Wrestling's 13 Greatest African-American Stars
7. Bad News Brown
Professional wrestling used to be an industry chockablock with absolute hard b*stards, ready to jump in and defend the honour of kayfabe at a moment's notice with a swift punch to the face. But even those tough nuts cowered in fear at Allen 'Bad News Brown' Coage.
Beneath Brown's girded exterior was enshelled a thoughtful, intelligent man - but one who could legitimately kick your ass if he needed to. A Judo bronze medal in the 1976 Olympics substantiated his hard man credentials, which he put to good effect ripping through Calgary's Stampede Wrestling throughout the '80s.
It was in WWE where he gained his notoriety as a prototypical Steve Austin, a bellicose heel who trusted nobody and hated everybody. Brown's misanthropy even extended to would-be allies - he memorably deserted his teammates during more than one Survivor Series outing.
Bad News shared many traits with the Texas Rattlesnake, but ironically the slithering serpents were the one thing he was (allegedly) afraid of. It was with the aid of his phobia-prompting python that WWE's Ophite-in-residence Jake Roberts chased Brown back to Harlem. In reality, Coage walked out of the company, claiming Vince McMahon had reneged on a promise to make him the company's first black champ.
It seems unlikely. Brown's bad-ass, no-nonsense persona mirrored Austin's, but in his time only incited jeers. Coage's role was to lose to the top bayfaces, and there was no shame in that.