Where Are They Now?: Harvey Wippleman

From setting up rings to backing Giant Gonzales against The Undertaker at WrestleMania IX, there isn?t too much that Bruno Lauer hasn?t experienced in the sports-entertainment industry. The man better known as Harvey Wippleman has done pretty well for a scrawny guy from northwest Mississippi. (CLASSIC PHOTOS?| CURRENT PHOTOS?| VIDEO PLAYLIST)

Growing up in The Magnolia State, Lauer admitted he wasn?t a huge wrestling fan when he got the opportunity to get into the business in 1979 as a ring crew member, setting up and tearing down the ring for a promotion that toured as part of a carnival. Little did he realize at that time that he?d be working in sports-entertainment until this very day.

?I was a big fan of eating, paying the bills and having some money,? he told WWEClassics.com of his carefree teenage days.

Although he was never formally trained, Lauer stuck with wrestling and soon became a manager, using goofy names like Dr. Lennerd Spazzinsky. After a few years, he got his first big break in 1984 in one of the hottest territories in the country thanks to a WWE Hall of Famer.

?It all came from Jerry ?The King? Lawler,? Lauer explained. ?I owe him my career. Every bit of knowledge, every break is from him. I owe him everything, 100 percent.?

He was perfect as a manager for all the monsters that took on the heroes of the Memphis, Tenn., territory. Short and skinny, Lauer was dwarfed by his charges, making them even more imposing to the fans. Still, the so-called Dr. Spazzinsky was looking to get rid of his goofy moniker and find something that could incorporate his real name while keeping his irritating persona. He found his inspiration from an unlikely source.

?I was watching Tim Reid, he was ?Downtown Brown? [on the 1980s detective show ?Simon and Simon?],? Lauer said. ?I thought that sounded great, so I became Downtown Bruno.?

Downtown Bruno led a vast variety of villains into battle against Lawler, Jeff Jarrett and many of Memphis? other white hats. Handling the affairs of stars like Sid, Cactus Jack, The Moondogs and Robert Fuller, Lauer made a lot of connections during this time, some of which would pay off in the long run.

After some time in Memphis, he branched out into other territories, going to Alabama, Hawaii and anywhere in-between that would have him. Although he was trying to get his name out there, Bruno often found himself wanting to go back to Memphis, which he considered his home promotion.

?Lawler would always tell me to go other places and learn other styles, but it was hard,? Lauer said.? ?In Memphis, I?d run around and get involved in the match, but then I?d go to Kansas City for Bob Geigel and they didn?t want me to do anything ? just sit in a chair. I wasn?t used to that.?

Still, Lauer learned and eventually came back to Memphis, where the territory was still running strong, putting on shows at the Mid-South Coliseum every Monday night. With most of the city and the surrounding area tuning in to see Bruno and his baddies, Lauer enjoyed a level of celebrity that most local wrestlers today couldn?t imagine.

?In our little world, we were superstars,? he said. ?I couldn?t go anywhere in Memphis or the surrounding areas.?

As the ?80s turned to the ?90s, though, Bruno began to think about life beyond managing. He took on jobs overseeing the ring crew and box office for the Memphis territory. He felt like he had a solid gig that he could stay in for a long time.

?I said I was never going to leave again,? he said.

That all changed with one phone call from WWE.

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Source: http://www.wwe.com/classics/wherearetheynow/where-are-they-now-harvey-wippleman

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