Dino Bravo - Professional Wrestling Career - World Wrestling Federation

World Wrestling Federation

With Dominic DeNucci, Bravo captured the WWF World Tag Team Title in March 1978 from Professor Tanaka and Mr. Fuji. Three months later in June, The Yukon Lumberjacks defeated Bravo and DeNucci for the title.

In the early 1980s, Bravo and King Tonga (later known as Haku) formed a tag team for a brief while, but never got much of a push. Bravo was scheduled to headline a card against Hulk Hogan in 1986, but the match was canceled on short notice, with Bravo leaving the company shortly thereafter; the rumor was that the company did not want the Montreal crowd to cheer Bravo, the hometown hero, over Hogan, and that Bravo quit after finding out. Bravo returned to the WWF the next year, almost immediately dying his brown hair blond and working as part of Lucious Johnny Valiant's stable with Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake. Beefcake was kicked out of the stable at WrestleMania III and Bravo took his place in The Dream Team tag team with Valentine.

Bravo returned to singles competition after a few months and began a strongman gimmick. At the 1988 Royal Rumble, Bravo (who was legitimately strong and was said to be able to press more than 500 pounds) attempted to bench press what he claimed was 715 pounds, which would have been a world record at the time. Commentator Jesse "The Body" Ventura helped lift the bar at one point, but Bravo played the lift as a success and began billing himself as the "World's Strongest Man." In this gimmick, Bravo feuded with Don Muraco, Ken Patera, Ron Garvin, and Jim Duggan. Bravo yelled "Bah-Ah" every time he got the upper hand on an opponent to get crowd heat.

He played up his Québécois identity wearing the Fleur-de-lis and was managed by Frenchy Martin; who often toted around a sign reading USA is not OK. In March 1988, Bravo lost in the first round of the WWF Championship tournament at WrestleMania IV against Don Muraco. During a rematch at SummerSlam in August, Martin distracted Bravo's opponent Muraco to allow Bravo to get the victory. In October at the King of the Ring, Martin managed Bravo in a win over Jim Duggan in a flag match. At the Royal Rumble in January 1989, Bravo, accompanied by Martin, teamed with The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques and Raymond) but lost a two out of three falls match against Jim Duggan and The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart). At WrestleMania V Bravo defeated Rugged Ronnie Garvin.

After Frenchy Martin's departure, Bravo joined Jimmy Hart's stable and entered a feud with The Ultimate Warrior, unsuccessfully challenging Warrior for his WWF Intercontinental Championship. Prior to a WrestleMania VI loss to Duggan, Bravo teamed up with Earthquake, and Bravo would often display his strength by doing push ups while the 460 lb. Earthquake sat on his back (although Tenta kept his feet on the floor, so not all of his weight was on his partner). The team of Earthquake and Bravo would have a lengthy feud with Hulk Hogan and Tugboat.