Between the classic pro wrestling video clips Ive watched recently and some of the great comments from visitors of this blog, Im reminded about the many, many WWF jobbers that I grew up with each Saturday morning on TV and also saw in person at the monthly shows at the old Boston Garden. Musical icon Kid Rock and golfer John Daly (golfer) were in attendance for the event. In 2009, Matt Riviera further solidified his status as one of Arkansas' premier athletes when he won the Pro Wrestling Arkansas Heavyweight Championship. After a temporary visit to Puerto Read Full Biography. It was like a water pipe that exploded; it was grotesque! A classic. Former wrestlers became referees John Bonello, Terry Yorkston. (LogOut/ Statistics and information about the 955 matches fought by Johnny Rivera in our events database. [20] He plays a large role in Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Muldoon's poem, "My Father and I and Billy Two Rivers". Because when we opened you, we saw some damage on your ribs, and we didnt dare touch any of that., "I explained that it was from a match I had with Manny Fernandez. With referee James Beard down, Riviera would hit Lawler with an object and pin Lawler. They threw a daggum rock with barbed wire wrapped around it, hit me right here, and almost jerked my whole lip off. cowboy frankie laine, don kernodle (ex-Kangaroo) ricky sexton, johnny defazio, smasher sloan, sonny king, chuck oconnor, swede anderson, great yatsu, chief big heart, tony altimore, pete sanchez, kevin sullivan? He had a successful amateur boxing career in Golden Gloves, winning 29 matches and losing 3. JJ Rivera (21) OF - Career Achievements: All-Crossroads League Second Team (2022) . How long do you think that person is going to last without puking?". By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. School Links. Just like I love Terry [Funk], Dickie [Dick Murdoch], but the way they did it just ate me up, so I knew I had to do something. [10], Matt Riviera and Jerry Lawler would face off in a match on May 17, 2018 at CWA WrestleRaise V in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with the stipulation that if Lawler lost, he would kiss Rivieras foot and if Riviera lost, Lawler would get 5 minutes in the ring with Rivieras manager, Boyd Bradford. (LogOut/ Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! We welcome newcomers as well as wrestlers with previous experience. I was in Japan when that Bruiser Brody incident happened when they came and told me. Although there was a huge contrast in styles and body types, tagging with the Giant was his fondest wrestling memory. He retired in 1977,[1] and has stated that one of the best parts of his career was "ending my career healthy". Vctor Rivera (born May 25, 1944) is a retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. Sending the footage to a non-wrestling fan, an unsuspecting friend who also happens to be a surgeon, his honest opinion on what he thought happened was solicited. While wrestling, he was still involved in promoting wrestling events, as well as beginning college. Two-time NWA Tag Team champion "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez always prided himself as one of the businesss toughest wrestlers. 4 talking about this. Segovia vs. Rivera. But you could tell he had the ability to make it big. I dont know much about what happened to Rivera since he stopped wrestling in the WWF. Johnny Rivera is a American Professional wrestler. 239 lb (108 kg) [1] Billed from. [19], Two Rivers' name has entered popular culture in many forms. [1][2] He grew up in Kahnawake speaking Mohawk at home. In the second fall, Conway submitted to Funaki via a rear naked choke. Alex Pawlowski Feb 23, 2017 1:30PM. Johnny Rivera is considered one of the premier Junior light heavyweights to come out of Puerto Rico. He crushed Doctor D and then humiliated him on the mic. Knowing that there is a man named Johnny Rivera, the Invader 3, who dared to sacrifice himself for the good of lucha libre was something. A former teammate of Johnny Unitas who caught a touchdown pass in the Baltimore Colts' victory over the New York Giants in the 1959 NFL championship game, Richardson only spent two years in the . And Mario Mancini. and you cannot forget Irish Davey OHannon. Jose Estrada Estrada appeared on many Boston Garden shows from 1980 through 1982, and then later spent time as one of Los Conquistadores under a mask with partner Jose Luis Rivera. This was after Schultzs 20/20 debacle, and he was obviously out of favor with the company. Discover (and save!) Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. In 1980, Rivera was once again wrestling in Los Angeles. Although Bruiser Brody died two months after the above-discussed match, Manny either purposefully distorts his timeline when speaking about the match, or he believes all of this happened after Brodys death. You could tell in the above interview that Bill wanted a clear answer from Manny but didnt want to lean on him too hard and pressure him to say something he wasnt comfortable with. The story goes as follows. Believe it or not, kayfabe still exists to a degree in wrestling. He also had [16], Two Rivers was the father of British fashion designer, Wayne Hemingway. The confusion of Mannys timeline of events is either on purpose or by accident, as demonstrated throughout this piece. (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). Buddy Rogers (NWA World Champion)Verne Gagne (AWA World Champion)Johnny Valentine; Bobo Brazil; Edouard Carpentier; Ray Stevens (United States Champion [San Francisco])Pepper Gomez; Antonino Rocca; Lou Thesz; Killer Kowalski - World Champion [Montreal] Women: June Byers (NWA World Champion)Fabulous Moolah (World Champion [Baltimore])Karen Kellogg; Penny Banner Chris Benoit jobbed a bit there at first. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I remember going to the Ali Inoki closed curcuit match sat on floor looking up all night they had live matches and the Sammartino Hanson match but best remember a Card on Saturday afternoon house show with a net over the ring and the hockey glass up so fans couldnt throw things in ring coming from Philly we had nothing like that in Spectrum or TV tapings at Phila Arena in 1970s. Once outside, the cameras and some concerned fans looked on and followed the group of wrestlers as they looked to place Invader 3 in a car instead of an ambulance. Bob Backlund for the Championship in M.S.Garden. Eugene Rapay. Charlie Fulton was a very decent preliminary wrestler in the early 80s. Rodz currently runs a wrestling school in Brooklyn, NY. ", "Right. On March 9 at USA Championship Wrestlings Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert Tribute Event in Jackson, Tennessee, a Falls Count Anywhere in Madison County Match took place, as Jerry Lawler and Doug Gilbert faced off against Matt Riviera & Tommy Rich. Other prelim wrestlers whom I recall include Israel Matia, the Hangman, A.J. "Was there a backlash from WWC for injuring him and making him throw up [blood]?" Who else would go 0 and 26 to Pete Doherty (at times getting pinned by The Duke in less than three minutes)? Draw your own conclusion!!!! [8] The team would go on to face the top teams in the NWA and are the current champions. in the locker room Good times! ", "Yeah. A rich WWF jobber history. I mean, the poor guy could never catch a break, and what I do not understand is that he even had to put over REAL ham and eggers who had NOT been around that long, such as Tony Colon, Angelo Gomez, Jerry Johnson and Steve King. And I distinctly remember Jones getting promo time. Liberal Eisenhower . To me, its a shoot. McGraw is an interesting choice, because he did mostly lose on TV, but he was involved in angles at times, too. "Was this a spontaneous thing? Track artist. A total professional, the Little Giant of Mayaguez. He sacrificed himself for the good of Capital Sports Promotions. Jos Alberto "El Canario" 2 concerts. While wrestling for these NWA promotions, Riviera has also won several regional championships such as the IHWE Heavyweight championship, NWA Lonestar Tag Team championships with partner Greg Anthony, and twice holding the Western States Heritage title. for 1 rep, 225 lbs. for 3 reps in 2022. Were you afraid of a full-scale riot breaking out?" Victor Rivera & Johnny Rivera vs. WWWF Tag Team Champions the Executioners via disqualification. [2], Two Rivers made his professional debut in February 1953 in Detroit, facing Rose Martino of Italy. John Rodriguez[3] (born May 16, 1941) is an American former professional wrestler. Similar artists. Results ; Info ; Varsity He's been a frequent guest on several podcasts and has a few bylines on TheLogBook.com, where he shares stories of pop culture and retro-related awesomeness. Johnny Clifton J. Clifton. No list of jobbers is complete without Steve Lombardi LOL. That was one