John Peter "J.P." Parsonage (born April 27, 1974) is a
CanadianCanada 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...
professional wrestlerProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, better known by his
ring nameA ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
"Hot Shot" Johnny Devine. He is currently wrestling on the Canadian
independent circuitIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
and wrestled in the
United States of AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for
Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
.
Early years (1997-2004)
As a teenager, John and his friends organized and competed in a wrestling show. After graduating from
Garden City CollegiateGarden City Collegiate is a high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is part of the Seven Oaks School Division, and houses grades 9-12. The Garden City motto is "Participation and Excellence."...
high schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Devine relocated to
AmericaThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, attending college in
MinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. After graduating, he joined the Canadian infantry, and met
Bret HartBret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
while posted to Calgary, Alberta in 1997. Devine then decided to train as a wrestler.
He began training in August 1997 in the infamous Hart Dungeon under
Bruce HartBruce Dennis Luis Hart is a retired Canadian professional wrestler. The second son of Stu Hart, Hart is a member of the large Hart wrestling family.Hart substitute teaches for the Calgary Board of Education.-Career:...
, a son of the legendary
Stu HartStewart Edward "Stu" Hart, CM was a Canadian amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, promoter and trainer. Hart founded Stampede Wrestling, a promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, and was the father of famous wrestlers Bret and Owen Hart...
. He debuted on October 27, 1997, facing "Gorgeous" Vinny Vegas (not to be confused with
Vinnie VegasKevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
). Devine then wrestled for various
independentIn professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
promotionsA professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
in
Western CanadaWestern Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
, and in April 1999 he joined the resurrected
Stampede 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...
, 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 the
A-ChannelA-Channel was a Canadian television system owned by Craig Media from 1997 to 2004 and CHUM Limited from 2004 to 2005. It consisted of Craig's television stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton, and was the company's unsuccessful attempt to build a national network.CHUM Limited, which acquired...
on Canadian television. In 2001 he wrestled with the short-lived Western Canadian Extreme Wrestling promotion.
Devine wrestled dark matches for both
Extreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
and the
World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. While unable to wrestle due to
nerveA peripheral nerve, or simply nerve, is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of peripheral axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons. Nerves are found only in the peripheral nervous system...
damage in his right shoulder, he operated his own promotion, Young Lions Wrestling.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004)
In February 2004 Devine debuted in
Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA) as part of
Team CanadaTeam Canada was a heel professional wrestling stable in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, which was active from 2004 to 2006.-2004 X-Cups:In 2004, wrestling promoter and personality "Coach" Scott D'Amore brought together fellow Canadians to form his own incarnation of Team Canada in Total Nonstop...
, taking part in the TNA X Cup. He returned to TNA on May 26, 2004 along with
Petey WilliamsPeter "Petey" Williams III is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a two time X Division Champion and a former captain of Team Canada. Williams Currently Wrestles for Lucha Libre USA...
, Bobby Roode and
Eric YoungJeremy Fritz is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known under his ring name Eric Young. He currently performs for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he has gained popularity using a variety of comic relief gimmicks....
, taking part in the TNA World X Cup, which pitted teams of wrestlers from Canada,
MexicoTeam Mexico is a professional wrestling stable that was first formed in 2004 to compete in TNA Wrestling's America's X-Cup Tournament and has since returned to compete in other TNA X Cup Tournaments.-2004:...
, the United States and
JapanTeam Japan is a wrestling faction that was brought together as a part of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's World X Cup Tournament.-2004:Team Japan started as six-man team as team captain Nosawa from All Japan Pro Wrestling teamed with Osaka Pro Wrestling's Ebessan and Kamen competed in...
against one another. Team USA was victorious with six victories in the course of the night, with Team Canada in third place with three points.
In June 2004 Team Canada began a lengthy
feudA professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with the
3Live KruThe 3Live Kru was a professional wrestling stable in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . The 3Live Kru debuted in July 2003, and was initially a trio of wrestlers, consisting of Ron Killings, Konnan and B.G. James. The gimmick of the 3Live Kru was that each member of the group exemplified a racial...
.
On September 26, 2004, Devine and fellow TNA wrestler Andy Douglas were involved in an altercation after leaving
Bar Nashville in
Nashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Devine was
stabbedA stabbing is penetration with a sharp or pointed object at close range. Stab connotes purposeful action, as by an assassin or murderer, but it is also possible to accidentally stab oneself or others.Stabbing differs from slashing or cutting in that the motion of the object used in a stabbing...
in the stomach, and his
gallbladderIn vertebrates the gallbladder is a small organ that aids mainly in fat digestion and concentrates bile produced by the liver. In humans the loss of the gallbladder is usually easily tolerated....
and a foot of his lower intestine were removed as a result. He was sidelined for six weeks while recuperating, returning on December 5.
