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Post by fg on Jan 8, 2022 16:10:40 GMT -5
Ahmed's charisma really was off the charts and I'm still weirded out by the things he tried in-ring wise. Like, why do planchas? Why jump over the barricade? He didn't care too much for his opponent's wellbeing, but neither did he care for his own. He was more like a flashier Goldberg. Someone who just didn't get the work aspect. Part of the problem, part of the appeal. Ahmed in kayfabe mentioned in WWE’s now defunct magazine that he did the crazy things that he does to make sure he exceeds fan’s expectations or something like that. |
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Post by Andee9001 on Jan 8, 2022 16:46:15 GMT -5
You could hear the disdain in Jim Ross' voice for Ahmed when he came out at the 98 rumble. And you just know he knew what he was doing with the call "Mark Henry handling the big Johnson." |
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Post by jason1980s on Jan 8, 2022 17:13:31 GMT -5
And you just know he knew what he was doing with the call "Mark Henry handling the big Johnson." I'm sure Jim Ross saw him as a huge get in late 1995. JR has two loves, a big guy like Ahmed and two work horses like Furnas and LaFon and both were busts. I'm sure JR put over Ahmed huge late 1995, early 1996 and was probably bitter he didn't work out. |
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Post by hassanchop on Jan 8, 2022 20:52:17 GMT -5
And you just know he knew what he was doing with the call "Mark Henry handling the big Johnson." I'm sure Jim Ross saw him as a huge get in late 1995. JR has two loves, a big guy like Ahmed and two work horses like Furnas and LaFon and both were busts. I'm sure JR put over Ahmed huge late 1995, early 1996 and was probably bitter he didn't work out. Jim Ross confirms it here, he is shocked things didn’t work out for Ahmed. Language warning. |
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 9, 2022 2:53:25 GMT -5
Ahmed was being positioned to be the 1990s JYD and if my timeline is right, Bill Watts was in power when he first came in. This was Bill Watts' M.O. to build an African American babyface and position him as a top guy. The problem was that Ahmed was the a reckless worker both with himself and others. All you have to do is watch the 1997 Royal Rumble, I have no idea how some the N.O.D. are walking today. It also didn't help matters that Ahmed was older and seemed to have this obsession with showing that he could do things like leaping over the top rope when you just never saw people his size do that. It didn't matter that half the time Ahmed would hurt himself or others doing it. I don't remember off hand if it was the interview on the network with JBL or if was another shoot interview, but Ron Simmons talked at pretty good length about trying to guide Ahmed and explain to him that they were trying to give him the keys to the kingdom and if he would just calm it down a bit, he could be a huge star. Yeah, with I think Watts wanting to call him "Buck Johnson", and even Vince McMahon going wide-eyed and shooting that down. It's kind of dated now, but "Buck" is a really racially charged word when used for a black man, especially a buff one. Like, he may as well have wanted to call him "Mandingo Warrior". |
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Post by ThankGodForSidJustice on Jan 9, 2022 4:16:38 GMT -5
You could hear the disdain in Jim Ross' voice for Ahmed when he came out at the 98 rumble. I remember him ripping on him for wearing earrings to the ring and how dumb it was. Ahmed's appearance in that Rumble was so strange. I seriously wonder if he was drunk or under the influence of something. Just moving super slow, way less intense then he usually was, and just acting very bizarre. First he walks out super slow, then has trouble just climbing into the ring, then just slowly meanders around for like 3 minutes most of which is spent getting beat on by Henry before eventually Henry and D'lo just slowly dump him out without much trouble. Then shortly afterwards Phinneas Godwinn gets tossed and then Ahmed just starts attacking him for no reason and they start fighting to the back. Kama comes out as the next entrant and Ahmed is still wandering by the entrance way so Kama shoves him aside and starts making his way to the ring with Ahmed then starting to go after him but then thinking better of it and just sulking to the back instead which really made him look like a big p***y. It was such a weird and also pathetic showing which was really a strong indicator of how quickly and far he had fallen from the year before when it seemed like he was going to be one of their big future stars they were going to build around. |
