Those who started watching wrestling a few years ago know him as that loveable guy who says "Damn!" Those who started watching during the Attitude era know him as that guy that led the group that eventually produced The Rock. And those who started watching him earlier in his career know him as one half of Doom.
This all sounds a bit "meh" when looked at in this way and I find that this is too often how he is portrayed: A guy who used to be "somebody" (though we struggle to remember when this was). Despite being easily recognizable to anyone who has had a passing interest in wrestling over the past 20 years, Ron Simmons seems to be just as easily forgotten. Why?
Is it possible that Ron Simmons, the man, was simply too good at what he did? So good that his character was never seen as larger than life because he didn't need to be. He was an intimidating presence that no one wanted to mess with. And that was it. His whole career was him being known as a tough guy, the man no one dared to cross, the man that even when he lost we still knew he could have beat his opponent's ass. The only background he was ever given was that of a standout football star at Florida State and that was only to put an extra stamp on his legitimacy.
So what do we so often overlook about the accomplishments of Ron Simmons? Well, his first feud was against the Junkyard Dog, the top black wrestler of his era, which is no small accomplishment. He then became one half of the first officially recognized WCW Tag Team Champions along with Butch Reed as Doom. Then the controversy arose.
In August of 1992, Simmons won a lottery to face Vader for the WCW World Heavyweight Title and defeated him in a quick match to become the first ever black Heavyweight Champion. Except many claim that he wasn't. Bobo Brazil blazed the trail for successful black athletes within the wrestling industry and won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in October 1962 from Buddy Rogers. Except the NWA doesn't officially recognize the title switch and thus the controversy was born.
Whether Simmons was the very first black man to hold a World Title or not, he was most certainly the first black wrestler to hold a World Title on a nationally televised program. He was also the first to have a lengthy run with a World Title, holding it for five months before losing it back to Vader. It seemed that Simmons was no usual man, no matter the color of his skin, and this would hold true as he entered the World Wrestling Federation.
Anyone you ask will say that Stone Cold Steve Austin was the man that made the Attitude Era, it was on his back that the WWF made the turn from cartoon characters into a more extreme environment. Many will give Shawn Michaels a large part in this uprising as well. But I would argue there was another man who was heavily responsible for this rise; and no, that man's name isn't Dwayne Johnson.
After quickly shedding the blue gladiator garb and donning a more serious look, the newly dubbed Faarooq began a group that sat at the center of public controversy for the entirety of his involvement within it. The Nation of Domination was the WWF's take on the Black Panther movement and instantly thrust them into the national spotlight.
It was not only the existence of the group that made it such a spectacle, it was the absolutely chilling speeches and performances of Faarooq that added the much needed credibility to the entire presentation. Without Faarooq the Rock never would have taken off with as much momentum as he did, without Faarooq the black demographic never would have flooded to wrestling like they did during this time, without Faarooq the overall presentation of Monday Night Raw never would have been as serious and legitimate as it became.
Yes, without Stone Cold Steve Austin, without Shawn Michaels, without The Rock then the Attitude Era never would have been as huge as it was. But I would argue that without Faarooq the same argument can be made. Relegated to a midcard act that was never meant to be anything more, Simmons created a group that defines the Attitude Era as much as any other and without him the WWE as we know it today would be radically different.
We think of Daniel Bryan as an underdog, a talent held down and never meant to take center stage, I would say there has never been a truer example of this struggle than that endured by Ron Simmons. As the top black athlete of his time he fought and clawed his way to the top when racism was still very prevalent and used his talents to create success after success. Doom, the Nation of Domination, the Acolytes (and the eventual Acolyte Protection Agency), along with his singles runs as Faarooq and under his own birth name Ron Simmons, all were huge successes within wrestling, all had the same common thread.
How good was Ron Simmons? As good as anyone has ever been.
This all sounds a bit "meh" when looked at in this way and I find that this is too often how he is portrayed: A guy who used to be "somebody" (though we struggle to remember when this was). Despite being easily recognizable to anyone who has had a passing interest in wrestling over the past 20 years, Ron Simmons seems to be just as easily forgotten. Why?
Is it possible that Ron Simmons, the man, was simply too good at what he did? So good that his character was never seen as larger than life because he didn't need to be. He was an intimidating presence that no one wanted to mess with. And that was it. His whole career was him being known as a tough guy, the man no one dared to cross, the man that even when he lost we still knew he could have beat his opponent's ass. The only background he was ever given was that of a standout football star at Florida State and that was only to put an extra stamp on his legitimacy.
So what do we so often overlook about the accomplishments of Ron Simmons? Well, his first feud was against the Junkyard Dog, the top black wrestler of his era, which is no small accomplishment. He then became one half of the first officially recognized WCW Tag Team Champions along with Butch Reed as Doom. Then the controversy arose.
In August of 1992, Simmons won a lottery to face Vader for the WCW World Heavyweight Title and defeated him in a quick match to become the first ever black Heavyweight Champion. Except many claim that he wasn't. Bobo Brazil blazed the trail for successful black athletes within the wrestling industry and won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in October 1962 from Buddy Rogers. Except the NWA doesn't officially recognize the title switch and thus the controversy was born.
Whether Simmons was the very first black man to hold a World Title or not, he was most certainly the first black wrestler to hold a World Title on a nationally televised program. He was also the first to have a lengthy run with a World Title, holding it for five months before losing it back to Vader. It seemed that Simmons was no usual man, no matter the color of his skin, and this would hold true as he entered the World Wrestling Federation.
Anyone you ask will say that Stone Cold Steve Austin was the man that made the Attitude Era, it was on his back that the WWF made the turn from cartoon characters into a more extreme environment. Many will give Shawn Michaels a large part in this uprising as well. But I would argue there was another man who was heavily responsible for this rise; and no, that man's name isn't Dwayne Johnson.
After quickly shedding the blue gladiator garb and donning a more serious look, the newly dubbed Faarooq began a group that sat at the center of public controversy for the entirety of his involvement within it. The Nation of Domination was the WWF's take on the Black Panther movement and instantly thrust them into the national spotlight.
It was not only the existence of the group that made it such a spectacle, it was the absolutely chilling speeches and performances of Faarooq that added the much needed credibility to the entire presentation. Without Faarooq the Rock never would have taken off with as much momentum as he did, without Faarooq the black demographic never would have flooded to wrestling like they did during this time, without Faarooq the overall presentation of Monday Night Raw never would have been as serious and legitimate as it became.
Yes, without Stone Cold Steve Austin, without Shawn Michaels, without The Rock then the Attitude Era never would have been as huge as it was. But I would argue that without Faarooq the same argument can be made. Relegated to a midcard act that was never meant to be anything more, Simmons created a group that defines the Attitude Era as much as any other and without him the WWE as we know it today would be radically different.
We think of Daniel Bryan as an underdog, a talent held down and never meant to take center stage, I would say there has never been a truer example of this struggle than that endured by Ron Simmons. As the top black athlete of his time he fought and clawed his way to the top when racism was still very prevalent and used his talents to create success after success. Doom, the Nation of Domination, the Acolytes (and the eventual Acolyte Protection Agency), along with his singles runs as Faarooq and under his own birth name Ron Simmons, all were huge successes within wrestling, all had the same common thread.
How good was Ron Simmons? As good as anyone has ever been.