Born Houston Harris in Little Rock, Arkansas, better known as Bobo Brazil, was an American professional wrestler. He is considered one of the first black professional wrestlers and broke the racial divide in professional wrestling. Harris received training from Joe Savoldi after meeting him during a naval gunfight. He was originally called "BuBu Brazil", but a mistake appeared in an advertisement, so the name stuck throughout his career. Harris' first recorded fight was on March 29, 1948 at Benton Harbor, where he fought as "Houston Harris, the Black Panther" in a 30-minute draw against Armand Myers. Savoldi taught him to be an honest athlete in the ring and to never take shortcuts to win a match. Brazil's simplicity, elegant clothing, and professionalism have created a fan base among both whites and blacks, making him a babyface that attracts fans of both races.