Austin Aries
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| Dan Solwold | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Dan Sexon Austin Aries[1] (The) Austin Starr |
| Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)[2] |
| Billed weight | 205 lb (98 kg) |
| Born | April 15, 1978 [2] Milwaukee, Wisconsin[2] |
| Resides | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Billed from | Milwaukee, Wisconsin TV Land (as Austin Starr) |
| Trained by | Eddie Sharkey[2] Terry Fox[2] |
| Debut | November 24, 2000 |
Dan Solwold[2] (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler currently performing in Ring of Honor. He is also known from his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he competed under the names of both Aries and (The) Austin Starr.
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[edit] Early life
Solwold grew up with three younger siblings in a middle class household in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Throughout his schooldays, he participated in football, wrestling and baseball. His prowess in the latter - Solwold was a left-handed center fielder/pitcher - eventually earned him several scholarships, and he began studying Communications at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota, later changing his degree to Psychology. While in university, he subsidised his income by working as a bartender for the American Legion. He remained in the university for several years before dropping out, and subsequently formed a band known as "Zeno's Revenge" (with Solwold the lead singer) before deciding to become a professional wrestler.
[edit] Wrestling career
Solwold began training under Eddie Sharkey and Terry Fox in 2000 and debuted on November 24, 2000, facing "Sheriff" Johnny Emerald.[3] He wrestled in the midwest for several years before his east coast wrestling career was jumpstarted after he progressed to the finals of the 2004 ECWA Super 8 Tournament, where he was defeated by Christopher Daniels.
[edit] Ring of Honor
From there, he joined Ring of Honor. Austin Aries made his ROH main show debut at ROH: Reborn Stage 2 in Chicago Ridge, Illinois on April 24, 2004. Aries was unsuccessful, though, losing a four corner survival match also involving Jimmy Rave, Rocky Romero, and the winner, Nigel McGuinness. Aries was scheduled to return at the May 22 show, Generation Next, to compete in a one night series which would showcase young, upcoming ROH talent. Alex Shelley, however, hand-picked Aries, along with Roderick Strong and Jack Evans, as members of a new stable (also meant to promote young, upcoming ROH talent) who, instead of earning their spots, would simply take them. The group took the name Generation Next as their own, and went on a tear throughout the summer of 2004 against all sorts of ROH talent.
Aries captured the ROH World Championship (and the biggest win of his career) at Final Battle 2004 on December 26, 2004, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by defeating the longest reigning ROH World Champion, Samoa Joe. After a six month string of non-stop defenses, many of which were international, Aries lost the championship to CM Punk on June 18, 2005. Aries then became the head trainer at the ROH wrestling school, replacing the former head trainer, CM Punk.
On December 17 in Edison, New Jersey at Final Battle 2005, Aries teamed with Strong to defeat Sal Rinauro and Tony Mamaluke for the ROH Tag Team Championships. The two would then disband Generation Next on June 3.
In a first time ever match, Aries took on Pro Wrestling NOAH star and former GHC Jr. Heavyweight champion KENTA in Chicago on June 24, but was defeated following KENTA's Go 2 Sleep.
On September 16, he and his partner Roderick Strong lost the ROH World Tag Team Championship to the Kings of Professional Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli). Aries and Strong continued to team together for the rest of the year. At Battle of the Icons on January 27, 2007, Aries and Strong teamed up with Jack Evans to defeat Davey Richards, Delirious and SHINGO. This apparent Generation Next reunion was short lived when, at the following show on February 16, Strong attacked Aries after their tag team title match against Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal. Strong then formed the No Remorse Corps with Davey Richards. Jack Evans ran down and pulled Strong off Aries, but refused to side with either of them. The following night, Aries called out Strong twice, but was unable to get his hands on him. When Evans refused to side with him, Aries said he was going to form a new faction with members of the next generation of wrestling. With that, he brought together The Resilience with Erick Stevens and Matt Cross.
On April 27, Aries unsuccessfully challenged Takeshi Morishima for the ROH World Championship.
