Ron Simmons: A Pioneer and Trail Blazer in Professional Wrestling and Black History

Ron Simmons earned his place in history as the first recognized African-American heavyweight champion in professional wrestling.

February is Black History Month. In today’s society, it’s common practice for many industries to praise African-American trail blazers. Professional wrestling isn’t without those individuals that helped pave the way for some of the greatest stars in the sport today. For many, Ron Simmons comes up as a name that deserves recognition for his place as one of the top African-American wrestlers in history.

To the current generation, the name Ron Simmons is usually followed closely by an utterance of the word “Damn!” The WWE Hall of Famer has taken that one word catch phrase and ran with it in ways that weren’t expected. But his legacy starts much further back and should be just as well-known as his time as the poker-playing tough guy in the APA.

Even before he became a pro wrestler, Simmons was putting the hurt on other men as a defensive tackle in the National Football League, Canadian Football League and United States Football League. He had a solid career – as a Florida State Seminole, Simmons’s jersey number 50 is retired. He was eventually elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

Still, it’s the professional wrestling industry where Simmons’s mark was felt the most, and it stands out as the height of his entire athletic career. He made his professional debut in 1986; from the start, he would make waves in organizations such as Jim Crockett Promotions.

Simmons started his career as a singles wrestler, but the first breakthrough moment came when he and Butch Reed would defeat the Steiner Brothers to secure the NWA Tag Team Championship in 1990. He and Reed hold an important place in history: winning the NWA Tag Team titles at that time allowed them to become the first ever WCW Tag Team Champions by default.

But his run as a singles competitor for WCW is where Simmons reached a point of prominence that stands out from the rest of his career. In 1992, a kayfabe injured Sting was replaced by Simmons to face World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader in a title match. Simmons hit a massive power slam to pick up the victory, becoming the first recognized African-American WCW World Heavyweight Champion. The image of Ron Simmons being carried around on the shoulders of his peers along with Jim Ross’s call makes this a moment worth watching, even today.

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“That feeling on that night was so special and the way the fans celebrated with me is something that I will always remember,” Simmons said as reported by Complex Media in 2014. “Being able to share that historic moment with the fans that supported me through everything meant more than you’ll ever know.”

In many ways, that would be the high point of Simmons’s career. He would only hold the title for a short time and never become world champion again, but in an industry with decades of struggle along racial lines, Simmons holds a special place in history. His characters in WWE helped in the development of stars such as The Rock, the Hardy Boyz, Mark Henry and many others. While Bobo Brazil may technically be the first African-American world champion, the distinction that Simmons earned in the ring also secures him a special spot in history.

Next: The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling

Today, whenever Simmons’s face is shown on TV, everyone pauses for the crowd pleasing “Damn!” But it must be said that there’s much more to Ron Simmons and he’s a person of relevance in Black History in professional wrestling.