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00:00Mr. USA Tony Atlas
00:05I had 19 1⁄2 inch biceps
00:08And I was 225 pounds
00:10At age 19
00:12God, he was a black Arnold Schwarzenegger
00:14You have got it, look at the lines
00:16You have got it
00:17Yeah, I mean, he was a total package
00:20I know that I need to work harder, I need to train harder
00:23A bodybuilder turned wrestler
00:25Mr. USA Tony Atlas
00:27Broke barriers as one of the first major black superstars in the sport
00:32You got to keep it, getting it is one thing
00:34But keeping it alive, you got a different thing
00:36I remember seeing black wrestlers get tarred and feathered
00:39A lot of questionable racist behavior
00:44Tony Atlas made little black kids all over the world
00:48Feel like, man, I can do that too
00:50I am gonna whoop on you and get paid for it
00:53There were very few black wrestlers
00:55There was a lot of time I wrestled in an area where I'm the only black guy
00:58They saw money
01:00They didn't see color
01:01Hey, wait a minute
01:02Holy shit, look at this guy
01:04Get in the way, get in the way
01:06Tony Atlas, Mr. USA
01:08Climbing the ladder of success very, very rapidly
01:11The World Wrestling Federation
01:13Rising to heights few black wrestlers of his era had ever reached
01:17Tony Atlas began to unravel the weight of fame's pressures and pitfalls
01:22I got trouble here, and I got trouble there, and I got trouble coming your way
01:27Sick drugs and wrestling
01:29It was a party every night at the hotel room
01:32There were a lot of temptations, and there were a lot of different choices out there to make
01:37I never bought drugs in my life
01:39It was always given to me
01:40It was in the dressing room, for God's sake
01:42There's a lot of things about Tony Atlas I wonder
01:45Whether it's legend or fact
01:47Is it true or not?
01:48Tony's battle with addiction cost him significant opportunities
01:53Leaving him with no place to call home
01:56Here's a guy who's making hundreds of thousands of dollars
01:59And he's living on the street
02:01It's not how much you make, it's how much you save
02:05I was some homeless guy that smelled like something died
02:08No place to live, no nothing
02:10I became a suicide
02:12I didn't want to live no more
02:13I wanted to die
02:15All right, so we're gonna watch this and you just tell us whatever you think about it, feel about it
02:32Mr. USA Tony Atlas
02:36And he looks fantastic, looks like he was chiseled from granite
02:40Man, he was jacked
02:42What a well put together human
02:44His opponent, weighing 320 pounds
02:48The incredible Hulk Hogan
02:51Unbelievable
02:54Sign of Hulk Hogan
02:56So, you press slammed Hulk Hogan at Madison Square Garden?
02:59Yeah
03:00Oh, look at that
03:01Oh, look at that
03:03Check it out
03:04Check it out, Coach
03:06Check it out
03:07And how do the fans react?
03:09Atlas grinding it out of it
03:11Get cable and glue
03:13Yeah
03:14Yeah
03:16Yeah
03:17Yeah
03:18Yeah
03:20Yeah
03:22Yeah
03:23And you press it over your head
03:24Yeah
03:25Yeah
03:26Yeah
03:27Yeah
03:28Yeah
03:29Yeah
03:30Yeah
03:31Yeah
03:32Damn!
03:34Tony chciał poprzeć,
03:36który jest największy człowiek w firmie
03:38ponieważ mówił wszystkim w audience
03:40look how strong I am.
03:48A main event guy, Madison Square Garden
03:52to go to...
03:54living on a park bench.
03:58A lot of people have to go through
04:00hitting bottom before they realize
04:02how good they really had it.
04:04I was born
04:06in Virginia.
04:08My mother was a devoted
04:10Christian. She'd only been
04:12with one man her whole life
04:14and that was my father.
04:16My dad never worked. My mother
04:18worked. All of her dedication went
04:20directly to raising her kids.
04:22One time we were walking down
04:24the street and this guy slapped
04:26my mother on the butt.
04:28My mom turned around. She hit
04:30her with one punch and knock
04:31him out.
04:32Layed him out right there.
04:34My mother said, I gotta teach you
04:35kids how to protect yourself
04:36because I ain't always
04:37gonna be here for you.
04:38That was something she said
04:39all the time.
04:40Because when I was young,
04:42you had to know how to use
04:43your hands.
04:44All through life, like you go
04:45back to my childhood.
04:46I was in anywhere between 50
04:48to 100 fights.
04:49Anywhere in there easily.
04:50So I had a reputation that if
04:52you fight me today and I don't
04:54win, you're gonna see me again
04:56tomorrow.
04:57Most of the influence in the
04:58black neighborhood when I was
04:59a child was bad influence.
05:02We looked up to drug dealers.
05:03We looked up to street
05:04fighters.
05:05We walked to school and there
05:07was a fist fight every other
05:08day.
05:09I didn't care who you were.
05:10I would fight anybody.
05:12Now my dad, he was a gambler
05:14that liked to hustle money.
