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John Tenta
Statistics
Ring Names	Avalanche Earthquake Golga Kototenzan Shark John Tenta
Height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Weight	468 lbs (212 kg)
Born	June 22, 1963(1963-06-22)
	Surrey, Canada
Died	June 7, 2006 (aged 42)
	Sanford, Florida
Resides
Billed	Canada
Trained by	Giant Baba Jumbo Tsuruta Great Kabuki Terry Gordy Road Warriors Dory Funk
Debut	1987
Retired	2004

John Anthony Tenta (June 22, 1963 – June 7, 2006) was a Canadian professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake and later Golga. He also worked for World Championship Wrestling as Avalanche and The Shark.

Early career

Prior to joining the WWF, Tenta competed as a freestyle wrestler at North Surrey Secondary, becoming a Canadian junior champion in 1981. Shortly after his 18th birthday, he finished sixth in the super-heavyweight category at the World Junior Wrestling Championships at Vancouver. His early pro wrestling influences were Gene Kiniski and Don Leo Jonathan.

Tenta came to the United States when he won an athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU), competing in NCAA-level collegiate wrestling. At LSU, he became known as "Big John" Tenta, lettering on the Tiger varsity wrestling team and participating on the football team. After LSU dropped varsity wrestling in 1985 (to comply with Title IX laws), Tenta walked on to the LSU football team, playing as a defensive lineman in some junior varsity events; he also played rugby for LSU's Rugby Club, and got a job as a bouncer at The Bengal, an LSU college bar.

Tenta competed for several years as a sumo wrestler in Japan, having been recruited by a former Yokozuna during a trip to Vancouver. Competing as Kototenta, Tenta (who soon was renamed Kototenzan, for Heavenly Mountain Harp) had some early success, but found the lifestyle difficult to maintain and soon retired. Despite his brief career, he earned worldwide press coverage and additional nickname of the "Canadian Comet".

WWF career

After a brief early stint in All-Japan Pro Wrestling, where he trained under Giant Baba, Tenta began the best-known part of his career: as an unstoppable monster heel named "Earthquake." He had memorable feuds with Hulk Hogan and Jake "The Snake" Roberts, the latter which involved a memorable angle where he squashed Damien, Jake's snake. Tenta later WWF in 1994, with one of his last matches being a squash match against Atom Bomb at Wrestlemania X.

Championships and accomplishments

• All Star Wrestling

• UWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

• National Wrestling Alliance
• National

• NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time)

• Super World of Sports

• SWS Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Typhoon

• World Wrestling Federation

• WWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Typhoon

See also

• John Tenta's event history

External links

• AP Report of his death
• Find a Grave