Bruce Strauss

Bruce Strauss (Ruben Bardot)
Statistics
Real name Bruce Strauss
Nickname(s) The Mouse
Weight(s) Middleweight
Height 5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m)
Nationality United States American
Born (1952-02-06) February 6, 1952
Omaha,
Nebraska,
United States
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 135
Wins 77
Wins by KO 55
Losses 53
Draws 5
No contests 0

Bruce Strauss (born February 6, 1952 in Omaha, Nebraska)[1] is a retired boxer who is more known for his losses than for his wins. His nickname is The Mouse or simply Mouse. He achieved notoriety in the 1970s and 1980s after fighting, and generally losing, to a wide variety of opponents, with him also being known for his cheery, easy-going personality. His life was made into the well-received 1997 comedy-drama film The Mouse, in which he was portrayed by actor John Savage.[2]

Generally a middleweight using a "colorful" fighting style, Strauss opened his career on June 1, 1976 with a four-round decision win over Gary Maize (also listed as 'Gary Maiza') in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He's estimated that he's fought over three hundred times over the years, with most matches taking place through using aliases and other forms of subterfuge to get around rules. His long career took him to multiple continents and saw him facing a large group of opponents.[3]

Strauss was featured on the David Letterman show, giving details of his life as a professional boxer and what is known as ' An opponent'.

Career and personal life

Strauss was often described as a boxing "journeyman", a title given to fighters who typically fight anyone and anywhere, often on short notice. Nevertheless, he became famous around boxing circles because of the number of fights he lost by knockout.[3] Officially, he lost 28 fights by knockout out of a total of 53 losses,[1] but it has been estimated that, combined with his fights using the Ruben Bardot alias, he might have actually lost more than 150 fights by knockout. He himself has made mockery of his knockout loss number, stating that he is "probably the only boxer in history that has lost by knockout on every continent."

He once joked that the only reason that he hadn't fought and lost in Antarctica was that he hated being cold. In a 1990 Kayo boxing cards set, he posed while sitting on the canvas, with black make-up covering his eye, as he held on to a ring rope. As stated before, he would sometimes use the alias of Ruben Bardot to obtain fights.

Strauss has revealed that he got around rules forcing boxers to wait a certain amount of time, over a month, before fighting again by measures such as donning disguises and filling his pockets with lead to change his weight class.[2] The book Boxing in America: An Autopsy labeled him a "colorful" fighter that became "something of a legend". It remarked as well that he "made a habit of doing whatever it took to survive at times", noting how Strauss once quipped to a referee upset with Strauss' unfair low blows that "Well, it ain't fair that he's better than me, neither."[3]

A 1997 article in The New York Times described Strauss as a "tireless but inept professional opponent" while also comparing him to "the stock caricature of the cuddly loudmouthed palooka." The newspaper also stated, "For Bruce, losing isn't just a reliable way of make a living, it's his personal philosophy."[2] Strauss has declared that most of his matches weren't done in his own name, having fought (and mostly lost) more than three hundred times in his long career in his estimation.[3]

His career got started on June 1, 1976, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, when Strauss debuted as a professional boxer. Outpointing Gary Maize (also listed as 'Gary Maiza') after four rounds, he soon set off on the road.[3] His first official knockout defeat came at the hands of Mauricio Aldana on January 10, 1979, fighting in Las Vegas.[1] Strauss also lost fights by knockout in Africa (Cameroon, South Africa), Europe (France, Germany, and Italy), South America (Peru), and Oceania (Fiji). It is unclear whether he actually lost a fight by knockout in Australia or Asia under the Ruben Bardot alias.

Strauss fought a number of top challengers and world champions in the middleweight division, including Charlie Weir, Bobby Czyz, Eckhard Dagge, Al Ford, Billy Collins, Mike McCallum, Marlon Starling, David Braxton, Al Ford and Davey Hilton, among others. He also fought former World Lightweight Champion Harry Arroyo.