strange rule at MSG about no masks. Thats because Fred Marzino was an excellent actor. And Invader 3 sticks with his side of the story, insisting that the injuries he sustained were 100% legit and confirmed by his doctor. Incredible underwater caves, spectacular waterfalls, 270 miles of stunning sandy beaches, forts dating back to the sixteenth century, and an exciting nightlife infused with that Caribbean and Latino energy await on the island paradise of Puerto Rico. I went on to the airport and walked onto the airplane with my wrestling gear. They didnt want me to go to Puerto Rico. Salvatore Bellomo Bellomo was another fella who seemed on the verge of being a star but never hit it big. He was about 275 lbs, and I was around 170 to 180 lbs. Ion Croitoru, aka Johnny K-9, aka Bruiser Bedlam, has died. In the National Wrestling Alliance, he won the NWA World Tag Team Championship with Enforcer Luciano. Sometimes I think people back in the day forgot this wasnt real. Professional wrestler Victor Rivera May 25th 1943 in Puerto Rico passed away passed away November 28th 2002 in North Carolina Barry Los Angeles California in the cemetery in the 9th of December 2002 in the cemetery of Inglewood California 4 Vince McMahon honor and put them in that in the Hall of Fame. Still today, wrestling in Puerto Rico inhabits a strange yet fascinating world where many fans are not entirely convinced that what they are watching is scripted. the murder of Bruiser Brody in July of 1988, Johnny Rivera/Invader 3 Facebook fan page, the foremost reasons Bill Apter has lasted five decades in this business is his consummate professionalism and respect towards the wrestlers, Bruiser Brody: Details on His Murder and Influence in Wrestling, Leon White (Vader) and His Horrible Rookie Mistake Against Bruiser Brody, 13 of the Best Old-School Bleeders in Wrestling, The WWE Controversy Seldom Talked About From 1993, https://popcultureretrorama.wordpress.com/author/javierojst/, Disclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. He and Tony Atlas challenged for the Tag Team Titles against champs Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito (and there were always rumors that the team was going to win the straps before Atlas got in the doghouse for some reason). All Star Wrestling 12/15/1979 Seriously, Rodz is more famous than a lot of WWE main roster talent. Ive called him Bostons favorite jabroni. What about Mike Saxon. Im not sure whether his skills dropped several degrees before he arrived in the WWF or whether Japan wasnt the hotbed in 79 that it later became (Im betting on the former excuse). He got his first chance to be featured in a movie in the 2009 thriller, Blood Forest. That evening at the Coliseo de Catao in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Manny Fernandez was scheduled to wrestle an unknown opponent but insisted on a ranked one like Carlos Colon or the Invader 1. "Were in 2022, and fans, even wrestlers, still wonder about this. Ron shaw, Moondog spot. This is a horror movie. Matches: 16 (0 Pay Per View) . I guess they were watching me.. Longtime wrestling commentator Hugo Savnovich (WWF/WWE Spanish Announcer from 1994 to 2011 with Carlos Cabrera, and now with AAA) was a former wrestler and WWC's longstanding English and . He learned English in school, which was only available until eighth grade. World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation (19651985), Canadian International Heavyweight Championship, "Dying to Drop-Kick And Body-Slam, And Make It Pay", "The Profane Teachings Of Johnny Rodz, The Wrestler Who Jobbed His Way Into The Hall Of Fame", "WrestlingClassics.com Message Board: Elektra Talks about the death of her ex husband Big Dick Dudley on Chairshots radio", "Tales From The Mat Presents: Masha Slamovich's Life Sequestered Abroad In A Joshi Dojo", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johnny_Rodz&oldid=1142494273, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, African-American male professional wrestlers, Professional wrestlers from New York (state), Professional wrestlers from New York City, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, NCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time, last), The Heartbreakers (Heartbreaker Apollo and Heartbreaker Adonis), The Wildcats (Mike Anthony and Dobby Gillies), The Starr Corporation (Bouncer Bruno and Victor the Bodyguard), The Huertas Brothers/The Invaders (Maelo Huertas