Bruiser Brody

[jdw]

I hate Brody, and even I won't go there.

 

John

[mookeighana]

I found this article about Brody's death in the 1980s, and decided to post it here. Indeed.

 

The Night the Fun Was Drained Out of Pro Wrestling

Ostler, Scott. Los Angeles Times 20 July 1988

 

For the last 15 years, Bruiser Brody made a living by bleeding. Night after night, in arenas all over the world, he would "blade"-discreetly slice his own forehead with a razor blade concealed in his wrist tape.

 

On his forehead Brody wore a road map of his career, a massive network of vertical blade scars, but such is the price of fame and fortune. Wrestling fans like blood. It adds reality to the spectacle.

 

Last Saturday night, in the bathroom of the good guy's dressing room in a stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Bruiser Brody was stabbed twice in the stomach and bled to death hours later on an operating table, according to police.

 

The alleged attacker, another good guy named Invader I, went out and wrestled that night, and planned to wrestle the next. Then he was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder by Puerto Rican police, who were kind enough to let the local hero-whose real name is Jose Huertas Gonzalez-wrestle out the weekend card.

 

Wrestling is a fun sport. Harmless entertainment for the family. It is the world's live cartoon, a human demolition derby, a series of morality plays acted out in sweat and blood by huge men (and women, and midgets) with wonderful, creative gimmicks and gigantic personalities and personas.

 

It is also an incredibly hard way to make a buck, a sleazy sweatshop business. Wrestlers live under the thumb of promoters. Injuries are common, days off unheard of. The rule is: no-play, no-pay. The wrestler's only guarantee is pain.

 

Wrestling insiders spin endless tales of personal tragedies of their heroes. Drugs, suicides, physical and mental breakdowns.

 

But Bruiser Brody is believed to the first wrestler murdered on the job.

 

The Saturday night show went on, after the promoter informed the wrestlers in the bad guys' dressing room that Brody had been stabbed by a fan but was in good condition. This is in keeping with the spirit of wrestling, a sport based on deception and illusion.

 

Thus ended the life of the most famous athlete you've never heard of.

 

Bruiser Brody's real name was Frank Goodish. He was 42 years old, a former football player for Iowa and West Texas State. He stood 6 feet 5 inches and weighed close to 300 pounds. He had tried his luck as a sportswriter and bouncer before getting into wrestling, where he was a natural.

 

According to an insider's wrestling newsletter, Goodish "is probably the most versatile and agile big man in pro wrestling history, with the possible exception of Don Leo Jonathan (circa 1950)."

 

Brody's gimmick was simple. He was the toughest, meanest sonuvagun who walked. He started his career as a bad guy but years ago became a good guy. He was a caveman with wild hair and wild eyes. In the ring, he barked like a dog, and the fans barked with him. He was known to use an occasional chain, board or chair on an opponent. He was an out-of-control brawler and a blader. He was an agile and superbly conditioned athlete. And he knew how to put on a show.

 

"There was a reality about him," Meltzer says. "Even wrestling fans who don't believe in wrestling, if you know what I mean, most of them believed that Brody was for real."

 

This tough-guy aura extended beyond the ring, making Brody an outcast in American wrestling. He was an independent, refusing to align with either of the two powerful American federations-the World Wrestling Federation and National Wrestling Alliance. That's why you never saw Brody wrestle Hulk Hogan or Andre the Giant.

 

"He was real stubborn," Meltzer says. "Most wrestlers do what they're told. He was one of those guys who did what he wanted to do. The WWF and NWA knew that when push came to shove, Brody wrestled on his own terms, and they didn't want someone like that in their dressing rooms."

 

With the conglomerate-type federations taking over American wrestling, Brody was the last of the outlaws. Years ago he took his wild act to Japan and established himself as a monster draw, earning $15,000 a week.

 

"The people in Japan really believed Bruiser Brody was the toughest guy in the world," Meltzer says.

 

To protect his career and his rep, Brody couldn't afford to lose many matches, even in other countries. Last month Brody was scheduled to do the job (take a pin) in Austria, lose to Otto Wanz. But when Brody learned there were Japanese sportswriters and photographers covering the match, he walked.

 

He did that a lot, employing a "my way or the highway" approach to negotiating. This is a world where the promoters call the shots, but if Brody didn't like the prematch arrangements, he would pack his gym bag and head into the sunset.

 

Last Saturday, apparently, Brody was asked to do the job against Dangerous Danny Spivey in an outdoor stadium in Bayamon, a suburb of San Juan. Brody refused, and was killed.

 

Meltzer said the promoter of the show tried to convince the Americans on the Sunday card to work, telling them, "Brody would have wanted you to wrestle." Most of them walked, and there weren't enough wrestlers left for the card. Invader I, however, was ready to wrestle.

