Jason Cross
| Jason Cross | |
|---|---|
 Jason Cross in January 2014. | |
| Birth name | William Jason Massengale |
| Born |
June 13, 1979 Macon, Georgia, US[1][2] |
| Residence | Ivey, Georgia, US |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
Jason Cross[1][2] The Role Model[1] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[1][2] |
| Billed weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st)[2] |
| Billed from | Gainesville, Georgia |
| Trained by | John Phoenix[1][2] |
| Debut | 1998[1][2] |
William Jason Massengale[2] (born June 13, 1979) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Jason Cross. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling from 2002 to 2004.
Professional wrestling career
NWA Wildside (2002–2005)
After training under his childhood friend, mentor and perpetual superior John Phoenix aka John Couch, Massengale made his professional wrestling debut with a local promotion in 1998 at Walter B. Williams Gymnasium, Milledgeville, GA. Jason Cross later appeared in NWA Wildside in mid-2001 where he, Adam Jacobs, John Phoenix and Prince Justice defeated A.J. Styles, Onyx, Air Paris and Stone Mountain.[3] Soon after his debut in Wildside, Cross became a heel and was managed by Jeff G. Bailey, Styles' former manager. Cross' gimmick was that of a "clone" of Styles, in which Cross copied him in every aspect, such as attire and wrestling moves. After David Young defeated Styles for the Heavyweight Title, Cross left Bailey and became a face before beginning a feud with Young over the championship. Three months later, he defeated Young for the championship on June 1, 2002.[3] Cross held the title just under a month before losing it to Adam Jacobs. After losing to Jeremy V in a match for the vacant Television Championship on August 27, 2004,[4] Cross began feuding with Onyx over the Heavyweight Championship after Onyx won the title. On September 4, 2004, Cross defeated Onyx for his second and final Heavyweight Championship. Cross held the title for exactly one month before losing it to Ray Gordy and remained within NWA Wildside until its closure in 2005.[5]
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002–2004)
In addition to wrestling for NWA Wildside, Cross also began competing for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. On January 15, 2003, Massengale, under his Jason Cross ring name, suffered a broken hand and a crushed knuckle in a losing effort against David Young. However, he recovered soon afterwards and he began appearing regularly in TNA as a part of its X Division. On February 26, Cross wrestled then-X Division Champion Kid Kash in a match for the title, which Cross lost.[3] After this, he wrestled in a few more matches sparingly throughout 2003. On August 11, 2004 at a weekly pay-per-view, Cross wrestled in a 22-man gauntlet match for the X Division Title, but was the sixth competitor eliminated as Petey Williams would go on to win the match and the title.[5] He then wrestled in a few six-man tag team matches before competing in a 20-man gauntlet match at TNA's first-ever official pay-per-view event, Victory Road, which he lost.[2]
Independent circuit (2005–2008, 2013)
After leaving TNA, Massengale began wrestling for various independent promotions in his homestate of Georgia under his Jason Cross ring name, including Georgia Championship Wrestling, the Independent Wrestling Network and Rampage Pro Wrestling.[2]
Personal life
Massengale is married to Tara Lyn Tapley.[2]
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Brainbuster[2][6][7][8] – 2002–2005; used as a signature move from 2006–present
- Crossfire (Shooting star leg drop)[2][8][9]
- Reverse STO[10] – 2005
- Triple Cross (Rope hung corkscrew neckbreaker)[11] – 2003; used as a signature move from 2004–present
- Signature moves
- Corkscrew plancha[8][10][12]
- Cross Star Press (Shooting star press, sometimes while running)[2][13]
- Dragon suplex[8][13]
- Hurricanrana[13]
- Inverted double underhook facebuster[8]
- Lariat[13]
- Multiple kick variations
- Multiple leg drop variations
- Rolling cutter[2]
- Saito suplex[7]
- Somersault plancha[8]
- Managers
- Jeff G. Bailey[15]
- Nicknames
- "The Role Model"[1]
- Entrance themes
- "Figure.09" by Linkin Park[16]
Championships and accomplishments
- Georgia Championship Wrestling1
- New Alliance Wrestling
- NAW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[2]
- NWA Wildside
- Northern Wrestling Federation'
- NWF Tri-State Championship - (1 Time)
- NWF Tag Team Championship - (1 Time) With Nick Rivers
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
1This Georgia-based promotion, which was eventually renamed Great Championship Wrestling, has no connection to the Georgia Championship Wrestling that was a prominent NWA affiliate until it was purchased by Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Cagematch profile".
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "OWOW profile". Online World of Wrestling.
- 1 2 3 "Cross' matches at Cagematch".
- ↑ "The Magnus Analysis - NWA Wildside TV 8/27/2004".
- 1 2 "Second page of Cross' matches at Cagematch".
- 1 2 "TNA weekly pay-per-view report on March 19, 2003".
- 1 2 3 "8/21 NWA Wildside TV review: Onyx & Jacobs vs. Cross & Adryan, Bailey".
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "DVD review: Burgan reviews ROH Do Or Die: Samoa Joe, Homicide, Jody Fleisch, debut of John Walters".
- ↑ "TNA weekly pay-per-view report on February 18, 2004".
- 1 2 3 "1/1 NWA Wildside in Georgia: A.J. Styles vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Jason Cross, New Jack".
- 1 2 3 "NWA Wildside TV review: Jason Cross, Jorge Estrada, Air Paris".
- ↑ "TNA weekly pay-per-view report on May 22, 2003".
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "10/30 NWA Wildside TV review: Cross vs. Gabriel, Iron Saints vs. Fury and Halen".
- ↑ "TNA weekly pay-per-view report on August 25, 2004".
- ↑ "Managers".
- ↑ "Entrance themes".
- ↑ "GCW Heavyweight Championship history".
- ↑ "GCW Tag Team Championship history".
- ↑ "GCW Interstate Heavyweight Championship history".
- ↑ "GCW United States Junior Heavyweight Championship history".
- ↑ "NWA Wildside Heavyweight Championship history".
- ↑ "Awards".