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Dick the Bruiser

{{Short description|American football player and professional wrestler (1929–1991)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox professional wrestler

| name = Dick the Bruiser

| birthname = William Fritz Afflis Jr.

| image = Dick the Bruiser - Chicago Professional Wrestling - 26 April 1969 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Dick the Bruiser in 1969

| names = Afflis
Dick Bruiser
Dick the Bruiser
Richard Afflis

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}

| weight = {{convert|261|lb|abbr=on}}

| alma_mater = Purdue University

| birth_date = {{birth date|1929|6|27|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Delphi, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1991|11|10|1929|6|27}}{{cite web|title='Dick The Bruiser,' 62, Dies In Florida|url=https://classicwrestlingarticles.wordpress.com/2014/05/31/dick-the-bruiser-62-dies-in-florida/|website=Classic Wrestling Articles|date=June 2014 |access-date=August 16, 2015}}

| death_place = Tampa, Florida, U.S.

| billed = Reno, Nevada

| trainer = Verne Gagne
Joe Pazandak

| debut = 1954

| retired = 1989

{{Infobox NFL biography

| embed = Yes

| name =

| draftyear = 1951

| draftround = 16

| draftpick = 186

| college = Nevada

| number = 15, 62, 72, 75

| pastteams =

| position = Guard, Tackle

|pfr=A/AfflDi20

}}

}}

William Fritz Afflis Jr. (June 27, 1929 – November 10, 1991) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and National Football League player, better known by his ring name, Dick the Bruiser. During his NFL days he played four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He was also a very successful professional wrestler: sixteen-time world champion, AWA World Heavyweight Champion once, WWA World Heavyweight Champion (Indianapolis version) thirteen times, World Heavyweight Champion (Omaha version) once, and WWA World Heavyweight Champion (Los Angeles version) once. He also excelled at tag-team wrestling, with 20 tag team championships in his career. Eleven of these championships were won alongside his long-time tag-team partner Crusher Lisowski.{{Cite web |title=Dick The Bruiser – Online World of Wrestling |url=https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profile/dick-the-bruiser/ |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=www.onlineworldofwrestling.com}}

He was one of the most well known heels from the mid-1950s until the early 1980s,{{Cite web |last=Hester |first=Matthew |title=CvC: Dick the Bruiser, The First American Bad Ass! |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/233251-cvc-dick-the-bruiser-the-first-american-bad-ass |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}} famous for his feuds with the likes of Lou Thesz, Bobo Brazil, Angelo Poffo, and "Classie" Freddie Blassie. He was inducted into the WWE hall of fame class of 2021{{Cite web |title=Kane's red-hot speech helps set WWE's historical Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and 2021 induction ablaze |url=https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwe-hall-of-fame/wwe-hall-of-fame-2021 |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=WWE |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=2021 WWE Hall of Fame Legacy Inductees: photos |url=https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwe-hall-of-fame/wwe-hall-of-fame-2021/gallery/2021-wwe-hall-of-fame-legacy-inductees-photos |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=WWE |language=en}} and the 2005 International Wrestling Hall of Fame.{{Cite web |title=The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum |url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/hof/pwhof.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=Wrestling-Titles.com |language=en}}

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.{{Cite book |last1=Bodenhamer |first1=David J. |url= |title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis |last2=Barrows |first2=Robert G. |publisher=Indiana University Press |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-253-11249-1 |language=en |chapter=Afflis, Richard, aka Dick the Bruiser |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bg13QcMSsq8C&dq=Dick+the+Bruiser&pg=PA233}} 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.{{cite news | last =Thompson | first = Ken| title =Book captures spirit of 'Dick the Bruiser' | newspaper = Journal & Courier| location =Lafayette, Indiana | date =April 22, 2016 | url =http://www.jconline.com/story/sports/2016/04/22/book-captures-spirit-dick-bruiser/83356406/ | access-date =July 15, 2018 }} Afflis went on to attend Purdue University and the University of Nevada, Reno, 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, Afflis played football for the Green Bay Packers from 1951 to 1954 as a lineman.{{Cite book|last=Maxymuk|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m9o2_k8zu4QC&dq=Dick+the+Bruiser&pg=PA289|title=Packers by the Numbers: Jersey Numbers and the Players Who Wore Them|date=2003|publisher=Big Earth Publishing|isbn=978-1-879483-90-3|language=en}} He appeared in all 48 regular season games the Packers played in those years,{{cite web |title=Green Bay Packers: 72 days to football – remembering Dick 'The Bruiser' Afflis |first=Raymond |last=Rivard |year=2015 |url=https://lombardiave.com/2015/07/03/green-bay-packers-football-dick-afflis-packers-history/2/ |accessdate=11 August 2021 |archive-date=August 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811160743/https://lombardiave.com/2015/07/03/green-bay-packers-football-dick-afflis-packers-history/2/ |url-status=dead }} although the team never finished better than fourth place. 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.{{cite news | last =Mitchell | first =Dawn | title =Dick the Bruiser: 'World's most dangerous wrestler' | newspaper =Indianapolis Star | date =November 19, 2015 | url =https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2015/11/19/dick-bruiser-worlds-most-dangerous-wrestler/75993686/ | access-date =July 15, 2018 }}

