Rocky Johnson

Rocky Johnson, born Wayde Douglas Bowles on August 24, 1944, was a Canadian professional wrestler who competed under several aliases throughout his career, including "Sweet Ebony Diamond" and "Soul Man" Johnson. Trained by Peter Maivia, Rocky Bollie, and Kurt Von Steiger, he began his professional wrestling career in 1964 and continued competing until 2004, billed from Toronto, Ontario, Canada during his in-ring career. He passed away on January 15, 2020.

Johnson compiled a distinguished championship record across multiple promotions. Among his many National Wrestling Alliance titles, he made history as the first Black NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion and captured the NWA Television Championship on two occasions. In 1983, he and his partner Tony Atlas won the WWF Tag Team Championship, making them the first Black tag team champions in WWE history, a landmark achievement in professional wrestling.

Beyond his own accomplishments, Johnson left a lasting legacy through his family. He was the father of actor and wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and the grandfather of wrestler Simone "Ava" Johnson, establishing one of the most prominent multigenerational families in the history of professional wrestling.