Tony Atlas: Difference between revisions
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|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|4|23}} <ref name="tonyatlas">{{cite web|url=http://www.tonyatlas.com/bio.html|title=Tony Atlas' bio|publisher=TonyAtlas.com}}</ref> |
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|birth_place = [[Roanoke, Virginia]]<ref name="tonyatlas">{{cite web|url=http://www.tonyatlas.com/bio.html|title=Tony Atlas' bio|publisher=TonyAtlas.com}}</ref> |
|birth_place = [[Roanoke, Virginia]]<ref name="tonyatlas">{{cite web|url=http://www.tonyatlas.com/bio.html|title=Tony Atlas' bio|publisher=TonyAtlas.com}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 07:02, 6 August 2008
| Tony Atlas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 23, 1954 [1] Roanoke, Virginia[1] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Tony Atlas Saba Simba Black Superman Mr. U. S. A. |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Billed weight | 250 lb (110 kg; 18 st) |
| Trained by | Larry Sharpe |
| Debut | 1974[1] |
Anthony White[1] (born April 23, 1954) better known by his ring name "Tony Atlas" is a bodybuilder, powerlifter, and former professional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by the bodybuilding title he won 3 times "Mr. USA" the nom de guerre the "Black Superman" as well as an alter ego named Saba Simba. He returned to WWE in 2008, as the Manager for Mark Henry, on the ECW brand.
Career
1970s–1990s
Atlas started wrestling in 1974, in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). 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 cleanly pin Hulk Hogan.[citation needed]
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 Black team to hold the belts.[2][3] After losing the titles to Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch, Johnson soon departed and Atlas was used as a jobber to the stars in the WWF. In 1987, Tony teamed with Skip Young to win the World Class Texas Tag Team Title. In late 1990, Atlas was reinvented as Saba Simba and was a competitor in the 1991 Royal Rumble. He played a warrior of an Ugandan tribe, but the gimmick was unpopular, and he left for WCW shortly thereafter. In 1992, he wrestled in WCW, and in 1994 for the American Wrestling Federation (AWF).
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.
2006–present
On April 1 2006, Tony Atlas was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Special Delivery Jones.[2]
Now in his fifties, Tony Atlas continues to wrestle in many independent promotions on the east coast and currently runs his own promotion throughout the New England area called Atlas Pro Wrestling. He is a Certified Personal Trainer and trains at Fitness World in Lewiston, Maine and is also an accomplished artist.[1]
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 Colin Delaney in his corner against 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 countout. This is also the first time since his brief stint in WCW in 1992 in that Atlas has worked as a heel. Atlas also accompanied Henry to the ring at the WWE Great American Bash.
In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
- As Tony Atlas
- As Saba Simba
- Wrestlers managed
Championships and accomplishments
- Americas Wrestling Federation
- AWF North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Century Wrestling Alliance
- CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling (Quebec)
- NWA West Virginia/Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WCWA Television Championship (1 time) (Last)
- WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Skip Young
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.
Personal life
White has been married two times. His first wife was Lisa who he married in 1985. He married his second wife, Monica, in 1990.[8]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e "Tony Atlas' bio". TonyAtlas.com.
- ^ a b "Tony Atlas' bio". WWE.com. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.36)
- ^ Mike Aldren (November 2000). "Interview with Dawn Marie". Smash Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners - Most Improved Wrestler of the Year". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 - 1991". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
- ^ "Tony Atlas - Biography". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-10-09.
References
- Mick Foley (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins. p. 511. ISBN 0061031011.