We would like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates. [22] Koko faced his former partner Owen Hart on the June 18 episode of Superstars. The song's video featured top wrestlers of the day like Hulk Hogan and The Honky Tonk Man, as well as WWF owner Vince McMahon wearing a red "Hulkamania" shirt and hard hat. I wouldn't say Koko was my idol (I currently own a cat), but he was the first old-timer I got to wrestle, so I was a little apprehensive about being a courteous and respectful adversary. In August 1986, "The Birdman" felt the time was right to make his WWE debut, coming to the ring with energy personified. [14] [15] [16] From 1987 to 1993, Ware appeared on several WWF PPVs (including WrestleMania III where he lost to Reed) and editions of Saturday Night's Main Event , being used mainly to make established or rising stars look good. [13] He was then granted an Intercontinental Title match against champion Randy Savage on the November 16 edition of Wrestling Challenge, a bout which went to a double countout. On that very same night that The Rockers went crazy, Ware found himself on the outs with the WWF, after getting into a physical altercation with company executive Jim Troy. Austin and Ware became a regular tag team dubbed "The Pretty Young Things" or ("The PYT Express"). February 1, 1986. February 27, 2023 Monday Night RAW results, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, United States Wrestling Association (19911995), NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship, NWA Florida United States Tag Team Champion, NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Champion, Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni, United States Wrestling Association alumni, Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts) alumni, Allied Powers Wrestling Federation alumni, Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling alumni, International World Class Championship Wrestling alumni, NWA Championship International Wrestling alumni, World Class II: The Next Generation alumni, Various Dropkicks (Running, Standing, Missile). He was best known for his work in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories. [14][15][16] From 1987 to 1993, Ware appeared on several WWF PPVs (including WrestleMania III where he lost to Reed) and editions of Saturday Night's Main Event, being used mainly to make established or rising stars look good. During a 1989 European tour, Ware was fired for his part in a physical altercation with WWF executive Jim Troy. It took all of five seconds and a slap for homeboy to piss off Koko. Later that night the duo defended their title against Terry Taylor and Bill Dundee, losing the title when Sugar accidentally" kicked Eaton and then left the ring. He's working in CWA against the Patriot, who is referred to on commentary as "The Masked Patriot." I can't blame the dude. The team managed to defeat the team of Elijah Akeem and Kareem Mohammad for the AWA Southern Tag Team title in February 1984, although they only hung on to the gold for a little under two weeks before Akeem and Mohammad regained the title. There, they won the AWA Southern Tag Team title twice, both times from The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn and Stan Lane) as they feuded with the top face team of the promotion. After dropping the gold in Florida, the Pretty Young Things returned to the federation that first put them together, the Continental Wrestling Association. They remained with the promotion until November 1984. [21] Koko picked up his first victory of his return by defeating Bastion Booger on the April 16, 1994, episode of WWF Mania . Koko B. Ware vs. Yokozuna - WWF Monday Night RAW #1, 11.01.1993 Charlotte Flair vs. Ruby Riott - WWE Fastlane 2018, 11.03.2018 - WWE SmackDown Women's Title Match Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka - WWE WrestleMania 34, 08.04.2018 - WWE SmackDown Women's Title Match WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware set aside a few minutes of his schedule to answer questions from his fans, courtesy of SLAM! Many of the other wrestlers on the list were wrestlers that were only in WWE for short stints and never reached any major milestones. When Dutch Mantel returned to the CWA in early 1981 he quickly defeated Koko for the TV title making Koko's first run with the gold a short one. My mom knows Koko. Bright outfits, colorful sunglasses, a constant smile and his trademark vibrato voice instantly made Koko a big hit, especially with the younger crowd that the WWF mainly catered to during the 1980s. Koko floundered until September 1981 when he was chosen to referee a Southern Heavyweight Championship title match between Jerry Lawler and The Dream Machine". Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. If he gets his ass stomped like this on a regular basis, I wouldn't want my face seen, either. It didn't disappoint. He debuted in 1978 and became widely popular in 1986. 1 comment. Ware left the Continental Wrestling Association later that month to join the Universal Wrestling Federation. Another one of Koko's considerable talents was singing. From 1987 to 1993 Koko appeared on several WWF PPVs and Saturday Night's Main Events being used mainly to make established or rising stars look good. On September 5, 2009 Ware's wife died after a battle with cancer. Hailing from the Australian Capital of Sport, Melbourne, Edan is a fan of Carlton, AC Milan, The New York Giants. Austin and Ware became a regular tag team dubbed the Pretty Young Things or (the PYT Express). In 1999, he retired from wrestling and took a couple of years off. Ware was a defendant in a 2015 lawsuit filed by WWE after they received a letter from him indicating that he intended to sue them for concussion-based injuries sustained during his tenure with them. . That hurt my head and neck just watching it. By 2003 Ware began to wrestle full time again. During the course of the match Stagger Lee's mask was removed to reveal the man beneath it, prompting a heel turn for Ware. On the January 25, 1999, edition of WWF Raw is War, Ware made a short-lived return to the World Wrestling Federation where he put on the "Blue Blazer" mask during the Owen Hart angle and Jeff Jarrett in their victory for the tag team championship. In April 2007, he wrestled in a tag match (while managed by special guest Slick) and lost to Bill Dundee and Dutch Mantel (managed by Jimmy Valiant) at Ultimate Clash of the Legends '07 headlined by Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Wight (Big Show). He ended his WWF run with three straight victories as he teamed with Bushwhacker Luke Williams in house show matches in Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore against Reno Riggins and Barry Horowitz. Ware was the first wrestler on television to fall victim to the Perfect-plex of newcomer Mr. There, they won the AWA Southern Tag Team title twice, both times from The Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn and Stan Lane) as they feuded with the top face team of the promotion. [5] Koko also hooked up with Rex Hargrove and won the USWA Tag Team Championship once in 1993. Right hand from Koko, Santana back with a couple forearm shots. Koko is also best known as, The Birdman of the WWF who entered the ring wth a bright blue and yellow macaw. Later that night the duo defended their title against Taylor and Bill Dundee, losing the title when Sugar "accidentally" kicked Eaton and then left the ring. [5] During an interview where Eaton and Hart bragged about the victory, Sugar complained that he was unable to win the Southern Title from Terry Taylor. Perfect on the January 7, 1989, episode of Saturday Night's Main Event XIX, while at the 1990 Survivor Series, Ware became the first wrestler to fall victim to The Undertaker's Tombstone piledriver in the Undertaker's WWF debut match. He left in 1997 before the company shut down later that year. He really didn't have a huge impact in the WWF. 0. The Eaton feud led to a particularly fun "Loser. On July 14, 2017, Ware appeared in Big Time Wrestling in Newark, CA, and teamed with Shane Kody to defeat the Ballard Brothers. Always resplendent in eye-catching, colorful outfits, he was accepted immediately by WWE fans around the world, especially the younger generation. Koko B. Ware: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. [ citation needed ] Ware was interviewed briefly during the 1999 wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat . On July 28, 2018, Ware appeared in Eastern Wrestling Federation and teamed with Blackcat Johnson in a winning effort. He also competed at the "World Wrestling Legends" PPV on March 5, 2006, where he defeated Disco Inferno. Eaton and Sugar won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship. The event occurred when Ware was wrestling for the Continental Wrestling Association in 1986. Koko returned to WWF in 1994 when he appeared on the March 21 episode of Monday Night Raw and faced Jeff Jarrett. [10] The team defeated Elijah Akeem and Kareem Mohammad for the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship in February 1984; almost two weeks later, Akeem and Mohammad regained the title.[5]. "The Birdman" came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw named Frankie, [3] both flapping and dancing before and after his matches. In 2020, a Go-Fund Me drive was set up to help pay for a knee replacement that the former WWE wrestler reportedly required. Beat real jobbers on TV, lost to the stars on PPV or Saturday Night's Main Event. In 2015, a class-action lawsuit was filed by attorney Konstantine Kyros against WWE. Continental Wrestling Association (19781986), Sweet Brown Sugar and Stagger Lee (19811983), NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Champion (19851986), Return to singles competition (19931994), United States Wrestling Association (19911997), NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship, International World Class Championship Wrestling, USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, "Frankie (Unknown-2002) - Find A Grave Memorial", "Kayfabe Memories: Bobby Eaton profile (part 2)", "WWF Saturday Night's Main Event Results (#8)", "WWF Saturday Night's Main Event Results (#14)", "the History of the WWE: WWF Match Results 1992", "the History of the WWE: WWF Match Results 1999", "the History of the WWE: WWF Match Results 2005", "Valour Wrestling 05/31/14 Battles ALS Results", "WWE seeking to block concussion-related lawsuits", "WWE Knocks Out Consolidated Concussion Case", "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database", "Mat Matters: WWE Hall of Fame's unforgiveable shunning of Ivan Koloff", "PWTorch.com - UNDER THE MICROSCOPE - 3/9 WWE Raw: Undertaker owns Evolution, Koko B. Ware's