Joseph Dorgan Joseph Robert " Joe " Dorgan ( July 3 , 1975 ) is an American professional wrestler . He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Johnny Swinger and with World Wrestling Entertainment as Johnny Parisi . Career . Early career . After training in Toronto , Ontario , Dorgan started wrestling on the independent circuit in 1993 as " Johnny Paradise " . After he discovered that another wrestler was already using that name , he renamed himself " Johnny Hollywood Swinger " and began to make a name for himself as a villain in Scott D ' Amore ' s " Syndicate " faction in Border City Wrestling . In 1995 , he worked for World Wrestling Federation going by his real name , Joe Dorgan , following in the footsteps of his uncle , Johnny Parisi , who worked for the WWWF under Vince McMahon Sr . World Championship Wrestling ( 1996 – 1999 ) . Swinger began working for World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) in late 1996 , shortening his ring name to " Johnny Swinger . " He was utilized primarily as a jobber and wrestled mostly on " WCW Saturday Night " and " WCW World Wide " . Swinger also appeared on both of the company ' s flagship programs , including the highest rated " Monday Nitro " in July 1998 , losing to Chavo Guererro in front of a sold - out Georgia Dome ; this same night , Goldberg defeated Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship . Swinger remained in WCW for three years and was considered under utilized until joining Extreme Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling ( 2000 – 2001 ) . Swinger joined ECW in 2000 . He was placed in a tag team with Simon Diamond by booker Paul Heyman in May 2000 , and shortened his name to " Swinger . " He remained with ECW until it folded in April 2001 . World Championship Wrestling ( 2001 ) . Swinger returned to WCW for one week for the Cruiserweight Tag Team Tournament . On the February 26 , 2001 edition of " Nitro " where he and Jason Lee were defeated by Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio , Jr . . He also wrestled on the February 28 , 2001 edition of " WCW Thunder " where Swinger ( accompanied by Jason Lee ) lost to Shane Helms . Shortly after , WCW was purchased by the WWF and it programming ceased . World Wrestling All - Stars ( 2003 ) . He had a brief stint in the earlier part of 2003 in the World Wrestling All - Stars promotion . Total Nonstop Action ( 2003 – 2005 ) . On July 9 , 2003 , Diamond and Swinger debuted as a team in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA ) . They feuded with America ' s Most Wanted ( Chris Harris and James Storm ) for some time before winning the NWA World Tag Team Championship s . The team split on February 18 , 2004 when Swinger turned into a villain by pledging allegiance to Jeff Jarrett , and feuded with one another . Swinger eventually formed a stable known as " The New York Connection " with Glenn Gilbertti , Vito and Trinity . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2005 – 2006 ) . Dorgan signed a developmental deal with World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) in 2005 , and began training at Ohio Valley Wrestling ( OVW ) in May 2005 . He made his WWE debut on the July 31 , 2005 episode of " Sunday Night Heat " as " Johnny Parisi " winning his debut match for the company . He was a main stay on Heat . His ring name was derived from his great uncle Tony Parisi , a former World Wide Wrestling Federation performer . He was relegated to jobber status , however , losing every match he was in since that victorious debut . In September 2005 Parisi was sent to Deep South Wrestling wrestling there for 2 months while also wrestling on Sunday Night Heat , until being taken off of television in November due to an injury . He came back in December 2005 being sent back to DSW . He worked two more Heat matches for WWE in February , 2006 losing competitively to Chavo Guerrero and Kane . He was released on June 29 , 2006 . Parisi has the dubious distinction of being one of the only WWE wrestlers to never appear on camera or wrestle on his brand ' s main show : " Raw " . Independent Circuit . Johnny Swinger has resurfaced as a TNA agent , at least on trial basis . After being released from the WWE he went back to wrestling on the independent circuit mainly wrestling for Great Championship Wrestling ( GCW ) . He has great title success there winning the GCW Heavyweight title on 2 occasions and the GCW Tag Titles twice , once with Glenn Gilberti and once with Bull Buchanan . Raven came to GCW to help Swinger with his feud against Michaels Inc . in December 2006 . After winning the GCW title from Chris Stevens , Swinger turned on Raven and joined Michaels Inc . In January 2007 , Swinger began challenging TNA wrestlers to try to come to challenge him in GCW . In response to this , TNA Director of Authority , Jim Cornette came to a GCW show to confront Swinger . Swinger and Bull Buchanan were defeated by Raven and David Young on January 31 . Afterwards , David Young challenged Swinger for the GCW title . He later lost the title to Scotty Beach in a steel cage match via submission . On September 15 , he defeated Scotty Beach for the GCW title once again . On September 29 he faced Bull Buchanan in a losing effort within a steel cage at Fred Ward Memorial . He returned to WWE to face Ron Simmons in a match on " WWE Heat " , and on October 14 , 2007 , appeared for TNA ' s flagship pay - per - view , Bound for Glory , competing in a dark match with Joey Matthews against The Motor City Machineguns . Swinger recaptured the GCW Heavyweight Championship from Bull Buchanan on December 15 , 2007 , in a triple threat match that also included another TNA veteran , Sonny Siaki . Swinger spent most of 2008 fighting off challenges of various contenders for the GCW Championship , including Scotty 2 Hotty , The Disco Inferno , and Bull Buchanan . On July 29 , 2010 , it was confirmed that Swinger would take part in TNA ' s ECW reunion show Hardcore Justice on August 8 . At the event Swinger , Simon Diamond and Kid Kash were defeated by Little Guido , Tony Luke and Tracy Smothers of the Full Blooded Italians in a six - man tag team match . Personal life . Dorgan and his wife Melanie have a daughter .