- Don Leo Jonathan
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Don Leo Jonathan Ring name(s) Don Leo Jonathan
The Mormon Giant
Sonny Jonathan[1]Billed height 6 ft 6 in[2] Billed weight 285–340 lb[2] Born April 29, 1931 [2]
Hurricane, Utah[2]Resides Langley, British Columbia Billed from Salt Lake City, Utah Trained by Brother Jonathan Debut 1949 Retired 1980 Don Heaton (born April 29, 1931), also known as Don Leo Jonathan, is an American former professional wrestler.
Contents
Professional wrestling career
Jonathan, nicknamed "The Mormon Giant" was a second generation star (his father was former wrestler Brother Jonathan)[1] who made his professional wrestling debut after World War II.[1] Over the course of his career, he competed around the world, making stops in Europe, South Africa, Australia and Japan; he wrestled more often, however, in the United States and Canada. His first championship wins occurred in Montreal with the International Wrestling Association, where he twice captured their International Heavyweight title.
Elsewhere in Canada, Jonathan found more success competing in Toronto's National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate Maple Leaf Wrestling (where he first teamed with Gene Kiniski to win the Canadian Open Tag Team title, in 1959) and in Winnipeg, where he wrestled for NWA member Alex Turk Promotions (twice winning their International Tag Team title) and for the American Wrestling Association. Jonathan also got a taste of World heavyweight gold when he won the AWA-affiliated Omaha territory's version of the World title three times in 1961.
Canada eventually became home to Jonathan in the early 1960s as he settled in the Vancouver suburb of Langley. Making Vancouver his home base, he competed frequently for NWA All Star Wrestling, winning five Pacific Coast Heavyweight titles between 1970 and 1977, the NWA World Tag Team title (with Dominic Denucci) in 1966, and a record 18 Canadian Tag Team titles between 1964 and 1978, as well as challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against such titleholders as Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr. and Jack Brisco; he also engaged in feuds with Kiniski and Dutch Savage in All Star, as well as teaming with them. On May 31, 1972, in what was billed as the "match of the century," Jonathan defeated Le Géant Jean Ferré (André the Giant) by disqualification.[2] On September 7, 1972, in a match which was billed as the "Battle of the Giants" Jonathan had a rematch against André, this time losing by disqualification.[3] Late in his career, he appeared as one of the wrestlers in the 1978 Sylvester Stallone movie Paradise Alley.
Jonathan wrestled his final match, teaming with André the Giant and Roddy Piper to defeat The Sheepherders and Buddy Rose in Vancouver on March 10, 1980,[4] before retiring from the ring that year. On November 5, 2005, he appeared at an event in Surrey, British Columbia, presented by Top Ranked Wrestling (prior to its purchase by NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) to be honored in a special ceremony for his contributions to the sport. On May 20, 2006, he was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Amsterdam, New York.
As of 2011, Don Leo Jonathan continues to represent the sport he loves, and makes appearances from time to time on Cloverleaf Radio, a Blog Talk Radio show.[citation needed]
On January 8th, 2012, Don Leo Jonathan Headlines The Cloverleaf Radio Hall of Fame, Class of 2012.[citation needed]
Personal life
Jonathan was born in Hurricane, Utah and raised as a Mormon.[1] He played high school football and learned martial arts.[5] Before entering the world of professional wrestling, Jonathan was a sailor in the United States Navy.[1][5]
He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia since 1963.[1][2] He is married to a woman named Rose.[1] After retiring from professional wrestling, he pursued a career in underwater inventions and exploration.[5] He survived bladder cancer.[1]
Championships and accomplishments
- Alex Turk Promotions
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- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Winnipeg version) (2 times) – with Whipper Billy Watson (1) and Jim Hady (1)
- American Wrestling Alliance
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- AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
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- CWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- European Wrestling Union
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- EWU World Super Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
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- GPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Association (Montreal)
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- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
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- MWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ray Stern
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- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (18 times) – with Kinji Shibuya (1), Roy McClarty (1), Gene Kiniski (1), Jim Hady (1), Haystacks Calhoun (2), Dominic DeNucci (1), Rocky Johnson (1), Sky-Hi Jones (1), Paddy Barrett (1), Johnny Kostas (1), John Tolos (1), Duncan McTavish (1), Steven Little Bear (1), Jimmy Snuka (1), John Anson (1), Dutch Savage (1), and John Quinn (1)
- NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version) (5 times)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Dominic DeNucci
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- NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Lord Carlton and Fred Blassie
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- Television Era (2006)[5]
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- IWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Antonio Pugliese
- World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
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- WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Fred Blassie [7]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Oliver, Greg (September 12, 2006). "Don Leo Jonathon reflects back". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/09/07/1810822.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ a b c d e f "Don Leo Jonathan". SLAM! Wrestling. January 12, 2008. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/jonathan.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ André the Giant vs. Don Leo Jonathan - May 31 and September 7, 1972 at Old School Wrestling
- ^ André/Jonathan/Piper vs. Sheepherders/Rose - March 10, 1980 at Old School Wrestling
- ^ a b c d Kenyon, J Michael. "Don Leo Jonathan". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. http://www.pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/jonathan.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/hof.html.
- ^ "International Television Tag Team Title (Los Angeles)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/nwa/int-tv-t.html.
External links
Categories:- 1931 births
- Living people
- American Latter Day Saints
- American professional wrestlers
- American expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- People from Langley (city), British Columbia
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
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