Justin Credible

Justin Credible
Birth name Peter Joseph Polaco
Born (1973-10-16) October 16, 1973
Waterbury, Connecticut[1]
Residence Waterbury, Connecticut
Spouse(s) Jill Jurecki (m. 1997)
Children 1
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Aldo Montoya
Justin Credible
Justin Incredible
Justin Time
PG-187
P.G. Walker
P.J. Polaco
P.J. Walker
Billed height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[2]
Billed weight 225 lb (102 kg)[2]
Billed from Ozone Park, New York[2]
Trained by Keith Hart
Lance Storm
Debut October 16, 1992
Retired November 20, 2015

Peter Joseph Polaco (born October 16, 1973) is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Justin Credible. He is also known for his earlier stint with the WWF under the ring name Aldo Montoya.

In WWF/WWE, he was an eight-time WWF/E Hardcore Champion. In ECW, he was a one-time ECW World Heavyweight Champion and a two-time ECW World Tag Team Champion with Lance Storm as the Impact Players.

Professional wrestling career

Polaco traveled to Alberta in 1992 to train at the Hart Brothers Training Camp, nominally run by Keith Hart. He was mainly trained by his future tag team partner, Lance Storm, and Chris Jericho, who both graduated the program the year before. After wrestling unpaid as P.J. Walker, and setting up the rings there for a time, he began working for New England-based wrestling promotions.

World Wrestling Federation (1993–1997)

After having wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation as a jobber under the name P.J. Walker throughout 1993 and 1994, scoring a victory against Irwin R. Schyster, he was hired full-time by WWF agent Pat Patterson in late 1994. His Portuguese ethnicity inspired the WWF to give him first the character of Aldo Montoya, the "Portuguese Man O' War".During this time, several wrestlers said his mask looked like a jockstrap. Polaco befriended The Kliq, an influential group of upper card wrestlers, after Scott Hall offered to mentor him. He had feuds with Jeff Jarrett and Ted DiBiase. He scored an upset victory over Jerry Lawler in 1996, when Lawler got distracted by Jake Roberts and Montoya pinned him with a DDT. A week later he lost to Lawler on a Monday Night Raw episode and after the match Lawler poured Jim Beam whiskey down his throat. Throughout this time, Montoya became more of a jobber and even asked for his release in 1997 when he was only being booked twice a month. The WWF initially declined and sent him to a developmental promotion in Memphis to hone his skills, where he remained for seven weeks. He was then released on the condition that he could not work for World Championship Wrestling, which was then luring wrestlers away from the Federation with the promise of larger salaries.

As Aldo Montoya, his entrance theme was a techno rap version of the Fairfield Four song 'Lonesome Valley' performed by David Cassidy, actor James Widdoes, John Cortese (the father of Deena Nicole Cortese) and newscaster Martin Bashir. This particular entrance theme was used for half of Montoya's WWF matches.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1997–2001)

Credible in ECW in 1999

Polaco left the Federation and joined Extreme Championship Wrestling, where he debuted with booker Paul Heyman, who promised to make him a star. He started using the names of PG-187 and P.G. Walker, until Polaco shaved his head and switched to a grunge style of dress, and adopted a cocky, sneering, egomaniacal attitude, renaming himself Justin Credible ("Just Incredible"). Jason Knight became his manager, along with Chastity and Nicole Bass. Polaco engaged in various feuds between 1997 and 1998. He wrestled a match for Taz's FTW Championship, but he was defeated by Sabu. He started a feud with Tommy Dreamer, culminating with Polaco and partner Jack Victory losing in a tag match to the team of Dreamer & Jake Roberts at November to Remember. However, he defeated Dreamer in a Stairway to Hell match at Guilty as Charged.

After that, Polaco aligned himself with his mentor Lance Storm, forming a tag team known as the Impact Players. They were defeated by Dreamer & Shane Douglas at Living Dangerously and by Jerry Lynn and Rob Van Dam at ECW Heat Wave. The Impact Players had their first shot for the ECW World Tag Team Championship on October 23, 1999 against Raven and Tommy Dreamer, but the match ended in a no-contest. Finally, they won the titles at Guilty as Charged, but lost them to Dreamer & Masato Tanaka the next month. The Impact Players regained the titles at Living Dangerously after defeating Tanaka and Dreamer and Mike Awesome and Raven in a triple-threat tag match. On April 22, 2000 at ECW Cyberslam 2000, Polaco confronted newly crowned ECW Champion Tommy Dreamer after winning the championship and challenged him to defend his title on the spot. Dreamer accepted and Polaco defeated him to win the ECW Championship, his first world title and vacating his half of the tag titles.

