 Atlas in 1982 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anthony White (1954-04-23)April 23, 1954 (age 71)[6] Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.[6] |
Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | "Mr. USA" Tony Atlas Saba Simba Black Atlas Tony Atlas White Black Superman[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)[2][3] |
| Billed weight | 250 lb (113 kg)[3] |
| Billed from | Roanoke, Virginia[2] Jungles ofUganda (as Saba Simba)[4] |
| Trained by | Larry Sharpe |
| Debut | 1974[5] |
Anthony White[5] (born April 23, 1954) better known by hisring nameTony Atlas, is an American bodybuilder,powerlifter, andprofessional wrestler who has held multiple titles and championships in each sport. He is also known by his bodybuilding title, "Mr. USA", thenom de guerre the "Black Superman", as well as an alter ego namedSaba Simba. He returned as an on screen manager forWWE, appearing on its now-defunctECW brand. He re-signed withWWE on a legends contract in mid-2012.
Atlas started wrestling in 1974 for theNational Wrestling Alliance World Wide/Mid Atlantic area. His debut, on July 10, was a tag team match withBob 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 forWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), the NWA'sJim Crockett Promotions, theWorld Wrestling Council (WWC),World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), theAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA), and theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF). Among his regular partners wereTommy Rich (as "TNT"),Dick Murdoch, andRocky Johnson. He was also the first man to press slam and pinHulk Hogan though Hogan's foot was on the rope and the referee did not see it.[7]
During his time with the NWA, Atlas captured the NWA Georgia Tag Team Title with Tommy Rich. He later teamed withMr. Wrestling II,Thunderbolt Patterson,Kevin Sullivan, and Rocky Johnson.
In 1979, he won the Pro Mr. USA bodybuilding title in the inferior WBBG organization[8] (there were only five competitors[9]). Thereafter, he was frequently promoted as "Mr. USA." That same year, he won a bench press meet, by bench pressing 540 lbs. raw (no bench shirt) in the 242-pound division.[10]
In 1982, he wrestled forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling.
From 1982 to 1983 he wrestled forBill Watts'sUniversal Wrestling Federation. Then from 1983 to 1984 he returned to Georgia and wrestled in St. Louis.
Atlas debuted in theWorld Wrestling Federation on October 23, 1979, defeatingJohnny Rodz at aChampionship Wrestling taping. One of his first feuds was withJesse "The Body" Ventura, over who had the better physique. In 1983, he teamed with Rocky Johnson as The Soul Patrol to defeatThe Wild Samoans for theWWF World Tag Team Championship, becoming the company's first black champions.[2][11] After losing the title to Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch and missing shows due to drug addiction, Atlas' final match was on May 16, 1984, in Lacey Township, New Jersey.[12]
Two months after departing the World Wrestling Federation, Atlas resurfaced inVerne Gagne'sAWA. He made his debut on July 13 at a house show in Denver, Colorado, and defeatedChris Markoff. At the time the AWA was being raided for talent by the WWF; this represented a swing in the opposite direction and Atlas received a push upon joining the promotion. He was undefeated against "Mr Electricity"Steve Regal,Larry Zbyszko, andJake Milliman in July before finally being defeated byKing Kong Bundy on August 11 in Indianapolis, Indiana. This and a disqualification loss toNick Bockwinkel were Atlas' only defeats in singles competition. On October 10, 1984, he teamed withThe Crusher and faced AWA Tag-Team ChampionsThe Road Warriors for a shot at the titles and won by disqualification. Ten days later he teamed withJim Brunzell for another shot at the Road Warriors, defeating them via pinfall in a non-title match in Las Vegas. His final match with the promotion was a victory againstTom Scott on October 28, after which he returned to the World Wrestling Federation.[13]
One day after departing the AWA, Atlas returned to the WWF at a television taping forAll Star Wrestling in Hamilton, Ontario, and pinnedRene Goulet in a match that aired on November 17.[12] Upon his return, Atlas was shunted to the mid card in the WWF and was undefeated against competition that includedMr Fuji,The Spoiler,The Iron Sheik, andMoondog Rex. He scored a win againstBob Orton and a non-title victory overWWF Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine at the Steel Cage Turmoil round robin tournament in Hartford, Connecticut on November 23, 1984 (a predecessor to the King of the Ring tournaments that were held later in the decade as annual house show events), but suffered his first defeat on his comeback when he lost toDavid Schultz.[12] This would be his only loss for several months, as he would not be pinned again until losing toPaul Orndorff onPrime Time Wrestling on March 19, 1985. At this point Atlas began to transition to a mid-card performer and would lose several matches, including bouts withBret Hart,Greg Valentine,Don Muraco, andRoddy Piper. The company also programmed him into several short-lived tag-teams with Ivan Putski, Lanny Poffo and George Wells.[14]
Atlas made his PPV debut in 1986 when he appeared in the Battle Royal atWrestlemania 2 being eliminated byWilliam Perry. He was also used as ajobber to the stars, putting over newly arriving talent likeKing Kong Bundy andHarley Race, as well as a series of matches with other muscle bound strongmen such asHercules and "The Worlds Strongest Man"Ted Arcidi, the latter of which in an infamous match atBoston Garden where both men were booed by the crowd and mocked by commentatorsGorilla Monsoon &Lord Alfred Hayes for their poor performances. Atlas began to be shunted further down the card, losing toBig John Studd, Iron Sheik,Dory Funk Jr., andHarley Race. His final match was a loss toAdrian Adonis in a bout that took place inMadison Square Garden and which aired on September 8, 1986, on Prime Time Wrestling.[15]
