Bruno Sassi

Last updated
Bruno Sassi
Born (1970-12-15) December 15, 1970 (age 53)
Baltimore, Maryland
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Bruno Sassi
Big Bruno
Sal
Sally Boy
Billed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Billed weight280 lb (130 kg)
Billed fromFraternity Row, College Town
DebutSeptember 30, 1988
Retired2014

Bruno Sassi (born December 15, 1970) is an American professional wrestler best known for being a member of the tag team Phi Delta Slam, as well as his appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. In early 2009 he returned to TNA under the ring name Sally Boy, or simply Sal, as one half of The Main Event Mafia's, and later Mick Foley's, personal security force.

Contents

Career

Sassi graduated from Miramar High School in 1988, and turned down academic scholarships in order to train as a wrestler, financing his training through a series of odd jobs, including waiting tables in Hollywood Florida at Napoli's Italian restaurant, formerly run by his father-in-law Paul. Sassi made his wrestling debut on September 30, 1988. In 1990, Sassi appeared with the Nashville-based NWA Worldwide Wrestling.

Sassi eventually began wrestling primarily on the Floridian independent circuit, where he formed a tag team with "Brother" Dan Evans. Evans and Sassi used the gimmick of a pair of boisterous, prank playing fraternity members. After Evans retired due to injury, Sassi continued to use the gimmick with the third part of the team, Big Tilly. Sassi and Tilly were known collectively as Phi Delta Slam .

World Wrestling Federation

Sassi also had several matches with World Wrestling Federation from 1994 to 2000. His final and most notable match for the WWF occurred on April 15, 2000 when he lost to Stevie Richards on an episode of Jakked .

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2005, 2007, 2009–2010)

Phi Delta Slam were introduced to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) after Dusty Rhodes told his two competing assistants, Traci Brooks and Trinity, to each find a tag team. The tag teams would wrestle one another at Destination X, with the winning tag team's sponsor becoming Rhodes' sole assistant. Trinity selected Phi Delta Slam, and they debuted in February 2005, wrestling dark matches. They made their on-screen debut on March 13 at Destination X, where they lost to Traci's choice, The Harris Brothers. Phi Delta Slam remained in TNA for several weeks afterwards.

Tilly and Sassi later made a cameo appearance in a series of comedy segments on the December 20, 2007 episode of Impact! where they were seen at Eric Young's Christmas party, which also involved the likes of Bushwhacker Butch, Kevin Nash, ODB, and Awesome Kong.

Return

In early 2009, both Tilly and Sassi returned to TNA as the personal security of The Main Event Mafia in order to help them fend off The TNA Front Line. In order play into the mafia aspect of the stable, Sassi was renamed to Sal (it was later tweaked to Sally Boy), he began wearing sunglasses at all times, dyed his normally blond hair to black and began sporting a short beard. On the March 13 edition of Impact!, Sal and Kurt Angle accompanied Rocco as he wrestled Frontline member Eric Young in the main event, which Rocco lost after Young pinned him following a Death Valley driver. On the April 2 edition of Impact!, Rocco and Sal challenged and lost to Team 3D. On the May 7 edition of Impact! they were defeated in a handicap match by Matt Morgan. On the May 28 edition of Impact! Sting, the new leader of the Main Event Mafia, fired Sal and Rocco. On the June 4, 2009, edition of Impact! Rocco and Sal were hired by Mick Foley. The two of them have since made sporadic appearances as bodyguards.

Independent circuit

Phi Delta Slam is currently wrestling with the South Florida-based Coastal Championship Wrestling. In addition, all three members of Phi Delta Slam (Sassi, Tilly and Evans) operate a professional wrestling school called Bodyslam University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Notable graduates include former WWE United States and WWE Tag Team Champion Montel Vontavious Porter.

Championships and accomplishment

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Bentley</span> American professional wrestler

Matthew James Bentley is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) by the ring name Michael Shane, later changed to "Maverick" Matt Bentley. He was trained by his cousin, Shawn Michaels, and he took the name Michael Shane, a play on his cousin's name, originating from Michaels' guest appearance in Pacific Blue. Additionally, Bentley utilizes Michaels' signature superkick maneuver as his own finisher.

