On March 11, Black Entertainment Television a.k.a. BET released their list of “The 15 Greatest Black Wrestlers Ever”. While the list was made with good intentions, its recency bias and a lack of depth into wrestlers who worked for companies other than the WWE earned it a fair amount of criticism, including from respected pro wrestling figures such as Jim Cornette and Mark Henry. I think it’s appropriate to bring some attention to the names left off the list, the names who were trailblazers for the acceptance of black figures in wrestling, who might be unknown to modern audiences but whose impact paved the way for many black wrestlers today.
Art Thomas (1924-2003, debuted 1943)
A physically imposing figure with a background in bodybuilding, Art Thomas was one of the first black wrestlers to achieve national recognition in the United States. He worked for various National Wrestling Alliance (NWA)-affiliated promotions and used a “Sailor” or “Seaman” gimmick, referencing his past career as part of the United States Merchant Marine. He won various tag team titles and was a two-time NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion. Thomas often portrayed “strongman” roles, using his strength and immense size to wow audiences. Though he never won a world title, his success paved the way for black wrestlers in a time of limited opportunities.
Bobo Brazil (1924-1998, first recorded match 1948)
Maybe the first true black megastar in professional wrestling, Bobo Brazil was a big draw from the ’50s to the mid-’80s, winning a staggering number of NWA and WWWF (later WWF/E) titles. Early in his career, racial discrimination restricted his opportunities and prevented many black fans from seeing his matches. Bobo earned respect over time, even being booked to “win” the NWA World Heavyweight Title in 1962, though he refused it after accidentally hitting champion Buddy Rogers in the groin. In July 1977, he would unsuccessfully challenge Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF Heavyweight Title. He trained future black wrestling stars such as Rocky Johnson, Ernie Ladd and Kamala.
Luther Lindsay (1924-1972, first recorded match 1951)
One of the most respected wrestlers in the business, Luther Lindsay was the first black challenger to the prestigious NWA World Heavyweight Title, having a series of matches with champion Lou Thesz in the mid-’50s. While he never won it, he did win an extraordinary amount of titles from NWA-affiliated promotions, as well as tag team titles in Canada’s Stampede Wrestling promotion and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). He was one of the most skilled submission wrestlers, and even earned respect from the legendary Stu Hart after he managed to outwrestle him in the Hart family house’s “Dungeon”. Tragically, Lindsay would die in the ring in 1972, after executing his diving splash finisher. He was just as if not more highly regarded than many white wrestlers in his day, and contributed heavily to the acceptance of black wrestlers in the mainstream.
Bearcat Wright (1932-1982, debuted 1952)
Bearcat Wright was one of the most outspoken and influential black wrestlers of his time. At 6’6″ and 260 pounds, he had an imposing presence and an incredible connection with fans, especially when he did moves such as his dropkick or top rope jumps. He is widely credited with helping to break down segregation in professional wrestling by refusing to perform in segregated venues. In 1963, he became one of the first recognized black world champions when he won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship from Freddie Blassie in Los Angeles. He was a vocal advocate for black wrestlers’ rights and was unafraid to challenge promoters, which led him to much controversy in the ’60s. He wrestled for many NWA-affiliated promotions, and ended his career with a 1975 run in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
Sweet Daddy Siki (1933-2024, debuted 1955)
Picture a wrestler with bleached blond hair, strutting to the ring in a flashy robe, boasting that he could steal any man’s girlfriend or wife. No, not Ric Flair – I’m talking about Sweet Daddy Siki. His larger-than-life character inspired a who’s-who of legendary wrestlers, including Randy Savage, The Rock, Edge and Bret Hart. Siki faced various displays of racism throughout his career, including threats from the KKK for participating in a “white man’s sport” and receiving biased booking for having a white wife. He also crossed over to country music, releasing a few albums in the 1970s, over a decade before the “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Connection”. He was an unbelievably influential character and would’ve fit right into any era of wrestling, and doesn’t get the respect he deserves nowadays.
