Ed Ferrara

Biography

Education Ferrara graduated from Drew University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in theater arts and English.

Between 1994 and 1996, Ferrara was trained and wrestled in the California-based independent promotion - Slammers Wrestling Federation. Ferrara worked under the ring name of Bruce Beaudine and on April 11, 1996 he won the SWF heavyweight championship.

World Wrestling Federation (1998–1999) In 1998, Ferrara was writing for television shows on the USA Network. Executives at USA learned that he was working as an independent wrestler on the weekends, and set up a meeting with him and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE). He matched the credentials required for the job including previous experience in wrestling and working in television production. He secured an interview with Vince McMahon and began working with the WWF at the King of the Ring in 1998 during the Attitude Era. He immediately clicked with his writing partner Vince Russo. According to Russo, Ferrera was actually a consultant for the USA Network and was working with Bonnie Hammer.

Ferrara appeared on an episode of Sunday Night Heat on March 14, 1999 when Tiger Ali Singh called out a fan. The fan was Ferrara which Singh wanted to impersonate Jim Ross. While Ferrara did the impersonation, fans began booing. Ross and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams came out to confront Ferrara. Williams German suplexed Ferrara and then attacked Singh.

Eventually, Ferrara and Russo were offered a better deal to work for WCW, and left the WWF to go work there.

World Championship Wrestling (1999–2001) Ferrara and Russo began working for WCW in October 1999, and they placed themselves within the onscreen product of WCW. They migrated their "Crash TV" formula from the WWF. Matches were shorter in length, speaking segments both inside and outside the ring were more prominent, and a far greater emphasis was made on pushing midcard wrestlers to the point that everyone on the card had a gimmick and/or storyline. Successful products of their initial tenure at WCW included Screamin' Norman Smiley, 3 Count, the re-invention of The Outsiders, The Mamalukes, 'Psycho' David Flair, The Revolution, The Filthy Animals, and Chris Benoit's main event push, among others. There were some storylines which did not necessarily go over with fans the way they wished including Buzzkill, The Maestro, Buff Bagwell, and Madusa winning the Cruiserweight title.

Another storyline that didn't go over well with fans was Ferrara's controversial parody of WWF commentator Jim Ross, in which he took the onscreen name of Oklahoma and began parodying Ross on WCW programming, even going as far as to mimick Ross' Bell's Palsy affliction. He had previously done an impersonation of Ross in the WWF during an angle with Tiger Ali Singh where he was called from the audience as a fan and did his Ross impression. The new committee also led to the mass exodus of the most promising mid-card wrestlers in the company. Now known as The Radicalz, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Perry Saturn all walked out of WCW as Sullivan stated he had no plans to use them on subsequent programming. It was rumored that 17 wrestlers had asked for their release that night but only five of them got their successful release (this included Shane Douglas but he would return in April of that year). Within two months the booking committee was disbanded and in a desperate attempt to salvage their ailing product, WCW hired back Russo and Eric Bischoff to help out. This led to Ed Ferrara getting demoted to a road agent position.

He did voiceovers that played over the intercom when non-English speaking La Parka was doing interviews, often getting La Parka in trouble with his opponents with the comments he created over the intercom.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2002, 2009–2010) From June to August 2002, Ferrara did color commentary on the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling weekly pay-per-views alongside Mike Tenay and Don West when the company started. On June 30, 2010, it was reported that Ferrara was no longer working for TNA.

Later years After WCW folded, Ferrara debuted in NWA Wildside and criticized the concept of women participating in wrestling. Ferrara currently resides in Florida where he teaches "Creative Writing for Entertainment" at Full Sail University. Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI ranked him # 445 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996. Wrestling Observer Newsletter Worst Gimmick (1999)