René Duprée
| René Goguen | |
|---|---|
| File:Renedupree2005.jpg | |
| Born | December 15, 1983 Moncton, New Brunswick |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Rene Dupre Rene Goguen Rene E. Dupre Rene Rougeau René Duprée |
| Billed height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) |
| Billed weight | 113 kg (250 lb) |
| Billed from | Paris, France |
| Trained by | Emile Duprée |
| Debut | 1997 |
René Goguen (born December 15, 1983 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada), better known by his stage name René Duprée, is a French Canadian professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment's RAW brand and is currently competing in WWE's developmental territory Deep South Wrestling.
He is also the son of celebrated Canadian Maritimes wrestling promoter Emile Duprée.
Career
Early life
As his father, Emile Dupree was a wrestling promoter, young Rene was exposed and encouraged into wrestling at a young age. In fact, he was brought into the industry at such a young age, he revealed in a WWE Confidential interview (September 21, 2002) that he had been working out since he was 11, and dieting since he was 14 years old. René became a professional wrestler in 1997 at age 14, working for Grand Prix Wrestling. In 2001, he won the Mr. Canada Bodybuilding National Championship. That same year, he signed a developmental contract with WWE and was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling to gain seasoning.
World Wrestling Entertainment
La Résistance
In early 2003 he debuted in WWE on WWE RAW alongside fellow Canadian wrestler Sylvain Grenier forming a stuck-up French tag team called La Résistance. The duo were collectively known as La Résistance, and were billed as Frenchmen who were highly critical of the American efforts in the War on Terror. Grenier and Duprée made their first appearance on the April 28, 2003 edition of RAW as La Résistance by attacking Scott Steiner. Steiner had made remarks two weeks earlier comparing France to hell and Grenier and Duprée were offended. La Résistance went on to fued with Scott Steiner and Test who was forced to be Steiner's tag team partner by Stacy Keibler, La Résistance ended up defeating Steiner and Test at WWE Judgement Day on May 18, 2003 in the team's pay-per-view debut. Their most notorious insult to the United States came on Memorial Day 2003 when they interrupted RAW announcer Lilian Garcia as she was singing America the Beautiful. After several minutes of Grenier calling America barbarians and saying that France would not allow the US to be the policeman of the world, the sound of glass shattering suddenly filled the arena when Stone Cold Steve Austin cleared the ring of La Résistance and said some unflattering remarks about the French nation. Dupree was credited as the youngest superstar in WWE history to win the World Tag Team Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship. At ages 19 and 20 respectively when he and Grenier and went on to win the WWE World Tag Team Championship from Kane and Rob Van Dam at Bad Blood on June 15, 2003. The decision was made to add a third member. Enter Rob Conway, who posed as an American serviceman being abused by Grenier and Duprée. When The Dudley Boyz came out to attack La Résistance they brought Conway in the ring with an American flag. Once the Dudley Boyz had their backs turned to Conway, he attacked them with the American flag and then tore it off the pole and laid it on top of them. The trio began carrying the French flag to ringside and singing the French national anthem before their matches. La Resistance dropped the titles at Unforgiven 2003 in a three on two handicapped tables match to the Dudley Boyz. The trio feuded with several tag teams, including the Dudley Boyz, The Hurricane and Rosey, Garrison Cade and Mark Jindrak, but Grenier suffered a back injury in October 2003 and Dupree and Conway held the tag team together until Grenier returned on the March 15, 2004 edition of RAW. The trio did not last long as Dupree was drafted to Smackdown! on March 22, 2004 during the Draft Lottery.
SmackDown!
Dupree made his SmackDown! debut on the March 25, 2004 edition of SmackDown!, defeating Billy Kidman.
Dupree began gaining notoriety for a dance (in which Dupree would hop from side to side with his arms outstreched) that he performed during matches and his entrance. It was quickly dubbed "The French Tickler." It is then that he started adopting a new finishing maneuver, the Dupree Driver (sit-out belly-to-belly piledriver). He had a small talk show on Smackdown!, called Cafe de Rene, but his only guest was Torrie Wilson, because the ratings failed and it only lasted for one night.
He did continue, for some time, to bring a standard French poodle, dubbed "Fifi," with him to the ring on a leash, a gimmick originally devised during his tenure in La Resistance. This was widely considered a joke, as the accompanying poodle was obviously always different (wildly varying in size and color). The poodle was originally called Sniffy.
For several months, he went for the WWE United States Championship, held by John Cena. After an incident that happened during his talk show, Dupree challenged Cena to a title match. The match would be granted by Kurt Angle, and happened at Judgment Day.
Dupree continued to fight as a midcarder against the faces on SmackDown!.
Dupree also won the WWE Tag Team Championship along with Kenzo Suzuki on September 9, 2004 but then lost the championship on the December 9, 2004 edition of SmackDown! to Rob Van Dam and Rey Mysterio. They had a rematch at Armageddon 2004, but Dupree lost.
