Line #57 Wrestling/BruiserBrody


1	[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bruiserbrody_794.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:200:"...YOU DON'T SEE ME CRYIN', YOU DON'T SEE ME DOWN ON MY KNEES BEGGIN' BOUT IT, I'M GONNA TAKE CARE O' BUSINESS, AND BUSINESS [[ItsAllAboutMe FOR ME AND ME ONLY AND THAT'S THE WAY I WANT IT TO STAY]]."]]
3
4	Frank Donald Goodish (June 18, 1946 – July 17, 1988) hailing from Uniontown, PA was a former American [[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball football player]] for the Washington Redskins from 1969 to 1971 in the so-called "Taxi-squad" who winded-up as one of the most famed {{professional wrestl\|ing}}ers of all time known under the ring name of '''Bruiser Brody'''. Paving his way as maybe one of the most feared and revered performers who ever step into the ring due his displays of [[BloodKnight complete and utter brutallity]]. Some of his feuds were the matter legends are made of as those against Wrestling/AbdullahTheButcher, The Fabulous Freebirds and the likes.
5
6	He competed throughout the world, having several succesful stints working for The Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation, some Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories such as The St. Louis Wrestling Club, The Wrestling/{{WWE}} (Then known as the ''World Wide Wrestling Federation''), Paul Boesch's "Houston Wrestling" but particularly Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling (Dallas, TX) and the World Wrestling Council (Puerto Rico).
7
8	Among his achievements were holding the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/int-h.html NWA International Heavyweight Title]], which later became part of All Japan's [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/tc-h.html Triple Crown Heavyweight Title]], holding the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/pwf-t.html All Japan PWF Tag Team Title]] with his good friend Wrestling/StanHansen, holding the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/wccw/am-h.html NWA American (World Class) Heavyweight Title]] four times and holding the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/centralstates/nwa/cs-h.html NWA Central States (Kansas City) Heavyweight Title]].
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10	While working for the WWC, wrestler Jose Huertas Gonzales, aka Invader #1, murdered him by stabbing him to death in the shower before a match. He was tried in a Puerto Rican court and was acquitted on the grounds of [[KillingInSelfDefense self-defense]] in a very controversial trial (such as the prosecution witnesses not being told in time to actually show up.)
11	----
12	!! "NOW, I WANNA TELL YOU SOMETHING... THESE TROPES, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE `KING KONG´ OF WRESTLING, AND THERE'S NOTHING, [[PunctuatedForEmphasis NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT...]] HUSSS... HUSSS... HUSSS!!!":
13	* AlliterativeName '''B'''ruiser '''B'''rody
14	* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: A big, gruff southern loudmouth, stiff as hell with no regards on his fellow wrestlers' health or safety as long as he was heftily paid for it? Well... that sounds very much like "Dr. D" David Schultz to us, for sure!
15	* ArchEnemy:
16	** In {{Kayfabe}}: "The Madman from the Sudan" Abdullah the Butcher, [[Wrestling/EdFarhat The (Original) Sheik]], [[Wrestling/DoryFunkJr The Funk]] [[Wrestling/TerryFunk Brothers]], Wrestling/AntonioInoki, [[Wrestling/{{Kamala}} Kamala The Ugandan Giant]], Jerry "The Crusher" Blackwell, "Playboy" Gary Hart and The Fabulous Freebirds.
17	** In RealLife: ''SEVERAL'' promoters he'd never got along with, being one of them Huertas Gonzalez who hated Brody so much that he eventually killed the latter.
18	* BadassBoast: When asked what it felt like to lose, as quoted in ''The Pictorial History of Wrestling: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly'' by Bert Randolph Sugar and George Napolitano.
19	-->''"I'll never find out!"''
20	* BarbarianLonghair: Of the curly, messy kind. Tied into a "Samurai ponytail" at times. Completing his "dangerous" look with a quite bushy [[ManlyFacialHair Mustache/ Beard]] combo.
21	* BashBrothers: Stan "The Man" Hansen, Wrestling/JimmySnuka, several of the [[Wrestling/VonErichFamily Von Erich Boys]].
22	* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: As Brody was made PersonaNonGrata and banned from all promotions in the US after a shouting match with Vince [=McMahon=] Sr., Fritz eventually gave him an opportunity in WCCW, which is why he has UndyingLoyalty to the Von Erich family. To the point where he may have covered up David's possible drug use in Japan when he died.
