History Wrestling / JohnTenta

The Disasters feuded with [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors the Legion of Doom]] over the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html WWE World Tag Team Titles]]. The Disasters [[HeelFaceTurn turned face]] after their manager [[Wrestling/JimmyHart "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart]] sided with Money Inc. ([[Wrestling/TedDiBiase "The Million-Dollar Man" Ted [=DiBiase=]]][[note]]who had to that point been managed by [[Characters/WWEDivas "Sensational" Sherri Martel]][[/note]] and Irwin R. Schyster) after they defeated the LOD for the belts. The Disasters defeated Money Inc. for the belts in a dark (non-televised) match on July 20 in Worcester, MA, at a taping for the August 8th episode of ''WWF Superstars.'' Money Inc. regained the belts on the November 1 (taped October 13) episode of ''WWF Wrestling Challenge.'' They also defeated George and Shunji Takano for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/sws/sws-t.html SWS (Super World Sports in Japan) Tag Team Titles]] on April 17, 1992, losing them to the Natural Powers ([[Wrestling/{{Meng}} King Haku]] and Yoshiaki Yatsu) the next day. During a break from WWE in 1993, he went back to Japan to compete for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/war/ WAR (Wrestle Association R)]] promotion, usually wrestling with or against King Haku and made some appearances for West Coast Championship Wrestling in British Columbia and for Wrestling/{{CMLL}}.

* {{Badass}}: On April 1, 1991, WWE and SWS (Super World Sports in Japan) held a joint card at the Coliseum in Kobe, UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}. Earthquake was scheduled to face Koji Kitao, a legitimate Sumo ''yokozuna'' (Grand Champion, not to be confused with the WWE character played by Rodney Anoai from 1992-1996) who had gone into pro wrestling. The match never really got started because Kitao refused to cooperate, left the ring and picked up a microphone to say (in Japanese) how the match was fake and there was no way Quake (who went undefeated in Sumo under the name ''Kototenzan'' [Japanese for "Heavenly Mountain Harp"] but was not ranked as highly as Kitao was) could beat him in a real fight. Quake, with support from the Great Kabuki (who had a grudge con Kitao and incited Tenta to shoot on him if the match turned wrong), did not back down.

** The Oddities, as Golga, with [[Wrestling/DonCallis the Jackyl]], Kurrgan, [[Characters/WWEAttitude the Giant Silva]], Luna Vachon, Wrestling/{{Sable}} and [[Wrestling/GeorgeSteele George "The Animal" Steele]].

*** Quake d. [[Wrestling/BryanClarke Adam Bomb]] (w/[[Characters/WWEManagers Harvey Wippleman]]) in [[SquashMatch 32 seconds]], WMX. 4-0.[[note]]Quake was originally going to face Ludvig Borga, but he suffered an injury and left the company, and Bomb was his replacement. Before the match started, Wippleman had a confrontation with [[Characters/WWECommentators ring announcer Howard Finkel]], who had been feuding with Wippleman for some two years. Fink hit Harvey, and Bomb ran in to help his manager. Quake followed and quickly squashed Bomb.[[/note]]

* HappyDance: Once the Insane Clown Posse joined the Oddities, and contributed their theme song ("Oddities," which can be found on ''WWF The Music: Volume 3''), the whole group could be counted on to dance around before matches and again after they won.

* ArchEnemy: (as Quake): Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, The Legion of Doom, Tugboat (before he made his big [[FaceHeelTurn heel turn]] and became Typhoon), the Bushwhackers, Ted [=DiBiase=], [[Wrestling/BigBossman The Big Bossman]] (also as Big Bubba in WCW), [=Yokozuna=]; (in WCW) Hogan, Wrestling/RandySavage, Wrestling/{{Sting}}; (as Golga) the Headbangers, the Music/InsaneClownPosse (after they turned on the Oddities[[note]]As he'd later reveal in his ''[=WrestleCrap=]'' interview and on the message boards, he didn't think too highly of them in RealLife either[[/note]]), [[Characters/WWETagTeams Too Much (Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor)]], The Disciples of Apocalypse ([[TagTeamTwins 8-Ball and Skull, aka Ron and Don Harris]]).

