I know Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas were not inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame together, but when I first started watching wrestling the duo was the tag team champions. I believe they were the black first tag team to hold the WWF titles, having beaten the Wild Samoans in late 1983.
Courtesy: WWE
Johnson and Atlas, better known as The Soul Patrol, would come out and defend the titles and do some fancy footwork in the process. They worked well as a team and the fans seemed to love what they were doing. As their momentum was building, it seemed as if the rug was suddenly yanked from under them. It was April 1984 and an unlikely tag team (at least in my 11 year old mind) of Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch upset the Soul Patrol for the belts. Johnson and Atlas had such great physiques it baffled me that two guys could lose to a pair in the shape of the heels. Remember, I was 11 and new to wrestling. In the closing moments chaos ensued and Adonis rolled up Johnson for the pin. I thought as this was happening, he's so powerful, why can't he push that guy off of him. Again, I wasn't in on the act yet and sulked after the champs were dethroned.
Saba Simba
Courtesy: WWE
Both Johnson and Atlas stayed with the company as singles wrestlers for a bit after the loss. I lost track of Rocky, but Atlas would go to World Class and compete as "The Black Superman." Yes that sounds ridiculous, but when you consider his return to the WWF in 1991 as Saba Simba, you'd long for his days in WCCW. That stint was brief and Atlas fell on hard times.
Years later WWE would not only induct Atlas in the Hall of Fame (2006), but bring him back as a manager for Mark Henry. The duo seemed to work well together, but it wasn't a long term plan. The Hall of Famer was released, but was a part of Legends House on the WWE Network. And long before any of that Atlas was press slamming Hulk Hogan (a heel) over his head and making magazine covers for doing it. He was a beast.
Son & father
Courtesy: WWE
Johnson was inducted in 2008 by his son The Rock. Prior to that he had made a few appearances on WWF programming, with the most memorable being when he saved Rocky Maivia during a three-on-one attack by The Sultan, The Iron Sheik and Bob Backlund at WrestleMania XIII. The father-son combo beat up the bad guys and I thought it would lead to at least a one and done tag team match for the combo. It never did though.
Regardless, both Johnson and Atlas were a big part of my early fandom days. From their time as tag team champions, to their stints as singles Superstars, I appreciate what each man did for the business. I consider myself lucky to have been on hand to see each go into the Hall of Fame.
Doing a little fantasy booking from my childhood today and looking back at 1985, the year Wrestlemania made its debut. Of course we all know two years later, Vince McMahon introduced the world to his second pay per view idea, Survivor Series. Since it's the season for Survivor Series, I figured I'd share some thoughts on how I would have put together the first event, based on the WWF roster in the fall of 1985.
I looked at house show results in late October and November 1985 on the History of WWE website. Interesting notes: King Tonga (Haku/Meng) and Dino Bravo teamed up briefly as baby faces, that's why they're on the British Bulldogs team. I noticed the heel tag team division was quite lacking that year, as you'll see too. Wendi Richter lost the women's title three days before Thanksgiving, the night this event would have been held, and left the company. That's why she's not a part of the show.
Hulk Hogan, Captain vs. Roddy Piper, Captain
Paul Orndorff Bob Orton
Ricky Steamboat Don Muraco
Bruno Sammartino Adrian Adonis
Tony Atlas Hercules
Andre the Giant, Captain vs. Big John Studd, Captain
Hillbilly Jim King Kong Bundy
Tito Santana Randy Savage
Junkyard Dog Terry Funk
George Steele Jesse Ventura
The British Bulldogs, Captains vs. Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake, Captains
Uncle Elmer & Cousin Junior The Hart Foundation
The Killer Bees The Moondogs
Mike Rotundo & Danny Spivey Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff
King Tonga & Dino Bravo Mr. X & The Gladiator
Velvet McIntyre, Captain vs. The Fabulous Moolah, Captain
I have been waiting for Legends' House to debut since hearing about the plans for the show two years ago. I've always been a fan of shows like The Real World and The Surreal Life and I've course I love wrestling, so this seemed to be perfect for me.
