Vince McMahon, Triple H And Others Pay Tribute To Blackjack Lanza

By Marc Middleton

WWE, NWA and several pro wrestling stars are paying tribute to WWE Hall of Famer Blackjack Lanza (John Lanza), who has passed away at the age of 86.

WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon paid tribute to Lanza on Twitter, remembering him as a man's man.

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"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jack Lanza. He was a man's man, respected and beloved by all. He worked for and loved WWE for many years. His loyalty and dedication will never be forgotten," Vince wrote.

WWE tweeted a statement on Lanza's passing, almost word-for-word from McMahon's tweet.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of WWE Hall of Famer Blackjack Lanza. Jack Lanza was a man's man, respected and beloved by all. He loved and worked for WWE for many years. His loyalty and dedication will never be forgotten," they wrote.

The NWA also paid tribute to Blackjack.

"The NWA is saddened to learn about the passing of legendary performer John 'Blackjack' Lanza. Our thoughts go to the friends and family of one of the greats. #NWAFam," they wrote.

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WWE's Executive Vice President of Global Talent Strategy & Development Paul "Triple H" Levesque also paid tribute to Lanza and said he will miss his friend.

"Certain talent will seek certain agents for advice, but EVERYONE sought out Lanza's. The sweetest man but incredibly tough & 100% dedicated to making us better. Jack often didn't tell you what you wanted to hear, but ALWAYS told you what you needed. I'll miss you dearly my friend," Triple H tweeted.

WWE Producer and Hall of Famer Michael "PS" Hayes

"Wow, just heard of the passing of Jack Lanza. Total man through and through!! Worked with Jack a lot in WWE, but, 1st worked with Jack in the brief time the Birds were in the AWA. Enjoyed working with Jack in both places. He was one of the few that understood the Birds!!! RIP!!," Hayes wrote.

WWE Director of Talent Development & Head of Global Recruiting William Regal also paid tribute to Lanza.

"I'm very saddened to hear of the passing of Jack 'Blackjack' Lanza. Jack was a great Pro in his time, top rate producer, kind, incredibly knowledgeable,helpful and wise in his advise to me for many years. My deepest condolences to his family," Regal wrote.

Matt Hardy recalled how Lanza worked as the lead road agent when he and brother Jeff Hardy signed with WWE.

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"Jack Lanza was the lead road agent when my brother & I first started full time with @WWE. Jack treated us great & taught us so much about working & surviving on the road. Saddened to hear about Jack's passing. My thoughts go out to his family & loved ones," he wrote.

Lanza made his pro wrestling debut back in 1961, and retired in 1985. He later worked for WWE as a road agent and producer. Lanza had runs with WWE, the AWA, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, WWA, the NWA, GCW, and others. Along with WWE Hall of Famer Blackjack Mulligan, Lanza was a one-time WWWF World Tag Team Champion, a one-time WWA World Tag Team Champion, and a one-time NWA American Tag Team Champion. The Blackjacks were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 (seen above with Lanza on the right), and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.

Stay tuned for more. Below are the aforementioned tributes to Lanza, along with a few more comments from wrestling legends and WWE Hall of Famers – The Iron Sheik, Gerald Brisco, Lance Storm, Sean Waltman, and Shane Helms:

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