James Ware
Acting
Born 1957-06-20
Union City, Tennessee, USA
57 credits
Read biography
James Ware, better known by his ring name "The Birdman" 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.
He is one of only three wrestlers to sport 'WWF' on his trunks.
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Filmography
Raw
WWF Superstars
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
WWF Wrestling Challenge
USWA Championship Wrestling
Mid-South Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
WWE Old School
Biography: WWE Legends
WWE Hall of Fame
WWE WrestleFest '91
Power Pro Wrestling
WWE U.K. PPV
The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment
Beyond the Mat
AWF Warriors of Wrestling
WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers
WWE SuperTape: Volume 4
The Sheik
JCW Legends and Icons
WWE Survivor Series 1990
WWE WrestleMania III
WWE WrestleMania VI
The First Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
WWE SummerSlam 1989
WWE Survivor Series 1988
WWE World Tour 1992
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
WWE Royal Rumble 1993
WWE SummerSlam 1988
The Wrestling Album II: Piledriver
WWE Royal Rumble 1990
WWE Survivor Series 1992
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
WWE Bashed in the USA
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
The Brains Behind the Brawn
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: January '87
WWE WrestleFest '93
WWE Hall Of Fame 2009
WWE Wrestling Grudge Matches
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: January '87
WWE Houston Wrestling: November '87
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: December '88
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '88
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: October '88
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
Fan Favorites
World Wrestling Legends: 6:05 - The Reunion
WCCW Cotton Bowl Extravaganza '84
WCCW Thanksgiving Star Wars '84
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