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Post by ThankGodForSidJustice on Jan 9, 2022 4:22:29 GMT -5
I'm sure Jim Ross saw him as a huge get in late 1995. JR has two loves, a big guy like Ahmed and two work horses like Furnas and LaFon and both were busts. I'm sure JR put over Ahmed huge late 1995, early 1996 and was probably bitter he didn't work out. Jim Ross confirms it here, he is shocked things didn’t work out for Ahmed. Language warning. Man JR is such a grouch. Snapping at that guy like that for no reason. |
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Post by Feyrhausen on Jan 9, 2022 8:18:20 GMT -5
Ahmed was being positioned to be the 1990s JYD and if my timeline is right, Bill Watts was in power when he first came in. This was Bill Watts' M.O. to build an African American babyface and position him as a top guy. The problem was that Ahmed was the a reckless worker both with himself and others. All you have to do is watch the 1997 Royal Rumble, I have no idea how some the N.O.D. are walking today. It also didn't help matters that Ahmed was older and seemed to have this obsession with showing that he could do things like leaping over the top rope when you just never saw people his size do that. It didn't matter that half the time Ahmed would hurt himself or others doing it. I don't remember off hand if it was the interview on the network with JBL or if was another shoot interview, but Ron Simmons talked at pretty good length about trying to guide Ahmed and explain to him that they were trying to give him the keys to the kingdom and if he would just calm it down a bit, he could be a huge star. Yeah, with I think Watts wanting to call him "Buck Johnson", and even Vince McMahon going wide-eyed and shooting that down. It's kind of dated now, but "Buck" is a really racially charged word when used for a black man, especially a buff one. Like, he may as well have wanted to call him "Mandingo Warrior". Also why they changed John Walker Captain Americas sidekicks name from Bucky to Battlestar. In their defense they were unaware of the racial use of the term. I was as well until I read the story about it and I live in the south where racial slurs are used like hello. |
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 9, 2022 8:26:08 GMT -5
Yeah, with I think Watts wanting to call him "Buck Johnson", and even Vince McMahon going wide-eyed and shooting that down. It's kind of dated now, but "Buck" is a really racially charged word when used for a black man, especially a buff one. Like, he may as well have wanted to call him "Mandingo Warrior". Also why they changed John Walker Captain Americas sidekicks name from Bucky to Battlestar. In their defense they were unaware of the racial use of the term. I was as well until I read the story about it and I live in the south where racial slurs are used like hello. Yeah, they even addressed that in-comic, with Johnny professing ignorance, and his sidekick saying he knew it was coming from a good place, but that yeah, a change was in order. |
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Post by pinja on Jan 9, 2022 9:49:31 GMT -5
Ahmed's charisma really was off the charts and I'm still weirded out by the things he tried in-ring wise. Like, why do planchas? Why jump over the barricade? He didn't care too much for his opponent's wellbeing, but neither did he care for his own. He was more like a flashier Goldberg. Someone who just didn't get the work aspect. Part of the problem, part of the appeal. Ahmed in kayfabe mentioned in WWE’s now defunct magazine that he did the crazy things that he does to make sure he exceeds fan’s expectations or something like that. Interesting, because I don't remember it being a big deal back then plus I wasn't accustomed enough to wrestling to really know that what Ahmed did was unusual. |
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Post by wendytorrancev1 on Jan 9, 2022 12:05:11 GMT -5
You could hear the disdain in Jim Ross' voice for Ahmed when he came out at the 98 rumble. I remember him ripping on him for wearing earrings to the ring and how dumb it was. Ahmed's appearance in that Rumble was so strange. I seriously wonder if he was drunk or under the influence of something. Just moving super slow, way less intense then he usually was, and just acting very bizarre. First he walks out super slow, then has trouble just climbing into the ring, then just slowly meanders around for like 3 minutes most of which is spent getting beat on by Henry before eventually Henry and D'lo just slowly dump him out without much trouble. Then shortly afterwards Phinneas Godwinn gets tossed and then Ahmed just starts attacking him for no reason