His last official fight was a six-round decision win over Terry Jesmer on November 24, 1989. The match took place in Bismarck, North Dakota inside the city's Civic Center.[1]

Strauss officially has a record of 78 wins, 53 losses, and 6 draws (ties),[3] although it has also been reported as 77 wins compared to 53 losses and 6 ties. He is additionally reported to have, officially, 55 knockout wins and 28 knockout losses. As remarked before, he typically fought as a middleweight and used an orthodox stance.[1]

In 1997, a movie was released based on his career entitled The Mouse, in which actor John Savage portrayed him. Written and directed by Dan Adams, the comedy-drama film also starred actress Angelica Torn as Mary Lou Strauss, the Mouse's wife. The movie has received praise from publications such as The New York Times.[2] Also featuring comedian Rip Torn, the film featured a number of cameo appearances from well known boxers such as Randall "Tex" Cobb, Ray Mancini, Vito Antuofermo, and Sean O'Grady.

Professional boxing record

77 Wins (55 knockouts, 22 decisions), 53 Losses (28 knockouts, 25 decisions), 6 Draws[1]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Win 13-22-2 Canada Terry Jesmer UD 6 24/10/1989 North Dakota Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
Win 0-7 United States Dave Reynolds KO 3 27/05/1989 North Dakota Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
Win -- United States Howard Stern KO 6 04/03/1989 North Dakota Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
Loss 37-5 United States Harry Arroyo TKO 2 26/01/1989 New York (state) Rochester, New York, United States
Loss 5-39 United States Wayne Grant SD 6 13/08/1988 Missouri Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States
Win 5-35 United States Wayne Grant UD 6 09/04/1988 Missouri Joplin, Missouri, United States
Win 0-4 United States Dave Reynolds TKO 6 03/04/1988 North Dakota Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
Win -- Ron Falk KO 6 02/11/1986 Nebraska Macy, Nebraska, United States
Win 3-18 United States Wayne Grant KO 8 01/11/1985 Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Win 3-17 United States Wayne Grant UD 8 01/10/1985 Kentucky Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, United States
Win 0-1 United States Al Bell KO 4 14/06/1985 Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Loss 22-1-1 United States Danny Ferris UD 8 16/03/1985 New York (state) Troy, New York, United States
Win -- "Diamond" Jim McLean PTS 4 22/02/1985 Indiana Hammond, Indiana, United States
Win 11-13-1 United States Clyde Beattie UD 8 01/02/1985 New York (state) Troy, New York, United States
Loss 8-0 United States Ken Snider UD 8 23/01/1985 Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Loss 5-0 United States Jeff Silva UD 6 09/11/1984 Illinois Peoria, Illinois, United States
Loss 7-0 United States Ken Snider PTS 6 30/10/1984 Indiana Evansville, Indiana, United States
Loss 17-1 United States Mike Hutchinson KO 3 27/10/1984 Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States
Loss 5-0 United States Jack Callahan UD 6 23/10/1984 Indiana Highland, Lake County, Indiana, United States
Win 13-8 United States Pete "Polish Hammer" Podgorski SD 8 10/07/1984 Indiana Highland, Lake County, Indiana, United States
Draw 19-0 United States Danny Ferris PTS 8 06/06/1984 New Jersey Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States 5-3, 4-4, 3-4.
Win 0-12 United States Billy Doyle KO 6 16/05/1984 Indiana Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Win 12-7 United States Billy Turner KO 3 23/03/1984 South Dakota Rapid City, South Dakota, United States
Draw 10-5-2 United States Mike Pollitt PTS 6 13/03/1984 Indiana Highland, Lake County, Indiana, United States
Loss 9-5-2 United States Mike Pollitt PTS 5 07/02/1984 Indiana Highland, Lake County, Indiana, United States
Loss 13-0 United States Brian Brunette TKO 6 08/12/1983 Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Loss 16-0 Canada Dave Hilton, Jr. KO 3 29/07/1983 Ontario Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
