Joseph Ruud (born November 28, 1981), better known by his ring name Erick Rowan, is an American professional wrestler currently performing on the independent circuit under the ring name Erick Redbeard. He is best known for his tenures in WWE from 2011 to 2020 and again from 2024 to 2026.
Having previously wrestled in Japan, where he trained and performed for Pro Wrestling Noah, Ruud signed a contract with WWE in 2011. He was sent to its developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), before debuting on the NXT brand in 2012, a member of The Wyatt Family. He went on to become a one-time NXT Tag Team Champion (with Luke Harper) and a two-time SmackDown Tag Team Champion (once with Harper and once with Daniel Bryan).
Ruud was released from WWE in April 2020, and returned to the independent circuit under the ring name Erick Redbeard, and appeared in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), also under said ring name. He returned to WWE in June 2024 as a member of The Wyatt Sicks and was released from WWE again in April 2026.
Joseph Ruud was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 28, 1981. He grew up in Montrose, Minnesota. Ruud is of predominantly Norwegian descent, with his ancestors having emigrated to the United States from Nannestad, Norway. He also has some German ancestry. In High School he was a singer and played football. After graduation he attended the University of Minnesota Morris, where he continued to play football.
Independent circuit (2003–2011)
Ruud began his professional wrestling career after training with Eddie Sharkey in 2003. He debuted under the ring name "Thoruf Marius", competing for various promotions throughout the Midwest until 2007. He was invited to go to Pro Wrestling Noah's (NOAH) dojo in Japan to live, train, and wrestle. During this time, he competed in both tag team and singles matches. Following his tour in Japan, Ruud returned to the United States in 2008 and began competing for the Minnesota-based F1rst Wrestling promotion. Albeit, without much success. Upon joining the promotion, he began feuding with Big Brody Hoofer, with the pair exchanging wins across several events.
World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2011–2020)
Florida Championship Wrestling (2011–2012)
In February 2011, Ruud signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and was assigned to their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) under the ring name "Erick Rowan". He made his FCW TV debut in August 2011 with a win over Kenneth Cameron, while being accompanied by Byron Saxton and James Bronson. To tie in with Saxton's feud with Titus O'Neil, Rowan and Bronson lost to O'Neil and Leakee in a tag team match. Although Rowan continued to compete in both singles and tag team matches with Bronson, he was not involved in any further feuds and did not challenge for any titles on FCW TV.
After FCW was rebranded to NXT Wrestling, Rowan made his debut on the December 12, 2012 episode of NXT as a follower of Bray Wyatt, who introduced Rowan as his "second son". As a member of The Wyatt Family, Rowan formed a tag team with Wyatt's "first son" Luke Harper, and they defeated Percy Watson and Yoshi Tatsu on the January 9, 2013 episode of NXT. On the January 23 episode of NXT, Harper and Rowan again defeated Watson and Tatsu in the opening round of the NXT Tag Team Championship tournament. Following a win over Bo Dallas and Michael McGillicutty in the semi-finals after Wyatt's interference, Harper and Rowan were defeated in the finals by Adrian Neville and Oliver Grey. On the May 2 episode of NXT, Harper and Rowan won a triple threat elimination tag team match by last pinning Adrian Neville.
On the May 8 episode of NXT (which was taped on May 2), Harper and Rowan defeated Adrian Neville and Bo Dallas (who was filling in for the injured Oliver Grey) to win the NXT Tag Team Championship, Rowan's first professional wrestling championship. On the June 5 episode of NXT, Harper and Rowan successfully retained their championship against Corey Graves and Kassius Ohno, and on the June 19 episode of NXT, The Wyatt Family defeated the team of Neville, Graves and Ohno. On the July 17 episode of NXT (which was taped on June 20), Harper and Rowan lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to Neville and Graves.
From the May 27 episode of Raw, WWE aired vignettes promoting the upcoming main roster debut of The Wyatt Family. The vignettes showed The Wyatt Family's backwoods origins and Rowan wearing a sheep mask. On the July 8 episode of Raw, The Wyatt Family made their debut by assaulting Kane. Rowan made his WWE in-ring debut on the July 26 episode of SmackDown, where he teaming up with Harper to defeat Tons of Funk (Brodus Clay and Tensai) in a tag team match. Over the next few months, Rowan and Harper competed as a tag team and went on a winning streak over many teams, until Cody Rhodes and Goldust handed them their first loss on the October 11 episode of SmackDown. In early 2014, Rowan took part in The Wyatt Family's feud with The Shield, while also supporting Bray Wyatt in his feud against John Cena. While Cena and Wyatt's feud continued, Rowan and Harper also started a feud with The Usos, unsuccessfully challenging for the Tag Team Championship at Money in the Bank and Battleground.
Singles competition (2014–2015)
Beginning on September 29, vignettes were shown of Rowan and Harper being "set free" by Wyatt, marking the dissolution of The Wyatt Family and the transition of its members into singles competition. On the November 17 episode of Raw, Rowan had a brief feud with the Authority when he joined Team Cena for Survivor Series, going after his former Wyatt Family partner Luke Harper, who had joined Team Authority, turning face in the process. At Survivor Series, Rowan scored no eliminations and was himself eliminated by Harper, with the assistance of Seth Rollins; however, Team Cena later won the match. Afterwards, Rowan started a feud with Big Show, the team member who had betrayed the rest of Team Cena at the event. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Rowan was defeated by Big Show in a stairs match.
On the January 5, 2015 episode of Raw, Rowan, along with Dolph Ziggler and Ryback were (kayfabe) fired by The Authority for being a part of Team Cena. On the January 19 episode of Raw, Rowan, Ziggler and Ryback were rehired after Cena won a 3-on-1 handicap match against Seth Rollins, Big Show and Kane following assistance from Sting. On the January 22 episode of SmackDown, Rowan lost to Luke Harper in a qualifying match for the 2015 Royal Rumble. Despite this, Rowan appeared during the Royal Rumble match and attacked number 6 entrant Curtis Axel, before Axel could make his entrance to the ring, sparking a brief The Wyatt Family reunion with Harper and Wyatt, before all three men brawled. At Fastlane, Rowan teaming up with Ziggler and Ryback in a six-man tag team match against Seth Rollins, Big Show and Kane, which they lost. Rowan participated in the second annual André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31, but was eliminated by Big Show.
Return of the Wyatt Family (2015–2017)
In May, Rowan reunited with former tag team partner Luke Harper after attacking Harper's opponent Fandango, turning heel once again. In late June, Rowan suffered a torn bicep, leaving him out of action. Rowan returned on the October 19 episode of Raw as a member of The Wyatt Family once again, against Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins, which his team won by disqualification after Ambrose attacked new The Wyatt Family member Braun Strowman with a kendo stick. Rowan took part in The Wyatt Family's feud with The Brothers of Destruction, after they kidnapped The Undertaker at Hell in a Cell, and Kane on the October 26 episode of Raw. At TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs, The Wyatt Family defeated ECW Originals in an eight-man tag team elimination tables match, with Rowan being the only Wyatt Family member eliminated from the match. On January 24, 2016, Rowan would go on to compete in the Royal Rumble match with fellow The Wyatt Family members and was eliminated by Brock Lesnar, but he would later return to the ring along with another members to eliminate Lesnar.