Which Black Wrestler Meant The Most To Wrestling History.

[asiatic7]

Hi, guys. This thread is asking a question I don't normally get to discuss so I thought I'd bring it to the forums and ask you peeps. Which black wrestler meant more to the history of wrestling? There have been a few black wrestlers who left their mark in the wrestling buisness and gone down as legends of their time. Others, might have been held back because they were, well....black.

Here's a short list of accomplished Black Wrestlers:
1. Ernie Ladd
2. Rocky Johnson
3. Tony Atlas
4. Junkyard Dog
5. Abdullah the Butcher
6. Bad News Brown
7. Booker T
8. Ron Simmons
9. The Rock
10. Mark Henry
11. Devon Dudley
There are plenty more current an past but, In your opinion, who meant the most to wrestling? Maybe your choice paved the way for the future. Maybe your choice is the most decorated wrestler as far as championships go. Maybe he broke down barriers or maybe he was just that damn good and never got the credit he or she deserved. But whatever your reason, let's hear it. Keep it mature and check all racism at the door.

 

[The Hillside]

The Rock is the easy answer here, but he is half Samoan too. Until and unless you are ok with that, The Rock is the easy winner here.

If you want me to consider someone totally black, then Booker T is the winner. He has held the world titles in three different major promotions. He was a good tag team wrestler and has been part of some interesting/funny storylines. He was decent on mic and inside the ring. Plus he has wrestled/feuded with some of the biggest names in the wrestling history.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

Booker T because "YOU GOT TO LOVE IT"!!!(<- A joke, the fact that he is listed above Rock, Henry, Simmons, etc. is a good joke too!)


I gotta go Ron Simmons. The first black World Champion. He broke down walls of discrimination, so guys like Rocky & Mark Henry wouldn't have to. He set a high standard for young black athletes to follow.

 

[Mustang Sally]

The Rock is the easy answer here, but he is half Samoan too.

Sure, but when I look at him, I see a black man.....so I'll take the "easy" answer. Black or white, I don't know that anyone has had greater impact on pro wrestling than Rock. Even today, seven years after his WWE career ended, he was still the reason many wrestling fans bought Wrestlemania. Look at the record buy rate for WM28, produced when the wrestling business (and the economy itself) were in a down period.....and tell me Rock doesn't have a tremendous influence on the business. He had it when he was an active wrestler.....and he's still the man many non-wrestling fans equate with the sport.....not to mention many former wrestling fans who came back just to buy the ppv because he was in it.

The black man who meant the most to the industry is the Rock.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

No love for Zeus!!! That pioneer of the Hogan era?

A lot of these guys have merits in this argument. Mark Henry was the 2nd Olympian to win the World title but the first Afro-American, so that in itself is a big milestone. Ernie Ladd was the pioneer, and Junkyard Dog was main event and the most recognizable black wrestler of his era.

Personally I go with Ron Simmons, not just on the virtue of being the first... but being a legit dual sport superstar with his football career. Rock emulated it later on but Ron Simmons was a HOF member in college football and then became one in wrestling. That seals it for me.

 

[MINISTRYrising]

The Rock is by far the most successful black wrestler of all time. but as far as the wrestler who ment more to the history of wrestling, then I would have to agree with thtrobtaylor and say Ron Simmons. He was the first world champion and did breakdown racial barriers like HBKistheHOF said. Another worthie mention would have to be Bad News Brown. a great performer and if rumors are true, Vince almost made him the first black WWE champion.

 

[HBsam31]

Ron Simmons is the first that comes to mind. He is a college football HOFer and a WWE HOFer. He was the first Black World Champ, and if you watch that match where he won it he had tons of fan support at the time. Also The Rock is definitely and easy answer and he probably even beats out Simmons. The Rock's impact is still being felt today. One of the most over stars ever.

 

[theBec2101]

I got go with Ron Simmons. He was the first African American to hold the World Title. Not alot of people can say that. I mean it tells you something about Ron Simmons the man and for how much they trusted him and he earned it. He did have to look, he was a great wrestler. Shame what the WWF put him through when he first came into the company.

 

[jacdnwarrior]

Bobo Brazil. You can't have any of these guys mentioned without some one opening the door for them. Brazil was the first to do so and in doing so changed the industry. Every black wrestler since (and the industry itself)owes him a great debt.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Any answer but The Rock is kinda laughable as his influence and star power overshadows that of every other name on the OP's list combined.

