Ron Garvin

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Roger Barnes
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Ron Garvin One Man Gang Miss Atlanta Lively "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin Mr. Knoxville
Billed height	5 ft 8 in
Billed weight	231 lb
Born	March 30, 1945 (1945-03-30) (age 63) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Trained by	Pat Girard
Debut	1962

Ron Garvin (born Roger Barnes on March 30, 1945) is a Canadian former professional wrestler and referee most known for his time in the National Wrestling Alliance.

1 Career
2 After wrestling career
3 In wrestling
4 Championships and accomplishments
5 Personal information
6 References

[edit] Career

Ron Garvin started wrestling in 1962. He formed a team with his "brother" Terry Garvin in the 1960s and early 1970s and they won a few regional tag team titles together. They were managed by their other "brother," Jimmy Garvin (actually Ron's stepson in real life).

Garvin made a name for himself as a singles wrestler in the Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee territories in the late 1970s after splitting with Terry and Jimmy. He wrestled in Angelo Poffo's International Championship Wrestling promotion where he was best known for his heated rivalries with Randy Savage and Pez Whatley. One of Garvin's best-known ICW moments was where he knocked Ox Baker's dentures out of his mouth, after which Garvin stomped on the dentures.[1] He held the NWA Georgia Television Title (also known as the National or World TV Title) 5 times, including a feud with then Legion of Doom member, Jake "The Snake" Roberts. At one point during the feud, Jake Roberts held the TV title and refused to give Garvin a rematch. Garvin had to mortgage his house to come up with $10,000 to pay Roberts for a rematch. Garvin would go on to win the rematch and once again become the NWA World TV champion.

He then went to the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions where he would achieve his greatest success. He became "The Hands of Stone" Ron Garvin and he feuded with Tully Blanchard and Black Bart before entering in a feud with NWA World Champion Ric Flair in 1987. On September 25, 1987, Garvin was able to defeat Flair for the title. It was during this feud that Garvin would eventually gain what would later be referred to as "X-Pac heat," which would see Flair getting cheered in the middle of a cage match, and Garvin booed. His winning the belt was a last minute booking decision by the committee due to losing their original choices for successors. He held it for less than 2 months before losing it back to Flair at Starrcade '87.

He briefly feuded with Jim Cornette's "Midnight Express" of Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton after Cornette threw fire in his face. Jimmy Garvin came to his rescue and they teamed for a while against them before Ron had a singles feud with Cornette's bodyguard, Big Bubba Rogers.

At the 1988 Great American Bash, he turned heel by knocking Dusty Rhodes out with a punch to keep him from winning Barry Windham's U.S. Title. He was managed by Gary Hart but left after only a few months as a heel.

He wrestled in the American Wrestling Association in late 1988 as a heel and feuded with Greg Gagne over the AWA International Television Championship. He also feuded with Carlos Colon over the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship on trips to Puerto Rico during this time.

Garvin next went to the WWF wrestling as a babyface under the name "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin. He feuded with Greg Valentine. Valentine defeated him in a 'loser must retire' match, but the feud continued with Garvin as a referee. Garvin defeated Valentine in a submission match at the 1990 Royal Rumble. He returned to the independents, mainly in The Carolinas, on a semi-retired basis and can still be found in 2005 as a wrestler or special referee in the independents in the Mid-Atlantic area. Garvin owns several used car dealerships in Gaston County, North Carolina.

[edit] After wrestling career

Ronnie is an accomplished pilot (as is his step son, Jimmy Garvin). He holds commercial and instrument ratings for single engine and multi engine aircraft.^[1]

[edit] In wrestling

Garvin Stomp (Garvin performs a counterclockwise series of stomps all over the body in this order):

Left bicep / tricep
Left pectoral
Left abdominal
Left quadricep
Left calf muscle
Right calf muscle
Right quadricep
Right abdominal
Right pectoral
Right bicep / tricep
Jawbone

Hands of Stone (Sledgehammer blow to the chest)
Hammer Jammer (Cloverleaf leg laced Boston crab) - Used as an equivalent to Greg Valentine's Figure four leglock
Sunset flip powerbomb

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

American Wrestling Association
- AWA International Television Championship (1 time)

Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ole Anderson^[2]
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) - with Terry Garvin^[3]

Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Terry Garvin^[4]
- NWA National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[5]
- NWA National Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jerry Oates^[6]
- NWA National Television Championship (2 times)^[7]
- NWA World Television Championship (Georgia version) (2 times)¹^[8]

International Championship Wrestling
- ICW Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[9] (First)

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling | Jim Crockett Promotions

National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (2 times)²^[13]

NWA Mid-America
- NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Terry Garvin^[14]
- NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[15]
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) - with Terry Garvin^[16]

Southeastern Championship Wrestling
- NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (3 times)^[17]
- NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Tony Charles (1) and Bob Orton, Jr. (2)^[18]
- NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Terry Garvin^[19]

Tennessee Mountain Wrestling
- TMW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- TMW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tim Horner

World Wrestling Council
- WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship (2 times)^[20]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him # 142 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

¹This title was originally named the NWA Georgia Television Championship and was eventually renamed the NWA World Television Championship. However, in March 1985, World recognition is dropped by the NWA and the title reverts to the National title when Jim Crockett Promotions purchases Georgia Championship Wrestling and recognizes its Television title the World title.
²NWA records don't show which promotion Garvin worked for when two of his five reigns began. While the title was usually defended in Southeastern Championship Wrestling, it was occasionally used in other promotions.

[edit] Personal information

Ron is not related to Terry Garvin but he is Jimmy Garvin's stepfather.
Ron owned Tennessee Mountain Wrestling in Knoxville, TN. Bob Orton, Jr. owns it now with Terry Landel and Tony Anthony. The web address is Tennessee Mountain Wrestling