Mediation time
Photo courtesy: WWE
I tuned in for the premiere on the WWE Network, and I was not disappointed. Eight legends, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Howard Finkel, Pat Patterson, "Mean" Gene Okerlund, Tony Atlas, Hillbilly Jim, and Jimmy Hart are living together in the series. Actor and self help guru Gary Busey makes an appearance on the show to help the legends meditate. While some of his tactics are out there, he does maintain that positive mental attitude. Although an argument developed between Hacksaw and Atlas, and I'm still not sure why they were fighting. I know "realty" TV is far from realty, so I suspect things with Legends' House won't all be natural, but it's entertaining. Tony Atlas is great. He and Rocky Johnson were one of the first tag teams I remember watching as a kid. I'm glad to see his life is back on track, and his laugh is one of the most comical I've ever heard.
Photo courtesy: WWE
Piper is probably my favorite so far in the house. I enjoyed his talk with Busey and how wrestlers are never "off" in terms of their character when meeting with fans. The flashbacks and highlights from previous wrestling events help give fans a better look into these legends as they relive the good ol' days. We learn more about the toll years in the ring and on the road took on these men. They really do put their bodies on the line, and for that I'm appreciative. Two thumbs up for WWE Legends' House. The season looks like it's going to be awesome. I hope this becomes a regular show on the Network.
In 1990, something rare happened in the WWF. It was April 1, Wrestlemania 6 and Hulk Hogan defended the WWF heavyweight title against the Intercontenental champion and fellow baby face, The Ultimate Warrior. Back then, face vs face matches didn't happen very often. It was the passing of the torch of sorts (or so we thought) with Hogan and Warrior. So I got to thinking, which other top WWF faces would have been good contenders for the Hulkster's gold? Here's the list I came up with, and in no particular order. The only thing is, I used guys that Hogan never faced, with the exception of one (at least to my knowledge, if I made a mistake, sorry)
Bruno vs. Honky Tonk Man Photo courtesy: WWE
Bruno Sammartino: As Hulkmania was becoming a world wide phenomenon, Bruno Sammartino had been long retired and working on the WWF commentary team. However, from time to time Bruno stepped back in to the ring to face the likes of Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, and Adrian Adonis. The former champ even competed in the Wrestlemania 2 battle royal. While Bruno was well past his prime at the time Hogan was on top, this battle would have been epic.
Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage Photo courtesy: WWE
Ricky Steamboat: I'd argue that Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was the best wrestler to never hold the WWF heavyweight title. His run as IC champ was derailed early on in the run, and from what I've read it was all political stuff. None-the-less, I think the Dragon would have made an excellent champion, and he would have been a competitor unlike any other that Hogan had faced in the 80's. The champ was used to guys like Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, and the One Man Gang. Steamboat's matches in the WWF against Randy Savage and Rick Rude, coupled with his battles early on with Ric Flair in the NWA would have prepared him for a run as the WWF's top dog or dragon.
Bam Bam Bigelow & Hogan as partners Photo courtesy: WWE
Bam Bam Bigelow: When the Beast from the East first arrived in the WWF in 1987, I had visions of big success for Bigelow. In fact, when Bam Bam entered the WWF heavyweight title tournament at Wrestlemania 4, I had him picked to win in my bracket. You can imagine my disappointment when he lost in the opening round to the One Man Gang. Soon after that Bigelow floundered and ended up leaving the WWF. Even though Bigelow was comparable to other big men Hogan had faced up until that point, Bam Bam had an athletic skill unmatched by his peers. This would have been one for the ages.
Dusty Rhodes Photo courtesy: WWE
Dusty Rhodes: As the former NWA world heavyweight champion, "The American Dream" would have made an excellent opponent for Hogan when he arrived in the WWF in 1989. The Hulkster had just regained the title from Randy Savage, and Dusty was on a big push going over guys like Big Bossman, Akeem, and even Savage. However, Dusty was in the twilight of his career at this point, retiring a couple years after coming to the WWF. But I still think the fans would have popped big time for a chance to see two of the most popular men in the history of wrestling square off for the WWF title.
Graham & Hogan Photo courtesy: icollector
Superstar Billy Graham: If Hogan looked to emulate anyone in the wrestling business, it would have been Superstar Graham. Although he had been a heel for quite a long time, in the late 80's when Superstar returned to the WWF, he came in as a babyface. He feuded with the Natural Butch Reed and One Man Gang, and even teamed up with Hogan and Bigelow at the 1987 Survivor Series. Clearly by this point in his career, Graham was plagued with injuries and far from being the man he was when he held the title. However, because of the similarities in style, I would have liked to seen this match.
