| Junkyard Dog |
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| Junkyard Dog
Height: 6 foot 3 Weight: 280 lbs. Real name: Sylvester Ritter Hometown: Charlotte, NC Finishing move: Powerslam (Thump) Pro debut: 1978 (WWE debut: 1984) Other aliases: Leroy Rochester, "Big Daddy" Ritter, JYD, Stagger Lee Career highlights: WCW World Six-Man Tag-Team Champion (w/Ricky Morton & Tommy Rich), Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Champion (3), Mid-South Tag-Team Champion (8), Mid-South North American Heavyweight Champion (4), USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champion, Calgary Stampede North American Heavyweight Champion (2), Mid-American Tag Team Champion (w/Gypsy Joe) Trained by: Sonny King WWE.com: There may never have been a smoother or more successful transition from the gridiron to the ring than that of the late Sylvester Ritter. The near 300-pound ruffian was an All-American football standout from North Carolina's Fayetteville State University before trading in his helmet and shoulder pads for a pair of wrestling trunks and becoming the Junkyard Dog. Despite his massive frame, JYD was abnormally quick on his feet and extremely durable. He seemed impervious to pain. Throughout the early '80s, the Dog was the biggest star in the Mid-South Wrestling territory. When he arrived in WWE in 1984, his popularity hit an all-time peak, rivaling only that of Hogan at the time. Although he never won a title in WWE, JYD was a consistent top contender and a force to be reckoned with. He challenged Intercontinental Champion and fellow 2004 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Greg “The Hammer” Valentine at the first WrestleMania. In late 1985, he defeated "Macho Man" Randy Savage in the finals of a King of the Ring-style tournament known as the Wrestling Classic. At WrestleMania III, he battled another fellow 2004 inductee, “The King” Harley Race. |