 

Brody's wife, Barbara, got a phone call late Saturday night, advising her to fly to Puerto Rico as soon as possible. She flew down the next day from Texas, with her and Brody's 8-year-old son, Geoffrey. Barbara feared her husband had been badly injured. Maybe he had broken a leg.

 

Isn't that what they tell you to do in show-biz?

[Smack2k]

Was gonna say some things honestly..but dont wanna break up the joke parts....maybe next time he comes up..

 

Bottomline I agree with Will 100% about Brody..

[MikeCampbell]

I watched Brody vs. Ayala from '87, off a downloaded Brody in PR comp (more for the desire to check out PR than anything to do with Brody). Nothing too special here from Brody, the highlight is his taking a few turnbuckle shots and at first he's stumbling around looking like he's doing the world's shittiest Dick Murdoch impression, but then it shows that he's actually doing the world's shittiest Hulk Hogan "Hulk Up."

 

He also throws a ton of shitty looking front kicks. They don't look too bad when Ayala is on the floor and Brody is on the apron, but the ones when they're both standing up, they just look terrible. Another Brodie, does a much better one.

[MikeCampbell]

Bruiser Brody vs. Dory Funk Jr (Feb '88)

Here's a case of Brody being willing to bump and sell. That'd normally be a good thing, but it's Dory, whose strikes don't look like they can crack an egg. He gives Brody a headlock and short punch, and Brody goes flying over the top for him. It's the total opposite, Brody is actually being too giving (I can't believe that I'm saying it) Brody even does somewhat of a job here, with Dory winning by countout.

[Wolfman]

what would've been particularly appealing about Brody

It's his look. He looks awesome and has one of the best wrestler names ever. I'd imagine for a lot of people, myself included, Brody was over with them before ever even seeing a match thanks to the magazines. When I was a teenager I loved the guy for years before ever seeing him in a match. By the time I did, all those negatives either didn't matter or went unnoticed, at least that's how it was for me. And since I finally first saw him in some World Class matches where he was a no selling monster/ enforcer brought in to kick heel ass, I wanted him to be a no selling guy.

So I'd guess that for a lot of people the aura was always enough.

 

Beat me to it. He looked awesome (esp. with all those scars on his head). I still like him though and wish I could see some of those Andre-Brody battles. Are any of them on tape anywhere?

[BrickHithouse]

One of the main things about PWO that caught my eye several years ago was the general opinions here on Brody.

 

I never saw what was "great" about him, and spent a lot of money on VHS comps back in the day with "top shelf" Brody matches on them, to try to see what I was missing.

 

I probably don't hate him at the level that most here do (for me, that space is reserved for Ivan Putski), but I never got into any of Brody's stuff, not even in the slightest.

[JerryvonKramer]

For what it's worth the best Brody match I've seen was vs. Dory, and the best Dory performance I've seen was that same match. Can't remember which one it was out of these:

 

Bruiser Brody vs. Dory Funk Jr. (10/9/81)

Bruiser Brody vs. Dory Funk Jr. (4/21/82)

 

Pretty sure it was the second one. A very rare match in which Brody sells and Dory shows real fire. It's part of the angle where Brody does something to hurt Terry and Dory is fighting for his brother's honour.

[Sidebottom]

Ric Flair sounded like a proper spanner when he said only Kurt Angle could keep up with Brody for an hour out of the current crop.

[khawk20]

I still like him though and wish I could see some of those Andre-Brody battles. Are any of them on tape anywhere?

One six man tag from MSG where they face each other is all I can think of that's out there at the moment.

[Smack2k]

Ric Flair sounded like a proper spanner when he said only Kurt Angle could keep up with Brody for an hour out of the current crop.

Why? Cause Brody would have to show how tough he is and try to rough up the other guy so he couldnt go the distance? That would be my guess! God forbid the people get a good show or a great match...gotta keep that look up Brody....cant risk that Japan "look / aura" stuff or Puerto Rico "look" stuff or whatever the fuck else "look" or "aura" it was...bleh..

 

I am sorry, but trying to take down a whoel territory cause you're mad about someone else's pay is bush league as fuck....who gives a shit about everyone else's jobs right? Yeah, that is a "great guy" to me.

[MikeCampbell]

Bruiser Brody vs. Dory Funk Jr. (10/9/81)

The best thing here is the scrum at the end with Robely and Terry both getting involved, and Terry's hideous jacket.

[Wolfman]

I still like him though and wish I could see some of those Andre-Brody battles. Are any of them on tape anywhere?

One six man tag from MSG where they face each other is all I can think of that's out there at the moment.

 

They don't wrestle in the footage shown. It's roughly 2 minutes of highlights.

[khawk20]

I still like him though and wish I could see some of those Andre-Brody battles. Are any of them on tape anywhere?

