Dick the Bruiser
Dick the Bruiser | |
---|---|
Birth name | William Fritz Afflis |
Born | Delphi, Indiana, U.S. | June 27, 1929
Died | November 10, 1991[1] Tampa, Florida, U.S. | (aged 62)
Alma mater | Purdue University |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Afflis Dick Bruiser Dick the Bruiser Richard Afflis |
Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2] |
Billed weight | 261 lb (118 kg)[2] |
Billed from | Reno, Nevada[2] |
Trained by | Verne Gagne Joe Pazandak |
Debut | 1954[2] |
Retired | 1989
American football career |
No. 72 | |
Position: | Guard, Tackle |
Career information | |
College: | Nevada |
NFL draft: | 1951 / Round: 16 / Pick: 186 |
Career history | |
Player stats at PFR |
William Fritz Afflis (June 27, 1929 – November 10, 1991) was an American
Early life
Born in Delphi, Indiana, Afflis moved to Indianapolis when his mother got a job there during World War II. Afflis played football during his freshman and sophomore years for Shortridge High School in Indianapolis. After his mother lost her job, the family moved back to Delphi, and the high school there did not have a football team.[8] Afflis took up residence at the YMCA in nearby Lafayette, Indiana, so that he was eligible to attend Lafayette Jefferson High School where he played football and wrestled.[9] Afflis went on to attend Purdue University[10] and the University of Nevada, Reno,[11] playing varsity football at both schools. He also worked as a bouncer at a Reno nightclub.
American football career
Selected 186th overall in the 16th round of the 1951 professional football draft,[10] Afflis played football for the Green Bay Packers from 1951 to 1954.[12] as a lineman.[2][13] He appeared in all 48 regular season games the Packers played in those years,[14] although the team never finished better than fourth place.[10] Afflis suffered an injury to his larynx while playing for the Packers. This resulted in his trademark gravelly voice that he would keep for the rest of his life.[11]
Professional wrestling career
Bruiser made his professional Wrestling debut in 1954. He was trained by Verne Gagne. Afflis started wrestling in Chicago in 1955 under the Bruiser moniker where he faced
On November 19, 1957, Dick the Bruiser and
Afflis, along with fellow wrestler and business partner
Afflis, with his charisma, NFL notoriety, and gravelly-voiced, tough-guy persona was a legitimate cross-media star, becoming something of a hero in the Indianapolis area.
Personal life and death
His son in law wrestles as Dick the Bruiser Jr. in the independent circuit.[30]
Afflis died of internal bleeding on November 10, 1991, according to a spokesman for Suncoast Hospital in Largo, Florida, near his winter home. His widow, Louise, said her husband had been weightlifting at home with his adopted son, Jon Carney, and ruptured a blood vessel in his esophagus.[31]
Championships and accomplishments
- 50th State Big Time Wrestling
- 1 time)[32]
- American Wrestling Alliance
- AWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Wilbur Snyder[33]
- American Wrestling Association
- AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[34]
- 5 times) – with The Crusher[35]
- 1 time)[36]
- AWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Big Time Wrestling
- 4 times)
- Fred Kohler Enterprises
- 1 time)[37]
- 1 time) – with Gene Kiniski
- Japan Wrestling Association
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Tag Team of the Year(1972) with The Crusher
- Ranked #300 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003[39]
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- (Class of 2005) – Tag Team with Crusher
- (Class of 2011) – Television Era[40]
- (
- St. Louis Wrestling Club
- St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame
- World Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling Association
- Worldwide Wrestling Associates
- 1 time)[45]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- WWE
- Other titles
- World Heavyweight Championship (Georgia version) (1 time)[46]
See also
References
- ^ "'Dick The Bruiser,' 62, Dies In Florida". Classic Wrestling Articles. June 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
- ^ a b "Dick The Bruiser – Online World of Wrestling". www.onlineworldofwrestling.com. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ Hester, Matthew. "CvC: Dick the Bruiser, The First American Bad Ass!". Bleacher Report. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ "Kane's red-hot speech helps set WWE's historical Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and 2021 induction ablaze". WWE. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ "2021 WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Inductees: photos". WWE. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ^ "The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum". Wrestling-Titles.com. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-253-11249-1.
- ^ Thompson, Ken (April 22, 2016). "Book captures spirit of 'Dick the Bruiser'". Journal & Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ ISBN 9780810879263.
- ^ Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ a b "Pro football players who became pro wrestlers". Newsday. August 30, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ISBN 978-1-879483-90-3.
- ^ Rivard, Raymond (2015). "Green Bay Packers: 72 days to football – remembering Dick 'The Bruiser' Afflis". Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ "Alex Karras was football star, actor - and wrestler". Slam Wrestling. October 10, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ orangebeanindiana (January 24, 2020). "The Greatest Bar Fight in History: Mongo vs. the Bruiser". OrangeBean Indiana. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ^ Bul, George; a (September 29, 2017). "The Way It Was - Alex Karras, 1970". Hour Detroit Magazine. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ "BRUISER AFTERMATH ARTICLE". Detroit Free Press. April 25, 1963. p. 37. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ Mitchell, Dawn. "Dick the Bruiser: 'World's most dangerous wrestler'". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ Rickard, Mike (January 4, 2018). "Dick The Bruiser - Dead at 62". Wrestler Deaths. Archived from the original on March 18, 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-55022-684-3.
- ^ White, Gordon S. Jr. (November 20, 1957). "Wrestling Ends in Riot at Garden: 2 Policemen Hurt as Fans Storm Ring and Throw Chairs and Bottles". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
- ^ Slagle, Stephen Von (April 15, 2020). "Indianapolis Territory". History of Wrestling. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ "WWWF/WWF/WWE World Tag Team Title". www.wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-61321-308-7.
- ^ "Dick the Bruiser Gets His Due". Eat Sleep Wrestle. March 29, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-4408-5351-7.
- ^ "Starrcade '90: Collision Course". CXF | Culture Crossfire | culturecrossfire.com. December 11, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ Ogara, Joe (November 24, 2008). "Bruiser Jr. carries on family tradition". NUVO. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-55022-683-6.
- ^ NWA United States Heavyweight Title (Hawaii version) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ American Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ AWA World Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ AWA World Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ World Heavyweight Title (Omaha) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ NWA United States Heavyweight Title (Chicago) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ NWA International Tag Team Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years retrieved October 7, 2018
- ^ "Lawler, McMahon, Road Warriors among PWHF Class of 2011". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. November 26, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
- ^ NWA Missouri Heavyweight Title history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ WCW Hall of Fame Inductees At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ WWA World Heavyweight Title (Indianapolis) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ WWA World Tag Team Title (Indiana) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ WWA World Heavyweight Title (Los Angeles) history At wrestling-titles.com
- ^ World Heavyweight Title (Georgia) history At wrestling-titles.com
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- William Afflis at IMDb
- Dick the Bruiser's profile at Cagematch.net