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Big Boss Man

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This article is about the professional wrestler. For other uses, see Big Boss Man (disambiguation).

Big Boss Man
Traylor in 2002
Birth nameRay Washington Traylor Jr.
Born(1963-05-02)May 2, 1963
Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 22, 2004(2004-09-22) (aged 41)
Dallas, Georgia, U.S.
Spouse
Angela Traylor
​
(m. 1989)​
Children2
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)(The) Big Boss Man[1]
Boss Man[2]
Big Bossman[1]
The Man
Big Bubba[2]
Big Bubba Rogers[1]
The Boss[3]
The Guardian Angel[1]
Ray Traylor[1]
War Machine[3]
Billed height6 ft 7 in (201 cm)[1]
Billed weight330 lb (150 kg)[1]
Billed fromCobb County, Georgia[1]
Trained byTed Allen[2]
Debut1984[4]

Ray Washington Traylor Jr. (May 2, 1963 – September 22, 2004) was an American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name (The) Big Boss Man, as well as for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as the Boss, the Man, the Guardian Angel, and Big Bubba Rogers. During his appearances with the WWF, Big Boss Man held the WWF World Tag Team Championship once and the WWF Hardcore Championship four times. Traylor was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.

Professional wrestling career

[edit]

Jim Crockett Promotions (1984–1987)

[edit]

Before he was a professional wrestler, Traylor worked as a corrections officer in Cobb County, Georgia.[1][3][5] He debuted in 1984[4] then began working as a jobber for Jim Crockett Promotions.[6] Head booker Dusty Rhodes took notice of Traylor's potential and took him off television for three months before repackaging him as Big Bubba Rogers.[6] He received a push as the silent heel bodyguard for Jim Cornette, who, along with The Midnight Express, was feuding with the James Boys (Rhodes and Magnum T. A., under masks).[5] Rogers feuded with Rhodes (the top face at the time) in a series of Bunkhouse Stampede matches in 1986. He and Rhodes were tied for wins in this series, leading to a tiebreaking cage match, which Rhodes won on February 27.

Universal Wrestling Federation (1987)

[edit]

In 1987, Traylor joined the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) after it was purchased by Jim Crockett.[7] On April 19, Traylor won the UWF Heavyweight Championship from One Man Gang, who was leaving the UWF for the World Wrestling Federation.[8] Following his title win, he aligned himself with General Skandor Akbar and his Devastation Inc. stable. Traylor lost the title to "Dr. Death" Steve Williams on July 11 during the Great American Bash tour.[9] In the second WarGames match on July 30, Traylor, as War Machine, teamed with The Four Horsemen (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger and Tully Blanchard) in a loss to The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal), Nikita Koloff, Dusty Rhodes and Paul Ellering, when Animal forced the War Machine to submit by gouging his eyes with a spiked armband.[10]

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1988)

[edit]

Traylor made his first tour to Japan in March 1988 for All Japan Pro Wrestling as Big Bubba.

World Wrestling Federation (1988–1993)

[edit]

Twin Towers (1988–1990)

[edit]
Main article: Twin Towers (professional wrestling)

In May 1988, Traylor joined the WWF as Big Boss Man, a heel character inspired by his previous career as a corrections officer. Managed by Slick, Boss Man's post-match routine often included handcuffing his defeated opponents to the ring ropes and beating them with a nightstick or ball and chain.[1][11] On August 29, he defeated Koko B. Ware at the inaugural SummerSlam.[12]

Big Boss Man facing Hulk Hogan in March 1989

Big Boss Man began his first major WWF angle by attacking Hulk Hogan in an October edition of "The Brother Love Show".[11] He also formed a tag team with Akeem (formerly billed as One Man Gang) known as The Twin Towers. At Survivor Series on November 24, they teamed with Ted DiBiase, King Haku and The Red Rooster in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series match, but lost to The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and WWF Champion Randy Savage), Hercules, B. Ware and Hillbilly Jim.[13] The Twin Towers were a key part in the top storyline of Savage turning on Hogan, leading to the WrestleMania V main event; in the later part of a tag match between the four on February 3, 1989 at The Main Event II, Hogan abandoned Savage to attend to the hurt Miss Elizabeth and went backstage. After being double-teamed for a while, Savage eventually rallied until Hogan returned to the match. After Savage tagged Hogan in, he slapped Hogan and left him to defeat The Twin Towers on his own, which led to The Mega Powers' demise as Savage beat Hulk in the backstage medical room where fellow wrestlers, managers and staff had to break them up.[14][15]

