Before he was a member of the Bullet Club or a multi-time tag team champion, Doc Gallows was a young prospect in WWE’s developmental system, Deep South Wrestling, where he went to extreme lengths to get noticed. Speaking on Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw, Gallows shared a pair of wild stories from his early days, including one about a gimmick involving a live tarantula that sent him to the emergency room.
The Man with the Spider
Gallows explained that as a very “green” wrestler, he needed a gimmick to stand out. He decided to incorporate a live spider into his act. “I went and I bought this big Mexican red leg tarantula at the at the pet store,” he recalled. “I got used to this spider, and I would talk in these different voices with the spider, and cut these promos.”
He decided to take the gimmick to the next level during a promo class. “I get this idea I’m going to put him in my mouth,” Gallows said. “Open my mouth. He’ll crawl out, and I’ll cut the promo… I go, ‘This will get me called up. I think it’s fucking genius.'” The plan backfired spectacularly. “He chomps down on my tongue with his fangs, and he shoots these hairs in the back of my throat… all of a sudden I realized my fucking throat’s closed.” Gallows then had to rush himself to an urgent care facility while still in his wrestling gear to be treated for the allergic reaction.
The Donut Day Incident
Gallows also recounted the infamous “Donut Day” story from Deep South. He explained that one Friday, to get out of a grueling practice session, Matt Cardona (formerly Zack Ryder) volunteered to take a running stinkface from a nude wrestler while holding donuts in his mouth. Gallows revealed he was the one volunteered for the nude role. “Somehow I, the spider-eating freaking Deacon, got volunteered to be the nude man,” he said. “But you know, I figured it was better to be the guy given’ than the guy sitting in the corner with the donuts in his mouth… all I had was like a Texas Longhorns hat that I put over my junk and I… 20 times, bam, wham, wham, wham, every time they’re feeding him another donut, smash. We didn’t have to practice, though.”
After his various early gimmicks, Doc Gallows would find mainstream success as Festus, a member of the Straight Edge Society, and later in TNA and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He and his long-time partner Karl Anderson currently wrestle as “The Good Brothers” and are one of the most in-demand tag teams on the independent circuit.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
