From there, Fox went on to make history as the first and only African-American Divas title holder. However, before she could really accomplish anything of merit, she announced she was pregnant and has since been on maternity leave. For a man who had only been sidelined twice with ailments, those two times were utterly disastrous. He's also known as the "Master of the Spinaroonie", a break-dancing move he would perform in the center of the ring to the delight of the fans and for his insistence on referring to himself as the "Five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time, five-time WCW Champion. Shelton Benjamin is easily the most athletic person on this entire article; in fact, Shelton Benjamin could possibly top the list of most athletic professional wrestlers of all-time. Not even the most legendary icon of them all, Hulk Hogan. Koko has actually held 21 titles throughout his career. Sadly, Sylvester Ritter, the man behind the Junkyard Dog character would pass away on June 6th, 1998 in a car accident in Mississippi. She has headlined episodes of Raw and pay-per-views. Her in-ring abilities have also been highly regarded as she is very skilled in the ring. A roster so deep that an eventual eleven-time World Champion like Adam Copeland (Edge) couldn't even get a shot at the WWF title. Men who electrified crowds, shocked the world, created legendary moments and helped to lay the foundation for every wrestler who has come after them. Although TNA made it immediately clear they wanted Bobby in the TNA World Title picture, Lashley's stay in TNA would be brief, as he would be released in less than a year so he could focus on entering into MMA full-time. Originally starting in ECW as a part of the much larger "Dudley Family" stable, D-Von's appearance marked a change for the primarily comical stable into a much more aggressive and heelish group. Towards the end of his career, he left the ring to do announcing for WCW, but eventually decided to retire full time in order to run an auto-garage. In the time period between these two stints in MSW and WCW, Butch would try his hand in the WWF, but he was mistreated and poorly booked and was out of the company in a little over a year, heading to WCW where he would find more success. Bobby Lashley only spent a brief amount of time in the world of professional wrestling, debuting in the WWE in 2004 and remaining there for only four years before leaving the company due to personal reasons. Which is another list all unto itself. She was also voted the number one women's wrestler in the world and "Woman of the Year" by Pro Wrestling Illustrated in 2008. But, even before this period in the mid-90's, Ron Simmons was making history. Watching Bobby's fights expose him as green and easily winded. Athletes who beat legends and became legends. However, "Zero" is still the incorrect answer to that question. She continues to be a prominent part of the Womens Revolution with two reigns as champion. It may seem strange given his status in the world of pro-wrestling, but the Rock was only a full-time active competitor in the WWF for seven years, from 1996 to 2003. It's rather sad that most fans of the WWE these days only know Ron Simmons for one thing: "Damn!". He had legendary feuds with the likes of the Fabolous Freebirds and Ted Dibiase. (Which in hindsight, probably kept him from winning the WWE title, as it would've complicated his famous catchphrase.). (Which is like being stuck on Superstars, today.). If there was a Mount Rushmore for professional wrestlers, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's face would be engraved on it right along side of men like Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Ric Flair. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. She currently wrestles in TNA with her partner ODB. Charles Wright retired in 2009, last wrestling for Hulk Hogan's Australian tour. The longest reigning tag champs in WWE history are so popular the group has their own Booty Os branded cereal and were featured in a lip sync battle with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. Currently, Bobby Lashley is signed to Titan Fighting Championship. Norris states that he left to tend to his dying sister who passed from cancer only three days after he left the WWF. The Big Cat would also hold the Heavyweight Championships of the WWC, WWA and NWF. The Rock didn't just win championships, he put on absolute classics in the ring with his ability to work a match and his feuds with rivals like Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin sit at the top of not only fans, but fellow superstars lists as some of the best ever. Stevie Ray is one half of one of the most iconic tag teams, and the single most successful African-American tag team in professional wrestling history: The Harlem Heat. They won the WCW Tag Team titles from Rick and Scott Steiner and successfully defended them against teams like The Rock'n'Roll Express and Flyin' Bryan (Brian Pillman) and The Z-man. Collectively known as the New Day, the trio of Big E, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston always bring the entertainment. The memorable characters he has portrayed on television. Click through the above gallery to see seven of these notable WWE superstars of today who are making their own legacies within the business. His many catchphrases are still utilized in the general public's lexicon to this day, from: "If you smell what the Rock is cookin'." In the Junkyard Dog's short life and stellar career, he became a household name, wrestling icon and one of the most popular faces in all of professional wrestling. I couldn't come up with a line that awesome if you gave me a week