During the course of the match Stagger Lee's mask was removed to reveal the man beneath it, prompting a heel turn for Ware. "The Birdman" came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw named Frankie,[3] both flapping and dancing before and after his matches. To date, the drive has received over $3,600 of a $10,000 goal. Williams and Miller were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2015, and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2020. James W. Ware, Jr. (born June 20, 1958), better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware is an American retired professional wrestler. The PYT Express remained in Memphis for a period of time after this before moving on to other promotions such asMid-South Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas and Championship Wrestling from Florida. Michel Pigeon was a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Jos LeDuc. Thomas Prichard is a retired American professional wrestler and author. 2.99 postage. Osborne was a second generation wrestler, the son of Tony Borne, and is best known as being the first wrestler to portray the character of Doink the Clown. 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." 11 Koko B Ware Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 11 Koko B Ware Premium High Res Photos Browse 11 koko b ware stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Join us to discuss WWE, AEW, NJPW, Impact, Stardom, ChocoPro, GCW, and every other promotion, big or small, past and present. 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. Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! 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. High Energy feuded with (and generally lost to) The Nasty Boys, The Headshrinkers, and Money Inc.[18] They made only one PPV appearance as a team, a loss to the Headshrinkers at the 1992 Survivor Series. On August 23, 2007, he defeated his former nemesis Greg Valentine for Great North Wrestling at the Ottawa SuperEX in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Le's argue even the 90's AJPW guys couldn't put a Brainbuster as brutal as The Ghostbuster. He was most famous for his work in tag teams, especially as one-half of The Midnight Express. [5] In 1996 he feuded with Brian Christopher and Jerry Lawler. He appeared at "WWE Homecoming", Raw's return to the USA Network, on October 3, 2005. In a precursor to what would become a regular team years later, Ware occasionally teamed with Owen Hart, wrestling as The Blue Blazer at the time, throughout 1988 and 1989. 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). Moments later, Koko dumped Davis to the floor and won his first title. Another one of Koko's considerable talents was singing. [4] Sugar never got the best of Lawler but did taste tag-team success alongside Steve Keirn and then with Bobby Eaton. Ware's opponent for the night was a wrestler called The Masked Patriot. Find Koko B. Ware stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Koko B. Ware (1989) Time gone: Roughly six weeks. Koko quickly aligned himself with manager Jimmy Hart and his First Family and changed his name to Sweet Brown Sugar. Since they both disappeared from our screens, most fans may have forgotten about the pair. He defeated Billy Maverick for the SCW Supreme Title for Supreme Championship Wrestling on August 22. [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. He held the title until October, when he lost to Harley Race; he regained the title the following month. I can't blame the dude. In 1999, he retired from wrestling and took a couple of years off. Wrestling. In 2009, Koko B. Ware was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 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. Ware was inducted by The Honky Tonk Man, with whom he feuded in 1987, including two contests for the Intercontinental Championship. 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. On April 4, 2009, Ware was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by The Honky Tonk Man. It turned out that the child that the neighbor was referring too was Frankie. I am talking about none other than Koko B Ware!! Koko in this current era would be so beloved by the internet. Sammartino was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, followed by The Ultimate Warrior in 2014, and Randy Savage in 2015. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since April 2020. Eaton & Sugar won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship. 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. With guests such as Brutus Beefcake, Tugboat, and now Koko B Ware, listeners are getting the chance to hear from wrestlers that were stars during Mooney's tenure with the company, but that haven't given many interviews over the years. Select from premium Koko B. Ware of the highest quality. [5]. Ware's feud with Valiant was quickly expanded to include the heel Tojo Yamamoto and Ware's ally, Tommy Rich. Koko's first big victory came at the expense of WWE Hall of Famer Nikolai Volkoff on an edition of Saturday Night's Main Event in November 1986. The lawsuit claims that WWE was negligent in their treatment of wrestlers with concussions and was similar to lawsuits brought against the NFL, NHL, and many other sports leagues following the wake of concussion and CTE research. The team ended in March 1993 after Hart injured his knee. RELATED: 10 Times Wrestling Matches Got A Little Too Real. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. After leaving the WWF, Koko made a few appearances for the American Wrestling Federation but did not become a regular before going into semi-retirement in 1995. Koko returned to WWF in 1994 when he appeared on the March 21 episode of Monday Night Raw and faced Jeff Jarrett. He's working in CWA against the Patriot, who is referred to on commentary as "The Masked Patriot." Ware's last WWE appearance came in 2005 when he was defeated by Rob Conway on an episode of Heat. [21] He would then appear on the April 9 episode of Superstars in a loss to Irwin R. When I asked Bix about any possible story he had about this. High Energy feuded with (and generally lost to) The Nasty Boys, The Headshrinkers, and Money Inc. [18] They made only one PPV appearance as a team, a loss to the Headshrinkers at the 1992 Survivor Series. During the course of the match Stagger Lee's mask was removed to reveal the man beneath it, prompting a heel turn for Ware. [7][8] Bobby Eaton later turned face, he teamed with "Stagger Lee" for a series of matches. Vote. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. . [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]. James W. Ware, Jr. (born June 20, 1958), better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware is an American retired professional wrestler.He debuted in 1978 and became widely popular in 1986. Also in 2003, Ware began competing once again in the Memphis area for the Memphis Wrestling promotion from 2003 to 2007. Ware's persona was that of a face who entered the ring to the theme of Morris Day's "The Bird", doing an arm-flapping dance. The macaw garnered instant recognition, which only heightened "The Birdman's" soaring popularity. Hailing from the Australian Capital of Sport, Melbourne, Edan is a fan of Carlton, AC Milan, The New York Giants. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. Jonathan Anthony Wisniski is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. To the average guy on the street Koko B. Ware is a bigger deal than say Drew McIntyre. After successfully teaming for a while Sugar and Eaton started to show signs of dissension, during their last run with the tag-team title Bobby Eaton beat Jacques Rougeau for the Mid-American Heavyweight title. Koko B. Ware is a WWE Hall of Famer who's best remembered for putting over a ton of talent and also his pet parrot, Frankie. He made his entrances dancing to the ring to the tune of Morris Day and The Time's "The Bird", flapping his arms and carrying Frankie, who sat on a perch at ringside while Ware wrestled. He competed professionally from 1978 to 2009. [4], It was not until late in 1980 that Ware's fortunes changed when he participated in a battle royal to crown the first ever Mid-American Television Champion. Bright outfits, colorful sunglasses, a constant smile and his vibrato singing voice made Ware popular, especially with the younger crowd that the WWF mainly catered to during the 1980s. 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). [21] Koko picked up his first victory of his return by defeating Bastion Booger on the April 16, 1994, episode of WWF Mania. Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. Even after the brainbuster he sat up. The show featured matches involving The Undertaker, The Steiners, and saw Shawn Michaels defend his Intercontinental Championship against Max Moon. Welcome to Squash City, where Fightful.com takes a look at some of the more fun squash matches in pro wrestling history. Koko B. Ware vs. Butch Reed: WrestleMania 3 Edan is an Australian currently living in the Middle East. Ware is already over 60 years old and has been wrestling since the late 1970s. Ware spent his early days in the sport in the Mid-South, Georgia and other NWA territories. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2015 Topps WWE Road to Wrestlemania Hall of Fame #25 Koko B. Ware wrestling card at the best online prices at eBay! [ citation needed ] Ware was interviewed briefly during the 1999 wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat . 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. 