BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Bobo Brazil
| Bobo Brazil | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Houston Harris[1] |
| Born | July 10, 1924[1] Little Rock, Arkansas[1] |
| Died | January 20, 1998 (aged 73)[1] St. Joseph, Michigan |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Bobo Brazil[2] Boo-Boo Brazil[3] BuBu Brasil[1] Houston Harris[4] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)[1] |
| Billed weight | 270 lb (120 kg)[2] |
| Billed from | Benton Harbor, Michigan |
| Trained by | Joe Savoldi[1] |
| Debut | 1951[2] |
| Retired | 1993[4] |
Houston Harris[1] (July 10, 1924 – January 20, 1998)[1] was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring nameBobo Brazil. Credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling, Harris is considered one of the first successful African American professional wrestlers.[3][
Early life
Houston Harris was born in Little Rock, Arkansas but later lived in East St. Louis, Illinois, and Benton Harbor, Michigan.[1] He playedbaseball and worked in a steel mill.[1]
Professional wrestling career
Harris was trained by Joe Savoldi after meeting him at matches at the Naval Armory.[1] Originally, Harris was to be known as "Boo-Boo Brazil", but a promoter misprinted his first name as "Bobo" in an advertisement and it stuck.[3]
Early in his career, some wrestling promoters would match Brazil against fellow African American wrestlers, including Ernie Ladd andAbdullah the Butcher.[3] Fans clamored to see Brazil face opponents of any type and Brazil would have many matches with competitors such as Killer Kowalski, Dick the Bruiser, Johnny Valentine, and The Sheik, who feuded with Brazil over the course of several decades.[3][6] These and other rivals would all fall victim to Brazil's finishing maneuver, the Coco Butt. Brazil also once wrestled Bill Miller to a draw,[7] and challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Heavywight Championship in a battle of two top babyface competitors.[3] On October 18, 1962, Brazil made history by becoming the first African American to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers (this distinction is usually given to Ron Simmons, the first recognized African American world champion after winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship). Although Brazil initially refused the title (because of an "injury" that Rogers had claimed to have), Brazil was awarded the title the next day after doctors had found nothing wrong with Rogers. However, this title change is not recognized by the NWA.[8]
On October 9, 1970, Brazil and El Mongol defeated Mr. Ito and The Great Ota in the first racially mixed match in Atlanta history.[2][3]
Brazil served as a mentor to wrestler "Soulman" Rocky Johnson. Brazil's manager was James Dudley, the first African American to be in charge of a major arena in the United States. Dudley would run to the ring waving a towel, as Brazil followed behind.[3]
Brazil retired in 1993 after a four decade career. His last official match was in Chicago, Illinois against Kelly Kiniski, son of rival Gene Kiniski. Brazil was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Ernie Ladd.[3][6][9] The following year, Brazil inducted Ladd into the WWF Hall of Fame.[3]
Personal life
Death
Harris died on January 20, 1998 at the Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph, Michigan.[6] He had been admitted to the hospital on January 14, after suffering a series ofstrokes.[6]
In wrestling
- Signature moves
- Piledriver[2]
- Elbow smash to the back of the head[10]
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sweet Brown Sugar (1) and Dusty Rhodes (1)[11]
- Midwest Wrestling Association (Ohio)
- National Wrestling Alliance
- NWA Hall of Fame (Class of 2013)[14]
- NWA Detroit
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (9 times)[15]
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (8 times) – with Art Thomas (1), Bill Miller (1), Athol Layton (1), The Stomper (1), Tony Marino (3) and Fred Curry(1)[2]
- NWA Los Angeles
- NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (1 time)[17]
- NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Wilbur Snyder (2), Sandor Szabo (1), and Primo Carnera (1)[18]
- NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles version) (1 time)[19]
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
- Television Era (Class of 2008)[1]
- Superstars of Wrestling
- SoW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
- WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[2]
- WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chris Carter[22]
1 Not officially recognised as champion because conflicting interests
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