Don Leo Jonathan
Encyclopedia
Don Heaton also known as Don Leo Jonathan, is an American former professional wrestler.
. Over the course of his career, he competed around the world, making stops in Europe
, South Africa
, Australia
and Japan
; he wrestled more often, however, in the United States
and Canada
. His first championship wins occurred in Montreal
with the International Wrestling Association, where he twice captured their International Heavyweight title.
Elsewhere in Canada, Jonathan found more success competing in Toronto
's National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) affiliate Maple Leaf Wrestling
(where he first teamed with Gene Kiniski
to win the Canadian Open Tag Team title, in 1959) and in Winnipeg, where he wrestled for NWA member Alex Turk
Promotions (twice winning their International Tag Team title) and for the American Wrestling Association
. Jonathan also got a taste of World heavyweight gold when he won the AWA-affiliated Omaha
territory's version of the World title three times in 1961.
Canada eventually became home to Jonathan in the early 1960s as he settled in the Vancouver suburb of Langley
. Making Vancouver his home base, he competed frequently for NWA All Star Wrestling
, winning five Pacific Coast Heavyweight titles between 1970 and 1977, the NWA World Tag Team title (with Dominic Denucci
) in 1966, and a record 18 Canadian Tag Team titles between 1964 and 1978, as well as challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against such titleholders as Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr.
and Jack Brisco
; he also engaged in feuds with Kiniski and Dutch Savage
in All Star, as well as teaming with them. On May 31, 1972, in what was billed as the "match of the century," Jonathan defeated Le Géant Jean Ferré (André the Giant
) by disqualification. On September 7, 1972, in a match which was billed as the "Battle of the Giants" Jonathan had a rematch against André, this time losing by disqualification. Late in his career, he appeared as one of the wrestlers in the 1978 Sylvester Stallone
movie Paradise Alley
.
Jonathan wrestled his final match, teaming with André the Giant and Roddy Piper
to defeat The Sheepherders and Buddy Rose
in Vancouver on March 10, 1980, before retiring from the ring that year. On November 5, 2005, he appeared at an event in Surrey, British Columbia
, presented by Top Ranked Wrestling (prior to its purchase by NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
) to be honored in a special ceremony for his contributions to the sport. On May 20, 2006, he was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
in Amsterdam, New York.
As of 2011, Don Leo Jonathan continues to represent the sport he loves, and makes appearances from time to time on Cloverleaf Radio, a Blog Talk Radio show.
On January 8th, 2012, Don Leo Jonathan Headlines The Cloverleaf Radio Hall of Fame, Class of 2012.
and raised as a Mormon
. He played high school football and learned martial arts. Before entering the world of professional wrestling, Jonathan was a sailor in the United States Navy
.
He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia since 1963. He is married to a woman named Rose. After retiring from professional wrestling, he pursued a career in underwater inventions and exploration. He survived bladder cancer.
Professional wrestling career
Jonathan, nicknamed "The Mormon Giant" was a second generation star (his father was former wrestler Brother Jonathan) who made his professional wrestling debut after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Over the course of his career, he competed around the world, making stops in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; he wrestled more often, however, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. His first championship wins occurred in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
with the International Wrestling Association, where he twice captured their International Heavyweight title.
Elsewhere in Canada, Jonathan found more success competing in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) affiliate Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling
Maple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto.-Queensbury Athletic Club:...
(where he first teamed with Gene Kiniski
Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
to win the Canadian Open Tag Team title, in 1959) and in Winnipeg, where he wrestled for NWA member Alex Turk
Alexander Turk
Alexander Turk was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a Liberal-Progressive from 1953 to 1958....
Promotions (twice winning their International Tag Team title) and for the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
. Jonathan also got a taste of World heavyweight gold when he won the AWA-affiliated Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
territory's version of the World title three times in 1961.
Canada eventually became home to Jonathan in the early 1960s as he settled in the Vancouver suburb of Langley
Langley, British Columbia (city)
The City of Langley is a municipality in Metro Vancouver. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to Cloverdale, and surrounded on the north, east and south by Township of Langley.-History:...
. Making Vancouver his home base, he competed frequently for NWA All Star Wrestling
NWA All Star Wrestling
NWA All Star Wrestling is a former Canadian professional wrestling promotion, based in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Early History:Although other wrestling promotions existed in Vancouver prior to the early 1960s , All Star became the...
, winning five Pacific Coast Heavyweight titles between 1970 and 1977, the NWA World Tag Team title (with Dominic Denucci
Dominic DeNucci
Dominic DeNucci is an Italian-American professional wrestler. He is also an accomplished trainer, counting former World Heavyweight champions Mick Foley and Shane Douglas, as well as referee Brian Hildebrand, among his students.-Early career:...