23	* BittersweetEnding: Brody passed away while grasping his son's photograph because he was about to ask Tony Atlas to draw the boy's portrait. Once the news arrived to Japan, his myriad of dueling peers and fans within the country celebrated his life and career in a very emotive ceremony.
24	* BloodKnight: If an AxCrazy variant of this exists, that was his [[TheGimmick/ProfessionalWrestling gimmick]] in a nut.
25	** His long standing rivalry with Abdullah stood up high on a promotion already infamous for being [[DarkerAndEdgier that violently graphic and brutal]].
26	** To put things into perspective, the WWC's fandom was second to none in rowdiness and bloodthirst. They tended to throw everything at the performers, [[ProducePelting ranging from trash to feces]], [[KitchenSinkIncluded even stones]], and weren't satisfied if at least one wrestler wasn't rolled out of the ring on a stretcher.
27	* BoisterousBruiser and MeaningfulName: Once again, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin it's one of those cases.]]
28	* CaptainErsatz:
29	** '''Brain Big''' and '''G. Bull''' in ''Videogame/FireProWrestling''.
30	** '''Marstorius''' in ''VideoGame/FightersHistory''.
31	* CatchPhrase: '''"HUSS! HUSS! HUSS!"''' It actually sounded more like a loud bark than a chant.
32	* CharlieBrownFromOuttaTown: "Red River Jack." After losing a ''"Loser Leaves Town"'' match in Texas, Brody would appear as himself with a second RRJ when one was needed to "prove" he and Jack weren't the same person. The second "RRJ" was played by the late Rick Davidson (Of the Los Angeles-based "Davidson Brothers") and not by "[[Wrestling/TheUndertaker Texas Red]]" as it was rumored. [[Wrestling/PaulBearer Percy Pringle]] (Who worked with both, Brody and Red) confirmed it.
33	* ChairmanOfTheBrawl: He could kick ass with ''ANYTHING'' he could lay his hands on, but favoring chairs (and ChainPain) for that matter. And he was ''quite versatile'' with its using!
34	* CombatPragmatist: His style was pretty damn hellish: Biting, weapons, working stiff. Not just if he was outnumbered or the stakes were too high for him, that was his ''regular'' set.
35	* DownerEnding:
36	** Tony Atlas, the one wrestler who was willing to come forward and accuse Invader #1, was never contacted to appear in the trial.
37	** "Dirty" Dutch Mantell's subpoena to appear in court arrived to him after the verdict had reached the news stands.
38	* TheDragon: In the Sheik's (Adnan Al-Kaissie) Army in the AWA. More bluntly, after Hansen won the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midsouth/mids-na-h.html#mswa Mid-South Wrestling North American Heavyweight Title]] on May 2, 1977, Brody cut a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJOdmZCuVyw promo]] on "Cowboy" Bill Watts, the promoter and top star of Mid-South, about how it was his job to beat up Watts so that Hansen wouldn't have to worry about associating with "filth" like Watts.
39	* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: He, Hansen and The Funks all attended The West Texas State University around the same time.
40	* {{Expy}}: A fountain of them.
41	** Wrestling/TheBarbarian, [[Wrestling/TheUndertaker "Mean" Mark Callous]] and [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Leon "The Baby Bull" White]] (who started out in the [=AWA=] in the 1980s having some matches with Brody) all definitely drew a lot from him.
42	** The most blatant were Wrestling/JohnNord (Who patterned his Barbarian and Berzerker gimmicks, taking the second one into full-on Viking territory, directly on Brody) and [[Wrestling/JimmyJacobs "The Barbaric Berzerker" Jimmy Jacobs]], right down to the furry boots and the "HUSS!" chant.
43	** [[ClosestThingWeGot Those closer]] to get the SpiritualSuccessor title were undoubtfully [[Wrestling/HacksawJimDuggan "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan]] (albeit, PlayedForLaughs) and [[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack]].
44	* ExtremityExtremist: Given he had long, powerful legs, most of the time he'd simply spend the whole match kicking and stomping his poor rivals around.
45	* FashionableAsymmetry: He tended to tape only his right hand knuckles, later on he would be sporting elbow and knee pads but only at his left side.