and a bottle of Quaaludes. However, Bobo would drastically eclipse the success and popularity of The Bearcat. Booker T. is the true definition of the "Gold Standard" in modern professional wrestling. He has a tendency to move around between promotions a great deal and is a draw wherever he goes. JYD was already a major star in wrestling before ever stepping foot in the WWF and was a top billed star that sold out arenas wherever he went while working in the Mid-South Wrestling Federation under Bill Watts. Truly, The Rock is in a class all his own and is, hands down, the greatest African-American and Samoan-American wrestler of all time. Just some of Bearcat Wrights notable wins include defeating Killer Kowalski to become the NWA Big-Time Heavyweight Champion and defeating "Classy" Freddie Blassie for the WWA Heavyweight Championship. Sadly, Ernie Ladd passed away at the age of 68 on March 10, 2007, after losing a three year battle with cancer. Copyright 2022 NTVB Media, Inc., All Rights Reserved, WWE 'Total Divas' Superstar Naomi Is Gearing up for a Glowing 2018, Soap & Charmed Star Rebecca Balding Dies at 73, Shocker! But, when Booker walks away from the game completely, he will be without a doubt, a first ballot hall of fame entry. And as mentioned before, Ron Simmons was also one-half the "Doom" tag team with Butch Reed that won the WCW Tag Titles from The Steiner Brothers. Bobo would retire in 1992 and be inducted in the WWF Hall of Fame two years later. Koko, as popular and memorable as he was, never held a title in the WWF. Butch also had success in the WCW where he teamed with Ron Simmons to form the tag team "Doom". angle. The release appeared to be amicable as TNA is supportive of Lashley becoming a successful MMA fighter at a time where MMA is exploding in popularity. Currently, Booker T. has returned to the WWE and is an announcer on Smackdown with Josh Matthews and Michael Cole. Charles never won much gold in his career, only becoming a one-time WWF Intercontinental Champion and one-time WWF Tag Team Champion with Bull Buchanan. Not only did they take him seriously, they made him the NWA World Heavyweight Champion on two separate occasions. Joe film, and just his face being on the poster for this upcoming Survivor Series caused the event to sell out in just 90 minutes. Montel Vontavious Porter: MVP is a two-time WWE United States Champion and one-time Tag Team Champion (with Matt Hardy), who is currently the IWGP Intercontinental Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling. And again, his spot was lost to another wrestler. After some scrapes with the wrong side of the law after his full retirement in 2003, Anthony Norris got his life in order and is now a trainer with Booker T and Stevie Ray at their Pro Wrestling Gym. Ever. At 70 years of age, Shreve is still going strong in independent promotions and in Japan. Should things not pan out for Lashley, he can always make a return back to the world of professional wrestling, where his massive size, amateur wrestling background and good relations with TNA will assure he'll have a place to perform. Simply one of the greatest wrestlers to ever step into a ring, anywhere, anytime, in any era. Bobo lived to be 74-years-old, before finally succumbing to complications due to several strokes on January 20th, 1998. He would be teamed up with the Road Dogg Jesse James at the tail end of his run with the WWF and rap on his way down to the ring. Junkyard would leave in the WWF in 1988 and head to WCW where he aligned himself with Sting's "Dudes with Attitudes" and fought with Ric Flair's Four Horsemen. While the Dog never held WWF gold, in his extremely successful career in the territories he amassed 20 different title reigns, six of which were Heavyweight titles in the MSW, USWA and Stampede Wrestling. And you know you have to have been hugely popular to get into the Hall of Fame when your legacy was "jobber to the stars" while actually active in the WWF. Look for Kharma to re-debut in the WWE next Summer by breaking Kelly Kelly in half and then doing the same thing to the Diva's championship. Again. The Rock made even raising his eyebrow a phenomenon. His most notable title reigns came as a four-time European Champion with WWE. Butch and Simmons would hold the WCW Tag Team Titles for 281 days, the longest reign in WCW history. Shelton Benjamin is enjoying his second stint with WWE after returning to SmackDown Live after seven years. And just before he was supposed to face The Undertaker for it, he was injured. And while the Dudleys represented every bit of the extreme attitude that was the core of ECW, they eventually left to go to the WWE. It was the extreme popularity of Bobo Brazil that really served to break down the walls of racial discrimination and segregation that both he and Edward Wright were fighting against. It was that same group that Wright would imitate, along with Stevie Richards, Bull Buchanan, Val Venis and Ivory as the "Right To Censor", that for a time, was the single most hated stable in the WWF, as it was their goal to rid the WWF of all of the filth it had come to stand for. His forty foot fall with Vic Grimes, which was botched, resulting in brain damage and blindness in one eye of New Jack, is one of the most shocking moments in the history of modern pro-wrestling. Edward "Bearcat" Wright has done something that only one other man on this list can claim: He broke down the walls of segregation in the world of pro-wrestling and paved the way for almost every man on this list to be successful. It's an inauspicious ending to the career of Lane Huffman, but his work as Stevie Ray of the Harlem Heat will forever cement him in the annals of Pro-Wrestling lore. 
