Tatanka (wrestler) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tatanka |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Tatanka in 2017
|
|
| Birth name | Chris Chavis |
| Born | June 8, 1961 Pembroke, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
Dawn Doyle
(m. 1989; div. 1994)Michelle Chavis
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 4 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | The Legend Tatanka War Eagle |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) |
| Billed from | Pembroke, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Trained by | Larry Sharpe |
| Debut | 1990 |
| Retired | 2022 |
Chris Chavis (born June 8, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is still connected with WWE as a legend. Chris is a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. He is best known by his wrestling name, Tatanka, which means "bison" in the Lakota language. He wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which is now WWE, from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2005 to 2007.
Contents
- Chris Chavis: From Sports to Wrestling
- Tatanka's Wrestling Journey
- Personal Life
- Video Games
- Championships and Achievements
- See also
Chris Chavis: From Sports to Wrestling
Chris Chavis was a talented athlete before he became a famous wrestler. He started out in powerlifting, which is a sport where people lift heavy weights.
Bodybuilding Success
Chris also competed in bodybuilding contests. He placed second in his very first competition, Mr. Virginia Beach. He won many other bodybuilding events. Even though he was very successful, he decided not to become a professional bodybuilder.
Football Opportunity
In 1987, Chris had a chance to play professional football. He tried out for the Miami Dolphins during a player strike and made the team. However, he decided not to join. At the time, he was making good money selling gym memberships. In 1989, he left that job to study accounting.
Tatanka's Wrestling Journey
Chris Chavis began his professional wrestling career in 1989. He quickly became known as "Tatanka."
Starting Out in Wrestling (1989–1990)
Chris met a famous wrestler named "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers in Florida. Rogers helped Chris connect with Larry Sharpe, who ran a wrestling school called the Monster Factory. Chris had his first wrestling match as "Tatanka" on January 13, 1990.
Later, Rogers introduced Chris to George Scott, who used to book matches for the WWF. Scott was starting his own wrestling company. Chris wrestled there as "War Eagle" Chris Chavis. He was even voted one of the top new wrestlers of 1990. That same year, he won the South Atlantic Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship. Soon after, the WWF signed him to a contract.
World Wrestling Federation Debut (1991–1996)
Tatanka made his television debut in the WWF on February 1, 1992. He quickly became a fan favorite. Before his matches, he would perform a special war dance. He also had a red stripe in his hair, like a mohawk.
The Undefeated Streak (1991–1994)
Tatanka was famous for being undefeated on WWF television for a long time. He never lost a match by pinfall or submission. His first big rivalry was against Rick Martel. Tatanka defeated Martel at WrestleMania VIII, which was his first major pay-per-view event.
In May 1992, Tatanka won a huge 40-man battle royal. He continued his rivalry with Martel, who had stolen some special eagle feathers from him. Tatanka won them back at Survivor Series.
At WrestleMania IX, Tatanka had a chance to win his first WWF title. He faced Shawn Michaels for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Tatanka won the match by disqualification, but titles don't change hands that way, so Michaels kept the championship.
Tatanka's undefeated streak on television finally ended on October 30, 1993. He lost to Ludvig Borga after Borga used a steel chair. After the match, WWF Champion Yokozuna attacked Tatanka, and he was out of action for three months.
Tatanka returned in early 1994. He was honored by other Native American wrestlers, Chief Jay Strongbow and Chief Wahoo McDaniel, and by a Lumbee tribesman named Ray Littleturtle. Littleturtle gave him a special Lumbee tribe chief headdress.
Joining the Million Dollar Corporation (1994–1996)
.jpg)
In the summer of 1994, Tatanka joined Ted DiBiase's group, the Million Dollar Corporation. This meant he became a "villain" in wrestling. He had a big rivalry with Lex Luger, which ended in a cage match.
In 1995, Tatanka had another rivalry with Bam Bam Bigelow. He teamed up with Sycho Sid to face Bigelow and Diesel at the King of the Ring event, but they lost.
Tatanka was briefly suspended from the WWF in 1995. After an investigation, it was found he was not involved in any wrongdoing, and his suspension was lifted. He returned to wrestling and competed in the Royal Rumble event.
