John the Body Johnson

Infobox Wrestler
name= John "the Body" Johnson
names=John "the Body" Johnson
height=height|ft=6|in=0
weight=convert|269|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on
birth_date=birth date and age|1976|12|9|birth_place=Orlando, Fl
billed=Orlando, Fl
debut=1993|

John "the Body Johnson (born John Johnson) on December 9, 1976 is an American professional wrestling manager , commentator and best known for his time with NWA Anarchy, where he is the color commentator and co-host of NWA Anarchy television along side Greg Hunter.

Career

Early career

Always a fan of wrestling, Johnson started in the wrestling profession early on, hanging around local wrestling events, setting up and breaking down rings and various other tasks just to be around the business. When he turned 16 a local promotion opened up a wrestling school a block from his home in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross. John has stated that his dad gave him his bonus check to pay for the training and signed the waivers and thus began his training. He was originally to be trained by Joel Deaton, but Deaton left for Japan after just one session. He continued his training with various local wrestlers. After less than 3 months of training was ready to quit, because he didn't feel that he was athletic enough to be a wrestler. One night after training, they were working on promos. One of the trainers was impressed enough to get John on a local show as a referee, who was going to turn heel. His debut was June, 1993.

Soon after his debut, John was working a few shows around Georgia. His heel manager debut would never take place, as two weeks before the show the promoter ceased operations. He continued to referee until the Spring of 1994 when he decided to concentrate on his Senior year of high school, and other personal matters.

The Return

In 1996 John decided he had spent enough time away, and resumed his career. He worked a few local shows around Georgia as a referee. For the next few months he would toil around working shows off and on until the Spring of 1997.

War Zone Wrestling

In 1997, John was introduced to several men who were launching a new promotion called War Zone Wrestling. All manager and referee spots were already taken, but John took a spot on the promotions end of the company working as a co-editor and photographer for the promotion's newsletter. He later became an assistant to the booker and promoter, were he first learned about booking venues and promoting events. He would also work closely with the production staff, learning the ends and outs of producing televised wrestling. Fate would deal John the same hand as it did in 1993. John was being featured in several TV vignettes, warning of a newcomer to WZW, by saying "bad things, very bad things". He was suppose to be one of the handlers of "Heroin" the new wrestler debuting. However in 1998, WZW would cease operations, and John was once again denied the manager spot.

1998

For the rest of 1998 John would work for several promotions as a referee. When a few wrestlers from the old War Zone promotion decided to run their own promotion, John was brought in as a referee, as well as the company's webmaster. The new promotion called Millennium Wrestling Alliance, would run for several months until making the decision to work with a new promoter named Don "The Moose" Lewis and his International Wrestling Union (IWU).

IWU and Don Lewis

In the Summer of 1998 a new promoter emerged on the scene booking some of the biggest names from WCW, WWF, and the indies. Don Lewis ran his first IWU show at the Cobb County Civic Center that year. John despite never having met Don Lewis, actually worked this event as security, but as he has stated several times before, "was only paid a t-shirt, for 7 hours of work." The show was a major failure, due in part that many of the names booked for the show, either cancelled or were never booked to begin with. Another major complaint was the length of the show (a reported 6 hours), and ticket prices (starting at $25 and as expensive as $100). John officially went to work for the IWU that fall, as MWA began promoting shows in conjunction with the IWU. By December, the decision was made to merge the two companies and begin promoting shows throughout north and central Georgia. For the first 5 months of that year IWU was promoting no less than 16 shows a month in various cities. John started as a heel referee, but was also working in the office as Director of Operations.

It was during this time that John would also get to break away from his referee duties, and get a chance at a new venture. The IWU did not have television at this time, but would do live commentary during the matches. When the IWU's usual ring announcer quit minutes before a show in Barnesville, Georgia, John decided to take over the duties, since there were five referees and only 7 matches. John would then become the voice of the IWU for the next few months until his short departure in the Summer of 1999. The IWU's first venture out of Georgia was a poorly promoted event at the Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama in June of 1999. Once again outrageous ticket prices and a card of legendary wrestlers made it a financial failure. The event drew less than 50 fans (8 paid and about 30 free tickets showed. After slow ticket sales a reported 200 tickets were given out, none showed). John would leave the IWU for a short time over a pay dispute, and a war of words ensued between Lewis and Johnson and Lewis' wife many which played out on various internet message boards and Johnson's personal website.

