Kenneth Wayne Johnson, best known to wrestling fans as the “Doctor of Style” Slick, is reportedly recovering in the ICU after suffering a heart attack and undergoing open-heart surgery.
The update comes from Steve Stasiak of Book Pro Wrestlers, who shared the news on X. Stasiak said the information originated with Mary Alice Gray, wife of One Man Gang, who spoke directly with Johnson and relayed the details through Andrew Anderson.
Per the report, Johnson is showing slow but positive progress. The news broke on the 40th anniversary of his WWF debut, just hours after fans had been marking the milestone online.
Johnson is the son of Rufus R. Jones, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. Johnson began managing for the WWF in 1986, guiding acts including Butch Reed, the Warlord, Akeem and Big Boss Man through some of the promotion’s biggest angles of the late 1980s.
Johnson left the business decades ago to become an ordained minister, though he has made occasional nostalgia appearances for WWE since. He last resurfaced publicly for an independent wrestling event, performing his signature entrance theme “Jive Soul Bro” for fans.
Keep the Slickster in your thoughts.
