Conrad Efraim (March 30, 1945 - October 26, 2008) (born in Antigua, West Indies) was a former professional wrestler best known as Special Delivery Jones from his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He also wrestled in Jim Crockett Promotions and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), and he won the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship three times.[3]
Career
Before becoming a wrestler, Efriam worked at a telephone company.[3] While there, he began training under Johnny Rodz in the sport of professional wrestling.[3] Upon completion of his training, he quit his job and began working for NWA Mid-Atlantic under the name Roosevelt Jones in a tag team with his partner and kayfabe cousin Rufus R. Jones.[2] While there, they had a memorable feud with the Anderson family (Ole and Gene).[2]
On January 17, 1975, after leaving the Mid-Atlantic area for California, Jones won his first of three tag team titles, combining with Porkchop Cash to take the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship from the Hollywood Blonds (Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown).[4] The following month, Jones and Cash dropped the titles back to the Blonds. Jones won the title again in 1977, teaming with Tom Jones to defeat Black Gordman and Goliath.[4] Gordman and Goliath regained the championship, but Jones and Jones won the belts back from them on November 18, 1977.[4]
Jones also continued to wrestle in the WWF as a mid-card babyface who would give the heels a hard time but end up losing.[5] He did, however, win quite a few matches on smaller cards against lower card or fellow mid carders like Ron Shaw and Johnny Rodz.[2][6] Jones was often featured in tag team matches partnered with Tony Atlas, and the two challenged Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito for the WWF Tag Team Championship several times in 1981.[6] On one occasion, the two ended up as the final men in a battle royal and flipped a coin to decide the winner, as seen on the WWF Coliseum Video 'Best of the WWF Volume 4' and 'Grand Slams' video cassettes.[7]
He was also the tag team partner of André the Giant on November 13, 1984 when André's head was shaved by Ken Patera and Big John Studd.[8] At WrestleMania, he famously lost to King Kong Bundy in twenty-five seconds from bell to pinfall, however the official match time was given as nine seconds.[9]
Despite mainly being used as a preliminary talent in the 1980s WWF, Jones garnered further recognition when LJN created an action figure of him for their Wrestling Superstars toy line.[3] He also appeared in the WWF's music video for Land of a Thousand Dances.[3] In 2006, SD Jones appeared for the WWE inducting Tony Atlas into the Hall of Fame.[10] After retiring from wrestling, Jones lost a considerable amount of weight and took a job at the New York Daily News.[3]
Efraim died in Antigua on October 26, 2008, following a stroke suffered two days earlier.[1]
Championships and accomplishments
* World Wrestling Association
* NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Porkchop Cash (1)[4] and Tom Jones (2)[4]
