Anthony Garcia
Encyclopedia
Anthony "Tony" Garcia is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler
, better known by his ring name
Tony Garea, who wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), spending thirty-two of his thirty-five year career in the promotion. After his in-ring retirement, he was signed by WWE as a road agent.
and Irish
descent. He was originally an accomplished sprinter and a rugby player.
debut in his native New Zealand. He worked in NWA San Francisco territory where he and Pat Patterson defeated Don Muraco
and Invader I
for the NWA San Francisco Tag Team Championship in May 1976.
in 1972 and went to United States
where he signed a contract with Vince McMahon, Sr.
's World Wide Wrestling Federation
(WWWF). He made his WWWF debut at a TV taping in the Philadelphia Arena
on September 20, 1972 as a babyface
, defeating Davey O'Hannon. On May 30, 1973, he teamed with Haystacks Calhoun
and defeated Mr. Fuji
and Professor Toru Tanaka
to win his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship. Garea and Calhoun feuded
with Fuji and Tanaka for the rest of the summer before losing the titles back to Fuji and Tanaka on September 11.
Garea continued the feud with Fuji and Tanaka with a new partner, Dean Ho
. On November 14, Garea and Ho defeated Fuji and Tanaka for Garea's second and Ho's first WWWF World Tag Team Championship. Garea's second tag team reign was longer and better than his first reign. They held the titles for five and a half month before losing them to Valiant Brothers (Jimmy
and Johnny
) on the May 8, 1974 episode of All Star Wrestling. They continued teaming for a while before disbanding their tag team and working on their own. Garea, who had been successful as a tag team
wrestler, began a singles career.
Garea continued his singles career for three years before forming a tag team with new partner Larry Zbyzsko in August 1977. They began teaming after entering a tag team tournament for the vacant tag titles, where they were defeated by Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka in the finals on September 27, 1977. They continued to challenge for the titles before defeating The Yukon Lumberjacks
(Eric
and Pierre
) for Garea's third and Zbyzsko's first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on November 21, 1978 edition of Championship Wrestling
. They held the titles for four months before losing them to Valiant Brothers (Jerry and Johnny
) on March 24, 1979 edition of Championship Wrestling. Later that same month, Wide was dropped from the promotion's name, renaming the promotion World Wrestling Federation.
(Afa
and Sika
) in the finals on September 27, 1980. Garea formed a tag team with new partner Rick Martel
, which was Garea's most successful and most popular tag team. They defeated Wild Samoans on November 8 for Garea's fourth and Martel's first WWF Tag Team Championship. Garea and Martel continued to feud with the former champions for the rest of the year. After Wild Samoans left WWF, the champions began feuding with Moondogs
(King
and Rex
). They dropped the titles to Moondogs on March 17, 1981 edition of Championship Wrestling.
Martel and Garea continued to feud with Moondogs, trying to regain the titles. On June 8, Garea beat a young rookie named Man Mountain Canyon in Madison Square Garden
, who returned to WWF four years later as King Kong Bundy
. On July 21 edition of Championship Wrestling, Martel and Garea defeated Moondogs in a rematch to win their second WWF Tag Team Championship as a team, though, it was Garea's fifth and final individual reign. Garea's final run as a tag team champion ended on October 17 edition of Championship Wrestling after Garea and Martel were defeated by Mr. Fuji
and Mr. Saito
for the tag titles. Garea and Martel continued to feud with Fuji and Saito, trying to regain the titles but failed to do so.
Martel left WWF in 1982 while Garea went on his own. Garea teamed with younger wrestlers such as Eddie Gilbert
and B. Brian Blair
in 1983 and 1984 but was unable to recapture the success he previously enjoyed as a tag-team champion. He moved to the jobber to the stars
status, jobbing to rising newcomers before retiring in 1986.
at Vengeance: Night of Champions
in June 2007. They came to the aid of the team of Sgt. Slaughter
and Jimmy Snuka
who were being attacked following their losing effort against Deuce 'n Domino
.
