The life-size bronze statue of South Milwaukee native Reggie “Da Crusher” Lisowski has been unveiled.

How ‘bout dat?

A crowd of hundreds surrounded the statue, which was covered in a gray striped cloth. Both whispers and yells of excitement filled the air, making South Milwaukee’s downtown feel like one of the arenas where the Crusher would perform.

Everyone was staring at the ring — or at least landscaping that resembled a wrestling ring — which surrounded the statue with bricks displaying names of donors.

A priest blessed the statue and then, to the tune of “The Crusher” played live by The Novas, the statue was uncovered by the Lisowski family.

Holding a beer barrel on his shoulder with an iconic facial expression and wearing a belt that said "The Crusher," the statue looked alive with a high level of detail right down to the wrinkles in his forehead.

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Proclamations and thanks

Sherri Brozoski, daughter of Da Crusher, thanked Chris Smith, South Milwaukee’s city attorney and the organizer of the statue project, for working to make this happen.

Her sister, Dawn Lisowski, said she knew they were not alone.

“I really think my mom and dad are here,” she said.

Dawn broke down a bit during her speech, saying the statue is “the best possible image of (Crusher).”

Mayor Erik Brooks issued a proclamation that June 8, 2019, is officially Reggie “Da Crusher” Lisowski Day in South Milwaukee, in honor of the statue.

“What an amazing crowd; this is unbelievable,” he said. “This is a beautiful, bold and lasting tribute.”

Other politicians were in attendance and issued proclamations in honor of Da Crusher, including state Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, state Sen. Chris Larson and County Supervisor Steve Shea. Gov. Tony Evers also issued a proclamation that Larson delivered as Evers was unable to attend.

Wrestling legend Baron Von Raschke gave a short speech as well, calling Da Crusher a family man. He thanked everyone "on behalf of Baron and Mrs. Claw" for their time and donations to the project. (The Claw was the finishing maneuver Baron Von Raschke used in the ring.)

Jerry “The King” Lawler was scheduled to attend but, according to Smith, his plane was late so he wasn’t able to be there for the unveiling. He was still planning to make an appearance when he finally arrived.

Prior to the unveiling, the designer of the statue, Milwaukee-based artist Thomas Holleran, said he was feeling good about finally showing it off to the world.

When asked if he was nervous, he just smiled and said it was going to happen no matter what.

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History

The idea for the statue came from Smith. He presented the plan to some city officials and a GoFundMe was soon started in late 2017. The project went viral with donations rolling in and the $40,000 life-size tribute to “The Man Who Made Milwaukee Famous” was funded in only a few months.

Vanguard Sculpture Services was tasked with the creation of the statue and Holleran designed the sculpture with the help of Lisowski’s family.

The statue is estimated to weigh over 600 pounds.

The Crusher wrestled for over 40 years, starting in 1949. He earned many championships including being a three-time American Wrestling Association (AWA) Heavyweight Champion and a five-time AWA Tag Team Champion with Dick the Bruiser.

Reggie "Da Crusher" Lisowski died at 79 in 2005 of a brain tumor.

Contact Erik S. Hanley at (262) 875-9467 or erik.hanley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ES_Hanley.