At WrestleMania V on April 2, The Twin Towers defeated The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty).[16] Meanwhile, Boss Man continued his feud with Hogan in a series of steel cage matches; in their most notable encounter on May 27 at Saturday Night's Main Event XXI, he failed to win the WWF Championship from Hogan.[15][17] During the match, Hogan superplexed Boss Man off the top of the cage.[18] The Twin Towers were then involved in a feud with Demolition (Ax and Smash) over the WWF Tag Team Championship.[15] At SummerSlam on August 28, they teamed with André the Giant and lost to Demolition and King Duggan in a six-man tag team match.[19] Boss Man subsequently feuded with Dusty Rhodes and led a team on November 23 at Survivor Series including Bad News Brown, Rick Martel and The Honky Tonk Man, but they lost to Rhodes, Brutus Beefcake, Red Rooster and Tito Santana.[15][20]

Face turn and various feuds (1990–1993)

[edit]
Boss Man (pictured in March 1989) became a fan favorite after refusing to do the bidding of his villainous manager Slick (left)

The Big Boss Man turned face on the February 24, 1990 episode of Superstars, when DiBiase had paid Slick to have Boss Man retrieve the Million Dollar Championship belt from Jake Roberts, who had stolen it. Boss Man retrieved a bag containing both the belt and Roberts' pet python, Damien. On The Brother Love Show, he refused to accept DiBiase's money for the bag, and returned it to Roberts.[21] Boss Man then defeated his former partner Akeem in less than two minutes on April 1 at WrestleMania VI.[22] At Survivor Series on November 22, he teamed with Hogan, Duggan and Tugboat to defeat Earthquake, Haku, Dino Bravo and The Barbarian.[23]

In the fall, Boss Man began feuding with Bobby Heenan and the Heenan Family after Heenan continually insulted Boss Man's mother.[21] He defeated Heenan Family members The Barbarian on January 19, 1991 at Royal Rumble[24] and Mr. Perfect on March 24 at WrestleMania VII in an Intercontinental Championship match via disqualification.[25] Following this, he feuded with The Mountie to see who the real officer of the WWF was, culminating in a Jailhouse match at SummerSlam on August 26.[26] Boss Man won the match, thus the Mountie had to spend a night in jail; this was the only such match ever held by the company.[27]

In 1992, Boss Man began feuding with Nailz, an ex-convict character who, in a series of promos aired before his debut, claimed Boss Man had been his abusive officer in prison, and warned he was seeking revenge. On the May 30 episode of WWF Superstars, Nailz – clad in an orange prison jumpsuit – ran into the ring and attacked Boss Man, handcuffing him to the top rope and repeatedly choking and beating him with the nightstick. Boss Man took time off to sell his (kayfabe) injuries, eventually returning and having a series of matches with Nailz in the latter half of 1992.[1][28] The feud culminated at Survivor Series on November 25, where Boss Man defeated Nailz in a Nightstick on a Pole match.[29]

Boss Man's last major feud was against Bam Bam Bigelow, leading to a match at the Royal Rumble on January 24, 1993, which Boss Man lost.[30][31] He left the WWF shortly after a house show in Gatineau, Quebec on March 14 and later made appearances in USWA, SMW and Japan.[32][30] In December, he briefly returned to the WWF to serve as the special guest referee for three house show main events between Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett.[30]

World Championship Wrestling (1993–1998)

[edit]

Traylor made his debut for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as The Boss on the December 18, 1993 episode of WCW Saturday Night, pinning International World Champion Rick Rude in a non-title match.[33] He challenged for Rude's title at Starrcade '93: 10th Anniversary on December 27, but was unsuccessful.[33]

In 1994, Traylor began a lengthy feud with Big Van Vader, losing to him on April 17 at Spring Stampede.[34][35] In light of legal complaints from the WWF regarding the similarity of "The Boss" to "Big Boss Man", Traylor was renamed The Guardian Angel and sported similar attire to those in the organization he was named after.[18] He subsequently lost to Vader at Bash at the Beach on July 17,[36] Fall Brawl on September 18,[37] and Halloween Havoc on October 23 to end their feud.[38] In early 1995, he turned heel and again became known as Big Bubba Rogers,[39] defeating Sting at Uncensored on March 19 but lost in a rematch at Slamboree on May 21.[40][41] On September 4, Rogers challenged Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on the debut episode of WCW Monday Nitro, but failed to win the title.[39]

