WWE: How Bruiser Brody, wrestling icon, was killed in Puerto Rico by fellow wrestler

Professional wrestling is not a reality, but on July 16, 1988, an altercation that began years ago, in the ring, had turned into a veritable killing behind the scenes at a Puerto Rico arena.

The man who lost his life, stabbed in a shower, was one of the biggest stars of that era, one of the biggest stars of all time in Japan and the only one who was in the world. man on which Mick Foley, WWE icon, inspired his own style.

This man was born Frank Goodish, but called Bruiser Brody, a larger-than-life wild man, who swayed a chain and was notoriously stiff against opponents of the ring.

He was killed by Puerto Rican star Jose Huertas Gonzalez, who fought under the name of "Invader I". Gonzalez was later acquitted of the murder for self-defense in a failed trial due to the absence of unbadigned key witnesses.

Dutch Mantel and Tony Atlas, members of the WWE Hall of Famers, as well as the Viceland documentary series entitled The Dark Side of the Ring, as well as the role played by Primo and Epico Colon, another member of the Hall of Famers. Famer of the WWE.

"Supporters in Puerto Rico thought the fight was real," said former commentator and commentator Mantel, who revealed his subpoena, which arrived 10 days after the trial.

"This is the main reason why José was acquitted – because they believed that Brody was this character, this psychopath with a wild and imposing look.

"I already knew the verdict, he was 10 days late and that's why the verdict came back not innocent but not guilty (of murder).

"José never testified, but they believed what his defense had said, that he was acting in self-defense."

To stage this seeming act of self-defense, Atlas, Mantel, Abdullah the Butcher (who would have been Brody's opponent at night) prepared the scene and told different stories of the evening.

"I'm going to kill this man"

But Brody, who worked hard for the public to believe that his character was as tough as possible, would have already beaten a young Gonzalez.

Mantel admits that he has never fought Brody over a long career and that he was actually afraid to do it.

"He was at the time one of the biggest stars in the world," Mantel said.

"I've never had a match with Brody (because) he would have beaten."

It was an Atlas claim more than saved.

"He was a pretty honest guy, if he liked you," said Atlas to Brody.

"If he did not like you, he would make you lose your life.

"I had seen Brody repeatedly take people to the ring and beat them mercilessly, he would beat them to death."

One of those victims in the 70s, years before that happened was Gonzalez and it's possible that he never let it down.

"Brody and" Invader "do not really care about each other, their personalities, do not mesh, these are matches even if there is something wrong," he said. said Mantel.

"In the mid-1970s, they prompted Jose Gonzalez to become the next Puerto Rican star Bruiser Brody came in and had a match against him and beat him."

Again, Atlas checked this story with graphic details before repeating what would have been done afterwards.

"He was angry, his head looked like a pumpkin," said Atlas.

"Brody beat him so much that SD (Jones – another wrestler) had to take him (Gonzalez) to the hospital and he turned to SD Jones and told him: "One day, I'm going to kill this man."

Were factors of money and power?

In 1988, Bruiser was 42 years old and was an established star around the world, but his two worlds – the world of wrestling and his personal world were separate.

He had married Barbara, a woman of New Zealand descent, whom he had met while she was working in a hotel in Australia. The couple had a son, Geoff, born in 1980.

She said that her husband was a caring man and that his personality was not close to that of the beloved wild man fans watching Dole look beat in the ring.

"Frank was very quiet, very intelligent, he never lost sight of who he was, he never became the character that he created," Goodish said.

"When Geoff was born, he changed so much because he wanted to support his son."

This desire to provide for his son and his natural talent for the company led to bookings for major events, but also to a desire for money and property.

Both came into play in Puerto Rico.

Before flying to the territory led by Carlos Colon and booked (Gonzalez), Brody made a revelation to the referee of the World Clbad Wrestling Championship, David Manning – the Puerto Rican society owed him a decent amount of money , and he got what he was late.

"I was a little worried because Frank was going to fight in Puerto Rico and he said that they owed him about $ 25,000 US," said Manning.

"Frank said that he had asked him the money politely.Before leaving, he said:" I come back with my money, if I have to beat them, I get my money "."

Brody was not only after having had money, but he was making a lot of money as one of the big stars of the Japanese fight and actually wanted to buy back a share of owned by the Puerto Rican organization. to eliminate Gonzalez, his long-time enemy, who lamented the death of his three-year-old daughter, who drowned in an accident.

"He was making a lot of money in Japan and he wanted to invest in a promotion," Mantel said.