46	* FinishingMove: A BoringButPractical ''Jumping Double Knee Drop'', sometimes from the second rope.
47	* ForeignWrestlingHeel: In Japan. Also worked with one, Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie from Iraq in the AWA.
48	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Tony Atlas mentioned, as they were taking José Huertas González to the hospital after receiving a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from Brody in their match, to the point his head ended up looking like a Halloween pumpkin, he turned to SD Jones and said:
49	-->"One day I'm gonna kill that man."
50	* GarbageWrestler:
51	** Played straight: He is considered the greatest brawler in wrestling history, so much so that after his death, Dave Meltzer of ''Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter'' renamed the "Best Brawler" Award, which Brody had won seven times, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrestling_Observer_Newsletter_awards#Bruiser_Brody_Memorial_Award_.28Best_Brawler.29 The Bruiser Brody Memorial Award]]. Brody's death predated the debuts of [[Wrestling/{{FMW}} Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling]] in Japan (1989) and of Wrestling/{{ECW}} in the U.S. (1992), however the wrestlers and fans of those promotions all point to Brody as being, along with Abdullah the Butcher and the Original Sheik, as one of the founding fathers of hardcore wrestling.
52	** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]: Brody was also great with WrestlingPsychology and had a strong grounding in technical wrestling, which enabled him to have great matches with Terry Funk and Wrestling/RicFlair in the old territory days.
53	* HatesEveryoneEqually: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] since he wasn't avert to form teams, but one of his most distinguishable traits was, no matter the odds or who he would be pitted against, friend or foe, Brody ''never'' backed down from a ''"Good, Ol' fashion butt-kickin'"''.
54	* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: DependingOnTheWriter and where he was working at the time. This said, he was maybe the best example of a WildCard in pro wrestling.
55	** Larry Matysik notes it didn't really matter if Brody was {{Face}} or {{Heel}} - [[DracoInLeatherPants he ended up being cheered anyway]]. Brody was rarely simply "aligned", and could even switch during a match due to crowd reaction.
56	* HiddenDepths: Frank Goodish was a completely different character than the man we knew as Bruiser Brody, a responsible FamilyMan and aspiring entrepreneur. To the point his own son recalled how uncomfortable he used to feel when his dad's fans recounted his matches and career to him.
57	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: It's how he lost his match against then-[[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWWF World Heavyweight Champion]] Wrestling/BrunoSammartino on December 4, 1976. Brody had ripped the cover off of one of the turnbuckles. He grabbed Bruno in a headlock with the intention of sending Bruno headfirst into the buckle, but Bruno pushed Brody into it instead, with Bruno rolling up Brody for the pin.
58	* ImprobableWeaponUser: Brody would come out swinging a chain, but he would also pick up a chair from the crowd and use that... or the ring bell... or a trash can... or a pointy stick...
59	** In Japan, fans would line up to be beaten with cowbells on bull ropes by Brody and Hansen.
60	* IntendedAudienceReaction: With Brody, you had to expect the unexpected... and not just in his wrestling style. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9IG-8LIg5U&list=PLVfrG2ESXzwC01ih1Jec6sXqqjLfVp_pS&index=4 Hell, just ask to]] Wrestling/PaulHeyman!
61	* {{Irony}}:
62	** He played the "Southern Reb/Frotiersman" kinda feller quite well... for a guy born in Pennsylvania.
63	** Possibly the most famous (or ''infamous'', depending on your take) GarbageWrestler ever, he was nevertheless ''overprotective'' with his spot in AJPW, a promotion known for defending adamantly its trademark elegant "King's Row" style.
64	** Another "Rough 'N Tumble" bunkhouse brawlers like himself pointed out that amongst them all, it was HIM [[TechnicianVsPerformer the most gifted as a wrestler]].
65	** It was Abdullah the Butcher, TheRival of Bruiser Brody on numerous matches the one receiving, informing his now widow the situation and comforting her upon her arrival to Puerto Rico.
66	* {{Jerkass}}: He had [[TheBully this reputation]] at times among promoters and some of his peers in the States. See [=Base Breaker=] under the YMMV tab for more details.
67	* {{Kayfabe}}: This would end up working in José Huertas González's favor. His lawyer was able to use Brody's in-ring persona to [[MiscarriageOfJustice convince the jury in court]] that Brody was a violent, dangerous man and that Invader #1 killed him in self-defense.
