Johnny Powers
Encyclopedia
Johnny Powers is a retired Canadian
professional wrestler, known by his legally changed ring name Johnny Powers. He competed in several North American and International promotions including National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA), American Wrestling Association
(AWA), Maple Leaf Wrestling
, National Wrestling Federation
, International Wrestling Association
and the World Wide Wrestling Federation feuding with then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion
Bruno Sammartino
during the early 1960s NWA's Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski and AWA's Verne Gagne.
As a sports event promoter and television producer since 1967, he has presented over 3,500 live wrestling
and sports events from Singapore
to New York
to Trinidad
. He co-founded the National Wrestling Federation
(NWF). He sold the NWF to Japan
ese interests in 1973. Powers was the first major international syndicator of television wrestling with programs in over 27 countries.
. At 15, he started training under the tutelage of Canadian light heavyweight wrestling champion Jack Wentworth. Powers had his first professional match in 1960 in Detroit at age 17 while attending McMaster University
in Hamilton. He left university and became a professional wrestler, formally turning professional at age 20 in Detroit as Lord Anthony Lansdowne.
He wrestled hard core wrestler Larry Chene many times, who then mentored Powers. Powers dyed his hair blond and wrestled as Johnny Powers, the Golden Adonis, in North East U.S. and Canada in 1964. Powers wrestled six times for the WWF World Champion title
with Bruno Sammartino
in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Powers turned heel and was managed by Bobby Davis, who once managed Buddy Rogers. He fought Whipper Billy Watson many times across Canada
and was main event for two years in Canada's Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Powers fought NWA World Champions
Lou Thesz outdoors in Hamilton ballpark and St Louis Kiel Auditorium and Gene Kiniski in Toronto
ballpark and The Hamilton Forum. Powers dominated Cleveland Ohio with great battles against Johnny Valentine, The Sheik, Ernie Ladd and Abdullah the Butcher. This 'heel turn' against Ernie Ladd with Ox Baker created possibly the most dangerous riot in pro wrestling history called "The Cleveland Riot".
Powers was tutored as a wrestling
promoter and television
producer by international old school wrestler, booker and classic promoter Pedro Martínez. Martinez coached and mentored Powers for 20 years from the age of 22 in the art of creative event marketing of pro wrestling. Martínez and Powers founded National Sports TV on an existing "Wrestling
from Buffalo
Auditorium" library of black and white films. This library
had been funded by one of pro wrestling first big money sponsors Dow beer.
Powers co-founded the National Wrestling Federation
and sold it three years later in 1973 to New Japan Pro Wrestling
. He was the NWF World Heavyweight Champion and was the star of "Championship Wrestling with Johnny Powers". He was the only wrestler then and since to have a television show named after him. He was NWF North American Champion seven times and NWF world champion three times.
Powers sold television wrestling shows and films to Japan, Mexico, the Armed Forces Network and eventually to 27 countries creating the first and largest international professional wrestling television distribution network. Martinez and Powers owned the largest professional wrestling library in the world at that time with acquisition of most of the other key US wrestling territories television libraries. Powers also, as executive producer and on air commentator, promoted and produced over 300 new hours of televised wrestling.
Powers held the first barbed wire top rope wrapped match and paid a record athletic commission fine. After watching a Barnum and Bailey circus, he produced and promoted the only three rings at a time Cleveland Stadium Super Card with 50 global stars. Powers was defeated by Antonio Inoki
for the NWF World Heavyweight Championship December 10, 1973 in Tokyo
. Powers, a seven time North American Open champion, defended his title in the New Japan promotion.
Powers and Pat Patterson fought as NWF North American Tag Team Champions in California and Japan. In the Los Angeles title match, Joe Louis was referee. Powers fought three main events in Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens against The Sheik, Ed Farhat
.
Powers with Pedro Martínez acquired control of the International Wrestling Association
(IWA) in 1975 and Powers later bought out the Martinez interest for 100% ownership in 1976.
Powers was honored in Yokohama, Japan, before a sellout crowd on September 30, 1991, that was televised nationally, as one of 18 greatest fighters, along with Japan's "God of Wrestling" one of MMA's founding fathers named Karl Gotch, Muhammed Ali, Billy Robinson who is currently an MMA superstar trainer and Lou Thesz "the King of the Shooters", to have appeared in Japanese rings. He was inducted into the Canadian Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.
and Otto and Maria Jelinek. At the age of 22, as a principal in Pro Management Inc, a sports celebrity management firm, he developed and took sports fitness equipment nationally on a major retail store promotion campaign all the while actively competing internationally as Canadian Heavyweight Champion.
