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Brody: The Triumph and Tragedy of Wrestling's Rebel
?The most unpredictable and charismatic grappler of all time? The brute that made brawling an art before the term “hardcore� was coined? The confrontational businessman who fought for every penny he felt he deserved? “Bruiser� Brody had no peers when it came to blood and guts, controversy and independence. Most wrestling promoters portrayed their top talent as exactly that kind of free-spirited, take-no-guff personality. They didn’t mean it, though � which explains why so few would admit to respecting Brody even as they featured him time and again. So why did they give him work? Simple. “Bruiser� Brody delivered the goods in the ring and at the box office. In the 1970s and early 80s, Brody was one of the few performers, along with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair, to be recognized as a national star. With his fiery personality, Brody also conquered the international market. Nearly two decades after his murder in Puerto Rico, Brody: The Triumph and Tragedy of Wrestling’s Rebel delivers a complete portrait of Brody’s remarkable life. Co-authors Barbara Goodish, Brody’s widow, and Larry Matysik, a close friend, offer a first-time opportunity to truly understand one of the sport’s most complex and controversial human beings. Goodish’s account of her husband’s horrific murder and its aftermath is both heartbreaking and compelling, while Matysik’s insider knowledge of the business puts Brody’s place in wrestling history into perspective. With a foreword by WWE announcer Jim Ross, Brody offers readers the unvarnished truth about one of the greatest wrestling legends of all time.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2007
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260 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 6, 2010
After the success of his book about Wrestling at the Chase, Larry Matysik narrows his focus to telling the story of Bruiser (aka King Kong) Brody, from his early days to his unsuccessful stints in pro football and as a sports writer, to his metamorphosis into chain-swinging wildman, to his murder in Puerto Rico in 1988.
Brody is in my top three or four pro wrestling books, right up there with Pure Dynamite and the Terry Funk book. Lots of good road stories.
Brody is in my top three or four pro wrestling books, right up there with Pure Dynamite and the Terry Funk book. Lots of good road stories.
June 13, 2018
The one and only
Frank Goodish, known to the wrestling world as Bruiser Brody, was a living legend. Fans came out to see him in droves because he was one of a kind, he was unpredictable and they wanted to see what he would do next. He was a wrestler, a performer, an entertainer. He put the energy and excitement in wrestling.
When he fought in St. Louis, he was known as King Kong Brody because they had another wrestler called The Bruiser. Brody was a superstar in Japan where the fans were wild about him.
I was a big fan. I loved the man. He was beautiful. He was the epitome of masculine beauty. He was at the top of his profession and could just about write his own ticket. He was a husband, father, brother, and he loved his family.
That's what made his death so tragic. He was stabbed to death by a bottom-feeder who received no punishment for the murder of this great man.
Some have commented that the book is biased in Goodish's favor. That's fine with me. I am sure I would have been more biased.
5
Frank Goodish, known to the wrestling world as Bruiser Brody, was a living legend. Fans came out to see him in droves because he was one of a kind, he was unpredictable and they wanted to see what he would do next. He was a wrestler, a performer, an entertainer. He put the energy and excitement in wrestling.
When he fought in St. Louis, he was known as King Kong Brody because they had another wrestler called The Bruiser. Brody was a superstar in Japan where the fans were wild about him.
I was a big fan. I loved the man. He was beautiful. He was the epitome of masculine beauty. He was at the top of his profession and could just about write his own ticket. He was a husband, father, brother, and he loved his family.
That's what made his death so tragic. He was stabbed to death by a bottom-feeder who received no punishment for the murder of this great man.
Some have commented that the book is biased in Goodish's favor. That's fine with me. I am sure I would have been more biased.
5
June 19, 2013
Overall a good read on the Life of Frank Goodish AKA Bruiser Brody. Written with his widow and with that in mind it certainly painted him in a good light, perhaps more so than in reality (but perhaps not). Brody was certainly a much talked about wrestler in his day; was almost sure money wherever he wrestled. While to some who view his matches today may not think he measures up, he was a top performer in his time. His true "gimmick" was that you never really know what he was going to do. His matches with Abdullah the Butcher were legendary and he was the best brawler of his day. It would have been interesting to see if he ever could have worked with McMahon or not. My money would have been not, but I would have liked to have seen the attempt!