On May 2, 2007, Ring of Honor announced on their website that they had signed a Pay-per-view deal with G-Funk Sports & Entertainment. Following the announcemt, TNA pulled Austin Aries and Homicide, both under contracts with TNA, from all Ring of Honor shows.
[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
In July 2005, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling held an Internet poll to select an opponent for the TNA X Division Champion Christopher Daniels at their August 14 pay-per-view, Sacrifice 2005. Billed as an "Internet dream match", the poll offered voters the choice of Aries, Roderick Strong, Jay Lethal and Matt Sydal (none of whom were contracted to TNA or had even appeared with the company on a regular basis in the past). Aries won the poll by a landslide, and thus faced Daniels in a non-title match at Sacrifice, which he lost. Following the event, it was rumored that TNA officials had been impressed by Aries and were considering offering him a contract, and these rumors were seemingly substantiated when Aries faced and defeated Roderick Strong at Unbreakable on September 11 in a "Showcase match".
On September 22, 2005, Aries announced on his website that he had received a contract offer from TNA, and intended to sign it. He became a regular member of the TNA roster, and formed a stable with Roderick Strong and Alex Shelley. Many fans referred to this group second coming of Generation Next, which had contained Shelley, Strong, Aries, and Jack Evans in Ring of Honor.
In February 2006, he and Strong were both suspended for two months for arriving four hours late for the pay-per-view Against All Odds 2006. This occurred because of Aries and Strong's decision to remain in Long Island for an ROH show, despite TNA's last minute request to travel to Florida because of the potential of a snowstorm.[4]
In the build to Bound for Glory 2006, promos began to air advertising the debut of a new wrestler, Austin Starr, at the event with the slogan "A Starr is Born". Starr appeared for TNA on October 22 as the first entrant and became the winner of the "Kevin Nash Open Invitational X Division Gauntlet Battle Royal at Bound for Glory. After the match, Kevin Nash presented Starr with a bowling trophy and a hug.
On the following edition of Impact!, it was announced Starr would work closely with Nash's group Paparazzi Productions, much to the dismay of one of the group's founders, Alex Shelley. Starr replaced Johnny Devine as a member of Paparazzi Productions and participated in the Paparazzi Championship Series along with Shelley, eventually losing to Shelley in the finals at Final Resolution 2007. Starr then went on to feud with Senshi.
On April 18th, Starr was suspended for ninety days.[5]. On May 7th it was reported by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the suspension branched from TNA asking Austin to tape promo vignettes on a day he believed to be his day off. Starr did ultimately agree to do the vignettes but TNA saw this as a bad attitude and was reason for his suspension. During the suspension, Aries requested, and was granted, his release from TNA.
[edit] Return to Ring of Honor
One month after being granted his release from TNA, Aries would make his return to Ring of Honor. At United We Stand on June 22, Aries was in attendance, but as a "fan". During a match between the No Remorse Corps and The Resilience, he was verbally called out by Roderick Strong. Aries tried to climb over the guard rail, but was held back be security as he was no longer employed by the company. The following night, at Driven, Aries was again in attendance. Following a six-man tag team match between the No Remorse Corps and Delirious and The Resilience, Aries ran through the crowd and attacked the NRC. He then signed a ROH contract in the ring.
Aries' first match back came at Race to the Top Tournament: Night One, when he faced Roderick Strong, Jimmy Rave and Gran Akuma in a Four Way Fray for the FIP World Heavyweight Championship. The feud between The Resilience and the No Remorse Corps would continue at ROH's Death before Dishonor V weekend. The first night, Aries teamed with Erick Stevens to defeat Roderick Strong and Rocky Romero. However, they would not be as lucky the following night, when they, along with Delirious, lost in a Street Fight to the No Remorse Corps and Matt Sydal.
At Manhattan Mayhem II, Aries defeated former Generation Next stable mates Roderick Strong and Jack Evans in a triple threat match.
At Glory by Honor VI: Night Two, Aries disbanded The Resilience in order to focus on regaining the ROH World Championship.
