Allen Coage facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allen Coage
Coage in the 1980s
Birth name	Allen James Coage
Born	(1943-10-22)October 22, 1943 New York City, New York, United States
Died	March 6, 2007(2007-03-06) (aged 63) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Cause of death	Heart attack
Alma mater	Nihon University
Spouse(s)	Helen Coage (1983–2007; his death)
Children	9
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Allen Coage Bad News Bad News Allen Bad News Brown B.L. Brown Buffalo Allen
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Billed weight	271 lb (123 kg)
Billed from	Harlem, New York Tokyo, Japan (WWWF 1978-79)
Trained by	Antonio Inoki
Debut	October 23, 1977
Retired	May 20, 1999

Allen James Coage (born October 22, 1943 – died March 6, 2007) was an American athlete. He was famous for two things: being a skilled judoka (a judo expert) and a well-known professional wrestler. He won several medals for the United States in judo, including a bronze medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Later, he became a professional wrestler, known by his ring names Bad News Brown and Bad News Allen. He wrestled in big promotions like the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE).

Early Life and Start in Judo

Allen Coage was born in Harlem, New York City. He grew up in Queens. When he was 15, he saw a poster for a judo class on the subway. This inspired him to start training in judo.

He began his judo career in 1964. Even though he started a bit later than some, he quickly became very good. He earned his black belt in just two and a half years!

Judo Achievements

Coage was a top judoka in the United States. He won the Amateur Athletic Union judo championship many times. He also won gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1967 and 1975.

In 1970, Coage moved to Japan for two years to study judo even more. He trained at Nihon University. In 1972, he had a serious knee injury. This stopped him from competing in the 1972 Summer Olympics.

After recovering, Coage trained hard for the 1976 Summer Olympics. He faced some challenges to join the U.S. team. But he eventually made it and won a bronze medal! This was a big moment. He was the first African American to win a solo Olympic medal in a sport other than boxing or track and field.

After the 1976 Olympics, Coage stopped competing in judo. He felt frustrated with some of the politics in the sport. He then tried different jobs, including being a bodyguard for singer Aretha Franklin. Later, he decided to become a professional wrestler.

Professional Wrestling Career

Starting Out in Japan and WWF

Allen Coage began training as a professional wrestler in Japan in 1977. He learned from a famous wrestler named Antonio Inoki. He first wrestled under his real name, then as "Buffalo Allen." He wrestled on and off in Japan for many years.

He also made a few appearances in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1978 and 1979.

Becoming "Bad News Allen" in Stampede Wrestling

Coage in 1988

In 1982, Allen found a wrestling home in Stampede Wrestling. This promotion was based in Calgary, Canada, where he lived. He became known as "Bad News Allen." He wrestled against famous names like the Dynamite Kid and Bret Hart. He was known for being a tough and serious wrestler.

Rising to Fame as "Bad News Brown" in WWF

Bad News Brown in the late 1980s

In 1988, Allen returned to the World Wrestling Federation as "Bad News Brown." This is when he became most famous. His main characteristic was that he never smiled. He always looked angry or laughed loudly at others' problems.

Unlike most wrestlers who formed teams, Bad News Brown was a loner. He didn't like other wrestlers, even those on his own team. He often left his teammates during matches.

Some of his memorable moments include:

• Winning a big battle royal at WrestleMania IV.
• Having matches against top stars like Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
• Starting a big rivalry with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Their match at WrestleMania VI ended in a double count-out, meaning neither man won.

Bad News Brown eventually left the WWF in 1990. He felt that promises made to him were not kept, especially regarding becoming a champion.

Allen Coage was known for his real-life toughness. Once, on a bus in Japan, he had a disagreement with André the Giant. Coage stood up for himself after André made an unkind remark. André later apologized.

Later Career and Retirement

After leaving WWF, Coage continued to wrestle for several more years. He wrestled in different promotions, including in Japan and South Africa. He retired from wrestling in 1999 because of knee problems.

After retiring, he lived in Calgary with his wife. He also taught wrestling to new students.

Personal Life

Allen Coage was married and had several children. He was working on a book about his wrestling career before he passed away.

Death

Allen Coage died on March 6, 2007, at the age of 63. He passed away from a heart attack in Calgary, Canada.

Championships and Accomplishments

Judo

• Amateur Athletic Union
  • Grand Champion (1970)
  • Heavyweight Champion (1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975)
• Black Belt
  • Hall of Fame
• Olympic Games
  • 1976 Bronze medalist, Heavyweight
• Pan American Games
  • 1967 Gold medalist, Heavyweight
  • 1975 Gold medalist, Heavyweight

Professional wrestling

• Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2007
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Bahamian Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (1 time)
• International Wrestling Alliance
  • IWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA Hollywood Wrestling
  • NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Leroy Brown (1) and Victor Rivera (2)
• NWA Polynesian Wrestling
  • NWA Polynesian Pacific Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #187 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
• West Coast Championship Wrestling
  • WCCW Unified Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Other titles
  • ICW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

See also

In Spanish: Allen Coage para niños