and, Salt 'n' Pepper (Derrick King and Stan Lee), The Texas Outlaws (Todd Dean and Brian Gamble), D'Jour Twins (Dave D'Jour and David D'Jour), This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 18:29. [1] He wrestled Bob Backlund in Madison Square Garden while working for the WWWF at the time. They hated me in Puerto Rico! How Manny Fernandez and Invader 3 got that ring to become drenched in blood is still a kayfabe secret, not ready to be exposed just yet. The two would become known as "The Iron Empire" after Rob's moniker, "The Ironman" and The Empire, a stable of wrestlers led by Matt Riviera. In 1978, Two Rivers became a leader of the Mohawk nation on the Kahnawake reservation. After slamming him, the 275 lb Fernandez climbed the nearest corner post and launched himself onto his downed opponent. Men (Heavyweight):. matches but won a fair share,too. Fua!" Hes just done what he came to Puerto Rico to accomplish.. All this and more! I got so excited I ran to my front door and screamed outside to anybody within earshot that Special Delivery was going to win!!! Invader 3 has been severely injured. wolfman farkus? Manny Fernandez and Invader III (Johnny Rivera) had no real beef with each other but to really sell the "revenge" angle Rivera drank a mixture of pig's blood and vodka before the match (a lot of it) and when Fernandez dropped that first knee Rivera legit started vomiting up . [19], It was after VH1 producers saw Matt Riviera's acting in Happy Hour, as well as his in-ring career that they invited him to become a participant on a new reality show, Megan Wants a Millionaire. What a joy it has been to read these posts and now add my additions to this truly awesome list. A golf course in the village of Oka, Quebec, planned to expand onto land claimed by the Mohawk as traditional land. [2] He won this title by winning a tournament, last defeating Frank Thornton. Where was the mentality in that? Petruzzi, Ron Shaw, the Black Demon, and Charlie Fulton. Kenny Ackles, Gordo Chihuahua, Pedro Rodriguez, and Paul Diamond. The Executioners aka Killer Kowalski and Big John Studd in tag team action against Pat Barrett and Johnny Rivera from WWWF All Star Wrestling from 3/10/76. And I had a bottle of shampoo in my hand- whatever I could do with that! [1] He also has promoted wrestling events. Wrestler Links. Stampede Wrestling had really great jobbers. His coach is Warren Martin owner of Sync Fitness in Conway, AR.[30]. Rivera Jr. vs. Beal Francisco Rivera Jr., TKO, R1 Both are washed af but Cisco has more in the tank than beal does, despite the age difference Joe Turco, the Continental Nobleman. "I went back, Manny explained, and a couple of fishy things happened when all the dressing room lights went out, and I was by myself. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Manny quickly made himself scarce and was no longer seen as Invader 3 began swimming in blood, with the bottom of his white mask turning a dark crimson. "First of all, I think they were more shocked, Manny added. I dont know of any heat between Savoldi and Marzino. His first album was released in 1991, and since then he has scored fifteen hit singles, including the Billboard Latin Tropical #1 "Se Parecia Tanto a Ti" (1995). wrestlers alike.He was occasionally made special guest refferee. Payback. This would lead to a televised match the next week on July 21 between Riviera and Lawler, which ended in a No Contest after interference from Dundee & Dangerous Doug Gilbert. understand why he was relegated to jobber status when he returned That knee must have broken ribs, perforated a lung, maybe even his liver or spleen! I remember they got matched up against Sid and Vader. It has been reorted that he died of Over the years, Manny Fernandez has changed the timeline of events claiming that he was avenging Bruiser Brody. There was the famous match in Boston Garden when Pete Doherty destroyed Mario Mancini in about a minute and a half. Frankie Negrn 2 concerts. (111 kg) at 5'11'' (1.80 m) Birthplace. NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version), NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship, "World Tag Team Championship official title history", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Victor_Rivera_(wrestler)&oldid=1112407989, NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Champions, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, CPW Brass Knuckles Championship (2 