Hogan vs Atlas Photo courtesy: PWI
Tony Atlas: In his rule breaking days, Hogan and Tony Atlas did compete against each other. He was one of the few men who could match strength with Hogan. There are photos everywhere of Atlas pressing Hulk over his head. The former tag team champion Atlas was a midcarder at best by the time Hogan's run at top started, but I still think it would have been a great opportunity for him. I'm talking about Tony Atlas and not Saba Simba.
Tito! Photo courtesy: WWE
Tito Santana: With two runs as the IC champ, you'd think Tito Santana would have gotten a WWF title opportunity at some point. Because he was a coholder of the tag team titles during the championship tournament at Wrestlemania 4, Tito missed out on that opportunity too. It would have been nice to see him get a chance against Hogan. I think a champion vs. champion match would have been good between these two.
Superfly in action Photo courtesy: WWE
Jimmy Snuka: In the mid 80's "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka may have been the WWF's second most popular guy right behind Hogan. Snuka is one of the first guys I remember seeing compete in a WWF ring. His feud with Roddy Piper was one of the best in that era. Imagine seeing Snuka climb to the top rope, "spread his wings", and do the Superfly leap on a prone champion. No doubt Snuka would have brought something out of Hogan and a battle between these guys would have been one fans everyone would enjoy.
JYD vs. Harley Race Photo courtesy: WWE
Junkyard Dog: Much like Snuka, Junkyard Dog was one of the company's most over faces in the 80's. He brought a different kind of charisma to the ring. Although he never reached champion gold in the WWF, I think he was one of those guys who was over enough to be IC champ. In a different time, I have no doubt he'd not only held that secondary title, but would have been a contender for the WWF gold.
Hacksaw & Hulk as partners Photo courtesy: WWE
Hacksaw Jim Duggan: This one would not have been pretty, but putting two of the WWF's top patriots in the ring against each other would have been fun. As JR would say, it would have been a slobber knocker to say the least. Both men love the good ol' USA, so to see Hogan and Duggan bring that passion to the ring would have been an interesting sight. Duggan and Hogan beat many of the same men, including Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and Harley Race.
Here in southern Illinois, we lay claim to having the home of Superman. The small town of Metropolis pays homage to the Man of Steel every year with the Superman Celebration. The event draws thousands to the area, so I figured I'd tie wrestling and superheroes together for this post.
1962
In August 1962, Antonino Rocca appeared on the cover of a Superman comic book. As you can see from the picture, the WWE Hall of Famer is having his way with the Man of Steel. I think Jimmy Olsen's assessment of the situation wraps it up best. Don't mess with a wrestler. The issue is titled "The Downfall of Superman" but 50 years later, the superhero is still among us, so consider that a spoiler alert I suppose if you're going to check out this particular issue. It turns out that Rocca and Superman are allies and take on the evil doers of Metropolis.
Superman?
After Tony Atlas left the WWF in the mid 1980's, he headed of to World Class Championship Wrestling for a brief stint. While there, he adopted a new name and a new look. He became "the Black Superman" Tony Atlas. Obviously they couldn't use an actual Superman costume, so someone whipped out the sewing machine and got busy with a homemade costume. While in WCCW, Atlas and Skip Young won the tag team titles. I think the jury is still out on which gimmick was worse, the Black Superman or Saba Simba...
You may also remember R-Truth, well Ron Killings actually, being referred to as the "Suntan Superman" in TNA. This was when he was a part of 3Live Kru with B.G. James (the Road Dogg) and Konnan. I don't think the gimmick went any further than the nickname, as I can't find any pics of Killings in blue tights or a cape.
Superboy Part 2?
On the other end of the Superman spectrum we find Lex Luger. The former WCW world heavyweight champion was a fan of the comic book hero too, and created his name based off the Man of Steel's nemesis Lex Luthor. Luger's love of Superman even landed him a role on the TV show "The Adventures of Superboy" where he plays the wannabe predecessor to the hero. I didn't watch the show, but from what I can gather, Luger was more of the villain than the hero in the show. Take a look...
