by Stephen Von Slagle
Unquestionably, a chapter (or two) in any “Book of Wrestling” would have to be dedicated to the tradition of the squared circle’s masked men; those hooded marvels who, despite having their faces completely covered, incited unyielding hatred from their audience or, in certain cases, inspired great admiration and, in many instances, both. Like their masked brethren in Mexico and Japan, the North American masked men have traditionally featured several identifiable characteristics, unique to their corner of the globe. But, unlike other countries where flamboyantly attired masked wrestler have flourished, in the United States and Canada the athletes who wore a hood generally opted for a relatively basic mask design and standard ring attire. Rather than high-flying, elaborately costumed heroes, the majority of North American masked men were hulking, devious villains. However, there are always exceptions to every rule and, in a few rare cases, the North American masked man represented sportsmanship and unbreachable code of honor. Certainly, these traits apply to, and, essentially, define the wrestler who history has proven to be perhaps the most popular American masked man of all time, the grappler that President Jimmy Carter once cited as being his (and his mother’s) favorite “rassler,” the legendary Mr. Wrestling II.
Mr. Wrestling II spent the early 1980s splitting his time between the Mid South, Georgia and Florida territories and along with Sunshine State mainstays such as Dusty Rhodes and Mike Graham, Mr. Wrestling II was one of popular Florida territory’s top fan favorites. As always, the masked man was constantly in the title hunt during his tenure in Florida and he twice wore the Florida Heavyweight championship, having defeated one of his arch-rivals, The Masked Spoiler, in 1981 for the title and then capturing the belt again in 1982 when he bested James J. Dillon. Later in 1982, after returning to the Mid South promotion, the hooded grappler captured the Mississippi State championship by defeating another fierce masked rival, Mr. Olympia (Jerry Stubbs).
By virtue of his status as a consistent regional titleholder, Mr. Wrestling II received more than his fair of NWA World Heavyweight title matches, against several different champions. During the early Seventies, he was a serious threat to Jack Brisco’s claim to the championship and then a few years later, Mr. Wrestling II became a constant thorn in the side of NWA kingpin Harley Race. Of course, one cannot forget his exciting, money-making run against “Nature Boy” Ric Flair in Georgia and Florida during the early eighties. While he never captured “The Big One,” the skilled masked man more than filled his role as a “credible challenger” and whenever he was granted a title shot, the arena was invariably packed full with fans who hoped that they were about to see Mr. Wrestling II finally win the World Heavyweight championship…
The legendary Mr. Wrestling II’s final title victory came in 1987 while he was competing in the Southeastern-based Continental Wrestling Federation. It was at this time that the wily veteran won the Alabama Heavyweight title by defeating Mike Golden on April 27, 1987. The seasoned grappler, once again a babyface and still incredibly popular amongst Southern wrestling fans, then went on to hold the Alabama State championship for two months before the young Golden was able to avenge his previous loss and regain the title. Approximately two years after losing the Alabama championship, and following nearly 35 years as a professional wrestler, the revered masked man officially retired from active competition in 1989.
Mr. Wrestling II was voted Wrestler of the Year (1975) and Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1980) by the readers of Pro Wrestling Illustrated (italicize) and is a member of the WCW Hall of Fame (1993), the NWA Hall of Fame (2012), and the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame (2014).
On June 10, 2020, Johnny “Mr. Wrestling II” Walker passed away in Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 85.