker Rock and Roll theme Peterson used is now quite popular compared to the flamboyant colorful styles used by other wrestlers earlier in Peterson's career.
Following a short stint with the Universal Wrestling Federation, Peterson debuted in the Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
-based Continental Wrestling Association. He quickly began pursuing the CWA Heavyweight Championship, and on February 8, 1988 in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
he defeated Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
to take the title. Peterson then went after Lawler's AWA World Heavyweight Championship
AWA World Heavyweight Championship
The American Wrestling Association World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship and the highest ranked championship in the defunct American Wrestling Association. All AWA trademarks, including the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, are now owned by WWE...
, but was unable to take the more prestigious title from Lawler. He forfeited the title to Brickhouse Brown on May 23, but won the title once more on June 27. His second reign ended on July 10 when he was defeated by Phil Hickerson.
Peterson left the CWA after a year before returning to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, where he opened his own promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, featuring wrestlers such as Louie Spicolli
Louie Spicolli
Louis Mucciolo, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He performed in Mexico under the ring name Madonna's Boyfriend, for the World Wrestling Federation as Rad Radford, and in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s as Louie Spicolli...
. Peterson also made an appearance under his real name as a jobber
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
in a February 1989 episode of WWF Prime Time Wrestling
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
WWF Prime Time Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It aired on the USA Network from 1985-1993. A precursor to Monday Night Raw, Prime Time Wrestling was a two-hour long, weekly program that featured stars of the World Wrestling...
, losing to Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
. After his employees began to leave the territory, Peterson applied for a job with WordPerfect
WordPerfect
WordPerfect is a word processing application, now owned by Corel.Bruce Bastian, a Brigham Young University graduate student, and BYU computer science professor Dr. Alan Ashton joined forces to design a word processing system for the city of Orem's Data General Corp. minicomputer system in 1979...
. Soon after, he received a phone call from Benoit, who invited him to join an upcoming tour of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Peterson received his plane ticket to Germany half an hour before he received a job offer from WordPerfect, so decided to join the tour. He spent six months in the German Catch Wrestling Association as Heavy Metal Buffalo, and won the vacant CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship on December 19, 1992, defeating The Warlord
Terry Szopinski
Terry Scott Szopinski is an American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name The Warlord and for his tenures in Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation as one half of the Powers of Pain alongside The Barbarian.-National Wrestling Alliance / Jim Crockett...
in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. He vacated the title the following year when he returned to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
World Championship Wrestling (1993-1994)
WCWWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
booker Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
was impressed by Peterson's amateur credentials, and hired him in 1993, with Peterson relocating to Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
(WCW was based in nearby Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
). Peterson's first 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...
match was the February 21 SuperBrawl, where (as "Maxx Payne") he played the National Anthem
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
on his guitar before challenging Dustin Rhodes for the WCW United States Heavyweight 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....
, substituting for the injured Ron Simmons
Ron Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...
. After Rhodes locked him in an abdominal stretch from which he was unable to escape, Peterson pushed the referee over rather than submit and was subsequently disqualified.
At the June 17 Clash of the Champions, Peterson shot Johnny B. Badd
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
in the face with a confetti
Confetti
Confetti is a multitude of pieces of paper, mylar or metallic material which is usually thrown at parades and celebrations, especially weddings . Confetti is made in a variety of colors, and commercially available confetti is available in imaginative shapes...
gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
(Badd's "Badd Blaster"), scarring him so badly that he had to wear a mask and forcing him to forfeit their scheduled match. This led to a match at the July 18 Beach Blast, which Peterson lost. They faced one another again at the August 18 Clash in a mask versus guitar match, with Peterson putting his beloved guitar on the line in order to unmask and therefore humiliate the mutilated Badd. Badd won once more and took Peterson's guitar.
Peterson took part in the WCW Jesse "The Body" Ventura Strongest Arm Tournament in late 1993, but was eliminated in the first round by Sid Vicious
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
. On November 20 Peterson was entered in the Battlebowl
Battlebowl
Battlebowl was a one-time professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Championship Wrestling. It was made up of tag team matches in which the partners were randomly drawn in a "Lethal Lottery" and a team had to work together to advance to the Battlebowl Battle Royal. Previous versions of...
, a tournament which saw randomly-assigned tag team partners work together in order to progress to the Battlebowl battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
(the winner of which received a ring). Peterson was partnered with 2 Cold Scorpio
2 Cold Scorpio
Charles Scaggs is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name 2 Cold Scorpio . Scaggs has competed in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment and Pro Wrestling Noah...
, with whom he lost in the first round to the formidable team of Stunning Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
and Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
.
Turning face
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...
, Peterson formed a 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...
with Cactus Jack
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
towards the end of the year. At Starrcade 1993
Starrcade (1993)
Starrcade '93: 10th Anniversary was the eleventh annual Starrcade professional wrestling pay-per-view event. It was the sixth Starrcade event produced by World Championship Wrestling , and it took place on December 27, 1993 from the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina...
they defeated Tex Slazenger
Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
and Shanghai Pierce
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
, and at the January 27, 1994 Clash they defeated The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys
The Nasty Boys are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, active from the mid to late 1980s and throughout the 1990s. Their gimmick was that of anti-social punks who specialized in hardcore wrestling and brawling...
. They faced the Nasty Boys once more, this time for the WCW World Tag Team Championship
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
s, in a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Street Fight on Spring Stampede 1994, but were defeated in a brutal brawl.
