Jim Powers

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about American retired professional wrestler. For other uses, see Jim Powers (disambiguation).
Jim Powers
Powers in 2008.
Birth nameJames Manley
Born (1958-01-04) January 4, 1958 (age 66)[1]
East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)James Manley
Jim Powers[2]
Billed height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[3]
Billed weight235 lb (107 kg)[3]
Billed fromNew York City[1]
Trained byBig John Studd[4]
Debut1984[2]
Retired2010[2][4]

James Manley (born January 4, 1958) is an American retired

World Wrestling Federation from 1984 to 1994, then elsewhere until 2010.[2] He was born in Washington Heights, Manhattan, and grew up watching the then-regional promotion at Madison Square Garden.[5]

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Federation (1984–1985)

Powers was discovered and brought into the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in late 1984 by Big John Studd who also had a hand in training him.[4] He made his WWF debut on October 2, 1984, losing to Carl Fury at a house show in Lindenhurst, New York. He then made his televised debut on the December 8, 1984, edition of Georgia Championship Wrestling, teaming with Jose Luis Rivera in a match against Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik. He went on to lose to The Moondogs, The Spoiler, and Bob Orton Jr. He gained his first victory when he pinned Gino Carabello at a house show in the Bronx, New York, on December 5, 1984. That was his sole victory of the year, as the young rookie continued to register losses on television, falling to Ken Patera, the tandem of Patera and Big John Studd, and Brutus Beefcake.[6]

World Class Championship Wrestling (1985)

In July 1985, Powers ventured outside the WWF to gain more experience, including two Texas based promotions: Texas All-Star Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling where he appeared at a couple of the federation's featured "Star Wars" events.[7][8] After gaining more experience, Powers returned to the WWF.

World Wrestling Federation (1985 - 1994)

While still working for World Class, Powers made a one off return at a house show in Wildwood, NJ on August 3, 1985, facing

The Hart Foundation, The Dream Team, and others in losing efforts. [9]

Powers gained his first victory in his return on March 1, 1986 when he defeated

Sika. [11]

The Young Stallions (1987–1989)

Main article:
The Young Stallions

He arguably reached the peak of his career in the WWF when Powers, on March 11, 1987, along with another preliminary wrestler

The Heenan Family in June 1987.[16]

Powers and Roma finally gained their first televised victory in regular tag team action in late July 1987 when they faced another preliminary team,

The Hart Foundation on an August 8, 1987, episode of Superstars (taped August 4), they scored an upset disqualification victory over WWF Tag Team Champions The Hart Foundation.[18] The team received their name by accident when color commentator Bruno Sammartino
referred to them once as "a couple of young stallions" thus naming the team.

In October 1987 the Young Stallions became the official moniker of the Powers and Roma tag team. A storyline playing off of their upset win over the Hart Foundation was started as they "stole" the theme song "Crank It Up" from

The Killer Bees, they were also the only survivors in the elimination tag team match at the first annual Survivor Series pay-per-view on November 26, 1987.[4]

On December 26, 1987, the Stallions were scheduled to face The Hart Foundation in Buffalo, New York. Neidhart did not appear at the event, and the match was then switched to a singles match between Powers and Bret "Hitman" Hart. That night Powers scored perhaps the greatest upset of his career to date when he pinned the future

WWF World Champion. Following the match, Hart complained that the loss was a fluke and volunteered to take on Paul Roma. Another match followed, and Roma also pinned Hart.[19]

That momentum seemed to end in January 1988 when the Stallions faced

The Fabulous Rougeaus. Following yet another loss, they started teaming less frequently. Their final televised match was a loss to The Powers of Pain
in July 1989.

Soon, the Young Stallions were split up off camera without an official announcement. Roma and Powers went their separate ways and both floundered on the undercard afterward, with Powers sustaining an injury that forced him out of action until March 1990. Roma and Powers feuded for a while during this period, but this soon was scrapped, and they both returned to competing in singles matches.

Singles competition (1989–1994)

As Roma began teaming with Hercules to form the team of Power and Glory that spring, Powers began to occasionally partner with Jim Brunzell. Powers had an opportunity to face his former partner in the August 6, 1990, episode of Prime Time Wrestling when Power and Glory defeated Powers and Brunzell. On house shows, Roma faced off against Powers in singles competition multiple times during that month as well, with Roma coming out victorious at every outcome.

