Rocky Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rocky Johnson |
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Johnson, c. 1983
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| Birth name | Wayde Douglas Bowles |
| Born | August 24, 1944 Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | January 15, 2020 (aged 75) Lutz, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 8, including Dwayne |
| Family | Anoaʻi (by marriage) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Sweet Ebony Diamond Drew Glasteau Rocky Johnson |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 243 lb (110 kg) |
| Billed from | Toronto, Ontario, Canada Washington, D.C., United States |
| Trained by | Peter Maivia Rocky Bollie Kurt Von Steiger |
| Debut | 1964 |
| Retired | 1991 |
Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles, August 24, 1944 – January 15, 2020) was a famous Canadian professional wrestler. He made history by becoming the first Black NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion. He also won the WWF Tag Team Championship in 1983 with his partner Tony Atlas. This made them the first Black champions in WWE history. Rocky Johnson was the father of actor and wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He was also the grandfather of wrestler Simone "Ava" Johnson.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Rocky Johnson was born Wayde Douglas Bowles in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was the fourth of five sons. His family were Black Nova Scotians, descendants of people who came to Nova Scotia after escaping slavery in the United States.
When he was 16, Johnson moved to Toronto. There, he started training to be a wrestler. He also worked as a truck driver. Before wrestling, he trained as a boxer. He even sparred with famous boxers like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. But he was always very interested in wrestling. Rocky's brother, Ricky, was also a wrestler.
Professional Wrestling Career
Starting Out in the NWA (1964–1982)
Rocky Johnson began his wrestling career in 1964. Soon after, he legally changed his name to Rocky Johnson. He chose this name to honor two boxing legends: Rocky Marciano and Jack Johnson. Jack Johnson was the first Black heavyweight boxing champion.
In the 1970s, Rocky Johnson became a top wrestler in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He often competed for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He was very good at tag team wrestling, where two wrestlers team up against another pair. He won several regional tag team championships in the NWA. He also wrestled as "Sweet Ebony Diamond" while wearing a mask.
Making History in the WWF (1982–1985)
In 1982, Rocky Johnson joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He had many exciting matches against other wrestlers. Later, he formed a tag team with Tony Atlas. They were known as "The Soul Patrol."
On December 10, 1983, Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas defeated The Wild Samoans. They won the WWF Tag Team Championship. This was a huge moment because they were the first Black wrestlers to ever hold a WWF championship.
Later Career and Retirement (1985–1991)
After leaving WWF in 1985, Johnson continued wrestling in different places. He wrestled in Hawaii, where he even teamed up with his brother, Ricky Johnson.
Rocky Johnson retired from wrestling in 1991. After retiring, he helped train his son, Dwayne, to become a wrestler. Dwayne later became known as "The Rock." Rocky Johnson played a big part in getting Dwayne signed to the WWF. Initially, Rocky would appear with his son during matches. He even jumped into the ring to help Dwayne at WrestleMania 13.
In 2003, Johnson worked as a trainer for WWE's developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling. On February 25, 2008, Rocky Johnson was announced as a new member of the WWE Hall of Fame. His father-in-law, "High Chief" Peter Maivia, was also inducted. Both were honored by his son, The Rock, on March 29, 2008.
In 2019, Johnson joined the board of directors for the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Rocky Johnson met his first wife, Una Sparks, at a dance. They had two children, Curtis and Wanda. He later married Ata Fitisemanu Maivia, who was the daughter of wrestling legend "High Chief" Peter Maivia. Rocky and Ata met when Peter Maivia and Johnson were tag team partners.
Rocky Johnson and Ata had a son, Dwayne, who was born in 1972. By marrying Ata, Rocky became part of the famous Samoan Anoaʻi family, which includes many wrestlers. Rocky and Ata divorced in 2003.
In 2019, Rocky Johnson co-wrote his autobiography called Soulman: The Rocky Johnson Story.
Death
Rocky Johnson passed away on January 15, 2020, at the age of 75. He died from a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot that traveled from his leg. His son, Dwayne Johnson, shared a loving tribute, saying he was in pain but proud of his father's life and career. Many other wrestlers, like Hulk Hogan, also shared their condolences, remembering Rocky as a great friend.
Championships and Accomplishments
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- Big Time Wrestling
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (4 time) – with Ben Justice
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) (1 time)
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pedro Morales
- NWA Florida Television Championship (1 time)
- Continental Wrestling Association
- AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Jimmy Valiant (1) and Soul Train Jones (1)
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jerry Brisco
- NWA Macon Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Danny Little Bear
- International Championship Wrestling Alliance
- ICWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Crash the Terminator
- Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2022
- Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
- NWA Television Championship (2 times)
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Don Leo Jonathan
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (1 time)
- NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jose Lothario
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Earl Maynard
- NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (2 times)
- NWA Mid-America / Continental Wrestling Association
- CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bill Dundee
- NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Memphis version) (1 time)
- NWA San Francisco
- 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 Polynesian Pro Wrestling
- NWA Polynesian Pacific Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Ricky Johnson
- Pacific Northwest Wrestling
- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Brett Sawyer (1) and Iceman Parsons (1)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 258 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
- Ranked No. 211 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
- St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame
- (Class of 2008)
- World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tony Atlas
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2008)
Images for kids
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Johnson as NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion
See also
In Spanish: Rocky Johnson para niños
