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 currently signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). There, he mainly performs on the Strong brand. He is also a trainer at the NJPW Academy. Rosser is a former Strong Openweight Champion. Many fans know him best from his time with WWE. He wrestled in WWE under the ring name Darren Young.
Before joining WWE, Rosser competed in smaller wrestling promotions. These included Chaotic Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance. In 2009, he signed with WWE's training territory, Florida Championship Wrestling. He was part of the first season of NXT in 2010. Later that year, he joined the main roster as part of The Nexus. In 2012, Young formed The Prime Time Players with Titus O'Neil. They won the WWE Tag Team Championship one time. Rosser was also recognized for being open about his personal life while wrestling in WWE.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Rosser was born in Union, New Jersey. As a teenager, he became very interested in professional wrestling. He even wrestled in several backyard wrestling groups.
He went to Union High School in New Jersey. There, he played American football on both offense and defense. Rosser later attended Fairleigh Dickinson University. He played football for one year before deciding to focus on his studies and wrestling.
Becoming a Professional Wrestler
Rosser looked into many wrestling schools. He chose Camp IWF in West Paterson, New Jersey. His employer's uncle knew a wrestler training there. This helped him get into the school.
Rosser had his first professional match on September 11, 2002. He spent several years wrestling for smaller groups. These included the Independent Wrestling Federation and Chaotic Wrestling. On May 17, 2003, he won his first major title. He defeated the IWF Heavyweight Champion in Woodland Park, New Jersey. He held the title for over six months.
In 2004, he joined the East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA). He soon started a rivalry with Prince Nana. Rosser defeated Nana for the ECWA Mid Atlantic Championship on September 18, 2004. He lost the title less than two months later.
Wrestling Career in WWE
Early Appearances and FCW (2005–2010)
From 2005 to 2006, Rosser appeared several times for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He wrestled on shows like Sunday Night Heat and Velocity. In May 2009, Rosser signed a contract with WWE. He was sent to their training territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). There, he used the name Darren Young. In FCW, Young was part of a tag team called "The South Beach Party Boys" with Percy Watson.
Joining The Nexus (2010–2011)
On February 16, 2010, it was announced that Young would be on the first season of WWE NXT. His mentor was CM Punk. Young debuted on NXT on February 23, 2010. He had a "South Beach Party Boy" character. He lost his first match to David Otunga. CM Punk and his followers helped Young win his rematch. Young was eliminated from the competition in May.
After the NXT finale, Young and the other rookies became villains. They attacked wrestlers and staff on Raw. On June 14, 2010, the rookies attacked general manager Bret Hart. The next week, Vince McMahon fired Hart. He announced a new general manager who signed all seven rookies. The group was then named The Nexus.
The Nexus continued to have rivalries with other wrestlers. At Money in the Bank, Young helped The Nexus cost John Cena the WWE Championship. At SummerSlam, The Nexus lost a big tag team match. Young was the first to be eliminated. The next night on Raw, members of The Nexus had individual matches. If they lost, they would be kicked out. Young lost to John Cena and was forced to leave the group.
Young returned to Raw on September 6. He distracted Wade Barrett, costing him a match. This made Young a fan favorite. He had his first singles win on Superstars on October 14, defeating Primo.
Return to NXT (2011–2012)
In March 2011, Young returned for the fifth season of NXT, called NXT Redemption. His mentor was Chavo Guerrero Jr.. Young won his first challenge on the show. On April 12, Young attacked Titus O'Neil after their match. He later attacked Hornswoggle, becoming a villain again. Young and Guerrero often faced O'Neil and his partners.
Guerrero was later released from WWE. Young then formed an alliance with Derrick Bateman. They teamed up against O'Neil and NXT host Matt Striker. Young then had a rivalry with Striker, defeating him twice. Young also teamed with JTG to defeat Striker and O'Neil.
Young was suspended for 30 days in October 2011. He returned on November 16, 2011, attacking Titus O'Neil. Their rivalry ended when O'Neil defeated Young in a no disqualifications match.
The Prime Time Players (2012–2014)
O'Neil then became a villain and formed a team with Young. They called themselves The Prime Time Players. They had rivalries with other teams like Percy Watson and Alex Riley.
