Athletes - Anthony Norris

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	Athletes - Anthony Norris

Anthony "Tony" Norris (born June 6, 1970 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American former professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Ahmed Johnson, where he was the first ever African American to hold the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

Career

Norris started wrestling in 1995 in the Global Wrestling Federation as Moadib. He was part of Skandor Akbar's heel group Devastation, Inc.

Norris made his WWF debut as Ahmed Johnson in late 1995 as a participant in the Survivor Series "Wild-Card match," which put both faces and heels on the same teams. He made an immediate impact on his first night on the job, the RAW before the PPV, by becoming, according to WWF kayfabe, only the second man in WWF history at the time to body slam Yokozuna (Lex Luger being the first).

Johnson adopted the spinebuster and the Pearl River Plunge (a modified Tiger Driver) as his signature moves. He engaged in feuds with Owen Hart and The British Bulldog throughout 1996, and he quickly became popular among fans. His intense wrestling style was not popular backstage, however. Most wrestlers referred to him as sloppy and claimed his moves looked so powerful because he failed to protect his opponents.

He received an Intercontinental Title shot and defeated the controversial Goldust at the 1996 King of the Ring to claim the belt. As the first black WWF Intercontinental Champion, most assumed it was only a matter of time before he climbed to main-event status.

But Johnson's career took a tragic turn in the summer of 1996. Faarooq attacked Johnson after a match on RAW in Seattle and delivered a kick that ruptured his kidney. The injury was an accident, but it forced Johnson to forfeit his belt and placed him on the injured list for four months. He returned to enter a feud with Faarooq in 1997 (who had a new gimmick and formed the Nation of Domination).

It was at this time that the WWF began to move away from its family-friendly image and towards the Attitude Era in order to compete with the popular World Championship Wrestling. Johnson, like many other WWF wrestlers at that time, took on more edgy personas. Johnson began teaming with the Legion of Doom and engaging in gang-fights with the entire Nation. Mired in the storyline and losing popularity with the fans, Johnson turned into a shadow of his former self.

Johnson eventually turned on then WWF Champion the Undertaker and joined the New Nation, along with Kama Mustafa, D'Lo Brown, and Faarooq. Johnson was injured soon after this, causing the WWF to drop the storyline and his planned title shot against The Undertaker, and the Nation turned on him after he recovered. Ahmed began feuding with them again, but at this point the fans had lost almost all interest in his character.

As 1998 continued, Johnson made increasingly fewer appearances. He began to put on weight, and his wrestling skills were starting to suffer. That, along with his inability to get away from the Nation feud, led to his release in 1998. His wrestling skills had begun to cause injury to his opponents, fueling previous backstage claims.

He was picked up by WCW in late 1999 and took on the character of Big T to team with Stevie Ray in the reformed Harlem Heat. His weight had spiraled out of control, and his ring work was noticeably less intense and less interesting. He was released by WCW shortly before the company was purchased by its longtime rival the WWF.

He now works for NGW, which is the Booker T and Stevie Ray Wrestling Academy.

Acting career

Norris appeared in the 2001 movie The MC Hammer Story as Marion "Suge" Knight.

Wrestling facts

Finishing and signature moves

Pearl River Plunge (Double underhook powerbomb)
Spinebuster

Managers

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Anthony Norris ]

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