Brute Bernard

I have mentioned strange characters I have encountered in the business and I need to add Brute Bernard to that list. Brute was brought into Georgia by Gary Hart who was the assistant booker at the time. I had never met Brute and he was nearing the end of his career. Brute was French-Canadian and talked with a very heavy accent that was hard to understand when he talked too fast or when he got excited.

Gary Hart's idea of getting him over was to have him do his wild Brute routine. He would destroy his opponent and then go crazy on the referee. Ron West and myself were bleeding more than the wrestlers for the first two weeks of Brute's run here. He would beat the crap out of us and leave us laying in the middle of the ring bleeding. To illustrate how bad we were cutting ourselves, I flew to Tampa to wrestle on TV for Harley Race. I walked into the office in Tampa and Harley's first question was what happened to your head, aren't you still refereeing full time? I explained what was happening and all he did was shake his head.

Brute was notorious for using anything he could find to hit his opponent with.  One night in Columbus, Georgia he grabbed the bell. The bell was mounted onto a piece of wood about 24 inch square. He hit Austin Idol so hard that he was technically knocked out. I literally had to slap him awake to continue the match.

Brute had enormous cauliflower ears. He was a tough old bird, but was crazy as a loon. We walked into the dressing room in Carrollton, Ga. one night and Brute was almost climbing the walls. He was moaning and groaning and holding his ear. When we questioned him he told us his ear was killing him. Not your normal ear ache but was causing such discomfort he was talking about cutting his ear off, and if you you knew Brute you knew he would do it. His ear was blood red and was hot to the touch.

I do not remember who did it but someone suggested to Brute that he gaff his ear and maybe that would help. It was suggested as a joke and we really did not think he would actually do it, but... He took a blade and stabbed his ear. The most awful, foul smelling stuff you can ever imagine shot out of his ear with such force it hit the ceiling... Brute calmed down and was thankful for the medical advice.

Brute used to take a strange looking bump thru the ropes to the floor. He sort of went thru the ropes backwards and twisted himself to keep from landing on his head. We were again in Columbus and the ring we were using at the time was an old boxing ring. The ropes were high off the mat and close together. Brute went backward and slid down the ropes. As he was sliding off the ring his trunks caught a piece of metal that held the boards in place. 

Brute kept sliding toward the floor, but his trunks didn't. He caught and was hanging upside down with his trunks hanging around his knees and hooked solidly so he could not fall nor could he raise up. Imagine a bare butted Brute Bernard hanging upside downs stuck and screaming for help. 

Gary Hart, Austin Idol, and myself were all laughing so hard we could not help him. What a precious memory.