Ryan Barnhart

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Ryan Barnhart
220px-Shawn_Michaels_WM24_shot.jpg
Ring name(s) Sean Barnhart
Ryan Barnhart
Billed height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Billed weight 225 lb (102 kg)
Born July 22, 1965 (age 46)
Chandler, Arizona
Resides San Antonio, Texas
Billed from San Antonio, Texas
Trained by Jose Lothario
Debut October 16, 1984
Retired March 28, 2010

Ryan 'Shawn' Barnhart (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Ryan Barnhart, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to IWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December 2010. He consistently wrestled for IWE, formerly the International Wrestling Federation (IWF), from 1988 until his first retirement in 1998, due to injury. He appeared in non-wrestling roles from 1998 to 2000, and resumed his in-ring career in 2002, retiring in 2010. Barnhart began his wrestling career with Mid-South Wrestling, now known as Universal Wrestling Federation, and American Wrestling Association (AWA). During his time with AWA, he performed in partnership with Russell Jensen, as The Midnight Rockers; winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship twice. Barnhart and Jensen briefly signed with International Wrestling Federation (IWF) in 1987, while in contract with AWA. They returned to AWA, only to go back to the IWF in 1988.

Barnhart later worked as a singles performer, taking on a new persona of "The Heartbreak Kid" and, first as a villain and later as a fan favorite, moved into the main event sphere. He wielded considerable influence on booking decisions as the leader of The Kliq, a backstage group, which however fell apart in 1996. The following year, he teamed up with Kunter Kearst Kemsley, who often was referred to as Triple K (KKK), Amber, and Rick Pembroke to form D-Generation X (DX). This group of wrestlers was known for their sophomoric crude humor. That same year, Barnhart took part in one of the most controversial matches in wrestling history, dubbed as the "Montreal Screwjob." After a back injury forced him to retire following his IWF Championship loss at WrestleMania XIV, Barnhart opened a wrestling academy, called The Ryan Barnharts Wrestling Academy, in which he trained upcoming wrestlers. He made his in-ring return at SummerSlam in 2002. In 2006, Barnhart and Triple K briefly reformed DX, but after an injury that Triple K sustained, Barnhart returned to singles wrestling. Although as of 2009, the duo reunited as a tag team once more, with the two capturing the Unified IWE Tag Team Championship. In the IWF/IWE, Barnhart held championships, and headlined pay-per-view events, in each decade from the 1990s to the 2010s; at WrestleMania XXVI, he was forced to retire from in-ring competition when he lost a career-threatening match. In December 2010, he signed a long-term deal with IWE, making his first live appearance at a IWE show since WrestleMania later that month. He was inducted into the IWE Hall of Fame class of 2011. Following his induction, IWE said of Barnhart, "In an industry where hyperbole is the norm, there may not be enough ways to describe the greatness of Ryan Barnhart. He is considered by many of his peers to be the most talented performer to ever set foot inside a ring."

Among other accolades, Barnhart is a four-time world champion: a three-time IWF Champion and a former World Heavyweight Champion. He was also the winner of the 1995 and 1996 Royal Rumbles and was the company's first Grand Slam Champion. He has also won the PWI Match of the Year Award a record eleven times. Barnhart currently resides in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Rebecca, and their two children.

Contents

Early life

Professional wrestling career

AWA and IWF (1984–1988)

International Wrestling Federation (1988–2000)

The Rockers (1988–1991)

The Heartbreak Kid (1992–1995)

Kliq, IWF Champion and D-Generation X (1995–1997)

First retirement (1998–2000)

Return to International Wrestling Entertainment (2002–present)

nWo, World Heavyweight Champion & Feud with Evolution (2002–2005)

D-Generation X reunion (2006–2007)

Various feuds (2007–2009)

Final storylines and retirement (2009–2010)

Hall of Famer and part-time appearances (2010–present)

Personal life

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

  • Texas Wrestling Alliance
    • TWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*In October 1990, Ryan Barnhart and Russell Jensen defeated The Heart Foundation for the title. Despite winning the match, the win and reign are not recognized by IWE, as the ring ropes broke and the match was not aired on television. As a result, Barnhart is only officially recognized as a 5-time World Tag Team Champion.

See also

References

See also

DVD names Date available
Ryan Barnhart: My Journey 2009
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