.jpg) Beyer in 2010 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard John Beyer (1930-07-11)July 11, 1930[1] Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 7, 2019(2019-03-07) (aged 88) Akron, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Syracuse University |
| Children | 4; IncludingKurt |
| Family | Billy Red Lyons (brother-in-law) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dick Beyer The Destroyer Dr. X |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Billed weight | 265 lb (120 kg) |
| Debut | December 29, 1954 |
| Retired | July 29, 1993 |
Richard John "Dick" Beyer (July 11, 1930 – March 7, 2019) was an Americanprofessional wrestler is best known by his ring names,The Destroyer andDoctor X. Among other places, he worked extensively in Japan and in 2017 he was awarded one of the country's highest honors, theOrder of the Rising Sun.
As an athlete atSyracuse University, Beyer was a member of thevarsityfootball andwrestling teams. He played in the 1953Orange Bowl for Syracuse.[2][3] He graduated with amaster's degree ineducation and was a member of the Fraternity ofPhi Gamma Delta's Syracuse Chapter, as well as anEagle Scout in theBoy Scouts of America.[4][5] 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][4] Beyer was a member of the wrestling team[6] and also served as an assistant toBen Schwartzwalder.[4][5]
Beyer began as a babyface wrestler in the mid-1950s,[3] and he was voted 1955 Rookie of the Year by the Wrestling Life magazine.[4] His career as masked wrestler The Destroyer began in 1962 inLos Angeles. Beyer traveled to California afterFreddie Blassie praised Beyer's heel skills to local promoterJules Strongbow, who informed him he would wrestle as the masked Destroyer.[2][7] Beyer's original mask was hard to see through and itchy,[4] butOx Baker lent him a mask made from a woman's girdle, which served well for Beyer.[5][7] He boasted about his East Coast academic background to help develop his heel character. He used thefigure four leg lock (which became his signature finisher)[7] on his way to theWorldwide Wrestling Associates (WWA) championship on July 27, 1962, in a win overFreddie Blassie, who convinced him that the mask gimmick would give him a large push.[4] He defended the championship for ten months.[3] In June 1964, he returned to Los Angeles and beatDick the Bruiser for another WWA championship run, losing it toBob Ellis in September, regaining it in November, and finally dropping it in March 1965 toPedro Morales.[3][4]
In early 1963, Beyer wrestled three sold-out matches againstGiant Baba at theOlympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.[3][7] In May 1963, he traveled to Japan for the first time in his career, to wrestleRikidōzan in a match watched by over 70 million TV viewers, being Japan's highest rated show at the time.[2][7][8] Beyer was also the last person to hold a victory over Rikidōzan before his death.[8][3] Beyer was the firstmasked wrestler to compete in Japan regularly, and did regular tours for theJapan Pro Wrestling Alliance until 1971. In his last tour he made it to the semifinals of the annual World League tournament before losing to a risingAntonio Inoki.
Between 1966 and 1972, Beyer wrestled as Doctor X while inMinneapolis.[4] He had matches with many of the top names in the business including his real brother-in-lawBilly Red Lyons, who handed him his firstAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA) defeat on Minneapolis television, with a figure-four leglock.[3][4] In August 1970, he took a chance at revenge against his former partner Blackjack 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.
From 1972 to 1979, Beyer wrestled in Japan on a deal with Giant Baba andNTV ofTokyo.[2] He feuded withMil 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 ashoot or a half-shoot, and that's the kind of match that it was."[9] He also helped promoteAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for Baba and established himself as agaijin tarento in a late-night TV show calledUwasa No Channel.[8] 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.[2] 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.[3] His retirement match took place on July 29, 1993, where, he, his sonKurt Beyer, and Giant Baba defeatedHaruka Eigen,Masanobu Fuchi, andMasao Inoue.[8][4]
Beyer went into semi-retirement inAkron, New York, in 1984. Until 1995, he taughtphysical education in the Akron Central School District, and coached football, wrestling and swimming.[2][10] He served on the board of directors of theCauliflower Alley Club, which holds annual reunions in Las Vegas. He was a member ofToastmasters International, a public speaking club, and carried the club designation of Certified Toastmaster. He inductedGorgeous George into theWWE Hall of Fame on March 27, 2010.[3]
On August 27, 2011, Beyer, along with his son, returned to Japan to take part inAll Together, a charity event copromoted by AJPW,New Japan Pro-Wrestling andPro Wrestling Noah. Appearing under his Destroyer mask, he hosted the Destroyer Cup and presented a trophy to its winner,Kentaro Shiga.[11] In 2013, he opened Destroyer Park Golf in Akron, the firstpark golf course in the United States.[10]
On November 4, 2017, the Japanese government awarded Beyer theOrder of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, for "a lifetime spent promoting goodwill and bi-cultural exchanges between Japan and the United States".[12]
Beyer died in his bed at his home in Akron on March 7, 2019, at the age of 88, surrounded by his wife and all of his children.[4] He had been suffering from health issues and spent time in hospice care.[2]
,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database