Johnny 'Rasputin' Howard is one of the few wrestlers from the Irish Republic who made a name for themselves not just in the UK but also all over Europe and further afield. Coming from Carrickmacross in County Monaghan, Johnny was Irish Heavyweight Champion for many years on the home circuit. In 1979 he got the opportunity to go to Austria to wrestle on the annual outdoor tournament in Vienna. Jeff Kaye and Mick McMichael who were the regular referees on this tournament had been wrestling in Ireland and they recommended him to the promoter Nico Selenkovitch. What was supposed to be a six week trip turned into a six month tour as German promoters clamoured for the services of the shaggy bearded, long haired wild Irishman who was knocking off the top stars in Austria. He spent most of the next 10 years wrestling all over Europe, several of the African countries and Asia and picked up a version of the European title on the way. In between his foreign trips he also fitted in plenty of shows for both Orig Williams and Brian Dixon and later moved over to Max Crabtree. Howard was one of those wrestlers who could bring a crowd to boiling point before he even got into the ring. From the time he left the dressing room he had the crowd on their feet howling abuse at him. He was one of wrestling's toughest exponents - powerful and ruthless in the ring, yet his name on a wrestling bill acted like a magnet to many followers of the sport. Despite his wayward ways, he had a hardcore band of followers who rooted for him whenever he was in action. While his tactics were dubious in the ring, his sense of showmanship and his action plus style meant that fans were assured of top value for money.