RJ Skinner (born July 18, 1988), better known by his ring name RJ City, is a Canadian-American former professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a writer, sometime on-screen interviewer, host of AEW's YouTube series Hey!(EW) and co-host of TBS YouTube series Meal & A Match with Renee Paquette[1] He previously worked on the independent circuit.[2]
| RJ City | |
|---|---|
 RJ City in March 2024 | |
| Born | July 18, 1988 Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | RJ City RJ Metropolis |
| Billed height | 6'2 |
| Billed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Debut | 2006 |
RJ City began hosting pre-show segments alongside Renee Paquette on June 25, 2023, at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view.[3][4] He also hosts several shows on AEW's YouTube channel including Hey! (EW),[5][1] which was awarded Best Talent Media of the Year by Fightful in 2023.[6]
Professional wrestling career
editIndependent circuit (2006–2022)
editSkinner began training to be a professional wrestler after graduating high school. His trainers were John Rambo and Johnny Wave. His first match was an unpaid dark match against Joey Valentyne on August 19, 2006. Skinner was an active in-ring competitor on the independent wrestling circuit. He has also wrestled matches in IWC, Impact, and Ring of Honor. He notably appeared on Impact Wrestling in 2018, teaming with David Arquette.[7] Skinner also had a feud, and eventual tag-team partnership, with actor and former WCW Heavyweight Champion, David Arquette. In late 2018, Arquette had expressed an interest in making an in-ring wrestling return and began training with Peter Avalon. Arquette's wrestling comeback was documented in You Cannot Kill David Arquette. Skinner slapped Arquette at the red carpet premier for 350 Days, further publicizing their ongoing feud.[8] Behind the scenes, Skinner helped train and mentor Arquette and the two became close friends.[9] On July 15, 2018, the two faced off in a match for the promotion Championship Wrestling From Hollywood (CWFH) with Skinner taking the win. The two then wrestled as a tag team, sometimes referred to as Arquette City, until their final match together on New Year's Day 2020, which resulted in a win for the duo.[10]
All Elite Wrestling (2023–present)
editIn 2023, RJ City began working for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a writer, on-screen interviewer, and host of the pre-show panels for pay-per-view events alongside Renee Paquette while also hosting his own show "Hey! (EW)" on AEW's YouTube channel. When asked about his current professional wrestling career status in an interview with Fightful, Skinner has stated that he is not retired, along with the following: "I just got paid more to do other things in wrestling that's not wrestling, not that I won't. There is an argument that when I wrestle, I'm not wrestling."[11]
Championships and accomplishments
edit- Conflict Wrestling
- CW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Destiny World Wrestling
- Destiny World Championship (1 time)
- Empire State Wrestling
- ESW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- ESW Interstate Championship (1 time)
- ESW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Gregory Iron
- Great Canadian Wrestling
- GCW Canadian National Championship (1 time)
- GCW Ontario Independent Championship (1 time)
- Greektown Pro Wrestling
- Greektown Wrestling Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Cartel
- IWC Super Indy Championship (1 time)
- IWC World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Other media
editSkinner host a weekly YouTube series called RJ Makes Coffee in his Underwear.[12]
In Season 7 Episode 7 of Celebrity Family Feud, Skinner competed as part of Team Arquette, which also consisted of professional wrestlers David Arquette, Jack Perry, Peter Avalon, and Dalton Castle.[13]
WWE Digital Content
editSkinner also produced various digital content for WWE from 2020-2021, appearing primarily as a host and interviewer. Skinner participated in pay-per-view watch alongs and wrote sketches for WrestleMania After Dark with RJ City, which premiered on WWE's YouTube channel immediately following WrestleMania 37. He also made regular appearances on The Bump, where he had a recurring segment called Wednesday Morning Wake-Up, where he interviewed WWE Superstars and celebrities. Skinner engaged with WWE Superstars in humorous and entertaining interviews, adding a unique flair by providing a blend of comedy and insight, making his segments popular among fans.
Skinner played a significant supporting role in the 2020 documentary You Cannot Kill David Arquette as David Arquette's friend and wrestling partner.[14]
Filmography
editIn addition to appearing in multiple professional wrestling promotions online and on television, Skinner has acted in series and films. Skinner is an ACTRA union member.[15] In 2014, Skinner won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Children's Nonfiction for his role as Gildar in Splatalot!.
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | RJ City: Wrestling Raconteur | Self/RJ City |
| 2020 | You Cannot Kill David Arquette | Self/RJ City |
| 2016 | The Masked Saint | Iceman |
| 2015 | Murdoch Mysteries (1 episode) | The Gladiator |
| 2013 | Club Utopia | Steve (Bouncer #1) |
| 2012 | My Babysitter's a Vampire (1 episode) | Egyptian Guard #1 |
| 2011 | The Big Smoke | Wrestler |
| 2011 | Monster Brawl | Mummy & Werewolf |
| 2011-2013 | Splatalot! (series regular) | Gildar |
References
edit- ^ a b Hetfield, James (May 16, 2024). "AEW Announces New YouTube Series Hosted By Renee Paquette And RJ City - PWMania - Wrestling News". Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ Djeljosevic, Danny (October 27, 2023). "10 Things AEW Fans Should Know About RJ City". TheSportster. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ Wolstanholme, Danny (June 25, 2023). "AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2023 Results 6/25: Danielson Vs. Okada & More". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ "RJ City: Pro wrestling and entertainment's rising star". June 27, 2023.
- ^ "Jon Moxley: Take Twitter Off Your Phone. Throw It In The Garbage. We Don't Need Twitter | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ "RJ City On Winning Fightful's Best Talent Media Award: I Would F*cking Hope So, Go To Hell Maven | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "RJ City talks David Arquette, showtunes, and climbing the stairway to obscurity - Slam Wrestling". November 17, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ "David Arquette Pimp Slapped at Movie Premiere". TMZ. July 13, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ "RJ City talks David Arquette, showtunes, and climbing the stairway to obscurity". Slam Wrestling. November 17, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ "RJ City". Cagematch: The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ "RJ City: I'm Not Retired, I Just Got Paid More To Do Other Things In Wrestling That's Not Wrestling | Fightful News". www.fightful.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "RJ City talks David Arquette, showtunes, and climbing the stairway to obscurity - Slam Wrestling". November 17, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Crowley, Liam (July 23, 2021). "AEW Stars Jungleboy, Peter Avalon Appearing On Celebrity Family Feud". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ "RJ Skinner | Actor, Producer". IMDb. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ LLC, Stage 32. "R.J. Skinner - R.J.'s Bio, Credits, Awards, and more". Stage 32. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
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