'He would have loved it:' Da Crusher statue unveiled during 'CrusherFest' in South Milwaukee



SOUTH MILWAUKEE -- It was an exciting Saturday afternoon in South Milwaukee -- where a bronze statue of the late Reggie Lisowski, better known as Da Crusher, was revealed to the public.

The statue, located near 11th and Milwaukee Avenue, was nearly two years in the making.

Reginald Lisowski, born and raised in South Milwaukee, was a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, The Crusher (sometimes Crusher Lisowski to distinguish him from other Crushers.) In his obituary, he was described as "a professional wrestler whose blue-collar bona fides made him beloved among working class fans for 40 years."

FOX6's own Gino Salomone hosted the unveiling ceremony honoring South Milwaukee's most famous son – a beloved professional wrestler.

The statue was unveiled during CrusherFest, a two-day event featuring wrestling, polka, food and drinks.

The statue became reality after a Crusher fan launched a crowdfunding campaign to honor the wrestler's legacy and quickly found there were still a lot of fans out there.

Lisowski's children said it was better than they could have imagined.

"We had to have the scars on his head, the barrel on his shoulder, cauliflower ears. We had to make sure that every single detail was perfect -- down to his boots," said Dawn Lisowski, daughter.

"He would have loved it. He's up there smiling," said Larry Lisowski, son.