Fred Rosser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fred Rosser |
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Rosser in 2016
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| Birth name | Frederick Douglas Rosser III |
| Born | November 2, 1983 Union Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Fairleigh Dickinson University |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Darren Young Fred Rosser Fred Sampson Fred Sanford Frederick of Hollywood Officer Sampson |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Billed weight | 239 lb (108 kg) |
| Billed from | Miami, Florida |
| Trained by | Kevin Knight Florida Championship Wrestling |
| Debut | September 11, 2002 |
Frederick Douglas Rosser III (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional wrestler and trainer. He is known for his time in WWE where he wrestled as Darren Young.
Before joining WWE, Fred Rosser competed in many independent wrestling groups. He joined WWE's training program, Florida Championship Wrestling, in 2009. In 2010, he was part of the first season of NXT. Later that year, he became a member of a famous wrestling group called The Nexus. In 2012, he formed a tag team called The Prime Time Players with Titus O'Neil. Together, they won the WWE Tag Team Championship one time. Fred Rosser is also known for being a brave trailblazer in professional wrestling.
Contents
Early Life and Wrestling Dreams
Fred Rosser was born in Union Township, New Jersey. He started watching professional wrestling in the mid-1980s. As a teenager, he became very interested in becoming a wrestler himself. He even wrestled in some backyard wrestling groups with friends.
High School and College
Fred went to Union High School in New Jersey. There, he played American football on both offense and defense. After high school, he attended Fairleigh Dickinson University. He played football for one year there. However, he soon decided to focus more on his schoolwork and his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.
Fred Rosser's Wrestling Journey
Early Training and Independent Matches (2002–2004)
Fred Rosser researched many wrestling schools to find the best fit. He chose Camp IWF in West Paterson, New Jersey. His employer's uncle, who knew a local wrestler training there, helped him get started.
Fred made his official wrestling debut on September 11, 2002. For several years, he wrestled for various independent groups. These included the Independent Wrestling Federation and Chaotic Wrestling. On May 17, 2003, he won his first big title, the IWF Heavyweight Championship. He held it for more than six months. In 2004, he joined the East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA). He won the ECWA Mid Atlantic Championship on September 18, 2004.
Joining WWE (2005–2017)
First Appearances and Training (2005–2010)
In 2005 and 2006, Fred Rosser made several appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He wrestled on shows like Sunday Night Heat and Velocity. In May 2009, he officially signed a contract with WWE. He was sent to their training area, Florida Championship Wrestling, and started using the name Darren Young. In FCW, he was part of a tag team called "The South Beach Party Boys."
The Nexus Group (2010–2011)
In February 2010, Darren Young was announced as a contestant on the first season of WWE NXT. His mentor was the famous wrestler CM Punk. Young's character was a "South Beach Party Boy." He lost his first match on NXT to David Otunga. CM Punk didn't seem to care much about training Young at first. However, Punk and his friends helped Young win a rematch against Otunga.
Young was eliminated from NXT in May 2010. The week after the season ended, Young and the other NXT rookies caused a huge surprise. They attacked wrestlers, announcers, and even the ring itself during a live Raw show. This group of rookies was later named The Nexus. They were a rebellious group that caused a lot of trouble.
The Nexus continued to feud with John Cena and other Raw wrestlers. At SummerSlam, The Nexus had a big match. Darren Young was the first member of his team to be eliminated. The Nexus lost the match. The next week on Raw, members of The Nexus had to wrestle individual matches. If they lost, they would be kicked out of the group. Young chose to face John Cena, but he lost and was forced to leave The Nexus.
After leaving The Nexus, Young became a fan favorite. He returned to Raw and helped Randy Orton win a match against Wade Barrett, who was the leader of The Nexus. Young then started wrestling in single matches. He got his first win in October 2010 against Primo.
Back to NXT (2011–2012)
In March 2011, Darren Young returned to NXT for its fifth season, called NXT Redemption. His new mentor was Chavo Guerrero Jr.. Young started a rivalry with Titus O'Neil. He attacked O'Neil after a match and even attacked O'Neil's small friend, Hornswoggle. Young and Guerrero often teamed up against O'Neil. After Guerrero left WWE, Young was on his own. He then formed a partnership with Derrick Bateman.
The Prime Time Players (2012–2014)
Darren Young and Titus O'Neil eventually became a team again. They were known as The Prime Time Players. In April 2012, they were officially moved to the SmackDown show. They quickly made an impact, winning their first match against The Usos.
