In 1980, Rivera was once again wrestling in Los Angeles. His first album was released in 1991, and since then he has scored fifteen hit singles, including the Billboard Latin Tropical #1 "Se Parecia Tanto a Ti" (1995). The poem discusses watching him in a wrestling match and compares the predetermined outcome to the Boston Tea Party. Kenny Ackles, Gordo Chihuahua, Pedro Rodriguez, and Paul Diamond. He and Tony Atlas challenged for the Tag Team Titles against champs Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito (and there were always rumors that the team was going to win the straps before Atlas got in the doghouse for some reason). All Star Wrestling 12/08/1979 The Grand Wizard leads Ken Patera to the ring to face Johnny Rivera. [21] In 2013, he would appear on the Bravo TV network show Millionaire Matchmaker, Season 6 appearing in the episode titled, The Dancer and the Wrestler. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! As for Rodz, I had no idea that he was known as Java Ruuk early in his career. I saw Scicluna on the first WWF house show I ever attended live. The violent "Indian Strap Match" he engaged with the hard-hitting Wahoo McDaniel at the AWAs Super Clash III is the stuff of legend. [19], Two Rivers' name has entered popular culture in many forms. I really have no words to describe what Im seeing!". On March 9 at USA Championship Wrestlings Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert Tribute Event in Jackson, Tennessee, a Falls Count Anywhere in Madison County Match took place, as Jerry Lawler and Doug Gilbert faced off against Matt Riviera & Tommy Rich. [2] In the UK, Paul LeDuc said he was "treated like a god". The Invaders [2] with Invader #1 (as Invader #2) Mask Losses. [10], Matt Riviera and Jerry Lawler would face off in a match on May 17, 2018 at CWA WrestleRaise V in Hot Springs, Arkansas, with the stipulation that if Lawler lost, he would kiss Rivieras foot and if Riviera lost, Lawler would get 5 minutes in the ring with Rivieras manager, Boyd Bradford. I dont want to look anymore; Ive never seen anything like this. It looked like the guy was going to die., "Yeah. Who else would go 0 and 26 to Pete Doherty (at times getting pinned by The Duke in less than three minutes)? Man, I dont know how I forgot Sharpe on this list, but youre right, he was a classic jobber. Marzino was booked at the cape cod collisium and was working with Frankie Williams. Stan Stasiak goes one-on-one with Larry Zbyszko. What made the jobber great was they looked like your or your friends dad. Ken Jugan "Was this a spontaneous thing? View all concerts. How long do you think that person is going to last without puking?". Apparently, Invader 3s having convulsions! He also beat Ivan (Use code PWS for a nice surprise). He retired in 1977,[1] and has stated that one of the best parts of his career was "ending my career healthy". Does anyone know? Watch the match in question, Manny Fernandez vs. Invader 3: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. And he does it two more times! -Dont forget that Johnny Rodz had a successful run in LA around 75/76 as Java Ruuk, and even won the annual Battle Royal at the Olympic Auditoriuman auspicious feat for a relatively unknown wrestler beyond the WWWF of that era. The show's premise was that reality show contestant, Megan Hauserman would eliminate contestants, one by one until she chose the winner, whom she would marry. Plus, Ken Patera, Larry Zbyszko, and many more in action! On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Dubbed the "Fire Brand From the Bronx" and the "Unpredictable", he was a proficient worker and a solid heel. Mike Jackson in Georgia. Find local showtimes and movie tickets for Ponyo 15th. Petrucci? Rudy is from Boston, Mass. 0:12. Johnny Rivera Edit 285 Rankings Compare Johnny Rivera to. Pete Sanchez, among others, have already been mentioned here but others were Toms Marin, Eugenio Marin, For some reason, Sammartino wouldnt fight back, so Shaw had no choice but to pin him and the ref had no choice but to count to 3. The match would see Jerry Lawler unintentionally throw a fireball into the face of one referee & Riviera pile drive another referee. La Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame una delle Hall of Fame di wrestling; la sua particolarit che esiste solo sulla carta, non essendo prevista alcuna cerimonia di introduzione.. A differenza di quanto accade nel baseball o nel