"There was a co-owner, Victor Quinones, who owned 10%, but Gorilla Monsoon was the main owner and Quinones negotiated an agreement between Monsoon and Brody that would have made Brody a minority shareholder.

"He mentioned that if he took over, he would dismiss Invader, who had just lost his three-year-old daughter in a pool accident.

Add all these ingredients, it's like fire and gasoline, an explosion will occur and that's what happened.

On the morning of the show and stabbing, Brody explained to Atlas at breakfast that it was done.

"I went to lunch with him and he said," I have been waiting a long time to get in here, you will see a lot of changes, "said Atlas.

STABBED IN THE SHOWER

The news of this seems to have filtered, because in the afternoon, Atlas and Mantel then see Brody waiting in front of the hotel to get to the arena.

The man who was supposed to pick him up was none other than the booker Gonzalez.

He did not show, so Brody took a ride with Mantel and Atlas.

When they arrived at the arena, both Mantel and Atlas reported that Gonzalez, Colon, and Quinones were sitting in a group, not speaking – until Gonzalez got up to look at Atlas and left him.

For his part, Mantel said that it was "strange".

Then Gonzalez returned from the shower and a decade of bad blood began to spread.

"When José came back, he had a towel on his head and said," Brody, I can talk to you for a minute, please, "says Atlas.

"Brody said" yes "came in (the shower) and that is when it happened.

"Carlos was looking at me and I heard a sound, Brody is half-folded on himself, I thought Jose had hit Brody.

"Then he's still screaming.

"I looked at Jose's face and they were red with blood.

"Then I saw the knife in the air with blood flowing on it, I popped out of my chair, wrapping my arm around Brody's waist to prevent it from getting in the way." cut and, as I had done, the knife fell and cut his ponytail.

"Colon held Jose against the wall and shouted" No Jose, no Jose. "

Brody then said something that Atlas told as strange.

"He said 'Do not let them hurt me anymore,' not them." Carlos tried to approach Brody after I had gone to bed, I told him to calm me down, I'll knock you out. "

Brody then told Atlas to let Colon pbad him before telling Colon "tell my wife that I love her".

Mantel said that all he could do was watch Gonzalez go away.

"He walked around Brody's feet, got his keys and he left, and his shirt was torn, which tells me that what happened is a physical confrontation with Brody.

STRUGGLE FOR YOUR LIFE

It took the paramedics 45 minutes to get to the crowded arena and take Brody to the hospital where Atlas accompanied him, and while the doctors were treating a knife attack, Brody's injuries were enormous.

Back at the arena, other wrestlers told the police, who thought it was an angle scenario: Mantel did not want it.

"I wanted to be as far as possible from this locker room.

"Then I saw Invader come back, with a new shirt, and I thought of the damn bullets that guy had."

Atlas was trying to save the lives of his friends, pleading with doctors.

"The doctor came out and he said," Tony, he has two eight-inch cuts, we found his bowel, the only thing we are concerned about now, is that his liver was sliced. "

"He said he's stable but you have to go home because everyone here is more afraid of you."

Back at the arena, the police asked Atlas, on his return, if he had seen the fan who had done it, before Atlas became angry.

Atlas then named Gonzalez as guilty.

"He told the cops that it's the guy you have to stop," said Jose Gonzalez, "Mantel said.

Atlas played a minute or two of a game against the legendary Iron Sheik and, when he discovered the truth about the incident, he left the match.

Atlas spent the night on the beach, fearing for his life.

L & # 39; afternoon

As a result of all this, Barbara Goodish was woken up late at night by her home phone when Colon's wife, Nancy, told her that she was coming to Puerto Rico.

It was a news that Mantel would confirm as an accident.

That night, Brody died in his hospital bed as a result of his wounds. Leaving behind a widow and a son.

They tragically heard the news at the airport – when Barbara Goodish met Abdullah the Butcher and asked her where her husband was.

"He left" was the answer.

From there, a woman and her son had to cremate Brody in Puerto Rico. He was in a blue coffin chosen by his son at the funeral.

"I know the attacker did, and after what I heard, the whole court process was a sham," said Barbara Goodish.

Gonzalez immediately gave bail and was acquitted.

This always makes Atlas crazy to see that the trial was a joke and that he was not allowed to give his account.

Some 30 years later, Geoff Goodish gave the epitaph of a son who lost his father.

"Justice would be good," Goodish said.

"Personal justice would be better than an honest justice honestly."

* Carlos Colon and Jose Gonzalez were approached by producers but refused to be interviewed.