by John Reid

Iceman King Parsons, Sweet Georgia Brown, Ron Simmons.

These are just a few of the Black stars who have graced the squared circle of professional wrestling. In a business that can often be very homogenous in its nature, search out through any audience, and you will see a sea of diversity. Whether it’s cheering the faces (good guys) or booing the heels (bad guys), the reality is that for decades, Black fans of all ages have come together to see the best go head-to-head in competition to get the three count and the winner’s purse for the evening. While many of those stars go on to prominence for national promotions such as World Wrestling Entertainment or All Elite Wrestling, it is in the independents where they get their start. Over the past 15 years, no one has been more synonymous with capturing the rise of today’s Black wrestlers more than Daryl ‘Docta D’ Johnson. Recently, he spoke with the PW Perspective about his endeavors as he prepares for another year of “Docta D’s Wrestling Showcase,” happening at this year’s BlerdCon in Crystal City on Saturday, July 8 at both 4:30pm – 5:50pm and 7-8:20pm.

In addition to the two panels he is hosting, there is also the “Wrestling Karaoke,” which gives people the opportunity to work on their mic skills, at midnight. Here’s just one of his many examples of “Karaoke Therapy”:

“It’s going to be awesome because you have three of the most popular podcasts around (Jobber Tears, Those Wrestling Girls, and Black Rasslin’ Podcast) in wrestling media today.”

So, how did he first become a fan? “It would’ve started back in my birth home of Newark, New Jersey,” he said. “When WWWF use to come on late Friday nights on WOR-TV 9 in New York. I would watch Bruno Sammartino, Andre the Giant, and then when I moved to the DVM I fell in love with it when Hulkamania was running wild. I was even more engaged when the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) became a national program and I got to see Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Magnum TA, the Rock N’ Roll Express, and the Road Warriors. That whole era became my favorite.”

One thing though, they were all white. Where were the Black stars? We asked him what were his first memories of seeing one on the national stage?

“Well, it would have to be JYD (Junkyard Dog) was at the time the first one I remember seeing, him and Tony Atlas,” he said. “There was a lot that we could not identify with until we started seeing them surface, like Koko B. Ware. You have to remember there were a lot of Black stars in the territories at the time. We weren’t around to see Bobo Brazil, Sweet Daddy Siki was already out there.”

“We’re glad that we are at the point where we are today. We are seeing a lot of Black stars on both the national promotions and in the indies.”

Speaking of the independents, he has worked with some of the biggest stars on the local front, particularly with Capitol Championship Wrestling and most recently Mid-Atlantic Territory Wrestling in Fairfax. Working with those on the rise is a passion of his.

“I gravitate towards my local independent stars a lot because I’ve seen them over a decade ago, like the Wes Lee’s and Lio Rush. Right now, it’s a good time to watch some of the upcoming talent right now.”

He got his start with the independents during his time at Coppin State University. “My first taste was with MCW (Maryland Championship Wrestling) and it is considered the WWE of Maryland because of all the stars that have gone on to the next level. It’s where Hall of Famers Lita and the Hardy Boyz got their start. MCW was resurfacing, and the good people at EWA was instrumental for the content creation. It was there I got to see Adam Cole get an opportunity.”

“I started developing relationships with the promoters and the wrestlers themselves. It enabled me to attend a lot of events in the DMV area, but also the East Coast.”

As he has connected with these promotions, he says it is reciprocated even as they go on to national prominence. “It feels great when they will still see me and shout me out,” he said. “It’s still rewarding that there’s always someplace I know they would need to be showcased when you may not get the chance to be spotted elsewhere.”

What makes the Wrestling Showcase so special, is the space it gives for Black fans to feel comfortable when they talk about their most passionate wrestlers.

“It’s a matter of noticing why they are considered being a part of the panel,” he said, “because they’ve worked so hard to create an outlet for Black fans. We end up becoming connected to like-minded fans and establish a connection.”

The showcase is now as much of the BlerdCon experience as the costumes and after-parties. “People want to know what Docta D has in store every year, and I’m glad the great people at BlerdCon was able to bring it back.”

He’s also performed the wrestling karaoke at MAGFest in January, with plans to take it to other locales in the future. For more on how you can check out all of his adventures, visit his Facebook page. Check out his YouTube page for his interviews.

To find out about BlerdCon, check out their website.