He was revered and beloved by audiences — who were shocked to learn of his sudden and somewhat controversial passing. ", "If you look at Brody, you might have seen a wrestling match before he came on and have been like, 'This is fake, this is whatever,'" Husney continued. In a later shoot interview, Bill Alfonso said that there was a miscommunication issue on who would lead the match and there was no ill will ever between the two. Brody lost the title to Jumbo Tsuruta four days later. He briefly returned to All Japan Pro Wrestling to win his last NWA International Heavyweight Championship. Mantell says in the documentary. And that's an art form. It made Puerto Rico this insane territory where where wrestlers were like, 'It's rough, be careful.'". [5], In April 2019, Brody's death was featured on VICE's Dark Side of the Ring - Season 1, Episode 3, which included interviews with Dutch Mantel, Tony Atlas and Abdullah the Butcher. It's a reminder to be careful where you go. To take your gimmick and bring it out into the real world and still keep it up, it's incredible. All Episodes (17) Next. Frank Donald Goodish (June 18, 1946 – July 17, 1988) was an American professional wrestler who earned his greatest fame under the ring name Bruiser Brody. He also worked as King Kong Brody, The Masked Marauder, and Red River Jack. With stories from the likes of Dutch Mantel and Savio Vega, both who were present during the time of Brody’s stabbing, it’s hard not to ask: was […] Bruiser Brody, murdered in a backstage locker room in Puerto Rico. Despite his untimely end, Brody has been canonized as a sort of patron saint of the industry. Backstage, Brody and a wrestler named Invader I (shoot name: José González) had been arguing — about what, exactly, no one knows. His in-ring work and wrestling persona earned him an induction in the professional wrestling hall of fame, St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame, Southern Wrestling Hall of Fame, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame and the WWE Hall of Fame. In 1976, he went to Vince J. McMahon's WWWF where he challenged WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino but was unsuccessful in winning the championship. In this sub-genre, most rules were suspended and ultra-violence was encouraged. [10], On July 16, 1988, Brody was in the locker room before his scheduled match with Dan Spivey at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón (a city near San Juan, Puerto Rico), when José Huertas González, a fellow wrestler and booker,[11] allegedly asked him to step into the shower area to discuss business. He worked regularly in Japan for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). She has stated that while his wrestling persona was known for brutality and being uncontrollable, Brody was the complete opposite with his family. The numbering for the episodes differ compared to how they originally aired in the US/Canada, so they may not be in the same order. Additionally, many who were called to testify about the crime did not receive their summonses until after the trial was already over. It was also in the WWWF where he wrestled Invader 1 (José González), for whom he refused to sell. For me, outside of hearing about him briefly in the Class of 2019, WWE Hall of Fame, I didn’t know much about the brawler that was legendary in his own right. [13], American professional wrestler and murder victim, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Foley, Mick. Brody died in 1988 from stab wounds suffered backstage in a shower during a wrestling event in Puerto Rico. In WCCW in Texas he was actually a babyface, most often against Abdullah The Butcher. A jury acquitted González of murder, ruling that González killed Brody in self-defense. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. 00:00 44:05. July 16, 1988, Bayamón, Puerto Rico. In the world of pro-wrestling, the line between what's real and fake is always blurry — and the true story about the death of wrestler Bruiser Brody complicates the unclear division between fantasy and actual events. Due to his huge reputation in Japan promoter Shohei Baba had the match taped and later aired on Japanese TV. "He could get a near-epic match out of just about anybody he wrestled," Shoemaker wrote. In Larry Matysik's book, Wrestling at the Chase, Matysik states that before the match Brody told him "I'm not putting up with any of his bullshit" and that Brody was upset that Luger would not sell for him. The prosecution witnesses living outside of Puerto Rico did not show up, claiming they had not received their summons until after the trial had ended. They didn't think it was real!" "That's why the verdict came back not innocent but not guilty. