Image of James Ware

James Ware

better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler who made his professional wrestling debut in 1978. He gained most of his popularity in the World Wrestling Federation when he was known as the Birdman. Ware came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw parrot named Frankie, and would flap his arms like a bird while dancing before and after his matches. Before joining the WWF, Ware worked as a part of several tag teams, first with Bobby Eaton in Memphis and then later on with Norvell Austin as one half of the The P.Y.T. Express in several promotions. It was not until late in 1980 that Koko’s fortune changed when he participated in a battle royal to crown the first ever Mid-American Television Champion. The crowd favorite was Jimmy Valiant, who Koko accidentally knocked into Danny Davis and eliminated Valiant. Moments later, Koko dumped Davis to the floor and won his first title. After the match, Jimmy Valiant returned to the ring and beat Koko down. Koko’s feud with Jimmy Valiant was quickly expanded to include the heel Tojo Yamamoto and Koko ally Tommy Rich. When Dutch Mantel returned to the CWA in early 1981 he quickly defeated Koko for the TV title making Koko’s first run with the gold a short one. Koko floundered until September 1981 when he was chosen to referee a Southern Heavyweight Championship title match between Jerry Lawler and “The Dream Machine". Ware unfairly counted Lawler out to give the Dream Machine the victory, a decision that did not sit well with Lawler nor the fans in Memphis. Koko quickly aligned himself with manager Jimmy Hart and his First Family and changed his name to Sweet Brown Sugar. Sugar never got the best of Lawler but did taste tag-team success alongside Steve Keirn and then with Bobby Eaton. Eaton & Sugar won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship. On June 8, 2008, Koko made a special appearance at TNA's Slammiversary as a groomsman in the wedding for "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal and So Cal Val, along with George "The Animal" Steele, Kamala the Ugandan Giant, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. On April 4, 2009, Koko was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by The Honky Tonk Man. On September 5, 2009 Ware's wife died after a battle with cancer. On February 15, 2011 Koko made an appearance on Tosh.0.


Read bio at tmdb | Read bio at Wikipedia
Born:
Jun 20, 1957 In Union City, TN
Movie/TV Credits:
46
First Appeared:
In the movie WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '84 1984-10-24
Latest Project:
Movie Biography: Booker T 2021-05-09
Known For
Poster of WWE Royal Rumble 1991
Poster of WWE U.K. PPV
Poster of WWE Survivor Series 1988
Filmography
Movie Biography: Booker T (archive footage) 2021-05-09
Movie The Sheik 2014-04-26
Movie Legends of Mid-South Wrestling Koko B. Ware 2013-09-10
Movie The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment Koko B Ware 2013-11-18
Movie The True Story of WrestleMania Koko B.Ware (archive footage) 2011-03-13
Movie JCW Legends and Icons 2011-12-08
Movie An Organization of Dreams 007 2009-01-02
Movie WWE Hall Of Fame 2009 Koko B. Ware 2009-04-04
Movie World Wrestling Legends: 6:05 - The Reunion Koko B. Ware 2005-04-29
Series AWF Warriors of Wrestling Koko B. Ware 1995-03-06
Series WWE Raw Koko B. Ware 1993-01-11
Movie WWE Royal Rumble 1993 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1993-01-24
Movie WWF Bashed in the USA "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1993-06-23
Movie WWF: WrestleFest '93 Koko B. Ware 1993-03-20
Movie WWE Wrestling Grudge Matches "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1993-03-01
Movie WWE Survivor Series 1992 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1992-11-25
Movie WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1991-03-17
Movie WWE Royal Rumble 1991 Koko B. Ware 1991-01-19
Movie WWE SuperTape vol. 4 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1991-05-23
Movie WWE WrestleMania VII Koko B. Ware 1991-03-24
Movie WWE WrestleFest '91 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1991-07-25
Movie WWE Royal Rumble 1990 Koko B. Ware 1990-01-21
Movie WWE WrestleMania VI "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1990-04-01
Movie WWE Survivor Series 1990 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1990-11-22
Movie WWE Royal Rumble 1989 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1989-01-15
Movie Fan Favorites Koko B. Ware 1989-08-09
Movie WWE U.K. PPV "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1989-10-10
Movie WWE SummerSlam 1989 Koko B. Ware 1989-08-28
Movie WWE SummerSlam 1988 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1988-08-29
Movie WWE WrestleMania IV "Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1988-03-27
Movie WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1988-09-18
Movie WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1988-04-24
Movie WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: October '88 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1988-10-09
Movie WWE Survivor Series 1988 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1988-11-24
Movie WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: December '88 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1988-12-17
Movie WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '88 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1988-11-06
Movie WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: January '87 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1987-01-11
Movie WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: January '87 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1987-01-05
Movie WWE WrestleMania III "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1987-03-29
Movie The Best of the WWF: volume 13 Koko B. Ware 1987-10-28
Movie The Wrestling Album II: Piledriver Koko B. Ware 1987-09-21
Movie The Best of the WWF: volume 14 Koko B. Ware 1987-12-15
Movie WWE Houston Wrestling: November '87 "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware 1987-11-06
Movie The First Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Koko B. Ware 1986-04-19
Movie WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '84 Koko Ware 1984-10-24
Movie WCCW Thanksgiving Star Wars '84 Koko Ware 1984-11-22