The Public Enemy (professional wrestling)

Professional disbanded wrestling tag team

Professional wrestling tag team

The Public Enemy

The Public Enemy, Rocco Rock (left) & Johnny Grunge (right)

Tag team
Members| Johnny Grunge[1]
Rocco Rock[1]
Name(s)| The Public Enemy
The South Philly Posse
Billed heights| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) – Grunge[2]
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) – Rock[3]
Combined
billed weight| 514 lb (233 kg)
Hometown| Compton, California[4]
South Philadelphia
Debut| 1993[1]
Disbanded| 2002
Years active| 1993–2002

The Public Enemy was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge.[1] The duo competed in many promotions, including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). They won the World Tag Team Championships in each company except WWF.[5]

Their name was taken from a black and white gangster film, and prior to becoming a team, Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge had a long-standing feud on the independent circuit. In addition, the two wrestled each other under their former ring names the Cheetah Kid and Johnny Rotten in a dark match at the first TV tapings for WWF Monday Night Raw on January 11, 1993, eight months before they would debut as a tag team in ECW.

In September 2002, Rocco Rock died after a heart attack. Johnny Grunge died in February 2006 from sleep apnea complications.

## History[edit]

### Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1996)[edit]

The Public Enemy made their ECW debut in September 1993 at UltraClash, as booker Paul Heyman gave them the gimmick of white guys who embraced and loved the growing hip hop culture of America. Heyman has stated that he got the inspiration to create The Public Enemy from a Newsweek article about the cultural changes occurring in America and the difficulty for young men living in places like Los Angeles during the early 1990s, with a quote that stated "The generation of today is more afraid of living than dying".[6][7]

The team 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 feared teams in the company and it wasn't long before they won their first ECW Tag Team Championship.[5] They regularly danced their way to the ring, waving their arms to their theme song (Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes The Hotstepper") and inviting fans into the ring for impromptu dance parties after winning matches. As The Public Enemy was embraced by the majority of fans, Heyman was inspired to bring in The Gangstas (New Jack and Mustafa Saed, from Smoky Mountain Wrestling) at Barbed Wire, Hoodies & Chokeslams to feud with TPE. The Gangstas immediately began a long and bloody feud with The Public Enemy, which pitted The Gangstas' "harsh, gritty West Coast gangsta" lifestyle against The Public Enemy's "East Coast feel good" style. Their feud is among the feuds most often cited as "classic ECW".

#### Memorable moments[edit]

The Public Enemy was also involved in some of ECW's most memorable moments. On one occasion, during a singles match between Cactus Jack and Terry Funk at Hardcore Heaven 1994, the Public Enemy interfered and attacked both wrestlers. 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 chairs with both members of The Public Enemy buried underneath.

In another incident in Tampa, Florida, towards the end of their run with ECW, during the Sunshine State Slaughter event in 1995, The 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 collapsed.

### World Championship Wrestling (1996–1998)[edit]

On November 19, 1995 The Public Enemy received a tryout with the WWF, wrestling a dark match against then WWF Tag-Team Champions The Smokin' Gunns.[8] The team would receive an offer to sign with the company, but instead elected to go with a competing overture from World Championship Wrestling. In January 1996, after their success in ECW, The Public Enemy signed on to work for World Championship Wrestling (WCW). When they arrived in WCW, they continued acting as they did in the manner that made them so popular with fans. Although the majority of the WCW fanbase was unfamiliar with the ECW product at the time, they still carried tables to the ring. During their three-year stint, they won their only WCW World Tag Team Championship with a victory over Harlem Heat in September 1996, though their reign lasted only eight days.[9] The team wrestled through September 1998 and was mostly victorious in their final year with the company, concluding their run with a win over Villanos IV and V on a Worldwide episode.[10]

