Anthony Norris
Encyclopedia
Anthony "Tony" Norris better known by his ring name, Ahmed Johnson, is an American former professional wrestler
. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.
for the Dallas Cowboys
, 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. He was part of Akbar's heel
stable Devastation, Inc. Norris gained the interest of Michael Hayes
after knocking out a fan who assaulted him in Houston. Hayes told Norris after the incident he would tell Vince McMahon and the WWF about him and Hayes made good.
under the ring name Ahmed Johnson on the October 23, 1995 episode of Raw
. Prior to his first televised match, he appeared at the end of a Raw taping by entering a post-match brawl and slamming Yokozuna
. He made his pay-per-view
debut at Survivor Series
, as the team of Razor Ramon
, Yokozuna, Owen Hart
, and Dean Douglas
took on the team of Johnson, Shawn Michaels
, Sycho Sid
, and The British Bulldog
. In the end, Johnson, Michaels, and Bulldog won the match as the survivors of their team. At Season's Beatings
on December 17, Johnson defeated Buddy Landel
(who replaced Dean Douglas) in only 42 seconds. After the match, Johnson was interviewed by Jerry Lawler
, at which time Lawler distracted him in order for Jeff Jarrett
to attack him, starting a feud between the two in the process. At the 1996 Royal Rumble
, Johnson defeated Jarrett by disqualification after Jarrett struck him with a guitar (Ahmed got taken to the Hospital because of a concussion from the guitar). 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.
. 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. 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
for the day after SummerSlam
.
On the July 22 edition of Raw, Michaels and Johnson teamed again and challenged The Smoking Gunns (Billy
and Bart) for the Tag Team Championship. During the match, Faarooq Asad
debuted and attacked Johnson. This was supposed to lead to a match at SummerSlam for the Intercontinental Title. However, Johnson was diagnosed with legitimate kidney
problems, and was forced to miss the event. As a result, he was out for four months and in order to keep the angle going, the attack by Farooq was said to be the cause of the kidney damage. By the time the news was made public on WWF programming, the third (out of four) 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 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 the Intercontinental Championship, which was subsequently won in a tournament by Marc Mero
. The title shot the day after Summerslam was given to the runner-up of the battle royal, Goldust.
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. Two days later, Johnson and The Undertaker defeated Faarooq and Nation member Crush
in a No Holds Barred match at the Triple Threat event. 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
. At A Cold Day In Hell, he defeated Crush and Savio Vega
in a gauntlet match before losing to Faarooq.
Johnson eventually turned on WWF Champion
The Undertaker and joined the New Nation, with Kama Mustafa
, D'Lo Brown
, and Faarooq. Johnson was injured soon after this; he was scheduled to face Undertaker at Canadian Stampede
for the WWF Title, but was plagued by injuries and was replaced by Vader.
The Nation turned on him after he recovered and returned in September 1997, which resulted in Johnson turning face
once more. He restarted his feud with the Nation, and would reunite with the Legion of Doom as well as join forces with Ken Shamrock
during the feud. At Survivor Series 1997
, they defeated the Nation in a Survivor Series match. 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. A popular story goes that Norris walked off the set of a Raw Is War in March 1998 due to his refusal to lose a match to Kurrgan
. However, in later interviews Norris confirmed he left to console his sister while she was suffering from cancer. She died three days after he left the WWF. However, WWE insiders say the reason for his release was because he was injuring too many wrestlers in the ring.
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. Big T and Stevie formed the tag team
Harlem Heat 2000. At SuperBrawl, he defeated Booker to earn the rights to the Harlem Heat name. At Uncensored, he and Stevie lost to Booker and Billy Kidman. At Spring Stampede, they participated in a 5-team 10-man tag team tournament for the vacant World Tag Team Championship
, where they lost to the eventual winners Shane Douglas
and Buff Bagwell
in the semi-finals of the tournament. He was released by WCW shortly afterwards due to ongoing weight issues.
in a losing effort against Sabu and Gangrel
. Since retiring, Norris began working for Booker T
and Stevie Ray
's Pro Wrestling Alliance wrestling school.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. He is best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation, where he is a one time Intercontinental Champion and the first-ever winner of the Kuwait Cup.
