John Stagikas (born July 31, 1979) is an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

, better known by his

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projectin ...

, R. J. Brewer. Brewer is known for his appearances with Lucha Libre USA, where he portrayed a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

supporter of

Governor of Arizona A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Jan Brewer Janice Kay Brewer ('' née'' Drinkwine, formerly Warren; born September 26, 1944) is an American politician and author who was the 22nd governor of Arizona from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Brewer is the fourth woman (and was ...

and

Arizona SB 1070 The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (introduced as Arizona Senate Bill 1070 and commonly referred to as Arizona SB 1070) is a 2010 legislative Act in the U.S. state of Arizona that was the broadest and strictest a ...

opposed to

illegal immigration to the United States Illegal immigration to the United States is the process of migrating into the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. This can include foreign nationals (aliens) who have entered the United States unlawfully, as well as tho ...

. He is also known for his appearances elsewhere on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...

as "Hurricane" John Walters, including with

Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was s ...

, where he is a one time Pure Champion.

Early life

Stagikas attended Framingham High School, where he was a wide receiver on the football team and graduated in 1997. He also played volleyball and basketball in high school. He then attended

Assumption College Assumption College may refer to these educational institutions: Australia * Assumption College, Kilmore, Victoria * Assumption College, Warwick, Queensland Canada * Assumption University (Windsor, Ontario) (formerly Assumption College) * Assumpt ...

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second- most populous city in New England after ...

, where he played football for a further two years as a wide receiver until his career was ended by an operation to remove a

cyst A cyst is a closed sac, having a distinct envelope and division compared with the nearby tissue. Hence, it is a cluster of cells that have grouped together to form a sac (like the manner in which water molecules group together to form a bubble ...

from his neck in his junior year. Stagikas graduated in 2001 with a

degree Degree may refer to: As a unit of measurement * Degree (angle), a unit of angle measurement ** Degree of geographical latitude ** Degree of geographical longitude * Degree symbol (°), a notation used in science, engineering, and mathemati ...

Communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inqui ...

Professional wrestling career

Training and early career

After his neck surgery forced an end to his football career, Stagikas applied to several wrestling schools, and eventually joined

Killer Kowalski Walter Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008), known professionally as Killer Kowalski, was a Polish-Canadian professional wrestler. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, includin ...

's school in

Malden, Massachusetts Malden is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 66,263 people. History Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on l ...

on January 27, 2001. He trained under Kowalski for five months. Stagikas adopted the

"John Walters" as a tribute to Kowalski, and later prefixed his name with "Hurricane" at the suggestion of a college roommate. He debuted in mid-2001 in battle royals, with his singles debut coming in August 2001, and began wrestling regularly on the Bostonian

, for promotions such as the World Wrestling Alliance,

New England Championship Wrestling New England Championship Wrestling (NECW) is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in the Northeastern United States that has promoted events since 2000. Currently owned and operated by Sheldon Goldberg, is one of the top indepen ...

and

Chaotic Wrestling Chaotic Wrestling (CW) is an American independent wrestling promotion, which has been operating throughout New England since 2000; with its current home base in North Andover, Massachusetts. Chaotic Wrestling is known for producing successful, ...

Chaotic Wrestling (2001–2006)

(CW), based in Stagikas' home state of Massachusetts, was the first promotion where he got regular bookings. Here, he received supplementary training from Mike Hollow, a former trainer under Kowalski who had become the head trainer of the Chaotic Training Center. On September 7, 2001 in Lawrence, Walters defeated Slyk Wagner Brown in a match for the CW Television Championship. He lost the championship to CW Light Heavyweight Champion Dukes Dalton in

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, It is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,5 ...

on February 16, 2002 in a

championship unification Championship unification is the act of combining two or more separate professional wrestling championships into a single title. History In professional wrestling, championships may be unified to consolidate the number of championships in a give ...

match. In the course of his Television Championship reign, Walters formed a

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...

known as 12 Pack with "Good Time"

Vince Vicallo Vince is a given name, it is the anglicisation and shortened form of the name Vincent, as well as a surname. It may refer to: Given name People * Vince Agnew (born 1987), American football player * Vince Cable (born 1943), British politicia ...

