Post by Juan Hefe on Apr 24, 2005 20:49:44 GMT -5
Character Owned By: Onslaught Six
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 237 lbs
Hometown: Detroit, Michigan (USA)
Entrance Music: DX Theme - Run DMC
Signature Moves: Curry Chokeslam, LIFTOR Bomb, Up & Down, LIFTOR Driver, Tazplex, Sitting Cobra Clutch, Standing Cobra Clutch, Left-hand Lariat, Falling Clothesline, Slammin' Spear, The Currination, Curry Crossface, The Super Tazplex, Spice Spiral.
Bio: A wrestling machine, LIFTOR enhances any promotion he takes part in.
Born Johnathan Peter Curry, LIFTOR grew up on the mean streets of Detroit, Michigan. His neighbourhood was ransacked by a gang in blue calling themselves the Boosters. It was at thirteen that Curry and two of his friends started a rival gang to combat them, and they were unlike the Boosters in that they didn't wear their colours proudly--rather, they were restricted to one yellow bandana tied around the bicep or knee, which allowed for more stealthy acts. Curry's gang was originally known as the Lifters, but after a grafitti misspelling (and for added coolness) it was changed to the LIFTORs. Curry held a strict code to himself that he would do drive-bys and other gang acts, but he would never kill a man--just wound them.
At sixteen, Curry was driving a stolen Boosters car with his gang members in the back shooting as they chased in a truck. Both members ended up getting killed, leaving Curry the sole member. Curry ended up smashing the car into a lamp post, totaling it. Curry left the scene and vowed to get out of the gang war. Because the Boosters were still after him, Curry decided to get skilled in hand to hand combat, and began to take wrestling lessons from a local school--That's when John found a love for the sport.
Curry slowly developed a wrestling persona based around this badass gang member image he had, but with a twist--This persona would handle his problems not with guns, but with his wrestling. He continued to wear the yellow bandana around his left knee as a tribute to his two dead friends, and his wrestling name, LIFTOR, is derived from the gang name. The mask, reportedly, started off as a full face mask, but during training it would get in the way of him taking certain bumps properly--so he ripped parts of it right off in the gym. He then slowly perfected the mask into the LIFTOR mask known today.
Curry debuted in America in 1994. With a faster pace than most Indy workers at the time, and a lean, 224lbs Juniour-Heavyweight physique, "The LIFTOR" became the hottest thing in North America. So naturally, he gained enough money working in the New England territory alone that he could travel for a Japanese tour.
LIFTOR chose to tour with a Japanese Indy group called Neo-Ki Japan. It was here that LIFTOR met Ryan Kilst and Mistress Jessica, and established friendships with them. Jessica's ring work needed improvement, while Ryan Kilst needed help defeating a wrestler known as Kenzo Sawada. LIFTOR helped both of them out, and the First Currination was born. In an early 1995 match, Curry's right leg was brutally attacked by Billy Derrg. Curry had to immediately be taken to the hospital, where he was given a metal knee brace to keep the knee from moving too much so that he could keep working before he had surgery. However, Curry never went in for the surgery, and his right knee has become accustomed the the brace--he can't stand on his right leg without it.
Glen Jacobs was sent to Neo-Ki Japan to test out the 'Kane' gimmick in 1996, and succeeded primarily from his association with the Currination. However, being forced to compete with the amazingly good Michinoku Pro promotion, Neo-Ki Japan shut down.
It was after this that LIFTOR and Jess developed a relationship. LIFTOR travelled back to America, more skilled and with a much bulkier frame--up to 244lbs. LIFTOR had a tryout match with the WWF in 1997 (as per Kane's recommendation), but reportedly wasn't what they were looking for. Curry worked all around America--and took Jessica wherever he went with him. Curry had it put in all of his Indy contracts that Jess would be signed as well--and all of the money would go to his bank account. This led to Curry making twice the money that any other Indy worker would make, on a technicality, and gave him the moniker of "The highest-paid worker on the Independant circuit today."
LIFTOR worked all around America, 'and' Japan. He would frequently travel to the Land of the Rising Sun to perform in deep undercard or opening matches for All Japan and New Japan Pro Wrestling. LIFTOR's style would often confuse people, as he wouldn't usually use one set of moves. It would almost seem as if Curry was several different wrestlers, and would change to one of them depending on who his opponent was.
This is, in fact, LIFTOR's styling. Curry trained so much in all the different styles over the years that he can almost instantaneously change and adapt to a different style. This makes him deadly inside of the ring, because he won't just be able to mimick your own style, but he can switch it up right before your eyes and bust out something totally different on you.
Curry lost some weight in 2002 (as per Jessica's command) and shrunk down to 237lbs. In 2003, Curry visited Pro Wrestling NOAH in Japan for the first time, and met with Kenta Kobashi. Kobashi was meant to come back to America to have a match with Curry, but the deal fell through due to the American promotion not wanting to pay Kobashi the right amount. In 2004, LIFTOR joined World Wide Web Championship Wrestling (WWWCW), but it quickly shut its doors. Later that year, LIFTOR joined Simulated Wrestling Federation (SWF), only to have the promotion permanently close its doors in February of 2005. LIFTOR developed a working relationship with Vertigo in SWF over the SWF Heavyweight Title, and his stable, the Currination, developed a feud with El Hijo Del Perra.
After SWF shut down, Juan Hefe asked John Curry to come to his upstart Maritime Wrestling Alliance promotion. Never one to turn down an oppurtunity to bring a new promotion to life, LIFTOR flew in for the first show, and in a few weeks he defeated Homicide and Vertigo for both the MWA and SWF Heavyweight Championships in a triple threat Ladder match. LIFTOR unified both of the titles into the awesome NMHC Heavyweight Championship.
Shortly after, the Currination started a feud with Sephiru's new stable, the Fearsome Four. This feud was very intense, and lasted for months--and it truly established Curry as a major competitor in the MWA.
In the "UCW Invasion" angle, John Curry faced off with Seth Lawless for the NMHC. He captured the title from Lawless and drove UCW away, 'purifying' MWA of them.
In mid-2005, after almost ten years of being together, LIFTOR and Jess began to have relationship problems--reportedly on Jess's attitude towards the wrestling buisiness and matches in general. On November 1st, LIFTOR and Jess officially 'broke up,' and Jess left MWA. LIFTOR then feuded with Raven, frequently citing his 'girlfriend' also mentioned in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and it was eventually revealed that Raven's girlfriend was in fact Mistress Jessica. LIFTOR beat Raven one more time, and has since ceased to associate with her on anything more than a professional level.
John Curry still carries on the feud/rivalry between himself and Vertigo to this day. At times it's sort of love/hate. One moment they'll be at each other's throats, and the next they'll be having lunch to discuss buisiness. Curry has almost taken a backseat to other stars in the MWA these days, still having a match or getting involved once in a while after being named Vice President of Afterburn by Vertigo. LIFTOR has also always been involved in MWA's buisiness side, since the days of Juan Hefe. He has also taken the role of booker and even owner/operator of the MWA on several different occasions.