WWE Black History Month: Bobo Brazil

Each week during the month of February, we will highlight the contributions of one of the many African-American wrestlers who have helped shape the landscape of the WWE.

Most modern wrestling fans have never heard of Houston Harris (AKA Bobo Brazil), yet the landscape of professional wrestling would look extremely different without his trailblazing career. Over the past month we have looked at several influential African American wrestlers, and all of them owe a debt of gratitude to Brazil, who was quite possibly the most famous black wrestler of the 1950s and 60s. While there were certainly prominent black wrestlers before this time (there was even a World Negro Heavyweight Title), Brazil was one of the first to have his popularity cross the racial divide.

Harris was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1924. At 6’6 and 270 pounds, he made for a formidable spectacle inside the ring. His original name was set to be “Boo Boo Brazil”, but an advertising misprint changed it to “Bobo”. His early matches mostly included contests against other black wrestlers but his technical skill and overall ring presence was so impressive that fans wanted to see him compete against more high-profile white wrestlers. This led to matches against Killer Kowalski, Dick the Bruiser, and most notably, Ed Farhat (AKA The Sheik), with whom Brazil would feud for the next several decades.

Perhaps Brazil’s most significant achievement came in 1962 when he defeated Nature Boy Buddy Rogers for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and thus technically became the first African American to both hold this title and win a professional wrestling heavyweight belt. In a bizarre twist that blurs the line between real and kayfabe, Brazil refused the title because Rogers claimed to have suffered a groin injury during the match and so Brazil felt his win was tainted. When Rogers’ “injury” was later determined to be fake, Brazil accepted the title. Rogers would win the belt back shortly thereafter, but the NWA refused to recognize a change had ever occurred. Depending on who you ask, the reason for this refusal lies in either Rogers’ loss not being sanctioned by the NWA or the NWA not wanting Brazil to be the first black man to hold their biggest prize. Either way, this disagreement means that Brazil is not formally or universally considered the first African-American world heavyweight champion. It would be 30 years before that honor would go to Ron Simmons in 1992.

Brazil retired in 1993 after a 42-year career that saw him capture numerous titles and awards including his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1994, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008, and the NWA Hall of Fame in 2013. He served as a mentor to “Soulman” Rocky Johnson, an African American legend in his own right and father to future global megastar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Brazil died in 1998 after a series of strokes landed him in the hospital.

The 1965 Selma to Montgomery protest marches were the most significant and public post-segregation actions following the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Despite Congress’ commitment to reaffirming equal protection under the law for all Americans regardless of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin, there was still widespread opposition to such inclusion based on decades of fomented racism and hatred. What made Brazil unique was that he was one of the first dominant black wrestlers of both the pre and post-segregation eras adored by fans of all races. Whether fans gathered to watch him win or hoped to see him lose, they still gathered and made him one of the most popular wrestlers in the country.

Bobo Brazil was a hero to kids and an inspiration to adults during a time when we needed both more than ever.

Home/WWE