Personal Info
Birth date
1963-06-22 (62 Years)
Day of death
2006-06-07
Gender
Male
Known for
Acting
Place of birth
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Also known as
John Tenta
Avalanche
The Canadian Earthquake
Earthquake
Earthquake Evans
The Gargoyle
Golga
Kototenta
The Shark
John Tenta Jr.
Biography
John Anthony Tenta, Jr. was a Canadian sumōtori and professional wrestler best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake. After a promising start to his sumo career, using the nameKototenzan, Tenta switched to professional wrestling and became a high-profile star for the WWF, feuding with Hulk Hogan and winning the WWF Tag Team Championship with partner, and personal friend, Typhoon. His professional wrestling career also encompassed runs in World Championship Wrestling, where he was known as Avalanche and The Shark, All Japan Pro Wrestling and a return to WWF as Golga. Tenta died in 2006 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Tenta retired from wrestling in 2004 after it was revealed that he had developed bladder cancer and was told he was given a 20% chance to live, assuming he continued with his chemotherapy treatments. During his November 18, 2005 interview on WrestleCrap Radio, Tenta announced that a recent radiation dosage did not go as planned, and had no effect on the tumor. He also announced that multiple tumors had spread to his lungs. The first public notice of Tenta's death was posted on WWE.com on June 7, 2006. On the June 9, 2006, edition of SmackDown, and the June 12, 2006, edition of Raw, WWE showed a bumper that read "RIP 'Earthquake' John Tenta" before each show began. Other media John Tenta's professional wrestling career garnered him appearances in several video games. In 1991, Tenta as Earthquake was portrayed as a feature character in Technos' popular arcade video game WWF WrestleFest. He was also included in the 1992 home video game WWF Super WrestleMania by LJN for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (he wasn't in the Sega Genesis version). In 2004, the Japanese video game developer Spike released King of Colosseum II, a puroresu-wrestling game for PlayStation 2 that featured Tenta as a playable character; it was a Japan-only release. On April 14, 2009, Tenta was announced as downloadable content for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 which was released April 16, 2009. On February 23, 2016, he along with Typhoon appeared as downloadable content for WWE 2K16. He also appeared in WWE 2K17 as well as WWE 2K18 along with Typhoon.
Filmography
Raw
6.8
Overview:
A regularly scheduled, live, year-round program featuring some of the biggest WWE Superstars.WWF Wrestling Challenge
6.8
Overview:
WWF Wrestling Challenge was a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It was syndicated weekly and aired from 1986 to 1995. The show became simply known as WWF Challenge in 1995. The show featured matches, pre-match interviews, and occasionally, summarized weekly events in WWF programming. Matches primarily saw top tier and mid-level talent versus jobbers. At times, there was a "feature" match between main WWF talent. As with other syndicated WWF programming, the show promoted WWF event dates and house shows in local media markets.WWE Heat
5.1
Overview:
Feel the heat of the Attitude Era as WWE Superstars such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock compete in exclusive matches.Saturday Night's Main Event
8.308
Overview:
A professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation banner on NBC airing in place of Saturday Night Live. The series was made up entirely of star vs. star bouts in a time when weekly programming consisted primarily of established stars dominating enhancement talent.WWE SummerSlam 1998
9
Overview:
Stone Cold Steve Austin defends the WWE Championship against The Undertaker. Edge & Sable face "Marvelous" Marc Mero & Jacqueline in a Mixed Tag Team Match. Val Venis battles D-Lo Brown for the WWE European Championship. X-Pac vs. Jeff Jarrett in a Hair vs. Hair Match. Plus, Triple H defends the WWE Intercontinental Championship against The Rock and more.Dark Side of the Ring
8.2
Overview:
Finding truth at the intersection of fantasy and reality in the veiled world of professional wrestling.WWE Royal Rumble 1999
5.708
Overview:
