Rodney Leinhardt

Infobox Wrestler
name=Rodney Leinhardt


names=Rodney Leinhardt
Rodney
RodRageous
height=6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
weight=240 lb (109 kg)
birth_date =Birth date and age|1970|1|1|mf=y
death_date =
birth_place =Rutherford, New Jersey
resides=
billed=Greenwich, Connecticut
trainer=Tom Prichard
debut=1998
retired=|

Rodney Leinhardt (born January 1, 1970 in Rutherford, New Jersey) is an American professional wrestler, better known simply as Rodney from his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation. He is currently working on the independent circuit as RodRageous.

Career

Leinhardt trained under Tom Prichard and debuted in 1998. In 1999 he was hired by the World Wrestling Federation along with his friend Pete Gas. Leinhardt (known simply as Rodney) and Gas were both childhood friends of Shane McMahon, the son of WWF owner Vince McMahon, and were placed in a stable. The duo debuted on WWF television on the March 22, 1999 episode of "Raw is War" as the Mean Street Posse, and began assisting Shane in his feud with Test and helping him retain the European Championship. Joey Abs was added to the faction three months later. Shane eventually turned face and briefly feuded with his former allies before leaving WWF television.

The Posse took part in a tag team battle royal for the number one contenderships to the WWF World Tag Team Championships at Armageddon 1999, and gained an advantage by switching places with the third wrestler behind the referees' backs, thus enabling them to outnumber the other teams three to two. Despite this advantage, they failed to win and were the first team eliminated.

In early-2000, the Posse repeatedly tried to defeat Crash Holly for the WWF Hardcore Championship, attacking the champion in unlikely venues such as an airport, a circus and his hotel room. At WrestleMania 2000 on April 2, the trio took part in a Hardcore battle royal for the Hardcore Championship. Leinhardt pinned Funaki to win the title after stunning him by throwing him into a metal fence railing, but was pinned by Abs just fourteen seconds later. Despite the infighting, the Posse remained a relatively cohesive unit.

On an episode of "Sunday Night HEAT" later that year, Edge and Christian briefly became the managers of the Mean Street Posse. They accompanied them to ringside for the duration of their WWF World Tag Team Championships title match with the Hardy Boyz, assisting the Posse with the proviso that they would receive a title shot if the posse was to win. The Hardy Boyz, however, thwarted the interference of Edge and Christian and retained their titles.

Later that year, all three members of the Posse were sent to Memphis Championship Wrestling, then a WWF developmental territory. On May 24, 2000 in Tunica, Mississippi, Leinhardt and Abs defeated Bull Pain and Todd Morton to win the MCW Southern Tag Team Championship. They lost the titles to The Kingpins on July 26 in Memphis, Tennessee, but regained the titles on August 12, 2000 in Jackson, Mississippi. Their second reign ended when they were defeated by The Dupps on October 28 in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Leinhardt was then sent to the MCW affiliate Memphis Power-Pro Wrestling, where he was renamed RodRageous. He defeated Bulldog Raines to win the MPPW Television Championship on January 27, 2001 in Memphis. He lost the title to Grandmaster Sexay on February 21 of that year in Jonesboro, but regained the title just three days later in Memphis. His second reign came to an end on March 17, 2001, when MPPW severed all connection with the WWF and vacated all titles held by WWF employees.

Leinhardt and the remainder of the Posse were released by the WWF later that year, and began working on the independent circuit.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves:*"High Society" (Diving neckbreaker):*Moonsault
*Managers:*Edge and Christian:*Shane McMahon:*Terri Runnels

Championships and accomplishments

*Memphis Championship Wrestling:*MCW Southern Tag team Championship (2 times) - with Pete Gas
*Memphis Power-Pro Wrestling:*MPPW Television Championship (2 times)

*World Wrestling Federation:*WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)

References

* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/rodney.html Online World Of Wrestling]
* [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/sttmcw3.html The MCW Southern Tag Team Championships]
* [http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/other/mppwtit.htm The MPWW Television Championship]