At Rising Above, Aries faced current ROH champion Nigel McGuinness in a losing effort in an attempt to regain the ROH World Championship. Aries was defeated by McGuinness a second time at Supercard of Honor III.
On April 23, Aries was chosen by Jay Briscoe as his replacement for brother Mark Briscoe as to defend the ROH World Tag Team Championship against the The Age of the Fall after Mark was forced out of action due to an injury. The reasoning for this choice was Aries and the Briscoe Brothers' shared hatred for the Age of the Fall. Aries was not considered to have won the championship a second time, but rather to have been a substitute in a title defense. After their first and only title defense, the championship was vacated.
Aries is currently engaged in a feud with Age of the Fall leader Jimmy Jacobs.
On June 6, 2008 Aries teamed with Bryan Danielson in Ring of Honor's one night tournament to crown new World Tag Team Champions. They defeated Roderick Strong and Davey Richards in the First Round before being eliminated in the Second by eventual winners Jimmy Jacobs and Tyler Black.
On June 7, 2008 Aries and Danielson received a title shot against Jacobs and Black but were defeated when Black pinned Danielson with a Phoenix Splash.
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
- 450° splash usually preceded by a brainbuster
- Horns of Aries / Last Chancery (Knee strikes to a grounded opponent's head followed by floating over into a bridging arm triangle choke)
- Brainbuster / Starrbuster
- Scissored armbar
- Crucifix bomb
- Roaring Elbow (Discus elbow smash)
- Fish Hook of Doom (Half surfboard fish hook)
- Macho Neck Snap (Aries springboards off the opponent's back to the outside and hits a neck snap to the rope hung opponent)
- Powerdrive Elbow (Pendulum backbreaker hold followed by an elbow drop to the opponent's face)
- Heat Seeking Missile (Suicide dive through the middle and bottom ropes)
- Slow Motion Special (Stalling running jumping knee drop with theatrics)
- IED/Impact Explosion Dropkick (Running corner dropkick)
- Corner leap over evasion into a forward roll to the opposite corner followed by a flying back elbow strike
- Frog splash
- Handstand escape from a neck scissors followed by a dropkick to the sitting opponent
- High–angle sidewalk slam
- No-handed springboard moonsault
- Forward Russian legsweep
- Rolling fireman's carry slam
- Death Valley driver, sometimes onto the ring apron
- Shin breaker followed into a modified leg hook Saito suplex
- Slingshot into a back elbow smash to an opponent in a corner
- Slingshot corkscrew splash
- Entrance themes
- "Born of a Broken Man" by Rage Against the Machine
- "Personal Jesus" by Marilyn Manson
- "Fire it Up" by Black Label Society
- "Devil Ride" by Phil Garrod, Reed Hays and Scott Schreer
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- Mid-American Wrestling
- MAW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Midwest Championship Wrestling
- MWCW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Midwest Independent Association of Wrestling
- MIAW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
- Minnesota Independent Wrestling
- MIW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Midwest
- NWA Midwest X Division Championship (1 time) (First)
- Neo Pro Wrestling
- Neo-Pro Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling WAR
- PWW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Ring of Honor
- Steel Domain Wrestling
- SDW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with "The Piston" Ted Dixon
[edit] Personal life
He is a strict vegetarian and often posts pro-vegetarian facts on his website.
He is a major advocate of hemp and has many pro-hemp facts on his website.
His ring name is a combination of his astrology sign (Aries) and the first name of one of his favorite wrestlers when he was growing up (Austin Idol). He has a tattoo of the Chinese symbol for Aries on his arm, which is one of the distinguishing features he uses to claim that he and former persona Dan 'Casual' Sexon are in fact different people.
He is currently dating Lacey of Ring of Honor.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ John M. Milner. SLAM! Sports - Wrestling - Austin Aries. SLAM! Sports. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
- ^ a b c d e f Biography at IMDb
- ^ Profile at OWW
- ^ Brady, Hicks. "2006: The year in wrestling", PWI Presents: 2007 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts, Kappa Publications, p. 17-18. 2007 Edition. Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
- ^ News at Wrestling Observer
- ^ Interview with SLAM! Wrestling
