Slick (wrestling) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slick |
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Slick in 1989
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| Birth name | Kenneth Wayne Johnson |
| Born | December 8, 1957 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Campbellsville University |
| Family | Rufus R. Jones (father) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Reverend Slick Slick |
| Billed height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Billed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Billed from | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Trained by | Texas All-Star Wrestling |
| Debut | 1986 |
| Retired | 1993 |
Kenneth Wayne Johnson, born on December 8, 1957, is a retired American professional wrestling manager. He is widely known by his ring name, Slick. He became famous for his time with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1986 to 1993. He is the son of professional wrestler Rufus R. Jones.
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Slick's Wrestling Career
Early Days in Texas and Kansas
Slick started his career in a wrestling company called Texas All-Star Wrestling. There, he managed wrestlers like Madd Maxx and Lord Humongous.
Later, Johnson moved to Central States Wrestling in Kansas City. He became known as "The Doctor of Style," Slick. His character was smooth and confident. He would often dance as he walked his wrestlers to the ring. Some of the wrestlers he managed there included Art Crews and Butch Reed. Slick and his group often had rivalries with popular wrestlers like Rufus R. Jones, who was Johnson's real-life adopted father.
Joining the World Wrestling Federation
Slick joined the WWF in August 1986 with Butch Reed. Soon after, he took over managing duties from an older manager named "Classy" Freddie Blassie. Slick began managing wrestlers like Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik. He also managed Hercules, selling his contract to another manager, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.
Managing Top Wrestlers
Slick had great success managing a team called the Twin Towers. This team included Akeem and the Big Boss Man. They wrestled in big matches against famous stars like Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Slick even had his own theme song called "Jive Soul Bro." He also managed other wrestling teams and individuals. These included The Bolsheviks (Volkoff and Boris Zhukov), Rick Martel, and Power and Glory (Hercules and Paul Roma).
Becoming Reverend Slick
In November 1991, Slick took a break from the WWF. When he returned a month later, his character had changed. He became "Reverend Slick." This new character was a good guy who spoke about becoming a better person. This change was inspired by Johnson's real life, as he became a Christian minister. He would sometimes give uplifting "sermons" on WWF shows.
Later in 1991, he joined the TV show Prime Time Wrestling as a regular panelist. He would talk about wrestling storylines and matches until the show ended in 1993. One of his main storylines as Reverend Slick was helping the wrestler Kamala. He worked to convince Kamala that he was a good person and deserved respect.
After the WWF
After leaving the WWF, Johnson went to Campbellsville University. He earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree. Today, he is an ordained minister in Louisville, Kentucky.
Slick has made several special appearances in wrestling since then. On April 1, 2007, he danced with WWE wrestlers at WrestleMania 23. He was also inducted into the IHWE Hall of Fame in 2009. In November 2010, he appeared on an "Old School" edition of WWE Raw. On July 23, 2012, he was part of Raw 1000, where he acted as the reverend for a wrestling wedding. On April 2, 2016, Slick inducted the Big Boss Man into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In July 2016, Johnson was part of a lawsuit against WWE. The lawsuit claimed that wrestlers had health issues from their time in wrestling. The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge in September 2018. An appeal for the lawsuit was also dismissed in September 2020.
- Wrestlers Slick Managed
- The One Man Gang/Akeem
- Big Boss Man
- Boris Zhukov
- Butch Reed
- Hercules
- The Iron Sheik
- Kamala
- Lord Humongous (as Ken Johnson)
- Nikolai Volkoff
- Paul Roma
- Rick Martel
- The Warlord
Awards and Achievements
- World Wrestling Federation
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- Best Personal Hygiene (1987) with Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov
- Slammy Award (1 time)
- IHW Entertainment Hall of Fame
- 2009 inductee
