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. AEW Rampage: St. Patrick's Day Slam (2023), 1 BSW Tag Team Championship - with Juicy Johnny, 1 NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) - with Norvell Austin, 7 AWA Southern Tag Team Championship - with Norvell Austin (3), Bobby Eaton (2), Stan Lane (1), Dutch Mantel (1), 6 NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship, 1 NWA Mid-America Television Championship, 2 USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, 1 USWA World Tag Team Championship - with Rex Hargrove, WWE Hall of Fame induction (class of 2009), Legends Pro Wrestling induction (class of 2007). 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". William Fritz Ensor was an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel. 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 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. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. The team lasted until March 1993, but were broken up after Hart suffered a knee injury during a match against The Headshrinkers. [5] In 1996 he feuded with Brian Christopher and Jerry Lawler. 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". After that the guy moves like he doesn't have a clue where he is and Koko keeps hammering him to stay down. In December 1984 the Pretty Young Things began wrestling for Championship Wrestling from Florida. 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. [12] Ware also sang the title track of the 1987 WWF album Piledriver, which then became his entrance music. His first victory was on the September 7 episode of Wrestling Challenge against Bob Bradley. [5] Koko also hooked up with Rex Hargrove and won the USWA Tag Team Championship once in 1993. The Bushwhackers consisted of Butch Miller and Luke Williams while the Sheepherders also included Jonathan Boyd and Rip Morgan as members at times. 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. 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. 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. Moments later, Koko dumped Davis to the floor and won his first title. He headlined the inaugural 1993 edition of ECW's premier annual event, November to Remember. One of the most confusing things in Koko B. Ware's career, outside his inclusion in the WWE Hall of Fame, was an incident that occurred before him being signed by WWE. Despite his longevity, it appears that Ware isn't slowing down any time soon. He is the cousin of fellow professional wrestler and color commentator Jerry Lawler. 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. 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. The same taping later saw Ware defeat Savage by countout in a dark match. 4.99. 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. Ware's connection to Frankie was a large part of his gimmick. It didn't disappoint. [27] US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed Ware's lawsuit in September 2018. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. [23] When Hart died, the angle was dropped and Ware's services were no longer needed. 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. Koko would beat the shit out of some guys for no reason. Koko floundered until September 1981 when he was chosen to referee a Southern Heavyweight Championship title match between Jerry Lawler and The Dream Machine". Also in 2003, Ware began competing once again in the Memphis area for the Memphis Wrestling promotion from 2003 to 2007. Koko B. Ware competed in the USWA until his semi-retirement in 1995. WWE Main Event Results (1/26): Bronson Reed And Nikki Cross In Action. 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. After High Energy ended Koko was mainly used as an enhancement talent until he left the WWF in 1994. Ware's feud with Valiant was quickly expanded to include the heel Tojo Yamamoto and Ware's ally, Tommy Rich. Darrell W. Anthony is a retired American professional wrestler, also known by his ring name Dirty White Boy. 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. On May 31, 2014, Ware appeared in the main event at Valour Wrestling's special event to raise money for Lou Gehrig disease.[25]. [28], Ware's character featured him carrying a parrot called Frankie, which earned him the nicknames "The Birdman". Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items. Best wishes to Koko B Ware. On April 4, 2009, Ware was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by The Honky Tonk Man. He was represented by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who was involved in several other lawsuits involving former WWE wrestlers. 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. Ware heads outside to annoy Warlord, but Slick suggests that he is a chicken. "The Birdman" came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw named Frankie, both flapping and dancing before and after . He was best known as Road Warrior Hawk, one half of the tag team known as The Road Warriors, with Road Warrior Animal. Buy koko b ware and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! [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. Koko in this current era would be so beloved by the internet. He later went on to the World Wrestling Federation, where he went from strong mid-carder to jobber to the stars. It's becoming a must listen. Race had really slowed down and was rounding the home stretch of his career here. Austin and Ware became a regular tag team dubbed "The Pretty Young Things" or ("The PYT Express"). In 2009, Koko B. Ware was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. 