. The tag team partners were the epitome of a personality clash, as Walters had the wrestling gimmick of being a strait-laced, well-conditioned athlete, while Vicallo was known as a

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...

-drinking "party animal". On December 14, 2001 in Lawrence, 12 Pack defeated

Edward G. Xtasy Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...

and Aaron Stevens for the

CW Tag Team Championship The Chaotic Wrestling (CW) Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in American independent promotion Chaotic Wrestling. It was first won by The Damned (Mad Dog and Draven), who defeated Derik Destiny and Kid Krazy ...

. They lost the title to

Adam Booker Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...

and Frankie Armadillo on July 13, 2002 in Lawrence. The former teammates then feuded for several months. Walters challenged for the CW Heavyweight Championship at ''Summer Chaos'' on August 16, 2002 in

Methuen, Massachusetts Methuen () is a 23 square mile (60 km2) city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 53,059 at the 2020 census. Methuen lies along the northwestern edge of Essex County, just east of Middlesex County and just south of ...

and defeated Aaron Stevens for the title. Following a successful

ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...

title defence against Vicallo, he began a lengthy feud with Luis Ortiz. Walters lost the belt to Ortiz on April 5, 2003, but regained it from Billy Kryptonite on January 16, 2004 in a "loser leaves Chaotic Wrestling" match. His second reign ended on March 13 of that year when he lost to Arch Kincaid. Walters was a regular performer in Chaotic Wrestling until leaving the promotion in January 2006. Walters later returned to Chaotic Wrestling for one night in 2008 to wrestle Bryan Logan for the CW Heavyweight Championship. Walters was inducted into the Chaotic Wrestling Hall of Fame in February 2009. The same night, he defeated Chase Del Monte.

Ring of Honor (2003–2005, 2006)

Following the formation of

in early 2002, Stagikas sent a

videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocasse ...

of his work to the owners of ROH, but did not hear from them. After he met ROH ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta at a Chaotic Wrestling show, Stagikas sent his

résumé A résumé, sometimes spelled resume (or alternatively resumé), also called a curriculum vitae (CV), is a document created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and accomplishments. Résumés can be used for a variety of rea ...

to ROH once more, and was contacted by booker Gabe Sapolsky in May 2003. Walters debuted in ROH on May 31, 2003 as a

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

, wrestling against Andy Anderson at ''Do Or Die''. Walters entered the 2003 Field of Honor event, but was eliminated by

Matt Stryker Brian Woermann (born July 21, 1979) is a former American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Matt Stryker. Professional wrestling career Brian Woermann attended Milford High School, where he played basketball and Diving. Af ...

. He then began

feuding A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...

with Xavier, facing him for the first time on September 20 at ''Glory By Honor II'', and defeating him decisively on December 27 at ''Final Battle 2003'' in a hardcore " Fight Without Honor". On February 14, 2004 Walters entered a one-night tournament for the

ROH Pure Championship The ROH Pure Championship is a professional wrestling championship contested for in the American professional wrestling promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). The championship is generally contested in professional wrestling matches, in which participan ...

, but was eliminated by

CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known ...

in the opening round. In mid-2004, he began a feud with Generation Next, a stable of young wrestlers with no respect for tradition. At ''Generation Next'' on May 22, 2004, Walters teamed with Jimmy Rave and the Briscoe Brothers to face Generation Next in an eight-man tag match, which Walters' team lost. At ''Testing the Limit'' in early August, Walters defeated

Nigel McGuinness Steven Haworth (born 23 January 1976), better known by his ring name Nigel McGuinness, is an English actor, professional wrestling commentator and retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE where he worked as a colo ...

to earn a match for the ROH Pure Championship. Walters won the ROH Pure Championship from Doug Williams on August 28, and went on to successfully defend it against McGuinness,

Homicide (wrestler) Nelson Erazo (born March 20, 1977) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Homicide. He is currently competing for both National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is a former NWA World Junior ...

