• Jonathan Rechner (Balls Mahoney) was born in 1972 and was a professional wrestler
• He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
• He earned high valued contracts with the company, as well as in the independent scene
• He won the SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship twice, and the World Tag Team Championship once
• He passed away in 2016 due to a heart attack and suffered from CTE
Known for movies
Short Info
Died | April 12, 2016, Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, United States |
Spouse | Christy Stanton |
Mark | Trademark move: Ball Breaker (modified Spinebuster) |
Fact | Is a former two time ECW Tag Team Champion with Masato Tanaka and Spike Dudley. |
Contents
Who is Balls Mahoney?
Jonathan Rechner was born on 11 April 1972, in Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, USA, and was a professional wrestler under the name Balls Mahoney. He is best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from the late-1990s to the early-2000s. He passed away in 2016.
The Net Worth of Balls Mahoney
As of early-2020, Balls Mahoney’s net worth is estimated to be over $2.4 million, earned through a successful career in professional wrestling.
He also worked with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and earned high valued contracts with the company as well as in the independent scene.
Career Beginnings
Balls grew up in Spring Lake Heights, and at a young age developed a love for wrestling, enough that he would start training at the age of 15. He trained at the Monster Factory and made his debut shortly after in 1987 under the name Abbudah Singh. He worked with the World Wrestling Council for three years, and then took a four-year break before returning to the scene in Smokey Mountain Wrestling, where he took on the name Boo Bradley Jr.
During his time there, he was managed by Tammy Sytch, and was involved in a storyline where he was abused by his manager. It eventually escalated when she killed his pet cat, and he turned, becoming a fan favorite. He then developed a friendship with Cactus Jack and started a long rivalry with former partner Chris Candido, managed by his former manager. He won the SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship two times during his tenure.
In 1995, he went to work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where he initially appeared under his real name of Rechner as a jobber, until he lost the right to use his name in a match and was called Xanta Klaus.
He made fewer appearances as the year progressed.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
In 1997, he signed with ECW, under the name Balls Mahoney which would mark his rise to success. Fans of ECW who loved hardcore matches and violence enjoyed his use of the signature steel chair, which he would use most of the time. He teamed with Axl Rotten to create The Hardcore Chair Swingin’ Freaks. They competed for the Tag Team Championship several times, but were unsuccessful.
He then partnered with Masata Tanaka, and finally won the World Tag Team Championship, making it his first championship reign as a tag team champion. They lost shortly afterwards against the Dudley Boyz. He later formed a tag team with Spike Dudley and won the championship again, this time holding it for a few months before dropping the title to the Dudley Boyz. He also challenged Rob Van Dam for the ECW World Television Championship but lost. During his last year with the company, he often lost his matches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RFe5JdFow4
He was most impactful when he was doing punches or kicks as the crowd reacted with “Balls!” or “Nuts!” chants when he was getting hit.
Later Career
After ECW ended, Balls spent the next five years across the US, wrestling for numerous independent promotions. He also had a short run in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). In 2005 he returned to WWE, which had now acquired ECW, appearing in the reunion show ECW One Night Stand. A year later, ECW was launched as a new WWE brand, and he was one of the first signees of the new endeavor.
He was initially set to be a tag team, but after Axl Rotten dropped out, he became more of a single competitor. After a few matches, he only had a few bouts with Matt Striker, Snitsky, and Kevin Thorn. He also competed for the ECW Championship once, but was defeated. He had an on-screen relationship with Kelly Kelly, and was released from his contract in 2008. In the last eight years of his career, he mainly wrestled in the independent circuit, competing in World Wrestling Council and appeared in “TNA Impact!”
Wrestler #BallsMahoney has died at the age of 44. Read on: https://t.co/IwMeBBl6YF pic.twitter.com/ESMbW1iZCP
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) April 13, 2016
He also had a brief stint in Ring of Honor (ROH) and his last match was at DFC – A Very Deathproof Christmas.
Personal Life
Mahoney married Gayle Schechter in 2006 and they stayed together for a decade until his death. He died shortly after his 44th birthday while he was watching “Jeopardy!” in his home. He was discovered unconscious, and declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
An autopsy revealed that he had passed away due to a heart attack. It was also discovered that he suffered from CTE, which is caused by consistent trauma to the head over the years. The family filed a lawsuit against WWE over these reports, but it was later dismissed.
He was childhood friends to the late Chris Candido, and it was the duo who dreamed of finding a career in professional wrestling together. They even dreamed of setting up a wrestling promotion, and trained together during their youth.
General Info
Full Name | Balls Mahoney |
Died | April 12, 2016, Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey, United States |
Height | 1.88 m |
Weight | 113.4 kg |
Profession | Professional Wrestler |
Nationality | American |
Family
Spouse | Christy Stanton |
Children | Christopher Rechner |
Accomplishments
Movies | ECW on TNN, ECW: Guilty as Charged 2001, ECW: Anarchy Rulz '99 |
TV Shows | ECW Hardcore TV, Saturday Night's Main Event, Impact Wrestling |
Social profile links
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia