Ahmed Johnson made history in 1996 when he became the first African American wrestler to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. This was a big deal at the time and marked a breakthrough moment in wrestling diversity.
Outside the ring, Ahmed Johnson’s real name is Anthony “Tony” Norris. He wrestled under a few names before landing on Ahmed Johnson — which WWE leaned into with a militant, tough-guy character.
Fans remember his super intense promos — but also for how… hard they were to understand. He often spoke in a passionate, growling tone, and the promos became both iconic and meme-worthy in wrestling circles.
In his prime, Ahmed had high-profile feuds with stars like Goldust, Nation of Domination (including The Rock), and Vader. His physical style and legit toughness made him seem like a real threat.
Despite his early success, Ahmed’s WWE run was plagued by injuries and backstage tension. He left the company in 1998, later wrestled briefly in WCW under the name Big T, and eventually disappeared from the wrestling spotlight.