Dory Dixon (1934-, debuted 1955)
Originally a weightlifter from Jamaica, Dory Dixon travelled to Mexico as part of the 1954 Central American and Caribbean Games as a team member for the Jamaican national weightlifters. He loved the country so much, he decided to stay and started working for the Mexico City-based EMLL promotion. After a long run with the NWA World Light Heavyweight Title, he made his US debut in 1961 and formed an incredibly popular tag team with the previously mentioned Bobo Brazil. He would go on to have an incredibly storied career, with a 1963 run in the WWWF including a match against champion Buddy Rogers, a 1968 run in the UK-based Joint Promotions and a 1974 NJPW run. He is still alive at 91 and helps underprivileged children in Mexico.
Abdullah the Butcher (1941-, debuted 1958)
Instantly recognisable from his horrific scalp scars as a result of years of blading, Abdullah’s “crazy Arabian” gimmick may have been stereotypical, but what can’t be denied is how hugely successful he was, winning championships in Japan, the US, Canada and even Australia. He was immensely popular with fans and proved to promoters that wrestlers who didn’t conform to traditional wrestling norms could still draw huge crowds. He was a major influence on the whole “extreme wrestling” scene, with promotions like FMW, CZW and ECW (where he worked four matches in 1993) owing a lot of their style to his work. Though he never wrestled in WWE, he entered its Hall of Fame in 2011.
Bearcat Brown (1935-1996, debuted 1961)
A trailblazer in Southern wrestling, Bearcat Brown was one of the first black wrestlers to break racial barriers in a region where segregation was still deeply ingrained in the industry. Wrestling primarily in the Alabama and Tennessee territories, Brown became a major star in the 1960s and ’70s, particularly for his work as a tag team partner of white wrestler Len Rossi. At a time of segregated wrestling, their partnership helped break down the colour barrier. He is overlooked by modern audiences, but his work hugely advanced acceptance for future black Southern stars.
Ernie Ladd (1938-2007, debuted 1961)
This was probably the most egregious omission from BET’s list. Ernie Ladd had it all. The size (6’9″, 320lb), the look, the in-ring skill, the promo ability. He even did commentary. He wrestled for NWA-affiliated promotions, Mid-South, NWF, WWC and the WWWF. He also had a 1974 run in NJPW and a 1980 run in AJPW. He challenged WWWF Heavyweight Champions Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund. He reportedly made over six figures a year in the ’60s. His signature tactics, such as walking out on matches and using a taped thumb as a weapon, became lasting tropes in wrestling. He was a true icon of the business, and regardless of race, one of the most important wrestlers of all time.
Thunderbolt Patterson (1941-, debuted 1964)
While he was an influential personality inside the ring, it was Thunderbolt’s actions outside the ring that would establish him as one of the most important people for the advancement of black acceptance in wrestling. Patterson was outspoken about racism in the wrestling industry, frequently challenging promoters over unfair treatment of black wrestlers and advocating for better opportunities, and participated in a racial discrimination lawsuit. He even attempted to form a union for wrestlers. As such, he was blacklisted by many regional US promoters in the ’70s. Despite this, he won many championships in Texas, Florida and Georgia, and developed a rhythmic, smooth promo style that would hugely influence “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.
Tony Atlas (1954-, debuted 1974)
Atlas started wrestling for NWA-affiliated promotions in 1974 and had a few matches with other promotions, including a 1982 NJPW run. His biggest success, though, was his legendary early-’80s run in the WWF. He was huge, with amazing strength and could press slam just about any wrestler, earning a huge crowd pop every time. He won the WWF World Tag Team Title with fellow black wrestler Rocky Johnson in 1983, becoming the first black champions in the WWF. While his drug addiction and financial dire straits would affect the rest of his career after leaving in 1984, he still had notable runs in AWA, WCCW, WWC, WCW, and returned to the WWF twice. He would return to the WWE once more to manage Mark Henry in 2008, and occasionally wrestle.
