I’ve been on a documentary kick recently thanks to the A&E Biography series and season three of Dark Side of the Ring. So, I figured I’d return to season one and actually do written reviews of some of the episodes, starting with Dark Side of the Ring: Bruiser Brody.
The Bruiser Brody episode revealed many details of his story that I wasn’t aware of. His death has always been discussed in wrestling circles, but this was as in-depth as it gets on what led to it.
Tony Atlas played the most important role in detailing that. Atlas recounted the events one by one, from Brody’s harrowing screams to being summoned for trial after the trial had already ended. While Atlas stayed strong retelling the story, one can only imagine the emotions of having to return to those moments over three decades later.
Dutch Mantel and Abdullah the Butcher were the others with direct connections to the story. Mantel, despite not being in the locker room at the time, echoed a lot of Atlas’ beliefs. Meanwhile, Abdullah’s version quickly came into question when Atlas accused him of lying about not attending a hotel meeting afterward.
The handling of Jose Gonzalez’s trial certainly raises more questions than answers. Those questions will never be answered without the presence of all parties involved. But corruption exists, and it’s hard for your mind not to wander in that direction given the inconsistencies in the story.
Here’s an excerpt from an article Mantel wrote about on the subject:
Later that afternoon we were all in Atlas’ room. Present at the time was Atlas, myself, Spivey, Jaggers, Ron Starr, and Dan Kroffat. I had been waiting all day for somebody to contact me. But nothing seemed to be happening. I learned later that the WWC office was stonewalling information on the wrestlers whereabouts. Atlas stated that we had to tell somebody. I then remembered the names of the detectives that the girl at the desk had given me when she made the call to the hospital that morning. Orlando Figueroa, Pedro Clanero, and Hector Quinones. Atlas talked to one of the detectives on the phone and told him where we were. The detectives said that they’d be right over and they were, in about ten minutes.
They came into the room, asked a few questions, and then transported Atlas to Headquarters. Tony left the hotel around 5:00 PM. He did not return until 10:00 PM. I started to get worried about him, but when he came back he told them that they wanted to talk to me. Of course, I agreed. The station looked like something you’d expect to find in El Salvador, hot and stinking, with no air conditioning and a big overhead fan. I told them what I had seen, and afterwards signed a sworn deposition as to my testimony. I could only swear as to what I actually saw, but I did my part. As I was leaving, I saw TNT and Miguelito Perez there. I didn’t ask them any questions and they did not ask me any either. So, I don’t know what their statements said. I was told by the detectives that Jose Gonzalez would be charged with first degree murder and advised me that when the time for the trial came, I would be subpoenaed and transported back to PR to testify. They told me that airfare and hotel would be arranged for me and that security would be provided. That’s what they said. However, that’s not what they did.
I was depressed when I left PR and even more so when I got back to Birmingham. If you’ve ever been to Birmingham, you’d know what I mean. I told my wife in detail everything that had happened. She told me that nothing would be done to Jose Gonzalez. I got mad at her. How could something not be done? I told her to wait and see. I waited, and I saw that she was right. I got two separate subpoenas for the trial. The first trial date was postponed. The second trial was scheduled for January 23-26, 1989. I still have my subpoena. It was issued 1\3\89 but according to the post date was not mailed until 1\13\89. That meant that it laid on somebody’s desk for a full 10 days. Remember the trial was to start on January 23rd? I received the subpoena on January 24th. I had already heard the verdict by the time I opened the subpoena. I never heard from the detectives again, not even to this day.
Neither Gonzalez nor Carlos Colon has said much about the incident over the years. Though not surprising, it’s disappointing.
Beyond the tragic locker room events, the documentary tied in Brody’s family. That aspect will always offer insight you don’t get just by labeling someone as a professional wrestler. Brody’s widow recalling learning of his passing after arriving at the airport was tough to hear. I can only imagine the mix of emotions that she and Brody’s son have experienced over the years.
Despite the tragic nature of the story, this particular Dark Side episode was one of the series’ best from a production standpoint. Keep in mind I’m reviewing this two seasons after the fact.
The corruption theme makes it difficult not to come out of this being infuriated at how it was handled. But given the major players and time period in which it happened, again, it’s far from surprising.
This is undoubtedly worth the watch if you want more insight on one of the most controversial stories in wrestling history.
For more of my show reviews, visit the Pro Wrestling Reviews section!
