10 Things You Totally Forgot About WWE In 1997
4. Ahmed Johnson Was #1 Contender For The WWE Championship As A Heel
If Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin were the major stars of 1997, Ahmed Johnson would fall just a tier below them.
Ever since he burst upon the scene by slamming the 641lb Yokozuna in the Fall of '95, Ahmed was presented as one of the premier athletes in the World Wrestling Federation. After getting "the rub" by teaming with Shawn Michaels, Ahmed went on to become the first ever African-American Intercontinental Champion.
But things took a turn in the Summer of '96 when legitimate kidney problems forced the Pearl River Powerhouse to the sidelines; on TV, Faarooq was the man to blame.
Unfortunately, injuries would ultimately plague Johnson's career.
After feuding with Faarooq and the Nation Of Domination for nearly a year, Ahmed was granted a shot at The Undertaker's WWF Championship at In Your House: Canadian Stampede. Prior to the event, Ahmed actually joined his rivals in the Nation Of Domination on the June 16th RAW and turned heel.
The stage was set for a big-time showdown between two of WWE's most heavily featured and protected superstars, Ahmed Johnson and The Undertaker.
Then Ahmed got injured...again, and Vader took his place.
When Ahmed returned, he'd be back with the NOD but only temporarily as they soon eliminated him from the group, making him babyface once more.