- Bruno Lauer
-
Bruno Lauer 
Ring name(s) Dr. Lennerd Spazzinsky
Downtown Bruno
Harvey Wippleman
Hervina
Bruno
Uptown BrunoBilled height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) Billed weight 155 lb (70 kg) Born October 27, 1965
Pennsylvania[1]Resides Florida Billed from Walls, Mississippi[2] Trained by Geeto Mongol[1] Debut 1979[1] Bruno Lauer (born October 27, 1965), better known by his ring name Harvey Wippleman, is a professional wrestling manager, referee, and occasional wrestler. He began his career working in professional wrestling promotions in the Southern United States, especially Memphis. In the 1990s, he debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where he managed wrestlers such as Big Bully Busick, Kamala, and Bertha Faye. In 2000, he became the first and only man to win the WWF Women's Championship. He currently works backstage in World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly the WWF) and occasionally performs as Downtown Bruno in Memphis Wrestling.
Contents
Professional wrestling career
Early career
In 1979, Lauer attended an independent wrestling show at a circus in Pennsylvania.[1] In exchange for helping to tear down the ring after the show, he was given free admission.[1] He later joined the company and toured Ohio.[1] During this time, The Royal Kangaroos' Jonathan Boyd became his mentor.[1] Back in Pennsylvania, Geeto Mongol trained Lauer and gave him the ring name Dr. Lennerd Spazzinsky.[1]
He then moved to Memphis where he performed under the name Downtown Bruno.[1][3] In 1986, he became the most prominent villainous manager in Memphis.[1] In addition, wrestlers like Jerry Lawler and Sid Eudy helped his career.[1] He continued to work in the Southern promotions for the rest of the late 1980s.[1] In September 1988, he won the Continental Wrestling Federation's Southeastern United States Junior Heavyweight Championship and held it until the promotion closed in 1989.[4]
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (1991-Present)
In 1991, Sid Eudy helped bring Lauer to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).[1][3] He debuted as Harvey Wippleman, the villainous manager of Big Bully Busick.[5] In April 1992 at WrestleMania VIII, Wippleman managed Sid Justice—the character played by his friend Sid Eudy—in his main event match against Hulk Hogan which ended with Justice losing by disqualification.[2] After Eudy left the WWF, Lauer's "push" was lessened, and he began managing lower-level talent.[3]
Afterward, Wippleman managed Kamala, who was feuding with The Undertaker.[6] After Kamala was defeated by Undertaker in a Coffin match at Survivor Series in 1992, Kamala left Wippleman and Reverend Slick became his new manager.[7][8] Wippleman's continued to feud with the Undertaker and brought a new wrestler to the WWF, the nearly eight-foot-tall Giant González, who interfered in the 1993 Royal Rumble and eliminated the Undertaker.[9] Gonzalez and the Undertaker wrestled at WrestleMania IX, where Gonzalez knocked Undertaker unconscious with a chloroform-soaked rag.[10][11] The feud culminated in a Rest in Peace match at SummerSlam, which Undertaker won.[12]
Wippleman's next high-profile storyline was in 1995, when he managed his on-screen girlfriend Bertha Faye.[2][13] Faye, with Wippleman in her corner, won the WWF Women's Championship by defeating Alundra Blayze at the SummerSlam event in 1995.[14][15] Wippleman then began feuding with WWF ring announcer Howard Finkel.[16] Their feud culminated in a Tuxedo match on January 5, 1995.[16] The following year, Lauer made appearances as a referee.[3]
During The Attitude Era, he won the WWF Women's Championship from The Kat while he was in a disguise and used the name "Hervina" in a "Lumberjill Snow bunny" match, a match that took place in a snow filled pool surrounded by female wrestlers whose purpose was to keep the competitors from leaving the pool.[2][17] The win made him the first male to hold the Women's Championship.[17] He lost the title on February 3, 2000 to Jacqueline in a match that lasted under a minute.[18] Subsequently, Whippleman served as a road agent for the company.[19] On November 15th, 2010 for WWE's Old School Raw, Wippleman returned to WWE, managing the Brooklyn Brawler in a squash loss to Ezekiel Jackson.
