Big Boss Man's Tragic True-Life Story
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- The date is April 1, 1990 and WrestleMania 6 is taking place at the Skydome in Toronto with over 67,000 fans in attendance. The stadium is electric, a sea of faces illuminated by flashing lights and the glow of anticipation...
The unmistakable sight of a 6-foot 7-inch, 330-pound mountain of a man suddenly emerges, and Big Boss Man strides down the aisle, his blue uniform crisp, his mirrored sunglasses reflecting the crowd's mix of fear and admiration. He carries himself with the authority of a man who's used to commanding respect. And getting it.
As he climbs into the ring to face his opponent, Akeem, there's no doubt in anyone's mind: this is a performer at the height of his powers. The bell rings, and Big Boss Man demonstrates why he's become one of the WWF's most formidable stars. His combination of size, agility, and raw power is on full display.
He throws Akeem around like a rag doll, his signature moves executed with brutal efficiency. The Boss Man Slam. The Sidewalk Slam. Each impact echoes through the arena. But it's more than just his physical presence that makes Big Boss Man a star. It's the way he embodies his character. Every insult, every taunt, every moment of brutality reinforces his persona. He's not just playing a role; he is the Big Boss Man.
As he stands victorious over Akeem, arms raised in triumph, Big Boss Man is at the pinnacle of his career. He's a key player in the WWF's golden age, a time when larger-than-life characters captured the imagination of millions. His feud with Hulk Hogan is fresh in everyone's minds, and his future seems limitless. But how did Ray Traylor, a boy from Marietta, Georgia, become this wrestling icon?
This is his story.
Music Credits:
Don't Look Back by Soundridemusic
Link to Video: • NoCopyright Cinematic ...
Criminal tension by Soundridemusic
Link to Video: • Crime Cinematic Tensio...
As a kid in the 80s and 90s, Boss Man was it for me. He was larger than life and my absolute favorite.
When I was 16, I was in the airport in Florida, and my dad said, "I may be wrong, but that sure looks like the Big Boss Man, and it was. I was nervous to walk up to him, but I got my legs to work and walked to him and said, Big Boss Man..he said, hi buddy. I asked if I could have a Polaroid picture with him, and he said , of course, you can. He took the pic and signed it. And even took about 5 or so minutes to talk before boarding his flight. I still have that Polaroid to this day. He truly was the nicest guy, very soft-spoken, and just really cool. When I saw the news he passed, it truly hit hard even as an adult. Thanks for putting up this great video.
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That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing, sounds like something Boss Man would do. Wish there were more like him
Big Boss Man is a legend. It's so cool that you got to meet him. He was my favourite wrestler when I was a kid. He left us too soon 😢
10:47 I didn’t know Ray died from drug addiction..
That's one awesome experience
Ray was a gem of a man and doesn’t get enough credit.
I 2nd that❤👍💯❤👍💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Ya I always liked him. He was a great heel character. Especially in the attitude era.
he was a bad guy, bad guys never get credit. When you think of GI JOE, who pops up first in your head? It's rarely Cobra....its always a good guy, so why would you think anything changes with wrestling? There was a reason why the only wrestler people knew about was Hulk Hogan. No one knew who the bad guy was...
Boss man was called a career Jobber...jobbers really aren't special. Pepper on a pole match? He killed a dog and cooked it, kayfabe but still. you don't come back from that
And ric rude
He was one twat of a heel!
Respect BBB 🙏🏻
One of the greatest Big Men of all time. No one has a bad word to say about Ray.
Well said
U mean bam bam
@@user-mg5hy6zy6u Sid vicious is on that list too. He just died recently.
Met big boss man with my great uncle Jake the snake and he was such a stand up guy and I remember him picking me up and holding me and called me the real big boss man I’ll never forget that moment
Your great uncle was my favorite wrestler in the 80s.
That’s amazing he was my favorite as well and let me say this he is one of the greatest men I know in my life Jake also gave me my first car ride I’ll never forget him for that
Never was the size to ever be a wrestler but boy did I dream of it but now as a 42 yr old I’m glad I’m a spectator especially what the business did to my Uncle and all the other greats who passed before their time
@@mattr2164 awesome tribute. Much respect.
Much respect to you thank you for being a fan of Jake he appreciates you as well and so do I
I remember the feud between Boss Man and Hogan. Saturday Night’s Main Event was the platform. Those were some excellent times to be a wrestling fan,
I agree wholeheartedly. Hogan superplexing Bossman inside the steel cage on SNME was epic!
