PETER GRUNER

'Peter Jacob Gruner' (born May 11 1974 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American professional wrestler known by his ring name 'Billy Kidman'. Kidman is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Contents

Career

WCW

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment

Post-WWE career

Personal Life

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Notes

References

External links

Career

Gruner or Kidman grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania with his father coming from the Dominican Republic and his mother from Spain living in the Lehigh Valley region. He joined the WCW and ultimately gained fame as a key member of several strong wrestling factions. In addition to being a member of Raven's Flock, he also was a member of the Filthy Animals and later New Blood. As a member of these factions, Gruner participated in memorable rivalries with top WCW names, including Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Rey Mysterio, and others. All throughout his WCW tenure, many internet smarks were quick to point out Kidman's uncanny ability to counter the Powerbomb. Most notably, Scott Keith even coined the popular saying, "You Can't Powerbomb Kidman!"

WCW

Kidman wrestled for WCW for many years and won tag team gold with partner and real life friend Rey Mysterio. Kidman gained popularity in memorable matches with Raven's Flock. Following his leaving the group, he gained the WCW Cruiserweight Championship 3 times.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment

When the WWF purchased WCW, the contract of Gruner (who was still wrestling as Billy Kidman) was one of twenty-five contracts involved in the purchase. When The Invasion storyline commenced, Gruner appeared on WWF Television as a heel for the WCW Alliance faction. In July 2001, Gruner won the WCW Cruiserweight Championship from Gregory Helms in the first televised WCW match on ''SmackDown!''.
Kidman turned face after the WCW/ECW Alliance broke up. He went on to capture the Cruiserweight Championship for the seventh time by defeating Jamie Noble at Survivor Series. Later, Kidman was placed with a new tag team partner, Paul London. The team went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship from The Dudley Boyz on July 8 2004.
The champion run of this face team came to an abrupt end after Kidman turned his back on London, leaving him to wrestle a tag team title match on his own. The heel turn came off the back of a legitimate injury on an August 24 2004 taping of ''SmackDown!'', where Billy Kidman's Shooting Star Press caused Chavo Guerrero to suffer a concussion and be taken to the hospital. London and Kidman fought at No Mercy 2004, where Kidman injured London with a shooting star press, while London was strapped to a stretcher. When Chavo returned, he faced off with Kidman in a storyline resulting from the injury.
Gruner was released from his WWE contract on July 7 2005. It was rumored that the reason behind his release was the lack of crowd reaction and unintentional injuries he caused, but Gruner later stated in an interview with the UK newspaper The Sun that it was because he argued with management over their decision to stop booking wrestlers on first class flights overseas.^[1]

Post-WWE career

During this first tour of the UK since leaving WWE, Kidman would make a few appearances in independent British promotions. Other than his notable Frontier Wrestling Alliance 3-way match with Jody Fleisch and Jonny Storm, Kidman would also wrestle British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside in a losing effort during a British rules match to determine the first Real Quality Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.
In 2007, Gruner was at IWA, in a match for the IWA World Heavyweight Championship against Ray Gonzalez[1]. Gruner also took part in the East Coast Australian "International Assault II" Tour from June 1 - June 3 2007 wrestling Australian superstars TNT and Mark Hilton, and pinned Bryan Danielson to win the WSW World Heavyweight Championship on the 3rd night in Newcastle.
Kidman was recently added to the WWE Alumni page at WWE.com.
On July 8, 2007, Kidman teamed up with Sean "X-Pac" Waltman as part of a triple threat match in McAllen, Texas to crown the new NWA World Tag Team Champions. The title was previously vacated by Team 3D after TNA Wrestling officially pulled out of the National Wrestling Alliance. They would lose the match to Karl Anderson and Joey Ryan.

Personal Life

Billy Kidman was previously married to WWE Diva Torrie Wilson, but the two are now divorced. ^[2]

In wrestling

★ 'Finishing and signature moves'

Kidman performs his '''B.K. Bomb''' / '''Kidman Bomb''' on Matt Hardy

:
★ '''Seven Year Itch ''' / 'Shooting star press'
:
★ '''B.K. Bomb''' / '''Kidman Bomb''' (Standing sitout spinebuster; can sometimes be performed from the second or top rope)
:
★ '''Kid Krusher''' (Jumping inverted double underhook facebuster) - WCW / early WWF
:
★ '''Kidmankaze''' (Springboard shooting star press)
:
★ ''Kidman Factor'' (Sitout facebuster; often used as a powerbomb counter)
:
★ Fireman's carry into a neckbreaker onto the knee
:
★ Standing dropkick
:
★ Springboard bulldog
:
★ Springboard legdrop

★ 'Managers'
:
★ Raven
:
★ Dawn Marie

Championships and accomplishments

★ 'East Coast Wrestling Association'
:
★ ECWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ace Darling
:
★ ECWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2004)

★ 'Trans-World Wrestling Federation'
:
★ TWWF Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)

★ 'United States Wrestling Association'
:
★ USWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ace Darling

★ 'World Championship Wrestling'
:
★ WCW Cruiserweight Championship (3 times)
:
★ WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Rey Misterio, Jr.
:
★ WCW World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Rey Misterio, Jr. (1) and Konnan (1)

★ 'World Series Wrestling'

★
★ WSW Heavyweight Championship (1 time - current)

★ 'World Wrestling Federation | World Wrestling Entertainment'
:
★ WCW Cruiserweight Championship (2 times)
:
★ WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Paul London
:
★ WWF|WWE Cruiserweight Championship (2 times)

★ 'Pro Wrestling Illustrated'
:
★ PWI ranked him # '313' of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

Notes

1. The Sun Online - Wrestling: Kidman: Why I Was Fired Simon Rothstein
2. He is going through a rough time now with his divorce from Torrie Wilson. Kidman went into more details of his current relationship with Torrie saying they still talk and that Torrie’s travel was one of the problems that led to the split. While a divorce is in the works it has not yet been finalized.

References

★ The Sun Online - Wrestling: Kidman: Why I Was Fired Simon Rothstein

★ Kidman's WWE Alumni Profile

External links

★ Billy Kidman at Bodyslamming.com

★ WWE Alumni Profile