and they start fighting to the back. Kama comes out as the next entrant and Ahmed is still wandering by the entrance way so Kama shoves him aside and starts making his way to the ring with Ahmed then starting to go after him but then thinking better of it and just sulking to the back instead which really made him look like a big p***y. It was such a weird and also pathetic showing which was really a strong indicator of how quickly and far he had fallen from the year before when it seemed like he was going to be one of their big future stars they were going to build around. Oh.....so I did remember right, that someone shoved Ahmed aside and he did absolutely nothing. I remembered it was D'Lo who did that, not Kama Mustafa. LOL. I'm getting old. |
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Post by wendytorrancev1 on Jan 9, 2022 12:15:45 GMT -5
Ahmeds problem was his injuries. Look at him during his peak and then look at him at the Rumble 98. He was noticably slower, heavier and broken. He was very over the same way Sid was very over despite being awful in ring he just had a physical charisma. Every injury just kept taking more and more from him. As far as the stuff goes that he said about The Rock he also accused Steve Austin of keying a racial slur into his rental car which Austin denied. For all we know he could be telling the truth but he's not known for his honesty. He once claimed to have been in a car accident that caused him to miss a show but there were no records of the accident ever happened.He also famously stood up an NWA show because the promoter sent a car to pick him up instead of a limo. Ahmed sucked. As far as the story about The Rock, I don't know what I believe. Dwayne is a really nice guy. I've met him once and he acts nothing like how he portrayed The Rock. I think at that point, he didn't want to stir the pot, as Triple H and Michaels were dominating the locker room and they had Vince's ear. I also don't believe Ahmed was going to be ear hustling behind some lockers while all this was going down. As far as Austin is concerned, I don't know what to believe on that one, either. After he and Debra split, some rather unsavory things came to light about him. One, that he was abusive towards his wife. Another, that he was overwhelmingly racist. Not saying I believe that, but I don't put anything past anyone nowadays. I'm not sure, however, if he would have been the one who keyed Ahmed's rental car, however. It could have been anyone, given not only the demographic, but also the climate of the WWF. For all we know, Vince could have done it. |
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Post by greyfmdan on Jan 9, 2022 12:46:53 GMT -5
First, thank you wendytorrancev1 for the constant kind, positive attitude you show here. It’s something the world needs more of. Regarding Ahmed, the guy definitely had a strange sort of appeal. In an era where promo ability was becoming increasingly important, the fact that he was able to get the crowd chanting a lame line like “You’re going down” says something about his charisma. |
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Post by wendytorrancev1 on Jan 9, 2022 20:53:41 GMT -5
First, thank you wendytorrancev1 for the constant kind, positive attitude you show here. It’s something the world needs more of. Regarding Ahmed, the guy definitely had a strange sort of appeal. In an era where promo ability was becoming increasingly important, the fact that he was able to get the crowd chanting a lame line like “You’re going down” says something about his charisma. Why thank you! That was so sweet of you to say! Ahmed did have a strange sort of appeal. The reason I remember him so vividly is because his big 300 pound ass was doing planchas to the outside and spinning wheel kicks and the like. It was more of a "what is his big ass doing!?" versus a "just because you can doesn't mean you should" kinda thing. LOL. |
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Post by jason1980s on Jan 9, 2022 21:37:47 GMT -5
Ahmed only lasted through one more PPV after the rumble 98 and I'm sure things were coming to a head at that point. I think the guys like Kama, D'Lo and Simmons who had been toiling away in promotions without a huge rise to the top right out of the gate, like Ahmed were pissed. Funnily enough, Mark Henry was just like Ahmed-huge contract right from the start but he got injured so no one saw any kind of huge push like Ahmed guys so these "pay the dues" guys only know Mark from his later WWF days dealing with the crappy storylines wanting him to quit. It was obvious at the rumble 98 Ahmed was literally done and WWF was done with him, he was just an extra body on any PPVs at that point.
