The Golden Era of WWE was a breeding ground for gargantuan grapplers to shine on the biggest stage: among them was Earthquake. The supersized Canadian was one of the eraâs burliest performers, weighing over 500 pounds at his heaviest, but performing at a time when size trumped in-ring quality allowed the real-life John Tenta to become a memorable figure for decades after.

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Ahead of his anticipated Hall of Fame induction in 2025, there is a ton to learn about the former Tag Team Champion, including his background as a sumo wrestler, what caused his death at the tender age of 42, and who helped get him signed to WCW.
Hulk Hogan Helped Get Earthquake A WCW Contract
The Two Were Previously Rivals In The WWF
- Earthquake jumped to WCW in 1994.
- Hulk Hogan lobbied to get him signed.
- The two were friends outside the ring, as well as previous on-screen rivals.
By the spring of 1994, Earthquake was facing financial difficulties, which resulted in him leaving Vince McMahonâs sports entertainment empire to join the fledgling World Championship Wrestling. However, it was a friend from within, Hulk Hogan, who helped him obtain a WCW deal.
Hogan,
who contested a notable feud vs. âQuake in the then-World Wrestling Federation
, is said to have âlobbiedâ to get Earthquake signed to WCW. They wrestled a further ten times in the Ted Turner-helmed group, including being on opposing sides in the 1994 War Games match.
Earthquake Wrestled Under Multiple Gimmicks
He Became The Shark In WCW
Name |
Years Used |
---|---|
John Tenta |
1987-1989, 1996-1998, 2002-2004 |
Earthquake Evans |
1989 |
The Canadian Earthquake |
1989-1990 |
Earthquake |
1990-1994, 1999-2002 |
Avalanche |
1994-1995 |
The Shark |
1995-1996 |
Golga |
1998-1999 |
Though he is most famous for portraying Earthquake in WWE, John Tenta wrestled under a variety of gimmick-heavy characters, including Golga during the Attitude Era. In WCW, though, he played the roles of both Avalanche and The Shark, the former of which saw WWE threaten legal action for its closeness to the Earthquake persona.
When he became The Shark, Earthquake took it upon himself to cover his tattoo of the Louisiana State University Tigers tattoo with that of, unsurprisingly, a shark, a process that took a reported 24 hours to complete.
Earthquake Was 42 Years Old
He Was A Canadian Native
Date Of Birth |
Place Of Birth |
---|---|
June 22, 1963 |
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada |
Earthquake was in his mid-twenties when he first joined the World Wrestling Federation. He was born John Anthony Tenta, Jr. on June 22, 1963 in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, sharing a birth year with other heralded wrestling figures, such as Billy Gunn (November 11), Masahiro Chono (September 17), and both members of The Gangstas, New Jack (January 3) and Mustafa Saed (September 30).
Earthquake Was A Gargantuan Performer
He Was Classed As A Superheavyweight
Billed Height |
Billed Weight |
---|---|
6â7âł |
468 pounds |
Given Earthquakeâs scale-tipping weight of 468 pounds, he is rarely celebrated as one of the tallest wrestlers in history, but his height is still remarkable: he was six feet seven inches tall.

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Earthquakeâs weight was always impressive, even from birth, as he weighed 11 pounds and 3 ounces.
Earthquake Dabbled In Various Sports
He Was A Sumo Wrestler Before Becoming A Pro Wrestler
- Before he was Earthquake, John Tenta was active in a range of sports.
- He was a champion freestyle wrestler and won an athletic scholarship.
- He was also a successful sumo wrestler.
Before he became a professional wrestler, the real-life John Tenta preserved his fitness by participating in a range of sports. He was a champion freestyle wrestler at North Surrey Secondary in 1981, which he also studied at Louisiana State University on an athletic scholarship, while in 1985, he began life as a sumo wrestler.
In the field, Earthquake was mightily impressive, winning all 24 bouts he partook in, but he opted to call it quits after only eight months, owing to the physical toll it took on his body (H/T Chicago Tribune):
âNothing I have ever done, not football, not college wrestling, compares with the kind of physical abuse you inflict on your body in sumo.â
Earthquake Was A Royal Rumble Runner-Up
He Came Close To Winning The 1991 Rumble
Entry Number |
Eliminated By |
Time In Match |
---|---|---|
22 |
Hulk Hogan |
24:42 |
Competing in two Royal Rumble matches throughout his WWE career, Earthquakeâs best showing came in his second, the 1991 Rumble. Entering at number 22, the Canadian tank lasted a commendable 24 minutes and 42 seconds, and ousted four other contenders on his path to the final two: Road Warrior Animal, Bushwhacker Luke, Tito Santana, and The British Bulldog.
Ultimately, though, Earthquake was the runner-up, not the winner, as
Hulk Hogan sent him packing to win his second of two Royal Rumble matches
.
Earthquake Was A One-Time Champion In WWE
He Found Success With Typhoon
Championship |
Length |
---|---|
WWF Tag Team Championships |
85 days |
Although he never had luck as a championship-winning singles act, Earthquake found glory as a tag team grappler, forming The Natural Disasters with his close friend Typhoon in 1991. Together, they had one reign as the WWF Tag Team Champions.

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Usurping Money, Inc. at a July 1992 live event, the superheavyweight duo reigned for just 85 days before Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster took the titles back that October.
Earthquake Passed Away After Fighting Bladder Cancer
He Died In The Summer Of 2006
Date Of Death |
Place Of Death |
---|---|
June 7, 2006 |
Sanford, Florida |
Earthquake was forced into early retirement following his final match in 2003 as a bout with bladder cancer became his latest quest to conquer. Tragically, after being given a 20% chance of survival, he passed away on June 7, 2006, just over two weeks away from his 43rd birthday.
He is survived by his wife, Josephine, and their three children, Jeff, Joanna, and John.