View source for The Crusher (wrestler)

{{Short description|American professional wrestler (1926–2005)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name        = The Crusher 
|image       = The Crusher - The New Illustrated Wrestling News AWA Edition n.45 1971.jpg
|alt         =
|caption     = The Crusher in 1971
|birth_name  = Reginald Lisowski
|birth_date  = {{birth date|mf=yes|1926|07|11}}
|death_date  = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2005|10|22|1926|06|11}}
|birth_place = [[South Milwaukee, Wisconsin]], U.S.
|death_place = South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
|spouse      = {{marriage|Faye|April 10, 1949|March 11, 2003|end=d.}}
|children    = 4
|resides     =
|names       = The Crusher<br />Crusher Lisowski<br />Da Crusher<br/>Dick Crusher<br/>Reggie Lisowski
<!-- Please don't change the height or weight. These are the measures as officially stated and they should not be changed. -->
|height      = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}
|weight      = {{convert|260|lb|0}}
|billed      =
|trainer     = Ivan Racy and Buck Tassie
|debut       = November 30, 1949
|retired     = 1989
|module = {{Infobox military person
| embed         = yes
| embed_title   = Military service
| allegiance    = {{USA}}
| branch        = [[File:Flag of the United States Army.svg|23px]] [[United States Army]]
| serviceyears  = 
| rank          = 
| unit          = 
| battles       = 
| awards        = 
}}
|death_cause=Brain tumor}}

'''Reginald Lisowski''' (July 11, 1926 – October 22, 2005) was an American [[professional wrestling|professional wrestler]], better known by his [[ring name]], '''The Crusher''' (sometimes '''Crusher Lisowski''' to distinguish him from other Crushers, such as [[Jerry Blackwell|Crusher Blackwell]]). In his obituary, ''[[The Washington Post]]'' described him as "a professional wrestler whose blue-collar bona fides made him beloved among working class fans for 40 years".<ref name="WashingtonPostObit">{{cite news|last1=Sullivan|first1=Patricia|date=October 28, 2005|title=Wrestler Reggie 'The Crusher' Lisowski Dies|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/27/AR2005102702293.html|access-date=April 1, 2017}}</ref> One of the biggest-drawing performers in the history of the [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA), he was known as "The Wrestler Who Made Milwaukee Famous", and found his greatest success in the American Midwest, often teaming with [[Dick the Bruiser]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Slagle|first=Stephen Von|date=January 15, 2020|title=The Crusher|url=https://historyofwrestling.com/the-crusher/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=|publisher=History of Wrestling}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Lisowski was born on July 11, 1926, and was raised by a Polish family in the [[Milwaukee]] suburb of [[South Milwaukee]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=February 8, 2009|title=The Crusher's legacy lives on|url=https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/crusher020809|access-date=February 24, 2022|publisher=[[OnMilwaukee]]}}</ref> Early on, he was more interested in football, playing fullback for the South Milwaukee High School football team, but took up wrestling while stationed in [[Germany]] with the [[United States Army]].<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Beck|first=Langdon|date=December 12, 2005|title=How 'Bout Dat"|url=https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/columns/misc/langdonbeck11.html|access-date=February 24, 2022|publisher=Online World of Wrestling}}</ref> He reportedly began his training for professional wrestling at the age of 13.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Fernow|first=Bill|date=October 27, 2005|title=Mat Matters: The Crusher was my superhero|url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2005/10/27/mat-matters-the-crusher-was-my-superhero/|access-date=November 22, 2021|website=Slam! Wrestling|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]}}</ref>

== Professional wrestling career ==
=== Early career ===
Having developed a liking for professional wrestling, Lisowski continued training with [[Ivan Racy]] and [[Buck Tassie]] at Milwaukee's Eagles Club when he returned, eventually wrestling [[Marcel Buchet]] in his first recorded match late in 1949 as a dark-haired babyface who wore a star-spangled jacket.<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6" /> His early career included wrestling three to four nights per week at a Chicago armory, typically earning $5 a night. To support himself and to stay in shape, Lisowski worked various blue collar jobs by day, from [[meat packing]] to [[bricklayer|bricklaying]].<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /> [[Fred Kohler (wrestling promoter)|Fred Kohler]] was the first promoter to put him on TV, and by 1954 he had developed a barrel-chested physique that would stick with him for the entirety of his career.<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /> Decades before [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] and [[The Sandman (wrestler)|The Sandman]], Lisowski perfected the gimmick of the beer drinking tough guy.<ref name=":6" /> To elevate his career further, he bleached his dark hair blonde and started to get over as a strongman heel, famous for his [[bolo punch]] finisher as well as a devastating [[full nelson]].<ref name=":0" /> This eventually led to him winning the Chicago-area [[NWA World Tag Team Championship (Chicago version)|NWA World Tag Team Championship]] with partner [[Art Nielson]].

=== Tag team wrestling ===
Lisowski continued to have tag team success throughout the remainder of the 1950s, often paired with his wrestling "brother" [[Stan Holek|Stan Lisowski]].<ref name=":0" /> By 1959, he was being billed as "Crusher" Lisowski, which legend came from a promoter's off-hand comment that he "just crushes everybody." Until early 1965, Crusher was a heel in the AWA. After meeting the team of [[Larry Hennig]] & [[Harley Race]] for the first time, the fans adopted Crusher and his wrestling "cousin" [[Dick the Bruiser]] as full-fledged heroes in AWA territory.<ref name=":0" /> They were sometimes known as "The Cussin' Cousins" and "saloon goons" (a nickname provided by [[Nick Bockwinkel]]).<ref name=":6" /> His bluster was legendary, as he would threaten to maul opponents in the ring and afterward "have a party, take all the dollies down Wisconsin Avenue, drink beer and dance the polka." Besides his impressive physique, The Crusher's gimmick was to absorb a tremendous amount of punishment and still be able to make a comeback for the win.<ref name=":0" /> Over the next 15 to 20 years, Crusher and Bruiser were tag partners off and on, and a natural combination due to their common background and brawling wrestling style. Both of them were [[steel cage]] specialists, rarely losing matches of that type.<ref name=":6" /> If Dick the Bruiser and Crusher felt they hadn't bloodied their opponents enough during a match, they would trade punches with each other afterwards.<ref name=":6" /> They won the [[AWA World Tag Team Championship]] 5 times, the [[WWA World Tag Team Championship|WWA Tag Team Titles]] (which were from Bruiser's promotion) 6 times, and the [[NWA International Tag Team Championship|NWA International Tag Titles]] 1 time among others.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" />

=== Success as a solo wrestler ===
[[File:The Fabulous Crusher - AWA All Star Wrestling - n.195 1977.jpg|thumb|left|The Crusher in 1977]]
Introduced at the beginning of wrestling matches as "The Wrestler That Made Milwaukee Famous" (a play on the slogan for [[Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company|Schlitz]], "The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous"),<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /> Crusher was successful as a solo wrestler, winning the [[AWA World Heavyweight Championship]] three times, the first time unifying it with the Omaha version of the [[World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version)|World Heavyweight Championship]] on July 9, 1963, in a match where he defeated [[Verne Gagne]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /> He was skillful at cutting promos, as he would brag about his "100 megaton biceps" and offer to pummel "da bum" he was facing in the ring with ease, and he often delighted in calling opponents "turkeynecks".<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Hart|first=Mike|date=June 6, 2019|title=Here's why one turkey neck thinks The Crusher was the greatest|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/2019/06/06/primer-milwaukee-wrestler-crusher/1373599001/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=|publisher=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]}}</ref> His most quotable and famous phrase though was: "How 'bout 'dat?"<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /> When asked how he trained for a match, he'd claim he ran along the waterfront in Milwaukee carrying a large full beer barrel over either shoulder for strength (and longtime AWA announcer [[Rodger Kent]] often noted that by the end of the Crusher's training run, the beer was gone), and that he'd dance [[polka]] all night with Polish barmaids to increase his stamina.<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /> Although much of Crusher's popularity came from the idea that he was a big beer drinker, in actuality, he never drank beer, and according to [[Baron Von Raschke]], he actually preferred wine. In 1981, Lisowski's wrestling career almost came to an end when the 450-pound [[Jerry Blackwell]] (who he had feuded with over the "Crusher" moniker) botched a top rope move and landed on Lisowski's right arm, causing nerve damage from his shoulder all the way to his wrist.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Oliver|first=Greg|date=October 23, 2005|title=The Crusher dead at 79|url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2005/10/23/the-crusher-dead-at-79/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=Slam! Wrestling}}</ref> Doctors told him he would never wrestle again, but Crusher did strength training for two years while he was unofficially "retired", returning to the ring in 1983,<ref name=":6" /> teaming with Baron von Raschke to beat Jerry Blackwell and Ken Patera for the AWA World Tag Team titles, only to lose them to [[The Road Warriors]] in August 1984.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" />

