JAMESTOWN – A wrestling legend headlining an event at Jamestown Community College spoke candidly about racism, his rise and fall, and speculation that wrestling is fake while signing autographs at Discount Discs on Saturday.
Tony Atlas, a world champion power-lifter debuted as a wrestler in the 1970’s, becoming one of the first black athletes to win a world heavyweight title.
“There was no obstacles because of color in sports,” said Atlas. “I can only speak for me because when I first started I brought something to the table that no athlete in the world brought to the table before. There had never been a professional wrestler that had won titles in both power-lifting and wrestling, and I did that.”
Atlas, who battled addiction issues, said he overcame a lot to achieve the success that he did.
“I had hit rock bottom several times. I was shot at, I was involved in a bad car accident, and I went through a divorce,” said Atlas.
Atlas credited his relationship with God and he said that he doesn’t know where he would be without him.
Atlas will climb into the ring with Ryan Cassidy as part of the Southern Tier Wrestling Gold Rush 2018 event at JCC.
Tickets are available at the JCC Box Office.
The event starts at 6:00 pm.