) in 1966, and a record 18 Canadian Tag Team titles between 1964 and 1978, as well as challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against such titleholders as Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...
and Jack Brisco
Jack Brisco
Freddie Joe Brisco was an American professional wrestler, better known as Jack Brisco or Uvalde Slim. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance , becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco...
; he also engaged in feuds with Kiniski and Dutch Savage
Dutch Savage
Frank Stewart is a former professional wrestler and wrestling promoter, best known for his time spent competing in Pacific Northwest Wrestling under the ring name Dutch Savage.-Career:...
in All Star, as well as teaming with them. On May 31, 1972, in what was billed as the "match of the century," Jonathan defeated Le Géant Jean Ferré (André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
) by disqualification. On September 7, 1972, in a match which was billed as the "Battle of the Giants" Jonathan had a rematch against André, this time losing by disqualification. Late in his career, he appeared as one of the wrestlers in the 1978 Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
movie Paradise Alley
Paradise Alley
Paradise Alley is a 1978 film about three brothers in Hell's Kitchen, New York City in the 1940s who become involved in professional wrestling. It was written and directed by Sylvester Stallone, and was given the green light by Universal Pictures after Stallone's success with 1976's Rocky...
.
Jonathan wrestled his final match, teaming with André the Giant and Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
to defeat The Sheepherders and Buddy Rose
Buddy Rose
Paul Perschmann was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Playboy" Buddy Rose.-Career:Paul Perschmann was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s...
in Vancouver on March 10, 1980, before retiring from the ring that year. On November 5, 2005, he appeared at an event in Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
, presented by Top Ranked Wrestling (prior to its purchase by NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling
Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling is a Western Canadian-based professional wrestling promotion, operating as a member of the National Wrestling Alliance...
) to be honored in a special ceremony for his contributions to the sport. On May 20, 2006, he was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Amsterdam, New York. It was previously located in Schenectady, New York...
in Amsterdam, New York.
As of 2011, Don Leo Jonathan continues to represent the sport he loves, and makes appearances from time to time on Cloverleaf Radio, a Blog Talk Radio show.
On January 8th, 2012, Don Leo Jonathan Headlines The Cloverleaf Radio Hall of Fame, Class of 2012.
Personal life
Jonathan was born in Hurricane, UtahHurricane, Utah
Hurricane is a city in Washington County, Utah. Its population was 13,748 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Along with several other areas of southwestern Utah, the Hurricane area has seen a large population growth since the 1970s, and it has blended in with neighboring city of St...
and raised as a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
. He played high school football and learned martial arts. Before entering the world of professional wrestling, Jonathan was a sailor in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
He has lived in Vancouver, British Columbia since 1963. He is married to a woman named Rose. After retiring from professional wrestling, he pursued a career in underwater inventions and exploration. He survived bladder cancer.
Championships and accomplishments
- Alex Turk Promotions
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Winnipeg version) (2 times) – with Whipper Billy WatsonWhipper Billy WatsonWilliam John Potts, O.Ont was a Canadian professional wrestler best known by his ring name Whipper Billy Watson, and was a two-time world heavyweight wrestling champion.-Early life:...
(1) and Jim Hady (1)
- American Wrestling Alliance
- AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Catch Wrestling AssociationCatch Wrestling AssociationThe Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...
- CWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Cauliflower Alley ClubCauliflower Alley ClubThe Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
- Iron Mike MazurkiMike MazurkiMike Mazurki was an Austrian-born American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in over 100 movies. His towering 6' 5" presence and intimidating face usually got him roles playing tough guys, thugs, strong men, and gangsters.Mazurki was born as Mikhail Mazurkevych in Tarnopol, Galicia,...
AwardAwardAn award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
(2007)
- European Wrestling Union
- EWU World Super Heavyweight ChampionshipEWU World Super Heavyweight ChampionshipThe EWU World Super Heavyweight Championship is an inactive professional wrestling championship that was competed for in the European Wrestling Union, contested exclusively among Super Heavyweight wrestlers. It was established in 1974, and the first and last champion was Jan Wilkens. In 1984 the...
(1 time)
- Grand Prix WrestlingGrand prix wrestlingGrand Prix Wrestling is a wrestling promotion run and owned by Emile Duprée. Grand Prix Wrestling has currently stopped touring due to heavy traveling costs...
- GPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Association (Montreal)
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- Maple Leaf WrestlingMaple Leaf WrestlingMaple Leaf Wrestling was the unofficial name in the 1970s and 1980s of the professional wrestling promotion run by Frank Tunney in Toronto.-Queensbury Athletic Club:...
