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Penwortham, Lancashire
Stuart Alexander "Stu" Bennett (born 10 August 1980) is an English professional wrestler and former bare-knuckle boxer. He is signed to WWE, where he performs under the ring name Wade Barrett.
Barrett won his first singles championship, the WWE United States Championship in July 2012 and would go on to hold the title for over six months, before vacating it in January 2013. In 2012, Barrett also aligned himself with Jon Moxley and Lizzie Ryan. In early 2013 they formed The Alliance along with Sterling James Keenan, Jimmy Jacobs and Seth Rollins. In May 2013 Barrett would leave the stable and a feud with his former stablemates commenced.
Early life[]
Bennett was born in Penwortham, Lancashire. He lived in Preston until the age of six, when he moved to Wales with his family. Bennett was inspired by his idol Davey Boy Smith to become a professional wrestler, and named the WWF Intercontinental Championship match in the main event of SummerSlam 1992 (between Smith and Bret Hart, another childhood hero) as his all-time favourite match. Bennett gained a degree in marine biology from University of Liverpool, working in a science laboratory and as a Recruitment Consultant at Venn Group's London Office whilst training to become a wrestler.
Bare-knuckle boxing[]
While living in Liverpool in his early twenties, Bennett became a champion bare-knuckle boxer, going on to fight in various locations throughout Europe. He competed in a match dubbed by the bare knuckle underworld as "The Battle of Buda", in which he defeated a reputable opponent for a big cash prize. Afterwards, as he walked through an alleyway in search of a taxi to the airport, Bennett was stabbed with an eight-inch blade by someone who attempted to steal the cash. He has refused to elaborate on the incident for legal reasons, but the assailant incurred serious injuries, and Bennett escaped with the cash despite significant blood loss. The attack left him with a 12-inch scar that stretches from his upper back to halfway down his right triceps, and the punches he took during his bare-knuckle career left him with a disfigured nose, but he has expressed no regret over that period of his life. He incorporated his bare-knuckle career into his WWE gimmick at the request of Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, being introduced to the WWE crowd as a European bare-knuckle champion who had fought on the streets of England and Europe. His Wasteland move is named after the site of many of his fights in Europe.
Professional wrestling career[]
Debut[]
Bennett decided to become a professional wrestler at the age of 21, and was trained by Jon Ritchie and Al Snow. He made his professional wrestling debut in June 2004, using the ring name "Stu Sanders", as a surprise entrant in a 30-man battle royal held by NWA UK Hammerlock Wrestling. Sanders also performed at numerous Dropkixx Wrestling, Real Quality Wrestling and All Star Wrestling events, as well as wrestling in Wales for Welsh Wrestling. In June 2005 he beat Danny Beckwith for the Dropkixx IWC Heavyweight Championship.
In 2005 he feuded with Nick Aldis in Dropkixx Wrestling, who would go on to become Magnus in TNA.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE[]
Info Here
Personal life[]
Bennett has three tattoos: barbed wire on his left deltoid, which he later expanded to cover the entire deltoid, a tribal design directly underneath the first tattoo, and a rose on his right deltoid with the words "Culture, Alienation, Boredom, & Despair" (a line from the Manic Street Preachers song "Little Baby Nothing"). Bennett is a supporter of Preston North End and the Chicago Bears. He plays the guitar in his spare time, and enjoys reading the works of Hunter S. Thompson. His favourite bands include Guns N' Roses, Manic Street Preachers, The Beatles, The Jam, The Smiths, The Stereophonics, and The Stone Roses.
In 2012, Barrett legally adopted WWE Diva Lizzie Ryan as his daughter. Barrett was previously in a brief relationship with WWE Diva Nadia Giovanni. Barrett dated WWE Diva and Ring Announcer Vaeda Rosa.
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- Souvenir (High-impact elbow smash, sometimes transitioned from a short-arm) – 2012–present
- Wasteland (Forward fireman's carry slam) – 2010–2012; used as a signature move thereafter
- Signature moves
- Backbreaker, sometimes while slingshotting
- Belly to belly suplex
- Elbow drop, sometimes from the second rope
- Leaping elbow smash
- Multiple kick variations
- Back
- Big boot, sometimes to an opponent trapped in the ropes
- Drop
- Multiple knee lifts to an opponent trapped in the ropes
- Neckbreaker
- Powerbomb, sometimes dropped into a sitout position
- Pumphandle falling powerslam
- Running knee lift to an opponent draped over the top turnbuckle
- Short-arm clothesline
- Single underhook followed by multiple punches to the opponent's ribs
- Winds of Change (Spinning side slam)
- Nicknames
- "The Prince"
- "The Bare Knuckle Brawler / Fighter / Champion"
- "The Jackal"
- "The Pinnacle"
- Entrance themes
- "Vicarious" by Tool (2012–2013)
- "Slash N Burn" by Manic Street Preachers (2013–present)