Joseph Laurinaitis

From Freepedia

Joseph Laurinaitis (born January 26, 1960) better known by his stage name of Road Warrior Animal, is a American professional wrestler currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on the Smackdown! brand and is competing in the tag team division with his partner Heidenreich.

WWE agent and former professional wrestler John Laurinaitis (Johnny Ace) and former wrestler of the tag team The Wrecking Crew Mark Laurinaitis (Terminator / Fury), are brothers of Joseph Laurinaitis. Joseph's son, James Laurinaitis, plays linebacker on the Ohio State football team.

1 Career
2 Profile
- 2.1 Finishing and signature moves
  - 2.1.1 Tag team moves
3 Championships and accomplishments
4 External Links

Career

For many years he teamed with Road Warrior Hawk. Together they were a muscular tag team called The Road Warriors. The Road Warriors burst onto the wrestling scene in 1983 wearing mohawks, dog collars, spiked shoulder pads, and face paint. Their interview style was vicious, yet charismatic and a bit humorous.

The Road Warriors wrestled across the globe, capturing the All-Japan International Tag Team titles, as well as every American version of the World Tag Team titles (WWF, NWA and AWA) - a feat that no other tag team can claim.

Though the Road Warriors never officially broke up, Animal started making an increasing number of solo appearances in the late 1990s and early 2000s as Hawk struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. He became a high-profile player in the dying days of World Championship Wrestling, where his brother John had a powerful behind-the-scenes role. Hawk died in 2003.

Image:Joseph Laurinaitis.jpg Animal became a born-again Christian in 2003 and makes occasional appearances on Christian based wrestling shows sponsored by Ted DiBiase and Nikita Koloff.

Making a returned to WWE television on SmackDown!, Animal was challenged by the then WWE Tag Team Champions (MNM) to a Title Match at The Great American Bash. Finding a new tag team partner in Heidenreich, Animal went on to defeated MNM for the titles, dedicating the win to his late tag team partner, Michael Hegstrand (Hawk).

Profile

Image:RW Animal.jpg

Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 280 lb (127 kg)
Birthday: January 26, 1960
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Billed From: Chicago, Illinois
Trainer: Eddie Sharkey
Ring Debut: November 1982
Managers: Paul Ellering, Sunny, Ric Flair, Christy Hemme

Finishing and signature moves

Tag team moves

Doomsday Device (with Hawk and then Heidenreich)

Championships and accomplishments

World Wrestling Entertainment

2-Time WWF World Tag Team Champion (with Road Warrior Hawk)
1-Time WWE Tag Team Champion (with Heidenreich)

National Wrestling Alliance

1-Time NWA World Tag Team Champion (with Hawk)
4-Time NWA National Tag Team Champion (with Hawk)
3-Time NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with Hawk & Dusty Rhodes twice and Hawk & Genichiro Tenryu once)
Won the 1986 NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament with Hawk. They also won the 1989 NWA Iron Team Tournament at StarrCade '89.

American Wrestling Association

1-Time AWA World Tag Team Champion (with Hawk)

All Japan Pro Wrestling

1-Time AJPW International Tag Team Champion (with Hawk)

Other Titles

2-Time Superstars of Wrestling Tag Team Champion (with Hawk)
1-Time IPW Tag Team Champion (with Hawk)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI ranked him # 64 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003. He also was ranked # 1 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Road Warrior Hawk.
He also won four PWI Tag Team of the Year Awards with Hawk. They won in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988. They also were involved in the 1987 PWI Feud of the Year. The feud was with the Super Powers vs. the Four Horsemen.

WWE Tag Team Championship
Preceded by: MNM	First reign (with Heidenreich)	Succeded by: MNM

(WWE)World Tag Championship
Preceded by: The Nasty Boys	First reign (with Road Warrior Hawk	Succeded by: Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Sheister
Preceded by: The Godwinns	Second reign (with Hawk)	Succeded by: The New Age Outlaws