Rebooking Koko B. Ware's WWF Career

[Shockage]

It's a shame that by today's standards, Koko B. Ware is classed by many as a 'jobber' and the label hurt him more with the HOF induction. But was Koko really a jobber? Koko picked up steam left by JYD when the WWF leaned more toward Koko being their top black star in the 1980s. During hat time he was featured in tag team matches alongside Hulk Hogan, he challenged Honky Tonk Man for the Intercontinental Title, wrestled frequently against top stars such as Harley Race and Butch Reed. Koko was an incredible wrestler, his move set ranged from power slams, flying drop kicks to crisp boxing punches, and his finisher was the brain buster suplex, one of the best finishing moves in the WWF. Koko's WWF career took a drastic decline between '89-'91 when the WWF had nothing for him, and he was delegated to losing matches on Superstars of Wrestling.

So let's rebook Koko's 1980s run, how do you go about pushing a short, stocky, charismatic, incredibly talented black wrestler and keeping him there in a favourable light? All the ingredients of a great superstar are there, so make it happen.

[WWE Gary]

Don't think anything could have been done for Koko B Ware . Back then sized mattered a hell of a lot more than it does today . The best KoKo could ever have done was get a good shot in the tag team division . The problem is , that space was already filled by The Rockers . WWE already had a top , young team of high fliers , so even pushing KoKo with , lets say , Owen Hart/ Blue Blazer wouldn't have been a great idea. And let's face it , the parrot never did him any favours . He should have lost that . If KoKo had been around later , perhaps he could have been a heel in the Nation of Domination . But even then he would have risen to the same heights as say D Lo Brown

So I guess nothing really anyone could do for him . His size and gimmick made him a perfect wrestler for the cartoon era and that's about it really . Destined to be a jobber . Sorry !

Good athlete though .

[El Weasel]

Perhaps the best thing for Koko from 89-91 would have been a heel turn would have been best, and give him another high-flying tag partner to feud with The Rockers. Throw in a solid manager and they could move on to battle with some of the bigger face teams such as Demolition or LOD thanks to distractions from the manager helping them gain control of their matches.

[Goldie79]

Whilst Koko wasn't a baseline jobber (like Steve Lombardi) he was a jobber to the stars.
I can't think of WWE PPV that I've seen where Koko or High Energy got a victory?

But as has been mentioned... size played a role in a push in the 80s... and I probably wouldn't have changed much to Kokos status.
It would hurt the aura of guys such as Akeem or Bundy to have a guy Kokos size beat them.

[Shockage]

Perhaps the best thing for Koko from 89-91 would have been a heel turn would have been best, and give him another high-flying tag partner to feud with The Rockers. Throw in a solid manager and they could move on to battle with some of the bigger face teams such as Demolition or LOD thanks to distractions from the manager helping them gain control of their matches.

He played heel in a match against Tito Santana (another jobber to the stars towards the later part of his WWF career).



Another possibility between '89-'91 would've been for Koko to go into tag team wrestling. The Rockers/Orient Express were tearing it up. When Akio Sato left the WWF, Paul Diamond was promoted from jobber to the masked Kato. Veteran black wrestler Pistol Pez Whatley was also wrestling a jobber in the WWF throughout 1990. Pairing Koko & Whatley could've been an option.



Another potential tag team partner for Koko would've been Derrick Dukes, another black wrestler who worked in the AWA in the Top Guns tag team. The WWF could've signed Dukes around '89 since they were always raiding AWA for it's talent from '83 up until the promotion folded in '90.

[metfan51]

Koko did a great job when he represented the WWE against Jerry Lawler as the USWA during their Invasion angle. However, as for the WWE, Koko did everything he could. He was the classic face that the fans loved but was destined to be, as was stated earlier, a jobber to the stars. He did have a much better run than most expected as he was placed in some very big matches for the WWE.

[Shockage]

25 years from now, Koko will be known as a major part of the very successful 1980s cartoon era than known as a jobber to the stars. To prove so, can anyone off the top of their head name the stars that Koko has lost to, as well as adding dates and events. This is a talent who athletically and charismatically could do more than Tito Santana, Brooklyn Brawler, Terry Taylor, Danny Davis. Koko's lack of height wasn't really a disadvantage when you look closer.

[metfan51]

As far as major stars, you won't hear too many. However, that's because he didn't always face guys like Hogan or Andre, etc. He did face guys who had the potential to be big stars and off the top of my head, I remember him losing to The Big Bossman at the 1988 Summerslam PPV and Rick Martel at WrestleMania VI. He was also eliminated quickly in the 1990 Rumble by Ted DiBiase.

