 Devine at an independent wrestling show in 2016 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Parsonage[2] (1974-04-27)April 27, 1974 (age 51)[1] Merritt, British Columbia, Canada |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | J.P. Parsons Johnny Devine[1] Havok[1] Brother Devine |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 222 lb (101 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | Winnipeg, Manitoba[1] Reno, Nevada Calgary, Alberta |
| Trained by | Allen Coage[1] Scott D'Amore Bruce Hart Stu Hart, Davey Boy Smith |
| Debut | October 27, 1997[1] |
John Parsonage[2] (born April 27, 1974)[1] is aCanadian semi-retiredprofessional wrestler, better known by hisring name"Hot Shot" Johnny Devine. He is best known for his time inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling.
As a teenager, John and his friends organized and competed in a wrestling show. After graduating fromGarden City Collegiatehigh school, Devine relocated to theUnited States, attending college inMinnesota. After graduating, he joined theCanadian infantry, and metBret Hart while posted toCalgary, Alberta in 1997. Devine then decided to train as a wrestler.He began training in August 1997 in the infamousHart Dungeon underBruce Hart, a son of the legendaryStu Hart. He debuted on October 27, 1997, facing "Gorgeous" Vinny Vegas (not to be confused withVinnie Vegas). Devine then wrestled for variousindependentpromotions inWestern Canada, and in April 1999 he joined the resurrectedStampede Wrestling, a wrestling promotion operated by the Hart family, at times forgoing pay when attendances were poor and takings low. As part of the Stampede Wrestling roster, Devine appeared on theA-Channel on Canadian television. In 2001 he wrestled with the short-lived Western Canadian Extreme Wrestling promotion.
Devine wrestleddark matches for bothExtreme Championship Wrestling and theWorld Wrestling Federation. While unable to wrestle due tonerve damage in his right shoulder, he operated his own promotion, Young Lions Wrestling.
In February 2004, Devine debuted inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as part ofTeam Canada, taking part in the TNA X Cup. He returned to TNA on May 26, 2004 along withPetey Williams,Bobby Roode andEric Young, taking part in the TNA World X Cup, which pitted teams of wrestlers from Canada,Mexico, the United States andJapan against one another. On the July 9 edition ofImpact, Team Canada (Eric Young, Johnny Devine and Bobby Roode) defeated Rod Steele and Bruce Steele andFrankie Capone, Team USA was victorious with six victories in the course of the night, with Team Canada in third place with three points. At Sacrifice, Devine competed in a World X Cup Gauntlet which was won by Petey Williams.
In June 2004, Team Canada began a lengthyfeud with the3Live Kru. On the August 11 edition ofImpact, Team Canada (Eric Young and Johnny Devine) defeated 3-Live Krew (BG James and Konnan). On the August 25, 2004 edition ofImpact, Team Canada (Scott D’Amore, Johnny Devine, and Eric Young) defeated 3Live Kru in a six-man tag match. On the August 27 edition ofImpact, Team Canada (Williams, Roode, Young, and Devine) beat Rod and Bruce Steele, Mikey Batts, and Jerrelle Clark. On the September 1 edition ofImpact, Team Canada (Young, Devine, and Roode) faced BG James, Konnan, and the Midnight Rider (Dusty Rhodes) in a six-man tag match in a losing effort. On the September 10 edition ofImpact, Devine and Roode defeated Chris Harris and Elix Skipper. Following the September 26 edition ofImpact, Devine and fellow TNA wrestlerAndy Douglas were involved in an altercation after leaving Bar Nashville inNashville, Tennessee. Devine wasstabbed in the stomach, and hisgallbladder and a foot of his lower intestine were removed as a result. He was sidelined for six weeks while recuperating, returning on December 5 at Turning Point 2004 in a surprise return where he helped Team Canada recapture the Tag Team titles. On the December 24 edition ofImpact, Devine faced AJ Styles in a losing effort. On the January 28, 2005 edition ofImpact, Devine faced Monty Brown in a losing effort. On the February 11, edition ofImpact, Devine defeated Sonny Siaki.
In March 2005, Devine was removed from in-ring competition once more after he tore hismedial collateral ligament andanterior cruciate ligament while defending the Mid-Southern Tag Team Championships with Eric Young forMemphis Wrestling inMemphis, Tennessee.[3] He underwent knee surgery on March 15, with a predicted recovery time of six months to a year. While injured, Devine worked as a trainer at Scott D'Amore's Can Am Wrestling School inWindsor, Ontario, as well as acting as an announcer for some promotions. He was replaced within Team Canada byA-1.
Devine returned to the ring in July 2005, wrestling occasionally for various Canadian independent promotions. On August 18, 2005, Devine appeared on an episode ofWorld Wrestling Entertainment'sSmackDown! as J.P. Parsons, teaming withRuffy Silverstein and losing toRoad Warrior Animal andHeidenreich in asquash match.
