Title History

Career History

In The Beginning:

• Kipp Christianson attended high school in River Falls, Wisconsin..
• 1997: Kipp Christianson graduated from St. John’s University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology..
• ~~~~Kipp also played basketball St. John’s University and was considered to be a very talented player..
• Kipp Christianson played basketball for the NBA (National Basketball Association) developmental league
• Kipp Christianson also international basketball at the professional level for Asian and European leagues..
• Kipp Christianson worked as a basketball coach for St. John’s University and for the University of Wisconsin
• 2008: Kipp Christianson signed a World Wrestling Entertainment developmental contractFlorida Championship Wrestling – Kip Christianson:
• 2009: Kipp Christianson was placed on the FCW roster page and named “Kip Christianson”
• However, when he made his Florida Championship Wrestling debut he was re-named “Eli Cottonwood”Florida Championship Wrestling – Eli Cottonwood:
• Eli Cottonwood’s gimmick is that he is a lunatic who escaped an asylum..
• July 15, 2009–Florida Championship Wrestling: Eli Cottonwood defeated Fred Rosser
• August 20, 2009–Florida Championship Wrestling: The 7 ft Eli Cottonwood defeated Fred Rosser
• October 8, 2009–Florida Championship Wrestling: Skip Sheffield defeated Dylan Klein by DQ after Cottonwood attacked Sheffield
• November 5, 2009–FCW: Mr. FCW defeated Eli Cottonwood by DQ when Cottonwood refused the referee’s instruction to stop..
• February 18, 2010–Florida Championship Wrestling: Eli Cottonwood & Skip Sheffield defeated Tyler Reks & Johnny Curtis
• February 25, 2010–Florida Championship Wrestling: Percy Watson defeated Johnny Curtis after distraction from Eli Cottonwood
• February 25, 2010–FCW: Eli Cottonwood defeated Johnny Curtis in a Grudge match (Curtis attacked Cottonwood after the match)
• March 11, 2010–Florida Championship Wrestling: Eli Cottonwood defeated Ray Leppan
• March 18, 2010–Florida Championship Wrestling: Eli Cottonwood defeated Jacob Novak
• March 25, 2010–Florida Championship Wrestling: Eli Cottonwood defeated FCW champion Alex Riley by DQ.
• April 1, 2010–FCW: Alex Riley defeated Eli Cottonwood in a No-DQ match to retain the FCW Heavyweight title
• April 8, 2010–FCW: Leo Kruger & Curt Hawkins & Jackson Andrews defeated Bo Rotundo & Duke Rotundo & Eli Cottonwood
• April 29, 2010–Florida Championship Wrestling: Jackson Andrews & Curt Hawkins defeated Wes Brisco & Eli Cottonwood
• May 5, 2010–Florida Championship Wrestling: Team FCW defeated Team NXT in a 7-on-7 Tag Team Match.
• ~~~Team FCW = Leo Kruger & Bo Rotundo & Joe Hennig & Eli Cottonwood & Alex Riley & Tito Colon & Hunico..
• ~Team NXT = Skip Sheffield & Michael Tarver & Justin Gabriel & Darren Young & Heath Slater & Wade Barrett & Curt Hawkins..
• May 13, 2010–FCW: Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater & Eli Cottonwood defeated Alex Riley & Joe Hennig & Wade Barrett ..
• May 27, 2010–FCW: Eli Cottonwood defeated Rudy Parker (After the match, WWE Superstar Shad Gaspard attacked Cottonwood),World Wrestling Entertainment – NXT Season 2:
• Eli Cottonwood was paired with John Morrison for the second season of WWE NXT..
• June 1, 2010–WWE NXT: John Morrison introduced his NXT Rookie Eli Cottonwood, like a “giant redwood tree”..
• June 3, 2010–Florida Championship Wrestling: NXT Season 1 defeated NXT Season 2 in a 5-on-5 match..
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NXT Season 1 = Skip Sheffield & David Otunga & Michael Tarver & Heath Slater..
• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NXT Season 2 = Eli Cottonwood & Husky Harris & Percy Watson & Lucky Cannon..
• June 8, 2010–WWE NXT: John Morrison & Eli Cottonwood defeated Zack Ryder & Titus O’Neil in a tag team match..
• ~~~Later that Night; The NXT Season 2 “Pros” beat up their “Rookies” so they wouldn’t do what the NXT Season 1 guys did..
• June 10, 2010–FCW: The Uso Brothers & Donny Marlow & Broadus Clay beat Hunico & Epico & Percy Watson & Eli Cottonwood,
• June 21, 2010–RAW: John Morrison w/Eli Cottonwood defeated Zack Ryder w/Titus O’Neil..
• June 22, 2010–WWE NXT: Eli Cottonwood w/John Morrison defeated Kaval (w/Michelle McCool & Layla)..
• June 29, 2010–WWE NXT: Eli Cottonwood participated in a “Keg Carry” challenge (which was won by Lucky Cannon)..
• ~~~~~~~~~Kaval & Michael McGillicutty & Lucky Cannon defeated Alex Riley & Titus O’Neil & Eli Cottonwood..
• July 13, 2010–NXT: Participated in a Battle Royal including NXT Pros & Rookies, joined by The Nexus (who dominated the match)..
• July 20, 2010–NXT: Eli Cottonwood and Kaval did an in-ring segment with their “Pros” to hype next week’s elimation by fan vote..
• July 27, 2010–NXT: Michael McGillicutty w/Kofi Kingston defeated Eli Cottonwood w/John Morrison..
• ~~~At the end of the night, Eli Cottonwood was eliminated from the competition and attacked Husky Harris on his way out..
• August 31, 2010–WWE NXT: Eli Cottonwood sat in the front row with other eliminated rookies for the Finale..
• ~~~Kaval was announced as the winner of NXT Season 2 – then the seven eliminated rookies jumped in the ring and attacked him!