In 1996, Rogers joined the Dungeon of Doom and feuded with former Dungeon of Doom member John Tenta,[42] whom he lost to at The Great American Bash on June 16 and Bash at the Beach on July 7.[9][43] By the end of the year, he had turned on the Dungeon of Doom and joined the nWo.[42] His stay in the nWo was brief, with Traylor knocked out by an unknown assailant at the start of the February 17, 1997 edition of Nitro. He later explained that Eric Bischoff fired him from the nWo while he was temporarily paralyzed.[44] Upon his return in September, Traylor resumed wrestling under his real name and began feuding with the nWo, forming an alliance with The Steiner Brothers, who also sought Ted DiBiase as their manager.[44] The union abruptly ended when Scott Steiner turned on them to join the nWo in February 1998.[45] After Traylor lost to Goldberg on the March 30 episode of Nitro, he left WCW the following month.[45]

Return to WWF/E (1998–2003)

[edit]

Hardcore and Tag Team Champion (1998–1999)

[edit]
See also: The Corporation (professional wrestling)
Big Boss Man on SmackDown! in October 1999

Traylor rejoined the WWF shortly after, again as Big Boss Man. On October 12, 1998, he returned to television with a new look, abandoning his blue police shirt for an all-black SWAT-style uniform, including a tactical vest and gloves.[46] He served as Vince McMahon's bodyguard during his feuds with Stone Cold Steve Austin and D-Generation X (DX) and was one of the first members of his heel stable, The Corporation, briefly wearing a mask before his identity was revealed.[1][32]

A tombstone commemorating Big Boss Man's loss at WrestleMania XV

On the November 30 episode of Raw is War, Big Boss Man defeated Mankind to win the WWF Hardcore Championship.[47] Boss Man and Shamrock were initially defeated by WWF Tag Team Champions the New Age Outlaws at Rock Bottom: In Your House on December 13,[48] however, on the following day's Raw is War broadcast, they won the WWF Tag Team Championship in a rematch, making Boss Man a double champion.[46] He lost the Hardcore Championship to New Age Outlaws member Road Dogg nearly two weeks later,[47] but defeated him in a non-title rematch at Royal Rumble on January 24, 1999.[49] Boss Man and Shamrock lost the WWF Tag Team Championship to Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett the next night on Raw is War.[50] At WrestleMania XV on March 28, Big Boss Man lost to The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match. After the match, The Undertaker hanged him from the roof of the cage (an illusion made possible by a full-body safety harness concealed under Big Boss Man's outfit).[51] While a video package of the WrestleMania Rage Party was then shown, Big Boss Man had to be safely taken down onto a stretcher so that he could get to a hospital with only minor injuries.[52] At Over the Edge on May 23, Boss Man was a part of The Corporate Ministry, losing to The Union in an eight-man elimination tag team match.[53]

Traylor at an autograph session in May 1999

Big Boss Man subsequently entered a major feud with Al Snow, which eventually involved Snow's pet chihuahua, Pepper. He won the WWF Hardcore Championship from Snow on July 25 at Fully Loaded.[50] At SummerSlam on August 22, the two had a Falls Count Anywhere match that spilled into the backstage area, the street and, finally, into a nearby bar. Prior to the match, Snow had set Pepper's pet carrier near the entrance way; minutes into the match, Boss Man picked it up, taunted Pepper, struck Snow with the carrier, and carelessly tossed it behind him. Commentator Jim Ross immediately apologized to viewers for the act and stated that Pepper had been removed from the box before the match. Snow won the match and regained the WWF Hardcore Championship.[50][54] Boss Man regained the championship on the subsequent episode of SmackDown!.[47] Two weeks later, Big Boss Man kidnapped and ransomed Pepper, arranging a meeting in which he fed Snow a meat dish supposedly made from Pepper's remains.[1] On the same night, Big Boss Man lost the Hardcore Championship to the returning British Bulldog, who then gifted the title to Snow.[47] Boss Man and Snow settled their feud in a Kennel from Hell match for the title at Unforgiven on September 26, in which a blue solid steel cage surrounded the ring itself and the ringside was surrounded by a chain-link fenced "cell". The objective of the match was to escape from the cage and the cell while avoiding "attack dogs" (which turned out to be disappointingly docile) positioned outside the ring.[7][55] Boss Man ultimately lost the match,[56] but won back the title in a triple threat match involving Snow and Big Show nearly two weeks later.[47]