Memphis Wrestling (2005)
In March 2005 Devine was removed from in-ring competition once more after he tore his
medial collateral ligamentThe medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
and
anterior cruciate ligamentThe anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
while defending the Mid-Southern Tag Team Championships with Eric Young for
Memphis WrestlingMemphis Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:Memphis Wrestling evolved from an earlier short-lived promotion called Memphis Championship Wrestling.-Television:...
in
Memphis, TennesseeMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. 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 in
Windsor, OntarioWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, as well as acting as an announcer for some promotions. He was replaced within Team Canada by
A-1Alastair Charles Ralphs , better known as A-1 , is a Canadian professional wrestler and former bodybuilder.-Early life:...
.
World Wrestling Entertainment (2005)
Devine returned to the ring in July 2005, wrestling occasionally for various Canadian independent promotions. On August 18, 2005, Devine appeared on an episode of
World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's
SmackDown! as J.P. Parsons, teaming with
Ruffy SilversteinAaron Quinn Schlosser is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his stage name Ruffy Silverstein...
and losing to
Road Warrior AnimalJoseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior...
and
HeidenreichJon Heidenreich is an American professional wrestler, better known simply as Heidenreich. He is best known for his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a one time WWE Tag Team Champion with Road Warrior Animal as a part of the Road Warriors.-Early career:Prior to professional...
in a squash match.
In October 2005 he returned to Winnipeg, 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 several
herniaA hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
s. He underwent surgery to repair the hernias on January 27, 2006. Devine later relocated to
Windsor, OntarioWindsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
.
Return to TNA (2006–2008)
Devine returned to TNA on the May 4, 2006 episode of
TNA Impact!Impact Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that currently airs in the United States and Canada on Spike...
, teaming with Eric Young and subsequently losing to
ShockerJosé Luis Jair Soria is a Mexican professional wrestler, who wrestles under the name Shocker. He has in the past branched out into the United States, working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.-Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre :...
and Magno of
Team MexicoTeam Mexico is a professional wrestling stable that was first formed in 2004 to compete in TNA Wrestling's America's X-Cup Tournament and has since returned to compete in other TNA X Cup Tournaments.-2004:...
in the first round of the
2006 World X CupThe TNA 2006 World X Cup Tournament was a professional wrestling X Cup Tournament staged by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in April and May 2006...
.
On the June 29, 2006 episode of
Impact!, Team Canada was disbanded by TNA Management Director
Jim CornetteJames Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
. On the same episode of
Impact!, Devine joined
Paparazzi ProductionsPaparazzi Productions was a villainous professional wrestling faction in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Started by Alex Shelley, it was inspired by his real-life interest in, and study of, wrestling videos...
, appearing alongside
Alex ShelleyPatrick Martin , is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Alex Shelley. He wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he currently teams with Chris Sabin as The Motor City Machine Guns. He previously gained fame on the independent circuit, working most notably for...
and acting as his
production assistantA production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production...
. Devine was fired from Paparazzi Productions by Kevin Nash for allegedly refusing to edit German snuff films for Nash. He was replaced with
Austin StarrDaniel Healy "Dan" Solwold, Jr. better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is the current X Division Champion...
.
Devine appeared with
Matt BentleyMatthew James "Matt" Bentley is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling by the ring name Michael Shane. He was trained by his cousin, former World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Shawn Michaels, and he took the name Michael Shane as a play on...
and
Frankie KazarianFrank B. Gerdelman is an Armenian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Frankie Kazarian or simply Kazarian. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
at TNA's Prime time premiere, the trio displaying an entirely different look. The three were soon dubbed Serotonin, a new version of
RavenScott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
's Flock stable. As a member of the new group, Devine's name was changed to Havok. 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 the
X DivisionThe X Division is a high-flying, high-risk, fast-paced style of professional wrestling seen originally in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and since then in various NWA member promotions...
, including standing up for them against
Team 3DTeam 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
. On the November 15 edition of Impact, Team 3D apparently took him hostage in order to get their demands met by the
Motor City Machine GunsThe Motor City Machine Guns is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. The team currently works in the American company Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where they are former TNA World Tag Team Champions...
