What would you rate Ron Simmons WWF/E career?

[CM Steel]

Ron Simmons in his prime made history not only in World Championship Wrestling, but in the wrestling industry period when Simmons defeated (big van) Vader to become the first ever African-American to be a world champion in the world of wrestling. Also being a former WCW U.S. champion.

But when Ron Simmons signed with the then WWF back in '96. We saw Ron Simmons wrestling career go up & down like a stock chart. Upon his WWF debut Ron Simmons went by his new ring name Faarooq (Asad) and going by a black "Thor" gimmick it looked like? And then we saw the birth of the "original" Nation of Domination with Clarence Mason being the mouthpiece of the stable.

Simmons only had by one WWF/E title shot and that was against the Undertaker at the King of the Ring of '97. Since his N.O.D. days he's had various tag team partners at that time in 2 Cold Scorpio, Steve Blackman. But later found better success and WWF/E tag team gold when he was put together with Bradshaw! With the APA winning various tag team titles over the next few years. With their best fueds against the Dudley Boyz.

But after Wrestlemania 20 in NYC in '04. The WWE decided to release Ron Simmons after he had a disagreement with the Big Show on the Smackdown brand. And it was Ron Simmons tag team partner Bradshaw now JBL who got to run with the WWE championship for awhile. The WWE re-signed Ron Simmons to a legends contract years later after that with Simmons just using one word per week, "DAMN!". (Sometimes Sam, Spam, Ma'am, ECT)

But what would you rate Ron Simmons WWF/E career all in all, really?

 

[Mr_billy]

Let me chime in. He was always popular, and in the 80's and 90's WWE belts only went on the face of the company and seldom switched hands. You can not judge a career on titles, but popularity. If you look at the WWE past, the JYD, Hacksaw, and George the animal Steele were house hold names, but never seen the ME. So when people say someone isn't getting the career they deserve because they don't have titles is BS, everyone has a role, it's a story.

After that rant, I rate his Career in the WWE pretty high, he was in major storylines almost his whole time there, and for his age at the time, he still could go and was over. we should judge successful careers by TV time and career length, and not titles.

 

[Consequences]

From a pretty bad gimmick to a slightly less bad one to a team he'll be remembered for, then re-signed to make the crowd come to a hush so he can say one thing in retirement? Might not have as nice a ring as "First black world champion" but he's probably more well off now than then.

 

[CM Steel]

Let me chime in. He was always popular, and in the 80's and 90's WWE belts only went on the face of the company and seldom switched hands. You can not judge a career on titles, but popularity. If you look at the WWE past, the JYD, Hacksaw, and George the animal Steele were house hold names, but never seen the ME. So when people say someone isn't getting the career they deserve because they don't have titles is BS, everyone has a role, it's a story.

After that rant, I rate his Career in the WWE pretty high, he was in major storylines almost his whole time there, and for his age at the time, he still could go and was over. we should judge successful careers by TV time and career length, and not titles.

I never said anything about Ron Simmons winning any titles in the WWF/E Billy. It would have been nice to see Ron win the IC championship or even the European championship.

But Simmons age does play a factor during the era in the WWF/E. He's older than JBL for crying out loud! So no Bill, you can not judge a career on titles PERIOD.

 

[WorldHeavyweightChampion]

His WWF/WWE career totally sucked. He did absolutely nothing significant. I even forgot he was in the WWF.

Simmons' best moments were only in NWA (JCP), and later in WCW. In JCP he and Butch Reed were the World Tag-Team Champions (dethroning The Steiner Brothers, of all teams). They dominated great teams like The Steiners, The Roadwarriors, The Freebirds, The Rock 'n' Roll Express, etc... Later, in WCW he would go on to become the World Heavyweight Champion, dethroning Vader.

I don't know why he left WCW, but his wrestling career diminished greatly afterwards. So I'd rate his NWA/WCW career a B (MAYBE a B+), but his WWF/WWE career a D-.

