Rufus R. Jones

Carey L. Lloyd (July 4, 1933 – November 13, 1993), also known by his ring name Rufus R. "Freight Train" Jones, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the Central States and Mid-Atlantic regional promotions as well as the American Wrestling Association and the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1970s and 1980s.
==Early life==
Lloyd grew up in Dillon, South Carolina and attended South Carolina State University, where he played on the football team. He also got involved with boxing and competed as a Golden Gloves boxer.
==Career==
===Early career===
Lloyd trained to become a wrestler at the Tony Santos Boston Wrestling School. At the beginning of his career, he used the ring name Buster Lloyd, the Harlem Hangman. He claimed to have learned how to fight on the corner of Lenox Avenue and 125th Street in Harlem, New York. In this gimmick, he wrestled in Texas and criticized the local wrestlers as being inferior fighters to someone who grew up on the streets. He feuded with Tiger Conway, Sr, who emerged the victor in the feud.
Lloyd later adopted the ring name of Rufus R. Jones, nicknamed "Freight Train". In interviews, he would tell opponents that his middle initial, R, stood for "guts". He formed a tag team with Burrhead Jones, who was billed as his cousin.
===Missouri===
Jones moved to Missouri to wrestle, where he worked for promoter Sam Muchnick in the St. Louis Wrestling Club. He also competed for Heart of America Sports/Central States Wrestling. In 1971, he won his first championship by teaming with Steve Bolus to win the Central States version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship in late 1971. He later won the belt twice more, teaming with The Stomper and Bob Geigel. He also had a short stint in Florida briefly feuding with Leroy Brown in the early 80s. During the year of 1989, Jones traveled to Puerto Rico to wrestle in the World Wrestling Council (Capitol Sports Promotion).
==Personal life==
Lloyd was married to Brooksie Jones Lloyd. They had three daughters, Melaney, Crystal, and Kendall, as well as an adopted son, Kenneth Johnson, who worked for the World Wrestling Federation for several years as Reverend Slick. After his retirement from wrestling, Carey Lloyd worked with Bob Geigel in security at a dog-racing track in Kansas City, Kansas. He then opened a restaurant named Rufus' Ringside Restaurant and Bar in Kansas City, Missouri.
On November 13, 1993, Lloyd died of a heart attack while hunting deer in Brunswick, Missouri.
==In wrestling==
*Finishing and signature moves
**Head butt
**Freight Train
*Nicknames
**"Freight Train"
*Teams and stables
**Soul Patrol with Butch Reed
==Championships and accomplishments==
*National Wrestling Alliance
**Central States Wrestling
***NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
***NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (3 times) with Bob Brown (1), Dewey Robertson (1), and Mike George (1)
***NWA Central States Television Championship (1 time)
***NWA North American Tag Team Championship (5 time) with Danny Little Bear (1), The Stomper (2), Steve Bolus (1), and Bob Geigel (1)
***NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (2 times) with Bob Geigel (2)
**Championship Wrestling from Florida
***NWA Florida Bahamian Championship (1 time)
**Georgia Championship Wrestling
***NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Norvell Austin
**NWA Mid-America
***NWA Mid-America Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Roughhouse Fargo
***NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (1 time) with George Gulas
**Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
***NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
***NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Bugsy McGraw
***NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Wahoo McDaniel
***NWA Mid-Atlantic Television Championship (2 times)
**Southeastern Championship Wrestling
***NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*World Wrestling Entertainment
**WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2018)
==External links==
*The Way It Was: Rufus R. Jones by Percival A. Friend
*Rufus R. Jones: The 'R' Stood For 'Guts' by Mike Mooneyham
*Black History Month: Pro Wrestling's Black Stars, Part 3 by Denny Burkholder
*Championship Wrestling from Florida: Rufus R. Jones
*Rufus R. Jones at Find-A-Grave
*Profile at OWW
* Profile
Category:American wrestlers
Category:1933 births
Category:1993 deaths
Category:1969 debuts
Category:1988 retirements
Category:All Japan Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:American Wrestling Association alumni
Category:Central States Wrestling alumni
Category:Championship Wrestling From Florida alumni
Category:Georgia Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:Jim Crockett Promotions alumni
Category:Maple Leaf Wrestling alumni
Category:National Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:NWA Western States Sports alumni
Category:Southeast Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:St. Louis Wrestling Club alumni
Category:World Wrestling Council alumni
Category:Male wrestlers
Category:WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Inductee
Category:Former boxers
Category:Wrestlers who have died
Category:Missouri wrestlers
Category:NWA World Tag Team Champions