To fans, WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware was the fun-loving "Birdman," known for his colorful, high-flying persona and pet parrot, Frankie. But outside the ring, Koko could more than handle himself. In 1989, a heated confrontation in a hotel between Koko and a high-ranking WWE executive—described as "one of Vince McMahon’s closest allies"—escalated into a violent brawl, leaving one of the men with a permanent scar and serious consequences for both.
Koko B. Ware: The WWE Hall of Famer Behind the ‘Birdman’ Persona
Koko B. Ware, born James Ware Jr. on June 20th, 1957, signed with the World Wrestling Federation in 1986 after seeing tag and solo success in Jerry Jarrett’s Continental Wrestling Association territory in Memphis.
The following year, on March 29th, 1987, he competed in front of nearly 100,000 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome at WrestleMania III. He credits this as the moment he knew he had made it, calling it one of the greatest moments of his career.
On November 24th, 1988, Koko main-evented Survivor Series, rubbing shoulders with Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan.
Koko also sang the eponymous main theme from the WWF Piledriver album, released in 1987.
With his vibrant ring gear, funky self-sang theme song, and his parrot Frankie, the upbeat “Birdman” was a popular lower-mid-card performer, particularly among children.
Despite his jovial demeanor, Koko seemed to have a short fuse in real life. He had backstage confrontations with Steve Keirn (Skinner) and Paul Roma and participated in an infamous shoot match with enhancement talent The Patriot in Memphis’s Continental Wrestling Association.
Jim Troy’s Path from Ice Hockey to WWE Executive
On the other side of the brawl was WWF executive Jim Troy.
A former professional ice hockey player, Troy played 68 games in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1978, playing for the New England Whalers and Edmonton Oilers. He was also the right wing for the New Haven Nighthawks. Reportedly, a hand injury caused a career-ending surgery.
In the early 1980s, Vince McMahon purchased the Cape Cod Coliseum in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, and hired Troy as the head coach of the Cape Cod Buccaneers.
The team folded in 1982 after 39 games of a planned 60-game schedule. This decision was made in protest against the league’s choice to shorten the season by one month and begin playoffs early.
Vince McMahon Jr. later stated, "It was a situation I found unacceptable. Rather than being a party to this, I’m withdrawing my team from the league."
Despite financial losses, McMahon maintained that they were “financially solvent.”
In the book, The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of WrestleMania, Troy recalled Vince having a "bigger-than-life personality…just full of energy."
The Buccaneers ended their season with 17 wins, 21 losses, and one draw before being shut down.
Jim Troy’s Transition from Hockey Star to WWE Powerhouse
Even after his ice hockey hopes went down the drain, according to the book, Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment, Vince McMahon kept Jim Troy on board, both as Senior Vice President of Titan Sports, Inc. and as part of his personal "kitchen cabinet."
In 1983, he played a vital role in helping Vince McMahon Jr. buy the WWF from his father, Vince Sr., in a move that would forever change the wrestling industry.
Troy also played a key role in negotiating a deal between the WWF and the USA Network, which enabled the company to broadcast its programming to as many as 24 million potential viewers. He furthermore supported the WWF’s efforts to pursue the pay-per-view concept.
Additionally, he served as a company spokesperson—an important communicator between the company and the wrestling press.
Troy’s contributions were significant during a transformative period for professional wrestling, marking him as a key figure in WWF’s expansion efforts.
We have hundreds of great Pro Wrestling Stories, but of course, you can’t read them all today. Sign up to unlock ten pro wrestling stories curated uniquely for YOU, plus subscriber-exclusive content. A special gift from us awaits after signing up!
Shawn Michaels and Jim Troy’s Heated Clash Sparks Tensions
The preamble to Koko B. Ware’s involvement with executive Jim Troy was a confrontation between Shawn Michaels and Troy in a restaurant in Brussels, Belgium, during a WWF European tour in 1989.
Though the exact cause of the altercation is unknown, it is believed both men were heavily inebriated. Koko claims he was playing the piano in the lounge when a waitress informed him of the escalating argument.
Ware attempted to diffuse the situation but was met with hostility from Troy, who criticized the “fake tough guy” culture among wrestlers, boasting about his own toughness as a former hockey player.
According to his shoot interview with Title Match, Koko states Troy remarked, "Vince McMahon pays me a lot of money to look after you phony wrestlers."
The situation escalated when Troy slapped Koko, with some accounts alleging that Troy used a racial epithet towards “The Birdman.”
Although the incident began at the restaurant, it did not turn violent until they reached the hotel lobby after Troy fled in a taxi.
A Violent Hotel Brawl: Koko B. Ware vs. WWE Executive Jim Troy
Koko B. Ware managed to get back to the hotel first and, in his own words, pounced on Troy "like Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier."
During the fracas, the duo crashed through the plate glass wall of the hotel gift shop.
