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There are several wrestlers that continue to be grossly underappreciated despite their stellar WWE careers, which saw them fail to win any big title reigns or televised main events. Bad News Brown, born Allen Coage, was one such performer in the business.
Although he never won a world championship, Bad News Brown left his mark on the sport of professional wrestling in countries including Canada, Mexico, and Japan. Bad News Brown was one of those men who was amazing to watch inside the squared circle, though he never rose to the top, being a reliable in-ring worker with a respectable past. So let's dive deep and explore the legacy of the judo-expert and former Olympian turned professional wrestler, Bad News Brown.
Bad News Brown Had A Judo Background & Participated In The Olympics
Allen Coage noticed a sign for Jerome Mackey's Dojo when he was 15 years and started judo training there under his tutelage. Upon his 1962 high school graduation, Coage started a job in a bakery and at the comparatively late age of 22, he began competing in judo, but he rapidly made up for the lost time by winning the Chicago Invitational Tournament.
Allen won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Heavyweight Championship five times, and captured gold medals at the Pan American Games in the heavyweight division in 1967 and 1975. Although injured and unable to compete in the 1972 Olympics, Coage recovered and excelled in 1976. He won a Bronze Medal and made history as the first Black American to do it in a sport other than track or boxing.
After His Win In The Olympics, Bad News Brown Transition To Professional Wrestling
After winning the bronze medal at the Olympics, Bad News Brown made an effort to start his own judo school. Subsequently, he made the decision to pursue a career in professional wrestling, and around 1978, he started his training under the guidance of Antonio Inoki. However, Brown tried a number of jobs before deciding to pursue a career in professional wrestling, including serving as Aretha Franklin's bodyguard for a while.
During brief appearances with the World Wide Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Bad News Brown found a permanent home in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling. He was with Stampede from 1982 through 1988, engaging in major feuds with Bret Hart and The Dynamite Kid.
Early in 1988, Bad News Brown rejoined WWE. Bad News was depicted as a harsh loner who respected no one. He scored big and emerged victorious by last eliminating Bret Hart in the battle royal at WrestleMania 4.
Early in 1989, Bad News engaged in a brief rivalry with Randy Savage, which was followed by a heated feud with Roddy Piper. Also, Bad News briefly contested Hulk Hogan for the WWE Title. Bad News eventually left WWE after SummerSlam 1990, claiming that Vince McMahon failed to live up to his promise to make him the company's first black champion.
Bad News Brown Had Legitimate Heat With Andre The Giant
Both Bad News Brown and Andre The Giant were titans of wrestling in the 1980s. That did not imply that the two were friends though, as Andre and Brown were known for not getting along. Don Callis discussed an incident in which Bad News Brown challenged Andre the Giant to a shoot fight while the two were on a tour of Japan in the 1980s during an interview on Talk is Jericho. When Bad News Brown overheard Andre making some racial slurs in the back of a tour bus, he challenged the figurative giant to a real battle.
"Brown said Andre was making kind of comments or jokes or whatever, slurs. And Bad News was like, ‘Hey, Andre, I don’t appreciate that! Can you keep that s–t to yourself?’ And Andre goes, ‘hey, News, f–k you!’ So News is like, ‘well, I’m not going to take that.' [Brown]’s like, ‘get your big ass off this bus!’ and he’s trying to get Andre to go outside. And News told me, he’s like, ‘look, as a shoot, I don’t know what would have happened."
There had been some other incidents as well that added more fuel to the fire between Bad News and Andre, and there was legitimate heat until the end of his WWE run.
Bad News Brown's Later Years & Sad Demise
Bad News Brown continued to work on the independent circuit after his WWE stint, but took retirement in 1999 due to a knee injury. He took on the role of the heel color commentator for the brief TV relaunch of Stampede Wrestling with play-by-play announcer Mauro Ranallo. In addition, he worked as a mall security guard and taught alongside Canadian wrestling coach Leo Jean.
Bad News Brown passed away at the age of 63, on March 6, 2007 in Calgary, where he was born and raised. He had been sent there after complaining of chest symptoms and left the world by suffering a heart attack minutes later. While Bad News died, his impact and wrestling contributions will be etched in the history books forever.