Bobo Brazil

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Bobo Brazil bigraphy, stories - professional wrestler

Bobo Brazil : biography

July 10, 1923 – January 20, 1998

Houston Harris (July 10, 1924 — January 20, 1998) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. He is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling. Harris is considered one of the first successful African American professional wrestlers, and is often referred to as "the Jackie Robinson of professional wrestling".

Championships and accomplishments

  • Championship Wrestling from Florida
    • NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sweet Brown Sugar (1) and Dusty Rhodes (1)
  • Eastern Sports Association
    • ESA North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Japan Wrestling Association
    • NWA International Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • Maple Leaf Wrestling
    • NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Whipper Billy Watson
    • NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (1 time)
  • Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
    • NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (1 time)
  • Midwest Wrestling Association (Ohio)
    • MWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
    • MWA Ohio Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Frankie Talaber
  • NWA Detroit
    • NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Detroit version) (9 times)
    • NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (8 times) – with Art Thomas (1), Bill Miller (1), Athol Layton (1), The Stomper (1), Tony Marino (3) and Fred Curry (1)
  • NWA Hollywood Wrestling
    • NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
  • NWA Los Angeles
    • NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (1 time)
    • NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Wilbur Snyder (2), Sandor Szabo (1), and Primo Carnera (1)
    • NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles version) (1 time)
  • NWA San Francisco
    • NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time)
  • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
    • Television Era (Class of 2008)
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    • PWI Editor’s Award (1998)
  • Superstars of Wrestling
    • SoW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
    • WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
    • WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chris Carter
  • World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
    • WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • World Wide Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Federation
    • WWWF United States Championship (7 times)
    • WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1994)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
    • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • Coco Butt (Headbutt)
  • Signature moves
    • Piledriver
    • Elbow smash to the back of the head

Early life

Houston Harris was born in Little Rock, Arkansas but later lived in East St. Louis, Illinois, and Benton Harbor, Michigan. He played baseball and worked in a steel mill.

Personal life

After retiring from wrestling, he ran a restaurant. Harris had six children.

Professional wrestling career

Harris was trained by Joe Savoldi after meeting him at matches at the Naval Armory. Originally, Harris was to be known as "Boo-Boo Brazil", but a promoter misprinted his first name as "Bobo" in an advertisement and it stuck.