Vincent Clark
Encyclopedia
Vincent Jerrelle Clark (born December 8, 1975) is a retired American
professional wrestler
. He is best known for his stints in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
.
and the The Killer Bees. He was athletic from an early age, studying competitive gymnastics
at the age of four. After badly breaking his arm, he moved on to martial arts. In junior high school
, Clark began amateur wrestling, eventually earning a scholarship
to Morgan State University
. At MSU, Clark began studying towards a Bachelor of Arts
in graphic design
. He later went on to receive his Associate of Science in computer graphics
. In addition to his studies, he also became an athletic standout as he took part in pole vault
ing in 1995), football
in 1996 and 1997 and even became a cheerleader in 1998 and 1999, where his squad won a national championship at the Black College National Championships in the Small School Division. They later went on to place eighth in the National Cheerleading Association nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida
in 1999.
in 2000 as Lil' Balla, losing to Cutthroat Saxon. He continued to wrestle on the independent circuit
in Florida
, subsidising his income by working as a stuntman
in a pirate-themed stunt
show and became an art teacher at a local high school.
Clark continued to work and train with Cutthroat Saxon (who later renamed himself to Cutthroat Bonez) and together they soon formed The Cutthroats, a pirate-themed gimmick with Clark changing his ring name to Cutthroat Skull. Clark worked for several promotions
in Florida, including IPW Hardcore and NWA Florida. While he was wrestling for the Orlando
-based No Name Wrestling, promotion he received a tryout match with the Nashville
-based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
promotion, facing Elix Skipper
in a dark match. The match went well, and Clark wrestled on a pay-per-view and several more dark matches. When TNA relocated their headquarters to Orlando in late 2004, Clark was offered a contract, which he accepted. Clark then began wrestling under his real name and was placed in a tag team with Mikey Batts. The team's most recognized victory was an "X Division Tag Team Dominance" challenge, where they defeated the team of Michael Shane and Kazarian to earn the bragging rights as the "X Division's Most Dominant Tag Team". The team would lose to Shane and Kazarian in a subsequent rematch. The team was then separated in October 2005 when Batts was signed to a developmental deal by World Wrestling Entertainment
. Left without a partner, Clark became a singles wrestler. On the June 8, 2006 edition of Impact!
Clark lost a match to fellow X Division wrestler Sonjay Dutt
. Weeks later on the July 14 edition of Impact!, Clark would lose to then-X Division Champion
Senshi in a non-title bout. Following this, Clark returned to the independent circuit, working for Full Impact Pro and Pro Wrestling Riot, teaming up with Nooie Lee as the team of 2 Fast 2 Furious.
On October 29, 2011 at the 2011 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup 2011, after advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament and ultimately losing, at the end of the show, Clark announced that he was retiring from professional wrestling.
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...
. He is best known for his stints in 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...
.
Early life
Clark became interested in wrestling as a child after watching Lanny PoffoLanny Poffo
Lanny Mark Poffo , better known by his ring name "Leaping" Lanny is an American professional wrestler. Poffo was born in Calgary, Canada, to Angelo Poffo, an Italian American Catholic, and Judy, a Jewish American. He is also the brother of wrestling legend "Macho Man" Randy Savage...
and the The Killer Bees. He was athletic from an early age, studying competitive gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
at the age of four. After badly breaking his arm, he moved on to martial arts. In junior high school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, Clark began amateur wrestling, eventually earning a 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:...
to Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
. At MSU, Clark began studying towards a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
. He later went on to receive his Associate of Science in computer graphics
Computer graphics (computer science)
Computer graphics is a sub-field of computer science which studies methods for digitally synthesizing and manipulating visual content. Although the term often refers to the study of three-dimensional computer graphics, it also encompasses two-dimensional graphics and image processing.- Overview...
. In addition to his studies, he also became an athletic standout as he took part in pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
ing in 1995), football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
in 1996 and 1997 and even became a cheerleader in 1998 and 1999, where his squad won a national championship at the Black College National Championships in the Small School Division. They later went on to place eighth in the National Cheerleading Association nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
in 1999.
Professional wrestling career
During his tenure in college, Clark began training as a professional wrestler under Jeremy McCulough in 1997, and completed his training in 1998 before returning to college to finish his degree in 1999. After graduating, he moved back to Florida and concentrated on getting his family situated. Clark debuted in Orange City, FloridaOrange City, Florida
Orange City is a city located in Volusia County, Florida. In the 2000 census the city had a total population of 6,604. In 2004 the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 7,172.-Geography:Orange City is located at ....
in 2000 as Lil' Balla, losing to Cutthroat Saxon. He continued to wrestle 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...
in Florida
Florida
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...