Loss 30-1-3 Peru Fernando Rocco Castro KO 4 30/04/1983 Peru Lima, Peru
Draw 9-4-1 United States Mike Pollitt PTS 6 12/04/1983 Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Loss 7-0 United States Monte Oswald KO 3 05/03/1983 Michigan Bay City, Michigan, United States
Loss 7-0-1 France Helier Custos KO 2 24/02/1983 France Paris, France
Loss 19-2-1 United States Wilbert Johnson KO 2 25/01/1983 Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Strauss knocked out at 2:25 of the second round.
Win -- Richard Thomas KO 6 08/01/1983 Iowa Davenport, Iowa, United States
Win 8-3-1 United States Mike Pollitt TKO 5 08/12/1982 Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Loss 7-3-1 United States Mike Pollitt PTS 5 03/11/1982 Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Win -- Fred Morris KO 4 27/10/1982 North Dakota West Fargo, North Dakota, United States
Loss 4-5 United States Harlen Holden TKO 7 13/10/1982 Illinois Chicago, Illinois, United States Referee stopped the bout at 1:55 of the seventh round.
Loss 8-26-2 United States Lester Groves SD 8 07/10/1982 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Loss 51-4-1 United States Maurice Watkins KO 3 17/08/1982 Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana, United States
Loss 37-5-2 Fiji Sakaraia Ve KO 3 03/07/1982 Fiji Suva, Fiji
Win 12-5 United States Billy Turner KO 7 24/05/1982 South Dakota Deadwood, South Dakota, United States
Loss 4-0 United States "Irish" Billy Collins, Jr. KO 3 20/05/1982 New Jersey Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 0-11 United States Nick Wills KO 6 20/04/1982 North Dakota Fargo, North Dakota, United States
Loss 36-6 United States Dale Hernandez PTS 10 06/04/1982 Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Loss 21-7 Germany Jean-Andre Emmerich PTS 8 26/03/1982 Germany Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Win 0-3 United States Pete Susens UD 6 18/03/1982 Kansas Dodge City, Kansas, United States
Win 3-19 United States Larry Puchta PTS 10 17/03/1982 South Dakota Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Win 0-1 United States Charlie Keller KO 7 25/02/1982 South Dakota Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Loss 54-16 Canada Al Ford UD 10 12/02/1982 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 96-98, 95-99, 98-99.
Loss 16-1 France Jean-Marie Emebe KO 3 30/01/1982 Cameroon Yaounde, Cameroon
Win 4-1 United States Willie Dean KO 5 31/12/1981 Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Dean knocked out at 1:40 of the fifth round.
Draw 11-2 Canada Ghyslain Deroy PTS 10 10/12/1981 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 96-97, 99-94, 98-98.
Loss 26-13-2 United States Larry Stanton KO 3 30/11/1981 New York (state) Richmond Hill, New York, United States
Loss 22-4 United States Danny Long PTS 8 25/11/1981 Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Win 8-26-2 United States Charlie Peterson TKO 4 05/11/1981 Indiana Merrillville, Indiana, United States Referee stopped the bout at 0:49 of the fourth round.
Win 0-2 United States Pete Susens TKO 6 24/10/1981 Kansas Dodge City, Kansas, United States
Win 0-2 United States Darrell Miller KO 4 10/10/1981 Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Loss 20-4 United States Gary "Hammer" Holmgren PTS 10 07/10/1981 Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Loss 25-4-1 Germany Eckhard Dagge PTS 8 25/09/1981 Germany Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Win -- United States Tommy Degen PTS 8 20/09/1981 Nebraska Grand Island, Nebraska, United States
Loss 5-2-2 Canada Gordie Lawson KO 5 04/09/1981 British Columbia Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Win -- United States Nicky Jefferson KO 4 28/08/1981 Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska, United States Jefferson knocked out at 2:27 of the fourth round.
Win 4-3-1 United States Ken Reed KO 5 23/08/1981 Nebraska Grand Island, Nebraska, United States