Thirty Superstars compete in the annual Royal Rumble Match with the winner advancing to WrestleMania XV for a chance at the WWE Championship. The Rock defends the WWE Championship in a brutal "I Quit" Match against Mankind. Ken Shamrock defends the WWE Intercontinental Championship and much more!WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
7.9
Overview:
The best and most memorable matches from Hulk Hogan's career.WWE: Attitude Era: Vol. 2
9
Overview:
What does everybody want? Head to the nearest man cave, give your boss a Stone Cold salute and spend the next six hours watching The Attitude Era Vol.2, the hottest set to be released since Sable’s handprint bikini. If you are old enough to order a Steve-Weiser, “Hello ladies” was your pick up line in college and you loved WWE before “Federation” became the new “F” word, then here is what you need to do. Take this all new collection, shine it up real nice, flip it sideways and stick it straight up… your DVD player!!WWE Survivor Series 1989
7.7
Overview:
The 1989 WWE Survivor Series was the third annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1989 at The Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois. This was the first Survivor Series event to feature team names. It was also the first Survivor Series to feature four-on-four tag matches instead of five-on-five. The main event was a four-on-four Survivor Series match where The Ultimate Warriors faced The Heenan Family. The undercard also featured Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Matches.WCW Fall Brawl 1995
7
Overview:
The Hulkamaniacs battle The Dungeon of Doom in a WarGames Match. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair takes on "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson. Harlem Heat collides with Bunkhouse Buck & "Dirty" Dick Slater for the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Plus, "Diamond" Dallas Page and much more!WCW Monday Nitro
8.4
Overview:
WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling, created by Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001. Production ceased shortly after WCW was purchased by the WWF. The debut of Nitro began the Monday Night Wars, a ratings battle between the WWF and WCW that lasted for almost six years and saw each company resort to cutthroat tactics to try to compete with the competition. In mid-1996, Nitro began to draw better ratings than Raw based on the strength of the nWo storyline, an anarchist wrestling stable that wanted to take over WCW. Nitro continued to beat Raw for 84 consecutive weeks, forcing WWE owner Vince McMahon to change the way he did business. As the nWo storyline grew stagnant, fan interest in the storyline waned, and Raw began to edge out Nitro in the ratings. The turning point for the organizations came during the January 4, 1999 broadcast of Nitro, during which lead commentator Tony Schiavone gave away the results of matches for that night's Raw broadcast. As Raw was taped and Nitro was live, Bischoff believed that knowing the outcome would dissuade viewers from watching the program. Excited by the prospect of seeing perennial WWF underdog Mick Foley win the WWF Championship, a large number of Nitro viewers changed channels to watch Raw, switching back to Nitro after Foley won the title. From that week forward, Raw beat Nitro in the ratings by a significant amount, and WCW was never able to regain the success it once had.WWE Old School
NYR
Overview:
Discover rarely-seen matches from the 1970s, '80s, and '90s featuring countless WWE Hall of Famers such as Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.WCW World War 3 1995
NYR
Overview:
Sixty men fill three rings for one gigantic Battle Royal for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Participants include Lex Luger, "Diamond" Dallas Page, "The Macho Man" Randy Savage and many more. Plus, Sting battles Ric Flair and much more action!WWE Rock Bottom: In Your House
7.6
Overview:
The Rock defends his WWE Championship against Mankind. Stone Cold Steve Austin faces The Undertaker in a Buried Alive Match with the winner gaining a spot in the Royal Rumble. The Brood and The J.O.B. Squad go head-to-head in six-man tag team action. Plus, The New Age Outlaws defend the WWE World Tag Team Championship and more!WWE March to WrestleMania X
NYR
Overview:
The biggest stars in sports entertainment are in action on the March to WrestleMania X! This USA Special aired on March 13th, 1994 one week prior to WrestleMania X. The event featured all three men who would contend for the World Title at WrestleMania, including the reigning Champion, Yokozuna, competing respectively in singles action. • Yokozuna vs. Tatanka • Lex Luger vs. "Gigolo" Jimmy Del Rey • Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. Crush.WWE WrestleMania X
