Former WWF wrestler leads Park Vista girls lacrosse

Lacrosse is not as physical or painful a sport as professional wrestling, but it’s hardly a walk in the grass field, according to Park Vista girls coach Larry Brannon.

Brannon spent 12 years as a star in arguably the most physical sport known to mankind - the World Wrestling Federation.

Now Brannon is in his 8th season guiding Park Vista’s girls lacrosse team and will take the Cobras into the District 15 2A tournament as the No. 1 seed following a 9-3 regular season.

Led by top goal-scorer Brooke Ybarra, a Florida Southern commit, and elite goalie Dayana Perez, the Cobras get a first-round bye and start Monday, April 13.

By rule, girls lacrosse is not as hard-hitting as boys but it’s plenty rough.

“In theory it’s not as physical as the boys but it’s very physical,’’ Brannon said. “There’s a ton of contact. They knock the crap out of each other on a regular basis. It’s fast-paced and you’re shooting a hard rubber ball that hurts like hell when you get hit with it. I crack up when I hear girls lacrosse is a no-contact sport. That’s garbage.”

Best photos: Saint Andrew's boys lacrosse vs. Victor (NY)

Park Vista's Ella McCarthy, a junior attacker, and head coach Larry Brannon pose for a photo following a playoff victory over Wellington on April 14, 2025.

Every girl on the Cobras knows about Brannon’s background. The Martin County graduate and former college football offensive lineman wrestled under the stage name of  “Vito DeNucci’," one of WWF’s villains during his pro-wrestling stint  from 1999 to 2011.

Bannon, a Park Vista history teacher, is 55 now and his body remembers that era when he played to filled-up arenas around the globe.

“When I started off, I was 6-3 and change.’’ Brannon said. “Now I’m 6-1 and a quarter. I’ve lost two inches of height because I lost some disks. They are just history. People ask, 'Are they herniated?'  I say, “No they’re shrapnel. They’re gone."

Park Vista girls lacrosse coach Larry Brannon wrestled under the moniker "Vito DeNucci" with the World Wrestling Foundation.

Brannon talks of bizarre wrestling moves like the “Veg-O-Matic’’ and “Missile Drop Kick’’ like it was yesterday.

“It’s a tough, tough business,’’ Brannon said. “I was always the heel – the bad guy, the ones that have to make the good guys look strong. We’re taking a lot of hits. It takes a toll.’’

When Brannon was in high school at Martin County as a four-sport athlete (football, wrestling, baseball, track), he had a side gig as a crew member for pro wrestling matches.

But Brannon never envisioned pro wrestling as a career. At 6-3, 260 pounds, Brannon took a football scholarship to Tennessee-Chattanooga as a center/guard and later transferred to UCF.

After graduation, Brannon opened a home-theatre company, “Wire for Sound.”

At age 26, it all changed. Brannon bumped into an old crewmate, Dennis Allen, who was still in the business. Allen convinced Brannon to give wrestling a whirl.

Five months later, Brannon became a pro wrestler after training in Tampa with Steve Keirn, teacher/former fighter who ran the “School of Hard Knocks.’’

“The key for me to going pro was being on the ring crew (in high school), doing shows in Melbourne, Fort Pierce, West Palm,’’ Brannon said. “The cool part is was when we got the ring set up, we’d work out with some of the guys. Like Jesse Barr. They wanted to work out and were happy to teach you a little.

“I had potential, was a fan as a kid. I took to it pretty naturally and was athletic enough to do the things they do. It clicked pretty quickly for me.’’

This wasn’t high-school wrestling. “Vito DeNucci’’ weaved a career that had him performing in 33 states, including upstate New York and Chicago’s United Center. He went all over Florida and had gigs at Miami Heat’s old and new arena, Orlando Magic’s former arena, Tampa Bay Lightning’s arena and Tampa’s famed wrestling hall, the Fort Hesterly Armory.

He also wrestled in countries such as Italy, Germany, Japan, China Dubai, England and Saudi Arabia. He estimates over 1,000 matches in all.

Park Vista girls lacrosse coach Larry Brannon wrestled under the moniker "Vito DeNucci" with the World Wrestling Foundation.

“DeNucci” was best-known for aligning with tag-team partner, Chris Nelson, known as “The Heavenly Bodies.’’  They came into the ring with instrumental song, “Frankenstein,” blaring.

“The thrill – and I probably miss it to this day - was when you got a match with a big house,’’ Brannon said. “Your music plays, you hit the stage and the crowd reacts one way or another. I miss that. It’s a rush.’’

He doesn’t miss the violence and injuries, including countless concussions. They say it is fake, but don’t tell that to Brannon’s body.

Park Vista girls lacrosse coach Larry Brannon wrestled under the moniker "Vito DeNucci" with the World Wrestling Foundation.

Brannon tore up a knee from a “Missile Drop Kick” gone bad and missed four months. “In that industry, you miss too much, you lose your spot,’’ Brannon said. “So you don’t stay out too long.’’

It was a sordid business. There is a popular wrestling stunt of getting bashed by a chair. Wrestling officials encouraged their athletes not to shield themselves.

“Now you put your hands up at the last minute,’’ Brannon said. “In the late 1990’s/early 2000’s, you got ostracized if you put your hands up. They wanted reality. If you took a chair shot, you’re just supposed to give them the crown of your head and take it. File it under one of the dumbest things I’ve seen.’’

Concussions were inevitable. He sustained four from football and can’t count the number from wrestling.  “In my time, it’s one of those deals you referred to as getting your bell rung,’’ Brannon said.

Indeed, the wrestling stage wasn’t built for protection.

“When you bump into a wrestling ring, contrary to popular belief, it’s not a trampoline.’’ Brannon said. “The rings you get in are wood or steel and don’t give a whole lot. You hit the back of your head every time you take a back bump. By today’s interpretation, I probably had 1,000 of them. I may have gotten a concussion every damn time I wrestled.”

The threat of CTE is always looming in his mind.

“Big time,’’ Brannon said. “I’m not an idiot. I’ve had lot of head trauma over the years. I accept it likely will be a factor at some point. I hope not. I teach history and economics. I’m an intelligent guy. High enough IQ. Work my butt off to keep my brain active. You try not to get stagnant, which allegedly helps stave that off.’’

He’s safer now on the lacrosse sidelines in a sport he barely knew while raised in northwestern Indiana before moving to South Florida entering high school.

“I’ve always joked that lacrosse was a small town in Wisconsin,’’ Brannon said.

Now Brannon is a lacrosse fanatic, as are his daughters, Delaney and Riley, who each played Division I at Fresno State and Eastern Michigan, respectively. The daughters are on his Park Vista staff – Delaney as goalie coach and Riley offensive coordinator.

“I played college football, was a wrester, a pro wrestler,’’ Brannon said. “I’m a contact guy. What I bring to the table is a mental toughness in my approach that probably is lacking when they’re coached by other coaches who don’t have a similar background.

“They become more tough-minded. If they get knocked down, it’s not a deterrent as if if they’d been coached with kid’s gloves. The girls that play for me are tough. But we play the game very clean.’’

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ex-WWF wrestler coaches Park Vista girls lacrosse