Joe Lightfoot

Last updated
Joe Lightfoot
Birth nameJoe Ventura
Born1953
Montreal, Quebec, Canada [1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Joe Lightfoot
Joe Ventura
Joe Victory
José Ventura
Jos Ventura
Billed height5 ft 8 in (173 cm) [1]
Billed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Billed from Quebec, Canada

Joe Ventura (born 1953) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler who was active throughout the 1970s and 80s. Although he is of Italian descent, Ventura had most of his success portraying an Indian (First Nation) under the ring name (Chief) Joe Lightfoot. He spent the majority of the 1970s competing in Canada for Stampede Wrestling and NWA All-Star Wrestling and the majority of the 1980s competing in the United States, primarily throughout the National Wrestling Alliance, where he is a former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion. [2]

Contents

Professional wrestling career

Stampede Wrestling and Canadian promotions (1970s)

Ventura began his professional wrestler career in the mid-1970s, wrestling in Calgary, Alberta and Regina, Saskatchewan primarily for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling. His older brother Tito Senza was also a wrestler. [3] Having competed against wrestlers such as Keith Hart he made his way to Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, teaming with Steve Bolus on MLW television in a losing effort against Baron von Raschke and Greg Valentine on December 16, 1978. [4] Throughout the remainder of the 1970s, Ventura competed for All-Star Wrestling and Stampede, [4] feuding with wrestlers including Terry Sawyer, Dynamite Kid, Cuban Assassin and Roddy Piper. [4] On March 1, 1977 he defeated Chin Lee to win his first title - the Grand Prix Wrestling Junior Heavyweight Championship. [5] In April 1979, he won the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship, teaming with Bobby Bass to defeat Igor Volkoff and The Mongol. [6]

Pacific Northwest (1980)

On October 24, 1980 Ventura made his debut in the United States, wrestling for Pacific Northwest Wrestling in Eugene, Oregon under the ring name "Joe Lightfoot". [7] Now portraying an Indian, Lightfoot became a mainstay in PNW, competing against Igor Volkoff, Buddy Rose and The Destroyer. He also became a regular tag team partner with Jay Youngblood, competing as "The Indians". The team proved a very popular babyface duo, winning the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship October 25, 1980. The team also worked in Canada, winning the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship on November 3, 1980, Lightfoot's second reign with the title. [8]

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion & Puerto Rico (1981)

In 1981, Lightfoot travelled to Puerto Rico to work for the World Wrestling Council. Here he had great success as a babyface, becoming a prominent single's competitor. On November 7, 1981, Lightfoot won the WWC World Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Les Thornton. [9] This was the second title he won from Thornton in as many months as he had captured the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship on October 16 in Knoxville, Tennessee. [10]

Georgia Championship (1981-82)

Lightfoot competed throughout the United States and Canada in the mid-1980s, wrestling primarily for Georgia Championship Wrestling, All-Star Wrestling in Vancouver, NWA Hollywood and PNW. He continued his successful tag-team with Jay Youngblood throughout the territories and were the most popular tag team in Pacific Northwest, where on February 27, 1981, they teamed with Andre the Giant in the main event to defeat Buddy Rose, Rip Oliver and The Destroyer in Oregon. [11] He also had memorable rivalries with The Iron Sheik and The Moondogs in Georgia.

Florida, Central States and Jim Crockett Promotions (mid/late 1980s)

Lightfoot became a mainstay in Championship Wrestling From Florida from 1984 onwards. He formed a successful team with Mike Davis, competing in noted feuds with Black Bart & Kevin Sullivan and Hector & Chavo Guerrero. Lightfoot also began one of his most memorable rivalries with the One Man Gang, a feud which spanned both CWFF and Jim Crockett Promotions. They competed against each other in both singles and tag matches and also had a strap match on October 4, 1984 at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. [12] He worked his way through Jim Crockett Promotions and Central States Wrestling during this time, often teamed with other Native/Indian stars in tag team matches. [13] He teamed with Billy Two Eagles win the NWA Central States Tag Team Championship in July 1986. [14]

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenryu Project WAR World 6-Man Tag Team Championship</span> Professional wrestling trios tag team championship

The Tenryu Project WAR World 6-Man Tag Team Championship is a six-man tag team title contested for in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion Tenryu Project. The title was established in Wrestle Association R (WAR) in 1994, the first title of its kind in Japan. Since it was reestablished in 2022, the title has been defended in 2-out-of-3 falls match.

The Tenryu Project International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the Japanese promotion Wrestle Association R, and later Dragon Gate and Tenryu Project. This title was the first tag team championship in Japan dedicated to junior heavyweight wrestlers. In the revived Tenryu Project, the title is also referred to as the IJ Tag Team Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEW Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The WEW Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship, originally created in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) as the WEW Singles Championship, later being renamed as the WEW World Heavyweight Championship. After FMW closed in 2002, the title became the WEW Heavyweight Championship in the World Entertainment Wrestling promotion, although carrying a new lineage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daisuke Sekimoto</span> Japanese professional wrestler (born 1981)

Daisuke Sekimoto is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division. He is also known for his appearances in Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max. He is a three-time BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion, while also being a former one-time NWA Pan-Pacific Premium Heavyweight Champion, one-time wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion and a two-time Zero1 World Heavyweight Champion. Other major singles championships include the BJW Heavyweight Championship, the KO-D Openweight Championship and the Strongest-K Championship. Also a successful tag team wrestler, he has held the AJPW World Tag Team Championship three times, the All Asia Tag Team Championship two times, the BJW Tag Team Championship twelve times and the KO-D Tag Team Championship two times with his most successful tag team combination being with Yuji Okabayashi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Cepello</span> American artist, professional wrestler

Stephen Cepello is an American artist and former professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he was best known by his ring name, "The California Terminator" Steve Strong. After retiring from wrestling to focus on his art career, he was selected to paint the official Governor's Mansion and Minnesota State Capitol portraits of former wrestler and Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Owens</span> American professional wrestler

Steven Owens, better known by the ring name Chase Owens is an American professional wrestler signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club. He is a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, having won the belts twice with Kenta and once with Bad Luck Fale. Owens has also won the provisional KOPW trophy once.