68	* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: This was said almost verbatim by Carlos Colon referring to Brody's case on a podcast interview, since he found the whole matter ''too sad''. He and Invader #1 were actually contacted by ''Series/DarkSideOfTheRing'''s production crew so they could convey their point of view, but both declined.
69	* LightningBruiser: 6'6", 300 lbs. of muscle and could perform ''leap frogs'' and throw ''dropkicks''. It's worth to mention that his working rate was incredibly fast for a man of his frame and age.
70	* MadEye: Sometimes one would appear to be darker than the other.
71	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Wouldn't you be afraid of being pitted against someone named ''Bruiser'' who was also called ''King Kong''?
72	* NoIndoorVoice: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcHnVW1Vt4I&list=PLVfrG2ESXzwC01ih1Jec6sXqqjLfVp_pS&index=3 You be the judge.]]
73	* NoSell: Brody was notoriously selective with who he would sell for, but it added greatly to his tough guy character. In the book ''Brody: The Triumph And Tragedy Of Wrestling's Rebel'' it's said it took a huge effort just to make Brody go to one knee, but anyone who managed it would instantly get over. When Brody '''did''' sell though, it was an amazing sight.
74	** The most infamous example of this was a cage match in the mid 80s Florida. His opponent --Wrestling/LexLuger-- apparently did something to annoy Brody, who's response was to stop selling ''completely'' and stare a hole through Lex, who threw punch after punch to no effect, before deciding simply to leave the cage.
75	** Brody faced Danny Hodge early in his career, and wondered why he should sell for "such a little guy". As Wrestling/JimRoss notes, it only took a few painful holds from Hodge to teach the Bruiser a little respect.
76	* NothingPersonal: The fact he faced so many friends and foes alike with utter conviction and savagery it wasn't out of spite, as much as for enjoying himself and doing business.
77	* OneSteveLimit: Worked as "King Kong" Brody in St. Louis, Wrestling/DickTheBruiser's World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis and other territories where Dick the [=Bruiser=] was established.
78	* OnlyInItForTheMoney: His {{Kayfabe}} explanation for working with heel managers as Sheik Adnan.
79	** Generally understood to be a motivating force for him in RealLife.
80	* PetTheDog: Wrestling/AlSnow tells a story of when he was a rookie, he and another {{Jobber}} worked a handicap match against Brody. Brody beat Al's partner bloody in the ring, but when Al tagged in Brody worked stiff but safe against him, and when he hit Al with his knee drop, he made sure that he barely made contact while still looking devastating. Why? Because Al had brain damage and had very respectfully asked Brody to do anything he wanted to him except punch him in the back of the head, because he would go blind if his injury got worse.
81	* PopularityPower: In a broader sense, seeing as he might walk out if the booking wasn't going his way, he effectively forced the rules he wanted with his reputation.
82	* PowerStable:
83	** Robley's Army (led by Col. Buck Robley and also including Wrestling/JesseVentura) in Central States
84	** The Sheik's Army (led by Adnan Al-Kaissie, also featuring Wrestling/{{Kamala}}, [[Wrestling/{{Yokozuna}} Kokina Maximus]] and Wrestling/KenPatera) in AWA
85	** The Royal Family (led by Wrestling/JamesJDillon which also included Terry Funk, Wrestling/TheIronSheik and Wrestling/ExoticAdrianStreet.) in Florida
86	** The House of Humperdink (the Florida version; led by Wrestling/SirOliverHumperdink and also featuring [[Wrestling/AllenCoage Bad News Allen]])
87	** Gary Hart's Army in WCCW
88	* PunctuatedForEmphasis: He used to finish each and every one of his promos this way after telling you the clearest way possible he was in the business to stomp rivals and collect his money.
89	* RealMenLoveJesus: According to Wrestling/SuperstarBillyGraham, he never missed a church worship service on Sunday and the first thing he would do if he had to be in another town or country on a Sunday was look for a suitable church.
90	* RedBaron: "King Kong" in St. Louis and Indianapolis as stated above, "Choujuu" (鳥獣 "The Wild Animal") in Japan, and "The Hammer" when he was simply known by his own name.
