Why Sonny King & Rufus R Jones are overlooked as being the first Black Champions

The history of professional wrestling is a long and illustrious one full of an assortment of happenings and stories.  It's no secret to anyone that follows what is known today as "sports entertainment" that while blacks have been involved pretty much since the beginning, they have been both underappreciated & underutilized.  

If you really want to examine the origins of where blacks were first give the opportunity to shine look no further than the World Wrestling Associates (WWA) based out of  Los Angeles. It was there in the height of the American Civil Rights movement in 1963, shortly before Martin Luther King Jr gave his famous "I have a Dream" speech, Bearcat Wright became the first black champion.   The WWA would crown two more black champions in Bobo Brazil in 1966 & Art Thomas who won his title a month before any black man would see gold in any other professional wrestling organization in April of 1972.   

Truth is though that the WWA out of Los Angeles is not, was not & never will be seen in the same light as is the WWE or the NWA/WCW.  In fact with exception to the diehard fans, most think of the World Wrestling Association out of Indianapolis when one mentions the WWA.  Some even think of the current Lucha-Libre company out of Mexico.  Most aren't familiar with WWA in Hollywood or the pioneering effects that the company had in paving the road for future black superstars. 

Therefore it is understood and it is recognized that when mentioning "the first" as subjective & disputed as it may be, that WWE & NWA is where it is at. 


Ron Simmons who won the NWA title in 1992 at the Great American Bash with a stunning upset over Vader, is often looked at and celebrated as the first world's black champion.   WWE wouldn't crown their's until the Rock won his first title in 1998. 

Yet in both NWA and WWE, blacks wore gold around their waists long before this & to me this is where things get very interesting. 


As to the WWE tag team championship, ironically enough when talking about blacks and being the first, it is the Rock's father, Rocky Johnson, along with Tony Atlas, who often gets the nod.  Known as Soul Patrol, the two won their first WWE tag team title on November 15th, 1983.  This is often seen as and treated as the first blacks to ever hold gold in the WWE.  Truth is, a black held a WWE tag team title over 10 years before.  Along with Chief Jay Strongbow, Sonny King was crowned WWE tag team champion on May 22nd, 1972. 

Left - Chief Jay Strongbow
Right - Sonny King 

Yet King is never mentioned in discussions of WWE's first black champions.  In fact his name is never mentioned at all.  WWE puts out videos recognizing and celebrating some of the best black wrestlers, and neither a photograph or a mention comes up for Sonny King.  I think it is a fair question as to why.  

I think it is also as fair to ask why Rufus R Jones isn't equally recognized as the NWA's first black gold holder.  Along with partner Wahoo McDaniel, he was crowned tag team champion on January 27th, 1976.  

Left - Wahoo McDaniel
Right - Rufus R Jones 

Beloved by many & the father of the legendary Dr. of Style, Reverend Slick, it is as sad as it is maddening that Jones doesn't get the recognition and celebration that he deserves.  


Both of these men helped to break a color barrier in the two biggest wrestling organizations the world has ever known.  Yes there were a handful of Asian as well as Mexican/Latino/Hispanic & Native Americans that also held the titles (McDaniel being one of them, Strongbow was actually of Italian descent) but for the most part professional wrestling at the biggest stage was predominately white.  King and Jones set the precedent.  They were before Ron Simmons. They were before The Rock.  They were even before Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas.  

I think it's about time they were recognized as such.