Meatball (wrestler)

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Meatball
Birth nameRichard Ellinger
Born (1970-09-27) September 27, 1970 (age 51)[1][2][3]
River Grove, Cook County, Illinois, United States
ResidenceMount Prospect, Cook County, Illinois, United States
Websitewww.mcwusa.us
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)The Giant Midget[1]
The World's Monster Midget[1]
Meatball
Billed height4 ft 6 in (1.37 m)[4][5][6]
Billed weight292 lb (132 kg)[4][5]
Billed fromChicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States[1][2][3]
Trained byNate Webb[1][2][3]
Pat Tanaka[4]
Debut2001[1][2][3]

Richard Ellinger (born September 27, 1970), better known by his ring name Meatball, is an American professional wrestler who is signed to Micro Championship Wrestling.

Early life[]

Ellinger was born in River Grove, Illinois, United States.[2] His father, Richard Ellinger (1938-2020),[7] was of German descent, and his mother, Frances Schmidt (1942–2009), was of German-Italian descent. He has an elder sister, Valerie Caso (née Ellinger; born 1966), and two elder step-brothers, Thomas and Bill Morton, from his mother's second marriage to Earl Morton.[8]

Ellinger's mother and sister worked in the administrative side of a food chain, while his father worked in a lumber yard. Both his father and sister are two inches shorter than he is.[9]

Ellinger attended River Grove Rhodes Elementary School until 1985 and East Leyden High School until 1989.[10] After he left school, he traveled through the United States, Europe and Japan, which led to him taking a job as a cargo handler for a local airline from 1990 until 2009.[9]

Professional wrestling career[]

Ellinger is 4 feet 6 inches tall, billed at weighing 292 lbs[4][5] and adopts a brawler wrestling style.[2]

In 2001, Ellinger received basic wrestling training from Nate Webb, made his ring debut[1][3] and thereafter wrestled part-time on federations including National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Independent Wrestling Revolution (IWR) and World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA).[11] In August 2009, he joined Micro Championship Wrestling (MCW) and subsequently received training from Pat Tanaka.[4][5]

In May 2013, Ellinger returned full-time to his previous job as a cargo handler in between doing wrestling shows for MCW.[12][13]

Filmography[]

Year Title Role Notes
2002 NWA: Total Nonstop Action Meatball 1 episode: "#1.5"
2004 MWF: Midgets Invade Sturgis Himself
2011 Hulk Hogan's Micro Championship Wrestling 2 episodes: "Johnny on the Spot", "Half the Size Twice the Violence"
Full Throttle Saloon 1 episode: "#3.4"

Championships and accomplishments[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Meatball". Wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Meatball". Cagematch. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Meatball". Obsessed With Wrestling. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e Fields, Eugene W. (November 27, 2010). "Midget wrestlers prove size doesn't matter". California: Orange County Register. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d Moye, David (September 20, 2011). "Dwarf Wrestling Troupe 'Half-Pint Brawlers' Criticizes 'Hulk Hogan's Micro Wrestling Championship Wrestling' (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Superstars". Micro Championship Wrestling. Retrieved June 30, 2014. Meatball
  7. ^ https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/il/irving/richard-ellinger-10828838
  8. ^ "Life Legacy". Springer Funeral Home. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Meatball (MCW)". Pop Tower. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  10. ^ "Rich Ellinger Class of 1989". Classmates.com. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  11. ^ "Meatball". Wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved June 30, 2014. Matches
  12. ^ Jones, Jack E. (September 20, 2011). "Interview Recap: Meatball From Micro Championship Wrestling". AgryMarks.com. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  13. ^ "In Your Head Wrestling Radio - Hulk Hogan's MCW's Meatball". gpodder.net. September 15, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2014.

External links[]

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