Carey Lloyd
Encyclopedia
Carey L. Lloyd also known by his ring name
Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the Central States and Mid-Atlantic regional promotions as well as the American Wrestling Association
and the National Wrestling Alliance
during the 1970s and 1980s.
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.
Hangman. He claimed to have learned how to fight on the corner of Lenox Avenue and 125th Street
in Harlem. 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 the victor in the feud
.
Lloyd later adopted the ring name of Rufus R. Jones, nicknamed "Freight Train". 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.
in the St. Louis Wrestling Club
. He also competed for Heart of America Sports/Central States Wrestling
. In 1971, he won his first championship by teaming with Steve Bolus to win the Central States version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship
in late 1971. He later won the belt twice more, teaming with The Stomper
and Bob Geigel
.
for several years as Reverend Slick. After his retirement from wrestling, Carey Lloyd worked with Bob Geigel in security at a dog-racing track
in Kansas City Ks. He then opened a restaurant 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
.
Finishing Move: Head Butt
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the Central States and Mid-Atlantic regional promotions as well as the American Wrestling Association
American Wrestling Association
The American Wrestling Association was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo...
and the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
during the 1970s and 1980s.
Early life
Lloyd grew up in Dillon, South CarolinaDillon, South Carolina
Dillon, South Carolina, the county seat of Dillon County, was established on December 22, 1888. The name of the city came from James W. Dillon, who was a key component in bringing a railroad through this area of the state, which led to development and formation of the County. Dillon’s population...
and attended South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University
South Carolina State University is a historically black university located in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only state funded, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina and is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.- Colleges, departments,...
, where he played on the football team. He also got involved with boxing and competed as a Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
boxer.
Early career
Lloyd trained to become a wrestler at the Tony Santos Boston Wrestling School. At the beginning of his career, he used the ring name Buster Lloyd, the HarlemHarlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
Hangman. He claimed to have learned how to fight on the corner of Lenox Avenue and 125th Street
125th Street (Manhattan)
125th Street is a two-way street that runs east-west in the New York City borough of Manhattan, considered the "Main Street" of Harlem; It is also called Martin Luther King, Jr...
in Harlem. 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 the victor in the feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
.
Lloyd later adopted the ring name of Rufus R. Jones, nicknamed "Freight Train". In interviews, he would tell opponents that his middle initial, R, stood for "guts". He formed a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with Burrhead Jones, who was billed as his cousin.
Missouri
Jones moved to Missouri to wrestle, where he worked for promoter Sam MuchnickSam Muchnick
Sam Muchnick was an American professional wrestling promoter from St. Louis, Missouri. He is often deemed as wrestling’s equivalent of Pete Rozelle , and he was instrumental in establishing the National Wrestling Alliance, which became the industry’s top governing body, in 1948...
in the St. Louis Wrestling Club
St. Louis Wrestling Club
The St. Louis Wrestling Club was a professional wrestling promotion based in St. Louis, Missouri. It was owned and operated by Sam Muchnick. The promotion was a flagship member of the National Wrestling Alliance, and promoted primarily in the St. Louis area. It was colloquially referred to within...
. He also competed for Heart of America Sports/Central States Wrestling
Heart of America Sports Attractions
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
. In 1971, he won his first championship by teaming with Steve Bolus to win the Central States version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship
NWA North American Tag Team Championship
The NWA North American Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship that is currently used and defended in various territories throughout the National Wrestling Alliance. This is the fifth NWA sanctioned championship to bear this name...
in late 1971. He later won the belt twice more, teaming with The Stomper
Mongolian Stomper
Archie Gouldie is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Mongolian Stomper.-Stampede Wrestling:Gouldie held the North American heavyweight title a record ten times between 1968 and 1984, quite a streak of longevity for that time frame...
and Bob Geigel
Bob Geigel
Robert "Bob" Geigel is a former American professional wrestling promoter and also a former professional wrestler. Geigel ran the NWA Central States promotion between 1963 and 1986, until it was bought out by Jim Crockett Promotions...
.
