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Tatanka (wrestler)
Christopher "Chris" Chavis (born June 8, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, under a legends contract. He is citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. He is best known for his tenures in the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and from 2005 to 2007. His ring name is a Lakota word, which means "bison".
Chavis started competing in powerlifting. He competed in his first bodybuilding contest, Mr. Virginia Beach, placing second. He won many competitions during his time in bodybuilding, but decided against competing on the national level and possibly turning pro. From 1985 to 1990 he worked for Bally's Health and Tennis Corporation, becoming a divisional manager.
Chavis went to the open try outs during the 1987 NFL player strike for the Miami Dolphins and made the cut, but he turned it down due to the lucrative money he was already making selling memberships at Bally's. In 1989, Chavis left Bally's to pursue an accounting career.
In 1989, Chavis met "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers in Florida at a video store while looking for wrestling tapes. Rogers had Chavis call Larry Sharpe, who ran Monster Factory in South Jersey. He had his first match, as "Tatanka", against Joe Thunder in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 13, 1990.
Rogers introduced Chavis to George Scott, the booker for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the 1980s. Scott was starting his own promotion called the North American Wrestling Association. Chavis wrestled under the name "War Eagle" Chris Chavis and was voted third runner up for PWI Rookie of the Year in Pro Wrestling Illustrated for 1990. Also in 1990, he became the South Atlantic Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion by beating Vince Torelli. Not long after, he was signed to a WWF contract.
Chavis received his first try-out match with the WWF on January 8, 1991, as War Eagle against Dale Wolfe at a WWF Wrestling Challenge taping in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He received a second try-out on February 18, 1991, against the Brooklyn Brawler at a WWF Superstars taping in Orlando, Florida. Wrestling as the War Eagle, Chavis was victorious. He followed it up with another win against Dale Wolfe the next day at a Wrestling Challenge taping. On October 21 he received what was likely another tryout match at a Superstars taping, this time defeating Skinner. In November Chavis began wrestling on house shows under his given name. Soon after, he took on the ring name "Tatanka". After wrestling in try-out matches at house shows, Tatanka made his television debut as a fan favorite on the February 1, 1992, episode of WWF Superstars, defeating Pat Tanaka in his debut match. As Tatanka, Chavis performed a war dance to the Lumbee tribal war cry that preceded his entrance to the ring, and had a red stripe dyed in the middle of his hair in a mohawk style.
Tatanka was pushed as undefeated on WWF television; he did not suffer any defeat by pinfall or submission, but he lost several matches at house shows, the first being a countout loss to Rick Martel on June 4, 1992, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Tatanka's earliest rivalry on television was against Martel; it culminated in Tatanka's pay-per-view debut at WrestleMania VIII with Tatanka winning the match. On May 18, 1992, Tatanka reached the peak of his success by winning the 40-man Bashed in the USA battle royal. He renewed his "feud" with Martel, who had stolen sacred eagle feathers from him to add to his wardrobe, going on to defeat Martel again at Survivor Series to reclaim the feathers.
At WrestleMania IX, Tatanka received his first televised title shot in the WWF, against Shawn Michaels for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Tatanka won the match by disqualification. Since a title could not change hands on a disqualification, Michaels retained the title. On the October 30, 1993, edition of Superstars, Tatanka suffered his first televised defeat in the WWF, losing to Ludvig Borga (Borga had hit Tatanka in the back with a steel chair while Mr. Fuji distracted the referee). After the match, he was attacked by WWF Champion Yokozuna and was subsequently out of action for three months.
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Tatanka (wrestler)
Christopher "Chris" Chavis (born June 8, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, under a legends contract. He is citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. He is best known for his tenures in the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and from 2005 to 2007. His ring name is a Lakota word, which means "bison".
Chavis started competing in powerlifting. He competed in his first bodybuilding contest, Mr. Virginia Beach, placing second. He won many competitions during his time in bodybuilding, but decided against competing on the national level and possibly turning pro. From 1985 to 1990 he worked for Bally's Health and Tennis Corporation, becoming a divisional manager.
Chavis went to the open try outs during the 1987 NFL player strike for the Miami Dolphins and made the cut, but he turned it down due to the lucrative money he was already making selling memberships at Bally's. In 1989, Chavis left Bally's to pursue an accounting career.
In 1989, Chavis met "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers in Florida at a video store while looking for wrestling tapes. Rogers had Chavis call Larry Sharpe, who ran Monster Factory in South Jersey. He had his first match, as "Tatanka", against Joe Thunder in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 13, 1990.
Rogers introduced Chavis to George Scott, the booker for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the 1980s. Scott was starting his own promotion called the North American Wrestling Association. Chavis wrestled under the name "War Eagle" Chris Chavis and was voted third runner up for PWI Rookie of the Year in Pro Wrestling Illustrated for 1990. Also in 1990, he became the South Atlantic Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion by beating Vince Torelli. Not long after, he was signed to a WWF contract.
Chavis received his first try-out match with the WWF on January 8, 1991, as War Eagle against Dale Wolfe at a WWF Wrestling Challenge taping in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He received a second try-out on February 18, 1991, against the Brooklyn Brawler at a WWF Superstars taping in Orlando, Florida. Wrestling as the War Eagle, Chavis was victorious. He followed it up with another win against Dale Wolfe the next day at a Wrestling Challenge taping. On October 21 he received what was likely another tryout match at a Superstars taping, this time defeating Skinner. In November Chavis began wrestling on house shows under his given name. Soon after, he took on the ring name "Tatanka". After wrestling in try-out matches at house shows, Tatanka made his television debut as a fan favorite on the February 1, 1992, episode of WWF Superstars, defeating Pat Tanaka in his debut match. As Tatanka, Chavis performed a war dance to the Lumbee tribal war cry that preceded his entrance to the ring, and had a red stripe dyed in the middle of his hair in a mohawk style.
Tatanka was pushed as undefeated on WWF television; he did not suffer any defeat by pinfall or submission, but he lost several matches at house shows, the first being a countout loss to Rick Martel on June 4, 1992, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Tatanka's earliest rivalry on television was against Martel; it culminated in Tatanka's pay-per-view debut at WrestleMania VIII with Tatanka winning the match. On May 18, 1992, Tatanka reached the peak of his success by winning the 40-man Bashed in the USA battle royal. He renewed his "feud" with Martel, who had stolen sacred eagle feathers from him to add to his wardrobe, going on to defeat Martel again at Survivor Series to reclaim the feathers.
At WrestleMania IX, Tatanka received his first televised title shot in the WWF, against Shawn Michaels for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Tatanka won the match by disqualification. Since a title could not change hands on a disqualification, Michaels retained the title. On the October 30, 1993, edition of Superstars, Tatanka suffered his first televised defeat in the WWF, losing to Ludvig Borga (Borga had hit Tatanka in the back with a steel chair while Mr. Fuji distracted the referee). After the match, he was attacked by WWF Champion Yokozuna and was subsequently out of action for three months.