Norman Anthony Smiley is an English-American retired professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE in a Legends deal and as a trainer for NXT. He is best known for his appearances with the Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre from 1991 to 1995 and with the American promotion World Championship Wrestling from 1997 to 2001. Championships held by Smiley over the course of his career include the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW Hardcore Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Stevens</span> American professional wrestler

Chase Bradley Stevens is an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name of "The Natural" Chase Stevens. He is known primarily for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he was a member of The Naturals alongside his tag team partner Andy Douglas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traci Brooks</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Tracy Brookshaw is a Canadian former professional wrestler, wrestling valet and referee, better known by her ring name Traci Brooks. She is best known for her work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where she spent most of her career, having been the longest signed knockout the company has had wrestling actively with them from 2003 up until 2012.

Phi Delta Slam (ΦΔS) is a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Big Tilly and Bruno Sassi. They wrestle principally on the Floridian independent circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drake Maverick</span> British professional wrestler

James Michael Curtin is an English former professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE as a writer on Raw. During his time as an on screen performer in the company, he worked under the ring name Drake Maverick. He has also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, under the ring name Rockstar Spud.

James Tilquist is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Big Tilly. He is best known for being a member of the tag team Phi Delta Slam as well as his appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. In early 2009 he returned to TNA under ring name Big Rocco as one half of The Main Event Mafia's personal security force.

Ephraim Vega is a Puerto Rican American professional wrestler and is best known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, under the ring name Machete, and internationally under the name Ricky Vega. Vega was a standout high school football star, and was named to All-Section, All-conference, and All-county 1st teams in his junior and senior years. A knee injury prevented Vega from playing college football; however, he did go on to have a successful career in the insurance business before deciding to pursue a wrestling career. Vega currently works in public safety and as a corporate security advisor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty Brooks</span> American professional wrestler (1958–2021)

Kurt Koski was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Rusty Brooks. He competed in several North American independent promotions, including International World Class Championship Wrestling (IWCCW), Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He also appeared in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the mid-1980s as a preliminary wrestler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Burch</span> British professional wrestler

Martin Harris is an English professional wrestler best known for his time with WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand under the ring name Danny Burch. He is a former one time NXT Tag Team Champion with Oney Lorcan. He has worked in the British independent circuit under the ring name Martin Stone with promotions such as Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW), Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA), and International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom (IPW:UK).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoot Andrews</span> American professional wrestler

Andrew Warner is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "the Black Nature Boy" Scoot Andrews.

Jason Seguine is an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Buck Quartermain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future of Wrestling</span>

Future of Wrestling was an American independent wrestling promotion based in southern Florida starting during the late 1990s. Founded by Bobby Rogers, the promotion was a predecessor of Full Impact Pro, Independent Pro Wrestling and NWA Florida and featured independent wrestlers as well as World Championship Wrestling veterans Dusty Rhodes, Kevin Sullivan, Norman Smiley and Curt Hennig, the latter holding the FOW Heavyweight Championship at the time of his death in February 2003, just prior to the promotions closure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Event Mafia</span> Professional wrestling stable

The Main Event Mafia was an American professional wrestling stable in the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Beginning in 2008, the group included former WWF/E wrestler Kurt Angle as leader, four of the former World Championship Wrestling (WCW) alumni Sting, Kevin Nash, Booker T and Scott Steiner as well as Samoa Joe. and Traci Brooks. All the male members of the stable were multiple-time world heavyweight champions of multiple companies, TNA included, with extensive experience in main event matches. The MEM at one time held all the male titles TNA had to offer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Against All Odds (2005)</span> 2005 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 2005 Against All Odds was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), which took place on February 13, 2005 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the first event under the Against All Odds chronology. Eight matches were featured on the event's card.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikael Judas</span> American professional wrestler

Michael Cole, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Murphy. He has also wrestled under the ring names Judais, Judas and Mikael Judas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destination X (2005)</span> 2005 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 2005 Destination X was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion, which took place on March 13, 2005 at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the first event under the Destination X chronology. Nine matches and two preshow matches were featured on the event's card.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard Justice (2005)</span> 2005 Total Nonstop Action Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 2005 Hard Justice was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion, which took place on May 15, 2005, at the TNA Impact! Zone in Orlando, Florida. It was the first event under the Hard Justice chronology and the fifth event in the 2005 TNA PPV schedule. Eight matches and one pre-show match were featured on the event's card.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josef Samael</span> American professional wrestler (born 1974)

Joseph Cabibbo is an American professional wrestler currently wrestling under the ring names Josef and Josef Samael on the independent circuit and in Major League Wrestling (MLW) as a member of Contra Unit with Jacob Fatu, Simon Gotch, and Ikuro Kwon. He is a one-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion and (Zero1) World Heavyweight Champion.