- NWA Canadian Open Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Canadian Open Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship was the top tag team professional wrestling championship in the Canadian promotion Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1952 through 1961. The title was then replaced with the Toronto version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship.-Title history:...
(1 time) – with Gene KiniskiGene KiniskiEugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
- Midwest Wrestling Association (Ohio)National Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- MWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ray Stern
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship was established in 1962 as the top tag team title in NWA All-Star Wrestling. The title held that status until late summer 1985, when the title was renamed the UWA Tag Team Championship upon All-Star Wrestling's departure as a member of...
(18 times) – with Kinji ShibuyaKinji ShibuyaKinji Shibuya was an American professional wrestler and actor.-Professional wrestling career:In 1952, promoter Al Karasick suggested Shibuya try professional wrestling. He was originally given a villainous gimmick of a Japanese bad guy after World War II. He wrestled in the United States and...
(1), Roy McClarty (1), Gene Kiniski (1), Jim Hady (1), Haystacks CalhounWilliam CalhounWilliam Dee Calhoun was a professional wrestler, who used the professional name "Haystack" or "Haystacks" Calhoun. The gargantuan wrestler was one of the foremost drawing cards during the industry’s “Golden Age” of the 1950s and 1960s while sporting his trademark white T-shirt, blue overalls, and...
(2), Dominic DeNucciDominic DeNucciDominic DeNucci is an Italian-American professional wrestler. He is also an accomplished trainer, counting former World Heavyweight champions Mick Foley and Shane Douglas, as well as referee Brian Hildebrand, among his students.-Early career:...
(1), Rocky JohnsonRocky JohnsonRocky Johnson is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. Quite popular in his own right in the 1970s and 1980s, he is also known for being the father of actor and professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson...
(1), Sky-Hi JonesAurelian SmithAurelian Smith was an American professional wrestler better known as Grizzly Smith. He was the father of professional wrestlers Aurelian, Jr...
(1), Paddy BarrettPat BarrettPatrick "Pat" Barrett is a former Irish professional wrestler who is best known for his time with NWA and WWWF. He has wrestled in many areas which include Ireland, Pacific Islands, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United States of America.-Career:The Irish wrestler Pat Barrett started wrestling...
(1), Johnny Kostas (1), John TolosJohn TolosJohn Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager.-Canadian Wrecking Crew:...
(1), Duncan McTavish (1), Steven Little Bear (1), Jimmy SnukaJimmy SnukaJames William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
(1), John Anson (1), Dutch SavageDutch SavageFrank Stewart is a former professional wrestler and wrestling promoter, best known for his time spent competing in Pacific Northwest Wrestling under the ring name Dutch Savage.-Career:...
(1), and John Quinn (1) - NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version)NWA Pacific Coast (Vancouver) Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Vancouver version of the NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in two National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated Vancouver territories...
(5 times) - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver, British Columbia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1966 to 1967, and was the top tag team title in Vancouver-based NWA All Star Wrestling during that period.-History:-External links:* *...
(1 time) – with Dominic DeNucci
- NWA Los AngelesNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Lord Carlton and Fred BlassieFred BlassieFrederick Kenneth Blassman , better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Renowned as "The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling" , Blassie was a master at antagonizing the crowd, and inspired legendary animosity...
- Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
- World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version) (3 times)
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Television Era (2006)
- Southwest Sports, Inc.World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (1 time)
- NWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Texas Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title that has existed since the 1930s. Though its exact date of creation isn't known, it is among the oldest championships used in professional wrestling today...
(2 times)
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version)NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (Calgary version)The Calgary version of the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship was established in 1946, and became the top championship in Stampede Wrestling when that promotion opened in 1948; it held that status until 1972, when the title was vacated and later abandoned after the last champion, Dave Ruhl, was...
(2 times) - Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
- World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
- IWA World Tag Team ChampionshipIWA World Tag Team Championship (WCW Australia)The IWA World Tag Team Championship was the top tag team professional wrestling title in the Australian World Championship Wrestling promotion from 1966 through 1971....
(2 times) – with Antonio PuglieseAntonio PuglieseAntonio Pugliese , born in Cosenza, Italy, was a professional wrestler. He is better known by his ring name Tony Parisi. Pugliese was primarily a tag team wrestler, and he won tag team titles in several organizations, including the National Wrestling Alliance , World Wide Wrestling Federation , and...
- World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
- WWA International Television Tag Team ChampionshipWWA International Television Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWA International Television Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Los Angeles-based World Wrestling Association from the promotion's formation in 1954 until 1964 when it was unified with the WWA World Tag Team Championship. -Title history:...
(1 time) – with Fred Blassie
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)