Tenta subsequently walked on to the LSU football team, where he participated as a defensive tackle in a few junior varsity contests. LSU dropped varsity wrestling to comply with Title IX in 1985, forcing Tenta to choose a new sport. At LSU he was nicknamed 'Big John' Tenta, lettering on the Tiger varsity wrestling team and participating on the football team.

Tenta won an athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU), where he competed in NCAA-level collegiate wrestling. Shortly after his 18th birthday, he finished sixth in the super-heavyweight category at the World Junior Wrestling Championships in Vancouver. He learned freestyle wrestling at North Surrey Secondary, becoming a Canadian junior champion in 1981. Inspired by professional wrestlers Gene Kiniski and Don Leo Jonathan, Tenta decided to pursue wrestling at age 6. Named after his father, he was a large baby weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces at birth. John Tenta was born in Surrey, British Columbia. Tenta died in 2006 after a long battle with bladder cancer. His professional wrestling career also encompassed runs in World Championship Wrestling, where he was known as Avalanche and The Shark, All Japan Pro Wrestling and a return to WWF as Golga. (June 22, 1963 – June 7, 2006) was a Canadian professional wrestler and sumo wrestler ( rikishi) best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake, though initially known as Canadian Earthquake.Īfter a promising start to his sumo career, using the name Kototenzan, Tenta switched to professional wrestling and became a high-profile star for the WWF, feuding with Hulk Hogan and winning the WWF Tag Team Championship with partner, and personal friend, Typhoon. Vancouver, British Columbia (as Earthquake) Tenta in a WWF promotional image as Earthquake

Super sume pro xda