John Richmond (wrestler)

Infobox Wrestler
name=John Richmond

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names=Eli the Eliminator
Mad Maxx
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debut=c. 1984
retired=c. 1991
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John Richmond is a retired American professional wrestler, best known by his ringname Eli the Eliminator, who competed in North American regional promotions during the 1980s in Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation and World Class Championship Wrestling, most notably as a member of Skandor Akbar's stable Devastation Inc..

He also had a brief stint in the American Wrestling Association as one half of the Maxx Brothers (also billed as the World or Wild Warriors) with Super Maxx. [ cite web |url=http://www.oldschool-wrestling.com/wwow/WWOW_Eli.htm |title=Weird World of Wrestling: Eli The Eliminator |accessdate= |author=Carter, Glen |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month=April |format= |work= |publisher=Oldschool-Wrestling.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

He is not to be confused with retired independent wrestler Brian Cruz, whose used the ring name during the late 1990s.

Career

Early career

Making his debut in early 1984, he first began wrestling in the Indianapolis-based World Wrestling Association as Mad Maxx defeating Disco Dog and Rocky Guerrero in singles matches before teaming with Super Maxx as the Wild Warriors defeating Jeff Van Kamp & Calypso Jim on July 7 and later Jeff Van Kamp & Dick the Bruiser for the WWA Tag Team Championship in September 1984. Although suffering a loss to Dick the Bruiser & Moose Cholak by disqualification on November 10, Richmond and Super Maxx successfully defended the titles for several months including close matches against Bobby Colt & Bobo Brazil; although the tag team title history during this time is largely unrecorded, at least one source claims the Maxx Brothers lost the titles to Bobby Colt and Bobo Brazil on December 29. [ cite web |url=http://www.oldschool-wrestling.com/geeklog/article.php/Indianapolis-Wrestling-1981-85 |title=Indianapolis Results 1981-1985 |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2006-01-24 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Oldschool-Wrestling.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20061029211915/http://www.oldschool-wrestling.com/geeklog/article.php/Indianapolis-Wrestling-1981-85 |archivedate=2006-10-29 |quote= ]

They later feuded with The Untouchables (Buster & Ice) in Windy City Pro Wrestling facing them at the Battle of the Belts supercards, including a steel cage match in which Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart would be in the corner of The Untouchables. cite web |url=http://members.aol.com/WCVIII/archives.html |title=Question and Answer Archives: Who were Madd Maxx & Super Maxx? |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=1998-06-16 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=DDTdigest.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

After losing the titles to Dick the Bruiser & Bobby Colt in March 1985, he and Super Maxx jumped to the American Wrestling Association the following year [ cite web |url=http://www.deathvalleydriver.com/Benaka/decero.html |title=The Lee Benaka Interviews: Sam DeCero |accessdate= |author=Baneka, Lee |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=DeathValleyDriver.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] facing The Midnight Rockers and later feuded with The Samoan Connection (Farmer Boy Ipo & Leroy Brown) over the Polynesian Pacific Tag Team titles during the summer which was later aired by Atlanta promoter Joe Pedicino during the "Hot Summer Night in Aloha Stadium" television special. During that year, they would later tour Japan facing Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura. [ World Pro Wrestling from Japan, Vol. 2 Perf. John Richmond and Sam DeCero. VHS. RF Video, 1987. ]

Mid-South & World Class Championship Wrestling

In early 1987, Richmond began wrestling for the Universal Wrestling Federation teaming with "Wild" Bill Irwin to defeat The Fantastics at the Sam Houston Coliseum on January 23 and in a rematch the following night. [ cite web |url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/uwf/uwf35-2.htm |title=Regional Territories: Universal Wresting Federation #35, Page #2 |accessdate= |author=Laffere, Charles |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=KayfabeMemories.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] He and Irwin would later participate in the UWF Tag Team Title Tournament being eliminated by Steve Williams & Ted DiBiase in the opening rounds on February 7, 1987. [ cite web |url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/uwf/uwf7-2.htm |title=Regional Territories: Universal Wrestling Federation #7, Page #2 |accessdate= |author=Laffere, Charles |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=KayfabeMemories.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Along with Irwin, Richmond soon aligned himself with manager Skandar Akbar's Devastation Inc. and eventually followed Akbar to Fritz von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling later that year. Feuding with Spike Huber, he and Abdullah the Butcher lost to Spike Huber & Red River Jack at the 4th annual Parade of Champions on May 3, 1987. During his time in the promotion, he would regularly appear on WCCW's weekly television program later facing Jeff Gaylord and Chavo Guerrero. In late 1987, he would return to Japan losing to Super Strong Machine at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on October 25, 1987.From there he appeared in Ken Mantel's Wild West Wrestling out of Fort Worth and was managed by Sunshine.He feuded with Fabulous Lance(Von Erich) and Missing Link and Savannah Jack. [ cite web |url=http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/results7080s.php |title=Results from 1987 |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=PuroresuFan.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Later career

After a brief stint in the Global Wrestling Federation feuding with former tag team partner Bill Irwin during 1990, he later teamed with Mike Samples although the two remained in the Memphis-area only a short time [ cite web |url=http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/mikesamples/mspage32.html |title=Tales from the USWA |accessdate= |author=Samples, Mike |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2001 |month=November |format= |work= |publisher=Mike Samples presents "Tales from the Road" |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] and later teamed with John Tatum and Jack Victory against Savannah Jack, Sullivan Gundy and The Missing Link.

Teaming with Keith Eric, he lost to Brian Christopher & Tony Williams and later with Brian Lee losing to Curtis Thompson & Chris Walker in February 1991 before leaving the promotion. [ cite web |url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/memphis/jarrett/1991.html |title=Mid-South Coliseum 1991 (Jarrett) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=ProWrestlingHistory.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**"Backbreaker Rack"

Championships and accomplishments

*World Wrestling Association:*WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Super Maxx [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/in/wwa/in-wwa-t.html |title=W.W.A. World Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Other titles:*Polynesian Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Super Maxx

References

External links

* [http://www.cwfarchives.com/Wrestler.php?id=505 Championship Wrestling from Florida: John Richmond]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/e/eli-the-eliminator.html Profile at Online World of Wrestling]
* [http://www.wrestlinggimmicks.de/?id=2&nr=2542&worker=Eli+The+Eliminator CageMatch.de - Eli The Terminator] ger