Rocky Johnson
Real Name - Rocky Johnson
Birthdate - n/a
6' 245 lbs.- Davie, FL
Aliases - Sweet Ebony Diamond, "Soulman" Johnson
Athletic background - Boxing (Professional), Gymnastics, Wrestling (High School)
Teachers - n/a
Professional background - ???(`64-`6?), Canada(`67-`69), Detroit(`69), Los Angeles(`70), San Francisco(`71-`74), Georgia(`75), Florida(`75-`76), Dallas(`76), Memphis(`76-`77), Florida(`77-`78), Dallas(`78), WWWF(`79), Memphis(`80), Mid-Atlantic(`81), Portland(`81-`82), WWF(`83-`84), Hawaii(`84-`86), Memphis(`87), WWC(`88), WWE(`03)
Groups - none
Peak Years - `74-`81
Career Highlights - n/a
Finisher(s) -
- Boston Crab
- Over-the-Shoulder Backbreaker
- Dropkick
Favorites -
- Thesz Press
- Overhead Forearm
- Headbutt
- Headlock Takeover
- Jabs & Haymaker
Ringwork Rating -
move set - 7
science - 3
aerial - 4
power - 7
strikes - 8
Intangible Rating -
entertainment - 6
selling - 6
bumping - 5
carrying - 5
heat - 6
legacy - 6
Place in History - Rocky Johnson is one of a handful of fathers of pro-wrestlers who acheived greater success than him, however he might become the most notable case as his son has become one of the biggest stars ever to grace the wrestling world. But it all came from somewhere. Rocky Johnson began making a name for himself in the early 70s as one of the best athletes turned pro and he showed fantastic potential. Over the next few years he became a successful journeyman with strong runs in his homestate of Florida, Dallas as well as Memphis. He was a constant challenger to the NWA title working Jack Brisco, Terry Funk and Harley Race numerous times. Johnson's greatest problem was that he never developed into a top worker before he began his bouncing from gig to gig and he never became one, probably because of it. He eventually half-timed wrestling and while he remained a good athlete with a natural charisma, he never fully lived up to the potential he had. Marrying the daughter of top heel Peter Maivia allowed Johnson more breaks, most notable his runs in the WWWF/WWF, where he was pushed hard, but didn't quite live up to the hype. He's gotten a few chances in recent times due to his son's success, but again he's not really seized them fully. While Rocky Johnson is a notable figure as a top black star in the often-racist world of wrestling his legacy is often overblown and he is not a Hall of Fame caliber star.