resume, JBL title history, Edge & Show vs. Hogan & Warrior", "Jake Roberts on WWE return, Ultimate Warrior HOF induction", "NO BRET HART IN CANADA, HOGAN'S ROLE IN TNA, THE KONG-BUBBA FIGHT, WWE HALL OF FAME AND MORE | PWInsider.com", "Daily Pro Wrestling history (03/07): Bruno Sammartino vs. After successfully teaming for a while, Sugar and Eaton started to show signs of dissension, during their last run with the tag-team title Eaton beat Jacques Rougeau for the Mid-American Heavyweight title. He also competed at the "World Wrestling Legends" PPV on March 5, 2006, where he defeated Disco Inferno. Ware's opponent for the night was a wrestler called The Masked Patriot. Koko B. Ware was inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. The_Dark_Vampire 2 min. Koko quickly aligned himself with manager Jimmy Hart and his First Family and changed his ring name to "Sweet Brown Sugar". Which means I actually called him "Mr. B. Ware." "Mr. B. Ware," I said, "my name is RJ, we'll be wrestling each other tonight." [32][33][34][35][36] In 2020, 411Mania writers Steve Cook and Kevin Pantoja discussed Ware's induction. Sugar never got the best of Lawler but did taste tag-team success alongside Steve Keirn and then with Bobby Eaton. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. Troy had used racial slurs during an argument after which the dispute turned physical. Koko made his debut as a fan favorite on the September 6, 1986 episode of Superstars, teaming with Paul Roma against Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) in a losing effort. [5] [7] Eaton and Sugar contested a series of grudge matches centered around the Mid-America title and their issues with each other. The feud got so out of control that it had to be settled with a Loser Leaves Town" match, a match that Eaton won, driving Sweet Brown Sugar out of the arena. The Bushwhackers consisted of Butch Miller and Luke Williams while the Sheepherders also included Jonathan Boyd and Rip Morgan as members at times. [12] Ware also sang the title track of the 1987 WWF album Piledriver , which then became his entrance music. . Ware spent his early days in the sport in the Mid-South, Georgia and other NWA territories. The team would lose most of their matches, but were able to challenge Money Inc. for the WWE World Tag Team Championship. After dropping the gold in Florida, the Pretty Young Things returned to the Continental Wrestling Association in April 1985. Koko B. Ware (born James Ware on June 20, 1957) is a semi-retired American professional wrestler who made his professional wrestling debut in 1979. [5]. James Ware (born June 20, 1957), better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware is a semi-retired American professional wrestler who made his professional wrestling debut in 1978. He sang so well, in fact, that when WWE released its second album in fall 1987, entitled Piledriver, Koko himself crooned the title track and had a cameo wrestling appearance in the video that was released in support of the album. He appeared at "WWE Homecoming", Raw's return to the USA Network, on October 3, 2005. Race had really slowed down and was rounding the home stretch of his career here. However, most mid-level wrestlers still usually managed a run with the secondary Intercontinental Championship or the Tag Team titles. If the item you received doesn't match . The team ended in 1993 after Owen Hart injured his knee. [10] The team defeated Elijah Akeem and Kareem Mohammad for the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship in February 1984; almost two weeks later, Akeem and Mohammad regained the title. Ware garnered his first big win of his initial WWF run when he upset Harley Race at a house show in East Rutherford, NJ, on October 13. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. On August 23, 2007, he defeated his former nemesis Greg Valentine for Great North Wrestling at the Ottawa SuperEX in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He wrestled primarily for independent promotions in the Southeastern United States. By 1992 the WWF and the United States Wrestling Association started a talent exchange agreement which saw Koko B. Ware return to Memphis. Despite being in his 60s and having wrestled since the 1970s, Ware is still semi-active on the independent scene predominantly featuring in multiple-man tag team matches for Maryland Championship Wrestling and Pennsylvania Premier Wrestling. The show featured matches involving The Undertaker, The Steiners, and saw Shawn Michaels defend his Intercontinental Championship against Max Moon. Ware unfairly counted Lawler out to give the Dream Machine the victory, a decision that did not sit well with Lawler nor the fans in Memphis. He ended his WWF run with three straight victories as he teamed with Bushwhacker Luke Williams in house show matches in Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore against Reno Riggins and Barry Horowitz. Koko, however, would often be on the losing end when he came up against other established stars, stars as Butch Reed, Greg Valentine, and The Big Boss Man. Outside of The Road Warriors, Hawk was a sporadic challenger for world heavyweight championships on pay-per-view from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. ago. