John Walker

John Francis Walker, better known by the ring name Mr. Wrestling II, was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Championship Wrestling from Florida and Georgia Championship Wrestling in the 1970s and early 1980s.

In 1972, Walker was semi-retired and running a gas station in Tennessee. Georgia promoter Paul Jones and his booker Leo Garibaldi asked him to return to wrestling as the masked Mr. Wrestling II.[2] Introduced as the partner of the original Mr. Wrestling (Tim Woods), Walker would take his place in many instances. Eddie Graham, the owner of the NWA Florida promotion, was also a part owner of the Georgia promotion. Graham was sending talent back and forth between the two promotions, due to the promotional war that occurred in Atlanta over a dispute with Ray Gunkel's widow Ann Gunkel and her "outlaw promotion" All-South Wrestling Alliance.

Walker as Mr. Wrestling II became an immediate top draw and legend for the territory, leading to ten reigns as the Georgia Heavyweight Champion. During Walker's time in Georgia as Mr. Wrestling II, he was considered one of the top five most-popular wrestlers in the United States.[5] He also attracted a high-profile fan in Jimmy Carter, at the time the governor of Georgia.

While most of his career during the 1970s and 1980s was focused on the southeastern corner of the United States, he also made a prominent appearance in Mid-South Wrestling during 1983 and 1984 as the coach and mentor of a young…