STW - One Man Gang/Akeem [Show Notes] (Patreon)

The last Something to Wrestle for the year…and we’re discussing a man who’s had quite the career…One Man Gang…or also known as Akeem!

George Gray was born on February 12th, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois and would start his career at the age of 17 in the Carolinas. He would bounce around the southern territories, even working with the Poffos and Randy Savage in ICW. But his biggest exposure was in Florida in 1983 early on. When was the first time you heard of George Gray?

He’d work with the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Blackjack Mulligan & Mike Rotunda in Florida while called Panama Gang. He was billed at 6’9 - 450 - but he didn’t work like a man at that size did he?

He would make his debut in Mid South Wrestling as a protege of Skandar Akbar and was always attacking the babyfaces before Bill Watts - doing commentary at the time - would say about the unnamed assailant - “He’s a one man gang” and the name was born. The look, the presentation…it was something back then wasn’t it Bruce?

He wasn’t always in Mid South, as he would pick up tours of Florida, Toronto, Japan & Texas - including a big spot at the 2nd Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions show where he lost a Hair vs. Hair match to Kerry Von Erich. Gang was a believable heel wherever he went wasn’t he?

Was it tough to build around him in Mid South when he was in and out of the terrority a lot?

Gang was at the top of the card when the transition took place between Mid South and the UWF and was working against top babyface Jim Duggan. The Gang - Duggan matches - chat me up. When people think of it now they probably think they weren’t great - but how were they?

In late 1986, Gang won the UWF Heavyweight Championship in an angle where the champion Terry Gordy was injured earlier in the evening by a revenge-minded “Dr Death” Steve Williams. Gang, scheduled to face Gordy later on the card, was awarded the belt via forfeit. He held the title for six months, mostly facing Duggan, Williams, and Ted DiBiase. Gang becoming champion for Bill Watts at this point with the company floundering wasn’t a big vote of confidence but at the same time - it’s still a big deal I’m sure for Gang right?

The exodus of the UWF begins as money gets tight and people start leaving, obviously Duggan & DiBiase are the bigger ones. This was just inevitable at this point right?

Gang is supposedly approached by the WWF to come in and join the company - and I mean he’s perfect for the WWF. Big monster heel, perfect for Hogan…but Gang did the time honored tradition on his way out - dropping the title to future tag team partner Big Bubba Rogers. Bruce you were there when Gang came in - Vince saw another big bastard didn’t he?

The skulls tattooed on the side of his head - that’s just a look that wasn’t happening much in 1987 was it?

Gang would debut at the Superstars taping in Anaheim on May 12, 1987 with Slick as his manager. Why Slick with Gang?

We can’t have this conversation without Slick - but man talk about an underrated manager with a lot of top heels in that era. What was it about Slick that made him stand out - in really a world of managers at the time?

That taping was your second set of tapings - and you start to see a talent influx coming off WrestleMania 3. Everyone wanted to be in the WWF at this point didn’t they?

Gang is immediately pushed heavily. His first angle on TV is doing his front suplex finisher to his opponent after a match in July and then to young Jimmy Korderas - the referee and is fined by Jack Tunney $10,000 for his actions. What did Vince think of OMG when he first started appearing on TV?

He’s also the man who “retired” Superstar Billy Graham by attacking him and ending his career. This was a big rub but it wasn’t the same Billy Graham was it?

He goes on a run of working with Ted DiBiase - before he’s really the Million Dollar Man - but he’s working a lot on the Houston house shows. Why do you think that his run was more concentrated working the southern house shows?

He’s given his first match against Hulk Hogan in Fresno at a Superstars taping and obviously Hogan wins - but how big a vote of confidence is it to work with Hogan and what did Hogan think of working with him?

Gang gets a big assignment - taking on Hogan at the Paul Boesch Retirement Show in Houston, Texas and it’s his first loss on TV as Hogan hits the big leg drop, 1-2-3. What did you think of seeing Gang take on Hogan for the WWF Title at such a big show for Paul?

