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B. J. Annis

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B.J. Annis
Birth nameBradley Joseph Annis
Born1947
Boston, Massachusetts
Spouse(s)
Georgia Hart
​
(m. 1975)​
[1]
Children4, including Teddy Hart
FamilyHart
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)B.J. Annis[2]
Billed weight238 lb (108 kg)[2]
Billed fromBoston, Massachusetts
Trained byStu Hart
Debut1986[3][4]

Bradley Joseph "BJ" Annis is a retired bodybuilder, powerlifter, fitnessguru, professional wrestler, gym owner and firefighter.[5][6] Annis is best known for his work for Stampede Wrestling and his ownership and handling of the Calgary gym at which many of the wrestlers trained.

He was born in or around 1947.[7]

Early life

Annis was born in Boston in 1947.[7]

He earned a degree in marine engineering at the Kings Point military academy.[8] He has also served a tour in Vietnam, he was a pilot.[7]

Career

Bodybuilding

Annis started bodybuilding at the age of 15.[9] He competed mostly in Hawaii, which was also where he opened his first gym.[7]

Stampede Wrestling

Annis wrestled sporadically for Stampede Wrestling. He had singles matches against wrestlers such as Kerry Brown,[2] Mike Hammer, Cuban Assassin, Vladimir Krupoff, Gama Singh, Johnny Smith, Adolph Barbee, Makhan Singh, Karl Moffat and Drago Thomas among others.[10] Annis participated in several tag teams together with Mr. Hito, Con Kovidis, Rick Patterson, George Skaaland and brother in laws Keith and Owen Hart, respectively.[11] During his time wrestling for Stampede Wrestling he also challenged for the Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship with George Skaaland and participated in a Battle Royal in 1986.[12]

Annis was the only one of Stu Hart's sons-in-law not to be stretched by him in the Hart family dungeon.[13]

B.J's Gym

Annis also owned the gym located at 604 7 Ave. S.E. in Calgary where many of the wrestlers of Stampede Wrestling trained, such as Dynamite Kid, The British Bulldog and the McGuire twins,[14][15] called B.J's Gym.[16] Bret Hart also trained at B.J's gym while recovering from his stroke.[17]

The gym opened in 1972 and stretches 12,500 square-foot and contained with cardio equipment, weights and a juice bar.[8]

The gym closed in 2011 and Annis has stated that he has no interest in opening a new one, instead enjoying retirement with his family and possibly buying a new house.[18] In November 2011, his daughter Angie Annis staged an art exhibition at the gymnasium prior to the establishment closing its doors.[19][20][21]

Annis and his son Edward has held free presentations in Calgary to show the dangers of pro wrestling moves if performed incorrectly, and make people understand that everything that people see in the ring is carefully choreographed.[22]

In 2013 Annis participated in promoting a Next Generation Wrestling show in which parts of the profit went to the For the Love of Children Society of Alberta charity.[23]

Personal life

Annis is married to Georgia Hart, seventh child of pro wrestling patricar Stu Hart, and the sister of Smith, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Ellie, Bret, Alison, Ross, Diana and Owen Hart.[24]

Annis had with his wife four children, Edward, better known under his ring name Teddy Hart, Annie, Angela and Matthew Annis. Matthew wished to become a pro wrestler like his brother but died in 1996 at the age of thirteen.[25]

Annis has a grandson, Bradley Matthew Annis, from his son Ted and his ex-girlfriend Kim.[26]

In the late 1970s, he urged his brother-in-law, Keith Hart, to try out for the Calgary firefighter department. Hart passed a test and was accepted into the Calgary firefighter department. As a result, Hart largely reduced his wrestling commitments.

Brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith has stated that due to the fact that Annis's son had died of a staph infection he recognized an infection in both of Smith's legs and informed him that he needed to get antibiotics right away.[27]

Annis lived in the East Village in Calgary from 1972 to 2012.[28]

Championships and accomplishments

Bodybuilding

  • Alberta Canada Masters Bodybuilding Champ (1989)[9]

Professional Wrestling

  • Kocosports Combat Sports Hall of Fame

See also

References

  1. ^ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 153 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  2. ^ a b c Kerry Brown vs BJ Annis
  3. ^ "BJ Annis". cagematch.net.
  4. ^ "Match Statistics for BJ Annis". wrestlingdata.com.
  5. ^ "From headlocks to stockpots". Calgary Herald. 2012.
  6. ^ "Carrying on the family business". canoe.ca. 2003.
  7. ^ a b c d Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 152 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  8. ^ a b "Calgary Gym Icon Closing Up Shop". impactmagazine.ca. 2011.
  9. ^ a b Alberta Canada Masters Bodybuilding Champ 1989
  10. ^ "BJ Annis: Matches". cagematch.net.
  11. ^ "BJ Annis: Matches". cagematch.net.
  12. ^ "BJ Annis: Matches". cagematch.net.
  13. ^ "Tribute to the King of Harts". Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved October 24, 2003.
  14. ^ "Surviving The Dungeon part 2/11". Documentary.
  15. ^ Hart, Diana; McLellan, Kirstie (2001). Under the Mat: Inside Wrestling's Greatest Family. Fenn. p. 14 pp. ISBN 1-55168-256-7.
  16. ^ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 39 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  17. ^ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 292 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  18. ^ "Iconic gym finishes strong". Toronto Sun. June 25, 2011.
  19. ^ McCoy, Heath (November 23, 2011). "Final days at B.J.'s feature artworks, not workouts". Calgary Herald. Retrieved January 19, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  20. ^ "It was a Ring-a-Ding-Dong Dandy! Pitch 3: The B.J.'s Gym Show". awesomecalgary.org. October 28, 2011.
  21. ^ "Historic city gym preps for final workout". Metronews.ca.
  22. ^ "Grapplers hit ring to show kids hazards of the sport". canoe.ca. July 20, 2000.
  23. ^ "For the Love of Children Society of Alberta: Wrestling for a good cause" (PDF). For the Love of Children Society of Alberta. January 2014.
  24. ^ "Hart Family Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  25. ^ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. 244 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  26. ^ "'Princess among pirates' My mother's a special lady". SLAM! WRESTLING. 2001-10-06. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  27. ^ "One on one with The Bulldog". canoe.ca. Feb 2, 1998.
  28. ^ Marcello Di Cintio (May 1, 2014). "The Walls That Divide Us in Calgary". .avenuecalgary.com.
  29. ^ Kiue, David (December 3, 2012). "The Hart Family inducted into the Kocosports Combat Sports Hall of Fame". kocosports.net.

Further reading

Books
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