For the next four years Powers was featured primarily as a singles wrestler. During this time, he most notably became the first WWF wrestler to lose to

house Shows, and televised shows. Probably his peak push came in June 1992, when he returned after a several month hiatus from television to pin Lombardi and Bob Bradley. He followed this up with numerous house show victories, and closed 1992 with a Wrestling Challenge victory against Brian Lee
in October.

From this point on, he was unable to move up the card, although he narrowly lost to

The Tazmaniac on a house show on June 30, 1993, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He ended 1993 with a victory over Papa Shango at a house show on July 23 in Syracuse New York. After a five-month hiatus he returned to the roster, wrestling primarily on house shows against Rick Martel and Kwang. His final television appearances came in July 1994, when he faced Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett
on WWF Superstars and Wrestling Challenge. Powers ended his WWF career on a winning streak, defeating Abe Schwartz at Madison Square Garden on October 29 and again in Scranton, Pennsylvania the following night. He then departed, a full decade after first signing with the company.

American Wrestling Federation (1994-1995)

In 1994, Powers competed for the short-lived

Bob Orton Jr
in round 3 on April 29, 1995.

Unlike his WWF run, Powers had a more successful run as a whole in the AWF, most of the time coming out victorious, even wrestling enhancement talent alongside his tag-team partner Gunn.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1994)

On the November 22, 1994, episode of

ECW World Heavyweight Champion Shane Douglas for the title.[21]

Pennsylvania Championship Wrestling (1995)

A month later on July 20 at the Silo Nightclub in Reading, Pennsylvania, he faced former nemesis Jeff Jarrett for the vacated PCW Americas Championship. Jarrett was still contracted to the

World Wrestling Federation for three days; Bruce Prichard later said he was loaned to PCW as a favor to its owner.[22] Jarrett defeated Powers for the title. Two days, Powers returned the favor, gaining the PCW Americas championship after defeating Jarrett on July 22 in Wind Gap, PA.[23]

World Championship Wrestling (1996–1998)

Powers joined

Buddy Lee Parker), Hugh Morrus, and The Barbarian
.

In September 1996 he began to acquire several wins, defeating

Halloween Havoc 1996 on October 27. The following night he earned a shot against Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship on Monday Nitro, but was not successful. A month later he was one of the sixty competitors in the annual World War 3 pay-per-view in 1996.[25]

Still managed by Teddy Long, Powers entered 1997 by facing

Hugh Morrus on the January 6th episode of Monday Nitro in Monroe, LA, but was defeated.[26] Shortly afterward, Long's stable fractured, with Joe Gomez and Renegade departing. Teaming with Bobby Walker, Powers faced Gomez and Renegade twice near the start of the year in matches shown on WCW Saturday Night and WCW Pro. Both times they were victorious. On March 4, 1997, Powers and Walker faced Harlem Heat on WCW Saturday Night, but were unsuccessful. On May 3, Powers and Walker face The Armstrong Brothers (Scott Armstrong and Steve Armstrong
) on WCW Pro, and again fell in defeat. Powers faced Lex Luger, The Barbarian, Curt Hennig, and others in singles competition during the year, but was winless.

On the January 3, 1998, edition of WCW Worldwide the duo of Powers and Walker made their first appearance together in seven months. Still managed by Teddy Long, they fell to

Wrath. During his time in WCW he sustained a neck injury which ultimately led to his departure from the company.[28]

Retirement (1998–2007)

Powers spent close to a decade retired, rehabbing a neck injury.

Independent circuit (2007–2010)

Jim Powers returned to wrestling for an independent promoter on March 9, 2007. Since returning to wrestling, Powers has wrestled for several independent based organizations and has appeared, pairing back up with Young Stallions partner Paul Roma, at several wrestling fan fests meeting his fans and signing their autographs.

In 2007, Powers was contacted by WWE to be a part of their developmental territory and train wrestlers there. Despite meeting face-to-face with WWE booker, John Laurinaitis, Powers never received a contract with the promotion. Powers said in recent interviews that he almost left his then-current job to work with the WWE, and also said Laurinaitis told him there weren't any places available in the developmental territories, but would call him if there was one. Powers said Laurinaitis repeated this so many times he did not believe him anymore.

