WWE: Brutus 'the Barber' Beefcake to enter Hall of Fame in 2019 class
Monday 1 April 2019 17:58, UK
Brutus 'the Barber' Beefcake has been confirmed as the final inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2019.
Beefcake first arrived in WWE in late 1984 with a male stripper gimmick and had a match on the very first WrestleMania, battling David Sammartino to a double disqualification.
He found his first major success as a tag-team wrestler, pairing up with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, to form The Dream Team, to dethrone the British Bulldogs in August 1985 to capture the World tag titles.
At WrestleMania III in 1987, however, The Dream Team split up, with Valentine and manager Johnny Valiant ditching Beefcake. Just a few minutes later, Brutus re-emerged to help "Rowdy" Roddy Piper even the odds in a hair v hair match against Adrian Adonis.
After Piper claimed victory, it was Beefcake who ended up shearing Adonis' platinum locks off. It was a moment that changed Beefcake's career forever.
Rechristened as Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, he took to the ring with a wild-eyed glare and a massive pair of hedge clippers in hand, "The Barber" became an immediate fan favorite with the WWE fans, dishing out plenty of sleeper holds and post-match haircuts.
He also handed Mr Perfect the first loss of his WWE career at WrestleMania VI before a parasailing accident in 1990 changed his life forever.
Reconstructive surgery with titanium plates, screws and steel wire put his face back together, and allowed him to make a miraculous comeback in 1991. Upon his return, Beefcake opened his "Barber Shop," his own interview segment where he grilled the biggest superstars of the era, and gave the more daring ones a trim.
Against all odds, he returned to the ring in early 1993, sporting a protective mask and lining up alongside his long-term friend Hulk Hogan to beat Money Inc at WrestleMania IX.
While Beefcake eventually left WWE to head to WCW, he has remained one of the most enduring characters in WWE history and an all-time fan favourite.
