Allen Coage

One of my favorite heels growing up in the 80s. a legit judo champion and one tough guy. from all accounts a genuine, down to earth human being.

He was a memorable wrestler and the best heel ever, watching his interviews later in life makes me wish I would have met him , he sure seems like the guy you want on your side

12 Years and I still miss you everyday. Thank you for loving me and spending the rest of your life with me. I will always love you.

May God bless you and your family. You were an awesome heel wherever you went. Calgary,WWE,Winnipeg,the list goes on. I enjoyed watching you live in Stampede back in the day! Gonna miss you.

He was a great man, and a great trainer.

It was a privelage to be taught by you and handing down the torch to the next generation of wrestlers and fighters.

Thank you for all the good time and all the bad times. It was an honor and you will always be in our hearts and in our memories.

Mine is of a completely different story...Recently I have been thinkng of him...
I remember Allen, this is what I called him, from the Milt Campbell community center in Newark..
This is the first time since the mid 1970’s I have heard of his life and all the things he has done..
May whichever source of form his soul takes, may it be a happy one.
Bill Hodges

I remember watching Mr. Coage wrestle with my mother and would be glued to the television until he left the ring. He has been and will be missed.

Allen,

Thanks for all the occasions you took the time to talk to me. It was Tim Flowers who hooked us up all those years ago, and I found myself drawn to your stories and insight again and again.

It's been my pleasure to share those tales with others through my writing. The fact that Canada's national newspaper, The Globe & Mail, has opted to run a piece on you is a testament to both your compelling story and what you meant in both the judo and wrestling communities.

Who are all of us "spineless cockroaches" and "beer-bellied sharecroppers" going to be afraid of with you gone?

Of all the wrestlers on my "must meet someday" list, Allen was at the top of my list. As a child living in Regina he scared me half to death, as he "carved" up Bret,Kieth,Bruce, and...well the list goes on and on. As I grew up I saw how he brought Owen and Bret's game so they would be ready for the big time. One of the greatest wrestlers ever. One of the most deserving of hall of fame status someday. One day I will meet you Owen,Brian,Davey Boy, and all the rest fallen Stampede stars.RIP Allen..

Alan was a true gentleman and an unbelievable Judo player. I had the pleasure of meeting and working out with Alan at Camp Olympus. Alan was then only the second US judoka to receive a medal in the Olympics. I can see Alan, as I write this, sitting there on the mat, a big man stretching with one leg bent in and the other one extended... I, too, had knee problems, but as a young man, I thought, "If Alan can do it, so can I." What an inspiration!

My condolences to his family. Alan, you will be missed, but your memory shall remain in my heart forever.

As the days and weeks pass, and as you return to life’s routine, may you continue to feel comforted by the love and support of family and friends.

Bad News Allen was my favorite Wrestler growing up watching Stampede & WWF Wrestling.

It is a sad day in the U.S. Judo world.
I remember seeing Allen at AAU tournaments as an undergraduate on the Howard University Judo Team in the early seventies; and he was simply the best big man I have ever see in judo competition.
May God bring comfort to the Coage family for their loss.

On behalf of myself,my Children and Grandchildren, I wish to Thank all who took the time to send their condolences and memories of our Allen

Alan was one great Judo player. We will all miss him. God bless and keep Alan and his family.

Allen Coage was a veteran in the wrestling business for many years.In the ring, we had a mean streak,but outside the ring he was a true gentlemen of heart,soul and character.He will be missed. Brian and Kerry Cloney Of London, Ontario, Canada

My heart felt condolances and sypathies to Allen"bad news"Coage's wife and family.I never got to meet him,but had the privalage to see him wrestle many times back in the stampede wrestling days and also with wwf.My foundess memory is his interveiws with Mr.Ed Whalen and his famous line"all you beer belly shear croppers".You will be deepley missed my freind "god bless and Rest In Piece"

"Bad News" scared the hell out of me every time he entered the ring. He was a legit tough guy who could handle any situation. I wish he had punched out Vince McMahon but that will have to wait I guess! But I knew from his interviews that he was a straight-up guy and that he had a soft side. He will be sorely missed. My heartfelt condolences to his wife and family.

My thoughts and prayers are with Helen and the Coage family. I had the privelege of knowing Allen through working with Helen, and he was a true gentleman and a kind soul. God Bless you all during this difficult time.

There are some people who leave a mark on someone's life who they never ever met. And Mr. Coage is one of them who have affected my life. All he did was "wrestle" into my life. Simple things, HUGE impact. God bless you Allen "Bad News" Coage. Condolences to the Coage family.