, Jimmy Rave, and

Jay Lethal Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Dubbed "The Franchise" of Ring of Honor, Lethal is a two-time ROH World Champion ...

. During this time, Walters joined

Prince Nana Nana Osei Bandoh is an American professional wrestler and manager of Ghanaian extraction, better known by his ring name, Prince Nana. He has stated that he is an Ashanti prince. Early life Although Nana was born in the United States, he cla ...

's faction, known as The Embassy. After losing the Pure Championship to

on March 5, 2005, Walters left ROH in order to heal from several nagging injuries. Walters returned to Ring of Honor for one match on November 3, 2006 in

Braintree, Massachusetts Braintree (), officially the Town of Braintree, is a municipality in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Although officially known as a towBraintree is a city, with a mayor-council government, mayor-council form of government, and i ...

, competing in a losing effort to

Lucha Libre USA (2010–2013)

In 2010 Stagikas began wrestling for Lucha Libre USA. Under the ring name "R. J. Brewer", he adopted an anti-illegal immigration character who vows to "clean it up" and take the Mexican style out of the company. As part of the gimmick, he has wrestled in tights bearing SB1070, a reference to the

Act, frequently enters the ring with the

flag of Arizona The flag of Arizona consists of 13 rays of red and weld-yellow on the top half. The red and yellow symbolize the Spanish conquistadores that explored this part of America; this is because the flag is inspired in the current flag of Spain. The ce ...

draped around his shoulders, and claims to be the son of

Arizona Governor The governor of Arizona is the head of government of the U.S. state of Arizona. As the top elected official, the governor is the head of the executive branch of the Arizona state government and is charged with faithfully executing state laws. The ...

. The

gimmick A gimmick is a novel device or idea designed primarily to attract attention or increase appeal, often with little intrinsic value. When applied to retail marketing, it is a unique or quirky feature designed to make a product or service "stand ou ...

has garnered him much

heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...

for his anti-illegal immigrant promos. He participated in a number of matches in Season One feuding with Magno as well as a four-way match on the Season finale for the Lucha Libre USA Championship in which he was unsuccessful. In season two, Brewer formed an anti-Mexican stable called The Right with

Petey Williams Peter Williams III (born August 26, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE as a backstage producer. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling, where he is a two-time X Division Champion. He is also ...

and Jon Rekon. At the tapings of the season finale on June 18, 2011, Brewer defeated Lizmark, Jr. and

Marco Corleone Mark Robert Jindrak (born June 26, 1977) is an American businessman, former professional wrestler, and actor. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Mark Jindrak and ...

in a three-way match, with help from the newest member of The Right,

Stevie Richards Michael Stephen Manna (born October 9, 1971), better known by his ring name Stevie Richards, is an American professional wrestler. Over the course of his career, Richards has performed for major professional wrestling promotions including Easte ...

, to win the Lucha Libre USA Championship. On October 20, 2013, Brewer lost the title to

El Solar El Solar (born May 26, 1956 in Zacoalco de Torres, Jalisco, Mexico) is the ring name of a Mexican '' Luchador enmascarado'', or masked professional wrestler who has been working in Mexico since 1975. El Solar's real name is not a matter of publi ...

, but regained it later that same day. Brewer has claimed to turn down offers working for lucha libre companies in

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. Brewer was featured on ABC Nightline in January 2013. He has also had appearances on Fox News, CNN, The Geraldo Rivera Radio Show as well as being front page on publications like The LA Times and Harper's Magazine.

