News On New Raw Wrestler Simon Dean

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On this week’s Raw, a fake infomercial type vignette was show featuring Bodydonna knockoff Simon Dean. It was standard aerobic stuff where Dean was trying to get ‘overweight Americans’ to work out. On the “commercial” was a real phone number. Viewers who called it heard Simon Dean talk about getting shape. Ernest ‘The Cat’ Miller had a similar schtick in WCW.

Simon Dean is Mike Bucci, worked in ECW as Super Nova and was one of the Blue World Order members with Stevie Richards and the Blue Meanie. He has been a regular in WWE’s developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling. Since Vince McMahon is notorious for only pushing bigger wrestlers, getting an effective gimmick was necessary before bringing him into WWE. Bucci was once known as being a pure highspot wrestler without much in-ring discipline which got him great acclaim on the indy scene, but worked against him when it came to getting a job in a major promotion. He has developed a more controlled style in the ring which has impressed WWE and this only adds to his strong mic work (as displayed in OVW). He has been working regularly on WWE house shows as Simon Dean in recent weeks to practice his gimmick in front of crowds.

Although Simon Dean’s name is based on reversing Dean Malenko’s real name, Dean Simon, Dean Malenko’s birth name is not actually Dean Simon, but rather Shelly Dean Simon.

Credit: Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter