WRESTLER PROFILES

[Dick the Bruiser Gallery] [A Portrait of Dick the Bruiser]	Wrestler: Dick The Bruiser Real Name: William Fritz Afflis Birthday: June 27, 1929 Hometown: Originally: Indianapolis, Indiana Indian Rocks Beach, Florida Marital Status: Married to Rio (Italian) Height & Weight: 6'0" - 260 lbs Trained by: Joe Pazandak Verne Gagne Debut: 1954 (Minneapolis) Previous Names: "Bruiser" Afflis The Bruiser Finishing Move: Top Rope Knee Drop Favorite Moves: Notable Feuds: The Valiants The Texas Outlaws Baron Von Raschke Ernie Ladd The Blackjacks Harley Race "King Kong" Bruiser Brody Ken Patera (St. Louis)
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 & 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 & Karol Kalmikoff (August 20, 1963); AWA (Indiana) World Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Ivan Kalmikoff & Karol Kalmikoff (November 5, 1963); AWA (Indiana) World Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Ciclon Negro & Masked Terror (December 10, 1963); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Crusher Lisowski defeating Verne Gagne & 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 & 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 & Harley Race (May 28, 1966); WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating The Assassins (Mitchell & 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 & Chris Markoff (January 21, 1967); WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Angelo Poffo & Chris Markoff (July 15, 1967); WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Mitsu Arakawa & Dr. Moto (December 28, 1968); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Crusher Lisowski defeating Mitsu Arakawa & Dr. Moto (December 28, 1968); NWA (Ohio) United States Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Reginald Love & Hartford Love (April 3, 1969); NWA (Japan) International Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Giant Baba & 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 & 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 & Blackjack Mulligan (December 9, 1972); WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/Bruno Sammartino defeating Baron Von Raschke & Ernie Ladd (July 21, 1973); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Crusher Lisowski defeating Nick Bockwinkel & Ray Stevens (August 16, 1975); WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Jacques Goulet & Zarinoff LeBeouf (September 20, 1975); WWA (Indianapolis) World Tag Team titles w/The Crusher defeating Ox Baker & 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 & 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 & 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 & 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);
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 & Dick The Bruiser in a Steel Cage Match! June 4, 1971: Crazy Luke Graham & Tarzan Tyler defeated Dick the Bruiser & 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 & Krusher Khruschev beat The Crusher & The Bruiser & 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 ..