8. Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas
WWE.comIn the 1970s, it was very difficult for African-American wrestlers to break through and achieve a level of success comparable to their Caucasian counterparts. The climate of North America was very different than it is today, and yet even in modern times the playing field still doesnt seem as equal. For every Booker T or Ron Simmons who ascend to the top of the business, there are a handful of R-Truths and Xavier Woods who are treated like dancing buffoons. So when two black athletes with impressive pedigrees teamed up in the WWE, no one could have foreseen the heights they would reach. Rocky Johnson is best known to todays fans as the most electrifying father in sports entertainment, siring Dwayne The Rock Johnson. But he was also the son-in-law of High Chief Peter Maivia, a big star in his own right. Johnson was an incredibly built worker who resembled Apollo Creed and played a great babyface. His partner was Mr. USA Tony Atlas, a world class bodybuilder and powerlifter who looked straight out of the pages of a comic book. The pair defeated The Wild Samoans, becoming the first African-American team to win the WWE World Tag Team Championship. They were wildly popular with fans, but the run would be short-lived. Atlas had developed a drug problem and it was taking its toll on his professional life, causing him to miss shows and become unreliable. This of course led to friction between the partners, and the team dissolved shortly. Atlas account is that Johnson killed his finish, and in doing so violated a code of honor between the boys, and he quit the team immediately after the match. Its possible they could have had a great run were they able to mesh a little better, but Rocky and Black Superman were not meant to be.