Stayed up till midnight for that show as a kid it was a challenge and accomplishment.
We believed in good guys and bad guys then
What a life he had but gone way to soon. RIP LEGEND
what isn't too soon for you? 80? He was a giant and didn't take care of himself. How many people do you think died at 30? Many people think 30 is 30 years too long to live.
What are you talking about? He was 41. Hell yeah that was too soon.
ravinraven6913 has left the chat 😂
This video has a great script. It feels like I'm watching a late night cable TV documentary, like something out of Dateline NBC or similar. Great stuff!
We appreciate that. Thank you for tuning in 🙏🏼
Bossman & Bam Bam Bigelow were both Super Heavyweights that could really go and hang with smaller guys. Glad this popped on my feed, VERY GOOD WORK AND GOOD VIDEO !!!
We appreciate you watching ✊🏼
The Boss Man, for a wrestler of his era, should have been world champion.
Said no one ever 😂
Love the production value in these videos. Hoping to see a Sid Vicious video soon, looking forward to seeing more content keep it up.
Noted, thanks for watching.
Boss Man was a fucking legend and deserves to be treated and remembered as such. The Boss Man Slam was and still is a great looking move. Loved his last WWE run out of all the runs he had in WWF/E & WCW and was lucky enough to have seen his career from beginning to end. RIP Ray Traylor.
I was never a fan of his but after watching this video I've gained a new respect for him RIP Big Boss Man
That blue uniform is something I will remember even when I lose my memory. 80s baby 90s wwf fan
Really good job on the Big Boss man.
WOW those were the glory days i couldn't get enough of the WWF great entertainment !!!...
He actually started in the NWA as a bodyguard for Jimmy Cornet. He went by the name Big Bubba .
An icon and how I would picture an early 90s character. I remember having his WWF-trading card as a 12yr old boy. These were the times!! ❤
Who else agrees that the commentary on this video is a great voice? Superb voice, in my opinion 👌
Um, no??? It was the voice that made me turn off after just 1 minute! Sounded like AI to me.
@@LordHeath1972 I assure you that is not an AI voice. It's all natural.
So what
When he Tied up Big Shows Dad's Casket and Pulled it , That was Crazy
Storylines like that are what made it hard for me to follow Bossman in the Attitude Era. That and the time he fed Al Snow his own dog n shit.
I loved that match at WrestleMania 6 and the Finish was nice and clean
nice and clean? if that was a draw point....then its still a hard pass
One of the greatest hardcore wrestlers of all times
Great character and I remember him from when i first started watching wrestling during the attitude era. Rest in peace big fella
Rest in peace Big bubba Rogers (my favorite wrestler in UWF) I was very privileged to meet him and have a chance to work with him in Arkansas.
I met Ray when he was breaking in as Big Bubba with Jim Cornette and Midnight Express. Super nice and kind man
Thanks for sharing. The Big Boss Man was one of my favorite wrestlers back in the day. He was underrated. Now 20 years later! Back when wrestling was so good. Back when the WWF was a better name. The best moments just being glued to the TV set two hours a week not missing a single episode. Those where the good times back then.
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It has never been explained if he had genetic heart issues or if he engaged in the stuff that other troubled wrestlers engaged in. His transformation with his weight loss from 1989 to 1990 was remarkable and he seemed to have kept in shape after that. So, to have a massive heart attack at 41 was truly shocking. Always liked the Boss Man
The same thing happened to Luke harper and Bray Wyatt. They were in their 40s.
@@makaveli4205 Bray was only 36, actually, and had a heart condition. Luke had a lung disease
JR said on his podcast that before his WWE return in '98 Bossman would be going on runs just about every day the old school football way to drop the weight.
Drug use was never brought up.
When your number is called your body will shut down. It was his time. Yes he was still young some people think being in their 40's is old. My Aunt was 102 years old when she died. She died in her home and not some nursing home. Some people live a long time. I know a guy that is 70 years old and his Dad is 101 years old with no health issues. It was his time. RIP Ray.🙏🙏
The akeem gimmick was really ridiculous.
One Man Gang was a solid gimmick I thought
He was not Akeem that was one man gang but the rivalry was awesome between the 2
Nation of Domination...?
Thats what i said. Akeem shoulda been back in the wwf in the late 90s he couldve been a member of The Nation of Domination. That woulda been epic. @mikehicks304
I live in a small town near where he was born and wanted to share that even when he was on fire during his first big WWE run, he would always make time to come back to North Georgia and attend charities and fundraisers to help out the community. He was what Hogan pretended to be back in the day while playing a heel character.
