Lorenzo Parente

Lorenzo Parente "Martino" was an Italian professional wrestler who competed throughout the United States from 1958 to 1976. During his career he captured the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship on two occasions (both of which he won from Danny Hodge). He was also known for his long standing tag team with Bobby Hart, with whom he captured numerous regional and world NWA Tag Team Championships.

Parente competed for various promotions throughout his career, including NWA Mid-America, NWA Western States, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Jim Barnett's World Championship Wrestling, NWA Tri-State and the WWF.

Professional wrestling career Early life and career (NWA Amarillo) Parente was born March 16, 1935, in the small village of Chieti, one of five sons born to parents Antonio and Rosaria Parente. As Pancho López, he won the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship two times in 1960, defeating Gene LeBell and Mike DiBiase respectively. Soon thereafter he formed a tag team called "Continental Warriors" with Bobby Hart, under the ring names "Mephisto and Dante". It was to be a pairing that would last on-and-off for most of his career. They had their first taste of success as a tag team in the early 1960s, winning the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship on numerous occasions, feuding with the likes of Lester Welch and Jackie Fargo.

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion (1965-1966) Parente feuded with Danny Hodge in Arkansas and Oklahoma in the mid-1960s. He defeated Hodge on November 23, 1965, to win his first NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title to Hodge on January 4, 1966, before winning it back on January 14 to become a two-time champion. That same year, he won the NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship with former adversary Danny Hodge, on December 3.

The Continental Warriors Having held tag titles with him previously, Parente claimed tag team gold with Bobby Hart once again in 1969, this time capturing the NWA World Tag Team Championship in Mid-America. The team found great success as a heel pairing, using underhand tactics to achieve victory, including the use of foreign objects.

Parente held several other championships during the remainder of his career, including two reigns as NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Champion, both times defeating Don Greene. NWA Mid-America AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (6 times) NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship (1 time) NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (1 time) NWA United States Junior Heavyweight Championship (Mid-America version) (2 times) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version) (8 times) NWA Tri-State NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship (3 times) Western States Sports NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version) (2 times) NWA Western States Tag Team Championship (2 times) NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship (2 times) NWA World Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version) (2 times) - with Alex Perez (1 time) and Gory Guerrero (1 time) World Championship Wrestling World Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)