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Dick The Bruiser

[A Portrait of Dick the Bruiser]

Title History

  • NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Wilbur Snyder (December 14, 1957);
  • NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Wilbur Snyder (May 23, 1959);
  • NWA (Omaha) World Heavyweight title defeating Wilbur Snyder (1959);
  • NWA (Chicago) World Tag Team titles w/Gene Kiniski defeating Roy Shires and Ray Shires (February 11, 1960);
  • NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Bob Ellis (June 11, 1960);
  • NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Bobo Brazil (February 28, 1961);
  • NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Wilbur Snyder (June 2, 1962);
  • AWA World Tag Team titles w/Crusher Lisowski defeating Ivan Kalmikoff and Karol Kalmikoff (August 20, 1963);
  • AWA (Indiana) World Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Ivan Kalmikoff and Karol Kalmikoff (November 5, 1963);
  • AWA (Indiana) World Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Ciclon Negro and Masked Terror (December 10, 1963);
  • AWA World Tag Team titles w/Crusher Lisowski defeating Verne Gagne and Moose Evans (February 23, 1964);
  • WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title defeating Fred Blassie (April 22, 1964);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title [Created WWA Names Himself Champion] (April 22, 1964);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder [First Ever Champions] (April 25, 1964);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Nicoli Volkoff and Angelo Poffo (September 4, 1964);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Valentine (April 10, 1965);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Gene Kiniski (December 25, 1965);
  • AWA World Tag Team titles w/Crusher Lisowski defeating Larry Hennig and Harley Race (May 28, 1966);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating The Assassins (Mitchell and Tomasso) (June 11, 1966);
  • AWA World Heavyweight title defeating Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon (November 12, 1966);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Angelo Poffo and Chris Markoff (January 21, 1967);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Angelo Poffo and Chris Markoff (July 15, 1967);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Mitsu Arakawa and Dr. Moto (December 28, 1968);
  • AWA World Tag Team titles w/Crusher Lisowski defeating Mitsu Arakawa and Dr. Moto (December 28, 1968);
  • NWA (Ohio) United States Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Reginald Love and Hartford Love (April 3, 1969);
  • NWA (Japan) International Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki (August 11, 1969);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Wilbur Snyder (August 29, 1969);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Bill Miller defeating Jack Dillinger and Jim Dillinger (June 26, 1970);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Baron Von Raschke (October 14, 1970);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Blackjack Lanza and Blackjack Mulligan (December 9, 1972);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Bruno Sammartino defeating Baron Von Raschke and Ernie Ladd (July 21, 1973);
  • AWA World Tag Team titles w/Crusher Lisowski defeating Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens (August 16, 1975);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Jacques Goulet and Zarinoff LeBeouf (September 20, 1975);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Ox Baker and Chuck O’Connor (May 1, 1976);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating The Masked Stranger [Guy Mitchell] (March 5, 1977);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Ivan Koloff (December 26, 1977);
  • NWA Missouri Heavyweight title defeating Dick Murdoch (July 14, 1978);
  • NWA Missouri Heavyweight title defeating Dick Murdoch (May 18, 1979);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating King Kong [Bruiser] Brody (June 9, 1979);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Spike Huber defeating Roger Kirby and Paul Christy (October 7, 1979);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating King Kong [Bruiser] Brody (May 31, 1980);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Ernie Ladd (November 29, 1980);
  • NWA Missouri Heavyweight title defeating Ken Patera (January 1, 1982);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title [Awarded when Harley Race vacates] (January 1983);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Jeff Van Kamp defeating Jerry Valiant and Abdullah the Great (January 7, 1984);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Greg Wojokowski (January 28, 1985);
  • WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Bobby Colt defeating Mad Maxx and Super Maxx (March 1985);
  • World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee (May 22, 1994);
  • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Halls of Fame Induction (2005)
  • OnlineWorldofWrestling.com Hall of Fame Inductee (2005);

Career History

  • William Afflis played college football at both Purdue and Nevada.
  • William Afflis was an early NFL football star (Green Bay Packers from 1951-1954) turned pro wrestling legend.
  • ~~~Afflis suffered a crushed esophagus during his NFL career with explains his rough gravely voice.
  • Dick the Bruiser was the original beer guzzling, cigar smoking, toughguy in the wrestling industry.
  • December 5, 1969: Dick The Bruiser defeated Black Jack Lanza w/Bobby Heenan in a Texas Death Match.
  • January 9, 1970 (Kiel Auditorium): NWA World champion Dory Funk Jr. defeated Dick The Bruiser.
  • August 14, 1970 – AWA Comiskey Park: The Vachon Brothers defeated The Crusher and Dick The Bruiser in a Steel Cage Match!
  • June 4, 1971: Crazy Luke Graham and Tarzan Tyler defeated Dick the Bruiser and The Sheik for the WWWF Tag Team title.
  • June 25, 1976 – AWA Chicago Stadium: The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser defeated Blackjack Lanza and Bobby Duncum.
  • Dick the Bruiser was the owner/operator of NWA: World Wrestling Association out of Indianapolis.
  • Dick the Bruiser formed a tag team with Bruno Sammartino, known as Annihilation Inc.
  • Dick the Bruiser actually gave Bobby Heenan the nickname “The Weasel”
  • September 28, 1985 – AWA SuperClash: The Koloffs and Krusher Khruschev beat The Crusher and The Bruiser and Baron Von Raschke.
  • 1985: Dick the Bruiser retired from the ring after a 30 year career.
  • Dick Afflis remained involved with wrestling, working as a talent agent for WCW.
  • November 10, 1991: Dick Afflis (age 62) died of a ruptured esophagus at his home in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida.
Updated:

Trained By

Joe Pazandak
Verne Gagne

Debut

1954 (Minneapolis)

Birthday

June 27, 1929

Hometown

Originally: Indianapolis, Indiana
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida

Gender

Height

6'0"

Weight

260 lbs

Finishing Move(s)

Top Rope Knee Drop

Favorite Move(s)

Notable Feuds

The Valiants
The Texas Outlaws
Baron Von Raschke
Ernie Ladd
The Blackjacks
Harley Race
"King Kong" Bruiser Brody
Ken Patera (St. Louis)

Status