### Return to ECW, World Wrestling Federation, and return to WCW (1999)[edit]

At ECW's House Party 1999 on January 16, The Public Enemy made a long-awaited and much-hyped return to the ECW Arena, in order to answer the challenge of the Dudley Boyz. At the time, they were still under contract to WCW, but they successfully brawled (with assistance from New Jack) with the Dudleys. Following the showdown, Johnny Grunge grabbed the microphone and claimed that the past three years had been a "rollercoaster ride" for the team, and that "if you opened up our chest and looked at our hearts, there's only one thing stamped on it, and that's ECW!" Grunge further thanked the Dudleys for house-sitting "the house that the Public Enemy built" while they were gone, and then invited everyone in attendance to join them in the ring for a post-show celebration.[11]

Their next scheduled appearance was at Crossing the Line '99 on February 12 in Queens, New York against the Dudleys, which they cancelled due to negotiating with the WWF. The team was buried on the February 20 edition of ECW Hardcore TV as being cowards who ran from a fight. Footage of the Dudleys hitting big moves on the team at an event in Detroit was shown, with a headline stating "Breaking News: The Dudleys Destroy Public Enemy." Two days later, the team would make their WWF debut.

The Public Enemy signed with the World Wrestling Federation[5] in early 1999. They were not accepted "backstage" by veteran WWF wrestlers and backstage personnel due to animosity over the fact that The Public Enemy chose WCW over the WWF when the two companies were pursuing the tag team in late 1995.[12] Rocco Rock was also forced to change his name and go by the shortened name "Flyboy" Rocco, in order not to "cause confusion" with The Rock. They made their WWF debut on the February 22, 1999, episode of Raw is War, defeating The Brood by disqualification. In the two months they lasted in the WWF, their most notable appearance was losing a squash match against the Acolytes on Sunday Night Heat in Pittsburgh; following a brief feud with the Acolytes and The Public Enemy's subsequent release, the Acolytes claimed that they "ran The Public Enemy out" of the WWF. They said they could do the same to another famous ECW tag team (the Dudley Boyz); after the Dudley Boyz succeeded in the feud, it was commonly referred to as "Passing the Acolyte Test" since the Dudley Boyz did get over after a feud with the APA while The Public Enemy failed. In 2013, John "Bradshaw" Layfield elaborated that much of the animosity was due to them being brought into the company by Terry Taylor, who had his own backstage issues with much of the wrestlers, including the Acolytes. They had also desired to change the planned finish of the squash match, which involved them being driven through tables by the Acolytes. The Acolytes were instructed only to ensure that they go through with the planned finish of the match, leading to the match to be turned into a legitimate shoot, with The Acolytes dominating Public Enemy for the entirety of the four-minute match.[13][14] Public Enemy would wrestle a final time on March 30, 1999 in a match taped for Shotgun Saturday Night, losing to the Hardy Boys via disqualification.[15] The match was aired on television on April 10, 1999. Shortly after airing, both members of Public Enemy were released in mid-April, along with "Dr Death." Steve Williams (who main-evented that same episode), Bart Gunn, and LOD 2000.

The Public Enemy briefly returned to WCW after leaving the WWF, with both men involved in the WCW Hardcore Junkyard Invitational. They then made an appearance on the August 4, 1999, episode of WCW Thunder in a squash match loss against Bill Goldberg and again on August 9 in a losing effort against the West Texas Rednecks. Their final appearance came in a house show on August 18, and neither made an appearance in WCW again afterwards.

### Later years (1999-2002)[edit]

The Public Enemy performing a double team maneuver

The Public Enemy made one last appearance on ECW on TNN, which was their last exposure on mainstream television. The tag team made brief appearances on the independent scene after both WCW and ECW folded, appearing in ECW-nostalgia promotion Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling (3PW), along with various NWA territories. They also participated in the unaired tapings for the X Wrestling Federation promotion, under the name "South Philly Posse" and managed by Jasmin St. Claire.[5]

In the early 2000s, the Public Enemy performed for the short-lived i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling among other independent promotions. The team won various independent tag team titles.

Their last match together was at Intergalactic Wrestling Federation defeating Itch Coma Weidler and The Bouncer in a steel cage match at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, IL on August 12, 2002.

