Bobo Brazil
Real Name
Houston Harris
Birthday
July 10, 1924
Hometown
Benton Harbor, Michigan
Height
6'6"
Weight
270 lbs
Marital Status
Trained by
Joe Savoldi
Debut
1951
Previous Names
Bubu Brazil
The South American Giant
Finishing Move(s)
"Coco-Butt" Headbutt
Favorite Move(s)
The Piledriver
Notable Feuds
Dick the Bruiser
Champ Thomas
Gorilla Monsoon
Bill Watts
Waldo Von Erich
Thunderbolt Patterson
Jerry Graham
The Sheik
Fred Blassie
Dick the Bruiser
Brute Bernard
Ernie Ladd
Title History
WWA (Los Angeles) International TV Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Tom Rice & Great Bolo (April 19, 1954);
WWA (Los Angeles) International TV Tag Team titles w/Wilbur Snyder defeating Gene Kiniski & James Blears (September 6, 1954);
WWA (Los Angeles) International TV Tag Team titles w/Sandor Szabo defeating Joe Pazanadak & James Blears (November 29, 1954);
MWA (Ohio) American Tag Team titles w/Frankie Talaber defeating Dick Hutton & Buddy Rogers
(May 19, 1955);
NWA (Los Angeles) Pacific Coast Heavyweight title defeating ??????? (June ??, 1955);
MWA Ohio Tag Team titles w/Frankie Talaber defeating Billy Varga & Bill Miller (July 7, 1955);
MWA Ohio Heavyweight title defeating Gene Stanlee (April 19, 1956);
MWA Ohio Tag Team titles w/Frankie Talaber defeating Don & Ray Stevens (May 30, 1956);
NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Enrique Torres defeating Mike & Ben Sharpe
(July 13, 1956);
WWA (Los Angeles) International TV Tag Team titles w/Primo Carnera defeating Anthol Layton & James Blears (November 28, 1956);
NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Enrique Torres defeating James Blears & Ben Sharpe (May 28, 1957);
WWA (Los Angeles) Beat the Champ International Television title defeating Shag Thomas
(June ??, 1957);
NWA (Toronto) Canadian Open Tag Team titles w/Billy Watson defeating Stan & Reggie Lisowski
(May 22, 1958);
AWA United States Heavyweight title defeating Dick the Bruiser (January 28, 1961);
NWA World Heavyweight title defeating Buddy Rogers (August 18, 1962);
WWWF United States Heavyweight title defeating ??????? (????, 1963);
WWWF United States Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Barend (July 15, 1963);
NWA (San Francisco) United States Heavyweight title defeating Kinji Shibuya (October 16, 1965);
WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title defeating Buddy Austin (September 2, 1966);
NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating The Sheik (August ??, 1967);
WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title defeating Buddy Austin (January 12, 1968);
NWA (JWA) International Heavyweight title defeating Giant Baba (June 25, 1968);
NWA (Los Angeles) Americas Heavyweight title defeating El Mongol (October 4, 1968);
NWA (Los Angeles) Americas Heavyweight title defeating Freddie Blassie (February 7, 1969);
WWWF United States Heavyweight title defeating The Sheik (February ??, 1969);
ESA (Maritimes) North American Heavyweight title defeating Archie Gouldie (October 7, 1969);
NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/Athol Layton defeating Dick Murdoch & Dusty Rhodes
(August 8, 1970);
WWWF United States Heavyweight title defeating ??????? (February ??, 1971);
NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating The Sheik (July 29, 1971);
NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Pampero Firpo (August 19, 1972);
NWA (JWA) International Heavyweight title defeating Kintaro Ohki (December 1, 1972);
NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Pampero Firpo (December 23, 1972);
NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating The Sheik (January 13, 1973);
NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/The Stomper defeating Killer Brooks & Ben Justice
(July 21, 1973);
NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/Tony Marino defeating Karl Von Shotz & Kurt Von Hess
(????, 1974);
NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/Tony Marino defeating Abdullah the Butcher & Killer Brooks (????, 1974);
NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/Tony Marino defeating Killer Brooks & Ben Justice
(June 15, 1974);
NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/Fred Curry Awarded (November ??, 1974);
NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title Awarded (January 25, 1975);
NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title defeating Abdullah the Butcher (April 19, 1975);
NWA (Detroit) United States Heavyweight title Awarded (April 21, 1976);
NWA (Toronto) United States Heavyweight title defeating The Sheik (February 6, 1977);
NWA (Mid Atlantic) United States Heavyweight title defeating Blackjack Mulligan (July 7, 1977);
NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Sweet Brown Sugar defeating Mr. Sakuarda & Mr. Hito
(September 29, 1979);
NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Dusty Rhodes defeating Ivan Koloff & Nikolai Volkoff (August ??, 1980);
WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Johnny Valiant (July 24, 1981);
WWA (Indianapolis) World Heavyweight title defeating Blackjack Mulligan (November ??, 1981);
WWF Hall of Fame Inductee (1994);
Professional wrestling career
Harris was trained by Joe Savoldi after meeting him at matches at the Naval Armory. Originally, Harris was to be known as "Boo-Boo Brazil", but a promoter misprinted his first name as "Bobo" in an advertisement and it stuck.
Early in his career, some wrestling promoters would match Brazil against fellow African American wrestlers, including Ernie Ladd and Abdullah the Butcher. Fans clamored to see Brazil face opponents of any type and Brazil would have many matches with competitors such as Killer Kowalski, Dick the Bruiser, Johnny Valentine, and The Sheik, who feuded with Brazil over the course of several decades. These and other rivals would all fall victim to Brazil's finishing maneuver, the Coco Butt. Brazil also once wrestled Bill Miller to a draw, and challenged Bruno Sammartino for the WWWF World Heavywight Championship in a battle of two top babyface competitors. On October 18, 1962, Brazil made history by becoming the first African American to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship by defeating "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers (this distinction is usually given to Ron Simmons, the first recognized African American world champion after winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship). Although Brazil initially refused the title (because of an "injury" that Rogers had claimed to have), Brazil was awarded the title the next day after doctors had found nothing wrong with Rogers. However, this title change is not recognized by the NWA.
On October 9, 1970, Brazil and El Mongol defeated Mr. Ito and The Great Ota in the first racially mixed match in Atlanta history.
Brazil served as a mentor to wrestler "Soulman" Rocky Johnson. Brazil's manager was James Dudley, the first African American to be in charge of a major arena in the United States. Dudley would run to the ring waving a towel, as Brazil followed behind.
Brazil retired in 1993 after a four decade career. His last official match was in Chicago, Illinois against Kelly Kiniski, son of rival Gene Kiniski. Brazil was inducted into the WWF Hall of Fame in 1994 by Ernie Ladd. The following year, Brazil inducted Ladd into the WWF Hall of Fame.
