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Anthony White (April 23, 1954) better known by his ring name Tony Atlas is an American bodybuilder, powerlifter, and professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr. USA" (a distinction he earned three times), the nom de guerre the "Black Superman", as well as an alter ego named Saba Simba. He returned as an on screen manager for World Wrestling Entertainment.

Career[]

1970s–1990s[]

Atlas started wrestling in 1975 for the National Wrestling Alliance World Wide/Mid Atlantic area. His debut, on July 10, was a tag team match with Bob Bruggers against Art Neilson and The Blue Scorpion. The match finished with Atlas winning the fall for his team with a sleeper hold on the Blue Scorpion.

Throughout his career he worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions, the World Wrestling Council (WWC), World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Among his regular partners were Tommy Rich (as "TNT"), Dick Murdoch, and Rocky Johnson. He was also the very first man to press slam and pin Hulk Hogan though Hogan's foot was on the rope and the referee didn't see it.

During his time with the NWA, Atlas captured the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title with Tommy Rich. He later teamed with Mr. Wrestling II, Thunderbolt Patterson, Kevin Sullivan, and Rocky Johnson. In the WWF, Tony teamed with Rocky Johnson to defeat the Wild Samoans to win the WWF World tag team title, becoming the first Afro-American team to hold the belts. After losing the titles to Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch, Johnson soon departed. WWF management was prepared to offer Atlas a run as the company's Intercontinental champion, but a burgeoning drug problem led to Atlas missing dates and becoming unreliable both inside and outside the ring. Atlas was thus shunted to the mid card in the WWF in short lived tag teams with Ivan Putski, Lanny Poffo and George Wells. He was also used as a jobber to the stars, putting over newly arriving talent like King Kong Bundy and Harley Race.

In 1987, Tony left for the Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling where he adopted the moniker of "The Black Superman". He had almost instant success when he teamed with Skip Young to win the World Class Texas Tag Team Title. Atlas left the company in 1988.

Atlas then moved on to the Northeast independent area in late 1988. He joined International Championship Wrestling (owned and operated by Mario Savoldi) where he turned heel and under the management of The Duke (not Pete Doherty) won the ICW Heavyweight title from Joe Savoldi. Atlas lost the belt to Vic Steamboat in Middletown, NY. But after a few months, he regained the belt from Steamboat. That match became infamous because of the number of times it was shown on the IWCCW syndicated show.

In late 1990, after a winning a battle with drug addiction a rejuvenated Atlas returned to the WWF, reinvented as Saba Simba and was a competitor in the 1991 Royal Rumble. On December 13, 2010, Tony appeared on Right After Wrestling and credited the Saba Simba character with saving his life as he was homeless and living on a park bench before getting a phone call from Vince McMahon. He played a warrior of a Ugandan tribe, but the gimmick was unpopular at best, and considered racist at worst. He left for WCW shortly thereafter. In 1992, he wrestled in WCW, and in 1994 for the American Wrestling Federation (AWF). He briefly showed back up in the WWF around WrestleMania 13 being spotted in the crowd and cheering for Rocky Maivia.

While working for the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico, Atlas witnessed the murder of Bruiser Brody by another wrestler, Jose Gonzalez (Invader #1). Atlas was never called back to testify.

He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006

Return to WWE (2008–2010)[]

Atlas appeared on the July 8, 2008, airing of ECW where Theodore Long appointed him the special guest ring announcer for the main event featuring Tommy Dreamer with then-babyface, Colin Delaney in his corner against then-heel, Mark Henry. Atlas attacked Delaney, which in turn distracted Dreamer, allowing Henry to gain the victory. Atlas then announced Henry the winner of the bout, although the official result was a double count out. This is also the first time since his brief stint in WCW in 1992 that Atlas has worked as a heel. Atlas also accompanied Henry to the ring at The Great American Bash. Atlas helped Mark Henry retain his title at SummerSlam, attacking Matt Hardy once a win by Hardy appeared to be imminent. Henry was also able to retain his ECW Championship on the August 19, 2008 episode of ECW due to an outside interference from Atlas. At Unforgiven, Atlas was there to support Henry in retaining his Championship in the ECW Championship Scramble, although Henry lost the title to Hardy after Hardy got the last fall. On December 9 edition of ECW, Atlas wrestled in a WWE ring for the first time in 17 years (along with Mark Henry) in a tag team match, where they defeated Finlay and Hornswoggle. Tony also wrestled Evan Bourne on the June 9, 2009 episode of ECW in a losing effort. Henry was then traded to the Raw brand on June 29, resulting in Atlas no longer managing him.

