Bearcat Wright

Infobox Wrestler
name=Edward Wright


img_capt=Bearcat Wright, circa 1960
names=Bearcat Wright
height= height|ft=6|in=6
weight= convert|275|lb|kg|abbr=on|lk=on
birth_date = birth date|1932|1|13
death_date = death date and age|1982|8|28|1932|1|13
birth_place =
death_place =
resides=
billed=Kingston, Jamaica
trainer=
debut=c. 1959
retired=c. 1974
website=|

Edward "Bearcat" Wright (January 13, 1932-August 28, 1982) was an African-American professional wrestler who became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. He wrestled during the time of Bobo Brazil, and despite racial tension in the United States became wildly popular as both a heel (a bad guy) and a babyface (a good guy). Wrestling in either singles competition or in tag team competition (often matched with Bobo Brazil), thousands of fans would pack arenas to see him. [ [http://www.garywill.com/toronto/1959.htm GARY WILL: 1959 RESULTS: Gorgeous George shaved bald - Toronto Wrestling History ] ]

The Arizona Wrestling Legends website says, "He was seen in Australia, in Canada, throughout the south, in the midwest, in Texas, always winning the support of the fans as he battled the likes of The Sheik, Johnny Valentine and Kenji Shibuya. A tall and lanky man, he was usually noted for flying dropkicks, spin kicks and leaps off the rope." [ [http://azwrestlinglegends.com/content/view/15/33/ Arizona Wrestling Legends - Legend Profile: Bearcat Wright ] ] He adopted a "claw hold" for his finisher, and was famous for desegregating wrestling. "Edward "Bearcat" Wright declared before an audience in Gary, Indiana, that he would no longer participate in segregated wrestling. Although suspended for a short time by the Indiana State Athletic Commission for his stand, shortly afterwards professional boxing desegregated. Bearcat Wright defeated Killer Kowalski in April 1961 to win the Big Time Pro Wrestling title and become, in effect, the world heavyweight wrestling champion." [ [http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/scripts/jimcrow/sports.cgi?state=Indiana African Americans in Sports ] ]

Five days before Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech, Wright won the WWA Championship from "Classy" Fred Blassie. [Blassie, Fred. "Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks." Pocket Books: New York, 2003. pp. 110-111.] Known for behemoth strength (he would rip phone books in half during promotional interviews for his matches) he also was blackballed by the National Wrestling Alliance for refusing to drop the WWA championship to Edouard Carpentier and then back to Fred Blassie on December 13, 1963. He is one of the few wrestlers who legitimately would not drop their title--and so the WWA had to hire Gene LeBell (a known judo champion and shooter--or one who knew how to legitimately wrestle to defend themselves if needed) to side with Blassie during a rematch. When Wright refused to enter the ring, the WWA stripped him of his title and awarded it to Carpentier. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=2MDgz2o0ly0C&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=Bearcat+wright&source=web&ots=S0dp58e1aN&sig=JM4Rc0gZBBE_glPaUeBOsx1xi6M&hl=en#PPA105,M1 403 Forbidden ] ]

Although creating controversy, promoters soon forgot about his negative sides. Wright continued to draw money and therefore wrestled even into the 1970s.

Wright died at the age of 50 years old on August 28, 1982.

Championships and accomplishments

*Big Time Wrestling:*BTW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/newengland/bigtime/bigtime-h.html |title=Big Time Wrestling World Heavyweight Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*International Wrestling Alliance:*IWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/australia/au-iwa-h.html |title=I.W.A. World Heavyweight Title (Australia) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :*IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mark Lewin [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/australia/au-iwa-t.html |title=I.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Australia) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*National Wrestling Alliance:National:*NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Enrique Torres [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-can-t.html |title=N.W.A. Canadian Tag Team Title (Vancouver) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :Regional :*NWA Florida Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/fl-bk.html |title=N.W.A. Florida Brass Knuckles Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :*NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bobby Shane [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/fl-t.html |title=N.W.A. Florida Tag Team Title (Detroit) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :*NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (2 times) with Luther Lindsay and Sam Steamboat [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/hi/hi-t.html |title=N.W.A. Hawaii Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :*NWA United States Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times) [ 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= ] :*NWA Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Whipper Billy Watson [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-pc-t.html |title=N.W.A. Pacific Coast Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Pacific Northwest Wrestling :*NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (3 times) with Shag Thomas (2) and Billy White Wolf [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pnw/nwa/pnw-t.html |title=N.W.A. Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis) :*WWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/wwa/wwa-h.html |title=W.W.A. World Heavyweight Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles):*WWA International Television Tag Team Championship (1 time) - Mr. Moto [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/la/wwa/wwa-tv-t.html |title=W.W.A. International Television Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Other titles: :*Arizona Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/az/az-h.html |title=Arizona Heavyweight Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :*Ohio Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/oh/oh-h.html |title=Ohio Heavyweight Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] Finishing Move: The Clawhold (heel)Favorite Moves: Flying DropkickThe Powerslam

References

External links

* [http://www.cwfarchives.com/Wrestler.php?id=225&PHPSESSID=6fc4b5a93a2fb5eaac552b56cdc6efd0 Wrestler: Bearcat Wright]
* [http://www.in.gov/ism/CalendarOfEvents/event_popup.aspx?evt_lKey=1075 Heritage Corner: Edward "Bearcat" Wright, Wrestler]
* [http://www.lethalwrestling.com/opinions/news_content.php?fileName=703 Legends: Bearcat Brown]
* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bearcat-wright.html Profile at Online World of Wrestling]
* [http://www.bodyslamming.com/deceased/bearcatwright.html Deceased Superstars - Bearcat Wright]
* [http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=2533&worker=Bearcat+Wright CageMatch.de - ] ger
* [http://wrestling.xwiki.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/BearcatWright Bearcat Wright] at the [http://wrestling.xwiki.com/ WrestleWiki]