-Gang won the first “try-out” Royal Rumble match which was in St. Louis on October 4, 1987, which only featured 12 guys. Due to some kind of miscommunication they announced in the intermission that at the November St. Louis house show Gang would be challenging Hogan for the title. But they had previously said the winner of the Rumble would get the shot. Bruce - are you at this show? Is this the type of thing that happens sometimes?

Gang is really a well pushed guy - having a lot of high profile matches. He’s teaming with King Kong Bundy to take on Hulk Hogan & Bruno Sammartino in Bruno’s last match…main eventing the Maple Leaf Gardens against Hulk…Vancouver against Randy Savage…and his first match in Madison Square Garden is against Hulk. Vince had a lot confidence in him did he not?

He’d main event the Nassau Coliseum against Hulk in early November to a sell out of 15,275…I mean he he’d be to be making big money right?

Gang is a part of the first Survivor Series and is in the main event. It’s Andre the Giant, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, Butch Reed - still over in Florida & OMG taking on Hulk Hogan, Bam Bam Bigelow, Paul Orndorff, Ken Patera & Don Muraco. Surprisingly enough, the heels go over. Gang pins Patera & Muraco before helping get Hogan counted out with Bundy, but would be pinned second to last on the heels by Bigelow. This is a big time spot in a big time main event with a lot of big stars…what’d you think?

As 1987 is coming to an end he’s still doing main events with Hulk in Montreal, St. Paul, Chicago, Philadelphia, East Rutherford in a cage, and even wins a Slammy Award for being the group…he’s riding high is he not?

Gang has said in interviews that once 88 began - he could feel the movement down for him on the card as Ted DiBiase was starting to catch fire as the Million Dollar Man. Do you think it was DiBiase - or that at this point he’d already worked with Hogan on top and he was on the way down?

He is part of the final 2 in the first “official” Royal Rumble in January of 1988 - as he would be eliminated by his old foe Jim Duggan and Duggan is the first official winner of the Rumble.  You couldn’t have a heel win the first Rumble could you?

Gang is working a lot with Bam Bam Bigelow on house shows from that point forward - were they sometimes two similar well built good moving big men with tattoos on their heads?

Was Vince tiring of the OMG gimmick?

With Bigelow in his way Gang actually gets the win over him in the WrestleMania 4 championship tournament and would get a bye to the semi-finals before losing via DQ to eventual winner Randy Savage. Here is Gang again in a big spot putting over a big babyface…and he’s actually the first title defense for Savage on Saturday Night’s Main Event taking the loss. Still a lot of confidence in OMG at this point is there not?

He’s taken off TV in August and in September comes around and his manager Slick is promising a transformation. Oh he transformed alright…to “The African Dream.” Now let’s set the stage…Slick summons “Mean” Gene Okerlund to a mysterious alley, where tribal dancers gyrated around a burning garbage can. At the crescendo of Slick’s hype job, the flame burst and The One Man Gang emerged, wearing a bright yellow shirt adorned with African patterns and one of the biggest kufi hats we’ve ever seen.

The big man boogied over to his manager and a stunned Okerlund. Slick made it clear that The One Man Gang was no more — he was reborn as Akeem. Dubbed “The African Dream,” the big man embraced his inner soul, matching Slick dance step for dance step down to the ring before squashing his hapless foes.

Bruce - what in the hell was this? Who came up with Akeem? Why did Vince love it so much? Chat me up!

Was The African Dream a rib on Dusty Rhodes?

Akeem would come out with a boom box over his shoulder and was billed from the “Deepest, Darkest Parts of Africa”...come on Bruce!

What did George think of this gimmick?

It feels like he embraced it because this man boogied in every match I saw…but even with hindsight…this gimmick was not in the best of ideas was it?