August 21, 2012
This book tells the tale of wrestling rebel frank Goodish a/k/a Bruiser Brody. This wrestler was a nomad never working in the two major promotions WWF and WCW. Instead he became a legend in Japan and worked independent dates around the world. Unfortunately one of these bookings led to his death in a locker room in Puerto Rico. The book interviews his wife and close friends to tell his tale.
March 10, 2014
A decent enough treatment of Brody's life and times, but the format of Matysik's bio is somewhat jarring.
January 19, 2015
Good read. Definitely told a story about a two-fold man: Bruiser Brody and Frank Goodish. One of the true pro wrestling mythical characters is examined by a close friend and the subject's wife.
June 15, 2021
The legendary Bruiser Brody was born on June 18, 1946. Had his life not come to a tragic end 33 years ago next month, Brody would be celebrating his 75th Birthday this Friday. In honor of the 75th Anniversary of the birth of Bruiser Brody, the Literary Squared Circle blog is reviewing the book, Brody: The Triumph and Tragedy of Wrestling’s Rebel by Larry Matysik and Barbara Goodish (ECW Press, 2007).
Brody begins at the end; in a locker room shower in Bayamón, Puerto Rico on July 16, 1988. The book describes in detail the events surrounding Bruiser Brody’s death at the age of 42, at the hands of fellow wrestler José González. González, who was also the company’s booker, called Brody into the shower area for a private meeting. It was there that González fatally stabbed Brody, who passed away early the next morning.
Before the book leaves the scene in Puerto Rico and takes the reader back to the beginning, telling the life story of Frank Goodish, the man who would become Bruiser Brody, it looks at the aftermath of his murder. A spotlight is turned on the injustice of the Puerto Rican legal system, which saw José González charged with murder, but then acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. Many key witnesses, mostly American wrestlers who were in the locker room at the time did not receive their summons regarding the trial until after the trial had ended. González continued to wrestle for over a decade after Brody’s murder, even taking part in a tasteless 1990 angle in Japan in which he “stabbed� Atsushi Onita.
The remainder of the book allows readers to get to know Bruiser Brody. His story is told by those who knew him best: friends, family, fellow wrestlers, and wrestling journalists. The most effective and captivating stories are told by his widow, Barbara. She provides a unique portrait of the wrestling legend, that of the man behind the Bruiser Brody persona, her husband, Frank Goodish.
Goodish’s career as Bruiser Brody is covered in great detail. His memorable matches, famous feuds, and backstage dealings with promoters across the United States, Japan, and Puerto Rico are explored. Goodish/Brody was a complex individual. He had contentious relationships with many promoters over money and he went against the grain career-wise, becoming a huge attraction in Japan, while not joining Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation during the company’s national expansion in the early to mid 1980s.
The only thing I did not like about the book was author Larry Matysik’s tendency to dwell upon the territory for which he worked, St. Louis. It was in St. Louis that Matysik befriend Brody, who was billed as King Kong Brody in the city to avoid confusion with Dick the Bruiser. Yes, Brody competed in the St. Louis, and yes, he and Matysik became close friends, but his time there seemed to receive more coverage than his equally, if not more, memorable runs in Texas, Florida, and the American Wrestling Association.
Thankfully, Bruiser Brody’s career in Japan is covered extensively. Brody was a huge star in the country, rivalling Hulk Hogan’s popularity in the United States during the peak of Hulkamania. Brody concludes with a “What might have been� discussion, which addresses hypothetical scenarios for Bruiser Brody’s career had his life not been cut short. Would Brody have joined the then WWF? Would he have had a main event run against Hulk Hogan? Would Brody have ever main evented a WrestleMania? Unfortunately, one can only theorize as to these and other scenarios, as Brody was tragically taken from us too soon.