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 Gagne and Lou Thesz. Gagne guided him in his initial days of becoming a professional wrestler. From then into the late 1950s, Dick the Bruiser wrestled live every Thursday on TV in the Detroit area. His typical opponent was "an up and coming young (unknown) wrestler" who would be pulverized by the Bruiser. His matches and interviews were so effective he became a household name in the Detroit area. His only defeat on live TV was at the hands of “Cowboy” Bob Ellis. However, in two rematches with Ellis at the Olympia in Detroit, the Bruiser was victorious. In 1963, Dick the Bruiser was involved with NFL star Alex Karras to set up a match between the two. Bruiser was supposed to brawl with Karras at Lindell's Bar, a drinking establishment co-owned by Karras and the Butsicaris brothers.{{Cite web|date=2012-10-10|title=Alex Karras was football star, actor - and wrestler|url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2012/10/10/alex-karras-was-football-star-actor-and-wrestler/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Slam Wrestling|language=en-US}} What was supposed to be a worked shoot turned into a real brawl when one of the Butsicaris boys' uncles attacked Dick the Bruiser, unaware the event was staged.{{Cite web|last=orangebeanindiana|date=2020-01-24|title=The Greatest Bar Fight in History: Mongo vs. the Bruiser|url=https://orangebeanindiana.com/2020/01/24/the-greatest-bar-fight-in-history-mongo-vs-the-bruiser/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=OrangeBean Indiana|language=en-US}} Bruiser proceeded to destroy the bar and injure a number of police officers who showed up to the melee; there were reportedly over 300 people hurt.{{Cite news|last=white|first=Gordon S. Jr.|date=1957-11-20|title=WRESTLING ENDS IN RIOT AT GARDEN; 2 Policemen Hurt as Fans Storm Ring and Throw Chairs and Bottles|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/11/20/archives/wrestling-ends-in-riot-at-garden-2-policemen-hurt-as-fans-storm.html|access-date=2021-07-15|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|last1=Bul|first1=George|last2=a|date=2017-09-29|title=The Way It Was - Alex Karras, 1970|url=https://www.hourdetroit.com/the-way-it-was-articles/the-way-it-was-alex-karras-1970/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=Hour Detroit Magazine|language=en-US}} In the end, eight officers subdued him, and the Bruiser ultimately won the match.{{Cite news|date=1963-04-25|title=BRUISER AFTERMATH ARTICLE|pages=37|work=Detroit Free Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6565553/bruiser-aftermath-article/|access-date=2021-07-03}} He was charged with aggravated assault{{Cite web|last=Mitchell|first=Dawn|title=Dick the Bruiser: 'World's most dangerous wrestler'|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/history/retroindy/2015/11/19/dick-bruiser-worlds-most-dangerous-wrestler/75993686/|access-date=2021-06-29|website=The Indianapolis Star|language=en-US}} and had to cover $50,000 in damages for two policemen that he injured during the brawl.{{Cite web|last=Rickard|first=Mike|date=January 4, 2018|title=Dick The Bruiser - Dead at 62|url=https://wrestlerdeaths.com/dick-the-bruiser-death/|url-status=live|website=Wrestler Deaths|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318062455/https://wrestlerdeaths.com/dick-the-bruiser-death/ |archive-date=March 18, 2019 }}

Image:Dick the Bruiser - Wrestling at Olympia, Detroit - 27 April 1972.jpg

On November 19, 1957, Dick the Bruiser and Dr. Jerry Graham engaged in a tag team match at Madison Square Garden in New York City before a crowd reported of 12,987. Their opponents were Antonino Rocca and Édouard Carpentier. After the match ended, fighting among the wrestlers continued, and a large number of fans joined in, leading to a riot.{{Cite book|last=Matysik|first=Larry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gkG8cZTjBuYC&dq=Dick+the+Bruiser&pg=PA169|title=Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling|date=2005|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55022-684-3|language=en}} Two policemen were injured, two fans were arrested, and over 60 policemen had difficulty dispersing the angry crowd. The floor of the arena was littered with hundreds of broken chairs.{{cite news | last =White | first = Gordon S. Jr.| title =Wrestling Ends in Riot at Garden: 2 Policemen Hurt as Fans Storm Ring and Throw Chairs and Bottles| newspaper =The New York Times | date =November 20, 1957 | url =https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1957/11/20/102283794.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=ArticleEndCTA®ion=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=29| access-date = July 14, 2018}} As a result, Afflis was banned for life by the New York State Athletic Commission.{{cite book | last =Grasso | first =John | title =Historical Dictionary of Wrestling | publisher =Scarecrow Press | date =2014 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=KUsJAwAAQBAJ&q=William+Fritz+Afflis&pg=PA80| isbn =9780810879263 }}

