Ron Garvin

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Mr. Knoxville" redirects here. For the reality TV star, see Johnny Knoxville.

Ron Garvin
Montreal, Quebec, Canada[1]
FamilyJimmy Garvin (stepson)[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Ronnie Garvin [3]
Mr. Eau Gallie[3]
Mr. Knoxville
Roger Barnes[4]
Ron Garvin[3]
Billed height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[5]
Billed weight242 lb (110 kg)[5]
Billed fromMontreal, Quebec, Canada
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States[6]
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Trained byPat Curry
Debut1962[1][3][7]
Retired2014

Roger Barnes (born March 30, 1945) is a Canadian former

Starrcade 1987
pay-per-view event.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1962–1984)

Garvin (left) wins the NWA National Television Championship, circa 1984

Barnes started wrestling in 1962 under his birthname. In the mid-1960s he adopted the ring name "Ron Garvin" and formed a

Legion of Doom member, Jake "The Snake" Roberts. At one point during the storyline, Jake Roberts held the TV title and refused to give Garvin a rematch. Garvin had to mortgage his house to come up with $10,000 to pay Roberts for a rematch. Garvin would go on to win the rematch and once again become the NWA National TV champion.[8]

Jim Crockett Promotions (1984–1988)

Initial years (1984–1987)

Barry Windham (foreground) and Garvin as NWA United States Tag Team Champions, circa 1987

Garvin then joined the

Starrcade '86. In 1987 Windham and Garvin feuded with Cornette's Midnight Express (still composed of Condrey and Eaton) over the United States tag titles. During one televised match, after Cornette threw fire in Garvin's face, Garvin's "brother" "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin came to his rescue, turning both himself and his valet Precious babyface in the process. The Garvin "brothers" teamed for a while against the Midnight Express. In May 1987 Windham and Garvin reached the finals of a tournament for the vacant United States tag team titles but lost to the new Midnight Express lineup of Eaton and "Sweet" Stan Lane
. The two teams continued to feud over the titles, with the Garvins getting pinfall wins in non-title matches, or DQ wins when the titles were on the line.

NWA World Heavyweight Champion (1987)

Garvin in a match against Ric Flair, c. 1988

The Garvins next entered in a feud with NWA World Champion

Starrcade the same day WWF was holding its first Survivor Series, Crockett chose to face the strong WWF competition by having Flair win the title. Flair therefore had to lose the title first and whoever beat him would only be a placeholder champion. Most wrestlers declined the offer, but Garvin, assuming that at 42 it may be his last chance to hold the major NWA title, accepted to fill the role.[1] Indeed, Garvin held the title for two months before losing it back to Flair at Starrcade.[9]

Final feuds and departure (1987–1988)

After the title loss, the Garvins entered into a feud with

Steve Williams and defeated Sullivan, Mike Rotunda, Al Perez, Russian Assassin and Ivan Koloff in a Tower of Doom match. Later that night however, Ron Garvin shocked fans when he became a heel by knocking Dusty Rhodes out with a punch to keep him from winning Windham's U.S. Title, thus reuniting the former US tag team champions as heels. Garvin was managed by Gary Hart but left after only a few months as a heel before the August 12th card in Norfolk, VA after a disagreement.[1]

American Wrestling Association and World Wrestling Council (1988)

Still as a heel, Garvin wrestled in the

Carlos Colon over the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship during trips to Puerto Rico.[10]

World Wrestling Federation (1988–1990)

Garvin in March 1989

Garvin next went to the

World Wrestling Federation, where he began to wrestle in November 1988 as a fan favorite under the name "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin. At the Royal Rumble (1989) he competed in the Royal Rumble match, but got eliminated by André the Giant. He lost to Dino Bravo at WrestleMania V
on April 2, 1989.

Garvin went on to feud with

1990 Royal Rumble in a Submission match, which Garvin won to end the feud. At Survivor Series (1989)
, Garvin competed in a 4-on-4 Survivor Series elimination match where he was a member of The 4x4s (Jim Duggan, Bret Hart, Garvin and Hercules) but they were defeated by The King's Court (Randy Savage, Canadian Earthquake, Dino Bravo and Greg Valentine).

After his feud ended with Valentine, Garvin was about to feud with Rick Martel. They cut promos on each other, but a televised match between the two never happened. They did, however, wrestle at house shows, with Martel winning most of the encounters. Garvin left the WWF in November 1990.

Later career (1991–2014)

Garvin returned to the World Wrestling Council in 1991 and reignited his feud with Carlos Colon over the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship, winning it for a second time on February 2, 1992.[12] He moved onto Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion where he feuded with Paul Orndorff and Kevin Sullivan, among others. From 1995 to 2001, Garvin ran his own promotion in Knoxville, Tennessee, called Tennessee Mountain Wrestling.[13] He continued making appearances for independent promotions on a semi-retired basis well into the 2000s. In 2011, he competed in a legends battle royal at a Juggalo Championship Wrestling event.[14] On September 20, 2014, he wrestled a tag team match for Bruiser Wrestling Federation in his last recorded match.[15]

Post-wrestling career

Garvin owns several used car dealerships in

pilot (his stepson, Jimmy Garvin, became an airline pilot in his retirement from wrestling). He holds commercial and instrument ratings for single engine and multi engine aircraft.[16]

Personal life

Barnes' stepson, Jimmy Garvin, is also a former professional wrestler.[17]

Championships and accomplishments

Garvin and Barry Windham as NWA United States Tag Team Champions, c. 1987

1This title was originally named the NWA Georgia Television Championship and was eventually renamed the NWA World Television Championship. However, in March 1985, World recognition is dropped by the NWA and the title reverts to the National Television Championship.

References

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  12. ^ "Capitol Sports Promotions - February 1, 1992". cagematch.net. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  13. ^ "Tennessee Mountain Wrestling". cagematch.net. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  14. ^ "JCW Legends & Icons". cagematch.net. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "BWF 20.09.2014". cagematch.net. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  16. ^ Federal Aviation Administration
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  20. ^ Johns, Fred (June 10, 2008). "In awe at my first Cauliflower Alley Club reunion". Slam Wrestling. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
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  26. ^ Hoops, Brian (January 18, 2019). "Pro wrestling history (01/18): Ivan Koloff defeats Bruno Sammartino for WWWF title". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
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  34. ^ "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  35. ^ "Northland Wrestling Enterprises (Ontario)". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  36. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 – 1991: 126 Ron Garvin". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States: Sports and Entertainment publications LLC. September 23, 1991. p. 45. October 1991.
  37. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 of the PWI Years: 142 Ron Garvin". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States: Sports and Entertainment publications LLC. May 21, 2003. p. 30. June 2003.
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External links
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