Red Berry (wrestler)

This article is about the wrestler. For other uses, see Red Berry (disambiguation).

Ralph Berry
Ring name(s)	Wild Red Berry
Billed height	173 cm (5' 8")[1]
Billed weight	195 lbs[1]
Born	November 20, 1906[2] Conway Springs, Kansas[1]
Died	July 21, 1973(1973-07-21) (aged 66)[3] Pittsburg, Kansas
Debut	1926[3]
Retired	1965[1]

Ralph L. Berry^[1] (November 20, 1906–July 21, 1973) was an American professional wrestler known by his ring name "Wild" Red Berry. He was a multiple time World Light-Heavyweight Champion and an important smaller wrestler of the 1930s to the 1950s, as well as a famous wrestling manager in his later years.

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 wrestling.^[1][2] His first recorded match was in 1926 but wrestled at carnivals prior to that date.^[3] 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,^[1] trading it often with Danny McShain. Berry and McShain feuded for years in Southern California.^[3]

In 1947, Berry suffered an arm injury and infection that made him sit out for a year.^[3] 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.^[4] In his feuds, Berry usually played the heel, or villain, except in his hometown of Pittsburg, where he was well-beloved.^[5]

Berry began managing wrestlers in 1958, including The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello and Roy Heffernan).^[1][3] He also managed Gorilla Monsoon and Hans "The Great" Mortier.^[3] He was often seen at ringside wearing a warm up jacket with the phrase, "I am Right" emblazoned on the back.

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

Personal life

Berry dropped out of school at age 12 to work in a coal mine to support his family.^[1][3] He had two younger siblings.^[3]

Outside of the ring, Berry was active in Pittsburg political circles. He was elected Parks Commissioner once.^[1] 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.^{[6] [2]} In his later life, he was both an active Mason and Shriner.^[2]

A year and a half before he died, Berry suffered a stroke which inhibited his ability to speak.^[3] In 1973 he died of a heart attack.^[1] A species of Echinopsis, developed by Bob Schick, was named after Berry.^[7] In addition, a softball field in Pittsburg is named after Berry.^[3]

In wrestling

• Finishing move
  • Gilligan Twist (Double arm pull with a knee to the back of the neck)^[3]

• Nicknames
  • "The Wildman"
  • "The Brain"
  • "The Mayor of Pittsburg"^[8]

• Wrestlers Managed
  • Gorilla Monsoon
  • Hans Mortier
  • Toru Tanaka
  • Bull Ramos
  • The Fabulous Kangaroos (Al Costello & Roy Heffernan)

Championships and accomplishments

• Boxing

• Kansas State Middleweight Champion

• Central States Wrestling

• NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

• NWA Los Angeles

• NWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tosh Togo ^[9]
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles version) (1 time) - with Tosh Togo

• NWA Tri-State

• NWA Arkansas Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• National Wrestling Association

• NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (9 times)

• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
  • Pioneer Era (Class of 2010)^[1]

• Southwest Sports, Inc.

• NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} ""Wild" Red Berry". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. http://www.pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/redberry.asp. Retrieved 2010-06-03. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Internationally Known Figure Wild Red Berry is Dead", The Pittsburg Headlight-Sun, July 24, 1973
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Johnson, Steven (June 3, 2010). ""Wild" Red Berry was the mouth that roared". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2010/05/31/14197786.html. Retrieved 2010-06-03. 
4. ^ Wrestling-Titles.com
5. ^ Earl Morey, "Memories Will Linger About Local Wild Man", The Pittsburg Headlight-Sun, July 24, 1973
6. ^ "The Abbott and Costello Show", IMDb, 09/09/2011
7. ^ 'Wild Red Berry' page from the 1996-2004 Schick Hybrids Catalog
8. ^ ""Wild" Red Berry". OWW. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/red-berry.html. Retrieved 2011-09-09. 
9. ^ "International Television Tag Team Title (Los Angeles)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/nwa/int-tv-t.html. 

External links

Professional wrestling portal

Persondata
Name	Berry, Red
Alternative names	Berry, Ralph L,; Wild Man, The; Brain, The
Short description	professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager
Date of birth	November 20, 1906
Place of birth	Conway Springs, Kansas, United States
Date of death	July 21, 1973
Place of death	Pittsburg, Kansas, United States