1999-2003

After leaving the IWU, John began working many of the shows he was told he could not work while employed by the IWU. He quickly became a respected announcer and commentator injecting both a knowledge of wrestling and humor to live commentary. He went back to work for the IWU after Lewis secured a TV Spot, and agreed to pay John the money he was owed. John continued to work for the IWU in his old job as Director of Operations. On camera he was a ring announcer, color commentator, and even played his real life role as Director of Operations. Behind the scenes he was also a writer, and producer for the IWU TV product. He also finally got his manager spot, doing a babyface turn on Don Lewis by becoming the manager of the Odd Squad. The Odd Squad was a group of wrestlers who had been feuding with Don Lewis and his stable of wrestlers. John continued managing the Odd Squad until he the IWU folded in the Spring of 2000. Once his time was done with IWU, he began working several promotions throughout the southeast. He continued managing and announcing. Worked for Hardbody Harrison for a time in both Harrison's wrestling and toughman promotions. During this time he also became an assistant booker on a couple shows. In the Winter of 2003 he would begin working for the NAWA out of Rome, Georgia. He would debut as the manager of NWA Wildside Champion, Iceberg, and the tag team of Nemesis and Simon Sermon. He would manage several other wrestlers during his time in NAWA, and would also act as NAWA's commissioner. It was also during this time that NAWA would become an associate member of the National Wrestling Alliance, and NWA Wildside.

NWA Wildside

John joined NWA Wildside in the fall of 2003, working the Friday Night shows, that were mainly used to develope talent to bring them up to NWA Wildside's TV tapings. John was originally slated to be then "Friday night owner" Al Getz's flunky. When Getz could no longer make the shows, John took over as owner and dubbed the show the Friday Night Franchise. John would also manage several wrestlers, mainly anyone who opposed John's nemesis Rick Michaels. It was a feud that would continue until NWA Wildside ceased operations in 2005. During this time John was called up to TV as a ringside announcer after the departure of Jason Martin. During his time in Wildside John would also fill in for NWA Wildside commentators Dan Wilson and Steve Prazak when either man was absent. He also started working in production during this time, shooting many of the televised promos from 2004-2005 and working the "Gorilla Position".

He continued his role as the "owner" of the Friday Night Franchise, and also began assisting with the booking of the Friday night shows. It was also during this time that he met and began working with his best friend Greg Hunter. The two would provide commentary for the Friday night supercards as well as the weekly events, although the weekly events were never made available to the public. It was also during this time that John would join Greg in his home promotion of MAXW in South Carolina as both a commentator and eventually a manager.

NWA Anarchy

In 2005 NWA Wildside ceased operations, but NWA Anarchy picked up promoting the same venue. Johnson works as a co-host and color analyst of NWA Anarchy television. He has stated many times it is the most fun he has ever had in his career because he gets to be his "politically incorrect self, and he gets to do it alongside his best friend".

MAXW

Johnson debuted in MAXW in 2004 as a color commentator alongside Greg Hunter for MAXW television. He soon became a babyface manager saving lady wrestler Brandi Scott from a two on one attack. His face run would last all of two months as he turned on Scott and joined "The Family" (a tribute to his hero Bobby Heenan). The Family would go through several members during his near two year run in MAXW. In January of 2006 Johnson reportedly left MAXW for personal reasons believed to be a gambling problem.

Personal life

Johnson grew up in Atlanta, and married his high school sweetheart Felicia in 2000, after dating her off and on for years. The two have three children. Johnson has stated many times that his biggest influence has been Bobby Heenan. Johnson is a big Dallas Cowboys fan.

Wrestlers managed

{| border="0"
valign="top"
*Iceberg (wrestler)
*Rick Michaels
*Jason Blackman
*Adam Roberts (wrestler)
*Jeremy Vain
*Todd Sexton
*Jimmy Rave
*Sweet Daddy
*DL Norris
valign="top"
*Ray Gordy
*Tank (wrestler)