Loss 4-2-2 Canada Gordie Lawson PTS 8 07/08/1981 British Columbia Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
Win 0-1 United States Charlie Powell TKO 4 23/07/1981 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Loss 7-0 Jamaica Mike "Bodysnatcher" McCallum TKO 3 19/07/1981 Ohio Warren, Ohio, United States
Win 0-7 United States Nick Miller KO 4 13/06/1981 Indiana Gary, Indiana, United States
Win 12-29-2 United States Billy Goodwin SD 10 06/06/1981 Wisconsin Amery, Wisconsin, United States 97-95, 96-99, 97-95.
Win 12-28-2 Canada Jo Jo Jackson SD 6 08/05/1981 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Loss 22-10-1 United States Bobby Plegge PTS 8 26/04/1981 Ohio Canton, Ohio, United States
Loss 13-1 United States David Braxton TKO 4 23/04/1981 Michigan Detroit, Michigan, United States
Win 3-3 United States Mark Hughes KO 8 06/04/1981 Minnesota Bloomington, Minnesota, United States
Win 5-0-1 United States Jimmy Baker PTS 6 28/03/1981 Illinois Chicago, Illinois, United States
Loss 2-3 United States Mark Hughes SD 6 19/03/1981 Missouri Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States
Loss 13-0 United States Marlon "Magic Man" Starling KO 2 09/02/1981 Connecticut Hartford, Connecticut, United States Strauss knocked out at 1:20 of the second round.
Loss 35-7 United States Tony McMinn KO 5 31/01/1981 Oklahoma Miami, Oklahoma, United States
Win -- United States Rowan Johnson KO 5 11/01/1981 Missouri Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 4-6 United States Ernie Davis PTS 8 11/12/1980 Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Win 0-1 United States Pete Susens KO 6 01/11/1980 Kansas Wichita, Kansas, United States
Win -- United States Darrell Ned Miller KO 5 30/10/1980 Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Win -- Malcolm "X" Gordon TKO 2 28/10/1980 Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Loss 13-1 United States Danny Paul TKO 4 30/09/1980 Illinois Niles, Illinois, United States Referee stopped the bout at 2:34 of the fourth round.
Loss 10-0 United States Johnny Compo UD 8 23/09/1980 Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 36-38, 36-38, 35-36.
Win -- United States Charlie Keller KO 10 06/09/1980 South Dakota Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States
Win -- Dave Holmgren KO 6 30/08/1980 Nebraska North Platte, Nebraska, United States
Win -- United States Dave Gordon KO 5 29/08/1980 Nebraska Grand Island, Nebraska, United States
Win 0-1 United States Dave Grant KO 5 24/07/1980 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Grant knocked out at 0:52 of the fifth round.
Win 0-5 United States Nick Miller KO 4 18/07/1980 Nebraska Grand Island, Nebraska, United States
Loss 4-0 United States Bobby Czyz KO 4 17/07/1980 New Jersey Totowa, New Jersey, United States
Win 12-4 United States Billy Turner KO 5 28/06/1980 South Dakota Rapid City, South Dakota, United States
Win 0-2 United States Billy "The Kid Evans KO 3 20/06/1980 Indiana Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Win 0-9 United States Nick Wills KO 3 18/06/1980 Ohio Struthers, Ohio, United States
Loss 4-0-1 United States Charles LaCour SD 8 13/06/1980 British Columbia Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Win 6-14 United States Dave Bolden PTS 8 06/06/1980 Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Win -- United States Rodney Foster KO 3 13/05/1980 Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Win -- Ron Madsap KO 3 26/04/1980 Iowa Hastings, Iowa, United States
Loss 27-8-1 United States Ralph Racine KO 5 24/04/1980 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win -- Darryl Springer KO 4 19/04/1980 Iowa Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
Loss 13-1 United States Nino Gonzalez TKO 8 01/04/1980 New Jersey Totowa, New Jersey, United States
Loss 75-5-4 Argentina Juan Jose Gimenez KO 5 29/03/1980 Italy Rome, Lazio, Italy