At the No Way Out event in June, The Prime Time Players won a match to earn a future chance at the WWE Tag Team Championship. They challenged for the title several times but were not successful at first. In August 2013, The Prime Time Players became fan favorites. This happened around the time Fred Rosser bravely shared a personal part of his life, which was widely praised. The team then challenged for the WWE Tag Team Championship again, but they lost to The Shield.
Solo Matches (2014–2015)
On January 31, 2014, Titus O'Neil attacked Darren Young after a match, breaking up The Prime Time Players. This led to a rivalry between the two former partners. They faced each other at the Elimination Chamber event, where O'Neil won. However, Young defeated O'Neil in a rematch later.
At WrestleMania XXX, Young competed in a big battle royal match. In April 2014, he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. This kept him out of action for several months.
The Prime Time Players Reunion (2015–2016)
Darren Young officially returned to WWE in February 2015. His former partner, Titus O'Neil, saved him from an attack, and The Prime Time Players reunited. They quickly started challenging for the WWE Tag Team Championship.
At Elimination Chamber, The Prime Time Players were part of the first-ever tag team Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Tag Team Championship. They were the last team eliminated by The New Day. However, at Money in the Bank, The Prime Time Players defeated The New Day to win the WWE Tag Team Championship! They held the title for a while but lost it back to The New Day at SummerSlam in August.
Towards the end of 2015, Young and O'Neil started focusing more on their individual careers. They quietly went their separate ways. At WrestleMania 32, Young competed in another battle royal, making it to the final three wrestlers.
Bob Backlund's Guidance and Departure (2016–2017)
In May 2016, the legendary wrestler Bob Backlund became Darren Young's life coach. Their goal was to "Make Darren Young Great Again." Backlund taught Young his famous wrestling move, the "Crossface Chickenwing." Young then won a big battle royal to become the number one challenger for The Miz's Intercontinental Championship. At Battleground, Young faced The Miz, but the match ended in a tie.
Young then started a rivalry with his former tag team partner, Titus O'Neil. They wrestled several matches against each other. In January 2017, Young suffered an arm injury. On October 29, 2017, Fred Rosser was released from his WWE contract.
After WWE: New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2020–present)
On August 27, 2020, it was announced that Fred Rosser had signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He made his debut on September 4 on the show Strong. In June 2021, Rosser signed a full contract with NJPW. He became a trainer at the NJPW Academy and later won the Strong Openweight Championship.
National Wrestling Alliance (2021–present)
On March 23, 2021, Fred Rosser also made his debut in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He won a match to become the top challenger for the NWA World Television Championship.
Other Appearances
Fred Rosser has appeared in several video games, including WWE 2K14, WWE 2K15, WWE 2K16, WWE 2K17, and WWE 2K18.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Total Divas | Himself | |
| 2013 | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Himself |
Personal Life
Fred Rosser has said that Shawn Michaels and Ricky Steamboat are his favorite wrestlers.
In August 2013, Fred Rosser bravely shared a personal part of his life with the public. He was the first professional wrestler to do so while still actively wrestling for WWE. This made him an inspiring figure for many people.
Achievements and Awards
Fred Rosser has won many championships and awards throughout his career:
- Chaotic Wrestling
- Chaotic Wrestling New England Championship (1 time)
- Chaotic Wrestling Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rick Fuller
- East Coast Wrestling Association
- ECWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- ECWA Mid Atlantic Championship (1 time)
- Independent Wrestling Federation
- IWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Commissioner's Cup Tag Team Tournament (2003) – with Hadrian
- Commissioner's Cup Tag Team Tournament (2004) – with Kevin Knight
- Commissioner's Cup Tag Team Tournament (2006) – with Franciz
- Tournament of Champions (2004)
- National Wrestling Superstars
- NWS Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bulldog Collare
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- Strong Openweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Feud of the Year (2010) The Nexus vs. WWE
- Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2013)
- Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2010) As part of The Nexus
- Ranked No. 89 of the top 500 wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2013
- Rolling Stone
- Most Deserved Push (2015) As a member of The Prime Time Players
- World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE
- WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Titus O'Neil
- Slammy Award for Shocker of the Year (2010) The debut of The Nexus
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Worst Feud of the Year (2016) vs. Titus O'Neil
See also
In Spanish: Fred Rosser para niños