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.115), World's Strongest Tag Determination League, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, NWA International Heavyweight Championship, NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship, George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, NWA Big Time Wrestling/World Class Wrestling Association, SCW Southwest Brass Knuckles Championship, NWA Western States Heavyweight Championship, List of premature professional wrestling deaths, "How wrestling icon Bruiser Brody was killed in Puerto Rico by fellow wrestler", "Free Family Tree, Genealogy and Family History - MyHeritage", NWA International Heavyweight Title history, "Many years of hard work pay off for Dennis Brent with CAC's historian award", NWA Central States Heavyweight Title history, NWA Central States Tag Team Title history, "National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced Class of 2018, details on HOF Induction Weekend including Ross, Booker T, Animal", "NWA United States Heavyweight Title (1967-1968/05) - American Heavyweight Title (1968/05-1986/02)", NWA United States Tag Team Title (Tri-State version) history, "News: Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame announces 2014 HOF class", SCW Southwest Brass Knuckles Title history, NWA Western States Heavyweight Title history, WWA World Heavyweight Title (Indianapolis) history, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bruiser_Brody&oldid=1022096735, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Sportspeople from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, January 3 Korakuen Hall Heavyweight Battle Royal (1979), Champion Carnival Fighting Spirit Award (1981), World's Strongest Tag Determined League Exciting Award (1982) – with Stan Hansen, Ranked No. A video of Brody — shockingly out-of-character — explaining his recalcitrance first appeared on YouTube in 2009. "Pro-wrestling nowadays, nobody thinks anything is legit. 14 of the 500 top wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003, This page was last edited on 8 May 2021, at 12:52. It's a crazy art form. He could turn any night at the wrestling show into a major event.". Sign up for Oxygen Insider for all the best true crime content. Together, they had a son named Geoffrey Dean Goodish. Brody underwent somewhat of a face turn at the time — wrestling slang for when someone known for their villainy transitions to a more heroic role. Hear Savio Vega Share His Take on What Happened to Bruiser Brody: He was later married to Barbara Smith, who remained his partner until his death. José never testified.". +. Tony Atlas ran to the shower and saw Brody bent over and holding his stomach. It was a brief tour in Puerto Rico in 1988 that would ultimately end Brody's career — and his life. The other is a cautionary tale. His monstrous proportions (he was billed at 6'8" and 295 pounds) and leonine mane left a strong impression on crowds and led him to be cast as a "monster heel" — a longtime wrestling trope characterized by the unapologetic brutalization of smaller opponents. "Brody was both beast and poet: He wrote the epics in which he featured. It aired on April 24, 2019. He was acquitted of murder in 1989. Murder of Bruiser Brody In July 1988, González fatally stabbed professional wrestler Frank Donald Goodish, known as Bruiser Brody , backstage during a wrestling event in Puerto Rico. What's known about Brody's early life is that he was born Frank Goodish in 1946 and that he played football in college at Iowa State and later at West Texas State, according to "The Squared Circle: Life, Death, And Professional Wrestling" by David Shoemaker, who noted the latter school's athletics program would go on to produce several iconic wrestling performers. Confidential: The Killing of Bruiser Brody Evan and Jason expound on the making of the Dark Side of the Ring “pilot” and unpack the events of Bruiser Brody’s brutal murder … Key witnesses to the killing did not give testimony at González's trial due to their summons only being received after the trial had concluded. The two took their "business discussion" into the showers for privacy. The Killing of Bruiser Brody (2019) 2 of 5 Tony Atlas in Dark Side of the Ring (2019). Together they had a son named Geoffrey Dean, born November 7, 1980. Since the brutal murder of Bruiser Brody in 1988 Jose Gonzales has become a very well known, and actually a loved-even respected wrestling legend in Puerto Rico. The Killing of Bruiser Brody was the 3rd episode of season1 airing on April 24, 2019. "He was just an all-around badass person. Police allegedly didn't believe Bruiser Brody's colleagues when they tried to explained who stabbed the wrestler to death. He first wrestled in Dallas - Fort Worth and later Louisiana. Brody has posthumously received several accolades, including an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, often considered one of the highest honors in the entire industry. [7] In the middle of the match, Brody stopped "working" and stood around. Bruiser Brody was wrestling for the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico when he was allegedly murdered by a wrestling superstar there in Jose Huertas Gonzalez, who went by the moniker of Invader I. Tony knew it was real so they were actually engaging each other from different perspectives. The Killing of Bruiser Brody. It's the theater of life.". Brody also teamed with Big John Studd. But the police walked in thinking, 'Well it's just another crazy, wild wrestling brawl.' photo: wwe.com 1946-1988 (age 42) Frank Goodish, best known to wrestling fans as Bruiser Brody, enjoyed a successful run in the professional wrestling world throughout the 80s… before his untimely murder. Tuesday marks 30 years since the death of professional wrestling legend Bruiser Brody. A wrestler named Dutch Mantell, who has also performed with WWE under the name Zeb Coulter, described the confusion at the scene. However against Abdullah in Montreal he was a heel managed by Floyd Creatchman. "I don't think it's good that anyone knows I'm Frank Goodish," he says in it. After the match, Luger recalls asking Brody if he did anything wrong to upset him, to which Brody responded "no", and Brody's reasons for not working were not very clear, stating that "the match just wasn't working". "Brody had already been taken out. [5], Goodish was an All-State football and basketball player at Warren High School, Michigan, and played football at West Texas A&M University (then known as West Texas State) and with four teams over three seasons in the TFL and the COFL.