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Jeffrey Mark Beltzner (April 18, 1964 – August 23, 2021), known by his ring name Brick Bronsky, was an American actor, film producer, professional wrestler and sports promoter. He gained particular notoriety for starring in a string of films for Troma Studios during the early-1990s, most notably, in Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990), (1991), and (1994); he also had a small role in Jean-Claude Van Damme's The Quest (1996).
Beltzner was a bodybuilder prior to entering pro wrestling. He won a number of power lifting competitions in Pennsylvania and the Tri-State area as a teenager and qualified for the Mr. America bodybuilding competition after becoming Mr. Teen-age Pennsylvania in 1984. He eventually turned to professional wrestling after graduating from Pennsylvania State University and spent the late-1980s in Canada where he achieved some success wrestling for Stu Hart in Calgary Stampede Wrestling. He was among the small group of wrestlers trained by Mr. Hito and widely considered the strongest wrestler in the territory at the time.
Following the close of Stampede Wrestling, and the subsequent collapse of the NWA territory system, at the end of the decade, Beltzner returned to his home state where he became a mainstay for local independent promotions throughout the 1990s. He often teamed with Doug Flex during his wrestling career and, along with manager G.Q. Bronsky, were collectively known as The Brat Pack; he and Flex later ran the Harrisburg-based International Pro Wrestling together from 1996 until 2004. He and Flex expanded into other areas of sports promotion and, in 1992, they organized the first boxing matches held in the Lehigh Valley in nearly ten years.
Beltzner too soon returned to the United States and, at age 24, began working for the World Wrestling Federation. He was mainly used as a preliminary wrestler at various house shows, however, he did make an appearance on the April 29, 1989 edition of WWF Challenge where he and Terry Daniels lost to The Brain Busters (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard) at the War Memorial in Syracuse, New York. He was eventually offered a contract after six months. Unhappy with his experience in the WWF, he declined the offer. Critical of the sports entertainment aspect of the organization, he later commented the "WWF was a big letdown. Competition is completely eliminated. There's a lot more to professional wrestling than the phoney stuff you see on TV."
In the 1980s, Troma Studios experienced a surge in popularity due in part to creating its own stars such as The Toxic Avenger and Sgt. Kabukiman. As its financial troubles worsened in the early-1990s, however, Lloyd Kaufman attempted to recreate his earlier success in the form of Jeff Beltzner and later Jane Jensen (Tromeo and Juliet).Lloyd Kaufman and James Gunn. All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger. Berkley Boulevard Books, 1998. (pg. 140) Beltzner would become the lead star in the Class of Nuke 'Em High series.
Both men were also involved in volunteer work with local youths in the Lehighton area during this time and counseled high school students across the United States about the dangers of drug addiction and steroid abuse. The two would often give lectures at the local high schools of wherever they were wrestling and would donate to a local charity if the promoters received a fee for their appearance. They had both used steroids for several years before serious health risks and side effects forced them to stop. After five years of steroid use, Beltzner developed degenerative connective tissue disease and eventually tore the short head of his biceps off the bone. He was subsequently forced to take 12 to 16 months off to recover from this injury.
In 1996, Beltzner and Doug Flex formed their own promotion, International Pro Wrestling, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was there that they formed the heel stable "The Brat Pack" with Beltzner's "younger brother" and manager G.Q. Bronsky. The trio eventually made appearances in other promotions throughout the Northeastern United States. Beltzner himself would feud with Frank Stalletto in both IPW and American Commonwealth Wrestling"The PWI 500." Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Winter 1996): pg. 53. before becoming the promotion's first heavyweight champion on November 30, 1996, in New Britain, Connecticut by defeating Dave Powers in a one-night tournament."The PWI 500." Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1997): pg. 51.
Beltzner was one of the top stars of the promotion during its run and his fans called themselves the "Brick Clique"."The PWI 500." Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (Holiday 1998): pg. 73. He remained champion for over a year and defended the title against a number of independent stars including Frank Staletto and 911; while champion, he was the first man to draw blood from 911. On December 5, 1997, Beltzner lost the title to King Kong Bundy in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania after G.Q. Bronsky turned on BeltznerWalker, Timothy A. and Michael J. DiMuzio. "Arena Reports." Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: London Publishing Company. (May 1998): pg. 51. by hitting him with a steel chair and causing the breakup of "The Brat Pack".
That summer, he and Flex became involved in a local zoning controversy involving their gym. On August 17, local building inspector Peter Kropf sent a certified letter to Keith Boyer and the four people leasing the building that the building had numerous violations and that Boyers had 45 days to bring it into compliance with state and local codes or face daily fines of up to $1,000. Kropf also claimed that Boyer never secured a necessary permit when he opened a gym in the former silk mill in 1983. The three-story brick building housed a furniture-stripping business as well as the gym. Town officials raised concerns that the building may be unsafe, such as the absence of proper fire exits, to accommodate the hundreds of people that the gym was bringing in on the weekends. Flex was the first to sign and acknowledge the town's letter.
