In this day and age of PG Eras and increased safety concerns, we often forget the brutality that once dominated and made or broke careers like Abdullah the Butcher and Bruiser Brody. While there are undoubtedly some areas that still promote the brutality seen during the 1970s and 1980s, no one will ever compare to two of the most brutal wrestlers in history.
During an era when wrestlers protected their gimmicks to the death, both men played their to the hilt.
Bruiser Brody
Rarely was there a more imposing and terrifying visage of Bruiser Brody stomping toward the ring or through the audience while swinging his chain than Bruiser Brody. His promos were barely coherent as he shouted into the camera. He was a monster in every aspect of his character.
A former NFL player, he took the wrestling world by storm as an unbeatable madman that was among the biggest draws around. Given he had ties to no one promotion and made so much money, he could dictate how his character was used. The main stipulation was that he refused to lose. Sure, he lost a few here and there, but he knew if he lost it’d destroy the mystique around his character.
All greats have the rivals, and Brody’s was…
Abdullah the Butcher
The Sudanese madman was involved in some of the bloodiest, most violent matches of all time. His gimmick as Abdullah the Butcher was that he couldn’t speak English, so he had a large number of handlers over the years to “translate” or speak for him most of the time.
He was known for his blading (the act of a wrestler cutting themselves with a razor blade) and the scars on his forehead are deep enough from excessive blading that a poker chip can allegedly fit in them.
One of his chosen tools was a fork that he like to use on his opponent’s mouth, face, and eyes.
Their matches aren’t for the squeamish
The best way to describe their matches is a bloodbath. While both were great in their own way, if you can find an unedited match of theirs, be warned. They were extreme before there was Extreme Championship Wrestling. They were unapologetic in their actions, and they made a very good living in doing so.
We throw around terms like epic and historic regularly, but Abdullah the Butcher and Bruiser Brody were an epicness all their own.
