Tommy Mercer
Encyclopedia
Tommy Mercer is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 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...

, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

 (TNA) 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:...

 Crimson. He is currently one half of the TNA World Tag Team Champions
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...

 with Matt Morgan. He also works for various promotions on the independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

, including Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), NWA Main Event
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...

 and Showtime All-Star Wrestling
Showtime All-Star Wrestling
Showtime All-Star Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. SAW has local broadcasts every Saturday night on Nashville’s WNAB, and throughout the country on syndicate...

 (SAW). Mercer served five years in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, which included two tours of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Early life

Mercer was born and raised by a single mother in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. He attended North Ridgeville High School
North Ridgeville High School
North Ridgeville Senior High School is a public high school located within the North Ridgeville City School District. North Ridgeville Sr. High is located at 34600 Bainbridge Road in North Ridgeville, Ohio, 18 miles west of Cleveland's downtown.North Ridgeville High School was named the Ohio...

, where he played 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...

 and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, but wasn't able to continue to pursue a career in either of them without an athletic scholarship. After graduation Mercer joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 in order to fund his college studies. He ended up serving for five years, which included two tours of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 in the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...

 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Professional wrestling career

During his second tour of Iraq, Mercer decided to pursue a career in professional wrestling
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...

 and upon his return to the United States, entered the NWA Main Event
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...

 wrestling school in Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...

, where he was trained by Jeff Daniels. He would make his professional wrestling debut in 2007, working for independent promotions
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

 in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

. He would eventually make his debut also for NWA Main Event, starting a storyline 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 his trainer Jeff Daniels, and on June 3, 2010, won his first professional wrestling championship, when he defeated Matt Boyce for the NWA Mid-American Television Championship.

On October 10, 2009, Mercer wrestled in a six–way preshow match at a Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...

 (ROH) event in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

.

Undefeated streak (2010–present)

On September 8, 2010, Mercer wrestled in a tryout dark match for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

 (TNA), in a losing effort against Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal
Jamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion...

. This was followed by another dark match on November 15, in which Mercer was defeated by Stevie Richards
Stevie Richards
Michael Manna is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Stevie Richards. Also known by his ring names, Steven Richards and Dr...

. On December 4, 2010, Mercer took part in the TNA Gut Check Challenge tryout workshop in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

 and two days later wrestled his third dark match for the promotion, in which he defeated Neico. On December 10, 2010, it was reported that TNA had signed Mercer to a contract. He would make his televised debut on the December 30 edition of TNA Impact!
TNA iMPACT!
Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...

, portraying Amazing Red
Amazing Red
Jonathan Figueroa is a professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Amazing Red, or simply Red for short. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a former three-time X Division Champion, while also working on the American independent circuit...

's younger brother and being billed as Little Red. The previous week Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...

 had defeated Amazing Red in his $100,000 mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

 challenge series and upon hearing that he had a younger brother, challenged him to a match, expecting someone even smaller than the Red. Mercer dominated his debut match, before Jarrett's security guards, Gunner
Phill Shatter
Chad Lail is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, where he performs under the ring name Gunner. In TNA, Lail is a member of the Immortal stable and a former one-time TNA Television Champion...

 and Murphy
Mikael Judas
Michael Cole is an American professional wrestler best known by the ring name Mikael Judas and for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Murphy.-Professional wrestling career:...

, pulled their boss out of the ring and prevented him from re–entering. On the January 13 edition of Impact! Mercer, now renamed Crimson, returned, attacking Abyss backstage and promising that "they" would be coming to take out Immortal
Immortal (professional wrestling)
Immortal is a villainous professional wrestling alliance in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . It currently consists of Eric Bischoff, Bully Ray, Gunner, TNA founder and AAA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett, his wife and valet Karen Jarrett, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and Scott Steiner...

 on February 3. The following week, Crimson repeated his actions from the previous week, this time attacking A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...

