Jack Lanza

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1961–1962) Lanza, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, was trained by local promoter Verne Gagne and started his wrestling career in 1961. He wrestled a few matches for NWA Mid-America in Birmingham, Alabama, under the name "Joe Lanza". In 1962, he briefly held the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship. In the 1970s, Lanza and Mulligan teamed up to form The Blackjacks. They were managed by Bobby Heenan.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (1963) In 1963, Lanza joined the Charlotte, North Carolina–based Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling promotion, wrestling as "Jack Lanza". He left the promotion the following year.

Death On December 8, 2021, Jim Ross announced via Twitter that Lanza had died. He was 86 years old, and had been in poor health. - Inducted as a member of The Blackjacks Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI ranked him # 338 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003. World Wrestling Association WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Blackjack Mulligan