=== Move to the World Wrestling Federation ===
[[File:Crusher - 2 November 1968 - Chicago Wrestling Club Newsletter Recto.jpg|thumb|right|The Crusher in November 1968]]
Lisowski also had a successful run in the WWF in the early 1960s, where he was the nemesis of [[Johnny Valentine]] and a young [[Bruno Sammartino]], primarily in the Pittsburgh promotion.<ref name=":6" /> In the mid-1980s, seeing that the [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA) promotion with which he had the most success over the years was crumbling, particularly when [[Hulk Hogan]] and many of the other top talent jumped ship to Vince McMahon's [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF), Crusher went to work for McMahon on a part-time basis, appearing at WWF house shows all over the Midwest.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Lisowski claimed that he made more money working part-time for McMahon than he did working for the frugal Gagne on a full-time basis. In 1986, Lisowski occasionally teamed with [[The Machines (professional wrestling)|The Machines]] as Crusher Machine.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Crusher profile|url=https://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profile/crusher/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=|publisher=Online World of Wrestling}}</ref>

The Crusher's last recorded match was at a WWF [[house show]] in [[Omaha]] on February 15, 1988, replacing [[Billy Jack Haynes]] to team with [[Ken Patera]] and face [[Demolition (professional wrestling)|Demolition]], who were disqualified when [[Mr. Fuji]] tripped Crusher with a cane about three minutes in.<ref>{{cite web|title=WWF Results 1988|url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/88.htm|access-date=July 5, 2015|publisher=The History of WWE}}</ref> The Crusher's last television appearance was at WWF's 1998 pay-per-view [[Over the Edge: In Your House]] where was shown sitting alongside [[Mad Dog Vachon]] in the front row.<ref name=":6" /> [[Jerry Lawler]] made fun of the two men's age, and tried to steal Vachon's artificial leg, but Vachon hit him over the head with it, and Crusher punched him. As Lawler bailed, the two former enemies shook hands.<ref name=":1" />

== Other media ==
In 1974, he and Dick the Bruiser starred in the movie ''[[The Wrestler (1974 film)|The Wrestler]]'', where they beat up a posse of mobsters on the big screen.<ref name=":6" /> Lisowski also pitched products in commercials for liquor stores and televisions.<ref name=":5" /> He starred in a Byron's Tires commercial where he folded a casing in half and yelled "Don't be a turkey neck! Get your tires from Byron's!".<ref name=":2" />

== Personal life and death ==
Lisowski once worked as a guest conductor for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at a fundraising event.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":2" />

In his later years, multiple surgeries on his hips and his knee crippled Lisowski, as well as heart bypass surgery and a non-cancerous tumor removed from his brain stem in March 2005, which left him partially paralyzed.<ref name=":3" /> Lisowski's wife Faye died in March 2003 after the couple were married for 55 years.<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /> He spent the final months of his life in a nursing home and had to be fed through a tube, but his son David stated that he would never stop working out until his death.<ref name=":6" />

On October 22, 2005, he died of a brain tumor at the age of 79.<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /> He, his wife, Faye, and infant son Gary are interred at the Holy Sepulcher Cemetery near Milwaukee. At his burial, a wrestling ring with crimson ropes was set up, and on the mat were a pair of black wrestling boots.<ref name=":6" /> He was survived by four children, nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /><ref name=":1" /> Gagne reacted to his death by saying to the ''[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]]'', "We had some dandy matches. The Crusher never was a great technically skilled wrestler, but he was tougher than nails and a brawler. He could bench press nearly 600 pounds. And he loved to have fun. After a match, he couldn't get a beer in his hands fast enough."<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" />

