Dominic DeNucci
| Dominic DeNucci | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 23, 1932 Venice, Veneto, Italy |
| Residence | Freedom, Pennsylvania |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Dominic DeNucci Dominic Bravo[1] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Billed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Billed from | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Debut | 1963 |
Dominic DeNucci (born January 23, 1932) is an Italian-American professional wrestler and trainer.[2] Former wrestling students include Mick Foley, Shane Douglas, Cody Michaels, and Brian Hildebrand.[3]
Contents
Professional wrestling career
DeNuccio started out teaming with Dino Bravo as Dominic Bravo, a storyline/kayfabe brother as the two worked as a tag team.
World Wide Wrestling Federation (1971–1978)
On June 18, 1971, DeNucci won his first World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) title, the WWWF International Tag Team Championship, with Bruno Sammartino by defeating The Mongols (Bepo and Geto Mongol).[4] They re-lost the title to The Mongols three days later.[4] On May 13, 1975, DeNucci and Victor Rivera won the WWWF World Tag Team Championship from Jimmy and Johnny Valiant.[5][6] In June, however, Rivera left the WWF, and Pat Barrett became DeNucci's replacement partner.[5][6] They lost the title approximately three months later to The Blackjacks on August 26.[5] DeNucci became a two-time WWWF World Tag Team Champion when he and his partner Dino Bravo defeated Professor Tanaka and Mr. Fuji on March 14, 1978.[5] They held the title until June 26 when they dropped it to The Yukon Lumberjacks.[5] DeNucci also unsuccessfully challenged inaugural WWF Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson on a number of occasions for the IC belt. DeNucci also wrestled for Big Time Wrestling out of Detroit; he was very popular in the Michigan/Ohio territory in the early 1970s.
Professional wrestling trainer
After ending his career as an active professional wrestler, he trained Moondog Spot, Mick Foley, Shane Douglas and Brian Hildebrand among others.[3][7] DeNucci is featured in Mick Foley: "Madman Unmasked", where he is seen training Mick Foley and reminiscing about Foley in the days of his training. He is also featured prominently in the opening chapters of Mick Foley's autobiography, 'Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks'. A seven-decade man, DeNucci last wrestled April 14, 2012 in Toronto, teaming with his protege Shane Douglas to defeat Lord Zoltan and Shawn Blanchard.[8] DeNucci was profiled on the 4th episode of the popular podcast, Titans of Wrestling.
Personal life
DeNucci can speak in at least four languages: English, French, Spanish, and Italian.[9]
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Alliance
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- Lutte Internationale
- Canadian International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Nick DeCarlo
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Ron Etchinson
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Don Leo Jonathan
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time) - with Don Leo Jonathan
- NWA Detroit
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Chris Markoff
- National Wrestling Federation
- New Independent Wrestling Association
- NIWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mr. Hati[11]
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
- IWA World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- IWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Mark Lewin (1), Antonio Pugliese (1) and Mario Milano (1)
- World Wrestling Association (Indianapolis)
- WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Wilbur Snyder[12]
- World Wide Wrestling Federation
- WWWF International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bruno Sammartino[4]
- WWWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Victor Rivera and replacement partner Pat Barrett (1), and Dino Bravo (1)[5][6]
- Other titles
- West Virginia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Apache Lou[13]
Notes
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.74)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.66-68, 80)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.75)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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References
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