Derick Neikirk

Edit links
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Derick Neikirk
Birth nameDerick Lee Neikirk
Born (1974-09-05) September 5, 1974 (age 49)[1]
Dayton, Ohio, United States[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Derek Neikirk
Derick Neikirk
Billed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Billed weight245 lb (111 kg)[1]
Trained byLes Thatcher[2]

Derick Lee Neikirk

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for several years. Much of his career has been connected with fellow wrestler Mike Knox, as the two have held championships together as a tag team and have feuded
on multiple occasions.

Baseball career

Derick Neikirk
Visalia Oaks
Last Northern League appearance
1999, for the Adirondack Lumberjacks
Gulf Coast League statistics
Batting average.211
On-base percentage.348
On-base plus slugging.558
California League statistics
Batting average.148
On-base percentage.207
On-base plus slugging.355
Northern League statistics
Batting average.263
On-base plus slugging.356

Before entering professional wrestling, Neikirk played catcher for the

Major League Baseball Draft[5][6]

At age 21, Neikirk played in Detroit's

sacrifice hit.[7] He had a batting average of .211, an on-base percentage of .348, a slugging percentage of .211, and an on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .558.[7]

That same year, Neikirk was promoted to the high-A-class, minor-league team, the

Visalia Oaks, of the 1996 California League, in Visalia, California.[8] While there, he played catcher in 9 games out of a 140-game season.[8] His statistics were as follows: 29 plate appearances, 27 at-bats, 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts, and 4 total bases.[8] He also had a batting average of .148, an on-base percentage of .207, a slugging percentage of .148, and an OPS of .355.[8]

In 1999, at age 24, Neikirk returned to baseball playing for the

independent minor league team, the Adirondack Lumberjacks, of the 1999 Northern League, in Glens Falls, New York.[9] While there, he played catcher in 42 games out of an 86-game season.[9] His statistics were as follows: 118 at-bats, 31 hits, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, and 42 total bases.[9] He had a batting average of .263 and a slugging percentage of .356.[9]

On a weighted-average, 80-point scale, Neikirk's Baseball Cube scouting report is as follows:[5]

  • Power:     39
  • Batting:    22
  • Speed:      43
  • Contact:    43
  • Patience:   62

Wrestling

Throughout his professional wrestling career, Neikirk has competed primarily in the United States. He was also wrestled in Egypt and has worked for the World Wrestling Alliance in Europe and for Enezma in Mexico.

turning on allies.[3][11][12]

Early career

Neikirk trained under Les Thatcher for a career in professional wrestling.[2] In 2002, he formed a tag team known as The A Squad with Chet Jablonski. On July 10, 2002, The A Squad defeated Ice Cream Man and Cody Hawk to win the HWA Tag Team Championship,[13] although this title reign is not recorded in the company's official history.[14] That year, Neikirk was rated number 481 on Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual PWI 500 list of the top wrestlers in the world.[15] On August 31, 2003, Neikirk wrestled a match on WWE's Sunday Night Heat television program in which he was defeated by Test.[16] In 2003, he improved his PWI 500 ranking and was placed at number 442.[17]

He later wrestled for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), where he formed a tag team with

superkicking him in the face. He explained this action by saying that he was tired of carrying the team and that Knox had "dropped the ball".[3][11] That night, Neikirk and Knox faced each other as part of a six-man match, but Neikirk turned on his teammates and left the ring. Neikirk and Knox had a blow off match on May 25. Neikirk won the match, but the referee then reversed his decision and awarded the victory to Knox.[11]

World Wrestling Entertainment

Deep South Wrestling (2005–2007)

In 2005, he and Knox were signed by World Wrestling Entertainment and was sent to the

Extreme Championship Wrestling.[11] In 2006, he achieved his highest ranking on the PWI 500, as he was rated number 310.[23]

Florida Championship Wrestling (2007–2008)

