Ron Simmons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ron Simmons
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Simmons in 2020
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Ronald Simmons
May 15, 1958 Perry, Georgia, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Florida State University |
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Professional wrestling career
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| Ring name(s) | Doom #1 Faarooq Faarooq Asaad Ron Simmons |
| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 270 lb (122 kg) |
| Billed from | Warner Robins, Georgia< "The Mean Streets" (as Faarooq Asaad) |
| Trained by | Hiro Matsuda |
| Debut | 1986 |
| Retired | March 17, 2012 |
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Football career |
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| Position: | Defensive tackle |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Warner Robins (GA) |
| College: | Florida State |
| NFL Draft: | 1981 / Round: 6 / Pick: 160 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Ronald K. Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is a famous American former professional wrestler and football player. He is best known for his time in WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Before becoming a wrestler, Simmons played football as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL), and United States Football League (USFL) for four seasons in the 1980s.
Simmons played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He was recognized as an All-American, which means he was one of the best players in college football. He then played professionally for the NFL's Cleveland Browns, the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders, and the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits.
In wrestling, Simmons performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) using his real name. In the World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/E), he was known as Faarooq Asaad and Faarooq. In WCW, Simmons made history by becoming the first African American to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. This means he was the first Black person to win a major world championship in professional wrestling. He also won the WCW World Tag Team Championship once with Butch Reed. In the WWF, he won the WWF Tag Team Championship three times with Bradshaw as part of the Acolytes Protection Agency. Simmons was also the leader of a wrestling group called the Nation of Domination. He was honored for his amazing career by being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.
Contents
Football Career Highlights
College Football Success
Ron Simmons was a highly sought-after player when he joined Florida State. He played as a defensive nose guard for four years (1977–1980). His coach, Bobby Bowden, was like a second father to him. Simmons earned All-America honors in 1979 and 1980.
During his time, the Seminoles had an impressive record of 39 wins and 8 losses. They finished in the top 20 teams three times. They also played in the Orange Bowl twice after his junior and senior years.
In 1979, Simmons finished ninth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. This award goes to the most outstanding college football player. In 1988, Florida State retired his jersey number 50. This was only the third time a number had been retired in the school's history. Simmons was inducted into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame. He was also elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Playing Professional Football
After college, Ron Simmons had a short career in the National Football League (NFL). He was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the 1981 NFL draft. However, he was released before the season started. He then played six games for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1981.
Simmons later played for the Tampa Bay Bandits in the United States Football League (USFL) from 1983 to 1985. While playing in Tampa, he was teammates with another future professional wrestler, Lex Luger.
Professional Wrestling Journey
Starting in WCW (1986–1988)
Ron Simmons began his professional wrestling career in 1987 with Jim Crockett Promotions, which later became World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He quickly showed his strength, winning many matches. He even defeated well-known wrestlers like Ivan Koloff and a young Rodney Anoa'i. Simmons remained undefeated in single matches for a long time.
Becoming Part of Doom (1989–1991)
In 1989, Simmons started to change his wrestling style, becoming more aggressive. He teamed up with Butch Reed to form a tag team called Doom. At first, they wore masks and were known as Doom #1 and Doom #2. They were managed by Woman.
Doom faced tough teams like The Steiner Brothers. After losing a match where they were forced to unmask, Doom got a new manager, Theodore Long. With Long's help, they bounced back and defeated The Steiner Brothers to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship. They held the titles for nine months, defending them against teams like The Rock 'n' Roll Express. After losing the titles in 1991, Doom broke up, and Simmons started wrestling on his own again.
World Champion and Later WCW Years (1992–1994)
In 1992, Ron Simmons made history. On August 2, 1992, he got a surprise chance to wrestle for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Big Van Vader. Simmons defeated Vader to win the championship, becoming the first recognized African American WCW World Heavyweight Champion. This was a huge moment in wrestling history.
Simmons held the title for five months, defending it against wrestlers like Cactus Jack. His championship reign ended on December 30, 1992, when Vader defeated him to win the title back. After losing the championship, Simmons continued to wrestle in WCW, sometimes challenging for other titles. He later turned into a "heel" (a bad guy in wrestling) and feuded with his former friend Ice Train. Simmons left WCW in 1994.
Time in ECW and Japan (1994–1995)
After WCW, Simmons wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in 1994 and 1995. He teamed with 2 Cold Scorpio and challenged for the ECW World Tag Team Championship. He also had matches against the ECW World Heavyweight Champion, Shane Douglas.
In 1995, Simmons also wrestled in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He teamed with other American wrestlers and faced Japanese stars. After these appearances, Simmons took a break from wrestling and worked as a warehouse manager.
Joining WWE: Faarooq and Nation of Domination (1996–1998)
In 1996, Simmons joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which is now WWE. His first character was "Faarooq Asad," a gladiator-like street fighter. He soon shortened his name to Faarooq.
In November 1996, Faarooq changed his character and formed a group called the Nation of Domination (NOD). This group was made up of several wrestlers, and they often feuded with other groups. Faarooq was the leader of the NOD. Later, another member, Rocky Maivia (who became The Rock), started to challenge Faarooq's leadership. In 1998, The Rock took over the Nation of Domination, and Faarooq left the group, becoming a "face" (a good guy) again.
The Acolytes Protection Agency (1998–2004)
In late 1998, Faarooq teamed up with Bradshaw to form a tag team called the Acolytes. They were known for being tough and violent. They later joined a group called the Ministry of Darkness, led by The Undertaker.
The Acolytes won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice during this time. After the Ministry of Darkness ended, Faarooq and Bradshaw continued to team up. They became known as the "Acolytes Protection Agency" (APA), acting as bodyguards for other wrestlers. .....
The APA won the tag team titles a third time in 2001. In 2002, the team split up when Faarooq was moved to the SmackDown! show. He started wrestling under his real name, Ron Simmons. In 2003, the APA reunited. Simmons retired from full-time wrestling in 2004 and began working behind the scenes for WWE.
Later Appearances and Hall of Fame (2006–Present)
After retiring, Ron Simmons started making short appearances on WWE shows in 2006. ..... This became a very popular moment for fans.
Simmons continued to make occasional appearances over the years. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012, a great honor for his career. His APA partner, John "Bradshaw" Layfield, inducted him. .....
Simmons and Layfield have reunited as the APA several times for special WWE events, including the 1000th episode of Raw in 2012 and the Raw 25 Years show in 2018. He continues to make guest appearances, often delivering his iconic catchphrase to the delight of fans.
Other Media
Ron Simmons has also been featured in many wrestling video games. Fans can play as him in games like WWF War Zone, WWF Attitude, WWF No Mercy, WWE '13, WWE 2K16, and more recent titles like WWE 2K24.
Championships and Achievements
Ron Simmons achieved many honors throughout his football and wrestling careers:
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Lou Thesz/Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Extreme Championship Wrestling
- Extreme Warfare (1994)
- George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Frank Gotch Award (2025)
- Memphis Championship Wrestling
- MCW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bradshaw
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bradshaw
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (1992)
- Stanley Weston Award (2021)
- Ranked No. 20 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
- World Championship Wrestling
- WCW World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WCW/NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Butch Reed
- WCW United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Big Josh
- World Wrestling Federation / WWE
- WWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Bradshaw
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)
Images for kids
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Simmons (center) with other WWE Legends at Raw 1000.
See also
In Spanish: Ron Simmons para niños
