Post by MooseNugget on Mar 8, 2019 3:58:42 GMT
Richard "Dick" Beyer, who was probably the single biggest non-Mexican masked wrestling star in pro wrestling history as The Sensational Intelligent Destroyer, as well as Dr. X, passed away today at the age of 88.
His son Kurt wrote, "It is with a very heavy heart to let you know that Dad--aka The Destroyer--aka Dr. X, aka Dick Beyer, aka Coach--passed away shortly after Noon today. He was in bed at home and was surrounded by all of his children, and wife, as he slipped peacefully away."
Beyer had been in hospice care in recent weeks and a number of his friends had called him in recent days, including Ric Flair.
In particular, in Japan, The Destroyer was legendary for having beaten Rikidozan, who he was good friends with and whose death haunted him for years. Rikidozan asked him to stay an extra day after the conclusion of the final tour of 1963 in Japan, and go out with him on December 8, 1963. Instead, Beyer decided, after thinking about it, to go home to see his family. Rikidozan went out to a club that night, where he was stabbed, and one week later, passed away.
Shortly before Rikidozan's death, a live 61-minute rematch between Rikidozan and The Destroyer drew a 64.0 rating on NTV. At the time it was the most-watched television show ever in Japan, and aside from one night of the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, it was number two for decades.
That feud made Beyer such a star that he lived in Japan for six years during the 70s with his family and had a featured role on a network comedy television show that was at one point the most popular show in the country. He also by that time wrestled regularly for All Japan Pro Wrestling as a babyface, regularly teaming with Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta, and feuding with the likes of Abdullah the Butcher and Mil Mascaras, the latter over the mythical title of the world's greatest masked wrestler.
His son Kurt wrote, "It is with a very heavy heart to let you know that Dad--aka The Destroyer--aka Dr. X, aka Dick Beyer, aka Coach--passed away shortly after Noon today. He was in bed at home and was surrounded by all of his children, and wife, as he slipped peacefully away."
Beyer had been in hospice care in recent weeks and a number of his friends had called him in recent days, including Ric Flair.
In particular, in Japan, The Destroyer was legendary for having beaten Rikidozan, who he was good friends with and whose death haunted him for years. Rikidozan asked him to stay an extra day after the conclusion of the final tour of 1963 in Japan, and go out with him on December 8, 1963. Instead, Beyer decided, after thinking about it, to go home to see his family. Rikidozan went out to a club that night, where he was stabbed, and one week later, passed away.
Shortly before Rikidozan's death, a live 61-minute rematch between Rikidozan and The Destroyer drew a 64.0 rating on NTV. At the time it was the most-watched television show ever in Japan, and aside from one night of the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, it was number two for decades.
That feud made Beyer such a star that he lived in Japan for six years during the 70s with his family and had a featured role on a network comedy television show that was at one point the most popular show in the country. He also by that time wrestled regularly for All Japan Pro Wrestling as a babyface, regularly teaming with Giant Baba and Jumbo Tsuruta, and feuding with the likes of Abdullah the Butcher and Mil Mascaras, the latter over the mythical title of the world's greatest masked wrestler.
www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/dick-destroyer-beyer-passes-away-88-years-old-278726