Dino Bravo: Difference between revisions

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Adolfo Bresciano (August 6, 1948 - March 11, 1993) was an Italian-born professional wrestler, best known for his work as Dino Bravo, self-proclaimed "World's Strongest Man."

Bresciano began wrestling in 1970, taking the "Dino Bravo" moniker from a wrestler from the early 1960s who had teamed with Dominic Denucci as the Bravo brothers, Dino and Dominic. He was trained by Gino Brito, and often worked in a tag team with his mentor, billed as Brito's cousin. Bravo worked in a number of other tag teams, partnering with, among others, Mr. Wrestling Tim Woods and Denucci. With Denucci, Bravo would go on to capture the WWF World Tag Team Titles. By the late 1970s Bravo had become a big enough draw to get a singles push in the Montreal territory. In December 1978 he defeated Gene Kiniski in Toronto to win the new Canadian heavyweight title as recognized in that area.

Bravo had primarily worked for Canadian promotions and other promotions in the NWA, but when one of the Canadian promotions was bought by the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1980s, Bravo began working for the McMahon family. Bravo was scheduled to headline a card against Hulk Hogan in 1986, but the match was canceled on short notice, with Bravo leaving the company shortly thereafter; the rumor was that the company didn't want the Montreal crowd to cheer Bravo, the hometown hero, over Hogan, and that Bravo quit after finding out.

Bravo returned to the WWF the next year, with his hair dyed blond and working as part of Lucious Johnny Valiant's stable with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake. Beefcake was kicked out of the stable at Wrestlemania III and Bravo took his place in the "Dream Team" tag team with Valentine.

Bravo returned to singles competition after a few months, and began a strongman gimmick. At the 1988 Royal Rumble, Bravo (who was legitimately strong and was said to be able to press more than 500 pounds) attempted to bench press what he claimed was 710 pounds, which would have been a world record at the time. Commentator Jesse "The Body" Ventura helped lift the bar at one point, but Bravo played the lift as a success, and began billing himself as the "World's Strongest Man." In this gimmick, Bravo feuded with Don Muraco, Ken Patera, Jim Duggan and Ron Garvin. He played up his French Canadian heritage wearing the Fleur-de-lis and was managed by Frenchy Martin; who often toted around a sign reading USA Is Not OK. After Frenchy Martin's departure, Bravo joined Jimmy Hart's stable and often teamed up with Earthquake, and Bresciano would often display his strength by doing push ups whilst the 460 lb. Earthquake sat on his back (although Tenta kept his feet on the floor, so not all of his weight was on his partner). The team of Earthquake and Bravo would have a lengthy feud with Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior.

In the early 90's, Bravo became a babyface again, and feuded briefly with The Mountie. But Bravo's push was beginning to wane, and Bresciano retired from active competition following a tour in Britain in January of 1992. After his retirement, he helped train wrestlers in Montreal such as Mike Lyons. Just over a year later, Bresciano was shot dead in his Laval mansion, aged forty-four. Rumors circled that Bresciano, having retired from wrestling, was supporting himself as part of a cigarette smuggling ring run by elements of organized crime in the city. His murder appears to be unsolved as of today.

• Johnny Valiant
• Frenchy Martin
• Jimmy Hart

• Airplane Spin
• Side Suplex
• Atomic Drop

West Virginia Gut Crunch Dirty Sanchez It Came from Canada...on your face.

• National Wrestling Alliance

• 1-time NWA Americas Heavyweight Champion
• 1-time NWA Americas Tag Team Champion
• 1-time NWA Georgia Tag Team Champion (with Mr. Wrestling)
• 2-time NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champion (with Mr. Wrestling and Tiger Conway, Jr.)

• World Wide Wrestling Federation

• 1-time WWWF Canadian Champion
• 1-time WWWF World Tag Team Champion (Dominic DeNucci)

• Others

• 3-time Canadian Heavyweight Champion
• 6-time Canadian International Heavyweight Champion
• 1-time Canadian International Tag Team Champion (w/Tony Parisi)
• 1-time Grand Prix Tag Team Champion

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him # 179 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.

• Biography of Bresciano
• Another biography with full list of career titles