Bert Assirati

Infobox Wrestler
name=Bert Assirati
names=Bert Assirati


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weight=convert|266|lb|kg st|abbr=on|lk=on (at his heaviest)
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birth_date=1908
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death_date=August 31, 1990
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Bernardo Esserati also known as Bert Assirati (1908 - August 31, 1990) was an English professional wrestler who became a multiple time British Heavyweight Champion, and, posthumously, a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. Assirati was known as one of the strongest and toughest wrestlers around. He was known for displaying various feats of strength, including setting a British record in 1938 by lying on his back, and pulling over at arms length a two hundred pound barbell. At 240lb, Assirati was one of the heaviest men to perform the iron cross.

Career

Assirati began weight-training at the age of twelve. At the age of seventeen, Assirati formed part of the acrobatic stage duo Mello and Nello. Travelling to every port they could reach, the pair performed a variety of hand-balancing acts. At the age of twenty, Assirati began his career as a professional wrestler, but continued to train as a weight-lifter. At his highest weight, he was one of the strongest men in the world, and could still perform such acrobatic maneuvres as the iron cross, a one-arm hand stand, and a standing back flip.

Assirati was known as a vicious competitor. He is said to have taken pleasure in injuring his opponents, and often refused to play along with the predetermined nature of professional wrestling. Many promoters were reluctant to book him, because of his reputation for double-crossing his opponents, and many wrestlers were afraid to wrestle him (including Lou Thesz, or so Assirati claimed. [Molinaro, John F.: "Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time", p. 170. Winding Stair Press, 2002.] Thesz, an accomplished hooker in his own right, wrote in his autobiography--"Hooker" that when he was touring England for a series with Daro Singh, he had made overtures to Assirati for a series of wrestling matches. Assirati never returned his inquiries, according to Thesz).

Championships and accomplishments

*Other Titles:*European Heavyweight Champion (1 time)

*British Wrestling Association:*British Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*Joint Promotions:*British Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

*British Wrestling Federation:*British Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

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

Notes

External links

* [http://www.americanpowerliftevolution.net/BertAssirati.html An article on Assirati from "Iron Man" Magazine, July 1948]
* [http://www.bertassirati.com/ Bertassirati.com]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bert-assirati.html Profile] at Online World Of Wrestling

Persondata
NAME=Assirati, Bert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Esserati, Bernardo (birth)
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DATE OF BIRTH=1908
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DATE OF DEATH=August 31, 1990
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