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1/1 BOBBY HEENAN KOKO B WARE 1990 CLASSIC WWF #56 PRINTING PLATE WRESTLING WF at the best online prices at eBay! On June 8, 2008, Koko made a special appearance at TNA's Slammiversary as a groomsman in the wedding for "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal and So Cal Val, along with George "The Animal" Steele, Kamala the Ugandan Giant, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. At the same time, Ware made appearances in the USWA as part of a talent exchange program with WWF. During a tag-team tournament in 1983, the masked Stagger Lee teamed up with fellow face Norvell Austin to take on Fargos Fabulous Ones" (Tommy Rich and "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert). Ware's connection to Frankie was a large part of his gimmick. Koko B. Ware Age: 65 years Promotion: Freelancer Personal Data Birthplace: Union City, Tennessee, USA Gender: male Height: 5' 8" (173 cm) Weight: 229 lbs (104 kg) Career Data Alter egos: Koko B. Ware a.k.a. [29], After being inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, Ware has been a point of controversy because, working as a carpenter, he was inducted before world champions Ivan Koloff, [31] Randy Savage or Bruno Sammartino. In 1991 the WWF and the United States Wrestling Association started a talent exchange agreement which saw Koko B. Ware return to his old stomping grounds in Memphis (same area, different promotion). In a somewhat surprising move, Ware was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, despite spending most of his WWE career in the mid-card. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. If anyone tells you Koko B. Ware doens't belong in the Hall of Fame, show them this and tell them to shut the hell up. Al Perez is a retired American professional wrestler. On June 8, 2008, Ware made a special appearance at TNA's Slammiversary as a groomsman in the kayfabe wedding for "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal and SoCal Val, along with George "The Animal" Steele, Kamala the Ugandan Giant, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Possibly none. "The Birdman" came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw named Frankie, both flapping and dancing . In 2009 he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Free shipping for many products! Koko B. Ware (1989) Time gone: Roughly six weeks. However, while Snuka and Roberts were at the height of their popularity in WWE, Ware was never seen as anything more than an undercard wrestler in the WWE. [28], Ware's character featured him carrying a parrot called Frankie, which earned him the nicknames "The Birdman". She doesn't know a single current wrestler [4] Sugar never got the best of Lawler but did taste tag-team success alongside Steve Keirn and then with Bobby Eaton. Koko B. Ware is a famous Wrestler who has a net worth of $1-5 million. It was not until late in 1980 that Koko's fortune changed when he participated in a battle royal to crown the first ever Mid-American Television Champion. During a tag-team tournament in 1983, the masked Stagger Lee teamed up with fellow face Norvell Austin to take on "Fargo's Fabulous Ones" (Tommy Rich and "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert). In 2001, Ware's house caught on fire while the wrestler was out. On June 8, 2008, Ware made a special appearance at TNA's Slammiversary as a groomsman in the kayfabe wedding for "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal and SoCal Val, along with George "The Animal" Steele, Kamala the Ugandan Giant, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. . Ware's feud with Valiant was quickly expanded to include the heel Tojo Yamamoto and Ware's ally, Tommy Rich. Ware wrestled his last match on August 10, 2019 for Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling, teamed with John Wes and Matt Turner to defeat James Ellsworth, RJS and Alexander Bateman. There are many things to find out about Koko B. Ware, as there is more to the man than just that bird gimmick. In August 1984, The Pretty Young Things began wrestling for World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas. Moments later, Koko dumped Davis to the floor and won his first title. Brian Wickens is a New Zealand professional wrestler. During a tag-team tournament in 1983, the masked Stagger Lee teamed up with fellow face Norvell Austin to take on "Fargo's Fabulous Ones" (Tommy Rich and "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert). Wrestling. Koko Ware Stagger Lee Sweet Brown Sugar Roles: Singles Wrestler Tag Team Wrestler Beginning of in-ring career: 1978 In-ring experience: and with the encouragement of his best friend Frankie, Koko decided to try his hand at Wrestling. [25]. [5] In 1996 he feuded with Brian Christopher and Jerry Lawler. During his WWE run, where he became known as the Birdman, Koko B. Ware would often carry his pet Macaw Frankie. In August 1986, Ware signed with the World Wrestling Federation, where he continued his fun-loving "Birdman" Koko B. Ware" persona, complete with a macaw named "Frankie". [5] [6], Ware floundered until September 1981, when he was chosen to referee a Southern Heavyweight Championship title match between Jerry Lawler and the "Dream Machine". In April 2007, he wrestled in a tag match (while managed by special guest Slick Rick) and lost at Ultimate Clash of the Legends '07 headlined by Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Wight (Big Show).