. Later that night, he saved Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle is an American professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and 1996 Olympic gold medalist. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is recognized as a 15-time World Heavyweight Champion...

 from Immortal by attacking Abyss with Janice, his nail-covered board, and sidelining him with a storyline injury. On the January 27 edition of Impact!, Crimson explained that he was no longer by Amazing Red's side, because he had been given an offer he couldn't refuse. Later that night Crimson and Angle were placed in a seven–on–two handicap match against Immortal and Fortune
Fortune (professional wrestling)
Fortune is a professional wrestling alliance in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It currently consists of A.J. Styles, James Storm and Kazarian...

 members Jeff Jarrett, James Storm
James Storm
James Allen Cox is an American professional wrestler who competes under the ring name "The Cowboy" James Storm. Since 2002, Storm has been employed by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he, along with A.J...

, Robert Roode, Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian
Frank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...

, Rob Terry
Rob Terry
Robert "Rob" Terry is a Welsh professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . Before signing with TNA, he was under contract with World Wrestling Entertainment and competed in the company's developmental territory, Florida Championship...

, Gunner and Murphy. The match ended with Jarrett pinning Angle for the win. Afterwards, Crimson and Angle were saved by the returning Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner
Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...

. On the February 3 edition of Impact!, Fortune turned on Immortal, revealing themselves as the "they" Crimson and Angle had been referring to.

On the February 24 edition of Impact!, Crimson made his singles match debut in a win against the returning Magnus
Nick Aldis
Nicholas Harry "Nick" Aldis is an English professional wrestler and actor. He is currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Magnus, where he is a one time World Tag Team Champion with Doug Williams...

. On the April 14 edition of Impact!, Abyss, who had returned from his injury three weeks earlier, took revenge on Crimson, interfering in his match and chokeslamming him onto a guardrail. Crimson made his 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...

 debut on April 17 at Lockdown
Lockdown (2011)
Lockdown was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, that took place on April 17, 2011 at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the seventh event under the Lockdown chronology and the fourth event of the 2011 TNA PPV schedule...

, where he and Scott Steiner were unsuccessful in becoming the number one contenders to the TNA World Tag Team Championship
TNA World Tag Team Championship
The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...

 in a four tag team steel cage match, which was won by Ink Inc.
Ink Inc.
Ink Inc. is a professional wrestling stable, consisting of Jesse Neal, Shannon Moore and their valet Toxxin, in the professional wrestling promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .-Total Nonstop Action Wrestling :...

 (Jesse Neal
Jesse Neal
Jesse Neal is an American professional wrestler and a former member of the U.S. military. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is one half of the tag team Ink Inc., with his partner Shannon Moore....

 and Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore
Shannon Moore is an American professional wrestler, who is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment for several years in the 2000s.Moore befriended Matt and Jeff Hardy...

). The following month at Sacrifice
Sacrifice (2011)
Sacrifice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on May 15, 2011 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida...

, Crimson defeated Abyss in a singles match to win the feud and keep his "undefeated streak" intact. Crimson then moved on to feuding with Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe
Nuufolau Joel "Joe" Seanoa is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Samoa Joe. He is currently under contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....

, stemming from the fact that during the past three weeks, Joe had on two occasions turned his back and walked away from the ring, after Abyss had blindsided Crimson, claiming that he had not needed anyone's help during his own 18 month undefeated streak in 2005 and 2006. On June 12 at Slammiversary IX
Slammiversary IX
Slammiversary IX was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on June 12, 2011 at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida...

, Crimson continued his streak by defeating Samoa Joe. The following week Crimson entered the Bound for Glory Series to determine the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The TNA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is currently the highest ranked championship in TNA and is primarily defended in TNA's heavyweight division...

 and continued his undefeated streak against the likes of D'Angelo Dinero
Elijah Burke
Elijah Samuel Burke is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the name of "The Pope" D'Angelo Dinero; a gimmick in which he portrays a Harlem street preacher...

, Bobby Roode and Bully Ray, taking over the number one spot in tournament standings. On August 7 at Hardcore Justice
Hardcore Justice (2011)
Hardcore Justice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, which took place on August 7, 2011 at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida...