** Never pinned as Earthquake on PPV. In fact, was only ever pinned twice on PPV in his entire career. [=Sting=][=/=]Randy Savage d. Avalanche[=/=]Big Bubba at ''WCW [=SuperBrawl=] V'', February 19, 1995, when Sting pinned him. The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) d. The Oddities (Wrestling/{{Kurrgan}} and Golga, w/The Giant Silva and Wrestling/LunaVachon) at ''WWF Rock Bottom'', December 13, 1998, when Mosh pinned him.

** The WWE trio of the Great Khali, [[Wrestling/NatalyaNeidhart Natalya]] and Wrestling/{{Hornswoggle}} have been compared to the Oddities, and there is a genuine connection, since Khali, as Giant Singh, teamed with Silva in Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling as Club 7 in Masahiro Chono's Team 2000 heel faction.

* LeotardOfPower

*** Quake (w/Jimmy Hart) d. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, WMVII. 2-0.

** The Oddities, as Golga, with [[Characters/WWEManagers the Jackyl]], Kurrgan, [[Characters/WWEAttitude the Giant Silva]], Luna Vachon, Wrestling/{{Sable}} and [[Wrestling/GeorgeSteele George "The Animal" Steele]].

*** Quake d. Wrestling/AdamBomb (w/[[Characters/WWEManagers Harvey Wippleman]]) in [[SquashMatch 32 seconds]], WMX. 4-0.[[note]]Quake was originally going to face Ludvig Borga, but he suffered an injury and left the company, and Bomb was his replacement. Before the match started, Wippleman had a confrontation with [[Characters/WWECommentators ring announcer Howard Finkel]], who had been feuding with Wippleman for some two years. Fink hit Harvey, and Bomb ran in to help his manager. Quake followed and quickly squashed Bomb.[[/note]]

** The WWE trio of the Great Khali, [[Wrestling/NatalyaNeidhart Natalya]] and Hornswoggle have been compared to the Oddities, and there is a genuine connection, since Khali, as Giant Singh, teamed with Silva in Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling as Club 7 in Masahiro Chono's Team 2000 heel faction.

** (As Avalanche), The Three Faces of Fear, with Wrestling/KevinSullivan and the Butcher (Brutus Beefcake)

The Disasters feuded with [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors the Legion of Doom]] over the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html WWE World Tag Team Titles]]. The Disasters [[HeelFaceTurn turned face]] after their manager [[Wrestling/JimmyHart "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart]] sided with Money Inc. ([[Wrestling/TedDiBiase "The Million-Dollar Man" Ted [=DiBiase=]]][[note]]who had to that point been managed by [[Characters/WWEDivas "Sensational" Sherri Martel]][[/note]] and Irwin R. Schyster) after they defeated the LOD for the belts. The Disasters defeated Money Inc. for the belts in a dark (non-televised) match on July 20 in Worcester, MA, at a taping for the August 8th episode of ''WWF Superstars.'' Money Inc. regained the belts on the November 1 (taped October 13) episode of ''WWF Wrestling Challenge.'' They also defeated George and Shunji Takano for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/sws/sws-t.html SWS (Super World Sports in Japan) Tag Team Titles]] on April 17, 1992, losing them to the Natural Powers ([[Wrestling/{{Meng}} King Haku]] and Yoshiaki Yatsu) the next day. During a break from WWE in 1993, he went back to Japan to compete for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/war/ WAR (Wrestle Association R)]] promotion, usually wrestling with or against King Haku and made some appearances for West Coast Championship Wrestling in British Columbia and for the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre promotion Mexico.

** The WWE trio of the Great Khali, [[Wrestling/NatalyaNeidheart Natalya]] and Hornswoggle have been compared to the Oddities, and there is a genuine connection, since Khali, as Giant Singh, teamed with Silva in Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling as Club 7 in Masahiro Chono's Team 2000 heel faction.

* ArchEnemy: (as Quake): Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, The Legion of Doom, Tugboat (before he made his big [[FaceHeelTurn heel turn]] and became Typhoon), the Bushwhackers, Ted [=DiBiase=], [[Wrestling/BigBossman The Big Bossman]] (also as Big Bubba in WCW), [=Yokozuna=; (in WCW) Hogan, Wrestling/RandySavage, Wrestling/{{Sting}}; (as Golga) the Headbangers, the Music/InsaneClownPosse (after they turned on the Oddities[[note]]As he'd later reveal in his ''[=WrestleCrap=]'' interview and on the message boards, he didn't think too highly of them in RealLife either[[/note]]), [[Characters/WWETagTeams Too Much (Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor)]], The Disciples of Apocalypse ([[TagTeamTwins 8-Ball and Skull, aka Ron and Don Harris]]).

