Which Former WWE Wrestler Was Almost Called 'Buff Johnson'?
Let the penis jokes commence.
Bill Watts didn't last long as a creative mind in the WWF during the mid-90s.
According to Jim Ross on the iconic announcer's 'Grilling JR' podcast, Vince McMahon was left appalled when Watts pitched that African-American newcomer Tony Norris be packaged as 'Buff Johnson'; McMahon stared a hole through 'Cowboy' Bill, then pulled JR aside and told him never to let his old friend pitch anything like that again.
Ross, who hadn't hired Watts, told his boss he was the one who was responsible for giving Bill control over the wrestling side of the organisation. If he didn't like Watts' ideas, then he should let him know that personally.
The name sucked, and everyone knew it, but was it really any worse than chronic mid-90s guff like Aldo Montoya, Mantaur or Kwang? JR isn't sure, although he does know that Vince put a mental line through Watts after that.
McMahon stepped in and tweaked Norris' new ring name to Ahmed Johnson. He aimed to capitalise on several demographics with the moniker, and thought it was one million miles better than the porn star-sounding 'Buff'.