Paul Roma

Infobox Wrestler
name = Paul Centopani
names = Paul Roma


height = height|ft=5|in=11
weight = convert|244|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on
birth_date =birth date and age|1960|4|29
birth_place = Kensington, Kentucky, U.S.
resides = Bridgeport, Connecticut
debut = 1985

Paul Roma (born Paul Centopani April 29, 1960) is a professional wrestler who is most known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Federation

Roma made his pro wrestling debut in 1985 and soon signed contracts with the WWF. His first big break came in 1987 when he was paired up with Jim Powers in a tag team called The Young Stallions. [cite web| url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/87.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1987 | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = Graham Cawthon | quote = Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart (w/ Jimmy Hart & Danny Davis) defeated Paul Roma & Jim Powers] The team seemingly received their name by accident when play-by-play commentator Vince McMahon referred to them once as "a couple of young stallions", thus naming the team. Powers and Roma were still viewed as enhancement talent when, during the August 8, 1987 episode of "WWF Superstars of Wrestling" (taped August 4, they scored an upset disqualification victory over WWF Tag Team Champions the Hart Foundation. [cite web| url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/87.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1987 | accessmonthday = 04-07 | accessyear = 2007| author = Graham Cawthon | quote = Roma & Jim Powers defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart (w/ Jimmy Hart) via disqualification when the champions illegally double teamed the challengers] The victory launched the team into a run as featured performers in the WWF. They were even one of only two surviving teams alongside The Killer Bees in the elimination tag team match at the first annual Survivor Series pay-per-view on November 26, 1987. [cite book | author=Brian Shields | title=Main event – WWE in the raging 80s| publisher=Pocket Books| year=4th Edition 2006 | id=ISBN 978-1-4165-3257-6 ]

It was not too long before WWF owner Vince McMahon seemed to lose interest in the idea of pushing the Young Stallions. This may have been due, in part, to the fact that Powers and Roma did not get along with each other. The team was placed in featured matches on television and at house shows, but most times ended up on the losing end. Following yet another loss, this time to Demolition on the March 19, 1989 episode of "WWF Wrestling Challenge", the team began arguing after the match. Soon, they were split up off camera without an official announcement. Roma and Powers went their separate ways and both floundered on the undercard afterward, for Powers it would be that way for the remainder of his career.

In the summer of 1990 Roma’s career took a turn as he turned heel alongside Hercules [cite web| url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1990 | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = Graham Cawthon | quote = after the bout, the Rockers came out to help Roma but ended up getting into a shoving match with Roma & Hercules] and the two became Power and Glory managed by Slick. They had a high profile feud with the Rockers [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/summer.html#90| title = WWF SummerSlam Results (1990) | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com ] and challenged WWF World Tag-Team Champions the Hart Foundation [cite web| url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/90.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1990 | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = Graham Cawthon | quote = December 27, 1990: WWF Tag Team Champions Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart defeated Paul Roma & Hercules ] but the two, despite working well together as a team, never seemed to be able to win that "big match" they needed to cement themselves as serious players in the tag-team division. When The Legion of Doom squashed them in under a minute at WrestleMania VII [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#VII| title = WWF WrestleMania Results (VII) | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com ] the writing was on the wall, the team was not destined for greatness. After another loss at Summer Slam 1991 [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/summer.html#91 | title = WWF SummerSlam Results (1991) | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com ] Roma left the WWF and Hercules spent the rest of his time in the WWF as an "Enhancement Talent".

World Championship Wrestling

In 1993 Roma signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling and would receive his biggest push of his career, as he became part of the Four Horsemen alongside Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. Ric Flair had returned from the WWF in early 1993 to rejoin Arn and they promised a Horsemen reunion at Slamboree. The original plan was to have former horseman Tully Blanchard return, but the negotiations between WCW and Blanchard hit a snag after Blanchard failed a drug test and Roma was selected instead.Fact|date=October 2008 Roma and Arn Anderson teamed up and won the WCW World Tag Team Championship from "Stunning" Steve Austin and "Lord" Steven Regal (who was substituting for an injured Brian Pillman).cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=4th Edition 2006 | id=ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 ] Roma and Anderson would only hold on to the gold for a little over a month before losing the gold to The Nasty Boys after a short and relatively uneventful title reign.

After the 1993 WCW PPV Battlebowl the Horsemen Roma and Arn Anderson faced the semi-regular team of Paul Orndorff and "Stunning" Steve Austin on WCW Saturday Night. During the match Roma acted very indifferent to his tag-team partner sowing the seeds for his heel turn. Next Roma teamed with Erik Watts to take on the team of Orndorff and Austin once again, this time Roma took it a step further and attacked Erik Watts before announcing that he was now teaming with Paul Orndorff. Under the tutelage of manager Masked Assassin the team quickly began to work well together in a feud with Marcus Alexander Bagwell and 2 Cold Scorpio. [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#93 | title = WCW Starrcade Results (1993) | accessmonthday = 04-07| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com] [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash2.html#XXVI | title = WCW Clash of the Champions Results (XXVI) | accessmonthday = 04-07| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com] After a few months as a team they targeted the then WCW World Tag Team Champions Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan. Going into Bash at the Beach 1994 [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/beach.html#94 | title = WCW Bash at the Beach Results (1994) | accessmonthday = 04-07| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com] Pretty Wonderful had the advantage as both champions were suffering from injuries inflicted by the challengers on previous occasions (or so the storyline went). Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan were unable to hold off Roma and Orndorff as Pretty Wonderful left the ring with the gold. [cite book | author = Mick Foley | title = Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks | publisher = HarperCollins | date = 2000 | pages = 277 | isbn = 0061031011] After winning the titles Pretty Wonderful was immediately challenged by the Nasty Boys but the Nasty Boys were never able to take the gold from the champions. Next Pretty Wonderful were challenged by the duo of Stars’N’Stripes (Marcus Alexander Bagwell & The Patriot) at Fall Brawl. The champions retained [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/fall.html#94 | title = WCW Fall Brawl Results (1994) | accessmonthday = 04-07| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com] but a week later the championship changed hands when Stars’N’Stripes got the 1-2-3. Pretty Wonderful was granted a rematch against the new champions with a match booked for Halloween Havoc, Pretty Wonderful regained the titles when Roma dropped an elbow from the top rope on Bagwell, who had Orndorff trapped in a fisherman's suplex, but the referee's back was turned.