8
Overview:
WrestleMania returns to the World's Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden! The WWE Championship is up for grabs as Yokozuna defends against Lex Luger and Bret Hart. Razor Ramon defends the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Shawn Michaels in an epic Ladder Match. "Macho Man" Randy Savage battles Crush in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.WWE SummerSlam 1992
8
Overview:
SummerSlam (1992) was the fifth annual SummerSlam. It took place on August 29, 1992 at Wembley Stadium, London, England but was aired in the United States on August 31. The pay-per-view featured two main event matches. In the first, The Ultimate Warrior challenged Randy Savage for the WWF Championship. The Warrior won the match by count-out but did not win the title. In the other main event, The "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith pinned Bret Hart to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship. The WWF Tag Team Championship was also defended, as The Natural Disasters retained the championship belts in their match against the Beverly Brothers. One of the heavily promoted matches on the undercard was between Shawn Michaels and Rick Martel. The match, which had a special stipulation that the wrestlers could not hit each other in the face, ended in a double count-out. The WWF considers the crowd to be the third largest live audience ever to attend a WWF/E event, with 80,355 in attendance.WWE WrestleMania VI
8.4
Overview:
More than 65,000 fans pack the Toronto SkyDome to witness The Ultimate Challenge as The Ultimate Warrior faces Hulk Hogan with both the WWE Championship and WWE Intercontinental Championship on the line. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase defends the Million Dollar Championship against Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Dusty Rhodes and more in action!WCW Bash at the Beach 1996
8.5
Overview:
"Macho Man" Randy Savage, Sting, and Lex Luger face The Outsiders and a mystery partner in the main event. Ric Flair battles Konnan for the WCW United States Championship. Rey Mysterio faces Psicosis. The Nasty Boys battle The Public Enemy. Plus, "Diamond" Dallas Page, The Giant and much more!WWE The Main Event V
NYR
Overview:
A huge tag team tug-of-war pits Hulk Hogan and his pal Tugboat against "The Natural Disaster" Earthquake and his cohort Dino Bravo on January 28, 1991 from The Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia!WWE Royal Rumble 1993
6.615
Overview:
Royal Rumble (1993) was the sixth annual Royal Rumble. It took place on January 24, 1993 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. The main event was a Royal Rumble match, a battle royal in which two wrestlers started the match in the ring; every two minutes, another wrestler joined. In total, thirty wrestlers competed to eliminate their competitors by throwing them over the top rope of the wrestling ring onto the arena floor. Bret Hart defends the WWF Championship against Razor Ramon. Shawn Michaels defends the Intercontinental Championship against former tag team partner Marty Jannetty.WWE SummerSlam Fever
NYR
Overview:
The Summer heats up as the Superstars of WWE hit the ring for some rope-meltingly hot action in the lead up to WWE SummerSlam '90!WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1991
NYR
Overview:
With The WWE's annual Thanksgiving tradition right around the corner, top WWE Superstars battle it out as the strive to survive!WWE The Main Event III
NYR
Overview:
Heavyweight Boxing Champion James "Buster" Douglas tries to maintain order when "The Macho King" Randy Savage attempts to take back The WWE Championship from Hulk Hogan on February 23, 1990 from The Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.WWE Paul Bearer's Hits from the Crypt
NYR
Overview:
Join the ghastly Paul Bearer for a chilling journey through some Hits from the Crypt. From Earthquake going one-on-one with Adam Bomb, to The Undertaker facing off against Crush, this Coliseum Home Video Classic features some of the best action from WWE's New Generation!WWE SuperTape vol. 3
10
Overview:
Take flight with Sean Mooney and "Lord" Alfred Hayes on a journey through some exciting in-ring action. From The Ultimate Warrior teaming with The Legion of Doom to take on Demolition in a Six-Man Tag Team Match to Jake "The Snake" Roberts going one-on-one with Mr. Perfect, this exclusive presentation boasts some unforgettable battles.WWE WrestleFest '91
