Earlier today, WWE's official Twitter account announced the newest inductee into the 2016 Hall of Fame class - Ray "Big Boss Man" Traylor. One of the most beloved superstars of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Traylor first joined the company in 1988. A real-life ex-prison guard, Traylor was given the character of "The Big Boss Man" - a corrupt prison guard/law enforcement agent. He was a top heel for WWE until 1990, when he turned face and had well-remembered feuds with Mr. Perfect, The Mountie, and Nailz. He left the company in 1993, and after a brief tenure in All Japan Pro Wrestling, debuted in 1993. First called "The Boss," Traylor subsequently took the names "The Guardian Angel" and "Big Bubba Rogers" following complaints from WWE. In 1998, Traylor rejoined WWE, once again taking the "Big Boss Man" name. He changed his image, wearing a SWAT-style uniform and serving as a personal bodyguard to Vince McMahon. As a member of The Corporation, Traylor won the World Tag Team Titles with Ken Shamrock and became a four-time Hardcore Champion. During this tenure, he engaged in infamous programs with Al Snow, The Big Show, and The Undertaker. Finally, in 2003, he was released from his contract. Traylor continued to compete in Japan until his untimely death in 2004.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
