Don Leo Jonathan
Roussimoff was one of professional wrestling's most beloved "babyfaces" throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. As such, Gorilla Monsoon often stated that Roussimoff had not been defeated in 15 years by pinfall or submission prior to WrestleMania III; however, he had lost in matches outside of the WWF: pinfall losses to Don Leo Jonathan in Montreal in 1972, a knockout to Jerry Lawler in Memphis in 1975, draw with Bobo Brazil at a battle royal in Detroit in 1976, Ronnie Garvin in Knoxville in 1978, and Canek in Mexico in 1984 and submission losses in Japan to Strong Kobayashi in 1972 and Antonio Inoki in 1986. He also had sixty-minute time-limit draws with the two major world champions of the day, Harley Race and Nick Bockwinkel.