Blackjack Lanza
| Blackjack Lanza | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Lanza |
| Born |
October 14, 1935 Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Residence | Laredo, Texas, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
Blackjack Lanza Jack Lanza[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Billed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Trained by | Verne Gagne |
| Debut | 1962 |
John Lanza (born October 14, 1935)[2] is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Blackjack Lanza. Lanza was one-half of the tag team The Blackjacks with Blackjack Mulligan in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). He is currently a producer in WWE. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2006.
Professional wrestling career
Lanza started his career in 1962.[3] In the American Wrestling Association (AWA), he teamed with Bobby Duncum and was managed by Bobby Heenan.[3] During his time in the company, his gimmick was that of a Western cowboy.[1] The duo won the AWA World Tag Team Championship on July 23, 1976.[4]
The Blackjacks
In the 1970s, Lanza and Mulligan teamed up to form The Blackjacks. Lanza was a main-eventer when the duo began teaming together.[1] They were managed by Bobby Heenan.[3]
In 1975, they joined the WWWF.[1] On August 26, 1975, The Blackjacks defeated Dominic DeNucci and Pat Barrett for the WWWF World Tag Team Championship.[5] The match was a two-out-of-three falls match, and the Blackjacks won the match by winning the first and third falls.[1] As part of his tenure in WWWF, Vince McMahon promised Lanza that he would receive one World singles title shot a month.[1]
Retirement
Since his retirement, Lanza has worked for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a road agent and producer.
In 2004, Lanza inducted his longtime manager Bobby Heenan into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004.[3] On April 1, 2006, Lanza, along with his former partner, Blackjack Mulligan, were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Heenan.[3]
Personal life
His nephew is former WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield.[6]
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Association
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA Big Time Wrestling
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2016[7] - Inducted as a member of The Blackjacks
- World Wrestling Association
- WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Blackjack Mulligan
- World Wide Wrestling Federation / Entertainment
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)
- WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Blackjack Mulligan
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him # 338 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 David Chappell. "Blackjack Mulligan interview". Mid-Atlantic Gateway. Archived from the original on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- ↑ WWE Legends by Brian Solomon; page 185
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Hall of Fame: The Blackjacks". WWE.com. Archived from the original on 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
- ↑ "AWA World Tag Team Title History". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
- ↑ "World Tag Team Title History". WWE. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
- ↑ "Jack Lanza's Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
- ↑ "PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME MOVING FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK TO TEXAS". PWInsider. November 20, 2015. Retrieved 2015-11-20.