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. Giant Baba", "Next Official Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony", "Independent Wrestling Results - August 2003", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Koko_B._Ware&oldid=1141222651, African-American male professional wrestlers, NWA North American Tag Team Champions (Florida version), NWA United States Tag Team Champions (Florida version), The First Family (professional wrestling) members, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, BSPW Tag Team Championship (2) - with Juicy Johnny, NWA Mid-America Television Championship (1 time), The Texas Outlaws (Bonecrusher and Crowbar), The Dog Catchers (Dog Catcher #1 and Dog Catcher #2), The Shooting Stars (Troy Haste and Jerry Faith, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 00:09. [17], In 1992, Ware teamed up with Owen Hart to form the high-flying team known as High Energy, well known in wrestling circles for their gigantic baggy brightly colored pants and checkered suspenders. Sign up for Peacock to watch. Ware's feud with Valiant was quickly expanded to include the heel Tojo Yamamoto and Ware's ally, Tommy Rich. [24]. Multi-talented and multi-dimensional, "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware flapped his way into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. In one of those wrestling coincidences" a masked man calling himself Stagger Lee debuted; the fact that he looked and wrestled like a masked version of Sweet Brown Sugar helped make him instantly popular. Koko B. Ware competed in the USWA until his semi-retirement in 1995. [7] [8] Bobby Eaton later turned face, he teamed with "Stagger Lee" for a series of matches. Ware debuted in Mid-South Wrestling in 1978 as Koko Ware and spent time with multiple NWAterritories. 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. [21] Koko then embarked on a house show tour in England where he faced Jarrett and Kwang. After High Energy ended Koko was mainly used as an enhancement talent until he left the WWF in 1994. 10 Forgotten WWE Hall Of Famers: Where Are They Now? He is best known for his first run with WWF, where he held the WWF Intercontinental Championship for a record 64 weeks before losing it to The Ultimate Warrior at the 1988 SummerSlam. Sign up for Peacock to watch. 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. Collections; Project #ShowUs; . WWE's current flagship show, Monday Night Raw, made its debut in January 1993. 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. [22] Koko faced his former partner Owen Hart on the June 18 episode of Superstars. He started in the territories, working in Georgia, Mid-South, Memphis and elsewhere. Bobby Eaton along with the rest of the First Family tried in vain to unmask Stagger Lee but could not manage to do so, winding up frustrated at every turn. 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). On September 5, 2009 Ware's wife died after a battle with cancer. 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. [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". Name: James Ware Preferred Name: Koko B. Ware Date Of Birth: Jun 20th 1957 Place of Birth: Union City, Tennessee, United States Nationality: USA Gender: Male Matches: 215 (14 Pay Per View) Ring Name(s): Koko B Ware, Koko Ware, Stagger Lee, Sweet Brown Sugar 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. After his time with WWE was through, Koko B Ware continued wrestling in independent promotions for years. It turned out that the Macaw was stuck inside the house in his cage as the fire roared around him. Koko B. Ware Also known as Koko Ware, Stagger Lee, Sweet Brown Sugar Overview News and Rumors Career Career highlights Titles Matches Match Statistics Matchguide Feuds Tournaments Tag Teams & Stables Entourage Awards Themes Wrestling Games Ratings Comments Matches Displaying items 1 to 100 of total 1705 items that match the search parameters. 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. Well they never said what kind of BIRD man Ware was so there may be something to . [4], It was not until late in 1980 that Ware's fortunes changed when he participated in a battle royal to crown the first ever Mid-American Television Champion. Ware appeared at the 2010 edition of "Night of Legends", a card promoted by the International Wrestling Cartel (IWC), where he defeated "The Genius" Lanny Poffo. IMPACT Wrestling/NJPW Multiverse United: Only The Strong Survive. CREATIVE. [21] He would then appear on the April 9 episode of Superstars in a loss to Irwin R. Schyster. 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. Roy Wayne Farris, better known by the ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American retired professional wrestler. February 1, 1986. CMLL Viernes Espectacular (3/3/2023) Results: Mistico, Rocky Romero, Soberano Jr & More Compete. 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. 8 Things You Didn't Know About WWE Hall Of Famer Koko B. Ware, 10 WWE Golden Era Moments That Aged Badly, The 10 Longest-Tenured WWE Wrestlers To Never Win A Title. If the item you received doesn't match . Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. "The Birdman" came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw named Frankie, both flapping and dancing before and after . 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. The match also included former WWE wrestler James Ellsworth, and it was Ware's team that picked up the victory.