Welcome to “The Thump!” — an irregular column spotlighting the best Black elements of professional wrestling. Named after the signature move of groundbreaking Black wrestler The Junkyard Dog, “The Thump!” showcases the history and impact of Black athletes in the squared circle.
Who am I? Yeah, “Name That Black Wrestler” sounded very lame. This is self-explanatory … I mean, you do watch game-shows, right? No prizes here except the satisfaction of being right. So, comment your answers. I’ll post the answer later in the week. Behold the clues…
Who am I? I’m a former AWA Southern, USAW and CWA Champion. I’ve had two other aliases while wrestling in the Southern territories, with and without a mask. I’ve wrestled as a masked persona in two different organizations. Once, my mask came off! Michael Jackson was an inspiration for one of my tag-team incarnations. In my WWF debut, my tag-team partner was the WORST member of The Four Horsemen EVER…yes, worse than Steve “Mongo” McMichael. I’ve teamed with the British Bulldogs, and our mascots didn’t get along. I’ve feuded with one half of Doom. I was featured in the first ever RAW match! I was the first victim of a dead man’s finishing move. I’m a WWE Hall of Famer. I have participated in four WrestleManias, with a 25% victory record. I’ve defeated a both a Ugandan Giant and a Memphis legend for a heavyweight title. My filmography credits include Tosh.0 and ‘Beyond the Mat’. Who am I?
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Final clue … if you must. Some would consider this athlete an avid ornithologist.
The answer will be posted next Saturday morning!
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This post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock