Rocky Johnson
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| Rocky Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Sweet Ebony Diamond[1] Drew Glasteau[1] "Soulman" Rocky Johnson[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 247 lb (112 kg/17.6 st) |
| Born | August 24, 1944 [1] Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada[1] |
| Resides | Davie, Florida |
| Billed from | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Trained by | Peter Maivia[1] Rocky Bollie[1] Kurt Von Steiger[1] |
| Debut | 1964[1] |
| Retired | 1991 |
Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Bowles on August 24, 1944)[1] is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. Quite popular in his own right in the 1970s and '80s, he is also known for being the father of actor and former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.[2] During his wrestling career he became a 1-time NWA Georgia Champion as well as winning many other championships.
Contents |
[edit] Career
Throughout his career, "Soulman" Rocky Johnson wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and many smaller and overseas promotions. He reached the high point of his career in the WWF in 1983, as WWF Tag Team Champions with Tony Atlas. Johnson and Atlas were notable not only for their popularity but also for being the first black WWF Tag Team Champions. Together, Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas were known as The Soul Patrol.
Johnson was a top contender in the NWA in the 1970s, receiving title matches against then-World Champions Terry Funk and Harley Race. He was well-suited to tag team wrestling, winning several regional tag team championships in the NWA. In 1983, he was recruited by the WWF and paired with Tony Atlas, another popular black wrestler. They defeated the Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika Anoai) for the Tag Team Championship on November 15, 1983.[3] Johnson married into the prolific Samoan wrestling family, of which the Anoais were a part, by marrying "High Chief" Peter Maivia's daughter Ata. The couple had a son, Dwayne, in 1972. Ata met Rocky after Maivia and Johnson were tag team partners in a match on the independent scene. Maivia disapproved of the relationship - not because of anything personal against Johnson, but because of Johnson's chosen profession.[4]
After retiring in 1991, Johnson along with Pat Patterson, trained his son Dwayne to wrestle. While he initially resisted his son's entry into the business because he knew it was extremely difficult, he agreed to train his son on the condition that he would not go easy on him. Johnson was instrumental in getting Dwayne (later dubbed "Rocky Maivia" after both Rocky Johnson's and Peter Maivia's ring names) signed to a WWF developmental deal. Initially, Johnson had an on-camera presence at his son's matches, famously jumping into the ring on his son's behalf after he was attacked by several other wrestlers at WrestleMania 13. Johnson was not seen on-camera again after the Rocky Maivia character flopped, but this was actually a blessing, as his son achieved crossover popularity as a cocky heel, The Rock.
Johnson was hired as a trainer for the WWE developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling, in early 2003 but was let go in May of that year.
On February 25, 2008, Johnson was announced as an inductee for the 2008 class of the WWE Hall of Fame along with his father-in-law "High Chief" Peter Maivia. They were inducted into the Hall of Fame on March 29, 2008 by his son and former professional wrestler, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Johnson wrestled his retirement match on March 22, 2008, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for Stranglehold Wrestling.
[edit] Personal life
He has lived in Davie, Florida with his wife, Ata, but they later divorced. Johnson remarried and still resides in Davie, Florida.[citation needed] He is the father of the now former pro wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He is also the son-in-law of pro-wrestler "High Chief" Peter Maivia.
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
[edit] Relatives in wrestling
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
-
- CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bill Dundee (Last)
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- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) - with Ben Justice
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- NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Earl Maynard
- NWA Beat the Champ Television Championship (2 times)
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- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (4 times) - with Pat Patterson (3) and Pepper Gomez (1)
- NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (2 times)
-
- PWI ranked him # 211 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Mick Foley (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins, 768. ISBN 0061031011.