In October 2005, he returned toWinnipeg, Manitoba. Two weeks later, he announced that he required further surgery as a result of the stabbing thirteen months earlier, which had been improperly treated by doctors in Nashville, leaving him with severalhernias. He underwent surgery to repair the hernias on January 27, 2006. Devine later relocated toWindsor, Ontario.
Devine returned to TNA on the May 4, 2006 episode ofTNA Impact!, teaming with Eric Young and subsequently losing toShocker and Magno ofTeam Mexico in the first round of the2006 World X Cup. At Sacrifice, Devine competed in a World X Cup Gauntlet which was won by Petey Williams.
On the June 29, 2006 episode ofImpact!, Team Canada was disbanded by TNA Management DirectorJim Cornette. On the same episode ofImpact!, Devine joinedPaparazzi Productions.[3]
He was enlisted byAlex Shelley to be Paparazzi Production's production assistant, the two of them wearing Shelley's new "Eye Spy" T-shirt. They wrestled as a tag team on a special TNA Xplosion match and an Impact! non-title match versus then, NWA Tag Team championsA.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels. AfterKevin Nash went out of action due to the injury, Alex Shelley and Johnny Devine continue to wrestle in both singles and tag-team action. On July 16, 2006, atVictory Road, Devine w/Alex Shelley defeatedShark Boy on the Pre-show. On the July 27 edition of Impact, Devine competed in a 4-way X-Division match which was won by Petey Williams. On the August 10 edition of Impact, Devine, Kevin Nash and Alex Shelley lost a six-man tag team match toChris Sabin,Sonjay Dutt andJay Lethal. AtHard Justice (2006), Devine faced Eric Young in a losing effort. On the August 17 edition of Impact, Devine teamed with Alex Shelley and Petey Williams faced the team of Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal in a losing effort. On the August 24 edition of Impact, The Paparazzi (Alex Shelley & Johnny Devine) defeatedThe Naturals. AtNo Surrender (2006), Shelley and Devine competed in Triple Chance tag team battle royal, which was won by The Naturals. On the September 28 edition of Impact, Devine teamed withSenshi and Alex Shelley in a losing effort against Chris Sabin, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. On the October 12 edition of Impact, Devine teamed with Senshi, Shelley and Petey Williams to face Chris Sabin, Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt and Sharkboy in a losing effort. AtBound for Glory 2006, Devine competed in the Kevin Nash Open Invitational X Division Gauntlet battle royal where he was eliminated byAustin Starr. On the November 2 edition of Impact, Devine was later fired from the Paparazzi by Kevin Nash. Devine was replaced, much to the dismay of Shelley, by former Generation Next teammate Austin Starr due to Kevin Nash's wishes. On the November 9 edition of Impact, Devine lost a 3-way match to Austin Starr.
Devine appeared withMatt Bentley andFrankie Kazarian at TNA's prime time premiere, the trio displaying an entirely different look. The three were soon dubbedSerotonin, a new version ofRaven's Flockstable. As a member of the new group, Devine's name was changed to Havok. On the October 25 edition of Impact!, he participated in a fatal four way X Division style match against Williams, Sonjay Dutt and Shark Boy, but the match went to a no-contest after Team 3D interfered and put both Havok and Williams through tables. AtTNA Genesis (2006), Devine & Kazarian, Maverick Matt lost toThe Voodoo Kin Mafia. atTNA Against All Odds (2007) pre show, Serotonin (Kazarian and Havok) defeated Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt, AtLockdown, Serotonin (Havok and Kaz) lost to The Voodoo Kin Mafia (B.G. James and Kip James) in aSix Sides of Steel match. AtNo Surrender 2007, Serotonin (Raven and Havok) competed in a Ten-team tag team gauntlet match which was won by A.J. Styles and Tomko. AtBound for Glory (2007), Devine was in a Fight for the Right Reverse Battle Royal which was won by Eric Young. Following Kaz's turn, the release of Martyr (Bentley), and Raven's disappearance from television, the Havok gimmick still continued even with him on his own as a member of theX Division, including standing up for them againstTeam 3D. On the November 15 edition of Impact, Team 3D apparently took him hostage in order to get their demands met by theMotor City Machine Guns. The X Division rescued him and he went under the ring and grabbed a Kendo stick, then he suddenly attacked his fellow X Division stars, thus turning on the division and joining Team 3D on their quest to destroy it. This also effectively ended Serotonin once and for all, since within that segment, he'd ditched both the face paint and the brooding attitude associated with the group, although he continued wielding Serotonin's signature weapon, the Kendo stick.
The week after that he went back to being calledJohnny Devine, with the new handle "The X-Division Traitor" attached, and became Team 3D's new interference runner, leading toRay andDevon giving him the nickname "Brother Devine". This also began his signature catch phrase directed toward opponents, "you may be good, but you're not devine!".