 

[bigbootydaddyV]

I'd say his WWF career was rather mediocre... he came out to that horrible Farooq gimmick (a name that stuck with him a while, but at least he got to be managed by Sunny even if it made no sense), then he was overshadowed by everyone else in NOD especially the Rock, and then he went on to be part of another random tag team in the acolytes only to finally find some success in the APA before that was disbanded and he was again overshadowed by JBL, to the point that ppl forget about the APA because they only see bradshaw as JBL. So while I enjoyed Simmons, since I always liked him going back to WCW and his first title reign and Doom, I'd say his WWF time was nothing to brag about.

 

[asiatic7]

I find it funny that they put him with Sunny when he first came in. Usually, a guy gets thrown together with a manager to get put over. WWE has a history of burying former WCW standouts, maybe the blue helmet was a rib on Ron Simmmons and his accomplishments, I don't know. Maybe the whole gladiator gimmick was meant to embarrass him like Dusty Rhodes and the polka dot attire. I thought he had a good run with the NOD. They created alot of controversey with there anti-white views, calling Ahmed Johnson an "uncle tom" for appealing to all races of fans. His NOD had a hell of a match against LOD and Ahmed at WM13. I think once WWE realized who was the real star of the NOD (The Rock), Ron got lost in the shuffle (being kidnapped and reappering with Bradshaw with weird symbols on their chest, as part of Udertaker's Ministry...Really?). The APA gimmick was cool. They were muscle for hire for anyone with beer money, and had some great feuds. I think overall, he had a HOF worthy career based on his historic WCW world title victory and his run in WWE... can anyone please elaborate on the situation with Big Show? Was there some backstage controversey?

 

[Foshinzo]

Compared to his WCW career? Nada. He was a stepping stone for the Rock, and he managed to salvage some of it with the APA, which were a pretty good tag team, I thought. I don't mean to be so cruel about it, but it's the truth. He was a former World Champion in WCW...he wasn't in the WWF and that's about all the case that I need. Honestly, everyone knows that he shouldn't have been a World Champion in WCW because he was never as over as Sting or Luger, but he took down the monster Vader because Bill Watts wanted to recreate the magic that he had in Mid-South with the JYD. Ron Simmons never took off, and the whole experiment was a failure. Also, it's easy to forget just how big Vader was in WCW until Hogan arrived, but he was the only big thing keeping that company going in the early 90s; he was a big-time heel. He was buried in the WWF, for the most part, and now Vader is just a flash in the pan when it comes to the biggest stars of the 90s. But, when Ron Simmons beat him, it was a big deal. He was given a monster push in WCW...that never, ever happened in the WWF. I don't know if the whole Nation of Domination and the Farooq character was a bad idea, but they probably could have gotten more out of it.

Ron Simmons is who he is and it's probably a great thing that he got as far he did, but is he one of the all-time greatest wrestlers? I don't think anyone would say that. But, at least the WWF did as much with him as anyone probably should have.

 

[Pedigree1]

Unfortunately Ron simmons wwe career was virtually non-existant!! While he was in WCW he did indeed defeat Vader for the WCW title.. I think that was the highlight of his career right then and there.. I really think the wwe should have at least given him the IC title while in the NOD!! TO me after the NOD disbanded there went his career little by little... Being in the APA was cool but honestly what did that tag team accomplish?? Nothing from what i remember.. All they were was a bunch of hired thugs who drank beer and beat up the wrestlers for the right amount of money.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

His World Title career in WCW was not much to write home about either... it was an experiment by Bill Watts that didn't work or draw...and actually hurt the careers of other people who could have held the belt later on like Davey Boy Smith...

Simmons will be remembered for being the first Afro-American champ and that is a major and laudable achievement... but whether JYD, Tony Atlas or even The Rock should have held that honor will be something that can be debated forever.

