Tatanka (wrestler)
| Tatanka | |
|---|---|
Tatanka in September 2012
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|
| Birth name | Christopher Chavis |
| Born |
June 8, 1961 Pembroke, North Carolina, United States |
| Residence |
Spring Hill, Florida, United States |
| Spouse(s) | Dawn Doyle (divorced) Michelle Chavis |
| Children | 4 |
| Family | Sean Chavis (brother) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | American War Eagle The Legend Tatanka War Eagle Red Blade |
| Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Billed weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Billed from | Pembroke, North Carolina |
| Trained by | Larry Sharpe |
| Debut | 1989 |
Christopher "Chris" Chavis (born June 8, 1961) is a Native American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under a Legend's Contract. He is part of the Lumbee tribe. He is best known for his work with the World Wrestling Federation (later known as World Wrestling Entertainment) under the ring name Tatanka from 1991 to 1996, 2005 to 2007 and 2016. His ring name is a Lakota word that means "buffalo".
Chavis started competing in powerlifting. He competed in his first bodybuilding contest, Mr. Virginia Beach, placing second. He won many competitions during his time in bodybuilding, but decided against competing on the national level and possibly turning pro. From 1985 to 1990 he worked for Bally's Health and Tennis Corporation, becoming a divisional manager.
During the 1987 NFL Players Association strike, he received many tryouts for the National Football League, from teams such as the Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, and the Los Angeles Raiders. He decided to pursue a career with the Dolphins. Chavis was one of 20 hopefuls offered a deal out of approximately 2,000 tryouts. The Dolphins offered him a free agent contract with the availability to increase after the first year. He declined, since his income at Bally's exceeded the value of the contract.
In 1989, Chavis left Bally's to pursue an accounting career. He met "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers in Florida at a video store while looking for wrestling tapes. Rogers had Chavis call Larry Sharpe, who ran a wrestling school in southern New Jersey called "The Monster Factory". He had his first match, as Tatanka, against Joe Thunderstorm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 13, 1990.
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