, subsidising his income by working as a stuntman
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
in a pirate-themed stunt
Stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
show and became an art teacher at a local high school.
Clark continued to work and train with Cutthroat Saxon (who later renamed himself to Cutthroat Bonez) and together they soon formed The Cutthroats, a pirate-themed gimmick with Clark changing his ring name to Cutthroat Skull. Clark worked for several promotions
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...
in Florida, including IPW Hardcore and NWA Florida. While he was wrestling for the Orlando
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...
-based No Name Wrestling, promotion he received a tryout match with the Nashville
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...
-based 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...
promotion, facing Elix Skipper
Elix Skipper
Elix Skipper is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling, where he was a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and a one-time Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a four-time NWA World Tag Team...
in a dark match. The match went well, and Clark wrestled on a pay-per-view and several more dark matches. When TNA relocated their headquarters to Orlando in late 2004, Clark was offered a contract, which he accepted. Clark then began wrestling under his real name and was placed in a tag team with Mikey Batts. The team's most recognized victory was an "X Division Tag Team Dominance" challenge, where they defeated the team of Michael Shane and Kazarian to earn the bragging rights as the "X Division's Most Dominant Tag Team". The team would lose to Shane and Kazarian in a subsequent rematch. The team was then separated in October 2005 when Batts was signed to a developmental deal by World Wrestling Entertainment
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...
. Left without a partner, Clark became a singles wrestler. On the June 8, 2006 edition of 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...
Clark lost a match to fellow X Division wrestler Sonjay Dutt
Sonjay Dutt
Retesh Bhalla is an American professional wrestler of Indian Punjabi descent, better known by his ring name, Sonjay Dutt. He is best known working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and is also known for his stints with Combat Zone Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and other various independent...
. Weeks later on the July 14 edition of Impact!, Clark would lose to then-X Division Champion
TNA X Division Championship
The TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...
Senshi in a non-title bout. Following this, Clark returned to the independent circuit, working for Full Impact Pro and Pro Wrestling Riot, teaming up with Nooie Lee as the team of 2 Fast 2 Furious.
On October 29, 2011 at the 2011 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup 2011, after advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament and ultimately losing, at the end of the show, Clark announced that he was retiring from professional wrestling.
Personal life
Clark is married to Rebecca. On March 25, 2005, the couple gave birth to a son, Jerrelle Aython Clark. On July 11, 2008, they gave birth to another son, Michael Josiah Clark.In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- 630° senton
- Teabag Driver / KTFO (Flipping reverse tombstone piledriver)
- Signature moves
- Dragon Wing Sleeper (Chickenwing / Dragon sleeper combination)
- Clark Bar (Tiger feint crucifix armbar)
- Jerrelle Driver '00 (Diving knee drop bulldog)
- Jerrelle Driver '05 / Last Train to Clarksville (Overhead gutwrench backbreaker rack dropped forward into a piledriver)
- Plastic Surgery (Rope hung cutter)
- Pumphandle suplex
- Standing corkscrew moonsault
- NicknameNicknameA 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 - "Mr. 630°"
Championships and accomplishments
- 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...
- World
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
(1 time)
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Regional
- NWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in Pro Wrestling Fusion. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and lasted until 1990 when it was abandoned. It was picked back up in 1997 by NWA Florida, where it was the primary...
(1 time) - with Mikey BattsMichael AltieriMichael Altieri is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Mikey Batts. He is currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment as a referee.-Professional wrestling career:... - NWA Florida X Division ChampionshipNWA Florida X Division ChampionshipThe NWA Florida X Division Championship is a title defended in the Florida territory of the National Wrestling Alliance.-Title history:-References:**-See also:*Florida Championship Wrestling*National Wrestling Alliance...
(1 time)
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship
- No Name Wrestling
- NNW Overall 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 #413 of the best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2007
- Revolution Championship Wrestling
- RCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Cutthroat Bonez
- Sports Entertainment eXtravaganza
- SEX Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Southern Championship Wrestling
- SCW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
- Sunray Pro Wrestling
- SPW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
- Other titles
- USFW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Cutthroat Bonez