times), WSA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with, The Twin Devils (Twin Devil #1 and Twin Devil #2), This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 05:56. He wrestled and almost beat Bob for the title at M.S.G. Great Bend. In Southern California, he faced the likes of Moondog Mayne, Roddy Piper, The Great Goliath, Black Gordman, Ron Bass, Colosso Colosetti, Ringo Mendoza, and Victor Rivera. His best recorded deadlift is 520 lbs. [9][10] His last WWF match was a loss to Gama Singh on June 19, 1985. Now extremely animated, he implored Manny- already on the top rope again- to cease the brutal onslaught. Very close to the Springfield Civic Center. I dont want to look anymore; Ive never seen anything like this. I do vaguely remember him. TCW is the promotion where Matt Riviera has wrestled, as well as promoted. From the late 50s till the early 70s he was a huge star and After being told at the age of 15 that he was too young to legally being training as a professional wrestler, Riviera began doing everything he could to get his foot in the door of the wrestling business such as creating wrestling programs. Date Of Birth: Unknown. Rivera left the WWWF again in 1979, and return for a match in 1989. However, by the 80s Scicluna became the guy who played the stepping stone to upcoming stars on the house shows. Its kind of sad the WWE doesnt hit cities like Fall River any more (probably because it doesnt have a modern arena), but then the tour will get to every mid-size city in upstate New York at least once a year. Dominic DeNucci By the 1980s, DeNucci was similar to Lee, in that the rising stars beat him on the way to fighting Bob Backlund or Pedro Morales. unknown. It was really great to see Swede get a big win. [1] He returned because his family asked him to spend more time at home. The Big Show Takes Care of a Heckling Fan, Lands Himself in Court, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Nasty Boys Fight in Front of Fans, Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash: Their Heated Backstage Fight, Michel Martel The Tragic Passing of Rick Martels Brother, Sam Sheppard How a Murder Inspired a Wrestling Career, Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk: Their Real-Life Fights, How Randy Orton Got Mr. Kennedy Fired from WWE, Jack Donovan Deal One of Wrestlings Most Heinous Attacks, 4 Times a Fan Unexpectedly Ambushed a Wrestler, New Jack and the Soft Drink Concession Stand Incident, Vaders Shocking Rookie Error Against Bruiser Brody, Ric Flair and Mick Foley Their Real-Life Backstage Encounter. Powerbomb after powerbomb. In 2010, Riviera had a role in the drama, Step Away from the Stone. He also began his first foray into promoting professional wrestling events at the age of 17 after meeting his mentor, wrestling trainer and promoter Bill Ash. Other Seasons. The agent. I really have no words to describe what Im seeing!". A list of wrestlers Rivera defeated during his career is a who's who of the sport. But I confess that it was dangerous.". There was a Masked Executioner who got a push for a bit, then went to Jobberville. Being the consumate pro, he didnt mind putting over younger stars, so much! If Marzino had to work with a mark in the audience, Fuck face Savoldi would have Marzino put the mark over. He started wrestling in 1957 and I remember watching on tv when Hercules Hernandez beat the crap outta Saxon. There are people who say we never went to the moon. Another thing that is unfair is how the magazines ignored him towards the end.Swede Hanson deserved better treatment after all he gave to wrestling and humanity in general!!!!! Here are some of the guys I remember well: The Unpredictable Johnny Rodz Rodz was one of those prelim wrestlers who was a step above the normal jobber, in that he occasionally won a watch and people still respected him even if he often lost. The attack was so convincing he asked if Invader 3 had survived. Ao. won countless tag team titles with Rip Hawk and others. In the first couple of years of the WWF expansion, a lot of the WWF TV jobbers were former high-card wrestlers from Maple Leaf Wrestling. Well, that goes back to the Bruiser Brody story- Im sure a lot of people know what happened to Bruiser Brody. This happened at a small venue in Catao where Capital Sports Promotions, now known as WWC, had their TV tapings. Bulldog Lee Henningabout 70 years old and 160 pounds. In what felt like an eternity, the others finally managed to lift Invader 3 and exit the arena. This quote would cause the WWE to release a press statement attempting to clarify their Wellness Policy guidelines on growth hormone use: WWEs comprehensive Talent Wellness Policy, which is administered by an independent, third-party, clearly states hGH and hCG are among a long list of banned substances, however, due to certain medical conditions, there are a variety of therapeutic exemptions that account for approximately 7% of our contracted talent.