Also, grumpy, grouchy, snappy Jim Ross is pretty much his thing now. I wonder what he would be like if he didn't have condition he does. Pre bells Jim Ross was high pitched, happy and excitable. I think some things he does and how he comes off is because of his condition and not necessarily because he wants to be grumpy or a jerk.
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Post by tafkaga on Jan 10, 2022 11:49:22 GMT -5
Ahmed needed someone to tell him that he was playing a character on a television show. I can't think of any other pro wrestler who seemed so obviously caught up in his onscreen persona that he was out there almost killing himself while maiming everyone in his path. Even pre-smark me found him cringe.
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Post by jason1980s on Jan 10, 2022 12:00:03 GMT -5
Ahmed needed someone to tell him that he was playing a character on a television show. I can't think of any other pro wrestler who seemed so obviously caught up in his onscreen persona that he was out there almost killing himself while maiming everyone in his path. Even pre-smark me found him cringe. That reminds me of the Missing Link in WWF taking it seriously, wanting Bobby Heenan to take on a role off real life manager. |
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Post by Johnny B. Decent on Jan 10, 2022 13:33:58 GMT -5
Ahmed was being positioned to be the 1990s JYD and if my timeline is right, Bill Watts was in power when he first came in. This was Bill Watts' M.O. to build an African American babyface and position him as a top guy. The problem was that Ahmed was the a reckless worker both with himself and others. All you have to do is watch the 1997 Royal Rumble, I have no idea how some the N.O.D. are walking today. It also didn't help matters that Ahmed was older and seemed to have this obsession with showing that he could do things like leaping over the top rope when you just never saw people his size do that. It didn't matter that half the time Ahmed would hurt himself or others doing it. I don't remember off hand if it was the interview on the network with JBL or if was another shoot interview, but Ron Simmons talked at pretty good length about trying to guide Ahmed and explain to him that they were trying to give him the keys to the kingdom and if he would just calm it down a bit, he could be a huge star. Yeah, with I think Watts wanting to call him "Buck Johnson", and even Vince McMahon going wide-eyed and shooting that down. It's kind of dated now, but "Buck" is a really racially charged word when used for a black man, especially a buff one. Like, he may as well have wanted to call him "Mandingo Warrior". It also should be noted that even for his time, Bill Watts was super racist. |
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 10, 2022 19:53:52 GMT -5
Yeah, with I think Watts wanting to call him "Buck Johnson", and even Vince McMahon going wide-eyed and shooting that down. It's kind of dated now, but "Buck" is a really racially charged word when used for a black man, especially a buff one. Like, he may as well have wanted to call him "Mandingo Warrior". It also should be noted that even for his time, Bill Watts was super racist. Yeah, Vince was offended. Vince McMahon, of all people, was aghast. That's not good. I think JR was probably relieved whenever Watts was gone and he didn't have to be the go-between anymore. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2022 20:05:06 GMT -5
It also should be noted that even for his time, Bill Watts was super racist. Yeah, Vince was offended. Vince McMahon, of all people, was aghast. That's not good. I think JR was probably relieved whenever Watts was gone and he didn't have to be the go-between anymore. I've never heard someone who both reveres yet seemingly detests someone like JR feels about Watts. It's like Stockholm syndrome, almost. anyway, Ahmed Johnson was my 2nd favorite wrestler when I was a kid. Undertaker was #1, Ahmed was #2. I think I just liked the Pearl River Plunge. And, in my own weird "it's still real!" kid mind, he came off like he wasn't playing around and was hurting these dastardly heels. Turns out... it's because he was. That tends to be a no-no in the wrestling business. Couple that with a bad attitude and being as prone to hurting yourself as you are someone else? You're gonna get a short shelf life. |
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