Overall, Devon, has won a total of 24 Tag team titles with his "brother" Bubba Ray Dudley. At age 57, Butch still pops up on the indie scene from time to time, last being advertised for a "Legends of Wrestling" event in August. Tony Atlas, much like Rocky Johnson, also had the large bulk of his success outside of the WWF, but unlike Rocky, he was able to attain success in many promotions and not just inside of the NWA territory system. 2. If you were a WWF fan in the mid 1990s, then you know that it is no exaggeration to say that Ahmed Johnson was one of the hottest wrestlers of that period. (Pacific Northwest, Mid-America/CWA, Hollywood, Big Time, Georgia and twice in the CWF in Florida.). Moon may still be in the developmental brand, but that didnt stop her from having an impressive showing in the first-womens Royal Rumble match. Older fans know from the WWF days know full well how much of a monster Ron Simmons was during the majority of his WWF career before going into semi-retirement. He even has crossover appeal and has appeared in several Japanese movies, television shows, video games and commercials. Abdullah, even now, is a huge star in Japan. WWE is doing its part to celebrate Black History Month by airing video tributes of historical figures within its ranks. 
And coming up, she participates in the inaugural all-female Elimination Chamber match. This time it was Vader. He was also a member of the Nation of Domination. After departing in 2008, Bobby bounced around Mexico and Japan for a short time before landing in TNA the following year. Titus ONeil transitioned from a Hall of Fame run with the Florida Gators to WWE superstar, starting on NXT when it was a reality show competition. He was instrumental in the training, development and signing of his son, Dwayne Johnson to the WWF, who would later go on to become "The Rock". However, the man behind Ahmed Johnson, Anthony Norris, had possibly the worst luck when it came to his physical health. If you were a fan of the WWF during the late '80s and early '90s, at the height of Koko's popularity, you might answer: "Zero". The list simply wouldn't be complete without them. D-Lo Brown: Is a 43 time title holder throughout his career. Shelton has amassed 13 title reigns across five promotions, including three runs with the WWE Intercontinental Championship, two reigns as the WWE Tag Team Champions with Charlie Haas and one time as the WWE United States Champion. Little known fact? The "Soulman" has amassed 33 titles over his illustrious career with 30 of them coming from various NWA territories. This was back when TNA still had a working agreement with the National Wrestling Alliance and used their titles before developing their own in 2007. Being involved with some of the most hated stables in the history of professional wrestling. Not only is he known for record breaking runs with his brother in Harlem Heat, but he's just as well known for such antics as "King Bookah", a hilarious royal character he began to portray with his real life wife, "Queen Sharmell" after winning the King of the Ring. But, even with all of this, The Rock has achieved something that no other wrestler has. But being fired was the best thing to happen to Ron Killings. They excelled to the top through sheer perseverance, unwilling to accept the status quo. Jacqueline Moore: One of the few women to hold a male title in the WWE, Ms. Jackie is a former WWE Cruiserweight champion (now defunct) and a two-time WWE Women's champion. Since her days in NXT, Sasha Banks has been marking one milestone after another. They also made him a three-time tag champion, twice under the NWA belts and once under the TNA belts. We kick off our countdown with Charles Wright. There is absolutely no doubt, that had things been different, Ahmed Johnson's name would go down as one of the key players of the WWF's legendary "Attitude Era". Rocky Johnson was inducted in to WWF Hall of Fame in 2008. Known for their penchant for drinking, gambling, bar-fights, and beating up anyone, anywhere for the right price, the APA won the WWF tag-titles on three separate occasions while facing legendary competition like The Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz, New Age Outlaws and E&C. Overall, Ladd would hold 15 different Heavyweight titles across five different NWA territories. The WWF still felt that Ahmed, even as a heel, was the right man to be at the top of the card and put him in the #1 Contender spot for the WWF Championship. To be honest, he was a horrible wrestler that went by the name of "K-Kwik". He found success with former partner Darren Young in the Primetime Players and now heads up Titus Worldwide. ONeil is heavily involved with charity work and is the only WWE superstar to host a TED Talk. 