NYR
Overview:
Macho Man Randy Savage hosts this explosive WWE extravaganza...his first Coliseum assignment since his retirement!WWE Survivor Series 1992
8.2
Overview:
The 1992 WWE Survivor Series was the sixth annual Survivor Series. It took place on November 25, 1992 at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio. Unlike previous Survivor Series events, Survivor Series 1992 placed a strong emphasis on one-on-one wrestling matches rather than tag team elimination matches. In the main event, Bret Hart defends his WWF Championship in a match against Shawn Michaels. The event also featured a highly-promoted match between the team of Randy Savage and Mr. Perfect and the team of Ric Flair and Razor Ramon. Two specialty matches also took place, with The Big Boss Man vs. Nailz in a nightstick on a pole match, and The Undertaker vs. Kamala in a Casket Match. Some of the matches were changed after they were first announced, as several wrestlers left the WWF shortly before the event.Acting
2019Dark Side of the Ring (1 Episode) as Self (Archival Footage)
2014WWE: Attitude Era: Vol. 2 as Golga
2006WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology as Earthquake
2001WWE WrestleMania X-Seven as Earthquake
1999WWE Royal Rumble 1999 as Golga
1998WWE Rock Bottom: In Your House as Golga
1998WWE SummerSlam 1998 as Golga
1998WWE Heat (1 Episode) as Golga
1996WAR Ryogoku Crush Night as Unknown
1996WCW Bash at the Beach 1996 as John Tenta
1996WCW The Great American Bash 1996 as John Tenta
1995WCW World War 3 1995 as Shark
1995WCW Fall Brawl 1995 as The Shark
1995WCW Monday Nitro (2 Episodes) as The Shark
1995WCW Uncensored 1995 as Avalanche
1995WCW SuperBrawl V as Avalanche
1995WCW Clash of the Champions XXX as Avalanche
1995WCW Clash of The Champions XXX as Avalanche
1994WCW Starrcade 1994 as Avalanche
1994WWE Paul Bearer's Hits from the Crypt as Earthquake
1994WCW Clash of The Champions XXIX as Avalanche
1994WCW Halloween Havoc 1994 as Avalanche (Appearance)
1994WWE WrestleMania X as Earthquake
1994WWE March to WrestleMania X as Earthquake
1993WWE Grudges, Gripes & Grunts as Earthquake
1993WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers as Earthquake
1993WWF Bashed in the USA as Earthquake
1993WWF Smack 'Em, Whack 'Em as Earthquake
1993WWF: WrestleFest '93 as Earthquake
1993WWE Wrestling Grudge Matches as Earthquake
1993WWE Royal Rumble 1993 as Earthquake
1993Raw (6, 1, 13 Episode) as Earthquake, John Tenta, Golga
1992WWE Survivor Series 1992 as Earthquake
1992WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1992 as Earthquake
1992WWE SummerSlam 1992 as Earthquake
1992WWE World Tour 1992 as Earthquake
1992WWE WrestleFest '92 as Earthquake
19923rd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars as Earthquake
1992WWE Crunch Classic as Earthquake
1992WWE WrestleMania VIII as Earthquake
1992WWE March to WrestleMania VIII as Earthquake
1992WWF SuperTape '92 as Earthquake
1992WWE Royal Rumble 1992 as Earthquake
1991WWE Survivor Series 1991 as Earthquake
1991WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1991 as Earthquake
1991WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall as Earthquake
1991WWE SummerSlam 1991 as Earthquake
1991WWE World Tour 1991 as Earthquake
1991WWE SummerSlam Spectacular '91 as Earthquake
1991WWE WrestleFest '91 as Earthquake
1991WWE SuperTape vol. 4 as Earthquake
1991WWE U.K. Rampage 1991 as Earthquake
1991SWS WrestleFest as John Tenta
1991WWE Mega Matches as Earthquake
1991WWE WrestleMania VII as Earthquake
1991WWE The Main Event V as Earthquake
1991WWE SuperTape vol. 3 as Earthquake
1991WWE Royal Rumble 1991 as Earthquake
1990WWE Survivor Series 1990 as Earthquake
1990WWE Survivor Series Showdown '90 as Earthquake
1990WWE SummerSlam 1990 as Earthquake
1990WWE SummerSlam Fever as Earthquake
1990WWE WrestleFest '90 as Earthquake (Ringside)
1990WWE WrestleMania VI as Canadian Earthquake
1990WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI as Earthquake
1990WWE The Main Event III as Earthquake (Ringside)
1990WWE Royal Rumble 1990 as The Canadian Earthquake
1989WWE Survivor Series 1989 as The Canadian Earthquake
1986WWF Wrestling Challenge (5, 28 Episode) as The Canadian Earthquake, Earthquake
1985Saturday Night's Main Event (1, 2 Episode) as Earthquake, Unknown
1973WWE Old School (1 Episode) as Earthquake