Episode 146 – The Last Rebel

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In this episode, I go over recent MMA events, discuss Dan McLeod’s arrest for bilking a Montreal barber, recommend a new wrestling based fiction series, and review Bruiser Brody: Wrestling’s Last Rebel documentary.

News and Updates

I am a little concerned about One Fighting Championship surviving due to more cost cutting. I did enjoy One Fight Night 44 (affiliate link) on June 26, 2026. Brutal knockout of Reagan Upshaw. Nakrob versus Jacob Smith batamweight Muay Thai fight was probably my favorite fight.

I could not identify any fighter on the DuPlessis vs. Usman card beyond the top four fights on the main card. They could still all be great fights. You just don’t have any big names below the top. If someone needs to skip a card, it’s easy to skip this one. Turned out to be a good card.

Main Content

Shawn sent me a question about why a wrestler may settle in an area. Usually, it is because of business or romantic interests, but I wasn’t able to help as much as I would have liked. If Shawn gives me permission, I will tell everyone about an exciting project in the future.

Shawn was kind enough to share an article from a Montreal newspaper discussing the arrest of Dan McLeod. McLeod, who was wrestling as George Little, bilked a Montreal barber out of $2,600 (almost $89,000 today).

McLeod aka Little won an earlier bout that he tipped off the barber about leading the barber to win money off a $1,500 bet. McLeod told the barber he didn’t think he could win his upcoming match with Paul Pons. The barber bet against McLeod this time and lost the full amount that went into McLeod’s and his partner Conkle’s pockets. McLeod sat in jail until the barber dropped the case.

This scheme is a version of a common scam that I have heard attributed to Fred Grobmier and the original Dutch Mantell. I know Martin “Farmer” Burns and D.A. McMillan pulled off the scheme in Minnesota, when Burns was American Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.

Pro wrestling’s roots are in the carnivals. It has been a seedy business from it’s beginning.

Recommendations and Reviews

Headlock Holmes series (affiliate link) by David Louden. I loved that David used the term “Shamus,” which I last heard in the 1940s hard-boiled detective films.

Review of Bruiser Brody: Wrestling’s Last Rebel on YouTube

Having Barbara Goodish involved in this project was critical. Thankfully, they also filmed it while Larry Matysik was still alive.

The documentary did a great job of painting what a complicated person Frank Goodish, who wrestled as Bruiser Brody, was and what a complicated legacy Brody left behind.

Brody ranked in my top 5 to 10 professional wrestlers, when I started watching St. Louis professional wrestling in 1979. I didn’t like him at first because Brody was a heel. By 1981, Brody was a fan favorite in St. Louis. I went to 4 of Larry Matysik’s six cards in 1983 because of Bruiser Brody at the top of the card.

Brody had his issues with promoters. He never worked for Vince McMahon, Sr. again. He kicked a door into Bob Geigel’s face. Refused to shake Pat O’Connor’s hand. Brody did unprofessional things in the ring in San Antonio, Houston, and Florida.

In 1988, Brody is 42 years old and sees that he is nearer the end than the beginning. Brody starts looking for financial investments and opportunities to provide for his family after retirement. Brody wrestled in Puerto Rico regularly and saw a potential opportunity to invest in the wrestling company.

We’ll never know why Gonzalez killed Brody. It was originally reported that a fan stabbed Brody. Once Tony Atlas and others said that Gonzalez stabbed Brody, Gonzalez changed his story that he acted in self-defense. However, Gonzalez taking the knife into the shower wrapped in a towel shows premeditation. Gonzalez knew something might happen and was prepared to seriously injure or kill Brody.

Brody left his wife and young son. His murder shocked the wrestling community.

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