In pro wrestling, everyone strives to have their big breakthrough moment. For former WWE star Dexter Loomis, it wasn’t when he joined the Stamford-based promotion; rather, it has come his time in TNA as a competitor to “TNA Gut Check”. Although he had a few years as a wrestler at the time, Loomis said that if it wasn’t for WWE and TNA Hall of Famer Bully Ray (Bubba Ray Dudley) teaching him the psychology of the sport, he wouldn’t be where he is today.
“So I think I was a little bit smart about it by Bubba Ray Dudley, who I think he was one of the main guys that trained me. And he will always say: taught me that,” Loomis continued “Insight”. “So when I’m getting opportunities in TNA and he sees what’s going on there with the Gut Check situation, he gave me an igi.”
Those long sessions with Rey stood him in good stead, as Loomis was signed to TNA in 2012 after winning that year’s Gut Check. He left the promotion in 2015 and entered WWE’s developmental brand, WWE NXT, where he remained from 2019 to its first release on April 29, 2022.
Four months later, Loomis returned to WWE, this time on its main roster. His big break there came in 2024 when he joined the extraterrestrial Wyatt Sixx as Mercy Buzzard. He will portray the role until his second edition this past April following WrestleMania 42. Loomis is now a free agent.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet ah/t Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.