He was a strong mid carder, no question... the APA was the proverbial "lightning in a bottle" but he was never main event calibre and it was wrong to put him there.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

I'd say middle of the road. Simmons was a great athlete no doubt about it, but that was when Bill Watts was making sure he stayed viable and visible. I don't wanna play the race card when it comes down to Vince, but I'm sure more could have been done with Ron when he first arrived. I remember vividly how he would accuse the WWF of keeping him down because he was black (ala R. Truth, but on a much better scale than Truth). I remember him demanding a shot against The Undertaker and wanting a title match bad. It seemed that if they kept that angle going, it would've paid off, but like Fohinzo said, he was a stepping stone for The Rock. I mean, it's not like The Rock had a bad career, so in one way, that's a good thing. In another way, it really killed his career, other than the APA. I'd give him a C because he wasn't terrible, but he wasn't the greatest either.

 

[Azane]

He stayed relevant for a decade, and gave us one of the iconic stables of the attitude days, which helped put over DX.
He was involved in the Accolytes, The Ministry, Corporate Ministry, and helped put Bradshaw over early.

 

[123NewChamp]

Now I can't speak for Ron Simmons WCW days, but as far as his wwf days. Going out and attacking my boy Ahmed Johnson, to becoming the founding fore-father of one of the most radical outspoken ruthless groups in the wwf, the Nation Of Domination. To one of the greatest entertaining and beer drinking fist fighting, bar brawling tag teams of all time The APA. To the draft lottery, getting fired to the 5 seconds of pure comedy. I'll give Ron Simmons career a C+. His highlights were the Nation Of Domination, and The APA. The Epic Fail of his career, is what we see now on occasions.........wait for it.........wait for it.........DAMN!!! (And the crowd laughs.) smh.

 

[Foggo]

doesn't anybody remember the Dominator? one of the best finishers ever! I loved the APA and it always saddens me to see JBL with short hair. I think that anyone who is old enough to have experienced the "attitude era" first hand and kept up with the product through the APA days will remember Ron Simmons fondly. Granted he's now a one hit (word) wonder but listen to the pop he gets when he wanders into whatever ludicrous situation has been set up for him... people go ape-shit as soon as they see him. I know I sit up on the couch and smile anyways.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

Ron Simmons was a severely underrated performer. He could handle the mike, he could work in the ring and he had a look. I loved him in WCW. I thought he was great as a part of Doom and he did pretty well as a single's competitor. I thought his series vs. Luger was underrated. I loved it when he won the WCW title irregardless of the negative impact it might have had.

His WWE career was quite frankly an insult to his many abilities as a performer. He had that stupid looking blue gladiator outfit, then he headed NOD, which was really nothing until The Rock took it over and feuded with Triple H and DX. They put him in APA with Bradshaw and they were a decent tag team for a while until he and Bradshaw split and he'd show up shouting Damn every once and a while. Not every one can win the title, I agree with that but he could have been a lot more of a focus in the WWE. If you can give it to Bradshaw and a new makeover why couldn't they do something more with Ron Simmons ? Bradshaw was really good on the mike, but he was only okay in the ring. Why couldn't he have feuded with the likes of Angle, Benoit or Edge in the midcard or heavyweight championship division in the Attitude era ? It's just so ridiculous when you know WWE have these guys like a Ron Simmons who can talk, work and have a look and they use them like shit.

I think more fondly of Ron Simmons in WCW more so than the mess he was in WWE.

 

[crossface for ever]

I agree wholeheartedly I think he was grossy underused as most african american performers are in WWE. I loved his work with NOD and APA was great and next to the Hardys my favorite tag team of the time. I think the whole damn thing really made him into just a huge joke and a walking stereotype.

 

[Dude_Love87]

Ron Simmons was not used to his full potential whatsoever in the WWE! His WCW days were record setting and will never be matched, I watched the Ron Simmons vs Vader a few weeks ago when I was on a wrestling binge after the death of Randy Savage. That was a classic moment, and the fact the WWE did not build off of that is unreal. The early N.O.D. days were pretty good, especially when The Rock and Simmons had a feud. The whole "Thor" thing was stupid from the get-gverall, Ron Simmons will fall in the catagory of "wasted talent" amongst the many in the WWE.

 

[JSpaz]

I'll give Simmons a C+. He had a lot more exposure than mid carders today and some of the major stars, from other organizations, that came before him. Here are some examples.

