Tatanka (wrestler)

Tatanka
Tatanka in March 2017
Birth nameChris Chavis
Born (1961-06-08) June 8, 1961 (age 63)[1]
Pembroke, North Carolina, U.S.[2][1]
Spouse(s)
Dawn Doyle
(m. 1989; div. 1994)
Michelle Chavis
(m. 1997)
Children4
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)The Legend[3]
Tatanka[1]
War Eagle[1]
Billed height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[2]
Billed weight285 lb (129 kg)[2]
Billed fromPembroke, North Carolina, U.S.[3]
Trained byLarry Sharpe[3]
DebutJanuary 13, 1990[3]

Chris Chavis[3][4][5] (born June 8, 1961) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, under a legends contract. He is part of the state-recognized Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.[6] He is best known for his tenures in the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Tatanka from 1991 to 1996 and from 2005 to 2007. His ring name is a Lakota word, which means "bison".

  1. ^ a b c d "Statistics for Professional wrestlers". PWI Presents: 1991 Wrestling Almanak and book of facts. Kappa Publications. pp. 56–72. 1993 Edition.
  2. ^ a b c "Tatanka". WWE. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Online World of Wrestling profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  4. ^ "Meet Chris "Tatanka" Chavis". NativeTatanka. May 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  5. ^ "Cagematch profile". Cagematch. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  6. ^ Ore, Jonathan (November 16, 2018). "How Indigenous pro wrestlers lock up with racial stereotypes inside the ring". CBC.ca. Retrieved April 14, 2023. Chavis himself, however, is from the Lumbee tribe.