basket, nel mondo del wrestling professionistico non esistono Hall of Fame che prevedono che sia un gruppo di esperti del settore (indipendenti dalle . The No. LOVE, Evan J Rodgers. Fred Marzino was from Stoneham, Mass. Johnny began using a mask design containing scattered stars and a planet resembling Saturn on each side even before his future tag team partner Invader 1, did. "It was more real than many [fans], and even wrestlers think. Israel Matia I was in Japan when that Bruiser Brody incident happened when they came and told me. World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation (19651985), Canadian International Heavyweight Championship, "Dying to Drop-Kick And Body-Slam, And Make It Pay", "The Profane Teachings Of Johnny Rodz, The Wrestler Who Jobbed His Way Into The Hall Of Fame", "WrestlingClassics.com Message Board: Elektra Talks about the death of her ex husband Big Dick Dudley on Chairshots radio", "Tales From The Mat Presents: Masha Slamovich's Life Sequestered Abroad In A Joshi Dojo", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johnny_Rodz&oldid=1142494273, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, African-American male professional wrestlers, Professional wrestlers from New York (state), Professional wrestlers from New York City, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, NCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time, last), The Heartbreakers (Heartbreaker Apollo and Heartbreaker Adonis), The Wildcats (Mike Anthony and Dobby Gillies), The Starr Corporation (Bouncer Bruno and Victor the Bodyguard), The Huertas Brothers/The Invaders (Maelo Huertas and, Salt 'n' Pepper (Derrick King and Stan Lee), The Texas Outlaws (Todd Dean and Brian Gamble), D'Jour Twins (Dave D'Jour and David D'Jour), This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 18:29. Wrestling style: Technician. "Hes the one who came up to me and told me the sad story of what happened to Brody. [6] However, as TCW folded, Riviera began to focus more on his in-ring career and less on promoting. asked the interviewer. You could tell in the above interview that Bill wanted a clear answer from Manny but didnt want to lean on him too hard and pressure him to say something he wasnt comfortable with. They finally relaxed the rule when Mil Mascaras came along. I am not familiar with any of those other names that you listed, but I certainly remember Pete Sanchez. Stampede Wrestling had really great jobbers. He moved briefly to Puerto Rico before returning to New York City to begin a career in music. Lawler would pick up the pin fall victory after throwing a massive fireball in Rivieras face, making Lawler the new Arkansas Heavyweight champion. This would lead to a televised match the next week on July 21 between Riviera and Lawler, which ended in a No Contest after interference from Dundee & Dangerous Doug Gilbert. Tune In On Spotify And Follow @PAPowerWrestle For All Your Pennsylvania Wrestling Needs! Swede Hanson was a legend,right to the end. The guy working at the supermarket (because they usually were!). Savoldi tells Marzino how long they have to go and tells Marzino he has to put Williams over. Honerable mention to Manuel Soto and El Olympico. Where was the mentality in that? "I still watch this incident, and I get goosebumps. After a temporary visit to Puerto Read Full Biography. Dave Barbie, Sal Gee, Ron Dee, Joe Mirto, Paul Roma, Jim Powers, Jim Young, Aldo Marino, Mr X,Terry Gibbs, John Rizzo, Rick Hunter. From 1957 to 1959, he wrestled primarily in North Carolina, also teaming with Antonino Rocca and Red Bastien. People will believe anything. Sometimes I think people back in the day forgot this wasnt real. Johnny would often tag with Jose Estrada, and Frank "the Gypsy" Rodriguez. Liberal Eisenhower . In 2015, Matt Riviera decided to team up with former WWE star as well as 2 time National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion Rob Conway. Because those guys had big ole knives. Jorge Rivera is 51 today! Poor Freddie was just about every jobbers favorite pigeon, and was a guaranteed W for any ham and egger in need of an ego boost. Johnny Rivera is considered one of the premier Junior light heavyweights to come out of Puerto Rico. In addition to the wrestling business, he has also appeared in movies and television shows. A. [7] He remained in Canada, facing such wrestlers as Sailor White, The Sheik, and Kurt Von Hess, for the rest of his