I have had the sheer pleasure of nowing you for this last year quite well.You were a great mentor and an unforgetable friend. you taught me to live life to the fullest ...as i know you did yourself
RIP Brotha...you will never be forgotten

I was saddened to hear of Mr. Coage's passing. I was fortunate enough to meet him shortly after he won his Olympic Bronze medal . My father hosted a judo tournament in Massachusetts and Mr. Coage was kind enough to attend. He was larger than life, especially to a wide eyed 12 year old kid.
Yours in judo,
Wayne Dickinson
Somerset, Massachusetts

Allen "Bad News Brown" Coage was not only a great wrestler but also a great man. You will be remembered, you will be missed, but most importantly you will be loved by the ones still here and live thru them. My deepest and dearest condolences.

My condolences to the Coage family. I had the priviledge of learning a little bit of in-ring training from News and I'll never forget that. News was a good man and I'm grateful for what he handed down to me

I remember Allan Coage from the Old Olympic Auditorium days. Me and my brother waited outside and the only wrestler to wave to us was Allan Coage. Made our day and we continue to talk about this almost 30 years later. Rest in Peace.

My deepest sympathies go out to Allen's family. Allen was my Judo coach and Mentor who taught me to train hard and never give up. His fighting spirit will always be with me. He was a true champion.

I am going to really miss Bad News Allen. Face or heel, I cheered Bad News. I attended one event in the 80's where he swung his arm at the group I was standing with. Everyone ducked except, of course, for me. **** near took my head off. God Bless him and I say that with all sincerity.

I did not know Bad News personally but I remember his feud back in the day with the Hitman Bret Hart, they didn't call him Bad News for nothing. My sympathies go out to his family and friends.

Allen was good news for the Olympic Judo movement. He will remain an inspiration to all Judoka.
Joe Ciokon, Head Coach, US Navy Judo Team

My condolences to Bad News Brown's family. He was a great man and a amazing teacher. Those angels are getting ghetto blasters in Heaven.

I did not know Allen, but my brother knew him very well as a great Judoka. His name always brought out the greatest respect. My memories of him as performer in the WWF always make me smile. Rest in Peace.

Thanks for the memories. Working with you in British Columbia was awesome. A true PRO
RIP Bad News
say hi to my Dad
Rockford

my sympathy goes out to allen's family,i had the great honor to work against allen when he worked for the wwe.Rest in peace allen you will be greatly missed by everyone whose lives you touched in one way or another.

My sister's and I send our deepest condolences to Allen's family. We knew Allen before he became "Bad News Brown". As a matter of fact we were neighbors when he lived in Queens New York. God Bless You.

I had the pleasure and honor of working with Allen during his time with Championship Wrestling from Florida. He was the consumate professional and I will remember him fondly. To his family, thanks for sharing him with us and my condolences to you all. He will be missed by those he touched.

I send my condolences to the family of a legendary performer..

I remembered hanging out by the back door of the Utica Auditorium in Upstate New York for a TV taping there, waiting to meet and talk to wrestlers arriving early.

Other 'heels' talked to the fans a bit, but Allen remained in character... It was funny watching him be 'Bad News', knowing that he was only 'playing the part'...

My condolences go out to his family and friends. The world has lost a champion...

God Bless you Mr. Coage. May you rest in peace! I met you last year at an autograph signing and you were very nice. You are at peace now in that big wrestling ring in the sky!

I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ALLEN FOR THE WAY HE TAUGHT ME ON THE ROAD. HE WAS A TRUE GENTLEMAN. HE ALWAYS HAD A HELPFUL WORD AND TOOK GREAT CARE IN THE RING PROTECTING EVEN THE ROOKIES. I MET ALLEN THRU WRESTLING BUT ALSO THRU HIS DAUGHTER DAWN ,WHO HAS SINCE LEFT US. WE ALSO SHARED A FEW LAFFS ON THE ROAD; THIS ALWAYS SURPRISED ME, I GREW UP WATCHING HIM ON STAMPEDE WRESTLING AND HE ALWAYS TOOK GREAT CARE AND PRIDE IN MAKING HIS CHARACTER BELIEVABLE. YOU ARE IN OUR PRAYERS, GOD SPEED!
DEVON FIELDING

No surrender, no retreat.

What other way to live is there?

All the best to you, Mr. Coage.

you will be greatly missed and remembered for your contributions both in the ring and out. My condolences to your family, friends and colleagues.

