Bruiser Brody Inducted Into Hall O Fame

Tha O Show is proud to induct into "Wrestling's Only Kayfabe Free Hall O Fame" the toughest son of a bitch to date. The incomprable, Bruiser Brody.

It is almost too fitting for a man who lived his life as a controversial figure to leave this world in the manner he did. Heralded by many as the greatest brawler to ever lace up a pair of boots, Brody was a hardcore legend before the term existed. And yet, the stories surrounding his death and ornery character cloud his accomplishments as an innovator and revolutionary performer.

It comes as no surprise that there are 2 recently released books that chronicle Brody's life. A personality with many layers, Brody was a character taken from a western novel. A rebel outlaw coming into a new territory with a long reputation, few friends, and many enemies. Bruiser Brody was not John Wayne, he was New Mexico native Frank Goodish.

Brody was a towering and intimidating figure standing at 6'8" with long-hair and a shaggy beard. Beginning his career in NWA US, Brody travelled to virtually every American territory. Brody's size and charisma made him a highly desired performer to the point where he was able to create bidding wars between companies. One such bidding war saw Brody become the highest paid foreigner in Japan when All Japan and New Japan Pro Wrestling both attempted to procure his services.

Some say that Brody needed to go all over the world because he was constantly burning bridges by infuriating promoters all over North America. Nick Bockwinkel calls Brody a private man who was never one of the boys. Others labelled Brody a man who was simply hell bent on making money and destroying territories in the process.

There is a video on YouTube of a match between Bruiser Brody and Abdullah The Butcher from Puerto Rico. The scene from this match is something that you would never see in North American wrestling today. Brody and Abdullah are striking each other with fists and chairs all over the outdoor venue. Brody, playing his maniacal madman character is screaming at fans and eliciting fear and impassioned anger from them. Brody made matches feel like they were beyond a shoot. A Brody match was often a life and death struggle where only one man will likely survive. Like so many that came after, Brody was the epitome of the monster heel.

Mick Foley patterned the Cactus Jack character after Brody. From the long-hair to the intense brawling style, Cactus Jack was one of many Bruiser Brody rip-offs. Much like how Demolition became the WWF version of The Road Warriors, Berzerker was the poor man's Brody and was a miserable failure by comparison. Brody was such a legendary character in Japan that "The Predator" Sylvester Terkay became the modern-day incarnation of the infamous figure even using the notorious "huusssst." Though successful in Japan, WWE didn't want Terkay to use that gimmick when he came over to the "SmackDown!" brand.

The controversy surrounding Brody's death is worthy of a Hollywood movie. The only wrestler who was in the lockerroom that night in Puerto Rico who has spoken about what happened is Tony Atlas. Atlas was the man who called police and ended up being in the ambulance with Brody on the way to the hospital.

The story as was told by Atlas to police begins with Jose Gonzalez, WWC performer and part-owner, asking Brody to join him in the shower for a private conversation. Gonzalez was holding a knife being concealed in a wrapped towel. Gonzalez, waiting for Brody to look away, reveals the knife and proceeds to repeatedly stab Brody in the stomach. As police and paramedics came to the arena, Gonzalez proceeded to change his t-shirt and wrestle a match.

Jose Gonzalez was charged for the death of Brody but the murder trial did not lead to a conviction and he was subsequently acquitted. Gonzalez plead that he was acting out of self-defense even though there was no evidence to prove it. The controversy around the trial surrounds the lack of key eye-witnesses that were in the lockerroom while Brody was being stabbed. Many wrestlers would not talk even if they were subpoenaed. Others, who wanted to talk, were mysteriously muzzled and not asked to participate.

The one key witness, Tony Atlas, was not asked to testify. Since then, Atlas has said that the Puerto Rico Mafia was involved in the cover-up of Brody's murder.

With time, the death of Bruiser Brody is becoming something of an urban legend with new versions of what happened that night changing with each passing year. Much like his death, the man who played the role of Bruiser Brody is becoming a part of wrestling folklore as many fans and wrestlers want to know more of this outlaw. Though it is his death that grabbed headlines, it was the man that captured the imagination of a generation of performers who emulate him some 20 years after his death.

Visit Tha O Show's, Hall O Fame.

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