On September 1, 2009, Atlas re-appeared as the announcer for "The Abraham Washington Show" segment. He would portray Abraham's sidekick and laugh at his jokes with a forced, uproarious laugh and would also be the butt of some of Washington's jokes and abuse. After ECW ended, he and Washington became free agents.

Atlas was released from his WWE contract on April 30, 2010. However, he appeared again on the November 15 Old School RAW special before David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd's match against Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel.

Personal life[]

White has been married four times. His fourth and current wife Monika found him sleeping in a park in Philadelphia and invited him to stay at her house until he got back on his feet. They have been married for twenty years.

In wrestling[]

Championships and accomplishments[]

  • Americas Wrestling Federation
    • AWF North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Century Wrestling Alliance
    • CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • International Wrestling (Quebec)
    • WCWA Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Tri-State1
    • NWA West Virginia/Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

1This promotion is not to be confused with the NWA Tri–State promotion founded by Leroy McGuirk in the 1950s. This promotion would eventually be taken over by Bill Watts in 1979 and renamed Mid-South Wrestling Association. The promotion would eventually be renamed Universal Wrestling Federation.

External links[]

1991 PWI Top 500 Wrestlers
1-100
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201-300
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301-400
Bobby BlairBob BradleyMark MillerDragon MasterJohn RamboJohnny RichNelson RoyalGreg WojokowskiAkio SatoSoldat UstinovFabulous LanceHumongusJeff ColletteBart BattenKing KaluhaJohnny RodzDennis CondreyGary AlbrightOle AndersonDon BassMark YoungbloodJon MichaelsEqualizer ZipDavid PowerJerry GreyEqualizer ZapSikaFrank LancasterMike SharpeSteve CoxChris YoungbloodBaron Von RaschkeSteve LawlerRay CandyJ.W. StormBuck ZumhofeJoey MaggsPsychoLes ThorntonBob BrownShaun SimpsonMike SamsonFestusTiger Conway Jr.Barry OMike JacksonTugboat TaylorJason the TerribleKevin KellyMike WinnerTerry DanielsScott ArmstrongJim BacklundHurricane WalkerBlack BartTom DavisTexas RangerJimmy ValiantKiller BrooksBoris ZhukovBotswana BeastBonecrusherCuban AssasinRikki NelsonBrady BooneLarry WintersOzBull RantosAxl RottenBuddy Lee ParkerJimmy PowellRod PriceJ.T. SmithMark StarrHossRon CumberledgeSteve LombardiTony CaponeBrian DonohueTommy AngelG.Q. MadisonMadd MaxxDusty WolfeFrank MelsonRon ShawBob CookJose Luis RiveraMike CervichSabuG.I. BroMr. AtlantaJerry LynnGene LigonChris MichaelsLeatherfaceMoondog SpotCarl StyleasTony StetsonJim PowersG.Q. Stratus
401-500
WWE Hall of Fame
1993
André the Giant
1994
Arnold SkaalandBobo BrazilBuddy RogersChief Jay StrongbowFreddie BlassieGorilla MonsoonJames Dudley
1995
Antonino RoccaErnie LaddGeorge SteeleIvan PutskiThe Fabulous MoolahThe Grand WizardPedro Morales
1996
