Robert Krapik
Encyclopedia
Robert J. Knapik is an American
former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling
under the ring name
Robbie Rage and as a part of the tag team
High Voltage
with Kenny Kaos
.
, hockey
and soccer. Throughout his childhood, he suffered abuse from his father. Knapik began working out to relieve stress, and eventually began taking steroids at age 18. After graduating high school, he attended college, but left after it didn't pan out.
in 1995 at the suggestion of a friend, and after calling various promoters
and wrestling promotions, he was signed to a contract with World Championship Wrestling
later on in the year. Along with Kenny Stasiowski
, Knapik began training in WCW's Power Plant wrestling school
. Upon completion of their training, Knapik and Stasiowski debuted on WCW television under the ring names Robbie Rage and Kenny Kaos, respectively, and they formed the tag team High Voltage.
High Voltage regularly appeared against mid-card opponents on the WCW television shows Saturday Night
and WorldWide
during the late 1990s, while also appearing as enhancement talents
on Monday Nitro
.
In 1997, Rage and Kaos travelled to Japan to compete for New Japan Pro Wrestling
. Upon arriving, they feuded with nWo Japan, the Japanese version of the New World Order (nWo)
before representing WCW in the Super Grade Tag League. Upon their return to the United States, Knapik joined Tim Catalfo's Obake Gym and befriended Yuji Nagata
, who was also wrestling in WCW. After suffering a rotator cuff tear
, Knapik was sidelined from wrestling for seven months. During this time, High Voltage disbanded as Stasiowski began competing as a singles wrestler and Knapik was ultimately released from his contract during his recovery.
on August 28, 2005. He remained with the WWC until September 14, 2007, when he wrestled his final match at WWC's Septiembre Negro Tour.
After retiring from wrestling, Knapik began working as a personal trainer
.
and ecstacy in order to combat his depression. Knapik also lost his home, several cars and a house in Florida due to being unable to pay for them all. After becoming sober from the drugs and going through intense soul searching, Knapik became a born again Christian
.
Knapik has two tattoos. One is a tribal design on his right forearm while the other is a signature design surrounding kanji
on his left forearm.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with 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...
under the 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:...
Robbie Rage and as a part of the tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
High Voltage
High Voltage (professional wrestling)
High Voltage was a tag team in World Championship Wrestling between 1996 and 1998. The team consisted of Robbie Rage and Kenny Kaos. The team regularly appeared on WCW Saturday Night and WCW World Wide. They were not successful on WCW Monday Nitro...
with Kenny Kaos
Kenny Stasiowski
Kenneth M. "Kenny" Stasiowski is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint with World Championship Wrestling, where he performed under the ring name Kenny Kaos and wrestled as a part of the tag team High Voltage with partner Robbie Rage.-High Voltage :Stasiowski...
.
Before wrestling
Knapik grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts and played a variety of sports while growing up, including baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
and soccer. Throughout his childhood, he suffered abuse from his father. Knapik began working out to relieve stress, and eventually began taking steroids at age 18. After graduating high school, he attended college, but left after it didn't pan out.
World Championship Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling (1996–2000)
Knapik attended a wrestling show in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1995 at the suggestion of a friend, and after calling various promoters
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
and wrestling promotions, he was signed to a contract with 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...
later on in the year. Along with Kenny Stasiowski
Kenny Stasiowski
Kenneth M. "Kenny" Stasiowski is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint with World Championship Wrestling, where he performed under the ring name Kenny Kaos and wrestled as a part of the tag team High Voltage with partner Robbie Rage.-High Voltage :Stasiowski...
, Knapik began training in WCW's Power Plant wrestling school
WCW Power Plant
The WCW Power Plant was a professional wrestling school located in Atlanta, Georgia and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton, was in operation throughout the 1990s...
. Upon completion of their training, Knapik and Stasiowski debuted on WCW television under the ring names Robbie Rage and Kenny Kaos, respectively, and they formed the tag team High Voltage.
High Voltage regularly appeared against mid-card opponents on the WCW television shows Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night
WCW Saturday Night was a weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS produced by World Championship Wrestling. The program existed through various incarnations under different names before becoming WCW Saturday Night in 1992...
and WorldWide
WCW WorldWide
WCW WorldWide was a syndicated TV show produced by World Championship Wrestling.-Wide World Wrestling:The show began in 1975 , a syndicated one-hour program produced by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Jim Crockett Promotions...
during the late 1990s, while also appearing as enhancement talents
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...
on Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001...
