But after what I had seen, I felt the best thing for me to do was to leave. He walked into the shower with his pouch in one hand and a picture of his son in the other hand.". Again, from the Mooneyham article: “Atlas takes a deep breath and pauses for nearly a minute when informed of a report that an American doctor, who had been asked to assist with the surgery by three medical students he was training, reportedly was ordered by ‘security men’ to leave the operating room that night and later kept out of the post-mortem. Three days later, WWF announced that González left the company after his WWF contract had expired on 7 October 1993. I should have never said where he was. He's won multiple awards for reporting and opinion writing, and his sports journalism has garnered several Associated Press Managing Editors Awards. In December 1995, González retired from professional wrestling due to serious health issues and returned home to Argentina. [3][7] However, he was unable to adapt to the physical demands of NBA basketball, partly due to a serious knee injury.[7]. But Gonzales has never said why things became physical. ‘If there were any security in the building while I was there, they would have probably thrown me out. The foundation was later set for a feud between González and Adam Bomb, but it never truly began. He was, in many ways, the last of an outlaw breed — a wrestler who looked out for himself. Brody was stabbed through the liver and intestine. The murder of Bruiser Brody and the subsequent botching of the José González trial make it look like the fix was in. When the doctor asked Brody how he was doing, he replied, ‘I’m just waiting on you, brother,’ says Atlas.”. Brody also had a reputation for never losing a locker-room fight. The 5-foot, 8-inch grappler weighed a stocky 250 pounds, but he gave up nearly a foot in height and 50 pounds to Brody. The first trial date was postponed. [7] He then signed for Sport Club Cañadense, but saw little action due to an injury that left him off the court for 9 months. From a PopMatters.com interview in February 2016: “Murray tracked down the Coroner’s Report on Brody’s death, which is included in the book, and attempted to obtain the transcripts of Gonzalez’s trial. Brody had just asked Atlas to draw a picture of his son. Atlas remember how unassuming Brody was the moments before he was stabbed. They’re supposed to be here. I had already heard the verdict by the time I opened the subpoena. If you’ve ever been to Birmingham, you’d know what I mean. He reached a height of 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) by the age of 14. [10], González competed as Giant González during his time in the WWF as a villain, and managed by the despised manager, Harvey Wippleman. [5] At WrestleMania IX, González lost to The Undertaker by disqualification after he knocked out the Undertaker using chloroform. “That same night, he was warned by another wrestler to leave on the first plane out. [1][4], González was born in El Colorado, Formosa, Argentina on 31 January 1966. He was introduced at the Royal Rumble in January 1993, where he eliminated Wippleman's nemesis The Undertaker from the Royal Rumble match despite not being an official participant. At that time, heel and face were kept in separate locker rooms, and Atlas couldn't tell anyone what happened until his match with the Iron Sheik. However, that’s not what they did. I don’t know where they are. After another loss to The Undertaker at SummerSlam, the feud came to an end, and after the match, Wippleman berated him, before González turned on Wippleman himself, turning face in the process.[5]. ‘Somebody would have come up beside me at the airport and stabbed me.’. González also had roles in the 1993 and 1994 Thunder in Paradise double-episode turned movies. All rights reserved. As he lay bleeding on the floor of the shower, Brody was clutching a photograph of his then-7-year-old son. The plan behind his return was to set up an idea Kevin Sullivan (who was the booker of the promotion at the time) had for the pay-per-view World War 3 1995 the following month. Atlas was told he would be contacted regarding a trial date. Atlas talked to Brody and slipped his shoes off as the wrestler desperately waited for medical attention, which was slow in arriving. |…, Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog at SummerSlam 1992 – The True…, Harley Race – Tales of His Tenacity and Strength | The…, Ludvig Borga – The Surreal, Shocking Life of Tony Halme |…, in a cage match in Florida against Lex Luger, Leon White – Rookie Mistakes and Stiff Lessons Courtesy of Bruiser Brody, Steel Cage Match Disrespect: Bruiser Brody Refuses to Sell for Lex Luger, Michel Martel | The Tragic In-Ring Death of the Forgotten Martel Brother, Len Rossi – A Gentleman In and Out of the Ring, Bruno Sammartino | Memories of “Our Forever Champ”, Bobby Heenan – Behind The Brain of Wrestling’s Finest. I had a pretty good temper.’