Dick Beyer

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Dick Beyer
Destroyer "chased by baseball bat" - Wrestling Revue June 1973 Cover (cropped).jpg
Dick 'The Destroyer' Beyer in 1973
Birth nameRichard John Beyer
Born(1930-07-11)July 11, 1930[1]
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 7, 2019(2019-03-07) (aged 88)
Akron, New York, U.S.
Alma materSyracuse University
Children4; Including Kurt
FamilyBilly Red Lyons (brother-in-law)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Dick Beyer
The Destroyer
Dr. X
Billed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Billed weight265 lb (120 kg)
DebutDecember 29, 1954
RetiredJuly 29, 1993

Richard John Beyer (July 11, 1930 – March 7, 2019) was an American professional wrestler who is best known by his ring names, The Destroyer and Doctor X. Among other places, he worked extensively in Japan and in 2017 he was awarded one of the country's highest honors, the Order of the Rising Sun.

Early life[]

As an athlete at Syracuse University, Beyer was a member of the varsity football and wrestling teams. He played in the 1953 Orange Bowl for Syracuse. He graduated with a Masters Degree in education and was a member of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta's Syracuse Chapter, as well as an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. He was a schoolteacher and swim coach in New York until he began his wrestling career. Beyer worked the first seven years of his mat career near his Western New York home, due in large part to his coaching job and commitment to the U.S. Army Reserve.[2]

Professional wrestling career[]

Worldwide Wrestling Associates[]

Beyer in 1969 as Dr. X

Beyer began as a babyface wrestler in the mid-1950s. His career as a masked wrestler, The Destroyer, began in 1962 in Los Angeles. Beyer traveled to California after Freddie Blassie praised Beyer’s heel skills to local promoter Jules Strongbow. Strongbow informed him he would wrestle as the masked Destroyer. Unfortunately for Beyer, the mask was an extremely uncomfortable woolen contraption that made him claustrophobic and itchy. Beyer was determined to rid himself of the gimmick, but Ox Baker lent him a mask made from a woman’s girdle, which would serve well for Beyer.[3]

The mask became an important part of Beyer's persona, stating “I was asked to wear a mask in 1962 and I said, ‘You have to be out of your mind. In four weeks, it doubled my income.”[4] He used the figure four leg lock on his way to the Worldwide Wrestling Associates (WWA) championship on July 27, 1962 in a win over Freddie Blassie, who convinced him that the mask gimmick would give him a large push. He defended the championship for ten months.

In early 1963, Beyer wrestled three sold-out matches against Giant Baba at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. In May 1963, he traveled to Japan for the first time in his career, to wrestle Rikidōzan in a match watched by over 70 million TV viewers, being Japan's highest rated show at the time.[5][6] In June 1964, he returned to Los Angeles and beat Dick the Bruiser for another WWA championship run, losing it to Bob Ellis in September, regaining it in November, and finally dropping it in March 1965 to Pedro Morales.[7]

American Wrestling Association[]

Beyer (left) with Mil Mascaras and Nighthawk

Between 1966 and 1972, Beyer wrestled as Doctor X while in Minneapolis.[8] He had matches with many of the top names in the business including his real brother-in-law Billy Red Lyons, who handed him his first American Wrestling Association (AWA) defeat on Minneapolis television, with a figure-four leglock. In August 1970, he took a chance at revenge against his former partner Black Jack Lanza. He stood in the center of the ring with announcer Marty O'Neill, who told the fans that Doctor X was a former coach from Syracuse University. Doctor X then removed his mask, handed it to promoter Eddie Williams, and wrestled the match as Dick Beyer. In other AWA cities, Beyer was unmasked by Lanza or Paul Diamond. In these matches, his name was said to be Bruce Marshall. He wanted to lose the mask because he and his family were set to go to Japan, where he would be The Destroyer again. During 1972, he had several battles with "Crippler" Ray Stevens. Their last match saw him written out of the AWA with a purported broken leg.