Global Wrestling Federation (1994–1995)
After a brief career as a linebackerLinebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Norris began training under Skandor Akbar, Scott Casey
Scott Casey
Scott Casey is a retired American professional wrestler who is probably best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation between 1987 and 1990. His brother, Steve, was also a wrestler who appeared in the National Wrestling Alliance in the late 1980s and for the Global Wrestling...
and Ivan Putski
Ivan Putski
Józef Bednarski , is a Polish former professional wrestler and bodybuilder. He is known by the ring name Ivan Putski and was given the nicknames "The Polish Hammer" and "Polish Power"....
. After making his debut in 1989, he competed on the independent circuit
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
for the next few years before debuting in the Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...
in 1994 as Moadib. He was part of Akbar's heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
stable Devastation, Inc. Norris gained the interest of Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes may refer to:* Michael Hayes , TV director of Dr. Who episodes, such as the serial City of Death* Michael Hayes , Irish Fine Gael politician...
after knocking out a fan who assaulted him in Houston. Hayes told Norris after the incident he would tell Vince McMahon and the WWF about him and Hayes made good.
Ahmed Johnson (1995)
Norris made his WWF debut as a faceFace (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
under the ring name Ahmed Johnson on the October 23, 1995 episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
. Prior to his first televised match, he appeared at the end of a Raw taping by entering a post-match brawl and slamming Yokozuna
Rodney Anoa'i
Rodney Agatupu Anoa'i was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation where he wrestled under the ring name Yokozuna. The term yokozuna refers to the highest rank in professional sumo wrestling in Japan...
. He made his pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
debut at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1995)
Survivor Series was the ninth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
, as the team of Razor Ramon
Scott Hall
Scott Hall is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation in the early and mid 1990s under the ring name Razor Ramon, as well as for his period in the mid 1990s and early 2000s with World Championship Wrestling under his real name...
, Yokozuna, Owen Hart
Owen Hart
Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional and amateur wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , and most notably, the World Wrestling Federation , where he wrestled under both his own name, and ring name The...
, and Dean Douglas
Shane Douglas
Troy Alan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly...
took on the team of Johnson, Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
, Sycho Sid
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
, and The British Bulldog
Davey Boy Smith
Davey Boy Smith was a British professional wrestler, better known as "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, who was born in Golborne in North West England, United Kingdom. Smith is known for his appearances with Stampede Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling...
. In the end, Johnson, Michaels, and Bulldog won the match as the survivors of their team. At Season's Beatings
In Your House 5
In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on December 17, 1995 at the Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania...
on December 17, Johnson defeated Buddy Landel
Buddy Landel
William Ansor is a professional wrestler better knownas "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel.-Career:Buddy Landel started his career in 1979 as a young talented athlete in ICW. He left high school even though he had received letters of intent to play baseball and football at the University of Tennessee...
(who replaced Dean Douglas) in only 42 seconds. After the match, Johnson was interviewed by Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
, at which time Lawler distracted him in order for Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett is an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , an organization he co-founded along with his father and in which he holds some stock but not total control...
to attack him, starting a feud between the two in the process. At the 1996 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (1996)
Royal Rumble was the ninth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 21, 1996 at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California....
, Johnson defeated Jarrett by disqualification after Jarrett struck him with a guitar (Ahmed got taken to the Hospital because of a concussion from the guitar). At WrestleMania XII
WrestleMania XII
-Other on-screen talent:-External links:**...
, Camp Cornette
Camp Cornette
Camp Cornette was a professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Federation from 1995 to 1997. The faction was named after its manager James E. Cornette.-Formation:...
