Brian Hildebrand

Brian Hildebrand
Ring name(s)	Mark Curtis Kowabunga Brian Hildebrand Hymie P. Weiss
Billed height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Billed weight	145 lb (66 kg)
Born	January 21, 1962(1962-01-21) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died	September 8, 1999(1999-09-08) (aged 37)
Trained by	Dominic DeNucci[1] Tommy Young
Debut	1984

Brian Curtis Hildebrand (January 21, 1962 – September 8, 1999) was a professional wrestling manager, wrestler and referee who sometimes went by the name of Mark Curtis. Although trained in brawling, technical, and high flying wrestling techniques, he spent most of his career as a manager and referee.^[1]

Career

Hildebrand started out as a manager in 1984 in the independent territories in the northeastern United States. He was a heel manager, and he managed Cactus Jack at one time as an evil Jewish character named Hymie P. Weiss.^[1] In 1986, he began training at Dominic DeNucci's wrestling school in Freedom, Pennsylvania.^[1]

He went on to Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) in 1992, where he was a referee and also wrestled occasionally as Kowabunga, fully costumed like a Ninja Turtle. When SMW closed in 1995, he went on to work as a referee in Extreme Championship Wrestling. After leaving ECW he went on to work as referee Mark Curtis in World Championship Wrestling. During his time in WCW, he earned the nickname The Shooter after a fan attempted to interfere in a live WCW television match between Psicosis and Dean Malenko on September 8, 1997. As the invading fan slid under the bottom rope to enter the ring, Hildebrand, who happened to have glanced over just as the man jumped the guard rail, dropped to the mat, punted the fan in the face and placed the man in a guillotine choke, and held him there until WCW security could take him into custody. Play-by-play announcer Tony Schiavone and then-color commentator Bobby "The Brain" Heenan found this amusing, with Heenan observing "The smallest referee in the world just took him down."

Death and memorials

Hildebrand was diagnosed with stomach and bowel cancer in October 1997. After having surgery in attempt to remove it, he continued refereeing for WCW throughout the following months. During the final stage of his disease in 1999, a Curtis Goes Home benefit was held in his hometown of Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania. Cody Michaels developed and promoted the event, which is viewed by wrestling insiders and experts as one of the truly memorable events in history that actually brought together the major companies at the time, World Wrestling Federation, WCW, and Extreme Championship Wrestling, in support for one of the most genuinely loved workers in the industry. The major stars that worked and provided support that night included Mick Foley, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Shane Douglas, Bruno Sammartino, Dominic DeNucci, Terry Taylor, D'Lo Brown, Al Snow, Hugh Morris, Les Thatcher, Billy Kidman, Chris Candido, and many others.

Hildebrand died from the disease on September 8, 1999 at the age of 37. He refereed one last match at a local independent show mere days before his death. Hildebrand's death was briefly acknowledged on the following edition of WCW Thunder, but the first WCW event to have taken place after his death was a house show on September 11 at the Baltimore Arena, which was held in his honor with a ten bell salute. Late in the show, friends Shane Douglas, Chris Benoit, and Dean Malenko (known as Revolution) shared heartfelt words about Hildebrand and dedicated the show to him^[2].

Hildebrand inspired the Mark Curtis Fantasy Camp 2001 a training event with Bill Demott (a.k.a. Hugh Morris) on hand. A Mark Curtis Memorial Show would also be held on May 7, 2005 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The main event pitted Al Snow and D'Lo Brown against Shane Douglas and Mick Foley.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Two handed choke Biel throw – as Kowabunga

• Nicknames
  • "The Shooter"

• Wrestlers managed
  • Cactus Jack^[1]
  • Preston Steele
  • Jesse Sellica
  • Chris Evans

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.81)
2. ^ http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/2009/09/07/brian-hildebrand-1962-1999/ on line world of wrestling

• Mick Foley (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins. p. 511. ISBN 0061031011. 

Persondata
Name	Hildebrand, Brian
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	January 21, 1962
Place of birth	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date of death	September 8, 1999
Place of death