One six man tag from MSG where they face each other is all I can think of that's out there at the moment.

 

They don't wrestle in the footage shown. It's roughly 2 minutes of highlights.

 

I'd have to check to see if Brody and Andre in fact did hook up again, but that match aired on WWE Classics on Demand, along with the rest of the card, so more than highlights have aired.

[Wolfman]

I still like him though and wish I could see some of those Andre-Brody battles. Are any of them on tape anywhere?

One six man tag from MSG where they face each other is all I can think of that's out there at the moment.

 

They don't wrestle in the footage shown. It's roughly 2 minutes of highlights.

 

I'd have to check to see if Brody and Andre in fact did hook up again, but that match aired on WWE Classics on Demand, along with the rest of the card, so more than highlights have aired.

 

Let me know please.

[MikeCampbell]

It's a 3/5 Falls six man (Andre/Strongbow/Whitewolf vs. Brody and the Executioners) that only goes 20 minutes. So I can't imagine the full match doesn't exist. Both Tabe and DJ Mike Nice say that they have it.

[BrickHithouse]

It's a 3/5 Falls six man (Andre/Strongbow/Whitewolf vs. Brody and the Executioners) that only goes 20 minutes. So I can't imagine the full match doesn't exist. Both Tabe and DJ Mike Nice say that they have it.

I have it. I think it's complete, the total segment time is 27:54.

[khawk20]

I know it aired, along with the rest of the card, on WWE ClassicsonDemand, I have it on my list...for some reason I can't find the discs, though, they aren't where they're supposed to be.

[victory]

IIRC Andre gets Brody in a bear hug. Not sure if they do much more than that as I haven't seen it in a while.

[MikeCampbell]

So, I got my hands on that MSG show. I'm assuming that either Brody hadn't become Brody yet (aka the giant asshole prick) or he was just smart enough to know better than to miss off Vince and/or Andre. Brody and Andre only have a few brief exchanges, but Brody does a respectable job of putting him over, even later in the match when he winds up in the babyface corner and Andre pelts him with the forearm shot. Like Victory mentioned, their most notable spot is the bearhug, which Brody is really animated about selling. It's not just Andre either, when Strongbow starts doing his war dance, Brody backs up and is leery of getting close.

[mookeighana]

Someone over on F4W asked about Brody and I pointed them to this thread.

 

Meltzer weighed in just now,

 

The disconnect between fans who have no perspective of the era and wrestling people who romanticize has never been more evident than with Brody.

 

It's hilarious.

 

On one side, every 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-9 guy being taught to wrestle is told to view Brody tapes because he is the prototype for how a big guy should work.

 

Then you have fans who think they understand working by x's and o's who think he sucks because he doesn't sell the way they like or his matches were boring even though the crowd usually was going crazy for them.

 

I ask people who worked with him on top whether he could work or not. Not all said he was great. Some thought too stiff at points, a valid argument, some had qualms like Bockwinkel because they didn't get along in the ring (although even Bockwinkel told me in every conversation that he rated Brody with Ray Stevens as far as pure talent, but had issues with him in business and also hated working with him in Japan because you had to fight for everything). Funks & Flair rated him right near the top. Terry Funk laughs outrageously as the modern viewpoint of people who say he's a lousy worker, or anything less than spectacular.

 

To me, he's the perfect example of when people bring up a match from 30 years ago and say would you change your star rating for it today, and I think that question alone tells me they have zero understanding of the pro wrestling business.

 

In 2000, they asked virtually every Japanese wrestler in a best of the century poll, who the greatest foreign wrestler was. Brody had more votes than anyone else.

 

Today people will say that just proves how dumb wrestlers are about working.

 

Me, I just find it all funny.

[Matt D]

Or may, maybe people's tastes can change and wrestling can be not just about the business but about the aesthetics. That's not even the case here though.

 

It's so amazingly plain to see what's on tape. It's not even a shades of grey thing like Michaels or a stylistic thing like someone like Richards.

 

The things that people say Brody did amazingly just aren't there when you watch.

[mookeighana]

It's so amazingly plain to see what's on tape. It's not even a shades of grey thing like Michaels or a stylistic thing like someone like Richards.

Stevie or Davey?

[Matt D]

It's so amazingly plain to see what's on tape. It's not even a shades of grey thing like Michaels or a stylistic thing like someone like Richards.

Stevie or Davey?

 

Who doesn't like Stevie Richards?

[JerryvonKramer]

I think as fans we all have a massive disconnect when it comes to Brody and when it comes to Dory Funk Jr.

 

Two guys consistently touted as all-time greats by their peers and old-time experts who pretty much consistently suck from everything we've seen.

 

It would be good if someone asked Meltzer about Dory Jr in that thread, I'd love to know what he says.