One Man Gang on Big Boss Man, Slick & Why I Became Akeem the African Dream in WWF

[@DannBlueEyes]

This guy has no bitter ness or ego .I could listen to him all day

[@RobertShock1989]

Most big men in the biz isn't egotistical,

[@Mattraction513]

@Duckfu Chickenjudo SD Jones I believe

[@PhillyBagel]

Me too. Negative questions and negative shoots seem to get more attention and views so there’s a tendency for a lot of veterans to skew that way. So it’s refreshing to hear someone talking about the positives instead of complaining all the time.

[@yawgnorw]

I could as well. Seems like a great guy.

[@dingdong7610]

Shut up, you all listen for the bitterness. Nothing is worse than the phony who pretends otherwise

[@kearneydillon4803]

Any employer would have been lucky with a guy like this. Truly selfless and totally coachable. Nice guy!!!

[@buccizero]

I’m a Black guy who also cannot dance - Akeem gave me hope for the future!!! 😂

[@Shelver92]

One Man Gang is a perfect example of how a guy can be a brute in the ring and the nicest guy outside the arena.

[@oveidasinclair982]

Gang is just a big old nice teddy bear, he's always been a good natured man.

[@jeremyjames1659]

Akeem always put a smile on my face and made me laugh as a kid. I always rooted for him lol

[@erictucker4412]

Me too!!!!!

[@lexbeltran1354]

Same

[@desisdosis473]

Still do.

[@natedogg1979]

Me, too.

[@bigitaly4554]

He’s such a humble and groovy guy

[@jaretwood9558]

I LOVED Akeem as a kid, i used to walk around like him all the time, sometimes i still do to this day

[@LTDANMAN44]

WTF LOLOLOL HAHHAHAHA

[@mikebirkett100]

You actually are probably the coolest guy to come out of wrestling...easy to listen to . Never cruel....one man gang ...

[@truckdriver402]

Gang is so humble. I'd love to see him at a signing.

[@dareyllwanzer5048]

I liked him. Both as Akeem and One Man Gang.

[@nickperkins8477]

Me, too.

[@battlestarmarc]

Both characters were well done by George.

[@erictucker4412]

Akeem The African Dream!!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥Jive Soul Bro!!!!👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@bicpapermate]

I used to love it when Slick would say that Akeem was going to be the first black WWF Champion.

[@johnglover3274]

Akeem was the best big man of color that ever wrestled 😁😁😁

[@Tony-fq5bn]

He may not have been of color, but Crash Holly was one of the best super-heavyweights I ever saw

[@johnglover3274]

@Duckfu Chickenjudo that's actually pretty damn funny but I agree!

[@jasonchandler2463]

Akeem was white not black.

[@Off-The-Top-Of-My-Head]

@@jasonchandler2463 Ummmm, I don’t even know what to say so I’ll just say it. LOL dude, Akeem was BLACK! Is something wrong with your eyesight?

[@dionruffin3996]

Lies he was from the deepest darkest part of Africa 😂

[@fatalwalter8650]

I thought Akeem was going to be terrible but then I watched him and he owned it somehow.

[@kingoubleck]

The gimmick was goofy but the key was he was still portrayed as a major threat to the faces in the company. For all the dancing and jive talk he would still squash wrestlers with Air Africa.

[@Halbared]

I sill do the Akeem dance (and the Bushwhacker walk) Slick had one of the best WWF intros.

[@jay_famison]

This sounds like a really cool guy. I remember One Man Gang as a kid in the Big Boss Man, Mr Perfect, Ravishing Rick era in WWF. A complete Beast!

[@matthewbruveris680]

I was a bodybuilder in mid 90`s and watched wrestling. I remember thinking to myself, yeah! i could take that akeem! Then i saw him slap some other wrestler hard and i thought....yeah! i think i`ll go back to posing infront of a mirror.

[@charlesrobinson1121]

😄😅😂👍🏾

[@AustraliaUnmasked1984]

The only weightlifters I see as a threat are power lifters like Brock Lesnar

[@CC-hg9un]

And George was huge. He made Big Boss Man look like a kid.

[@sparkonthehorizon]

That one video in the "alley" with mean Gene n slick when Akeem was "born" was funny AF. and the way "Akeem" would strut around and the way he'd move his hands around and "bop" back n forth... That sh*t always makes me lol. I have the Hakeem action figure. Classic and EFFING HILARIOUS... 😂

[@Rainbolt1980]

The Akeem gimmick is one of those vivid memories I remember very fondly. On paper it sounded like the dumbest shit, but George owned it and got it over. That's talent.

