Brutus Beefcake on Bullying, The Disciple and Being Fired by Fax

J. George: What’s going on, everyone? It’s J. George in Atlantic City for The Sports Courier at the Action Martial Arts Hall of Fame weekend, and I’m joined by WWF legend Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake. How are you doing?

Brutus Beefcake: We’re doing great. It’s a real honor and privilege to be here, and I’m getting to see some old friends. I’ve known Don “The Dragon” Wilson for 35 years, and I probably haven’t seen him in 30. Seeing him here today brings back memories, man.

J. George: We’re here specifically to talk about bullying and kicking it, or in your case, I guess, cutting bullying out of this country. What are your personal experiences with bullying?

Brutus Beefcake: It’s funny you should say that, because I’ve had several experiences. My daughter was bullied by a bunch of her classmates back in elementary school, and the school got involved. It was unbelievable what a traumatic experience it was for her, and how horrible an effect it can have on a child. People don’t realize the effect these things have on a child.

J. George: What can kids do to help combat bullying?

Brutus Beefcake: They have to be brave. They have to tell their parents and make people aware of these problems, and they have to stand up for themselves. It’s very important that they not be afraid, that they stand up for themselves and let the proper authorities, their parents and their teachers know about these situations, so the right people can get involved and the situations can be resolved and don’t just keep going on and on.

J. George: A quick question for the hardcore fans. In WCW, you played The Man With No Name, The Zodiac, The Booty Man and The Disciple. Out of all those characters, which one did you enjoy the most?

Brutus Beefcake: The Disciple, by far. The Disciple was the best of all those characters, and it’s a shame they didn’t do more with it.

J. George: You reinvented yourself with that character. You had a whole unique look, and you were in phenomenal shape.

Brutus Beefcake: I was 220 pounds, shredded, and everybody thought I weighed 270 pounds. It just goes to show you what an illusion it can be, how somebody who’s really cut and muscular can look like a giant.

J. George: Why do you think The Disciple didn’t get a better chance? It was definitely a fresh character at the time.

Brutus Beefcake: There were some office people, and it eventually brought down the office. There was a lot of backstabbing going on. The people running things weren’t dealing fairly with people, and a lot of people were taken advantage of during those years. Good people got overlooked for people who were getting special treatment, and eventually it caused the company to close its doors.

J. George: Would you say those people in the office were, in a way, bullying?

Brutus Beefcake: Absolutely. I was a victim. I was fired twice by fax to my house. One day my wife got a fax saying I was fired, and I found her on the floor crying, so upset. How could someone with a conscience do that to someone’s family? It’s outrageous, and that’s a perfect example of bullying right there.

J. George: For your fans, what have you been up to, and where can they find you online?

Brutus Beefcake: You can find me on my Facebook page, Edward H. Leslie, and my website is BrutusTheBarberBeefcake.com. I’m still wrestling, but I’m also doing a lot of charity events and comic cons, like New York Comic Con and Chicago Comic-Con this past year, legends conventions and a lot of independent wrestling matches all over the country and all over Canada.