Bobo Brazil

Aside from his time spent with carnival circuits early in his career, Bobo Brazil's name first started cropping up in the Arizona/California area in the early 1950s, Yuma, Tucson, Casa Grande and Phoenix were some of the places where he appeared. using a head butt he would later title the "Coco Butt" and working the crowd up like  no other, he became an instant hit.

For a while, this gigantic black grappler held what was called the "Negro World Championship" which I assume was equivalent to the old Negro Leagues in baseball. Throughout many parts of the USA, integrated wrestling was not allowed and this is not exclusive to the Deep South. Arizona, in fact, was one of the first areas to allow   interracial contact in the ring. Brazil was one of the pioneers, along with Bearcat Wright.

Brazil made various defenses of his title in Arizona, including shows at the Phoenix Madison Square Garden. On one occurrence where no African American opponent was to be found, a young Peter Maivia (I believe he was from Hawaii or one of the other Polynesian Islands. As I am in mid-blog I do not have time to look now) was told to "pass as a negro" and go into the ring against Brazil for the belt. Brazil won that exchange by pin.

When Bobo returned to Arizona in the early 1970s, wrestling was a whole different ball game. Attitudes had changed and no one thought twice of his facing white opponents. And he was as popular as ever.

During this final Arizona stay, Brazil feuded with his archenemy, The Sheik. He also collided with Killer Brooks.

The Wild West was only one location where Brazil was a major hit. He had varied runs with the WWWF/WWF. He made varied trips to Japan. He was a maineventer for decades in the NWA from out of the Detroit  office. His feuds with Dick The Bruiser, Sheik, Brute Bernard and Johnny Valentine were epic.

Bobo eventually retired to his home in Benton Harbor, Michigan and remained there up to his death.