Personal life
Lauer grew up impoverished in Pennsylvania.[3] According to Lauer, he spent his teenage years "sprawling on car hoods, smoking cigarettes, and drinking beer with no particular ambition in mind".[1] His drinking eventually caused Lauer to serve jail time in Memphis.[1]
In 1994, Lauer was in a car accident with Joey Marella, which claimed Marella's life and injured Lauer.[1] The crash occurred as a result of Marella falling asleep at the wheel while driving on the way to Newark.[20] Marella was not wearing his seat belt, but Lauer–the passenger–was wearing his.[20] Because of the severity of his injuries, however, Lauer had approximately $10,000 in medical expenses.[1]
He also wrote an autobiography Wrestling with the Truth, which was released in 2008.[1][3]
In wrestling
Harvey Wippleman as a manager in 1994
- Wrestlers managed
-
- Big Bully Busick[5][21]
- Cactus Jack
- The Masked Marauder[21]
- Don Bass[21]
- Lord Humongous/Sid Justice[2][13][21]
- The Warlord[13]
- Glenn Kulka[21]
- Ray Candy[21]
- Steve Bradley[21]
- Eli the Eliminator[21]
- Jeff Gaylord[21]
- Sika Anoa'i[21]
- Giant Gonzales[2][13][21]
- Kamala[2][13]
- Adam Bomb[2][13][21]
- Mr. Hughes[13][21]
- Kwang[13]
- Brian Armstrong[13][21]
- The Brooklyn Brawler[21]
- Jack "the Stretcher" Hart[21]
- Bertha Faye[2][13][21]
- Moolah[21]
- Big Bubba[21]
- Baldo[21]
- "Irish Assassin" Mick Tierney[21]
- Big Bill Tabb[21]
- Tony Falk[21]
- Goliath[21]
- Rude Dog[21]
- The Scorpion[21]
- King Cobra[21]
- Sgt. Major Gary Lang[21]
- Rick Link[21]
- Phil Hickerson[21]
- Earthquake Ferris[21]
- Rob Noxious[21]
- Ken Raper[21]
- Frankie Lancaster[21]
- Pat Rose[21]
- Lou Fabiano[21]
- Buddy Wayne[21]
- Mike Samples[21]
- Pat Hutchinson[21]
- Jim Ryder[21]
- Bronx Bull[21]
- Bronx Bomber[21]
- The Louisana Assassins[21]
- Bob Owen[21]
- Carl Fergie[21]
- Gary Young[21]
- Tony Anthony[21]
- Alan Steele[21]
- Sid Justice[21]
- Austin Lane
- Teams and stables managed
-
- The Stud Stable (Robert Fuller, Jimmy Golden, Dutch Mantel, Brian Lee, Cactus Jack, Brickhouse Brown, Sylvia)[21]
- The Harris Brothers[21]
- The Assassins (Jody Hamilton and Tom Renesto)[21]
- Rock 'n' Roll RPMs (Tommy Lane and Mike Davis)[21]
- Badd Company (Paul Diamond and Pat Tanaka)[21]
- The Moondogs[21]
- Eddie[21] and Doug Gilbert[21]
- Well Dunn (Timothy Well and Steven Dunn)[21]
- The Batten Twins (Brad and Bart Batten)[21]
- The Kelly Twins[21]
Championships and accomplishments
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Johnson, Steven (August 19, 2008). "Lauer's book a good glimpse at a day gone by". http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Reviews/2008/08/13/6436746.html. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Shields, Brian and Kevin Sullivan (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK/BradyGAMES. p. 126. ISBN 9780756641900.
- ^ a b c d e f Marvez, Alex (2008-07-24). "Wrestling: Outside the ring, Lauer a perfect 'concierge'". Rocky Mountain News. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jul/24/wrestling-outside-the-ring-lauer-a-perfect/. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ a b Duncan, Royal and Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN 0969816154.
- ^ a b Hertzel, Bob (May 5, 2009). "WVU football recruit Busick will wrestle as well". The Times West Virginian. http://www.timeswv.com/wvu_sports/local_story_125232306.html. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ "Kamala's bio". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/superstars/wwealumni/kamala/bio/. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ McAvennie, Mike (2007-05-28). "Kamala Matata". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/inside/listthis/wildestsuperstars/wildestsuperstars3. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
- ^ Price, Joseph L. (2005). From Season to Season: Sports as American Religion. Mercer University Press. p. 209. ISBN 0865549613.
- ^ "Yokozuna (spot No. 27) wins the Royal Rumble Match". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/19881161/mainevent/. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ "Wrestler Profiles: The Undertaker". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/u/undertaker.html. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
- ^ "WrestleMania IX - Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzales". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/superstars/smackdown/undertaker/wrestlemanialegacy/wrestlemaniaix/matchrecap/. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ Feigenbaum, Aaron; Kevin Kelly, Seth Mates, Brian Solomon, Phil Speer. The Ultimate World Wrestling Entertainment Trivia Book. p. 85. ISBN 0743457560.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j McAvennie, Mike (February 15, 2007). "List This #9: Harvey's whipped". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/inside/listthis/greatestwhoamances/greatwhoamances9. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
- ^ "Bertha Faye's reign". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/women/304454132121112115. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
- ^ "Historical Cards: WWE - SummerSlam 1995". Pro Wrestling Illustrated: 2008 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts. 29. Sports & Entertainment Publications, LLC. p. 123. ISSN 1043-7576.
- ^ a b "Matches from the early 1990s". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/subscriptions/legacy/19901995/. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ a b c "Women's Title History: Hervina". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/women/304454132121112213. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- ^ "Women's Title History: Jacqueline". World Wrestling Entertainment. http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/women/30445413212111216. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- ^ Gilles, Dan (2008-07-27). "Off the Turnbuckle: Raw-ECW merger plans have been scrapped". The Morning Journal. http://morningjournal.com/articles/2008/07/27/sports/19871326.txt. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- ^ a b Mooneyham, Mike (1994-07-10). "Crash Claims Joey Marella". The Wrestling Gospel. http://www.mikemooneyham.com/pages/viewfull.cfm?ObjectID=B9F6BD0A-2627-4FE4-B3801B91D574CE58. Retrieved 2009-05-07.[dead link]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh "Bruno Lauer's profile". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/h/harvey-wippleman.html. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
External links
- Bruno Lauer at Online World of Wrestling
WWE Women's Champions The Fabulous Moolah · Wendi Richter · Leilani Kai · Velvet McIntyre · Sensational Sherri · Rockin' Robin · Alundra Blayze · Bull Nakano · Bertha Faye · Jacqueline · Sable · Debra · Ivory · Miss Kitty · Hervina · Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley · Lita · Chyna · Trish Stratus · Jazz · Molly Holly · Victoria · Gail Kim · Mickie James · Melina · Candice Michelle · Beth Phoenix · Michelle McCool · LaylaCategories:- 1965 births
- American professional wrestlers
- Living people
- Professional wrestling managers and valets
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