In 2007, Team Elite reunited and won the DSW Tag Team Championship on March 8 with a victory over

Extreme Championship Wrestling program as one of Paul Heyman's bodyguards.[25]

In January 2008, he was suspended by WWE for a violation of the company's

Wellness Program.[26][27] He was released from his WWE contract on January 8.[28]

Return to IZW

He then returned to Impact Zone Wrestling, where he won the NWA Arizona Heavyweight Championship on December 30, 2008 in a match against G.Q. Gallo. The match ended in controversy, however, because both men's shoulders were on the mat as the referee counted the pinfall. Neikirk raised his shoulder just before the final count and was awarded the victory and the title belt. The title was declared vacant until the two men could face each other again on January 27, 2009. This rematch ended in a draw,[29] but Gallo defeated Neikirk to win the vacant title on March 10.[30] Neikirk regained the title, which had been renamed the Arizona Heavyweight Championship, that summer. He held the belt until dropping it to Mike James on August 11.[31] NWA Representative Greg DeMarco then tried to strip James of the belt and return it to Neikirk, but Neikirk refused to accept the title.[32]

Return to WWE and retirement

After wrestling two matches for Dragon Gate USA as an enhancement talent in 2010, Neikirk returned to WWE and wrestled one dark match in 2011, a loss to Johnny Curtis on SmackDown. He retired shortly after, coming back two nights only in 2016 for the short-lived indie promotion Western States Wrestling.

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b c "Derrick Neikirk". Ultimate Pro Wrestling. Archived from the original on 2008-04-09. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Derick Neikirk". Derick Neikirk Official Website. Archived from the original on 2011-01-30. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  3. ^ a b c "Commentary". Derek Neikirk Official Website. Archived from the original on 2008-04-04. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  4. ^ "All-ACCAC Players". Mesa Community College. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  5. ^ a b "Derick Neikirk Batting Statistics". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  6. ^ "1996 Detroit Tigers Picks in the June Draft". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  7. ^
    Baseball-Reference.com
    . Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  8. ^ a b c d "1996 Visalia Oaks Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  9. ^ a b c d "1999 Adirondack Lumberjacks Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  10. ^ "Results". Derek Neikirk Official Website. Archived from the original on 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Wrestler Profiles: Derrick Neikirk". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  12. ^ "07/14/09 NWA IZW Results". National Wrestling Alliance. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  13. ^ a b Westcott, Brain. "HWA Tag Team Title History". Solie's Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  14. ^ "HWA Tag Team Title History". Heartland Wrestling Association. Archived from the original on 2008-10-25. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  15. ISSN 1043-7576
    .
  16. ^ "WWF Sunday Night Heat Archives – 2003". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on March 28, 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  17. ISSN 1043-7576
    .
  18. ^ "Ultimate Pro Wrestling". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  19. ^ "Wrestler Profiles: Peter Goodman". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  20. ^ a b "Tag Team Profiles: Team Elite". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  21. ISSN 1043-7576
    .
  22. ^ a b "Deep South Wrestling Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  23. ISSN 1043-7576
    .
  24. ^ a b "Deep South Wrestling Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  25. ^ "WWE FCW, OVW, and DSW Archives". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  26. ^ "2008 News". World Wrestling Entertainment Corporate. 2008-01-16. Archived from the original on 2010-02-09. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  27. ^ Weprin, Alex (2008-01-16). "WWE Suspends Two Over Performance-Enhancing Drugs". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  28. ^ Cawthon, Graham. "Ring Results: 2008 (January–June)". The History of WWE. Retrieved 2009-12-19.
  29. ^ "NWA Arizona Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  30. ^ "03/10/09 NWA IZW Results". NWA Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  31. ^ "08/11/09 NWA IZW Results". NWA Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  32. ^ "09/08/09 NWA IZW Results". NWA Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-03-08.
  33. ^ "IZW Heavyweight Championship history".

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Derick_Neikirk&oldid=1142761766"