Johnny Devine
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| John Parsonage | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Havok Johnny Devine, J.P. Parsons, |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Billed weight | 222 lb (101 kg) |
| Born | April 27, 1974 Merritt, British Columbia |
| Resides | Windsor, Ontario |
| Billed from | Winnipeg, Manitoba; Reno, Nevada,; Calgary, Alberta |
| Trained by | Bad News Brown, Scott D'Amore, Bruce Hart, Stu Hart, Davey Boy Smith |
| Debut | October 27, 1997 |
John P. Parsonage, better known by his ring name, "Hot Shot" Johnny Devine, is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently wrestling on the Canadian independent circuit and in the United States of America for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Havok.
Contents |
[edit] Early career
As a teenager, Devine and his friends organised and competed in a wrestling show. After graduating from Garden City Collegiate West high school, Devine relocated to America, attending college in Minnesota. After graduating, he joined the Canadian infantry, and met Bret Hart while posted to Calgary, Alberta in 1997. Devine then decided to train as a wrestler.
He began training in August 1997 in the infamous Hart Dungeon under Bruce Hart, a son of the legendary Stu Hart. He debuted on October 27, 1997, facing "Gorgeous" Vinny Vegas (not to be mistaken with Vinnie Vegas). Devine then wrestled for various independent promotions in Western Canada, and in April 1999 he joined the resurrected Stampede Wrestling, a wrestling promotion operated by the Hart family, at times forgoing pay when attendances were poor and takings low. As part of the Stampede Wrestling roster, Devine appeared on the A-Channel on Canadian television. In 2001 he wrestled with the short-lived Western Canadian Extreme Wrestling promotion.
Devine wrestled dark matches for both Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. While unable to wrestle due to nerve damage in his right shoulder, he operated his own promotion, Young Lions Wrestling.
[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
In February 2004 Devine debuted in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as part of Team Canada, taking part in the TNA X-Cup. He returned to TNA on May 26, 2004 along with Petey Williams, Bobby Roode and Eric Young, taking part in the TNA World X-Cup, which pitted teams of wrestlers from Canada, Mexico, the United States and Japan against one another. Team USA was victorious with six victories in the course of the night, with Team Canada in third place with three points.
In June 2004 Team Canada began a lengthy feud with the 3Live Kru.
On September 26, 2004 Johnny Devine and fellow TNA wrestler Andy Douglas were involved in an altercation outside of a Nashville, Tennessee nightclub, "The Mix Factory". Devine was stabbed in the stomach, and his gallbladder was removed as a result. He was sidelined for six weeks while recuperating, returning on December 5. His hospital bills totalled $23,000 USD.
In March 2005 Devine was removed from in-ring competition once more after he tore his medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament while defending the Mid-Southern Tag Team Championships with Eric Young for Memphis Wrestling in Memphis, Tennessee. He underwent knee surgery on March 15, with a predicted recovery time of six months to a year. While injured, Devine worked as a trainer at Scott D'Amore's Can Am Wrestling School in Windsor, Ontario, as well as acting as an announcer for some promotions. He was replaced within Team Canada by A-1.
Devine returned to the ring in July 2005, wrestling occasionally for various Canadian independent promotions. On August 18, 2005, Devine appeared on an episode of WWE SmackDown! as J.P. Parsons, teaming with Ruffy Silverstein and losing to Road Warrior Animal and Heidenreich in a squash match.
In October 2005 he returned to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Two weeks later, he announced that he required further surgery as a result of the stabbing thirteen months earlier, which had been improperly treated by doctors in Nashville, leaving him with several hernias. He underwent surgery to repair the hernias on January 27, 2006. Devine later relocated to Windsor, Ontario.
Devine returned to TNA on the May 4, 2006 episode of iMPACT!, teaming with Eric Young and subsequently losing to Shocker and Magno of Team Mexico in the first round of the 2006 World X Cup.
On the June 29, 2006 episode of iMPACT!, Team Canada was disbanded by TNA Management Director Jim Cornette. On the same episode of iMPACT!, Devine joined Paparazzi Productions, appearing alongside Alex Shelley and acting as his production assistant. Since then, Devine has been alongside both Alex Shelley and Kevin Nash of Paparazzi Productions, being involved in various comedy vignettes and accompanying Nash and Shelley to ringside.
Devine was fired from Paparazzi Productions by Kevin Nash for allegedly refusing to edit German snuff films for Nash and replaced with Austin Starr.
Devine appeared with Matt Bentley and Kazarian at TNA's Prime time premiere, displaying an entirely different look. The three have been dubbed Serotonin, a new version of Raven's Flock stable. As apart of the new group Devine's name was changed to Havok.
[edit] Finishing and signature moves
- Devine Intervention / Five Star Moonsault (Moonsault into frog splash)
- Hot Shot Piledriver (Double underhook piledriver)
- Tarantula DDT (DDT to the opponent caught in between the top and middle ropes)
- Love Gun Moonsault / Love Generation Moonsault (Split-legged moonsault)
- Devine Retribution (Frankensteiner)
- Springboard crossbody
- Enzuigiri
- Hammerlock Michinoku driver II
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
-
- Memphis Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Eric Young
-
- British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Stampede International Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Greg Pawluk (1), and Harry Bulldog Smith (1)
- Top Rope Championship Wrestling
-
- TRCW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- TRCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rick Vain
- Western Canadian Extreme Wrestling
-
- WCEW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
- Great Canadian Wrestling
-
- Canadian Champion( 2 time)
[edit] References
- An interview with Johnny Devine conducted by Alan Wojcik
- Johnny Devine at OWW.com[citation needed]
[edit] External links
- JohnnyDevine.net (Official Website)
- TNA Profile
- Johnny Devine biography at Canoe.ca
- Johnny Devine column at Canoe.ca
- CygyWrestling.com Biography
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since March 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1974 births | British Columbia sportspeople | Canadian columnists | Canadian professional wrestlers | Dungeon graduates | Canadians of English descent | Canadians of Irish descent | Living people | Manitoba sportspeople | People from Thompson-Nicola Regional District | Professional wrestling executives | Stampede Wrestling alumni | People from Windsor, Ontario | People from Winnipeg
