Tony Atlas is a WWE Hall of Famer (Class of 2006) and was one of the top draws in the sport in the late 1970's. His wrestling career was coming off the heels of an even more successful Bodybuilding career where Atlas won the prestigious 'Mr. USA' title 3 times. He WWE Tag Team Champion (with Rocky Johnson) and won numerous other titles over the course of his career in the NWA, AWA, ICCW, WCCW and is the first wrestler to ever press slam and pin Hulk Hogan. However, in the late 1980's Atlas' life was in a downward spiral due to drug problems. In late 1990 Vince McMahon called Tony Atlas to offer him the gimmick of Saba Simba, a Ugandan warrior. The gimmick was wildly unpopular, offensive and very short lived. However, Simba did sneak on to one WWE Pay Per View, the Royal Rumble 1991. Simba entered at #7 and lasted a whopping 2 minutes and 27 seconds before being eliminated by Rick 'The Model' Martel. Ironically, Atlas credits this woefully unsuccessful gimmick and Rumble appearance as a life saver as he had previously been homeless. After his short tenure in the WWE Atlas would continue wrestling in WCW and the AWF until returning to the WWE in 2008 as a manager. Atlas has had a great wrestling career, recognized as one of the few legitimately nice guys in the business Atlas can be seen on the WWE Network today on the reality based show 'Legends House'.
