From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anthony Norris
Ring name(s)	Ahmed Johnson[1][2] Big T[1][2] Black Superman[3] Moadib[1][2] Night Breeder[3] Siva[3] Tony Norris[2]
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1]
Billed weight	305 lb (138 kg)[1]
Born	June 6, 1970 (1970-06-06) (age 39)[1] Kokomo, Indiana[3]
Resides	Dallas, Texas[1]
Billed from	Pearl River, Mississippi[1][2]
Trained by	Skandor Akbar[3] Ivan Putski[1] Steve Casey[1]
Debut	1989[3]
Retired	2003[3]

Anthony "Tony" Norris (born June 6, 1970), better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his career in the World Wrestling Federation, which lasted from October 1995 to February 1998. He is a one time Intercontinental Champion and is the first African American to ever hold the title. He was also the winner of the WWF's first ever Kuwait Cup.

Professional wrestling career

Global Wrestling Federation (1994–1995)

After a brief career as a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys,^[3] Norris began training under Skandor Akbar, Scott Casey and Ivan Putski. After making his debut in 1989, he competed on the independent circuit for the next few years before debuting in the Global Wrestling Federation in 1994 as Moadib.^[2] He was part of Akbar's heel stable Devastation, Inc.

World Wrestling Federation (1995–1998)

Ahmed Johnson (1995)

Ahmed made his WWF debut as a face on the October 23, 1995 episode of Monday Night Raw. At Survivor Series, the team of Razor Ramon, Yokozuna, Owen Hart, and Dean Douglas took on the team of Shawn Michaels, Sycho Sid, The British Bulldog, and Ahmed Johnson. The survivors were Michaels, Bulldog, and Ahmed. At Season's Beatings on December 17, Ahmed went one-on-one with Buddy Landel (replacing Dean Douglas) Ahmed pinned Landel with the Pearl River Plunge in 42 seconds to win the match. After the match, Ahmed was interviewed by Jerry Lawler. Lawler distracted Ahmed so that Jeff Jarrett could hit Ahmed in the head with his gold record. Ahmed amazingly got back up and ran backstage to look for Jarrett. This incident started a feud between Ahmed and Jarrett. Ahmed went one-on-one with Jarrett at the 1996 Royal Rumble. Jarrett slapped the Figure Four Leglock on Ahmed, yet Ahmed reversed it. Jarrett made it to the ropes and then jumped from the top turnbuckle, hitting Ahmed in the head with his guitar. Ahmed won by disqualification. Ahmed amazingly got back up and ran backstage to look for Jarrett. At WrestleMania XII, Camp Cornette (Vader, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog) took on the team of Yokozuna, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, and Ahmed Johnson. Camp Cornette won when Vader pinned Roberts with the Vader Bomb. At Good Friends, Better Enemies on April 28, Roberts and Ahmed teamed up to take on Hart and Bulldog. While Jim Cornette had the referee distracted, Bulldog hit him in the knee with Cornette's tennis racket; he then forced Roberts to submit with a Single leg Boston crab. After the match, Roberts and Ahmed attempted to put Roberts' python, Revelations, on Cornette, but Hart pulled Cornette out of the ring.

Intercontinental Champion (1996)

At King of the Ring, Johnson defeated Goldust to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.^[4][5] As the first African American Intercontinental Champion, most assumed it was only a matter of time before he climbed to main event status. He was soon paired on-screen with Shawn Michaels in several tag team matches and often helped Michaels against Jim Cornette and his men, known as Camp Cornette. At International Incident, Johnson along with Sycho Sid and Michaels lost to Vader, Owen Hart, and the British Bulldog.^[6] On the August 5 edition of Raw, Ahmed won an 11-man battle royal, last eliminating the man whom he beat for the IC title, Goldust to be the #1 contender for the WWF Championship.^[7]

On the July 22 edition of Raw, Michaels and Johnson teamed again and challenged The Smoking Gunns (Billy and Bart) for the WWF Tag Team Championship. During the match, Faarooq Asad debuted and attacked Johnson.^[8] This was supposed to lead to a match at SummerSlam for the Intercontinental Title. He was diagnosed with legit kidney problems, however.^[1] As a result, he was out for 4 months and to keep the angle going the attack by Farooq was said to be the cause of the kidney damage.^[1] By the time the news was made public on WWF programming, the third (out of 4) showings of Raw from Seattle taped on the same night as the attack had not been broadcast, and it included the 11-man battle royal which Ahmed Johnson won. Voice-over correction was done so that Ahmed's participation in the battle royal was said to be against doctors' orders when in reality his kidney problem had yet to be discovered. The injury forced him to vacate his Intercontinental Championship, which was subsequently won in a tournament by Marc Mero. A second battle royal was held between the final four participants of the previous one, which was won by Goldust.^[1]

