John Laurinaitis

At 61 years old, John Laurinaitis has this physical status:

John Hodger Laurinaitis (born July 31, 1962), also known as Johnny Ace, is an American senior producer and retired professional wrestler currently employed by WWE. He has competed for such titles as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), and WWE.

He is Joe's brother (Road Warrior Animal; one half of the former wrestling tag team The Road Warriors) and Marcus, as well as James Laurinaitis, a retired National Football League player.

Laurinaitis worked in the talent department for eight years and as a regular wrestler from 2011 to 2012.

He transitioned from his corporate backstage job to being a producer after his on-screen dismissal.

Laurinaitis served as an executive for WWE before joining WWE.

Early life

John Hodger Laurinaitis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 31, 1962.

Personal life

Joe and Marcus, Laurinaitis' brothers, are also professional wrestlers. He is also the uncle of James Laurinaitis, the former linebacker for the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints.

Laurinaitis became engaged to Kathy Colace, the Bella Twins' mother and the mother-in-law of former WWE champion Daniel Bryant, who was born in September 3, 2015. On March 24, 2016, the two were married in a private ceremony.

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Professional wrestling career

John Laurinaitis, a born-to-bear, first wrestled in 1986 as Johnny Ace. Ace first placed first in NWA's Florida Championship Wrestling, and he and his brother The Terminator teamed often. Jim Crockett Promotions, also a flag-bearer for The Sheepherders and followed them to another NWA territory. Later, after JCP had been purchased by Turner Broadcasting Systems and re-branded World Championship Wrestling, he formed "the Dynamic Dudes" with Shane Douglas. They were operated by Jim Cornette until Cornette turned on them for Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane's version of The Midnight Express. Ace lost to Mean Mark Callous, later known as The Undertaker, in his last televised WCW match, at Capital Combat on May 19, 1990.

When All Japan Pro Wrestling was separating from the NWA in 1990, Laurinaitis decided to stay in it, effectively making it a permanent foreign fixture on the roster. He had a lot of success in AJPW, including Kenta Kobashi, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Bart Gunn.

During his tenure as a two-time All Asia Tag Team Champion, a four-time World Tag Team champion, and the winner of the New Year's Heavyweight Battle Royal on January 2, 1991 at Korakuen Hall, Laurinaitis enjoyed significant championship glory and acclaim. Dave Meltzer, he received the Wrestling Observer's (PWI) top 100 wrestlers for 1997, two of his matches received five Stars from him, and he was ranked #77 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's (PWI) top 500 wrestlers for 1997. Laurinaitis' career came to an end on February 28, 1998, when he faced Mitsuh Misawa for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. It will be Laurinaitis' first shot at those three coveted belts. He came in #203 in PWI's top 500 all time rankings following his retirement in 2000.

After the split between All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah, Laurinaitis withdrew from the Ring in June 2000. Vince Russo was quickly returned to World Championship Wrestling, where he took over Vince Russo as head booker. Laurinaitis was responsible for organizing the highly coveted one-night single elimination tournament for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, which was won by Lance Storm's debuting Lance Storm.

After WWF's acquisition of certain WCW assets in March 2001 and again in June, Laurinaitis was promoted to head of talent relations. Laurinaitis first promoted Jim Ross as vice president of talent relations in June 2004 and then as executive vice president in March 2009. However, when Stephanie McMahon took over talent management and handed over the reins to Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Laurinaitis took over Laurinaitis from his executive position to senior vice president of talent management. In his interviews with Laurinaitis, he has discussed how Laurinaitis' tenure with Ohio Valley Wrestling (WWE's developmental territory) was criticized as Ross did, with some failing to mention the promotion when wrestlers from the main roster or wrestlers from the main roster were supposed to be called up to the main roster or wrestlers from the main roster were scheduled to be drafted to the main roster or wrestlers from the main roster were scheduled to appear in vw. WWE will eventually have to say no more about it.

During CM Punk's infamous 'pipe bomb' promo, Laurinaitis was described as a "glad-handing, nonsensical, douchebag yes-man" who will "tell Vince McMahon everything he wants to hear" on the Laurinaitis episode on June 27, 2011. During the main event of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view the following month, Laurinaitis followed McMahon as a corporate stooge. Laurinaitis tried to imitate the Montreal Screwjob at the climax of the WWE Championship match, but Laurinaitis, a champion of the sport, refused to take the match in the wrong direction. CM Punk won the match and the championship due to this interference. Following Punk's departure from the company, Laurinaitis appeared alongside McMahon on Raw, Laurinaitis as McMahon announced an 8-man tournament to determine a new WWE champion. On the August 1 episode of Raw, Laurinaitis interrupted Triple H, telling him to strip Cena of his WWE Championship, which prompted Cena to break him and threaten him again before Laurinaitis fled the scene. Triple H helped Triple H officiate the contract signing between CM Punk and John Cena for their match at SummerSlam this week, according to Laurina. Cena flipped the table over and moved to face Punk after signing the deal, but Laurinaitis prevented him from entering the tournament. Punk kicked Laurinaitis in the back of the head while Cena was on alert to triple H instead of Punk, causing Cena to mistakenly hit Triple H instead of Punk.

Following SummerSlam, Laurinaitis began to appear on WWE television as part of Triple H's effort to figure out who had sent a text message to the returning Kevin Nash, telling him to beat CM Punk immediately after his victory at SummerSlam, causing him to lose the WWE Championship to Alberto Del Rio, who earned his money in the Bank contract right away. Laurinaitis arranged Nash for a private meeting in his office on August 15, and Raw's September 5 episode revealed Nash as a victim, noting the city. During this time, Laurinaitis was also seen sending text messages backstage and on ringside. Following Nash's claim that he had sent the text message to himself, it was assumed that Laurinaitis was planning to attack Triple H in his current role as chief operating officer, presumably because he wanted the job for himself. Laurinaitis interfered in the main event in an attempt to have Triple H removed from office, but The Miz and R-Truth, who accused both Triple H and CM Punk of being a ruse, had intervened. After Laurinaitis sent a text at ringside, Nash also interfered in the game.

Otunga, a Harvard Law School graduate, and as part of Otunga's work as Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, were dissatisfied with Triple H's conduct as COO on the September 26 episode. Laurinaitis and Otunga's founder, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and Vickie Guerrero sat down with Christian, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, and Vickie Guerrero on this week's edition of SmackDown to address the issue.

Following a kayfabe strike by members of WWE's crew as a result of Triple H's leadership, Vince McMahon announced Laurinaitis as the new Interim General Manager of Raw on the October 10 edition. Following repeated attacks, Laurinaitis fired Jim Ross and revived The Miz and R-Truth. After a few weeks of impartiality during which he pledged that he would listen to the WWE fans under the hashtag of "People Power," Laurinaitis began to scream for shame against WWE Champion CM Punk, who had consistently sluggish Laurinaitis and questioned his credibility over the past few months. Punk was placed in a gauntlet match against three opponents on December 26th; whoever pinned Punk would get a shot at the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble. Punk agreed to the contest under the condition that if he beat all three of the three characters, he would face Laurinaitis himself afterwards. Laurinaitis distracted Punk during the match, allowing Dolph Ziggler to pin Punk and earn a championship shot. Laurinaitis threw Punk out of his championship match against Ziggler the following week, causing him to be counted-out and retain the trophy. Punk and Ziggler were then scheduled in a WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble, in which he introduced himself guest referees. Punk continued to lose to Ziggler in January, prompting Punk's retaliation against Laurinaitis, who said he was misusing his power. Laurinaitis began to announce himself as the soon-to-become permanent General Manager. In reaction to this, the Board of Directors directed that Chief Operating Officer Triple H's position as Interim General Manager be reviewed by the Board of Directors. Punk defeated Ziggler. Triple H planned to do a performance review of Laurinaitis and his behaviour during the investigation, but The Undertaker interrupted him before the final decision was reached. The Board of Directors then decided on February 7, 2012, to keep Laurinaitis as Interim General Manager.

