Johnny Powers Johnny Powers ( born Dennis Waters , March 20 , 1943 ) is a retired Canadian professional wrestler known by his legally changed ring name Johnny Powers . He competed in several North American and International promotions including National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) , American Wrestling Association ( AWA ) , Maple Leaf Wrestling , National Wrestling Federation , International Wrestling Association and the World Wide Wrestling Federation feuding with then WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino during the early 1960s NWA ' s Lou Thesz , Gene Kiniski and AWA ' s Verne Gagne . As a sports event promoter and television producer since 1967 , he has presented over 3 , 500 live wrestling and sports events from Singapore to New York to Trinidad . He co - founded the National Wrestling Federation ( NWF ) . He sold the NWF to Japanese interests in 1973 . Powers was the first major international syndicator of television wrestling with programs in over 27 countries . Professional Wrestling Career . Dennis Waters was born in Hamilton , Ontario . At 15 , he started training under the tutelage of Canadian light heavyweight wrestling champion Jack Wentworth . Powers had his first professional match in 1960 in Detroit at age 17 while attending McMaster University in Hamilton . He left university and became a professional wrestler , formally turning professional at age 20 in Detroit as Lord Anthony Lansdowne . He wrestled hard core wrestler Larry Chene many times , who then mentored Powers . Powers dyed his hair blond and wrestled as Johnny Powers , the Golden Adonis , in North East U . S . and Canada in 1964 . Powers wrestled six times for the WWWF Heavyweight Championship with Bruno Sammartino in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia . Powers turned heel and was managed by Bobby Davis , who once managed Buddy Rogers . He fought Whipper Billy Watson many times across Canada and was main event for two years in Canada ' s Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto . Powers fought NWA World Champions Lou Thesz outdoors in Hamilton ballpark and St Louis Kiel Auditorium and Gene Kiniski in Toronto ballpark and The Hamilton Forum . Powers dominated Cleveland Ohio with great battles against Johnny Valentine , The Sheik , Ernie Ladd and Abdullah the Butcher . This ' heel turn ' against Ernie Ladd with Ox Baker created possibly the most dangerous riot in pro wrestling history called " The Cleveland Riot " . Powers was tutored as a wrestling promoter and television producer by international old school wrestler , booker and classic promoter Pedro Martínez . Martinez coached and mentored Powers for 20 years from the age of 22 in the art of creative event marketing of pro wrestling . Martínez and Powers founded National Sports TV on an existing " Wrestling from Buffalo Auditorium " library of black and white films . This library had been funded by one of pro wrestling first big money sponsors Dow beer . Powers co - founded the National Wrestling Federation and sold it three years later in 1973 to New Japan Pro Wrestling . He was the NWF World Heavyweight Champion and was the star of " Championship Wrestling with Johnny Powers " . He was the only wrestler then and since to have a television show named after him . He was NWF North American Champion seven times and NWF world champion three times . Powers sold television wrestling shows and films to Japan , Mexico , the Armed Forces Network and eventually to 27 countries creating the first and largest international professional wrestling television distribution network . Martinez and Powers owned the largest professional wrestling library in the world at that time with acquisition of most of the other key US wrestling territories television libraries . Powers also , as executive producer and on air commentator , promoted and produced over 300 new hours of televised wrestling . Powers held the first barbed wire top rope wrapped match and paid a record athletic commission fine . After watching a Barnum and Bailey circus , he produced and promoted the only three rings at a time Cleveland Stadium Super Card with 50 global stars . Powers was defeated by Antonio Inoki for the NWF World Heavyweight Championship December 10 , 1973 in Tokyo . Powers , a seven time North American Open champion , defended his title in the New Japan promotion . Powers and Pat Patterson fought as NWF North American Tag Team Champions in California and Japan . In the Los Angeles title match , Joe Louis was referee . Powers fought three main events in Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens against The Sheik , Ed Farhat . Powers with Pedro Martínez acquired control of the International Wrestling Association ( IWA ) in 1975 and Powers later bought out the Martinez interest for 100 % ownership in 1976 . Powers was honored in Yokohama , Japan , before a sellout crowd on September 30 , 1991 , that was televised nationally , as one of 18 greatest fighters , along with Japan ' s " God of Wrestling " one of MMA ' s founding fathers named Karl Gotch , Muhammad Ali , Billy Robinson who is currently an MMA superstar trainer and Lou Thesz " the King of the Shooters " , to have appeared in Japanese rings . He was inducted into the Canadian Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003 . Other Business Ventures . As a sports merchandiser , Powers was physical fitness adviser on a National Sports Advisory Council in Canada , with Bobby Hull and Otto and Maria Jelinek . At the age of 22 , as a principal in Pro Management Inc , a sports celebrity management firm , he developed and took sports fitness equipment nationally on a major retail store promotion campaign all the while actively competing internationally as Canadian Heavyweight Champion . He is CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Vision Resource Group , Inc . , an integrated media and entertainment company engaged in the development , production and marketing of television , pay - per - view programming , live events and the licensing and sale of branded consumer products . He heads up a creative team for combat and MMA sports called 1Fight and an online social community related to worldwide sports and fitness audience called 1FightLife . He has created a Tribal Vision initiative whose goals is to enhance the indigenous global community through media and education . He recently in 2008 co - founded The Wrestling Guild , which features back - to - basics tough - man style . Powers , as an executive producer , has a television special and film under development . Since 2000 , he has been active in a non - profit youth development program with the ancient Greek Olympic sport of pankration as its activity platform . Powers helped to sponsor the Canadian Pankration Team and was strength coach to the World Pankration Championships in Lamia , Greece where they won eight gold metals and the overall World title . He also has a movie project , in development , entitled " The Man They Could Not Kill " . Personal life . Powers , underwent knee and hip replacement surgery in May 2009 . He has also been a resident in Southern Ontario since 1987 .