On November 15, 2008, he defeated

The Spirit Squad (Kenny Dykstra and Mike Mondo
) to win the NWA New Jersey Tag-Team Championship.

On February 3, 2010, Powers announced his retirement.

Personal life

In 2012, Powers was hospitalized, and had two hip surgeries.[29]

In July 2016, Powers named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit is litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.[30] US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed the lawsuit in September 2018.[31]

Powers has been a resident of East Rutherford, New Jersey.[5]

Championships and accomplishments

  • NWA Jersey
    • NWA New Jersey Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Danny Inferno[32]
  • Northeast Championship Wrestling
  • Pennsylvania Championship Wrestling
    • PCW Americas Championship (1 time)[34]
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    • Ranked No. 197 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1996[35]

See also

  • The Young Stallions

References

  1. ^ a b Online World of Wrestling. "Jim Powers Profile". Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Jim Powers". Cagematch.net. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 978-1-291-25292-7
    .
  5. ^
    Rolling Stone (magazine)
    , February 4, 2015. Accessed December 15, 2017. "James Manley, a.k.a. former WWE/WCW mainstay Jim Powers, is the first to admit that when he makes plans, they usually don't happen.... Manley was born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in 1958, and was raised there by his aunt, uncle and grandmother.... After on-and-off indie appearances, Manley retired his alter ego in 2010, and now resides in East Rutherford, New Jersey with his wife, spending most of his time 'trying to keep myself healthy.'"
  6. ^ "1984". thehistoryofwwe.com.
  7. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. "WCCW Holiday Star Wars Results". Retrieved April 3, 2007. Brian Adias NC Jim Powers.
  8. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. "WCCW Holiday Star Wars Results". Retrieved April 3, 2007. Kelly Kinsiki pinned Jim Powers..
  9. ^ https://thehistoryofwwe.com/wwf-results-1985/
  10. ^ https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=37656
  11. ^ https://thehistoryofwwe.com/wwf-results-1986/
  12. ^ Graham Cawthon. "WWF Show Results 1987". Retrieved April 3, 2007. Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart (w/ Bob Newhardt & Danny Davis) defeated Paul Roma & Jim Powers
  13. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4928-2597-5
    .
  14. ISBN 978-1-4928-2597-5
    .
  15. ISBN 978-1-4928-2597-5
    .
  16. ISBN 978-1-4928-2597-5
    .
  17. ISBN 978-1-4928-2597-5
    .
  18. ^ Graham Cawthon. "WWF Show Results 1987". Retrieved April 7, 2007. Roma & Jim Powers defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart (w/ Jimmy Hart) via disqualification when the champions illegally double teamed the challengers
  19. ^ "1987". thehistoryofwwe.com.
  20. ^ Graham Cawthon. "WWF Show Results 1991". Retrieved April 3, 2007.
  21. ^ "Hardcore TV". WWE Network.
  22. ^ "Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard". Archived from the original on 2016-08-05.
  23. ^ "PCW Americas Championship « Titles Database « CAGEMATCH". Archived from the original on 2012-10-08.
  24. ^ "WCW 1996". thehistoryofwwe.com.
  25. ^ prowrestlinghistory.com. "WCW World War III (1996)". Retrieved April 3, 2007.
  26. ^ "WCW 1997". thehistoryofwwe.com.
  27. ^ "WCW 1998". thehistoryofwwe.com.
  28. ^ "Former WWE Jobber Jim Powers on the Vince McMahon Mind F--k". Rolling Stone. 4 February 2015.
  29. ^ "Jim Powers of the Young Stallions is hospitalized with an infection". 29 September 2012.
  30. ^ "WWE sued in wrestler class action lawsuit featuring Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka, Paul 'Mr Wonderful' Orndorff". FoxSports.com. Fox Entertainment Group (21st Century Fox). July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  31. ^ Robinson, Byron (September 22, 2018). "Piledriver: WWE uses 'Hell in a Cell' as springboard to future shows". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  32. ^ "CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". Archived from the original on 2011-06-16.
  33. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  34. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  35. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 – 1996: 197 Jim Powers". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States: Sports and Entertainment publications LLC. September 28, 1996. p. 38. October 1996.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Powers&oldid=1218773151"