Friday, April 16, 2004 | 9:42 a.m.
As the 11th and youngest child of a bricklayer in Mexico, 9-year-old Pablo O. Crispin shoveled sand from a river so his family could make their own bricks for the few jobs that barely kept food on the table.
But the hard, physical work helped him grow up strong. A professional wrestling promoter in the mid-1950s discovered the 6-foot, 240-pound Crispin driving a cab and turned him into The Great Goliath, one of wrestling's greatest tag-team stars.
Goliath, who with his longtime partner Black Gordman won dozens of titles, including the National Wrestling Alliance's America's tag-team championship a record 18 times in 13 years, died Monday of heart failure at MountainView Hospital. He was 69.
Services for the Las Vegas resident of nine years will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Palm Mortuary-Jones. Visitation at that location will be 4-7 p.m. today and 9-10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be at Palm Memorial Park-Northwest.
Born June 18, 1934, near Juarez, Mexico, El Gran Goliath was paid a six-pack of Coca-Cola for his debut wrestling match, his son-in-law Mike Serna said. But by the early 1960s, he was a headliner on the lucha libre circuit, wrestling Mexico's best, including Mil Mascaras, El Santo and Chavo Guerrero Sr.
On Dec. 3, 1967, in Juarez, Goliath defeated Henry Pirousso to win the Mexican national heavyweight title. A year later, he lost the title to Paul Reyes in Los Angeles and stayed in the United States for the balance of his career.
"Because my father grew up so poor, he appreciated what he earned in life, and he worked hard to make sure his five children had a much better life than he did," said Paloma Serna of Las Vegas.
"At his peak, he earned $1,000 a night wrestling and was constantly in demand, working in arenas throughout the United States and in Japan."
Goliath's travels during a career that spanned five decades took him to Las Vegas in the early 1980s, where he wrestled the 7-foot-4 Andre the Giant at the old Showboat.
Away from the ring, Goliath and the late Andre Roussimoff were good friends. Goliath, who was an excellent cook, prepared meals for Andre the Giant that included four whole chickens at a single sitting, Serna recalled.
Goliath and his partner, Gordman, wore black and red wrestling tights and matching colorful jackets hand-sewn by Crispin. They first won the Americas tag title in 1970, defeating Earl Maynard and Rocky Johnson, the father of wrestler/actor The Rock, who stars in the current box office hit "Walking Tall."
Goliath and Gordman lost the belts for the 18th and final time in 1982 at the Showboat to Ryuma Go and ring veteran Rusher Kimura.
Goliath and Gordman won the NWA world tag title on Jan. 23, 1978, defeating Kurt and Karl Von Steiger in Sacramento. They lost the belts just one month later and never regained them. The duo also won numerous regional tag titles, including the Texas and Georgia championships and the Central States crown.
Paloma Serna said Goliath's children often attended his matches, but they were told to sit quietly and not cheer for their father because he was a hated ring villain who often was attacked by overzealous fans who burned him with cigarettes, stabbed him with sharp objects or threw beer bottles at him.
"He was concerned that if the crowd learned we were his family they would turn on us, so we just watched and did not get too excited," she said.
After suffering his first of four heart attacks in the early 1990s and being diagnosed with diabetes, Goliath slowed down. He started Goliath Productions, promoting matches at the San Bernardino Arena.
Goliath put together cards using students he had trained. He also headlined the promotions. The last was on Jan. 21, 1995, where he ended his career wrestling one of his top students, Falcon De Oro, in the main event.
Two months later Goliath moved to Las Vegas, where he became known simply as Grandpa Pablo.
His family said he spent a lively Easter Sunday with relatives and quietly died in his sleep that night.
In addition to his daughter, Crispin is survived by his wife, Yolanda Crispin of Las Vegas; two other daughters, Esmeralda Oesterling of Orlando, Fla., and Antonia Crispin of Las Vegas; two sons, Pablo J. Crispin of Las Vegas and Gilbert Crispin of St. George, Utah; and 14 grandchildren.
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