Bad News Allen (1943-2007, debuted 1977)
A legitimate tough guy with an Olympic judo background, Bad News Allen was one of the earliest examples of a no-nonsense, streetwise antihero in wrestling. Allen thrived as a brutal and uncompromising heel who took no allies and was out for himself. He became a huge star in Stampede Wrestling, famously feuding with Bret Hart involving one of the first ever ladder matches, in July 1983. He would go on to establish his character in the WWF under the name Bad News Brown, winning a battle royal at WrestleMania IV and having high-profile feuds with Randy Savage and Jake Roberts.
Allen actively fought against racism in wrestling, including making Andre the Giant apologise after he made a racist remark on an NJPW tour bus. At 1990’s WrestleMania VI, he was booked in an extremely racist angle where his opponent Roddy Piper wore blackface to mock him. He would leave the WWF after that year’s SummerSlam, claiming Vince McMahon broke his promise to make him the company’s first black champion. His character was a huge inspiration to many pro wrestlers, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Samoa Joe and Taz.
Butch Reed (1954-2021, debuted 1978)
“Hacksaw” Butch Reed started wrestling for NWA-affiliated promotions in the late ’70s and early ’80s. He won two tag team titles and was a solid singles star, challenging multiple times for Ric Flair’s NWA World Heavyweight title in 1982. He joined Bill Watts’ Mid-South wrestling promotion in the mid-80s and won many singles titles, feuding with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan over the nickname, as well as other feuds with the Junkyard Dog and Kamala. He debuted for the WWF as Sweet Daddy Siki-inspired “The Natural” Butch Reed, but despite an early push he fizzled out, leaving after WrestleMania IV.
Reed’s biggest success came in WCW, where his tag team with Ron Simmons, Doom, became one of the most dominant tag teams of the early ’90s. Their title reigns helped elevate Ron Simmons (included on BET’s list), who later became the first recognised black world champion in a major promotion. Reed’s influence can be seen in many powerhouse wrestlers who followed, and he is an underrated part of the strong tag team scene in the early ’90s.
Kamala (1950-2020, debuted 1978)
While his “Ugandan Giant” gimmick is sometimes considered problematic nowadays, Kamala was one of the most recognizable and memorable monster heels in wrestling history. He worked in many major promotions, feuding with Jerry Lawler in CWA, the Von Erichs in WCCW and most famously, Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan in the WWF. Unfortunately, he was reportedly paid less than many of his white colleagues, even saying that he made a mere $13,000 compared to the Undertaker’s $500,000 for their match at SummerSlam 1992. To put in perspective how popular he was, even the Giant Kimala ripoff character portrayed by Benjamin Peacock achieved great success in ’90s AJPW, such was the desire to see Kamala in the ring.
Bob Sapp (1973-, debuted 2000)
If you lived in Japan in the early 2000s, you knew who Bob Sapp was. A former NFL player turned professional fighter and wrestler, Sapp became a modern megastar in Japan, working for AJPW, HUSTLE and NJPW, even winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2004. Fans flocked to see “The Beast” dominate opponents in predetermined and real fights, working for promotions such as Pride and K-1. He became a mainstream celebrity on the level of Hulk Hogan or The Rock, appearing in commercials, TV shows, films and even releasing a CD single named Sapp Time. While he was never amazing in-ring, his size, explosive power, and over-the-top charisma made him unbelievably popular. His match against sumo wrestler Akebono at K-1 PREMIUM 2003 Dynamite!! was watched by 54 million people, 43% of Japan’s population at the time.
Wrestling didn’t start in the ’80s, like BET thinks it did. There’s a wealth of history out there, and just because most of these men weren’t fixtures of the biggest promotions, or didn’t make it on national TV, doesn’t mean their contributions to wrestling can be ignored. We have a new generation of incredible black wrestlers, such as Bianca Belair and Swerve Strickland, but that doesn’t mean we can forget about the fighters who got us to a position where promoters and the public could accept them in the mainstream. Their sacrifices and struggles laid the foundation for the opportunities today’s stars enjoy, and it’s up to us to keep their legacies alive.
