John Garea
Encyclopedia
John "Johnny" Garea is a semi-retired New Zealand
professional wrestler, known by his ring name Johnny Garcia, who competed in Steve Rickard
's All Star-Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and occasionally for the World Wrestling Federation during the 1970s and 80s. The youngest pro wrestler in New Zealand at the time of his debut in 1970, he was a regular on the Australian wrestling programme Big Time Wrestling and its New Zealand counterpart On the Mat
as well as a two-time NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion
. Garea is the real life brother of four-time WWWF World Tag Team Champion and WWE Road Agent Tony Garea.
and World Championship Wrestling.
Garea often appeared on WCW's wrestling programme broadcast on the Nine Network
while in Australia. He was the first New Zealander to appear on Big Time Wrestling, a short-lived Australian programme aired in his home country in 1973, and joined New Zealand promoter Steve Rickard
's All Star-Pro Wrestling after Barnett left for the United States the following year. In 1975, he and The Sheepherders
(Butch Miller
and Luke Williams) were among the first standout talent of On the Mat
and started touring the country. Garea also wrestled overseas as well visiting such faraway countries as Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Japan in Asia, the South Pacific islands of Fiji and Tahiti, and in the United States. He was able to get bookings in various NWA territories and, partly due to his connections with his brother Tony, briefly wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation.
Garea would continue to appear on On the Mat for nearly a decade during which time he faced off against many of the top names not only in Australasia, such as Steve Rickard, John da Silva
, Robert Bruce
and Al Hobman
, but from around the world including former World Champion Tiger Jeet Singh
, The Sheik
and Mark Lewin
from the National Wrestling Alliance
, and Big Bad John, Rocky Johnson
, Don Muraco
, and Rick Martel
from the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Years later, Garea claimed that his toughest opponents were Andre the Giant
and "the world's strongest man" Paul Graham, in addition to a brutal series of cage matches with King Curtis Iaukea
. By 1981, he had become a main-eventer on the show.
After the cancellation of On the Mat in 1984, Garea remained with All Star-Pro Wrestling and eventually became involved in a near 5-year feud with Bruno Bekkar
over the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
during the mid-to late 1980s, winning the title twice, before losing the title back to Bekkar in 1990. Garea went into semi-retirement with All Star-Pro Wrestling closing in 1992 and eventually became a rancher with a sizable lifestyle block in Warkworth
.
On January 24, 2004, Garea was among the many veteran New Zealand wrestlers who attended a "legends reunion" show at Petone
. In June 2008, he made a public appearance with his brother Tony, Butch Miller and Rip Morgan
an a WWE event in New Zealand. He was also interviewed at his Warkworth ranch as part of a documentary on professional wrestling in New Zealand
, A Kiwi Century on the Mat, in August 2010.
New 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...
professional wrestler, known by his ring name Johnny Garcia, who competed in Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
's All Star-Pro Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and occasionally for the World Wrestling Federation during the 1970s and 80s. The youngest pro wrestler in New Zealand at the time of his debut in 1970, he was a regular on the Australian wrestling programme Big Time Wrestling and its New Zealand counterpart On the Mat
On the Mat
On the Mat was a professional wrestling television program for the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated All Star Pro-Wrestling , or simply NWA New Zealand, that aired on Television New Zealand's TV2 from 1975 to 1984...
as well as a two-time NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Champion
NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
The NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
. Garea is the real life brother of four-time WWWF World Tag Team Champion and WWE Road Agent Tony Garea.
Career
Born in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of Croatian-born Ivan Gareljich, Garea began training at the Mt. Roskill gymnasium with "Wild" Don Scott in English-style catch-as-catch-can wrestling and made his pro wrestling debut in 1970, a year before his older brother Tony Garea. At age 21, he was the youngest professional wrestler in the country. Garea's early career was spent in the South Pacific Wrestling Association for Auckland promoter Ernie Pinches and quickly became a regular on the New Zealand circuit. As Tony Garea left for the United States, Johnny Garcia made his way to Australia where he wrestled for Jim BarnettJim Barnett (wrestling)
James E. Barnett was an American professional wrestling promoter, and owner of Georgia Championship Wrestling and Australia's World Championship Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:...
and World Championship Wrestling.
Garea often appeared on WCW's wrestling programme broadcast on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
while in Australia. He was the first New Zealander to appear on Big Time Wrestling, a short-lived Australian programme aired in his home country in 1973, and joined New Zealand promoter Steve Rickard
Steve Rickard
Sydney Mervin "Merv" Batt , best known by his ring name Steve Rickard, is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter...
's All Star-Pro Wrestling after Barnett left for the United States the following year. In 1975, he and The Sheepherders
The Bushwhackers
The Bushwhackers were a professional wrestling tag team that also competed as The Sheepherders during their long career. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation and Jim Crockett Promotions as well as a nearly 40 year run on the independent wrestling circuit...