His victory started a feud with his mentor Lance Storm, with Polaco successfully defending the title against Storm at Hardcore Heaven in a match originally scheduled to be a three-way dance until Dreamer had to withdraw due to injuries. At the following PPV Heat Wave, he retained the championship against Dreamer in a Stairway to Hell match, but he lost it to Jerry Lynn at Anarchy Rulz after being hit with his own finisher, That's Incredible!.

He tried to regain it at November To Remember and Massacre On 34th Street but was unsuccessful, with champion Steve Corino retaining on both occasions. He received his last shot at the championship at the final ECW PPV in a Tables, Ladders, Chairs and Canes match against Corino and Sandman, but he was once again unsuccessful. He wrestled his final match for ECW in a loss to Sandman.

Return to WWF/E (2001–2003)

With ECW facing imminent bankruptcy and Paul Heyman becoming unable to pay the roster, Polaco returned to the WWF in February 2001, immediately forming an alliance with X-Pac and assisting him in his pursuit of the Intercontinental Championship. The duo eventually formed a stable with Albert known as X-Factor. X-Pac and Polaco tried several times to win the Tag Team Championship, but were unsuccessful. The team split when Polaco aligned himself with Paul Heyman's band of ECW insurgents and helped form The Alliance with WCW. Polaco remained on the Company's "B" shows, forming a team with Raven, until Team Alliance lost at Survivor Series; Polaco was fired along with the rest of the Alliance roster (in kayfabe) by Vince McMahon until Ric Flair was able to save his job and get him drafted over to the Raw brand.

On the Raw brand, Credible wrestled mostly on Sunday Night Heat and lost many singles matches he was in, but managed to become an eight-time Hardcore Champion. His last match on Raw was a squash match in which he was defeated by Batista. Polaco was released in January 2003, with his final televised WWE appearance being a loss to Test on the December 8, 2002 episode of Heat.[3]

Independent circuit (2002–2006)

Credible in 2007

Polaco wrestled for numerous independent promotions. He has appeared several times for Ring of Honor, where he was a member of The Carnage Crew, and for Xtreme Pro Wrestling, where he feuded with Shane Douglas.[4] He appeared with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), forming a stable with several other ex-ECW wrestlers and reviving his feud with Jerry Lynn.[4] He was also briefly a member of the Xtreme Horsemen in Major League Wrestling with C.W. Anderson, Steve Corino, and Simon Diamond, who were briefly managed by J.J. Dillon. In June 2005, Polaco appeared in all Hardcore Homecoming event. He was defeated by Jerry Lynn at June 10, by Sandman at September 15 and by Lynn again at September 18. He defeated Lynn at the final Hardcore Homecoming event in a Steel Cage match. Also, he interfered at ECW One Night Stand match between his mentor Lance Storm and Chris Jericho, attacking Jericho with a kendo stick.

On November 13, 2005, Polaco, wrestling as P.J. Polaco, was announced as the "mystery opponent" for Raven on the TNA pay-per view, Genesis. Polaco lost the match after Raven hit a DDT.[5]

Polaco at an ECW event in 1998.

Credible signed a contract with the MTV "Wrestling Society X" stating that if MTV decided to turn the "one time special" into a full season, he would complete the season and would be un-able to compete anywhere else for that time period. He was released from his contract on June 5, 2006. Polaco was in the main event of the first Wrestling Society X Show, the WSX Rumble. He was the first person in the match and the last one eliminated.

Second return to WWE (2006)

Polaco was rehired by World Wrestling Entertainment in June 2006. He returned to WWE television at the June 7 WWE vs. ECW Head to Head event as a member of the ECW on Sci Fi brand of WWE, taking part in a 20-man battle royal.[6] He made several appearances on ECW on Sci Fi before being released from his WWE contract on September 28, 2006. During this brief run he won two matches, both by disqualification. He also lost to CM Punk in Punk's debut match.[7]

Return to the independent circuit and retirement (2007–2015)

Polaco returned to the independent circuit in 2007 using the name "Justin Time". He wrestled for the Pro Wrestling Syndicate promotion, along with fellow original ECW wrestlers Sabu, Danny Doring and Julio Dinero, as well as making appearances for the Insane Clown Posse owned Juggalo Championship Wrestling. On March 29, 2009 he became the Big Time Wrestling Champion, defeating "Hurricane" John Walters with Ric Flair as special guest referee, but Credible was stripped of the title in August of the same year.

