Jerry Blackwell

Jerry Blackwell
Blackwell, c. 1982
Personal information
Born(1949-04-26)April 26, 1949
DiedJanuary 22, 1995(1995-01-22) (aged 45)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Bruiser Blackwell
Crusher Blackwell
Jerry Blackwell
Man Mountain Blackwell
Sheik Ayatollah Blackwell
The Canadian Bumblebee
Mr. Big
Billed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Billed weight473 lb (215 kg)
Billed fromStone Mountain, Georgia
Trained byGino Brito
DebutOctober 1974
Retired1990

Jerry Blackwell Jr. (April 26, 1949 – January 22, 1995), better known by his ring name "Crusher" Jerry Blackwell, was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenure in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) from 1979 to 1989.

He began his career in 1974 and wrestled for several National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territories over the next few years, winning the NWA World Tag Team Championship (Central States version) with Buck Robley in 1977 and the NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship twice in 1979, first with The Invader and then with Dick Slater. He also wrestled for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) from 1975 to 1978.

Blackwell joined the AWA in 1979, where he won the AWA World Tag Team Championship with Ken Patera in 1983. He was a main event star in the promotion and feuded with the likes of The Crusher, Bruiser Brody and Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey. He also worked for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and served as the promoter for Southern Championship Wrestling (SCW).