Top 5 African-American WWE Stars

The New Day has taken the WWE by storm of late, winning the tag team titles in the process.In recent months, few WWE acts have combined in-ring success with entertainment on the microphone like the New Day has. The trio of African-American wrestlers was operating as individuals until a year ago but came together to win the tag team titles and steal the show.Before the New Day, though, there have been multiple African-American performers who have made their way to the top of the sport and carved a niche in the WWE Universe. Here are five of the top such performers.

#5 Bobo Brazil

Brazil was a groundbreaking member of a bygone era of professional wrestling.

Long before today’s WWE, men like Bobo Brazil toured the territories entertaining fans young and old. Brazil was credited with being the first African-American to hold a world title when he picked up the NWA World Championship with a victory over “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers in 1962.

Brazil wrestled for more than four decades before retiring in 1993 at the age of 69, and he also won the WWWF United States Championship.. Shortly after that, he was named to the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994 before his death in 1998.

#4 Ron Simmons

Ron Simmons was best known in the WWE for his tag-team efforts with Bradshaw, now known as JBL.

Ron Simmons, a former Florida State football player, had his biggest title reign when he was the first African-American wrestler to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, but that doesn’t mean his time in the WWE was a waste. Simmons won three WWE tag-team championships when he teamed with Bradshaw, now a member of the announce team as JBL.

Simmons was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012 and sporadically makes cameo appearances on WWE programming to this day.

#3 Junkyard Dog

Junkyard Dog was one of the most popular figures in professional wrestling.

Junkyard Dog may not have won any championship belts in WWE, but he was among the most popular wrestlers during his time with the promotion. Fans, particular the younger ones, loved his big personality and powerful style in the ring, including his powerslam finisher known as Thump.

He wasn’t without in-ring accomplishments, winning the Wrestling Classic tournament in 1985 with a victory over legend Randy Savage. He also won championships in three other promotions and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.

#2 Booker T

Booker T continues to contribute to WWE programming as an announcer.

A 2013 inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame, Booker T was one of the most successful men to cross over to WWE after the purchase of WCW. Already a multi-time champion both as a singles competitor and in the tag team Harlem Heat, Booker T added to his belt collection in WWE.

Booker won five different WWE belts, including three stints as United States champion and three tag title reigns with three different partners. He was also famously the King of the Ring in 2006, after which he was known as “King Booker.”

#1 The Rock

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is as well-known in Hollywood as he was in the ring.

The son of former WWE superstar Rocky Johnson, The Rock is half African-American and half Samoan but 100 percent electrifying in the ring and on the microphone. That sheer entertainment ability has led to a successful movie career since he left full-time work in the WWE.

But before that, he was one of the WWE’s top performers of all time. He won the WWF/WWE Championship eight times and was also one of the top Intercontinental Champions. Further, he helped define the all-important Attitude Era and lead the WWE to a victory in the Monday Night War.