Killer Tim Brooks | A Great Heel Gone Too Soon | In Memorium

2020’s been a rough year already, and our community has already lost so many beloved sisters and brothers, real family members from Hana Kimura to Johnny “Rubberman” Walker, aka Mr. Wrestling II. We recently lost colorful heel Killer Tim Brooks (Timothy Paul Brooks) at the far too young age of 72.

He was initially trained and broken into the business (later finessed by prior Red Bastien’s work ‘brother’ Lou “Bastien” Klein) via his legit cousin Dick Murdoch in 1969. So his ring intros stating he was from Waxahachie, Texas, were perhaps legit. Dick got him first started in Detroit and Toronto at the same time because Dick was already there and teaming with his most famous global partner in Dusty Rhodes.

What a trio backstage that was, besides promoter/boss The Sheik, Abby, Johnny Valentine as a face, Mark Lewin, Tiger Jeet Singh, Ernie Ladd, TBolt Patterson, Pampero Firpo, Bobo Brazil, Sweet Daddy Siki, Ed Carpentier, Tony Marino, Luis Martinez, George “Crybaby” Cannon, The Fabulous Kangaroos and so many other greats.

Tim on his own after various character changes (including a hood), eventually became a name early 1970s star with Eddie Creatchman as his manager for Sheik (Ed Farhut) in Detroit, Tunney in Toronto, and also in Ohio (for promoting a duo of past CAC attendees Pedro Martinez and Johnny Powers).

Tim wrestled and teamed with the best in those classic circuits, including Pampero Firpo, Ernie Ladd, the Funks, Ox Baker, Flyin’ Fred Curry. Plus Bobo Brazil, TBolt Patterson, Tony Marino, Ed Carpentier, Tiger Jeet Singh, Chris Tolos, Sweet Daddy Siki, Tex McKenzie, Ben Justice(who he held Sheik’s NWA World Tag Titles with twice), Stomper(Guy Mitchell) and more.

Killer Tim Brooks

Killer Tim Brooks
Photo / FW4Online

Plus, he wrestled with international traveling sensation attractions Haystack Calhoun, McCreary Twins, and Andre. Tim had loads of memorable Texas history, later working for Fritz in Dallas and Paul Boesch in Houston. He held tons of titles in Texas, including the NWA Texas Tag Team belts with CAC honoree Stan Hansen plus others like Leroy Brown and former WWWF champ Stan Stasiak.

He was twice the SouthWest champ for Joe Blanchard in San Antonio. Tim also had a long history in the Pacific Northwest, holding Don Owen’s NWA Pacific NW Tag straps with Roddy Piper! And yep, he came into my home base in Los Angeles. Mike Lebell’s promotion in 1974 during our great Detroit To L.A. invasion along with Sheik, Firpo, Might Igor (Dick Garza), Wolfman Farkas, Ed Carpentier, The Mighty Zulu, and more.

Tim attended the first of his two CACs 15 years ago(and was CAC men’s honoree in 2006), the first time flying in from Dallas with his longtime pal Gary Hart. I was having lunch with Terry Funk in the Gold Coast’s TGIF when they walked in with Jimmy Hart and Red/Sir Oliver Humperdink, and Terry shouted out, “look what the cat dragged in! You sonofab–‘s sit down and have a beer with us!” The love and brotherhood of friendship was about as strong as it gets that day.

Cauliflower Alley Club

Brooks was just a barrel of fun that weekend (CAC still did Thursday to Saturday nights back then)but said, “I have to play the straight man. Gary’s not feeling great.” Gary was fairly serious that Vegas CAC and just not his usual talkative booking genius self. He said he was battling cancer but that Tim was a great supportive friend and aide to him.

Tim also had many other great, longtime friends in wrestling. I was sent by the newsstand magazines in January and then right back in March of 1991 to cover a lot of major cards in Japan both months and rode with Tim on Tenyru’s WAR promotion van to a major show along with CAC 2019 honoree Tonga King/Haku/Meng.

He faced promoter Tenyru in the main event. Tim was underneath teaming with one of his longtime pals in Bob Orton Jr (another CAC regular and 2005 WWE HOFer), against Koko Ware and Jim Neidhart. But before the show started, Tim and Bob nearly trashed the Kyoto venue’s backstage having a fun, silly Bento Box food fight.

Killer Tim Brooks – Japan’s Role

Jack Lanza was WWF’s agent for all their Gaijin (foreigner) talent sent for this Tenyru tour. But Japan was the only place Jack wasn’t “no-nonsense/serious” and not allowing any monkey biz from the boys.

He let his hair down, as usual, this night in Japan, just sitting back, laughing, and watching the boys go. Tim said he was “pretty proud to get a happy reaction out of Jack.” And the Rockers Jannetty and Michaels even joined in.

Shawn told me at the time, “Vince just fired us again. We know it’s just temporary punishment, but Tim and Bob don’t even work for him to get away with going wild. We just get to watch and enjoy their fun.” 

Tim’s “Killer” name is claimed to have come from Murdoch, who said, “I nicknamed him that because the originator of Rock and Roll, The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis, was my favorite musician.” Others say either The Sheik or Crybaby Cannon came up with it. All over the midwest, however, fans were led to chant “Crazy Brooks” at him, ala Crazy Luke Graham before him. Tim came up with that!

Brooks also created history in Ole Anderson’s Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1983 in an angle “selling” the lead strap to Kevin Sullivan. He worked in Puerto Rico, feuding with Hercules Ayala, Miguel Perez Jr, and TNT (Savio Vega).

As Montreal historians Pat and Bertrand will recall, Tim also cruised into the Rougeau Family’s Lutte International circuit, oddly billed as Bruiser Brody’s kayfabe brother “Buster Brody.” We’ll have to ask Barbara about that, but Tim was indeed pals with Frank.

Tim’s hilarious gimmick there was going to the ring in a straight jacket, managed by Eddie (and for the first time Ed’s son Floyd Creatchman as well, which was pretty unique).

Time with All Japan

Tim had some earlier All Japan tours and worked in Europe as well. In 1990 while still not slowing down, Tim opened his NAWA (No. American Wrestling Allegiance) wrestling school dojo in Ft. Worth. CAC honoree Scott Casey was one of many pals he had taught and wrestled him on his NAWA shows.

In-ring Tim finally retired in 1997 but still kept busy with his school and tv promotion. He also had a daughter (who reportedly wrestled a bit)with female wrestling great Sandy Partlow.