Bearcat Wright

**Edward Michael Wright** (January 13, 1932 – August 28, 1982) was an American professional wrestler who became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. Despite racial tension in the United States, he became wildly popular as a babyface. Wrestling in either singles competition or in tag team competition (often matched with Bobo Brazil), thousands of fans would pack arenas to see him.

## Early life

Edward Michael Wright was born on January 13, 1932, in Omaha, Nebraska. The son of boxer Ed "Bearcat" Wright, he had an 8–0 record as a professional boxer himself in the early 1950s, boxing as "Bearcat Wright Jr."

## Professional wrestling career

Wright started wrestling as Bearcat Wright Jr. in late 1951. In the early parts of his career, Wright formed an alliance with fellow African-American Bobo Brazil, wrestled under a mask as the Black Panther, and was noted for using the flying dropkick. He won the Eastern States Championship by defeating "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers on September 19, 1957, and holding it until dropping the belt to Fritz von Goering on October 17. He also teamed with Sweet Daddy Siki in Al Haft’s Ohio promotion for a time in the late 1950s.

Wright declared before an audience in Gary, Indiana, that he would no longer participate in segregated wrestling. Although suspended for a short time by the Indiana State Athletic Commission for his stand, shortly afterwards professional boxing desegregated. He then began to work for Tony Santos‘ Big Time Wrestling in Boston, Massachusetts. On April 4, 1961, Wright defeated Killer Kowalski to become the BTW Heavyweight Champion, becoming one of the first African-American to win a major singles title in the territories (although BTW was not affiliated with the NWA). He held onto the title until May 30, dropping it to Jackie Fargo.

Wright soon ventured to Vancouver, where he and Whipper Billy Watson won their NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship on July 9, 1962, defeating Gene Kiniski and Hard Boiled Haggerty. They held onto the belts until August 7, with Kiniski and Haggerty reclaiming the gold. Wright then started working for the Worldwide Wrestling Associates in Los Angeles. He won the WWA International Television Tag Team Championship on July 19, 1963 with Mr. Moto and held onto the belts until September 28, when they lost to Freddie Blassie and Don Leo Jonathan. Before losing, Wright was involved in a defining point of his career involving Blassie.

On August 23, 1963, five days before Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech in Washington, D.C., Wright won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship from Blassie in Los Angeles. However, Wright was blackballed by the Worldwide Wrestling Associates for refusing to drop the WWA championship to Edouard Carpentier and then back to Fred Blassie on December 13, 1963. He is regarded as one of the few wrestlers who legitimately would not drop their title—and so WWA had Gene LeBell (a known judo champion and shooter—or one who knew how to legitimately wrestle to defend themselves if needed) to substitute for Blassie at a rematch. When Wright refused to enter the ring, WWA stripped him of his title and awarded it to Carpentier. Wright would leave the promotion after this.

On April 13, 1964, Wright won the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship with Enrique Torres by defeating Don Leo Jonathan and Kinji Shibuya. They held onto the championships until May 24, when they lost it to the Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan). Afterwards came a run in Hawaii, where he and Luther Lindsay defeated Alberto and Enrique Torres to win the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship on July 28, 1965, before dropping them to Ripper Collins and Johnny Barend. This was followed up by a run in Portland, where he started holding the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship on October 28, 1965, with Shag Thomas. They lost it to Stan Stasiak and Mighty Ursus on January 6, 1966, before regaining it a week later. They lost the belts on January 31 to Tony Borne and Jay York, but Wright would win back the titles with new partner Billy White Wolf on March 20, before dropping it to Borne and Prof. Hiro Matsuda on May 18.

Wright's popularity continued once he moved to Australia and competed for World Championship Wrestling. On July 29, 1966, Wright and Mark Lewin defeated Skull Murphy and Brute Bernard to win the IWA World Tag Team Championship, until dropping it to them in August. That same month on August 19, Wright defeated Murphy to win the IWA World Heavyweight Championship. He dropped the championship on September 3 to The Destroyer (Guy Mitchell). Exactly a year after first winning the title, Wright defeated Murphy again to win the title for a second time, before dropping it on September 1 to Killer Kowalski. He also won the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship in San Francisco on December 2, 1967 by defeating Ray Stevens. Dropping the title to Kinji Shibuya on February 17, 1968, he regained the title on April 13 before dropping it on July 4 to Curtis Iaukea.

Wright had worked as a face for the majority of his career, but he also proved that he could play a heel when he moved to Arizona. Facing names like Cowboy Bob Ellis, Tito Montez, and Pepe Romero, *"his normally soft-spoken and intelligent interviews became rambling monologues, with rolling eyes, curling lips and a face that reflected pure insanity*.*"* To capitalize on his real-life strength and claw finisher, he would rip phone books in half and crush apples with ease. He also had a notable storyline with Sweet Daddy Watts, teaming with the rotund grappler before turning on him. Wright was even billed as the Arizona Heavyweight Champion in 1969, but he soon left the territory as he wanted to go back to playing a good guy.

Wright continued to draw money and won the NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship with Sam Steamboat on July 21, 1971, defeating Mad Dog Mayne and Ripper Collins. On October 9, they dropped the titles to Mayne and Sweet Daddy Siki. He also held the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship with Bobby Shane, defeating Larry O'Day and Ron Miller on March 9, 1972 to win the gold. They dropped the belts two months later to Bob Roop and Boris Malenko. The last championship Wright held was the NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Championship from March 28 to May 15, winning and dropping the title to Malenko. In October 1973, *Inside Wrestling* falsely reported that he had died. Wright wrestled his final matches in Japan in 1975 before retiring from the ring that year and living full-time in Florida, also working as the manager to Buddy Colt.

## Death

On August 28, 1982, Wright died at a hospital from sickle cell anemia complications at the age of 50.