1. Overview
Joseph Ruby, professionally known as Joe Gacy, is an American professional wrestler born on August 8, 1987, in Franklinville, New Jersey. He is currently signed to WWE, performing on the SmackDown brand as a member of The Wyatt Sicks faction. Gacy is widely recognized for his extensive work in the independent circuit, most notably with Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) where he held the CZW World Heavyweight Championship three times and the CZW Wired Championship three times. He also competed for Evolve, where he was a one-time Evolve Tag Team Champion. His career in WWE has seen significant character evolution, from a "politically correct" persona to a dark, cult-like leader of The Schism, and more recently, a member of the enigmatic Wyatt Sicks.
2. Early life and background
Joseph Ruby was born on August 8, 1987, in Franklinville, New Jersey, in the United States.
3. Professional wrestling career
Joe Gacy's professional wrestling career spans from 2006 to the present, beginning in the independent circuit and eventually leading him to WWE.
3.1. Independent circuit (2006-2020)
Gacy made a name for himself across various independent promotions, with significant tenures in Combat Zone Wrestling and Evolve.
3.1.1. Combat Zone Wrestling (2006-2020)
Joe Gacy had an extensive career in Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) from 2006 to 2020. On August 5, 2017, at the Once in a Lifetime event, Gacy interrupted ring announcer Larry Legend, criticizing CZW's direction and putting Legend through a Barbed wire board. This led to CZW's D. J. Hyde (in storyline) firing Gacy via Twitter on his birthday.
Gacy continued to appear at CZW events, often with masked associates. On September 9, at Down with the Sickness, he and his masked goons appeared after a title match, only to be chased off by other wrestlers. On October 14, at The Wolf of Wrestling, a masked man believed to be Gacy abducted Kit Osbourne, threatening to curbstomp him unless Gacy was reinstated and given a title shot. This was revealed to be a ruse, as the masked man was Dan Barry and another masked man, Matthew Palmer, performed the curbstomp. Gacy then emerged to attack Matt Tremont, forming the F.E.A.R. faction with Barry and Palmer.
On November 11, at Night of Infamy, Gacy faced Strickland for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship. With interference from Barry and his masked goons, and a swerve revealing Alex Reynolds as a new member of F.E.A.R. (breaking up the Beaver Boys faction), Gacy defeated Strickland to win his second CZW World Heavyweight Championship. His reign was short-lived as Rickey Shane Page immediately cashed in his opportunity coin, and Larry Legend (disguised as a masked goon) struck Gacy, allowing Page to win the title. At Cage of Death 19 on December 9, Gacy participated in a rematch against Page and Strickland. During the brutal match, Gacy was chokeslammed through burning glass and later thrown off scaffolding through a table by a masked man (revealed to be Anthony Gangone), ending his involvement.
On February 10, 2018, at Nineteen, Gacy faced Gangone in his CZW debut match, losing to him. A masked man, Eddy Blackwater, attacked Gangone afterward, revealing himself. Gacy was also eliminated from a 30-man rumble match for the CZW World Heavyweight Title #1 contendership by Gangone, continuing their feud. On February 23, at Greetings from Asbury Park, Gacy, Barry, and Blackwater interfered in a match, leading to F.E.A.R.'s defeat against The House of Gangone.
On March 10, at Proving Grounds, Gacy lost to Jonathan Gresham after Barry accidentally hit Gacy with a chair. Barry then offered Gacy his spot in the Best of the Best tournament to regain favor, but Gacy superkicked and powerbombed him through chairs, kicking him out of F.E.A.R. At Best of the Best on April 14, Gacy defeated Brandon Kirk, Joey Janela, and Rich Swann in a quarter-final match. In the semi-final, he lost to Zachary Wentz due to interference from Blackwater being distracted by Gangone. On June 26, at Dark City, Gacy challenged Maxwell Jacob Friedman for the CZW World Heavyweight Championship. Despite interference from Friedman's associates Mark Sterling and CPA, and Blackwater being sent away, Gacy fought through. Gangone interfered, hitting Gacy with the title belt and allowing Friedman to pin Gacy for the win. An enraged Gacy demanded a rematch.
On July 28, at New Heights, Gacy (now working as a face) defeated Gangone in a violent match, hitting an Alabama slam onto Thumbtacks and a buckle bomb into a Falcon arrow onto thumbtacks, ending their feud. On September 8, at Down with the Sickness, Gacy lost to Rickey Shane Page in a technical match for a World Heavyweight Championship #1 contendership. On October 13, at Better Than Our Best, his match with Desean Pratt ended in a no-contest when Alex Reynolds, with his own masked goons, attacked Pratt and turned on Gacy. On November 10, at Night of Infamy, Gacy teamed with Pratt to defeat Reynolds and Tim Donst. Afterward, Reynolds and his goons attacked Gacy and Pratt, leading to a brawl where Blackwater accidentally hit Gacy. Reynolds then hit his finisher on Gacy and taunted him. On December 9, at Cage of Death XX, Gacy defeated Reynolds in a singles match, ending their feud. Blackwater turned on Reynolds, helping Gacy win. After the match, Gacy left his trademark mask in the ring, signifying the disbandment of F.E.A.R.
