2021/08/16
Welcome to AustralianWrestling.org!
The website devoted to preserving the history of Australian wrestling.
We're in the process of renovating and moving some things around so some things may look a little strange but the aim is to minimise disruption.
This website was designed in 2012 with a scope of covering present and past wrestling in Australia.
The scope will change to prioritise the older stuff and make that a bit more accessible.
Thank you for your patience.
I also have another website (with my good buddy Greg) The Wrestling Roadshow which has more of a global scope. We have a podcast by the same name too and discuss all sorts of wrestling.
-CD
Name: - Bugsy McGraw
Height: - 6'3” (191cm)
Weight: - 280lb (130kg)
Born: - 1945
Debut: - 1967
Retired: - 1988
Finishers: - Running splash
Also known as: - Mike Davis, The Big O, Beautiful Brutus, The Skull, Mighty Brutus, The Brute
Toured Australia: - 1971 (as “Beautiful Brutus”), 1977
First came to notice as the masked “Big O” in Florida. After losing the mask, he wrestled as Beautiful Brutus in Florida, before travelling to San Francisco and Australia. Wrestled upper mid-card as a heel in Australia, before venturing to PNW as “The Skull”, and Vancouver as “The Brute”.
Appeared in WWWF in 1975 as Bugsy McGraw, having a series against champ Bruno Sammartino. Returned to Australia in 1977 as Bugsy McGraw, a member of Crusher Rackman's stable. After success, he turned face and teamed with Mario Milano.
Later became a main-eventer in Florida and Mid-Atlantic, before retiring in 1988.
Titles held: - NWA North American Hwt, American Hwt, (San Francisco) US Hwt, Florida Hwt, Pacific Coast Hwt, World Class TV, Florida TV (3), (Aust) World Brass Knuckles, (Florida) NWA Brass Knuckles, (Texas) NWA Brass Knuckles (3), Austro-Asian Tag (2, w/ Butcher Brannigan, w/ Mario Milano), (Florida) US Tag (w/ Dusty Rhodes), (Mid-South) US Tag (w/ Dr. X), American Tag (w/ King Kong Bundy), Florida Tag (w/ Thor the Viking), Mid-Atlantic Tag (w/ Rufus R Jones), NWA Canadian Tag (3, w/ Mike Webster, w/ Gene Kiniski, w/ Mr. X)
Bugsy McGraw v Ivan Putski, WWF 1976
Credit: Mark Dalgleish, OnlineWorldofWrestling.com, Wikipedia, Libnan Ayoub's 100 Years of Australian Professional Wrestling
Photo credit: notinhalloffame.com