[24], The story was picked up by numerous websites, including Forbes.com, Deadspin.com, & BleacherReport.com[25], On February 14, 2018, Matt Riviera made his hip hop music debut, releasing the song and music video for Best Meats in the Rump (Juicy), a collaboration with DJ Mr. Mixx of controversial rap group, 2 Live Crew, & pro wrestling manager, Boyd Bradford. Track artist. The Invaders [2] with Invader #1 (as Invader #2) Mask Losses. In a 2020 interview with Lucha Libre Online a page managed by Hugo and Carlos Cabrera, who, after 30 years with WWE, was released in February of 2022 Savnovich tiptoes around the incident. Manny Fernandez could be as aggressive and unforgiving working face or heel. There arent many names I forget from the 80s when writing this blog, but I havent thought of Sylvano Sousa in years. He also wrestled for the WWF tag team title with Victor Rivera against Putski and Santana.Swede Hanson defeated Ivan Putski, Cheif Jay Straongbow and Ted Dibiase in singles matches in 1979. I believe that match is on Youtube now. He is formerly one half of the NWA World Tag Team Champions with Rob Conway as the tag team The Iron Empire. They finally relaxed the rule when Mil Mascaras came along. It was payback. Paul Diamond became Kato as part of the Orient Express, which was a good tag team, and also became Max Moon for a bit (thats such a great story, because originally the gimmick was for Konnan, who left in a dispute, and DIamond tried the Max Moon suit on and it fit so he got the part). The Duke of Dorchester Pete Doherty Doherty has already been the subject of several blogs here, as Ive called him Bostons favorite jabroni. I dont want to get into all those details, but I think this is a case where storyline and reality crossed paths.. He sends his son Mario Savoldi over to tell Marzino he was going over. Profile & Match Listing Facts & Stats PWI Ratings Opponents & Partners Win/Loss Record Star Ratings Win Types Relations PPV. He was billed as heralding from Sandwich, New York, and it was a rare day, in fact a very rare day, that he ever won a match on television. For example, when one wrestler strikes the other in Puerto Rico, youll hear the fans enthusiastically chanting, "Fua! Johnny Rivera | Profile. [14], On May 24, 2018, at the 30th Annual Sheriff Buford Pusser Festival in Adamsville, Tennessee, Matt Riviera won the 1st Annual Sheriff Buford Pusser Memorial Cup, presented by Bert Prentices USA Championship Wrestling, in a battle royal by last eliminating Superstar Bill Dundee.[15]. The violent "Indian Strap Match" he engaged with the hard-hitting Wahoo McDaniel at the AWAs Super Clash III is the stuff of legend. cake. Man, I dont know how I forgot Sharpe on this list, but youre right, he was a classic jobber. He was always the first match at the providence civic center, and he would always win. Whenever Darrow worked at the Civic Center with any other jobber including Marzino, Agent Savoldi would have Dave Darrow go over every time. He has stated that he was a "journeyman" wrestler rather than a major star, and that people wanted to see him because he was "an attraction". Beginning of in-ring career: 1976. However, Palumbo went on to state that WWE wrestlers were allowed to take growth hormones, such as HGH, which are banned substances in all professional sports in the United States. In retrospect, the true jobbers tended to be faces who were served up as bait for heels while the more accomplished jobbers tended to be villains, who controlled a generous portion of the match in order to generate heat from the crowd. Manuel Soto, Jose estrada, and the jobber of all jobbers the great joe turco, I also remember an obese guy named Rusty Brooks, balding with a moustache, who often appeared in the early to mid-80s. Rodz currently runs a wrestling school in Brooklyn, NY, that has turned out big-time names, such as the Dudleys and Taz.
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