Rocky Johnson Says Founding Four Horsemen Member Was ‘The Biggest Racist In The Wrestling Business’

Ole Anderson’s talent as a pro wrestler is well noted. As a founding member of the Four Horsemen, he was also a mastermind behind one of the most legendary stables in history. Behind the scenes, however, he’s not the most popular person in the business.

Several performers have accused him of being a backstage bully and a racist, and now another one has stepped forward to reaffirm these claims against the former Four Horseman.

As reported by Wrestling Inc., Rocky Johnson — who is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s father — recently appeared on the site’s podcast to discuss his career. The subject of racism in the industry was a major talking point, and when asked about Anderson, Johnson had unflattering things to say about him.

“He was the biggest racist in the wrestling business. He would let you know. He didn’t like me and I didn’t like him. He called me names and I called him names but he never threw any punches. A couple of times in the ring he tried to get stiff with me but he found out it didn’t work because I stood my ground and if you’re gonna beat me, you’re gonna beat me for real. He was not a well-liked person in this business.”

Johnson also revealed that he and other black wrestlers were given racist stereotype gimmicks back in the day, especially during his time wrestling in Tennessee. However, Johnson refused to partake in any of these gimmick ideas because he entered the business to be an athlete.

In the end, though, he became the first black Heavyweight Champion in the American south and helped shatter racial barriers, paving the way for others to follow in his footsteps.

The revelations about Anderson won’t surprise anyone who’s familiar with his career. As noted by Ringside News, Teddy Long also spoke about his experience with him and Ric Flair, revealing that they both hurled the N-word towards him on a regular basis.

Long described Anderson as “a bad man” who would use racial slurs even if he knew the names of the black wrestlers he was addressing.

While the wrestling industry is much more inclusive and tolerant these days, there are still stories about people saying horrible things.

As noted by The Inquisitr, Hulk Hogan was caught on tape using a racial slur a few years ago, which has led to several WWE superstars refusing to work with him since he returned to the company.