career. Marzino and Doherty were good friends and both were from Massachusettes. Everybodys trying to say the thing was worked unless you were there, haha! Jerry Lawler came to the aide of Dundee. But the jobberiest jobbers of em all were the Mulkeys. Everything was going his way. [2], He served as the curator of the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum section for First Nations wrestlers, "War Chiefs of the Mat". In the third fall, Riviera was disqualified after hitting Terry with a chair. he was still verry strong. Dont forget Dale Wolfe! His best recorded deadlift is 520 lbs. Manny Fernandez and Invader III (Johnny Rivera) had no real beef with each other but to really sell the "revenge" angle Rivera drank a mixture of pig's blood and vodka before the match (a lot of it) and when Fernandez dropped that first knee Rivera legit started vomiting up . Two months before the slaying of Bruiser Brody, something very bizarre occurred in Puerto Rico. [1] He returned because his family asked him to spend more time at home. [1] He wrestled Bob Backlund in Madison Square Garden while working for the WWWF at the time. 40 years later I still remember it. Results ; Info ; Varsity Vctor Rivera (born May 25, 1944) is a retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. Here are the Mat Pack's latest individual rankings for the seven-county South Jersey region. Incredible underwater caves, spectacular waterfalls, 270 miles of stunning sandy beaches, forts dating back to the sixteenth century, and an exciting nightlife infused with that Caribbean and Latino energy await on the island paradise of Puerto Rico. Take A Listen Today! Matt Riviera had his first professional wrestling match in 2001 for the Arkansas Association of Wrestling by teaming with Running Wolf to take on the team of Frank Thornton and "Big" Wes Jones. Doherty was around much longer than Marzino so it made sense for Marzino to have to put Doherty over. The startled referee seemed agitated and frantically called for the bell. Unique about this wrestler was that dispite his status, whenever he did live in-house shows at the Providence Civic Center, or at the Bank Street Armory in Fall River, he was cheered like a good guy from a small contingent of Portuguese fans who attended the show. You know, I rarely do interviews other than wrestling storylines, but of the questions, I got, probably 35 of them asking if it was a work or a shoot. Charlie Fulton However, by the 80s Scicluna became the guy who played the stepping stone to upcoming stars on the house shows. A fan page for Professional Wrestler and trainer, Johnny Rivera The Invader #3 Remember when Manual Soto teamed with Pete Sanchez and gave the bad guys a run for their money, at least on the TV tapings. Well, you cleared it up because it was afterward.". More blood, more panicking, and the screaming fans now on their feet made their presence felt. Track artist. Johnny Rodz has been training students for over 30 years, out of Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. This lasted two years, during which time he increased his weight to 205 pounds from 185. The match ended in DQ after Lawler shot a fireball in Rivieras face, causing Riviera to have to be rushed out of the arena before Lawler could kiss Rivieras foot.[11]. Manny quickly made himself scarce and was no longer seen as Invader 3 began swimming in blood, with the bottom of his white mask turning a dark crimson. On tour for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1977, he saw action against stars such as Jumbo Tsuruta and "The Destroyer" Dick Beyer. [4] As a wrestler, Riviera has won the TCW Heavyweight Championship as well as multiple tag team championships with various partners such as Jeff Jett, as Reckage & Romance; with Tim Storm as the Natural State Connection; with Greg Anthony as The Empire; and with Jerry Lawler. In Mexico, he refined his technical skills even more, and as is the custom with most luchadores, he was given a mask. "I went back, Manny explained, and a couple of fishy things happened when all the dressing room lights went out, and I was by myself. It was really great to see Swede get a big win. He worked against such wrestlers as "Wild Bull" Curry and Larry Hamilton. One line Ill never forget from him: Im so cool they can feel the breeze across their face. All that said, his win-loss record seems to say jobber to me (but a very popular jobber). "First of all, I think