According to Bret Hart in his autobiography Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, this occurred at five a.m., with Hart recalling that he was "jarred from [his] sleep by the sound of breaking glass" and profanities being yelled.
Despite the height difference—Troy is 6’2" and Koko is 5’7"—the consensus is that Koko won, with Jim Duggan writing in his book Hacksaw: The Jim Duggan Story that Koko "beat the **** out of" Troy.
Bruce Prichard noted in 2019 on his podcast that "[Troy’s] face was pretty messed up; Koko’s wasn’t," whereas Ware described the WWF exec as having eyes "blacker than me."
Despite emerging victorious, Koko has been left with a permanent scar on his hand from the brawl after it was sliced open on a beer bottle.
The scene left afterward was one of chaos, with crimson red spattered across the walls and Bret Hart noting that "crystal chandeliers lay on the carpet smashed to pieces."
The lobby after the brawl, according to Hart in his book, had been likened to a slaughterhouse.
Witnesses Hart and Duggan both recall police in riot gear patrolling the hotel the next day.
Marty Jannetty’s Intervention Adds Fuel to the Fire
The brawl took an odd turn with the involvement of an angry Marty Jannetty.
Famous for his out-of-ring partying exploits, Jannetty only exacerbated the situation when trying to help Koko.
At the time, Jannetty was already irritated, enraged by his inability to make a long-distance call back home to his father, who was undergoing heart surgery.
After hearing about the incident, Jannetty asked the receptionist for the key to Troy’s room.
Feeling the process was taking too long, he jumped over the counter and knocked out the unwitting clerk. He then kicked down the door to Troy’s room, only to find it empty.
Aftermath of the Brawl: The Fallout for Koko and Troy
Vince McMahon fired a tearful Koko B. Ware during a phone call the next day.
The insider wrestling magazine Mat Watch noted that Koko was already skating on thin ice over another pending incident in Iowa the previous month.
It was the second straight year the WWF had fired wrestlers during its European tour after the Junkyard Dog and Don Muraco were let go overseas the previous year.
More surprisingly, McMahon also let go of his Jim Troy. The decision was met with surprise since he was both Vince’s right-hand man and appointed by the CEO to the second highest position in the company after Vince’s wife, Linda.
Speaking in the documentary Beyond The Mat, Vince McMahon remarked he had to do so as "it was such unprofessional conduct by both the executive, who was working for me, as well as the performer,” reiterating, “I had to do something so that’s why I fired both men."
Troy would not return to the promotion.
Koko B. Ware’s Comeback: From Suspension to Survivor Series
Despite the violent altercation that led to his temporary dismissal, Koko B. Ware’s story didn’t end there. Within weeks, the WWF rehired him. His suspension lasted only six weeks.
Hulk Hogan reportedly played a significant role in convincing the WWF to reconsider its decision to fire Ware.
Some speculate his prominent role on an upcoming record album was also a factor in his rehire.
Upon his return, Koko was primarily used in enhancement talent roles. Memorable moments included being on the losing side of the first-ever Raw match against Yokozuna and being the first recipient of The Undertaker’s tombstone piledriver.
He also formed the memorable “High Energy” tag team with Owen Hart.
Koko B. Ware’s Legacy: From WWE Hall of Fame to Beyond
Koko B. Ware continued to make appearances on WWF TV after the incident and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2009.
Meanwhile, Jim Troy, once a powerful executive in Vince McMahon’s inner circle, transitioned to a career in boxing after leaving WWE. He worked as a boxing manager and promoter, managing fighters such as Ebo Elder, Robert Allen, and Jason Pires. Additionally, Troy served as an executive producer for Mike Jarrell Promotions and ESPN.
Despite his significant contributions to both wrestling and boxing, his legacy is often overshadowed by the infamous brawl with Koko B. Ware.
In the end, Koko’s resilience proved that even the toughest battles—inside and outside the ring—can’t stop a high-flyer from soaring.
These stories may also interest you:
- Koko B. Ware and the Tragedy That Befell His Iconic Bird, Frankie
- Sting and Dick Slater: Their Dirty, One-Sided Backstage Fight
- Sid Vicious vs. Arn Anderson: The Bloody Scissors Fight
Can’t get enough pro wrestling history in your life? Sign up to unlock ten pro wrestling stories curated uniquely for YOU, plus subscriber-exclusive content. A special gift from us awaits after signing up!
Want More? Choose another story!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, and Flipboard!
Pro Wrestling Stories is committed to accurate, unbiased wrestling content rigorously fact-checked and verified by our team of researchers and editors. Any inaccuracies are quickly corrected, with updates timestamped in the article's byline header.
Got a correction, tip, or story idea for Pro Wrestling Stories? Contact us! Learn about our editorial standards here. Ever wanted to learn more about the people behind Pro Wrestling Stories? Meet our team of authors!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy!