“I Just Closed My Eye” – Former Intercontinental Champion Admits Getting Scared to Perform a Wild Spot With WWE Legend Yokozuna

Wrestling fans love a David vs Goliath battle. There is a unique sense of joy in watching a regular-sized person toppling a giant. And there have been many such match-ups in the past. Who could forget Hulk Hogan against Andre The Giant? Or the underdog Rey Mysterio going off against Kane and the Big Show.

Yokozuna was one such humongous athlete who graced the WWE in the 90s.  His massive frame would have brought a sense of anxiety into his opponents. And a former WWE star has recently admitted that he feared a daunting spot against the legend back in the day.

Former WWE star opens up on coming up against Yokozuna

Ahmed Johnson was a well-known name in the Stamford-based promotion in the 90s. He lifted the lid on him performing a bodyslam on Yokozuna in a recent interaction on Pounding The Meat Podcast.

Read More: How is Roman Reigns Related to WWE Legend Yokozuna?

He said, “So Yoko told me, I hope you pick me up because I’m not going to jump. And so I was like you know scared man, I was like how I am gonna get this dude up in the air. Because I think he was weighing like 700 pounds”.

“And I was like, I’m not gonna get him up in the air. So he said he was not gonna jump som man I just closed my eye and grit my teeth and lift him up as far as I could take him, man. And dumped him you know into a slam”. added the former Intercontinental champion.

Johnson famously body-slammed Yokozuna on a 1995 edition of Monday Night RAW. And as mentioned by him, the two-time WWE champion weighed over 700 pounds at the time. It was undoubtedly a herculean feat to even pick him up never mind slamming him. That display of power gave a gigantic push to Johnson’s career, as he went massively over with the fans.

As is common knowledge, although Yokozuna portrayed a Japanese character on-screen he was part of a famous wrestling heritage. The Anoa’i family has provided many gems to the wrestling business over the years, and he was one of them.

Johnson wasn’t the first one to bodyslam Yokozuna

Johnson was not the first performer to lift Yoko. That achievement belongs to the former WWE star Lex Luger. He answered a challenge issued by the then-WWE champion in 1993. Yoko along with his manager Mr. Fuji dared anyone to body slam him. Luger did the unthinkable by doing just that, in one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history. And sending the watching crowd into a great frenzy.

It’s also a fact that Yoko weighed somewhere around 500 pounds when Luger lifted him. Hence, putting Johnson’s achievement much above his.

Yokozuna instilled fear in his opponents even before facing him. Ahmed Johnson, with his recent remarks, has admitted to being scared of facing him. Nevertheless, the image of Johnson slamming Yoko will always be remembered fondly by wrestling fans. After all, it’s not often one sees a giant being manhandled like that.

Whose bodyslam to Yokozuna did you like more? Lex Luger’s or Ahmed Johnson’s?

Let us know in the comments.

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