user:Doc Taxon/Slater

Slater began watching World Wrestling Entertainment at the age of 12 in 1999, then beginning his training in 2002.{{Cite web|url=http://www.glamadelaide.com.au/main/interview-damien-slater-champion-in-the-making/|title=Glam Adelaide Interview - Damian Slater|last=Gerard|first=Adam|date=1 July 2015|website=www.glamadelaide.com.au/|publisher=Glam Digital Pty|access-date=15 August 2016}} Slater was originally trained by Col Dervany at the Monster Factory in Salisbury, South Australia.

Slater made his debut for Joint Promotions Wrestling (then known as Maximum Power Wrestling) in May 2003 against fellow debutants Will Power and Daryl Wylde.{{Cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/d/damian-slater/|title=OWW Profile for Damian Slater|website=www.onlineworldofwrestling.com|access-date=15 August 2016}} He would later capture the Lightweight Championship from Bustar on 9 July 2005.

Then known as EPW Adelaide, Slater was one of the original headline acts of the new promotion. In the debut event EPW Emerging, Damian Slater & Shane Haste defeated Davis Storm & Hartley Jackson for the EPW Tag Team Championships.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=54477|title=Cagematch (results) - EPW Emerging|date= 2 December 2005|website=www.cagematch.net|access-date=15 August 2016}} However, as the match ended in a disqualification, Slater & Haste were not able to capture the titles. The promotion eventually underwent several name changes to NWA Pro Australia, ZERO-1 Australia and most recently, Wrestle Rampage.

Slater had matches with Zero-1 star Ikuto Hidaka in November 2012 and New Japan star Shinsuke Nakamura in March 2014.

Wrestle Rampage's main championship, the Australian National Championship, was originally under the jurisdiction of the National Wrestling Alliance. Slater captured the title twice, against Ryan Eagles in November 2013 and Jonah Rock in May 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=5&nr=679|title=Cagematch - Damian Slater Title History|website=www.cagematch.net|access-date=15 August 2016}}

Slater began training at the Pro Wrestling Zero-1 Dojo in Tokyo, Japan in January 2012 under Ikuto Hidaka. He adopted the name Ocean Neal.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} Slater joined Craig Classic to defeat Mineo Fujita and Tony Bauer at the famed Korakuen Hall on 1 February.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/index.php?id=2&nr=6905&name=Ocean+Neal|title=Cagematch Profile for Ocean Neal (Damian Slater)|website=www.cagematch.net|access-date=15 August 2016}} on 18 February, Slater was defeated by Masato Tanaka at Zero-1 Gym.

In February 2016, Slater wrestled in Yangon, Myanmar for a Charity Wrestling Tournament co-promoted by Pro Wrestling Zero-1.{{cite web|url=http://superluchas.com/2016/02/08/myanmar-charity-wrestling-show-el-pro-wrestling-japones-se-une-en-apoyo-a-los-mas-necesitados/|title=C Slater defeated USA's Buffa and Ireland's Sean Guinness|date=8 February 2016|last=Dark|first=Angelita|access-date=15 August 2016}}

Slater wrestled for Lucha VaVoom at the Australian Big Day Out Festival in 2013. The Festival went to Sydney, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Melbourne & Perth and was headlined by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He portrayed the character 'El Jimador' for the tour.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tonedeaf.com.au/229720/big-day-announce-mexican-wrestling-bar-2013-festival.htm|title=Tone Deaf - Lucha VaVoom at Big Day Out 2013|last=Semo|first=Esther|date=20 November 2012|website=www.tonedeaf.com.au|publisher=Tonedeaf|access-date=15 August 2016}}

Damian Slater has also wrestled in New Zealand for Impact Pro Wrestling, as well as various Australian independent promotions such as Explosive Pro Wrestling, Melbourne City Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Alliance, Warzone Wrestling, Riot City Wrestling and Australian Wrestling Allstars.

Slater received a tryout with WWE during their tour of Australia in August 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/more-sports/sa-prowrestler-damian-slater-chosen-for-wwe-tournament/news-story/f0b1b9e6a08462c84c0126bca3d74251|title=SA pro-wrestler Damian Slater chosen for WWE tournament|first=Sean|last=Fewster|date=15 June 2016|publisher=The Advertiser|access-date=15 August 2016}} He then received a second tryout at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio in March 2016.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}} On 14 June 2016, WWE announced Slater as part of the 32-man Cruiserweight Classic tournament. Slater made his debut on 21 July episode of WWE Cruiserweight Classic on the WWE Network against Tajiri but lost via pinfall after a Buzzsaw Kick, eliminating him from the tournament.{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/cruiserweightclassic/2016-07-20/article/tajiri-damian-slater-results|title=Tajiri def. Damian Slater (First Round Match)|first=Bobby|last=Melok|date=20 July 2016|publisher=WWE|access-date=15 August 2016}}

{{BLP unsourced section|date=April 2019}}

Slater is the head coach at the EPW School of Pro Wrestling in Malaga, Western Australia which is linked to the Explosive Pro Wrestling promotion. He formerly filled the same role at the Wrestle Rampage Dojo in Adelaide, South Australia. He is also a Physical Education teacher.

• Explosive Professional Wrestling
• EPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• EPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Marcius Pitt
• 2014 Invitational Tournament Winner
• Australian Wrestling Allstars
• AWA Middleweight Championship (1 time){{cite web | url=https://www.cagematch.net//?id=1&nr=157005 | title=AWA Australian Wrestling Allstars #2 | publisher=Cagematch | date=1 August 2015 | accessdate=25 March 2018 }}
• Warzone Wrestling
• Warzone Heavyweight Championship (1 time){{cite web | url=https://www.cagematch.net//?id=1&nr=159645 | title=Warzone Wrestling Wrestle Clash 2 | publisher=Cagematch | date=28 November 2009 | accessdate=25 March 2018 }}

• Joint Promotions Wrestling
• Lightweight Championship (1 time)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
• PWI ranked him #343 in the PWI Top 500 in 2009{{cite web|url=http://www.profightdb.com/pwi/damian-slater-5313.html|title=PWI Ratings for Damian Slater|website=www.profightdb.com|publisher=The Internet Wrestling Database|accessdate=19 July 2016}}
• Wrestle Rampage
• WR Australian National Championship (2 times){{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=6905&page=11|title=Damian Slater's Titles|website=cagematch.net|publisher=Cagematch.net|accessdate=19 July 2016}}

{{reflist}}

{{Portal|Professional wrestling}}

• [http://www.wwe.com/section/cruiserweight-classic-competitors/article/damian-slater-bio Official profile on WWE.com]
• {{Facebook|officialdamianslater}}
• {{IMDb name|2881621}}
• {{Professional wrestling profiles|cagematch=6905|wrestlingdata=15214|iwd=damian-slater-5313}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slater, Damian}}

:Category:1987 births

:Category:Living people

:Category:Australian male professional wrestlers

:Category:Sportspeople from Adelaide

:Category:Sportsmen from South Australia