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Wrestler Rocky Johnson, Dwayne Johnson’s father, dead at 75 | TribLIVE.com
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Wrestler Rocky Johnson, Dwayne Johnson’s father, dead at 75

Associated Press
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WWE via AP
In this undated photo provided by WWE, “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson. Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who became better known as the father of actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. He was 75.
2195786_web1_2195786-063fa01fbd7348a89b35d4a49e50dca7
WWE via AP
In this 2008 photo provided by WWE, Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson, left, speaks at his WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as his son, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson watches. Rocky Johnson died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. He was 75.
2195786_web1_2195786-2b6da8296d9244e48f098014d8fcb807
WWE via AP
In this undated photo provided by WWE, Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson poses in the ring. Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who became better known as the father of actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. He was 75.
2195786_web1_2195786-f0022c5e2c46487fb4a8a88770a1dda7
WWE via AP
In this undated photo provided by WWE, Tony Atlas, left, and Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson pose in the ring with their championship wrestling belts. Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who became better known as the father of actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. He was 75.
2195786_web1_2195786-04c26fba57f34ba6acecb001c5c174cf
WWE via AP
In this undated photo provided by WWE, Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson, left, wrestles an opponent in the ring. Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who became better known as the father of actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. He was 75.
2195786_web1_2195786-aba4fc9d608248558c50a5e991e94638
WWE via AP
In this undated photo provided by WWE, Rocky “Soul Man” Johnson poses for a photo. Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who became better known as the father of actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. He was 75.

Rocky “Soulman” Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who became better known as the father of actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has died. He was 75.

WWE issued a statement on Johnson’s death Wednesday night. Johnson and Tony Atlas became the first black world tag team champions in WWE history when they defeated The Wild Samoans on Dec. 10, 1983.

The statement didn’t provide details on the cause or location of Johnson’s death.

“A loss for every fan of WWE, Rocky Johnson was a barrier-breaking performer. Our thoughts are with his family at this time,” WWE executive and wrestler Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted.

Johnson later helped train his son, who adopted the Rocky moniker from his father. Johnson came to his son’s aid after a match at WrestleMania in 1997. The Rock inducted his father into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.

Former professional wrestler Brian Blair, another 1980s WWE star, was friends with Johnson for decades and they still went to church together in the Tampa, Florida area. Blair told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Johnson had complained of an unspecified illness of late and had missed church that he attended with Blair and other former wrestlers. Blair said Johnson’s wife, Sheila, was distraught over her husband’s death.

“He was just under the weather, he thought he had the flu or something,” Blair said by phone. “I said, ‘You, need to get checked out, Rocky.’ He said he’d be OK. Then he missed this Sunday, a few days ago. When I talked to him again, he said he still wasn’t feeling good and he still missed church. He still didn’t get checked out. I talked to Sheila and she said he was just being stubborn. He died at home, today.”

Johnson was born Wayde Douglas Bowles and started his wrestling career in the mid-1960s. He spent the bulk of his career in the National Wrestling Alliance and later joined the then-World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s. He formed a tag team with Atlas known as “Soul Patrol” and became of one the popular teams of the era. Johnson retired in the early 1990s, but helped introduce his son to officials at WWE.

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Categories: AandE | Celebrity News
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