When WWE came to New Zealand on June 11, 2008 in Auckland he was a guest on the very first international V.I.P Lounge along with Bushwacker Butch. The segment's host, Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) announced him as Bushwhacker Luke but then apologized. Eventually, MVP attacked Butch and Garea with the microphone. Butch and Garea recovered and fought off MVP, then celebrated with the Bushwhacker walk. On March 3, 2009 he was featured on WWE.com exclusive segment Top-rope Theater posing as "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. On the March 29, 2010 edition of Monday Night Raw
Garea appeared as a lumberjack in the Christian
vs. Ted DiBiase
lumberjack match. Towards the end of the match, Garea brawled with other legends that were serving as lumberjacks.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, better known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Tony Garea, who wrestled for the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), spending thirty-two of his thirty-five year career in the promotion. After his in-ring retirement, he was signed by WWE as a road agent.
Early life
The son of Croatian-born Ivan Gareljich, Anthony Gareljich was born in Auckland, New Zealand to parents of YugoslavianYugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent. He was originally an accomplished sprinter and a rugby player.
Early career
Garea was trained by Wild Don Scott. He made his professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
debut in his native New Zealand. He worked in NWA San Francisco territory where he and Pat Patterson defeated Don Muraco
Don Muraco
Donald Muraco , better known by his ring name "The Rock" Don Muraco, is a retired American professional wrestler...
and Invader I
Jose Gonzalez (wrestler)
José Huertas González, better known as Invader #1, is a former professional wrestler who wrestled in the United States and around the world, especially in Puerto Rico, and the man who killed, allegedly in self-defense, Frank Goodish, also known as Bruiser Brody.-Wrestling career:Since 1973, he has...
for the NWA San Francisco Tag Team Championship in May 1976.
Debut and Early Tag Title Reigns (1972-1979)
Garea left New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1972 and went to United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he signed a contract with Vince McMahon, Sr.
Vincent J. McMahon
Vincent James "Vince" McMahon, better known as Vince McMahon, Sr. was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for founding the American promotion, World Wide Wrestling Federation, which is now known as WWE.-Early life:Vincent James McMahon was born on July 6, 1914 in Harlem,...
's World Wide Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWWF). He made his WWWF debut at a TV taping in the Philadelphia Arena
Philadelphia Arena
The Philadelphia Arena was an arena used mainly for sporting events located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The building, originally named the Philadelphia Ice Palace and Auditorium, was located at 4530 Market Street, next to what would become the WFIL TV Studio which broadcast American Bandstand. ...
on September 20, 1972 as a babyface
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
, defeating Davey O'Hannon. On May 30, 1973, he teamed with Haystacks Calhoun
William Calhoun
William Dee Calhoun was a professional wrestler, who used the professional name "Haystack" or "Haystacks" Calhoun. The gargantuan wrestler was one of the foremost drawing cards during the industry’s “Golden Age” of the 1950s and 1960s while sporting his trademark white T-shirt, blue overalls, and...
and defeated Mr. Fuji
Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
and Professor Toru Tanaka
Charles Kalani, Jr.
Charles "Charlie" J. Kalani, Jr. was an American professional wrestler, professional boxer, college football player, soldier, actor, and Martial Artist who, in fighting rings, was also known as Professor Toru Tanaka, or simply, Professor Tanaka.-Early life:He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the son...
to win his first WWWF World Tag Team Championship. Garea and Calhoun feuded
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Fuji and Tanaka for the rest of the summer before losing the titles back to Fuji and Tanaka on September 11.
Garea continued the feud with Fuji and Tanaka with a new partner, Dean Ho
Dean Higuchi
Dean Higuchi is a retired American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Dean Ho, who competed in North American regional promotions including Pacific Northwest Wrestling, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically the Hawaii-based Big Time...
. On November 14, Garea and Ho defeated Fuji and Tanaka for Garea's second and Ho's first WWWF World Tag Team Championship. Garea's second tag team reign was longer and better than his first reign. They held the titles for five and a half month before losing them to Valiant Brothers (Jimmy
Jimmy Valiant
James Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.-Personal life:...
and Johnny
John L. Sullivan (wrestler)
John L. Sullivan is a retired professional wrestler better known as Johnny Valiant. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation , which became the World Wrestling Federation during his time with the promotion. He won the World Tag Team Championship two times...
