Former WWE star Nick Dinsmore to debut comedy career Friday in Aberdeen
Professional wrestling is something Nick Dinsmore knew he wanted to do even when he was a kid.
And wrestle he did. His successful career was highlighted by a couple of stints with World Wrestling Entertainment. In the ring, Dinsmore was known to many fans as Eugene.
Now, Dinsmore is exploring another form of entertainment — comedy.
Friday, he will appear in his first booked show at Hub City Station Event Center, 1923 Sixth Ave S.E., Suite 104.
The show will be a compilation of Dinsmore's stories from his career and life. He's still active on the professional wrestling circuit. He said he worked last weekend in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Dinsmore said his wrestling career prepared him for his new venture. He said he's not exactly a standup comic, more a sit-down comedian who shares humorous stories. He's debuting the new gig in Aberdeen.
“I’m a little nervous, but for me, that’s to be expected. I’m pretty excited. I got a lot of funny stories about places I’ve been wrestling with the names that all wrestling fans will know," Dinsmore said.
The show starts at 8 p.m. and will be hosted by Jon Boon. There is no charge.
Championship career
After premiering in 1996, Dinsmore wrestled early in his career in the United States Wrestling Association, a Memphis-based promotion that was owned by Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler, and Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he had great success.
When he started in OVW, Dinsmore said he was also attending college and working at a factory and a restaurant. But that didn't slow his career.
Dinsmore is a 10-time OVW heavyweight champion and an 11-time OVW southern tag team champ. Ten times he won the tag belts with Rob Conway as part of a team called Lords of the Ring. His first tag team title came with Flash Flanagan in August 1997.
In 1997, Dinsmore was spotted by fellow wrestler Terry Taylor and went to World Championship Wrestling. At the time, WCW was the prime rival to WWE. In WCW, Dinsmore wrestled at the first Brian Pillman Memorial Show, where he defeated Trailer Park Trash.
In 1999, Taylor moved to the WWE and took Dinsmore with him. For Dinsmore, that actually meant a return to OVW, which was then a developmental territory for the WWE. Back in OVW, he worked with some of the biggest names in pro wrestling today, including Webster native Brock Lesnar, John Cena and Randy Orton.
Moving up to the main roster
While others moved up to the big-time WWE, Dinsmore didn't. At least not until he complained a little. He said he even told a buddy he was going to quit and move to Japan to wrestle.
“I’ve seen so many other guys in development complain and then get called up. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. So I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’ll just complain a little bit and see what happens,’” Dinsmore said.
He said he wasn’t serious, but the talk made its way to the WWE brass, and suddenly Dinsmore was in a meeting with WWE owner Vince McMahon and his daughter Stephanie.
That’s where Dinsmore pitched his character idea of Eugene, an anti-social wrestler who couldn’t tie his shoes, but was a great wrestler once the bell rang.
Dinsmore said the idea came from "The Hustler" Rip Rogers, a trainer with OVW who had a son on the autistic spectrum.
“I was a really good wrestler, but (in the) WWE, sometimes you need something a little bit more than just being a black and white, typical, babyface wrestler. I knew that I needed some kind of character,” Dinsmore said.
He said that during the meeting with the McMahons, Stone Cold Steve Austin was present and vouched for him.
“Steve was like, ‘He’s probably one of the best.’ That vote of confidence was given to Vince and Stephanie in the room they, said, ‘OK, let’s try this.’ I don’t think they thought that it would succeed,” Dinsmore said.
"I’ve been under contract so long that they do it with a lot of people. Like, ‘Let’s just give this guy a shot, and if it doesn’t work out, then that was his shot.’ So it was up to me to make it work, and I just went out there and I had fun. And because I had so much experience, I knew how to connect to the crowd, and it was just something that I’ve literally always been able to do.”
In 2004, Dinsmore made his first WWE appearance on "Raw " as Eugene, an over-excited wrestler and nephew of Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff.
“It was a goal in the sense that I didn't know if I would make it. It was just something I wanted to try for professional wrestling because I enjoyed it and I was athletic and good things kept happening. I just kept working hard and showing up (with) my eyes opened, my ears opened and my mouth closed,” Dinsmore said.
Dinsmore won the WWE tag team championship with William Regal in November 2004. At WrestleMania 21 the next year, Dinsmore had his "WrestleMania moment." As he delivered a promo, he was attacked by wrestlers Muhammad Hassan and Daivari. That's when Hulk Hogan came to his rescue, attacking Hassan and Daivari.
Dinsmore wrestled in the WWE into 2007, when he joined Juggalo Championship Wrestling. He signed another WWE contract in 2009, working briefly as a coach and wrestler.
From 2013 to 2015, Dinsmore again returned to the WWE, working in the promotion's performance center in Orlando with up-and-coming stars such as Kevin Owens, Braun Strowman, Sami Zayn and Charlotte Flair.
A move to Sioux Falls
After that, Dinsmore moved to Sioux Falls to live with his wife, Stephanie. There, he began running his own shows under Midwest All Pro Wrestling, which he sold in 2021. Dinsmore had his first event in November of 2015, garnering about 250 fans. In 2016, he said his second show drew about 850 fans.
Dinsmore said that whenever he wasn’t under contract with the WWE, he would travel and wrestle on the weekends. He announced his retirement tour last year, but is still at it.
“I always have a good time out there. It’s always fun. My body is kind of lagging a little bit. I don’t have horrible health, but it’s a little back issues, it’s knee issues. But as long as those feel fine, I go out there and have a good time,” Dinsmore said.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Former WWE star Eugene to debut comedy career in Aberdeen