Thanks for sharing. Ray was the real deal.
6'7"
330lbs.
Do you realize how much of a monster hee be compared to the wretlstlers now a day?
Heights a bit exaggerated
One of my favorite wrestlers from my child hood. Rip Big Boss Man.
Big Boss Man was Awesome. He played a Bad and Good guy great!!! I would watch WWF. Back in the 80,s RIP Big Boss Man
As a kid loved to watch Boss man wrestle. RIP
Great video ❤
I remember the very first costume I ever wore to go trick or treating at Halloween was a Big Boss Man costume back in the mid-1980s when I was a little kid. He was my favorite wrestler when I was a little kid 🙂
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I met him at the Loose Moose the night before Wrestlemana 1990 in Toronto. I was very uproachful and pleasant when I said it was an honour to meet him. I told him good luck against Akeem and kick his ass. Who was he with? Down the bar was……Kurt Hennig with his nose up in the air in Kayfabe(heel). I wasn’t going to bother with him. Though now I admire his career.
Man, the golden era was all about characters. I loved it as a 5 year old kid in 1990. I lost my s**t when warrior beat hogan. Warrior was my favorite. His music, his entrance, and his look, made me absolutely love him as a lil kid. My grandpa used to take me to wrestling matches when they’d come to the Bay Area. I remember being at the Cow palace when undertaker was still brand new. Man he scared the s**t outta me! 😂
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Rest easy officer, it was an honor to watch your energy growing up as a kid
Good video. Bossman was great. In WCW he should have stayed as Big Bubba Rogers throughout. He also should have had a turn as WWF commisioner in the late Attitude/ early Invasion story. I don’t think drugs were involved. Ray was a big guy with lots of mass stored up top. He tried to lose some weight and we saw a slimmer Bossman for a while. But overeating dies a hard death. I think that’s what got him. RIP, Ray.
Bossman was never an ally with Nailz....get the facts right if youre gonna tell a story
I loved Big Boss Man as a kid 🚨 His legacy lives on forever 🚔 The End
Definitely my favorite from the first time I saw he wrestle.
One hell of a big man, his slam, were brutal upon delivery. He was a great true legend.
I was at a live show when I saw him take multiple choke slams from Kane. Brutal!
When I was a kid I remember Big Boss Man as the most intimidating well respected no nonsense guy in the WWF. I also remember whooping all my friends on Nintendo with him lol.
I was lucky. I got to meet the Big Boss man and Greg the Hammer, Valentine at a Burger King in Connecticut. Both of them were great to meet. They had no problem with signing autographs for me.
Although Ray’s billed height was 6’7”, he was the same height as me: 6’4”
I don’t know if all wrestling companies exaggerate stats but the WWE was notorious for it
Big Bubba Roger’s in my book. Bodyguard to the Midnight Express
Legendary dude, greatest time’s in history.
Very very difficult not to like this guy.
Most memorable feuds for me were with The Mountie and then Nailz.
That Nailz angle was seriously disturbing and so well done you were forgiven for thinking it was real at the time.
The boss man was one of my favorite wrestler, didnt know he passed till years later!!😲
Ray's last Indy appearance was just a few days prior to his passing. Unda Ground Wrestling in Stow, OH. He went over on local veteran Kevin Ballew (aka Shasta). 'Best match of the entire show!
I remember him as a young kid then i didn't see him anymore and didn't think much of it, it made me sad that he passed away so young
Big Boss Man and Nailz were never allies. Wtf are you talking about?
Agreed!
Nah I was there. They definitely were
@@StayKindUnwindmaybe behind scenes
Wow love the Boss Man didn’t know his story sometimes people has a lot of stress the accident and his friend died took a toll on him he is miss
Nice work! Just found you, cant wait to dig in
Thank you Kenny. Welcome 🙏🏼
Thanks for the video, Wrestling Lore
He was a big man that could move like a 150 pounder and he was fantastic on the mic. His feud with Ted Dibiase was one of my favs. When Ted went and talked to the former inmate that said the Bossman would come into his cell and beat him, then the Bossmans former teacher and his high school football coach was one of the best comical story lines ever.
An absolute legend . The Big Boss Man ,Ray was an incredible athlete and an integral part of life growing up . Rest In Peace Ray.
I grew up off The Big Boss Man🙏🏿
Great video keep it up
Man, does he bring bk memories for me.
Loved that guy!!!!
