Peter Jacob Gruner (born May 11, 1974 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Billy Kidman.

Kidman is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Career

Gruner grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the state's Lehigh Valley region, which is one of the most competitive areas in the nation for high school and collegiate wrestling. He joined the WCW and ultimately gained fame as a key member of several strong wrestling factions. In addition to being a member of Raven's Flock, he also was a member of the Filthy Animals and later New Blood. As a member of these factions, Gruner participated in memorable rivalries with top WCW names, including Hulk Hogan, Jeff Jarrett, Rey Mysterio, and others.

In 2000, Gruner appeared in the movie, Ready to Rumble, along side many WCW stars.

When the WWF purchased WCW, Gruner, still wrestling as Billy Kidman, was among the first to join WWF as a heel in the WCW Alliance. Gruner's impact on the cruiserweight division was immediately felt when he won the Cruiserweight Championship in July 2001.

Kidman turned face after the WCW/ECW Alliance broke up. He went on to capture the Cruiserweight Championship for the seventh time by defeating Jamie Noble at Survivor Series, later Kidman was placed with a new tag team partner, Paul London. The team went on to win the WWE Tag Team Titles from The Dudley Boyz on July 8, 2004.

The champion run of this face team came to an abrupt end after Kidman turned his back on London, leaving him to wrestle a tag team title match on his own. The heel turn came off the back of a legitimate injury on an August 24, 2004 taping of SmackDown!, where Billy Kidman's Shooting Star Press caused Chavo Guerrero to suffer a concussion and be taken to the hospital.

The pair fought at No Mercy (2004), where Kidman injured London with a shooting star press, while London was strapped to a stretcher. When Chavo returned, he faced off with Kidman in a storyline resulting from the injury.

Gruner was released from his WWE contract on July 7, 2005, following months of speculation that the cumulative affect of his multiple injuries would force him to retire.

Gruner has since wrestled on occasion for the National Wrestling Alliance making appearances on its NWA Italy tour. There were talks that Kidman was considering signing with TNA, but told TNA after a few months of speculation that he was enjoying his time off with wife and former manager Torrie Wilson, and has no plans on returning in the ring anytime soon.

On March 12, 2006, British wrestling promotion, Frontier Wrestling Alliance, officially announced that Kidman would be making an appearance on an FWA show, when the promotion visits the Colchester Hippodrome on Sunday, April 30th. Kidman broke the news himself during a phone in on "The Fight Network" radio show a few days beforehand.

During this first tour of the UK since leaving WWE, Kidman would make a few appearances in other independent British promotions. Other than his notable FWA 3-way match with Jodie Fleisch and Jonny Storm, Kidman would also wrestle British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside in a losing effort during a British rules match to determine the first Real Quality Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.

While in England, Gruner gave an interview to The Sun, a London-based tabloid newspaper, in which he said that he was interested in wrestling for TNA.

Personal

Gruner is married to WWE diva Torrie Wilson, with whom he resides in Tampa, Florida.

In wrestling

• Finishing and signature moves

• Seven Year Itch (Shooting star press)

• BK Bomb (Sitout spinebuster slam)
• Kid Krusher (Inverted double underhook facebuster)
• Kid Factor / K-Factor (Sitout facebuster, powerbomb counter)
• Fireman's carry into a neckbreaker on the knee
• Springboard bulldog
• Springboard legdrop

• Managers

• Raven

• Torrie Wilson

Championships and accomplishments

• East Coast Wrestling Association

• 1-time ECWA Tag Team Champion (with Ace Darling)

• ECWA Hall of Famer (2004 inductee)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 313 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.

• United States Wrestling Association

• 1-time USWA Tag Team Champion (with Ace Darling)

• World Championship Wrestling

• 5-time WCW Cruiserweight Champion

• 2-time WCW World Tag Team Champion (1-time with Rey Misterio, Jr., 1-time with Konnan)
• 1-time WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champion (with Rey Misterio Jr.)

• World Wrestling Entertainment

• 2-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion

• 1-time WWE Tag Team Champion (with Paul London)

• Other Titles

• 1-time CWA Tag Team Champion

• 1-time TWWF Cruiserweight Champion

Championship succession

WWE Tag Team Championship Preceded by:
Dudley Boyz First, with Paul London Followed by:
Kenzo Suzuki and René Duprée WWE Cruiserweight Championship Preceded by:
Tajiri First Followed by:
Tajiri Preceded by:
Jamie Noble Second Followed by:
Matt Hardy WCW Cruiserweight Championship Preceded by:
Juventud Guerrera First Followed by:
Juventud Guerrera Preceded by:
Juventud Guerrera Second Followed by:
Rey Misterio, Jr. Preceded by:
"T.A.F.K.A." Prince Iaukea Third Followed by:
"T.A.F.K.A." Prince Iaukea Preceded by:
Shane Helms Fourth Followed by:
X-Pac Preceded by:
X-Pac Fifth Followed by:
Tajiri WCW World Tag Team Championship Preceded by:
Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko First, with Rey Misterio, Jr. Followed by:
Raven and Perry Saturn Preceded by:
Harlem Heat Second, with Konnan Followed by:
Creative Control WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship Preceded by:
Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper First, with Rey Misterio, Jr. Followed by:
Abandoned

References

• Billy Kidman at Bodyslamming.com

1974 births | Living people | American professional wrestlers | People from the Lehigh Valley | Tampans

Peter Gruner