Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles; August 24, 1944 – January 15, 2020) was a Canadian professional wrestler. several National Wrestling Alliance titles, he was the first Black Georgia Heavyweight Champion as well as the NWA Television Champion (2 times).
He won the World Tag Team Championship in 1983, together with his partner Tony Atlas, to become the first Black champions in WWE history. He was the father of actor and former WWE wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Early Life
Johnson was born Wayde Douglas Bowles in Amherst, Nova Scotia, where he was raised, the fourth of five sons of Lillian (née Gay; 1919–1996) and James Henry Bowles (1888–1957).
A Black Nova Scotian, he was derived from Black Loyalists who emigrated to Nova Scotia after fleeing from a plantation in the United States following the American Revolutionary War and also had part-Irish blood.
At the age of 16, Johnson relocated to Toronto, where he learned wrestling and worked as a truck driver. Initially, he trained to be a boxer and finally sparred with greats such as Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, but was always attracted to wrestling
Career
National Wrestling Alliance (1964–1982)
Johnson began his career as a professional wrestler in 1964 in Southern Ontario; soon after his debut, he legally changed his name to his pseudonym.
He picked the moniker Rocky Johnson as a tribute to two of his favorite boxing greats: Rocky Marciano and Jack Johnson, the latter being the first black heavyweight boxing champion. From the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, he was a great star in California. In Los Angeles, he took on Freddie Blassie, The Destroyer, and John Tolos.
National Wrestling Alliance champion Terry Funk and Harley Race had title battles against him in the 1970s, when he was a rising star in the sport.
Many of the NWA’s regional championships in tag team wrestling were won by him and another wrestler from the same stable. Wrestling with Jerry Lawler was a regular occurrence in Johnson’s time in the Memphis organization. Wrestling under the guise of “Sweet Ebony Diamond” in the Mid-Atlantic region was apparently something he did as well.
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(from 1982 until 1985) International Wrestling Federation
Mike Sharpe, Buddy Rose, and Adrian Adonis were some of Johnson’s 1982 foes. He also had fights with Don Muraco and Greg Valentine during this time period. As a result, he and Tony Atlas formed a tag team. On the December 10th, 1983 episode of Championship Wrestling, they defeated the Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) to win the Tag Team Championships (taped November 15).
They were the first WWF champions to be black males. When they formed the “Soul Patrol,” they were known as such.
During this period (1985–1991),
After leaving WWF in June 1985, Johnson toured the Central States, Tennessee, Hawaii, Portland, Puerto Rico, and the independent circuit. He paired up with his brother Ricky Johnson when playing in Hawaii.
Johnson and Pat Patterson taught their son Dwayne how to wrestle when Johnson retired in 1991. In spite of his initial opposition, Johnson eventually accepted the responsibility of training his son and made it clear that he would not spare any effort.
A WWF developmental contract for Dwayne Johnson, called “Rocky Maivia” in honor of both Rocky Johnson and Peter Maivia, would not have been possible without Johnson’s assistance. When his son was attacked by The Sultan and The Iron Sheik at WrestleMania 13, Johnson went into the ring to save him. Johnson then became an on-camera presence during his son’s matches.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson became a household name as a swaggering, cocky heel after the Rocky Maivia character collapsed.
While working as a trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling, Johnson was fired in May of that year. At Memphis Wrestling on November 29, 2003, Mabel was knocked out of the ring by him in a boxing match after his return to wrestling.
Johnson and his father-in-law, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on February 25, 2008.
They were both formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on March 29, 2008, by The Rock, Johnson’s son. A new chapter in Johnson’s career began on December 20th, when he was inducted into the International Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Reason of Death
The embolism was caused by a blood clot that moved from a deep vein thrombosis in Johnson’s leg and he died on January 15, 2020, at the age of 75, in the home his son built for him in Lutz, Florida.
Johnson “felt he had the flu or something,” according to Brian Blair, who told the AP that Johnson “refused to see a doctor.” In a tribute, his son stated: “I’m in a lot of grief right now. Everything you’ve accomplished in your life up to this point has been spent in the ring, and that’s no small feat.
I’ll always be grateful and happy to be your son, Dad.” One of just a few people to be nice and helpful to me when I first entered the wrestling world was Rocky. My thoughts and prayers are with Rocky’s family and friends at this time.
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Private Sphere
Johnson Had Three Marriages During His Lifetime. He Married His First Love, Una Johnson, Whom He Met While He Was a Teenager. Their Marriage Was Consummated in 1966; They Divorced in 1978 Because He Began an Affair with Ata Johnson While They Were Together.
Because of This, Johnson Had a Marriage to His Second Wife in 1978, but It Did Not Endure and The Couple Divorced the Following Year (1978). Finally, in 2004, Johnson Wed Dana Martin, with Whom He Was Married until His Death.
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