Born in 1932, Bearcat Wright died the day before I was born. However, I would only become aware of this incredible wrestling hero when I was older. His legacy and impact on the business cannot be denied.

Popular in the 1950s and 1960s, Wright found himself atop the wrestling world at a time when many didn't want to see a Black person achieve any fame or success. In the face of such racism, Wright found success first in boxing before moving onto wrestling where, at 6'6" and 275 lbs., he made quite an impression on fans, delivering flying dropkicks to opponents and launching himself from the top rope, unheard of for a man of his size at that time.

At a show in Gary, Indiana, he shocked fans by announcing that he'd no longer participate in segregated wrestling shows. Many wrestling shows were segregated at the time, with Black fans often relegated to sitting in the balcony. At some shows, Black fans were turned away because their designated seating area was full, and they weren't allowed to sit in the floor seats even if empty seats were available. 

As a performer, Wright was often forced to wrestle in "Black only" matches in which both performers were Black. It was on that show in Gary where he had finally had enough and declared that he wouldn't wrestle in Blacks-only matches anymore. Wright hoped to use his power as a box office draw to desegregate these shows. However, this declaration just earned him a suspension from the Indiana State Athletic Commission.

Moving on to wrestle in other states, Wright went to Los Angeles where, days before Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, Wright bested WWA World Heavyweight Champion "Classy" Freddie Blassie to win the title, becoming the first Black World Heavyweight Champion.

Known for his incredible strength, he often ripped phone books in half during interviews before his matches, making his finishing move, the "claw hold," all the more credible. He was eventually blackballed by the WWA (World Wrestling Associates) for no-showing a scheduled title defense and refusing to drop the belt. Gene LaBelle, a judo champion and legitimate fighter, was named as a substitute for Blassie in the rematch. It was believed that LaBelle could beat Wright in an actual fight, thereby securing the title for the organization with a champion willing to lose the title when the occasion called for it. Knowing something was awry, Wright refused to enter the ring, so WWA stripped him of his title and awarded it to former champion Eduardo Carpentier, who would drop it back to Blassie by the end of the year.

Despite the controversies, promoters couldn't ignore his drawing power and continued to book him on shows well into the 1970s. Wright passed away at the age of 50 on August 28, 1982, the day before I was born. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Pro Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame two years after that. 

For the Black champions that would follow including Ron Simmons, who would be promoted as the "first Black World Champion" after he had won the WCW World Championship in 1992, and, most famously, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who would win the WWE World Championship eight times between 1998 and 2013 before moving on to an incredibly successful career in Hollywood, there is no doubt that Bearcat Wright helped pave the way for many of their future triumphs.