(Vader, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog) took on the team of Yokozuna, Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
, and Ahmed Johnson. Camp Cornette won when Vader pinned Roberts with the Vader Bomb. At Good Friends, Better Enemies
In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies
In Your House 7: Good Friends, Better Enemies was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation that took place on April 28, 1996 and emanated from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska....
on April 28, Roberts and Ahmed teamed up to take on Hart and Bulldog. While Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
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
Python (genus)
Python, from the Greek word , is a genus of non-venomous pythons found in Africa, Asia and Australia. Currently, 7 species are recognised. A member of this group, P. reticulatus, is among the longest snakes known.-Geographic range:...
, 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 Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
. As the first African American Intercontinental Champion, most assumed it was only a matter of time before he climbed to main event
Main Event
Main Event is Australia's only pay-per-view channel. It transmits through Foxtel, Optus Television and Austar, which jointly own the channel...
status. He was soon paired on-screen with Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
in several tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
matches and often helped Michaels against Jim Cornette
Jim Cornette
James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...
and his men, known as Camp Cornette. At International Incident
In Your House 9: International Incident
In Your House 9: International Incident was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , that took place on July 21, 1996 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada....
, Johnson along with Sycho Sid
Sid Eudy
Sidney Raymond "Sid" Eudy is an American professional wrestler, best known as Sid Vicious in World Championship Wrestling, and as Sid Justice and Sycho Sid in the World Wrestling Federation...
and Michaels lost to Vader, Owen Hart, and the British Bulldog. On the August 5 edition of Raw, Ahmed won an 11-man battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
, last eliminating the man whom he beat for the IC title, Goldust to be the #1 contender for the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
for the day after SummerSlam
SummerSlam (1996)
SummerSlam was the ninth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 18, 1996 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.-Event:...
.
On the July 22 edition of Raw, Michaels and Johnson teamed again and challenged The Smoking Gunns (Billy
Monty Sopp
Monty Kip Sopp is an American professional wrestler, best known as Billy Gunn during his tenure for World Wrestling Entertainment. He is probably best known as one of the members of the New Age Outlaws. He also worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Kip James...
and Bart) for the Tag Team Championship. During the match, Faarooq Asad
Ron Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...
debuted and attacked Johnson. This was supposed to lead to a match at SummerSlam for the Intercontinental Title. However, Johnson was diagnosed with legitimate kidney
Kidney
The kidneys, organs with several functions, serve essential regulatory roles in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid–base balance, and...
problems, and was forced to miss the event. As a result, he was out for four months and in order to keep the angle going, the attack by Farooq was said to be the cause of the kidney damage. By the time the news was made public on WWF programming, the third (out of four) 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 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 the Intercontinental Championship, which was subsequently won in a tournament by Marc Mero
Marc Mero
Marc Mero is an American retired amateur boxer and professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation as Marc Mero and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling under the ring name Johnny B. Badd...
. The title shot the day after Summerslam was given to the runner-up of the battle royal, Goldust.
Feuding with the Nation of Domination and Departure (1997–1998)
He returned to enter a feud with FaarooqRon Simmons
Ronald "Ron" Simmons is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. He is recognised as being the first Black world heavyweight champion in professional wrestling and the first of only two African Americans to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship,...
in 1997 (who had a new gimmick and formed the Nation of Domination
Nation of Domination
The Nation of Domination was a professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Federation from November 18, 1996 to November 28, 1998. The Rock was a 1 time Intercontinental Champion and D'Lo Brown was a 2 time European Champion while in the group.-United States Wrestling Association :The...
). Finally, the two had an encounter at Royal Rumble 1997
Royal Rumble (1997)
Royal Rumble was the tenth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 19, 1997 from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas....
