You know, there were times when I thought this guy was real…I mean like a real wrestler, and that his stuff in the ring was real…Rocky Johnson was a black dude and top-tier wrestler back when black wrestlers didn’t get much elevation in the sports entertainment business, and at times they were lucky to get the time of day….Rocky Johnson was able to become half of the WWF World Tag Champions, along with Roanoke, Virginia native Tony Atlas…
Rocky Johnson was built like a Rock and he was as close to the Real Thing in the Wrestling Ring, as you will ever see…Sort of reminded me of “Sailor” Art Thomas, from back in the 60’s and early 70’s…
We spoke yesterday about Luke Kuechly being like a football brother, more or less like a younger brother, but still a brother of football, well Rocky Johnson was more like a wrestling father figure, and maybe an older brother, in fact a soul brother…Ernie Ladd, Bobo Brazil, Koko B. Ware, Thunderbolt Patterson, Sonny King, The Junkyard Dog, Tony Atlas, Rufus R. “Freight Train” Jones, Luther Lindsay, there were just not that many black wrestlers on the scene back in the 60’s and 70’s and even on into the 80’s for that matter, but Rocky Johnson was respected and he again, was built like a rock…
(Rocky Johnson wrestled in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling as Sweet Ebony Diamond.)
Now he is gone, and this is a BIG loss for the professional wrestling community, of which we are a part of, since we helped the “Big Bear” Barry Cohen, resurrect his wrestling ring back in the 90’s….We were there with Barry Von Cohen and the USA Rocker, the night they defeated Jerry Darsow and The Original Question Mark?….
And speaking of the Question Mark?, from today’s NWA, he is also the son of Rocky Johnson, at least that is the word that Bruce Mitchell gave us back in December…Bruce said Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was the brother of the Question Mark?, and that would make the Question Mark? Rocky Johnson’s son too…
Hard to believe that the “Hard Rock”, Rocky Johnson is gone….News reports coming in from Wrestling INC. and other sources…….
WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson has reportedly passed away at the age of 75.
(Still hard to believe, and I’m telling, you could never convince me otherwise, “The Real Rock”, Rocky Johnson was real.)
There’s no word yet on what led to Johnson’s passing, but the news was announced this evening by the Cauliflower Alley Club. Johnson’s son, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has not commented on the passing as of this writing.
“Horrible news to pass along. We just learned that Rocky Johnson passed away today at the age of 75. His accolades in this business, all the people he influenced, all his accomplishments, and we are so deeply sorry and wish his family nothing but the most love at this time,” CAC wrote on Twitter.
Stay tuned for more on Johnson’s passing, including comments from WWE, The Rock and others. Below is the full Twitter announcement from CAC:
SiriusXM Busted Open
@BustedOpenRadio
RIP Rocky Johnson. An absolute legend. https://twitter.com/cacreunion/status/1217571582102528000 …
CauliflowerAlleyClub
@CACReunion
Horrible news to pass along. We just learned that Rocky Johnson passed away today at the age of 75. His accolades in this business, all the people he influenced, all his accomplishments, and we are so deeply sorry and wish his family nothing but the most love at this time….
Rocky Johnson, legendary wrestler and father of The Rock, has died
According to the WWE and other reports, Rocky Johnson, who left a lasting imprint on the wrestling world and inspired his son to follow in his footsteps in the industry, has died at the age of 75.
His fans and peers are sharing their condolences.
WWE
@WWE
·
1h
WWE is saddened to learn that WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson has passed away.
WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson passes away
WWE is saddened to learn that Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles), a WWE Hall of Famer and former World Tag Team Champion, has passed away at age 75.
wwe.com
Wrestling Travel
@WrestlingTravel
·
2h
Terrible news breaking tonight. WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, father of
@TheRock
, has sadly passed away, aged 75.
Alongside Tony Atlas, Johnson was one half of the first ever black WWF tag team champions.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Rest In Power, Rocky
Show this thread
Mark Day
@MarkDayNews
·
2h
Former Nova Scotia wrestler Rocky Johnson has died at the age of 75.
Rocky, the father of actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne
@TheRock
Johnson.
Rocky Johnson was born Wayde Douglas Bowles in Amherst, Nova Scotia in 1944.
