| Julio Zapien | |
|---|---|
| |
| Real name | Julio Zapien |
| Ring names | Julio Zapien |
| Date of birth | May 18, 1984 (age 30) |
| Height | 6'5 |
| Weight | 265 lbs |
| Place of birth | Portland, Oregon, USA |
| Resides | Portland, Oregon, USA |
| Trained by | Self-trained |
| Entrance theme | "Needles" by Seether |
Julio Zapien is a retired professional wrestler and ex-bodyguard. He is best known for his time signed to Online Wrestling Alliance, where he was a two-time World Heavyweight Champion.
Wrestling Career[]
Bodyguard work, transition into wrestling and injury[]
Julio made an appearance in FBW on the Disclaimer show to take on Chuck Jones, but he lost the match.
Returning to the ring in 2012, Julio decided to devote his time to bodyguard work. He acts as a hired gun, available for anyone to employ as extra protection, should he not be working for someone full-time. He worked as the personal bodyguard for then-World Heavyweight Champion Zack Richards in OWA as part of The Militia, until he was unceremoniously dismissed from the faction.
During a match with Kenzo Katana at Effigy, Zapien suffered an injury when Katana's Spike Piledriver broke his neck. It was later revealed that Zapien would require surgery to repair the damage, and will be sidelined indefinitely.
Return[]
Zapien made his return on the first episode of OWA, where he interfered in the main event World Heavyweight Title match between Zack Richards and Jeff Palmer. Following his actions, it was announced that Zapien would face Palmer on the February 25 edition of OWA, with the winner advancing to Amicable Treason for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. This match was ruled a no contest when Richards, along with Angel, stormed the ring to attack both Zapien and Palmer.
That Friday, Zapien teamed with Jeff Palmer to take on Zack Richards and Angel in the tag team main event. They were defeated when Richards was able to beat Zapien in the match. Zapien was named #1 Contender when Palmer elected to face Sarinyde. Richards and Zapien would exchange wins with each other in many different settings in the lead-up to their title match. At Amicable Treason, Zapien defeated Richards to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
In his first match as World Heavyweight Champion, Zapien destroyed Jason Oliver in a non-title encounter. The following week during the Championship Appreciation Night, Zapien lost the title back to Richards, partially due to interference from Angel. A rematch between the two was signed for Futurefest III, with Richards permitted to choose the stipulation of the match in which he would face his challenger -- Richards selected Hell in a Cell. On the episode of Adamantium before Futurefest, Zapien teamed with Victor Huntley to take on Richards and Shannon Cunningham. Richards and Cunningham won the match, however Zapien would have the final victory of the rivalry by defeating Richards in the Hell in a Cell Match to become a two-time World Heavyweight Champion.
Final matches and retirement[]
Zapien would go on to lose the World Heavyweight Championship again, this time to Cash Morgan inside the Elimination Chamber at Chained. Zapien took the following Adamantium off, complaining off neck pain. He returned to action one week later against Wade Wilson, where the match had to be stopped. Zapien had reinjured his neck, and had no choice but to announce his retirement from professional wrestling.
In Wrestling[]
Finishing Moves
- Chokeslam
- Spike Piledriver
Signature Moves
- Body Slam
- Big Boot
- Clothesline
Theme Music
- "Needles" by Seether
Championships and accomplishments[]
- OWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)