they were more shocked, Manny added. ", "But this happened afterward because theres a YouTube video of that up where it says that it happened several weeks before that. I believe he continued to wrestle in Puerto Rico after his WWF days were over, and his son, Jose, Jr., was also a star on that islands wrestling scene. ", "Many quote Manny Fernandez saying that he did this to avenge what happened between Invader 1 and Bruiser Brody. Billy Two Rivers ( Mohawk name Kaientaronkwen, [3] May 5, 1935 - February 12, 2023) was a Canadian Mohawk professional wrestler. So they can go to HRT places, they can get testosterone, you know, 100 milligrams a week, whatever they prescribe nowadays, umm, they can get hCG, they can do, you know, hGH if they want. Sylvano Sousa was breifly a champion in Canada-I have to search long and hard to find the exact info.He was strong and had a rugged,handsome look. Hugo continued, "What happened was very dangerous. On the March 1, 2007 episode of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Impact showed the Latin American Xchange (LAX) attacking Rodz as part of their feud with Team 3D. The song features shout outs to WWE women wrestlers Ronda Rousey, Nikki Bella, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax. Knowing that there is a man named Johnny Rivera, the Invader 3, who dared to sacrifice himself for the good of lucha libre was something. Rivera would join forces with Andre the Giant in 1977. Ha, someone called me out on Sharpe many years ago (and many comments down below). Billy Two Rivers (Mohawk name Kaientaronkwen,[3] May 5, 1935 February 12, 2023) was a Canadian Mohawk professional wrestler. Wildfire Tommy Rich, wearing a referee shirt attempted to take the key from outside official, Jerry Calhoun, before being stopped by Dangerous Doug Gilbert. one time Marzino worked with Altamore in Boston. [2] In 1978 Rivera returned to the WWWF as a heel under manager "Classy" Freddie Blassie and challenged Bob Backlund for the WWWF title in several cities, including at the Philadelphia Spectrum. AJ Bordenet (12) INF - 2022: Made an impact as a freshman starting in 45 of 50 games played . Higgins Jr. was selected to the first team, Taylor is a second team honoree and Whitney-Sidney lands on the third team. Thats because Fred Marzino was an excellent actor. [14], On May 24, 2018, at the 30th Annual Sheriff Buford Pusser Festival in Adamsville, Tennessee, Matt Riviera won the 1st Annual Sheriff Buford Pusser Memorial Cup, presented by Bert Prentices USA Championship Wrestling, in a battle royal by last eliminating Superstar Bill Dundee.[15]. "After (a recent) procedure, my doctor asked me, What happened to you? Matt Riviera has wrestled in multiple National Wrestling Alliance promotions including NWA Mid South, NWA IHWE-Texas (Iconic Heroes of Wrestling Excellence), NWA Lonestar, and NWA Universal. [14] He is in the 1973 documentary, The Wrestling Queen,[15] and the made-for-television movies Red Earth, White Earth and Northern Passage. [2], Two Rivers made his professional debut in February 1953 in Detroit, facing Rose Martino of Italy. He has previously worked as a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Rodz. Perfect, but in 1981, a skinny Hennig was a young buck who gave the heels all he had before losing. I want to erase from my mind what I just saw.. Jeff craney was the jobbers jobber. I guess you can say Savoldi singly ruined his career, and just because he was jealous of Marzinos friendship with his girl friend? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The show would only go on to air three episodes due to controversy surrounding one of the contestants. He also wrestled for the WWF tag team title with Victor Rivera against Putski and Santana.Swede Hanson defeated Ivan Putski, Cheif Jay Straongbow and Ted Dibiase in singles matches in 1979. Ive never seen so many stupid people in my life. Soon, his downed foe reeled and went into an almost fetal position while safeguarding his stomach area. What does Elmira, NY, have that Fall River doesnt? Central Valley Classic on Feb 16, 2008 in Burbank, CA. Lawlers son, Brian Christopher Lawler would be in his corner. The Mercenaries vs. Johnny Rivera & La Bala Negra. With referee James Beard down, Riviera would hit Lawler with an object and pin Lawler. But after his match with Invader 3 in Puerto Rico, hes gained an infamy few wrestlers would long to carry. Similar to Hennig, Gilbert became a huge star, this time outside of the WWF before dying way too young. Unfortunately, the most egregious event that has forever blackened the reputation of what people outside of Puerto Rico think about their wrestling was the murder of Bruiser Brody in July of 1988. Track artist. Riviera had also picked up a victory in a match against Buff Bagwell, earlier in the evening, after Arn Anderson interfered in the match by delivering a Spinebuster to Bagwell, allowing Riviera to get the pin fall.