Bearcat Wright
Encyclopedia
Edward "Bearcat" Wright (January 13, 1932-August 28, 1982) was an African-American professional wrestler who became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. He wrestled during the time of Bobo Brazil
, and despite racial tension in the United States became wildly popular as both a heel (a bad guy) and a babyface (a good guy). Wrestling in either singles competition or in tag team competition (often matched with Bobo Brazil), thousands of fans would pack arenas to see him. He was the son of boxer Ed "Bearcat" Wright, and had an 8-0 record as a professional boxer himself in the early 1950s, boxing as "Bearcat Wright Jr."
The Arizona Wrestling Legends website says, "He was seen in Australia, in Canada, throughout the south, in the midwest, in Texas, always winning the support of the fans as he battled the likes of The Sheik
, Johnny Valentine
and Kenji Shibuya. A tall and lanky man, he was usually noted for flying dropkicks, spin kicks and leaps off the rope." He adopted a "claw hold" for his finisher, and was famous for desegregating wrestling.
Wright declared before an audience in Gary, Indiana, that he would no longer participate in segregated wrestling. Although suspended for a short time by the Indiana State Athletic Commission for his stand, shortly afterwards professional boxing desegregated. Bearcat Wright defeated Killer Kowalski in April 1961 to win the Big Time Pro Wrestling title and become, in effect, the world heavyweight wrestling champion."
Five days before Martin Luther King, Jr.
delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech, Wright won the WWA Championship from "Classy" Fred Blassie
. Known for behemoth strength (he would rip phone books in half during promotional interviews for his matches) he also was blackballed by the National Wrestling Alliance
for refusing to drop the WWA championship to Edouard Carpentier
and then back to Fred Blassie
on December 13, 1963. He is one of the few wrestlers who legitimately would not drop their title—and so the WWA had to hire Gene LeBell
(a known judo champion and shooter—or one who knew how to legitimately wrestle to defend themselves if needed) to substitute for Blassie at a rematch. When Wright refused to enter the ring, the WWA stripped him of his title and awarded it to Carpentier.
Although creating controversy, promoters soon forgot about his negative sides. Wright continued to draw money and therefore wrestled even into the 1970s.
Wright died at the age of 50 years old on August 28, 1982.
Finishing Move: The Clawhold (heel)
Favorite Moves: Flying Dropkick
The Powerslam
Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. He is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling...
, and despite racial tension in the United States became wildly popular as both a heel (a bad guy) and a babyface (a good guy). Wrestling in either singles competition or in tag team competition (often matched with Bobo Brazil), thousands of fans would pack arenas to see him. He was the son of boxer Ed "Bearcat" Wright, and had an 8-0 record as a professional boxer himself in the early 1950s, boxing as "Bearcat Wright Jr."
The Arizona Wrestling Legends website says, "He was seen in Australia, in Canada, throughout the south, in the midwest, in Texas, always winning the support of the fans as he battled the likes of The Sheik
Ed Farhat
Edward George Farhat was an American professional wrestler best known as by his ring name The Sheik...
, Johnny Valentine
Johnny Valentine
Johnny Valentine was a professional wrestler with a career spanning almost three decades. He has been inducted into four halls of fame for his achievements in wrestling...
and Kenji Shibuya. A tall and lanky man, he was usually noted for flying dropkicks, spin kicks and leaps off the rope." He adopted a "claw hold" for his finisher, and was famous for desegregating wrestling.
Wright declared before an audience in Gary, Indiana, that he would no longer participate in segregated wrestling. Although suspended for a short time by the Indiana State Athletic Commission for his stand, shortly afterwards professional boxing desegregated. Bearcat Wright defeated Killer Kowalski in April 1961 to win the Big Time Pro Wrestling title and become, in effect, the world heavyweight wrestling champion."
Five days before Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech, Wright won the WWA Championship from "Classy" Fred Blassie
Fred Blassie
Frederick Kenneth Blassman , better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Renowned as "The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling" , Blassie was a master at antagonizing the crowd, and inspired legendary animosity...
