Johnny Rodz
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". John Rodriguez (born May 16, 1938) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Johnny Rodz.[1]
Professional wrestling career
World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation (1965–1985)
He was part of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) from its early years, appearing on WWWF cards as far back as 1965.[2] He wrestled Bob Backlund in Madison Square Garden while working for the WWWF at the time. Dubbed the "Fire Brand From the Bronx" and the "Unpredictable", he was a proficient worker and a solid heel. Johnny would often tag with Jose Estrada, and Frank "the Gypsy" Rodriguez.[3] For much of the next two decades through mid-1985, Rodz was a mainstay of the federation,[4] though largely used as enhancement talent,[5][6] for which he was praised by some of his peers.[7] At times Rodz worked in Japan, Puerto Rico and other territories. On August 9, 1980, at the Showdown at Shea, he was defeated by "Polish Power" Ivan Putski.[8][9] His last WWF match was a loss to Gama Singh on June 19, 1985.
NWA Hollywood Wrestling (1976–1978)
For a time, he also worked with Mike and Gene LeBell's NWA Hollywood Wrestling. He won a greater share of matches wrestling as "Arabian Wildman" Java Ruuk[10][11] and even won the promotion's battle royal in 1976.[2]
Post-retirement
In 1996, Rodz was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame class of 1996[12] by Arnold Skaaland.[2]
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. Ten days later at Destination X, he accompanied Team 3D to the ring for their Ghettobrawl match with LAX at the pay-per-view.
Training
Johnny Rodz has been training students for over 30 years, out of Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn. Rodz has trained many students who have gone on to have successful careers in and out of the ring for various wrestling promotions, serve as high-level executives at television networks, and some even went on to become high-level government officials at agencies such as FDA and FDIC. Wrestlers trained by Rodz include: Tazz, Tommy Dreamer, D-von Dudley, Damien Demento, Prince Nana, Marti Belle, Wendy Choo, Big Vito, Masha Slamovich, William Morrissey, Vince Russo, and many more.[13][14] A few of Rodz' students have gone on to train other future superstars at their own wrestling academies.[15] Rodz founded the independent wrestling promotion known as World of Unpredictable Wrestling.[16][17]
Wrestlers trained
- Vito LoGrasso[18]
- Damien Demento
- Tommy Dreamer[18]
- Big Dick Dudley
- Bubba Ray Dudley
- D-Von Dudley[1][19]
- Bill DeMott[18]
- Elektra[20]
- Jason Knight
- The Batiri
- Vince Russo[21]
- Matt Striker[18]
- Prince Nana[18][22]
- "The Redwood" Big Bill
- Angel Medina[18]
- Tazz[23][24]
- Ricky Vega
- S. D. Jones[25]
- Marti Belle
- Kevin Matthews
- Masha Slamovich[26]
Championships and accomplishments
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Other honoree (1995)
- Lutte Internationale
- Northeast Championship Wrestling
- NCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time, final)[27]
- Northeast Championship Wrestling (Tom Janette)
- NCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[27]
- World Wrestling Council
- WWC World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Super Medico I
- WWC North American Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Super Médico I
- WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Super Médico I
- World Wrestling Federation
References
External links
- World of Unpredictable Wrestling
- Template:Wwe superstar
- Template:Professional wrestling profiles
- Johnny Rodz on Substack
Template:WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship Template:WWE Hall of Fame Template:WWC World Tag Team Championship Template:Portal bar
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwwe - ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d e f Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namednana - ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Pages with script errors
- American male professional wrestlers
- American people of Puerto Rican descent
- Living people
- American professional wrestling trainers
- WWE Hall of Fame inductees
- 20th-century male professional wrestlers
- 20th-century American professional wrestlers
- People from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico
- Professional wrestlers from New York City
- Professional wrestling promoters
- 1941 births
- WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Champions
- WWC World Tag Team Champions
- Pages with reference errors