However, WWE has employed several talented wrestlers who never got their hands on the company’s top prize. The controversial Ahmed Johnson is one of those names.
The former Intercontinental Champion was a very popular figure in the mid-90s, and the logical booking decision was for him to taste world championship glory eventually. Johnson’s WWE career, however, went downhill, and he was released in 1998.
During a recent edition of the Grilling JR podcast, Jim Ross revealed that there was ‘some casual discussion’ backstage in the WWE regarding a world title victory for Ahmed Johnson.
Johnson picked up the biggest win of his career at King of the Ring in 1996 by taking Goldust’s IC title. JR said that WWE was aware of Johnson’s potential as a world titleholder:
There were things that he needed to catch up on: JR on Ahmed Johnson’s WWE run
The well-respected announcer noted that Johnson had the perfect look and intensity for a world champion. He also confirmed that the star’s ethnicity wasn’t a roadblock in his proposed rise to the top.
According to Ross, Ahmed Johnson wasn’t familiar with the fundamentals and psychology of wrestling and, despite there being talks, WWE never went the distance with the polarizing superstar:
During a recent interview with Pro Wrestling Defined earlier this year, Johnson claimed that Vince McMahon wanted to put the WWE title on him, and he was heartbroken when things didn’t work out as planned:
What are your thoughts about Ahmed Johnson and his WWE run? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Grilling JR and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
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