Allen Coage

{{short description|American-Canadian judoka and professional wrestler (1943–2007)}} {{Redirect|Bad News Brown|the musician|Bad News Brown (musician)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox professional wrestler | name = Allen Coage | image = Bad News Brown entrance (cropped).jpg | caption = Coage in 1989 | birth_name = Allen James Coage | alma_mater = Nihon University<ref name="Jan1969"/> | names = Allen Coage<ref name="OWOW">{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bad-news-allen.html|title=Bad News Allen Profile|access-date=February 14, 2011|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling|archive-date=May 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524133816/http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bad-news-allen.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Bad News<ref name="OWOW"/> Bad News Allen<ref name="Oliver"/> Bad News Brown<ref name="Oliver"/> B.L. Brown Buffalo Allen<ref name="Canoe"/> | height = 6 ft 2 in<ref name="WWEBio"/> | weight = 271 lb<ref name="WWEBio"/> | birth_date = {{birth date|1943|10|22}}<ref name="OWOW"/><ref name="OliverJohnson2007"/> | birth_place = New York City, U.S.<ref name="OliverJohnson2007"/> | death_date = {{death date and age|2007|3|6|1943|10|22}}<ref name="Oliver"/> | death_place = Calgary, Alberta, Canada<ref name="Oliver"/> | death_cause = Heart attack | billed = Harlem, New York<ref name="WWEBio"/> Tokyo, Japan (WWWF 1978–79) | trainer = Antonio Inoki<ref name="Canoe"/> Kotetsu Yamamoto<ref>https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=528&gimmick=Bad+News+Brown</ref> | debut = October 25, 1977 | retired = May 10, 1999<ref>https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=194586</ref> | spouse = Helen Coage (1983–2007; his death)<ref name="Canoe"/><ref name="Russo"/> | children = 9<ref name="Canoe"/><ref name="Russo"/> | module = {{Infobox judoka | embed = yes | weight_class = +93 kg | rank_ref = <ref name="Jan1969"/> | dan = 3  | olympics_rank = 3 | olympics_year = 1976 | olympics_weight = Men's +93 kg | worlds_rank = 7 | worlds_year = 1975 | worlds_weight =  | regionals_type = AM | regionals_rank = 1 | regionals_year = 1968 | regionals_weight =  | nationals =  | show-medals = | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport| Men's judo }} {{Medal|Country| {{USA}} }} {{Medal|Competition| Olympic Games }} {{Medal|B| 1976 Montreal | +93 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| Pan American Games }} {{Medal|G| 1967 Winnipeg | +93 kg }} {{Medal|G| 1975 Mexico City | +93 kg }} {{Medal|Competition| Pan American Championships }} {{Medal|G| 1968 San Juan | +93 kg }} }} }}

'''Allen James Coage''' (October 22, 1943 – March 6, 2007) was an American judoka and professional wrestler.<ref name="Canoe"/> He won medals for the United States at several international judo competitions, including the heavyweight bronze medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics,<ref>{{cite Sports-Reference}}</ref> and later appeared in professional wrestling promotions such as the World Wrestling Federation, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Stampede Wrestling under the ring names '''Bad News Brown''', '''Buffalo Allen''', and '''Bad News Allen'''.<ref name="Canoe">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/SlamWrestlingBios/coage.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160118204721/http://slam.canoe.com/SlamWrestlingBios/coage.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 18, 2016|title=SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Bad News Allen|publisher=Quebecor Media|work=Canoe.ca|access-date=May 1, 2016}}</ref><ref name="WWEBio">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/superstars/bad-news-brown|title=Bad News Brown|publisher=WWE|work=WWE.com|access-date=May 1, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Jan1978"/>

==Early life== Coage was born in Harlem, New York City and raised in St. Albans, Queens, attending Thomas A. Edison High School.<ref name="Jan1969"/><ref name="OliverJohnson2007">{{cite book|author1=Greg Oliver|author2=Steven Johnson|title=The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H-6DoPuiRkEC&pg=PA319|year=2007|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-284-2|pages=319}}</ref> After graduating in 1962, Coage began working in a bakery, eventually becoming a foreman.<ref name="Jan1969"/>

==Judo career== Coage began training in judo under Jerome Mackey after seeing a poster for Mackey's dojo on the New York City Subway, at the age of 15. He began his career in 1964 at the relatively late age of 22. After seven months as a white belt, he placed first in the Chicago Invitational tournament. Coage achieved a black belt in two and a half years and after five years was named a sandan.<ref name="Jan1969"/> Coage practised a "classical" style,<ref name="Jan1978"/> with his favored throws being the Ōuchi gari and the Tai otoshi.<ref name="Jan1969"/> Coage also studied judo and Tomiki Aikido under Kastuo Watanabe who awarded him shodan in the latter.<ref name="Inc.1969">{{cite book|author=D. David Dries|title=Black Belt|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qM4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21|date=March 1969|publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc.|pages=21}}</ref>

Coage won the Amateur Athletic Union judo championship (heavyweight class) in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1975, as well as winning the open division in 1970. He also competed in the Pan American Games, winning gold medals in the heavyweight class in 1967 and 1975.

