For the next few years, he wrestled under numerous ring names as he toured Canada and the United States including Marcel LeMay, Danny Dubois, Jack Clay and The Masked Spoiler.
They soon climbed to the top of the tag team division defeating Emile Dupree & Paul DeMarco and Sweet Daddy Siki and Tony Parisi among others before suffering a disqualification loss to Whipper Billy Watson & "Lord" Athol Layton on December 26, 1965.
[5] Winning the vacant NWA International Tag Team Championship on January 9, their eventual defeat by Billy Watson and Bulldog Brower in Toronto, Ontario on July 10 was one of the highest drawing matches of the year with 7,500 in attendance.
Facing Earl Maynard and Louis Cerdan during the next week, he and Gorilla Monsoon again fought Sammartino and Rivera to a draw in Elizabeth, New Jersey on May 25.
Defeating Johnny Rodz on July 11, he also faced Eduard Carpentier, Victor Rivera, Bull Ramos, Hans Mortier later that month.
On August 15, with Bull Ramos and George "the Animal" Steele, he lost to Earl Maynard, Victor Rivera and Bruno Sammartino at the National Arena.
During the next two days, he lost back-to-back matches against Sammartino in Asbury Park, New Jersey and Bobo Brazil at Madison Square Garden on August 17.
On November 26, he and Baron Mikel Scicluna faced The Sicilians (Lou Albano & Tony Altimore) at the Expo Building in Portland, Maine.
Defeating Alex Medina in Dallas, Texas the following night, he and Krusher Kowalski lost in a tag team match against Dr. Dan Miller and Fred Curry on January 20.
Defeating Dale Lewis and Skandor Akbar and Los Toros (Cisco Grimaldo & Roberto Pico) during the next several weeks, he also faced Joe Turco and Assassin #2 in single matches.
Fighting to a lime limit draw against The Professional & The Spoiler on May 16, The Kentuckyians again lost to The Assassins on May 23, however, they defeated Tony Nero & Tom Bradley and Mitsu & Sugi Sito later that month.
[11] By early 1970, after a stint as The Butcher for promoter Ed Farhat in Detroit, he eventually ended up in Vancouver's NWA All-Star Wrestling, where then-promoter Gene Kiniski billed him under his real name as "Mighty" John Quinn.
In May, he made his Toronto debut with Maple Leaf Wrestling teaming with Skull Brother #1 against Whipper Billy Watson & Haystacks Calhoun on May 2.
Defeating Lou Klein the following night, he and Man Mountain Cannon would lose to Bobo Brazil & Dewey Robertson at the Varsity Stadium on June 6.
Teaming with Mike Loren, he would also lose to Bobo Brazil & Luis Martinez on June 20 although he would score victories over Man Mountain Cannon, Lou Klein and Dewey Robertson before fighting to a double disqualification with The Sheik on August 29.
During 1976, he and Kinji Shibuya defeated Don Leo Jonathan & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka on May 20 and also faced Terry Funk in a match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in Vancouver on July 19.
The following night, he and Kurt Von Hess lost the titles to Animal Hamigachi & Isamu Teranishi in a 2-3 falls match at Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
He would also gain particular notoriety in Great Britain while appearing on ITV's World of Sport making anti-British statements towards audiences and often referred to Britons as "cowardly".
Issuing open challenges to British heavyweights, his match against Big Daddy proved especially popular as an estimated 10,000 were in attendance at the sold-out Wembley Arena in 1979.
[16][17] In what was considered a major upset, Quinn would later go on to win the British version of the World Heavyweight Championship defeating Wayne Bridges in London, England on April 21, 1980.
[18] One title defence against Giant Haystacks in Claremorris, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland during this period was publicised with a contract signing ceremony on RTÉ television show Davis at Large.
After defeating Kuniaki Kobayashi in Hiroshima, Japan on the last night of the tour, Quinn returned to Great Britain to resume his feud with Bridges and St.
Quinn was working for All Star Wrestling in Britain when it was televised on Screensport in 1985-1986 and again when the promotion gained a slice of ITV coverage in 1987 and he returned to TV appearing on both shows.
His fourth and final World Heavyweight title win over StClair in Hanley in early 1986 was broadcast on the Screensport show and on ITV he fought Bridges once again and teamed with legendary masked wrestler Kendo Nagasaki.