10 Historic Wrestling Moments You've Probably Never Seen
7. Ron Simmons Wins The WCW Championship
Before KofiMania, before Bobby Lashley headlined Raw as champion, there was this—a seismic moment that somehow slipped through the cracks of wrestling history.
On August 2, 1992, Ron Simmons defeated Big Van Vader to become the first recognised black World champion in a major American promotion. It was an unplanned match—Simmons was a last-minute replacement for an injured Sting, and wasn’t even supposed to be in the title picture. But when WCW rolled the dice, they made history.
The reaction was electric. Simmons was hoisted onto fans’ shoulders. The emotion was real. This wasn’t just a title win—it was a cultural milestone. In a sport dominated for decades by white champions, Simmons’ victory shattered barriers and laid the groundwork for generations to come.
It's just a shame that WCW (and later WWE), never treated it with the weight it deserved. The match aired on WCW Saturday Night, a syndicated TV show, not pay-per-view. WWE owns the footage now, but it’s rarely highlighted in retrospectives. No special documentaries, no big Network placement. One of the most important wins in wrestling history, hidden behind the dusty curtain of early '90s programming.