During his and Jack's feud with The Nasty Boys, Peterson had become increasingly unhappy with their stiffness and insistence on controlling the match. During their brawl at Spring Stampede, (Nasty Boy) Brian Knobbs
Brian Knobbs
Brian Yandrisovitz , better known as Brian Knobbs, is an American professional wrestler, best known as one half of the tag team The Nasty Boys along with Jerry Sags.-The Nasty Boys:...
and Peterson did not cooperate on a fall, and Knobbs broke his shoulder as a result. After the match, WCW President Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff
Eric Aaron Bischoff is an American entrepreneur, and professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
shouted at Peterson for hurting Knobbs, and Peterson responded in kind. As a result, Peterson was subsequently buried. He was fired from WCW soon after, although he did help Jack and his new partner, Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)
Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...
, decisively defeat The Nasty Boys with a well-placed guitar shot.
World Wrestling Federation (1995)
The morning after he was released by WCW, Peterson was contacted by wrestler Rick RudeRichard Rood
Richard Erwin Rood , better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, including World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation , in the 1980s and 1990s.Among other accolades, Rude was a four-time world...
, who convinced WWF owner Vince McMahon
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...
to hire him. Peterson was renamed "Man Mountain Rock" by the WWF, making his debut in February 1995. The Rock character was considerably more upbeat and less gritty than the popular Maxx Payne character, and did not achieve the same success. Debuting on an episode of WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
, Man Mountain Rock played a large electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
shaped like the WWF logo. Rock would come to the ring during a commercial, with the arena going pitch black and ring announcer Manny Garcia saying "Ladies and Gentleman, Man Mountain Rock!" Rock would then play his "ax" (electric guitar) while pyro
Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
burst off. Rock would frequently state, "If it's too loud, then you're too old!" Vince McMahon, then a commentator, would often comment that Rock "rocked the house". In the latter part of his WWF tenure, Rock's music incurred the wrath of the veteran Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund
Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion...
, then playing the part of a cantankerous heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
crusading against the younger generation, who objected to the music Man Mountain Rock was playing.
Peterson had suffered several injuries during his amateur career, and had hoped to secure a backstage position with WCW. When he moved to the WWF, he asked to be made an announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
, but his request was denied. His career in the WWF met with several disruptions, including a serious hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
, an addiction to pain pills
Analgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
and downers
Depressant
A depressant, or central depressant, is a drug or endogenous compound that depresses the function or activity of a specific part of the brain...
and a marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
habit, which ultimately led to his release in October 1995.
While working for the WWF, Peterson filmed several hours of behind-the-scenes footage with a video camera
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
which he often carried. Peterson often claimed that he would release a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
called "The Thing that Should Not Be" or "The Real Maxx Payne" based on the footage, but never did. The footage reportedly contained scenes showing substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
and solicitation
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
.
Max Payne lawsuit
In July 2003 Peterson filed a $10 million USDUnited States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
in the United States district court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
for Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
against Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
, 3D Realms
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
, Gathering of Developers
Gathering of Developers
Gathering of Developers was a Texas-based PC and video games publishing company, founded in January 1998 with the mission to bridge the gap between publishers and independent game developers, allowing independent developers creative control over their projects, ownership of their IP, and...
, and Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment
Remedy Entertainment is a Finnish computer game developer founded in 1995 and based in Espoo, Finland. The company is best known for its Max Payne and Alan Wake series of video games.-History:...
. Peterson accused them of stealing his ring name Maxx Payne and his neo-noir
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
theme for the protagonist of the video game Max Payne
Max Payne
Max Payne is a BAFTA Award–winning third-person shooter video game developed by Finnish developers Remedy Entertainment and published by Gathering of Developers in July 2001 for Microsoft Windows. Ports created later in the year for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and the GameBoy Advance were published by...
. The case was settled out of court.
Retirement
Peterson worked briefly for NWANational 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...
Mississippi in 2000, and on October 7 he defeated Bob Serio for the NWA Mississippi Taped Fist Championship. He later vacated the title.
On April 17, 2004, Peterson addressed an audience in the Schubert Theater at the Western States College for the Performing Arts in Gooding, Idaho
Gooding, Idaho
Gooding is the county seat and largest city of Gooding County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 3,384 at the 2000 census.The city is named for Frank R. Gooding, a local sheep rancher who became a prominent political figure in Idaho in the early 20th Century, serving as both Governor of...
, talking about professional wrestling.
Peterson continues to be involved in film projects.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Payne Killer / Whammy Bar (Fujiwara armbar)
- Wallapalooza (Inverted suplex slam)
- Signature moves
- Diving elbow drop
- Guitar shot
Movies and television appearances
- Take Down (1979) as "Ted Yacabobich"
- Touched by an AngelTouched by an AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
(February 1, 1998) as "Cato" - A Town Has Turned to Dust (1998) as "Pig Iron"
- Rogue Trip (1998)
- The Substitute 3: Winner Takes All (1999) as "Muscle"
- Touched by an AngelTouched by an AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
(January 9, 2000) as "Man #2" - Nobody's Baby (2001) as "Truck Driver"
- Paradise (2004) as "XL"
Championships and accomplishments
- 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 Intercontinental Heavyweight ChampionshipCWA Intercontinental Heavyweight ChampionshipThe CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship was the secondary singles title in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association. The title was active from 1991 through the promotion's close in 2000.-See also:...
(1 time)
- CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
- Continental Wrestling AssociationContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
- AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- CWA Tag Team ChampionshipCWA Tag Team ChampionshipThe CWA Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association. It lasted from 1988 through 1990, when it was abandoned and replaced with the United States Wrestling Association Tag Team Championship.-Title history:-See...
(2 times) - with Gary Young
- 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 Mississippi Taped Fist Championship (1 time)