For some odd reason, some try to claim that Dwayne Johnson isn't 100% "black". When you consider all the various mixing of various "races" that've taken place over the eons and is still taking place today, you'd be hard pressed to find a black man outside of the African continent that is 100% true blue black. Hell, I recently discovered that I have a Cherokee ancestor that went by the name of Skyhawk. Kickass name by the way. While I'm predominantly white, I've got the blood of the so called "red men" in me too.

The Rock is someone that's proud of his heritage, all aspects of it. But to try and take some aspects of his racial heritage and say it's irrelevant is just wrong on so many levels.

 

[spaldoni]

I think the team of Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson meant a lot to history. They were so over at the time. I guess they had personal issues which cut their reign short. Its a shame because I think they would of done really well during the early Wrestlemania years.

 

[Just Do It]

Ron Simmons winning the world title in WCW is a stand out to be. WOrth noting it was Cowboy Bill's booking.

 

[HBKistheHOF]

Bobo Brazil. You can't have any of these guys mentioned without some one opening the door for them. Brazil was the first to do so and in doing so changed the industry. Every black wrestler since (and the industry itself)owes him a great debt.

This is VERY true!

Bobo did alot for the african-american community in wrestling & in an era where he wasn't the cool guy to cheer for, ALOT of people enjoyed him & found him entertaining.

An all time calssic!

 

[Richard Blonoff]

There are the guys like Rocky Johnson and Ron Simmons who helped break down some walls title wise, there are guys like Brazil who broke the color barrier in a way, but The Rock meant the most.

He was the first world wide draw, the first black wrestler to be the face of a company. He may not have been the first black wrestler to hold a world title or headline a PPV, but he took what others had built and improved upon it.

And really, he is black. He may not look as black as some guys, but to try to count him out because his mother is Samoan is asinine. Obama has a white mom but he is still the first black President.

 

[Composition4]

At first I was going to go with Ron Simmons, but after reading a couple of other posts I was swayed into agreeing with The Rock. Every success has someone they owe to for said success and although it is true that without Bobo Brazil, his father Rocky Johnson, Bad News Allen, Ernie Ladd, Ron Simmons and even Booker T coming before him, The Rock may not have been given the fair shake he was. That being said he is without a doubt THE most successful black professional wrestler in the history of the business and that makes him my choice.

 

[mr.perfect88]

Well with all respect to the older fans who name guys like Bobo Brazil, Tony Atlas, or even the great Ernie Ladd, none of them was the first to be world champion for a major organization. When Ron Simmons won the WCW that was it. Lil kids back then didnt have no obama. Ron made a statement.

 

[One to Remember]

For some odd reason, some try to claim that Dwayne Johnson isn't 100% "black".

maybe just maybe thats because HE IS NOT?!
He clearly takes after him mom in full. If ObamA is the Black president because of one Afrikan parent the Rock is the Samoan super star based on the same logic.

When you consider all the various mixing of various "races" that've taken place over the eons and is still taking place today, you'd be hard pressed to find a black man outside of the African continent that is 100% true blue black.

What in the bloody hell are you talking about? u rotate between saying everyone and everything is mixed and then you rescind that and just say Black people in the U.S. arent as Black as they think or arent very pure..
if the first part of that quote is true then there are no races period. also why highlight Black impurity if according to you impurity is a global phenomenon?

Hell, I recently discovered that I have a Cherokee ancestor that went by the name of Skyhawk. Kickass name by the way.

cool story bro..

While I'm predominantly white, I've got the blood of the so called "red men" in me too.

Apparently Savage's father was hiding Black ancestry, where the hell is he on this list? Alot of Puerto Ricans have Afrikan ancestry where is Pedro MorAles on this list? You think ur the authority on racial classifications because ur a white man? The whole mixed people= black ppl thing only applies to whites and Blacks, not other races and Blacks because the historical and lengthy problems between Blacks and Whites..

The greatest Black wrestler is either Booker T. or Bobo Brazil but seeing as Bobo set the stage for a guy who paved a way for a guy who opened the door for a sky who shattered a glass ceiling, and the fact that he was NWA World champion (technically), and the fact that in many ways he was the original Booker T. He was very popular, popular enough to be involved in interracial bouts. His reign predates Simmons' by 29 years. He sold out arenas and had top billings were ever he went. Carlos Colon also deserves a look at here on this list as well as 2 Cold Scorpio..