Being physically large doesn't automatically equal bad-ass, but it's definitely a good place to start. Bruiser Brody was big, at 6'8" and nearly 300 pounds, but he was lot more than just a big guy, even just going on his look alone -- Brody was a wild man, whose long hair, thick beard, and stark ring gear gave off a aura of the untamable. Brody's behavior was just as convincing. With Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" blaring over the public address system, the fearsome hulk would stomp out to the ring, often marching into the crowd and flipping over chairs as terrified fans ran for their lives. His matches were just as insane, and are often seen as a precursor to the hardcore style that would become more popular in both Japan and the U.S. in the 1990s. Sadly, Brody was murdered in 1988. While working in Puerto Rico, he was stabbed to death by Jose Gonzalez, who competed for the World Wrestling Council as Invader #1. Though his life was cut short, the indelible mark he made on professional wrestling will last forever -- and his fearsome look will stand among the baddest of the bad-ass.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