1) Lex Luger was a major star in WCW. Went through Mr. Pefect, got a shot at Yokozuna, after body slamming him and touring on the Lex Express. He then was reduced to the Allied Powers tag team. Then left.

2) Kerry Von Erich. Nice build up to win the IC title, to lose it back to Mr. Perfect, to disappear from TV, to come back to job to main event guys or wrestle on Superstars/Challenge.

3) And major ECW star (the was not RVD)

Simmons has ha a better WWE career than all of them. He came in and was starting to be built up in a program with the always injured Ahmed Johnson. Then moved on to lead the Nation, then on to the APA. The APA was on TV every week with great storylines. The had good videos on RAW when they were in bar fights. And the were WWE tag Champs (when the title meant something)

Something no one has mentioned is that Simmons spoke up in FAVOR of Bret Hart, after the screw job. And critizied the WWE/F. This may have had something to do with not having a WWE title program maybe not.

But if you look at some of the mid-carders today, the are not on TV every week where Ron Simmons was.

 

[Negrodamus]

Ron Simmons went as high as an African American can go in the WWE, It doesn't matter what gimmick they gave him the majority will never be with him and he would never draw this is fact and VKM knows this. It's not racist it's just how it is. If they would have tried to make him champion he would have got the same thing as R Truth where the majority can only see them as mid carders. The Majority can't relate to them unless they play stereo type heels or dancing clowns. It wouldn't work for them to play extensions of themselves cause the crowd can't relate. so they have to take chances on a stereotype Gimmick and those have a roof where it can only get so high.
Booker T was champion but never as the babyface always as the heel and during the brand split and the generation turnover

Ron Simmons was on TV every week He was in big storylines ( as the tag team titles meant something back then ) His Damn T shirts would sell out.
N.O.D vs DX feud was amazing (whether it made the Rock and HHH doesn't matter )
Ron Simmons was no spring chicken when he came to the "E" so for what they gave him and the fact he will be remembered more than some of the people in the HOF his career in the E is an easy B and sure HOF'er If he was an afterthought this thread wouldn't have been made

 

[wrestling89]

doesn't anybody remember the Dominator? one of the best finishers ever!

ummm, yeah, how the hell could anyone forget that move? it was the shit. That's why i liked seeing Bobby Lashley wrestle, because he brought back the Dominator!

But honestly his WWF career was not as good as his WCW career, but it wasn't too shabby either.

When I first saw him in the NWA, I though, meh, this is just some random jakked up guy. But then DOOM came along, and I was a huge mark for them.

When they dropped Woman and the masks, picked up Teddy Long, DOOM became beasts. They ran through EVERYONE, including the LOD and the Steiners.

I was also a big FSU fan back in those days (I have stopped watching college football since then) so when they gave Simmons a singles pushed and really brought out his FSU background, I was loving it.

That match against VADER was huge. Honestly, I can't remember how he lost the title. I guess it was to Vader, and then he just slowly dissapeared. I mean he just fell off the map.

Then he went to the WWF as Farooq The Gladiator Asad. I was like, are you fucking kidding me? What the hell is that?

Thankfully they dropped it, brough on the Nation, and I was a fan again. I didn't care for the Acolytes, I did enjoy the APA skits, and I really HATE it when people only mention him for his "DAMN" moments. Learn some freaking history.

I was a mark for Ron Simmons a long time ago, and I REALLY hope they make a DVD of his career sometime down the road. Probably won't ever happen.

Bottom line, his WWF career was better then some, but not as good as it should have been. He was a beast in the NWA/WCW.

 

[CM Steel]

When I typed this thread I should have said on the title "keep it all here"!

Ron Simmons wasn't used right in the WWF/E. He deserves more credit for what he did prior to being signed to the WWF/E for what he's done in wrestling period for being the first african-american wrestler to win a world championship. But as far as Ron Simmons (Faarooq) has gotton and will be remembered for during his WWF/E days was when he was paired with Bradshaw (JBL) as part of the APA.

Simmons could atlease been given a run with the IC title! But that wasn't even an option.