Frank "Bruiser Brody"
Goodish was one of the wildest, most insane, and most
impersonated men ever to step in the ring. The 6`8 325 lb. New
Mexican wildman, with long curly black hair, scraggly beard
and furry boots brawled with such reckless abandon and fury
that he is a true legend in every country he performed in. His
style and image have been emulated more times than can be
counted, which is more a tribute to his originality and
uniqueness than blatant copying. Bruiser Brody is one of the
greatest, if not the greatest, brawlers the sport has ever
known. His story is also one of wrestling's most tragic...
Frank Goodish was born in 1946 in
Pennsylvania, moved to New Mexico during his youth, and
started his career as "Bruiser" Frank Brody in 1973.
By September of 1974, he won his first championship -- the NWA
U.S. (Tri-State version) Tag team titles with Stan Hansen.
This was the beginning of what would be, from that point
forward, a life-long friendship. By 1975, Brody was in main
event title matches with the great Bruno Sammartino...not bad
for only 2 years in the sport!
Among other tournaments and
championship's, Brody won the NWA Western States title in
1975, the Florida Heavyweight title, 4 NWA North American
titles, 3 Texas Tag Team titles between 1977-79, the Texas
Heavyweight title, the Texas Brass Knuckles title, 4 American
Tag Team titles (3 w/Kerry Von Erich, 1 w/Ernie Ladd), the
Central States Tag Team title (w/Ladd) and the Cenral States
Heavyweight title in 1980, 3 NWA International Heavyweight
titles between 1981-1988, the Australian World Brass Knuckles
title, the World Wrestling Association World Heavyweight
title, the PWF Tag Team titles (w/Hansen), the WCCW TV title
in 1986, and the last title he would ever hold, the NWF
International Heavyweight title in 1987.
Brody wrestled with such
unpredictability and force...he was banned (for real) from a
couple of promotions for wildly swinging chairs and chains at
anyone unfortunate enough to get too close to him -- including
the fans at ringside! He was an instant success in Japan, and
has been considered a "wrestling God" there since
his Japanese debut in a tag match with (King) Curtis Iukea vs.
Giant Baba and The Masked Destroyer in January of 1979.
During his 15 years in the sport,
Brody wrestled both as a hated villian and a loved hero. He
feuded with the best in the sport during his time in the
ring...Dick The Bruiser (for the right to the name
"Bruiser", which he lost...ever wonder why Brody was
sometimes called "King Kong"?), Bruno Sammartino,
the Funks, Ric Flair, Abdullah the Butcher, the Von Erich
Family, Dusty Rhodes, Dick Murdoch, Harley Race, and many
more. Probably his most remembered feud, though, was against
Andre The Giant. At 6`8 and over 320 lbs., Brody was a
legitimate physical challenge for Andre, and he gave the Giant
some of the toughest matches of his career during their
on-again, off-again 10-year feud. When Andre and Brody
wrestled, the ring would literally move when one of them
whipped the other's giant frame into the corner! It was one of
the best feud's in wrestling history and of either man's
career...
As was the case everywhere he
wrestled, Bruiser Brody was one of the biggest stars/draws in
the Puerto Rican-based World Wrestling Council. He had
legendary feuds/matches there with Abdullah, Carlos Colon, and
the Invader. But his feud with the Masked Invader (Jose
Gonzalez, co-owner of WWC) proved to be the last of his
career.
Frank Goodish aka Bruiser Brody was
murdered in a Puerto Rican locker room on July 17, 1988, the
victim of several stab wounds to the stomach. Jose Gonzalez
was charged with the murder. The news of Brody's murder sent
shockwaves through the world of wrestling, and everyone wanted
to know just why someone would murder the well-liked (among
his fellow wrestlers) Brody. Tony Atlas witnessed the murder
take place while in the same locker room. In a statement to
police at the time, Atlas told the authorities that Gonzalez
had approached Brody (after a series of real-life
confrontations between Brody-Gonzalez) in the shower with a
long, concealed hunting knife and stabbed Goodish in the torso
several times. Atlas would refuse to testify at the trial
though, and Gonzalez was eventually acquited. Brody's family
attorney was quoted at the time saying that Atlas refused
extradition (he was allowed to do so on a technicality) and
that the case had depended entirely on his testimony. Without
Atlas, they had no case.
Unlike in the United States, the jury
in a Puerto Rican murder case does not have to come to a
unanimous decision, and which ever way the majority of the
jury votes is how the verdict is rendered. Although Puerto
Rican law came to a different conclusion, most familiar with
the case believe Brody's murderer walked away a free man. The
World Wrestling Council, once a wrestling hot-bed, all but
disappeared after the negative publicity and devastating loss
of American talent who refused to work in Puerto Rico after
Brody's murder. But the loss of the WWC pales in comparison to
the loss the sport suffered when Frank Goodish died. Wrestling
lost a true legend on that steamy August night, the likes of
which we may never see again...
