John Stagikas

John Stagikas (born July 31, 1979 in Framingham, Massachusetts) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Hurricane" John Walters.

In April 2005 Stagikas put his career on hiatus as a result of multiple injuries and exhaustion. He returned to the ring on August 20, 2005 in his home promotion, Chaotic Wrestling.

Career

Massachusetts

John Stagikas attended Framingham High School, where he was a member of the football team, and graduated in 1997. He then attended Assumption College in Worcester, where he played football for a further two years as a wide receiver until his career was ended by an operation to remove a cyst from his neck in his junior year. Stagikas graduated in 2001 with a 3.2 grade point average and a degree in Communications.

While in college, Stagikas harbored dreams of becoming a professional wrestling. After his neck surgery forced an end to his football career, Stagikas sent applications to several wrestling schools, but the only trainer to reply to him was Killer Kowalski, the trainer of wrestlers such as Triple H and Chyna. Stagikas joined the school run by Kowalski in Malden on January 27, 2001, and trained under Kowalski for five months.

After debuting in mid-2001, with his singles debut coming in August 2001, Stagikas began wrestling on the Bostonian independent circuit, adopting the name John Walters five months later as a tribute to Kowalski (whose real forename translates to "Walter" in English). The later prefixed his name with "Hurricane" at the suggestion of a college roommate. Wrestling for promotions such as the World Wrestling Alliance for the meagre sum of States dollar|$" target="_blank" >^*25, Stagikas supplemented his income by working as a waiter and bartender at an Applebee's restaurant in Hudson. Stagikas worked for promotions throughout New England, most prominently Chaotic Wrestling.

Chaotic Wrestling

Stagikas joined Chaotic Wrestling, based in his home state of Massachusetts, soon after debuting, and received supplementary training from Mike Hollow, a former trainer under Kowalski who had become the head trainer of the Chaotic Training Center. On September 7, 2001 in Lawrence, Stagikas defeated Slyk Wagner Brown in a match for the CW Television Championship. He lost the title to CW Light Heavyweight Champion Dukes Dalton in Lowell on February 16, 2002 in a title unification match.

In the course of his Television Championship reign, Stagikas formed a tag team known as 12 Pack with "Good Time" Vince Vicallo. The tag team partners were the epitome of a personality clash, as Stagikas had the gimmick of a strait-laced, well-conditioned athlete, while Vicallo was a beer-drinking "party animal". On December 14, 2001 in Lawrence, 12 Pack defeated Edward G. Xtasy and Aaron Stevens for the CW Tag Team Championships. They lost the titles to Adam Booker and Frankie Armadillo on July 13, 2002 in Lawrence after Vicallo began drinking during the match - "prematurely celebrating" - and an incensed Stagikas hit him with a beer can, causing him to bleed and costing 12 Pack the match. The former teammates then feuded for several months.

With two title reigns to his name, Stagikas challenged for the CW Championship at "Summer Chaos" on August 16, 2002 in Methuen and defeated Aaron Stevens for the title, thus becoming the second ever Chaotic Wrestling Triple Crown winner. Following a successful ladder match title defence against Vicallo, he began a lengthy feud with the first ever Triple Crown winner, "The Latin Fury" Luis Ortiz. Stagikas lost the belt to Ortiz on April 5, 2003 in Methuen, but regained it from Billy Kryptonite on January 16, 2004 in a "loser leaves Chaotic Wrestling" match. His second reign ended on March 13 of that year when he lost to Arch Kincaid.

Stagikas was a regular performer in Chaotic Wrestling until leaving the promotion in January 2006.

Eastern Wrestling Alliance

Stagikas wrestled for the Maine-based Eastern Wrestling Alliance whenever they held shows in his home state, and on December 20, 2002 in Southbridge, Massachusetts he defeated Adam Hastey for the EWA New England Heavyweight Champion. In the course of his reign, Stagikas received a shot at the EWA Heavyweight Championship on January 31, 2003 in Southbridge, where he defeated Adam Booker for the title. Stagikas' dual title reign lasted until February 22, 2003, when he was stripped of both titles for no-showing the event.

New Jersey

After two years spent working on the New England independent circuit, Stagikas relocated to New Jersey for three months in order to work for larger promotions, such as the East Coast Wrestling Association in Delaware.

East Coast Wrestling Association

After winning a six man qualifying bout on February 28, 2003, Stagikas took part in the eighth annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament on April 3, 2003. He defeated Nicho El Millionario in the first round of the tournament, but lost to Austin Aries in the quarter finals. On May 1, 2004 in Wilmington, Delaware, Stagikas challenged "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels, who had won the ECWA Heavyweight Championship in the Super 8 Tournament semi-finals. Stagikas won a four way match which also included Aries and Mike Kruel to become the new ECWA Heavyweight Champion. His reign lasted for nine months, before he lost the title to Scotty Charisma in a five way match on February 12, 2005 in Newark, Delaware.

Ring of Honor

Following the formation of Ring of Honor in early-2002, Stagikas sent a videotape of his work to the owners of ROH, but did not hear from them. After he met ROH ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta at a Chaotic Wrestling show, Stagikas sent his résumé to ROH once more, and was contacted by booker Gabe Sapolsky in May 2003. Stagikas debuted in ROH on May 31, 2003 as a face, wrestling against Andy Anderson at Do Or Die. Stagikas entered the 2003 Field Of Honor event, but was eliminated by Matt Stryker. He then began feuding with Xavier, facing him for the first time on September 20 at Glory By Honor II, and defeating him decisively on December 27 at Final Battle 2003 in a hardcore "battle without honor".

On February 14, 2004 Stagikas entered a one-night tournament for the ROH Pure Championship, but was eliminated by CM Punk in the opening round. In mid-2004, he began a feud with Generation Next, a stable of young wrestlers with no respect for tradition. At Generation Next on May 22, 2004, Stagikas teamed with Jimmy Rave and Mark and Jay Briscoe to face Generation Next in an eight man tag match. Generation Next won the forty minute bout after stable leader Alex Shelley forced Stagikas to submit with the Border City Stretch.

Stagikas won the ROH Pure Championship from Doug Williams on August 28, and turned heel on December 26 of that year by siding with Prince Nana's Embassy stable at Final Battle 2004 after Nana offered him a large bribe. After losing the Pure Championship to Jay Lethal on March 5, 2005, Stagikas left ROH in order to heal from several nagging injuries.

World Wrestling Entertainment

After then-WWE employee Tom Prichard held a training seminar at Chaotic Wrestling in 2003, Stagikas began working sporadically for World Wrestling Entertainment as a jobber, facing Ohio Valley Wrestling mainstay Aaron Stevens in his first match for the company in April 2003. Stagikas wrestled numerous dark matches for WWE, with his most prominent appearance being a loss to The Big Show on the episode of SmackDown! preceding WrestleMania XX. At the event itself, on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden, Stagikas accompanied The Undertaker to the ring while dressed as a black-clad druid and wielding a flaming torch.