While WWF Hardcore Champion, Big Boss Man feuded with Big Show over the WWF Championship; during the feud, Big Boss Man showed up at Big Show's father's funeral, made some disrespectful remarks, then chained the casket to the back of his car and drove off. Big Show attempted to save the coffin by jumping on it, riding it for a few yards before losing his grip and tumbling off.[1][57] On the November 15, 1999 episode of Raw is War, Big Boss Man defeated The Rock to become the number one contender to the WWF Championship.[50] He failed to win the title from Big Show at Armageddon on December 12 and in a handicap match with Prince Albert on the following episode of Raw is War, ending their feud.[58][50]

Various tag teams and departure (1999–2003)

[edit]

The alliance between Boss Man and Albert ended after they lost to the Hardy Boyz on the January 13, 2000 episode of SmackDown!.[59] The following week, Boss Man lost the WWF Hardcore Championship to Test.[47] He entered the Royal Rumble match at the titular event on January 23, where he eliminated Rikishi, Chyna and Faarooq before being eliminated by The Rock.[60] At No Way Out on February 27, Boss Man lost to Taz via disqualification.[61] On the March 19 episode of Sunday Night Heat, he introduced Bull Buchanan as his protégé.[59] They teamed to defeat The Godfather and D'Lo Brown at WrestleMania 2000 on April 2 and the Acolytes Protection Agency on April 30 at Backlash.[62][63] On the June 5 episode of Raw is War, after losing to the Hardy Boyz and subsequently arguing, Boss Man knocked Buchanan out with his nightstick when his back was turned and the team split up.[59]

Traylor at a charity event in May 2002

In the summer of 2000, Boss Man disappeared from the WWF's primary television shows, wrestling mainly on Jakked and Heat, where he had a minor feud with Crash Holly until suffering a legit injury in April 2001, keeping him out of The Invasion storyline, which featured invading WCW and ECW wrestlers, for much of the year.[59][7] He returned on the December 20, 2001 episode of SmackDown!, forming a team with Booker T after Vince McMahon ordered him to be his enforcer.[64] The team quietly split in late January 2002, and Boss Man returned to Jakked/Metal and Heat. In April, he formed a short-lived tag team with Mr. Perfect after both were drafted to the Raw brand.[65] On the May 26 episode of Heat, he lost his final WWE match to Tommy Dreamer.[65] In the summer, Traylor was assigned to train developmental wrestlers in Ohio Valley Wrestling.[32][66] He was released from WWE in 2003 after his contract expired.[66]

International Wrestling Association of Japan (2004)

[edit]

After a year-long hiatus, Traylor returned in 2004 to wrestle for the International Wrestling Association of Japan, attacking Steve Williams at a show in Korakuen Hall.[32] In his first match back on March 12, he teamed with Keizo Matsuda in a loss to Mike Rotunda and Williams.[67] On August 31, he competed in a tournament for the vacant IWA World Heavyweight Championship but lost to Jim Duggan in the finals.[67]

Personal life

[edit]

Traylor was married to his childhood sweetheart Angela, and they had two daughters.[68]

Traylor suffered a motorcycle accident on his Harley-Davidson in May 2002 after he hit a deer and was badly injured.[7] He was badly affected by close friend Curt Hennig's death in 2003.[69]

In July 2004, Traylor unsuccessfully ran for Commission chairman for Paulding County, Georgia.[66] He was the owner of a Dallas, Georgia, storage company called RWT Enterprises.[70]

Death and legacy

[edit]

Traylor died of a heart attack at the age of 41 on September 22, 2004, at his home in Dallas, Georgia.[66] According to The Wrestling Observer, Traylor's sister had been visiting, and while his two daughters went upstairs to play, his wife Angela briefly left the room at about 10:00 p.m., and returned to find him dead on the sofa.[3] Traylor was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 by Slick, with his wife (now widow) and daughters accepting the award on his behalf.[71][72]

Other media

[edit]
Traylor's grave in Dallas, Georgia

Big Boss Man appears in video games including WWF Superstars, WWF WrestleMania Challenge, WWF WrestleFest, WWF Rage in the Cage, WWF Attitude, WWF WrestleMania 2000, WWF SmackDown!, WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role and WWF No Mercy. He further appears posthumously in WWE Legends of WrestleMania, WWE '13, WWE 2K17 [73] WWE 2K18,[74] WWE 2K19,[75] WWE 2K20, WWE 2K22, WWE 2K23 and WWE 2K24.

Championships and accomplishments

[edit]

References

[edit]
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