File:Dick the bruiser chokes Bobo Brazil.png

Afflis, along with fellow wrestler and business partner Wilbur Snyder, purchased the Indianapolis NWA promotion in 1964 from its longtime owner Jim Barnett. Afflis renamed the territory the World Wrestling Association (WWA) and promoted himself as its champion. While he ran it as an independent promotion with its own titles and champion, the WWA had a working agreement with the larger AWA (owned by wrestler Verne Gagne), sharing talent and recognizing their championships.{{Cite web|last=Slagle|first=Stephen Von|date=2020-04-15|title=Indianapolis Territory|url=https://historyofwrestling.com/indianapolis-territory/|access-date=2021-07-03|website=History of Wrestling|language=en-US}} This agreement benefited both promotions and led to the Bruiser having five AWA World Tag Team Championship reigns, with tag team partner, The Crusher,{{cite news | title =Pro football players who became pro wrestlers | newspaper =Newsday | date =August 30, 2016 | url =https://www.newsday.com/sports/pro-wrestling/nfl-and-other-pro-football-players-who-became-pro-wrestlers-1.9208379 | access-date =July 13, 2018 }} who was billed as his "cousin". Afflis was the first to christen manager Bobby Heenan with the nickname of "The Weasel"{{cite book|title=WWE Encyclopedia|last1=Shields|first1=Brian|last2=Sullivan|first2=Kevin|page=[https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/79 79]|publisher=DK|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7566-4190-0|url=https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/79}} during his run in the territory. Afflis' WWA ran from 1964 until 1989, when he finally tired of losing talent, TV, and fan attendance to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). In 1971, he teamed with The Shiek and faced Crazy Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler for the newly created WWWF Tagteam Championship which Graham and Tyler won.{{Cite web |title=WWWF/WWF/WWE World Tag Team Title |url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html |access-date=2022-12-07 |website=www.wrestling-titles.com}}

Image:Bruiser & Crusher 1973.jpg

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.{{Cite book|last1=Funk|first1=Terry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bGuCDwAAQBAJ&dq=Dick+the+Bruiser&pg=PT164|title=Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore|last2=Williams|first2=Scott E.|date=2012-06-01|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-61321-308-7|language=en}} He made his home on the northwest side of the city. Indianapolis native David Letterman (whose career would be launched by the Bruiser){{Cite web|date=2016-03-29|title=Dick the Bruiser Gets His Due|url=http://www.eatsleepwrestle.com/?p=751|access-date=2021-07-03|website=Eat Sleep Wrestle|language=en-US}} would later name his television show's band The World's Most Dangerous Band as a derivation of Dick the Bruiser's nickname, "The World's Most Dangerous Wrestler".{{Cite book|last=Freedman|first=Lew|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TQ5pDwAAQBAJ&dq=dick+the+bruiser+david+letterman&pg=PA63|title=Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide|date=2018-09-07|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-4408-5351-7|language=en}} The moniker "Dick the Bruiser" was even used in the 1980s by George Baier, a co-host of the morning drive show on Detroit rock radio station WRIF. Baier's "Richard T. Bruiser" was an effective, entertaining impersonation of Afflis, who actually played himself in a number of popular TV ads for WRIF. After retiring, Afflis was a color commentator for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW), founded by David McLane, who had previously risen through the ranks as a teenager to manage the WWA for Afflis. He also worked as a talent agent for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and was the special guest referee at the Starrcade 1990 main event between Sting and the Black Scorpion.{{Cite web|date=2018-12-11|title=Starrcade '90: Collision Course|url=http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/starrcade-90-collision-course/|access-date=2021-07-03|website=CXF {{!}} Culture Crossfire {{!}} culturecrossfire.com}}

Personal life and death

His son-in-law Dick the Bruiser Jr. wrestled in the independent circuit.{{Cite web|last=Ogara|first=Joe|title=Bruiser Jr. carries on family tradition|url=https://nuvo.newsnirvana.com/entertainment/sports/bruiser-jr-carries-on-family-tradition/article_5d770036-5bf9-5176-ad32-de9100baf833.html|access-date=2021-07-03|website=NUVO|date=November 24, 2008 |language=en}}

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.{{Cite book|last=Oliver|first=Greg|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p_ZWAgAAQBAJ&dq=Afflis'+WWA+ran+from+1964+until+1989&pg=PA70|title=The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams|date=2005-04-01|publisher=ECW Press|isbn=978-1-55022-683-6|language=en}}

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

{{Reflist|2}}

External links

{{commons}}

  • {{Footballstats|nfl=2508253|pfr=AfflDi20}}
  • {{IMDb name|1130693|name=William Afflis}}
  • {{Professional wrestling profiles}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dick the Bruiser}}

Category:1929 births

Category:1991 deaths

Category:American football offensive linemen

Category:American male professional wrestlers

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