Rufus R. Jones Explained

Rufus R. Jones
Names:Rufus R. Jones
Height:[1]
Birth Name:Carey L. Lloyd
Weight:273lb
Birth Date:4 July 1933
Birth Place:Clio, South Carolina, U.S.
Death Place:Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Billed:St. Louis, Missouri
Debut:1969
Retired:1988
Children:4, including Slick

Carey L. Lloyd (July 4, 1933 – November 13, 1993), also known by his ring name Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones, was an American professional wrestler. He competed in the Central States, St. Louis and Mid-Atlantic regional promotions of the National Wrestling Alliance as well as the American Wrestling Association and All Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1970s and 1980s.

Early life

Lloyd was born in Clio, South Carolina, and as a young boy, moved to a tenant home in Dillon.[2] He also worked as a carpenter and attended South Carolina State University, where he played on the football team. He also got involved with boxing and competed as a Golden Gloves boxer,[3] [4] amassing a 32–3 record.[5]

Professional wrestling career

Lloyd trained to become a wrestler at the Tony Santos Boston Wrestling School.[6] At the beginning of his career, he used the ring name Buster Lloyd, claiming to have learned how to fight on the corner of Lenox Avenue and 125th Street in Harlem.[7] In this gimmick, he wrestled in Texas and criticized the local wrestlers as being inferior fighters to someone who grew up on the streets. He feuded with Tiger Conway, Sr., who emerged as the victor in the feud.[7]

He made his professional wrestling debut in 1969, working in Eastern Canada for Grand Prix Wrestling in the Maritimes and International Wrestling in Montreal. In 1969, he wrestled in Japan for the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance. Lloyd later adopted the ring name of Rufus R. Jones, and was nicknamed "Freight Train", which was also the name of his finisher consisting of two shoulder blocks followed by a headbutt.[8] In interviews, he would tell opponents that his middle initial, R, stood for "guts". He formed a tag team with Burrhead Jones, who was billed as his cousin.[3]

Jones then moved to Missouri to work for Sam Muchnick in the St. Louis Wrestling Club.[3] He also competed for Heart of America Sports/Central States Wrestling. On September 10, 1970, he won his first championship by teaming with Danny Little Bear to win the Central States version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship.[9] [10] He won the belt three more times with different partners, including Steve Bolus, The Stomper and Bob Geigel.[9] [10] On February 5, 1976, Jones wrestled NWA World Heavyweight Champion Terry Funk to a one-hour draw in Winston, Salem, until beating him via disqualification on July 6. He did not win the world title, but instead won the NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship on November 30 from Greg Valentine.[11] He lost the title to Valentine on January 19, 1977, but regained it from him on February 11 until dropping the title on April 4 to Ric Flair.

Between 1972 and 1982, he worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling. He also had a short stint in Florida for Southeastern Championship Wrestling, winning the NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship.[12] Jones wrestled his final match in Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council (Capitol Sports Promotions), on September 10, 1988, at A Hot Night in Bayamon, where he and Jimmy Valiant defeated The Wild Samoans (Afa & Sika) by disqualification.[13]

Personal life

Carey Lloyd was married to Brooksie Jones Lloyd for thirty years. They had three daughters, Melaney, Crystal, and Kendall, as well as an adopted son, Kenneth Johnson, who worked for the World Wrestling Federation for many years as "The Doctor of Style" Slick. After Lloyd's retirement from wrestling, he worked with Bob Geigel in security at a dog-racing track in Kansas City, Kansas. He then opened a restaurant in 1991, named Rufus' Ringside Restaurant and Bar in Kansas City, Missouri.

On November 13, 1993, Lloyd died of a heart attack while hunting deer in Brunswick, Missouri; he was 60 years old.[14] He had a wide number of lodge members and fans at his funeral, and masonic rituals were performed at the viewing of his body prior to burial.