) on the May 8, 1974 episode of All Star Wrestling. They continued teaming for a while before disbanding their tag team and working on their own. Garea, who had been successful as a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
wrestler, began a singles career.
Garea continued his singles career for three years before forming a tag team with new partner Larry Zbyzsko in August 1977. They began teaming after entering a tag team tournament for the vacant tag titles, where they were defeated by Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka in the finals on September 27, 1977. They continued to challenge for the titles before defeating The Yukon Lumberjacks
The Yukon Lumberjacks
The Yukon Lumberjacks were a professional wrestling Tag team in 1978 which wrestled in World Wide Wrestling Federation. The team consisted of Eric and Pierre.-History:Eric and Pierre joined World Wide Wrestling Federation in 1978...
(Eric
Scott Irwin
Scott K. Irwin was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tag team with his brother Barney "Bill" Irwin.-Debut and the World Wide Wrestling Federation:...
and Pierre
Zarinoff Lebeouf
Pierre Lafleur is a former French Canadian professional wrestler who is best known for his appearances with World Wide Wrestling Federation under the ring name Yukon Pierre where he was the half of The Yukon Lumberjacks.-Career:...
) for Garea's third and Zbyzsko's first WWWF World Tag Team Championship on November 21, 1978 edition of Championship Wrestling
WWWF Championship Wrestling
WWF Championship Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It aired from 1978 to 1986 and was the original television show of the WWF...
. They held the titles for four months before losing them to Valiant Brothers (Jerry and Johnny
John L. Sullivan (wrestler)
John L. Sullivan is a retired professional wrestler better known as Johnny Valiant. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation , which became the World Wrestling Federation during his time with the promotion. He won the World Tag Team Championship two times...
) on March 24, 1979 edition of Championship Wrestling. Later that same month, Wide was dropped from the promotion's name, renaming the promotion World Wrestling Federation.
Teaming with Rick Martel (1980-1982)
Garea continued to wrestle in the tag team division, with another former WWF Tag Team Champion Rene Goulet. The two participated in a tag team tournament for the titles, where they were defeated by Wild SamoansWild Samoans
The Wild Samoans was the professional wrestling tag team of Afa and Sika in Mid-South Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation . The Samoans held 21 tag team championships around the world.-Gimmick:...
(Afa
Afa Anoa'i
Arthur "Afa" Anoa'i, Sr. is a Samoan American retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager. Since retiring in the 1990s, he has operated the World Xtreme Wrestling promotion and trained wrestlers at the Wild Samoan Training Facility.-Early life:Anoa'i was born in Samoa, but...
and Sika
Sika Anoa'i
Leati "Sika" Anoa'i is a former professional wrestler and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:Sika teamed with his brother Afa to form the tag team the Wild Samoans. They teamed in various promotions including WWF and Mid-South. In 1979, they signed with the World Wrestling Federation...
) in the finals on September 27, 1980. Garea formed a tag team with new partner Rick Martel
Rick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
, which was Garea's most successful and most popular tag team. They defeated Wild Samoans on November 8 for Garea's fourth and Martel's first WWF Tag Team Championship. Garea and Martel continued to feud with the former champions for the rest of the year. After Wild Samoans left WWF, the champions began feuding with Moondogs
Moondogs
The Moondogs were a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation and in two Memphis promotions: the Continental Wrestling Association and the United States Wrestling Association...
(King
Ed White (wrestler)
Edward J. "Ed" White was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known as Moondog King of the Moondogs when he joined the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1980s. White won 48 championships in Canada and around the globe...
and Rex
Randy Colley
Randy Colley is a retired professional wrestler better known as Moondog Rex.-Professional wrestlling career:Colley competed in the World Wrestling Federation, where in 1981 he won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Moondog King as the Moondogs...
). They dropped the titles to Moondogs on March 17, 1981 edition of Championship Wrestling.
