1. Overview
John Stagikas, born on July 31, 1979, is an American professional wrestler primarily known by his ring name, R. J. Brewer. He is also recognized for his appearances on the independent circuit as "Hurricane" John Walters, notably with Ring of Honor where he held the ROH Pure Championship once. Brewer gained significant attention during his tenure with Lucha Libre USA from 2010 to 2013, where he adopted a highly controversial character. As R. J. Brewer, he portrayed a conservative supporter of then-Governor of Arizona Jan Brewer, advocating against illegal immigration to the United States and promoting rhetoric associated with Arizona SB 1070. This persona generated considerable heat and was a central aspect of his career during that period. John Stagikas stands at 72 in (184 cm) tall and weighs 227 lb (103 kg).
2. Early life and education
John Stagikas attended Framingham High School, from which he graduated in 1997. During his high school years, he was an active athlete, playing as a wide receiver on the football team, and also participating in volleyball and basketball. Following high school, Stagikas enrolled at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. He continued his football career as a wide receiver for two years at the college level until an injury forced him to stop. His athletic career was cut short in his junior year due to an operation required to remove a cyst from his neck. Stagikas completed his education in 2001, earning a degree in Communications. After graduating, prior to his full-time wrestling career, Stagikas worked training shelter dogs and also had experience in the real estate sector.
3. Professional wrestling career
John Stagikas's career spans various independent promotions and major appearances, characterized by distinct ring names and controversial personas.
3.1. Training and independent circuit debut
After a neck injury prematurely ended his football career, John Stagikas decided to pursue professional wrestling. He applied to several wrestling schools before ultimately joining the esteemed school run by Killer Kowalski in Malden, Massachusetts. His training commenced on January 27, 2001, and he was mentored by Kowalski for five months. Upon his debut, Stagikas adopted the ring name "John Walters" as a tribute to his trainer, Kowalski. A college roommate later suggested adding "Hurricane" as a prefix to his name. He made his professional wrestling debut in mid-2001, primarily competing in battle royals. His first singles match occurred in August 2001, marking the beginning of his regular appearances on the Bostonian independent circuit. Early in his career, he wrestled for various promotions, including the World Wrestling Alliance, New England Championship Wrestling, and Chaotic Wrestling.
3.2. Chaotic Wrestling (2001-2006)
Chaotic Wrestling (CW), located in Stagikas's home state of Massachusetts, became his first promotion to provide regular bookings. In addition to his initial training, he received supplementary instruction at the Chaotic Training Center from Mike Hollow, a former trainer under Killer Kowalski who had become the head trainer there. On September 7, 2001, in Lawrence, Walters achieved his first championship success by defeating Slyk Wagner Brown to win the CW Television Championship. His reign with this title concluded on February 16, 2002, in Lowell, Massachusetts, when he lost to CW Light Heavyweight Champion Dukes Dalton in a championship unification match.
During his tenure as Television Champion, Walters formed a tag team known as 12 Pack with "Good Time" Vince Vicallo. This duo was notable for their contrasting personalities: Walters portrayed a disciplined, strait-laced athlete, while Vicallo embodied a beer-drinking "party animal". On December 14, 2001, in Lawrence, 12 Pack defeated Edward G. Xtasy and Aaron Stevens to capture the CW Tag Team Championship. They held the title until July 13, 2002, when they lost to Adam Booker and Frankie Armadillo in Lawrence. Following this loss, Walters and Vicallo engaged in a feud that lasted several months.
Walters continued his pursuit of championships, challenging for the CW Heavyweight Championship at Summer Chaos on August 16, 2002, in Methuen, Massachusetts. He defeated Aaron Stevens to win the title. After successfully defending the championship against Vicallo in a ladder match, he embarked on a long-standing feud with Luis Ortiz. Walters lost the belt to Ortiz on April 5, 2003, but reclaimed it on January 16, 2004, from Billy Kryptonite in a "loser leaves Chaotic Wrestling" match. His second reign as Heavyweight Champion ended on March 13 of the same year with a loss to Arch Kincaid.
John Walters remained a consistent presence in Chaotic Wrestling until his departure in January 2006. He later made a one-night return to the promotion in 2008, wrestling Bryan Logan for the CW Heavyweight Championship. In February 2009, Walters was inducted into the Chaotic Wrestling Hall of Fame. On the same night as his induction, he defeated Chase Del Monte.
