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Post by butcher on Jan 14, 2006 18:55:31 GMT -5
Can anyone give a history of the Becker Brothers? I watched George when I was a kid and often heard older folks talk about his "brother" Bobby. What was the time frame? Anyone have any clippings? Titles? Major rivalries? Did Bobby actually die in the ring or is that myth?
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Post by cwh47 on Jan 14, 2006 21:33:42 GMT -5
The late Bill Lewis,promoter from Richmond,Va is
credited with bringing George and Bobby Becker
to Virginia and the Carolina's in 1951.They were
extremely popular,so much so that sometime
during their time as a team here (1951-1954),the
Mayor of Charlotte, Victor Shaw,presented them with
the keys to the Queen City.
They feuded with Al and John Smith,Ernie and Emil
Dusek,Hans Schnabel and Mr. Moto,Freddie Blassie
and Billy McDaniels and many others.
The story about Bobby Becker dying in the ring is
a myth.He wrestled his last match in Nov.1954 in
Greenville SC.No one in the wrestling business knew
that he had been sick except George.Bobby Becker
passed away on Thanksgiving day 1954 in a New York
hospital.This was two weeks after his last match.
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Post by stevej on Jan 16, 2006 13:49:25 GMT -5
Did a chapter on the Beckers in our book on tag teams. I spent nine months trying to find a suriving relative of Bobby (John Emmerling, also wrestled as Ray Schwartz) without luck.
As Carroll noted, he died of leukemia and it came on very quickly. Lewis tried to get to NY to see Bobby before he died but did not make it in time. Box office gold in the early days of tag teams, not just here but also in California.
Steve Johnson
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