Martel and Garea continued to feud with Moondogs, trying to regain the titles. On June 8, Garea beat a young rookie named Man Mountain Canyon in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, who returned to WWF four years later as King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
. On July 21 edition of Championship Wrestling, Martel and Garea defeated Moondogs in a rematch to win their second WWF Tag Team Championship as a team, though, it was Garea's fifth and final individual reign. Garea's final run as a tag team champion ended on October 17 edition of Championship Wrestling after Garea and Martel were defeated by Mr. Fuji
Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
and Mr. Saito
Masa Saito
is a former Japanese professional wrestler better known as Mr. Saito or . He wrestled for several years in various promotions operated by the National Wrestling Alliance . He later joined the World Wrestling Federation , where he teamed with Mr. Fuji to hold the World Tag Team Championship twice...
for the tag titles. Garea and Martel continued to feud with Fuji and Saito, trying to regain the titles but failed to do so.
Martel left WWF in 1982 while Garea went on his own. Garea teamed with younger wrestlers such as Eddie Gilbert
Eddie Gilbert
Edward Gilbert may refer to:*Eddie Gilbert , Australian Aboriginal cricketer*Eddie Gilbert , American wrestler*Ed Gilbert *Edward Gilbert, U.S...
and B. Brian Blair
Brian Blair
Brian Leslie Blair is a local politician in Florida, who gained fame as a professional wrestler especially as a part of the Killer Bees.-Career:...
in 1983 and 1984 but was unable to recapture the success he previously enjoyed as a tag-team champion. He moved to the jobber to the stars
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
status, jobbing to rising newcomers before retiring in 1986.
Retirement and beyond (1986–present)
Garea was employed as a road agent by WWF, a position he continues to hold to this day. He recently appeared with former tag team partner Rick MartelRick Martel
Richard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
at Vengeance: Night of Champions
Vengeance: Night of Champions
Vengeance: Night of Champions was the seventh annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment within its Vengeance chronology, and the last to be promoted with the Vengeance name until 2011. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The...
in June 2007. They came to the aid of the team of Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
and Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
who were being attacked following their losing effort against Deuce 'n Domino
Deuce 'n Domino
Deuce 'n Domino was the name of a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Deuce Shade and Dice Domino, who were managed for the majority of their run by Cherry Pie and briefly by Maryse. The pair teamed together in World Wrestling Entertainment and Ohio Valley Wrestling from 2006 through 2008...
.
When WWE came to New Zealand on June 11, 2008 in Auckland he was a guest on the very first international V.I.P Lounge along with Bushwacker Butch. The segment's host, Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) announced him as Bushwhacker Luke but then apologized. Eventually, MVP attacked Butch and Garea with the microphone. Butch and Garea recovered and fought off MVP, then celebrated with the Bushwhacker walk. On March 3, 2009 he was featured on WWE.com exclusive segment Top-rope Theater posing as "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. On the March 29, 2010 edition of Monday Night Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
Garea appeared as a lumberjack in the Christian
Jason Reso
William Jason Reso is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring names Christian and Christian Cage...
vs. Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase, Jr.
Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase Jr. is an American professional wrestler and actor signed with WWE, where he appears on its SmackDown brand...
lumberjack match. Towards the end of the match, Garea brawled with other legends that were serving as lumberjacks.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Diving crossbody
- Octopus hold
- Signature moves
- Abdominal stretch
Championships and accomplishments
- NWA San FranciscoNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) - with Pat Patterson
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Rookie of the Year (1973) tied with Bob Orton, Jr.Bob Orton, Jr.Robert Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Cowboy" Bob Orton. He is the father of wrestler Randy Orton, who is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment...
- PWI ranked him #236 of the top 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003
- PWI ranked him #74 of the top 100 tag teams with Rick Martel during the PWI Years in 2003
- World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- WWWF/WWF World Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Haystacks Calhoun (1), Dean HoDean HiguchiDean Higuchi is a retired American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Dean Ho, who competed in North American regional promotions including Pacific Northwest Wrestling, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance, specifically the Hawaii-based Big Time...
(1), Larry ZbyszkoLarry ZbyszkoLawrence "Larry" Whistler is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino during the early 1980s....
(1), and Rick MartelRick MartelRichard Vigneault is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation between 1980 and 1995 under the ring name Rick Martel...
(2)