Wild Red Berry

**Ralph L. Berry** (November 20, 1906 – July 21, 1973), better known by the ring name **"Wild" Red Berry**, was an American professional wrestler. Berry was a nine-time NWA World Light Heavyweight Champion and an important smaller wrestler of the 1930s to the 1950s, as well as a wrestling manager in his later years.

## Early life

Berry was born on November 20, 1906, in Conway Springs, Kanas. His family moved to West Liberty, a coal mining camp near Chicopee, and he dropped out of school at age 12 to work in a coal mine to support his family. He had two younger siblings.

## Professional wrestling career

Berry started off as a boxer in 1923, eventually winning the Kansas State Middleweight Championship. After breaking both of his hands, he decided to change his sport to professional wrestling. His first recorded match was in 1926 but wrestled at carnivals prior to that date.

By 1937, he had won his first title, the National Wrestling Association's World Light Heavyweight Championship. Berry held the World Light Heavyweight Championship nine times between 1937 and 1947, trading it often with Danny McShain. Berry and McShain feuded for years in Southern California.

In 1947, Berry suffered an arm injury and infection that made him sit out for a year. After the advent of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 1948, he held several regional championships for NWA member promotions, including the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship twice in 1949, the NWA Arkansas Junior Heavyweight Championship in 1954, and the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship in 1952 and 1957.

In his feuds, Berry usually played the heel, or villain, except in his hometown of Pittsburg, where he was well-beloved. Standing only 5'8", Berry had to find creative ways to win his matches, which was why he oftentimes turned to rule breaking. His defiant in-ring actions made him one of the most hated professional wrestlers of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

Berry began managing wrestlers in 1958, including The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan). He also managed Hans "The Great" Mortier. He was often seen at ringside wearing a warmup jacket with the phrase, "I am Right" emblazoned on the back. When The Fabulous Kangaroos feuded with The Scufflin' Hillbillies in the northeast, Hillbillies manager "Cousin Alfred" appeared with a jacket that said "He's Wrong!" on the back.

Berry was also the manager of Gorilla Monsoon from 1967 to 1969 during Monsoon's heel days. He would speak for Monsoon in promos, because Monsoon's character was a mute from Manchuria (kayfabe) and took Monsoon and Killer Kowalski to the World Wide Wrestling Federation's (WWWF, now WWE) United States Tag Team Championship.

Berry also managed Monsoon in a series of matches against WWWF World Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino during the Monsoon-Sammartino feud. In 1969, when Monsoon turned into a fan favorite, he dropped Berry as his manager.

Berry was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1972. In 1996, Berry was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Outside the ring, Berry was active in Pittsburg political circles. He was elected Parks Commissioner once. He also twice served as acting mayor. He also tried acting on at least one occasion, appearing in the 1953 film *My Wife's Best Friend*. He was also in the episode "Well Oiled" of *The Abbott and Costello Show* as "Wild" Red Berry, but is credited as Red Barry. In his later life, he was both an active Mason and Shriner.

## Death

Berry died in Pittsburg, Kansas, on July 21, 1973 from a heart attack at the age of 66 after having a glass of milk on his front porch following a game of golf. A year and a half before he died, Berry suffered a stroke which inhibited his ability to speak.