, Crimson extended his lead in the Bound for Glory Series standings by defeating number two ranked Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam
Robert Alexander "Rob" Szatkowski , better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam , is an American professional wrestler and actor who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....

 via disqualification. After further extending his lead on the following edition of Impact Wrestling with a win in a four–way match against three Immortal members, Bully Ray, Gunner and Scott Steiner, Crimson was attacked by TNA World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle. Crimson and Angle faced each other on the August 25 edition of Impact Wrestling, but the match ended in a disqualification, when Samoa Joe, who had previously vowed to ruin the Bound for Glory Series, attacked Crimson. The attack resulted in Crimson suffering a storyline ankle injury, which forced him out of the Bound for Glory Series.

Crimson returned via satellite on the September 15 edition of Impact Wrestling, announcing that he would return to the Impact Wrestling Zone in two weeks. Crimson returned on the September 28 edition of Impact Wrestling, challenging Joe to a fight. During the fight, Joe slammed Crimson's injured ankle into a guardrail and locked him in a heel hook
Heel hook
Heel hook may refer to:* Heel hook, in grappling* A climbing technique...

, before being run off by Matt Morgan. The following week Crimson defeated Joe in his return match. Crimson continued his undefeated streak on October 16 at Bound for Glory
Bound for Glory (2011)
Bound for Glory was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , that took place on October 16, 2011 at the Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia. It was the seventh annual event under the Bound for Glory chronology. Bound...

, defeating Samoa Joe and Matt Morgan in a three-way match. On November 13 at Turning Point
Turning Point (2011)
Turning Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion, that took place on November 13, 2011 at the Impact Wrestling Zone in Orlando, Florida...

, Crimson wrestled Matt Morgan to a double disqualification, keeping his undefeated streak alive. On the following edition of Impact Wrestling, Crimson and Morgan defeated Mexican America
Mexican America (professional wrestling)
Mexican America is a professional wrestling stable in the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It currently consists of leader Hernandez, Anarquia, Rosita and Sarita, who are portrayed as villainous anti-Americans, promoting the superiority of Mexican-Americans...

 (Anarquia
Matt Barela
Matthew Ramón Barela is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Anarquia. In TNA, he is currently a member of the Mexican America stable with Rosita, Sarita and Hernandez...

 and Hernandez
Shawn Hernandez
Shawn Hernandez is an American professional wrestler of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, better known by his ring names, "Hotstuff Hernandez" and "Hernandez"....

) to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.

Personal life

Outside of his career in professional wrestling, Mercer works 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...

 and attends classes in business management at Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University is a four-year public university located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools .-History:...

.

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • Mercy Kill (Independent circuit
      Independent circuit
      In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...

      ) / Red Alert (TNA
      Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
      Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

      ) (Swinging side slam spun out into a reverse STO)
    • Red Sky (Standing or spinning lifting sitout spinebuster pin) (TNA)

  • Signature moves
    • Cravate with repeated knee strikes to the opponent's head, transitioned into a swinging neckbreaker
    • Double underhook DDT
    • Exploder suplex
    • Spear

  • Nickname
    Nickname
    A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

    s
    • "No Mercy"

  • Entrance themes
    Music in professional wrestling
    Music 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...

    • "Not a Stranger to the Danger" by Dale Oliver
      Dale Oliver
      Dale Byron Oliver is an American music composer who works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Formerly a guitarist in BackHawk , Oliver serves mainly as a composer of theme music used in professional wrestling.-Music composer for TNA:Since 2003, Oliver writes, records, and produces music under...

       (TNA)

Championships and accomplishments

  • NWA Main Event
    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...

    • NWA Mid-American Television Championship (1 time)

  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro 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 #89 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 2011

  • Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
    Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
    Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...

    • TNA World Tag Team Championship
      TNA World Tag Team Championship
      The TNA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily contested within TNA's tag team division. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of TNA's primary television program,...

       (1 time, current) – with Matt Morgan

External links

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