The Life and Career of The Big Boss Man

Ray Washington Traylor Jr, better known to the fans of professional wrestling as Big Boss Man was born May 2, 1963. Ironically, he was a corrections officer in Cobb County Georgia before debuting for Jim Crockett Promotions in 1986. Traylor had worked as enhancement talent under the name Ray Traylor for several weeks. After a match with Tully Blanchard in which Blanchard used his finisher, the slingshot suplex, on the 350 pound Ray Traylor, head booker Dusty Rhodes saw money in him because he was very agile for a big guy. Dusty took him off TV.

A few months later, Dusty brought him back in May of 1986 wearing a suit and tie with a black hat under the name Big Bubba Rogers. Jim Cornette, who was managing The Midnight Express (Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton), was embroiled in a heated feud with Dusty Rhodes and Magnum T.A. Cornette introduced Big Bubba Rogers as his bodyguard explaining that he was a friend of the family who had done work for his mother. Baby Doll also became involved in this feud as she was the corner woman for Rhodes and Magnum to combat Cornette. She had challenged Cornette to a fight and Rogers was there to protect Cornette not only from Rhodes and Magnum, but also Baby Doll.

In June of 1986, Big Bubba Rogers threw Baby Doll down on the mat. This brought out an angry Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes smashed a wooden chair over Rogers’ head with pieces of wood flying everywhere, but Bubba no-sold it to establish the toughness of this character. The feud between Jim Cornette and Baby continued to escalate throughout the summer of 1986 with Baby Doll challenging Jim Cornette to a match at the Great American Bash.

In July, The Midnight Express were defending their NWA World Tag Team Championship against The Road Warriors, managed by Paul Ellering. The Midnights were disqualified when Cornette used his tennis racquet. As Ellering chased Cornette around the ring, Baby Doll ran to ringside and punched Cornette in the back of his head. Cornette vowed to run Baby Doll out of wrestling. The feud between Dusty Rhodes and Big Bubba Rogers started to heat up later that month after Bubba viciously attacked Rhodes following a Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A. and Baby Doll vs Midnight Express and Jim Cornette match.

The Midnight Express with Jim Cornette then began an explosive war against The Road Warriors with Paul Ellering which led to a scaffold match between the two teams at Starrcade ‘86. The Road Warriors kicked Dennis Condroy and Bobby Eaton off the scaffold to win the match. Paul Ellering chased Jim Cornette up the scaffold. Cornette was supposed to fall into the waiting arms of Big Bubba, however, Bubba failed to catch him and Cornette blew out both knees. On the undercard, Big Bubba defeated Mid-Atlantic champion Ronnie Garvin in a non-title street fight.

In 1987, JJ Dillon hired the services of Big Bubba Rogers to take out Ole Anderson who had recently left the Four Horsemen. On April 10th at the Crockett Cup, Ole Anderson defeated Big Bubba in a last man standing steel cage match.

Jim Crockett bought the UWF from Bill Watts in April 1987. Crockett and Dusty Rhodes sent some talent, including Big Bubba, to the UWF after the purchase. One Man Gang was the UWF Champion managed by Skandar Akbar. Bubba was immediately put in a match with Gang. Akbar did not accompany Gang to ringside, and Bubba beat him in 10 minutes. It was later revealed it was Akbar that brought in Bubba to take out Gang. On July 11, 1987, Steve Williams defeated Bubba to win the UWF championship. By late January of 1988, Big Bubba Rogers left Jim Crockett Promotion for the WWF.

Ray Traylor debuted as Big Boss Man, managed by Slick, in May of 1988 billed as a corrections officer from Cobb County, GA. After defeating his opponents, he would handcuff his opponents to the ring ropes and hit him with his nightstick. Boss Man beat a lot of the mid-card talent throughout the summer leading him into a program with Hulk Hogan.

In October of 1988, Hulk Hogan appeared on the Brother Love Show. Hogan was interrupted by Big Boss Man and Slick. Boss Man attacked Hogan with his nightstick and handcuffed him to the guardrail to set up their series of matches at the house shows.

At Survivor Series 1988, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Koko B. Ware, Hillbilly Jim, and Hercules defeated Big Boss Man, Akeem, Ted Dibiase, Haku, and Red Rooster. The feud continued into 1989 as Hulk Hogan defeated Big Boss Man inside a steel cage on The Main Event that aired on February 5th.

Boss Man began teaming with Akeem and together they were known as The Twin Towers. Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage defeated Big Boss Man and Akeem on The Main Event on February 3, 1989 which saw Hogan and Savage split up their Mega Powers tag team. The Twin Towers defeated Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty at WrestleMania V.

Hulk Hogan defeated Big Boss Man inside a steel cage on Saturday Night’s Main Event that aired on May 27, 1989.