3.3. Ring of Honor (2003-2005, 2006)
Following the establishment of Ring of Honor (ROH) in early 2002, John Stagikas submitted a videotape of his performances to the promotion's owners. After initial silence, he re-sent his résumé upon meeting ROH ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta at a Chaotic Wrestling event. This led to contact from booker Gabe Sapolsky in May 2003. Walters made his ROH debut on May 31, 2003, portraying a face character, in a match against Andy Anderson at Do Or Die. He participated in the 2003 Field of Honor event, but was eliminated by Matt Stryker. Subsequently, Walters began a feud with Xavier, facing him for the first time on September 20 at Glory By Honor II. Their rivalry culminated in a decisive victory for Walters on December 27 at Final Battle 2003 in a hardcore "Fight Without Honor" match.
On February 14, 2004, Walters entered a one-night tournament to crown the inaugural ROH Pure Championship. However, he was eliminated in the opening round by CM Punk. In mid-2004, he initiated a feud with Generation Next, a stable of young wrestlers who showed disregard for traditional wrestling values. At the Generation Next event on May 22, 2004, Walters teamed with Jimmy Rave and the Briscoe Brothers in an eight-man tag match against Generation Next, which his team ultimately lost. During Testing the Limit in early August, Walters defeated Nigel McGuinness to earn a title shot for the ROH Pure Championship.
Walters successfully captured the ROH Pure Championship from Doug Williams on August 28. He then embarked on a series of successful title defenses against formidable opponents, including McGuinness, Homicide (wrestler), Jimmy Rave, and Jay Lethal. During this period, Walters aligned himself with Prince Nana's faction, known as The Embassy. His reign as Pure Champion concluded on March 5, 2005, when he lost the title to Jay Lethal. Following this, Walters took a hiatus from ROH to recover from several persistent injuries. He made a brief return to Ring of Honor for a single match on November 3, 2006, in Braintree, Massachusetts, where he was defeated by Nigel McGuinness.
3.4. Lucha Libre USA and R. J. Brewer persona (2010-2013)
In 2010, John Stagikas began wrestling for Lucha Libre USA, where he introduced his most notable and controversial gimmick: "R. J. Brewer". As Brewer, he adopted an intensely anti-illegal immigration character, publicly vowing to "clean up" the company and eliminate the Mexican style of lucha libre. This persona was deeply ingrained with political references; he frequently wrestled in tights emblazoned with "SB1070", a direct nod to the contentious Arizona SB 1070 Act, and often entered the ring draped in the flag of Arizona. As part of his character, Brewer claimed to be the son of then-Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, who was a prominent figure in the immigration debate. His anti-illegal immigrant promos generated significant heat from the predominantly Latino audience.
In Season One of Lucha Libre USA, Brewer participated in several matches, engaging in a feud with Magno. He also competed in a four-way match in the season finale for the Lucha Libre USA Championship, though he was unsuccessful. For Season Two, Brewer formed an anti-Mexican stable called The Right, recruiting Petey Williams and Jon Rekon as members. At the tapings for the season finale on June 18, 2011, Brewer achieved a major victory by defeating Lizmark, Jr. and Marco Corleone in a three-way match, largely thanks to interference from The Right's newest member, Stevie Richards, enabling him to win the Lucha Libre USA Championship. On October 20, 2013, Brewer lost the title to El Solar, but remarkably regained it later the same day. Brewer has publicly stated that he has turned down offers to wrestle for lucha libre companies in Mexico. Due to the controversial nature of his character, Brewer was featured on ABC Nightline in January 2013. He also made appearances on Fox News, CNN, and The Geraldo Rivera Radio Show, and was highlighted on the front pages of publications such as The LA Times and Harper's Magazine, underscoring the widespread media attention his persona attracted.
3.5. Other promotions (2002-present)
In 2003, after then-WWE employee Tom Prichard conducted a training seminar at Chaotic Wrestling, John Stagikas began making sporadic appearances for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a jobber. His first match for the company in April 2003 saw him facing Ohio Valley Wrestling mainstay Aaron Stevens. The following night, he competed against Team Angle. His most notable WWE appearance was a loss to Big Show on an episode of SmackDown! that aired prior to WrestleMania XX. At WrestleMania XX itself, held on March 14, 2004, at Madison Square Garden, Stagikas was part of the elaborate entrance for The Undertaker, dressed as a black-clad druid and carrying a flaming torch.
