Akron, NY (WBEN) Dick Beyer, known to pro wrestling fans as "The Destroyer" and "Doctor X" in a career that spanned 8,000 matches over two continents, died Thursday at his home in Akron at age 88.
Beyer was a board member of the Ilio DiPaolo Scholarship Committee. Bob Koshinski is chairman of the committee. "He went to bat for so many young men, so many high school wrestlers, to get scholarships to move on to college," says Koshinski. Beyer was a star athlete at Syracuse University before turning to the squared circle.
Beyer's career in Japan included a match that at the time was the most watched event in Japanese television history. He also was a regular on a late-night TV show called "Uwasa No Channel."
"He lived a long and great life, and to think that the wear and tear of 8,000 professional wrestling matches, and the fact he was with us as long as he was was a testament to the stamina he had," says Koshinski.
