The Murder of Bruiser Brody
One of the most feared men in professional wrestling met an untimely end one fateful night in Puerto Rico.
Frank Goodish was born June 18, 1948, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. While the name may not ring any bells to wrestling fans, his in-ring persona is legendary. He would terrorize wrestling territories as the wildman known as Bruiser Brody. The bearded, long-haired giant was an innovator in the hardcore style of wrestling, which involved lots of blood and weapons.
Goodish had a reputation for being protective of his in-ring persona and often rushed to lose against opponents to keep the image of him as a force to be reckoned with. He was also a shrewd businessman, and his business dealings may have been a factor in his untimely death. On July 16, 1988, Bruiser Brody was stabbed to death in the locker room of a Purto Rican wrestling event. The circumstances of his death are still unclear, and there have been differing accounts from witnesses and accusations of a coverup by authorities. We do know that on that day; professional wrestling lost a man on the cusp of being one of the best wrestlers in the world.
Goodish started as a sportswriter after graduating from West Texas A&M. He had a reasonably successful college football career, and it was surprising that he decided not to go pro. Instead, he began training under Fritz Von Erich and wrestled…