05:15So he took me down to Scrapper
05:16Corner and wait for the
05:18railroad man to come in.
05:20And when they get drunk, he
05:21would tell him, I bet you can't
05:23whoop that boy there.
05:24I don't fight any grown men.
05:26And he said, if you lose this
05:28fight boy, you're gonna get
05:30it worse when you get home.
05:32But I grew quick.
05:33By the time I was 12, I was
05:35already over six feet at 12.
05:38But only weighed like 110 pounds.
05:42I was like a stick.
05:45And so one day I was walking
05:47with this girl.
05:48I helped her carry her books.
05:50I liked her.
05:51Really, I liked her shoes.
05:53She had tennis shoes on.
05:54So I hear this voice, baby,
05:56say, I'm gonna push you.
05:58All of a sudden, I fell head
06:00first.
06:01I got the dent in my head right
06:03here.
06:04The whole world turned red
06:06because all the blood was
06:08ran down to my face.
06:10My grandmother come running
06:11out.
06:12Hold on.
06:13Hold on.
06:14Come here, boy.
06:15left completely in half.
06:17We had no phone.
06:18She couldn't call the ambulance.
06:19She couldn't call the police.
06:21No way of contacting anybody.
06:23My grandmother said, I want you
06:26to pray.
06:27So I got down on my knees.
06:29And this is what I said.
06:30I want to be strong like
06:31Samson.
06:32Built like Hercules.
06:34And have a lot of money.
06:35And everything that I asked for
06:38in that prayer, God gave to me.
06:40I blew it later.
06:42But still, he gave to me.
06:44Do you think that you suffered
06:45brain trauma from that incident?
06:47Yeah.
06:48Yeah.
06:49Have you been ever medically
06:50diagnosed?
06:51No.
06:52No.
06:53But I do know it was something
06:55wrong with me.
06:56That I was not like regular kids.
06:58And I think it has something
07:00to do with the shoes.
07:01The reason I'm so submissive to
07:03women in sneakers and stuff like
07:05that, because all that was all
07:06at the same time.
07:07I don't understand.
07:08What do you mean?
07:09How about shoes for the girls
07:10to step on them?
07:11Yeah.
07:12That's what they got me into
07:15now.
07:16Oh my goodness.
07:18That one.
07:19Fan one.
07:20Yep.
07:21That's a nice pair of shoes
07:22right there.
07:23Now, what makes it good?
07:24Well, if they're family looking.
07:25They look like something
07:26should be on a woman's feet.
07:28I got stepped on in malls
07:30and gyms and houses,
07:32hotel, elevator.
07:34I got it done everywhere.
07:35A couple dozen times I was
07:37with him.
07:38that I seen him just buy shoes
07:39and have him walk on his face
07:41and never talk to him again.
07:43I was as shocked as the girl
07:45was.
07:46People knew nothing about
07:47fantasies.
07:48Fatties and all this stuff
07:49was underground.
07:50So they thought,
07:51because of my wrestling,
07:53they thought it was part
07:54of my training.
07:55He'd take girls to matches
07:56and have them walk on his face.
07:57I'd give a woman $50 just to step on me.
08:00Plus, I'd buy the shoes for them.
08:02They didn't have to pay for the shoe.
08:04I thought it was a little bit
08:05out of the ordinary.
08:06You know, but then, you know,
08:08everybody has their little quirks,
08:11right?
08:12You know, things that make them feel good.
08:15As Popeye said,
08:16I am what I am.
08:17You know?
08:18He's not the only foot guy
08:19in the world.
08:20Well, they said, like,
08:21I suck toes,
08:22which I don't.
08:23They say I like high heels,
08:25which I don't.
08:27They say that I whack off,
08:29which I don't.
08:31They try to make it
08:32into a sexual thing.
08:34Well, for me,
08:35my shoe fatter keeps me calm.
08:37I got more control of it now
08:40than I did then.
08:41Get a sniff on it, Tom.
08:43Hey, now we talking.
08:45I was into what's called dominatrix.
08:48So the dominatrix become your master.
08:51You would call a slave.
08:53I can't use that term now
08:55because I'm black,
08:56and black people get mad,
08:57but that's what it was.
08:58So they dominate you.
08:59See, I went to a person
09:01who had to explain it to me
09:03that was into all this
09:04psychology stuff,
09:05and I had this rage in me.
09:07You know, ever since I was a kid,
09:10I'd fight anybody.
09:11I'd beat up anybody.
09:12I could lift anything.
09:13Nobody could beat me.
09:14So I had to learn more control.
09:18So I ended up going to the YMCA.
09:21I've never been to the gym
09:22in my life.
09:23I was 15 years old
09:25when I first started lifting weights.
09:27Hey, hello.
09:28Welcome.
09:29Come on in, guys.
09:30Well, I know y'all gentlemen
09:32noticed I got a lot of stuff
09:34spread out here on the table
09:35because these items here
09:37are items for before there was
09:40a Tony Atlas.