Tony made a one match return on August 28, 1987, when he teamed withThe Junkyard Dog to defeatKamala andSika at the WWF Paul Boesch Retirement Show.[16]
Two months later Tony joined the Texas-basedWorld Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) where he adopted the moniker of "The Black Superman". He made his initial appearance on November 11, 1986, and defeatedTim Brooks in Fort Worth, Texas. On December 1, Atlas defeatedCrusher Yorkoff to win the World Class World Television Championship. In January 1987, Atlas competed in a tournament to crown the Texas Heavyweight Champion, beating Tim Brooks in the opening round but falling toMatt Borne in the quarter-finals. In the summer of 1987 he had almost instant success when he teamed withSkip Young to win the World Class Texas Tag Team Title. Following a match that went to a time limit draw againstAl Perez, Atlas left the company in 1988.[17]
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On July 16, 1988, Atlas was appearing at a WWC event in Bayamón (a city near San Juan), Puerto Rico, where he was one of the 2 witnesses, the other beingDutch Mantel, to the fatal assault on wrestlerBruiser Brody.José Huertas González a.k.a. the Invader, a fellow wrestler and booker, asked Brody to go into the shower to discuss business. Brody entered the shower stall and a few seconds later a scuffle ensued, followed by two groans, loud enough for the entire locker room to hear. Atlas ran to the shower and saw Brody bent over and holding his stomach (Mantel came after him). Atlas and Mantel then looked up at González and saw him holding the knife. When the paramedics arrived, Atlas carried Brody downstairs to the waiting ambulance, as, due to Brody's enormous stature, paramedics were unable to lift him. González, who always maintained his innocence, was initially charged with first-degree murder but was later reduced and tried for involuntary homicide. Both Atlas and Mantel appeared in 2019'sDark Side of the Ring episode on Bruiser Brody and explained what actually happened. Atlas said that he was asked to be in the trial but never got a call back because the case was already finalized.
Atlas then moved on to Southern Ontario 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 fromJoe Savoldi. Atlas lost the belt toVic Steamboat in Middletown, New York. 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. Afterwards he was inactive from wrestling due to being homeless for a year and a half.
In 1990 Atlas returned to the WWF where he wrestled as "Saba Simba" for the remainder of 1990 and into January 1991. He made his first appearance in his comeback on August 4, 1990, when he pinnedHaku at a house show in Augusta, Georgia. On August 28 he participated in a taping for WWF Superstars and Prime Time Wrestling.[18] In his first televised appearance as Simba, Atlas's history in the company was quickly acknowledged, butVince McMahon claimed Atlas had "rediscovered his roots by legally changing his name".[19] On December 13, 2010, Tony appeared onRight 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 McMahon.[20] He played a warrior of a Ugandan tribe and was intended to feud withAkeem, but the feud never took place after Akeem departed from the promotion. Atlas was kept at midcard status, losing toDino Bravo and The Barbarian. The gimmick has been described by one writer as "unpopular at best, and racist at worst."[4] He participated at the1991 Royal Rumble, where he was eliminated byRick Martel.[21] After the Royal Rumble, he was taken off television and was inactive with the company. His last match was on September 13, 1991, at a house show in Allentown, Pennsylvania, filling in forJim Neidhart, losing toIrwin R. Schyster as Saba Simba.
After he left the WWF he returned to IWCCW shortly thereafter facingTito Santana andVic Steamboat. He would regain the IWCCW title. He defeatedJimmy Snuka on an independent show on June 28, 1992, in Wallingford, Connecticut.[22] He later left IWCCW which left the IWCCW title vacant.
Teaming withThe Barbarian, Atlas made his debut as a heel forWCW on the October 10, 1992, with a victory over Jeff Daniels and TA McCoy. They were immediately programmed by WCW Vice PresidentBill Watts into a feud withBarry Windham andDustin Rhodes. He suffered his first pinfall when he was defeated byTom Zenk in Chicago, Illinois on October 31, 1992. Atlas entered the King of Cable tournament but was defeated byBig Van Vader in the quarterfinals. On the house show circuit he continued his partnership with the Barbarian and received title matches againstRicky Steamboat andShane Douglas, but were unsuccessful in obtaining the NWA/WCW Tag-Team Championship.[23]
On January 2, 1993, Atlas entered a tournament to crown a new United States Heavyweight Champion following the vacating of the title by an injuredRick Rude. Atlas pinnedVan Hammer in the quarterfinals. In the semi-finals he fell to Dustin Rhodes. Atlas also became part of a storyline where a bounty had been placed on rookieErik Watts head; Atlas entered a house show series in January 1993 with the young Watts but was winless. He made an appearance onClash of the Champions XXII in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 13, 1993, and lost an arm wrestling contest toVinnie Vegas. Following a match withSteve Regal on February 5, Atlas left the promotion.[24]
Atlas returned to IWCCW in the fall of 1993 and facedTommy Dreamer,Johnny Gunn, Tito Santana, andPrimo Carnera III. He also wrestled for the CWA (Century Wrestling Alliance) in 1994, and in 1995 joined the upstartAmerican Wrestling Federation (AWF). He teamed withKoko B Ware to face Greg Valentine andTommy Rich for the vacant AWF Tag-Team Championship.[25] Apart from his AWF appearances Atlas wrestled primarily with the CWA in 1995 through 1997.
