DesiMDB

Acting

Sylvester Ritter

EN cinema · 63 credits

Born

13 December 1952

Died

2 June 1998 (aged 45)

Birthplace

Wadesboro, North Carolina, USA

Also known as Junkyard Dog · The Junkyard Dog · Big Daddy Ritter · JYD

Sylvester Ritter was an American professional wrestler and professional football player, best known for his work in Mid-South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as The Junkyard Dog (or JYD for short), a nickname Ritter received while working in a wrecking yard. Entering the ring with his trademark chain attached to a dog collar, to the music of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust," JYD regularly headlined cards that sold out the Louisiana Superdome and other major venues, becoming "the first blackwrestler to be made the undisputed top star of his promotion". JYD was one of the most electrifying and charismatic wrestlers in the country, particularly during his peak in the early 1980s. JYD was most known for his head butt and upper-body strength, the latter of which saw him regularly body slam such large wrestlers as The One Man Gang, Kamala, and King Kong Bundy. The word "Thump," which referred to JYD's power slam, was prominently displayed on his wrestling trunks.

Known for

Filmography

Biography: Wrestlemania I poster

Biography: Wrestlemania I

EN · 20226.0

as Self (archival footage) - The Junkyard Dog

Andre the Giant poster

Andre the Giant

EN · 20187.3

as Self (archive footage)

Legends of Mid-South Wrestling poster

Legends of Mid-South Wrestling

EN · 20139.3

as Junkyard Dog / Stagger Lee

The True Story of WrestleMania poster

The True Story of WrestleMania

EN · 20118.2

as Junkyard Dog

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time poster

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time

EN · 20108.3

as Junkyard Dog

WWE: Legends of Wrestling - Jerry the King Lawler and Junkyard Dog poster

WWE: Legends of Wrestling - Jerry the King Lawler and Junkyard Dog

EN · 2010Not rated

Actor

WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event poster

WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event

EN · 20097.5

as Junkyard Dog

Giants, Midgets, Heroes and Villains II poster

Giants, Midgets, Heroes and Villains II

EN · 2008Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1 poster

Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1

EN · 2007Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE: The Ladder Match poster

WWE: The Ladder Match

EN · 20078.3

as Big Daddy Ritter

Heroes of World Class poster

Heroes of World Class

EN · 20068.5

as Junkyard Dog

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology poster

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

EN · 20067.9

as Junkyard Dog

The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s poster

The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s

EN · 20057.8

as Junkyard Dog (Archive Footage)

WWE Hall of Fame 2004 poster

WWE Hall of Fame 2004

EN · 20048.2

as Self

ECW Wrestlepalooza 1998 poster

ECW Wrestlepalooza 1998

EN · 19987.0

as Junkyard Dog (Honoree)

The Life And Times of Paul Boesch poster

The Life And Times of Paul Boesch

EN · 199410.0

as Junkyard Dog (archive footage)

WCW WrestleWar 1991 poster

WCW WrestleWar 1991

EN · 19918.0

as The Junkyard Dog

WCW The Great American Bash 1990 poster

WCW The Great American Bash 1990

EN · 19907.7

as The Junkyard Dog

WCW Halloween Havoc 1990 poster

WCW Halloween Havoc 1990

EN · 19906.0

as Junkyard Dog

NWA Clash of the Champions XI: Coastal Crush poster

NWA Clash of the Champions XI: Coastal Crush

EN · 1990Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

NWA Clash of The Champions VI: Ragin' Cajun poster

NWA Clash of The Champions VI: Ragin' Cajun

EN · 1989Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

NWA Clash of The Champions V: St. Valentine's Massacre poster

NWA Clash of The Champions V: St. Valentine's Massacre

EN · 19894.0

as The Junkyard Dog

NWA Starrcade 1988 poster

NWA Starrcade 1988

EN · 19887.0

as The Junkyard Dog

NWA Clash of The Champions IV: Season's Beatings poster

NWA Clash of The Champions IV: Season's Beatings

EN · 1988Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog (Appearance)

Hulkamania 3 poster

Hulkamania 3

EN · 1988Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

The Best of the WWF: volume 16 Around the World poster

The Best of the WWF: volume 16 Around the World

EN · 1988Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE U.K. Rampage 1988

1988

WWE U.K. Rampage 1988

EN · 1988Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Royal Rumble 1988 poster

WWE Royal Rumble 1988

EN · 19886.7

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE WrestleMania IV poster

WWE WrestleMania IV

EN · 19887.2

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE SummerSlam 1988 poster

WWE SummerSlam 1988

EN · 19887.3

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE WrestleMania III poster

WWE WrestleMania III

EN · 19877.4

as The Junkyard Dog

Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports poster

Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

The Best of the WWF: volume 10 poster

The Best of the WWF: volume 10

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

The Best of the WWF: volume 11 poster

The Best of the WWF: volume 11

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

The Best of the WWF: volume 14 poster

The Best of the WWF: volume 14

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Houston Wrestling: The Paul Boesch Retirement Show

1987

WWE Houston Wrestling: The Paul Boesch Retirement Show

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Houston Wrestling: December '87

1987

WWE Houston Wrestling: December '87

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: January '87

1987

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: January '87

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '87

1987

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '87

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches poster

The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

George "The Animal" Steele poster

George "The Animal" Steele

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments poster

Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments

EN · 198710.0

as Junkyard Dog

Jake "The Snake" Roberts poster

Jake "The Snake" Roberts

EN · 1987Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WrestleMania II poster

WrestleMania II

EN · 19866.4

as The Junkyard Dog

The Best of the WWF: volume 8 poster

The Best of the WWF: volume 8

EN · 1986Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

The Best of the WWF: volume 9 poster

The Best of the WWF: volume 9

EN · 1986Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Houston Wrestling: November '86

1986

WWE Houston Wrestling: November '86

EN · 1986Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: March '86

1986

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: March '86

EN · 1986Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: May '86

1986

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: May '86

EN · 1986Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE The Big Event poster

WWE The Big Event

EN · 19868.0

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Grudge Match poster

WWE Grudge Match

EN · 1986Not rated

as Junkyard Dog

WrestleMania poster

WrestleMania

EN · 19856.6

as The Junkyard Dog

The Wrestling Classic poster

The Wrestling Classic

EN · 19856.2

as The Junkyard Dog

Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports poster

Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports

EN · 1985Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog (archive footage)

Most Unusual Matches poster

Most Unusual Matches

EN · 19859.0

as The Junkyard Dog

Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest! poster

Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!

EN · 19856.0

as Junkyard Dog

The WWF's Amazing Managers poster

The WWF's Amazing Managers

EN · 1985Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE St. Louis Wrestling: September '84

1984

WWE St. Louis Wrestling: September '84

EN · 1984Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: December '84

1984

WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: December '84

EN · 1984Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

NWA Boogie Jam poster

NWA Boogie Jam

EN · 1984Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WCCW Parade of Champions

1984

WCCW Parade of Champions

EN · 1984Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

NWA Lords of The Ring poster

NWA Lords of The Ring

EN · 1984Not rated

as The Junkyard Dog

WCCW Thanksgiving Star Wars '83

1983

WCCW Thanksgiving Star Wars '83

EN · 19839.5

as The Junkyard Dog