Dark Side Of The Ring Viewers Shocked To Learn How Old Earthquake Was In WWE
Highlights
- John Tenta, aka Earthquake, was just 26 when he debuted in WWE, surprising fans who thought he was much older due to his appearance.
- Tenta's story on Dark Side of the Ring is more sad than dark, as it highlights his young age at the time of his passing from cancer.
- Despite not fitting the typical 'Dark Side' narrative, Tenta's wrestling career and untimely death remain a compelling and emotional story.
Dark Side of the Ring returned for its fifth season on Tuesday, premiering with an episode covering the life and career of John Tenta. Better known to wrestling fans as Earthquake, Tenta was a sumo wrestler in Japan before turning to pro wrestling in the late 1980s. He'd make a name for himself in WWE and then WCW before sadly passing away just a few years after he retired, suffering from cancer and dying in 2006.
Tenta's WWE Debut
What a lot of viewers haven't been able to get their heads around since watching Tenta's Dark Side episode is how old he was when he made his full debut for WWE, or perhaps that should be how young he was. After appearing in a few dark matches for WWE in 1989, and then being introduced to fans officially in November of that same year, Tenta's ring name gradually became Earthquake and he was a fixture in WWE by WrestleMania 6 a few months later. Born in 1963, at that time, Tenta was just 26.
Dark Side Of The Ring Fans Want Vince McMahon And Scott Hall Covered Next Season
Dark Side's creators want to know what topics you want covered in season five.As some fans have shared since Dark Side aired on Tuesday, they had no idea Tenta was so young when his wrestling career in the US took off. Likely fooled by his hairline, most fans assumed Tenta was far older by the time he made it to WWE. Sporting the same cut for the majority of his career, Tenta was bald on top with long hair flowing down to his shoulders. Couple that with his impressive facial hair and Tenta looked far older than 26 when he became Earthquake.
Passed Away Too Soon
If anything, the realization that Tenta was just 26 when he debuted in WWE made Dark Side's season five premiere even sadder. Fans with a passing knowledge of Tenta will have previously assumed he was a lot older when he died in 2006 due to thinking he was far older when he wrestled in WWE. He was actually only 42, leaving us far too soon, not to mention his wife and three children who were also still young at the time.
Even more than the realization that Tenta was far younger than they thought, fans have also been sharing their thoughts on Tuesday's episode, labeling it more sad than dark. Unlike most episodes of Dark Side of the Ring, there was no drug use or controversy that give the show its name. Still living up to the show's lofty standards, but Tenta's story is dark simply because he passed away at a young age after a grueling battle with cancer.
