John Laurinaitis

John Laurinaitis (born July 31, 1965 in San Bernardino, California) is the Vice President of Talent Relations for World Wrestling Entertainment. He was previously a professional wrestler known as Johnny Ace.

Career

John Laurinaitis started wrestling in 1986 as Johnny Ace. At first, while wrestling in Florida Championship Wrestling Ace frequently teamed with his brother The Terminator, and later when he wrestled for NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions he formed a tag team with Shane Douglas called "The Dynamic Dudes". They were managed by Jim Cornette until Cornette turned on them for Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane's version of The Midnight Express. Prior to entering the competition as one of The Dynamic Dudes at the NWA, he already appeared as a valet (a flagbearer) for the team of The Sheepherders.

As All Japan Pro Wrestling was cutting its ties with the NWA in 1990, Laurinaitis chose to stay in it, thus becoming a permanent foreign fixture on the roster. In AJPW found a lot of success, teaming with Kenta Kobashi, "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Mike Barton.

Laurinaitis retired from wrestling in 2000 after the split between All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH. He soon joined World Championship Wrestling where he replaced Vince Russo as head booker. He became a road agent in the World Wrestling Federation after the sale of WCW to the WWF in 2001. Laurinaitis worked his way up to become Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE in 2004 (replacing Jim Ross), which put him in charge of talent scouting and contracts for the company.

Booking Style

Laurinaitis has been credited for changing the match style of WCW, and later WWF (now WWE), to emphasize greater ring psychology. This is often attributed to his experience in All Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he wrestled and was head foreign booker. The AJPW-style, perfected during the 1990's, emphasized among other things clean finishes, gradual build-up of "heat" (viewer tension), and multiple false finishes (when a wrestler, much to audience surprise, kicks out of what is usually a finishing move). All of these stylistic elements, with the exception of clean finishes, have increasingly been utilized in WCW/WWE matches. In combination with a greater number of technically proficient wrestlers in the roster to lend this style legitimacy, this booking style has been seen by many as greatly improving the WWE's in-ring product.

Criticism

Laurinaitis has been the subject of constant criticism from internet wrestling fans since he took the position of WWE Vice President of Talent Relations. He is cited as the chief reason why smaller, but more athletic and agile workers are released in favor of "hosses", or bigger, less talented stars. He is said to have informed Vince McMahon that bigger stars are "what the fans wanted to see" and that smaller stars don't draw as much money. Certain releases, as well as the de-pushes of Shelton Benjamin and Christian add fire to these claims, though monetary reasons and changing storylines also serve as viable explanations. One person in particular who despises Laurinaitis is Matt Hardy, since Hardy claims that it was partially because of Laurinaitis that he was released from WWE. Some fans have noted, however, that this policy of pushing larger wrestlers did not begin with Laurinaitis, but has been a staple of the WWE since the 1980's.

Laurinaitis was accused of attempting to recruit talent for WWE at the funeral of Eddie Guerrero; this was said to be the means by which Charlie Haas was re-signed. Haas's wife, Jackie Gayda, later confirmed these rumors, claiming that Laurinaitis had tried to convince Total Nonstop Action Wrestling employees Mike Tenay, Sting and Konnan to come to WWE, annoying several people attending the funeral in the process.

Laurinaitis has also been accused of nepotism, in giving his brother Road Warrior Animal a WWE contract. However, this point can also be counterpointed at the fact that Animal and his partner Road Warrior Hawk had previously stated they would never negotiate with the WWE prior to John Laurinaitis's hiring. However, this did not stop WWE from releasing Road Warrior Animal earlier this year.

Ace was known by smarks to be the favorite foreign booker of Shohei Baba's wife Motoko, which led to rumors of Ace having a supposed affair with her while Baba was dying of cancer. Following the Pro Wrestling NOAH split by Mitsuharu Misawa, however, Ace announced his retirement and chose to return to the U. S., and not support Motoko in her quest to rebuild the company.

Finishers and signature moves

Spike DDT
Ace Crusher (Original cutter)
Ace Crusher II (Arm hook legdrop bulldog)
Cobra clutch suplex

Championships/Accomplishments

4-Time AJPW Unified Tag Team Champion (with Kenta Kobashi twice, Mike Barton once and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams once)
2-Time AJPW All-Asia Tag Team Champion (with Kenta Kobashi)
1-Time FCW Tag Team Champion (with The Terminator)
1-Time ICWA Florida Champion
1-Time Oregon Wrestling Federation Champion
Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 203 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

1996 Match of the Year (with Steve Williams vs Mitsuharu Misawa and Jun Akiyama)

Trivia

Laurinaitis is the brother of The Terminator (Marcus Laurinaitis) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).
Laurinaitis once dated adult film star Seka.
Laurinaitis is credited as the inventor of the "cutter" maneuver, which was later adopted by Diamond Dallas Page as the Diamond Cutter, Randy Orton as the RKO, and modified into a jawbreaker by Mikey Whipwreck, a variation that Stone Cold Steve Austin popularized as the Stunner. Laurinaitis reportedly invented the move by accident.

ジョン・ロウリネイティス