A Life Cut Short: The Murder of Bruiser Brody
A Wrestling Legend’s Untimely Death
“[Brody] was very much what the wrestling business needed … a big, strong, athlete that could let people know that they better think twice before they step into the ring against him.”
~ Dory Funk Jr. (former professional wrestler)
The death of wrestler Bruiser Brody at the hand of a rival wrestler shocked the wrestling world. The business had seen its line between fantasy and reality blurred and lost one of the era’s greatest superstars.
Frank Goodish was the epitome of wrestling in the late 1970s and 1980s. He embodied his Bruiser Brody character in public, becoming a wild-eyed, chain swinging madman who could snap at any moment. However, in private, he was an intelligent and articulate businessman and a loving husband and father who used his size and strength as a tool to provide for his family. Wrestling fans always got the full Brody experience, but his family and friends only saw Frank.
In July 1988, Goodish left the Texas home he shared with his wife Barbara and son Geoffrey to travel to Puerto Rico and work a series of matches for the World Wrestling…