Fight Factory Pro Wrestling (FFPW), also known as Zero1 Ireland, is an Irish wrestling training school and professional wrestling promotion run by Phil Boyd and Katey Harvey, based in Dublin. FFPW promotion tours theatres, leisure centres, and town halls.

Sean Maluta is an American professional wrestler currently competing on the independent circuit. He made a number of appearances with WWE and took part in the first Cruiserweight Classic. He has also made appearances for Impact Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Manuel Alejandro Saez Palominos, better known simply as Alejandro Saez, is a Chilean professional wrestler currently competing for various professional wrestling promotions on the independent circuit. He is known by the ring name Xtra Large on the independent scene. In 2016, Saez was a participant in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic, where he was eliminated in the first round. In addition to WWE, Saez has also toured with Pro Wrestling Noah, where he competed in the 2016 Global League.

Steve Anthony is an American professional wrestler and trainer. Throughout his career, Anthony has competed for various promotions throughout the United States and Japan most notably Ring of Honor, World League Wrestling, New Japan, Pro Wrestling Noah, and various National Wrestling Alliance member promotions. Within the NWA, Anthony is a former two-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion, a title which he defended in both America and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Starr</span> American professional wrestler (1951–2017)

Bobby Eugene Nutt, better known by his ring name Ron Starr, was an American professional wrestler. Starr was a mainstay for numerous wrestling territories throughout the 1970s and 80s, capturing almost three dozen championships throughout his career including two reigns as NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion and several reigns as NWA World Tag Team Champion. He was also notable for his involvement with Stampede Wrestling in Canada and his tenure with the World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico. Starr has been called "one of the unsung heroes of the territory days of professional wrestling" and "one of the most effective heels that territorial professional wrestling had ever seen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorenzo Parente</span> Professional wrestler (1935-2014)

Lorenzo Parente "Martino" was an Italian professional wrestler who competed throughout the United States from 1958 to 1976. During his career he captured the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship on two occasions. He was also known for his long standing tag team with Bobby Hart, with whom he captured numerous regional and world NWA Tag Team Championships.

Ramón S. Torres was an American professional wrestler. Primarily a babyface throughout his career, he was a part of 'The Famous Torres Brothers' with Alberto & Enrique Torres and was a major star in the 1950s and 60s as a both a tag team and singles competitor. He wrestled primarily within the National Wrestling Alliance, where he was a multi-time NWA World Tag Team Champion and NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion and also wrestled in the American Wrestling Association and Worldwide Wrestling Associates.

Albert Joe Criswell, better known as Joe McCarthy, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the 1950s and 1960s primarily throughout the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) where he was a former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion. He was a prominent competitor for various NWA territories including Nick Gulas's NWA Mid-America and Leroy McGuirk's NWA Tri-State.

Todd Fenwick is a Canadian retired professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rockford

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soma Takao</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Soma Takao is a Japanese professional wrestler, working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). Takao has taken part in every edition of DDT's flagship annual event, Peter Pan, where he had a series of 13 straight victories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuuga (wrestler)</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Kuuga is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his time in the Japanese promotions Osaka Pro Wrestling and Dotonbori Pro Wrestling. A masked wrestler, Kuuga is greatly influenced by lucha libre, and because of this, he has followed Mexican tradition for masked wrestlers, so his real name is not a matter of public record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Golden (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

Robert Evan Lee Cox, better known by the ring name Evan Golden, is an American professional wrestler currently performing for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). A second generation wrestler, he is the son of Eddie Golden and the third member of the Golden wrestling family.

Sueo Inoue, better known by the ring names Mighty Inoue and All Mighty Inoue, is a Japanese professional wrestler and referee. He is best known for his appearances with International Wrestling Enterprise from 1967 to 1981, with All Japan Pro-Wrestling from 1981 to 2000 and from 2015 to present, and with Pro Wrestling Noah from 2000 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Hady</span> American professional wrestler

John Hady was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "Gentleman" Jim Hady. During his wrestling career he mainly worked in Hawaii for 50th State Big Time Wrestling.

References

  1. 1 2 "Joe Lightfoot".
  2. ↑ Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database". wrestlingdata.com.
  3. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Tito Senza « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  4. 1 2 3 Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Matches « Joe Ventura « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  5. ↑ Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database". wrestlingdata.com.
  6. ↑ "NWA Canadian Tag Team Title (British Columbia)". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  7. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "PNW « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  8. 1 2 Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database". wrestlingdata.com.
  9. ↑ Saalbach, Axel. "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database". wrestlingdata.com.
  10. ↑ "NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling-Titles.com.
  11. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "PNW « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  12. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "CWF « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  13. ↑ "1Wrestling.com - Pro Wrestling's Daily News Source". www.1wrestling.com.
  14. ↑ III, Harris M. Lentz (21 October 2003). Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed. McFarland. ISBN   9781476605050 – via Google Books.
  15. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "NWA Central States Tag Team Championship « Titles Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.