With his brother Booker T., who will also make an appearance on this list, Harlem Heat was the only tag team in the history of World Championship Wrestling to hold the tag team titles on ten separate occasions. His character never changed or evolved once, not once, and was mainly relegated to wrestling on WWF Jakked. Mark Henry: Mark is a fifteen year WWE veteran (only the Undertaker and Triple H are longer tenured) who is the current number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. If there was a legendary wrestler in a promotion? Although, Rocky's most prolific contribution to the world of professional wrestling came after he hung up the boots in 1991. The Rock has become an enduring, leading man in Hollywood whose films have grossed billions of dollars. However, most of those reigns were with very small, or now defunct indie promotions. The height of Wright's success came when he portrayed "The Godfather" character. Even though Wright held 19 titles throughout his career, it was his very public stance against racial segregation for which he will most be remembered. Ron Simmons has since retired from full-time wrestling after being released by the WWE in 2009, but still makes the occasional appearance with the WWE, usually to drop his one-word catchphrase for comic relief. The Rock routinely held crowds in the palm of his hand, either as a face or a heel. But it was that stand and sacrifice that helped to pave the way for desegregation in the world of Professional Wrestling. Ritter was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. Kamala: Best known for his stints in the WWF, Kamala the Ugandan Warrior was a successful, mid-level, savage heel who is best known for his battles with the likes of Andre The Giant, Jake Roberts and The Undertaker. It will take him at least a couple of years to truly be a serious contender that the UFC might consider for either their main brand or the recently acquired Strikeforce brand, where Lashley had previously competed. An affable pimp who would come down to the ring with a bevy of "Hos" and invite the fans to come aboard the "Ho Train", his character was one of the main rankling points for parent groups like the Parent's Television Council. "The Boogeyman". It was there that Ware would team with the likes Bobby Eaton, Stan Lane and Dutch Mantel and win seven AWA tag-team titles. And he would do this about 40 years before ECW made it acceptable to do these kinds of things. Bobo was also the first ever African-American to win the NWA World Heavyweight Champion in wrestling history by defeating the Nature Boy Buddy Rogers. He is a six time World Heavyweight Champion, an eighteen-time Tag Team champion, the 2008 WWE King of the Ring winner, a WWE Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion and has held every single major title he was eligible for in WCW and the WWE at least once, between 1993 and 2007, with the only exception being the WWE Heavyweight Title. It was an eight-year climb before Ember Moon made it to WWE, and she is making the most of her opportunity as the current NXT womens champion. That, in no way, shape or form would educate you on just how great and how much of a star Mr. USA Tony Atlas was in his heyday. The Total Divas star parlayed her background as an Orlando Magic dancer and other entertainment experiences into WWE stardom. Along with Edward "Bearcat" Wright, Bobo Brazil was just as instrumental in ending segregation in the world of pro-wrestling. In spite of this, the WWE chose to release Shelton Benjamin because of his distinct lack of microphone ability. They were also voted the "Tag Team of the Decade" for 2000-2009 by PWI, as well. He was also one of the first African-Americans to ever portray a heel as prior to Ernie, most African-American wrestlers were portrayed as faces. Butch Reed staked his main claims to fame in two places: Bill Watt's Mid-South Wrestling in the early and mid 1980's, where he was a three-time North American Heavyweight Champion, one-time Television Champion and one-time Tag Team Champion with Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Abdullah would legitimately rip people's forehead skin open with foreign objects (especially forks), he would gouge open wounds, he would blade himself with reckless abandon. As the other half of "The Soul Patrol" with Rocky Johnson, he is also the first African-American to ever win the WWF Tag Team Titles. This wasn't immediately evident upon Killing's return to the WWE in 2008, as the WWE had him perform the exact same song and dance that he had before, just under the name of R-Truth, instead of "K-Kwik". Bobo Brazil, Ernie Ladd, Ron Simmons, Rocky Johnson, Dwayne Johnson, Jacqueline, Teddy Long, Ron Simmons and Mark Henry are just a few who helped break down barriers over the decades to pave the way for a new generation of African-American pro wrestlers.
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