Justin is also the topic of an upcoming documentary The Price of Fame which also includes Ted DiBiase and Sean Waltman. He was inducted into the New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame on July 12, 2009. On August 8, 2010, Polaco returned to TNA to take part in the ECW-themed pay-per-view Hardcore Justice where he performed as P.J. Polaco due to the WWE owning the rights to the Justin Credible name; Polaco was defeated by Stevie Richards. Afterwards, he was assaulted by former rival The Sandman with a Singapore cane.[8] On January 14, 2012, Credible returned to the former ECW Arena, when he was defeated by Sabu at an Evolve event in the venue's final professional wrestling match.[9]

On April 28, 2012, Polaco was scheduled to wrestle on Shane Douglas' Extreme Reunion show, but was removed from the card, as well as the building after being found "slumped over, passed out asleep" in a chair. While he begged management to be let back on the show, they denied his request and kicked him out a second time. On August 8, 2012, Chikara announced that Polaco, returning to his Aldo Montoya character, would be making his debut for the promotion in the following month's 2012 King of Trios tournament, where he would team with the 1-2-3 Kid and Tatanka as "Team WWF".[10] In their first round match on September 14, Team WWF was defeated by The Extreme Trio (Jerry Lynn, Tommy Dreamer and Too Cold Scorpio).[11][12]

Polaco retired on November 20, 2015, after facing long-time rival Tommy Dreamer at a Pro Wrestling Syndicate event.[13]

Personal life

Polaco is of Portuguese ancestry. His parents emigrated to the United States from Portugal three years before he was born. He speaks Portuguese fluently. Peter and his wife Jill Marie Polaco née Jurecki were married on June 4, 1997. They have a son Nicholas (born April 2000).[14]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

Polaco as Big Time Wrestling Heavyweight Champion.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Johnson, Michael K. "Justin Credible bio". Extreme Championship Wrestling. Archived from the original on 8 February 2001. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (March 2009). WWE Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  3. ↑ "Justin Credible Match Archive Page 2". Cagematch.net. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  4. 1 2 Power Slam Magazine staff (August 2003). "Life after WWE". Power Slam Magazine. Lancaster, England: SW Publishing LTD. pp. 32–35. 109.
  5. ↑ LaCroix, Corey-David (2005-11-14). "Genesis turns Christian and much more". SLAM! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
  6. ↑ "Justin Credible Match Archive Page 1". Cagematch.net. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Released! Pro Wrestling Arena Talks with Justin Credible on Being Released by the Big Feds, prowrestlingarena.com; accessed September 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ Caldwell, James (2010-08-08). "Caldwell's TNA Hardcore Justice PPV results 8/8: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of ECW-themed PPV headlined by RVD vs. Sabu". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
  9. ↑ Magee, Bob (2012-01-15). "Evolve 1/14 ECW Arena results: the last wrestling show at the ECW Arena". WrestleView. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  10. ↑ Caldwell, James (2012-08-08). "1-2-3 Kid returning to Chikara's KOT". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  11. ↑ "Past results". Chikara. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
  12. ↑ Namako, Jason (2012-09-15). "9/14 Chikara "King of Trios: Night 1" Results: Easton, PA". WrestleView. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  13. ↑ Powell, Jason (November 20, 2015). "Justin Credible's retirement match tonight against a familiar foe". Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  14. ↑ "I have a wife and a kid. That's the bottom line. If I was a kid, it would be different. I could stay (in ECW). It was hard to hold out but I am at the point where I need the money. I can't wrestle any more," Polaco stated.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Wrestlingdata Proflie". Wrestlingdata.com. 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  16. ↑ "Justin Credible OWOW bio". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Justin Credible profile". Cagematch.net.
  18. 1 2 "Impact Players profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  19. ↑ http://indypowerrankingsipr.wordpress.com/ Retrieved 30 June 2014
  20. 1 2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  21. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 – 2000". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
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