, where Johnson won by disqualification. Two days later, Johnson and The Undertaker defeated Faarooq and Nation member Crush
Brian Adams (wrestler)
Brian Keith Adams was an American professional wrestler. Adams gained fame in the 1990s while performing for the World Wrestling Federation , under the name Crush, and for World Championship Wrestling under his given name.Trained in Japan by Antonio Inoki, Adams was a two time WCW World Tag Team...
in a No Holds Barred match at the Triple Threat event. He began teaming with the Legion of Doom
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Michael "Hawk" Hegstrand and Joseph "Animal" Laurinaitis. They performed under the name "Road Warriors" in the American Wrestling Association, the National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling, and the name Legion...
(Hawk
Road Warrior Hawk
Michael James Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as the Road Warriors or The Legion of Doom , with Road Warrior Animal.-Early life:While living in Chicago, Hegstrand met Joe Lauranaitis, who would be later...
and Animal
Road Warrior Animal
Joseph Aaron "Joe" Laurinaitis is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names, Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior...
) and the three fought the entire Nation at WrestleMania 13
WrestleMania 13
WrestleMania 13 was the thirteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
in a Chicago Street Fight
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
. At A Cold Day In Hell, he defeated Crush and Savio Vega
Savio Vega
Juan Rivera is a professional wrestler best known under the name Savio Vega. During the mid-late 1990s, he was an active wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation...
in a gauntlet match before losing to Faarooq.
Johnson eventually turned on WWF Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
The Undertaker and joined the New Nation, with Kama Mustafa
Charles Wright (wrestler)
Charles Wright is an American businessman and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s under the ring names Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather, and The Goodfather .After leaving the wrestling...
, D'Lo Brown
D'Lo Brown
Accie Julius Connor better known by his ring name D'Lo Brown , is an American professional wrestler. Well known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment, he is currently working as an agent for Impact Wrestling.Connor has held forty-eight championships in various promotions during...
, and Faarooq. Johnson was injured soon after this; he was scheduled to face Undertaker at Canadian Stampede
In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede
In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on July 6, 1997 at the Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta...
for the WWF Title, but was plagued by injuries and was replaced by Vader.
The Nation turned on him after he recovered and returned in September 1997, which resulted in Johnson turning face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
once more. He restarted his feud with the Nation, and would reunite with the Legion of Doom as well as join forces with Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
during the feud. At Survivor Series 1997
Survivor Series (1997)
Survivor Series was the eleventh annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on November 9, 1997 at the Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec....
, they defeated the Nation in a Survivor Series match. His last WWF appearance was at the pay-per-view No Way Out of Texas
No Way Out of Texas: In Your House
No Way Out was the twentieth pay-per-view event under the In Your House name produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on February 15, 1998 at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas...
in February 1998, alongside Shamrock and the Disciples of Apocalypse
Disciples of Apocalypse
The Disciples of Apocalypse were a biker-themed professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation in the late 1990s. The group came together from the demise of the Nation of Domination stable in June 1997 and consisted of four main members: Crush, Chainz, Skull and...
(Chainz
Brian Lee
Brian Lee Harris is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Prime Time" Brian Lee...
, Skull, and 8-Ball) against the Nation. A popular story goes that Norris walked off the set of a Raw Is War in March 1998 due to his refusal to lose a match to Kurrgan
Robert Maillet
Robert Maillet is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is known for his tenure in the World Wrestling Federation, as a member of the Truth Commission and the Oddities, wrestling under the name Kurrgan....
. However, in later interviews Norris confirmed he left to console his sister while she was suffering from cancer. She died three days after he left the WWF. However, WWE insiders say the reason for his release was because he was injuring too many wrestlers in the ring.
World Championship Wrestling (2000)
In late 1999, Norris signed a contract with World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
and debuted at Souled Out as a heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
named Big T. He interfered in a match between Harlem Heat
Harlem Heat
Harlem Heat was a professional wrestling tag team made up of two real-life brothers, Booker and Lane Huffman. Booker Huffman took the ring name of Booker T, and Lane Huffman took the ring name of Stevie Ray...
tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
partners and real-life brothers, Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
and Stevie Ray
Lane Huffman
Lane Steven Huffman is a retired American professional wrestler who is better known as Stevie Ray. He is best known as being part of the tag team Harlem Heat with his younger brother Booker T...