'''John Anthony Tenta''' (1964-2006) was a [[UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} Canadian]] sumo and {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er best known for his work in Wrestling/{{WWE}} from 1989-1994 as '''Earthquake'''.

* ArchEnemy: (as Quake): Wrestling/HulkHogan, [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior The Ultimate Warrior]], [[Wrestling/JakeRoberts Jake "The Snake" Roberts]], [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors The Legion of Doom]], Tugboat (before he made his big [[FaceHeelTurn heel turn]] and became Typhoon), [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase Ted [=DiBiase=]]], [[Wrestling/BigBossman The Big Bossman]] (also as Big Bubba in WCW), Wrestling/{{Yokozuna}}; (in WCW) Hogan, Wrestling/RandySavage, Wrestling/{{Sting}}; (as Golga) the Headbangers, the Music/InsaneClownPosse (after they turned on the Oddities[[note]]As he'd later reveal in his Website/{{WrestleCrap}} interview and on the message boards, he didn't think too highly of them in RealLife either[[/note]]), [[Characters/WWETagTeams Too Much (Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor)]], The Disciples of Apocalypse ([[TagTeamTwins 8-Ball and Skull, aka Ron and Don Harris]]).

** Never pinned as Earthquake on PPV. In fact, was only ever pinned twice on PPV in his entire career. Wrestling/{{Sting}}[=/=]Wrestling/RandySavage d. Avalanche[=/=][[Wrestling/BigBossman Big Bubba]] at ''WCW [=SuperBrawl=] V'', February 19, 1995, when Sting pinned him. The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) d. The Oddities (Wrestling/{{Kurrgan}} and Golga, w/The Giant Silva and Wrestling/LunaVachon) at ''WWF Rock Bottom'', December 13, 1998, when Mosh pinned him.
** While not on the level of Wrestling/TheUndertaker's streak, was undefeated at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}}'' during his original run.

*** The Natural Disasters d. [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html WWE World Tag Team Champions]] Money Inc. ([[Wrestling/TedDiBiase "The Million-Dollar Man" Ted [=DiBiase=]]] and Irwin R. Schyster) (w/Jimmy Hart) by countout, WMVIII. 3-0.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Made his first TV appearance on the November 11 (taped October 2), 1989 ''[=WWF=] Superstars'', which was taped at the Civic Center in [=Wheeling=], WV, as a [[FakeAmerican "fan" picked from the audience named "John."]] "Canada's Strongest Man" Dino Bravo (w/manager "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart) was doing a "Test of Strength" demonstration, with the idea that "John" would sit on Bravo's back while he did push-ups, which he did.[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion]] [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior the Ultimate Warrior]] walked down to the ring and offered to do some situps with "John" sitting on his back as well. "John" then hit a sit-down splash on [=Warrior=]'s back, and he and Bravo double-teamed him. He was officially introduced as Earthquake on the November 18 (taped October 31) ''[=WWF=] Superstars.''

* HappyDance: Once the Music/InsaneClownPosse joined the Oddities, and contributed their theme song ("Oddities," which can be found on ''WWF The Music: Volume 3''), the whole group could be counted on to dance around before matches and again after they won.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: The time he spent on the ''Website/{{WrestleCrap}}'' message boards confirmed this.

* PowerStable: The Wrestling/DungeonOfDoom
** The Oddities, as Golga, with [[Characters/WWEManagers the Jackyl]], Wrestling/{{Kurrgan}}, [[Characters/WWEAttitude the Giant Silva]], Luna Vachon, Wrestling/{{Sable}} and [[Wrestling/GeorgeSteele George "The Animal" Steele]].