These are just a few of the ties to Superman I could find in the world of professional wrestling. I'm sure there are more. I know there are plenty of wrestlers who have paid tribute to other comic book icons, like Rey Mysterio and his different costumes. Then of course there's the old tag team "Super Heroes In Training" Rosie and the Hurricane. And I think the WWE tried to model the Blue Blazer after a superhero in the early days of the gimmick, before bringing him back in the late 1990's to mock Hulk Hogan.
There's plenty more to write about. Enjoy this for now and thanks for reading. Please be sure to subscribe to My 1-2-3 Cents over on YouTube.
Of all the jobbers I watched in the 1980's, I think S.D. Jones may have been my favorite. He only ever won a handful of matches (if even that many) when I started watching wrestling in 1983. In fact, my first house show was a WWF event in late 1984, he was in the opener against the spoiler, and you guessed it, he got pinned.
But I liked SD. Oh yeah, SD=Special Delivery in case you didn't know. Anyway, I always felt bad for SD because I knew what his fate was going to be. A few of my favorite memories of him include one in 1984 when he and Andre the Giant teamed up against Ken Patera and Big John Studd. This was the infamous Andre haircutting incident. I think the WWF was still on the Superstation TBS back then. Jones got knocked out of the ring and hit the guardrail, while Studd and Patera double slammed Andre and cut his hair. Since Jones was a jobber, there wasn't much he could do to help his fallen partner.
Then of course probably his biggest match of his WWF career came at the first Wrestlemania. Howard Finkel, Gorilla Monsoon, and Jesse Ventura claim Jones was pinned in 9 seconds by King Kong Bundy, but the match is a bit longer than that (it's closer to 23 seconds) No doubt the promos and ring entrances lasted longer than the match. Poor SD.
SD Jones in toy form
But he must have had some fan appeal as he was the only true jobber the LJN made into an action figure. And yes, I still own my SD Jones "wrestling doll". Die hard fans will know that there are two versions of this figure, one with the red shirt and one in the Hawaiian shirt.
Sadly SD never climbed the ladder of success in the WWF, but he did an excellent job of making other wrestlers look their very best. That's the role of a jobber after all. I got to see him induct his friend and former tag team partner Tony Atlas into the WWE Hall of Fame back in 2006. It's something I'm glad I got to see as Jones died in 2008. By the way, Atlas and Jones held the USA Tag Team titles, and Jones was a three time coholder of the NWA Americas Tag Team titles. If the WWE ever does our idea for a jobbers wing of the Hall of Fame, Jones in my opinion should be in the first class of inductees. Rest in Peace Special Delivery.
February is Black History Month, and we here at My 1-2-3 Cents are paying tribute with blogs on some of our favorite black wrestlers.
Many of the stories written are based on memories from my childhood, but I've also recruited help from other fans to share their thoughts too. You'll also hear about several up and coming stars on the independent scene. Check back daily, as I'll link all of our tributes to this page.
Thanks for reading My 1-2-3 Cents. Be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to the YouTube channel.
It's only logical that I follow up my Tony Atlas entry with one on his former tag team partner and fellow Hall of Famer, Rocky Johnson. The Soul Man has a rich history in sports entertainment, and was a part of the early globalization of wrestling when Vince McMahon and the WWF took the world by storm.
As I stated in the Tony Atlas piece, I first came to really know who Rocky Johnson was shortly after the two beat the Wild Samoans for the WWF tag team titles. The team became the first black team to capture the gold. Quite an accomplishment.
But before Rocky found success with Tony in the tag team ranks, he held many titles in the NWA and its regional territories. I'll be honest, I don't remember a whole lot about Rocky. He did battle the Magnificant Muraco for the Intercontinental title (I'm sure more than once.) But on this occasion he got screwed.
The Soulman
I also recall a match he and Ken Patera had, and I believe it was in Madison Square Garden. Anyway, it aired on Prime Time Wrestling (I think, or maybe it was Tuesday Night Titans). Back then "it was still real to me, dammit" and I thought for sure the Soulman was going to win. He had the upper hand through most of the match, but when Patera through a punch and missed, Rocky rolled him up. But his momentum took him backwards, and Patera ended up on top and grabbed a handful of tights to secure the victory. I must have been 10 years old at the time and was outraged by this "miscarriage of justice."
