Athletes - Peter Gruner

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	Athletes - Peter Gruner

Peter Jacob Gruner (born May 11, 1974 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Billy Kidman. Kidman is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Career

Gruner grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the state's Lehigh Valley region, which is one of the most competitive areas in the nation for high school and collegiate wrestling. He joined the WCW and ultimately gained fame as a key member of several strong wrestling factions. In addition to being a member of Raven's Flock, he also was a member of the Filthy Animals and later New Blood. As a member of these factions, Gruner participated in memorable rivalries with top WCW names, including Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Rey Mysterio, and others.

In 2000, Gruner appeared in the movie, Ready to Rumble, along side many WCW stars.

When the WWF purchased WCW, Gruner, still wrestling as Billy Kidman, was among the first to join WWF as a heel in the WCW Alliance. Gruner's impact on the cruiserweight division was immediately felt when he won the Cruiserweight Championship in July 2001.

Kidman turned face after the WCW/ECW Alliance broke up. He went on to capture the Cruiserweight Championship for the seventh time by defeating Jamie Noble at Survivor Series, later Kidman was placed with a new tag team partner, Paul London. The team went on to win the WWE Tag Team Titles from The Dudley Boyz on July 8, 2004.

The champion run of this face team came to an abrupt end after Kidman turned his back on London, leaving him to wrestle a tag team title match on his own. The heel turn came off the back of a legitimate injury on an August 24, 2004 taping of SmackDown!, where Billy Kidman's Shooting Star Press caused Chavo Guerrero to suffer a concussion and be taken to the hospital.

The pair fought at No Mercy (2004), where Kidman injured London with a shooting star press, while London was strapped to a stretcher. When Chavo returned, he faced off with Kidman in a storyline resulting from the injury.

Gruner was released from his WWE contract on July 5, 2005 following months of speculation that the cumulative effect of his multiple injuries would force him to retire.

Gruner has since wrestled on occassion for the National Wrestling Alliance making appearances on its NWA Italy tour. There were talks that Kidman was considering signing with TNA, but told TNA after a few months of speculation that he was enjoying his time off with wife Torrie Wilson, and has no plans on returning in the ring anytime soon.

On the 12th of March 2006, it was officially announced by the Frontier Wrestling Alliance in the United Kingdom that Billy Kidman would be making an appearance on an FWA show, when they visit the Colchester Hippodrome on Sunday, April 30th. Kidman broke the news himself during a phone in on "The Fight Network" radio show a few day before hand.

In wrestling

Finishing and signature moves

Seven Year Itch / Shooting Star Press
BK Bomb (sitout spinebuster slam)
Kid Krusher (inverted double underhook facebuster)
K-Factor (Sitout facebuster powerbomb counter)
Springboard legdrop
Springboard bulldog
Signature standing dropkick
Fireman's carry into a neckbreaker on the knee

Managers

Championships and accomplishments

CWA

:*1-time CWA Tag Team Champion

East Coast Wrestling Association

:*1-time ECWA Tag Team Champion (with Ace Darling) :*ECWA Hall of Famer (2004 inductee)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

:*PWI ranked him # 313 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.

TWWF

:*1-time TWWF Cruiserweight Champion

United States Wrestling Association

:*1-time USWA Tag Team Champion (with Ace Darling)

World Championship Wrestling

:*5-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion :*2-time WCW World Tag Team Champion (1-time with Rey Misterio, Jr., 1-time with Konnan) :*1-time WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion (with Rey Misterio Jr.)

World Wrestling Entertainment

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Peter Gruner ]

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