* SockItToThem: Faced [[Wrestling/BigBossman Big Bubba]] in a [[GimmickMatches "Carson City Silver Dollar Match"]] at ''WCW Bash at the Beach 96.'' The idea was that a sock full of silver dollars was attached to a pole which was attached to one of the ringposts, and whichever guy grabbed the sock could use it as a weapon. The pole was about 20 feet high, so neither Tenta, who was around 500 lbs. at the time, nor Bubba, who was usually around 330 or so, could climb it, so manager Jimmy Hart had to climb up for Bubba. Yes, they booked a match where neither guy would be able to actually get the weapon and the manager had to get it instead. Bubba tried taping Tenta to the post to cut off some more of his hair, but Tenta broke free and grabbed the sock and hit Bubba with it for the pin. Object-on-a-pole matches wouldn't be seen in WCW again until Wrestling/VinceRusso in 1999 and 2000, and which generally involved smaller, lighter, faster wrestlers who actually could climb the poles. The matches were still stupid, of course.

* VideoFullOfFilmClips: The Oddities' entrance video mixed footage of the team with clips from the 1932 horror classic ''Film/{{Freaks}}'', even starting with the lines, "We wouldn't lie to you folks, we told you we had living breathing monstrosity."
* WrestlingMonster: As Earthquake, pre-[[HeelFaceTurn face turn]].

** Never pinned as Earthquake on PPV. In fact, was only ever pinned twice on PPV in his entire career. Wrestling/{{Sting}}[=/=]Wrestling/RandySavage d. Avalanche[=/=][[Wrestling/BigBossman Big Bubba]] at ''WCW [=SuperBrawl=] V'', February 19, 1995, when Sting pinned him. The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher) d. The Oddities (Wrestling/{{Kurrgan}} and Golga, w/The Giant Silva and [[Characters/WWEDivas Luna Vachon]]) at ''WWF Rock Bottom'', December 13, 1998, when Mosh pinned him.

** The Oddities, as Golga, with [[Characters/WWEManagers the Jackyl]], Wrestling/{{Kurrgan}}, [[Characters/WWEAttitude the Giant Silva]], [[Characters/WWEDivas Luna Vachon]], Wrestling/{{Sable}} and [[Wrestling/GeorgeSteele George "The Animal" Steele]].

The Disasters feuded with [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors the Legion of Doom]] over the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html WWE World Tag Team Titles]]. The Disasters [[HeelFaceTurn turned face]] after their manager "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart sided with Money Inc. ([[Wrestling/TedDiBiase "The Million-Dollar Man" Ted [=DiBiase=]]][[note]]who had to that point been managed by [[Characters/WWEDivas "Sensational" Sherri Martel]][[/note]] and Irwin R. Schyster) after they defeated the LOD for the belts. The Disasters defeated Money Inc. for the belts in a dark (non-televised) match on July 20 in Worcester, MA, at a taping for the August 8th episode of ''WWF Superstars.'' Money Inc. regained the belts on the November 1 (taped October 13) episode of ''WWF Wrestling Challenge.'' They also defeated George and Shunji Takano for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/sws/sws-t.html SWS (Super World Sports in Japan) Tag Team Titles]] on April 17, 1992, losing them to the Natural Powers ([[Wrestling/{{Meng}} King Haku]] and Yoshiaki Yatsu) the next day. During a break from WWE in 1993, he went back to Japan to compete for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/war/ WAR (Wrestle Association R)]] promotion, usually wrestling with or against King Haku and made some appearances for West Coast Championship Wrestling in British Columbia and for the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre promotion Mexico.

* ArchEnemy: (as Quake): Wrestling/HulkHogan, [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior The Ultimate Warrior]], [[Wrestling/JakeRoberts Jake "The Snake" Roberts]], [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors The Legion of Doom]], Tugboat (before he made his big [[FaceHeelTurn heel turn]] and became Typhoon), [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase Ted [=DiBiase=]]], [[Wrestling/BigBossman The Big Bossman]] (also as Big Bubba in WCW), Wrestling/{{Yokozuna}}; (in WCW) Hogan, Wrestling/RandySavage, Wrestling/{{Sting}}; (as Golga) the Headbangers, the Music/InsaneClownPosse (after they turned on the Oddities[[note]]As he'd later reveal in his Website/{{WrestleCrap}} interview and on the message boards, he didn't think too highly of them in RealLife either[[/note]]), Too Much (Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor), The Disciples of Apocalypse ([[TagTeamTwins 8-Ball and Skull, aka Ron and Don Harris]]).

