Yet another former NWA star has passed away in 2020, as word broke that “Killer” Tim Brooks had passed away. Brooks had been battling cancer in recent times, entering hospice on Friday, but he has now passed away. He was 72 years old.
Everyone here at CAC is deeply saddened to hear the news that the legendary "Killer" Tim Brooks has passed away at the age of 72. We send out our sincerest condolences while keeping his family, friends and fans in our thoughts and prayers. R.I.P. Killer thank you the memories. pic.twitter.com/UT4i3z5IkW
— CauliflowerAlleyClub (@CACReunion) June 30, 2020
Former NWA Star “Killer” Tim Brooks Passes Away at 72
Trained by Dick Murdoch, the Texas native began his wrestling career in 1967. But it wasn’t until he joined The Sheik‘s Big Time Wrestling in Detroit (which would become NWA Detroit) in 1970 that his star began to shine. Initially, he found his success in the tag team ranks and, paired with Ben Justice, became 3x NWA World Tag Team Champions. He would earn his fourth tag titles alongside Abdullah the Butcher. He would also work with Fritz Von Erich‘s Big Time Wrestling (later renamed World Class Championship Wrestling).
Brooks became a journeyman amongst the NWA territories in the mid to late 1970s, working with the likes of Mid South, Toronto’s Maple Leaf Wrestling, Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling, and Georgia Championship Wrestling. In 1978, he began working with Don Owens‘ Pacific Northwest Wrestling, where he was paired with one of the most exciting rising stars in Rowdy Roddy Piper. Alongside Piper, he won the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team titles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVK_9J6mECA
He would make his Japanese debut in 1977, working with All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he would work off and on into the 1980s. In 1978, he also began working with Joe Blanchard‘s Southwest Wrestling in San Antonio, where he became a 2x Southwest Heavyweight Champion. In 1983, Brooks won the NWA National Heavyweight Championship and sold it to Larry Zybszko, in an angle similar to 1988’s story where Andre the Giant sold the WWF World title to “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.
By 1986, Tim Brooks had returned to WCCW, where he worked until the company’s last days in 1989, capturing the WCCW Television title. He was a frequent tag partner of Bruiser Brody, even competing in Montreal as Bruiser’s kayfabe brother, Buster Brody. He would continue to work various indie promotions in the 1990s, before retiring from the ring in 1997.
The staff at LWOPW sends out their most sincere condolences to the entire Brooks family, his friends, fans, and peers. Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
I’ll never forget wrestling “Killer” Tim Brooks at the Unicorn Ballroom in Houston. One of my very first matches and I learned so much. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/SUr8MyKtha
— Booker T. Huffman (@BookerT5x) July 1, 2020
AEW joins the wrestling world in mourning the death of “Killer” Tim Brooks. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fans. pic.twitter.com/UNej0sSQBN
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) June 30, 2020
Acutely aware of the pain today brings.
He was my birth, my knowledge, my preparation. Home when I was homeless.
Had I not seen him when I did…I never would again. Thank you Killer Tim Brooks for training me. I love you.#RIPKillerBrooks This next one is dedicated to you. pic.twitter.com/9zR32AmNLk
— Excellent Lee (@RealKeithLee) June 30, 2020
So sorry to hear of the passing of the legendary Killer Tim Brooks, a true icon of the sport of professional wrestling. I remember him wrestling for the Sheik's Big Time Wrestling. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and fans! pic.twitter.com/wR3KgI9HQg
— Bobby Fulton (@TheBobbyFulton) June 30, 2020
The man who trained me to be a wrestler passed away today.
I’ve dealt with death before, but it didn’t feel like this.
Rest In Peace Killer Tim Brooks. Thank you for everything, sensei. pic.twitter.com/W02I4jgWbJ
— Machiko まちこ (@machi_slams) July 1, 2020
THE KILLER TIM BROOKS THE REAL. RESPECT AND REST IN PEACE BUBBA https://t.co/aRIigoNHqm
— The Iron Sheik (@the_ironsheik) June 30, 2020
