JTG is “Just That Gangsta” when it comes to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He and his partner Shad Gaspar are New York City’s finest, Cryme Tyme, and are all about them tag team titles yeah yeah.
Real Name : Jayson Paul
Alias(es) : JTG & The Neighborhoodie
Date Of Birth : December 10, 1984 Height : 6’1 Weight : Approx. 235lbs
Pro Debut : 2002
Wrestling Organization : World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
Trainer(s) : Ohio Valley Wrestling
Finisher(s) : The Mug Shot & The G9
JTG of Cryme Tyme began his pro wrestling career in 2006 working for the “Ohio Valley Wrestling” developmental brand of the WWE. He was known as the “Neighborhoodie” and soon joined forces with Shad Gaspar, to form the tag team “The Gang Stars” winning the OVW “Southern Tag Team Championships twice before actually being promoted to a live WWE broadcast in late 2006.
Jayson Paul changed his ring name to JTG, meaning “Just That Gangsta”, and together with Shad Gaspar they formed the tag team known as “Cryme Tyme”. Before appearing live on the October 16th, 2006 airing of Raw, they made approximately a month’s worth of promos, very similar to the comedy skit ‘The Homeboy Shopping Network” on the hit television show called “In Living Colour”. In their debut performance, they defeated, then “World Tag Team Champions” Mikey and Johnny of the Spirit Squad in a “Non-Title” match.
Throughout the weeks that followed, JTG and Gaspar auctioned off anything that was not tied down to WWE fans around the ring. They entered into “Cyber Sunday” 2006 defeating the tag teams Cade and Murdoch, The Highlanders, and Charlie Haas with Viscera in a “Tag Team Texas Tornado” match that ended as JTG pinned Highlander “Robbie”. After the match, Shad Gaspar blantantly stole the announcer, Jerry Lawler’s, laptop.
Cryme Tyme appeared off and on television for the next few months, usually stealing either something from a wrestler or an announcer and selling it to the crowd. They even sold fake entry numbers for the 2007 “Royal Rumble” to the wrestlers backstage. Even though the two did not appear at “The Rumble”, JTG defeated Lance Cade in a match before the tapings began. A few months later at “New Year’s Revolution”, JTG and Gaspar won the “Tag Team Turmoil” match competing against the teams of Cade and Murdoch, The Highlanders, Haas and Benjamin, and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan teaming with Supercrazy. This put them ‘in line’ for a future opportunity at the “World Tag Team Championships” that would never happen.
Jayson and Shad spent most of 2007 stroking a losing streak. Though Cryme Tyme remained a solid, likeable, and potentially controversial tag team, JTG and Gaspar wound up being demoted to “jobber” status and eventually were released from the WWE. The two continued wrestling in independant circuits “Jersey All Pro Wrestling” and “Derby City Wrestling”(DCW).
On the March 31rst, 2008 episode of Raw JTG and Gaspar returned to the ring and defeated long time rivals Cade and Murdoch but really got no television time again until teaming with John Cena in June. “Cryme Tyme Cenation” was created as the result of a rivalry between Cena and JBL. The three tormented JBL for a few weeks until disbanding, but not before destroying JBL’s limo, gangsta style. The duo swiped the “World Tag Team Titles” from Rhodes and DiBiase creating a promising storyline that abruptly end at “Unforgiven”.
Before the 2009 “Royale Rumble”, JTG cheated Gaspar for his spot in the event. He lasted almost 12 minutes before being eliminated by the Undertaker. Hoping 2009 would be a better year for Cryme Tyme, they challenged John Morrison and The Miz on Raw for the “World Tag Team Championships” and were defeated. In mid-April Cryme Tyme were drafted to Smackdown in the “2009 Supplemental Draft”.
I think JTG is an innovative catch as catch can wrestler and his persona can easily be turned heel or hero without compromising his identity too much. What Cryme Tyme needs is a great story line full of controversy, and most importantly, some wins. That being said, JTG’s pro wrestling career, while only 3 years old, is stalling at best. It would be a shame to waste his talents “just doing promos”.