As far as his career goes, everyone will probably say the same thing. He was a lot of fun but never anyone people considered a huge name and no push could have really helped him.

[Shockage]

But he was labelled 'the jobber to the stars', if Bossman and MArtel are the only notable stars you can name off the top of your head then how did Koko get that label? Marty Jannetty was also eliminated fairly quickly on that same Rumble. There have been others who have been eliminated at other Rumbles in lesser times.

[metfan51]

Not trying to disagree with you. I guess the best way to describe this is unlike guys like Barry Horowitz, Koko would beat jobbers but often lose to stars who had a name. In a way, it's not fair to Koko to be labeled like that but it's probably the easiest way to identify his accomplishments or lack thereof.

[Shockage]

I guess that being fed to the Undertaker at Survivor Series '90 didn't help Koko's rep either, but that's why the thread is about rebooking, to find alternatives and decisions that might have saved Koko and give him a career that best suited his enormous personality. Compared to a lot of the WWF stars of the 80s, Koko was huge, and was one of those wrestlers who was athletically and charismatically superior to the well deserved jobbers like Sam Hoston, Danny Davis and Barry Horowitz.

[WWE Gary]

I'm surprised he's getting this much attention on here. As I said before , there is very little you could do to change KoKo B Ware's career. He was never going to be a big star back then . Yes , he was a good athlete but he was a guy that was used a stepping stone to guys who were on their way up . Personally , I thought his tag team with Owen Hart were great , High Energy . But even as a tag team athlete he wasn't gonna do it . High Energy were jobbers to bigger tag teams in the division. In fact, I'm really surprised KoKo is in the WWE Hall of Fame when so many others deserve it so much more.

Also ,in terms of his losses, in the first ever Raw back in the day KoKo lost to YokoZuna. He got squashed big style.

[Shockage]

To Koko's credit, his charisma and athleticism (not just the fact that he was undersized) attributed to him being booked to get those big losses because obviously it had nothing to do with him being useless. A win over Sam Houston or Terry Taylor would've had little to no affect on a young fan as it would seeing a loud, child friendly fan favourite falling to a massive monster. That's the WWF way of seeing it - and sadly what a lot of you are seeing as the default way. Again, this is an opportunity to challenge or avoid the WWF '80s mindset, because if the Dynamite Kid at 5'8 could've avoided being squashed by being in a tag team and having a stocky physique, then something else could've been done with Koko B. Ware.

[Goldie79]

I labelled Koko as jobber to the stars. That does not mean he is a Jobber Jobber like Steve Lombardi or Barry Horrowtiz.
But he would always come unstuck when he faced midcard heels.
I would describe the Tito Santanna of the early 90s in a similar fashion.

I even have a 1991 Inside Wrestling magazine that profiles Koko. In it he says he recently left the WWF because (as he put it) 'I was stuck in a rut'


As for the comparison to Dynamite.... Tommy Billington actually refused to go ahead with booking decsions that would see him lose to people he didn't think he should to.
I re-read his autobiography a week ago.... and he does this to Pat Patterson, Chief Jay Strongbow and even Vince himself.... Because Dynamite was an exceptional talent, and a legit tough guy... he often got away with it.

I do like these kind of threads... rebooking a career... but I find it hard with Koko because I wouldn't really change much

[Shockage]

The bookers still found ways to avoid jobbing Dynamite out which they could've easily done for Koko. The way they heavily portrayed Koko as a jobber is the reason why it's hard for many to break that stereotype, the black, loveable, undersized fan favourite who was fed to the big monster, whereas he was portrayed a lot differently in his pre-WWE career. Had it not been for Dynamite's internet cult following revealing his pre-WWF success, his series with Tiger mask, the revelation that he was a bullying tough guy, it would've been a lot more difficult to entertain the different scenarios of Dynamite wrestling in the WWF (or elsewhere in the US) as a singles talent post 1990.

[Goldie79]

I would say that if Dynamite would have been a singles wrestler, given the era.... he wouldnt have been tremendously successful in the WWE.
But the tag ranks did contain several smaller wrestlers.... allowing his push with the Bulldogs to excel.

However Dynamite is a guy who wouldn't let people push him around.... and that goes for the booking as well.
Even the Summerslam 88 match with the Rogueas... the Rougeas were booked to go over. Dynamite wouldnt have it.... so it was switched to a 20 minute draw.
When the Bulldogs had to lose the tag belts Vince wanted Iron Sheik & Volkoff to take the titles.... Dynamite said he would only lose them to the Harts.

