Johnny Barend—a man whose name was synonymous with the kind of wrestling heel who could make a mother cry and a toddler demand his autograph—was everything the wrestling world never knew it needed. Tall, dark, and usually wearing sunglasses and a cigar, Barend’s style was as distinct as his approach to the business: cocky, unpredictable, and completely unapologetic. Here’s a dive into the life and career of “Handsome” Johnny Barend, who made cheating seem like a lifestyle and sulking in the ring an art form.
CHAPTER ONE: A WARRIOR IS BORN IN ROCHESTER
Born in 1929 in Rochester, New York, Barend’s early life reads like the script of a future heel’s origin story. He was a wrestler by the time he could tie his shoes (which, considering his rise to fame, was probably about age eight). After high school and a stint in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where, naturally, he was still wrestling in his downtime, Barend came home to Rochester, fired up and ready to make the wrestling world bend to his will.
He started training under Ed Don George, officially launching his professional career in 1949 with a clean win over Faro Rinaldi. That would be the first of many victories, though most would have a bit more… flair.
CHAPTER TWO: A PARTNER IN CRIME—GENE DUBUQUE AND THE RISE OF THE BAD GUY
By 1956, Barend had found his ideal partner in the form of Gene Dubuque (aka Magnificent Maurice). Together, they became a tag team force that absolutely relished in the idea of bending every rule they could find. The two took their act on the road, first to the unforgiving wilds of Hawaii (at least that’s how it probably felt at the time) for 50th State Big Time Wrestling, where their heel personas were practically pre-programmed into their DNA. They’d go on to win multiple tag team championships and terrorize the islands for a good chunk of the late ’50s and early ’60s.
In true “villainous” fashion, Barend’s manager, a guy named Ernie Roth (who later became the infamous Grand Wizard of Wrestling), didn’t just walk Barend down the aisle—he practically shoved fans into submission. Roth was a key part of the Barend mystique, adding that necessary layer of madness that was bound to make fans not just hate, but despise the duo.
CHAPTER THREE: WWWF & THE UNITED STATES TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP—THE BEGINNING OF LEGEND
Barend made his first foray into what would become the World Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1962. Paired with the iconic Buddy Rogers, Barend’s heel presence was a perfect complement to Rogers’ legend. The duo won the Capital Wrestling Corporation’s United States Tag Team Championship, holding it for an impressive 245 days. They had a reign that wasn’t just about winning but also about tormenting the audience, reminding them that it was all about making the rules when you could break them.
CHAPTER FOUR: THE BAD GUY IN EVERY TERRITORY—NWA, HAWAII, SAN FRANCISCO, AND BEYOND
If wrestling was an ocean, Barend was the shark—constantly swimming to new territories, leaving behind a trail of chaos in his wake. After his WWWF run, he bounced between NWA Upstate, Hawaii, and San Francisco, winning various championships along the way, including multiple NWA Tag Team titles in different regions. His time in Hawaii solidified his status as a master manipulator in the ring, known for his showmanship and his ability to get under the skin of every fan in the building.
Barend also created the infamous catchphrase that still echoes through wrestling lore: “Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat.” That was his life motto—and, to be honest, it was Jesse Ventura’s before it was Jesse’s. But Barend didn’t just talk the talk; he walked it, often using his hat, sunglasses, and cigar as tools of intimidation.
CHAPTER FIVE: RETIREMENT AND A QUIET LEGEND
In 1972, Barend stepped away from the ring for good—or so he thought. He’d already seen it all, done it all, and had enough titles and enemies to fill an autobiography (which—spoiler alert—he never wrote, but we’d pay top dollar for). Though he retired after a run with Dory Funk Jr. in 1969 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the wrestling world didn’t forget his name. And truth be told, Barend never really left the scene. He continued to pop up in small spots, maintaining his villainous mystique.
In his later years, Barend lived peacefully with his wife, Annie Lum, whom he married in 1967 during a wrestling show in Honolulu. Life wasn’t glamorous, but it was full—just as any self-respecting bad guy would prefer.
CHAPTER SIX: THE FINAL CURTAIN CALL
Sadly, on September 20, 2011, Johnny Barend passed away quietly in his sleep at the age of 82. His death was as understated as his career was loud—refusing medical intervention like a true heel, stubborn until the end. He wasn’t just a wrestler; he was a master of manipulation, a man who knew how to work an audience as well as anyone who came before or after him.
Barend wasn’t just a character; he was a living, breathing symbol of the old-school style of wrestling, one where the fans’ emotions were as much a part of the match as the moves themselves. Whether you loved him or hated him, you knew one thing: Johnny Barend was wrestling’s bad guy—and nobody did it better.
EPILOGUE: “WIN IF YOU CAN, LOSE IF YOU MUST, BUT ALWAYS CHEAT”
Johnny Barend’s legacy isn’t found in a series of championship titles, though they were many. It’s in the lessons he imparted to future generations of wrestlers: embrace the dark side, let the fans hate you, and always, always cheat your way to the top if you can get away with it.
And just like that, Johnny Barend—Hat, Cigar, Sunglasses—became a legend in his own time, with a quote that still reverberates through the hearts of heels everywhere.
