Raven (wrestler)
Scott Levy (born September 8, 1964) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Raven. He is known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Widely recognized as "one of the most annoying in wrestling", Raven is known for his "psychological heel tactics" and grunge-inspired gimmick. His feud with The Sandman in the mid-1990s has been described as "one of the most emotional rivalries in professional wrestling's history". He is one of the most decorated wrestlers in history, with 37 title reigns between WWE, WCW, ECW, and TNA, including being a three-time World Champion and having a record 27 reigns as WWF/E Hardcore Champion. After having an eight-plus year career in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Raven was inducted into the Impact Hall of Fame in 2022. Early life Levy is of Jewish descent and was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Paul F. Levy, a journalist and senior editor of The National Enquirer. He graduated from Lake Worth Community High School in 1982. He went on to attend the University of Delaware, where he earned a degree in criminal justice. He took a semester off from college to enlist in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Professional wrestling career Early career (1988–1992) Levy trained as a professional wrestler under Larry Sharpe at the Monster Factory in New Jersey, making his debut on February 20, 1988 against Jimmy Jack Funk. Early in his career, Levy competed for the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico as well as the Memphis, Tennessee-based promotion Continental Wrestling Association under the ring name "Scotty the Body", where he was given the gimmick of being the "boy toy" of Missy Hyatt, who used him to her and Eddie Gilbert's advantage. After leaving Memphis, Levy wrestled in Florida. Levy next traveled to Canada, where he competed briefly for the Vancouver, British Columbia-based promotion All Star Wrestling before leaving due to differences with owner Al Tomko. From there, he returned to the United States, joining Pacific Northwest Wrestling in Portland, Oregon. Over the next three years, he was positioned as one of the main heels, winning all of the titles and feuding heavily with Steve Doll. His manager in PNW was Taylor Made. After taking a brief break from competing, he returned to PNW as a face and began a feud with The Grappler. In the summer of 1989, Levy made a number of appearances under a mask as "Matman", a Batman-inspired character who teamed with Beetlejuice. Wrestling as Scotty the Body, Levy made a one-off appearance on WWF Prime Time Wrestling in a losing effort against Koko B. Ware on October 9, 1990. After leaving PNW, Levy joined the Dallas, Texas-based Global Wrestling Federation, where he adopted the ring name "Scott Anthony". Levy was part of the stable known as "The Cartel", along with Cactus Jack, Makhan Singh, Rip Rogers and Max Andrews. Levy