Johnny Barend

John R. Barend (March 27, 1929 – September 20, 2011), better known as "Handsome" Johnny Barend, was an American professional wrestler.

Born in 1929 in Rochester, New York, Barend started wrestling as an amateur at the age of eight. After graduating from Jefferson High School in Rochester in 1944, he served in the United States Navy during World War II and wrestled while in the service. He was trained to wrestle professionally by Ed Don George and made his professional debut on November 1, 1948.

Soon after, he started teaming with Gene Dubuque, who was wrestling under the name, Magnificent Maurice. Barend usually played the part of the "heel" or bad guy. He would enter the ring wearing his customary hat and sunglasses an unlit cigar gracing his lips and would goad fans with his soliloquies. Barend's original manager was Ernie Roth, then using the name Mr. Kleen. Roth would later gain fame in the WWWF as the Grand Wizard of Wrestling. Barend and Maurice went on to win many tag-team championships. Barend first appeared in Hawaii in September 1955.

In 1962–1963, Barend was a regular tag team partner with NWA/WWWF world champion Buddy Rogers, and they held the U.S. tag team championship. Their manager was Bobby Davis. Barend won a variety of titles in his career spent mostly on the east coast in and around New York or in Hawaii where he enjoyed his greatest success. Barend would hold the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship a number of times with a variety of partners as well as the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship.

During his time in Hawaii he came up with the phrase, "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat" which was later "borrowed" by Jesse Ventura. Barend would hold the NWA United States Tag Team Championship with former foe Buddy Rogers in mid-1962. Barend won a variety of titles in his career spent mostly on the east coast in and around New York or in Hawaii where he enjoyed his greatest success. Barend would hold the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship a number of times with a variety of partners as well as the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship. Barend would even hold the NWA United States Tag Team Championship with former foe Buddy Rogers from mid-1962 until Spring 1963. After Rogers lost the WWWF title to Bruno Sammartino, in summer 1963 Rogers and Barend defeated Sammartino and Bobo Brazil in Madison Square Garden, 2 falls to 1. He wrestled Dory Funk, Jr. in 1969 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He retired from wrestling in 1972.

Barend married Annie Lum in 1967 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Barend died on September 20, 2011 in Avon, New York. He reportedly died peacefully in his sleep from natural causes after refusing a visit to the hospital as suggested by his doctor.

• Finishing moves
  • Atomic drop
• Managers
  • Mr. Kleen

Bobby Davis

• Nicknames
  • "Handsome Johnny"

• ^

• American Wrestling Alliance (Indiana)
  • AWA Indiana World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Magnificent Maurice
• Capitol Wrestling Corporation/World Wide Wrestling Federation
  • WWWF United States Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Buddy Rogers
  • WWWF United States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• Midwest Wrestling Association (Ohio)
  • MWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • MWA Ohio Eastern States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • MWA Ohio Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Magnificent Maurice
• NWA Detroit
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) – with Magnificent Maurice
• NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions
  • NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (2 times)
  • NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with Sandor Kovacs (1), Ripper Collins (2), Hans Mortier (1), Jim Hady (1), Magnificent Maurice (1), and Billy Robinson (1)
  • NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Hawaii version) (1 time)
• NWA Hollywood Wrestling
  • WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bill Melby
• NWA San Francisco
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time) – with Enrique Torres