1. Overview
Dennis Knight is an American chef and retired professional wrestler born on December 26, 1968. Standing at 75 in (190 cm) and weighing 289 lb (131 kg), he is widely recognized for his impactful career in World Championship Championship (WCW) as Tex Slazenger and in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) under the notable ring names of Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon. Knight's career spanned various eras, from his early independent circuit days and his controversial "Leatherface" gimmick in the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) to his prominent roles in the WWF's "Attitude Era." He gained significant recognition as part of the tag team The Godwinns and later as a member of The Ministry of Darkness, showcasing his versatility through diverse and often boundary-pushing personas.
2. Early Life
Dennis Knight grew up in the Tampa Bay Area, specifically in Clearwater, Florida. He attended Salem University in Salem, West Virginia, where he played American football for the Tigers. His collegiate athletic career was cut short when he suffered a severe shoulder injury, leading him to leave Salem College. Following his return to Florida, Knight worked as a bouncer before embarking on his professional wrestling career.
3. Professional Wrestling Career
Dennis Knight's professional wrestling career saw him adopt a variety of characters and participate in significant storylines across multiple promotions, leaving a distinct mark on the industry.
3.1. Early Career and Debut (1989-1992)
While working as a bouncer in Clearwater, Florida, Dennis Knight was introduced to veteran wrestler Steve Keirn, who became his trainer in professional wrestling. Knight made his debut in 1989, adopting the ring name "Tex Slazenger." His inaugural match was against his stepfather, Ron Slinker. Following his debut, Knight wrestled extensively on the independent circuit, primarily in the Carolinas.
In 1991, Knight joined the Memphis, Tennessee-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA). During this period, he adopted the controversial ring name "Leatherface" and a gimmick inspired by the character from the 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. His portrayal included a "bloodstained" apron, a leather mask, and a chainsaw (without the chain). He was presented as a formidable "monster" and engaged in a notable feud with Jerry Lawler. One infamous incident during this feud saw Knight being set on fire during a match. After discontinuing the Leatherface gimmick, Knight, still as Tex Slazenger, formed a tag team with Mark Canterbury, who wrestled under the masked persona of "Master Blaster." Following his departure from the USWA, Knight wrestled in various locations including Florida, Puerto Rico, and Japan before securing a tryout with World Championship Wrestling in 1992.
3.2. World Championship Wrestling (WCW) (1992-1994)
In 1992, Dennis Knight was hired by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), where he continued to use the ring name "Tex Slazenger." His character was established as an "ornery Texas outlaw." During his tenure in WCW, Knight formed a tag team with Shanghai Pierce, who was also Mark Canterbury. As a team, Slazenger and Pierce engaged in feuds with various opponents, including the Vegas Connection, a team composed of Diamond Dallas Page and Vinnie Vegas. Knight and Pierce remained with WCW until their departure in 1994.
3.3. United States Wrestling Association (USWA) (1995-1996)
After both Dennis Knight and Mark Canterbury left WCW, Canterbury signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and began wrestling as "Henry Godwinn." Meanwhile, Knight returned to his former promotion, the United States Wrestling Association (USWA), continuing to use his "Tex Slazenger" persona. During this second run in the USWA, Slazenger achieved championship success, capturing the USWA Southern Title on two separate occasions. Both times, he defeated Brian Christopher for the championship. He also continued his feud with Jerry Lawler during this period.
3.4. World Wrestling Federation (WWF) (1996-2001)
Dennis Knight's time in the World Wrestling Federation marked the most significant period of his career, characterized by several distinct and memorable character transformations and storylines.
3.4.1. The Godwinns and Southern Justice (1996-1998)
In 1996, Dennis Knight signed with the WWF, which led to his reunion with Mark Canterbury. Knight was rebranded as "Phineas I. Godwinn," a name abbreviated to "P.I.G." to match Canterbury's "H.O.G." (Henry O. Godwinn). The duo was presented as cousins, and later brothers, collectively known as The Godwinns. They embraced a pig farmer gimmick, appearing in overalls and portraying a cheerful babyface persona, often managed by Hillbilly Jim.
Phineas made his in-ring debut on the January 29, 1996, episode of Monday Night Raw, where The Godwinns secured a tag team victory over The Bodydonnas. They soon entered a feud with The Bodydonnas over their manager, Sunny. The Godwinns participated in a tournament for the vacant Tag Team Championship, defeating The New Rockers and the team of Owen Hart and The British Bulldog to reach the finals. However, they lost to The Bodydonnas in the final match on the March 31 episode of Free for All, and failed to win the titles in a rematch at In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies. On May 19, The Godwinns defeated The Bodydonnas at a live event in Madison Square Garden to win the Tag Team Championship. As a result, they gained Sunny as their manager. Their first reign was short-lived, as they lost the titles to The Smoking Gunns on the May 26 episode of Free for All.
In 1997, The Godwinns turned heel. On October 5, they defeated The Headbangers to reclaim the WWF Tag Team Championship, but their second reign lasted only two days, as they lost the titles to the Legion of Doom on October 7. During a match between The Godwinns and the Legion of Doom in 1997, Canterbury suffered a cracked C7 vertebra when the Legion of Doom botched a Doomsday Device. Although doctors advised 15 weeks of rest, Canterbury returned to the ring in less than eight weeks.