He returned to WWE in January 1994 and left after being {{Kayfabe}} injured by Wrestling/{{Yokozuna}}. He went back to WAR and also teamed with [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Super (Big Van) Vader]] for two matches for the "shoot-style" [=UWFi=] (Union of Wrestling Forces International) promotion before debuting in Wrestling/{{WCW}} as Avalanche at ''WCW Halloween Havoc 1994''. After an unsuccessful run there from October 1994 to early 1997, he resurfaced in WWE in late Spring 1998 as the masked Golga of the Oddities.

* CompanionCube: Crossed with a ShoutOut: Golga regularly carried around a stuffed [[WesternAnimation/SouthPark Cartman]] doll.
* CoolMask: Averted, as his Golga mask was meant to be scary.

* Website/{{WrestleCrap}}:
** Quake [[{{Kayfabe}} squashing]] [[Wrestling/JakeRoberts Jake "The Snake" Roberts]]' pet boa constrictor Damien and serving him as "Quakeburgers."
** The Shark (also, by extension, the induction of the Wrestling/DungeonOfDoom as a group)
** The Oddities

'''John Anthony Tenta''' (1964-2006) was a [[UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} Canadian]] sumo and [[ProfessionalWrestling professional wrestler]] best known for his work in Wrestling/{{WWE}} from 1989-1994 as '''Earthquake'''.

* [[AnimalMotifs Animal Motif]]: As the Shark of the Wrestling/DungeonOfDoom in WCW

*** Quake d. Wrestling/AdamBomb (w/[[Characters/WWEManagers Harvey Wippleman]]) in [[SquashMatch 32 seconds]], WMX. 4-0.[[note]]Quake was originally going to face Ludvig Borga, but he suffered an injury and left the company, and Bomb was his replacement. Before the match started, Whippleman had a confrontation with [[Characters/WWECommentators ring announcer Howard Finkel]], who had been feuding with Whippleman for some two years. Fink hit Harvey, and Bomb ran in to help his manager. Quake followed and quickly squashed Bomb.[[/note]]

* IHaveManyNames: Earthquake Evans (a dark match [[SquashMatch squash]] of an unknown at a TV taping on September 21, 1989), Canadian Earthquake, Earthquake, Avalanche, the Shark, John Tenta, the Gargoyle (matches on May 15 and May 16, 1998 at WWE's training camp in Lynn and Wittman, Massachusetts, respectively), Golga

* KickTheDog: More specifically, "squash the snake," which is exactly what Quake did to [[Wrestling/JakeRoberts Jake "The Snake" Roberts]]'s pet boa constrictor Damien in mid-1991, contributing to Jake's big [[FaceHeelTurn heel turn]].
** And, of course, to the IAteWhat skit with the "Quakeburgers."

** The current WWE trio of the Great Khali, [[Wrestling/NatalyaNeidheart Natalya]] and Hornswoggle have been compared to the Oddities, and there is a genuine connection, since Khali, as Giant Singh, teamed with Silva in Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling as Club 7 in Masahiro Chono's Team 2000 heel faction.

* ManBitesMan: As the Shark.

* ShoutOut: Received one on the February 15, 2013 ''[[Wrestling/WWESmackDown WWE [=SmackDown=]]]'' after Tensai and Wrestling/BrodusClay had defeated [[Wrestling/ThreeMB 3MB (Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal)]]. During the DancePartyEnding after the match with the [[Characters/WWEDivas Funkadactyls Cameron and Naomi]], commentator Wrestling/JohnBradshawLayfield said, "It's like the Natural Disasters crossed with Colombian TV."

** (As Golga) The Oddities, with Kurrgan, the Giant Silva and [[Wrestling/GeorgeSteele George "The Animal" Steele]]

*** Quake d. Wrestling/AdamBomb (w/Harvey Whippleman) in [[SquashMatch 32 seconds]], WMX. 4-0.[[note]]Quake was originally going to face Ludvig Borga, but he suffered an injury and left the company, and Bomb was his replacement. Before the match started, Whippleman had a confrontation with [[Characters/WWECommentators ring announcer Howard Finkel]], who had been feuding with Whippleman for some two years. Fink hit Harvey, and Bomb ran in to help his manager. Quake followed and quickly squashed Bomb.[[/note]]