Vince had to have loved it though because he’s paired with the Big Boss Man and gets another push as the first high profile match in the gimmick is at the Survivor Series where he’s teaming with Boss Man, Ted DiBiase, Haku & the Red Rooster to take on the Mega Powers team of Hercules, Hillbilly Jim, Koko B. Ware and of course Hogan & Savage. Akeem & Boss Man would be DQed when they handcuff Hogan to the ring post and attack him - but here’s George Grey working with the top guys again!

Speaking of top guys he’s working with…Akeem puts over IC champion Ultimate Warrior on some house shows. What did George think of working with the Ultimate Warrior? How were those matches?

Akeem & Boss Man are a major part of the Mega Powers story, as it’s Akeem’s singles match with Hogan on Saturday Night’s Main Event where Hulk opened the ropes for Elizabeth and when the match ends in a DQ because of Boss Man - it’s Elizabeth that has to go to Savage to get him to help Hogan from being beat down. You could trust on guys like Akeem & Boss Man to do the job correctly, get the story over that you want, even if it wasn’t their story so to speak, right Bruce?

At the Main Event the Twin Towers take on the Mega Powers when they officially explode. It’s Gang throwing Savage out of the ring onto Elizabeth that gets the party started…but the most notable moment of the match for Gang is when he goes to bounce off the ropes and falls completely outside between the second & third rope…when you saw that happen what ran through your head?

Did you ever ask him about it and how it happened?

The Twin Towers would go on to find some success, defeating the Rockers at WrestleMania 5, and would work a lot with Demolition in the summer challenging for the tag titles. Why do you think they never got a run with the titles?

At SummerSlam it was the Twin Towers teaming with Andre the Giant to take on Demolition & Jim Duggan and Akeem would take the loss from Duggan. You’d say at this point Akeem/OMG had quite the run in the WWF wouldn’t you?

What did Andre think of George do you know?

Akeem is scheduled to be a part of the Survivor Series 1989 team with Big Boss Man, Rick Martel & the Honky Tonk Man as the enforcers to take on the Dream Team of Dusty Rhodes, Brutus Beefcake, the Red Rooster & Tito Santana but is replaced by Bad News Brown. Any idea why that happened Bruce?

Missed our opportunity for American vs. African Dream on PPV but they did get together for some house shows…

Boss Man splits from Slick when he refuses to be paid off by Ted DiBiase and that would lead to the end of the Twin Towers. At WrestleMania 6 Boss Man would get the victory and that would be the last big time match Akeem is a part of in the WWF. Chat me up Bruce - was he unhappy? Unreliable? Why the depush - or was it time to move on?

In October, just as his story with Saba Simba was getting started on TV - and god only knows what that could’ve led to, Gang leaves the company even while being advertised for the Survivor Series to team with Sgt. Slaughter & the Orient Express. Was it a bad split between him & the company?

What do you remember of that?

Gang would go to Memphis before WCW and he had a decent run in the company, working with the likes of Kevin Sullivan, Junkyard Dog, and become a schizophrenic bouncing between characters. He would be fired for refusing to lose to PN News. Did you keep in contact with George while he was in WCW and you were in and out of the company?

What was your relationship like with him?

He’d somehow come back to the company and become US champion in 1995…which no one saw coming…but he’s a big heel fed to Hulk Hogan and is phased out when the New World Order story began to take shape. Was there any talk or anything about bringing in any of his personas in the 90s?

He would have a dark match in February of 1998 - defeating Flash Flanagan in Evansville, but wasn’t brought back after that. When I think of the Attitude Era - I don’t know that either Akeem or One Man Gang would’ve fit - what say you?

One of the last appearances of Gang on WWE TV was the Gimmick Battle Royal you were a part of in Houston for WrestleMania X7. Now the original plan was for him to be Akeem but due to his weight loss - he had to appear as One Man Gang - is that right?

This man has done a lot in his career - what is his legacy do you think?

Think we ever see him in the Hall of Fame?