A Black History Month Perspective: The Ten Greatest Wrestlers Of All-Time

Last week on "Hit The Ropes Radio" Shane, Daris, and I discussed the role of African-Americans in the world of wrestling. 

We touched on many topics including who's the most decorated champion, who could be next in line to be World Champion and what it takes for an African-American to get to the top. 

While there haven't been a lot of World Champions of African-American decent, there have been some very successful wrestlers through the years. 

In this article I will list who I feel are the 10 best wrestlers of African-American decent ever.

10. Jacqueline

Jacqueline is unique in that she had two hurdles to overcome in her rise to the top:  Being black and being a woman.  Jacqueline frequently wrestled men in WCW and eventually made the jump to WWE.  In WWE she became a two-time Women's Champion and also held the Cruiserweight title one time.  She was also the first women ever ranked in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's top 500 singles wrestlers in 2003.  

9. Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas 

Fitting that these guys be listed together as they were the first African-American Tag Team Champions in WWE history.  They are also both WWE Hall of Fame inductees.  In addition to their WWE success Johnson and Atlas have won titles in a number of NWA promotions as singles competitors. 

8. Butch Reed 

Known in WWE as "The Natural", Butch Reed had the majority of his success in Mid-South Wrestling and NWA/WCW.  He was a three-time North American Heavyweight Champion in Mid-South and also a Tag Team Champion with Jim Neidhart.  He probably is best known for being apart of one of the most dominant tag teams in WCW history, Doom.  Reed and his partner Ron Simmons went on to win the NWA and WCW Tag Team titles.   

7. Abdullah The Butcher

Abdullah The Butcher is one of the most feared and hardcore wrestlers that ever lived.  Though his character was held from the Sudan, "The Butcher" was actually born in Canada.  With assistance from his trademark fork, Abdullah's matches almost always were bloodbaths.  Though he never stayed in a promotion for a long period of time, Abdullah is a wrestling icon who inspired the careers of greats like Mick Foley, and Sabu. 

6. Ernie Ladd

A freakish athlete, "Big Cat" Ernie Ladd was an accomplished football player before he became a wrestling star.  He was a member of the 1963 AFL Champion San Diego Chargers.  Ladd actually started wrestling during football's offseason in 1961 before taking it on full-time.  In the 1970's Ladd was one of the most hated "heels" in wrestling, a rarity as most blacks during this time were "faces".  During his wrestling career Ladd had memorable feuds with the likes of Andre The Giant, Junkyard Dog and Paul Orndorff.  He was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995. 

5. Junkyard Dog

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