Brody: The Triumph and Tragedy of Wrestling’s Rebel is an interesting read which effectively summarizes of the life Frank Goodish, the man, as well as the career of his in-ring alter ego, Bruiser Brody. The contributions of Barbara Goodish add a dimension to the book not seen in many wrestler biographies. She is able to take a larger-than-life character, and humanize him through her memories of her late husband.
On the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the birth of Bruiser Brody, I recommend the book, Brody. Those who remember his work will enjoy reliving matches and moments from throughout his storied career. Those too young to have seen him in-action will learn about one of the true legends of professional wrestling, and hopefully be inspired to watch a few of his classic matches on YouTube.
4 Stars out of 5
Brody begins at the end; in a locker room shower in Bayamón, Puerto Rico on July 16, 1988. The book describes in detail the events surrounding Bruiser Brody’s death at the age of 42, at the hands of fellow wrestler José González. González, who was also the company’s booker, called Brody into the shower area for a private meeting. It was there that González fatally stabbed Brody, who passed away early the next morning.
Before the book leaves the scene in Puerto Rico and takes the reader back to the beginning, telling the life story of Frank Goodish, the man who would become Bruiser Brody, it looks at the aftermath of his murder. A spotlight is turned on the injustice of the Puerto Rican legal system, which saw José González charged with murder, but then acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. Many key witnesses, mostly American wrestlers who were in the locker room at the time did not receive their summons regarding the trial until after the trial had ended. González continued to wrestle for over a decade after Brody’s murder, even taking part in a tasteless 1990 angle in Japan in which he “stabbed� Atsushi Onita.
The remainder of the book allows readers to get to know Bruiser Brody. His story is told by those who knew him best: friends, family, fellow wrestlers, and wrestling journalists. The most effective and captivating stories are told by his widow, Barbara. She provides a unique portrait of the wrestling legend, that of the man behind the Bruiser Brody persona, her husband, Frank Goodish.
Goodish’s career as Bruiser Brody is covered in great detail. His memorable matches, famous feuds, and backstage dealings with promoters across the United States, Japan, and Puerto Rico are explored. Goodish/Brody was a complex individual. He had contentious relationships with many promoters over money and he went against the grain career-wise, becoming a huge attraction in Japan, while not joining Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation during the company’s national expansion in the early to mid 1980s.
The only thing I did not like about the book was author Larry Matysik’s tendency to dwell upon the territory for which he worked, St. Louis. It was in St. Louis that Matysik befriend Brody, who was billed as King Kong Brody in the city to avoid confusion with Dick the Bruiser. Yes, Brody competed in the St. Louis, and yes, he and Matysik became close friends, but his time there seemed to receive more coverage than his equally, if not more, memorable runs in Texas, Florida, and the American Wrestling Association.
Thankfully, Bruiser Brody’s career in Japan is covered extensively. Brody was a huge star in the country, rivalling Hulk Hogan’s popularity in the United States during the peak of Hulkamania. Brody concludes with a “What might have been� discussion, which addresses hypothetical scenarios for Bruiser Brody’s career had his life not been cut short. Would Brody have joined the then WWF? Would he have had a main event run against Hulk Hogan? Would Brody have ever main evented a WrestleMania? Unfortunately, one can only theorize as to these and other scenarios, as Brody was tragically taken from us too soon.
Brody: The Triumph and Tragedy of Wrestling’s Rebel is an interesting read which effectively summarizes of the life Frank Goodish, the man, as well as the career of his in-ring alter ego, Bruiser Brody. The contributions of Barbara Goodish add a dimension to the book not seen in many wrestler biographies. She is able to take a larger-than-life character, and humanize him through her memories of her late husband.
On the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the birth of Bruiser Brody, I recommend the book, Brody. Those who remember his work will enjoy reliving matches and moments from throughout his storied career. Those too young to have seen him in-action will learn about one of the true legends of professional wrestling, and hopefully be inspired to watch a few of his classic matches on YouTube.
