Guest tank_abbott Report post Posted July 19, 2002 They just called him the “Bruiser”… and this muscular giant of devastation was exactly that. He was 6ft 1in. , Weighed 260lbs and was so powerful in the shoulders and chest that he could not rest his arms to his sides. He was born in Lafayette, Indiana; Bruiser was a bodybuilding and weight-lifting enthusiast as a boy and claimed he used to beat people up just for the fun of it. He was so big that when he’d cut school, the truant officers would run the other way. They were simple afraid of him. He attended Purdue University and the University of Nevada on scholarships. After college the Green Bay Packers picked him up and Bruiser became the offensive captain of the ’53 and ’54 “Packer Offensive Eleven.” His bruising play at the left tackle slot for the team earned him the vote as pro-football’s strongest lineman-for five consecutive years. While playing professional football Bruiser became a friend with Leo Nomelini, San Francisco 49’ers football stars. During the off season in 1952, Leo worked with Bruiser, teaching him the art of pro-wrestling. At the conclusion of the 1953 football season the “Bruiser” made his professional wrestling debut in Denver, Colorado. For years Bruiser’s name was synonymous with barroom-style of wrestling in which anything goes. Wrestlers would say: “He was a vicious, overdeveloped killer!” “When he hits you with a forearm smash you feel like your chest caved in. Hitting him is like hitting an iron punching bag!” “I’ve hit him with rocks, chairs and suitcases. I’ve kicked him and even smashed a table over his head.” “He’s indestructible.” “This guy is so bad he’d get blackballed in a fraternity of grave-robbers.” He had so many stitches on top of his head he looked as if he cut his hair with a lawn mower. His favorite hold was a kick in the teeth. He had been known to battle with fans, rip up children’s autograph pads and had, on more than one occasion, single-handedly dismantled rings-even entire arenas-when his temper got out of control. Suspended in New York for causing a riot. Dick wrestled mostly in the Midwest but had terrorized other states during his extensive travels. Because Bruiser became one of the greatest villains all-time he became one of wrestling’s greatest heroes. ------------------------- I'm sorry, but that line about ripping up kids autograph books killed me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
