Bob Brown (wrestler)

Robert Harold Brown (October 16, 1938 – February 5, 1997) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Bulldog" Bob Brown.

Bulldog Bob Brown
Brown wrestling The Natural during the early 1990s
Birth nameRobert Harold Brown[1]
Born(1938-10-16)October 16, 1938[1]
Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada[1]
DiedFebruary 5, 1997(1997-02-05) (aged 58)[1]
Kansas City, Missouri, United States[1]
Children1
FamilyDavid Brown (son)
Doug Brown (brother)
Kerry Brown (nephew)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Bob Brown[2]
Bill Green[3]
Butch Kelly[3]
Billed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Billed weight244 lb (111 kg)[3]
Billed fromKansas City, Missouri[2]
Trained byVerne Gagne[2]
Bronko Nagurski[2]
Debut1956[3]
Retired1996[1]

Early life

Brown was born in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, but grew up in the St. James-Assiniboia area of Winnipeg. He was given the nickname "Bulldog" in grade school and worked as a police officer before becoming a professional wrestler.[1][2]

Professional wrestling career

Having worked as a policeman in Manitoba, Brown also played hockey. He started wrestling in the late 50s,[4] working in places like Manitoba, New Brunswick and Alberta. From 1969 to 1974 and in the early 1980s, Brown wrestled for NWA All Star Wrestling in Vancouver and formed tag teams with Gene Kiniski and John Quinn.[4][2] In New Brunswick in the mid 1970s, he fought the likes of Leo Burke and Stephen Petitpas. He worked as a face for ten years in Kansas City before he turned heel in late 1985.[5] In interviews, he often argued about the events that had happened by turning the facts around. Brown fought with many big names throughout his career including Harley Race and Bill Dundee.[4] Brown was a part of the WrestleRock event on April 20, 1986, where he was defeated by Giant Baba.[6]

He found his greatest success while wrestling for NWA Central States.[4] On June 14, 1968, Brown won a tournament for his first reign with the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship, and held it a total of 19 times.[7] Brown also held the NWA Central States Tag Team Championship 12 times with many partners.[4][8] He often worked as booker for the Central States and several other promotions.[5][2] Brown even wrestled for the World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico, forming a tag team with Dale Veasey known as the Hunters.[4] They won the WWC World Tag Team Championship from Mark and Chris Youngblood on August 26, 1987, before dropping the titles back to the Youngbloods on September 20.[9]

Brown also wrestled for Stampede Wrestling with Kerry Brown, who was billed as Brown's son, but was actually his nephew.[1][2] On June 9, 1989, the Browns won the Stampede International Tag Team Championship from Chris Benoit and Biff Wellington.[10] That same year, Brown began working as the color commentator for Stampede's television show, alongside Ed Whalen.[2]

Personal life and death

Brown's brother Doug is a wrestling promoter, and his son David worked as a professional wrestling referee under the name David Puttnam.[1] Brown was the uncle of Kerry Brown, who was a professional wrestler.[11]

In 1996, Brown suffered a heart attack, and was pronounced dead twice before being revived, causing his retirement from in-ring competition.[1] Following his retirement, he worked as a security guard at a horse and dog racing track in Kansas City, and the formally named Flamingo Casino, now known as Isle of Capri Casino in Kansas City, Missouri.[1][2]

Brown died of a heart attack while working at the casino on February 5, 1997, at the age of 58.[4][12]

Championships and accomplishments

References
  1. Oliver, Greg (August 30, 1999). "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Bulldog Bob Brown". SLAM! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. "Bob Brown profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  3. Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Bob Brown". Cagematch.net. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  4. Lentz III, Harris M. (2003). Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling (2nd ed.). McFarland. p. 53.
  5. Meltzer, Dave (1986). The Wrestling Observer's Who's Who in Pro Wrestling. Wrestling Observer. p. 27.
  6. Hoops, Brian (April 20, 2022). "Daily Pro Wrestling History (04/20): AWA WrestleRock 1986". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  7. "NWA Central States Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  8. "NWA Central States Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  9. "WWC World Tag Team Title (Puerto Rico)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  10. "Stampede International Tag Team Title (Alberta & Saskatchewan)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  11. Oliver, Greg (September 10, 2009). "Kerry Brown dead at 51". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  12. "Former wrestler 'Bulldog' Bob Brown dies". The Southeast Missourian. February 8, 1997. p. 8. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  13. "AGPW North American Tag Team Title (Maritime Provinces)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  14. Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2006). "(Kansas and Western Missouri) West Missouri: North American Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 253. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  15. "NWA North American Tag Team Title (Central States version)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  16. "NWA United States Heavyweight Title (Central States)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  17. "International Tag Team Title (Maritime Provinces)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  18. "North American Heavyweight Title (Maritimes)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  19. "NWA Canadian Tag Team Title (British Columbia)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  20. "International Tag Team Title (British Columbia)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on April 23, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  21. "NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title (British Columbia)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  22. "WWC North American Tag Team Title (Puerto Rico)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  23. "WFWA Canadian Heavyweight Title (Manitoba)". Wrestling Titles. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
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