Dan Ryan

'The Ego Buster' Dan Ryan is an American Professional Wrestler, best known for his stints in the NBW, NthWA, EWI, GXW, SCW, NAWA, CSWA, A1E & EUWC; and also starting his own wrestling company known as Empire Pro Wrestling.

Background
Dan Ryan was born on May 1st, 1974. Ryan grew up in a normal middle class home. His father was a semi-well-to-do Environmental Engineer, his mother was a school teacher. Graduated in the upper third of his class in high school and excelled as an amateur wrestler. Ryan was offered several scholarship oppurtunities to major universities to compete in their wrestling programs. However, his family was transferred to Japan as part of his father's job and he chose to go with them.

Move to Japan
While in Japan, he took up with training in various martial arts and became most interested in various submissions and joint-locks. Eventually he took up with a wrestling company who agreed to train him based on his size and physical acumen for the sport. It was also during this time that Ryan fathered a child by a girlfriend he had met in Japan. The girl's family would not condone the pregnancy or the relationship and when the child was born, insisted that Ryan and his family raise the child. After a little more than a year in training and a few small successes in the Orient, he moved back to the states with an offer from New Breed Wrestling.

Return to North America
Began his North American wrestling career in 1997 simply as "The Ego Buster", winning the NBW Television title twice that year. Became known for his interview skills and propensity for aerial maneuvers despite his large frame. Won the U.S. title, the World Six Man Titles and two NBW World titles in 1998 as a member of a stable known as the Hardcore Mafia. NBW closed temporarily and was reborn as NthWA. It was during this time that Ryan developed a rivalry with Gabriel Poe.

It was during this time that Ryan also made an appearance in the EMWA and proceeded to gain a reputation for being ruthless and calculating. Ryan formed Team Phenom there along with "Phenomenal" Frankie Scott and then brought the stable to the NthWA, where he won the World title on two occasions. Ryan joined EWI at the invitation of owner Erik Zeiba during this time also and for the first time came into conflict with Eddy Love. Ryan was a part of a memorable angle that year that culminated in the kidnapping of Love and Ryan winning the EWI Federation Championship.

NthWA closed for a short time during Ryan's first World title reign and when it reopened, Owner Chad Dupree declared the title vacant. Ryan was furious and turned on Dupree, refusing to follow through on bookings and declaring that he would no longer perform to put money in Dupree's pockets. "The Ego Buster" thus died and was replaced by "Dan Ryan"....as Ryan used his real name in the ring for the first time. Ryan managed to win the title for the second time and held it until the fed decided to merge with EWI to form GXW.

The feud carried over to GXW where Team Phenom vs. Dupree raged for the better part of a year. Ryan helped Kevin Powers win the inaugural GXW Unified World Title and formed the new Team Phenom. "The Hero" Marcus Johnson defeated Powers, and Ryan subsequently chased Johnson for the final six months of 2001. Ryan finally defeated Johnson for the GXW Unified World Title on January 13th, 2002. However, that date would be remembered for another reason as it was later revealed that a phone call on that night, in which fans saw Ryan turn a ghostly white before stumbling wildly out of the arena was the call in which Ryan was informed that his daughter and parents were killed in a car wreck. Dupree, unaware of the nature of the call....forced Ryan to defend his title, continuing their feud. Ryan managed to hold the belt through several defenses but eventually dropped the title three weeks later to "Executive" Eric Edwards. That same night, Dupree was given a video tape of the news report from the night of the accident, which Ryan had never spoken about publically. Thus, the reason behind his weaker performance was revealed.

Around this same time, Ryan competed in SCW and won the World Tag Team Titles along with partner "Mr. Main Event" Rob Sampson. He also had his first contact with such former EUWC luminaries as Tyrone Walker, Rocko Daymon and Jordan Lockhart.

Ryan was befriended, though reluctantly on his part....by Nate "Zero" Logan. Logan convinced him to channel his anger and feelings of loss into his career. Ryan violently attacked "Hellfighter" Michael Schutt and soon thereafter regained the GXW Unified World title from Edwards. Ryan went on a rampage, dumping co-Team Phenom founder Frankie Scott and savagely attacking him, tossing him out of an arena into the rain. Ryan held the title for ten months, finally relinquishing it to Nate "Zero" Logan in a match in which a returning Frankie Scott cost him the title.

Earlier that summer, Ryan came into the knowledge that former EWI World Champion and GXW wrestler Evan Aho, who had left the company on bad terms was planning a one night surprise stint on a GXW show. Ryan, taking it personally interrupted the match....attacked Aho and made a famous shoot on the CSWA World Champion and CSWA in general that infuriated CSWA owner Chad Merritt. Ryan showed up on an edition of CSWA Television the next week to interrupt an Evan Aho title defense, but was intercepted by Hornet. Thus began the GXW invasion.

Over a period of six months Ryan fought "for GXW", but it was soon revealed that he was after Evan Aho only. Once he defeated Aho, Ryan turned on his GXW cohorts and at CSWA's Battle of the Belts earned a shot at the CSWA World Title by first winning a "GXW" elimination match, then a battle royal by tossing out Shane Southern. On an edition of Showtime in Seattle, WA Ryan got his shot at Mark Windham and won the match and the title in controversial fashion as the lights in the arena went out on the referee's count of three. Despite past conflict with Craig Miles, Ryan was invited to battle for the Ultratitle in the new NFW. Ryan turned down the request initially due to an over-abundance of wrestling commitments, but soon thereafter thought better of it and put his name in the hat. While there, Ryan took on Lindsay Troy as manager and has remained at or near the top of the standings.

Recently, Ryan went into the business of federation ownership by starting up Empire Pro Wrestling. In that venture he has developed some tension between himself and A1E star Beast. Once Lindsay Troy's sister Alaina was attacked on A1E PPV, and becoming quite protective of Lindsay, Ryan made his way to the A1E roster. After a summer-long stint in the fed, Ryan left to return to the FW.com circuit and tread once again in new territory as part of The Inner Circle with Maelstrom, Lindsay Troy and Christian Sands in WFW.