On February 9, 2019, at Twenty, Gacy lost two matches: a tag team match with Blackwater against The REP, and a singles match against Leyla Hirsch. On August 10, at CZW vs. wXw, Gacy returned by clotheslining then-champion John Silver, declaring his intention to win the CZW World Heavyweight Championship. On September 13, at Down with the Sickness, Gacy defeated Silver and Conor Claxton in a three-way match to begin his third reign as CZW World Heavyweight Champion. On November 30, D. J. Hyde offered to face Gacy at Cage of Death XXI with his career on the line, but Maven Bentley had Hyde find a representative instead. On December 14, Gacy faced Hyde's representative, Matt Tremont. Interference from Anthony Gangone and Valentina allowed Gacy to pin Tremont. Gacy was then challenged by Alex Shelley for a future title shot.
3.1.2. Evolve (2018-2020)
Joe Gacy debuted for Evolve on September 8, 2018, at Evolve 112, in a tag team loss with Steve Pena. He tagged alongside Steve Pena, in a defeat to Facade and Jason Kincaid. His first singles match was a defeat to Adrian Jaoude on October 28 at Evolve 114. His first victory came on January 18, 2019, against Colby Corino at Evolve 116.
On February 16, at Evolve 122, Gacy joined Eddie Kingston, Colby Corino, and Shane Strickland in a post-match attack on JD Drake and Montez Ford, forming the faction known as The Unwanted. On March 15, at Evolve 123, Gacy and Kingston defeated the Street Profits to win the Evolve Tag Team Championship, ending the NXT team's 138-day reign. During WrestleMania weekend on April 4, at Evolve 125, Gacy and Kingston defeated Konosuke Takeshita and Mao from DDT.
On May 10, at Evolve 127, Gacy was unsuccessful in a title match for the WWN Championship against JD Drake. The following day, at Evolve 128, Gacy and Kingston successfully defended their Evolve Tag Team Championship against Drake and Anthony Henry, with Henry abandoning Drake during the match. On June 29, at Evolve 129, Gacy and Kingston defeated Anthony Greene and Curt Stallion, with Gacy's right hand leading to Kingston's suplex for the win.
On June 20, at Evolve 130, Gacy and Kingston interfered in a title match between JD Drake and Babatunde, resulting in a no-contest. They continued their attack until Drake and Babatunde fought them off. Later that night, Gacy and Kingston competed in a non-title four-way elimination tag team match, where they were the last team eliminated by A. R. Fox and Leon Ruff. Afterward, The Unwanted attacked Fox and Ruff, but Babatunde, followed by Corino and Sean Maluta, intervened, leading to a brawl. On July 13, at Evolve 131, Fox and Ruff defeated Gacy and Kingston for the Evolve Tag Team Championship, ending The Unwanted's reign at 120 days.
3.1.3. Westside Xtreme Wrestling (2020)
On March 8, 2020, Joe Gacy made an appearance at the wXwNOW Showcase during the wXw 16 Carat Gold tournament. In a non-title match, Gacy defeated Anthony Greene with a discus lariat.
3.2. WWE (2020-present)
Joe Gacy signed with WWE in 2020 and has since undergone significant character developments and storylines within the NXT brand and later on the main roster.
3.2.1. NXT Debut and Character Development (2020-2022)
On August 31, 2020, reports confirmed that Joe Gacy had signed a contract with WWE, following the company's acquisition of Evolve in July. By October 7, WWE announced that he had begun training at the WWE Performance Center along with other former Evolve talents.
Gacy made his televised WWE debut on the July 2, 2021, episode of 205 Live, defeating Desmond Troy to qualify for the 2021 NXT Breakout Tournament. However, he was eliminated in the first round by Trey Baxter on the August 3 episode of NXT. On the September 21 episode of NXT, Gacy introduced a new heel persona, portraying a "politically correct" spokesperson who aimed to make NXT a "safe space." He was subsequently defeated by Cameron Grimes. On the October 5 episode of NXT, Gacy defeated Ikemen Jiro and notably gave him a hug after the match.
Gacy soon formed an alliance with Harland, who began accompanying him to the ring as his bodyguard. On the November 23 episode of NXT 2.0, Gacy convinced the Cruiserweight Champion Roderick Strong to grant him a title match at NXT WarGames, despite Gacy exceeding the 205-pound weight limit. At WarGames, Gacy was unsuccessful in capturing the title. Harland was released from WWE in April 2022.