09:42Now, this is Muscle Development Magazine.
09:46I never competed in bodybuilding before,
09:49but what ended up happening,
09:50I did a 350-pound press
09:53at age 19.
09:55That was the beginning of my bodybuilding
09:59and powerlifting.
10:00I saw Tony the first time at the YMCA.
10:11My name is David Crockett.
10:13I am part of the Crockett Wrestling family
10:15that started Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling,
10:18World Championship Wrestling, TBS.
10:21That's us.
10:23In Charlotte,
10:24the only place you had to exercise
10:28or lift weights was the YMCA.
10:30A lot of the wrestlers,
10:32George Scott, Sandy Scott,
10:34Johnny Heideman,
10:35you name it,
10:36they all were down there working out
10:38and they said,
10:39hey, we've got this young man
10:40that we think we can do something with.
10:42They take me to the office.
10:45There were some mats there
10:47and I said, you know,
10:48put him through the paces
10:49just to see, you know,
10:50if he knew anything,
10:52which he didn't,
10:53but he definitely had potential.
10:56They said,
10:57we're going to pay you $150 a week to trade.
11:03We took an investment in Tony.
11:06Other people,
11:07we did not see it worth buying stock in them.
11:11So was there jealousy?
11:13Oh, yes.
11:14And it was very hard for him.
11:16Very hard.
11:17But he was like a sponge.
11:18You know,
11:19he,
11:20he'd learn.
11:21Now,
11:22George Scott said,
11:23well, Tony,
11:24I guess tomorrow
11:25we have to teach you how to work.
11:27I said,
11:28George, I don't want to work.
11:29I want to be arrested.
11:30He said, no,
11:31Tony, don't.
11:32I said, I don't want to work.
11:33I don't want to be a worker.
11:34I want to be a wrestler.
11:36I learned it ain't up to me to win or lose.
11:38It's up to some promoter.
11:40It was hard to swallow.
11:42Me being for so many years as a weight lifter,
11:45a bodybuilder,
11:46I was in legitimate sports.
11:48Now I'm in a sport where I got to let people whoop me
11:51that can't whoop me.
11:54It was the most disappointed day of my life.
11:581 a.m.
11:59Come for the games and stay for the culture.
12:01I was 20 years old when I finished high school.
12:04A lot of kids could not afford to do senior pitching.
12:07So this here became my senior pitcher.
12:10And then look at my arms.
12:12Tony Atlas was one of the biggest and one of the strongest.
12:15So I completely identified with it.
12:18I'm Mark Henry.
12:19Some might say the strongest man that ever lived.
12:24And Tony Atlas was my manager.
12:26Ever-present Tony Atlas.
12:28Tony was a heavyweight that didn't look like a heavyweight.
12:34You could see every vein and muscle.
12:37He wasn't just the guy that had show muscles.
12:39Tony had go muscles.
12:41I was a champion in three sports simultaneously.
12:46I was a champion in bodybuilding.
12:48I was a champion in powerlifting.
12:50I was a champion in weightlifting.
12:52You know, 22-inch arms, 24-inch waist, 28-inch thighs,
12:57lats, traps, shoulders.
13:00He was built.
13:02And it just wasn't cosmetics because he had the strength to back it.
13:06Elbows locked and he did it.
13:08505 pounds.
13:10Hi, I'm Ricky the Dragon Steamboat.
13:122009 WWE Hall of Famer.
13:15NWA World Champion.
13:17Weighing 237 pounds.
13:20Ricky Steamboat.
13:22There will only be one winner.
13:24Thanks for being here.
13:25So maybe people don't know this,
13:27but at some point you and Tony were both competing
13:30in bodybuilding competitions, right?
13:32We have competed on the same stage,
13:34but I won Mr. Southern States,
13:37and he won Mr. USA.
13:41Mr. USA.
13:42Mr. USA.
13:44Mr. USA.
13:45Mr. USA.
13:46Mr. USA.
13:48Tony!
13:49Thomas!
13:53My 50-some-odd plus years in this business,
13:56I've seen bodybuilders come and go.
13:58You're big, you're strong, and all this stuff,
14:00that doesn't make you a great wrestler.
14:03Hey, I'm Gerald Briscoe,
14:05WWE Hall of Famer,
14:07but you might know me better as Jerry Briscoe.
14:09Gerald Briscoe!
14:13Tony was a bodybuilder that was a wrestler.
14:17Look at the agility of this man, Tony Atlas.
14:20They wanted me to be a main event.
14:22They didn't want me on bottom.
14:23They wanted me on top because, you know,
14:25by then I had best body in wrestling.
14:27The first year of my career,
14:29I was a champion.
14:31With his chiseled physique and natural talent in the ring,
14:34Georgia Championship Wrestling wastes little time
14:37crowning Tony their television champion.
14:40You know, when you got this belt,
14:43you gotta keep it.
14:45Yeah, I mean, big guy, good looking.
14:48I mean, he was a freak of nature.
