Jimmy Del Ray facts for kids

David Everett Ferrier (born November 30, 1962 – died December 6, 2014) was an American professional wrestler. He was famous for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). There, he was known as Jimmy Del Ray and was part of a tag team called the Heavenly Bodies. His tag team partner was Tom Prichard.

Jimmy Del Ray's Wrestling Journey

Starting His Wrestling Career (1985–1993)

David Ferrier learned to wrestle from a trainer called The Mighty Yankee. He started his career in 1985 using the name "Jimmy Richland." Later, in the late 1980s, he joined a wrestling company called Championship Wrestling from Florida. He changed his wrestling name to "Jomo Kenya."

After that, he became "Jimmy Backlund" and teamed up with Brett Sawyer. Their team was called "The Playboys." On July 1, 1989, they won the FCW Tag Team Championship. They held these titles until August 22, when they lost to the Nasty Boys. From 1989 to 1991, he wrestled in Japan for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling. In 1992, he also wrestled for a company called W*ING.

Wrestling in Smoky Mountain Wrestling (1993–1995)

In January 1993, Jimmy Del Ray joined Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW). He took the place of Stan Lane in the Heavenly Bodies tag team, joining Tom Prichard. He was given the name Jimmy Del Ray because Stan Lane was from Delray Beach, Florida.

Their team was managed by James E. Cornette. The Heavenly Bodies won the SMW Tag Team Championship three times. Cornette gave him the nickname "Gigolo" because of his wrestling style. Jimmy Del Ray was a very quick and skilled wrestler. He stayed with SMW until the company closed down in December 1995.

Time in the World Wrestling Federation (1993–1995)

Along with their manager Cornette, the Heavenly Bodies started wrestling in the World Wrestling Federation in 1993. Their first TV match was on August 9, 1993, on Monday Night Raw. They won against Bobby Who and Mike Bucci.

At SummerSlam 1993 on August 30, the Heavenly Bodies wrestled against The Steiner Brothers for the World Tag Team Championship. However, they were defeated in this match.

At the 1993 Survivor Series on November 24, the Heavenly Bodies faced The Rock 'n' Roll Express for the SMW Tag Team Championship. Del Ray used Cornette's tennis racket to help Prichard win the titles.

At WrestleMania X on March 20, 1994, the Heavenly Bodies defeated The Bushwhackers in a match before the main show. They continued to appear on Raw and other WWF shows.

At the 1994 Survivor Series on November 23, the Heavenly Bodies were part of a big ten-man tag team match. They teamed up with Bam Bam Bigelow, Tatanka, and King Kong Bundy. This team, called Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Team, won the match.

Jimmy Del Ray also took part in the 30-man Royal Rumble match on January 22, 1995. His last WWF match was on July 24, 1995, where he lost to Shawn Michaels.

United States Wrestling Association (1995)

After leaving WWF, Del Ray and Prichard went to the United States Wrestling Association. There, they defeated PG-13 (J. C. Ice and Wolfie D) to win the USWA Tag Team Championship. They had a rivalry with PG-13.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)

The Heavenly Bodies also made some appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling in December 1995. They were part of a group called Raven's Nest. At a show called December To Dismember: Ultimate Jeopardy on December 9, the Heavenly Bodies wrestled against Public Enemy. The Heavenly Bodies lost this match.

After this event, the Heavenly Bodies team broke up when Tom Prichard went back to WWF. Jimmy Del Ray then wrestled on his own.

World Championship Wrestling (1996–1997)

In October 1996, Del Ray joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and used the name Jimmy Graffiti. He competed in the cruiserweight division, wrestling against stars like Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, and Billy Kidman. He was part of a large battle royal match at the 1996 World War 3 event on November 24. Del Ray stayed in WCW until a knee injury made him stop wrestling in 1997.

Life After Wrestling (1997–2014)

After retiring from wrestling, Jimmy Del Ray worked as a teacher at Steve Keirn's wrestling school in Florida. He helped train new wrestlers, including Buck Quartermain and Steve Madison. He also managed a new version of The Heavenly Bodies tag team.

Later, he stopped training wrestlers and started his own hardwood flooring company. He named it Ferrier's Fine Flooring Inc. in Tampa, Florida, in March 2006. In September 2013, he started another company called Ferrier's Flooring Inc.

His Passing

David Ferrier, who lived in Valrico, Florida, passed away at the Tampa General Hospital on December 6, 2014. He was 52 years old. Ferrier had a heart attack while driving his truck. A couple of days later, WWE.com shared the sad news and sent their thoughts to his friends, family, and everyone he worked with.

Championships and Accomplishments

Jimmy Del Ray won many championships during his wrestling career:

• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • FCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Brett Sawyer
• Wrestling International New Generations
  • W*ING World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Florida Championship Wrestling / Pro Wrestling Federation
  • PWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
• Future Championship Wrestling
  • FCW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
  • IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Pennsylvania Championship Wrestling
  • PCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tom Prichard
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him 73 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Tom Prichard in 2003
• Smoky Mountain Wrestling
  • SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship (1 time)
  • SMW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Tom Prichard
• Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling
  • AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• United States Wrestling Association
  • USWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tom Prichard