Online World of Wrestling is pleased to welcome the Junkyard Dog into its Hall of Fame!
Courtesy in parts of Wikipedia.com:
Sylvester Ritter, a.k.a. the Junkyard Dog, is best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. JYD regularly headlined cards that sold out the Louisiana Superdome and other major venues, becoming the first black wrestler to be the top star of his promotion. Entering the ring with a big chain and Queen‘s “Another One Bites the Dust,” JYD was one of the most charismatic wrestlers in the country during his peak in the early 1980s. JYD came to the WWF and worked big programs with the One Man Gang, Kamala, Terry Funk, and King Kong Bundy. He appeared on the very first WrestleMania, challenging Greg Valentine for the Intercontinental title. The word “thump,” which referred to JYD’s power slam, was also displayed on his wrestling trunks.
OWW’s editor-in-chief David Buckler wrote this tribute to JYD:
I attended my first “live” wrestling show in October 1985 at the old Hershey Park Arena. It was a WWF taping of “Saturday Night’s MAIN EVENT” and featured a colossal tag team match between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant as they locked up with Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy! Most people were there to see Hogan, the federation’s top star, but I was excited to see one of my personal favorites, the Junkyard Dog, take on that nasty Texan “Terrible” Terry Funk! Thanks to Jimmy Hart’s megaphone Funk got the victory that night. I was heart-broken until JYD pinned Jimmy to the canvas, pulled down his pants, and branded him right in the middle of the ring with Funk’s own branding iron! Hershey went crazy and I remember feeling that “good does overcome evil” after all! I was only 12 at the time, but the feeling stuck with me and JYD is a big reason I am a life-long wrestling fan. Not to mention his legendary song “Grab Them Cakes” off the first WWF Wrestling Album…a true classic!
Read more about JYD’s great career here!