== Legacy ==
In 1964, the [[Minneapolis]]-based garage rock band The Novas wrote a song dedicated to him called "The Crusher", with lead singer Bob Nolan imitating the raunchy voice of Crusher Lisowski (and his trademark yell at the beginning of the record). The tune, which included the lyrics "Do the hammer lock, you turkeynecks!" was popular in the upper Midwest and made it to #88 on the national ''Billboard'' chart<ref name="MPR">{{cite web|title=Wrestler 'The Crusher' inspires hit song|url=https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/01/29/music3|publisher=[[Minnesota Public Radio]]|access-date=April 1, 2017|date=January 29, 2015}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> and #40 in [[RPM (magazine)|Canada]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5612.pdf| title=RPM Top 40 Singles - January 25, 1965}}</ref> It was later covered by [[The Cramps]] on their album ''[[Psychedelic Jungle]]'', and has long been a staple on the [[Dr. Demento]] Radio Show. The song has received a resurgence of popularity in recent years, as [[David Letterman]] has often played it on his late-night talk show.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rogan|first=Adam|date=February 5, 2018|title=5 Things You Didn't Know About Da Crusher, Milwaukee's Blue Collar Wrestling Hero|url=https://www.milwaukeemag.com/da-crusher-reginald-lisowski-milwaukees-blue-collar-wrestling-hero/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=Milwaukee Magazine}}</ref> [[The Ramones]] released a song entitled "The Crusher", paying tribute to Lisowski on their last studio recorded album, ''[[¡Adios Amigos!|Adios Amigos]]''.<ref name=":0" />

On June 8, 2019, a bronze statue of The Crusher was unveiled in South Milwaukee at 1101 Milwaukee Avenue. South Milwaukee Mayor Erik Brooks declared the day "Reggie 'Da Crusher' Lisowski Day" in his memory.<ref>{{Cite web|last=S. Hanley|first=Erik|date=June 10, 2019|title=Bronze Crusher statue revealed at South Milwaukee's Crusherfest; daughter says it's 'the best possible image' of him|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/south-milwaukee/2019/06/08/bronze-crusher-statue-revealed-crusherfest/1396437001/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=|publisher=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]}}</ref> A few weeks later on August 24, 2019, surveillance video captured two men striking the statue with a concrete block, damaging the nose, cheek and chest. Da Crusher's family noticed the damage and reported it to police.<ref>{{Cite web|last=S. Hanley|first=Erik|date=September 19, 2019|title='Give 'em the Bolo Punch': South Milwaukee residents want Da Crusher statue vandals punished|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/south-milwaukee/2019/09/19/da-crusher-statue-vandals-should-punished-south-milwaukee-fans-say/2370126001/|access-date=September 24, 2019|website=|publisher=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|language=en}}</ref> It was later revealed those who vandalized the statue were 18-year-old James Dudgeon, who was charged with criminal damage to property, and 21-year-old Douglas E. Macklin, who was also charged with criminal damage to property.<ref>{{Cite web|last=S. Hanley|first=Erik|date=September 19, 2019|title=A second man has been charged with vandalizing Da Crusher statue in South Milwaukee|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/south/news/south-milwaukee/2019/09/19/da-crusher-statue-vandalism-second-wisconsin-man-charged/2376658001/|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=|publisher=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]}}</ref> A yearly celebration called "[https://www.crusherfest.org/ Crusherfest]" is held typically in June to celebrate the Da Crusher.