Tatanka's last televised match in the WWF was on March 18, 1996, against Bret Hart. He left the WWF that spring to focus on his family and spiritual life. He continued to wrestle for smaller wrestling companies, which allowed him to have a lighter schedule.
Wrestling Around the World (1996–2003)
After leaving WWF, Tatanka wrestled for many different wrestling companies. He wrestled in New York, where he won the UCW Heavyweight Championship. He also won the Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship in 1998.
Tatanka traveled to Australia in 2000, where he won the i-Generation Wrestling Australasian Championship. He also wrestled in England, Canada, and Ireland. After 2003, Tatanka took a break from wrestling for a couple of years.
Return to WWE (2005–2007)
Back in the Ring (2005–2006)
On August 1, 2005, Tatanka made a special return to WWE. He came back full-time at the end of 2005. In January 2006, he competed in the Royal Rumble match. He then moved to the SmackDown! brand.
Tatanka teamed up with Matt Hardy to defeat the Tag Team Champions, MNM, in a non-title match. They got a chance to win the titles but lost. Later, Tatanka was officially adopted into the Oglala Sioux Tribe, which is part of the Lakota nation. When he returned to wrestling, he used a new finishing move called "Wakinyan," which means "Thunder" in Lakota.
New Look and Departure (2006–2007)
In late 2006, Tatanka started losing matches more often. He felt that the referees were making bad decisions. This led to him attacking a referee and his tag team partner, Bobby Lashley. After this, Tatanka changed his look, wearing new warpaint. He explained that he was calling on his ancestors to become a "new warrior."
Tatanka asked to be released from his WWE contract on January 19, 2007. He stated on his website that he wanted to return to WWE someday.
Independent Wrestling Again (2007–2022)
After leaving WWE, Tatanka continued to wrestle around the world. He toured Ireland and France in 2008. He also wrestled in Denmark, where he received standing ovations from the fans.
In 2009, Tatanka appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He also reunited with Ted DiBiase in Scotland. In 2012, he teamed up with 1-2-3 Kid and Aldo Montoya as "Team WWF" in a tournament.
Tatanka continued to wrestle in Germany and won the DPW Tag Team Championship in 2014.
Another Return to WWE (2010–Present)
Special Appearances (2010–Present)
Tatanka has made several special appearances for WWE since 2010. On November 15, 2010, he appeared backstage on a special "Old School Raw" episode.
In November 2015, WWE announced that they signed Tatanka to a "Legends contract," meaning he is still connected with the company. On April 3, 2016, he competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32.
Tatanka also appeared on "Raw Legends Night" in January 2021. He was seen in the crowd at a Saturday Night's Main Event show in May 2025.
Personal Life
Chris Chavis and his wife, Michelle, have four children.
Video Games
Tatanka is a playable character in several wrestling video games, including WWF Royal Rumble and WWF Rage in the Cage. He is also in WWE 2K17, WWE 2K18, and WWE 2K19.
Championships and Achievements
Tatanka has won many championships and awards throughout his wrestling career:
- All-Star Wrestling
- ASW Legends Championship (1 time)
- Athletik Club Wrestling
- ACW German Championship (1 time)
- Classic Wrestling Entertainment
- CWE Rhein-Neckar-Wrestling Championship (1 time)
- Covey Promotions
- Covey Pro Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Dansk Pro Wrestling
- DPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rick Dominick
- Deutsche Wrestling Allianz
- DWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- German Hurricane Wrestling
- GHW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling
- i-Generation Australasian Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Independent Pro Wrestling Germany
- IPW Germany Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Demolition Davies
- International Wrestling Superstars
- Wrestler of the Year (2003)
- Israeli Pro Wrestling Association
- IPWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Italian Wrestling Superstar
- IWS Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Maximum Force Wrestling
- MFW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Primal Warpath
- North American Wrestling Association
- Mercedes Benz 400 SL Tournament (1990)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 279 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003
- Ranked No. 40 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1994
- South Atlantic Pro Wrestling
- SAPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Top Rope Championship Wrestling
- TRCW International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- United States Wrestling Association
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Federation
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Greediest (1994)
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Other titles
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
See also
In Spanish: Tatanka para niños
