Bull_Pain

Bull Pain

Bull Pain (born Rick Gantner in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American independent professional wrestler, currently best known for his work in IWA Mid-South, and for his past career as part of the Texas Hangmen Tag Team in promotions such as American Wrestling Association, United States Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council.

Career

Early career

Rick Gantner had a grounding in martial arts and boxing, but having been taken to AWA shows by his father became a fan of professional wrestling (particularly Superstar Billy Graham, The Crusher and The Valiant Brothers). He got his start in Milwaukee at Federation Hall training with Tom "Rocky" Stone, having his first independent match vs Lance Atlas as Ricky "Wildfire" Golden, before moving to Bob Geigel's NWA Heart of America and debuting against Gypsy Joe as Rick Gantner.

Gantner then moved on to work for Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association, debuting on TV against Bruiser Brody, and going on to wrestle the likes of Nick Bockwinkel, Scott Norton, Baron Von Raschke and Stan Hansen. After working as a jobber for the AWA (as well as regular appearances for the WWF, NWA and others), Gantner was repackaged as a masked wrestler named Psycho and paired up with Killer (Mike Moran) as the Texas Hangmen, a gimmick used primarily in Puerto Rico, particularly wrestling for the World Wrestling Council where they would become four time WWC World Tag Team Champions. After returning from Puerto Rico, the Texas Hangmen found that they were in demand in the United States, wrestling back in AWA, as well as going to wrestle in Memphis for the United States Wrestling Association.

WCW / ECW

While wrestling for Global Wrestling Federation, Gantner developed the Bull Pain gimmick, using an old high school football nickname. At the same time Ian Rotten was in a feud with his kayfabe brother Axl Rotten in Extreme Championship Wrestling, during which Axl Rotten disappeared. As Ian and Bull Pain had previously worked together in USWA, he recommended Bull Pain as a replacement, and the two had a brief feud, including Taipei Death Matches and Barbed Wire Baseball Bat Matches. Pain was also wrestling at this time as a regular "enhancement talent" for World Championship Wrestling under the name "Bull Payne", wrestling the likes of Jim Duggan, Hak, Van Hammer, Johnny B Badd, and Bobby Duncum, Jr.

IWA Mid-South

After being released from ECW, Bull Pain debuted for Ian Rotten's Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, a company he still makes appearances for. Bull has stated that he considers the IWA:Mid-South to be "one of the best independent shows on the market", and that he feels that they are only held back by the area in which they are putting on shows. Pain went on to both hold the IWA Mid-South Television Championship and the IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship, as well as becoming a five time IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Championship.

Chikara Pro Wrestling

Following a run-in at Deuces Wild, Bull Pain made his Chikara in ring debut at Passion and Persistence (April 20 2008) at the New Alhambra Arena, teaming with Vin Gerard against Fire Ant and Soldier Ant. Due to Bull Pain's use of his signature baseball bat (nicknamed Brother Pain), Pain and Gerard were disqualified, and Leonard F. Chikarason (Chikara's Director of Fun) banned them both from appearing on any Chikara shows for 30 days.