[@jst1]

Akeem was rib on Dusty Rhodes.

[@tommypearson9260]

100% he owned it.

[@paulsoxl7739]

Just another cartoon character in the WWF

[@St_AngusYoung]

Gang and Bossman would’ve made great tag team champions if given the chance. Them along with Slick were awesome together.

[@niteporter]

Big Slick fan. Such underrated manager.

[@FCT70]

He seems like such a great guy.

[@adamsangry]

I have never heard OMG/Akeem speak our of character until today…. I did not expect that voice to come out of that head.

[@coltononline]

Bruh, I must have been the dumbest kid. I didn't realize Akeem wasn't black. 🤣

[@TranslatedAssumption]

Akeem the African Dream is one of the best pure gimmicks of all time, it was absolutely hysterical.

[@mexmexican8619]

I met him around this time. Great guy. Wears dad clothes.

[@kvinche8120]

Yeah never new One Man was so down to earth and cool

[@jonathanturbide2232]

The One man gang gimmick was so stale and boring; oh look a big tough guy, it's been done to death in the past, particularly in the WWF. The Akeem character was original, unique, and allowed him to be something other than just a big dude, for once he was given an entertaining character and was allowed to show his personality. Very memorable gimmick, a lot more than the OMG.

[@KoolKumasi]

He showed personality with the OMG gimmick in other promotions, but OMG was stale in WWF as he did that gimmick for at least four years straight, Akeem was a fresh breath of Air for his career. Only thing that killed his career was not giving him meaningful feuds.

[@AceGoodheart]

I think the Twin Towers should have been Big Bossman and One Man Gang (not Akeem). A corrupt cop/prison guard and a biker gang member makes for a great pair. Akeem and Big Bossman just made no sense. However, I do wish they had gotten a better push as a tag team. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they ever had the tag belts. They at least should have had them for awhile. Same goes for King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd. Two tag teams that deserved a better push.

[@brandonallen3289]

@@AceGoodheart The Twin Towers never held the title. Never understand why they didn't. I remember the pops the Big Boss Man got when he turned face.

[@dingdong7610]

The Akeem gimmick was blackface without blackface. Roddy Piper would have been perfect for it

[@krotma]

Is that you, Bruce Pritchard? Akeem was one of the worst ideas Ive ever seen them pull out of the old box o' gimmicks!

[@PROFESSOR-I.C.]

Seemed like a good guy, no ego trip, enjoying his work.

[@vanguard4065]

OMG IS THE MAN! Slickster too!!

[@druumb2305]

Fucking LOVE OMG!!!!!! That yell before the match! Classic.

[@johncafcturner7142]

Seems a decent guy listening to stories like this is so interesting

[@billycox2040]

Hey be George 🤗 You sound like one helluva enjoyable guy to be around. Good interviewer. Keep the stories rolling.

[@BillyBob-pu2vc]

The greatest American African wrestler of ALL TIME

[@michaellane3017]

Love his fun style and personality!

[@CPZBLH]

If the "Akeem" gimmick was done today, the "Cancel Culture" would eat him alive!! lol

[@reed311]

Consequence culture has always been a thing. But back then, we had lower moral standards for our entertainment.

[@simonpage6549]

There are white south Africans you do realise,don't you?....if you're Americans then I guess you don't know 🙄

[@matta4756]

back then everyone wasn't offended by everything

[@lexbeltran1354]

BLM folks would have been in fits today😅

[@christiancsq]

As it should

[@battlestarmarc]

Twin Towers was an awesome team. Shoud have won the wwf tag team belts. Akeem was funny. Ona man gang was a great monster heel.

[@at0micwerew0lf]

My Dad and uncles were 1%ers and I LOVED One Man Gang...he was like one of "ours". To me OMG in Mid South was bigger than Hogan.

[@Tk5869]

It's somehow shocking and explaning a lot that the wrestlers back then had to pay for everything themselfs, as a kid i always thought the WWF would pay for their travels and hotels'n stuff. Sad to hear that many of our heros had to struggle just to entertain us.

[@JerGer918]

I didn't like the Akeem character... I LOVED the Akeem character! 😂👍 Jukin' and jivin'... Him & Slick were a great team... Combined with the Big Boss Man(RIP) They were awesome!