In April 2022, Gacy initiated a feud with NXT Champion Bron Breakker after he and Harland kidnapped Breakker's father, Rick Steiner. Gacy's character evolved into a dark, sadistic, and cult-like leader during this period. A championship match between Gacy and Breakker was set for Spring Breakin' on May 3, 2022, where Gacy again failed to win the title. Gacy later challenged Breakker to a rematch at NXT In Your House, with the stipulation that if Breakker was disqualified, he would lose the NXT Championship. Gacy was once more unsuccessful in capturing the championship.
3.2.2. The Schism (2022-2023)
On the July 19, 2022, episode of NXT 2.0, Joe Gacy revealed the identities of his mysterious druids as Jagger Reid and Rip Fowler, formerly known as the Grizzled Young Veterans. The trio, with Reid and Fowler now known as The Dyad, collectively formed the faction named The Schism. They subsequently engaged in a prominent feud with Cameron Grimes.
The group expanded with the addition of Ava Raine, the daughter of Dwayne Johnson, who made her debut and joined The Schism, interfering in Grimes's final match with Gacy on the November 8 episode of NXT, which concluded the feud. Gacy participated in the Men's Iron Survivor match at NXT Deadline but was unsuccessful in becoming the number one contender for the NXT Championship. The Schism also faced Odyssey Jones, Edris Enofé, and Malik Blade in a tag team match on December 27, which The Dyad won. Gacy also challenged Kofi Kingston for the NXT Tag Team Championship on January 3, but was defeated. On January 20, Gacy defeated Odyssey Jones. On March 7, at Roadblock, Gacy defeated Andre Chase. At Stand & Deliver on April 1, The Schism faced Andre Chase University.
The Schism stable began to gradually disband in September 2023, starting with the expiration of The Dyad's contracts on September 14. This was followed by a backstage segment at NXT No Mercy where Gacy declared that The Schism was "dead." Ava Raine also posted a cryptic tweet simply saying "goodbye" to NXT, signaling the definitive end of the faction.
3.2.3. Character Evolution and Feuds (2023-2024)
Following the disbandment of The Schism, Joe Gacy began hinting at a new character direction through vignettes aired during the second week of NXT Halloween Havoc on October 31, 2023. These segments depicted him in various scenarios, such as emerging from a car trunk and posing as a construction worker.
On the January 16, 2024, episode of NXT, Gacy appeared at the commentary table alongside Booker T and Vic Joseph during a match between Dijak and Trey Bearhill. During the match, Dijak verbally insulted Booker T and Joseph, and knocked off Gacy's headphones when Gacy stood up to defend his colleagues. After the match, Gacy attacked Dijak, signifying a face turn and initiating a new feud. Gacy was defeated by Dijak in a No Disqualification match at NXT Vengeance Day and again in an Asylum match at NXT Roadblock. At Stand & Deliver, Gacy was attacked by Ridge Holland with a chair, but declared himself able to compete. Gacy went on to defeat Shawn Spears in what would be his final match for NXT.
3.2.4. Main Roster Debut and The Wyatt Sicks (2024-present)
Joe Gacy made his highly anticipated WWE main roster debut on the June 17, 2024, episode of Raw. He was introduced as a babyface member of the new faction, The Wyatt Sicks. Gacy's new character features him sporting a pig mask, which is a direct visual reference to Huskus the Pig Boy, a character from Bray Wyatt's popular "Firefly Funhouse" segment.
4. Wrestling style and signature moves
Joe Gacy incorporates a distinctive move into his arsenal known as the Upside Down. This finishing maneuver involves Gacy running towards the ropes, performing a handstand with his thighs resting on the top rope, then using the momentum to flip forward, landing on his feet, and delivering a powerful lariat to his opponent. In addition to his finisher, Gacy commonly utilizes various elbows and clotheslines in his matches.
5. Championships and accomplishments
Gacy has earned numerous championships and accolades throughout his professional wrestling career:
- BriiCombination Wrestling
- BCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Combat Zone Wrestling
- CZW World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- CZW Wired Championship (3 times)
- Dynamite Championship Wrestling
- DCW No Limits Championship (1 time)
- East Coast Wrestling Association
- ECWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Evolve
- Evolve Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Eddie Kingston
- Ground Breaking Wrestling
- GBW World Championship (1 time)
- GBW Breaker Championship (1 time)
- Maryland Championship Wrestling
- MCW Rage Television Championship (2 times)
- New York Wrestling Connection
- NYWC Fusion Championship (1 time)
- NWA Force One Pro Wrestling
- F1 Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- F1 Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ryan Slater
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 199 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2020
- Real Championship Wrestling
- RCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ryan Slater
- Vicious Outcast Wrestling
- VOW Anarchy Championship (1 time)
- We Want Wrestling
- We Want Wrestling Championship (1 time)
- Xcite Wrestling
- Xcite Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
6. Entrance themes
Joe Gacy has used the following entrance themes during his professional wrestling career:
- "Nn The Otherside" (Currently in use)
- "Hurtful Love"