Return to Japan[]

From 1973 to 1979, Beyer wrestled in Japan on a deal with Giant Baba and NTV of Tokyo.[9] Here he feuded with Mil Máscaras in a series of seven matches, stating on his style, "He was the best competitor that I ever wrestled. He never gave you anything – it's true – but I didn't give him anything either. You talk about a shoot or a half-shoot, and that's the kind of match that it was."[10] He also helped promote All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for Baba and established himself as a gaijin tarento in a late-night TV show called Uwasa No Channel.[11][12] His appearance on the musical-comedy show only furthered the Destroyer’s popularity in Japan, which led to him recording a Christmas album for his fans.[13] He held the PWF United States Championship until 1979, when he left AJPW and the championship was abandoned. Beyer was also the first American wrestler signed to a Japanese promotion.[14]

Later life and death[]

Beyer went into semi-retirement in Akron, New York, in 1984. Until 1995, he taught physical education in the Central School District, and coached football, wrestling and swimming. He served on the Board of Directors of the Cauliflower Alley Club, which holds annual reunions in Las Vegas. He was a member of Toastmasters International, a public speaking club, and carried the club designation of Certified Toastmaster. He inducted Gorgeous George into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 27, 2010.

Beyer in June 2010

On August 27, 2011, Beyer, along with his son, returned to Japan to take part in All Together, a charity event copromoted by AJPW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah. Appearing under his Destroyer mask, he hosted the Destroyer Cup and presented a trophy to its winner, Kentaro Shiga.[15] In 2013, he opened Destroyer Park Golf in Akron, the first park golf course in the United States.

On November 4, 2017, the Japanese government awarded Beyer the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, for "a lifetime spent promoting goodwill and bi-cultural exchanges between Japan and the United States".[16]

Beyer died in Akron on March 7, 2019, at the age of 88.[17][18]

Championships and accomplishments[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Observer Radio, Interview with Dick Beyer, June 2, 2010".
  2. ^ Courier, Mike Mooneyham Special to The Post and. "Dick 'The Destroyer' Beyer: A lifetime of masks and memories". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  3. ^ Mooneyham, Mike. "Destroyer unmasks secrets of success". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  4. ^ Wolf, Jason. "Legendary Buffalo pro wrestler Dick 'The Destroyer' Beyer dies at 88". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  5. ^ "The Destroyer: A heel gets respect in Japan". TokyoReporter. 2018-02-11. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  6. ^ Freedman, Lew (2018-09-07). Pro Wrestling: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-4408-5351-7.
  7. ^ Bryant, Steve (2019-03-07). "Hall of Famer Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer has died". SoCalUNCENSORED.com. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  8. ^ "Dick Beyer, Syracuse wrestler who became 'The Destroyer,' passes". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  9. ^ Greer, Jamie (2019-03-07). "Dick Beyer, The Destroyer, Passes Away at 88". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  10. ^ "Race & Hennig go over at Cauliflower Alley Club banquet". Slam Wrestling. 2006-06-11. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  11. ^ "Paying Tribute to Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer". VultureHound Magazine | Entertainment & Wrestling. 2019-03-08. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  12. ^ "The Destroyer: World's greatest masked man". TokyoReporter. 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  13. ^ The Destroyer - Jingle Bells, archived from the original on 2021-12-14, retrieved 2021-05-28
  14. ^ Wolf, Jason. "Legendary Buffalo pro wrestler Dick 'The Destroyer' Beyer dies at 88". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  15. ^ "東日本大震災復興支援チャリティープロレス All Together". New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  16. ^ "Slam! Wrestling News/Rumours". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. 2017-11-03. Archived from the original on 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  17. ^ "The Destroyer Dick Beyer dies". canoe.com.
  18. ^ Wolf, Jason (March 7, 2019). "Legendary Buffalo pro wrestler Dick 'The Destroyer' Beyer dies at 88".
  19. ^ "Misc. All Japan Events". www.prowrestlinghistory.com.
  20. ^ "AJPW New Year Giant Series 1975 - Tag 1 « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  21. ^ "Champion Carnival 1977 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  22. ^ "Champion Carnival 1979 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
  23. ^ Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2000). "Texas: NWA World Tag Team Title [Siegel, Boesch and McLemore]". Wrestling title histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  24. ^ "National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  25. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-02-07. Retrieved 2017-01-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. ^ a b Rodgers, Mike (2004). "Regional Territories: PNW #16". KayfabeMemories.com.
  27. ^ 東京スポーツ プロレス大賞. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-01-20.

External links[]

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