The Twin Towers began wrestling WWF Tag Team Champions Demolition at the house shows through June of 1989, but were unable to capture the gold.

In July of 1989, Boss Man entered into a feud with Dusty Rhodes. In an altercation between the two, Dusty managed to take away Boss Man’s nightstick and handcuffs. Dusty then enlisted Sapphire as his manager to combat Slick. This feud went all around the country for the next six months.

In early 1990, Jake Roberts stole Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Belt and put it in his snake bag. DiBiase paid Slick for Boss Man to get his belt back. Boss Man got the belt back, but refused to give it to DiBiase stating that he can’t be bought, which led to Boss Man turning babyface.

For the next several months, Big Boss Man became the special guest referee in matches between Jake Roberts and Ted DiBiase. Boss Man pinned Akeem at WrestleMania VI. Boss Man then fought DiBiase at the house shows through the end of August.

In the fall of 1990, Boss Man began feuding with Bobby Heenan after Heenan began insulting Boss Man’s mother on commentary. This led to Boss Man fighting various members of The Heenan Family such as Barbarian, Haku, and Heenan himself. The feud continued into 1991 with Boss Man defeating Heenan family member Mr. Perfect by disqualification at WrestleMania VII for Perfect’s Intercontinental Championship.

Boss Man then moved into a feud with The Mountie in April of 1991. Their feud took them all the way to SummerSlam where Boss Man defeated The Mountie in a Jailhouse match with the loser having to spend the night in jail.

Boss Man’s next house show run was with IRS, the former Mike Rotundo, which lasted until January 1992.

Boss Man continued to wrestle at all the house shows, but his next real feud wasn’t until June of 1992 with Nailz, an ex-convict claiming to be abused by Boss Man when he was his prison guard. Nailz is now out of jail and is out for revenge on Boss Man. Nailz attacked Boss Man, handcuffed him to the rope, and choked him and beat him with the nightstick. The feud ended with Boss Man beating Nailz in a nightstick on a pole match at Survivor Series.

Boss Man wrapped up his WWF run in March of 1993.

Ray Traylor had a brief run in All Japan under the name Big Bubba before signing with WCW. Traylor debuted for WCW in December wrestling under the name The Boss pinning WCW International Champion Rick Rude in a non-title match. He lost a rematch at Starrcade ‘93. With threats of a lawsuit from WWF that The Boss is too close to The Big Boss Man name, WCW gave him the gimmick of The Guardian Angel. He feuded with Vader for most of 1994.

In 1995, Ray Traylor turned heel and once again became known as Big Bubba Rogers. He began a feud with Sting and defeated him in March at Uncensored. Bubba and Avalanche (the former Earthquake in WWF) feuded with Sting and Randy Savage in a losing effort. Bubba spent the rest of the year in a mid-card house show feud with Jim Duggan.

1996 saw Big Bubba Rogers join the Dungeon of Doom, managed by Kevin Sullivan. By the end of the year, he turned on the Dungeon and joined the NWO. His time in the NWO didn’t last long as the NWO attacked him in early 1997 as they used him as an example that they will turn on anybody.

He was off TV until returning in September of that year under his real name of Ray Traylor without much of a push. Traylor was released in March of 1998.

In October 1998, Ray Traylor returned to WWE once again under the ring name of Big Boss Man. His attire was different than before as now he was in an all black SWAT-style uniform wearing a bulletproof vest and gloves. He served as Vince McMahon’s bodyguard when McMahon’s formed The Corporation to feud with Steve Austin.

On the December 14, 1998 edition of RAW, Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock won the WWF Tag Team Championships from The New Age Outlaws. They would lose to Jeff Jarrett and Owen Hart on the January 25, 1999 edition of RAW.

At WrestleMania XV, The Undertaker defeated Big Boss Man and hanged him from the roof of the cage.

In one of the worst storylines in 1999, Big Boss Man began a feud with Al Snow. Boss Man kidnapped Al Snow’s dog, Pepper. Boss Man would feed Snow a plate of meat which allegedly was Pepper. This led to a Kennel from Hell match. The ring would be surrounded by attack dogs and the winner would be the one to escape the cage which saw Snow emerged victorious.

By the end of 1999, Big Boss Man entered into a feud with WWF Champion the Big Show. Big Boss Man showed up at the funeral for Big Show’s father, chained the casket to the back of his car, and drove off. Big Show got his revenge by defeating Big Boss Man at Unforgiven.

Boss Man was basically off the main WWF television shows between 2000-2002 before being released in 2003.

Ray Traylor died a year later from a heart attack on September 22, 2004 at his home. Traylor was only 41 years old.

Traylor was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 with his wife and daughter on stage to accept his award.