UPDATED: WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson Passes Away at 75, WWE Issues Statement

UPDATE: WWE has issued a statement on Rocky Johnson’s passing, which reads:

WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson passes away
WWE is saddened to learn that Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles), a WWE Hall of Famer and former World Tag Team Champion, has passed away at age 75.

Johnson’s sports-entertainment career began in the mid-1960s when he made a memorable impression in the National Wrestling Alliance. However, Johnson would go on to find his highest levels of success when he began his WWE tenure in 1983.

Following his debut in 1983, Johnson had several memorable rivalries with the likes of Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Don Muraco and Adrian Adonis. However, alongside Tony Atlas, Johnson is best remembered for being the first African-American World Tag Team Champions in WWE history as a member of The Soul Patrol.

The “Soul Man” retired from the ring in 1991, but his imprint would continue to be felt on WWE for years to come. Post-retirement, Johnson would go on to have a hand in training his son, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The Rock would become one of the biggest stars in the history of sports-entertainment and carried on Johnson’s name with pride.

In 2008, Johnson achieved the highest honor in sports-entertainment when he was inducted by The Rock into the WWE Hall of Fame where he will be forever enshrined as one of sports-entertainment’s most influential performers.

WWE extends its condolences to Johnson’s family, friends and fans.

ORIGINAL: Sad news for the wrestling world, as the legendary Rocky Johnson has passed away. The Cauiflower Alley Club announced on Twitter on Wednesday that Johnson, a WWE Hall of Famer who is also the father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died today at the age of 75.

While many among the current wrestling fanbase may know him best as “The Rock’s dad,” Johnson was a legendary wrestler in his own right. Born Wayde Douglas Bowles, Johnson began wrestling in 1964 in Southern Ontario at the age of 20. He legally changed his name to Rocky Johnson soon after and eventually found his way to the World Wide Wrestling Federation, the company that would become WWF and then WWE, in 1969. He had a four month stint there as a singles competitor. He worked for the National Wrestling Alliance in the late 1960s through the early 1980s where he was a top contender for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship and held a host of titles across several territories. That included a run as the NWA Southern Heavyweight Champion in Memphis from November of 1976 through April of 1977 and several tag team titles with a host of partners.

Johnson eventually came to WWF in 1982, where he had feuds with the likes of Don Muraco, Greg Valentine, Mike Sharpe, Buddy Rose, and Adrian Adonis. Johnson was eventually teamed up with Tony Atlas, and they defeated the Wild Samoans in November of 1983 to become the first black tag team to win the World Tag Team championship.

After leaving the WWF in late 1984, Johnson worked for several promotions until eventually retiring in 1991. He would have a brief stint as a trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2003 when it was a WWE developmental territory, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame along with his father-in-law “High Chief” Peter Maivia in 2008. The Rock inducted the two.

On behalf of 411, our condolences to the family, friends, and many fans of Mr. Johnson. He will most certainly be missed, and the industry would not be the same in countless ways without him.

Horrible news to pass along. We just learned that Rocky Johnson passed away today at the age of 75. His accolades in this business, all the people he influenced, all his accomplishments, and we are so deeply sorry and wish his family nothing but the most love at this time pic.twitter.com/3AvzVwylPH

— CauliflowerAlleyClub (@CACReunion) January 15, 2020