Background and career
Marc Mero (born July 9, 1960) is an American motivational speaker and retired professional wrestler and amateur boxer. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under his real name and with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and NWA Total Nonstop Action (NWA TNA) under the ring name Johnny B. Badd. Mero was heavily pushed as a mid-carder as "Johnny B. Badd" in WCW during the early 1990s. He won the WCW World Television Championship three times during the course of his career before departing the company due to creative differences in 1996. He would then compete in WWF under his real name, making his debut at WrestleMania XII and going on to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship. He would then feud with his wife Sable before departing in 1999. Mero's last mainstream appearance was in NWA TNA, where he wrestled sporadically in the mid-2000s.
Mero was born into a Jewish family in Buffalo, New York (his grandfather shortened the family name from "Merowitz"). His parents divorced when he was eight years old, with his mother supporting him and his two siblings by working two jobs. At the age of 12, Mero began playing hockey, eventually becoming his league's Most Valuable Player. In 1973, Mero's family relocated to Liverpool, New York, where Mero played for the Mid State Youth Hockey League. At age 15, Mero began playing for the Syracuse Stars Junior Hockey Team. Mero began playing football in his senior year at Liverpool High School, with his team winning the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Title under the tutelage of future Notre Dame and UCF coach George O'Leary. In the same year, Mero began training as a boxer under Golden Gloves coach Ray Rinaldi. Mero went on to win four New York State titles, including the New York Golden Gloves tournament. Mero intended to become a professional boxer, but his career was sidelined after his nose was broken in an accident. He briefly pursued a bodybuilding career, placing third in the Mr. New York State bodybuilding contest. In his 20s, Mero became a Christian.
In 1990, Mero decided to become a wrestler, traveling to Tampa, Florida to train under the Malenkos. He debuted in June 1990 in Suncoast Pro Wrestling, against Chris Zaharias. He would spend the next several months working the Florida independent circuit.
Several months after his SPW debut, Mero began working for World Championship Wrestling, originally as enhancement talent. He debuted on February 4 at the WCW Saturday Night television taping at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, teaming with Greg Sawyer in a loss to NWA World Tag Team Champions Doom in a non-title squash match that aired on February 16. Mero spent over three months putting over big names like Sid Vicious, Ron Simmons, Lex Luger, Sting, Rick Steiner, Big Van Vader and The Young Pistols, before he was eventually signed to a contract by booker Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes repackaged Mero with the ring name Johnny B. Badd (as a nod to the Chuck Berry song "Johnny B. Goode") and he was given the character of a flamboyant Little Richard look-alike. He was initially a villain and managed by Teddy Long. He debuted at the inaugural SuperBrawl pay-per-view, on May 19, 1991, where he was introduced as Long's newest client. He made his televised in-ring debut on the June 1 episode of World Championship Wrestling against enhancement talent Kip Abee. Badd made his pay-per-view debut at The Great American Bash, where he lost to The Yellow Dog by disqualification after Long tried to remove Yellow Dog's mask. Badd was heavily pushed upon his debut, being placed in the rankings of the top ten contenders for the World Heavyweight Championship due to a dominant undefeated streak. He put his lip stickers on the faces of his defeated opponents after matches. On August 25, he participated in a tournament for the vacated United States Heavyweight Championship, where he faced Yellow Dog to a no contest in the quarter-final. As a result, both men were eliminated from the tournament. Badd suffered his first pinfall loss on television on the September 5 Clash of the Champions XVI: Fall Brawl, where he was pinned by the United States Heavyweight Champion Sting. Badd continued his dominance with a win over Jimmy Garvin at Halloween Havoc and unsuccessfully challenged Brian Pillman for the Light Heavyweight Championship on the November 19 Clash of the Champions XVII. On the December 22 episode of Main Event, Badd teamed with