Daffney
Shannon Claire Spruill, better known by her ring name Daffney, was an American professional wrestler and wrestling manager.
Daffney began her professional wrestling career at World Championship Wrestling in 1999. In WCW, she was known for her association with David Flair and Crowbar, and became the second woman to hold the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. She was released by the promotion one month before it was purchased by WWE in 2001. She subsequently appeared on the independent circuit until she signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2008. Injuries forced her to retire from wrestling in 2011, but she continued to appear in non-wrestling roles for various promotions until 2018.
Early life
As a military brat, Shannon Claire Spruill was born on July 17, 1975, at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, West Germany, where her father was stationed. In 1976, her family returned to the U.S. They resided first in Salt Lake City, Utah, then in Savannah, Georgia, and finally on the Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County, Illinois. They were then relocated to England, where they lived in Oxford for three years before returning to West Germany to live at the Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate until 1987, when her father retired.In 1985, Spruill had an uncredited bit part in the film Santa Claus: The Movie. In March 1998, she graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts in film and video production alongside minors in acting and music. She worked in media production before pursuing full-time acting.
Professional wrestling career
World Championship Wrestling (1999–2001)
In November 1999, Spruill responded to a World Championship Wrestling contest looking to acquire new talent and was hired. In WCW, under the ring name Daffney, she portrayed the deranged and besotted girlfriend of David Flair and managed him and Crowbar. One of Daffney's hallmarks was a piercing scream when she was lurking at ringside. The gimmick was based in part on Juliette Lewis' character in the film Natural Born Killers. Spruill also cited Harley Quinn as the original inspiration for the character. Spruill's first appearance was on the December 6 episode of Nitro, when she was shown sitting on her bed and chanting Flair's name.On May 8, 2000, Daffney was appointed by Vince Russo to wrestle Miss Elizabeth in her first wrestling match. On May 15, Daffney and Crowbar defeated WCW World Cruiserweight Champion Chris Candido and his girlfriend Tammy Lynn Sytch in a mixed tag team match where Candido's cruiserweight title was on the line. Daffney scored the pin on Tammy to make she and Crowbar the co-champions. The following week on the May 22 episode of Nitro, Crowbar and Daffney faced one another to determine the undisputed World Cruiserweight Champion. Crowbar held back during the match, but still dominated the smaller Daffney. After Candido entered the ring and hit Crowbar with a reverse piledriver, Spruill inadvertently pinned him while trying to revive him and thus became the second woman ever to hold the Cruiserweight Championship. Her reign lasted until June 7 when Lieutenant Loco pinned Disco Inferno in a three-way title defense while Daffney was hurt following interference from Miss Hancock. Daffney went on to feud with Hancock, who had stolen the affections of Flair. Daffney defeated Hancock in the promotion's first ever Wedding Gown match after Hancock removed her own dress. Daffney then became solely the valet for Crowbar. She had a brief feud with Shane Douglas's valet, Torrie Wilson, but was sporadically used as a wrestler.
Daffney's gimmicks included frequently changing hair color, t-shirts printed with bizarre slogans, and her loud screams, the latter which was the suggestion of head WCW writer Ed Ferrara. She was released by WCW on February 2, 2001, due to budget cutbacks. WCW itself was purchased by its rival, the World Wrestling Federation, a month later.
Independent circuit (2001–2013)
After her release from WCW, Spruill opted to continue wrestling, attending Dusty Rhodes' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling training camp in Kennesaw, Georgia, for eight months. She also worked for Xtreme Pro Wrestling in 2003 as Lucy, the manager of Vic Grimes. She also appeared in Ring of Honor, where she debuted on April 26, 2003, as Lucy, the valet of the Second City Saints. In July 2003, Spruill was signed to a developmental deal by World Wrestling Entertainment. She worked in Ohio Valley Wrestling as the manager of Aaron Stevens until she was released on December 17 of the same year. Spruill decided to retire from professional wrestling. Intending to focus on her acting career, she sold her wrestling boots to her then-roommate, Mickie James. While retired, Spruill worked as a personal trainer.In June 2005, she posed for a website owned and operated by Francine and Missy Hyatt. In February 2006, Spruill returned to the independent circuit. Spruill debuted in Women's Extreme Wrestling on April 6 under the ring name Lucy Furr, acting as a lumberjill in a match between Amy Lee and Tai Killer Weed. On June 2 in Irondale, Alabama, Spruill faced El Mexicano for the NWA Wrestle Birmingham Junior Heavyweight Championship. With the help of her manager, Robert Fuller, Spruill defeated El Mexicano to win her third wrestling title. In February 2007, she began making appearances with Georgia Wrestling Promotions both as a manager and a referee.