14:51Hello, my name's Tommy Wildfire Rich,
14:54former NWA World Heavyweight Champion
14:57when wrestling was wrestling.
14:59If you see Tommy, you gonna see me.
15:01If you wanna fight Tommy, you gotta fight me.
15:04If you wanna make love to Tommy, you gotta love me too.
15:07A few months, they started pushing us as a tag team.
15:10Yeah, that's me and Wildfire Tommy Rich.
15:12That's when we were young whippersnappers right there.
15:14Me and Tommy enjoyed the championship wrestling.
15:17Black and white would fight all night.
15:21And the people just loved it.
15:23I mean, it was, you know, salt and pepper.
15:25And I'm talking about back in 78, I think,
15:28is when I started in there.
15:30It's the black and white thing.
15:32You know, it was, it's a different world back then.
15:35You know, some of them little towns
15:38didn't like black folks there.
15:40Today, it'll be called racism.
15:44My day, it was called average.
15:52You gotta realize that the territory only kept
15:55one black in every territory.
15:57So, if I walk in the dress room
15:59and a black guy is sitting in that dress room,
16:01he was all the maddening my enemy.
16:03But that was life for people of color.
16:06I got called nigger so many times
16:09in professional wrestling that one time
16:11a guy walked up and said, hey, totally.
16:12I didn't know who he was talking to.
16:14There were very few wrestlers
16:15didn't use the term nigger.
16:17Tommy Rich didn't.
16:18It was just in the world at that time.
16:20It was not, you know, they all used the term.
16:24They all, they all, they all did it.
16:26And you never said stop or?
16:29No. Why not?
16:30I was making money.
16:33My mom helped me with this.
16:34She said, you pick your battles.
16:36As long as I was making money,
16:39I didn't care.
16:41I made $100,000 my first year.
16:43And that was my smallest year.
16:45I didn't know what it was like
16:46to work your way from the bottom.
16:47I didn't know what that was like.
16:49It was given to me too quickly.
16:51Too much, too soon.
16:53I was not supposed to be in that position
16:55that soon.
16:57Cause mentally, I was not ready for it.
16:59What did you start spending the money on?
17:01I gave it away.
17:03Gave my friends money.
17:05In fact, when I took a girl out on a date,
17:08I would take her shopping first.
17:10I said, you gotta get something to wear.
17:12I said, well, you gotta have a piece of jewelry.
17:14And the boys was all big spending.
17:16They told me when I first started,
17:18there's two ways of being,
17:19live like a king or be rich.
17:22You choose.
17:24I live like a king.
17:26He'd never seen that much money before.
17:28And it happens to a lot of athletes.
17:30They don't know how to deal with it.
17:32And they spend it like it's no tomorrow.
17:35You know, he goes to the bar,
17:37starts buying drinks.
17:38Man, it's like piranhas when they come in.
17:41You know, everybody's his friend then.
17:44He was like a Ric Flair with his money
17:47where he'd make five grand
17:49and the next day he'd be broke.
17:51You find a lot of guys that all of a sudden
17:54start to make it big
17:55and the next thing you know
17:56they're buying watches and cars.
17:58He went out and bought 1976 Lincoln Continental.
18:02You got to party with these big guys,
18:04you got to spend the money.
18:05And unfortunately the parasites in our business
18:09jumped onto Tony.
18:11And now they're becoming Tony's friends
18:13because he's got all this money.
18:14And he's going to these bars
18:16and he's spending all this money.
18:19Hey Tony, buy me a drink.
18:21You know, buy me dinner tonight.
18:23Let's go out and have some fun, right?
18:25And you go to a club and the next thing you know
18:27you got a $300 bar tab and guess what?
18:31The friend that was with you is gone.
18:35The girls would come up to you.
18:38You didn't have to go to them.
18:40And they'd say, you want to go to the room?
18:42Most of the time I would take three women up to the room.
18:45Party, drink, smoke.
18:47Every night was an orgy.
18:49I wanted to fit in.
18:50And drugs was in the dressing room for God's sake.
18:53I didn't go out looking for it.
18:55It was in the dressing room.
18:57You know, whether it was a pain pill or Valium
18:59or Xanax or a little Coke, whatever it was,
19:03you know, we all participated a little bit.
19:06They called our group the bad boys
19:08because we was in trouble every week.
19:10I'm referee Nick Patrick.
19:11You probably remember me as the NWO ref.
19:13I also was a referee for WWE.
19:16Nick Patrick was crying out loud.
19:18We were just, every week, somebody doing something stupid.
19:21Just drinking and doctors writing out whatever we wanted
19:25and smoking and just snorting and whatever.
19:27We were just, it's a miracle we survived.
19:31But anyway, we got tired of Tommy never driving
19:34and then just finally said,
19:36we are not your chauffeur any longer,
19:38which was a horrible mistake.
19:40I've been drinking and I was driving.
19:43I just rented Lincoln, got on the interstate
19:47and went down the road probably two miles.
19:49We were like really close back to our hotel
19:53and the car started flipping.
