jking1979
Superstar
Joined on: Oct 3, 2019 20:00:02 GMT -5
Posts: 754
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Post by jking1979 on Jun 4, 2020 21:56:55 GMT -5
Ray Traylor reminded me of the 90s version of Dusty Rhodes when he was in a feud with the Four Horsemen. He could talk and move well for a big guy. I liked his feud with NWO and think they could have done more with it. I also enjoyed his work as Big Bossman in WWE.
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Post by LA Times on Jun 4, 2020 22:23:40 GMT -5
I was a big fan as a kid when he turned face and I even liked him when he was The Boss, Guardian Angel and Big Bubba in WCW. But Corporate Bossman was involved in some of the worst storylines ever and I would never buy an action figure of him in that attire.
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Post by The Brain on Jun 4, 2020 22:33:31 GMT -5
I've always been a Ray Traylor fan.His Hard Times theme is one of my all time favs.
Definitely on my list of fav big men of all time.
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jking1979
Superstar
Joined on: Oct 3, 2019 20:00:02 GMT -5
Posts: 754
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Post by jking1979 on Jun 4, 2020 23:44:17 GMT -5
It would have been interesting to see him as a major player in WCW's feud with NWO. He knew what it was like to be on the other side.
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jking1979
Superstar
Joined on: Oct 3, 2019 20:00:02 GMT -5
Posts: 754
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Post by jking1979 on Jun 5, 2020 0:15:54 GMT -5
I just got done watching a match between him and Barry Darsow. He actually won a match on WCW Thunder.
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Jun 5, 2020 0:44:23 GMT -5
Dusty Rhodes was a huge fan of Ray dating back to the mid 80s, so it wouldn't shock me too much if the Ray Traylor gimmick of being a common man for the people wasn't for real. I could see Dusty having him do that. But he opted to leave for that WWE money in 1998 but I don't blame him. He was put right into the main event with Austin and McMahon. That's a huge difference from feuding with Vincent, Brian Adams and Konnan of the NWO.
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nibs92
Main Eventer
Joined on: May 29, 2008 5:47:21 GMT -5
Posts: 2,354
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Post by nibs92 on Jun 5, 2020 2:17:56 GMT -5
The only time I was a fan of his was as half of the Twin Towers.
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jking1979
Superstar
Joined on: Oct 3, 2019 20:00:02 GMT -5
Posts: 754
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Post by jking1979 on Jun 5, 2020 4:48:03 GMT -5
He was great as the bodyguard for Jim Cornette and Midnight Express. I just got done watching some old matches from the 90s. The guy could move like a cat and always made his opponents look good. Curt Hennig was one of his close friends in the business.
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Post by Grumpyoldman on Jun 5, 2020 7:14:36 GMT -5
His rookie matches are fun to watch. I'm talking old Mid-Atlantic era. Especially his match against Tully Blanchard. Tully even gave him the slingshot duplex! It seems like he went from greenhorn right to Big Bubba Rogers. Very agile for a man his size.
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barnwhipple
Jobber
Joined on: Jun 5, 2020 7:50:01 GMT -5
Posts: 4
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Post by barnwhipple on Jun 5, 2020 8:42:28 GMT -5
I met Ray Traylor in the late 90s. We were both staying at the same hotel in Indianapolis. I introduced myself & called him Ray. He was polite but shy & softspoken. Later on I found he was very old school & into kayfabe. So that probably explained why he didn't say much to me. He was awesome in the ring.
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jking1979
Superstar
Joined on: Oct 3, 2019 20:00:02 GMT -5
Posts: 754
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Post by jking1979 on Jun 5, 2020 16:49:29 GMT -5
He was a correctional officer before wrestling. I didn't like his stuff with The Corporation. It seems like my earliest memory of him was the feud with Dusty Rhodes and the scaffold match where he was dared to climb up and fight.
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Road Warrior Shark
Mid-Carder
I will do better
Joined on: Sept 20, 2019 14:28:02 GMT -5
Posts: 190
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Post by Road Warrior Shark on Jun 5, 2020 17:05:38 GMT -5
His rookie matches are fun to watch. I'm talking old Mid-Atlantic era. Especially his match against Tully Blanchard. Tully even gave him the slingshot duplex! It seems like he went from greenhorn right to Big Bubba Rogers. Very agile for a man his size. He pretty much did. Story goes that Dusty saw that spot, immediately took him off TV for a bit so fans wouldn't remember him as the job guy he was at the time, and then repackaged him as Big Bubba Rogers. IIRC he had singles runs in Central States and the UWF once Crockett got involved in those territories to get him some ring experience |
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jking1979
Superstar
Joined on: Oct 3, 2019 20:00:02 GMT -5
Posts: 754
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Post by jking1979 on Jun 5, 2020 17:15:13 GMT -5
I wish he stayed in WCW and they put him on the side of Sting, Lex Luger and DDP to fight the NWO.
Hollywood Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash & Randy Savage
vs
Sting, Lex Luger, DDP & Ray Traylor
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jason1980s
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 30, 2009 14:58:56 GMT -5
Posts: 2,335
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Post by jason1980s on Jun 5, 2020 19:24:53 GMT -5
Once he joined the dungeon of doom it seemed sadly downhill for him in WCW. The dungeon no pun intended usually did spell "doom" for a wrestler's fame and popularity in WCW. If he had done the biker gimmick on his own it would have been much more enjoyable I think but I think it also hurt him that he went through 4 gimmicks in less than 3 years. It's also sad that his last major run was seen so poorly by fans. Bossman was a huge name in the early 90s and one of the top fan favorites and deservedly so.
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Post by The Sexy Psychotic on Jun 6, 2020 4:01:02 GMT -5
Boss Man was the first sight of wrestling I saw and since he's been my favourite ever.
I grew up with Corporate Boss Man and I was hooked, everything about that character was cool af to me! As time went sure I gravitated to Austin but Boss Man was always the guy for me and always will be tbh.
He had some fantastic matches on Raw in 99 especially, sure his feuds were rocky at times but the matches themselves always did what they were supposed to do.
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theafricandream
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Jan 15, 2014 15:56:38 GMT -5
Posts: 265 
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Post by theafricandream on Jun 6, 2020 7:28:01 GMT -5
There was no salvaging Traylor in WCW once he had the stink of the Dungeon on him and the losses vastly started to outnumber the wins. He wouldn’t have worked as a legitimate foil to the NWO at that point. I’m glad he got one more run as the Bossman so he could end his career on a higher note.
Speaking of great big men that were made a jokes in WCW, John Tenta always comes to mind.
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Post by Nivro™ on Jun 6, 2020 8:46:38 GMT -5
IMO his career was over once Vince filed the lawsuit and made WCW strip him of The Boss look. He was never getting past lower mid card ever again.
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Post by JC Motors on Jun 6, 2020 17:04:54 GMT -5
Big Boss Man is one of my all time favorite wrestlers
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