Anthony Durante

Infobox Wrestler
name=Anthony Durante


img_capt=
names=Pitbull #2
Pitbull Spike
Mad Bull Buster
height= height|ft=6|in=2
weight= convert|250|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on
birth_date = July 26, 1967
birth_place = Hammonton, New Jersey
death_date = death date and age|2003|9|25|1967|7|26
billed=
trainer=Larry Sharpe
debut=September 1988
retired=|

Anthony Durante (July 26, 1967 - September 25, 2003) was a professional wrestler best known as "Pitbull #2" as one half of the tag-team called The Pitbulls, with "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe. In Extreme Championship Wrestling, he feuded with Shane Douglas, The Public Enemy, and The Eliminators.

Durante died on September 25, 2003 along with his girlfriend due to drug overdoses. They overdosed on homemade oxycontin and were found after lying in their home dead for days, all while their two small children were in the house among the bodies. [ cite web |url=http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/showstory.cgi?story_id=45668 |title=Wrestling Deaths Becoming Serious Concern: What can the sport do to save itself from tragedy ? |accessdate=2007-04-17 |author=Poole, Robert Jr. |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2003-11-07 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=AllSports.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Career

ECW

Durante was best known as being one half of the tag-team, The Pitbulls in ECW, along with Pitbull #1, Gary Wolfe. The Pitbulls won the ECW Tag Team Championship on September 16, 1995 from Raven and Stevie Richards due to interference from their manager, Francine. One month later they would lose the titles back to Raven and Richards.

On May 11, 1996, at "A Matter of Respect", Durante faced off against in a losing effort for the ECW World Championship, versus champion Raven, in a match that also involved The Sandman.

On April 13, 1997, at the first ECW pay-per-view, Barely Legal, Durante faced Shane Douglas in a losing effort for the ECW World Television Championship.

JAPW

The first JAPW Heavyweight Champion was Joe Rules and he won the title on October 31, 1997. He would eliminate Durante in a 20 man battle royal to become the champion. But later in the evening Pitbull #2 would defeat Joe Rules for the title after duping him into a match. Durante's reign would last until December 5, 1997 when he would be stripped due to injury.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**Superbomb

*Managers
**Francine
**Lance Wright
**Terri Runnels
**Rick Rude
**Jason Knight
**Tod Gordon
**Cassy Strayter
**Robert Fuller

Championships and accomplishments

*Catch Wrestling Association:*CWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Larry Cameron

*Extreme Championship Wrestling:*ECW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Pitbull #1:*ECW World Television Championship (1 time)

*High Risk Championship Wrestling:*HRCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)

*"'Jersey All Pro Wrestling
*:JAPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation:*MEWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*NWA Championship Wrestling America :*NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Pitbull #1

*NWA New Jersey:*NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Pitbull #1

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI ranked him # 139 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1995.:*PWI ranked him # 77 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996.:*PWI ranked him # 76 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1997.:*PWI ranked him # 327 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1998.

*Other titles :*GWA Tag Team Championship (1 time)

References

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/grandhassan/durante.htm Anthony "Pitbull II" Durante]
* [http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/pitbull2.html Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/p/pitbull-2.html Anthony Durante at the Online World of Wrestling]