Milwaukee wrestler "The Crusher" Lisowski dies at 79
(Published Monday, October 24, 2005 08:26:31 AM CDT)
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE - Reggie "The Crusher" Lisowski, a professional wrestler considered a man of the people because of his blue-collar Milwaukee roots, died on Saturday night. He was 79.
Lisowski never fully recovered from surgeries to remove a tumor at the base of his brain stem, his son David Lisowski told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday.
"He worked out on his last day. That's how he wanted to go," said David Lisowski, of Delafield. "He did concentration curls and triceps work. He just had to work out every day. ... In his mind, he never thought he was old."
Two surgeries had affected Lisowski's ability to swallow and left him partially paralyzed, his son said. The former wrestler had to be fed through a feeding tube for several months.
Reggie ("The Crusher") Lisowski, shown in this 1986 photo, has died of a brain tumor on Saturday. He was 79. An icon in professional wrestling circles, he was considered a man of the people because of his blue-collar Milwaukee roo
Promoter Frank DeFalco called Lisowski a constant in the world of wrestling in a career that went from the 1950s to the 1970s.
"The Crusher was a mainstay in professional wrestling for so long," DeFalco said. "He sold out the Milwaukee Auditorium and Arena on a number of occasions."
The barrel-chested wrestler began his career as a bad guy, but people liked him anyway, his son said.
"He never really changed his style. He was a villain, but for some reason people started liking him more," he said.
He also had a talent for being flamboyant.
One ad featured the wrestler with a barrel of beer on his shoulder, saying he was going to kick the butt of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan all over Milwaukee, DeFalco said. Lisowski added that afterward, "we'll have a party, take all the dollies down Wisconsin Avenue and go dancing."
Lisowski learned to wrestle while in the Army in Germany during World War II and returned from the war and played semi-professional football, his son said.
One night, Lisowski accepted a fight in a carnival ring for the prize of one dollar.
"Well, he stepped into the ring and beat him, and he got a buck," David Lisowski said. "He did this for a couple of days and beat everybody."
Lisowski later joined the Eagles Club where some wrestlers worked out and became a wrestler in Chicago, earning $5 a night.
He drew the attention of a promoter, was put on national television and got taken on the road. According to a 1952 news article, Lisowski once drew 8,000 people to a bout in Buffalo, N.Y.
Lisowski and his family lived in Canada and Texas while he pursued wrestling full time, his son said. Eventually, they returned to the Midwest and Wisconsin, where the cigar-chomping, beer-drinking wrestler quickly became the people's favorite.
The wrestler told a reporter in 1985 that his popularity in Milwaukee came because of his worker roots.
"I think the working people identify with me, because years ago I worked when I wrestled, too," he said. "I worked in a packing house. I worked at Ladish, Drop Forge, Cudahy Packing House. I was a bricklayer. But finally, I got away from punching the clock."
Despite his antics, Lisowski said he took professional wrestling seriously.
In 2001, after fellow wrestler Jack Wilson died, Lisowksi turned down an interview request from a Wisconsin Public Television reporter for a special on professional wrestling.
"People make a joke out of it," he said. "But it wasn't a joke to me. It was a living."
(Published Monday, October 24, 2005 08:26:31 AM CDT)
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE - Reggie "The Crusher" Lisowski, a professional wrestler considered a man of the people because of his blue-collar Milwaukee roots, died on Saturday night. He was 79.
Lisowski never fully recovered from surgeries to remove a tumor at the base of his brain stem, his son David Lisowski told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday.
"He worked out on his last day. That's how he wanted to go," said David Lisowski, of Delafield. "He did concentration curls and triceps work. He just had to work out every day. ... In his mind, he never thought he was old."
Two surgeries had affected Lisowski's ability to swallow and left him partially paralyzed, his son said. The former wrestler had to be fed through a feeding tube for several months.
Reggie ("The Crusher") Lisowski, shown in this 1986 photo, has died of a brain tumor on Saturday. He was 79. An icon in professional wrestling circles, he was considered a man of the people because of his blue-collar Milwaukee roo
Promoter Frank DeFalco called Lisowski a constant in the world of wrestling in a career that went from the 1950s to the 1970s.
"The Crusher was a mainstay in professional wrestling for so long," DeFalco said. "He sold out the Milwaukee Auditorium and Arena on a number of occasions."
The barrel-chested wrestler began his career as a bad guy, but people liked him anyway, his son said.
"He never really changed his style. He was a villain, but for some reason people started liking him more," he said.
He also had a talent for being flamboyant.
One ad featured the wrestler with a barrel of beer on his shoulder, saying he was going to kick the butt of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan all over Milwaukee, DeFalco said. Lisowski added that afterward, "we'll have a party, take all the dollies down Wisconsin Avenue and go dancing."
Lisowski learned to wrestle while in the Army in Germany during World War II and returned from the war and played semi-professional football, his son said.
One night, Lisowski accepted a fight in a carnival ring for the prize of one dollar.
"Well, he stepped into the ring and beat him, and he got a buck," David Lisowski said. "He did this for a couple of days and beat everybody."
Lisowski later joined the Eagles Club where some wrestlers worked out and became a wrestler in Chicago, earning $5 a night.
He drew the attention of a promoter, was put on national television and got taken on the road. According to a 1952 news article, Lisowski once drew 8,000 people to a bout in Buffalo, N.Y.
Lisowski and his family lived in Canada and Texas while he pursued wrestling full time, his son said. Eventually, they returned to the Midwest and Wisconsin, where the cigar-chomping, beer-drinking wrestler quickly became the people's favorite.
The wrestler told a reporter in 1985 that his popularity in Milwaukee came because of his worker roots.
"I think the working people identify with me, because years ago I worked when I wrestled, too," he said. "I worked in a packing house. I worked at Ladish, Drop Forge, Cudahy Packing House. I was a bricklayer. But finally, I got away from punching the clock."
Despite his antics, Lisowski said he took professional wrestling seriously.
In 2001, after fellow wrestler Jack Wilson died, Lisowksi turned down an interview request from a Wisconsin Public Television reporter for a special on professional wrestling.
"People make a joke out of it," he said. "But it wasn't a joke to me. It was a living."
