Ahmed Johnson Recalls Becoming First African-American Intercontinental Champion, Training With ‘Old-Timers’

– Ahmed Johnson discussed his early training and becoming the first African-American Intercontinental Champion during his appearance on the Why It Ended podcast. Some more highlights from the interview are below (per WZ’s Dominic DeAngelo):

On training with old-timers: “He [Johnny Valentine] watched my matches all the time and you know, give me the big man moves. I remember one time I came back there and guess I didn’t do something right, sat me between his legs, ‘come here, come here son.’ I sat between his legs, he said, ‘I told you when you come across somebody’s chest you open-hand…’ and he hit me so hard I swear my heart stopped for a minute. That’s how hard that old man hit me. My heart stopped for one second. He said, ‘okay, that’s how you come across somebody’s chest.’ I was like ‘oh my God, that’ll kill him.’ I was trained by a bunch of hardcore old-timers. You got these boys crying now because you might potato them or hit them a little hard. They couldn’t last in Global cause them old men came at you. That’s when I fell in love with it is when I hit Global. Cause I love contact anyway. Contact sports. And with Global, I mean, like I say, with them old men, man they was like playing football with no pads on.”

On becoming the first African-American Intercontinental Champion: “Yes, it meant a lot, but you know what man? It was funny, like I announced right after I won the belt – I didn’t win it just for one particular race. I won it for everybody out there who thought they couldn’t do something and you know, be something. It was more so that in my heart than it was I’m doing it just for one race, you know? I know a lot people got upset when I said that, but hey, that’s how I feel, and if they don’t like it, they know where to find me.”