Diamond Studd to take on Tom Zenk and P. N. News in a tag team match, which Badd's team lost. After the match, Badd was attacked by Studd and Diamond Dallas Page until Zenk and News came to his rescue. As a result, Badd turned into a fan favorite. Badd made his first appearance at the company's flagship event Starrcade, where he was randomly placed with Arachnaman in a Lethal Lottery tag team match against Scott Steiner and Firebreaker Chip. Badd's team lost. Shortly after, he began using "Badd Blaster", a confetti gun that he would fire before his matches. Badd continued to rack up wins against the likes of Richard Morton and Tracy Smothers in the first half of 1992. He feuded with Page and his teammate Scotty Flamingo and the two competed in a series of televised and non-televised matches throughout 1992, including a boxing match on the November 18 Clash of the Champions XXI, which Flamingo won in the third round after Page filled Flamingo's boxing glove with water. Mero got involved in a rivalry with Cactus Jack after the two were randomly placed as tag team partners via Lethal Lottery for Starrcade but failed to get along. The duo teamed for the first time on the December 26 episode of Saturday Night, where they defeated Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce. They had a confrontation after the match, during which Jack delivered a double underhook DDT. At Starrcade, Mero's team lost in their Lethal Lottery match after Mero knocked Jack out with a Tutti Frutti. Mero faced Jack in a match on the January 13, 1993 Clash of the Champions XXII, where he lost. Badd began his next major program with Maxx Payne after Payne injured him with a Payne Killer on February 9. During this rivalry, Payne stole the Badd Blaster and Badd attempted to reclaim his gun. Badd lost a match to Payne by forfeit on the June 16 Clash of the Champions XXIII after Payne took him out with the Badd Blaster. Badd donned a mask due to the sustained injuries and faced Payne in a series of matches. He defeated Payne at the Beach Blast pay-per-view but lost to him in a no disqualification match on the July 31 episode of Saturday Night. Badd defeated Payne in a mask versus guitar match on the August 18 Clash of the Champions XXIV, to claim Payne's guitar. The two ended their feud on the October 30 episode of Saturday Night, where both men shook hands and buried the hatchet after a confrontation with Paul Orndorff. Badd unsuccessfully challenged Lord Steven Regal for the WCW World Television Championship on the November 10 Clash of the Champions XXV. He was randomly paired with Brian Knobbs in a Lethal Lottery at the Battlebowl pay-per-view, where Badd's team won to qualify for the Battlebowl battle royal. He eliminated Rip Rogers before being eliminated by Paul Orndorff.
Badd received his first world championship opportunity on the February 12, 1994, episode of Saturday Night, where he challenged Rick Rude for the International World Heavyweight Championship in a losing effort. During this time, Badd formed a tag team with Michael Hayes and began a feud with Harlem Heat. Hayes turned on Badd during a no disqualification match against Harlem Heat on the February 19 episode of Saturday Night. As a result, Badd would be facing Hayes, the following night at SuperBrawl IV, where Hayes was replaced by Jimmy Garvin, whom Badd defeated. Badd began pursuing the United States Heavyweight Championship after he lost a tuxedo match against champion Steve Austin on the May 7 episode of WorldWide, after Col. Robert Parker pulled off Badd's pants. Badd faced Austin for the title in a losing effort at Slamboree Badd received another title shot on the June 23 Clash of the Champions XXVII, where Austin initially retained the title by pinning Badd after hitting him with a foreign object, but the referee reversed the decision, during which Badd pinned Austin. However, due to the controversial finish, Austin retained the title. Badd substituted for the injured Sting as Lord Steven Regal's challenger for the World Television Championship at Bash at the Beach, where he failed to win the title. However, Badd remained in the title contention. Mero beat Regal for the title at Fall Brawl to gain his first singles championship in WCW. Badd made his first successful title defense against Bobby Eaton on the October 1 episode of WorldWide. He retained the title in major title defenses against The Honky Tonk Man at Halloween Havoc and the November 16 Clash of the Champions XXIX. Badd was scheduled to defend the title against Honky for a