WWE UNTOLD | THE APA'S BADASS RISE TO STARDOM

I stumbled across WWE Vault right as I was about to start my daily grind—and had to hit pause the moment I saw the APA Untold documentary pop up.

Growing up, I always thought it was awesome seeing Bradshaw and Faarooq guarding that random door, drinking beers and playing cards like legends. It was even better when guys like Kaientai, Crash Holly, and the Dudley Boyz would drop in to hang out.

But I remember thinking Bradshaw was a total jerk when he turned his back on Faarooq in pursuit of championship gold. Looking back now, it makes more sense—Ron Simmons, after all, was the first African American to win a major world title, and by then, his retirement seemed inevitable.

Side note: You can’t help but feel emotional watching Simmons beat Vader and then seeing the WCW locker room standing united behind him. Then again, you also can’t help but cringe remembering Vince McMahon thought it was a good idea to dress him up like an alien.

Something else that struck me—the documentary barely mentions the Nation of Domination. Apart from interactions with The Rock and Mark Henry, there’s no deeper dive into that faction. Maybe it was cut for time, or maybe it’s a tighter version of the story.

On the flip side, Bradshaw’s post-wrestling pivot into being a stock market guru is wild when you think about how he was once portrayed as a beer-chugging barroom brawler. I did enjoy his feud with Eddie Guerrero, and I liked the whole “cabinet” concept he had. Still, even though Orlando Jordan, Amy Weber (later Jillian Hall), and the Bashams didn’t quite click with the crowd on their own, they at least worked well under JBL’s leadership. That said, I really hated his character—like a mix between the Million Dollar Man and IRS, but more smug.

All in all, I love how APA evolved from cult-favorite enforcers to legit mercenaries for hire. No doubt, they were a big part of what made the Attitude Era so unforgettable.