Junkyard Dog
| Junkyard Dog | |
|---|---|
Ritter in the late 1980's.
|
|
| Birth name | Sylvester Ritter |
| Born |
December 13, 1952 Wadesboro, North Carolina |
| Died | June 2, 1998 (aged 45) Forest, Mississippi |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Big Daddy Ritter Junkyard Dog Leroy Rochester Stagger Lee |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Billed weight | 280 lb (130 kg) |
| Billed from | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Trained by |
Sonny King Hart family |
| Debut | 1977 |
| Retired | 1993 |
Sylvester Ritter (December 13, 1952 – June 2, 1998) was an American professional wrestler and college football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as the Junkyard Dog (or JYD for short), a nickname Ritter received while working in a wrecking yard.
Entering the ring with his trademark chain attached to a dog collar, to the music of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust," JYD regularly headlined cards that drew large crowds and regularly sold out the Louisiana Superdome and other major venues, becoming "the first black wrestler to be made the undisputed top star of his promotion".
WWE author Brian Shields called Junkyard Dog one of the most electrifying and charismatic wrestlers in the country, particularly during his peak in the early 1980s. JYD was most known for his headbutt and upper-body strength, the latter of which saw him regularly bodyslam such large wrestlers as the One Man Gang, Kamala, and King Kong Bundy. The word "thump," which referred to JYD's powerslam, was prominently displayed on his wrestling trunks.
Ritter played football at Fayetteville State University, twice earning honorable mention All-American status, and is a member of The Sports Hall Of Fame. He graduated with a political science degree.
Ritter debuted in the Tennessee territory, working for promoter Jerry Jarrett, before moving to Nick Gulas's company and using the ring name Leroy Rochester. From there he moved to Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling as Big Daddy Ritter, where he captured the North American Heavyweight Championship twice.
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