“Mr. Wrestling II” Johnny Walker Has Died

Championship Wrestling from Florida and Georgia Championship Wrestling legend "Mr Wrestling II" Johnny Walker has passed away.

A major star in the 1970/80s, Walker died in Hawaii on Wednesday, as confirmed by Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Bill Apter via Walker's son Robert for SlamWrestling.net.

A five-decade pro, Walker debuted in 1955 and wrestled regularly until his retirement in 1990. After just under ten years working with his real name, he attempted to retire, but was coaxed back into the ring via a role under a mask for the first time as 'The Grappler' on the Florida independent scene in 1967. Another attempt to walk away from wrestling was thwarted by Georgia promoter Paul Jones convincing him to take on the Mr Wrestling II gimmick in 1972.

Over the next twenty years, he flitted between several southern territories for the National Wrestling Alliance, winning the Georgia Heavyweight Championship ten times and becoming a top draw there in the process. He later worked a long student/teacher angle with the future Magnum T.A, in Mid-South Wrestling, culminating in the pair splitting and Magnum defeating him for the North American Championship.

He wrestled sparingly for WWE, CCW and once more for the final time for Hawaii Championship Wrestling in 2007. He was inducted into the WCW Hall Of Fame in 1993 and New York's Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame in 2014.

He was 85.