The Greatest African-American Wrestler of all-time?

[Savion83]

In honor of Black History Month...well the last week of it anyway.

With me being African-American, it makes me think for a minute. Think about the best african-american wrestlers that have ever stepped foot in a wrestling ring. May it be in the WWF/E, WCW, ECW, TNA, ECT.

Now I know ya'll saying to ya'll selfs it's between "Ron Simmons" & "Booker T." because they are the only black wrestlers who have been world champion before (not including the Rock). But this thread can't be based on that allow. It takes more than just winning a world title to be considered "The greatest african-american wrestler of all-time". Let's take a look on this list. And this is not a list you would find New Jack on!...

1. Ron Simmons-Pound for pound the very first african-american world champion (in WCW). Former Florida State all-american football player who also played for the Cleveland Browns. And future hall of famer.

2. Booker T.-Like Shawn Michaels, Booker started off as a tag team wrestler before going solo and winning the WCW world championship five times, five times, five times, five times, FIVE TIMES!! And had some great feuds on that road including against the late, great Chris Benoit. And oh yeah he won the WWE world heavyweight title once.

3. The Junkyard Dog-Even though JYD never won a world title, he won the hearts of fans from around the globe by putting on great matches against the likes of Harley Race, Greg Valentine, and Ric Flair. A great wrestling personality all around!

4. Ahmed Johnson-Ahmed's wrestling career was cut short due to getting released from diffrent promotions. But "the pearl-river powerhouse" was the first ever WWF/E african-american IC champion in 1996. Had stand out feuds with Ron Simmons in the WWF years. Just ahead of his time!

5. Tony Atlas-Probraly the strongest african-american wrestler in wrestling ever? Breakthrough performer in NWA wrestling in the 1980's. Wrestled in the WWF/E. And is still with the company ti'l this day! (HaHaHA!)

That's all I could name. Hopfully Shelton Benjamin will make this list one day? He hasn't won a world title yet? Not even the now defunct-ECW championship! But has the tools and skills to be a great name in wrestling as a african-american performer.

But I guess we'll never truly know? Maybe somebody can talk me otherwise?

 

[omorris]

I would have to say, even though he came before I started watching wrestling. Ernie Lad
I've seen footage and He had the total package. Size,Strength, Ring Work and, He was great on the Mic.

Bobby Lashley- Even though he was only in wrestling for a short time he was awesome. Wasn't a great talker but a great Big man.

Without question the best is the last decade , The Rock this guy changed the way we look at promos. Look at the Miz, Mr. Anderson, Booker T. and many others.

 

[Davi323]

I don't think anyone can quite match up to the long, successful career of Bobo Brazil. His wrestling career saw four different decades. He won numerous championships in the NWA, Mid-Atlantic, Japan and WWWF, and was the first black NWA heavyweight champion, not Ron Simmons. Bobo won it in 1962, beating Nature Boy Buddy Rogers. (Simmons was the first to win the "WCW" title, and the NWA generally refuses to acknowledge Brazil's win over some bullshit about an injury to Rogers, which is why the NWA ignores Brazil in favor of Simmons.)

 

[JenksIX]

The Pope D'Angelo Dinero/Elijah Burke

Has the best mic skills, look, charisma, athleticism, and overall wrestling ability of any other wrestler, be them white or black atm.

I don't count the rock cuz he ain't all black.

 

[samoan_joe]

Bobo Brazil- If you think he's latino, stop reading. He was the first truly big, black draw in a time when America was still in high segregation and he headlined MSG fairly often and feuded with Buddy Rogers, had some matches with Bruno and Lou Thesz and even headlined St Louis and Texas, deeply south territories laden in racism. Definitely the most influential, important and ground breaking black worker, ever and it's really not debatable.

2.Junkyard Dog-probably the most popular black wrestler ever. Huge in the south, and basically over everywhere he went.

3. Ron Simmons-only this high because he was the first black world champ, after that he never reached a high level but had some success in an Austin type ripoff with the Accolytes.

4. Ernie muthafuckin Ladd- easily the first mainstream 2 sport crossover superstar ever. Had a REAL NFL career( unlike dudes who make practice squads and announcers play off it forever) and was a top heel in his day. Great agility. Just an extraordinary talent. Top programs with Bruno and other top dogs of the day.

5. Badnews Brown/Allen- just an awesome heel who could really work. First "angry black" character in wrestling.

6. Booker T- biggest mainstream black worker of the decade.

7.Thunderbolt Patterson- stood up to racism in the NWA in the 70s and worked with an outlaw promotion, not fearing an NWA blacklisting. Extremely popular in

8. Scorpio- can still outwork 90% of the WWE and TNA rosters to this day

9. Tony Atlas-lightyears ahead of Ahmed Johnson

10.SD Jones- worked everywhere of note, very nice, solid career and greta enhancement talent who could make people look great.

 

[Chrome]

Hmm the greatest all time?

Bobo Brazil .. Enrie Lad not far behind.

Ron Simmons and Booker T I rank about the same.

JYD was probably the BEST FACE in the 80's. Bad News Brown best Heel in the 80's..

However....

I am surprised no one mentioned.....

brickhouse brown! His mic skills were great! easily in top 10 lol

Also New Jack? (oh wait ... nevermind.. he was wreckless as hell like Ahmed Johnson lol) I was about to say Abdullah the Butcher and Rocky Johnson but they were canadian... soooo.....


but seriously the top African American wrestler of all time is hands down the Rock. He is samoan and black and born in america. So yes he is mixed he is still African-American (50% but still qualifies for this)

1. The Rock

Although the Pope might be in this spot in the future. Its hard to tell so early but he is definatly one of the rising stars.