19:57The car flipped upside down three times.
20:02So I'm in the car unconscious.
20:05I don't know what's going on.
20:08I was almost dead.
20:12An intoxicated journey down the freeway ends in disaster,
20:16leaving Tony Atlas and his fellow wrestlers wrecked
20:20in a horrifying accident.
20:22The roof of the car was crunched down on my side.
20:25I guess it come down and hit me and drove my head down
20:27and knocked me out.
20:29And I had a broken neck.
20:31Tony, you know, I mean, he was in the hospital
20:33for about three or four days
20:35and then come out and still couldn't wrestle.
20:38Was that accident a wake up call for the lifestyle?
20:41It was a business.
20:43We went on as normal.
20:45Nothing ever stopped.
20:47I feel bad for Tony.
20:48I wish that he did have people around him
20:51that was like, hey, man, you had enough.
20:54Come on, go get some rest.
20:55You don't ever get in the car.
20:57Though he struggles with life on the road,
20:59Tony shines brighter than ever in the ring,
21:02stepping into the spotlight of the famed
21:04World Wrestling Federation.
21:07Tony Atlas.
21:10You've signed to face a number of individuals,
21:12and I can tell you one thing,
21:13the fans are certainly delighted about it.
21:15If you all don't mind,
21:16I'd like to show you all a few of my sketches.
21:17All right.
21:18Gorgeous.
21:19Yeah, I'm working on that.
21:21His arms are almost as big as yours, Tony.
21:24I believe so.
21:26If there was ever a talent that was built for New York,
21:30it was Tony Atlas.
21:32Take a look at that.
21:34All right.
21:35Tony wasn't getting booked mid-card.
21:37Tony was getting booked main event.
21:40You know, and when they did, what happened, man,
21:45the business started exploding,
21:47and the chance and reaction that Tony was getting was second to none.
21:51Tony Atlas.
21:52Undefeated.
21:53In the World Wrestling Federation.
21:55As one of the WWF's biggest stars, Tony joins forces with future Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson to form a history-making tag team.
22:08It was brand new where you had two African Americans getting that rocket ship attached to both of these young men.
22:16Rocky was already the established star, and Tony was still the up-and-coming star.
22:23The two of them together with the power and the look that they had, it was magic for both of them.
22:29You see, back then, all this stuff was new for black athletes.
22:34What's happening?
22:36He's a big champion.
22:38But we are the first black tag team champions of the world ever.
22:44Now, that was great.
22:46My problem was me and Rocky didn't get along because Rocky was a top wrestler.
22:50I was a top wrestler.
22:52I'm the only one who could take his spot.
22:54Tony, I'm sure you're so happy.
22:56You've got tears in your eyes.
22:57It wasn't that he hated me or disliked me.
23:00As you know, Rocky's older than me.
23:03And this was Rocky's first break in the WWF.
23:08Think about it.
23:09I made, in one week, what took Rocky Johnson 10 years to make.
23:14There was a lot of jealousy came into play with that.
23:16So, after a while, it started souring, and it turned into a bitter relationship.
23:21And that's sad because those two guys in the beginning, they were equal.
23:25And then, all of a sudden, Rocky noticed that Tony was getting the bigger push.
23:31You did it, Tony! You did it, Tony!
23:33Rocky Johnson tried to get me 5,000 to tap.
23:36They were kind of toxic together.
23:39You know, Rocky would play Tony and get him in trouble.
23:43They would have very vocal arguments in the dressing room, to the point where you'd get a little concerned, how far is this going to go?
23:51And a lot of times, you had road agents stepping in to kind of calm them down.
23:56Then they'd go out, and they'd have one of the best matches you'd ever seen.
23:59What was really concerning was one that would follow over.
24:05I mean, you want to clear a bar out, but in a hurry, you get these two gigantic men arguing with each other, cussing each other out.
24:11You're going to clear a spot for them.
24:14The new World Stock Team champion, Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas.
24:20But here's the kick in the britching. After we won the belt, they did very little with us.
24:25Look at that!
24:26Five months later, we lost the belt.
24:29I didn't know we were going to lose that night. Vince never told me nothing about it.
24:36Ole Anderson, Ole used to tell me the world is not ready for a black champion.
24:42I think Tony dealt with a lot of racism, not only through the fan, but backstage, too, with the guys.
24:50The foundation of the business was owned by whites.
24:53You know, like, your representation was based off biases, and some of them were based off ignorance.
25:01You had guys that was one of the KKK, like Dick Murdoch.
25:05You open his bag and see a KKK freaking suit in his bag.
25:08I didn't know this then.
25:10Well, one time, Dick Murdoch was in a dress room.
25:14They would give out these flowers.
25:16And they said, Tony, I got some friends that want to meet you.
25:19I said, oh, thank you, Mr. Murdoch.
25:21You know, I'm trying to be respectful of it.
25:24So I said, yeah.
25:25I said, can Tommy go?
25:26Oh, yeah, Tommy go.