He is CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Vision Resource Group, Inc., an integrated media and entertainment company engaged in the development, production and marketing of television, pay-per-view programming, live events and the licensing and sale of branded consumer products. He heads up a creative team for combat and MMA sports called 1Fight and an online social community related to world wide sports and fitness audience called 1FightLife. He has created a Tribal Vision initiative whose goals is to enhance the indigenous global community through media and education. He recently in 2008 co-founded The Wrestling Guild , which features back-to-basics toughman style.
Powers, as an executive producer, has a television special and film under development. Since 2000, he has been active in a non-profit youth development program with the ancient Greek Olympic sport of pankration as its activity platform.
Powers helped to sponsor the Canadian Pankration
Team and was strength coach to the World Pankration Championships in Lamia, Greece where they won eight gold metals and the overall World title.
He also has a movie project, in development, entitled The Man They Could Not Kill.
Johnny Powers has resided in Southern Ontario since 1987.
Finishing Move: Powerlock (Figure Four)
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional wrestler, known by his legally changed ring name Johnny Powers. He competed in several North American and International promotions including 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), American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
(AWA), Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto.-Queensbury Athletic Club:...
, National Wrestling Federation
National Wrestling Federation
The original National Wrestling Federation was a wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970-1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin...
, International Wrestling Association
International Wrestling Association
The International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...
and the World Wide Wrestling Federation feuding with then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
during the early 1960s NWA's Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski and AWA's Verne Gagne.
As a sports event promoter and television producer since 1967, he has presented over 3,500 live wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and sports events from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. He co-founded the National Wrestling Federation
National Wrestling Federation
The original National Wrestling Federation was a wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970-1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin...
(NWF). He sold the NWF to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese interests in 1973. Powers was the first major international syndicator of television wrestling with programs in over 27 countries.
Professional wrestling career
Dennis Waters was born in Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. At 15, he started training under the tutelage of Canadian light heavyweight wrestling champion Jack Wentworth. Powers had his first professional match in 1960 in Detroit at age 17 while attending McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Hamilton. He left university and became a professional wrestler, formally turning professional at age 20 in Detroit as Lord Anthony Lansdowne.
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
with Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Powers turned heel and was managed by Bobby Davis, who once managed Buddy Rogers. He fought Whipper Billy Watson many times across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and was main event for two years in Canada's Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Powers fought NWA World Champions
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
Lou Thesz outdoors in Hamilton ballpark and St Louis Kiel Auditorium and Gene Kiniski in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
ballpark and The Hamilton Forum. Powers dominated Cleveland Ohio with great battles against Johnny Valentine, The Sheik, Ernie Ladd and Abdullah the Butcher. This 'heel turn' against Ernie Ladd with Ox Baker created possibly the most dangerous riot in pro wrestling history called "The Cleveland Riot".
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
promoter and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
producer by international old school wrestler, booker and classic promoter Pedro Martínez. Martinez coached and mentored Powers for 20 years from the age of 22 in the art of creative event marketing of pro wrestling. Martínez and Powers founded National Sports TV on an existing "Wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
from Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
Auditorium" library of black and white films. This library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
had been funded by one of pro wrestling first big money sponsors Dow beer.
National Wrestling Federation
The original National Wrestling Federation was a wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970-1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin...
and sold it three years later in 1973 to New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
. He was the NWF World Heavyweight Champion and was the star of "Championship Wrestling with Johnny Powers". He was the only wrestler then and since to have a television show named after him. He was NWF North American Champion seven times and NWF world champion three times.
Powers sold television wrestling shows and films to Japan, Mexico, the Armed Forces Network and eventually to 27 countries creating the first and largest international professional wrestling television distribution network. Martinez and Powers owned the largest professional wrestling library in the world at that time with acquisition of most of the other key US wrestling territories television libraries. Powers also, as executive producer and on air commentator, promoted and produced over 300 new hours of televised wrestling.
Antonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
for the NWF World Heavyweight Championship December 10, 1973 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Powers, a seven time North American Open champion, defended his title in the New Japan promotion.