On April 18, 2012, Young and O'Neil were signed to the SmackDown brand. They won their debut match on SmackDown on April 20. At the No Way Out event in June, they won a four-way tag team match. This earned them a future chance at the WWE Tag Team Championship. They challenged Kofi Kingston and R-Truth for the titles but lost.
The Prime Time Players got another title shot at SummerSlam. They were again defeated by Kingston and R-Truth. In August 2013, The Prime Time Players became fan favorites. This happened after Young shared personal news about his life. The team then challenged for the WWE Tag Team Championship but lost to the Shield.
Singles Competition (2014–2015)
On January 31, 2014, on SmackDown, O'Neil attacked Young. This broke up their team. Young and O'Neil then had a rivalry. O'Neil defeated Young at Elimination Chamber. However, Young defeated O'Neil in a rematch.
At WrestleMania XXX, Young was in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He was eliminated by 3MB. In April 2014, Young suffered a knee injury. He needed surgery and was out of action for several months.
The Prime Time Players Reunion (2015–2016)
Young officially returned to action on February 16, 2015. He and another wrestler were scheduled to face The Ascension. But they were attacked before the match. Young's former partner Titus O'Neil came to save them. This made O'Neil a fan favorite again, and The Prime Time Players reunited.
On February 23, The Prime Time Players defeated The Ascension. At Elimination Chamber, they were in the first-ever tag team Elimination Chamber match. They were the last team eliminated by The New Day. At Money in the Bank, The Prime Time Players defeated The New Day to win the WWE Tag Team Championship. They kept the title at Battleground. However, they lost the title back to The New Day at SummerSlam on August 23.
Towards the end of 2015, O'Neil and Young began focusing on their individual careers. They quietly disbanded as a team. At WrestleMania 32, Young entered the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He was one of the last three wrestlers remaining.
Bob Backlund's Protégé and Departure (2016–2017)
On May 5, 2016, on SmackDown, Bob Backlund agreed to be Young's life coach. This was part of a campaign to "Make Darren Young Great Again." Over the next few months, videos showed Young and Backlund working together. Backlund taught Young his famous Crossface chickenwing move.
On July 4, Young won an 18-man battle royal. This made him the top challenger for The Miz's Intercontinental Championship at Battleground. At Battleground, Young faced The Miz. The match ended in a draw after Young used the Crossface Chickenwing on Miz outside the ring.
Young then started a rivalry with his former tag team partner, Titus O'Neil. On August 1, O'Neil defeated Young. Young later defeated O'Neil by using a similar tactic. On August 15, Young and O'Neil seemed to make up. But during a match, O'Neil attacked Young. Young defeated O'Neil again on August 29. Their rivalry ended when Young teamed with Neville to defeat O'Neil and Curtis Axel.
In January 2017, Young suffered an arm injury. On October 29, 2017, Young was released from his WWE contract.
Wrestling After WWE
Chikara (2018)
On March 2, 2018, it was announced that Rosser would compete in the Chikara: King of Trios tournament. He teamed with former Nexus members Michael Tarver and Justin Gabriel.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2020–Present)
On August 27, 2020, Rosser signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He debuted on the September 4 episode of Strong. In his first match, Rosser and Alex Zayne won a tag team match. In June 2021, Rosser signed a full contract with NJPW. He also became a trainer at the NJPW Academy.
National Wrestling Alliance (2021–Present)
On March 23, 2021, Rosser debuted in the National Wrestling Alliance. He won a match to become the top challenger for the NWA World Television Championship. He tried to win the title from Da Pope but was unsuccessful.
Other Appearances
Young has appeared in several video games. These include 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 and Inspiration
Rosser has said that Shawn Michaels and Ricky Steamboat are his favorite wrestlers.
In August 2013, Rosser bravely shared personal news about his life. He was the first professional wrestler to do so while still signed to WWE. WWE supported Rosser for being open. Many other wrestlers also shared their support for him. This act of honesty and courage made him an inspiration to many.
On April 26, 2017, Rosser shared that his mother is also part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Championships and Awards
- 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
