Bobo Brazil

Infobox Wrestler
name=Bobo Brazil
names= Bobo Brazilcite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bobo-brazil.html|title=Bobo Brazil Profile|accessdate=2008-02-06|publisher=Online World Of Wrestling]
Boo-Boo Brazil
Changus McSqeek


image_caption=
height= height|ft=6|in=6
weight= convert|270|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on
birth_date= birth date|1924|7|10
death_date= death date and age|1998|1|20|1924|7|10
birth_place= Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States
billed=
trainer=Joe Savoli
debut= 1951
retired=1990s|

Houston Harris (July 10 1924 — January 20 1998) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. Harris was credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling. Harris is considered one of the first successful African-American professional wrestlers, and is often referred to as "the Jackie Robinson of professional wrestling."Fact|date=May 2008

Career

Originally, Houston was to be known as "Boo-Boo Brazil", but a promoter misprinted his first name as "Bobo" in a print advertisement and it stuck.

Early in his career, some wrestling promoters would match Brazil against fellow African-American wrestlers. Fans clamored to see Brazil face opponents of any type and Brazil would have many matches with competitors such as Killer Kowalski, Dick the Bruiser, Johnny Valentine, and The Sheik, who feuded with Bobo over the course of several decades. These and other rivals would all fall victim to Brazil's finishing maneuver, the Coco Butt (which was a headbutt). Brazil also once wrestled André the Giant to a draw, and challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF Championship in a battle of two top babyface competitors. On October 18th, 1962 Bobo Brazil made history by becoming the first Black American to win the NWA World Heavyweight Title by defeating "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers. (This distinction is often mistakenly given to Ron Simmons, the first recognized African-American world champion after winning the WCW Title). Although Bobo Brazil initially refused the title (because of an "injury" that Rogers had claimed to have), Brazil was awarded the title the next day after doctors had found nothing wrong with Rogers. However, this title change is not recognized by the NWA. [http://www.nwawrestling.com/information/history/world/heavyweight.htm]

Brazil served as a mentor to wrestler "Soulman Rocky Johnson".

Brazil's manager was James Dudley, the first African-American to be in charge of a major arena in the United States. Dudley would run to the ring waving a towel, as Brazil followed behind.

Brazil was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**"Coco Butt" (Head Butt)
**Piledriver

Championships and accomplishments

*Championship Wrestling from Florida
**NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Sweet Brown Sugar (1) and Dusty Rhodes (1) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/fl-t.html |title=Florida Tag Team Heavyweight Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]
*International Wrestling
**IW North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*Japan Wrestling Association
**NWA International Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

*Maple Leaf Wrestling
**NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Whipper Billy Watson
**NWA United States Heavyweight Championship "(Toronto version)" (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/on/nwa/on-us-h.html |title=N.W.A. United States Heavyweight Title (Toronto) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
**NWA United States Heavyweight Championship "(Mid-Atlantic version)" (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html |title=N.W.A./W.C.W. United States Heavyweight Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Midwest Wrestling Association (Ohio)
**MWA Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**MWA Ohio Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Frankie Talaber

*NWA Detroit
**NWA United States Heavyweight Championship "(Detroit version)" (9 times) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/mi/nwa/mi-us-h.html#nwa |title=N.W.A. United States Heavyweight Title (Detroit) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]
**NWA World Tag Team Championship "(Detroit version)" (8 times) – with Art Thomas (1), Bill Miller (1), Athol Layton (1), The Stomper (1), Tony Marino (3) and Fred Curry (1)

*"'NWA Hollywood Wrestling
**NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (3 times) (First) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/hw/ams-h.html |title=N.W.A. Americas Heavyweight Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*NWA Los Angeles
**NWA Beat the Champ International Television Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/nwa/int-tv.html |title=N.W.A. "Beat the Champ" International Television Title (Los Angeles) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]
**NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Wilbur Snyder (2), Sandor Szabo (1), and Primo Carnera (1) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/nwa/int-tv-t.html |title=International Television Tag Team Title (Los Angeles) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]
**NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship "(Los Angeles version)" (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/sf/nwa/sf-pc-h.html |title=N.W.A. Pacific Coast Heavyweight Title (San Francisco) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*NWA San Francisco
**NWA United States Heavyweight Championship "(San Francisco version)" (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/sf/rs/sf-us-h.html |title=N.W.A. United States Heavyweight Title (San Francisco) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Superstars of Wrestling
**SoW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*"'World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
**WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
**WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chris Carter [cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/in/wwa/in-wwa-t.html |title=W.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
**WWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

*World Wide Wrestling Federation | World Wrestling Federation
**WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1994)
**WWWF United States Championship (4 times) (First) (Most Reigns)

*Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame:*Television Era inductee to the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (2008)

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI Editor's Award in 1998 "presented posthumously" [cite web|url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwiedit.htm|title=Pro Wrestling Illustrated Award Winners - Editor's Award|accessdate=2008-05-04|publisher=Wrestling Information Archive]

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards:*Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/superstars/halloffame/bobobrazil/bio/ Hall of Fame profile at WWE.com]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bobo-brazil.html Profile] at Online World Of Wrestling