To say that Nick Dinsmore’s run in WWE as Eugene was “special” might be slightly overstating things. After all, the one-time kayfabe nephew of then-“WWE Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff’s time under the gimmick in the company only lasted roughly three years or so. But it was once match, in particular, that seemed to have sealed his fate with WWE, as “The Calgary Kid” helped put the kibosh on Dinsmore ever ascending into the main event picture. In a Contract On a Pole match (against The Miz under a mask), Eugene was bested in just over 80 seconds and in reality, word on the street said that Vince McMahon was not pleased with Eugene’s weight and overall performanc, leading to Dinsmore’s release just four days later.

While he’d eventually return in September of 2013 as a coach for “NXT,” Dinsmore was released again in approximately one year. Still an active in-ring performer, at least as of a couple of months ago, and teetering between the “Eugene” moniker and his real name, Dinsmore eventually landed in South Dakota, where he formed his own promotion.

Though he never achieved singles gold in WWE, Eugene did capture the World Tag Team Championships alongside William Regal on one occasion and he can boast of being an 11-time OVW Heavyweight champion. Ever the tactician, DInsmore was praised for his in-ring prowess and knowledge, a far cry from the goofy, excitable Eugene character for which he was best known—one that some believe would not make it in today’s PC-heavy era.