Following the death of Rocco Rock in 2002, Grunge teamed with his "brother" Joey Grunge as The New Public Enemy throughout August 2003.[16] He also made appearances with 3PW, and participated in a memorial segment for deceased ECW wrestlers at Hardcore Homecoming on June 10, 2005.

## Deaths[edit]

On September 21, 2002, Ted Petty ("Flyboy" Rocco Rock) died after suffering a heart attack following a wrestling event.[5] 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.[16] Durham's death was caused by heart disease and obesity, with the medical examiner also citing "acute toxicity of carisoprodol and hydrocodone" in the autopsy report. Durham evidently died in his sleep at the home of a friend with whom he'd been staying.[17]

Durham's widow has since become an advocate against drug abuse in the wrestling industry since the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide in 2007, when she realized her husband's prescriptions came from the same doctor as Chris Benoit's.[17]

## Championships and accomplishments[edit]

Public Enemy's Hardcore Hall of Fame banners

* Cauliflower Alley Club
* Other honorees (1995)
* Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling
* ECW World Tag Team Championship (4 times)[18]
* Hardcore Hall of Fame (2002) - Rock
* Hardcore Hall of Fame (2007) - Grunge
* i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling
* i-Generation Tag Team Championship (2 times)
* Main Event Championship Wrestling
* MECW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
* National Wrestling Alliance
* NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time)
* NWA New Jersey
* NWA United States Tag Team Championship (1 time)
* New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
* Class of 2010
* New-Wave Championship Wrestling
* NWCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
* Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling
* TCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
* Universal Wrestling Alliance
* UWA Tag Team Championship (1 time)[19]
* World Championship Wrestling
* WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[9]
* Other titles
* IPW Tag Team Championship (1 time)
* MCW Tag Team Championship (1 time)

## See also[edit]

* List of premature professional wrestling deaths

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Public Enemy". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
2. ^ "Johnny Grunge's profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
3. ^ "Rocco Rock's bio". The Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
4. ^ "The Public Enemy". wwe.com. WWE.
5. ^ a b c d e "Power Slam". What's going down... SW Publishing. October 2002. p. 6\. 55.
6. ^ Williams, Scott (2006). Hardcore History. Sports Publishing LLC. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-1-59670-021-5.
7. ^ Loverro, Thom (2006). The Rise and Fall of ECW. Pocket Books. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-1-4165-1058-1.
8. ^ "1995". thehistoryofwwe.com. January 16, 2023.
9. ^ a b "World Championship Wrestling World Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
10. ^ "WCW 1998". thehistoryofwwe.com. January 16, 2023.
11. ^ "ECW - 1999 Results". January 16, 2023.
12. ^ Williams, Scott (2006). Hardcore History. Sports Publishing LLC. pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-1-59670-021-5.
13. ^ "The Layfield Report - Blog". Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
14. ^ "WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results".
15. ^ "1999". thehistoryofwwe.com. January 16, 2023.
16. ^ a b Brady, Hicks. "2006: The year in wrestling". 2007 Wrestling Almanac and Book of Facts. Kappa Publications. p. 18\. 2007 Edition.
17. ^ a b "Fish: Chris Benoit's doctor prescribed for other wrestlers". September 13, 2007.
18. ^ "ECW World Tag Team Title". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
19. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.

## External links[edit]

* The Public Enemy on WWE.com
* The Public Enemy at Online World of Wrestling
* Johnny Grunge at The Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster
* Rocco Rock at The Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster

* v
* t
* e

ECW World Tag Team Champions

1990s|

* The Super Destroyers (A. J. Petrucci and Doug Stahl)
* Larry Winters and Tony Stetson
* Suicide Blondes (Chris Candido, (Chris Michaels) and Johnny Hotbody)
* Dangerous Alliance (The Dark Patriot and Eddie Gilbert)
* Johnny Hotbody and Tony Stetson
* Johnny Gunn and Tommy Dreamer
* Kevin Sullivan and The Tazmaniac
* Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock)
* Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck
* Dangerous Alliance (Sabu and The Tazmaniac)
* Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko
* Raven's Nest (Raven and Stevie Richards)
* The Pitbulls (Pitbull #1 and Pitbull #2)
* 2 Cold Scorpio and The Sandman
* The Eliminators (Kronus and Saturn)
* The Gangstas (Mustapha Saed and New Jack)
* Dudley Boyz (Buh Buh Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley)
* Gangstanators (Kronus and New Jack)
* Full Blooded Italians (Little Guido and Tracy Smothers)
* Can-Am Express (Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon)
* Chris Candido and Lance Storm
* Rob Van Dam and Sabu
* Balls Mahoney and Masato Tanaka
* Balls Mahoney and Spike Dudley
* Raven and Tommy Dreamer
* Impact Players (Lance Storm and Justin Credible)

2000s|

* Masato Tanaka and Tommy Dreamer
* Mike Awesome and Raven
* Unholy Alliance (Mikey Whipwreck and Yoshihiro Tajiri)
* Full Blooded Italians (Little Guido and Tony Mamaluke)
* Danny Doring and Roadkill

* v
* t
* e

NWA World Tag Team Champions

1990s|

* Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
* Mr. Gannosuke and Tarzan Goto
* C. W. Anderson and Pat Anderson
* The Border Patrol (Agent Gunn and Agent Maxx)
* Barry Windham and Tully Blanchard
* The Brotherhood (Eric Sbraccia and Knuckles Nelson)
* The Brotherhood (Knuckles Nelson and Rick Fuller)
* The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock)
* The Brotherhood (Dukes Dalton and Knuckles Nelson)
* Team Extreme (Khris Germany and Kit Carson)
* Murder, Inc. (Jimmy James and Kevin Northcutt)

2000s|

* xXx (Curtis Thompson and Drake Dawson)
* The Main Event (Reno Riggins and Steven Dunn)
* Bad Attitude (David Young and Rick Michaels)
* The Bad Street Boys (Christian York and Joey Matthews)
* Dan Factor and David Flair
* The New Heavenly Bodies (Chris Nelson and Vito DeNucci)
* Glacier and Jason Sugarman
* Disturbing Behavior (Jeff Daniels and Tim Renesto)
* Shane Twins (Mike Shane and Todd Shane)
* The Real American Heroes (Joey Ryan and Karl Anderson)
* Los Luchas (Phoenix Star and Zokre)
* The Skullkrushers (Keith Walker and Rasche Brown)

2010s|

* The Dark City Fight Club (Jon Davis and Kory Chavis)
* The Usual Suspects (A.J. Steele and Murder One)
* The Kingz of the Underground (Ryan Genesis and Scot Summers)
* Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer)
* The IronGodz (Jax Dane and Rob Conway)
* Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima)
* The Heatseekers (Elliot Russell and Sigmon)
* The Iron Empire (Matt Riviera and Rob Conway)
* Kazushi Miyamoto and Rob Terry
* Villain Enterprises (Brody King and PCO)
* The Wild Cards (Royce Isaacs and Thomas Latimer)

2020s|

* Eli Drake and James Storm
* Aron Stevens and J. R. Kratos
* La Rebelión (Bestia 666 and Mecha Wolf 450)
* The Commonwealth Connection (Doug Williams and Harry Smith)
* Blunt Force Trauma (Carnage and Damage) (current)

Recognized champions in other promotions

WWF|

* The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
* The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher)
* The New Midnight Express (Bodacious Bart and Bombastic Bob)

TNA|

* A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn
* America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm)
* The Disciples of the New Church (Brian Lee and Slash)
* Triple X (Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper and Low Ki)
* Amazing Red and Jerry Lynn
* Simon and Swinger
* 3 Live Kru (B.G. James, Konnan and Ron Killings)
* The Red Shirt Security (Joe Legend and Kevin Northcutt)
* Abyss and A.J. Styles
* Dallas and Kid Kash
* D-Lo Brown and Apolo
* The Naturals (Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens)
* Chris Harris and Elix Skipper
* Christopher Daniels and James Storm
* Team Canada (Bobby Roode and Eric Young)
* A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels
* The Latin American Xchange (Hernandez and Homicide)
* Team 3D (Brother Devon and Brother Ray)

