Ray Leppan is a South African professional wrestler.
He is signed to WWE where he performs as Adam Rose.
He is a former two-time FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion under the name of Leo Kruger.
Professional wrestling career South African
Leppan debuted as a professional wrestler at the age of 16.
He worked in South Africa with Paul Lloyd Jr., known as the tag team Pure Juice.
He also wrestled as "Dameon Duke" in World Wrestling Professionals.
While there, Duke won the WWP World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Tornado in 2007
and lost it to Fury the following year.
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE Developmental territories
After Leppan's United States work visa cleared, he was able to debut in Florida Championship
Wrestling under his real name on 25 February 2010, in a losing effort against Curt Hawkins.
Two weeks later, Leppan was defeated by Eli Cottonwood.
The following week, Leppan changed his ring name to "Leo Kruger", chosen as a tribute
to his relative and former President of South Africa Paul Kruger, before losing to Johnny
Curtis.
On 18 March, Kruger picked up his first win since joining FCW by defeating Jacob Novak.
At the television tapings on 20 May, Kruger challenged the former Paul Lloyd, Jr. and
fellow South African wrestler, Justin Gabriel to a match.
At the television tapings on 10 June, Kruger lost to Gabriel, but in a rematch on 1 July,
Kruger reversed the result.
In mid-2010, Kruger formed a team with Derrick Bateman, known as The Handsome Man Express.
The duo challenged Los Aviadores for the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship on 2 July, but
were unsuccessful.
On 8 July, Kruger teamed with Tyler Reks to challenge Los Aviadores again for the championship,
but was unsuccessful.
Kruger then went on a winning streak, defeating Big E. Langston, Bateman, Austin Watson, Husky
Harris, and Wes Brisco, before finally losing in a mixed tag team match, when he and Kaitlyn
lost to Brad Maddox and Jamie Keyes on 9 September.
Kruger's final match in 2010 was at the television tapings on 23 September, when he lost to Bo
Rotundo.
Following the match, Kruger lost feeling in his arm, and it was discovered that he had
broken his neck.
While recuperating, Kruger became a commentator for the FCW television program.
After Bo Rotundo was injured in September 2011, his FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship
was vacated and a tournament set up to determine the new champion.
Kruger defeated Percy Watson to make it to the final, a fatal four-way match against
Husky Harris, Damien Sandow, and Dean Ambrose.
Kruger won the match and the championship, his first in FCW.
Kruger then appeared in dark matches prior to the SmackDown television tapings on 20
and 27 September, losing to Trent Barreta and defeating Johnny Curtis respectively.
Kruger successfully defended the championship against Harris on the 24 October episode of
FCW television and on the 14 November episode of FCW television, Kruger defeated Harris
and Richie Steamboat in a triple threat match to retain the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship.
On the 18 December episode of FCW television, Kruger successfully defended the championship
against Seth Rollins, after interference from Antonio Cesaro.
In late December 2011, Kruger appeared at several WWE house shows, losing to Alex Riley
on 27 and 28 December.
On 30 December, he teamed with Riley and Mason Ryan to defeat Tyler Reks, Curt Hawkins, and
JTG in a six-man tag team match at a Raw brand house show.
On 2 February 2012, Kruger lost the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship to Mike Dalton.
He regained the championship from Dalton three weeks later on 23 February, but lost it that
same night to Seth Rollins.
When WWE rebranded its developmental territory, FCW, into NXT Wrestling, Kruger's NXT television
debut took place on the second episode of the rebooted WWE NXT taped at Full Sail University,
where he defeated Aiden English.
On the 1 August episode of NXT, Kruger was inserted into the Gold Rush Tournament to
crown the first NXT Champion, where he was defeated by Richie Steamboat in the quarter-finals.
In September, Kruger's character was tweaked into that of a deranged hunter and mercenary.
In December, Kruger formed an alliance with Kassius Ohno; Kruger and Ohno defeated Tyson
Kidd and Justin Gabriel on the 2 January 2013 episode of NXT.
On the 16 January episode of NXT, Kruger defeated Trent Baretta.
On the 30 January episode of NXT, Ohno and Kruger entered the NXT Tag Team Championship
Tournament to crown the inaugural champions and defeated Alex Riley and Derrick Bateman
in the first round.
On the 6 February episode of NXT, Kruger and Ohno were defeated by Adrian Neville and Oliver
Grey in the semi-finals.
Kruger then moved on to feud with Justin Gabriel when he attempted to attack Gabriel's injured
partner, Tyson Kidd; Kruger won the series of matches 2–1.
Kruger next set his sights on Bo Dallas's NXT Championship.
On the 18 July NXT, Kruger won a triple threat match against Sami Zayn and Antonio Cesaro
to become number one contender.
On 7 August, Kruger fought Dallas for NXT Championship, but lost.
Kruger eventually feuded with Zayn with the feud culminated in Zayn winning a two-out-of-three
falls match on the 1 January 2014 NXT.
Rose's last feud in NXT was with Camacho who was not supportive of Rose or his Exotic Express;
going as far as to attack his "Rosebuds" after matches.
Though one of his entourage was defeated in action against Camacho; Rose secured the victory
and redemption at NXT Takeover with the Party Foul.
Adam Rose and The Exotic Express
Leppan was then removed from television and he began wrestling under a new character of
"Adam Rose" at house shows.
As Rose, he returned to television on the March 6, 2014 episode of NXT, with his new
character being an organizer of parties with various colorful costumed party-goers, who
accompany him during his ring entrance.
From the post-WrestleMania Raw on April 7, WWE aired introductory vignettes for Rose.
Rose made his main roster debut on the May 5 episode of Raw, interrupting Zeb Colter
and Jack Swagger.
Rose continued to distract Swagger during his matches, leading to Swagger losing.
Rose wrestled his first Raw match on the May 26 episode of Raw in a winning effort against
Damien Sandow.
During the match Swagger and Colter interfered, holding one of Rose's party members hostage.
Rose saved his friend after winning the match despite the distraction.
Rose defeated Swagger on the May 30 episode of SmackDown and the June 2 episode of Raw.
Rose has gone unbeaten since his first appearance on the main roster.
Rose made his first pay-per-view appearance at Money in the Bank where he defeated Damien
Sandow.
On the Battleground pre-show, Rose defeated Fandango.
In wrestling Finishing moves
As Adam Rose Party Foul
Slice
As Leo Kruger GC3
Kruger's End Sleeper hold, sometimes with bodyscissors
– FCW Slice
As Dameon Duke Dameon Dagger
Dameon Device
Signature moves As Adam Rose
Arm wrench transitioned into a spinebuster Back heel kick
Choo Choo Running back elbow to a cornered opponent
As Leo Kruger Snap suplex, sometimes while applying a hammerlock
Spinebuster
As Dameon Duke Corner clothesline followed by a bulldog
Diving crossbody Diving elbow drop
Diving splash Samoan driver
Swinging fisherman suplex Topé
Tornado DDT
Nicknames "The South African Super Studd"
Championships and accomplishments Florida Championship Wrestling
FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship
Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI ranked him #77 of the 500 best singles
wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 2012
World Wrestling Professionals WWP World Heavyweight Championship
References
External links WWE profile