wrestlers alike.He was occasionally made special guest refferee. [26][27][28][29], Riviera is an avid gym goer boasting a bench press of 445 lbs. He's been a frequent guest on several podcasts and has a few bylines on TheLogBook.com, where he shares stories of pop culture and retro-related awesomeness. [14][15] A few of Rodz' students have gone on to train other future superstars at their own wrestling academies. I dont remember a lot from his wrestling years, because I was 12 years younger than him. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Thats because Fred Marzino was an excellent actor. A total professional, the Little Giant of Mayaguez. He sacrificed himself for the good of Capital Sports Promotions. In Southern California, he faced the likes of Moondog Mayne, Roddy Piper, The Great Goliath, Black Gordman, Ron Bass, Colosso Colosetti, Ringo Mendoza, and Victor Rivera. It is time to open a new chapter in my life by closing this one. Here is the schedule and scoreboard for any . Started 34 games as a shortstop, while finding playing time as a In December 1969, Rivera teamed with Tony Marino at Madison Square Garden to win the WWWF International Tag Team Championship in 2 straight falls from Professor Toru Tanaka and Mitsu Arakawa. Thanks for writing. Poor Freddie Marzino. 1996. Savoldi would have Marzino put everybody over. In Toronto at that time: Colton Hagerty, Washington Twp . In the first couple of years of the WWF expansion, a lot of the WWF TV jobbers were former high-card wrestlers from Maple Leaf Wrestling. is mentioned about his main event status run in the WWF in late 1979! 1. 28 Feb 2023 17:35:29 matches but won a fair share,too. 0-0-0 Pro Record At Fight : 4-2-0 Climbed to 1-0 . From the late 50s till the early 70s he was a huge star and [1] His final title victory came on August 3, 1976, when he defeated Serge Dumont to win the Canadian International Heavyweight Championship. Sharpe actually challenged Backlund for the title at the Philadelphia Spectrum in 1983, which I vaguely remember seeing at the time on the USA Network when it used to show house show cards. 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. [6] However, as TCW folded, Riviera began to focus more on his in-ring career and less on promoting. At the age of 12 after coming across a television program, WCW Worldwide, Matt began his love for professional wrestling after watching Dick Slater wrestle. The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo (2018-19), HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Actual name Bill Eichenberger. Also one of the greatest worst jobbers, Mario Mancini. The same argument might apply to Hennig, whom no one would call a career jobber, although he was a curtain-jerker in 1981. [9] In 1990, Two Rivers helped lead the Mohawk nation during the Oka Crisis. 10/6/76; Hamburg, PA; Fieldhouse 10/23/76 - included the Strongbow & Whitewolf vs. Executioners match from the 10/23/76 Championship Wrestling: Tor Kamata vs. Kevin Sullivan Nikolai Volkoff vs. Sunshine Jackson Stan Stasiak vs. Johnny Rivera The Big Show Takes Care of a Heckling Fan, Lands Himself in Court, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Nasty Boys Fight in Front of Fans, Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash: Their Heated Backstage Fight, Michel Martel The Tragic Passing of Rick Martels Brother, Sam Sheppard How a Murder Inspired a Wrestling Career, Randy Savage and Road Warrior Hawk: Their Real-Life Fights, How Randy Orton Got Mr. Kennedy Fired from WWE, Jack Donovan Deal One of Wrestlings Most Heinous Attacks, 4 Times a Fan Unexpectedly Ambushed a Wrestler, New Jack and the Soft Drink Concession Stand Incident, Vaders Shocking Rookie Error Against Bruiser Brody, Ric Flair and Mick Foley Their Real-Life Backstage Encounter. I wish everyone the best.[16], Besides professional wrestling, Matt Riviera has the passion for acting as well. Ron shaw, Moondog spot. 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. The knee drop incident with Invader 3-where he spits up blood- whats the story behind that scenario? intimadating. They threw a daggum rock with barbed wire wrapped around it, hit me right here, and almost jerked my whole lip off. Lawler and Dundee would attack Riviera before cutting Rivieras prized perm in the middle of the ring. As a promoter, Riviera took a local wrestling show and expanded it to an hour long show that was available to watch throughout the United States. He continued, "I had that mindset already, going in there. On August 4, his lawyer announced the parties had agreed in principle to settle out of court, and were negotiating details toward dismissing the now-suspended suit.[22][23]. This quote would cause the WWE to release a press statement attempting to clarify their Wellness Policy guidelines on growth hormone use: WWEs comprehensive Talent Wellness Policy, which is administered by an independent, third-party, clearly states hGH and hCG are among a long list of banned substances, however, due to certain medical conditions, there are a variety of therapeutic exemptions that account for approximately 7% of our contracted talent.