Shad Gaspard

Shad Gaspard (January 13, 1981) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his time with WWE, where he teamed with his partner JTG as a member of Cryme Tyme under his real name.

Since departing WWE in 2010, Gaspard has pursued an acting career that has included several roles in films and television series like Think Like a Man Too, Get Hard, The Game, and From Dusk till Dawn: The Series. He is also the co-creator of the graphic novel Assassin & Son.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Gaspard is of Haitian and Curaçaoan descent. His father, Ben Gaspard, is a former street enforcer for street gangs, and was a personal security guard in the early 1970s; he worked for gangster Frank Lucas and now owns Mcfay Contracting Inc. Shad is the third of six siblings.

At age 5, his father began training him in boxing, and at age eight he began training in a mixture of different martial arts such as Judo, Jeet Kune Do, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. As a student, Gaspard quickly developed into an aggressive fighter, winning many fight tournaments as an amateur. His mother, Ingrid Chittick, gave him the nickname “Beast” as a result of his aggressiveness. At age sixteen, Gaspard began prize fighting for promoter Hardbody Harrison, a former World Championship Wrestling wrestler and FX Tough Man Champion, in bar fighting tournaments such as boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), and tough man competitions. Even though Gaspard was only sixteen years old, he competed against adults who were older than he was by five to twenty years, due to his large size. Gaspard holds won-loss records as a No Holds Barred fighter (35–7) and an amateur boxer (57–26).

Gaspard was extensively involved in athletics during his high school years, specializing in wrestling, track, and basketball. After high school, he continued to play basketball at Georgia Perimeter College, and after leaving, he became a bodyguard for several rappers and actors, including pop star Britney Spears, Puff Daddy, and Mike Tyson.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Tough Enough and Ohio Valley Wrestling (2002–2006)

Gaspard then decided to become a professional wrestler. He qualified for the finals of the reality television program Tough Enough 2 in 2002, but was disqualified and replaced after failing a physical.

After Tough Enough, Gaspard was recruited by WWF talent scout Tom Prichard and allowed to attempt a career as a professional wrestler. He first trained with Sgt. Dewayne Bruce from the WCW Power Plant for six months. Afterwards, he attended Prichard's first Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) "training camp", after which he was offered an opportunity to return to train full-time.

Gaspard debuted in OVW in 2003 under the ring name "Da Beast", eventually joining Kenny Bolin's Bolin Services stable. Originally, he acted as Bolin's personal enforcer, until he was placed into a tag team with Carlos Colón, Jr. in February 2004.

After Colón left OVW in October 2004, Gaspard left "Bolin Services" and formed several short lived tag teams with Osama, Mike Mondo, Ken Doane, and Ryan Wilson, before he began wrestling under his real name as a singles wrestler. In June 2005, he was signed to a developmental contract by World Wrestling Entertainment.

Cryme Tyme (2006–2007)

In early 2006, during his feud in OVW with CM Punk, Gaspard was joined by the Neighborhoodie and formed a new tag team known as "The Gang Stars". The new team won the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship once, before they were called up to the Raw (WWE brand) brand roster as Cryme Tyme. On September 4, 2006, a series of vignettes began airing on Raw, hyping the debut of Cryme Tyme. On the October 16 episode of Raw, Cryme Tyme debuted and defeated then-World Tag Team Champions, the Spirit Squad (Mikey and Johnny) in a non-title match.

In November 2006, at Cyber Sunday, Cryme Tyme defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch, Charlie Haas and Viscera and The Highlanders in a Texas Tornado match (as voted by the fans). A few months later at the New Year's Revolution pay-per-view, Cryme Tyme won a Tag Team Turmoil Match against The Highlanders, The World's Greatest Tag Team, Cade and Murdoch, and Jim Duggan and Super Crazy, earning them a shot at the World Tag Team Championships. Later that year, at WrestleMania 23, Cryme Tyme made a cameo appearance and started a dance party with Eugene and some WWE Legends in the backstage area. In June 2007, on an episode of SmackDown!, Deuce 'n Domino (with Cherry) defeated Cryme Tyme in an inter-brand match tag match. While Deuce, Domino and Cherry celebrated their victory, Cryme Tyme appeared on the titantron and kayfabe stole their car, taking it to Brisco Brothers Auto Shop to sell it for parts chanting "Money, money, yeah, yeah". The next month, on July 22, 2007 The James Boys defeated Cryme Tyme to win back the OVW Southern Tag Team titles.

On August 13 Cryme Tyme returned to their hometown of New York City on an episode of Raw from Madison Square Garden, losing to then-World Tag Team Champions Cade and Murdoch in a non-title match by disqualification when Shad used a chair on Murdoch. On the August 27 episode of Raw, Cryme Tyme stole Murdoch's hat and gave it away to a fan. In the middle of the feud with Cade and Murdoch, on September 2, 2007, Gaspard (along with JTG) was released from his World Wrestling Entertainment contract. After his release, he performed on the independent circuit.

