Bearcat Wright

{{Infobox professional wrestler

| name = Bearcat Wright

| image = Bearcat Wright - Northern Championship Wrestling - 26 July 1972.jpg

| caption = Wright in 1972

| birth_name = Edward A. Wright

| names = Bearcat Wright{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/wrestlingscout/profiles-by-country/profiles/bearcatwright|title=Bearcat Wright (1932-1982)|website=Wrestling Scout|access-date=September 27, 2021}}

Bearcat Wright Jr.
The Black Panther

| height = 6 ft 6 in

| weight = 260 lb

| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|1|13}}

| death_date = {{death date and given age|1982|8|28|50}}

| birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

| death_place =

| billed = Kingston, Jamaica

| trainer =

| debut = 1952{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=2533|title=Bearcat Wright|website=Cagematch.net|access-date=September 27, 2021|first=Philip|last=Kreikenbohm}}

| retired = 1975

}}

Edward M. Wright (January 13, 1932 – August 28, 1982) better known by his ring name "Bearcat" Wright was an American professional wrestler who became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. Despite racial tension in the United States, he became wildly popular as a babyface. Wrestling in either singles competition or in tag team competition (often matched with Bobo Brazil), thousands of fans would pack arenas to see him.{{cite web|url=http://www.garywill.com/toronto/1959.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140205225423/http://www.garywill.com/toronto/1959.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 February 2014|title=Gary Will: 1959 Results: Gorgeous George shaved bald – Toronto Wrestling History|date=5 February 2014}} He was the son of boxer Ed "Bearcat" Wright, and had an 8–0 record as a professional boxer himself in the early 1950s, boxing as "Bearcat Wright Jr."

Professional wrestling career

The Arizona Wrestling Legends website says, "He was seen in Australia, in Canada, throughout the south, in the midwest, in Texas, always winning the support of the fans as he battled the likes of The Sheik, Johnny Valentine and Kinji Shibuya. A tall and lanky man, he was usually noted for flying dropkicks, spin kicks, and leaps off the rope."[http://azwrestlinglegends.com/content/view/15/33/ Arizona Wrestling Legends – Legend Profile: Bearcat Wright] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080306181056/http://azwrestlinglegends.com/content/view/15/33/ |date=March 6, 2008 }} He adopted a "claw hold" for his finisher and was famous for desegregating wrestling.

Wright declared before an audience in Gary, Indiana, that he would no longer participate in segregated wrestling. Although suspended for a short time by the Indiana State Athletic Commission for his stand, shortly afterwards professional boxing desegregated. Bearcat Wright defeated Killer Kowalski in April 1961 to win the Big Time Pro Wrestling title and become, in effect, the world heavyweight wrestling champion.[http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/scripts/jimcrow/sports.cgi?state=Indiana African Americans in Sports] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080211075151/http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/scripts/jimcrow/sports.cgi?state=Indiana |date=February 11, 2008 }}

Five days before Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington, D.C., Wright won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship from "Classy" Freddie Blassie in Los Angeles, California.Blassie, Fred. Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks. Pocket Books: New York, 2003. pp. 110–11. Known for behemoth strength (he would rip phone books in half during promotional interviews for his matches) he also was blackballed by Worldwide Wrestling Associates for refusing to drop the WWA championship to Edouard Carpentier and then back to Fred Blassie on December 13, 1963. He is one of the few wrestlers who legitimately would not drop their title—and so WWA had Gene LeBell (a known judo champion and shooter—or one who knew how to legitimately wrestle to defend themselves if needed) to substitute for Blassie at a rematch. When Wright refused to enter the ring, WWA stripped him of his title and awarded it to Carpentier.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2MDgz2o0ly0C&q=Bearcat+wright&pg=PA112|title=The Legends of Wrestling: "Classy" Freddie Blassie: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks|first1=Keith Elliot|last1=Greenberg|first2=Classy Freddie|last2=Blassie|date=15 June 2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9781451604269|via=Google Books}}

Although Wright created controversy, promoters soon forgot about his negative sides. Wright continued to draw money and wrestled even into the 1970s.

On March 31, 2017, Wright was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a part of the Legacy wing.

Death

Wright died at the age of 50 on August 28, 1982, from sickle cell anemia complications.

Championships and accomplishments

50th State Big Time Wrestling
NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Luther Lindsay and Sam Steamboat{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/hi/hi-t.html |title=N.W.A. Hawaii Tag Team Title|year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}
Big Time Wrestling (Boston)
BTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time){{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/newengland/bigtime/bigtime-h.html |title=Big Time Wrestling World Heavyweight Title |year=2003|publisher=Puroresu Dojo}}
Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco)
NWA United States Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times){{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/sf/rs/sf-us-h.html |title=N.W.A. United States Heavyweight Title (San Francisco) |year=2003|publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}
Championship Wrestling from Florida
NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) (1 time){{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/fl-bk.html |title=N.W.A. Florida Brass Knuckles Title |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo}}
NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Bobby Shane{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/fl-t.html |title=N.W.A. Florida Tag Team Title (Detroit)|year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo}}
Midwest Wrestling Association
MWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time){{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/oh/oh-h.html |title=Ohio Heavyweight Title|year=2003|publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}
NWA All-Star Wrestling
NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Enrique Torres{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-can-t.html |title=N.W.A. Canadian Tag Team Title (Vancouver) |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}
NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) – with Whipper Billy Watson{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-pc-t.html |title=N.W.A. Pacific Coast Tag Team Title |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Shag Thomas (2) and Billy White Wolf{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pnw/nwa/pnw-t.html |title=N.W.A. Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title |year=2003|publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}
World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
IWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times){{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/australia/au-iwa-h.html |title=I.W.A. World Heavyweight Title (Australia) |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}
IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mark Lewin{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/australia/au-iwa-t.html |title=I.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Australia)|year=2003|publisher=Puroresu Dojo}}
Worldwide Wrestling Associates
WWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time){{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/wwa/wwa-h.html |title=W.W.A. World Heavyweight Title |year=2003|publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}
WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Mr. Moto{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/wwa/wwa-tv-t.html |title=W.W.A. International Television Tag Team Title|year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo}}
WWE
WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2017){{cite web|title= Congratulations to the 2017 WWE Hall of Fame Legacy inductees |url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwe-hall-of-fame/wwe-hall-of-fame-2017/article/legacy-inductions|publisher=WWE|date=March 31, 2017|access-date=March 31, 2017}}
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2019){{cite web | url=https://www.f4wonline.com/december-16-2019-observer-newsletter-10-hall-fame-inductees-more-299411 | title=December 16, 2019 Observer Newsletter: 10 Hall of Fame inductees, more | first=Dave | last=Meltzer | author-link=Dave Meltzer | work=Wrestling Observer Newsletter | date=December 12, 2019 | access-date=December 13, 2019}}
Other titles:
Arizona Heavyweight Championship (1 time){{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/az/az-h.html |title=Arizona Heavyweight Title |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo}}
World Negro Heavyweight Championship (1 time){{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/world/world-negro-h.html|title=World Negro Heavyweight Title|website=Wrestling-Titles.com}}