. In what is one of the most told stories throughout professional wrestling history, number six will the Jose Gonzalez and Bruiser Brody murder incident. [7] During 1986, González helped Gimnasia achieve promotion to the Argentine first division. All rights reserved. It would be a 3 ring, 60 man, over the top rope battle royal, with a giant occupying each of the 3 rings. Because of the congestion around the arena, it took 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. In a lengthy article for Solie.org, Mantell shared what happened: “… I was told by the detectives that José González would be charged with first-degree murder and advised me that when the time for the trial came, I would be subpoenaed and transported back to PR to testify. Atlas returned to the arena where no one seemed to care about the stabbing. ‘Those were his words. I got mad at her. Abdullah (The Butcher) called a meeting the next morning. But the idea fell through as González had a diabetes attack backstage at the Halloween Havoc pay-per-view leading him to have to be flown back to his native Argentina and Ron Reis had to take his spot in the role. Every babyface on that card was in that dressing room. - July 17, 2018 04:20 pm EDT. Brody died on July 17th, 1988, from stab wounds suffered at the hands of José González in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The Sheik went back and told the other boys. The point of the feud was to determine who the real "giant of WCW" was. He suffered from gigantism, which led to his height. As time has passed it's become increasingly evident that Brody was murdered by Jose Gonzalez in a Puerto Rican locker room. His last singles match was on 8 February 1995, when he lost to The Great Muta. He went to the police department with Sika the Wild Samoan (Sika Anoai) and gave authorities the story. [7] Subsequently, León Najnudel, then coach of the Argentine national team, recommended the board of Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata to sign the player for the team's Argentine second division roster. “‘I didn’t see any security. Were their eyes closed, or did they go blind? “‘Don’t go to bed tonight. Bruiser Brody died on July 17th, 1988, following a pair of surgeries that could have saved his life. After his departure from the WWF, González wrestled in the Japanese promotions NJPW and WAR (Wrestle and Romance) until his retirement from wrestling, and used his old ring name El Gigante. He wouldn’t hesitate to leave a territory without “doing the honors” for a local star on his way out. My mouth flies open before my brain thinks. It was issued 1/3/89, but according to the post date, it was not mailed until 1/13/89. Was it an argument about a finish? “He had an air about him that got him over almost everywhere he went,” former NWA World Champion Harley Race said about Brody. How could something not be done? “I was depressed when I left PR and even more so when I got back to Birmingham. José Luis González (writer) (1926–1996), Puerto Rican writer of Dominican descent Jose B. Gonzalez (born 1967), Hispanic American poet and educator; José González (singer) (born 1978), Swedish-Argentinian singer-songwriter José González (artist) (1939–2009), Spanish comic book artist Jose Luis Gonzalez (artist) José Luis González (composer) (born 1937), Mexican composer Atlas remember a towel being wrapped about Gonzalez's hand. The second time he did it, he bent over and I looked up. I know he had a lot of friends, but nobody ever tried to say anything or raise any money. She told me that nothing would be done to José González. I was stomping around that hospital. It is already known that Jose Gonzalez was the man that stabbed and killed Bruiser Brody. No one knows what set it off, but Gonzales stabbed Brody twice in the chest and tried to get at the big man again when wrestlers like TNT (better known as Savio Vega in the WWE) and Tony Atlas pulled him away. “We call her back, and she gets on the phone with my wife and is whispering, and says, ‘The court records aren’t here. After his retirement from wrestling, González lived on a ranch in Argentina in his later years. Why would you destroy that? “Atlas says he wasn’t home an hour before getting a call from Colon. As soon as the second foot hit the shower I hear this sound, 'oooowa! However, the day Savio Vega told Atlas that he needed to leave Puerto Rico because there were plans in place to have him murdered. ‘I’ll be with you in a minute,’ replied the physician. Then he reached into his pouch to get a picture of his son. ooooowa!" I thought, 'damn Jose hit hard, they're fighting.'. [Photo: sbs.com.au] Bruiser Brody came to the ring like a hurricane making landfall, a six-foot, eight-inch bearded mountain of anger and violence. I told him I didn’t have anything against Brody or José. ‘Brody only had one person to stand up for him, and I look at that person every day in the mirror. “I never heard from the detectives again, not even to this day.”. It was the last thing on his mind. José González continued to work for Carlos Colon for many years and kept a picture of himself shaking hands with Brody in his office. He never was. WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas was not only there for the incident but was the first to respond to the fallen Brody. I received the subpoena on January 24th. And he had serious concerns for his own safety. Remember, the trial was to start on January 23rd? Go back? Atlas wasn't subpoenaed until after the guilty verdict. via onlineworldofwrestling.com. On 8 December 1995, González wrestled his final match, teaming with Kōji Kitao in a loss to Shinja and Typhoon by countout. I should have never left that man’s side.’. I’m stupid at times. Subscribe to newsletter Gonzales told a jury that he feared for his life when talking to Brody that day. Atlas had been told at the hospital that his condition was stable. Kerry Von Erich | Battling Demons: The Final Days of the Texas Tornado, Bullet Bob Armstrong Passes Away – Remembering a Legend, Ox Baker – The Endearing Heel Who Loved To Hurt People, Dynamite Kid – His Life and Troubled Legacy, Nikolai Volkoff: A Hero, a Legend, and My Friend, Bruiser Brody – Details on His Murder and Influence in Wrestling, Chris Hyatte – RIP to the Most Entertaining Man in the Room, The Road Warriors | The Backstory Behind Their Formation and TV Debut.