The two became the first black world tag team champions in W.W.E. history when they defeated the Wild Samoans on Dec. 10, 1983, according to World Wrestling Entertainment, which released a video clip of some of Johnson’s highlights on Wednesday.

In an interview with thehannibaltv.com, Johnson recalled the many successes he had in a career that took him around the world, but said there was also racism in professional wrestling, “then as it is now.”

“Now it’s more covered up,” he said. “But there was a lot.”

He said he had refused to take part in some degrading performances.

“I was headstrong,” he said in the interview. “I kept myself in shape, and the stuff they were doing in the South, I wouldn’t go for. They wanted to whip me on TV, like they used to do with the slaves and all that. I said, ‘No. I came in as an athlete, and I’ll leave as an athlete.’ And they respected me for that.”

When his son showed an interest in wrestling, Johnson said, he offered to train him.

“‘I’m going to train you 150 percent,’” Johnson recalled telling Dwayne, who took the ring name The Rock. “And I was hard on him. But he never gave up.”