What more is there to be said about one of the sport's all-time greatest grapplers. The New Mexico wildman is better known for his roughouse tactics, and his brawls with every major legend of his era, than for the numerous titles which he held throughout his illustrious career. Brody is arguably the greatest professional wrestler who never won a world Heavyweight singles or tag team title.
Background
Bruiser Brody was born Frank Donald Goodish in Pennsylvania in 1946. Brody made his home in Alberquerque, New Mexico during his wrestling career. He stood 6-foot-7, and weighed 300 pounds.
Brody made his pro debut in 1973. Shortly thereafter (then using his real name), he first formed a successful tag team in the Tri-State promotion with Stan Hansen, winning the NWA Tri-State tag team titles in 1974. Brody would then go on to hold the Florida Heavyweight title that year, as well.
We first got a major glimpse of Brody on a nationwide basis back in the mid 1970s, when he mounted a very serious challenge to Bruno Sammartino's WWWF title. On many occasions, Bruno barely escaped with his world title. However, Brody was recognized as one of the most feared villains in the sport's history. He stood 6-7, and weighed (exactly) 300 pounds. Brody also frequently traveled to territories throughout North America. By the late 1970s, Brody was already a legendary figure in Puerto Rico (where he feuded with the legendary Carlos Colon), and in Georgia (where he was managed by Gary Hart), as one of the most hated wrestlers of all-time.
One of the hardest hit territories hit by the madman from New Mexico was All-Japan Pro Wrestling, in Japan, where to this day, Brody remains a legend. From the time Brody wrestled his first match in Japan in 1979, until his death in 1988, Japan would become a second home to Brody, who by now had established himself as a madman.
By now, Brody was a tourist of sorts, never staying in one promotion for too long, instead traveling throughout the world. Brody, however, made his most memorable moments in the states in Texas, where he feuded with the likes of The Von Erichs. Brody won a total of four American titles in the late-1970s.
By now, Brody was recognized as one of the finest brawlers in the world. However, in 1980, in Texas, Brody's career would take a new twist - as a fan favorite! Brody formed a successful team with Kerry Von Erich, and together, they won the American Heavyweight tag team titles.
Brody had by now become a tag team specialist, as well. he returned to Japan several times in 1981, nearly capturing the coveted NWA International Heavyweight title in a tournament in 1981, before being forced to miss the final because of injury. He would, however, go on to win the title (then All-Japan's top singles title) from Dory Funk Jr. (whom he would have faced in the finals of the tournament in April) in October, and again in April of 1982. Brody also teamed with Jimmy Snuka to win the 1981 All-Japan world tag team title tournament.
In the states, meanwhile, Brody worked as a face in Joe Blanchard's Southwest Championship wrestling promotion, winning its' world tag team title. Brody also engaged in a memorable feud with Blackjack Mulligan in Georgia. That was Brody. Top "good guy" in Texas, "bad guy" in Georgia, but never did he change his wrestling style.
In 1983 (between several trips to Japan), Brody reappeared in Fritz Von Erich's World Class promotion at "Star Wars", and upon his return won the American tag team titles with Kerry Von Erich. Brody also engaged in a memorable feud with the 400-lb. Ugandan giant, Kamala.
In 1983, Brody would return to Japan and resume his team with longtime partner Stan Hansen. Together, they would become perhaps the greatest tag team in the history of All-Japan pro-wrestling, winning the All-Japan real world tag team title tournament in 1983, as well as the PWF tag team titles in April of 1984, and would hold them until May of 1985. In the meantime, Brody kept himself very busy, returning to the states and being brought into Memphis in 1985 to feud with Jerry "the king" Lawler, with whom he had a series of memorable brawls the likes of which Mid-South Coliseum would never see again.
In 1984, Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher were brought into the AWA by Sheik Adnan Al-Kassie to attack Jerry Blackwell, and feud with the Road Warriors. However, the fact that Dick the Bruiser was an AWA favorite, Bruiser Brody would have to become "King Kong" Brody during his stay in the AWA.
1985 saw Brody make a shocking switch from All-Japan (where he held the PWF tag team titles with Hansen) to its chief rival in Japan, New Japan pro-wrestling, where he faced Antonio Inoki for the IWGP title on several occasions. Back home, Brody returned to Texas and engaged in a very bloody feud with former Japan rival Terry Gordy, culminating in a barbed wire match in Texas Stadium, which saw Brody defeat Terry Gordy, but with neither man looking much like a winner.
This was a very busy time for Brody. Between 1985 and 1987, Brody worked for the following promotions (and many more) World Class, AWA, SCW, New-Japan, All-Japan, Georgia, Florida, Central States (Missouri), WWC (Puerto Rico) and Memphis.
In the mid-1980s, Brody was regarded as the uncrowned world champion. He would come within a hair of winning Ric Flair's NWA world Heavyweight title on over a half-dozen occasions, often in Saint Louis. In March of 1986, he also received a shot at Rick Rude's WCCW world title at Texas Stadium, as a result of a fan balloting, a testament to the respect that Brody had earned during his 15-year career. Brody was also voted as the number-one wrestler in the world in 20 crucial categories in 1986, edging out the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, & Dusty Rhodes. 1986 also saw Brody feud with Gary Hart, who managed a stable which included the likes of Killer Brooks and The One Man Gang.
However, Brody will be best known to American fans for his feud with the madman from the Sudan - Abdullah the Butcher. This feud began in 1986 when Brody attacked Gary Hart (Abby's manager). The two madmen would have a series of some of the bloodiest matches in the history of the state of Texas. Brody seemed to be the only man who had a prayer of stopping the Sudanese madman, only to have to deal with the constant interference of Gary Hart.
Finally, the World Class officials decided to lock these two in a steel cage at the Cotton Bowl extravaganza in October of 1986, with Fritz Von Erich as the special referee. This was the usual bloodbath, with Abdullah resorting to his usual tactics, including attempting to use a spoon as a weapon! Thankfully for Brody, however, Von Erich would thwart Abby's efforts, and Brody was able to score a pinfall.
Then, World Class put together a loser-leaves-town match between the two, which was won by Abdullah with help from Gary Hart. However, Brody would return under a mask and in the March 1987 papade of Champions at Texas Stadium, got his revenge when he received 5 minutes with Hart, and delivered a brutal beating.
A month later, Brody would reappear in All-Japan's pro wrestling, and would win the NWA International Heavyweight title from Jumbo Tsruta in March of 1988. Sadly, this would be Brody's last major title.
On July 16, 1988, Brody was scheduled to wrestle later that night when
he was stabbed in the dressing room of a coliseum in San Juan Puerto Rico.
"Tell my son I love him...and my wife I love her, too" were his final
words to Carlos Colon, according to PWI magazine. Brody would die the
following day on the operating table of stab wounds to the abdomen,
leaving behind a wife (Barbara) and son. Fellow
wrestler Jose Gonzales was charges with Brody's murder, but was later
acquitted (after Tony Atlas' refusal to testify against Gonzales, which
was a crushing blow to the prosecution). Brody's murder remains
"unsolved."