The Laurinaitis family feud with SmackDown general manager Theodore Long ensued. Raw and SmackDown's respective General Managers exchanged addresses for one night only, with Laurinaitis in charge of SmackDown for March 9, 2012, and Long in charge of Raw for March 5, 2012. Laurinaitis played his first match in ten years (as well as his first for WWE), losing to Theodore Long in a singles match this week. Laurinaitis' feud with Long until WrestleMania XXVIII, in which Long and Laurinaitis selected a team of six wrestlers to represent them, with the winning team earning general manager control of both brands. Longsa Long lost his position as SmackDown's General Manager after defeating Team Teddy. After threatening to withdraw Long's grandchildren's trust fund, Laurinaitis compelled Long to become his new assistant on the SmackDown, 2012 edition. Eve Torres, the Executive Administrator of Raw and SmackDown, was named on the episode of Raw, Laurinaitis, on April 23, 2012.

Cena was briefly attacked on Raw, Laurinayis, with the assistance of Tensai, before the mayor declared himself Cena's opponent at Over the Limit on May 30, 2012. After the Big Show blasted him for consistently ridiculing his voice, Laurinaitis publicly humiliated and dismissed the WWE Big Show from the WWE on May 14 episode. The Board of Directors sent Laurinaitis a letter stating that if he lost the no disqualification match against Cena at Over the Limitation, he would be dismissed. Despite being heavy opponents, Laurinaitis defeated Cena despite being on the brink after Big Show interfered and threatened Cena. Since assisting him in the match against Cena, Raw, Laurinaitis, who now uses a power chair and crutches for mobility purposes, he rehired the Big Show.

Vince McMahon gave Laurinaitis a career assessment on the June 11, 2012 episode of Raw. Before McMahon could fire Laurinaitis, the Big Show on McMahon hit the WMD on McMahon by accident. In a Steel Cage match at No Way Out, Cena defeated Big Show in a Big Show. McMahon fired Laurinaitis before a match, followed by Cena hitting the Attitude Adjustment on Laurinaitis through a broadcast table. Laurinaitis booked himself in a 3-on-1 Handicap Match against Cena next night, in his last show in charge. Both Big Show and Otunga came out on Laurinaitis, allowing Cena to strike Laurinaitis with three Attitude Adjustments before making him submit to the STF.

Laurinaitis was kicked out of his backstage executive positions and back to his first position as a road agent after his tenure as an on-screen performer in 2012.

On the SmackDown episode of March 29, 2013, Laurinaitis offered The Rock his services as head coach for his match against John Cena. Rock Laurinaitis received a Spinebuster and a People's Elbow. Laurinaitis was on Survivor Series, alongside Los Matadores, R-Truth, Santino Marella, and Fandango, as well as at the 2013 Slammy Awards, where they presented the Rookie of the Year award to The Shield.

Laurinaitis assembled a squad to face Teddy Long's team in SmackDown's 15th Anniversary Special on October 10, 2014. Teddy Long's crew took the match. He appeared at the Slammy Awards in December and inducted The Bushwhackers into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 28, 2015.

Laurinaitis was one of many senior figures to unsuccessfully apply for either Raw or SmackDown's general manager positions prior to the brand's split. He appeared on Raw on June 20, 2016, but Shane McMahon led him off the stage, but Shane McMahon led him off the stage.

Laurinaitis was one of the guests on stage during Raw's 25th Anniversary episode on January 22, 2018.

Laurinaitis made a cameo appearance at the Men and Women's Money in the Bank match, which was shot inside the WWE headquarters on May 10, 2020.

Laurinaitis was re-hired by WWE as Head of Talent Relations in March 2021. The WWE board began looking at nondisclosure deals relating to employee misconduct allegations against Laurinaitis and Vince McMahon in April 2022. Laurinaitis was dismissed from his post on June 21 and replaced by Bruce Prichard. On August 8, Laurinaitis was officially fired by WWE after 21 years with the firm.

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