[6]. So, I'm not buying that," Massaro said. Despite his reputation as being disagreeable with promoters he would aid any who needed a boost in ticket sales as he was guaranteed to bring in crowds. [8] González was acquitted of murder in 1989 after a jury accepted that he was acting in self-defense. Bruiser Brody, who’s real name is Frank Goodish, was a very well known wrestler in the 70’s and 80’s until his tragic death in 1988. Season: 2 Episode: Airdate: 30 Mar 2021 Time: 21:00 Network: Viceland Country: United States In fact, during that era of pro-wrestling, it was fairly common for characters to assume the identity of their alter-egos even outside of the ring, in order to preserve the legitimacy of the performance. Powell’s POV: Viceland aired previous shows on Randy Savage and Elizabeth, and the Montreal Screwjob. Prior to his wrestling career, Goodish worked as a sportswriter in San Antonio, Texas. Rumor has it that Brody had upset González by refusing to job to Carlos Colón , and by investing heavily in the World Wrestling Council, Puerto Rico’s top promotion. For years, controversy surrounded his murder. They tell a story of a man who looked like one of the more ferocious and scary wrestlers of all time but was also a man who loved his family and friends. Due to the design of the dressing room, there were no witnesses to the altercation. Maybe back then it was like that for the first hour, but then after that — I think it was more of the actual people in charge telling the cops to look away. "I already knew the verdict by the time my subpoena arrived at my door. Wrestlers discuss the tragic evening in 1988 when they witnessed a lock room confrontation that resulted in the death of legendary wrestler Bruiser Brody. Vinnie Massaro, a California-based pro-wrestler who recently appeared on "Lucha Underground," recalled learning about Brody through underground tape-trading circles that pre-dated internet streaming sites. Pro wrestler Bruiser Brody was an international icon by the time he died in 1988, having toured the world and won several championships in a handful of global federations. Fellow wrestlers Dutch Mantel and Tony Atlas have said that in the 1970s, when Brody and González had wrestled each other, Brody had wrestled very roughly and beat up González. He spent one night in jail before being bailed out. That's when Brody was stabbed repeatedly. In Florida he beat B. Brian Blair for the Florida State championship. It was 10 days late," Mantell said. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Bruiser Brody died on July 17th, 1988, following a pair of surgeries that could have saved his life. On April 15, 1988, the first attempt to form what became the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship was done when Brody faced off against NWA United National and PWF champion Genichiro Tenryu; the result was a double countout. In 1987 he returned to the AWA where he fought Greg Gagne and Jerry Blackwell. Performers emerging from shows fully drenched in real blood was not uncommon. Wrestlers relive the tragic evening in 1988 when they witnessed a locker room confrontation that resulted in the death of legendary wrestler Bruiser Brody. A pro-wrestling manager of 10 years who goes by the stage name Chad Epik told Oxygen.com that Brody remains a guiding light for younger stars. It's nuts, but it's also amazing. Another scenario was that Brody was upset with the promoters over his paychecks (Brody had a contentious history with wrestling promoters for much of his career) and decided to embarrass the promotion by being uncooperative in the match. The hulking, maniacal, chain-swinging Brody was a 6’4″ 310 lbs. Brody and Smith lived in Texas. He was 42 years old. The killer was José Huertas González, better known as Invader I. He was literally Bruiser Brody, his own entity. Previous. In 1985, he had a very short stint with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in a feud with Antonio Inoki and many of their matches ended in no contests or disqualifications. The Japanese fans were hysterical," Massaro told Oxygen.com. We had the opportunity to interview Savio Vega back in October 2015, where he opened up about being a witness to the murder of Bruiser Brody. To have that take place in a murder story — that happening in that world — it's even more crazy to try and figure out what's true and what's not. The honor, and the code. In the States, he had numerous feuds with the likes of Kamala the Ugandan Giant, Abdullah the Butcher, and "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell. In Texas he was a 6 ’ 4″ 310 lbs shower during a wrestling event Puerto. 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