Other promotions (2002–present)

After then-WWE employee

Tom Prichard Thomas Prichard (born August 18, 1959) is a retired American professional wrestler and author. He is the older brother of Bruce Prichard. Professional wrestling career Early career (1979–1986) Tom Prichard began his career in Los Angele ...

held a training seminar at Chaotic Wrestling in 2003, Stagikas began working sporadically for

World Wrestling Entertainment World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

as a jobber, facing

Ohio Valley Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former developmental promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow and Matt Jones and Louisville mayor elect, Craig Greenberg. ...

mainstay Aaron Stevens in his first match for the company in April 2003. The following night, he faced Team Angle. His most prominent appearance was a loss to

Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...

on the episode of '' SmackDown!'' preceding

WrestleMania XX WrestleMania XX was the 20th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It featured professional wrestlers from both of the promotion's two brands divisions – Raw and ...

. At WrestleMania itself, on March 14, 2004 at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...

, he accompanied

The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...

to the ring while dressed as a black-clad

druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Wh ...

and wielding a flaming

torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In ...

. Walters has also wrestled for the

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

-based Eastern Wrestling Alliance, winning both the EWA New England Heavyweight Championship and the EWA Heavyweight Championship. He has appeared for

Jersey All-Pro Wrestling Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) was an independent wrestling promotion based in New Jersey, United States. History 1997 Jersey All Pro Wrestling was an independent wrestling promotion that was founded by "Fat" Frank Iadeavia and Angel Su ...

, Connecticut Championship Wrestling, and

(NECW), where he won the NECW Heavyweight Championship by defeating

Paul Lombardi Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

on March 18, 2006. Walters has also worked for Big Time Wrestling, where he has held the BTW Heavyweight Championship. In 2003, Walters began working for the

East Coast Wrestling Association East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA) is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded by promoter Jim Kettner. It is home to the annual Super 8 Tournament The Super 8 Tournament is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by ...

(ECWA). After winning a six-man qualifying bout on February 28, 2003, Walters took part in the eighth annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament on April 3, 2003. He defeated

Nicho El Millonario Dionicio Castellanos Torres (born May 19, 1971) is a Mexican professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Psicosis (sometimes Anglicised as Psychosis) and Nicho el Millonario. He is best known for his appearances with the promotions Lu ...

in the first round of the tournament, but lost to

Austin Aries Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his time with Impact Wrestl ...

in the semi-finals. On May 1, 2004 in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christin ...

, Walters challenged

Christopher Daniels Daniel Christopher Covell (born March 24, 1970), better known by the ring name Christopher Daniels, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and is the Head of Talent Relations. He is best know ...

, who had won the ECWA Heavyweight Championship in the Super 8 Tournament semi-finals. Walters won a four-way match which also included Aries and Mike Kruel to become the new ECWA Heavyweight Champion. His reign lasted nine months, before he lost the title to Scotty Charisma in a five-way match on February 12, 2005 in

Newark, Delaware Newark ( )Not as in Newark, New Jersey. is a small city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. It is located west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is home to the Uni ...

. In November 2020, he announced his return as a full-time wrestler.

Personal life

Stagikas owns a villa in Costa Rica. After graduating, Stagikas trained shelter dogs and worked in

real estate Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more genera ...

Championships and accomplishments

*Big Time Wrestling **BTW Heavyweight Championship (3 times) *

** CW Heavyweight Championship (

2 times "2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outsid ...

) **

( 1 time) – with Vince Vicallo ** CW Television Championship ( 1 time) ** Second Triple Crown Champion ** Chaotic Wrestling Hall of Fame (2009) *

** ECWA Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) *Eastern Wrestling Alliance **EWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **EWA New England Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * Lucha Libre USA ** Lucha Libre USA Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *National Wrestling Superstars ** Chris Candido Memorial J-Cup Tournament (2010) *

** NECW Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) *

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

**PWI ranked him #144 of the top 500 wrestlers in the

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publis ...

in 2012 *

( 1 time) *Squared Circle Wrestling **2CW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

''Luchas de Apuestas'' record

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brewer, R. J. 1979 births 21st-century professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers Assumption University (Worcester) alumni Living people Sportspeople from Framingham, Massachusetts Professional wrestlers from Massachusetts ROH Pure Champions Framingham High School alumni