4 Stars out of 5
March 23, 2020
Larry Matysik is a very good writer, and his prose kept me engaged. Growing up, I didn't have access to any Texas wrestling on TV. As a result, Brody was always just a face from the magazine covers. Matysik breathed real life into a character I have since seen on tapes, DVDs and YouTube. Brody's story is compelling, not only because of his tragic murder, but because of just how complex a character he was, in the ring and out.
The book opens with a great introduction by wrestling journalist, Dave Meltzer, who sets Brody's impact in the context of his times, and also talks about his personal connection to the man and how influential he was in what Dave did and how much that meant to Dave. Every other chapter in the book is written by Barbara Goodish, Brody's widow, and she details the horrible days of and after the loss of her husband, and then writes all about their life together.
If there is any fault to be found here it is just the hostility toward Vince McMahon for "what he did to the business." It is a topic very close to Matysik as he was part of one of the great wrestling one-town territories that folded in the 1980s due to the pressure from the WWF. Except that even in Matysik's own writing, it seems clear that the causes were a lot more to do to the retirement of Sam Muchnick and the takeover of Muchnick's partners from Kansas City who basically drove the promotion into the ground as fast as they could, with weak booking and limiting the talents' earnings. Even so, Matysik is realistic in McMahon's importance in the business and his potential importance in Brody's wrestling future beyond 1988.
All in all a very good, and thorough, account of the life and death of Frank "Bruiser Brody" Goodish.
The book opens with a great introduction by wrestling journalist, Dave Meltzer, who sets Brody's impact in the context of his times, and also talks about his personal connection to the man and how influential he was in what Dave did and how much that meant to Dave. Every other chapter in the book is written by Barbara Goodish, Brody's widow, and she details the horrible days of and after the loss of her husband, and then writes all about their life together.
If there is any fault to be found here it is just the hostility toward Vince McMahon for "what he did to the business." It is a topic very close to Matysik as he was part of one of the great wrestling one-town territories that folded in the 1980s due to the pressure from the WWF. Except that even in Matysik's own writing, it seems clear that the causes were a lot more to do to the retirement of Sam Muchnick and the takeover of Muchnick's partners from Kansas City who basically drove the promotion into the ground as fast as they could, with weak booking and limiting the talents' earnings. Even so, Matysik is realistic in McMahon's importance in the business and his potential importance in Brody's wrestling future beyond 1988.
All in all a very good, and thorough, account of the life and death of Frank "Bruiser Brody" Goodish.
June 14, 2021
This one was great. Granted I am biased towards my favorite wrestler. It takes the story of a complicated man. Intelligent and ruthless in his business deals with the promoters. The tale of a man who didn’t put up with their foolishness and always protected the business, his character, and his family. More popular than Hogan worldwide in the 80’s and one of the best to ever lace them up. The wrestling world was robbed of his talent way too early.
September 24, 2018
Some good old school wrestling stories, but I definitely would have gone for more of those and less of the family stuff as it was a lot of stories where "you had to be there," and I wasn't there.
June 11, 2021
A very interesting read of a wrestler I wish I could have been able to watch. This book opened the door to a very complex character!
October 10, 2023
Okay for what is was. More a testimonial of a wife and best friend. Still a good read.
August 21, 2024
Bruise is one of the most controversial wrestlers in history as not only his career was full of controversy but his death as well. Also, the love of his life and wife, Barbara Goodish, writes chapters about Frank (Bruiser Brody's) personal life with her and their son. I enjoyed reading this book and you will too. I might add Bruise has a thrifty tip for people who do a lot of travelling for work: eat canned beans and tuna instead of steak in hotel restaurants.
August 3, 2011
Decent book, dragged at times...after reading it, I'm still not sure why everyone thinks so much of this guy as a performer, and I've seen his matches....certainly not on the level of Andre or Taker as that kind of wrestler. Decent read, but not great.
December 24, 2012
Was a good book and worth the read.
October 11, 2024
A heart breaking tale of a man who loved his family more than the business. Well written
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