. He attacked Booker, causing Ray to be disqualified. Big T and Stevie formed the tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
Harlem Heat 2000. At SuperBrawl, he defeated Booker to earn the rights to the Harlem Heat name. At Uncensored, he and Stevie lost to Booker and Billy Kidman. At Spring Stampede, they participated in a 5-team 10-man tag team tournament for the vacant World Tag Team Championship
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
, where they lost to the eventual winners Shane Douglas
Shane Douglas
Troy Alan Martin is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. In the course of his career, which has spanned nearly three decades, Douglas has wrestled in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling and briefly...
and Buff Bagwell
Buff Bagwell
Marcus Alexander Bagwell is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling between 1991 and 2001, where he was a five time World Tag Team Champion.-Professional wrestling career: Bagwell...
in the semi-finals of the tournament. He was released by WCW shortly afterwards due to ongoing weight issues.
Retirement
Norris stayed away from wrestling after his release from WCW until he wrestled his return match for Professional Championship Wrestling in 2002 against Jake Steele. He wrestled his final match in 2003 in a tag team match for Maximum Pro Wrestling, teaming with Monty BrownMonty Brown
Monty Brown is an American professional wrestler and former National Football League linebacker, also known as Marcus Cor Von. He is best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment, where he wrestled on its ECW brand under the ring name Marcus Cor Von...
in a losing effort against Sabu and Gangrel
David Heath (wrestler)
David William Heath is an American professional wrestler and pornographic film director. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Gangrel.-Beginning:...
. Since retiring, Norris began working for Booker T
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
and Stevie Ray
Lane Huffman
Lane Steven Huffman is a retired American professional wrestler who is better known as Stevie Ray. He is best known as being part of the tag team Harlem Heat with his younger brother Booker T...
's Pro Wrestling Alliance wrestling school.
Television appearances
- Walker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
(1993) in episode "Unfinished Business" as Bruno
Acting career
- Witness to the ExecutionWitness to the ExecutionWitness to the Execution is a 1994 made-for-TV movie. Its plot concerns a fictional television network's desire to carry the live execution of a condemned killer as a pay-per-view event. It also portrays the events surrounding the attempt to create a television show about the execution. This...
(1994) as Reggie Foster - Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story (2001) as Marion "Suge" KnightSuge KnightMarion "Suge" Knight, Jr. is the founder and CEO of Black Kapital Records and co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Death Row Records rose to dominate the rap charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including...
.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Pearl River Plunge (Sitout double underhook powerbomb)
- Signature moves
- BrainbusterBrainbusterA brainbuster is a professional wrestling throw in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock, hooks his/her pants, and lifts him/her up as if he/she was executing a vertical suplex. The wrestler then falls onto his/her back so that the opponent lands on his/her head while remaining...
- Spinebuster
- Brainbuster
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Clarence Mason / J. BiggsClarence MasonHerman Stevens, Jr. is an American attorney and former professional wrestling manager, best known for his attorney gimmicks as Clarence Mason in the World Wrestling Federation and as J. Biggs in World Championship Wrestling from 1996–1999.-Early life:As a child, Stevens had always wanted...
- Cash / Kash
- Clarence Mason / J. Biggs
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Pearl River Powerhouse"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Pearl River Rip" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(WWF)
- "Pearl River Rip" by Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #5 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1996
- PWI ranked him #380 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI YearsPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
in 2003 - PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1996)
- Texas All-Pro Wrestling
- TAP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- United States Wrestling AssociationUnited States Wrestling AssociationThe United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipUSWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from the American Wrestling...
(1 time)
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship
- World Wrestling Federation
- WWF Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental ChampionshipThe WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
(1 time) - Kuwait Cup (1996)
- Slammy Award for New Sensation of the Squared Circle (1996)
- WWF Intercontinental Championship