*****
*
*
Bruiser Brody
Hall of Fame, Class of 2006
*
   Bruiser Brody began his wrestling career in the early 1970s after a very successful football career with the University of Iowa and then the Washington Redskins. Brody was a maniac in the ring and truly set the stage for the hardcore wrestling movement that has captivated a new generation of fans in the 1990s and 2000s. Brody would move on to compete in Mid-South Wrestling, battling such stars as a young Paul Orndorff, and All Japan Pro Wrestling where he excelled. Brody joined World Class Championship Wrestling in the early 1980s and began teaming with the Von Erichs against the red-hot Fabulous Freebirds. He had memorable battles with Kamala, the One Man Gang, Ravishing Rick Rude and Abdullah the Butcher before moving on to the American Wrestling Association where he continued his hardcore legacy, teaming with Nord the Barbarian in a losing effort to Superfly Jimmy Snuka and Greg Gagne at Wrestlerock 1986. 

    In Florida Championship Wrestling, Brody had classic battles with Wahoo McDaniel and generated wrestling controversy by breaking kayfabe in the ring during a match with Lex Luger after the two generated legitimate heat. Luger ended the match by getting himself disqualified and Brody would quickly leave the company. He briefly returned to World Class to continue to team with the Von Erichs and wrestled in Peurto Rico. Brody's legend grew when, after wrestling his last match with Carlos Colon in defeating Abdullah the Butcher and Danny Spivey. Brody was stabbed backstage by fellow wrestler Jose Huertez Gonzalez (Invade I) on July 16, 1988 and died the next day due to those injuries. 

    Brody was known as a very ornery backstage politician and his death is indication of the heat he was able to generate. He was allegedly blackballed from the WWF after a backstage incident with Gorilla Monsoon and was rumoured to be involved in a plan to jump the rail at Wrestlemania I to attack Mr. T. Brody, despite his politics, was a brutal and awesome professional wrestler who had classic battles with those mentioned as well as the Nature Boy Ric Flair and Bruiser Brody, who defeated him for the moniker "Bruiser" and thus Brody was briefly known as "King Kong" Brody in the AWA. He is one man who deserves his place here in the UWOW Hall of Fame.
* *