[24], The story was picked up by numerous websites, including Forbes.com, Deadspin.com, & BleacherReport.com[25], On February 14, 2018, Matt Riviera made his hip hop music debut, releasing the song and music video for Best Meats in the Rump (Juicy), a collaboration with DJ Mr. Mixx of controversial rap group, 2 Live Crew, & pro wrestling manager, Boyd Bradford. Because those guys had big ole knives. 239 lb (108 kg) [1] Billed from. It was powerbomb city, I never saw such a catastrophe. And although I cant reveal everything, just imagine what his heart was feeling when he was going through all this? [1][2] He grew up in Kahnawake speaking Mohawk at home. Jos Alberto "El Canario" 2 concerts. He had his biggest run with Estrada as Los Conquistadores. The story goes as follows. Feb 4, 2015 - This Pin was discovered by Doug McLeer. A British racing horse shared it. Hes just done what he came to Puerto Rico to accomplish.. "Did Manny have something hidden in his knee pad? blown glass hot air balloon ornament. They knew what I was going to do. After slamming him, the 275 lb Fernandez climbed the nearest corner post and launched himself onto his downed opponent. One theory is that Invader 3 had a condom full of blood and bit into it when needed. I mean, the poor guy could never catch a break, and what I do not understand is that he even had to put over REAL ham and eggers who had NOT been around that long, such as Tony Colon, Angelo Gomez, Jerry Johnson and Steve King. Johnny Rivera pinned Jose Estrada at 11:04 with a backslide Nikolai Volkoff pinned Johnny Rodz at 7:13 after blocking Rodz's attempt at a splash by lifting his knees Steve Travis pinned Baron Mikel Scicluna at 9:13 with a sunset flip Hussein Arab pinned SD Jones at 4:09 after hitting kicking him with his loaded boot It strikes me that one could divide the aforementioned names into two groups: the pseudo jobber, such as DeNucci, Lee, Rodz, and Estrada, who actually mounted a fair amount of offense and, in the process, served as a stepping stone for opponents seeking main card status; on the other hand, there is the legitimate jobber, such as the Irish Terry Gibbs of the world, who served as little more than a human punching bag to get heat from the crowd (in the case of a villain) or showcase a faces talents. information about Berger or Three Rivers Wrestling Association is avalable now.I once bought an obscure Wrestling Revue magazine in the early 80s- Joe Turco, the Continental Nobleman. We would be pleased if you would write one. He began promoting wrestling events under the name of Global Pro Wrestling. Beginning of in-ring career: 1976. 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. All Star Wrestling 11/12/1977 Mr. Fuji and Professor Tanaka face Johnny Rivera and Dewey Robertson. Matt Riviera (born May 18, 1983), is a Semi-retired American professional wrestler and podcast host. With that disclaimer, we have strived to provide relevant information to help you, the reader, decide what really happened during this notorious encounter. This is awesome, however theres a whole batch of job guys that were stars in their territories before vkm got them. ", "Right. I mean, who among us who grew up watching Championship Wrestling will ever forget that guy? [2] As a team, they faced a wide variety of opponents, including Ray Stevens, Boris Malenko, and Fritz Von Erich. The Invaders [2] with Invader #1 (as Invader #2) Mask Losses. Johnny Rivera a.k.a. 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. The show would only go on to air three episodes due to controversy surrounding one of the contestants. Crossroads League Gold Glove Right Fielder (2022) . your own Pins on Pinterest "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. At a USA Championship Wrestling event in Jackson, Tennessee on July 7, Matt Riviera and Boyd Bradford would present Superstar Bill Dundee with a briefcase containing $100,000 if Dundee would agree to retire from wrestling. But you could tell he had the ability to make it big. While wrestling, he was still involved in promoting wrestling events, as well as beginning college. Pete Sanchez, among others, have already been mentioned here but others were Toms Marin, Eugenio Marin, Wow, I had no idea that Savoldi did that to Marzino! And I had a bottle of shampoo in my hand- whatever I could do with that! I still believe it was because Marzino was good friends with Savoldis Massachusettes girlfriend Joann. [1][5] When he, also from Kahnawake, returned to the reservation on a break from wrestling, he met 16-year-old Two Rivers, became his guardian and took him to Columbus, Ohio, for training. on WWF television as a TOTAL JOBBER WHO MOUNTED ALMOST ZERO offense.I saw him get killed by Hulk Hogan back when Hogan was a villian, around 1980.Anyway,thanks to Wrestling Revue I became a big fan of Bill Berger, no matter that he lost alot on TV. 