Pepper Gomez

Pepper Gomez
Gomez on the cover of Strength & Health magazine in 1948.
Birth nameJosé Serapio Palimino Gomez[1][2]
Born(1927-04-21)April 21, 1927[2]
Los Angeles, California, United States[3]
DiedMay 6, 2004(2004-05-06) (aged 77)[3]
San Francisco, California, United States
Cause of deathGastritis[3][4]
Alma materLos Angeles City College[3]
Spouse(s)Bonnie Gomez[3]
Children5[3]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Pepper Gomez[3][2]
Billed height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Billed weight220 lb (100 kg)[5]
Trained byBlack Guzmán
DebutJanuary 1953[3][6]
Retired1982[3]

José "Joseph" Serapio Palimino Gomez (April 21, 1927 – May 6, 2004) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder, better known by his ring name, Pepper Gomez.[2][3][5][6] Known for his exceptional abdominal muscles, he would allow rivals to perform stunts such as jumping onto his stomach from the top of a ladder or driving a Volkswagen Beetle over his stomach, earning him the nickname "The Man with the Cast Iron Stomach".[1][7][8] He wrestled as a blue-collar Latino babyface.[9][10]

  1. ^ a b John Grasso (March 6, 2014). Historical Dictionary of Wrestling. Scarecrow Press. p. 347. ISBN 978-0-8108-7926-3.
  2. ^ a b c d Harris M. Lentz III (January 1, 2003). Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-7864-1754-4.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rubenstein, Steve (May 8, 2004). "'Pepper' Gomez -- pro wrestler with famously tough stomach". SFGate. Hearst. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Chapman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "Pepper Gomez". Cagematch.net. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Oliver, Greg (May 6, 2004). "Pepper Gomez dies". Canoe.com. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  7. ^ "The 10 best wrestlers you've never heard of". WWE. May 6, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  8. ^ John Lister (November 2005). Slamthology: Collected Wrestling Writings 1991-2004. Lulu.com. p. 244. ISBN 978-1-4116-5329-0.
  9. ^ Nicholas Sammond (December 23, 2004). Steel Chair to the Head: The Pleasure and Pain of Professional Wrestling. Duke University Press. p. 245. ISBN 0-8223-8682-8.
  10. ^ David J. Leonard; Carmen R. Lugo-Lugo (March 17, 2015). Latino History and Culture: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 570. ISBN 978-1-317-46646-8.