Happer would often perform "struts, chicken walks, dances, prances, and pounces" during wrestling matches and was later described by one writer as the "clown prince of the ropes".
He also had a brief stint in Southern States Wrestling where, on September 1, 1997, he was pinned by Johnny Thunder in a tag team match for the vacant SSW Heavyweight Championship in Fall Branch, Tennessee.
[22][23] By the end of OMEGA's three-year run, Happer was among the promotion's stars that went on to join the "mainstream" wrestling organizations including Venom, C. W. Anderson, Steve Corino, Shane Helms, Kid Dynamo, Amy, and The Bad Street Boys (Joey Matthews and Christian York).
[24] It was during this period that Happer, along with Maverick and Cham Pain, sent a tape to Extreme Championship Wrestling which introduced themselves as "a family of rednecks from Lizard Lick, North Carolina, named 'The Dupps'".
[40][41] The Dupps also faced teams such as Spellbinder and Bulldog Raines, Alan Steel and Blade Boudreaux, and Joey Abs and Lance Cade.
The first was against The Flying Elvises (Jorge Estrada and Sonny Siaki) at the City Auditorium on July 10 and the second defeating Mike Rapada and Big Bully Douglas a week later at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee.
On August 14, 2002, in what would be his final appearance with the company, Happer was defeated by Teo in a "hardcore" match at Nashville's Fairgrounds Coliseum to win the NWA Dupp Cup.
At a benefit show for SCW wrestler Josh "Tears" Duke, who was left paralyzed following a car accident, he successfully defended his title against TNA's Lazz.
The team was eliminated in the opening rounds by The United Nations (Prophet and Tiger Khan) in a three-way match also involving Lance Cade and Nick Dinsmore.
[84] At April 2 "Fallout" supercard, his match against AWA Mid-Atlantic Television Champion Jesse "El Fuego" Ortega ended in a time limit draw.
On August 5, Happer won the 14-man Torneo Cibernetico (his team consisting of Chris Collins, Brandon Day, Jesse Ortega, Kamakazi Kid, Tank Lawson, and Rob McBride) for a title shot against then AWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Converse.
The two men met at Burlington's Carolina Sports Arena two weeks later, with Allison Danger in Happer's corner, but was unable to unseat the heavyweight champion.
He and Las Chivas Numéro Dos defeated Marcellus King and Michael McAllister on October 28 and beat Gregory Vercetti and Jerry Wayne with Cham Pain on November 4.
He also defeated Joey Silvia and, in a tag team match with Mudd Face, lost to The Urban Legends (Luther Thesz & Cowboy Willie Watts) at the same venue.
He continued teaming with Tennessee Ernie Nord and Seymour Snott during the summer as well as winning a number of singles matches against Damien Wayne, Cowboy Willie Watts, Leroy Zbyszko, and Ravishing Rico Rage.
He and King lost to Donnie Dollars and Mitch Connor at "Absolute Justice" in Burlington on June 16 and, later that month, with Derek Ryze against Team Macktion (Kirby and T.J. Mack).
On the August 11 edition of CWF Championship Wrestling, Happer battled Mid-Atlantic Television Champion "Simply" Steve Greene (with Ty Dillinger) to a time limit draw.
[86] On January 25, 2008, Happer defeated Colin Troy and Shady Chris Xion in a handicap match, with Brandi Richardson in his corner, for GOUGE's "Winter Wars" supercard at Vintage 21 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
[88] On May 3, Happer defeated Luther Thesz and Chris Phoenix in a three-way dance at Kyle Petty's Victory Junction Fundraiser at The Iron Horse in Apex, North Carolina.
During the last half of 2008 he won matches against El Mariachi, Vinnie Damooche, Prince Kofi Jabba,[92][93] Nicky Richards, The Taker, and Damien Wayne.
[95][96] At the end of the match, when his manager Count Grog climbed into the ring to interfere on Happer's behalf, he was put in the sleeper hold by Valiant and dropkicked by Lawler over the top rope.
On August 15, he teamed with Demolition Ax and Rob McBride (with Count Grog) in a 6-man tag team match to defeat Cueball Carmichael, Wrestling Superstar, and Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. (with Smart Mark Greene) at "August Armageddon" in Wake Forest, North Carolina; after the match, Grog put a dress on Greene.
[88] At Holding Out for a Hero on March 21, 2009, Happer joined Rob McBride and Roy Wilkins in a 6-man tag team match against Fatback Enterprises (Corey Edsel, Donnie Dollar$, and Nick Richards).
The following month, he and Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. (with Count Grog) beat "Handsome" Frank Stalletto and Mickey Gambino (with Phildel Castra (the former Smart Mark Greene)) at the Cherry Bounce Festival in Raleigh.
He defeated Lou Marconi at Redneck Rumble (January 8), Sean Van Halen at Winter Wars (February 19), and Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. at G.O.U.G.E's 5th Year Anniversary Show (April 9).
On April 14, at the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo, a rematch with Funk (with Admir Al Akbar, Greene in another gimmick) ended in a double-disqualification due to outside interference from Count Grog, Mickey Gambino, Seymour Snott and Rob McBride; he and Gambino lost to Seymour Snott and Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. in a tag team match later that night.
[101] Five months later, this time with Admir Al Akbar in his corner, Happer returned to the Food Truck Rodeo where he successfully defended the GOUGE Raleigh Championship against Seymour Snott.
Later on, he wrestled against Snott, Rob McBride, Jimmy Jack Funk, Jr. in a 6-man tag team match with Mikey Gambino and Lou Marconi.
His challenge was accepted by Chase Dakota, a two-time CWF Mid Atlantic Heavyweight Champion, with their match nearly ending in a time-limit draw.
[110] On January 26, 2012, Happer and the Trojans competed against, and lost to, county rivals Cleveland High School and the Rams for the Eastern Carolina 3A Conference's regular-season wrestling championship.