David Lauer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| David Lauer | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Harvey Wippleman Hervina Bruno Uptown Bruno Downtown Bruno |
| Billed height | 5 ft 7 in (170.2 cm) |
| Billed weight | 155 lb (70.31 kg) |
| Born | October 27, 1965 |
| Debut | 1979 |
Bruno Lauer, better known by his ring name Harvey Wippleman, is a pro-wrestling manager, referee and sometimes competitor who is probably most recognized from his long running stint as a manager in the 1990s World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and later as the only male to ever win the WWF Women’s title. He still performs as Downtown Bruno occasionally in Memphis Wrestling.
[edit] Career
Lauer has worked in the professional wrestling industry for much of his adult life, at various times taking on the role of wrestler, manager, referee, and executive in multiple federations.
He began his career competing in various Southern territories performing under the names Downtown Bruno and Uptown Bruno as well as his current moniker.
For his first appearance in the WWF, Lauer was known as Harvey Wippleman, the heel manager of Big Bully Busick, who had a brief and uneventful stint in the promotion.
When Busick left the WWF, Whippleman stayed and became the manager of The Warlord and Sid Justice. At this time, Whippleman began feuding with WWF ring announcer Howard Finkel, whom he felt had been introducing him in a condescending manner for all of his appearances. Their feud resulted in a number of Tuxedo Matches but eventually went nowhere.
Whippleman later, along with Kim Chee, managed Kamala. Kamala feuded with the Undertaker, who defeated him in a Coffin Match at Survivor Series 1992. After this, Kamala split from Whippleman and took on Reverend Slick as his new manager, leading to a low-profile feud with Whippleman and his clients.
Whippleman's main focus remained the Undertaker: Seeking revenge for the loss of Kamala, Wippleman brought a new wrestler to the WWF: the nearly eight-foot-tall Giant Gonzalez, who interfered into the 1993 Royal Rumble and eliminated the Undertaker. Whippleman also hired Mr Hughes, who stole Paul Bearer's urn and dominated the Undertaker for a brief period. At the 1993 SummerSlam pay-per-view, the feud came to an end when Undertaker defeated Gonzalez. Wippleman berated Gonzalez for the loss and received a chokeslam as a result.
Wippleman then got himself more new clients such as Adam Bomb and Kwang the Ninja, but they eventually left him.
He was also the manager of Bertha Faye, including a gimmick where he fell in love with her despite her abuses of him, much to the confusion of announcers and fans alike.
In 1996, Wippleman took on a new role. He would show up at ringside during matches to observe the referees, seeking to report their inefficiency to (onscreen) WWF President Gorilla Monsoon. Monsoon, pleased with the report, made Wippleman an official WWF referee. It turned out to be a position that Wippleman took seriously, as he made the three count for some high profile matches before he was temporarily removed from onscreen roles when the Attitude Era came.
During the Attitude Era, he began a new gimmick which included him winning the WWF Women’s Championship from The Kat while he was in (bad) disguise and using the name “Hervina.” The whole thing was played for comedy, as his disguise was terrible and the announcers made frequent references to his real identity. He lost the title just two days later to Jacqueline.