On the November 15 edition of Impact,Team 3D took a mystery member of the X-Division hostage and made a list of demands. The entire X-Division came to his rescue but the hostage (Devine) was a traitor and helped Team 3-D destroy everyone. On the November 22 edition of Impact, Devine competed in a 3-way Turkey Bowl Qualifier which was won by Samoa Joe. AtTurning Point, Johnny Devine and Team 3D defeatedJay Lethal and The Motor City Machine Guns in a Six Man Tag Team Tables match. On the November 27, 2007 edition ofTNA Today, Devine defeated former Team Canada teammatePetey Williams after driving him to the mat with adouble underhook piledriver. Devine was sporting new entrance music and attire as well and regained his cocky and obnoxious attitude. On the December 6 edition of Impact, Devine and Team 3D defeated Jay Lethal & Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley in a Ladder Match. On the December 13 edition of Impact, Devine faced "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal in a Lumberjack Strap match, which he lost. On the December 20 edition of Impact, Team 3-D and Devine faced Jay Lethal, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin in a Double North Pole Match, which they lost. On the January 3, 2008 edition of Impact, Devine participated in a TNA X-Division Gauntlet Match, which was won by Petey Williams. AtFinal Resolution (January 2008), Devine and Team 3D defeated Jay Lethal and The Motor City Machine Guns in a Six-man tag teamUltimate X match. On the January 24, 2008 taping ofTNA Impact, Devine defeatedJay Lethal to win theTNA X Division Championship after Brother Ray hit Lethal with a kendo stick. This was Devine's first title in TNA. On the February 7 edition of Impact, Devine faced Homicide where he lost by DQ. He lost the title to Lethal atAgainst All Odds after being pinned by Lethal in a six-man street fight which also included Team 3D and The Motor City Machine Guns.[4] On the February 21 edition of Impact, Devine lost 3-way #1 Contenders match for a shot at the X Division title. On the March 27 edition of Impact, Devine defeated Alex Shelley in an X-Scape Qualifying match. AtLockdown (2008), Devine was a part of aSix Man Xscape match for the TNA X Division Championship, which was won by Jay Lethal. On the April 17 edition of Impact, Devine got a X-Division title shot but failed to win the title. AtSacrifice, Devine competed in aTerrorDome match to determine the number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship and take Kurt Angle's place in the main event; the match was won by Kaz. On the May 15 edition of Impact, Devine and The Rock & Rave Infection faced Kaz, Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt in a losing effort. On the June 5 edition of Impact, Devine competed in aKing of the Mountain match, which was won by Kaz. On the July 24 edition of Impact, Devine competed in a Fatal 4 Way Match, which was won byConsequences Creed. On the July 31 edition of Impact, Devine teamed with Lance Rock andJimmy Rave to face Jay Lethal,Curry Man and Shark Boy in a losing effort. On the August 14 edition of Impact, Devine facedMatt Morgan in a losing effort. On the September 4 edition of Impact, Devine faced Abyss in a Hardcore Match that ended in a No Contest. On the September 11 edition of Impact, Devine facedSamoa Joe in Match #1 of Kevin Nash's "Challenge" for Joe. On the September 18 edition of Impact, Devine teamed with Petey Williams and Jimmy Rave to face Super Eric, Shark Boy and Curry Man in a losing effort. AtBound for Glory, Devine competed in a Steel Asylum match (during which he botched his finishing move, resulting in the injury of Jimmy Rave), which was won by Jay Lethal; on the same night, he also interfered during the Monster's Ball match, helping Team 3D putAbyss through aflaming table.
Devine was released from TNA and left on October 13, 2008.[5] Devine claimed he left because wrestling was "no longer fun" for him.[6]
Devine returned for TNA One Night Only10 Reunion on August 2, 2013 (taped March 17, 2013) where he competed in a Battle Royal which was won byMatt Morgan.
After completing a program atSpecs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, Devine moved from Windsor to Toronto, Ontario and was hired as an On Air Personality/Analyst forThe Fight Network. He has also done some work for the Canadian Independent Promotion,BSE Pro.On January 18, 2013 Devine worked for theHart Legacy promotion in Calgary, taking part in a six-man tag team match, where Devine,Bobby Lashley andChris Masters were defeated byLance Storm,Davey Boy Smith, Jr. andLance Archer.On April 11, 2016, Devine competed on the second night of the two-night Vendetta Pro Wrestling event 'Casino Royale' in Las Vegas, Nevada. First, he won the Second Chance Battle Royal to get into the night's main event for theCauliflower Alley Cup. Then, he defeatedTokyo Monster Kahagas (who won the Casino Royale Rumble on the first night) to become the first competitor to win the Cauliflower Alley Cup after winning the Second Chance Battle Royal.[7]While holding the XICW Lightheavyweight Championship, Devine has defeated the likes of Tyson Dux and Cody Deaner for Border City Wrestling, Joey Ryan of Lucha Underground fame, and the one legged wonder Zach Gowan.[8][9]