Lou AlbanoJimmy SnukaJimmy ValiantJohnny RodzJohnny ValiantKiller KowalskiMikel SciclunaPat PattersonVince McMahon, Sr.
2004
Big John StuddBobby HeenanDon MuracoGreg ValentineHarley RaceJesse VenturaJunkyard DogPete RoseSgt. SlaughterSuperstar Billy GrahamTito Santana
2005
Bob Orton, Jr.Hulk HoganJimmy HartNikolai VolkoffPaul OrndorffRoddy PiperThe Iron Sheik
2006
Bret HartBlackjack MulliganEddie GuerreroGene OkerlundJack LanzaSherri MartelTony AtlasVerne GagneWilliam Perry
2007
AfaCurt HennigDusty RhodesJerry LawlerJim RossMr. FujiNick BockwinkelSikaThe Sheik
2008
Eddie GrahamGerald BriscoGordon SolieJack BriscoMae YoungPeter MaiviaRic FlairRocky Johnson
2009
Bill WattsChris Von ErichDavid Von ErichDory Funk Jr.Fritz Von ErichHoward FinkelKerry Von ErichKevin Von ErichKoko B. WareMike Von ErichRicky SteamboatSteve AustinTerry Funk
2010
Antonio InokiBob UeckerGorgeous GeorgeMaurice VachonStu HartTed DiBiaseWendi Richter
2011
Abdullah the ButcherBob ArmstrongDrew CareyJim DugganLegion of DoomPaul ElleringShawn MichaelsSunny
2012
EdgeFour HorsemenMike TysonMil MáscarasRon SimmonsYokozuna
2013
Bob BacklundBooker TBruno SammartinoDonald TrumpMick FoleyTrish Stratus
2014
Carlos ColonJake RobertsLitaMr. TPaul BearerScott HallUltimate Warrior
2015
Arnold SchwarzeneggerConnor MichalekAlundra BlayzeKevin NashLarry ZbyszkoRandy SavageRikishiTatsumi FujinamiThe Bushwhackers
2016
Art ThomasBig BossmanBuddy RobertsThe GodfatherEd LewisFrank GotchGeorge HackenschmidtJacquelineJimmy GarvinJoan LundenLou TheszMichael P.S. HayesMildred BurkePat O'ConnorSnoop DoggStan HansenStingTerry Gordy
2017
Bearcat WrightBeth PhoenixDiamond Dallas PageDr. Jerry GrahamEric LeGrandHaystacks CalhounJudy GrableJune ByersKurt AngleLuther LindsayMartin BurnsRick RudeRicky MortonRikidozanRobert GibsonTheodore LongToots Mondt
2018
Alfred HayesBoris MalenkoCora CombsDara SinghDudley BoyzEl SantoGoldbergHillbilly JimHiro MatsudaIvoryJarrius "JJ" RobertsonJeff JarrettJim LondosKid RockMark HenryRufus R. JonesSputnik MonroeStan Stasiak
2019
Bruiser BrodyBrutus BeefcakeBuddy RoseD-Generation X(Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Chyna, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, X-Pac)Harlem Heat (Booker T, Stevie Ray)The Hart Foundation(Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart)Hisashi ShinmaThe Honky Tonk ManJim Barnett • Joseph Cohen • Luna VachonPrimo CarneraProfessor Toru TanakaS.D. Jones • Sue Aitchison • Torrie WilsonWahoo McDaniel
2020
Baron Michele LeoneThe Bella Twins (Nikki Bella, Brie Bella)Brickhouse BrownThe British BulldogGary HartJohn "Bradshaw" LayfieldJushin "Thunder" LigerNew World Order ("Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman)Ray StevensSteve WilliamsTitus O'NeilWilliam Shatner
2021
Buzz SawyerDick the BruiserEric BischoffEthel JohnsonThe Great KhaliKaneMolly HollyOzzy OsbournePaul BoeschPez Whatley • Rich Hering • Rob Van Dam
2022
The UndertakerSteiner Brothers (Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner)Big Van VaderQueen Sharmell
2023
Rey MysterioThe Great MutaAndy KaufmanStacy KeiblerTim White
2024
Paul HeymanBull NakanoU.S. ExpressMuhammad AliThunderbolt Patterson
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