The Public Enemy (professional wrestling)
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Public Enemy was the tag team of Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
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[edit] Career
[edit] Extreme Championship Wrestling
Prior to becoming a team, Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge had a long standing feud in Japan.
Upon returning to America they began to team up on the Independent circuit before they both signed with Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW - later Extreme Championship Wrestling) being booked by Paul Heyman, who put them together permanently.
Heyman took the two white guys and gave them character who embraced and loved the growing hip hop culture of America. It's often said that the team was originally put together to "make fun of" the culture, but as Public Enemy got over this idea fell by the wayside.
Heyman has stated that he got the inspiration to create Public Enemy from a Time Magazine article about the street violence going on in Los Angeles during the early '90s, with a quote that stated "The generation of today is more afraid of living than dying." Their name was taken from the rap group of the same name.
Public Enemy made their ECW debuts in 1993 and quickly became one of the more popular acts in the company. Their wild brawling style, complete with a myriad of foreign objects and the inclusion of tables, made them one of the most (kayfabe) feared teams in the company and it wasn't long before they won their first (of four) ECW Tag Team Championship.
As Public Enemy was more embraced by the fans Heyman was inspired to bring in another team, The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustapha Saed), from Smoky Mountain Wrestling. When The Gangstas arrived they immediately began a long and bloody feud with Public Enemy which pitted The Gangstas "harsh, gritty West Coast gangsta" lifestyle against Public Enemies "East Coast feel good" style. Their feud is one of the most often cited as "classic ECW".
[edit] Memorable Moments
Public Enemy was also involved in some of ECW's most memorable moments.
On one occasion, during a tag match between Cactus Jack and Terry Funk, Terry Funk turned to the crowd and asked the fans if he could have a chair to use. A fan immediately threw a chair into the ring, and not long after many other fans followed suit. Eventually the ring was filled with steel chairs with both members of Public Enemy (kayfabe unconscious) completely buried.
In another incident in Tampa, Florida, towards the end of their run with ECW, Public Enemy asked the fans to come into the ring to dance with them one last time. As more and more fans piled in and onto the ring, all dancing and celebrating, the ring actually collapsed.
[edit] World Championship Wrestling
In 1996, after their success in ECW, Public Enemy signed on to work for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). When they arrived in WCW, they no longer acted like two white guys trying to be tough gang bangers, but rather, two goofy white guys who just so happened to love rap music. Although the majority of the WCW fanbase was unfamiliar with the ECW product at the time the radical change of character still seemed to negatively effect Public Enemy. Although they still carried tables to the ring, the lack of the rest of their style made them seem out of place and Public Enemy floundered in WCW. Still they stayed for three years and even won the WCW World Tag Team Championship on one occasion (in a fluke victory against Harlem Heat).
[edit] World Wrestling Federation
Public Enemy then went on to work for the World Wrestling Federation. However, they weren't accepted "backstage" by veteran WWF wrestlers and backstage personnel due to animosity that resulted in the fact that Public Enemy chose WCW over the WWF when they had the chance. Rocko Rock was also forced to change his name and go by the shortened "Flyboy" Rocko so as not to "cause confusion" with The Rock. They made their WWF debut on the February 22, 1999 episode of Raw is War, but were released from the company only two months later.
[edit] The End
Public Enemy briefly returned to WCW after leaving the WWF, with both men involved in the infamous "WCW Hardcore Junkyard Invitational", yet neither man would return to WCW programming afterwords.
After this, Public Enemy made one last appearance on ECW on TNN, which would be their last exposure in mainstream television.
The tag team made brief appearances on the independent scene after both WCW and ECW folded, and were a part of the X Wrestling Federation under the names of "The South Philly Posse," being managed by Jasmin St. Claire.
On September 22, 2002, Ted Petty ("Flyboy" Rocco Rock) died after suffering a heart attack following a wrestling event. This would effectively end Public Enemy as a unit, although Johnny Grunge had been semi-retired for a few years after the XWF failed to get a TV deal.
On February 16, 2006, Mike Durham (Johnny Grunge) died in his home after suffering from complications from sleep apnea. A friend tried to get Durham to the hospital in time, but by the time they arrived at the hospital, Durham was pronounced dead on arrival.
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling
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- i-Generation Tag Team Championship (2 times)
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- MECW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
- World
- National
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- TCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing move
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- Drive By (assisted somerault senton, with Rocco Rock being thrown by Johnny Grunge often through a table)
- Signature foreign objects
[edit] Trivia
- Although The Dudley Boyz are often credited with popularizing the table match in mainstream professional wrestling, Public Enemy were actually the first tag team in ECW history to use the tables on a regular basis in their matches.
- Public Enemy's only feud in the WWF was against The A.P.A.. After this feud, The A.P.A. claimed they "ran Public Enemy out" of the WWF before another famous ECW tag team, The Dudley Boyz, feuded with them. It was commonly referred to after the Dudley Boyz succeeded in the feud as "Passing the Acolyte Test" since Public Enemy failed to get over, whereas The Dudley Boyz did get over after a feud with the APA.
