RIP Allen Coage (AKA Bad News Brown)

I just happened upon the news that 2 months ago, Allen Coage passed away. Back in the day, around 20 years ago, I knew him as the wrestler Bad News Brown in the WWF (now WWE, of course). He was also known as Bad News Allen. I'm really only familar with his work in the WWF, but back in that era, he was one of my favorite wrestlers. He had a no-bullshit attitude, and you knew that it wasn't just an act. His whole persona, to me, just kicked ass, and IMO, was sort of an early, early prototype for wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin. He had no friends. He would just come out to the ring and even before the introductions were made or the bell rung, he'd just start whaling on his opponent's ass. You didn't really see that back then and it was refreshing since most of the heels (wrestling lingo for "bad guy") back then were cowardly.

My favorite BNB moment was at Wrestlemania IV when there was a battle royal. Him and Bret "The Hitman" Hart won, or so "The Hitman" thought. Being that they were both heels, you'd think they were comrades. They're holding the trophy up, and then Bad News just gets behind Hart and gives him his finishing move, the Ghetto Blaster. Then Bad News throws him out of the ring and takes the trophy for himself.

Allen Coage was 63 years old, and he'll be missed. Saturday Night's Main Event will be on at 11:30. It really takes me back, I remember as a young kid, SNME was on once a month and I'd stay up late for it. My mom was really cool about that, she never got in the way of me watching wrestling. I know it won't be the same. Something like that really was an event back then, you had around the same amount of wrestling on television each week, but it mostly consisted of a mid-carder beating down on a jobber (a guy who loses nearly every match). Plus, there were only a few pay-per views a year. So when SNME aired once a month, with big matches with all the superstars, it was a big deal. Now, you have a roster packed with big, respectable names, and they're all on Raw and Smackdown. Plus, there's a PPV every month, sometimes more than one. So wrestling fans have been spoiled compared to how it used to be; I'm speaking for WWF/E fans only, BTW. I didn't really get to watch NWA or AWA back in the day.