Leon Ruff facts for kids

Dartanyon Ruffin, known by his ring name Leon Ruff, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, a big wrestling company. While there, he was a one-time NXT North American Champion.

Professional Wrestling Career

Evolve (2018–2020)

Ruffin chose the ring name "Leon Ruff" to honor his grandfather. He made his wrestling debut on June 23, 2018, at an event called Evolve 106. He teamed up with Tommy Maserati but they lost their match.

On July 13, 2019, at Evolve 131, Ruff and his partner A. R. Fox won the Evolve Tag Team Championship. They defeated The UnWanted (Eddie Kingston and Joe Gacy) to become champions. Their championship reign lasted for 147 days. On December 7, Ruff and Fox lost their titles to The Besties in the World (Davey Vega and Mat Fitchett) at Evolve 142.

WWE (2019–2021)

Even before signing a contract, Ruff appeared on WWE shows. On December 4, 2019, he wrestled on NXT with Adrian Alanis. They lost to The Forgotten Sons (Steve Cutler and Wesley Blake).

In early 2020, Ruff often wrestled as a "local competitor." This means he would appear on shows like Raw, SmackDown, and NXT. He usually helped other wrestlers look strong by losing matches.

On October 7, 2020, Leon Ruff officially signed a contract with WWE. He then joined the WWE Performance Center, where wrestlers train. On November 11, on NXT, Ruff had a huge surprise win. He defeated Johnny Gargano to become the NXT North American Championship! He was chosen as Gargano's opponent by a spinning wheel.

The next week, Ruff kept his championship against Gargano. He won by disqualification when Damian Priest punched Ruff on purpose. This made Gargano lose the match. At NXT TakeOver: WarGames, Ruff lost the title back to Gargano. This was a three-person match that also included Damian Priest. Ruff's championship reign lasted 25 days. He tried to win the title back on December 30 on NXT, but Gargano defeated him again.

Leon Ruff then started teaming up with Kushida. They entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, which is a tag team tournament. In the first round, they beat The Way (Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory) on January 20. However, on January 27, they lost to The Grizzled Young Veterans in the quarterfinals.

Ruff began a rivalry with Isaiah "Swerve" Scott on February 17. Ruff defeated Scott in a match, but Scott attacked him afterward. Their rivalry continued with more matches and attacks. On March 31, Ruff qualified for a special match called a gauntlet eliminator. At NXT Takeover: Stand & Deliver, Scott eliminated Ruff from the match.

Their rivalry ended on May 4, when Scott defeated Ruff in a "Falls Count Anywhere" match. This means they could pin each other anywhere, not just in the ring. Scott won because Top Dolla interfered. On August 6, 2021, Ruff was released from his WWE contract. His last match was a win over Grayson Waller on 205 Live.

Other Promotions (2021–2022)

After leaving WWE, Leon Ruff wrestled for other companies. He made his debut for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) on November 11, 2021. He won a special "5-Way Scramble Match" in Detroit, Michigan.

In 2022, Ruff also appeared in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He wrestled on shows like AEW Dark, AEW Rampage, and AEW Dynamite. He faced wrestlers like Tony Nese and teamed with Bear Country in matches.

Personal Life

Dartanyon Ruffin is married to WWE referee Aja Smith. They got engaged on November 30, 2020. They were married on September 4, 2022. They also have a dog named Juni.

Championships and Accomplishments

• Evolve
  • Evolve Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with A. R. Fox
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 165 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2021
• WWE
  • NXT North American Championship (1 time)

See also

In Spanish: Leon Ruff para niños