91	* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Worked as a booker for WCCW and WWC, although apparently he wasn't very good at this.
92	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Had a notorious reputation among promoters for being hard to work with and refusing to job, and would in fact walk out if he didn't like a situation. Part of this was due to his secure spot in All Japan Pro Wrestling and not wanting word of a job he had done to get back to AJPW's boss, Wrestling/GiantBaba.
93	** On the flip side of that, as Larry Matysik noted, the word of most promoters was pretty trash, and Brody simply knew he was a valuable commodity. The proof? Even if he walked out on them, they'd all still try to bring him back when they needed to sell out a building. Granted, Matysik was one of his friends and paints Brody as a true independent rebel; perhaps a romantic view, compared to other wrestlers complaining he cost them a payday.
94	* TheScrooge: Jim Ross has a story about going out for dinner with a few friends on Brody's invitation. JR then says the only way it would be a REAL story is if Brody had actually paid for the dinners!
95	* SignatureMove: A few ''Forearm Club'', ''Headlock'', ''Toe'' and ''Sole Kick'' variants, prominently The ''Big Boot''.
96	** He actually performed maneuvers like ''Piledrivers'', ''Dropkicks'' and ''Body Slams'', but in few rare cases.
97	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: In several NWA territories such as Georgia, his last name was written as "Brodie."
98	* SquashMatch: Regularly for an unfortunate {{Jobber}} every time Brody debuted/went back to a territory.
99	* TagTeam: "The Miracle Power Combination" with Stan Hansen
100	* TagTeamTwins: Once faced the Mexican Twin Devils (#1 and #2) in what was unofficially a handicap match as they would pull the inevitable TwinSwitch routine. This went on until Don Diamond ran down to the ring and threw flour in the hair of one of them, with Brody pinning that one to win.
101	* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: He died by at least three stabs, one lacerating his liver.
102	* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: If after a fashion, Brody decided not to play along with you, there was nothing that could make him change his mind. He was trying to purchase Wrestling/GorillaMonsoon's WWC shares, effectively, getting over Colon-Jovica-Huertas Gonzalez's power and influence in the promotion (he was already part of the booking team and he went to collect $25,000 they owed him from a previous tour). As he trusted to Tony Atlas:
103	-->"...you are going to see a lot of changes around here."
104	** Huertas Gonzalez on the other hand saw his ever-lovin' crap beaten out of him by Brody on a previous tour, had the possibility of losing his job if Brody purchased Monsoon's shares, and suffered the loss of his 3 year old daughter around the same time. This in absolutely no way justifies his acts, but they could have been the detonating factors of the tragic events that unfolded themselves later.
105	* VerbalTic: "NOW... I WANNA/LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING...!"
106	* WrestlingMonster: Brody was, simply put, one of the most feared men '''in''' the ring '''and''' backstage back in the day, he was perfectly capable of wrecking your health. In fact, many say that he was killed for it.
107	* YouWouldntLikeMeWhenImAngry: Sometimes, rather than walk out if he didn't like a situation, he would do what he could to wreck it instead. As to refusing to cooperate with a young Lex Luger in 1987. Fans thought Brody was teaching a disrespectful rookie a lesson, that you don't tell a veteran how to work a match, taped razor blades onto his fists, and then forced a terrified Luger to leap out of the cage for his life. Bill Alfonso, the referee for the match, has [[http://thesmartmarks.com/old_site/artman/publish/article_919.shtml said so]].
108	** When the video of the match was finally shown the truth was revealed though. Brody simply stopped selling and Luger was more confused than scared. He grew more frustrated and simply left when Brody refused to work with him at all. After the match, Lex asked Brody if he did something that offended him, but Brody told to Lex he did nothing wrong, Brody simply didn't like two babyfaces pitted against each other, the reaction the match was getting, and that he was having an issue with the promoter, not with Luger.
109	%%* YourDaysAreNumbered: According to Tony Atlas, Brody was supposed to leave Puerto Rico to go to Japan, but Huertas Gonzales had connections there already waiting for him:
110	%%-->"If it didn't happen in Puerto Rico, it was going to happen in Japan."
111	----
112	->''"....COME, [[Wrestling/AbdullahTheButcher BUTCHAAA.... COME, BUTCHAAA...!!!]]"''

Context Wrestling / BruiserBrody