In 1970, Coage relocated to Japan for two years, where he studied at Nihon University, majoring and minoring in judo.<ref name="Jan1969">{{cite journal|author=Active Interest Media, Inc.|title=Black Belt|journal=Black Belt. Buyer's Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ls4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA50|date=January 1969|publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc.|pages=50–53|issn=0277-3066}}</ref><ref name="Sep1970">{{cite journal|author=Active Interest Media, Inc.|title=Black Belt|journal=Black Belt. Buyer's Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k84DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA53|date=September 1970|publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc.|pages=53|issn=0277-3066}}</ref><ref name="Nov1970">{{cite journal|author=Active Interest Media, Inc.|title=Black Belt|journal=Black Belt. Buyer's Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p84DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12|date=November 1970|publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc.|pages=12|issn=0277-3066}}</ref> In 1972, Coage suffered a severe knee injury during an Olympic Trials bout with Jimmy Wooley, rendering him unable to compete in the 1972 Summer Olympics.<ref name="Jan1978"/>

Upon recovering, Coage began training for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Coage was initially excluded from the United States judo team until a class action lawsuit was filed against the United States Olympic Committee by the United States Judo Association. Coage ultimately won a bronze medal.<ref name="Jan1978">{{cite journal|author=Active Interest Media, Inc.|title=Black Belt|journal=Black Belt. Buyer's Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GtQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21|date=January 1978|publisher=Active Interest Media, Inc.|pages=21–22|issn=0277-3066}}</ref> His victory made him the first African American to win a solo Olympic Games medal in a sport other than boxing or track and field.

Coage retired from competitive judo following the 1976 Summer Olympics because of frustrations with internal politics.<ref name="Russo"/> He went on to hold a number of other jobs, including briefly working as a bodyguard for singer Aretha Franklin, before deciding to train as a professional wrestler.<ref name="Hickok1995">{{cite book|author=Ralph Hickok|title=A who's who of sports champions: their stories and records|url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofsportsc00hick_0|url-access=registration|date=May 22, 1995|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Co.|isbn=978-0-395-68195-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoofsportsc00hick_0/page/147 147]}}</ref>

==Professional wrestling career==

===New Japan Pro Wrestling (1977–1988, 1990–1992)=== Coage began training as a professional wrestler under Antonio Inoki in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling dojo in 1977.<ref name="Canoe"/> He debuted in October 1977, briefly performing under his birth name before adopting the ring name "Buffalo Allen". Coage wrestled intermittently for NJPW over the next 15 years.<ref name="Canoe"/>

===World Wide Wrestling Federation (1978–1979)=== Coage made a one-off appearance in the World Wide Wrestling Federation in February 1978, defeating jobber Frank Williams at a live event under his birth name. He returned to the promotion in January 1979 and wrestled for the WWWF for the remainder of the year, appearing on several episodes of ''WWF Championship Wrestling''. Late in 1979, at Madison Square Garden, teaming with JoJo Andrews, Coage challenged for the NWA North American Tag Team Championship against Riki Choshu and Seiji Sakaguchi. Coage's team was unsuccessful when Andrews submitted to a Boston crab by Sakaguchi in a match that lasted just under 10 minutes.

===NWA Hollywood (1979–1981)=== Coage worked in Los Angeles for NWA Hollywood Wrestling where he won the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship twice with Víctor Rivera.

===Mexico (1980-1984)=== Coage would work in Mexico for Universal Wrestling Association.

===Stampede Wrestling (1982–1988)=== thumb|170px|Coage (top) vs Bret Hart (bottom), circa 1988

In 1982, Bad News Allen found a long-term home in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling, centered in Allen's adopted home city of Calgary. Allen remained with Stampede from 1982 until 1988, with some tours of Australia and Florida during that time, and had matches with wrestlers such as the Dynamite Kid and Bret Hart.