Personal life
Lloyd was married to Brooksie Jones Lloyd. They had three daughters, Melaney, Crystal, and Kendall, as well as an adopted son, Kenneth Johnson, who worked for the World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
for several years as Reverend Slick. After his retirement from wrestling, Carey Lloyd worked with Bob Geigel in security at a dog-racing track
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
in Kansas City Ks. He then opened a restaurant named Rufus' Ringside Restaurant and Bar in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
On November 13, 1993, Lloyd died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while hunting deer in Brunswick, Missouri
Brunswick, Missouri
Brunswick is a rural city in Carroll County, Missouri, United States. The population was 925 at the 2000 census. The Missouri Farmers Association was founded here in 1914. Today the city is considered the Pecan Capital of Missouri...
.
Championships and accomplishments
- Central States WrestlingHeart of America Sports AttractionsHeart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
- NWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
(2 times) - NWA Central States Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Central States Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team championship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1979 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988...
(3 times) – with Bob BrownBob Brown (wrestler)Robert Harold Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Bulldog" Bob Brown.- Early life :...
(1), Dewey RobertsonDewey RobertsonByron James John "Dewey" Robertson was a professional wrestler, known best for his ring name The Missing Link....
(1), Mike George (1) - NWA Central States Television ChampionshipNWA Central States Television ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Television Championship was the secondary singles chamoionship for the Heart of America Sports Attractions / Central States Wrestling promotion from 1977 until the promotion ceased to exist in 1988. -Title History:-See also:...
(1 time) - NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version)NWA North American Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA North American Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship that is currently used and defended in various territories throughout the National Wrestling Alliance. This is the fifth NWA sanctioned championship to bear this name...
(4 times) – with Steve Bolus (1), The Stomper (2), Bob Geigel (2)
- Georgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
- NWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
(1 time) – with Norvell Austin
- Mid-Atlantic Championship WrestlingJim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
- NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship contested for in Jim Crockett Promotions , a territory-promotion governed by the National Wrestling Alliance . The title was only contestable by male individual wrestlers...
(1 time) - NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship is the tag team title currently defended in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Mid-Atlantic territory. The championship was originally created in the summer of 1968 and was originally named the NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship...
(1 time) – with Bugsy McGrawBugsy McGrawBugsy McGraw is the ring name of former professional wrestler Michael Davis. He also wrestled under the name "The Skull." He is not to be confused with the other wrestler named Mike Davis.-Total Nonstop Action Wrestling :... - NWA Mid-Atlantic Television ChampionshipWCW World Television ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
(2 times) - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1 time) – with Wahoo McDanielWahoo McDanielEdward "Wahoo" McDaniel was a Choctaw-Chickasaw Native American who achieved fame as a professional American football player and later as a professional wrestler.-Early life:...
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 477 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
- Southeastern Championship WrestlingContinental Championship WrestlingContinental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...
- NWA Alabama Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Alabama Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship was created in October, 1962. Since its creation, the championship has been defended in a number of NWA territories throughout the decades....
(1 time)
Finishing Move: Head Butt
Further reading
- Flair, RicRic FlairRichard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
. Ric Flair: To Be the Man. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. ISBN 0-7434-5691-2 - Race, HarleyHarley RaceHarley Leland Race is a retired American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 7 times...
and Gerry Tritz. King Of The Ring: The Harley Race Story. Champaigne, Illinois: Sports Publishing LLC, 2004. ISBN 1-58261-818-6 - Shoot with Slick. Perf. Ken JohnsonKen Johnson (wrestling)Kenneth "Ken" Johnson better known to wrestling fans as "Slick - The Doctor of Style", is a former American professional wrestling manager with the World Wrestling Federation...
. DVD. Highspots.com, 2006.
External links
- The Way It Was: Rufus R. Jones by Percival A. Friend
- Rufus R. Jones: The 'R' Stood For 'Guts' by Mike Mooneyham
- Black History Month: Pro Wrestling's Black Stars, Part 3 by Denny Burkholder
- Championship Wrestling from Florida: Rufus R. Jones
- Rufus R. Jones at Find-A-Grave
- Profile at OWW