Always looked forward to him wrestling all the time!!!!!!!!!!
Cool video. Can we take a moment to appreciate Slicks entrance theme
That hard time theme was classic.
And then him coming out with the crazy twirling of the nightstick.
He was an awesome character. Good at what he does and i remember like it was yesterday, him pulling Big Show dad casket. I actually thought it was real back then, when i was a teen watching wrestling 😂.
R.🙏.P Bossman
To think when he died he was younger than AJ Styles is right now. Yikes. he was literally in his prime.
This is a helluva video 🎉
Thank you 🙏🏼
I still remember his ring entrance 😂😂😂. Didn't know he was really reppin Cobb county GA
They say in Georgia prison system, black is beautiful, tan is grand but white is the color of the Big Bossman
Dusty Rhodes and Jim Cornette deserve a lot of credit for the early part of his career.
(Big Bubba Rogers era)
Great performer.
He was a Golden Era icon and true entertainer. But can we stop mentioning his so called "agility"? He could have run the ropes without falling over, power and charisma were more his thing.
My Uncle used to run around calling himself Big Boss man lol the fued with the Mounty in that jailhouse match was Classic
He was highly respected backstage and was highly regarded in the Attitude Era
There was a roomer that Boss Man, who was approximately the same height and weight as Triple H was used to test out the car stunt done at Survivor Series. Apparently Bossman was seriously injured and never wrestled in WwE again.
you guys can't spell, or is your english that bad eh? its rumor.....roomer would be some one who doesn't leave their room....ru-mor...how on earth do you get room-er? unless you don't speak english, any one who has heard the word rumor knows it ends in an or sound not an er....
@@ravinraven6913 Dude, you are looking for correct spelling/grammar on a pro wrestling video. Give up.
My favourite wrestler
best times of wrestling were during the Big Boss Man era,
Ray was awesome. I remember him winning the UWF title years ago. Didn’t receive enough of a push. Two great UWF champs in that first video.
Super nice man who loved his wife and daughters more than anything
Damn i miss the 90s
When I think of big boss man ,I think of Big Bubba Rogers of the Jim Crockett Promotion with Jim Cornette and the midnight express
I loved the boss man/mountie feuds
I met boss man years ago he came into cracker barrel he was a really nice guy I didn't know it was him until one of the servers told me who he was he was there with his family. He's nothing like his character and he gave me a sign autograph poster that I gave to my nephew very humble man and nice
As a big agile big man, The Boss Man, Bam Bam Bigelow and Vadar are 3 of the best to ever do it and all should have had better runs with the right booking and storylines.
Never knew he was close to curt henning, what a shame. RIP
Boss Man was hell of a good guy too met him at a house show in London Ontario in late 80s when i was a kid .
Big Boss Man should have tag teamed with Zack Hample,
Nothing about house life was tragic
Great character from childhood..i watched WWF on VCR cassettes in my childhood from Pakistan...brutus beefcake with scissor , big boss man with police stick , warrior with boost up mood , undertaker with Golden Urn , jack robbert with snake , herculez with chain ,Honki tonki with guitar , yakozona with huge structure , and a lot of gimmicks like million dollar man , gorgeous geordge , donik the clawn ,loose cannon, kamala , Jarrt king , and many more...
Ok... we need Yokozuna, Earthquake, & Doink next!
Noted. Thanks for your feedback.
Boy! You gonna serve Hard! Time! R I.P.
Great👍 story on the boss man. True wrestling legend, always remember him during the attitude era. Had a more sinister side to him, compared to the pre attitude era.
Ray Traylor never took a night off. The matches between Big Bubba and Dr. Death are some of my favorites.
What a guy!
The Mega Powers 🔥🔥🔥
He really sold the corrupt policeman character so well, that I’d say I still hate him (as a character) 🤣 Dudley Boyz were like that for me also as a kid. They were always beating up my Hardy Boyz 😅
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The Dr of Style Slick
I got his autograph in early 90's, him & virgil. I was like 11 n called in a radio station n they let me get my mom. Won backstage passes & tickets. Still have the program and signatures, it was at the west Palm auditorium. They came like 2 years in a row. Hogan, warrior, Sgt. Slaughter, undertaker, ricky the dragon are the ones i remember. Still have both programs actually, n 2 brother, like the bushwackers. I have the fight cards as well. Had to be like 90, 91, 92.
My All-Time Fav
Love Boss man
The Road Warriors 👍👍👍🔥🔥🔥
Is the Big Boss Man really mick foley??? 2:49 S.M. D.P.