Almost a year ago, on March 4, 2024, Johnny Norris, an aspiring grappler of the squared circles of Pittsburgh, found himself not in the ring, but rather checking into St. Clair hospital in Pittsburgh on a brisk Monday morning. The bright lights and enthusiastic atmosphere of the West Newton gym, where he was a crowd favorite for the Renegade Wrestling Alliance, a blue collar league known in the region for its diehard fan base, were replaced with the static florescent bulbs and dry environment of his pre-op room.
Instead of hearing the cheers of the crowd packed into the venue known as “The House of Renegades” for its gritty appeal and signature visual presentation, Norris sat in solitude, pondering his pro wrestling future as he heard the chatter of the busy medical staff in the hallways.
The procedure was the reconstruction of his right knee, which required doctors to cut his patellae and relocate it to his tibia. Tendons and cartilage had to be replaced to provide stability for his knee cap throughout the recovery process.
However, this wasn’t the first or even second time that Norris had to go under the knife to repair his right knee, but rather the fourth surgery, with an additional surgery on his left knee previously as well.
“The origin of both my knees consist of genetically bad joints. I have massive arthritis in both knees. The dislocation issues arouse multiple times in the military and have became worse with age. I’ve had one dislocation during training and one in a match,” Norris explained.
Before Norris wore a vest inspired by the 1979 gang film, “Warriors,” a touching tribute to his late younger brother’s favorite movie, and wrestling boots to prepare for combat in the ring, he wore steel toe boots and a uniform as a member of the United States Navy. Serving from 2007 to 2013, Norris obtained the rate and rank of Master of Arms Third Class Petty Officer. Throughout his six-year tenure as a member of the armed forces, Norris was stationed as close to home as Virginia and Illinois, but also as far away as Guantanamo Bay and Japan.
Similar to the design of his wrestling gear, his service to the country also has family ties.
“My grandfather served in Vietnam, and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps and serve my country,” he explained.
The connection between military service and the sport of professional wrestling played a key role for him, as the two went hand-in-hand when he decided to pursue each path.
“At 19, I tried out for wrestling training. Problem was, I was 6’2” and 150 pounds. Everything about wrestling hurt more than I could explain. Not having medical insurance made the decision to pause a no-brainer. So, I decided my next best option, the United States Navy,” Norris commented.
Despite his accomplishments and travels quite literally around the world in the navy, Johnny Norris always had the goal in the back of his mind of pursuing a stint in the over-the-top world of professional wrestling. He fell in love with the sport at 14, spending hours each day running through different scenarios of future championship glory while he sat in math class as a youth, or doodling pro wrestling logos in notebooks during study halls.
So, when the scrawny kid that joined the navy at 150 pounds emerged as an adult with lean muscle mass and tremendous agility from years of physical training in the military, Norris opted to jump back into pro wrestling training with both feet.
“From the first day that Johnny Norris walked through the door to begin training to become a wrestler, you could tell that he was something special. He absorbed everything taught to him like a sponge, applied it immediately, and came back asking more questions on how to improve what he was just taught. Not only did he learn and want to learn more, he did it with an incredible amount of humility and respect, something you don’t see a lot of anymore,” explained Quinn Magnum, a retired pro that worked for years as a trainer before he became the head organizer of the Renegade Wrestling Alliance last year.
Throughout 2019, he learned the ropes at a local spot in Pittsburgh, a region with a vibrant independent scene, with at least live event cards running somewhere in the area on any given weekend. The building was dingy and provided a harsh reality check that glamour isn’t guaranteed at the entry level of the industry. Still, Norris’ size, agility, and thirst for knowledge impressed his trainers, as they saw the potential of a successful career in the cards for him.
At first, he surfaced on smaller cards in a body guard role while he put the finishing touches on his in-ring training before he was slated for his pro debut. Unfortunately, when the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the entire world, his plans for sports entertainment were delayed.
However, when Norris was unleashed as a regular performer in 2022, he spent the following two years establishing himself on the local scene as a force that the fans took notice of almost immediately.. Throughout 2022 and 2023, Norris built momentum as he steadily honed his craft, gaining valuable experience wrestling on live events to polish his skills.
The knee injury that he sustained in early-2024 that landed him at St. Clair Hospital on the previously mentioned chilly March morning tested his determination and dedication to a career inside the ring ropes. During the bulk of the rehabilitation process, the grappler with the moniker “Lights Out” spent seven days a week working toward incremental improves to achieve mobility again. The wrestler that jumped, ran, and dove in the ring found that it took months to rebuild toward the most simple movements.
“Therapy was incredibly hard, it started with very simple exercises like slight bending of the knee and stretching. At about five months, I finally reached full bend of my knee and could do exercises like walking, lunges, step ups, squats, and running,” Norris remarked.
Of course, after he was medically cleared for activity again, Norris was chomping at the bit to get back on the canvas of a wrestling ring. He began to work on conditioning drills at the Stronghold Academy, the training center of the Ryse Wrestling organization, located in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.
“Norris has been an up-and-coming performer in Pittsburgh for a few years. Unfortunately, had some nagging injuries, but now he’s back. Johnny has been training at the Stronghold training center to get back in ring shape and really focusing on finding himself. This guy has the passion and the grit to be one of the best, and I think we will see all that culminate very soon. 2025 will be the break the out year for Johnny Norris and he will own the years to come. Everyone better step their game up if they want to keep up with him,” said Dean Radford, an accomplished grappler that is currently the co-head trainer and one of the behind-the-scene organizers of Ryse Wrestling.
Finally, after nearly a year of away from the competition of sports entertainment, the lights literally went out in the West Newton gym, as the villainous Gianni Micheal Emricko gloated on the mic, asking who could challenge for his RWA No Limits championship. As music played, the lights came on, revealing Norris standing in the ring behind the heel after the extended absence. The fans in attendance erupted when Norris choke slammed his foe, proclaiming his intentions to win the title.
“I think I had the same feeling anyone has once they return from injury or a long break. Will everyone remember me? They did, and it was the greatest feeling I ever had in my career. The hard work, the training, and overcoming almost impossible odds all paid off. Johnny Norris is just getting started,” he said.
With Norris back in the game, he also returned to Ryse Wrestling earlier this month as the organization’s no-nonsense commissioner. It’s no surprise that promoters and event organizers from across the circuit want to add the dynamic and powerful athlete to their line-ups.
“You can tell when someone has that ‘it’ factor and Johnny Norris possesses that factor. However, he exceeds that factor by doing it in the most positive way possible and that is going to carry him to the top of anywhere he steps into. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Johnny Norris from that first day, to now, and into the future. I’m excited to see just how far he can go and feel lucky to be along for the ride in any fashion,” added Magnum.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Johnny Norris in professional wrestling, the knee injury that put him on the shelf in 2024 is proof of how unpredictable the sport can be. However, the biggest takeaway from his career might be the perseverance it takes to overcome a series of obstacles to continue to pursue the passion for the sport of professional wrestling.
For more information about Johnny Norris, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/johnny.norris.3954546
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