At Clash of the Champions XXIX Stars’N’Stripes were granted a final shot at the tag-team titles, but the challengers also had to put up he Patriot’s mask on the line, if they lost he would unmask. After a controversial double pin finish Stars’N’Stripes were declared the winners and thus the champions putting the end to Pretty Wonderful’s second and final run with the gold. After the loss Roma and Orndorff went their separate ways with Roma being used as "Enhancement talent" to help build young stars. When Roma was asked to help make WCW newcomer "Das Wunderkind" Alex Wright look good at SuperBrawl V [cite web| url = http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/s-brawl.html#V | title = WCW SuperBrawl Results (V) | accessmonthday = 04-07| accessyear = 2007| author = prowrestlinghistory.com] he refused to cooperate even going so far as to openly mocking Wright during the match and was then fired for not following the instructions.

Post WCW-career

He attempted to make a WWF comeback in late 1997 alongside a student of Mr. Fuji called Alex Roma, calling themselves the Pretty Primos. However, they only made one appearance together at a WWF house show [cite web| url = http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/97.htm | title = WWF Show Results 1998 | accessmonthday = 04-07| accessyear = 2007| author = Graham Cawthon | quote = December 30, 1997: Alex & Paul Roma defeated Ross Greenburg & Brian Walsh] and no contract was ever offered to the two. After failing to make it into the WWF again Roma decided to retire in 1998 and focus on other business ventures in relation to bodybuilding and wrestling.

In 2006 Roma resurfaced on the wrestling scene as he was named the commissioner of the independent promotion, Connecticut Championship Wrestling, a federation which is currently closed down. He also had a "Pretty Wonderful" reunion with Paul Orndorff in Connecticut Championship Wrestling. Roma has since been competing in the IAW (Independent Association of Wrestling) wrestling promotion. Roma won the IAW Heavyweight Championship, after beating Brian Costello (aka The Crippler), on July 8, 2006 at IAW Clash at the Cove VIII, in South Bend, IN.cite web| url = http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/htiaw.html | title = IAW Heavyweight Title History| accessmonthday = 04-07| accessyear = 2007| author = Solie’s Vintage Wrestling] He eventually lost the title to The Crippler on March 24, 2007 at IAW Clash at the CAVE II (held in the gym of Mishawaka High School in Mishawaka, IN) after receiving a piledriver onto a chair, behind the back of special referee Brandon Trtan, who was attacked and knocked out of the ring by Roma.

Boxing career

After leaving the World Wrestling Federation in 1991, Roma turned to pro boxing, competing under Paul Roma since it was the name that he thought had the most recognition factor. He had a sum total of three professional boxing matches. [cite web| url = http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=054015 | title = Paul Roma (Boxing Record) | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = BoxRec] In his debut match on March 6, 1992 Roma lost on points to a fighter named Jerry Arentzen, the victory was one of Arentzen’s two wins in 22 matches. [cite web| url = http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=004764 | title = Jerry Arentzen (Boxing Record) | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = BoxRec] On April 1, 1992 he defeated Norman Fortini and then on May 5, 1992 he fought and defeated Norman Shrink, this was both Fortini’s [cite web| url = http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=219613 | title = Norman Fortini (Boxing Record) | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = BoxRec] and Shrink’s [cite web| url = http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=243220 | title = Norman Shrink (Boxing Record) | accessmonthday = 04-03| accessyear = 2007| author = BoxRec] only professional boxing match ever. After the third fight Roma stopped boxing and returned to professional wrestling mainly on the independent circuit.

Personal life

Roma got married in September 2006, and he is running a wrestling training school in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He is also the owner and promoter for Power and Glory Wrestling.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves:*Diving elbow drop:*Diving splash:*Dropkick

*With Hercules Hernandez:*"Power-Plex" (Superplex by Hernandez followed by a diving splash by Roma)

*Managers:*Slick:*Masked Assassin :*Mr. Ruby

Championships and accomplishments

*Catch Wrestling Association:*CWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)

*Independent Association of Wrestling:*IAW Heavyweight Championship (3 times):*IAW Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Repo Man (1), Hercules (1), and Alex Roma (1)

*National Wrestling Alliance:*NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Arn Anderson

*World Championship Wrestling:*WCW World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Arn Anderson (1) and Paul Orndorff (2)

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI # 434 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003. :*PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year Award in 1990

ee also

* Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)
* The Young Stallions
* Power and Glory
* Pretty Wonderful

References

External links

* [http://www.mediaman.com.au/profiles/roma.html Paul Roma - Media Man Australia profile]