. 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 called
Johnny Devine, with the new handle "The X-Division Traitor" attached, and became Team 3D's new interference runner, leading to Ray and
Devon 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 27, 2007 edition of
TNA TodayTNA Today was a free online professional wrestling program produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . It is hosted by TNA interviewer Jeremy Borash, with occasional appearances by Don West...
, Devine defeated former Team Canada teammate
Petey WilliamsPeter "Petey" Williams III is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he is a two time X Division Champion and a former captain of Team Canada. Williams Currently Wrestles for Lucha Libre USA...
after driving him to the mat with a double underhook piledriver. Devine was sporting new entrance music and attire as well and regained his cocky and obnoxious attitude.
On the January 24, 2008 taping of
TNA Impact, Devine defeated
Jay LethalJamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion...
to win the
TNA X Division ChampionshipThe TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...
after Brother Ray hit Lethal with a kendo stick. This was Devine's first title in TNA. He lost the title back to Lethal at Against All Odds after being pinned by Lethal in a six man street fight which also included Team 3D and The Motor City Machine Guns. At
Bound for GloryBound for Glory IV was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on October 12, 2008 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. It was the fourth annual Bound for Glory event and the first to be referred to in roman numerals...
he interfered during the Monster's Ball match helping Team 3D put
AbyssChristopher J. "Chris" Parks , better known by his ring name "The Monster" Abyss, is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
through a
flaming tableHardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
.
Devine was released from TNA and left on October 13, 2008. Devine claimed he left because wrestling was "no longer fun" for him in TNA.
Independent circuit (2008–present)
After completing a program at Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, Devine moved from Windsor to Toronto, Ontario and was hired as a On Air Personality/Analyst for
The Fight NetworkFight Network is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel devoted to airing programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combatant styles...
. He has also done some work for the Canadian Independent Promotion, BSE Wrestling.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Devine Driller (Fireman's carry dropped into a facebreaker)
- Devine Driver (Pumphandle sitout scoop slam piledriver)
- Devine Intervention (Double underhook piledriver)
- Devine Intervention / Five–Star Moonsault (Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
into a frog splash)
- Signature moves
- Devine DDT / Tarantula DDT (Rope hung implant DDT)
- Devine Retribution (Frankensteiner)
- Enzuigiri
- Hurricanrana
- Love Gun Moonsault (Split–legged moonsault)
- Shooting star press
- Springboard crossbody
- Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s
- "Hot Shot"
- "The X Division
The X Division is a high-flying, high-risk, fast-paced style of professional wrestling seen originally in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and since then in various NWA member promotions...
Traitor"
- "Brother Devine"
- Entrance themes
Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Burnin' It Up" by Dale Oliver
Dale Byron Oliver is an American music composer who works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Formerly a guitarist in BackHawk , Oliver serves mainly as a composer of theme music used in professional wrestling.-Music composer for TNA:Since 2003, Oliver writes, records, and produces music under...
(TNA)
Championships and accomplishments
- Great Canadian Wrestling
Great Canadian Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion company based in Oshawa, Ontario. GCW was founded in 2005 and promotes shows throughout Southern Ontario. The company also hosts since 2005 an annual Great Canadian Wrestling Expo that takes place over several days and...
- GCW National Championship (1 time)
- GCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Michael Elgin
- Memphis Wrestling
Memphis Wrestling is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:Memphis Wrestling evolved from an earlier short-lived promotion called Memphis Championship Wrestling.-Television:...
- Memphis Southern Tag Team Championship
The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship from its inception through 1977, when it was renamed the AWA Southern...
(1 time) – with Eric YoungJeremy Fritz is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known under his ring name Eric Young. He currently performs for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he has gained popularity using a variety of comic relief gimmicks....
- Prairie Wrestling Alliance
The Prairie Wrestling Alliance is an independent wrestling promotion based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, since 2001. The PWA is owned, operated, and promoted by Kurt Sorochan and Don Ferguson. Its head booker is Lance Storm.-History:...
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #251 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2009
- Stampede Wrestling
Stampede 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...
- Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship
The Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title for lighter wrestlers in the Canadian promotion, Stampede Wrestling. It has existed since 1978.-Title history:...
(1 time)
- Stampede International Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Greg Pawluk
- Top Rope Championship Wrestling
- TRCW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- TRCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rick Vain
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
- TNA X Division Championship
The TNA X Division Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. It is primarily defended in TNA's X Division—a style based on a fast-paced, daredevil type of wrestling...
(1 time)
- Western Canadian Extreme Wrestling
- WCEW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
External links