.
In 1997, Rage and Kaos travelled to Japan to compete 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...
. Upon arriving, they feuded with nWo Japan, the Japanese version of the New World Order (nWo)
New World Order (professional wrestling)
The New World Order was a professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled for World Championship Wrestling . The group later appeared in the World Wrestling Federation after the purchase of WCW by the WWF...
before representing WCW in the Super Grade Tag League. Upon their return to the United States, Knapik joined Tim Catalfo's Obake Gym and befriended Yuji Nagata
Yuji Nagata
is a Japanese professional wrestler. He was known for his perennial tweener status, currently a solid fan favorite, and his stiff, shoot style wrestling technique....
, who was also wrestling in WCW. After suffering a rotator cuff tear
Rotator cuff tear
Rotator cuff tears are tears of one or more of the four tendons of the rotator cuff muscles. A rotator cuff injury can include any type of irritation or damage to the rotator cuff muscles or tendons....
, Knapik was sidelined from wrestling for seven months. During this time, High Voltage disbanded as Stasiowski began competing as a singles wrestler and Knapik was ultimately released from his contract during his recovery.
Return to NJPW and retirement (2000–2002, 2005–2007)
After leaving WCW, Knapik returned to NJPW under the shortened ring name Rob Rage and would become a successful mid-carder within the promotion until leaving on July 20, 2002. After leaving NJPW, Knapnik went on a hiatus before returning to wrestling after signing with the World Wrestling CouncilWorld Wrestling Council
The World Wrestling Council is one of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association....
on August 28, 2005. He remained with the WWC until September 14, 2007, when he wrestled his final match at WWC's Septiembre Negro Tour.
After retiring from wrestling, Knapik began working as a personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
.
Personal life
During his recovery for a rotator cuff tear, Knapik became depressed before being released from WCW during his recovery. Soon afterwards he began using, and ultimately became addicted to, painkillersAnalgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
and ecstacy in order to combat his depression. Knapik also lost his home, several cars and a house in Florida due to being unable to pay for them all. After becoming sober from the drugs and going through intense soul searching, Knapik became a born again Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Knapik has two tattoos. One is a tribal design on his right forearm while the other is a signature design surrounding kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
on his left forearm.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Overhead belly to belly suplex – 1997; used as a regular move thereafter
- Shoulderbreaker
- Signature moves
- Diving shoulder block
- Diving splash
- Military press slam
- Seated double underhook
- Single leg Boston crab
- Springboard leg drop
- STF
- With Kenny KaosKenny StasiowskiKenneth M. "Kenny" Stasiowski is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint with World Championship Wrestling, where he performed under the ring name Kenny Kaos and wrestled as a part of the tag team High Voltage with partner Robbie Rage.-High Voltage :Stasiowski...
- Finishing moves
- Circuit Breaker (Electric chair (Rage) / Diving clothesline (Kaos) combinationDoomsday DeviceDoomsday Device, often shortened to Device, is a term used in professional wrestling to reference a tandem move in which one wrestler hoists the opponent on their shoulders so that they are facing in the same direction in what is known as the electric chair position, while another wrestler climbs...
) - Power Surge (Electric chair (Kaos) / Springboard spinning wheel kick (Rage) combination)
- Sidewalk slam by Rage followed by a diving elbow drop by Kaos
- Voltmeter (Powerbomb / Diving clothesline combination)
- Circuit Breaker (Electric chair (Rage) / Diving clothesline (Kaos) combination
- Signature moves
- Backbreaker / Leg drop combination
- Double military press slam
- Drop toe-hold by Rage followed by an elbow drop by Kaos
- Sidewalk slam / Inverted leg drop bulldog combination
- Finishing moves
Championships and accomplishments
- Northern Amateur Wrestling Alliance
- NAWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA WildsideNWA WildsideNWA Wildside was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cornelia, Georgia, with an office in Atlanta, Georgia, operating between September 1999 and April 2005....
- NWA Wildside Television 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 ranked him #186 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1998