The First Black Man Inducted To WWE Hall of Fame Was From Benton Harbor, Michigan

There have been so many legends that have been inducted into the world, wrestling entertainment, the Hall of Fame, but the first black man to ever be inducted was a guy who was billed from Benton Harbor, Michigan, and was a true legend of the sport.

Houston Harris, better known by his ring name of Bobo Brazil, broke down so many barriers of racial segregation when he entered professional wrestling in the late 40s. He would eventually go on to win many titles, including eight tech team championships for the Detroit version of the NWA.

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He won many championships over his storage career, and had one of the most legendary rivalries with the original Sheik in Detroit. Their battles were legendary because they were some of the first times that spectators would actually see blood in a match-up.

But in 1994, he was told that he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by another one of his longtime rivals, Ernie Ladd. Even back then, he knew just how influential Harris was to kids, as he elaborated during his induction speech:

I love the way that you carried yourself, you dressed so elegant during the early years of our career. When you go into the arena, got a tie on, a coat on, and that was so classy. He drove the big fine cars like Freddy Blessy did. Then we could have our young men and women looking up to a person like this, you didn’t have to let our young people pattern, their selves after the dope man, and the gangsters.

He continued as his speech came to a close:

When you can see a true athlete, classy, dressing well, going to the right places and doing the right things, it’s something that makes my heart feel good and Bobo Brazil, It was great and thankful to have passed your way.

That year, James Dudley, the first Black American to run a major arena in the United States, was also inducted.