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. He also competed at the "World Wrestling Legends" PPV on March 5, 2006, where he defeated Disco Inferno. Michael Paul Shaw was an American professional wrestler who was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Norman the Lunatic, and as Bastion Booger in the World Wrestling Federation. The match wasn't the only shoot that Koko was involved in. Moments later, Koko dumped Davis to the floor and won his first title. High Energy's final match came in a loss to The Headshrinkers at a live event on March 10.[20]. Koko B. Ware is no exception to that rule. 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. He started working for the independent circuit. During a 1989 European tour, Ware was fired for his part in a physical altercation with WWF executive Jim Troy. The team ended in March 1993 after Hart injured his knee. We would like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates. In 1993, he lost the first Monday Night Raw match to Yokozuna. Two weeks later on March 5, 1985, the team re-lost the title to the Youngbloods. They remained with the promotion until November 1984. The crowd favorite was Jimmy Valiant, who Ware accidentally knocked into Danny Davis and eliminated. 4. During his WWE run, where he became known as the Birdman, Koko B. Ware would often carry his pet Macaw Frankie. Koko Ware Stagger Lee Sweet Brown Sugar Roles: Singles Wrestler Tag Team Wrestler Beginning of in-ring career: 1978 In-ring experience: The plaintiffs include Paul Orndorff, Jimmy Snuka, Kamala, Demolition, King Kong Bundy, Shane Douglas, and Perry Saturn. His time in the Golden Era didn't include a ton of accolades,. On May 19, he defeated The Genius and followed it up a night later with three more wins over Poffo later that month. [7][8] Bobby Eaton later turned face, he teamed with "Stagger Lee" for a series of matches. Add a Comment. 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. The Wrestling Collection announced that Koko B Ware is currently hospitalized with an unspecified medical condition. Well they never said what kind of BIRD man Ware was so there may be something to . J.W. 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). 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 wrestled primarily for independent promotions in the Southeastern United States. Sign up for Peacock to watch. Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. Koko was born in Union City, Tennessee, on June 20, 1958. The same taping later saw Ware defeat Savage by countout in a dark match. Richard Wendell Morton is an American professional wrestler, currently performing on the independent circuit. 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 By 2003 Ware began to wrestle full time again. [5] Koko also hooked up with Rex Hargrove and won the USWA Tag Team Championship once in 1993. He appeared at "WWE Homecoming", Raw's return to the USA Network, on October 3, 2005. KOKO WARE YOU SHOULD WATCH: v Bill Dundee (Memphis, 6/21/82) w/Bobby Eaton v Dutch Mantell & King Cobra (Memphis, 7/19/82) w/Bobby Eaton, Rick McGraw & Sabu v Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell & Terry Taylor (Memphis, 12/4/82) w/Norvell Austin v Tommy Rich & Eddie Gilbert (Memphis, 5/18/84) v Ric Flair (11/18/85) Quote Reply to this topic. 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. 1 comment. A second lawsuit brought against the company was brought on by the Dynamite Kid, former WWE Champion Ivan Koloff, and WWE Hall of Famers Blackjack Mulligan and Koko B. Ware. At the same time, Ware made appearances in the USWA as part of a talent exchange program with WWF. WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware set aside a few minutes of his schedule to answer questions from his fans, courtesy of SLAM! Sign up for BINGE to watch. 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. 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. Many fans today remember Koko B. Ware as one of the late great Owen Hart's tag team partners. [19] Ware appeared in the first match on the very first episode of Monday Night Raw on January 11, 1993, where he was defeated in a squash match by Yokozuna. Slick his here with Warlord, who powers Ware into the corner to start. [30] dropkick, headbutt or monkey flip. I can't blame the dude. Michel Pigeon was a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Jos LeDuc. CREATIVE. 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. 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. RELATED - 10 Best Animals in WWE History, Ranked. The team ended in 1993 after Owen Hart injured his knee. At the same time, Ware made appearances in the USWA as part of a talent exchange program with WWF. Le's argue even the 90's AJPW guys couldn't put a Brainbuster as brutal as The Ghostbuster. Austin and Ware became a regular tag team dubbed "The Pretty Young Things" or ("The PYT Express"). A scripted botch saw Ware declare a title change when it should not have been so. He started working for the independent circuit. He wrestled in regional promotions before getting on television in a battle royal match; that allowed him a larger role in the Mid-American promotion and eventually led him to the WWF. Copyright 2023 Fightful, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. Eaton and Sugar won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.[5]. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2009, and his last match came in 2019 for Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling. On television, his first major showcase was at the November 29, 1986 Saturday Night's Main Event VIII where he defeated Nikolai Volkoff. Koko B. Ware vs. Butch Reed: WrestleMania 3 | WWE This video is either unavailable or not supported in this browser Error Code: MEDIA_ERR_SRC_NOT_SUPPORTED Technical details : The media could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported. The first match between Yokozuna and Koko B. Ware was a highlight to be a squash match. His first victory was on September 7 episode of Wrestling Challenge against Bob Bradley. Stephen Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. 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. Ware left the Continental Wrestling Association later that month to join the Universal Wrestling Federation. After Owen's injury, Ware returned to being a singles competitor before being sent to the United States Wrestling Association as a part of a talent exchange. After his time with WWE was through, Koko B Ware continued wrestling in independent promotions for years. He left in 1997 before the company shut down later that year. For most of his career, Morton has performed with Robert Gibson as The Rock N' Roll Express, described as "the consummate baby face tag team". J.W. In 1999, Koko made a short-lived return to the World Wrestling Federation where he put on the Blue Blazer" mask during the Owen Hart angle. In September 2009, Ware's wife died from cancer. 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. Best. Ware's last match on Cagematch.net is listed as a six-man tag team match for Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling in 2019. Eaton and Sweet Brown Sugar contested a series of grudge matches centered around the Mid-America title and their issues with each other. During the course of the match Stagger Lee's mask was removed to reveal the man beneath it, prompting a heel turn for Ware. 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. 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. [5] In 1996 he feuded with Brian Christopher and Jerry Lawler. [28], Ware's character featured him carrying a parrot called Frankie, which earned him the nicknames "The Birdman". In February 1986, Koko moved on to Bill Watts' Mid-South/UWF territory, where he started calling himself Koko B. Ware. Multi-talented and multi-dimensional, "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware flapped his way into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009. Koko returned to WWF in 1994 when he appeared on the March 21 episode of Monday Night Raw and faced Jeff Jarrett. The team ended in March 1993 after Hart injured his knee. Then it looks like Koko knocks him out with the big clothesline. According to Ware, the idea of bringing his pet Macaw to the ring came from his wife. Press J to jump to the feed. On February 15, 2011, Ware made an appearance on Tosh.0. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine. Not only was Ware on the show, but he was in the first match of the night. February 1, 1986. Join us to discuss WWE, AEW, NJPW, Impact, Stardom, ChocoPro, GCW, and every other promotion, big or small, past and present. [12] Ware also sang the title track of the 1987 WWF album Piledriver , which then became his entrance music. 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 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. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies. The crowd favorite was Jimmy Valiant, who Ware accidentally knocked into Danny Davis and eliminated. 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. 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. and with the encouragement of his best friend Frankie, Koko decided to try his hand at Wrestling. [24] He fought (and was defeated by) Rob Conway on the October 28, 2005, edition of WWE Heat . [5] [11] The team dissolved in July 1985 when Austin left for Continental Championship Wrestling. Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! When Dutch Mantel returned to the CWA in early 1981 he quickly defeated Ware for the TV title making Ware's first run with the gold a short one. Free shipping for many products! The show featured matches involving The Undertaker, The Steiners, and saw Shawn Michaels defend his Intercontinental Championship against Max Moon. Jeremy Lambert Dec 21, 2022 5:08PM. The team wore neon parachute pants and were given the name High Energy. Help make SquaredCircle safer and more inclusive by using the report button to flag posts and comments for moderator review. [ citation needed ] Ware was interviewed briefly during the 1999 wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat . 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 is also known for his appearances under the ring name Luke Williams for promotions such as NWA New Zealand, Stampede Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling, Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Southwest Championship Wrestling, and the Universal Wrestling Federation, where he teamed with Butch as "The Kiwis" and "The Sheepherders". Koko B. Ware Profile & Match Listing Facts & Stats PWI Ratings Opponents & Partners Win/Loss Record Star Ratings Win Types Relations PPV. Robert Lawrence Horne is an American semi-retired professional wrestler who is most famous for his time in the World Wrestling Federation from 1993 to 1996 under the ring name Mo, where he held the WWF World Tag Team Championship with Mabel as "Men on a Mission". On July 14, 2017, Ware appeared in Big Time Wrestling in Newark, CA, and teamed with Shane Kody to defeat the Ballard Brothers. On July 28, 2018, Ware appeared in Eastern Wrestling Federation and teamed with Blackcat Johnson in a winning effort. [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.