CauliflowerAlleyClub
@CACReunion
·
2h
Horrible news to pass along. We just learned that Rocky Johnson passed away today at the age of 75. His accolades in this business, all the people he influenced, all his accomplishments, and we are so deeply sorry and wish his family nothing but the most love at this time
NWA
@nwa
·
1h
The National Wrestling Alliance is saddened to hear of the passing of Rocky Johnson.
His legacy stretches across every promotion. He was a champion everywhere he went including holding the NWA Georgia Championship.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family.
Dave Zirin
@EdgeofSports
·
2h
Oh man… Rest in Power Rocky Johnson. So much more than Dwayne Johnson’s dad. So much more than a pro wrestler. True trailblazer. True champion.
Brutus Beefcake
@brutusbeefcake_
·
1h
So sad to hear that my friend Rocky Johnson has passed away. He was an amazing man who I admired greatly! God Bless you Rocky until we see each other in heaven!! Prayers going out to Dwayne
@TheRock
Johnson and his family. You’re in my thoughts always! Much love!
Mick Foley
@RealMickFoley
·
1h
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of the great Rocky Johnson. Always a gentleman, I always enjoyed talking with him. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the fans who loved him. A very sad day for wrestling.
#RIPRockyJohnson
Kenny “StarMaker” Bolin
@StarMakerBolin
·
1h
Replying to
@WWE
and
@KDAWG_4Life
My condolences to
@TheRock
and his entire family. I met Rocky many times when he wrestled
@JerryLawler
in the 70’s and he was a coach during training
@WWE
stars at
@ovwrestling
. He was always very nice to me and all who approached him. He will be missed.
Mike Mooneyham
@ByMikeMooneyham
·
1h
Saddened to hear that Rocky Johnson has passed away at the age of 75. In addition to being The Rock’s dad, Rocky was a big part of the wrestling business for many years. Thoughts and prayers with the family.
Bill DeMott
@BillDeMott
·
2h
I had the honor many times to speak to and learn from Rocky Johnson. Always a gentleman and had time for everyone, my prayers and condolences to the entire family #RIPRocky
Daily Mirror
@DailyMirror
·
1h
The Rock’s father Rocky Johnson has passed away, aged 75
https://mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/wrestling/rocky-johnson-dead-rocks-wrestler-21290080
On Rocky Johnson from Wikipedia:
Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles; August 24, 1944 – January 15, 2020) was a Canadian professional wrestler. During his wrestling career, he became a National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Georgia Champion and a NWA Southern Heavyweight Memphis Champion, as well as winning many other championships. Along with his partner Tony Atlas, Johnson was part of the first black tag team to win the World Tag Team championship in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
Born:Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada
from Wade Keller and PWTorch.com on the passing of Rocky Johnson:
Rocky Johnson, a longtime NWA territory and later WWF wrestler, died today at age 75, according to Cauliflower Alley Club. He held many regional singles and many tag teams titles during his career spanning more than 20 years, including the WWF Tag Team Titles with Tony Atlas in the mid-1980s during the WWF’s national syndication expansion period. He is also the father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
His autobiography was just released this year, titled “Soulman: The Rocky Johnson Story.”
He wrote that there is a lot he missed about being a pro wrestler, and a lot he didn’t miss. “If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely follow the same path,” he wrote. “I loved what I did for the 22 years I was active in the ring and the 15 years that followed as a trainer. I always had a place to go when I was working. I wasn’t always on top, but promoters always found a spot for me, and they paid me well.”
He wrote that the first 100 times people recognized as him “Rock’s dad” instead of “Rocky Johnson, the wrestler,” it bothered him. After that, he embraced it. He said at first it felt like he was being forgotten, but now “I’m good with it – I’m proud to be known as ‘The Rock’s dad.’”
Rocky Johnson had a very thick boxing background, before he got into professional wrestling….
from Wrestling INC.:
Most boxers that have dabbled in pro wrestling were disappointments; unfamiliar with throwing a worked punch, their “real” punches were too fast to properly resonate with pro wrestling fans.
However, nobody took the sweet science further in pro wrestling than Rocky Johnson. Johnson was a naturally gifted amateur boxer, and during the height of his career he would actually work as a training partner for Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and other elite boxers. As a wrestler, boxing was Johnson’s calling card, pummeling opponents with flurries of rights and lefts that managed to look fairly legitimate while also playing to the crowd.