Powers and Pat Patterson fought as NWF North American Tag Team Champions in California and Japan. In the Los Angeles title match, Joe Louis was referee. Powers fought three main events in Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens against The Sheik, Ed Farhat
Ed Farhat
Edward George Farhat was an American professional wrestler best known as by his ring name The Sheik...
.
Powers with Pedro Martínez acquired control of the International Wrestling Association
International Wrestling Association
The International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...
(IWA) in 1975 and Powers later bought out the Martinez interest for 100% ownership in 1976.
Powers was honored in Yokohama, Japan, before a sellout crowd on September 30, 1991, that was televised nationally, as one of 18 greatest fighters, along with Japan's "God of Wrestling" one of MMA's founding fathers named Karl Gotch, Muhammed Ali, Billy Robinson who is currently an MMA superstar trainer and Lou Thesz "the King of the Shooters", to have appeared in Japanese rings. He was inducted into the Canadian Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.
Other business ventures
As a sports merchandiser, Powers was physical fitness adviser on a National Sports Advisory Council in Canada, with Bobby HullBobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
and Otto and Maria Jelinek. At the age of 22, as a principal in Pro Management Inc, a sports celebrity management firm, he developed and took sports fitness equipment nationally on a major retail store promotion campaign all the while actively competing internationally as Canadian Heavyweight Champion.
He is CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Vision Resource Group, Inc., an integrated media and entertainment company engaged in the development, production and marketing of television, pay-per-view programming, live events and the licensing and sale of branded consumer products. He heads up a creative team for combat and MMA sports called 1Fight and an online social community related to world wide sports and fitness audience called 1FightLife. He has created a Tribal Vision initiative whose goals is to enhance the indigenous global community through media and education. He recently in 2008 co-founded The Wrestling Guild , which features back-to-basics toughman style.
Powers, as an executive producer, has a television special and film under development. Since 2000, he has been active in a non-profit youth development program with the ancient Greek Olympic sport of pankration as its activity platform.
Powers helped to sponsor the Canadian Pankration
Pankration
Pankration was a martial art introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and founded as a blend of boxing and wrestling but without any rules. The term comes from the Greek , literally meaning "all powers" from "all" + "strength, power". Spartans were taught to use this ancient...
Team and was strength coach to the World Pankration Championships in Lamia, Greece where they won eight gold metals and the overall World title.
He also has a movie project, in development, entitled The Man They Could Not Kill.
Personal life
Powers, underwent knee and hip replacement surgery in May 2009.Johnny Powers has resided in Southern Ontario since 1987.
In wrestling
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Blonde Bomber"
- "The Iron Man"
- "The Brass Knuckles Champ"
Finishing Move: Powerlock (Figure Four)
Championships and accomplishments
- International Wrestling AssociationInternational Wrestling AssociationThe International Wrestling Association is a wrestling promotion in Puerto Rico, started in Japan in 1994 by promoter Victor Quiñones. The Hispanic division was created in 1999. The company was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 2001, but again became a member in 2007...
- IWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipIWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe IWA Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the International Wrestling Association...
(6 times)
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship
- National Wrestling FederationNational Wrestling FederationThe original National Wrestling Federation was a wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970-1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin...
- NWF Heavyweight ChampionshipNWF Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWF Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship used as part of the National Wrestling Federation and later New Japan Pro Wrestling.- History :...
(2 times) - NWF North American Tag Team Championship
- NWF Heavyweight Championship
- Hall of Fames
- Canadian Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (2003)
- New Japan Pro Wrestling's Greatest Fighter in the ring
External links
- SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Johnny Powers
- Canadian Pro Wrestling Page of Fame: Johnny Powers
- Profile at Online World of Wrestling
- Johnny Powers Brings Back American Catch Wrestling
- Johnny Powers Warrior Spirit Challenge
- Johnny Powers Presents Cambridge Jones
- Cambridge_Jones_and_Johnny_Powers_Worldwide.pdf
- Cambridge_Jones_links_up_with_Johnny_Powers.pdf
- Johnny_Powers_introduces_Farm_Family_Festival_of_the_Americas.pdf
- Johnny_Powers_Presents_The_Royalty_of_Pop.pdf (HOT!!!)
- Manuel_of_Nashville_and_Johnny_Powers_interview_together.pdf
- Johnny_Powers_50yr_Tribute_part_1.pdf
- Johnny_Powers_50yr_Tribute_part_2.pdf