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 . All of this was taped on a Wednesday and broadcast that weekend. I think Manny injured him; how disastrous! Vctor Rivera (born May 25, 1944) is a retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. Swede Hanson was a legend,right to the end. Alex Pawlowski Feb 23, 2017 1:30PM. He weighed about 350 pounds and usually got squashed. Profile & Match Listing Facts & Stats PWI Ratings Opponents & Partners Win/Loss Record Star Ratings Win Types Relations PPV. understand why he was relegated to jobber status when he returned Matches: 16 (0 Pay Per View) Bill Berger was my brother. At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary about the Fernandez and Invader 3 bout until about the 5-minute mark. They worked with each other many times and Marzino was taken as the heel by the fans if you can believe that one. [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. But remember jobber Dave Darrow from Holyoke Mass. Once he finally began to train to become a Professional wrestler, he discovered that the physicality it takes to be a pro wrestler might be too much for him. The violent "Indian Strap Match" he engaged with the hard-hitting Wahoo McDaniel at the AWAs Super Clash III is the stuff of legend. LOVE, Evan J Rodgers. He retired in 1977,[1] and has stated that one of the best parts of his career was "ending my career healthy". I remember Killer Khan knee dropping McGraws neck multiple times during a match, which I think to led to an injury angle. Johnny Rivera Edit 285 Rankings Compare Johnny Rivera to. Pete Sanchez Sanchez was always one of those guys who sandwiched the main events at the Boston Garden by either wrestling really early in the show or really late. as The Invader by Mano Negra ( 1983/02/20) as Invader #3 by Invader #2 ( 1998/08/01) Matches Fought. Looking at it from a full career perspective, I agree that it indeed was incorrect to call Hanson a jobber. It affects me big time. And he does it two more times! Again go figure. (LogOut/ Wrestler Links. "I dropped three knees on his sternum," Manny described. Eddie Gilbert Gilbert was often on the losing end of matches to the star heels in the early 80s, although he did get a rub from Backlund when the Masked Superstar attacked Gilbert with the corkscrew neckbreaker on the floor and Backlund helped him out. The attack was so convincing he asked if Invader 3 had survived. [17][18], Two Rivers died in Kahnawake, Quebec on February 12, 2023, at the age of 87. So was the Cuban Assasin. Dundee would accept the metal briefcase & then nail Riviera & Bradford with it before taking off with the money. The Rivera brothers decided that Jacqie would be the executor Photo Instagram Chamonic. "Was this a spontaneous thing? One more thing about Marzino and that is it. [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]. for my money Steve Lombardi the Brooklyn Brawler was the best jobber of all times. Lawlers son, Brian Christopher Lawler would be in his corner. Now extremely animated, he implored Manny- already on the top rope again- to cease the brutal onslaught. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! Baron Mikel Scicluna Hailing from the Isle of Malta, Scicluna once held the WWWF Tag Team Titles with King Curtis Iaukea in the 1970s. 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. The spectacle that night between Manny Fernandez and Invader 3 was both horrific and unforgettable. Fred Marzino was from Stoneham, Mass. Omranuddin Tara Khail defeats Johnny Robles via KO/TKO in Round 1 Khail KO/TKO Round 1. Unfortunately, said upper-tier talent never showed up. Ha, well I do mention Pete Doherty above, although Golden Terror was more a 70s guy than an 80s guy. After a temporary visit to Puerto Read Full Biography. The Assasin had such a great wrestling character. 1 blog for 1980s WWF pro wrestling and matches at the old Boston Garden, The image of the Boston Garden program is used with permission. a heart attack in 2002- but little else is known.If anyone has any further anything about Bill Berger please let it be known,post or something.So much I went on to the airport and walked onto the airplane with my wrestling gear. Claiming to be a veteran who served in Vietnam, the native from El Paso, Texas, shared a brotherhood with wrestlers like Hercules Hernandez and Dick Murdoch, along with fellow West Texas State football alumni Terry Funk, Stan Hansen, and Bruiser Brody. pseudo-jobber status in his last WWF run (about 1982-1985), not much Jerry Calhoun would eventually unlock the cage door & count the pin for Lawler. Lawler would pick up the pin fall victory after throwing a massive fireball in Rivieras face, making Lawler the new Arkansas Heavyweight champion. In the late 1960s, Rivera wrestled in Los Angeles' Worldwide Wrestling . He landed flush with his right knee above Invader 3s stomach. To me, its a shoot. Ha, someone called me out on Sharpe many years ago (and many comments down below). Its kind of sad the WWE doesnt hit cities like Fall River any more (probably because it doesnt have a modern arena), but then the tour will get to every mid-size city in upstate New York at least once a year. rene goulet rusty brooks WWE Tony Leone Dennis Stamp AWA State Patrol George South WCW. Do you remember this great Lou Albano promo with the Golden Terror, which I blogged about in 2011: https://bostongardenbalcony.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/youll-laugh-at-this-memorable-promo-involving-the-captain-and-the-duke/, Canadas greatest athlete, black arm brace & grunts, Iron mike sharpe & rene goulet w/his michael Jackson glove.