== Championships and accomplishments ==
*'''[[Capitol Wrestling Corporation]]'''
**[[NWA United States Television Championship]] ([[NWA_United_States_Television_Championship#Reigns|1 time]])<ref name=USBeltTele>{{cite web|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ny/capitol/us-tv.html|title=United States Television Title - Capitol Wrestling|work=Wrestling-Titles|accessdate=February 7, 2023}}</ref> 
* '''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''
** Other honoree ([[Cauliflower Alley Club#2000|2000]])<ref>{{Cite web|title=Honorees|url=https://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/awards/honorees|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=|publisher=[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]|archive-date=November 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117032306/https://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/awards/honorees|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* '''[[Fred Kohler Enterprises]]'''
** [[NWA Chicago Tag Team Championship|NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Chicago version)'']] ([[NWA Chicago Tag Team Championship#Title history|3 times]])<ref>{{cite web|title=NWA World Tag Team Title (Illinois)|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/il/nwa/il-nwa-t.html|access-date=July 5, 2015|publisher=Wrestling Titles}}</ref> - with Art Neilson (1) and Stan Lisowski (2)<ref name=":4" />
* '''[[Georgia Championship Wrestling]]'''
** [[NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|title=NWA Georgia Tag Team Title|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/ga-t.html|access-date=July 5, 2015|publisher=Wrestling Titles}}</ref> - with [[Tommy Rich]]
* '''[[Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance|Japan Wrestling Association]]'''
** [[NWA International Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA International Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]]) - with [[Dick the Bruiser]]<ref name=":4" />
* '''[[Maple Leaf Wrestling]]'''
** [[NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|title=Canadian Open Tag Team Title|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/on/nwa/can-op-t.html|access-date=July 5, 2015|publisher=Wrestling Titles}}</ref> - with [[Stan Holek|Stan Lisowski]]<ref name=":4" />
* '''[[American Wrestling Association|NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club/American Wrestling Association]]'''
** [[AWA Brass Knuckles Championship]] (1 time)
** [[AWA World Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of AWA World Heavyweight Champions|3 times]])<ref name=":4" />
** [[AWA World Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of AWA World Tag Team Champions|9 times]]) - with Dick the Bruiser (5), [[Verne Gagne]] (1), [[Red Bastien]] (1), [[Billy Robinson]] (1) and [[Baron von Raschke]] (1)<ref name=":4" />
** [[NWA Minneapolis World Tag Team Championship|NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Minneapolis version)'']] ([[NWA Minneapolis World Tag Team Championship#Title history|2 times]]) - with Stan Lisowski<ref name=":4" />
** British Open Tag Team Championship ''(Minneapolis version)'' (1 time) - with Stan Lisowski<ref name=":4" />
** [[World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version)|World Heavyweight Championship ''(Omaha version)'']] ([[World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha version)#Title history|1 time]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ne/awa/ne-world-h.html|title=World Heavyweight Title (Omaha)|publisher=Wrestling-Titles.com|access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref>
** [[Nebraska Heavyweight Championship]] (1 time)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nebraska Heavyweight Title|url=https://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ne/ne-h.html|access-date=2021-11-17|website=www.wrestling-titles.com}}</ref>
* '''''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''''
** [[PWI Tag Team of the Year]] (1972)<ref name=":6" /> - <small>with Dick the Bruiser</small>
** Ranked No. 260 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the ''[[PWI Years]]'' in 2003
* '''[[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame]]'''
** ([[Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame#Inductees|Class of 2005]]) - with Bruiser<ref name="WashingtonPostObit" /><ref name=":6" />
* '''[[Western States Sports]]'''
** [[NWA World Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version)|NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Amarillo version)'']] ([[NWA World Tag Team Championship (Amarillo version)#Title history|1 time]]) - with Art Nelson<ref name="NWATagAmarilloWeb">{{cite web|title=National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Titles [W. Texas]|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/w/nwa/wt-world-t.html|publisher=Wrestling Titles|accessdate=February 21, 2017}}</ref>
* '''[[World Championship Wrestling]]'''
** [[WCW Hall of Fame]] ([[WCW Hall of Fame#Inductees|Class of 1994]])<ref>{{cite web|title=WCW Hall of Fame|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/hof.html|access-date=July 5, 2015|publisher=Wrestling Titles}}</ref>
* '''[[World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)|World Wrestling Association]]'''
** [[WWA World Tag Team Championship]] ([[WWA World Tag Team Championship#title history|6 times]]) - with Dick the Bruiser<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/in/wwa/in-wwa-t.html |title=W.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis) |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030426150010/http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/in/wwa/in-wwa-t.html|archive-date=2003-04-26|url-status=dead }}</ref>
* '''''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards|Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'''''
** [[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Tag Team|Worst Tag Team]] (1984) <small>with Baron Von Raschke</small>
** [[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame]] ([[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame#Inductees|Class of 1996]])<ref name=":0" />
* '''Other'''
** Rocky Mountain Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060205124002/http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/Honorees-page02.html Cauliflower Alley Club - list of honorees]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090327160412/http://pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/crusher_bruiser.asp Pro Wrestling HOF: The Crusher & The Bruiser]
* {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120721090259/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/10/23/1275272.html SLAM! Sports: The Crusher dead at 79]}}
* {{YouTube|RzOQbmtzw2U|Crusher interview from Studio Wrestling (Pittsburgh)}}
* {{YouTube|gGw3c248Ky4|The Novas perform "The Crusher"}}

{{Navboxes|
|list1=
{{AWA World Heavyweight Championship}}
{{AWA World Tag Team Championship}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Amarillo version)}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Buffalo Athletic Club version)}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Central States version)}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Chicago version)}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Georgia version)}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Indianapolis version)}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Iowa/Nebraska version)}}
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (Minneapolis version)}}
{{WCW Hall of Fame}}
{{World Heavyweight Championship (Omaha)}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crusher, The}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:American male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American people of Polish descent]]
[[Category:AWA World Heavyweight Champions]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Milwaukee]]
[[Category:Professional wrestlers from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum]]
[[Category:People from South Milwaukee, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in the United States]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
[[Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:AWA World Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:NWA International Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:World Heavyweight Champions (Omaha)]]