25:28So we pulled up into this dirt road.
25:31And up on the hill was the guy in the hood, the Klang outfit, with a shotgun.
25:36Tommy said, get down, T!
25:42I have trouble with reading.
25:44What I got?
25:45Dilexias, whatever you call it.
25:47My mother said I was a slow learner.
25:49And she said, it happened ever since I got brain damage as a kid.
25:53So anyway, Dick Murdoch gave me this flyer.
25:56So me and Tommy, we driving.
25:58And Tommy had not looked at the paper yet.
26:01He said, let me see that damn flyer you got there, Tommy.
26:05Hot damn team, this is for the KKK.
26:09So I lay down in the seat.
26:12Tommy's on the car around him.
26:14How do you see me?
26:15He said, ah, that Klug Klang.
26:17Didn't you read the 13?
26:19I said, yeah, I looked at him.
26:20He's hiding there, Murdoch.
26:21He started to damn Klang meeting.
26:24So we get by the dressing room.
26:25And the guys are having a laugh.
26:27They said, we didn't really think you were in gold.
26:30Yeah, he was definitely taking advantage of it.
26:32Tony never looked for the bad in someone.
26:36You know, even after the first couple of stabs in his back, didn't quite understand it.
26:41Maybe didn't quite feel it.
26:43But then, you know, you get stuck enough times, you go, what the hell's going on here?
26:48Years of racism, exploitation, and locker room jealousy
26:53pushed Tony to numb the pain with his vices.
26:57He told me he would go do drugs, or he would go get so sloppy drunk
27:02that he couldn't even think about nothing but him being intoxicated.
27:08That's a horrible existence.
27:10Then I started going to the locker room to intimidate.
27:14And that's when everything started spiraling down.
27:18And the success and the money and the fame started going to my head.
27:23I had a Coke .357 magnet, and I started shooting at the ceiling with it.
27:30I destroyed my own career by wanting revenge.
27:34I figured I would hurt others as much as I was hurt when I was a kid.
27:38He became a different person.
27:40He was not Tony Atlas then.
27:42Not the Tony Atlas I first saw at the YMCA.
27:46He's gonna be in trouble now.
27:48All these wrestlers that he's beating, he's on top of the world.
27:52and self-destructs.
27:55I mean, it was like sex, drugs, and rock and roll, but it's sex, drugs, and wrestling.
27:59Of course, back then we was all doing it.
28:01I was stupid.
28:03Even though I had all this fame and everything, I was not a happy person.
28:07I walked out over a pair of shoes.
28:11I threw away the championship for a pair of sneakers.
28:14What do you mean?
28:15Well, one day I'm at the airport, and this girl was telling me she can't wait to see me.
28:19She got some new shoes.
28:20She said, I'm gonna walk all over you.
28:22I said, shit.
28:24I could go do this and come back to wrestling.
28:28And Chief J. Strongbow tried to save me.
28:31He said, this match is gonna be one of the most important matches of your life.
28:34I said, oh, and I'm going to L.A. to be my girl.
28:39Wait, hold on a second.
28:40You would have had an opportunity to become the first black world champion, but instead you decided to get on a plane to go get walked on?
28:48Done?
28:49Yeah.
28:50I had to lose everything to learn to appreciate what I had.
28:55What?
28:56What the hell's going on?
28:59A pair of Christmas.
29:01If you miss one show and you got a good excuse, that's one thing.
29:04But if you start missing one here and there and here and there, you lose your dependability.
29:10And that's what they do.
29:12They depend on us to do what we're supposed to do.
29:15I can't think of nothing worse.
29:18Everybody there that paid money because, oh, I want to see Tony Atlas.
29:23Now look at that.
29:24Yes, sir.
29:25And then you go, I ain't coming.
29:28Come on, man.
29:30You can't do that.
29:32When I came back, Vince let me go.
29:35I was fired.
29:37He told me himself, I have to make an example out of you.
29:42In fact, it was a compliment in a way.
29:45See, all the wrestlers were screwing up.
29:47He said, I have to make an example out of you.
29:50Because if I fired Tony Atlas, everybody would know I would fire anyone.
29:55Think about it.
29:56You taking out your biggest star you got on your car on your roster.
30:00That says a lot about the promoter because he's sacrificing crowds and houses to try to bring you back to reality.
30:07You know, sometimes you got to be protected from yourself.
30:10Tony's addiction and release from the WWF land him in a small New England based promotion under the control of promoter Mario Savoldi.
30:22Mario told me, I know you used to making more money, but I could guarantee you 50 to 75,000 a year.
30:30He said, it's not much, but here in Maine is Livermore.
30:34Then all of a sudden, Mario would book a show on a Saturday.
30:39Vince would book a show in Maine on a Friday, trying to put Mario on a building.
30:45Mario attended Saturday, drop, drop, drop, drop, drop.
30:49All of a sudden, I had no money, no place to go.
30:52I became homeless.
30:54I lost everything.
30:56I'm not very well educated.