(Butch Miller
Butch Miller (wrestler)
Butch Miller is a retired professional wrestler best known as one half of the tag team known as "The Sheepherders" on the independent scene and in the National Wrestling Alliance and as one half of The Bushwhackers in the WWF.-Career:Butch Miller started wrestling for NWA New Zealand in 1964 where...
and Luke Williams) were among the first standout talent of On the Mat
On the Mat
On the Mat was a professional wrestling television program for the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated All Star Pro-Wrestling , or simply NWA New Zealand, that aired on Television New Zealand's TV2 from 1975 to 1984...
and started touring the country. Garea also wrestled overseas as well visiting such faraway countries as Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Japan in Asia, the South Pacific islands of Fiji and Tahiti, and in the United States. He was able to get bookings in various NWA territories and, partly due to his connections with his brother Tony, briefly wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation.
Garea would continue to appear on On the Mat for nearly a decade during which time he faced off against many of the top names not only in Australasia, such as Steve Rickard, John da Silva
John da Silva
John da Silva or John Silva is a former New Zealand wrestler and boxer. He represented New Zealand in wrestling at the 1956 Olympics and at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games...
, Robert Bruce
Robert Bruce (wrestler)
Robert Bruce , born John Charles Young, was a Scottish-born professional wrestler and talent agent in Auckland, New Zealand.-Biography:...
and Al Hobman
Al Hobman
Allan "Al" Hobman was a New Zealand professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. Hobman was one of the first homegrown stars to emerge from the Dominion Wrestling Union, and later Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling, during the 1960s and 70s such as Tony Garea, Peter Maivia and The Sheepherders...
, but from around the world including former World Champion Tiger Jeet Singh
Tiger Jeet Singh
Jagjit Singh Hans is a semi-retired professional wrestler, known better by his ring name Tiger Jeet Singh. He wrestled as a crazed heel, coming to the ring with a sword in his mouth . Singh wrestled in Japan for 22 years...
, The Sheik
Ed Farhat
Edward George Farhat was an American professional wrestler best known as by his ring name The Sheik...
and Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
from 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...
, and Big Bad John, Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson
Rocky Johnson is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. Quite popular in his own right in the 1970s and 1980s, he is also known for being the father of actor and professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson...
, Don Muraco
Don Muraco
Donald Muraco , better known by his ring name "The Rock" Don Muraco, is a retired American professional wrestler...
, and 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...
from the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Years later, Garea claimed that his toughest opponents were Andre the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
and "the world's strongest man" Paul Graham, in addition to a brutal series of cage matches with King Curtis Iaukea
King Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...
. By 1981, he had become a main-eventer on the show.
After the cancellation of On the Mat in 1984, Garea remained with All Star-Pro Wrestling and eventually became involved in a near 5-year feud with Bruno Bekkar
Bruno Bekkar
Brian Ashby is a retired New Zealand professional wrestler and trainer, known by his ring name Bruno Bekkar, who competed for Steve Rickard's All Star-Pro Wrestling and for other promoters in New Zealand and Australia from the early 1960s until his retirement in 1992...
over the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship
The NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
during the mid-to late 1980s, winning the title twice, before losing the title back to Bekkar in 1990. Garea went into semi-retirement with All Star-Pro Wrestling closing in 1992 and eventually became a rancher with a sizable lifestyle block in Warkworth
Warkworth, New Zealand
Warkworth is a town in the upper North Island of New Zealand, within the Rodney District and lying at the far north of the Auckland Region but just south of the Northland Region...
.
On January 24, 2004, Garea was among the many veteran New Zealand wrestlers who attended a "legends reunion" show at Petone
Petone
Petone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
. In June 2008, he made a public appearance with his brother Tony, Butch Miller and Rip Morgan
Rip Morgan
Mike Morgan is a former professional wrestler from New Zealand who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling best known as Rip Morgan. Best known as one half of the New Zealand Militia in WCW with Jack Victory...
an a WWE event in New Zealand. He was also interviewed at his Warkworth ranch as part of a documentary on professional wrestling in New Zealand
Professional wrestling in New Zealand
Professional wrestling in New Zealand has been promoted in the country from the early 1900s. In 1919, Gisborne Katene became the first national heavyweight champion, though the title was not recognized by the National Wrestling Association until 1925, and promoter Walter Miller began running events...
, A Kiwi Century on the Mat, in August 2010.
Championships and accomplishments
- All Star-Pro Wrestling
- NWA New Zealand Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA New Zealand Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship is the primary singles title in the NWA-affiliated wrestling promotion NWA New Zealand. It is the first heavyweight championship in New Zealand and one of the oldest in the world. It was first won by Gisborne Katene who defeated Frank Findlay in 1919...
(2 times)
- NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship