The Man Behind The Belt…..
It All Began With The ‘Soulman’
I used to watch wrestling at an early age (4-5 ) when I visited my aunt’s house. Yet at the age of 6, my life was difficult. I became a victim of bullying, but my bullying situation was inside my home, from my older brothers. The bullying was violent and painful, to the point I didn’t want to live anymore.
One Saturday morning I turned on Channel 41 ( WDRB in Louisville, Ky) and I found something that would forever change my life. It was “Championship Wrestling”. It was good Vs bad, you were either cheered or booed .
I fell in love with Rocky “Soulman “ Johnson ( Future WWE Hall Of Famer), and father to one of the “Most Electrifying Pro Wrestlers” and Hollywood actor Dewayne The Rock Johnson! He was big and strong and everyone loved him.
During the commercial breaks, wrestlers would do a promo of their upcoming match at the Louisville Gardens (it was the event center of the mid-south) every big performer had to play this venue.
T-Ronn Hicks, age 7, Louisville, KY Semple Elementary
“I got to see my idol, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson [between matches], and was nervous as hell as I walked up to him and asked him ‘Rocky what’s the key to success?’ He tells me, ‘Write down your dreams, look at them, that’s what I’ll become!’”
-T-Ronn “Simply BADD” Hicks
2000 UWA Super Show, Downingtown, Pa
Every Tuesday night pro wrestling came to town, I had to get there, I had to meet my hero “Rocky”! After wrestling would go off, I’d go outside and wrestle the neighborhood, I being to start wrestling anyone, who would wrestle after wrestling would go off. One of my best friends “ Herb Davis” loved wrestling too. Herb’s dad invited me to go with them to go wrestling on 1 Tuesday night. Jerry Lawler vs Rocky Johnson, was a great match Rocky wins by DQ. I’m super excited, Herb tells me, he can’t come to the following week’s show. My neighbor Bill Breckenridge gets permission to go and take me.
2000 UWA Super Show, Downingtown, Pa
Before the main event, I saw Rocky leaving the locker room, I saw him signing autographs, and as I approach him, I was nervous as hell, I asked him ‘“Rocky what’s the key to success?” He tells me, “ Write down your dreams, look at them, that’s what I’ll become!’ We are set, this is an incredible night, this is the night the “Soulman” defeats the “King”. Rocky wins and becomes the “Southern Heavyweight Champion“, and we all celebrate.
After he won, I knew I had to go home and write down my dreams and goals, to become bully-free by 13, a successful pro wrestler, and a champion for victims of bullying.
“After [the “Soulman” won], I knew I had to go home and write down my dreams and goals: to become bully-free by 13, a successful pro wrestler, and a champion for victims of bullying.”
— T-Ronn "Simply BADD" Hicks
From Wrestler to Wrestling
By the age of 12, the bullying at home stopped. I also won an AAU state time in high school wrestling (145 lbs class). After a year of college ( EKU), I returned home working a daily job, still not securing my dreams. A friend of mine for years told me in 1994 that he began to wrestle professionally, I told him “quit playing and prove it“. Little did I know he was the son of JYD. After the shock of him being a pro wrestler and knowing he held the keys to my dream a reality of becoming a pro wrestler! I began to train to make my dream a reality. I was being training in the Fairgrounds in Nashville Tn, and this future superstar of the sport was being trained in the same state, yet over 200 miles south of me “ The Rock” was in Memphis Tn at the same time as I was. I was trained in a wooden ring (no give) for 6 months of taking flips and bouncing.
First promo pictures for T-Ronn “Simply BADD” Hicks. 1996, King of Prussia, PA
Two weeks before my first match, the promoter asked me my name, I told him “Simply Badd” Mr. Ronn. He told me we dropping Mr. Ronn and keeping Simply Badd, he then asked me where did I come up with that name, I told him “One day in my mom’s kitchen, I got in trouble, her words to me were “Boy, you’re just simply bad!” My 1st match took place 11/7/94 in Frankfort KY, I nearly caused a riot. This couple was booing me and called me some unkind words, I just happened to have a “ King Size” Snickers in my wrestling jacket, I took it out and threw it at them, which caused a huge uproar, as the guy began to come after me and family members threatened him and security grabbed him.
After the match, yep I lost my first match, the locker room was in a buzz about “The King Size Snickers“! The promoter said “great job kid, here’s your pay $25”. I said “WTH, is this $25 freaking dollars?“ The promoter told me “ You want more money, put more butts in the seats period!“ I captured my 1st title in my 3 match, UWF (KY) US tag titles w/ Terry Allen, we would lose them to JYD Jr & Rated X. Within 6 months I went from $25/ match to $150/ match, because I was truly in my character of “ Simply Badd “.
In1998, I started my we started the “Urban Wrestling Association” (UWA) and we hosted the first-ever “Black Memorial Pro Wrestling Show “ in Benton Harbor MI, for the late BoBo Brazil Sr.. Both WCW and WWF is later known as WWE would donate merchandise to be raffled off to raise money for the family. I would later do “dark matches” for both companies.
However,1999 was our break-out year, it was the year, we got on the map and stay on it until 2012. During that year, a dear friend fell from a tree and was paralyzed from the neck down. The UWA would hold a benefit show for him, again the WWF (WWE) send merchandise, and autographed pictures to raffle off. We raised $10K for his medical expenses. I would win my 2nd world title, becoming 1/3 of the World-6 man title. I won the world junior heavyweight title 2 months before when the current champion No showed the event and I was put in the main event and the winner would be the new world champion, after 20 minutes, I pulled it off.
We were holding shows in IN, PA, NJ, KY, TN, DE, AK, and MI it came with a price. Spreading myself thin and mismanagement, I had to quickly regroup and realize, that build a solid foundation and you’ll never fall. Things got better, I was able to wrestle in Upstate NY and Canada, UWA began to grow a strong following and we made it happen. I would give up the 6- man title to focus on the jr. heavyweight championship. I would later drop it and would manage tag teams and we would dominate.
In 2001, I would move to the suburbs of Detroit, MI. Detroit another hotbed for pro wrestling indies where jumping, and when WWE would come to town, we’d hangout with the superstars and get tips. I would regain the world junior heavyweight title a few more times and chase tag team gold for myself. 2004, I would move to Texas, ( DFW) and the UWA would spread its wings in TX.
2014, Conway, Arkansas Tornado relief efforts.
A Passion Ignited—The Birth of Simply B.A.D.D., Inc.
In 2011, my daughter asked me to come and speak again bullying, I thought she was a victim, yet she was being “ proactive instead of reactive “, this opened the doors for me to be a champion for our youth against bullying and life coaching them.
After I went to her school, spoke against bullying, and remembered that I wanted to stop bullying. After that appearance, other schools wanted me to come and share my store. I reached out to the WWE and partnered with them with their WWE Be A Star program. I would finally capture the world tag titles in 2011, after which I would announce my retirement on March 16, 2012, and the only wrestler to retire as a dual world champion.
After wrestling, I have received numerous awards, halls of fame inductions (5), 2 humanitarian awards, and countless proclamations from Texas Governor, mayors, and county judges about my dedication to stop bullying and help protect our children and communities.
I’ve since created an outreach program by the name of Game Changers for students who are without a father figure in their home— or lives— and we create a winning game plan for these students.
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