In April 2007, Spruill debuted as Daffney for Shimmer Women Athletes. She conducted an interview where she revealed her goal was to return to what she did from the beginning of her career and that was to manage. Later that evening she appeared as the manager of the wrestler MsChif. In April 2008 she began wrestling as her Shark Girl character. However, she returned to wrestling as Daffney after only a couple of months. On November 8, 2009, Daffney teamed with Rachel Summerlyn against the International Home Wrecking Crew at Volume 27, only to turn villainous by abandoning Summerlyn during the match, causing a loss to the IHWC. Later in the night on Volume 28, Daffney got disqualified in a match with Summerlyn, after she did not release an illegal hold off her opponent. On April 11, 2010, at the tapings of Volume 31, the evil Daffney defeated Summerlyn in a No Disqualification match.
On June 27, 2010, Daffney won her only Women's Championship defeating Rachel Summerlyn in the 1st round of Anarchy Championship Wrestling's 2010 American Joshi Queen of Queens Tournament. She lost the title in the 2nd round to Jessica James. On April 6, 2013, Daffney returned to Shimmer Women Athletes at the promotion's first ever internet pay-per-view, Volume 53, where she appeared as the manager of Regeneration X.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002–2003, 2008–2011)
Early appearances (2002–2003, 2008)
She made several appearances for the fledgling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion from 2002 to 2003 as Shannon and Shark Girl.On the June 5, 2008, episode of TNA Impact!, she appeared as a planted fan in the audience along with fellow wrestlers Amber O'Neal and Becky Bayless. The three women volunteered to wrestle Awesome Kong in a $25,000 Challenge. Daffney was selected and subsequently defeated by Kong.
The Governor (2008–2009)
In December 2008, Spruill portrayed Alaska governor Sarah Palin in skits involving the Beautiful People. On the January 15, 2009, episode of Impact!, it was revealed by Taylor Wilde and Roxxi that "Sarah Palin" was indeed fake, and it had all been a big joke by Roxxi and Taylor to get revenge on The Beautiful People. The next week she was seen in an interview with Lauren, where they made fun of the Beautiful People. The Beautiful People then proceeded to viciously attack "The Governor" before being pulled away by Cute Kip as Spruill lay injured. On the February 5, 2009, episode of Impact!, she made her return by attacking the Beautiful People, this time complete with entrance video and theme. She made her PPV debut at Destination X in a winning effort when she teamed with Roxxi and Wilde to defeat The Beautiful People and Madison Rayne.Daffney and alliance with Dr. Stevie (2009–2010)
As a result of having her hair cut by the Beautiful People on the March 19 episode of Impact!, Spruill transformed into her old Daffney ring name and gimmick on the April 2 episode of Impact!, when she appeared in on-screen psychiatrist Dr. Stevie's office for a therapy session. On the April 16 episode of Impact!, she teamed with Stevie's other patient Abyss to defeat the duo of ODB and Cody Deaner in a mixed tag team match. She competed in the Queen of the Cage match at Lockdown against ODB, Madison Rayne and Sojournor Bolt, but failed to win the match. On the May 14 episode of Impact!, Daffney turned heel by assaulting Taylor Wilde, because she did not save her when The Beautiful People cut her hair. At Sacrifice Wilde defeated Daffney, who had Abyss and Dr. Stevie in her corner, in the first ever Monster's Ball match. After she and Dr. Stevie began associating themselves with the returning Raven, Daffney defeated Wilde with their help in a rematch on the June 4 episode of Impact with her swinging fisherman suplex named the Lobotomy. The following week she assaulted Wilde backstage after provoking her by attacking her on-screen best friend, backstage interviewer Lauren, earlier on the same night. Daffney and Raven were defeated by Abyss and Taylor Wilde at Slammiversary in a Monster's Ball mixed tag match. During the match Wilde slammed Daffney onto a pile of thumbtacks. The following Thursday on Impact!, she and Wilde faced off in the first ever "Match of 10,000 Tacks", which she lost.At Bound for Glory, she interfered in a Monster's Ball match between Abyss and Mick Foley, who had assigned Abyss' rival and Daffney's associate Dr. Stevie as the special guest referee of the match. During the match, Abyss chokeslammed Daffney from the ring apron through a barbed wire board, although reports indicated she had suffered a broken arm, it was later reported to be inaccurate although she had instead suffered a concussion. On the November 12 episode of Impact!, Raven once again returned to TNA to reform the group of himself, Dr. Stevie and Daffney.