Santana comes back into the ring diving into Koko's midsection with a headbutt, but Ware keeps the advantage. 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. 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. The Bushwhackers consisted of Butch Miller and Luke Williams while the Sheepherders also included Jonathan Boyd and Rip Morgan as members at times. He debuted in 1978 and became widely popular in 1986, in the World Wrestling Federation, where he went from strong mid-carder to jobber to the stars. [ citation needed ] Ware was interviewed briefly during the 1999 wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat . [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. 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. RELATED: 10 Forgotten WWE Hall Of Famers: Where Are They Now? [4] Sugar never got the best of Lawler but did taste tag-team success alongside Steve Keirn and then with Bobby Eaton. He is the current GCW Television Champion, after pinning Matt Cardona at GCW Say You Will. After USWA, Ware did not wrestle as much. [27] US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed Ware's lawsuit in September 2018. But that was a swerve since Koko showed up at the end of the match causing Balls to win the Ironman match 10 falls to 9. Ware finished the match by slapping his opponent hard while pinning him, which seemed incredibly unnecessary after a short match. . He held the title until October, when he lost to Harley Race; he regained the title the following month. Ware wrestled for WWE from 1986 to 1994 but made special appearances in the late 1990s and 2000s. Two weeks later on March 5, 1985, the team re-lost the title to the Youngbloods. Ware, however, would often be on the losing end when he came up against other established stars, such as Butch Reed, Hercules, Greg Valentine, and The Big Boss Man. Roy Wayne Farris, better known by the ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American retired professional wrestler. After the match, Valiant returned to the ring and beat Ware down. The team wore neon parachute pants and were given the name High Energy. 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. Bobby Eaton later turned face, he teamed with "Stagger Lee" for a series of matches. They remained with the promotion until November 1984. In the USWA Koko was more successful than in the WWF, winning the USWA World Title twice, once from Kamala "The Ugandan Giant" and once from USWA icon Jerry Lawler. The two competed together as High Energy from 1992 to 1993, when the team was quietly dropped and. This match was shortly after the TV angle where HTM blasted Jake Roberts with the guitar, so he had some real. Wrestling / Koko B. Ware James Ware (born June 20, 1957) is a retired American professional wrestler from Union City, TN who competed from the 1970s through the start of the 21st century as Koko B. Ware. 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. Before joining the WWF, he was in several tag teams, most notably with Bobby Eaton in Memphis and with Norvell Austin (The PYT Express) in several promotions. He later went on to the World Wrestling Federation, where he went from strong mid-carder to jobber to the stars. In 1992, following an injury to Jim Neidhart, Koko B. Ware was thrown together in a tag team with Owen Hart. In 2003, Koko returned to the spotlight competing once again in the Memphis area for the Memphis Wrestling promotion. Ware made a few appearances for the American Wrestling Federation from 1994 to 1996 but did not become a regular before going into semi-retirement in 1997. WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware is currently hospitalized in Mississippi with an "unspecified medical issue," according to The Wrestling . Hopper and Uncle Cletus. He continued wrestling in the promotion through the remainder of the year. He also worked with a number of other tag team partners, including Arn Anderson, Koko B. Ware, Steve Keirn, and Lord Steven Regal. Buy koko b ware and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! At the same time, Ware made appearances in the USWA as part of a talent exchange program with WWF. 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. James W. Ware, Jr. (born June 20, 1958), better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware is an American retired professional wrestler. Koko B Ware worked a one-off television match against Rob Conway in October 2005 on 'WWE . On February 26, 1985, Austin and Ware defeated Jay and Mark Youngblood to win the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship. 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 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. A 28-year old, pre bird Koko Ware is just months away from signing with the World Wrestling Federation. 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. 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. Wrestling. Most veteran wrestlers seem to maintain a level of activity, even when they are well past their prime. For the simple fact that WWF was more popular during Koko's time that makes him he his more over or well known that almost every wrestlers today save for a couple. 2.99 postage. After dropping the gold in Florida, the Pretty Young Things returned to the Continental Wrestling Association in April 1985. Ware was the first wrestler on television to fall victim to the Perfect-plex of newcomer Mr. Needless to say, The Patriot realized it at this point. What followed were some sick punches and stomps, before Ware hits a SHOOT BRAINBUSTER(which he called the Ghostbuster) to pick up the win in over a minute, then slapped the Patriot during a pin. In 1991 Koko made his debut in the USWA. The match wasn't the only shoot that Koko was involved in. WWE Main Event Results (1/26): Bronson Reed And Nikki Cross In Action. RELATED: The 10 Longest-Tenured WWE Wrestlers To Never Win A Title. His time in the Golden Era didn't include a ton of accolades,. The same taping later saw Ware defeat Savage by countout in a dark match. In 1999, he retired from wrestling and took a couple of years off. Good for the era wrestler, but basically Jobber to the Stars in the WWF, If he were 4 inches taller he probably would have had a better career. The macaw garnered instant recognition, which only heightened "The Birdman's" soaring popularity. Koko wound up having Frankie, hissidekick, with him wherever he went. 