MEMORIES OF BRUISER BRODY

the team of super monsters

I am tracing the Brody's career in USA, but I am often depressed to meet bad episodes. He seemed to have a complex personality and a severe pride. In Japan, he is regarded as one of the most successful wrestlers. When he came to Japan for the first time in 1979, he showed a hard fight against Giant Baba, and instantly he became the ace of foreign wrestlers of ALL JAPAN. Though his gimmick was 'King Kong', we forgot it at once, and we admired his powerful fight-style and wonderful Drop Kick. A gimmick is meaningless on the ring of Japan.

In the early 80's, as the top wrestler in Japan, Brody contended for International Championship with Dory and Tsuruta. Especially Tsuruta was the biggest rival of Brody. In 1983, Brody was taken the belt by Tsuruta, but I was deeply impressed with Brody's power and stamina. It must not be forgotten that his friend Stan Hansen moved to ALL JAPAN and they formed a tag team. They 'the team of super monsters' created a big boom in Japan.

Brody's last glory (1988)

Brody suddenly moved to NEW JAPAN in 1985, and this affair was reported in the TV news program. We expected him to fight hard against Antonio Inoki, but at that time Inoki was already an old-timer, and Brody was too proud to accept a loss, their fights were not good. Inoki lost to his pupils, Singh, Hansen, Hogan, and Vader, but he could not be defeated by Brody, because Brody was the rival of Baba and Tsuruta. After all, his movement to NEW JAPAN was a failure. After a lot of troubles, he returned to ALL JAPAN in 1987.

The second ALL JAPAN days of Brody was very short, but there was a splendid glory. He fought against his friend Hansen for the first time in a tag match, and that was the memorable scene for wrestling fans. He defeated his rival Tsuruta in March 1988, and he wrested the belt of International Championship after a long time. At the same time as it, he cried with joy, and he hugged the president Lord Blears and spectators in the hall.