Beyond WWE, Walters has also wrestled for the Maine-based Eastern Wrestling Alliance, where he secured both the EWA New England Heavyweight Championship and the EWA Heavyweight Championship. His career also includes appearances for Jersey All-Pro Wrestling and Connecticut Championship Wrestling. He made a significant impact in New England Championship Wrestling (NECW), where he won the NECW Heavyweight Championship by defeating Paul Lombardi on March 18, 2006. Additionally, Walters has worked for Big Time Wrestling, holding the BTW Heavyweight Championship multiple times.
In 2003, Walters began his association with the East Coast Wrestling Association (ECWA). After winning a six-man qualifying bout on February 28, 2003, he earned a spot in the eighth annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament on April 3, 2003. He defeated Nicho El Millonario in the first round but was eliminated by Austin Aries in the semi-finals. On May 1, 2004, in Wilmington, Delaware, Walters challenged Christopher Daniels, who had won the ECWA Heavyweight Championship in the Super 8 Tournament semi-finals. Walters emerged victorious in a four-way match that also included Aries and Mike Kruel, becoming the new ECWA Heavyweight Champion. His championship reign lasted for nine months before he lost the title to Scotty Charisma in a five-way match on February 12, 2005, in Newark, Delaware.
3.6. Full-time wrestling return
In November 2020, John Stagikas announced his decision to return to professional wrestling on a full-time basis, signaling a renewed commitment to his career in the ring.
4. Personal life
John Stagikas maintains a private personal life, but it is known that he owns a villa located in Costa Rica. Prior to embarking on his professional wrestling career, after completing his college education, Stagikas was involved in training shelter dogs. He also pursued a career in real estate before transitioning fully into the wrestling world.
5. Championships and accomplishments
John Stagikas has achieved numerous championships and recognitions throughout his professional wrestling career under various ring names.
- Big Time Wrestling
- BTW Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- Chaotic Wrestling
- CW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- CW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Vince Vicallo
- CW Television Championship (1 time)
- Second Triple Crown Champion
- Chaotic Wrestling Hall of Fame (2009)
- East Coast Wrestling Association
- ECWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Eastern Wrestling Alliance
- EWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- EWA New England Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Lucha Libre USA
- Lucha Libre USA Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- National Wrestling Superstars
- Chris Candido Memorial J-Cup Tournament (2010)
- New England Championship Wrestling
- NECW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #144 of the top 500 wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2012
- Ring of Honor
- ROH Pure Championship (1 time)
- Squared Circle Wrestling
- 2CW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
6. Assessment and controversy
The career of John Stagikas, particularly under his R. J. Brewer persona, has drawn significant public and critical assessment, largely due to its controversial social and political undertones.
6.1. The "R. J. Brewer" persona and public reception
The "R. J. Brewer" character, adopted by John Stagikas in Lucha Libre USA, was explicitly designed to be antagonistic and politically charged, focusing on an anti-illegal immigration stance. This gimmick played directly into the social and political climate surrounding immigration debates in the United States, particularly referencing Arizona SB 1070. By portraying himself as a staunch supporter of then-Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and adopting nationalist symbols like the flag of Arizona, Stagikas aimed to provoke a strong emotional response from the audience, generating considerable heat and controversy.
The character's inflammatory rhetoric and actions, such as vowing to "clean up" the Mexican style of lucha libre and remove it from the company, were not limited to the wrestling arena. The controversial nature of R. J. Brewer attracted attention from mainstream media outlets. He was prominently featured on ABC Nightline in January 2013, a significant platform for a professional wrestling character. Additionally, Brewer made appearances on major news channels such as Fox News and CNN, and was interviewed on The Geraldo Rivera Radio Show. His persona's impact extended to print media, with features on the front page of publications like The LA Times and Harper's Magazine, underscoring the widespread media attention his persona attracted.
7. Notable matches and records
John Stagikas has participated in various notable matches throughout his career, including specific types of wager matches common in lucha libre.
7.1. Luchas de Apuestas record
A Luchas de Apuestas is a special type of match in lucha libre where wrestlers put something on the line, such as their mask or hair. John Stagikas, as R. J. Brewer, participated in at least one such match.
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magno (mask) | R. J. Brewer (hair) | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Lucha Libre USA Live event | January 22, 2011 |