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. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies. Saw him at an indie show when I was a kid. He was born on June 20, 1957 and his birthplace is Union City, TN. [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. On television, his first major showcase was at the November 29, 1986 Saturday Night's Main Event VIII where he defeated Nikolai Volkoff. Ware was inducted by The Honky Tonk Man, with whom he feuded in 1987, including two contests for the Intercontinental Championship. It took all of five seconds and a slap for homeboy to piss off Koko. During an interview where Eaton and Jimmy Hart bragged about the victory, Sugar complained that he was unable to win the Southern Title from Terry Taylor. IMPACT Wrestling/NJPW Multiverse United: Only The Strong Survive. Add a Comment. 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. Troy had used racial slurs during an argument after which the dispute turned physical. Michael Hegstrand was an American professional wrestler. In February 1986, Koko moved on to Bill Watts' Mid-South/UWF territory, where he started calling himself Koko B. Ware. In September 2009, Ware's wife died from cancer. 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". He sang so well, in fact, that when WWE released its second album in fall 1987, entitled Piledriver,Koko himselfcrooned the title trackand had a cameo wrestling appearance in the video that was released in support of the album. 1/1 KOKO B WARE 1990 CLASSIC WWF CARD 119 PRINTING PRESS PLATE WRESTLING VINTAGE. To the average guy on the street Koko B. Ware is a bigger deal than say Drew McIntyre. Koko would beat the shit out of some guys for no reason. [20]. My pick is Koko B. Ware. Koko floundered until September 1981 when he was chosen to referee a Southern Heavyweight Championship title match between Jerry Lawler and The Dream Machine". I couldn't find the match anywhere on Koko's cagematch profile, probably because he had to work really hard to have it expunged from his record. It didn't disappoint. Ware spent his early days in the sport in the Mid-South, Georgia and other NWA territories. 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. He started working for the independent circuit. My old pal David Bixenspan introduced me to this one last year. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. He fought (and was defeated by) Rob Conway on the October 28, 2005 edition of WWE Heat. Multi-talented and multi-dimensional, "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware flapped his way into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. At the same time, Ware made appearances in the USWA as part of a talent exchange program with WWF. Eaton & Sugar won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship. He rose in popularity during the mid 1980s, while appearing in the World Wrestling Federation, where he was initially a strong mid-carder before he eventually briefly became a jobber to the stars. He left in 1997 before the company shut down later that year. [5] Koko also hooked up with Rex Hargrove and won the USWA Tag Team Championship once in 1993. In 1993, he lost the first Monday Night Raw match to Yokozuna. In February 1986, Koko moved on to Bill Watts' Mid-South/UWF territory, where he started calling himself Koko B. Ware. He was represented by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who was involved in several other lawsuits involving former WWE wrestlers. Koko B. Ware is a famous Wrestler who has a net worth of $1-5 million. Koko is a retired professional wrestler who became quite popular in the mid-1980s. Ware wrestled for WWE from 1986 to 1994 but made special appearances in the late 1990s and 2000s. [24] He fought (and was defeated by) Rob Conway on the October 28, 2005, edition of WWE Heat.[24]. Ware's connection to Frankie was a large part of his gimmick. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, stiffing the everloving weewee out of a jobber, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Z3G389ybY. Ware's last match on Cagematch.net is listed as a six-man tag team match for Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling in 2019. Koko quickly aligned himself with manager Jimmy Hart and his First Family and changed his name to Sweet Brown Sugar. The first match between Yokozuna and Koko B. Ware was a highlight to be a squash match. Richard Erwin Rood, better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American professional wrestler who performed for many promotions, including World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). Ware is already over 60 years old and has been wrestling since the late 1970s. Under the management of Jim Cornette, he originally teamed with Dennis Condrey and, later on, with Stan Lane. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Bushwhacker Luke, where he teamed with Bushwhacker Butch as The Bushwhackers. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Shahid. Harley Race vs KoKo B Ware - YouTube From WWF wrestling, January 1987. [5]. On May 18, 2001, Ware returned to wrestling and defeated Brickhouse Brown at Galaxy Championship Wrestling in Little Rock, Arkansas. WWF @ Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena - December 25, 1986 (8,500) Barry O defeated Jerry Valiant Lanny Poffo defeated Jack Kruger On July 28, 2018, Ware appeared in Eastern Wrestling Federation and teamed with Blackcat Johnson in a winning effort. Eaton and Sugar won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.[5]. 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]. On February 15, 2011, Ware made an appearance on Tosh.0. 1. 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. Sugar never got the best of Lawler but did taste tag-team success alongside Steve Keirn and then with Bobby Eaton. In 2015, a class-action lawsuit was filed by attorney Konstantine Kyros against WWE. He was most active throughout the 1980s and 1990s in the Tennessee-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA) and Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW), and had two short stints with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring names of T.L. 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. By 1992 the WWF and the United States Wrestling Association started a talent exchange agreement which saw Koko B. Ware return to Memphis. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Koko B Ware. 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. The same taping later saw Ware defeat Savage by countout in a dark match. Ware 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. After being fed up, Hart finally slapped Sugar and sent the sulking superstar back to the dressing room after which Eaton commented that Sugar had been "whining like a woman". Beat real jobbers on TV, lost to the stars on PPV or Saturday Night's Main Event. With Owen Hart out of action Koko would return to singles competition and immediately entered a house show series with Skinner. When I asked Bix about any possible story he had about this. 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. Eaton, along with the rest of the First Family, tried in vain to unmask Lee but could not manage to do so. He was best known for his work in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories. Even after the brainbuster he sat up. He debuted in 1978 and became widely popular in 1986. On July 28, 2018, Ware appeared in Eastern Wrestling Federation and teamed with Blackcat Johnson in a winning effort. James W. Ware, Jr. (born June 20, 1958), better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware is an American retired professional wrestler. Ware debuted in Mid-South Wrestling in 1978 as Koko Ware and spent time with multiple NWAterritories. He was also a great performer during his time in the company but would. 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[32][33][34][35][36] In 2020, 411Mania writers Steve Cook and Kevin Pantoja discussed Ware's induction. . [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. Koko quickly aligned himself with manager Jimmy Hart and his First Family and changed his ring name to "Sweet Brown Sugar". 4.99. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. Sign up for Peacock to watch. 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 competed professionally from 1978 to 2009. [26] In 2020 he married Pamela James. In August 1985, Ware won a tournament for the vacant NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship. Possibly none. Koko B. Ware keeps his personal and love life private. He defeated stars like Harley Race (at a house show) and Nikolai. 10 Times Wrestling Matches Got A Little Too Real, negligent in their treatment of wrestlers, Predicting WWE's Hall Of Fame Class Of 2023, 10 WWE Storylines Vince McMahon Refused To Book. here's a humorous take on that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Z3G389ybY. Sign up for BINGE to watch. The song's video featured top wrestlers of the day like Hulk Hogan and the Honky Tonk Man. [5] [7] Eaton and Sugar contested a series of grudge matches centered around the Mid-America title and their issues with each other. 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. During a 1989 European tour, Ware was fired for his part in a physical altercation with WWF executive Jim Troy. It turned out that the Macaw was stuck inside the house in his cage as the fire roared around him. 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). [2] He performed a brainbuster known as the Ghostbuster. 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. There's a hilarious reaction from Jim Cornette and David Bixenspan below, where Cornettespeculates that Maybe Or Maybe Not Del Wilkes was disrespectful and overall terrible in-ring. 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). Ware unleashes some tame enough looking smacks to the back before uncorking a clothesline that Stan Hansen would look at and say "MAYBE EASE UP A BIT, DICK.". 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. On this page, you find the full wrestling profile of Koko B. Ware, with his Career History, real name, age, height and weight, the Promotions he worked for, all the Face/Heel turns, the Championship Titles he won, his Finishers, Theme Songs, Tag Teams and Stables, his appearance changes through the years, and more. Multi-talented and multi-dimensional, "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware flapped his way into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. [26] In 2020 he married Pamela James. 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. [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] In 2020, 411Mania writers Steve Cook and Kevin Pantoja discussed Ware's induction. 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. Ware made his debut as a fan favorite on the September 6, 1986, episode of Superstars, teaming with Paul Roma against the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart) in a losing effort. Early in his career, Koko Ware (as he was then known) did not find great success, learning the ropes and paying his dues both in Jerry Jarretts Continental Wrestling Association and Nick Gulas territory in the south. [30] dropkick, headbutt or monkey flip. Schyster. Slick his here with Warlord, who powers Ware into the corner to start. High Energy's final match came in a loss to The Headshrinkers at a live event on March 10.[20]. Edan is also a big wrestling fan, having watched WWE for over 20 years, and has wrestled several matches himself with local promotions. February 1, 1986. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since April 2020. That was . Ware wrestled for a number of promotions, including the Continental Wrestling Association, before he signed with WWE in 1986. 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. He is the older brother of Bruce Prichard. Koko B. Ware was born on June 20, 1957 in Union City, United States (65 years old). While Cook defended his Hall of Fame status since he was very over and some of his losses were historic, Pantoja described him as "the floor for inductees". After World Class, Koko went back to Memphis and worked a series of gimmick matches, including the first scaffold match. [21] Koko then embarked on a house show tour in England where he faced Jarrett and Kwang. The show featured matches involving The Undertaker, The Steiners, and saw Shawn Michaels defend his Intercontinental Championship against Max Moon. Koko is one of the guys thats just a blind spot to me. To date, the drive has received over $3,600 of a $10,000 goal. Welcome to Squash City, where Fightful.com takes a look at some of the more fun squash matches in pro wrestling history.