Things You Didn't Know About WWE Hall Of Famer Koko B. Ware
Koko B. Ware is best known for his role in WWE as a mid-card wrestler. Ware wrestled for WWE from 1986 to 1994 but made special appearances in the late 1990s and 2000s. Ware's last WWE appearance came in 2005 when he was defeated by Rob Conway on an episode of Heat. 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.
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During his career, Koko would often appear with a bird named Frankie, the pet that led to Ware having the nickname of "The Birdman" during his time in WWE. 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. Ware was inducted by The Honky Tonk Man, with whom he feuded in 1987, including two contests for the Intercontinental Championship.
8 Never Held A WWE Title
Many WWE wrestlers went their entire careers never holding the main title, especially during the golden era where the World title was held by Hulk Hogan for several years. However, most mid-level wrestlers still usually managed a run with the secondary Intercontinental Championship or the Tag Team titles. In the modern era, where there are more shows, more titles, and the title reigns are usually shorter, most wrestlers leave WWE with at least one title reign under their belt, even if it is with the 24/7 title.
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In the end, Ware stands alongside the likes of Jimmy Snuka and Jake "The Snake" Roberts who also failed to hold a title in WWE during their respective runs with the promotion. 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.
7 Hall Of Fame Controversy
In 2009, Koko B. Ware was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Ware was inducted alongside "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Ricky Steamboat, Bill Watts, Howard Finkel, The Funks, and the Von Erich family. Ware was inducted by his former rival The Honky Tonk Man. Ware's induction into the Hall of Fame was surprising, given some of the names he was inducted ahead of. Ware was inducted ahead of WWE legends like Ted DiBiase, Jim Duggan, and Jake Roberts, as well as former WWE World Champions including Bob Backlund, Yokozuna, Ivan Koloff, and Randy Savage.
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Many pointed out how the inclusion of Ware, while names like Savage, Sammartino, and Koloff were not there invalidated the legacy of WWE's Hall of Fame. Sammartino was eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013, followed by The Ultimate Warrior in 2014, and Randy Savage in 2015.
6 Shot On Another Wrestler In The Ring
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. The event occurred when Ware was wrestling for the Continental Wrestling Association in 1986. Ware's opponent for the night was a wrestler called The Masked Patriot. A few seconds into the match, Ware lays into his opponent with several stiff shots, and a heavy clothesline.
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Ware spent the remainder of the match kicking and stomping his opponent before delivering a stiff brain buster. Ware finished the match by slapping his opponent hard while pinning him, which seemed incredibly unnecessary after a short match. The match wasn't the only shoot that Koko was involved in. According to other wrestlers, Koko also got into a fight with Steve Keirn, Paul Roma, and Jim Troy over the course of his career, but those all of those took place backstage.
5 Concussion Lawsuit
In 2015, a class-action lawsuit was filed by attorney Konstantine Kyros against WWE. 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 class-action lawsuit involved a list of former WWE wrestlers.
The plaintiffs include Paul Orndorff, Jimmy Snuka, Kamala, Demolition, King Kong Bundy, Shane Douglas, and Perry Saturn. Many of the other wrestlers on the list were wrestlers that were only in WWE for short stints and never reached any major milestones. 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.
4 Still Active
Most veteran wrestlers seem to maintain a level of activity, even when they are well past their prime. Koko B. Ware is no exception to that rule. Ware is already over 60 years old and has been wrestling since the late 1970s. Despite his longevity, it appears that Ware isn't slowing down any time soon.
Ware's last match on Cagematch.net is listed as a six-man tag team match for Pennsylvania Premiere Wrestling in 2019. The match also included former WWE wrestler James Ellsworth, and it was Ware's team that picked up the victory. In 2020, a Go-Fund Me drive was set up to help pay for a knee replacement that the former WWE wrestler reportedly required. To date, the drive has received over $3,600 of a $10,000 goal.
3 Frankie Died In A House Fire
During his WWE run, where he became known as the Birdman, Koko B. Ware would often carry his pet Macaw Frankie. According to Ware, the idea of bringing his pet Macaw to the ring came from his wife. Ware's connection to Frankie was a large part of his gimmick. Since they both disappeared from our screens, most fans may have forgotten about the pair. Unfortunately, Frankie appears to have met a tragic end following the pairs in-ring partnership.
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In 2001, Ware's house caught on fire while the wrestler was out. According to Ware, when he returned his neighbor told him that he couldn't save his child. It turned out that the child that the neighbor was referring too was Frankie. It turned out that the Macaw was stuck inside the house in his cage as the fire roared around him. The neighbor heard the bird and thought there was a child trapped inside.
2 Was The First Match of First Ever Raw
WWE's current flagship show, Monday Night Raw, made its debut in January 1993. The show featured matches involving The Undertaker, The Steiners, and saw Shawn Michaels defend his Intercontinental Championship against Max Moon. Not only was Ware on the show, but he was in the first match of the night. Koko lost the first-ever match on Raw to Yokozuna as 1993 would be a banner year for Yokozuna, who would go on to win the Royal Rumble two weeks after squashing Koko.
1 Formed a Tag Team with Owen Hart
In 1992, following an injury to Jim Neidhart, Koko B. Ware was thrown together in a tag team with Owen Hart. The team wore neon parachute pants and were given the name High Energy. The team would lose most of their matches, but were able to challenge Money Inc. for the WWE World Tag Team Championship.
The team lasted until March 1993, but were broken up after Hart suffered a knee injury during a match against The Headshrinkers. 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.
