Jonathan Boyd

Jonathan Barry Boyle (21 October 1944 – 7 August 1999) was an Australian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "Lord" Jonathan Boyd.

Initially Boyd competed both in North American and international promotions as part of the Royal Kangaroos with his cousin Norman Frederick Charles III.

Later on Boyd would team up with Luke Williams as the Sheepherders and compete in many North American federations such as the Continental Wrestling Association, Southeast Championship Wrestling, and Southwest Championship Wrestling.

Boyd would also act as a manager for Luke and Butch Miller as they competed under the "Sheepherder" name.

Boyle made his professional wrestling debut in 1965, spending several years wrestling for World Championship Wrestling in his native Australia.

After several years, he and his cousin, Norman Frederick Charles III, relocated to North America to compete as the Royal Kangaroos, a name inspired by the legendary tag team the Fabulous Kangaroos.

Boyle and Charles worked mainly for Pacific Northwest Wrestling in Oregon, capturing their first NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship from Kurt and Karl Von Steiger on 11 July 1971.

They won the titles three more times in 1971 and 1972.

Boyd would also work in the singles ranks capturing the main NWA Pacific Northwest title on 31 July 1971 when he defeated Kurt Von Steiner for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship.

Boyd lost the title to Dutch Savage only to regain it a month later on 28 November.

On 28 December, Savage once again beat Boyd for the title and subsequently managed to keep it away from him.

From July 1972 to October 1973, the Royal Kangaroos worked for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling.

In late 1972, they began a lengthy feud with Art Nelson and Johnny Weaver.

During their time in the promotion, they held the NWA Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship.

Throughout 1974, the Royal Kangaroos wrestled for the Atlanta, Georgia-based All-South Wrestling Alliance (ASWA), where they held the ASWA Georgia Tag Team Championship on two occasions.

In February and March 1974, the Royal Kangaroos toured Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling as part of its "Big Fight Series".

In addition to teaming together, they also wrestled singles matches and teamed with other gaijin, including André the Giant, Eric the Animal, and Les Thornton.

Their opponents included the Yamaha Brothers (Kantaro Hoshino and Kotetsu Yamamoto), Seiji Sakaguchi, Osamu Kido, and Antonio Inoki.

In 1975, the Royal Kangaroos returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling, where they won the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship twice more.

They left the promotion again in June 1976.

In January 1976, the Royal Kangaroos again toured Japan, this time with All Japan Pro Wrestling as part of its "New Year Giant Series".

Their opponents on the tour included Akihisa Takachiho, The Destroyer, Giant Baba, and Jumbo Tsuruta.

In June 1976, the Royal Kangaroos joined the San Francisco, California-based Big Time Wrestling promotion.

In September 1976, they defeated Pat Patterson and Tony Garea for the NWA World Tag Team Championship; they lost the titles to the Valiant Brothers in November 1976.

The Royal Kangaroos left Big Time Wrestling in January 1977.

After a brief return to Pacific Northwest Wrestling, the Royal Kangaroos joined Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling promotion in February 1977.

In June 1977, the duo defeated Leo Burke and Keith Hart for the Stampede International Tag Team Championship but dropped it to Leo Burke and his new tag team partner Bobby Burke only a short time later.

The Royal Kangaroos broke up in mid-1977 after a disagreement about how to promote themselves.

Boyd returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling in August 1977.

In August 1978, he briefly reformed the Royal Kangaroos with Charles in NWA All-Star Wrestling.

On 22 August 1978, Boyd defeated Ed Wiskoski to win his third NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship.

Boyd reigned for six months until he was defeated by PNW's fastest rising star "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.

In November 1978, Boyd won the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship for a seventh and final time, this time with Dutch Savage as his tag team partner.

In August 1978, Boyd joined Georgia Championship Wrestling, where he remained until November 1979.

After a short stint in Mid-South Wrestling, he began wrestling in Texas for Big Time Wrestling and Houston Wrestling.

Boyd left PNW in July 1979.

In mid-1979, Boyd began travelling the other NWA territories, working under such names as "Wild Colonial Boy" Johnny Boyd and "Maniac" Jonathan Boyd.

His first stop after leaving the Oregon/Washington territory was due south to the Los Angeles, California-based NWA Hollywood Wrestling promotion, where he teamed up with Coloso Colosetti to defeat Barry Orton and Héctor Guerrero to win the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship on 18 May 1979, only to lose the title to the Twin Devils the next day.

He returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling in mid-1980, where he feuded with Igor Volkoff and Stan Stasiak.

He remained in Pacific Northwest Wrestling until mid-1981.