When Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega tore each other apart in AEW’s Full Gear “lights out” match, fans debated whether it went too far. Bloody, violent, and officially “unsanctioned,” the spectacle felt extreme in a modern mainstream setting. But long before Moxley and Omega, before ECW or even Japan’s legendary death matches, there was Bull Curry—the wild man who pioneered hardcore wrestling decades earlier.
Unsanctioned Wrestling Before AEW
AEW’s decision to revive unsanctioned wrestling drew on a long lineage of no-rules chaos. ECW brought the style into the spotlight during the 1990s, influencing WWF and WCW to create hardcore titles and divisions. Japan pushed the boundaries further with IWA’s 1995 King of the Death Match, where Terry Funk and Mick Foley battled among barbed wire and C4 explosions.
For every success, though, there were failures—WCW’s Uncensored pay-per-views tried to capture that edge but often fell flat. Even today, promotions like CZW carry on the tradition, proving that the appeal of violence without restraint never disappears entirely. But the roots of this genre stretch back far earlier than most fans realise.
The Rise of Wild Bull Curry
Born Fred Koury, the son of Lebanese-American immigrants, Bull Curry earned his nickname after allegedly wrestling down a runaway bull with his bare hands while working as a policeman. But his path to wrestling stardom began even earlier in the circus, where he performed as a tough man, taking on all comers from the crowd.
By the 1940s, Curry was brawling in Detroit, perfecting a wild, violent style that used chairs, brass knuckles, and anything else he could grab. His reputation grew so large that he was booked in an exhibition bout with boxing great Jack Dempsey. Unlike his polished contemporaries, Curry embraced chaos, carving out a style that looked more like a street fight than a wrestling match.
The Texas Brass Knuckles Champion
Curry became a star in the Texas territories during the 1950s. His brutal matches inspired the creation of the Texas Brass Knuckles Championship—a belt designed specifically to showcase his violent style. That title, later recognised as the NWA Texas Brass Knuckles Championship, can be seen as the direct ancestor of every hardcore division that followed.
Though Curry briefly held other belts, including the NWA Tag Titles and the Texas Heavyweight Championship, his fame was always tied to the Brass Knuckles division. He became wrestling’s first “sanctioned unsanctioned” champion, legitimising the very concept of hardcore wrestling in the process.
Wildman Legacy and Father-Son Duo
Curry’s violent aura was undeniable. With his thick eyebrows, unkempt hair, and unhinged demeanour, he looked like he’d walked straight out of a barroom brawl. By the 1960s, he was popular enough to team with his son, “Flying” Fred Curry, whose clean-cut athletic style contrasted perfectly with his father’s raw chaos. Together, they became one of wrestling’s most unique father-son pairings.
Violence Beyond the Ring
The wildness didn’t always stop at the ropes. Bull Curry’s matches often incited riots, and at least five times he ended up fighting with fans during or after bouts. One infamous 1958 incident in Galveston saw a spectator smash him with a metal pipe during a match against Pepper Gomez. These chaotic scenes foreshadowed later moments in wrestling history, from ECW’s crowd-brawling spectacles to fans pelting Cactus Jack with debris.
From Bull Curry to AEW
Modern fans watching Moxley vs. Omega might think they witnessed something unprecedented. In reality, they were seeing echoes of Wild Bull Curry’s legacy. AEW’s willingness to stage blood-soaked, unsanctioned feuds recalls the days when Curry set the standard, wielding chairs and fists to ignite both crowds and opponents.
Remembering Wrestling’s Hardcore Pioneer
Wrestling history runs in cycles, and hardcore always finds its way back into the mainstream. If AEW’s revival of unsanctioned wrestling continues, fans should remember the true originator: Wild Bull Curry, the godfather of chaos whose bushy eyebrows and bare-knuckle brawls paved the way for generations of violent spectacle.
