Reggie Lisowski, 79; Tag-Team Wrestler Known as ‘The Crusher’

Reggie “The Crusher” Lisowski, 79, a professional wrestler whose blue-collar background made him beloved among working-class fans for 40 years, died Oct. 22 of a brain tumor at a convalescent center in Milwaukee.

A 6-foot, 260-pound wrestler with a cement-mixer voice, Lisowski often sold out arenas a week in advance.

Earlier this year, he was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame with his most famous tag-team partner, the late Dick “The Bruiser” Afflis.

A native of South Milwaukee, Lisowski served in the Army during World War II, where he learned to wrestle. His first match was in 1949. A few years later, Lisowski had bleached his hair blond, grown it long and adopted the persona of a rule-breaker. By 1959, he was a tough guy with a crew cut and the nickname “Crusher.”

Despite the overheated rhetoric of the ring, Lisowski was by many accounts a friendly, outgoing man who would vacation with his competitors.