The Simon Diamond Story – Pat Kenney's Journey

In this episode of pplpod, we dive deep into the life and career of retired American professional wrestler Patrick Joseph Michael Kenney, best known to fans around the world by his iconic ring name, Simon Diamond. Before stepping into the squared circle, Kenney was a standout baseball prospect who famously turned down a major league contract from the San Diego Padres to pursue his education and play on scholarship at Virginia Commonwealth University. After a severe shoulder injury cut his baseball dreams short, Kenney pivoted his athletic talents from the baseball diamond to the wrestling ring.

We explore his early beginnings in 1991, training under Jim Kettner and debuting as "Lance Diamond," before getting his major break by joining Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in May 1998. Adopting the name "Simon" as a tribute to his mentor Dean Malenko's real surname, Simon Diamond became a staple of the ECW roster, forging a memorable and enduring tag team with Johnny Swinger.

Following the bankruptcy of ECW, Kenney's professional wrestling career continued to thrive. We discuss his time on the independent circuit, forming the Extreme Horsemen in Major League Wrestling (MLW), and his extensive, multi-year run in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and Impact Wrestling. In TNA, he captured the NWA World Tag Team Championship alongside Swinger, briefly embraced his heritage as "Irish" Pat Kenney, and led factions like the "Diamonds in the Rough". Listeners will also learn about his transition into crucial behind-the-scenes roles, from working as a road agent in TNA to his current position as the Director of Talent Relations for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA).

Whether you are a nostalgic fan of the ECW Originals, love classic TNA tag team wrestling, or want to learn about the inner workings of the modern NWA, this episode is packed with the sports entertainment history you crave!

Source credit: Research for this episode included Wikipedia articles accessed 2/27/2026. Wikipedia text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; content here is summarized/adapted in original wording for commentary and educational use.