David Ferrier (1962-2014)
Alias:
Jimmy Backlund
Jimmy Del Ray
Jimmy Graffiti
Jimmy Richland
Jumo Kenya
Birthplace:
Grove City, Pennsylvania, USA
Born:
November 30, 1962
Died:
December 6, 2014
David Everett Ferrier was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Gigolo" Jimmy Del Ray. Del Ray was best known for his appearances in The World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as one half of The Heavenly Bodies with his tag team partner, Dr. Tom Prichard. The Heavenly Bodies made several appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling in December 1995 as members of Raven's Nest. At ECW December To Dismember: Ultimate Jeopardy on December 9, The Heavenly Bodies faced Raven's enemies, The Public Enemy, in a tag team bout. The match had stipulations applying to the losers - if the Public Enemy lost, they would face one another later that night, while if The Heavenly Bodies lost, The Eliminators (members of Raven's Nest) would be forced to leave ECW, while their manager, Jason, would have his head shaved. Moreover, if The Heavenly Bodies were defeated, then Raven's valet, Beulah McGillicutty, would be forced to spend a week with Tommy Dreamer, while Raven's Nest member Stevie Richards would be locked in a steel cage for five minutes with the winners of the Ultimate Jeopardy match later that night. The Heavenly Bodies lost their match, leading to the enforcement of the aforementioned stipulations. Later that evening, Raven, Richards, The Eliminators, and The Heavenly Bodies faced Dreamer, The PitBulls, and The Public Enemy in an ultimate jeopardy match. The match was won by Dreamer, who pinned Richards. Richards was subsequently locked in the cage with Dreamer's team, but Raven and his Nest attacked Dreamer's team before they could hurt him. Raven's Nest then attacked Dreamer's team until The Sandman drove them away. Del Ray later joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Jimmy Graffiti. He took part in the three ring battle royal at the 1996 World War 3 event on November 24. Del Ray remained in WCW until a knee injury forced him to retire in 1997. After retiring, he worked as an instructor in Steve Keirn's Floridian professional wrestling school for several years, training wrestlers such as Buck Quartermain and Steve Madison, and managed a tag team known as the New Heavenly Bodies. Del Ray later retired from training wrestlers and started a hardwood flooring company named Ferrier's Fine Flooring Inc. in Tampa, Florida in March 2006. In September 2013, he registered another Tampa company called Ferrier's Flooring Inc. Ferrier, who lived in Valrico, Florida, died at the Tampa General Hospital on December 6, 2014. He suffered a heart attack at the wheel of his truck on US 301 near the Florida State Fairgrounds. Two days later, WWE.com noted his death and offered condolences to his friends, family and colleagues.