Unrecognized champions in other promotions

WCW|

* The Miracle Violence Connection (Steve Williams and Terry Gordy)
* Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes
* Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas
* The Hollywood Blonds (Brian Pillman and Steve Austin)
* The Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson and Paul Roma)

* v
* t
* e

WCW World Tag Team Champions

MACW/JCP
(1975–1988)|

| 1970s|

* Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Gene Anderson and Ole Anderson)
* Paul Jones and Wahoo McDaniel
* Rufus R. Jones and Wahoo McDaniel
* Dino Bravo and Mr. Wrestling
* Greg Valentine and Ric Flair
* Dick Slater and Dusty Rhodes
* Paul Jones and Ricky Steamboat
* Baron von Raschke and Greg Valentine
* Jimmy Snuka and Paul Orndorff
* Baron von Raschke and Paul Jones
* Blackjack Mulligan and Ric Flair
* Jay Youngblood and Ricky Steamboat
* Greg Valentine and Ray Stevens

|

1980s|

* Jimmy Snuka and Ray Stevens
* The Masked Superstar and Paul Jones
* Ivan Koloff and Ray Stevens
* Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen
* Don Kernodle and Sgt. Slaughter
* Jack Brisco and Jerry Brisco
* Bob Orton Jr. and Don Kernodle
* Mark Youngblood and Wahoo McDaniel
* Don Kernodle and Ivan Koloff
* Dusty Rhodes and Manny Fernandez
* The Russians (Ivan Koloff and Nikita Koloff)
* The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson)
* The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey)
* Manny Fernandez and Rick Rude
* Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard
* Barry Windham and Lex Luger
* The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane)
* Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk)

WCW
(1988–2001)|

| 1980s|

* The Varsity Club (Mike Rotunda and Steve Williams)
* Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes)
* Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)

|

1990s|

* Doom (Butch Reed and Ron Simmons)
* Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko)
* Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat
* Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton
* Terry Gordy and Steve Williams
* Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes
* Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas
* Hollywood Blonds (Brian Pillman and Steve Austin)
* Arn Anderson and Paul Roma
* The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags)
* 2 Cold Scorpio and Marcus Bagwell
* Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan
* Pretty Wonderful (Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma)
* Stars and Stripes (Marcus Alexander Bagwell and The Patriot)
* Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray)
* Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater
* American Males (Marcus Bagwell and Scotty Riggs)
* Sting and Lex Luger
* The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and Rocco Rock)
* The Outsiders (Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Syxx)
* The Giant and Lex Luger
* Kevin Nash and Sting
* The Giant and Scott Hall
* Kenny Kaos and Rick Steiner
* Barry Windham and Curt Hennig
* Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko
* Filthy Animals (Billy Kidman and Rey Misterio Jr.)
* Perry Saturn and Raven
* Jersey Triad (Bam Bam Bigelow, Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon)
* Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn
* West Texas Rednecks (Barry Windham and Kendall Windham)
* Filthy Animals (Konnan and Rey Misterio Jr.)
* Filthy Animals (Billy Kidman and Konnan)
* Creative Control/The Harris Brothers (Gerald/Ron Harris and Patrick/Don Harris)
* Bret Hart and Goldberg

2000s|

* Crowbar and David Flair
* Mamalukes (Big Vito and Johnny the Bull)
* Buff Bagwell and Shane Douglas
* KroniK (Brian Adams and Bryan Clark)
* The Perfect Event (Chuck Palumbo and Shawn Stasiak)
* Dark Carnival (The Great Muta and Vampiro)
* Filthy Animals (Juventud Guerrera and Rey Misterio Jr.)
* Mark Jindrak and Sean O'Haire
* Misfits in Action (Corporal Cajun and Lieutenant Loco)
* Boogie Knights (Alex Wright and Disco Inferno)
* The Insiders (Diamond Dallas Page and Kevin Nash)
* Natural Born Thrillers (Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire)

WWF
(2001)|

* Brothers of Destruction (Kane and The Undertaker)
* Booker T and Test
* Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy)
* Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley)

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