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Sports & Recreation Wrestling

The King of New Orleans

How the Junkyard Dog Became Professional Wrestling's First Black Superhero

by (author) Greg Klein

Publisher
ECW Press
Initial publish date
Jun 2012
Category
Wrestling, Sports
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781770410305
    Publish Date
    May 2012
    List Price
    $19.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781770902244
    Publish Date
    Jun 2012
    List Price
    $14.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

Telling the remarkable tale of a man who is still remembered on the streets of New Orleans and in the hearts of professional-wrestling fans, this book aims to restore the overlooked Junkyard Dog to his proper place in the history books. In 1979, Sylvester Ritter, also known as the Junkyard Dog, managed to break one of the final color barriers in the sport by becoming the first black wrestler named undisputed top star of his promotion, and this biography reveals all the famous feuds and business back stories that made him a wrestling legend. By 1985, New Orleans was one of the hottest cities in the Mid-South for pro wrestling due in large part to the Junkyard Dog; he became a legend in the Big Easy, drawing sellout crowds to the Downtown Municipal Auditorium and huge crowds to the Superdome, a feat unparalleled by any other wrestler. The King of New Orleans delves into wrestling’s recent past and recounts how a region known for racial injustice became the home of the sport’s first black idol.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Greg Klein is an actor, a writer, a director, and a producer. He lives in New Orleans.