In early 1998, The Godwinns abandoned their pig farmer gimmicks and were repackaged as "Southern Justice," adopting their real names. They served as the bodyguards for Tennessee Lee and Jeff Jarrett, appearing in black suits instead of overalls. Six months later, Canterbury's premature return to the ring led to a herniated C7 vertebra and a pinched spinal nerve, requiring spinal fusion surgery. This injury ultimately forced Canterbury to leave the WWF and retire, leaving Knight without a tag team partner.
3.4.2. The Ministry of Darkness (1999)
In late 1998, Dennis Knight returned to the WWF after a brief hiatus. In a dramatic storyline development, he was kidnapped by the Acolytes and subjected to a "brainwashing" ritual, leading to his forced induction into The Ministry of Darkness. This heel Satanic-themed stable was led by The Undertaker, who rechristened Knight as "Midian," a deranged soothsayer. His name was later changed to "Mideon." As Mideon, he adopted a distinctive appearance with face paint and often carried a formaldehyde-preserved eyeball in a jar, which he claimed allowed him to predict the future.
Throughout 1999, The Ministry engaged in a high-profile feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Mideon frequently teamed with Viscera during this period. Mideon "won" the WWF European Championship on June 21, 1999, when he simply found the title belt in Shane McMahon's bag. His reign as European Champion was brief, lasting only four days, as he lost the title to D'Lo Brown on June 25 at Fully Loaded. When The Undertaker suffered an injury in late 1999, The Ministry of Darkness disbanded. However, Mideon continued to use his gimmick and maintained his alliance with Viscera, often carrying out The Undertaker's biddings in matches even after the stable had dissolved, though no clear stable was formally re-established.
3.4.3. Various Storylines (2000-2001)
In early 2000, Dennis Knight made a brief appearance as an imitator of Mankind. Later in mid-2000, Knight returned to the WWF with a new, controversial persona known as "Naked Mideon." This gimmick involved Mideon running around arenas wearing only a fanny pack, a pair of boots, and a thong. This comedic and boundary-pushing character allowed Knight to showcase his inherent cheerful personality as a babyface. At No Mercy 2000, he attempted to reclaim the European Championship from William Regal, but was ultimately defeated. At Armageddon 2000, Knight briefly interfered in a match between Chris Jericho and Kane. Following these appearances, Knight wrestled a few dark matches under his earlier "Tex Slazenger" moniker before being released from the WWF in January 2001.
3.5. Post-WWF Career and Retirement (2001-Present)
Following his departure from the WWF in 2001, Dennis Knight returned to his home in Tampa, Florida. He dedicated time to training aspiring wrestlers at Steve Keirn's Pro Wrestling school. During this period, he also continued to wrestle for several independent promotions in Florida, including Independent Professional Wrestling (IPW) and Future Stars of Pro Wrestling (FSPW), and undertook tours in Europe.
From 2003 to 2004, Knight made several appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in dark matches, wrestling under his real name. On March 13, 2005, Knight appeared at the NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA) event TNA Destination X 2005. During a scheduled match between Monty Brown and Trytan, the arena lights went off. When they came back on, Trytan had vanished, and a masked Knight was in his place. He was quickly pinned by Brown. TNA never publicly revealed the identity of the masked wrestler on air, and Knight was released by the company the following day.
Dennis Knight officially retired from professional wrestling in 2006. Despite his retirement, he wrestled several matches for Great Lakes Championship Wrestling (GLCW) in 2011 and 2012. On December 1, 2012, Knight reunited with his long-time ally Mark Canterbury at a GLCW event in Wisconsin. They revived their WCW-era personas, Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce, to face Demolition (composed of Ax and Smash). On November 22, 2020, Knight made a special return to WWE, reuniting with Henry O. Godwinn as The Godwinns, to participate in The Undertaker's retirement ceremony at Survivor Series. Several other members of the "Bone Street Krew," a backstage group associated with The Undertaker, also appeared to pay tribute during the event.
4. Wrestling Style and Moves
Dennis Knight employed a range of powerful and impactful maneuvers throughout his professional wrestling career, utilizing both individual and tag team techniques.
His primary finishing moves included:
- Eye Opener / Slop Drop / Problem Solver (an inverted DDT)
- Hangman's neckbreaker
- Electric chair suplex
Knight's notable signature moves consisted of:
- Diving double axe handle
- Gutwrench powerbomb
- Pumphandle hip toss followed by a knee drop
- Snap DDT
When teaming with Henry O. Godwinn as The Godwinns, their signature tag team finisher was the Double Slop Drop, a synchronized double inverted DDT.
5. Championships and Accomplishments
Dennis Knight achieved several championships and accolades throughout his professional wrestling career:
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- CWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jumbo Baretta
- Independent Professional Wrestling
- IPW Hardcore Championship (1 time)
- Future Stars of Pro Wrestling
- FSPW Hardcore Championship (1 time)
- Professional Wrestling Federation
- PWF Tag Team Championships (1 time) - with Jumbo Baretta
- United States Wrestling Association
- USWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- World Wrestling Federation
- WWF European Championship (1 time)
- WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Henry O. Godwinn
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Worst Tag Team (1996, 1997, 1999) - with Henry Godwinn & Viscera
6. Personal Life
After retiring from professional wrestling, Dennis Knight transitioned into a career as a chef, working in Clearwater, Florida. Knight is known for his distinctive tattoos, which include an eyeball tattooed on the back of his head and a depiction of Doc Holliday on his left arm. In 2023, Knight faced a significant health challenge when he developed an infection that necessitated the amputation of all the toes on his right foot.