[@Ramenshea83]

One man gang is a great name

[@mr.hamachi9918]

I liked him better as Akeem than the One man gang cause he was making light of himself and having fun with it.

[@LK-vv2xk]

He was brilliant as Akeem.

[@IrishStoner]

once he grew out the hair covering the tats grew the beard he was a completely different person... OMG was one of my favorite heels back in the day but Vader with the Head gear and steam was amazing

[@JayTheAdviceGuy]

Gang sounds like a real cool, down to earth dude.

[@SuperFriday]

WWE needs to stop being racist and put this brotha in the Hall of Fame

[@icemike874]

Aaaahahaha 🤣 🤣 🤣 Awesome interview. Mad Respect 🤟

[@screamingbaboon664]

The BEST dancer in the bidness. The GRACE of this large, fat man makes grown men weep.

[@StannisHarlock]

NGL, I bought it. I thought Akeem the African Dream was black. He looked like Heavy D. Eventually I learned that he and the Gang were the same guy, but for years I bought it.

[@MABMGuitar]

Akeem is the greatest character of all time.

[@michaelandrews4895]

He did his job without complaint. Period. Alot of people can learn from this.

[@markbrown1591]

Ive seen alot of shoot interviews This one is pretty good.

[@michaelmckenzie6311]

Loved Akeem! OMG was kool too!

[@buildingbettercommunicatio2055]

As a "brother" I loved the African dream gimmick .

[@fantasybouthour6679]

The gimmick cracked me up.😂

[@evergray5063]

“We’re gonna make you a black man”... Even as an 8 year old, I never ONCE thought he was black and was always confused why this big ass white dude was “from Africa” and dressed like that. Later, I learned South Africa was mostly white, so thought maybe that was it. Now hearing “you’re gonna be a black man”... wtf was Vince thinking sometimes?

[@oveidasinclair982]

One Man Gang was a great gimmick and the name itself is about as cool of a name as one man can get.

[@SaniTait]

This was awesome. As a kid watching Akeem I never understood the how or why lol. It just didn’t make sense. They tried at one time to say he was from South Africa and it still didn’t make sense to me. By today’s standards it would be a terrible gimmick but back then was comical lol

[@MrBargill]

what a great interview....

[@fredsamano1178]

Excellent few minutes! Funny!

[@darinallen338]

I grew up watching Slick’s daddy….Rufus R. Jones. He was an great performer!

[@tomwalker389]

Gang is such a sweetheart.

[@adamknight1387]

we the black delegation would like to nominate Akeem for the WWE Hall of Fame

[@scottsignorelli6396]

The 80s good times

[@defiy2921]

I love this dude fucking awesome

[@gary.s5322]

Seems a nice bloke I remember him I'm golden WWF days.not bitter like some x wrestlers.

[@grayfox1471]

OMG was so cool though. I liked his stuff with Macho Man

[@leekearbey97]

I LOVED THE AKEEM

[@micmaliss]

I remember when e debuted as Akeem. I waa like "WTF?" But, it was funny. George was Vince's first loveable big man. Followed by every other big man he made into a parody

[@smokedoggbaby953]

What a cool guy 😂👊🏾

[@initra25]

I loved the Akeem gimmick. It was entertaining

[@brandonallen3808]

There's no way they could get away with it now. Too many snowflakes.

[@geoge2559]

I remember when I saw him as Akeem I didnt like it. And never really grew into him. I wanted the One Man Gang because he was one of my favorite heels from WCCW. Looking back now I appreciate Akeem. They should have let him keep both gimmicks like Nick Foley's had Mankind, Dude Love and Cactus Jack years later.

[@timothyl8237]

One man gang was a good character.

[@fatrobdouble]

this guy is a jive soul bro, he's always lying to his friends, and he'll never get nothin' in the end

[@jasonrandall5148]

He's a real nice guy ! how tall was he ? he was billed at 6'9 he was bit taller then 6'6 Hogan so he must of been at least 6'7 or 6'8

[@spittinvenom9843]

OMG was a a great gimmick, bad ass bruiser, all business

[@bassclay100]

i remember him losing to big bubba wondering as a child why is this fight going on? how did this come to be? cause bubba was mainly nwa i believe?

[@paulg444]

Im outraged !!!..For all my life I thought he was an african and now I learn that it was all a gimmick !!!..

[@thedamndiz2343]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@timwright2395]

Thank you

[@CC-hg9un]

Can you image them trying to pull off Akeem today in 2022?

[@dglesterhardunkichud4017]

He'd be over as fuck.

