Ahmed Johnson

Anthony Norris grew up in Auburndale, Florida, and showed athletic ability from an early age, competing in football, basketball, amateur wrestling, and track during high school. After a brief stint in the United States Army and a short time playing football, he began training as a professional wrestler under Skandor Akbar, Scott Casey, and Ivan Putski.

He made his in-ring debut in 1989 and spent the early part of his career working independent promotions before landing in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) in 1993 under the name Moadib. He also toured Japan with Big Japan Pro Wrestling in 1995 before catching the attention of the World Wrestling Federation.

Norris debuted in the WWF in late 1995 under the ring name Ahmed Johnson, making his television debut by saving Razor Ramon from an attack by Camp Cornette and immediately establishing himself as a powerhouse by slamming Yokozuna.

The crowd responded to his raw intensity and imposing physique, and the WWF moved him up the card quickly. He teamed with Shawn Michaels throughout 1996 and earned spots in high-profile multi-man matches, including a six-man main event at In Your House: International Incident alongside Michaels and Sycho Sid.

He became one of WWF’s more noticeable stars during the New Generation and Attitude eras, with his biggest career milestone coming at King of the Ring 1996, when he beat Goldust to become Intercontinental Champion. This win made him the first African-American wrestler to hold that title in WWF history. Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked him fifth in the PWI 500 that year and named him Most Improved Wrestler of 1996, reflecting how quickly he had risen.

His trajectory toward the main event stalled when he suffered a serious kidney injury, forcing him to vacate the Intercontinental Championship after 77 days. The WWF incorporated the real injury into his ongoing feud with Faarooq, scripting the attack as the cause of the damage.

Johnson returned in late 1996 and picked up his rivalry with Faarooq and the Nation of Domination. He aligned with The Undertaker and the Legion of Doom during this feud, which led to a Chicago Street Fight against the Nation at WrestleMania 13.

In June 1997, he made a surprising heel turn by joining the Nation, but injuries cut that run short, and the group turned on him not long after. He came back as a babyface, continuing the feud alongside Ken Shamrock and the Legion of Doom through Survivor Series 1997. His last WWF appearance came at No Way Out of Texas in February 1998.

After leaving WWF, he resurfaced in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2000 under the name Big T, pairing with Stevie Ray in Harlem Heat 2000 and entering a feud with Booker T. That run included a singles win over Booker T at SuperBrawl 2000, though he and Stevie Ray fell to Booker T and Billy Kidman at Uncensored 2000.

His activity slowed considerably after that, with only a handful of matches over the next few years before his in-ring career came to an end in 2003.