Had the honor of seeing him perform live Saddened that a man of such great talents can pass so soon. Lets hope in Heaven you and Owen Hart a few of the other Calgary wrestlers find you RIP Allen

As someone who only got to see Allen in WWF, I always respected his ability as an athlete and his honesty as a man when interviewed about things years later. Like many who grew up watching the WWF, I enjoy any part of Stampede history I can read about and watch. I enjoyed his contribution in the Hard Knocks Chris Benoit WWF DVD as well. It is a sad loss but the man led a great life with few regrets and is someone who will always be remembered. Dave Meltzer said it best - he was a memorable performer and to be honest, you can see his influence in a lot of guys even now. My condolences to his family and loved ones. Rest in Peace, Bad News - hopefully you get to talk with Stu, Owen, Dean, Davey, Brian, J.R. Foley and have one last interview with Ed Whelan :) God bless, Kirk

To the family and many friends of Allen Coage. My thoughts and prayers go out to you all. I hade the honor for a number of years in Stampede Wrestling and the WWE to work with this GENTLEMAN and yes I say GENTLEMAN and a true one at that, there was never a night where I did not want to work with Allen, he was a GREAT one at telling the fans a story in TRUE fashion. This is not a time to be sad with sorrow, but to celebrate a life of a Great Family man, a Great Human Being, a Great Wrestler and a GREAT FRIEND.
Allen Sir you will always be remembered.

I had the pleasure of working with Mr.Coage 3 years ago on a brief tour of Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Although he wasnt wrestling on the show as a manager he got more heat than all the wrestlers combined. He was very nice to me and my partners and always showed a great deal of professionalism. His legacy will forever be remembered as Bad News.
My condolenses go out to the entire Coage family.
Sincerely,
Jian Magen

My late friend, wrestler Marlon (Tiger Khan) Kalkai always spoke so highly of Mr. Coage, referring to him as a legitimately tough man but one always willing to help younger guys trying to make it in the business. The world needs more mentors like Mr. Coage, a true champion in every sense of the word.
Evan Ginzburg

I was DEEPLY saddened to hear that Allen has passed! My thoughts and prayers go out to Helen and the kids, as well as the rest of Allen's Family, his Friends and his Fans.


I remember working with Allen back in my days with the old WWF, when I was on the West Coast Ring Crew and Ring Announcing House Shows!

When my former Brother-in-Law, Scott Marques, refereed his (Scott's) first match...Allen was in the match. Throughout the match, Allen kept calling Scott "Cherry", referring to Scott's his first match as a ref! It was HILARIOUS! And Allen had to continiously cover up to prevent the fans from seeing him laughing! IT WAS GREAT!

GOD BLESS YOU, MY FRIEND...Allen Coage...Bad News Allen...Bad News Brown! Rest in Peace & GODSPEED!

My brother inlaw and Uncle you will be greatly missed as you brought kidness and joy to our family. You will always be remembered and in our hearts R.I.P. Allen love Danica,Kyle and Taryn

Alot of people believe Steve Austin created WWF Attitude but Bad News was attitude before it was cool. This is a sad loss for the wrestling business and the millions of fans that ever had the opportunity to watch Allen work. I respect him immensely. He will be missed.

Thanks for the memories, you will be missed. R.I.P.
Georgiann and George Makropoulos

My sincerest and deepest condolences go out to the Coage family.

Rest in peace sir. You will be missed. See you when I get there.

I saw Bad News wrestle in Edmonton and Victoria ,BC. He definately got a huge pop from the crowd-much like Abdullah could deliver. He made great" flow" for Stu Hart and never really got a fair shot at doing his thing in the WWF. I hope you are in a better place now . RIP

Thanks for the memories Bad News. R.I.P.

to my buddy the bad news man we met when you were in stampede wrestling and i was arookie but i loved you man you took the time to show me stuff and laughed when i needed it and a kick in the pants was required you were there thanks

Its hard to say goodbye to a childhood hero. As a kid, I was so in awe of Bad News.Then later in life during the times I had contact with him through various projects, I was still in awe of him. Here was a man who lived a character of being the toughest, meanest man around, yet you wouldn't find a more genuine, honest man in everyday life. It was a pleasure watching him as a kid doing what he did best, and getting to know him a little as an adult will make me cherish those memories more so. Heaven has gained an "Ultimate Warrior", - hero's come and go, but legends live forever. To his wife Helen, and the rest of the family, god bless, you are in our thoughst and prayers.