30:58The only way that I knew how to make a living was in that rank.
31:02I don't come to the park no more.
31:0520 years since I've been in this park.
31:08This here was my home right here.
31:11It's where I slept.
31:15Was here for a year and a half almost.
31:19The same people that give you something, they can also take it away.
31:25And you could lose everything you ever owned in a matter of suckers.
31:30Got in fights down here on Knox Street.
31:34He said that once he woke up and had rolled off a bench.
31:40He said, Mark, I woke up and I was laying in a mud puddle.
31:44You make hundreds of thousands of dollars like you're making a million dollars back in the 70s and 80s, you know?
31:56And I went from that life to living on Knox Street, to eating out of a dumpster.
32:02Here I am standing on a freaking corner and everybody knows me.
32:06That's what made it so hard.
32:08I was poor before, but nobody knew me.
32:11But to be poor and famous, I was more hooked on cocaine here in Maine than I have been in my whole life.
32:19I became a suicidal.
32:21I tried to die by police shooting.
32:23I used to go to police station to try to get them covered in the parking lot to shoot me.
32:27I used to walk in front of cars and everything trying to die.
32:31Though he's ready to give up, a local woman comes to Tony's aid, saving him from his darkest struggles.
32:40Monica was walking right down this street here.
32:43She said, what you doing here?
32:45I said, I sleep here.
32:46She said, you can't stay here.
32:48It's 20 below zero.
32:49She said, you will freeze to death.
32:51I said, I don't give a ****.
32:53I want to die.
32:54So she left.
32:55Next day she came back, checked on me again.
32:58I cursed her out again.
33:00Fatty got so daggum cold, and my legs went numb.
33:05Monica called the ambulance.
33:07And they tried to ask Monica all these questions about me.
33:10Monica can't tell him nothing.
33:12She don't even know my name.
33:14I went into a coma.
33:17That picture there, this is where I first met my wife Monica.
33:23That's when we first met.
33:26I didn't have a pot to piss in and the one to throw it out of.
33:30I had nothing to eat.
33:32All I had were the clothes on my back.
33:34And my trophy.
33:36That's, that's all I had.
33:37I had nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.
33:40And this woman took me in.
33:43She said, if you need a place to stay, you can stay with me.
33:48You understand?
33:49She took me home to her house.
33:51So I started going back to the gym, working out.
33:54I got a little part-time job here.
33:56I work as a bouncer to pay the rent.
33:59All of a sudden, Vince saw me a contract.
34:02With Mario Savoldi's promotion struggling, Vince McMahon reaches out, offering Tony another
34:08opportunity for glory.
34:10Monica started crying.
34:12She said, now that you're back doing what you do, I probably will never see you again.
34:17And I said, Monica, yes you will.
34:20I bought these cheap rings.
34:25I bought these rings, this ring right here.
34:27I still got it.
34:29And I said, Monica, now we are married.
34:32For Vince to do that, that's a good, you know, because it's easy for him to just say, get the hell on.
34:37And then, of course, I'm sure Tony had enough time to know that he'd done wrong and loved the opportunity to get to come back.
34:45He said, well, let's bury the hatchet.
34:49He said, I got a great idea for you.
34:52What have we got here?
34:53Take a look at this, would you?
34:55Saba Simba!
34:57Proud of his heritage, indeed.
34:59We have not seen this man for years and legally changing his name to Saba Simba.
35:04Now, here's the kick in the teeth.
35:06My first night at Saba Simba, Ronnie Piper said this.
35:10That's Tony Atlas!
35:12That ain't no Saba Simba, that's Tony Atlas!
35:14Piper's right.
35:16You know, everybody knows that's Tony Atlas.
35:19I thought it was low.
35:22And he ain't the only one.
35:24There's a lot of people that have played roles and characters that they felt like were belittling.
35:31Tony Atlas was a respected superstar.
35:34All of a sudden he said, who?
35:39Vince, what were you thinking?
35:44Why would Vince have me to come out and do a gimmick and then tell people who I am?
35:49I couldn't understand why you did that.
35:51Why walk around looking like that?
35:52You look like a fool!
35:54From behind there, don't look like a fool!
35:57I think it was a way of making fun of him.
36:00And what, was it just because?
36:02It's because, it's because Vince can.
36:05You know?
36:06I think Ricky the Dragon's steamboat worked great.
36:11But then when they turned me into the costume wearing, fire breathing dragon, it was more like a caricature.
36:18And of course with Tony, the same thing.
36:20Look at that!
36:21Let's rock!
36:22Just a 180 degree turn.
36:24If that was the intent, then it was a success.
36:27Because that was embarrassing.
36:31Oh, God.
36:33Salvas, give me a break.
36:36My third grade son at that time could promote a better ideal than that.
36:41So how did you feel about the gimmicks?
36:43Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
36:46I mean, right before Salva Simba, I was eating out of dumpster, sleeping on a park bench.
36:53And you're gonna ask me how you like the gimmicks.
36:55Brother, he could have put me in a freaking pink gorilla suit at that time.
