| Junkyard Dog | |
|---|---|
 Ritter, c. 1983 | |
| Birth name | Sylvester Ritter |
| Born | December 13, 1952[1] Wadesboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | June 1, 1998 (aged 45) Forest, Mississippi, U.S.[2] |
| Cause of death | Car accident[3] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Big Daddy Ritter[2][4] Junkyard Dog[2] Leroy Rochester[2] Stagger Lee |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2][4] |
| Billed weight | 280 lb (130 kg)[2][4] |
| Billed from | |
| Trained by | Sonny King[1] Hart family[5] |
| Debut | 1976 |
| Retired | 1997 |
Sylvester Ritter (December 13, 1952 – June 1, 1998)[1] 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), a nickname he received while working in a wrecking yard.[2][5] He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004.
Entering the ring with his trademark chain attached to a dog collar,[6] to the music of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust,"[4] JYD often 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".[7]
WWE author Brian Shields called Junkyard Dog one of the most electrifying and charismatic wrestlers in the country,[4] 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.
- ^ a b c Mooneyham, Mike; Oliver, Greg. "Junkyard Dog's Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum profile". Archived from the original on May 20, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Junkyard Dog profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
- ^ "Junkyard Dog dies in car accident". blackthen.com. June 2, 1998.
- ^ a b c d e f Shields, Brian (2006). Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s. Pocket Books. pp. 65–67. ISBN 978-1-4165-3257-6.
- ^ a b "Junkyard Dog dies". Slam.canoe.ca. June 26, 2010. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
- ^ "Junkyard Dog's WWE Hall of Fame profile". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ Ward, Marshall (May 28, 2012). "Thump! New book restores Junkyard Dog's legacy". Canoe.ca. Retrieved October 2, 2012.