Championships and accomplishments

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ルーファス・ジョーンズ / レスラーノート (Rufus R. Jones / Wrestler Notes) . 2019-02-11. ダークロHP. ja.
  2. Book: Oliver . Greg . The Pro Wrestling Hall Of Fame: Heroes and Icons . Johnson . Steven . Mooneyham . Mike . . 2013 . 9781770902695 . 301–308 . en.
  3. Web site: Mooneyham . Mike . November 8, 1991 . Rufus R. Jones : The 'R' Stood For 'Guts' . https://web.archive.org/web/20111118143125/https://mikemooneyham.com/1991/11/08/rufus-r-jones-the-r-stood-for-guts/ . November 18, 2011 . May 23, 2023 . The Wrestling Gospel.
  4. Book: WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment New Edition . . 2020 . 978-1465497871 . 255 . en.
  5. Web site: Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones . https://web.archive.org/web/20230213074436/https://www.wwe.com/superstars/rufus-r-jones . February 13, 2023 . May 23, 2023 . WWE.
  6. Web site: Oliver . Greg . HWA supplies WWF with future talent . https://archive.today/20120724041524/http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingCAC/02_thatcher-can.html . July 24, 2012 . January 9, 2009 . SLAM! Wrestling . usurped . Canadian Online Explorer.
  7. Web site: Martin . William C. . Friday Night in the Coliseum . https://web.archive.org/web/20040626223953/https://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/extreme/martin.htm . June 26, 2004 . January 9, 2009 . The Atlantic Online.
  8. Web site: Rufus R. Jones profile . https://web.archive.org/web/20200615071859/https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profile/rufus-r-jones/ . June 15, 2020 . May 23, 2023 . Online World of Wrestling.
  9. Book: Royal Duncan and Gary Will . Wrestling Title Histories . (Kansas and Western Missouri) West Missouri: North American Tag Team Title. 253. Archeus Communications . 2006 . 0-9698161-5-4.
  10. Web site: NWA North American Tag Team Title (Central States) . https://web.archive.org/web/20230517053452/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/nwa/cs-na-t.html . May 17, 2023 . March 24, 2015 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  11. Web site: NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Title . https://web.archive.org/web/20230418150046/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/nwa/ma-tv.html . April 18, 2023 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  12. Web site: NWA Alabama Heavyweight Title . https://web.archive.org/web/20220207072536/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/al/al-h.html . February 7, 2022 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  13. Web site: Anniversary 1988: A Hot Night in Bayamon results . https://web.archive.org/web/20160625113350/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/videos/misc/wwc.html . June 25, 2016 . May 23, 2023 . Pro Wrestling History.
  14. Book: Shabazz, Julian L. D.. Black Stars of Professional Wrestling. Awesome Records. 54. 1999. 1-893680-03-7.
  15. Web site: NWA Central States Heavyweight Title . https://web.archive.org/web/20220419170524/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/nwa/cs-h.html . April 19, 2022 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  16. Web site: NWA Central States Tag Team Title . https://web.archive.org/web/20220128073115/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/nwa/cs-t.html . January 28, 2022 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  17. Web site: NWA Central States Television Title . https://web.archive.org/web/20230406133754/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/nwa/cs-tv.html . April 6, 2023 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  18. Web site: NWA Georgia Tag Team Title . https://web.archive.org/web/20221206163227/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/ga-t.html . December 6, 2022 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  19. Web site: Bourne . Dick . Mid-Atlantic Wrestling: The Definitive History of the Mid-Atlantic Championship . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101217125022/http://midatlanticgateway.com/Almanac/mid_a_history/mid_a_title_history/mid-a_title_history.htm . December 17, 2010 . May 23, 2023 . Mid-Atlantic Gateway.
  20. Web site: NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title . https://web.archive.org/web/20230404130920/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/ma-t.html . April 4, 2023 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  21. Web site: NWA World Tag Team Title (Mid-Atlantic/WCW) . https://web.archive.org/web/20220228191727/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/nwa/ma-nwa-t.html . February 28, 2022 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  22. Web site: World Colored Heavyweight Title (Kentucky) . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406225330/https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ky/ky-world-negro-h.html . April 6, 2022 . May 23, 2023 . Wrestling-Titles.com.
  23. Pro Wrestling This Week . . Joe . Pedicino . Joe Pedicino . Gordon (hosts) . Solie . Gordon Solie . . . . November 7, 1987 .
  24. Web site: April 6, 2018 . Congratulations to the 2018 WWE Hall of Fame Legacy inductees . https://web.archive.org/web/20230410020323/https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwe-hall-of-fame/wwe-hall-of-fame-2018/article/legacy-inductions . April 10, 2023 . May 23, 2023 . WWE.