Ron Garvin | |
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Garvin in the late-1980s.
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Birth name | Roger Barnes |
Born |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
March 30, 1945
Family | Jimmy Garvin (stepson) |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Miss Atlanta Lively Mr. Eau Gallie Mr. Knoxville Roger Barnes Ron Garvin |
Billed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
Billed weight | 242 lb (110 kg) |
Billed from | Montreal, Quebec, Canada Charlotte, North Carolina |
Trained by | Pat Patterson |
Debut | 1962 |
Retired | 1999 |
Roger Barnes (born March 30, 1945) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Ron "Ronnie" Garvin. He is best known for his appearances with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Championships held by Garvin over his career include the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Barnes started wrestling in 1962 under his birthname. In the mid-1960s he adopted the ring name "Ron Garvin" and formed a tag team with Terry Garvin, who was billed as being his brother. The duo teamed throughout the late-1960s and early-1970s, winning several regional tag team championships. They were managed by their other "brother," Jimmy Garvin (actually Ron's stepson in real life).
Garvin made a name for himself as a singles wrestler in the Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee territories in the late 1970s after splitting with Terry and Jimmy. Garvin wrestled in the Ron Fuller (Welch)-owned Knoxville promotion (Southeastern Championship Wrestling) where he (in)famously threw the championship belt off of the Gay Street Bridge. He later wrestled in Angelo Poffo's International Championship Wrestling promotion where he was best known for his heated rivalries with Randy Savage and Pez Whatley. One of Garvin's best-known ICW moments was where he knocked Ox Baker's dentures out of his mouth, after which Garvin stomped on the dentures. Garvin is well known in the Southeast, he had feuds with such wrestlers as Andre the Giant, Bob Orton, Jr, and Tony Charles. For a time, Garvin used a gimmick known as Mr. Knoxville and formed a tag team with Charles, but soon Garvin turned on him and started teaming with Orton, turning heel in the process.