Former WWE Tag Team Champion and member of the Wyatt Family, Erick Rowan, is Wrestling Republic’s Wrestler of the Day for November 28th.
Erick Rowan Biography:
Birth Name: Joseph Ruud
Age: 42 (November 28th, 1980)
Height: 6’8
Weight: 315 pounds
Debut: 2003
Place of Birth: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Accolades: 2x WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champion, 1x NXT Tag Team Champion, #57 on PWI’s Top 500 in 2014
Erick Rowan was a founding member of the popular Wyatt Family, winning several tag team titles. In honor of his birthday today, Rowan is today’s Wrestler of the Day.
After graduating from college in his home state of Minnesota, Erick Rowan began training as a wrestler. After his debut in 2003, Rowan appeared with NOAH in Japan. He competed on the independent scene from 2003 to 2011 before signing with WWE.
Rowan joined WWE just as they were transitioning their developmental territory from FCW to NXT. There he partnered with Luke Harper as a follower of Bray Wyatt, a gimmick he would continue onto the main roster. While in NXT, Rowan and Harper won their first titles when they defeated Neville and Bo Dallas for the NXT Tag Team Championships.
Rowan’s time in NXT would be short-lived, as the entire Wyatt Family was soon called up to the main roster. Despite their initial success, Erick Rowan turned on the Wyatt family and competed in singles matches. However, the group eventually reunited. Rowan became a multi-time SmackDown Tag Team Champion with Luke Harper and later on with Daniel Bryan.
Despite his success as a tag team wrestler, Rowan was released from WWE in 2020 during budget cuts. He has since made a couple of appearances with AEW. The most notable being on a tribute show for his friend and tag partner Brodie Lee (Luke Harper in WWE). Erick Rowan has since appeared on the indie scene as well as sporadic AEW appearances.
Photo Credit: AEW