Bad News Allen

[6.0] "Bad News was a good wrestler and his character was fine. I always felt like there was more here, and maybe that's WWF's fault. The Ghettoblaster was a feared finisher, too - one of the best in the day. Perhaps it was just the era holding him back, or the booking, but I always just felt like he was on the cusp of a really great run, and it never happened."

[7.0] "My name inspiration (almost). Bad News Brown a legitimate shootfighter and real definition of intensity in the late 80s. Mostly knew him for his WWF work but after he passed I discovered his Japan stuff and knew then he was the real deal. One of my top picks for should have won the WWF Intercontinental Championship."

[8.0] "Bad News Allen--or Brown if you know him from his fed days--is probably a bigger victim of circumstances than perhaps any pro wrestler ever, yet despite this, he carved out a pretty great career for himself. Although he came into wrestling as an older worker, he was in his mid 40s during his WWF run and worked in UWF in his 50s(! ) Furthermore, I think that his character work was well ahead of his time, and in a lot of ways, the cartoonish Americana-style booking of the WWF at the time was really the only place he couldn't become a top guy (even then, he still had a solid upper-mid card run.) Looking back at his work, it doesn't feel crazy to imagine him in the 1970s and 80s NJPW scene as a mainstay, as he really was only here and there, not to mention with shootfighting becoming more popular now with Bloodsport, and considering his legit prowess in Judo, he probably would've been a solid MMA fighter as well if he wanted to go down that path. Allen may not have had the most illustrious career in terms of title reigns or mainstream appeal, but he remains one of the most underrated workers of the 1980s, and a strong, reality-based worker that can add a sense of legitimacy to any main event face."

[6.0] "Only know Bad News Brown's work from WWE. His in-ring work was fine, and he was a good promo but he never stood out from WWE's roster at the time. His biggest match has been erased due to Piper's use of blackface and it was not a good watch if you have seen it. Had potential but never got really pushed."

"The matches for Bad News seems to be missing one I know for sure. In '88 or '89, he wrestled Hacksaw Jim Duggan. I don't remember what PPV it was but I know it was a PPV. The match ended in a double count out. I only know this because I watched that match. I liked Bad News, I remember pulling for him to beat Hacksaw that night. I had a thing for heels lol, especially during that era. Does anyone else remember that match?"

[8.0] "Very compelling. I love that he projected such an aura of "bad-ass-ness" that every other wrestler and commentator gave him a sort of fearful respect. I agree with the other commenters that he was just out of sync with the rest of wrestling. Wish he had a stronger career."

[8.0] "Spectacular heel, underrated worker, and a weirdly compelling character. I think he came along about 6 or 7 years too early to be as big a star as he deserved to be."

[4.0] "He had the attitude and the gimmick down but he was almost 10 years too early for the WWFE. That being said, his in ring work was very limited because of knee injuries and most of his matches involved jumping an opponent when their back was turned right at the opening bell. You would think they would learn after seeing him to it to other guys 20 or 30 times!"

[8.0] "Great heel! I dug his tenure as Allen Coage/Bad News Allen. He had a great bit where he would perform hip tosses and slams & each time would point down and laugh at his foe. Then when the opponent would do the same moves - the whole crowd would point and laugh at Allen! Lovely fun. His most known appearance was the "Bad News Brown" alteration to the character - that was a better name, rolls off the tongue; or maybe I just really like that movie The Bad News Bears, but I digress. He really stood out during the WWF's golden era for being so... realistic! Unfortunately his highest profile era was a very short lived stint that had legs but didn't have time =( 8.25 rounded down."

[6.0] "He always showed a lot of potential. He was not the youngest guy when he started his pro wrestling career. Maybe if he would have started earlier, he could have potentially been very good. He was one of the more enjoyable heels in North American wrestling during the 1980s. Overall, I would say he was decent."

[6.0] "A solid wrestler. Was a good talker. Would've done better in a different era. As it was he failed to capitalize on the opportunity he had. Preferred to wrestle in Japan and Canada which kept him off the map. Didn't want to put the time and effort into marketing himself. He could be difficult to work with but so we're most wrestlers in this era. All in all he worked with best wrestlers of the time but had few memorable matches or fueds. The thing that's always brought up is his match with Piper at WrestleMania 6, which is more about Piper and his antics than the match itself which was forgettable."

[10.0] "For real ' Bad News Allen deserve a better rating ! His New Japan career was really great ! He is Stone Cold before Stone Cold, charismatic and a real thug guy.. I rate him 10 because of the global rating but probably 8 or 9 in real"

[10.0] "His rating here sucks. People only judge him because of a hood gimmick with some bad push. This man was a monster, capable of doing amazing moves for a 40 year old plus man, stuff not even Inoki did. His career in Japan was great, and his WWF streetwise guy with no friends gimmick was ahead of time. Totally misunderstood wrestler."

[10.0] "An incredible badass, basically Stone Cold Steve Austin in a world that wasn't ready for him. I love his nonstop attack style, usually punching the other guy the moment they got in the ring together and never waiting to start a fight. Probably could have gone much further in another time and place."

[9.0] "Such a low rating. He was a great brawler. Legendary in Stampede. He was great at his moves and used a brawler style. In WWF he was great but a bad push."

[6.0] "Bad News was a good worker and good talker, but he loses a lot for being selfish in the ring and difficult to deal with."

[9.0] "Bad News is one of the great talents that came out of Stampede Wrestling. He was front page new in Calgary and actually on the cover of the Alberta Report in the mid 80s, when people still used magazines as a news source. Bad News and Bret Hart sold their feud so well in Stampede that it was routine to hear of them doing outlandish things quite often. He was just a legit bad dude, with real world fighting skills in Judo. Nowadays, the truth of the matter is that most heels should have to sit down and watch a lot of his work in Stampede. He enjoyed moderate success in WWE, but that was impeded by the fact that it was an era of PG and Super Hero type storylines, for a man who was the polar opposite of that. I recall one event when an old lady came right of the crowd at him, screaming and yelling. Not only was he a great wrestler, the man could draw heat with his antics and bad attitude. I would tell you that Bret Hart would likely rate the guy an 9 or a 10. Their matches were the pinnacle the mid 80s in Alberta and more must see than the Super Bowl. I do mean that literally."

[9.0] "StoneCold Steve Austin before StoneCold Steve Austin existed. A man way before his prime and criminally underrated in the ring."