Pepper Gomez

Pepper Gomez
Gomez on the cover of Strength & Health magazine in 1948.
Birth nameJosé Serapio Palimino Gomez
Born(1927-04-21)April 21, 1927
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedMay 6, 2004(2004-05-06) (aged 77)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Cause of deathGastritis
Alma materLos Angeles City College
SpouseBonnie Gomez
Children5
Professional wrestling career
Ring namePepper Gomez
Billed height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Billed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Trained byBlack Guzmán
DebutJanuary 1953
Retired1982

José Serapio "Joseph" Palimino Gomez (April 21, 1927 – May 6, 2004) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder, better known by his ring name, Pepper Gomez. Known for his exceptional abdominal muscles, he would allow rivals to perform stunts such as jumping onto his stomach from the top of a ladder or driving a Volkswagen Beetle over his stomach, earning him the nickname "The Man with the Cast Iron Stomach". He wrestled as a blue-collar Latino babyface.