Independent circuit (2007–2008)

Gaspard, along with Paul wrestled at the Jersey All Pro Wrestling 10th Anniversary Show on October 27, 2007. Wrestling as "Crime Time", they defeated the "Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz".

Return to WWE (2008–2010)

Shad and JTG returned to WWE on the March 31, 2008, episode of Raw, as Cryme Tyme defeating Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.

Cryme Tyme began working with John Cena on the June 30 episode of Raw when they helped him interfere during John "Bradshaw" Layfield's (JBL) match. The following week, they again appeared together in a backstage segment when they vandalized JBL's limo. After a house show match, Cena confirmed that they had created a faction and announced that it was called CTC, "Cryme Tyme Cenation". Cryme Tyme also started a feud with the World Tag Team Champions Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, stealing their championship belts for a time, then losing a title match to them at the Unforgiven pay-per-view event.

On April 15, 2009, Cryme Tyme were drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft. The pair made their debuts on the May 1 episode of SmackDown, hosting a dance contest between Layla and Eve Torres. The team made their in-ring debuts on the May 22 episode of SmackDown, where they and John Morrison defeated Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas and Ricky Ortiz. On the July 31 episode of SmackDown, Cryme Tyme defeated The Hart Dynasty to become the No. 1 contenders for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship. However, the pair lost in their challenge against Jeri-Show (Chris Jericho and Big Show) at SummerSlam.

Cryme Tyme then competed in a 26-man battle royal at WrestleMania XXVI. The two eliminated Luke Gallows before Shad eliminated JTG. Shad later eliminated himself after trying to eliminate William Regal.

On the April 2, 2010 episode of SmackDown, Cryme Tyme were defeated by Morrison and R- Truth. After the match, Gaspard turned heel by attacking JTG for not coming to his aid during the match. During a backstage interview later in the show, Shad stated that the team was officially disbanded. The next week, Gaspard taunted JTG by showing footage of the attack. JTG attempted to attack him, but was laid out by Shad. After JTG's match against Caylen Croft the following week, Gaspard attacked JTG but was eventually fought off. On the April 22 episode of WWE Superstars, Gaspard (sporting a new attire) defeated Goldust. The two faced off on the May 6 episode of WWE Superstars, where Gaspard was victorious. Soon after, Shad went on a hiatus from television and was sent to Florida Championship Wrestling, WWE's developmental territory.

Gaspard made his final television appearance on the May 14 episode of SmackDown where he defeated Jesse Guyver. He was released from his contract on November 19, 2010.

Return to the independent circuit (2012–present)

Gaspard, wrestled at the NWA Pro on 2012. It was announced on June 19, 2014, that Shad and JTG were looking for booking interests labeled now as the slightly altered "Crime Time". JTG and Shad Gaspard wrestled the first match on their Crime Time World Tour on August 23, 2014, for the Warriors of Wrestling promotion in Staten Island as Crime Time.At the JAPW 18th Anniversary Show on November 15, 2014, Shad and JTG went on and defeated Damien Darling and Danny Demento in a tag team match.

Gaspard is married to fitness model and athlete Siliana Gaspard. The couple had their first child, a boy, in April 2010.

On December 11, 2016, Gaspard prevented the armed robbery of a Coral Springs, Florida, gas station when he was approached by an intoxicated man who was intent on robbing the clerk. Gaspard shoved the man, took away his gun, and restrained him until police arrived.

Legal troubles

On March 5, 2011, Gaspard was arrested by police in Columbus, Ohio for having allegedly refused the commands of a police officer and then resisting arrest for jaywalking. He was later cleared of all charges in July 2011.

In 2011 Gaspard performed in a Modern William Shakespeare performance in Tampa, Florida, where he performed a modern take on Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1 "To be, or not to be", as well as other Shakespearean works.

In 2011 and 2012, Gaspard's graphic novel Assassin & Son won several awards for best original independent graphic novel. Gaspard came up with the original concept/premise and wrote the screenplay along with former WWE wrestler Muhammad Hassan. The series is said to be a modern version of Kazuo Koike Lone Wolf and Cub.

In January 2012 he was advertised as appearing on BET television series The Game, as well as TV Land original situation comedy, The Exes in October 2012. He is also working on other upcoming films. Besides wrestling and acting, Gaspard also does modeling and works on a comic book.

In 2013 Gaspard performed in the stage adaptation of "Pugilist" as Jack Johnson, the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion (1908–1915), depicting the fighters rise to the world heavyweight championship, and his tragic fall.

• NWA Wildside
  • NWA Wildside Tag Team Championship (1 times) – with JTG
• Fighting Evolution Wrestling
  • FEW Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with JTG
• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with The Neighborhoodie / JTG
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked No. 85 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010
• Superstars of Wrestling Federation
  • SWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with JTG
• Victory Independent Pro Wrestling
  • VIP Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with JTG
• World Wrestling Alliance
  • WWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with JTG