 |
| Rest well, big man |
Joseph Hudson, better known to fans of the latest revival of the National Wrestling Alliance as either Jocephus or The Question Mark, died earlier this week of unknown causes. He also wrestled for Global Force Wrestling and TNA as Beauregard. Hudson was a ten-year veteran of the ring, a career mostly wrestled in Nashville and Chicago until he got his break wrestling for the NWA during its most recent incarnation headed by former TNA executive and Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan. According to Corgan, Hudson leaves behind a young son. While I could not find his age in my rudimentary search around the Internet, he couldn’t have been that old.
Hudson debuted around Nashville in 2010 as Jocephus Brody, where he spent most of his career. Oddly enough, he caught Corgan’s eye enough for him to get some bookings for his Chicago-area promotion Resistance Pro Wrestling, where he won the company’s top title. He left such an impression on Corgan that he was able to secure a spot in his NWA reboot. He was part of a troupe that included Nick Aldis and Tim Storm that barnstormed around in companies like Championship Wrestling from Hollywood.
When NWA Power was created and brought to YouTube, Hudson became a fixture, although not as his unmasked and rugged tribute to Bruiser Brody. After a few matches on the show as Jocephus, he later rebranded as The Question Mark, a masked wrestler from the mystical (and mythical) land of Mongrovia. He became Aron Stevens’ sensei and was one of the most popular wrestlers on that show until it came to an abrupt halt in early 2020. His last known match was actually on Power teaming with Stevens against the Rock ‘n Roll Express.
Above any of his raw charisma, dedication to character, or in-ring ability, Hudson was remembered as one of the good guys in the business. Judging from the outpouring of tributes to the man yesterday on Twitter, it’s clear that no matter what locker room he stepped into, he gave himself not just as a wrestler, but as a human being. Even the Bad Wrestling Podcast, a show which pokes fun at the self-serious, the pompous, and the out-and-out bad in the world of wrestling, was blown away by how genuine, kind, and intelligent he was. It’s always the good ones.
I feel worst for his son, as the world is still just recovering from another wrestling father gone too soon in Brodie Lee. It’s great seeing Negative One hop out at Daily’s Place and lead the Dark Order as the most sympathetic group in wrestling, but everyone, Brodie, Jr. himself first and foremost, would trade that screen time for the big man back. No matter what the NWA is going to do for his son, nothing is going to take the sting away from losing such a huge presence in the locker room, at home, anywhere.
In such a short time with such a sliver of the fame that someone like him should’ve gotten, Hudson made an intrepid mark on the business. He’ll be remembered by all those fans whom he entertained as The Question Mark. He’ll be remembered by all the wrestlers on whom he made such an impression. I don’t know what else to say except rest well, good brother.