[12]. That knee must have broken ribs, perforated a lung, maybe even his liver or spleen! It was Marzino who did jobs for all the top notch wrestlers in the business at the TV tapings, so Savoldi should have had Marzino go over with these old timers, so he would appear to look 1/2 decent when he did do the jobs for the big shots at the TV taping. First reported by The Hamilton Spectator, we now know that Croitoru died in a Toronto halfway house, possibly of respiratory failure. Beginning of in-ring career: 1976. ", "Right. At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary about the Fernandez and Invader 3 bout until about the 5-minute mark. Clover lost the match without Hart or Niedhart getting in the ring, so Jimmy Hart had them beat the snot out of him for losing. And he concluded, Id be interested to see the actual medical report. information about Berger or Three Rivers Wrestling Association is avalable now.I once bought an obscure Wrestling Revue magazine in the early 80s- matches but won a fair share,too. [9] In 1990, Two Rivers helped lead the Mohawk nation during the Oka Crisis. But that would not be all, since Johnny Rivera confessed that it was on April 7 that he and his brothers requested the accounting from their mother's companies, and exactly one month later, his aunt Rosie Rivera uploaded a video to their social networks where he informed that he would resign as CEO of . Ion Croitoru, aka Johnny K-9, aka Bruiser Bedlam, has died. Singer Johnny Rivera was born and raised in the bosom of a Puerto Rican family settled in New York's Bronx, and studied at Manhattan's Benjamin Franklin High School. Rivera left the WWWF again in 1979, and return for a match in 1989. 11 yr. ago. Palumbo vehemently denied that Triple H was taking steroids, because it would be a violation of WWEs Wellness Policy and went on to say that he was sure that Triple H would love to take steroids. How Manny Fernandez and Invader 3 got that ring to become drenched in blood is still a kayfabe secret, not ready to be exposed just yet. 0-0-0 Pro Record At Fight : 4-2-0 Climbed to 1-0 . NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version), NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship, "World Tag Team Championship official title history", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Victor_Rivera_(wrestler)&oldid=1112407989, NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Champions, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, CPW Brass Knuckles Championship (2 times), WSA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with, The Twin Devils (Twin Devil #1 and Twin Devil #2), This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 05:56. Matt Riviera (born May 18, 1983), is a Semi-retired American professional wrestler and podcast host. Ive called him Bostons favorite jabroni. [2], Matt Riviera was born on May 18, 1983 in Russellville, Arkansas. then, as was announcer Ray Morgan who continued on up until the early 1970s when he was unexpectedly replaced by Vince McMahon Jr. Thanks! I remember Rudy Diamond well. 28 Feb 2023 17:35:29 a few times he was allowed to get offense in but mostly strictly took the punishment. The Japanese, they changed my ticket around. Was it work, a shoot, or a combination of both? I guess they were watching me.. Thats why he made other jobbers look like champs. Manny Fernandez could be as aggressive and unforgiving working face or heel. Its the only way its going to come out. What about Mike Saxon. For example, he beat Mr. Saito in the Boston Garden in 1981, and Saito was an established star. He was a pretty bland wrestler in the 80s and I dont know a lot about his earliercareer. That night Vince Jr. was there and Vince Jr. changes it. [26][27][28][29], Riviera is an avid gym goer boasting a bench press of 445 lbs. intimadating. John Rivera. The knee drop incident with Invader 3-where he spits up blood- whats the story behind that scenario?