Feuding with the Nation of Domination (1997–1998)

He returned to enter a feud with Faarooq in 1997 (who had a new gimmick and formed the Nation of Domination). Finally, the two had an encounter at Royal Rumble 1997, where Johnson won by disqualification.^[9] Two days later, Johnson and The Undertaker defeated Faarooq and Nation member Crush in a No Holds Barred match at the Triple Threat event.^[10] He began teaming with the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) and the three fought the entire Nation at WrestleMania 13 in a Chicago Street Fight.^[11] At A Cold Day In Hell, he defeated Crush and Savio Vega in a gauntlet match before losing to Faarooq.^[12] Mired in the angle, however, and losing popularity with the fans, Johnson turned into a shadow of his former self.

Johnson eventually turned on WWF Champion The Undertaker and joined the New Nation, with Kama Mustafa, D'Lo Brown, and Faarooq.^[13] Johnson was injured soon after this; he was scheduled to fight the Undertaker at Canadian Stampede for the WWF Title, but injuries meant the spot went to Vader.

The Nation turned on him after he recovered and returned in September 1997, which solidified another babyface turn for Ahmed. He restarted his feud with the Nation, reuniting with the Legion of Doom and joining forces with Ken Shamrock. At Survivor Series 1997, they defeated the Nation in a Survivor Series match.^[14] His last WWF appearance was at the pay-per-view No Way Out of Texas in February 1998, alongside Shamrock and the Disciples of Apocalypse (Chainz, Skull, and 8-Ball) against the Nation.^[15] A popular story goes that Norris walked off the set of a Raw Is War by March 1998 due to his refusal to lose a match to Kurrgan.^[16] However, in later interviews Norris confirmed he left to console his sister in her dying days who was suffering of cancer. She died three days after he left the WWF.

World Championship Wrestling (2000)

In late 1999, Norris signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling and debuted at Souled Out as a heel named Big T. He interfered in a match between Harlem Heat tag team partners and real-life brothers, Booker T and Stevie Ray. He attacked Booker, causing Ray to be disqualified.^[17] Big T and Stevie formed the tag team Harlem Heat 2000.^[17][18] At SuperBrawl, he defeated Booker to earn the rights to the Harlem Heat name.^[19] At Uncensored, he and Stevie lost to Booker and Billy Kidman.^[20] At Spring Stampede, they participated in a 5-team 10-man tag team tournament for the vacant WCW World Tag Team Championship where they lost to the eventual winners Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell in the semi-finals of the tournament.^[21] He was released by WCW shortly afterwards due to ongoing weight issues.

Retirement

Norris stayed away from wrestling after his release from WCW until March 7, 2003, where he returned to action in a match at a Maximum Pro Wrestling show, teaming with Monty Brown in a losing effort against Sabu and Gangrel. Norris currently works for Booker T and Stevie Ray's Pro Wrestling Alliance wrestling school.^[3]

Personal life

Norris has seven siblings, and they all endured a rough childhood.^[3] He is married and has a son.^[22] He also has a daughter named Nina and a son named Zack Norris.^[23]

In 1999, he was arrested for drug possession and pimping.^[3]

He also appeared in the 2001 movie Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story as Marion "Suge" Knight.^[1]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Pearl River Plunge (Sitout double underhook powerbomb)^[1][24]

• Signature moves
  • Bicycle kick
  • DDT
  • Delayed Brainbuster^[1]
  • Clothesline
  • Diving somersault senton onto a standing opponent
  • Gorilla press slam
  • Inverted suplex slam
  • Scissors kick
  • Scoop powerslam
  • Side slam
  • Spinebuster^[1]

• Managers
  • Skandor Akbar
  • Clarence Mason / J. Biggs^[25]
  • Cash / Kash^[25]

• Nicknames
  • "The Pearl River Powerhouse"^[3]

Championships and accomplishments

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #5 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996^[26]
  • PWI ranked him #380 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
  • PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1996)^[2]

• United States Wrestling Association
  • USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[27][28]

• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (1 time)^[29]
  • Kuwait Cup (1996)^[30]
  • Slammy Award for New Sensation of the Squared Circle (1996)

References

External links

Professional wrestling portal

• Tony Norris at the Internet Movie Database