Beltzner also continued acting and returned to star in the third and final film in the Class of Nuke 'Em High series, (1994). In his last feature film for Troma Studios, he played both the character of Roger Smith and those of his twin sons, Adlai and Dick Smith.Burt, Richard, ed. Shakespeares After Shakespeare: An Encyclopedia of the Bard in Mass Media and Popular Culture. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2007. (pg. 147) That same year, with fellow professional wrestler Tony Halme, he also had a minor role in Joe Coppoletta's independent action film Death Match (1994), starring Ian Jacklin, Martin Kove and Matthias Hues.Pallot, James. The Motion Picture Guide 1995 Annual: The Films of 1994. New York: CineBooks, 1994. (pg. 92) Two years later, he appeared in Jean-Claude Van Damme's The Quest (1996), portraying the champion fighter brought to the underground fighting tournament from Russia.
Suffering back and neck injuries resulting from G.Q. Bronsky's attack, Beltzner moved to California to resume his acting career. In 2000, he reprised his role as "Jughead" from Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. on Troma's Edge TV. He also began producing his own film projects with independent film studio Evolving Pictures Entertainment. As vice president of the studio, he was the executive producer on Love Conquers Paul (2002) and Where's Angelo? (2003), and starred in Spin Cycle.
In January 2012, Beltzner gave an interview for Troma's official website discussing his experiences working with the studio. He also introduced his wife Donna and their four children. Six months later, Troma announced plans for a Return to Nuke 'em High sequel. Fans of the previous movies became very vocally active about Bronsky reprising his role from the sequels.
As of 2017, he has been attached as a co-producer to its latest film Mad Monster Party Re-make. He was also attached to produce Sadako and the Magic of Paper Cranes, written by Malcolm Clarke, and The 'Necroscope' 4-D Motion Picture, for Evolving Pictures Entertainment.
Sports promotion
Beltzner, Flex and John O'Mara, who was a local standout athlete, began promoting sporting events from their Lehighton, Pennsylvania gym The Racquet and Fitness Factory in early 1992. On February 9, 1992, they also held their first boxing card featuring the Twin Mountain Boxing Club of Bowmanstown as well as clubs from Lebanon, Shenandoah, Scranton, Bethlehem, Allentown and Reading for 9–12 bouts. These were the first boxing matches held in the area since October 1984. They also held a wrestling show at the gym on March 22 to raise money for the Carbon County Association of Retarded Citizens. Flex faced Doug Stahl while Beltzner wrestled Morgus the Maniac. The card also featured wrestlers from the Wrestling Independent Network and independent wrestlers including Rocco Rock, J.T. Smith and Cream Team (Dino Casanova & Rip Sawyer).
Acting
While recovering from his biceps injury, Beltzner auditioned for Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990) then being shot by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in New York. His first film role resulted in a standout performance as the thug-for-hire "Jughead".Kane, Joe. The Phantom of the Movies' Videoscope: The Ultimate Guide to the Latest, Greatest, and Weirdest Genre Videos. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2000. (pg. 451) The following year he starred in (1991), alongside co-star Leesa Rowland, as student journalist Roger Smith.Vidcassette Review. "Class of Nuke 'Em High 2: Subhumanoid Meltdown (Horror Spoof – Color)." Variety and Daily Variety TV Reviews, 1991–1992. Apr 2 (1992).Lentz, Harris M. Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Supplement 2, through 1993. Volume 4. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1994. Martin, Mick and Marsha Porter. Video Movie Guide 2001. New York: Ballantine Books, 2000. (pg. 204) Though the film received mixed reviews, Beltzner's performance gained favorable receptions from critics. Beltzner himself, who performed all his own stunts, credited Troma with making him a better performer when he resumed his pro wrestling career in the mid-1990s.
Death
Beltzner went into a coma on August 22, 2021, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The following day, Hannibal TV reported that Beltzner died at the age of 57 from COVID-19 in the morning hours of August 23. His death was also confirmed by fellow Stampede Wrestling alumnus Jonathan Holliday.
Filmography
1990 Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. 'Jughead' 1991 Roger Smith 1994 Roger Smith / Adlai Smith / Dick Smith 1994 Death Match Vinnie's Bodyguard 1996 The Quest Russian Fighter 2004 Spin Cycle Officer Shasta 2013 Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 Dick Smith
Championships and accomplishments
External links
Categories: 1964 Births, 2021 Deaths, 20th-century Male Professional Wrestlers, 20th-century American Professional Wrestlers, American Male Bodybuilders, American Male Film Actors, American Male Professional Wrestlers, Deaths From The Covid-19 Pandemic In Pennsylvania, Film Producers From California, Film Producers From Pennsylvania, Male Actors From Pennsylvania, Parkland High School Alumni, Penn State College Of Education Alumni, Professional Wrestlers From Pennsylvania, Sportspeople From Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sportspeople From Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Professional Wrestlers From Los Angeles, Stampede Wrestling Alumni, 20th-century American Sportsmen
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