WRESTLER PROFILES

	Wrestler: Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer Real Name: Richard J. Beyer Birthday: July 11, 1931 Hometown: Buffalo, New York Marital Status: Married to Wilma Height & Weight: 5'10" - 265 lbs Trained by: Debut: 1954 Previous Names: Dr. X The Destroyer The Intelligent, Sensational Destroyer Finishing Move: The Figure Four (Dr. X) Favorite Moves: Airplane Spin The Dropkick Notable Feuds: Rikidozan Fred Blassie [Dick Beyer Gallery] [http://www.TheDestroyer.com]
WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title defeating Freddie Blassie (July 27, 1962); WWA (Los Angeles) International TV Tag Team titles w/Dan Manoukian defeating Abe Jacobs & Haystacks Calhoun (Dec 19, 1962); NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Art Michalik defeating Danny Hodge & Shag Thomas (September 9, 1963); NWA Pacific Norhwest Heavyweight title defeating Mad Dog Vachon (January 3, 1964); NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Art Michalik defeating Luther Lindsey & Shag Thomas (January 22, 1964); NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles w/Art Michalik defeating Nick Bockwinkel & Nick Kozak (April 3, 1964); NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title defeating Tony Borne (April 21, 1964); WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title defeating Dick the Bruiser (July 22, 1964); WWA (Los Angeles) World Tag Team titles w/Hard Boiled Haggerty defeating Ramon & Alberto Torres (July 30, 1964); WWA (Los Angeles) World Tag Team titles w/Hard Boiled Haggerty defeating Mr. Moto & Freddie Blassie (November 3, 1964); AWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Billy Red Lyons defeating Dan Manoukian & Ray Stevens (March 27, 1965); AJPW (All Japan) All Asia Tag Team titles w/Billy Red Lyons defeating Toyonbori & Giant Baba (June 3, 1965); NWA (Texas) World Tag Team titles w/Golden Terror defeating Kanji Inoki & Duke Keomuka (Febuary 8, 1966); AWA World Heavyweight title defeating Vern Gagne (August 17, 1968); NWA (Hawaii) North American Heavyweight title defeating Pedro Morales (September 31, 1970); NWA (Hawaii) United States Heavyweight title defeating Peter Maivia (December ??, 1970); PWF (Japan) United States Heavyweight title defeating Abdullah the Butcher (December 3, 1975); PWF (Japan) United States Heavyweight title defeating Abdullah the Butcher (October 28, 1976); PWF (Japan) United States Heavyweight title defeating Mil Mascaras (September 11, 1978); (Montreal) International Heavyweight title defeating Billy Robinson (January 10, 1983);
In The Beginning: Dick Beyer played varsity football at Syracuse University during the 1950, 1951 and 1952 seasons.. ~~~~~~He was a member of the squad that played in the 1953 Orange Bowl.. ~~~~~~He also was on the Syracuse University wrestling team.. Getting into the Business: Dick Beyer began his career unmasked and later donned two separate masks.. The Destroyer: Mr. X: The Destroyer wrestled as "Dr. X' in the Midwest because Verne Gagne wanted to keep the top spot in the territory.. August 17, 1968 - AWA: Dick Beyer (wrestling as Dr.X) defeated Verne Gagne for the AWA World Heavyweight title.. August 14, 1970 - AWA Comiskey Park: Paul Diamond defeated Dr. X (Dick Beyer).. The Destroyer: The Destroyer in Japan: The Destroyer was the first North American to "get over" in Japan.. The Destroyer feuded with Rikidozan in the most significant series of matches in Japanese history.. The Destroyer holds the distinction of holding the last singles victory over Rikidozan.. Retirement: Dick Beyer paved the way for other American wrestlers to play their trade in Japan.. Greg Kelly wrote: I found a bit online about Dick Beyer & Mark Lewin's bad blood which resulted in The Destroyer's tour here (Australia) being cancelled by Barnett & Doyle, Lewin'd dislike of Beyer went back to 67 in LA when Beyer wouldn't job for the WWA champion Lewin, Beyer told Verne Gagne that he was planning a world tour but had a hole in his schedule from Jan to March 71 so Gagne said that Barnett had been bugging him for talent for ages so Gagne rang Barnett in front of Beyer & offered Barnett the choice of either Destroyer or Dr X & that Beyer would work for $650 a week, Barnett said that he'd like the Destroyer but when Beyer was working in Samoa he rang Australia & found out out that it had been cancelled, he found out that Lewin who was a big star here went to Barnett & had it cancelled, he'd told Barnett that it was him or Beyer, Lewin was doing big business here so Beyer was cancelled, Dick went to New Zealand for Steve Rickard instead initially as himself & then as Destroyer & did sell out business there so then Barnett wanted him again but Dick said no he'd had his chance, Beyer did an interview at the office of a New Zealand newspaper as himself & then returned a week later with the mask on & nobody at the newspaper recognised that it was the same guy. (I went looking for that article where I found the info about their heat & it was by Steve Yohe, he'd be better off with the credit than me.) BottomlessJack wrote: ....One of The Destroyer's last runs was in April-June of 1984 with Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling. The Destroyer came in to actually groom a man he had trained and converted from collegiate wrestling to the pro's in Mark Ragin. In order to get Ragin a spot with Mid South and really teach him the ways of the ring, Destroyer came in and worked the horn with Mark for a month or two, usually leading to draws IIRC. The most noteworthy thing about this run was The Destroyer actually wore a yellow "Assassin's" mask and was called The Shadow! He had televised matches with both Magnum TA & Terry Taylor, both matches were competitive but short with the faces grabbing the wins. Hope this helped.