===Return to WWF (1988–1990)=== thumb|Bad News Brown in the late 1980s Allen returned to the World Wrestling Federation in early 1988 as Bad News Brown, and it was during this time that he achieved his greatest notoriety. His trademark characteristic as Bad News Brown was never smiling—either he kept an angry face, or he "laughed loud" at the expense of opponents' misfortunes. While the roster was mostly filled with ultra-virtuous babyfaces and cowardly and monster heels, Bad News was something entirely different: a tough loner. While other heels were likely to form alliances with one another, Bad News was reclusive. His dislike for all fellow wrestlers was clear when he abandoned his teams at the Survivor Series of 1988 and 1989. Some memorable moments from his WWF tenure included winning the battle royal at WrestleMania IV by last eliminating Bret Hart, who was then a heel, after a sneak attack.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Shields|first=Brian|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ktv7Nj2C9QUC&dq=Bad+News+Brown&pg=PA169|title=Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s|date=June 15, 2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4516-0467-2|language=en}}</ref> Followed by a brief feud with WWF World Heavyweight Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage and his manager Miss Elizabeth in late 1988 that led to more main-event matches. Around this time, Brown was worked into a story where he attacked WWF president Jack Tunney on ''The Brother Love Show'' after confronting him about being denied title matches.<ref>{{Cite book|last=DK|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YLXmDwAAQBAJ&dq=bad+news+brown+macho+man&pg=PT131|title=WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment New Edition|date=September 29, 2020|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-7440-3510-0|language=en}}</ref>

On the March 11, 1989 edition of ''Saturday Night's Main Event XX'' Bad News memorably took a microphone towards the end of his match with Hulk Hogan and told him that it was time for the ''Ghetto Blaster'' (an enzuigiri). As he was getting ready to execute it, however, Hogan got out of the way, leading him to miss the move and suffer an eventual loss.<ref name="DixonFurious2013">{{cite book|author1=James Dixon|author2=Arnold Furious|author3=Lee Maughan|title=Tagged Classics: Just The Reviews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cdqNBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA210|year=2013|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-291-42878-0|pages=210}}</ref>

Brown's next feud was with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (starting at the 1990 Royal Rumble when he was eliminated by Piper, then illegally eliminated Piper. This led to Brown being ridiculed which he would counter by calling Piper out for wearing a "skirt". This culminated at WrestleMania VI in a match where both men were counted out. Brown was initially planned to continue this feud with Piper, but since neither man would agree to lose to each other, their program was scrapped and instead Brown was assigned to work with Jake "The Snake" Roberts, where Bad News used a sewer (actually a possum) rat against Jake's snake.

Brown eventually left the WWF after SummerSlam 1990, claiming Vince McMahon failed to live up to his promise to make him the company's first black champion, which reportedly affected him and his wife.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Guttman|first=James|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFSvQaUVSIwC&dq=Bad+News+Brown&pg=PT47|title=World Wrestling Insanity Presents: Shoot First... Ask Questions Later|date=2008|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-328-3|language=en}}</ref>

As written in the autobiography of the Dynamite Kid, Coage's legitimate toughness was displayed in a confrontation involving André the Giant, who allegedly made a racist comment on a tour bus for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Keith|first=Scott|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jxtmnQGOgFkC&dq=Bad+News+Brown&pg=PA30|title=Dungeon of Death|date=2008|publisher=Citadel Press|isbn=978-0-8065-3068-0|language=en}}</ref> Coage overheard it and made the driver stop the bus, walked off and demanded the Giant get off and fight him one on one.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Snowden|first1=Jonathan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lzdXP08P1pkC&dq=Allen+Coage&pg=PT509|title=The MMA Encyclopedia|last2=Shields|first2=Kendall|date=November 2010|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55490-844-8|language=en}}</ref> André did not move from his seat and later apologized for the remark.<ref>{{cite book|last=Billington|first=Tom|title=Pure Dynamite: The Price You Pay for Wrestling Stardom|date=August 2001|publisher=Winding Stair Press|isbn=1553660846}}</ref>

===Later career (1990–1999)=== Coage continued to work in independent promotions for several more years, including Japan's shoot wrestling UWFi promotion and return to Mexico's Universal Wrestling Association. In 1994, he worked in South Africa and feuded with former Stampede wrestler Gama Singh. He also worked for Tokyo Pro Wrestling from 1997 to 1998 and worked in independent shows in Calgary and Western Canada.

Coage retired in 1999 due to knee damage. He continued occasionally working independent shows for friends while living in Calgary with his wife, and had considered starting a promotion himself. Additionally, he taught wrestling with Canadian wrestling coach Leo Jean, and worked as a mall security officer in Airdrie, Alberta.<ref name="Oliver"/>

==Personal life== Coage was married three times. With his first wife, Audrey, he had his eldest child, Tonya. Then Coage was in a long-term relationship with Lorriane, in which he had his eldest son, Bryan, and April, and two step children—Martin and Ronda. He had another relationship with Lottie, in which he had two more children, Michael and Nancy. Coage was then married for a second time to Katharine, in which he had Lynnette. During his last marriage until his death, Coage was married to Helen in which he had one son, Allen Jr. (AJ) and raised two step children, Dawn and Frances.<ref name="Canoe"/><ref name="Russo">{{cite web|url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2000-08-25/entertainment/0008250095_1_professional-wrestling-pro-wrestling-wrestling-federation|author=Russo, Ric|title=What ever happened to...Bad News Allen?|publisher=Tribune Publishing|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=August 25, 2000|access-date=May 1, 2016|archive-date=January 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126092506/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2000-08-25/entertainment/0008250095_1_professional-wrestling-pro-wrestling-wrestling-federation|url-status=dead}}</ref>

At one point, Rick Bognar and Coage ran a wrestling school out of Calgary, Alberta. He was working on a book about his career and other wrestling stories before his death.

==Death== Coage died of a heart attack on the morning of March 6, 2007, at Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary, minutes after being rushed there due to chest pain. Three weeks prior to his death, he had undergone hip replacement surgery.<ref name="Oliver">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2007/03/06/3704792.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20151021041218/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2007/03/06/3704792.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 21, 2015|title=Bad News Allen dies suddenly|author=Oliver, Greg|publisher=Quebecor Media|work=Canoe.ca|access-date=May 1, 2016}}</ref> His wife Helen Coage attended with some of Allen's children and grandchildren at the Bad News Allen Memorial Show.

==Championships and accomplishments==

===Judo=== * '''Amateur Athletic Union''' ** Grand Champion (1970) ** Heavyweight Champion (1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975) * '''''Black Belt''''' ** Hall of Fame<ref name="Russo"/> * '''Olympic Games''' ** 1976 Bronze medalist, Heavyweight<ref name="pain189">{{cite book|title=Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling|last=McCoy|first=Heath|page=189|publisher=ECW Press|year=2007|edition=Rev.|isbn=978-1-55022-787-1}}</ref> * '''Pan American Games''' ** 1967 Gold medalist, Heavyweight<ref name="pain189"/> ** 1975 Gold medalist, Heavyweight<ref name="pain189"/>

===Professional wrestling=== * '''Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame''' ** Class of 2007<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/hallofame.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180116101918/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/hallofame.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 16, 2018 |title=Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame |date =April 3, 2016|work=Slam! Wrestling|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer}}</ref> * '''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 time) and Víctor Rivera (2 times) * '''Polynesian Pacific Championship Wrestling''' ** NWA Polynesian Pacific Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/hi/poly/poly-h.html | title=NWA Polynesian Pacific Heavyweight Title (Hawaii) }}</ref> * '''''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) * '''WWE''' ** WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2026)<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 26, 2026 |title=Bad News Brown to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026 |url=https://www.wwe.com/article/bad-news-brown-to-be-inducted-into-the-wwe-hall-of-fame-class-of-2026 |access-date=March 26, 2026 |publisher=WWE}}</ref> * '''Other titles''' ** ICW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Sports links}}  * {{The-Sports}} * {{IMDb name}} * [http://findagrave.com/memorial/18418307/allen-james-coage findagrave]

{{WWE Hall of Fame}} {{Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship}} {{Footer Pan American Champions Judo Heavyweight Men}} {{Portal bar|Biography|Martial Arts|United States|Olympics}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coage, Allen}} Category:1943 births Category:2007 deaths Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers Category:21st-century African-American people Category:African-American professional wrestlers Category:American bakers Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Canada Category:American male judoka Category:American male professional wrestlers Category:Canadian male professional wrestlers Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:American expatriate professional wrestlers in Japan Category:Judoka at the 1967 Pan American Games Category:Judoka at the 1975 Pan American Games Category:Judoka at the 1976 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 1967 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 1975 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics Category:Nihon University alumni Category:NWA Americas Tag Team Champions Category:NWA Florida Heavyweight Champions Category:NWA Florida Bahamian Champions Category:NWA Southern Heavyweight Champions (Florida version) Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in judo Category:Olympic judoka for the United States Category:Professional wrestling announcers Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in judo Category:People from Harlem Category:Sportspeople from Queens, New York Category:Professional wrestlers from New York City Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni Category:Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Champions