Johnny Devine

Johnny Devine
Born	(1974-04-27) April 27, 1974 Merritt, British Columbia
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	J.P. Parsons Johnny Devine Havok Brother Devine
Billed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Billed weight	222 lb (101 kg)
Billed from	Winnipeg, Manitoba Reno, Nevada Calgary, Alberta
Trained by	Bad News Brown Scott D'Amore Bruce Hart Stu Hart, Davey Boy Smith
Debut	October 27, 1997

John Peter "J.P." Parsonage (born April 27, 1974) is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Hot Shot" Johnny Devine. He is currently wrestling on the Canadian independent circuit and wrestled in the United States of America for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

Early years (1997-2004)

As a teenager, John and his friends organized and competed in a wrestling show. After graduating from Garden City Collegiate high school, Devine relocated to America, attending college in Minnesota. After graduating, he joined the Canadian infantry, and met Bret Hart 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 Hart, a son of the legendary Stu Hart. He debuted on October 27, 1997, facing "Gorgeous" Vinny Vegas (not to be mistaken with Vinnie Vegas). Devine then wrestled for various independent promotions in Western Canada, and in April 1999 he joined the resurrected Stampede 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 the A-Channel on Canadian television. In 2001 he wrestled with the short-lived Western Canadian Extreme Wrestling promotion.

Devine wrestled dark matches for both Extreme Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. While unable to wrestle due to nerve 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 Wrestling (TNA) as part of Team Canada, taking part in the TNA X Cup. He returned to TNA on May 26, 2004 along with Petey Williams, Bobby Roode and Eric Young, taking part in the TNA World X Cup, which pitted teams of wrestlers from Canada, Mexico, the United States and Japan 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 feud with the 3Live Kru.

On September 26, 2004, Devine and fellow TNA wrestler Andy Douglas were involved in an altercation after leaving Bar Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee. Devine was stabbed in the stomach, and his gallbladder 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 ligament and anterior cruciate ligament while defending the Mid-Southern Tag Team Championships with Eric Young for Memphis Wrestling in Memphis, Tennessee. 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, Ontario, as well as acting as an announcer for some promotions. He was replaced within Team Canada by A-1.

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 Entertainment's SmackDown! as J.P. Parsons, teaming with Ruffy Silverstein and losing to Road Warrior Animal and Heidenreich 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 hernias. He underwent surgery to repair the hernias on January 27, 2006. Devine later relocated to Windsor, Ontario.

Return to TNA (2006–2008)

Devine returned to TNA on the May 4, 2006 episode of TNA Impact!, teaming with Eric Young and subsequently losing to Shocker and Magno of Team Mexico in the first round of the 2006 World X Cup.

On the June 29, 2006 episode of Impact!, Team Canada was disbanded by TNA Management Director Jim Cornette. On the same episode of Impact!, Devine joined Paparazzi Productions, appearing alongside Alex Shelley and acting as his production assistant. Devine was fired from Paparazzi Productions by Kevin Nash for allegedly refusing to edit German snuff films for Nash. He was replaced with Austin Starr.

Devine in London in September 2008

Devine appeared with Matt Bentley and Frankie Kazarian at TNA's Prime time premiere, the trio displaying an entirely different look. The three were soon dubbed Serotonin, a new version of Raven'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 Division, including standing up for them against Team 3D. 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 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 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 Today, Devine defeated former Team Canada teammate Petey Williams 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 Lethal to win the TNA X Division Championship 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 Glory he interfered during the Monster's Ball match helping Team 3D put Abyss through a flaming table.

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 Network. 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 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

• Nicknames
  • "Hot Shot"
  • "The X Division Traitor"

• Entrance themes
  • "Burnin' It Up" by Dale Oliver (TNA)

Championships and accomplishments

• Great Canadian Wrestling
  • GCW National Championship (1 time)
  • GCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Michael Elgin

• Memphis Wrestling
  • Memphis Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Eric Young

• Prairie Wrestling Alliance
  • PWA Hall of Fame

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #251 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2009

• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (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
  • TNA X Division Championship (1 time)

• Western Canadian Extreme Wrestling
  • WCEW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Worst Worked Match of the Year (2006) TNA Reverse Battle Royal on TNA Impact!

References

• An interview with Johnny Devine conducted by Alan Wojcik

External links

• JohnnyDevine.net (Official Website)
• Johnny Devine biography at Canoe.ca
• Johnny Devine column at Canoe.ca
• CygyWrestling.com Biography
• Tha O Show Episode 29 Johnny Devine Interview
• Tha O Show Episode 125 Johnny Devine Interview
• Tha O Show Episode 137 Johnny Devine Interview
• Tha O Show Episode 169 Johnny Devine Interview