Its amazing to see people say no to Vince and keep their jobs.... but Dynamite did. The Bulldogs quit the WWE over Dynamites principles... refusing to budge.

[metfan51]

It's farfetched, but since we're rebooking his character, let's have a little fun. This will take place in 1988.

After WrestleMania IV, Hulk Hogan failed to regain his WWF Championship. The only solace the Hulkster takes is that his friend Randy 'Macho Man' Savage defeated Ted DiBiase is the Finals to win the vacated title. Hogan would soon form a close relationship with Savage as the duo had to deal with Bobby Heenan's Andre The Giant and Ted DiBiase.

On the April 30, 1988 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Randy Savage would defend his WWF Championship against Andre The Giant. While Bobby Heenan and Virgil were in Andre's corner, Hogan and Miss Elizabeth would be in Savage's. DiBiase once again says that after Andre beats Savage, he will make it sure it 'pays off' when Andre offers him a title shot. The match sees Andre controlling Savage and tossing him around like a rag doll. Savage gets in a few shots and finds an opening, a double axe handle off the top rope knocking Andre back and tying him in the ropes. While Savage takes his shots at a prone Giant, Ted DiBiase runs in from behind and goes on the attack. Hogan quickly steps in and takes down DiBiase as Virgil and Bobby Heenan attempt to attack from behind. Hogan tees off on both the manager and the bodyguard but Andre gets back up. Andre hits a few headbutts to the back of Hogan's head before choking him with his singlet. Dibiase stomps on Savage as Virgil and Heenan corner Miss Elizabeth. They bring her into the ring to see what has happened to Savage and Hogan and they hold her back. A few preliminary wrestlers runs to the ring but they are overpowered. As the struggle continues, Koko B Ware runs to the ring, chair in hand and nails DiBiase in the back. Koko chases off Heenan and Virgil and blasts Andre but with little effect. Andre knocks the chair out of Koko's hand but Savage and Hogan get back to their feet and the duo sends Andre to the outside. Savage checks on Elizabeth before the trio thanks Koko for the save.

In the coming weeks, Hogan and Savage have signed on to main event the first ever Summerslam, from Madison Square Garden. The team announces that they will face Andre The Giant and Ted DiBiase. Hogan and Savage appear on The Brother Love Show to voice their displeasure of Jesse Ventura as the guest referee. Ventura approaches the two and defends his stance, saying he will be the perfect referee and says he will have his eye on Miss Elizabeth, Virgil and Bobby Heenan, while paying attention to what's happening in the ring. A few weeks later, we see Ventura on The Brother Love show again, this time by himself. Love says to Ventura...

'I have it on good authority that Jesse 'The Body' Ventura is deathly afraid of one man. That man being 'The Eighth Wonder of the World' Andre The Giant. Now you being afraird of Andre The Giant, will that be of any bearing?'

Ventura replies to Love with a fist held up...

'You see this, Brother Love? I could probably head back to the ring tomorrow and become the World Champion if I wanted to. Do you think I'm afraid of anybody?'

At this moment, Heenan, Virgil, DiBiase and Andre walk on to the show. Heenan informs Ventura that Andre has something he wants to say. Andre gently pulls at Ventura's leather jacket and says...

'You better pay good attention, alright.'

DiBiase walks over and says to Ventura...

'And just remember, Jesse 'The Body' Ventura, when you pay attention to the Million Dollar Man... (DiBiase snaps his fingers and Virgil pulls out several $100 bills as DiBiase continues, putting them inside of Ventura's pocket) It always, and I mean always, pays off.' Ventura smiles along with The Mega Bucks.

Infurtiated by what he saw, Koko B Ware confronts Ventura on Supersatrs of Wrestling before the inaugural summer extravaganza. Koko aska Ventura where his intentions lie and Ventura tells Koko to get lost as this doesn't concern him. Koko says it concerns him now and to make sure Ventura does the right thing, he will be in The Mega Powers' corner at Summerslam.


This is going to be in a few parts. More coming later so keep viewing this thread.

[Shockage]

Koko would've made a strong IC Title Contender up against the Honky Tonk Man, maybe even IC Champion in '87/'88. The IC belt was reserved for the medium sized technician. Koko was so over at the time, it could've happened, keeping in mind that he wasn't just a great wrestler, he was a fun, charismatic character.