On July 11, 1999, he teamed withTito Santana to defeatSalvatore Bellomo and Jay Love at WXW Sportsfest 1999 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
He made a return to Puerto Rico's WWC defeatingDutch Mantel on July 16, 2000, at WWC 27th anniversary event. On November 19, 2005, Atlas defeatedTracy Smothers at CCW A Tribute to Starrcade in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Since 2006 he has made occasional appearances for Big Time Wrestling and Top Rope Promotions both in New England. He teamed withBushwhacker Luke to defeat Eric Johnson and Thad Hairy Howett at UCW in Kentville, Nova Scotia, on April 28, 2018. On May 25, 2018, he defeated Nathan Banner by disqualification in Pembroke, Ontario, for Great North Wrestling. On May 17, 2019, he teamed with Frankie Flow to defeatGene Snitsky andSalvatore Sincere Managed by Lance Profit at East Coast Pro wrestling in Manville, New Jersey.
On March 25, 2023, Atlas andBob Orton Jr. won the SICW Tag Team titles defeating the LA Hustlers - Bradley Driggs and Lamonte Potts in St. Louis, Missouri.
As of 2024, at age 70 Atlas still wrestles 50 years later.
Atlas made a surprise return to the WWF on the March 10, 1997, edition ofMonday Night Raw. Following a victory by Intercontinental ChampionRocky Maivia over Tony Roy, Atlas came out of the crowd to congratulate the son of his former tag-team partnerRocky Johnson. One week later he appeared onRaw again, this time holding Maivia back from attackingThe Sultan. AtWrestleMania 13 he was spotted in the crowd and cheering for Maivia. Atlas was shown onRaw once more, again cheering for Maivia on the March 31 edition when Maivia wrestledBret Hart.[26]
Atlas was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame in 2006 byS. D. Jones.
Atlas appeared on the July 8, 2008, airing ofECW whereTheodore Long appointed him the special guestring announcer for the main event featuringTommy Dreamer with then-babyface,Colin Delaney in his corner against then-heel,ECW ChampionMark 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 that Atlas has worked as aheel, as he would then become Henry's manager.
Atlas helped Mark Henry retain his title atSummerSlam by disqualification, attackingMatt Hardy once a win by Hardy appeared to be imminent. Atlas also helped Henry retain his championship on the August 19, 2008, episode ofECW against Hardy. AtUnforgiven, Henry lost the title to Hardy. On the December 9 edition ofECW, Atlas wrestled in a WWE ring for the first time in 17 years (along with Mark Henry) in a tag team match, where they defeatedFinlay andHornswoggle. He also wrestledEvan Bourne on the June 9, 2009, episode ofECW in a losing effort. Henry was then traded to the Raw brand on June 29, quietly ending their alliance. Atlas would continue to appear on ECW duringThe Abraham Washington Show asAbraham Washington's sidekick, until ECW went off air in February 2010.
Atlas was released from his WWE contract on April 30, 2010.[27] However he still made sporadic appearances with the company; he made a brief appearance on the Old School Raw episode on November 15, 2010. On December 12, 2011, he made a brief appearance to co-present theSlammy Award for "Trending Superstar of the Year." On April 10, 2012, Atlas made an appearance onSmackDown: Blast from the Past.
In 2014, Atlas was a regular cast member on theWWE Network original reality show,Legends' House.
ATLAS: Too Much...Too Soon was released in 2010.[28]
White was born inRoanoke, Virginia, where he attendedPatrick Henry High School. He now lives with his wife Monika, who he met during a period ofliving on a park bench following his first release from WWE,[29] inAuburn, Maine.[28] With his ex-wife Joyce, he has one daughter named Nikki.
White has been open about what he calls his non-sexualshoe fetish, which involves paying women to step on him.[30] He stated in an interview, "I, Tony 'Mr. USA' Atlas, WWE Hall of Famer, am free to be me. And there is nothing greater on this Planet Earth than to get kicked and punched in the face by a big-footed girl."[31]
White was once a frequent co-host of the popular YouTube wrestling interview channel Boston Wrestling MWF. However, following his co-host bringing up the controversial wrestlerNew Jack, White responded negatively and later left the show. The next episodes were co-hosted by New Jack, who criticized White.
1This promotion is not to be confused with the NWA Tri–State promotion founded byLeroy McGuirk in the 1950s. This promotion would eventually be taken over byBill Watts in 1979 and renamedMid-South Wrestling Association. The promotion would eventually be renamedUniversal Wrestling Federation.
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database
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