Rocky Johnson

This article is about the Canadian professional wrestler. For the American professional wrestler also known as Rock Johnson, see Dwayne Johnson.

Rocky Johnson
Johnson, c. 1983
Birth nameWayde Douglas Bowles
Born(1944-08-24)August 24, 1944
Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedJanuary 15, 2020(2020-01-15) (aged 75)
Lutz, Florida, U.S.
Spouse(s)
  • Una Sparks
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1966; div. 1978)​
  • Ata Maivia
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1978; div. 2003)​
Children8, including Dwayne
FamilyAnoaʻi (by marriage)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Sweet Ebony Diamond[1]
Drew Glasteau[1]
Rocky Johnson[1]
Billed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2]
Billed weight243 lb (110 kg)[2]
Billed fromToronto, Ontario, Canada[3]
Washington, D.C., United States
Trained byPeter Maivia[3]
Rocky Bollie[1]
Kurt Von Steiger[1]
Debut1964[1]
Retired1991

Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles, August 24, 1944 – January 15, 2020) was a Canadian professional wrestler.[1] Among many 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, along with his partner Tony Atlas, to become the first black champions in WWE history.[4] He was the father of actor and current WWE wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and the grandfather of Simone Johnson (Ava Raine).[5]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Rocky Johnson Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  2. ^ a b Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK. p. 258. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference wwe was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Superstars". WWE.
  5. ^ Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.36)