Shad Gaspard’s WWE Career Highlights Include Cryme Tyme Matches & Comedy Segments

Shad Gaspard is one of those WWE superstars who may not have held all of the gold, but whose career is most certainly memorable. For years, he tagged with JTG in the team known as Cryme Tyme, causing havoc for virtually everyone on the roster. Gaspard died suddenly on Sunday after being caught in a dangerous rip current during a family trip to Venice Beach, California. Despite having parted ways with WWE a long time ago, his fans will never forget him.

Gaspard’s immense size allowed him to become a bodyguard for big names such as “Iron” Mike Tyson and Britney Spears, but he knew there was more in his future. In 2002, he reached the finals of WWE’s Tough Enough competition before being disqualified due to a failed physical.

Despite missing out on his shot at a WWE contract, the promotion knew there was talent there, and didn’t let him go. After years of training — and wrestling with Ohio Valley Wrestling — Gaspard moved up to WWE’s main roster in late 2006.

Shad Gaspard And JTG Formed Cryme Tyme

Gaspard debuted along with JTG as the team Cryme Tyme and they immediately hit a hot streak. They feuded with Cade and Murdoch, Deuce and Domino, and The World’s Greatest Tag Team, before jumping into the WWE Tag Team Title scene.

Cryme Tyme never actually won the titles, but they did hold onto them due to some underhanded measures. Shad and JTG stole the championship belts from champions Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes, but failed to actually earn them at Unforgiven 2008.

In the summer of 2009, Cryme Tyme became the No. 1 contenders for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship after defeating The Hart Dynasty. That led to a title match against Chris Jericho and Big Show at SummerSlam, but JTG and Gaspard came up short again in their quest for the gold.

Cryme Tyme’s Promos And Vignettes Made Them Fan Favorites

Shad and JTG were a fan-favorite tag team, but they were known more for their antics outside of the ring than in it. They would often confront other superstars while backstage, doing so in hilarious fashion — offering their colleagues deals and trying to sell them “stolen” merchandise.

No longtime wrestling fan can forget when Shad and JTG made a deal with Eugene, selling him the No. 1 spot in the Royal Rumble.

Cryme Tyme’s Split Heralded The End Of Shad’s WWE Career

Eventually, Cryme Tyme was split up — and Gaspard and JTG feuded against one another — but the angle never really worked. As recapped by WWE, JTG even defeated Shad in a Strap Match at Extreme Rules just months before his release in 2010. Fans never truly caught onto the idea that the partners would be mad at one another, and the storyline was not well-received.

Shad Gaspard never held a WWE title, and his career wasn’t overly lengthy, but wrestling fans will always remember him. Cryme Tyme exhibited a mixture of power and speed in the ring, and they made audiences laugh on a regular basis. Gaspard and JTG will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable tag teams in wrestling history, leaving behind a legacy of hard work performed in the squared circle.