Bert Assirati
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Bernardo Esserati also known as Bert Assirati (1908 - August 31, 1990) was an English professional wrestler who became a multiple time British Heavyweight Champion and then a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. Assirati was known as one of the strongest and toughest wrestlers around known for displaying various feats of strength; including setting a British record 1938 by laying on his back, and pull over at arms length a 200lb barbell. At 240lb, Assirati was one of the heaviest men to perform the iron cross.
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[edit] Profile
- Height: 5ft 6in
- Weight: 266 lb (at his heaviest)
[edit] Career
Assirati began weight-training at the age of twelve. At the age of seventeen, Assirati formed part of the acrobatic stage duo Mello and Nello. Travelling to every port they could reach, the pair performed a variety of hand-balancing acts. At the age of twenty, Assirati began his career as a professional wrestler, but continued to train as a weight-lifter. At his highest weight, he was one of the strongest men in the world, and could still perform such acrobatic maneuvres as the iron cross, a one-arm hand stand, and a standing back flip.
Assirati was known as a vicious competitor. He is said to have taken pleasure in injuring his opponents, and often refused to play along with the predetermined nature of professional wrestling. Many promoters were reluctant to book him, because of his reputation for double-crossing his opponents, and many wrestlers were afraid to wrestle him (including Lou Thesz, or so Assirati claimed.[1] Thesz, an accomplished hooker in his own right, wrote in his autobiography--Hooker that when he was touring England for a series with Daro Singh, he had made overtures to Assirati for a series of wrestling matches. Assirati never returned his inquiries, according to Thesz).
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- Other Titles
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- European Heavyweight Champion (1 time)
- British Wrestling Association
- Joint Promotions
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- British Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
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- British Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 1996)
[edit] External links and references
- ^ Molinaro, John F.: Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time, p. 170. Winding Stair Press, 2002.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Assirati, Bert |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Esserati, Bernardo (birth) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1908 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 31, 1990 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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