The Sopers

Mr. Coage was a class act all the way. He will be sorely missed by all of his fans. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. I remember watching him and I truly enjoyed the way he got the crowd going. He was one of the WWF's greatest heels. RIP Bad News Brown.

I remember Bad News as a great heel, a tough s.o.b, and a champion Judoka. As one of the toughest African-Americans ever portrayed in wrestling, he was one of the reasons I started martial arts and I'll always remeber him as a tough no-nonsense wrestler. RIP Sensei Allen, you will be missed.

Allen was a man who commanded incredible respect from everyone in wrestling. He did so much for the wrestlers in Western Canada who followed in his footsteps. He was a great believable villain in the ring and a great story teller out of the ring. He accomplished so much in both judo and wrestling, and in both, deserved far more than he was ever given.

It was awesome to see you wrestler, and an honor to shake your hand. You will be missed, rest in peace.

Though I never met the man, he inspired me to do what I love...Pro Wrestling. My deepest condolences go out to the entire Coage family & to all is friends.

God Bless

I just want to say I love watching Bad News Brown in the WWF, I love how intense he was. My deepest apoligies to the faily and your in my prayers.

I grew up watching Bad News Brown. I can remember watching him all the time as a kid sitting with my best friend in her living room. This is a shock to everyone and he will be sorely missed. Goodbye Allen Coage and Rest In Peace!

As a kid growing up I remember watching you as Bad News Brown in the WWF. On of my favorite matches was the battle royal at WrestleMania IV where you won the match. May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Pro Wrestling Manager

The Stud

First. I would like to send my deepest and most sincere condolences to the Coage family.

Mr. Coage was someone that my dad and me had the distinct pleasure in watching every-week on Stampede wrestling. (3 pm every Saturday)

rip you were one of the best wwe heels off all time

My heart goes out to you at this time and in the days ahead.

I am sorry to hear of your loss. I remember being afraid of "Bad News" when I was young, but from what I have read, he was nothing but a gentleman and was well respected from those who knew him. I wish I was one of the lucky ones.

My deepest condolescences go out to the Coage family. I got to meet Allen during a Stampede wrestling night in the early 1980s thru a friend of mine. At first, I wasn't sure if he'd be willing to meet us but the friend of mine who signed for me and a couple of other deaf people insisted. Allen was genuine in meeting us and it was really cool talking with him.
All of us are really sorry and hope for the best for the family.
Sincerly, Marty Goldstein

Take comfort in knowing that now you have a special guardian angel to watch over you.

I was a fan and met Mr. Coageand he was a pure gentleman. We all miss his athleticism, talent, and charm

I am so sad to hear about Allan's passing. I had the opportunity to travel on the road with him for a while with Stampede Wrestling. He was always a gentleman and was willing to help me get a job in Tampa Florida while he was there. I had the pleasure of working against him there and believe me when I say that he could definitely handle himself. He will be missed.

Bob Wayne

We Give our Condolences To Bad News Allen,He was An Awesome and Inspiring Role Model to us in a good way,and He still lives on in us. From Thomas William And Jody Hill

I would like to express my condolences to Bad News' entire family. One of my favorite heels in the WWF growing up, I loved how he won the Wrestlemania 4 battle royal. RIP! You will be missed!

Huge Fan of his as a kid......Class act that will be missed by all wrestling fans....my sympothy goes out to his family

Allen was a gentleman in every sense of the word. He will be missed by all.

The loss of Allen effect every American Judoka. He was among our first Olympians that got TV coverage which made us all feel proud. As the USJA COO I want to express our sadness over this loss.

Allen was one of the most courageous and personable men I have ever known. Best described by the word "champion".
My deepest symathy to his family and friends. WE will all miss him very much.

My sincerest condolences to the family. Alan was and remains an icon in the world Judo community. He will sorely missed and remembered with awe and reverence. May he rest in eternal peace and may his family be consoled by knowledge that Alan will always be with us in spirit.

We wish to express our condolences to Allen Coage's wife and family on their most recent loss. These condolences come from Frank Bender, John Bender, Doris Morel and Alfred & Evelyn Bender. John & Frank Bender worked at Stampede Wrestling as Security for Stu Hart.

Although many of us at United Protection knew Allen for only a short time,it quickly became apparent that he was a dedicated employee, that he had many friends and was very well liked.

Our heartfelt prayers go out to the Coage family at this very difficult time.
Know that old friends are always close by...

his name was "bad news" but his friendship and good nature were always "good news".
to the friends and family of allan coag, god bless you all, he was a wonderful man.

RIP