| Von Brauners | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tag team | |
| Members | Karl Von Brauner Kurt Von Brauner#1 Eric Von Brauner Kurt Von Brauner#2 Cliff Von Brauner Saul Weingeroff (manager) |
| Name(s) | The Von Brauners Kurt & Karl Von Brauner |
| Billed from | Germany |
| Debut | 1960 |
| Disbanded | 1974 |
TheVon Brauners were aprofessional wrestling tag team/stable that operated from the 1950s through the 1970s. The teams consisted ofKarl Von Brauner (Doug Donnan), Kurt Von Brauner #1 (Jimmy Brawner), Eric Von Brauner (Ron Donnan), and Kurt Von Brauner #2 (Willy Rutgowsky). The chosengimmick was that of a team of evil German twins.[1][2]
The four members worked as the Von Brauners for approximately 15 years.[3] The team of Karl and Kurt #1 captured World Tag Team gold 20 times. All versions of the team captured a total of 35 world tag team championships plus five regional tag team championships.
Jimmy Brawner and Doug Donovan begantag teaming together in January 1960 as Kurt and Karl Von Brauner, respectively, with the gimmick of evil German twins.[2] Some promotional material cited them as descending fromTeutonic royalty.[3] Fellow professional wrestlerDick Steinborn suggested the two wrestle together after noting that they resembled each other.[3][4] The duo first teamed together in Oklahoma.[3] They were paired withSaul Weingeroff as their manager in the early 1960s, and Weingeroff frequently interfered in their matches by wielding his cane against the Von Brauners' opponents.[1][2][4] Later, they werebooked byNick Gulas inNWA Mid-America.[2] When Jimmy Brauner and Doug Donovan split up in 1965, Donovan's real life brother Ron "Red" Donnan began teaming with him as Karl and Eric Von Brauner.[2][3] Eric retired in the late 1960s and was replaced by the second Kurt Von Brauner, played by Willy Rutgowsky.[2][3] They teamed together in San Francisco with Gerhardt Kaiser as their manager.[2][4] While the team has been said to be disbanded in 1974, the team continued on inNWA Hollywood Wrestling with Karl and Cliff Von Brauner(Mike McManus) in what may have been the final run of the Von Brauners.[3][4][5]
Doug Donovan played the Karl Von Brauner character. He was born Doug Donnan on a dairy farm inStirling, Ontario.[3] He played junior football inEdmonton, Alberta.[3] While working at a gym,Stu Hart "discovered" Donovan and trained him to be a professional wrestler.[3] During his wrestling years, he changed his name to Donovan, and at 5′10″, he weighed 215 pounds.[3] Donovan had some early success withPacific Northwest Wrestling as a singles wrestler, winning theNWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship once, as well as theNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship five times (including twice with his brother Red).[6] Later, Donovan legally changed his name to Karl Von Brauner.[2][3]
In the mid-1960s, Donovan teamed withAl Costello as The Internationals withGary Hart as their manager.[3] The team was later managed byGeorge "Crybaby" Cannon.[7] The Internationals worked mainly inTennessee andTexas forNWA Western States. In Texas, they won theTexas version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship. Donovan also later held this title with partnerLuke Graham.[3] The Internationals were also billed as the firstNWA American Tag Team Champions, titles that were also recognized byWorld Class Championship Wrestling in addition to the Western States promotion. The Internationals lost the American Tag Team title toFritz andWaldo Von Erich on February 21, 1967.
While Donovan was said to have retired from professional wrestling in 1975, to work as an air freight pilot in California, he wrestled as Inferno #1 ofThe Infernos forNWA Hollywood Wrestling and then reformed The Von Brauners with Cliff Von Brauner inNWA Hollywood Wrestling after the Infernos lost their masks.[8][1][3] In the years before his death, he worked as acrop duster.[3] He had a wife Sherry and two sons named Jeff and Chris.[3] After a stroke and open heart surgery, he died on July 5, 2009.[3]
Jimmy Brawner played the first version of Kurt Von Brauner.[2] Brawner was originally from Tennessee.[3] He was of German heritage and was able to speak German, as well.[2][3] Brawner later legally changed his name to Kurt Von Brawner to protectkayfabe.[2] After retiring from professional wrestling, he worked for theSouthland Corporation in Tampa and later for theShriners as chief of security for their hospital.[1] Brawner died from a stroke on July 4, 2004.[2] He lived in Tampa with his wife Joann until his death.[2]
Doug Donovan's real life brother Ron "Red" Donnan played Eric Von Brauner.[3] Red was two years younger than his brother Doug, but he was also born on a dairy farm inStirling, Ontario.[3] Red worked for theRoyal Canadian Air Force.[3]
He trained as a professional wrestler withBert Ruby in Detroit.[3] In the late 1950s, he worked inPacific Northwest Wrestling, where he held theNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship twice with his brother. Red retired from professional wrestling in the late 1960s and joined thefire department in Memphis.[3] He later moved toCovington, Georgia.[3]
The second incarnation of Kurt Von Brauner was played by Willy Rutgowsky, who also previously wrestled under the nameKurt Von Stroheim.[2] Under theVon Stroheim name, Rutgowsky teamed with the original Kurt Von Brauner, Jimmy Brawner.[2] He was also of German heritage, and was interned by theNazis duringWorld War II before becoming a professional wrestler.[3] Rutgowsky died on February 17, 1993.[2]
Cliff Von Brauner was portrayed by Mike McManus in 1976. Little is known of McManus' career due to McManus often wrestling under masks. He wrestled as "Bruiser" McManus and was a journeyman wrestler. He made appearances asInferno #3 as early as 1967 forNWA Mid-America and was part of the Infernos team from 1975-1976 inNWA Hollywood Wrestling and inNew Japan Pro Wrestling.[9] He later became "Cliff Von Brauner" forNWA Hollywood Wrestling in 1976 and teamed up with Curtis Smith as, "The Challengers.[8][10]