Strauss, Bruce "The Mouse"

Boxing is a sport historically rife with vivid personalities, but few of them are more colorful than Strauss. He proudly claims to have been knocked out on every continent except Antarctica, and to have been knocked out more often than any other fighter in history. Strauss's life and career were made into a movie in 1997 entitled The Mouse; it starred Burt Young (Paulie in Rocky), former fighter Randall "Tex" Cobb, Dominic Chianese (Junior Soprano), and Rip Torn.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. February 6, 1952

Career Highlights:
Strauss, who was born in Omaha and attended a small college in Nebraska on a wrestling scholarship, became a fighter in an unusual, and totally unplanned, way. His professional boxing career began on June 1, 1976, after a night of heavy drinking. A friend of his was on a card in Oklahoma City, and the promoter needed someone to replace a fighter who had cancelled at the last minute. With no previous experience or training, Strauss stepped into the ring and defeated Gary Maiza in a four-round decision. He immediately fell in love with boxing and his career was launched; he even fought the next night in Topeka, Kansas -- and knocked his opponent out in the third round.

With limited talent, but with an enduring love of boxing, Strauss soon became what boxing fans call a "tomato can." That is, boxers who exist for contenders, future contenders, or even semi-talented young boxers to beat up on, thereby padding their records. These "Opponents", as they are also known, have no real prospects of advancing to a higher level; but they continue to travel and fight, even if they lose regularly and are paid modestly. But Strauss was a different breed than most. He commented that "I was the first and only fighter who ever tried to make an art out of being an Opponent...I never trained, but I knew I had enough in the tank to go three rounds. I always tested their chin, but if I couldn't knock 'em out, I'd look for a soft spot in the canvas, wait for a big punch and close my eyes."

Nicknamed "The Mouse," Strauss fought for a decade, from 1976-1986. While his official record was a respectable 79-60-6, he estimated that he actually fought 250 bouts during his career, and lost more than half the time. Under such aliases as "Pretty Boy" Floyd Bernstein, "Machine Gun" Kelly Jones, and Reuben Bardot (!), he routinely fought three times a week -- once, he even fought twice on the same card! The Mouse explained that after getting knocked out on the undercard, "I could hear a commotion from one of the fighters in the main event who was getting cold feet and left. I approached the promoter with the idea of changing into a different pair of trunks and fighting as my twin brother." Although Strauss was knocked out again in the main event, he proudly noted that "I got paid twice that night."

Strauss began his career as a lightweight, but he fought in every division up to, and including, heavyweight during his career. For years, Strauss would pick up wins against inferior fighters in the Midwest to pad his record, then travel to major cities for big paydays against contenders. By the early 1980s, he had become proficient enough in the ring to have earned the chance to take a beating from major fighters. Strauss fought -- and, of course, lost to -- future world champions Marlon Starling (welterweight), Mike McCallum (middleweight), and Bobby Czyz (light-heavyweight and cruiserweight).

Although Strauss was a perfect example of why Congress passed a law that regulated boxing to eliminate the hazards to "Opponents", some boxing enthusiasts recall Strauss with warmth and appreciation for the zest and willingness he brought to his chosen profession. Former lightweight champ Sean O'Grady said, "I looked up to the Mouse because boxing was fun for him...Mouse was there to have a good time." Strauss explained that he never expected to win a title, but only to "have fun, make some money, and see the world." Unlike many other human punching bags, Strauss relished his role as "world's worst boxer," and saw himself as a "tomato can." Strauss is currently a manager in the Midwest.

Origin:
Omaha, Nebraska

Career Statistics:
Professional record:
Wins: 79 (58 by knockout)
Losses: 60
Draws: 6

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