WWE Hall of Fame 2016: Who is The Big Boss Man?

A look at the career of one of WWE’s newest Hall of Famers: Big Boss Man.

Ray Traylor Jr. was a man whose gimmick was successful because, like many other classic ones, was just his real life turned up to eleven. Traylor was a prison guard in Cobb County, Georgia when he got his start in Jim Crockett Promotions in 1986. He would wrestle as a prison guard, something he knew very well.

After wrestling for promotions through the south, Traylor made his way to the major leagues: the WWF.

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WWF

Traylor would be known as Big Boss Man in WWF. He was managed by the devious Slick and was a prison guard who would handcuff and beat his opponents after the match with a nightstick. He would team with Akeem to form the Twin Towers, a terrifying heel team that feuded with Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan.

Boss Man became a face in 1990 after turning on Ted DiBiase and eventually feuding with Akeem. He and his former partner collided at Wrestlemania VI, with Boss Man going over.

Boss Man would feud with different characters in the federation before taking on Nailz, a former prisoner who claimed that Boss Man beat him in prison. Nailz and Boss Man would feud throughout 1992, with Boss Man finally putting his opponent away at Survivor Series in a Nightstick on a Pole match.

Boss Man would not see another major feud during the remainder of his run in WWF. Instead, he would take his talents down south where he started.

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WCW

Traylor competed under a variety of names in WCW, including his real one. For the most part, he retained the same gimmick of a prison guard. Big Bubba Rogers was the name that stuck best for Traylor as he wrestled in Georgia.

After debuting as a face, Big Bubba would turn heel in 1995 and would join the Dungeon of Doom. In fact, Bubba would main event the first episode of Monday Nitro in September of 1995, battling Hulk Hogan in a losing effort.

After a stint in the N.W.O. (because who wasn’t in the N.W.O. at some point) Traylor would float around WCW before sitting out the remainder of his contract and heading back to the WWF.

WWF Round Two

Big Boss Man would return to WWF in 1998, this time as the bodyguard to Vince McMahon in his feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. He was no longer in his police uniform, and instead looked like a precursor to the Shield, complete with black vest and SWAT attire.

It was this run that saw Traylor get the most championship success in WWF. Big Bossman became a four-time Hardcore champion and a one-time tag team champion as a member of the Corporation with Ken Shamrock.

He would also be involved in some infamous matches and angles. He was part of the Hell in a Cell match at Wrestlemania XV against the Undertaker where he was hung from the cell after the match by the Brood. He was in the “Kennel from Hell” match against Al Snow, with dogs around a cage in a match that was not as terrifying as it was meant to be.

The two angles most associated with Boss Man were both pretty strange. The Kennel from Hell match came about after Boss Man fed Al Snow his own dog, Pepper after Bossman kidnapped the dog. Boss Man also feuded with Big Show over the WWF Championship and he went to the furthest extent to get into the head of Big Show. Boss Man would mock the giant over the death of his father and crash the funeral.

The man stole Big Show’s dad’s coffin. So it’s safe to say Boss Man was a pretty big heel during his WWF run.

Boss Man had a few more minor angles in WWF, including having a protege in Bull Buchanan and wrestling on C-level shows like Jakked. In 2002, he had his final match in WWE on Heat, and would be released in 2003.

Legacy

Traylor would pass away just a year after his release in July 2004. The big man died of a heart attack at the age of 41, leaving behind his wife of 15 years and his two daughters.

Boss Man is remembered fondly for his commitment to a character that was rooted in real life. Traylor was not acting, he truly was the Big Boss Man. He was a powerful wrestler and a talented big man who is often overlooked for his in-ring ability.

For his commitment to his gimmick, his in-ring talent and the longevity of his career between both WWF and WCW, Traylor will forever be enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame.

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What’s your favourite Big Boss Man memory? If you’ve never seen a Boss Man match, check out the Nightstick on a Pole match against Nailz or the Kennel from Hell match. Both are strange and delightful in their own ways.