Rhyno
Terrance Guido Gerin is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Rhyno. He is a freelancer, appearing for various promotions such as All Elite Wrestling and sister's promotion Ring of Honor, National Wrestling Alliance, and on the independent circuit. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling, WWE, and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a 2024 TNA Hall of Fame inductee.
Gerin started his career in the Canadian independent circuit as Rhino Richards. He was signed by the American promotion ECW in 1999, where he shortened his name to Rhino. He remained with ECW until it closed in 2001, where he was the final World Heavyweight and World Television Champion. He then joined the World Wrestling Federation with several other ECW wrestlers and was involved in the Invasion angle, in which ECW and WCW alumni joined forces against WWF wrestlers. He worked as Rhyno for WWE until 2005, when he signed with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and defeated Jeff Jarrett to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He lost it two days later and remained with TNA until 2010.
In 2015, Rhyno returned to WWE. He initially worked in NXT, its developmental territory, and was promoted to the main roster in December. During his time on the SmackDown brand, he teamed with Heath Slater and won a tournament to become the inaugural SmackDown Tag Team Champions. He left WWE again in 2019 and returned to TNA.
Early life
Gerin was born on October 7, 1975, in Detroit, Michigan. He is of Italian descent, with his ancestry being Venetian. He graduated from Annapolis High School in Dearborn Heights, Michigan where he was on the wrestling team. Gerin trained in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.Professional wrestling career
Early career (1995–1998)
Gerin trained as a wrestler at the Can-Am Wrestling School located in Windsor, Ontario under Scott D'Amore, with whom he later reunited in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. He began training on September 24, 1994, and had his first match on March 10, 1995. Gerin made four appearances in World Championship Wrestling as enhancement talent under the ring name Terry Richards. Richards lost to "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan on the August 5, 1995, edition of WCW Saturday Night. WCW Television Champion The Renegade defeated Richards on the September 9 edition of WCW Pro. Richards and Johnny Swinger lost to the Nasty Boys on the September 16 edition of WCW Saturday Night. Then lost to Road Warrior Hawk on the September 23, 1995, edition of WCW WorldWide. His final appearance was a loss to Johnny B. Badd on the January 13, 1996 edition of WCW Pro.In the World Wrestling Federation, Gerin lost to Fatu on the October 21, 1995 espiode of WWF Superstars. Then he lost to Henry O. Godwinn on the November 6, 1995, episode of Monday Night Raw. He was part of the losing team in a six-man tag team match against The Truth Commission at the June 23, 1997 WWF Shotgun Saturday Night taping. Gerin then adopted the ring name Rhino Richards and began wrestling in Canada, where he formed a stable known as "THUG Life" with Joe Legend, Zakk Wyld, Christian Cage, Bloody Bill Skullion, Brett Kimball, and Sexton Hardcastle. He wrestled a dark match at the June 29, 1998 WWF Shotgun Saturday Night taping, defeating Breyer Wellington.
Catch Wrestling Association (1997–1998)
In 1997, Gerin relocated to Hanover, Germany, where he began competing for the Catch Wrestling Association under the ring name "Rhino Richards". On October 10, 1998, he teamed with XL Legend to win the vacant CWA World Tag Team Championship, defeating Rico de Cuba and August Smisl. The titles were vacated in October 1998 when Gerin left the promotion after signing with Extreme Championship Wrestling.Extreme Championship Wrestling (1999–2001)
Gerin debuted in ECW on February 19, 1999, at a live event as "Rhino Richards", teaming with Nova to defeat the Full Blooded Italians. After working a few live events during his early months in the promotion, Gerin made his televised debut as a heel on the June 25 episode of ECW Hardcore TV as "Rhino", a comically aggressive, psychotic, and unstable powerhouse wrestler who reveled in extremely violent wrestling and ferocious brutality. He was introduced by Steve Corino and Jack Victory as Taz's opponent in a match, which Rhino quickly lost.Rhino made his first pay-per-view appearance at Heat Wave, where he aided Corino and their new ally Yoshihiro Tajiri during their matches. When ECW debuted on national television with a weekly show on TNN, the alliance of Rhino, Corino, Victory and Tajiri joined Cyrus to form a group called The Network. Cyrus represented TNN and was viewed as criticizing the hardcore wrestling style of ECW. Rhino's first match at a pay-per-view took place at Anarchy Rulz, where Rhino and Corino unsuccessfully challenged Tommy Dreamer and Raven for the ECW World Tag Team Championship, but were defeated. On the October 1 episode of ECW on TNN, Rhino received his first opportunity for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship against Mike Awesome, which he failed to win. In late 1999, Rhino began feuding with The Sandman, and at November to Remember he teamed with the Impact Players to defeat Dreamer, Raven, and Sandman.
On January 29, 2000, Rhino competed against Rob Van Dam for the ECW World Television Championship. Van Dam retained the title but fractured his ankle which forced him to vacate the title. A tournament was set up to crown the new champion and Rhino participated in the tournament for the vacant title. He defeated Spike Dudley on the March 10 episode of ECW on TNN and advanced to the tournament final at Living Dangerously after The Sandman was eliminated by forfeit. Rhino faced Super Crazy in the finals of the tournament later that night, which headlined the show. Rhino lost after interference by RVD. However, Rhino won the World Television Championship on April 22 by defeating Yoshihiro Tajiri at CyberSlam, thus beginning his first title reign in ECW. Throughout mid-2000, Rhino continued to feud with The Sandman, defeating him in a title match at Hardcore Heaven. During that match, Rhino performed a Rhino Driver to the Sandman's wife and valet, Lori. Rhino would then defend the title against Sandman, a second time at Heat Wave. Before the match, Rhino attacked the couple and attempted to force Lori's head into a toilet. Rhino would go on to retain the title.
