by Mark Long
While the Big Cat Ernie Ladd gained great notoriety as a dominant heel across the United States, and Luther Lindsay was held in high enough esteem to be able to challenge more than 25 times for the NWA World Heavyweight title, no Black wrestler in the 1950’s and 1960’s gained more national acclaim as a wrestling super hero than did Bobo Brazil. His combination of massive size, impeccable style and infectious charisma gained him stature within the Black community, while allowing him to appeal to a white fanbase from coast to coast. He broke down racial barriers throughout the sport and is considered by many to be “the Jackie Robinson of professional wrestling.”
Within a few years, he was considered a very competent mat-man, a smooth worker in the ring considering his size. With Detroit being an urban center, Brazil developed an immediate fanbase among the Black populace. His modesty, stylish dress and professionalism also made him an appealing babyface to white audiences and he quickly became one of the bigger draws for the promotion. This also allowed him to travel to other territories in which promoters had been afraid to put on interracial matches. Thus he quickly took on some of the biggest stars of the day, including the Sheik, Johnny Valentine, Killer Kowalski, Dick the Bruiser and NWA World Heavyweight champion Lou Thesz. He battled Thesz for professional wrestling’s greatest title eight times between 1953-1955. Bobo’s immense size and athleticism, made him a smooth operator in the ring but his greatest wrestling move was the “Coco Butt.” He would perform this headbutt maneuver against opponents heads, arms and torso, to devastating effect.
In the spring of 1953, Bobo ventured out to California where he would first wrestle Thesz for the title belt and worked his way to the Los Angeles promotion where he would find success as a tag tag specialist, teaming with Wilbur Snyder to win the WWA (Los Angeles) International TV Tag Team title, defeating Tom Rice and Great Bolo on April 19, 1954 and later defeating Gene Kiniski and James Blears for the same belts on September 6, 1954, He later teamed with Sandor Szabo to beat Joe Pazanadak and James Blears on November 29, 1954 to once again claim the belts. In 1954 he left California and moved to Ohio where he continued his tag team success, teaming this time with Frankie Talabar to take the MWA (Ohio) American Tag Team belts from Dick Hutton and Buddy Rogers on May 19, 1955. He was called back to California where he captured the Pacific Coast Heavyweight belt in June before quickly returning to Ohio where he again teamed with Talabar to regain the MWA (Ohio) American Tag Team belts twice while also capturing the MWA Ohio Heavyweight title from Gene Stanlee on April 19, 1956.
Having enjoyed a great deal of regional success in 1956, he was prime to again challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight title, twice against Lou Thesz and twice against the new champion “Whipper” Billy Watson. Although unsuccessful in his quests, his stock climbed and he was soon booked across the country challenging and winning regional singles title and tag team belts over the next few years, including in Ohio, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Toronto.
Bobo’s career really got rolling in 1961 and on January 28 he got a shot at the NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight Championship held by the great Dick the Bruiser (William Afflis). The Bruiser had held the belt for more than six months and had steamrolled through most of his challengers, but on this evening, Brazil was the better man, pinning Afflis to become the first African-American to hold such an esteemed title.
By this time, success in the ring was matched by happiness outside of the ring. He married his girlfriend Leonora and they created a family, eventually having six children (his son Karl would later wrestle as Bobo Brazil, Jr. on the independent circuit). Bobo decided to take some of his earnings and invested in a bar called the Dew Drop Inn in East St. Louis, which was run by his brother while he was on the road.
Back in the ring, Bobo’s career got even more momentum as he wrestled for the NWA World Heavyweight championship 14 times. The highlight of these matches, and his career at this point, occurred on August 18, 1962 in Newark, New Jersey. Brazil defeated the champion, Buddy Rogers, by countout, when Rogers was hit in the groin and unable to continue. Bobo, the babyface hero, refused to accept the belt because of Rogers injury, and he was not officially recognized by the NWA as having won the World Heavyweight Championship. Over the next six years Brazil would challenge for that belt six more times, but would never come as close to winning it as he did that night.
Over his career, Brazil battled against the top wrestlers in the business, including Lou Thesz, Buddy Rogers and Bruno Sammartino. His battles against Bruno in the World Wide Wrestling Federation caused a dilemma amongst fans on whom to root for in the unusual matchup between babyfaces. His biggest rivalry, however, was with the Arabian Madman, the Sheik. The two battled one another over the course of several decades, often over the NWA Detroit United States Heavyweight Championship belt, which they traded back and forth 13 times over a 16 years period.
Bobo was a huge draw over his career and achieved success everywhere he went, including winning regional NWA championships in the Detroit, Toronto, Florida, San Francisco and the Mid-Atlantic regions and headlined cards in Japan. He was also considered a racial pioneer. He was the first Black person to wrestle a white performer (Hans Hermann) in the state of Indiana, and teamed with El Mongol to beat Mr. Ito & The Great Ota in the first racially-mixed match in Atlanta.
Despite these difficulties, Bobo was wildly popular wherever he appeared. Fans would pull for him, in part because he was so good at selling for his opponent. Bobo would put on such a display that the fans believed he was close to dying at the hands of his opponent and would rally to his defense. At the same time, crowds were drawn to him because of his humble attitude. In the book The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame : Heroes & Icons by Steven Johnson and Greg Oliver, ring announcer Jerry Walton explained why Brazil resonated so much with the fans. “He was a big guy, but he was mellow. He’d be very low, very quiet… and he’d say ‘Folks, come out and support Bobo. I cannot win this match without you being there.’ Very simple, no yelling, no screaming. He came across very humbly.” He was also popular amongst his fellow wrestlers, often calling them “Champ.” This respect towards his peers as well as the dignity with which he carried himself allowed him to enjoy success moving from one territory to another.
After four decades in the sport, Bobo retired from professional wrestling in 1993, with his last match taking place in Chicago, Illinois against Kelly Kiniski, the son of his long-time rival. He and his wife moved back to Benton Harbor and opened a restaurant called “Bobo’s Grill.” Brazil was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame by wrestling legend Ernie Ladd in 1994, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (Television Era) in 2008, and the NWA Hall of Fame in 2013.
Confined to a wheelchair after a series of strokes, Houston “Bobo Brazil” Harris passed away on January 20, 1998 at the Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph, Michigan. He was 73 years old.