Win -- United States Ralph Jackson TKO 2 16/03/1980 Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Win 4-1 United States O'Dell Willis PTS 6 07/03/1980 Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Loss 7-1 United Kingdom Dave Simmonds PTS 10 29/02/1980 British Columbia Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Loss 16-2 South Africa Charlie Weir TKO 1 09/02/1980 South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa
Win -- United States Frank Patterson TKO 4 20/12/1979 Kansas Wichita, Kansas, United States
Win -- "Tiny" Tim Ellis KO 2 14/12/1979 Indiana Evansville, Indiana, United States
Win -- United States Dave Reynolds TKO 3 08/12/1979 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Referee stopped the bout at 1:30 of the third round.
Win -- United States Billy Evans TKO 3 02/12/1979 Indiana Muncie, Indiana, United States
Draw -- The Bahamas Macon Davis PTS 4 27/11/1979 Florida Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Loss 21-7-1 Trinidad and Tobago Eddie Marcelle TKO 7 16/11/1979 Trinidad and Tobago Mucurapo, Trinidad and Tobago
Win 0-1 Tim Mullens TKO 4 01/11/1979 Kansas Wichita, Kansas, United States
Win -- Tim Mullens TKO 5 27/10/1979 Saskatchewan Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Win -- Canada Bryan Thompson TKO 3 09/10/1979 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Referee stopped the bout at 1:17 of the third round.
Loss 19-1 United States Pat Hallacy UD 10 18/09/1979 Kansas Wichita, Kansas, United States
Loss 1-3 United States Charlie Peterson PTS 8 18/07/1979 Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Win 1-3 United States Cicero Blake TKO 6 25/06/1979 Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Draw 3-8 Canada Terry Jesmer PTS 6 14/06/1979 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win 4-2 United States Floyd Pearson UD 6 11/06/1979 Illinois Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 0-1 Canada Ali Ayub TKO 8 31/05/1979 Manitoba Brandon, Manitoba, Canada Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the eighth round.
Win 4-3 United States Larry Mayes TKO 6 12/05/1979 Kansas Wichita, Kansas, United States
Win 0-5 United States Larry Puchta PTS 5 04/05/1979 Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Win 7-6-2 United States Clyde Spencer TKO 5 28/04/1979 Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Win 2-3 United States Ossie Quast UD 6 20/04/1979 Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 29-27, 30-26, 29-26.
Loss 2-0 United States Steve Kruger PTS 5 16/03/1979 Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Win -- United States Nick Miller TKO 4 14/03/1979 Iowa Marshalltown, Iowa, United States
Win 1-3 United States Roy Taylor PTS 4 08/03/1979 Kansas Wichita, Kansas, United States
Win -- United States Dave Grant KO 5 28/02/1979 Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Win 2-2 United States Ossie Quast PTS 6 14/02/1979 Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Loss 16-5 United States Ivy Brown KO 1 19/01/1979 Kansas Overland Park, Kansas, United States
Loss 2-2 United States Mauricio Aldana TKO 1 10/01/1979 Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 0-1 United States Bill Thompson TKO 3 29/11/1978 Iowa Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States
Win 0-17 Italy Nino Cosmo PTS 6 21/09/1978 New Jersey Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Win 5-2-1 United States Clyde Spencer KO 3 15/11/1977 Oklahoma Oklahoma City, United States
Loss 5-5 United States Hank Gregory PTS 6 26/08/1976 Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Win 1-0 United States Tony McMinn KO 3 02/06/1976 Kansas Topeka, Kansas, United States
Win 0-2 Gary Maiza ('Gary Maize') PTS 4 01/06/1976 Oklahoma Oklahoma City, United States

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Bruce Strauss". BoxRec. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Holden, Stephen (November 14, 1997). "FILM REVIEW; With Lead in His Pockets And Heart on His Sleeve". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hudson Jr., David L. (Jun 21, 2012). Boxing in America: An Autopsy. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313379734.
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