Heck even the Rock states it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMW4LfOYKmE&playnext_from=TL&videos=fBojQtDrVio

 

[[email protected]]

Ahmed Johnson hands down. If this thread is about in-ring ability then Ahmed was the greatest. Of course im talking about his time in WWF before he went to WCW. I remember watching his matches and thinking this guy is the best wrestler that I have ever seen.

 

[gd]

The Rock doesn't count, does he? Obviously he'd be the choice, but I'd say he isn't an option.

Suppose I have to go with Booker T here. He's been with basically all of the major companies and had success in each and every one of them. One of the more interesting guys on the mic and certainly one of the most charismatic wrestlers ever. He gave us some pretty good matches as well, mostly with Harlem Heat. Didn't he feud with Austin too? That was pretty good.

Honestly, I don't think there is really anyone else close to him. Simmons was quite shit, actually. Junkyard Dog? Yeah right. Booker appears to be the only choice.

 

[BucsBraves8016]

Great post and I thought I'd add my two cents as an african-american wrestling fan. The biggest omission of everyone's list is Iceman King Parsons, who was the WCCW (World Class) Heavyweight Champion.

1. Bobo Brazil...Echoing what others have said.
2. Ernie Ladd...The first true black heel to headline. A trailblazer.
3. Junkyard Dog...There never would have been Ron Simmons being WCW Champion had Bill Watts not done the same thing with JYD in Mid-South. Watts knew he could build a promotion around a black champion and did it with Ritter. He was the blue print.
4. Booker T. I put him above Simmons just because he had/has a longer and more big time title filled career.
5. Ron Simmons. His WCW Title win over Vader is one of those moments that to this day still makes my hair stand up and brings a tear to my eye. He'll always have a special place in my heart because of that.
6. Iceman King Parsons. Former WCCW Champ, feuded on both sides of the Von Erich /Freebird Wars and was a great tag-team wrestler winning multiple tag titles as well.
7. Hacksaw Butch Reed. Gave Flair a run for his money often, was a stud in Florida and Mid-South as well as being a great tag team with Ron Simmons (Doom).
8.Bad News Brown. Olympic Bronze medalist in Judo and one of the legit baddest dudes ever in pro wrestling. The guy made Andre the Giant apologize after he made a racial remark once. Enough said.
9.Koko B. Ware. I just love the guy. He was small but he was athletic, charismatic and entertaining. Had one of the better dropkicks in wrestling.
10.Kamala. Gotta give the guy credit. A heckuva gimmick that carried him a long way in a lot of different promotions.

 

[SSJPhenom]

I don't know if the lot of you would consider the Rock an option or not. However, since we consider Obama the first African American President; we would have to consider the Rock to be African American as well. They are both half African American.

Hands down, it would have to be the Rock. One of the biggest names in wrestling history. A top draw and a fully successful crossover appeal. He is considered to be the greatest talker of all time and his in ring abilities weren't that bad either. Even people who don't watch wrestling know who the Rock is.

It would have to be the Great One. The Rock.

 

[Brahma Bull]

the rock. hands down. when he is considered one of the best if not the best ever by almost every wrestling fan, its hard not to say that he was the best african american wrestler of all time.

if you just want guys that look black, then hands down again, booker t. 5 time wcw champion. first full black wwe champion. last champion wcw ever had. the guy was insanely over, had great mic skills and in an age where stereotypes seem to be the norm (cryme tyme) booker never needed to use the race card. he may have, i havent seen all his fueds, but the guy was great regardless of his race.

 

[Total Impact]

The Rock hands down, no other black wrestler compares to The Rock. You can make a case for him being a Oreo (Half & Half) however if Obama can be considered the first Black president, then Rock can be considered the Greatest Black Wrestler of all time. Lets look at his career:

Four Wrestlemania Main Events
Nine Time World Champion
Five Time Tag Team Champion
Two Time Intercontinental Champion
Royal Rumble Winner

Greatest of all time, probably even considered in top 10 maybe top 5 pro wrestlers of all time. No one wrestler black has ever got over as Rock did. Name one guy bigger than The Rock in pro wrestling that is black?

Also Booker T is not the first Black WWE champion, that honor goes to The Rock. It has been documented that the WWE never acknowledge that on TV due to the fact that in all it years it never had a black champion & caught bad press when Ahmed Johnson was push hard under that title. The company didn't want to look racist, so they never made mention of that fact.

 

[zone3og]

I cant pick just one but I guess I can do my top three.

1. Booker T: He's won just about every important title there is in the last 15 years. And he's been doing it at a consistant pace.
2. Bad News Brown: I loved this guy as a kid! And I booed every rulebreaker. But he was hilarious if you grew up where Im from because you knew that that kind of person really existed. Hell of a worker too.
3. Butch Reed: Hell of a worker. If he wouldve came out 10 years later he wouldve won a hell of a lot more titles. He was one of the first black wrestlers to get to main event with Ric Flair back in the early 80s.

I wouldve included Rocky but hes half Samoan.

 

[Zaahir3000]

Obama actually embraces his African American identity. The Rock goes out of his way to deny his Black heritage. Which is why I wouldn't include him.

 

[Total Impact]

Obama actually embraces his African American identity. The Rock goes out of his way to deny his Black heritage. Which is why I wouldn't include him.

But the 1 drop rules makes him black so he is my pick. I would of pick Booker T, but he was put over because of the racist lawsuit in WCW not because of his talent. I mean he is great & he proved to be he right choice for the Main Event, but he got the belt so WCW wouldn't look racist.

The Rock is the greatest of all-time & no one else compares as he was beloved & hated. He Main Evented & was big as Hulk Hogan. That right there makes him the best.