I was also quite bummed when he and Tony lost the tag team titles to Dick Murdoch and Adrian Adonis. It was one of the first title changes I'd ever seen and I'm pretty sure the heels cheated to win the gold that night. Rocky didn't stick around long in the WWF after that and ended up eventually teaming with Soul Train Jones (Virgil) and won the AWA Southern Tag Team titles. Interesting.
Rocky's HOF Ring
In 2008, the Rock, arguably one of the greatest wrestlers/sport entertainers of all time inducted his father (Rocky) into the WWE Hall of Fame. Rocky's father in law, the High Chief Peter Maivia was also honored that night. And like Tony Atlas' induction, I was there for Rocky's as well. The last in ring information I can find about him states he was in a wrestling/boxing match against Mabel in 2003. That battle went to a no-contest.
I know he's done some work off and on with the WWE over the years, helping to train future superstars. He's another legend of the ring who has helped to pave the way for other wrestlers, including his famous son.
Tony Atlas is known by today's fans as the laughing sidekick of Abraham Washington on ECW and as Mark Henry's former manager. Fans from the early 90's might remember his stint in the WWF as Saba Simba. He's had quite a career, and is still seen from time to time with the WWE.
One of my first memories of Mr. USA came during an arm wrestling challenge with Jesse "the Body" Ventura. This was before I was a real fan of wrestling, it was sometime in 1983, and I was casually watching the WWF at that point. Of course Jesse was losing and put a thumb into Tony's eye, then dragged him over the table and whacked him with a chair.
Atlas and Rocky Johnson
Another memory, and by this time I was watching more regularly, was in late 1983 when Tony and Rocky Johnson teamed up to beat the Wild Samoans for the WWF tag team titles. This was quite a feat for the duo, as they were the first black tag team champions in the history of the company. I know there hadn't been any other black champions (world or intercontinental at that point, so they definitely blazed a trail back then) They only held the titles about five months, but they were the first tag team champions I actually remember seeing in the ring.
After dropping the belts to Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch, Rocky and Tony split. But it wasn't like the WWE tag team splits you see today. They didn't feud or fight, they just went their separate ways. Tony kinda jobbed for a while and then headed to World Class Championship Wrestling where he became the Black Superman.
Saba Simba
Eventually he would return to the WWF in 1991 (I think) as Saba Simba, a character that many find to be insulting. Basically Tony came to the ring in an African tribal outfit, complete with a headdress and shield. Think of him as a more fit version of Kamala. The gimmick did nothing to get Atlas over and if memory serves me, he was gone again. I've heard from past interviews that Tony had fallen on hard times and this was Vince McMahon's way of reaching out to the down superstar to try and give him a second chance.
I don't remember much of what happened to Atlas after that. I know he had a stint in WCW, and I'm sure he worked the indy scene before eventually being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. That was my first HOF ceremony, and it was great to see him be honored for his accomplishments in the ring. He also started managing Mark Henry and from what I've heard helping to keep the big man on the straight and narrow while on the road too.
Hogan gets pressed...
I never actually saw the match between them, but I do remember seeing pics in the old wrestling magazines when I was a kid of Hulk Hogan battling Tony. There aren't many guys in the business who can say they made Hogan look like a chump, but Tony Atlas can. In fact, it was the cover story back in 1981. This of course was before the birth of Hulkamania. I'd be curious to see what would have happened had the two collided after Hogan's face turn. Imagine a bad ass Tony Atlas tossing Hogan around the ring again trying to win the WWF title...
Back when ECW was still around, the WWE had Mark Henry dress up like Santa Claus and cut a promo on Hornswoggle. Admittedly, I didn't watch a whole lot of the ECW show and I don't remember Henry and Honswoggle feuding. I only recall them teaming up on Raw a couple of years ago.
This was well before Henry's push to the World heavyweight title, but I must say, he does a pretty good job with the "Santa Gangsta Rap." I'm not sure why Tony Atlas is standing behind him as Rudolph. He looks pretty funny, but at least he's not doing that annoying laugh.
Anyway, enjoy a tune from the World's Strongest Santa.