[@lexbeltran1354]

All the African Americans would love him

[@loveofsports7096]

Great guy!🏆🏆🏆🏆

[@neilsmith9066]

Akeem was a great memorable character!!! Should be in the HOF

[@meche1230]

Man he killed that Akeem 😂as a kid I thought he was black

[@thedamndiz2343]

Same here. From deepest darkest Africa, in the vicinity of the kingdom of Zamunda and the people's republic of Wakanda

[@adrianpeart]

How did you think a white man was black?

[@johnw9986]

I did too….

[@meche1230]

@@thedamndiz2343 😂😂😂right

[@meche1230]

@@adrianpeart he could have been mixed😂

[@souperstar7050]

I thought I heard Akeem the African Dream was kind of a parody of Dusty Rhodes The American Dream. They even kinda did the same hand jesters.

[@calmstormambience1875]

Akeem was great and a good move!

[@angelvalle6515]

I always wanted him as gang with boss man instead of the dream two prison guards would have been cool .

[@Lordhumongus]

This is prime Vince. They do this in the contracting world too. Big guys scoop up talent from smaller guys with no intention of keeping or truly developing the talent. It becomes more of a tactic against your competition and the contractor becomes the pawn. Vince was trying to kill off the last of his competition by taking Amy and all wrestlers that had a mediocre or better pop. Locally Gang had clout. By taking him Vince could see if there was Amy potential and at the same time fill cards and hurt his competition. When these guys would leave a territory and then drop the gimmick it hurt tremendously to go back to aa territory and reclaim your pop. Particularly since Vince would televise these drops in gimmick. What seems like just another day wad actually well thought out and planned war tactic by Vince. Used everyday in business. He never intended for Akeem to work. He only intended to hurt the territory he came from. Vince pulled off what antitrust laws are supposed to prevent. Because it was wrestling and not respected in the business world it went overlooked. And that actually hurt local economies. Wrestling was big in the cities but massive in the rural towns. Packing 5000 seat auditoriums for small towns every Saturday generated lots of revenue and taxes. Good for the communities. Without them that's money missing. Jobs lost. In the end this is still deemed insignificant but that's the way Vince loves it. Entire reason for taking it public was him proving himself against the ones who laughed at him. The elites. The same reason Donald Trump is who he is. Bullies make a lot if victims but they also make some real tough enemies

[@josephmiller9424]

He played Dusty Rhodes hand movements talking

[@HajimeNoJMo]

Even when I was in kindergarten, I could never buy Akeem is a heel. He was way too likable with that character. But with One Man Gang, I could believe he was a bad guy.

[@thedamndiz2343]

Wayyyyyy too likable. I fuckin loved him. That walk was everything and don't get EEEVEN me started on the greatest theme song ever.... 🌍

[@dwaynesmith312]

Man I would have never guessed One Man Gang was this cool but I should have known once he turned into Akeem The African Dream 😂😂😂😂

[@HoodCelebrityLilRailTV]

Footed own bill wow I never knew

[@kingcallumjessislipwinners9388]

I see you on the stream

[@seato412b]

Dude seems real kool

[@chriswarrick6538]

Seems like a nice guy.

[@119Agent]

I hope he recovered after Katrina. I remember seeing he lost his house and had no insurance.

[@juansantiago6635]

All the old school guys talk about rental cars and hotels ...I would have got a conversion van or a Winnebago or something like that

[@ApothecaryGrant]

The big fact white black man called The Dream was already someone else's gimick ...

[@Flatlandproductionz]

🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 i love 747 💪🏿💪🏿

[@CEEPMDEE]

This white dude was my brother from The Mother Land every time he became Akeem The African Dream.😄 I thought he was cool and the gimmick was funny.

[@tobysgamingworld1550]

I got to spend a day with him and Hacksaw Duggan in Baton Rouge for an independent show. They were the nicest men I’ve ever met. I drove them around a few places and they never once let me buy lunch or dinner or even to get a Coke. When I finally beat Hacksaw to the register at a gas station he put me in a “light” playful headlock and I thought I was gonna die 😂😂 He’s solid as a brick bat. I was a punk kid thrilled to death to drive around two men I grew up watching on tv and it was like uncles or family members. Neither turned down a photo from anyone. It took us an hour to eat at Shoney’s because once one person recognized them it was on. They never even batted an eye. Just “come on in tough guy what’s your name? Ok say hoooooo! Alright enjoy your night buddy” Just pleasant.