Dupree was also involved in an infamous incident at a SmackDown! houseshow in Syracuse, New York, when he was attacked by Hardcore Holly in the middle of a tag match they were involved in. The attack was a shoot (not staged) on Holly's part, in retaliation for a ticket Dupree had incurred while driving Holly's rented automobile. Holly forcefully pitched a chair at Dupree and battered him with several stiff kicks and punches to the head. The effects of the attack were visible for several weeks in Dupree's severely swollen and blackened eye. Holly was forced to lose to an unknown wrestler in a dark match prior to a subsequent Smackdown! taping as punishment.
On the March 24, 2005 airing of SmackDown!, he was "sacrificed" by The Undertaker as a message to Randy Orton (regarding their match at WrestleMania 21), when The Undertaker interrupted a match between Rene Dupree and Booker T. The result of the "sacrifice" saw Rene receiving a tombstone piledriver on the steel steps which lead up to the ring. Dupree was taken off TV after this, working dark matches until the April 28, 2005 edition of SmackDown! in Birmingham, England where he was defeated by John Cena. Dupree went back to dark matches and a few WWE Velocity matches until the June 18, 2005 edition of Velocity where Dupree came out calling himself the French Phenom, defeating Mark Jindrak, then the following week on Velocity on June 25, 2005 Dupree came out with a new look including a new black French mustache, dyed black hair, combed back, and black eyebrows making him look more sinister and evil.
The French Phenom
On June 30, 2005 Duprée became one of the last minute trades in the 2005 WWE Draft Lottery, which saw him jump from SmackDown! back to RAW. On the July 4, 2005 edition of RAW, Duprée debuted as the French Phenom with a new look and defeated ring veteran Val Venis on the same night. This followed up on René Duprée's impressive winning streak over superstars such as Val Venis, The Hurricane, Matt Striker and Tajiri, as well as having excellent promos calling himself the French Phenom and the Phenominal One before suffering a near career ending Hernia in mid September 2005.
Once Duprée was told he was cleared to wrestle WWE sent him back to Ohio Valley Wrestling for training before returning to WWE. But while in OVW, in December 2005, it was revealed that Rene Dupree was plagued by a reoccurring hernia, even having an unsuccessful surgery for it, and that he may have needed to retire. On January 22, 2006 a fan sent in a report to various wrestling newslines that claimed Rene Dupree reaggravated his hernia in a match with J-Man during an Ohio Valley Wrestling show. After a prompt roll up and win in his favor, Dupree was taken to a local hospital. His status was in question for the next month, until he returned to OVW to defeat The Miz by countout. Later, on March 9, 2006, Dupree wrestled a match for DSW, teaming with Kevin Matthews against The Gymini. Dupree is now a regular performer for Deep South Wrestling.
On March 17, 2006 Rene Dupree and The Basham Brothers officially signed new contracts with WWE.
In April 2006, he wrestled several dark matches prior to RAW events.
Even though he has already signed a new contract in March 2006 with WWE to extend his length with the company, it has been reported that he signed an even newer contract. This contract is a 5 year deal.
Dupree was sent to his fathers wrestling promotion Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling to get back into ring shape. He has since teamed with his brother Jeff, facing opponents such as Chad Dick, Cuban Assasian, and Iron Mike.
Trivia
Rene Dupree was the first person to get drafted during the 2004 draft.
During the 2005 Royal Rumble, matchup commentator Jim Ross repeatedly called wrestler Charlie Haas "Rene Dupree" as they were both in the ring at the same time. WWE has yet to acknowledge this confusion.
Rene Dupree is also the youngest wrestler in WWE history to hold any championship.
Profile
Previous managers and valets
Quotes
- "Simply...phenomenal!"
In wrestling
Finishing and signature moves
- Bonne Nuit (Cobra clutch)
- Cobra clutch slam
- Duprée Driver / Duprée Bomb (Michinoku driver II)
- Lorie Valley Driver / New Brunswick Driver (Death Valley Driver)
- La Chatouille de France / French Tickler (Pas de basque followed by pointed elbow drop to the head)
- Double knee backbreaker
- Standing spinebuster
- Cradle suplex
- Running neckbreaker slam
With Sylvain Grenier
- Au Revoir (Double spinebuster)
Championships and accomplishments
- 1-Time WWE World Tag Team Champion with Sylvain Grenier
- 1-Time WWE Tag Team Champion with Kenzo Suzuki
- Rene Dupree is the youngest superstar in WWE history to win both the World Tag Team Championship and the WWE Tag Team Championship
Championship succession
| WWE Tag Team Championship | ||
| Preceded by: Paul London and Billy Kidman | First, with Kenzo Suzuki | Succeeded by: Rob Van Dam and Rey Mysterio |
| (WWE) World Tag Team Championship | ||
| Preceded by: Kane and Rob Van Dam | First, with Sylvain Grenier | Succeeded by: Dudley Boyz |
Job titles
- WWE Cafe De René Host