third time at Starrcade '94: Triple Threat but Honky left the company before the event and was replaced by Arn Anderson, whom Badd defeated to retain the title. Badd dropped the title to Anderson on the January 8, 1995, episode of Main Event. Badd failed to win the title in subsequent rematches on the January 25 Clash of the Champions XXX, February 18 episode of Saturday Night and February 19 episode of Main Event. Badd defeated Anderson in a boxer-versus-wrestler match at Uncensored to end the rivalry. Badd competed in the mid-card throughout 1995, until he defeated Brian Pillman to become the #1 contender for the United States Heavyweight Championship at Fall Brawl. Badd received his title shot on the September 30 episode of Saturday Night against Sting, but failed to appear as he had been attacked by the Television Champion Diamond Dallas Page. Badd faced and defeated Page to win his second World Television Championship at Halloween Havoc. Badd defended the title against Page at the inaugural World War 3 pay-per-view, with the stipulation that if Badd won, he would gain Page's Diamond Doll as his valet. Badd defeated Page to retain the title and won the services of Kimberly, but he freed her. She continued to be in Badd's corner and the rivalry with Page continued. Badd defeated Page to retain the title at SuperBrawl VI in 1996. Badd lost the World Television Championship to Lex Luger during a house show on February 17, but defeated Luger to regain the title on February 18. He lost the title to Luger again on the March 9 episode of Saturday Night, after Page delivered a Diamond Cutter to Badd on the floor. This was Badd's final appearance in WCW. He left the company because he strongly objected to the ongoing angle with Kimberly Page.
After leaving WCW, he immediately signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where he began competing under his real name because WCW acquired the rights to the Johnny B. Badd name. He debuted in WWF as a fan favorite at WrestleMania XII, on March 31, 1996, where he rescued his wife, Rena "Sable" Mero from Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Mero made his in-ring debut, the following night on Monday Night Raw, where he defeated Isaac Yankem DDS. The following night after his in-ring debut on Action Zone, he partnered with Ahmed Johnson to take on Camp Cornette at the San Diego Sports Arena. Beginning with the April 15 episode of Raw, Sable began accompanying Mero to the ring during his matches with various outfits and whips and he adopted the nickname and a Jungle Gimmick called "Wildman", Both Mero and Sable adopted the nickname World Wrestling Federation's 1 2 Punch . Mero defeated Helmsley in his pay-per-view debut at In Your House 8. Mero qualified for the King of the Ring tournament by defeating Skip on the June 10 episode of Raw. He defeated Owen Hart in the quarter-final, the following week on Raw, but lost to eventual winner Stone Cold Steve Austin in the semi-final at King of the Ring. Mero began a rivalry with Goldust after Goldust won a match between the pair on the July 1 episode of Raw. Mero faced Goldust in a losing effort at the SummerSlam pay-per-view. On the September 6 episode of Raw, Mero participated in a tournament for the Intercontinental Championship, which was vacated by Ahmed Johnson due to injury. Mero defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin, Owen Hart and Faarooq to win the title on September 23 episode of Raw. Mero successfully defended the title against Goldust, with the assistance of Mr. Perfect at In Your House 10. He dropped the title to rival Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the following night on Raw after Perfect goaded Mero into defending the title against Helmsley and hit him with a steel chair. Mero led a team of Jake Roberts, The Stalker and newcomer Rocky Maivia against Helmsley, Crush, Goldust and Jerry Lawler in a four-on-four elimination tag team match at Survivor Series. Mero was eliminated by Crush but his team won the match. Mero faced Helmsley for the Intercontinental Championship at In Your House 12, where Mero won by count-out. Mero participated in the 1997 Royal Rumble match as the #16 entrant. He was eliminated by the eventual winner Stone Cold Steve Austin. On the February 3 episode of Raw, Mero received his last opportunity for the Intercontinental Championship against Hunter Hearst Helmsley, where he failed to win the title. Later that month, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, and spent seven months rehabilitating.