He lost the title to Kid Kash on August 26 at Midtown Massacre, but regained it a little over two weeks later on September 9. After winning his second World Television Championship, Rhino resumed his feud with Rob Van Dam, defeating him to retain the title at Anarchy Rulz. Rhino continued his title reign by successfully defending the title against New Jack at November to Remember and Spike Dudley at Massacre on 34th Street.
Rhino won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship on January 7, 2001, at Guilty as Charged, defeating Sandman in a squash match immediately after The Sandman had won the title from Steve Corino in a three-way tables, ladders, chairs, and canes match. He defended the title twice, defeating Sandman on January 12 and Spike Dudley on January 13, 2001, on the last two ECW shows and was the final World Heavyweight Champion and World Television Champion as the company folded in April.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (2001–2005)
Team RECK and The Alliance (2001−2002)
Following the closure of ECW, Gerin signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation. He debuted on the March 19, 2001, episode of WWF Raw is War, in Albany, New York at the Pepsi Arena, under the ring name Rhyno as a heel, aligning himself with Edge and Christian. Rhyno went on to help Edge and Christian defeat The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz for the WWF Tag Team Championship in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1. On the April 19 edition of SmackDown!, Rhyno defeated Kane to win the WWF Hardcore Championship. At Backlash on April 29, he defeated Raven to retain the title. At Judgment Day on May 20, Rhyno, Edge, and Christian formed a stable with Kurt Angle known as Team RECK, with all four members reaching the semi-finals of the King of the Ring tournament. Rhyno was eliminated from the event by the eventual winner, Edge at King of the Ring on June 24. He won the Hardcore Championship a total of three times in mid-2001.On the July 9 episode of Raw is War, Rhyno "invaded" the WWF along with other ECW wrestlers. The group, led by former ECW owner Paul Heyman, went on to merge with rival organization WCW later that night, forming The Alliance. At Invasion on July 22, Rhyno competed in the main event the Inaugural Brawl match; five-on-five tag team match where Team WCW/ECW Rhyno and the Dudley Boyz ) defeated Team WWF. Rhyno feuded with Chris Jericho due to Jericho insulting Stephanie McMahon, the on-screen owner of ECW, on numerous occasions. One notable moment during the feud saw Rhyno Gore Jericho through the SmackDown! stage set on the August 9 episode of SmackDown!. This culminated in a match between the two at SummerSlam on August 19, in which Rhyno lost to Jericho. On September 23 at Unforgiven, he defeated fellow ECW alumnus Tajiri for the WCW United States Championship. He held the title for just under a month before losing to Kurt Angle on the October 22 episode of Raw. As a result of his loss, Rhyno was "suspended" from The Alliance on the October 25 episode of SmackDown!. The suspension was an angle concocted to explain Rhyno's absence while he underwent cervical fusion surgery for two herniated discs in his neck. The surgery was successfully performed on November 12.
Various alliances (2003–2005)
Rhyno returned to WWE television sixteen months later on the February 27, 2003, episode of SmackDown!, aligning himself with Chris Benoit and turning into a face as they defeated Matt Hardy and Shannon Moore. He subsequently joined the SmackDown! brand. Rhyno and Benoit went on to unsuccessfully challenge Team Angle for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a triple threat tag team match also involving Los Guerreros at WrestleMania XIX on March 30. At Judgment Day on May 18, Rhyno teamed with Spanky and Chris Benoit to lose to John Cena and The Full Blooded Italians. After losing to Benoit in the opening round of the United States Championship tournament on the June 19 episode of SmackDown!, Rhyno turned on Benoit during Benoit's match against Eddie Guerrero for the United States Championship at Vengeance on July 27, thus turning heel once again. At SummerSlam on August 24, Rhyno competed in a fatal four-way match for the United States Championship against Guerrero, Benoit and Tajiri, but failed to win the title. Rhyno's feud with Benoit was resolved in a singles match between the two on the September 11 episode of SmackDown!, which Rhyno lost.Rhyno made his first appearance in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2004, by entering at #6 but was eliminated by the eventual winner Chris Benoit. On the February 12 episode of SmackDown!, Rhyno got disqualified in a match against Hardcore Holly for shoving the referee. It led to a rematch between the two at No Way Out on February 15, which Rhyno lost. On the March 22 episode of Raw, Rhyno was drafted to the Raw brand in the 2004 WWE Draft Lottery. Later that night, he unsuccessfully faced Chris Benoit for the World Heavyweight Championship. The next week on Raw, he turned face once again by first squashing Lance Storm in a match and then forming a tag team with Tajiri. The duo defeated Jonathan Coachman and Garrison Cade in a tag team match at Vengeance on July 11. In the fall, Rhyno and Tajiri began pursuing the World Tag Team Championship and entered a feud with the champions La Résistance, unsuccessfully challenging them for the titles at Unforgiven on September 12. Rhyno and Tajiri received another title shot against La Résistance on the November 15 episode of Raw in a triple threat match, also involving William Regal and Eugene. Regal and Eugene won the titles.
On the January 10, 2005, episode of Raw, Rhyno lost a Royal Rumble qualifying match to Edge. Rhyno was released from his WWE contract on April 9, along with his friend Matt Hardy due to a public argument with his wife that took place at the WrestleMania 21 afterparty. He made his final appearance on WWE television at the WWE-produced ECW reunion pay-per-view One Night Stand on June 12, where he lost to Sabu.