37:00I would have loved it.
37:03Tony's return to the WWF doesn't last long.
37:06And despite stints and other promotions, he never regains his former glory.
37:13But in 2006, Tony is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, giving him one last moment in the spotlight.
37:22Well, and of course, this is my Hall of Fame introduction here.
37:25WWE Hall of Famer.
37:27I'd like to thank the wrestling fans.
37:32Tony was a role model for a little black kid that watched wrestling and had somebody that identified and looked like him.
37:42And I requested Tony as my manager.
37:46I wanted Tony.
37:47Yes, sir.
37:48I heard you need to do that for a payday.
37:51Next I know, they're telling me I'm gonna abandon Mark Henry.
37:56Over 15 years after leaving WWE, Tony's new role as a mentor sees him guiding Mark Henry on the road, hoping he won't repeat Tony's mistakes.
38:10It was just a childhood dream.
38:13Wanted to be in the same room with Tony Atlas.
38:17And Tony and I would go to the gym.
38:20He used to amuse him the stuff that I could do.
38:23And I got in really good shape, though, riding with Tony.
38:26Tony Atlas and the world struggles.
38:29And then I went into a different level of, you know, Hall of Fame stuff.
38:34That's why you call the police.
38:36That was awesome.
38:37So how and when did Vince fire you for good?
38:40The last time I worked for him, I was with Mark Henry.
38:42Tony Atlas is wading into the fabric of our craft.
38:45I had to catch a flight.
38:47That red eye, leave out at like 12, 30 or something out of Las Vegas.
38:51Vince said, Tony, you just as much a part of this company as anybody here.
38:57I get home.
38:58I get a phone call.
38:59We have to terminate your contract.
39:01I just talked to him yesterday.
39:04That's Vince.
39:05What come out of Vince's mouth, don't trust him.
39:12Are you ready?
39:14One more.
39:16Years after his historic time in WWE, Tony Atlas keeps his legacy alive, offering fans another glimpse of Mr. USA.
39:26Mr. USA, Tony Atlas.
39:29The legend of Tony Atlas won't die because it still lives because people see him.
39:35They go to autograph signings.
39:37So he'll go up and say hi and hug people.
39:40I was in Boston a couple of years back and I'm doing meet and greets, you know, and Tony's there.
39:46All of a sudden I see Tony take off his jacket.
39:49Then all of a sudden I see Tony bending over, lacing up a pair of boots.
39:54Holy cow.
39:56And I say to Tony, what the hell are you doing?
39:59Briscoe, I'm working tonight.
40:01Man got to make a living.
40:05I'm not financially secure.
40:08I'm not that well educated.
40:10The only thing I got left is my health and strength.
40:13I met three women in my whole life that cared about me.
40:17Three.
40:18My mother, my grandmother, and my wife Monica.
40:23Well, right now when people say, how is she doing?
40:26Not good.
40:272019, my wife Monica had a stroke.
40:31And she's been hospitalized since.
40:34This is my home away from home.
40:37My wife is here.
40:39If I'm not at the gym, I'm here.
40:41I thought I lost my wife.
40:43I sure did.
40:46This is my wife Monica.
40:48Yeah.
40:49Come on, baby.
40:50Well, this is the woman that found me in the park.
40:53And she took me in.
40:55Went through hell and high water with me.
40:58Say hi, baby.
40:59Hi, baby.
41:00So how's your day going, baby?
41:07Compassion is the biggest thing.
41:10When somebody is bedridden sick, he have to cook for her and clean for her.
41:17and bathe her.
41:19I got my little kit here.
41:21This is my Monica kit.
41:23It's a special person that does that.
41:27I wash her face.
41:29I put chapstick on her.
41:31And then I help her to go to bed.
41:34I could never do enough for this woman.
41:39Like I said, I would not be here right now if it wasn't for Monica.
41:44Uh-huh.
41:46I'm sure Tony has reflected back to those days with Rocky Johnson, Madison Reargaard,
41:51getting those $5,000 or nine payoffs.
41:54And I'm sure he reflects back at being homeless after having all that money
41:59and having nothing that's not in place where you lay your head.
42:03But you can't do it all over again.
42:06I'm going to say this.
42:08Tony had his moments in the business.
42:10And those are the moments that he should be recognized for.
42:12No, this can't be done.
42:14Mr. USA clears the ring.
42:16The winner, Tony Hopkins.
42:19If I had been a little bit more humble, I would have been the first black world champion.
42:24But I'm more happy now with no career, no money.
42:28And I was a miserable when I had all that money and glory.
42:32I was not happy.
42:33The only thing that made me happy was getting some girl to stomp on my face.
42:37More stories is never too late to say I'm sorry.
42:44You're very stiff.
42:46It's never too late to wash all the mud off and act like you got some damn sense.
42:52Because other people are depending on you too.
42:57I do this every day.
42:59And you're willing to live for them rather than die for them.
43:07You getting prettier.
43:11From you.
43:12Yeah.