. Known for behemoth strength (he would rip phone books in half during promotional interviews for his matches) he also was blackballed by the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
for refusing to drop the WWA championship to Edouard Carpentier
Édouard Carpentier
Édouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz was a Québécois professional wrestler better known by his ring name Édouard Carpentier. In a career that spanned from the 1950s into the 1970s, he garnered several world championships.-Early life:...
and then back to Fred Blassie
Fred Blassie
Frederick Kenneth Blassman , better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Renowned as "The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling" , Blassie was a master at antagonizing the crowd, and inspired legendary animosity...
on December 13, 1963. He is one of the few wrestlers who legitimately would not drop their title—and so the WWA had to hire Gene LeBell
Gene LeBell
Ivan Gene LeBell is a former American Judo champion, instructor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and professional wrestler born in Los Angeles, California. LeBell has worked on over 1,000 films and TV shows, and has authored a number of books.In 2000, he was promoted to 9th Dan in US Ju-Jitsu...
(a known judo champion and shooter—or one who knew how to legitimately wrestle to defend themselves if needed) to substitute for Blassie at a rematch. When Wright refused to enter the ring, the WWA stripped him of his title and awarded it to Carpentier.
Although creating controversy, promoters soon forgot about his negative sides. Wright continued to draw money and therefore wrestled even into the 1970s.
Wright died at the age of 50 years old on August 28, 1982.
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time Wrestling
- BTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) (1 time)
- NWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Florida Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Tag Team Championship is the primary tag team title in Pro Wrestling Fusion. It started out in 1968 as the main tag team title in Championship Wrestling from Florida and lasted until 1990 when it was abandoned. It was picked back up in 1997 by NWA Florida, where it was the primary...
(1 time) - with Bobby Shane
- Mid-Pacific PromotionsNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Hawaii Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Hawaii Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship was the primary tag team title of NWA Mid-Pacific Promotions and was defended between 1952 until 1978 when it was abandoned. The title was later revived by the current incarnation of NWA Hawaii in 2000...
(2 times) with Luther LindsayLuther LindsayLuther Jacob Goodall was an American professional football player and wrestler, known by his ringname Luther Lindsay or Lindsey, who competed throughout the United States with the National Wrestling Alliance as well as international promotions such as All-Japan Pro Wrestling, Joint Promotions and...
and Sam Steamboat
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship was established in 1962 as the top tag team title in NWA All-Star Wrestling. The title held that status until late summer 1985, when the title was renamed the UWA Tag Team Championship upon All-Star Wrestling's departure as a member of...
(1 time) - with Enrique TorresEnrique TorresEnrique Torres was a Mexican-American professional wrestler, the oldest three Torres brothers in wrestling, and a major star in the late 1940s and 1950s.-Personal Background:... - NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Whipper Billy WatsonWhipper Billy WatsonWilliam John Potts, O.Ont was a Canadian professional wrestler best known by his ring name Whipper Billy Watson, and was a two-time world heavyweight wrestling champion.-Early life:...
- NWA San FranciscoNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA United States Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times)
- Pacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
(3 times) with Shag ThomasShag ThomasShag Thomas was an American professional wrestler during the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the few African-American wrestlers of his day.-Career:...
(2) and Billy White Wolf
- World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
- IWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipIWA World Heavyweight Championship (WCW Australia)The IWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Australian World Championship Wrestling promotion from its founding in 1964 until 1971....
(2 times) - IWA World Tag Team ChampionshipIWA World Tag Team Championship (WCW Australia)The IWA World Tag Team Championship was the top tag team professional wrestling title in the Australian World Championship Wrestling promotion from 1966 through 1971....
(1 time) - with Mark LewinMark Lewin-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
- World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)World Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles. The promotion was established in 1959 originally as the North American Wrestling Alliance...
- WWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
- WWA International Television Tag Team ChampionshipWWA International Television Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWA International Television Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Los Angeles-based World Wrestling Association from the promotion's formation in 1954 until 1964 when it was unified with the WWA World Tag Team Championship. -Title history:...
(1 time) - Mr. MotoTor KamataMcRonald Kamaka was an American/Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring name Tor Kamata. He won several Heavyweight and Tag Team championships, including one World Tag Team title. He was a classic "bad guy" wrestler...
- Other titles:
- Arizona Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Finishing Move: The Clawhold (heel)
Favorite Moves: Flying Dropkick
The Powerslam