Glenn Ruth (June 13, 1969) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Thrasher. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation between 1996 and 2000, where he was one half of the tag team The Headbangers with Mosh.
Thrasher is a former NWA World Tag Team Champion and WWF World Tag Team Champion. After retiring in 2002, he returned to professional wrestling in 2011, reforming The Headbangers with Mosh and appearing on the independent circuit.
Professional wrestling career[]
Ruth grew up in South Jersey. He trained as a wrestler under Larry Sharpe and debuted in 1990 as The Spider. He later became Sharpe's assistant and trained wrestlers such as the Big Show and others at Sharpe's "Monster Factory". Among the wrestlers trained by Sharpe and Ruth was Chaz Warrington, Ruth's future tag team partner. Ruth made a number of appearances for the World Wrestling Federation in the early 90s including a losing effort against Marty Jannetty on the 2nd ever episode of Raw, competing under his given name as an enhancement talent.
World Wrestling Federation (1996-2000)[]
Ruth is best known for his appearances with the WWF in the late 90s, where he formed a successful tag team with his old training classmate Chaz Warrington. Warrington and Ruth were best known in the WWF as The Headbangers: Ruth wrestled as Thrasher, while Warrington wrestled as Mosh. Both men debuted in the World Wrestling Federation on the November 24, 1996 episode of Superstars as the Headbangers. The Headbangers were a team that portrayed a pair of punk/metal fans and were known for their outrageous costumes, which usually featured nose rings and kilts. They captured the vacant WWF World Tag Team Championships on September 7, 1997 by defeating three other teams in a four team tag match at Ground Zero. They lost the titles to The Godwinns on October 5 of that same year.
The Headbangers split in 1999 when Ruth suffered a knee injury and Warrington began pursuing a singles career, but reformed in late 1999 on the October 10 edition of Sunday Night Heat when Ruth came to Warrington's aid during a domestic violence angle, which saw him vilified by other wrestlers and officials alike for a number of weeks. Ruth had presented video footage of Warrington's (kayfabe) girlfriend Marianna Komlos putting on makeup to make it seem as if Warrington had been abusing her, The police officers arresting Warrington then uncuffed him and arrested Komlos for her lies. Shortly thereafter the two began appearing regularly as a team again, but were now heels and inexplicably came to the ring wearing cone brassieres which they wore while they wrestled.
In 2000, Ruth took part in the match for the Hardcore Championship at WrestleMania 2000. He held the title for 37 seconds, pinning Joey Abs and then being pinned by Pete Gas. After the Headbangers split for the second time and Warrington went on to team with D'Lo Brown, Ruth continued to wrestle in singles competition mainly on WWE Jakked and was released from the WWF later that year.
Independent circuit[]
After his release from the WWF, Ruth continued to wrestle until 2002 in independent promotions before briefly retiring from professional wrestling. In June 2012, Thrasher and Mosh debuted in Ring of Honor as The Guardians of Truth, a masked tag team managed by Truth Martini. Thrasher and Mosh were defeated by the Briscoe Brothers.
Personal life[]
Ruth is married with five children.
Upon retiring from professional wrestling in 2002, Ruth began working in restaurant management and marketing.
Wrestling facts[]
- Finishing and signature moves
- Stage Dive (Diving Leg drop)
- Diving Clothesline
- Jumping DDT
- Tilt-A-Whirl Side Slam
- Tag teams and stables
- Headbangers - with Mosh
- Triad - with Seven
- Managers
- Brother Love (WWF) (1997)
- Wrestlers trained
Championships and accomplishments[]
- Fighting Evolution Wrestling
- FEW Tag Team Championship - with Mosh
- Heartland Wrestling Association
- HWA Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Mosh
- Independent Professional Wrestling Alliance
- IPWA Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Mosh
- Maryland Championship Wrestling
- MCW Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Mosh
- MCW Southern Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Seven
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA World Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Mosh
- Texas Wrestling Alliance
- TWA Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Mosh
- World Wrestling Federation
- WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)
- WWF World Tag Team Champion (1 time) - with Mosh