Bulldog Brower | |
---|---|
Birth name | Richard T. Gland [1] |
Born | [2] Delaware, U.S. [3] | September 17, 1933
Died | September 15, 1997[3] | (aged 63)
Spouse(s) | Susan Gland (his death) [1] |
Children | 3 [1] |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Bulldog Brower Delaware Destroyer Dick Brower The Gestapo |
Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Billed weight | 270 lb (120 kg; 19 st) |
Debut | 1958 [3] |
Retired | 1988 [3] |
Richard T. Gland (September 17, 1933 – September 15, 1997), better known by his ring name Dick "Bulldog" Brower, was an American professional wrestler.
Gland served in the U.S. Marines and frequently visited his local YMCA. [4] [5] He got into powerlifting after graduating from Wilmington High School in 1952. [1] However, Gland dropped out of chiropractic school to pursue a career as a professional wrestler. [3]
Gland started his career in the Delaware territory in 1958 under the ring name the Delaware Destroyer, [3] [6] however, other sources state that his debut was in 1960. [4] [7] Brower, at one point, wrestled Terrible Ted and hit Haystacks Calhoun with a body slam. [7] In 1961, Brower traveled to Canada to wrestle for Stu Hart in his promotion Stampede Wrestling. [3] [6] Hart claimed that Brower wrestled Whipper Billy Watson over 500 times. [5] After his run in Stampede, Brower wrestled for Frank Tunney in Toronto from 1961 to 1974. [2] There, Brower won the NWA International Tag Team Championship five times, [8] including with Sweet Daddy Siki in 1962, and Johnny Valentine in February 1963. [4] He also worked for other promotions including the American Wrestling Association, NWA St. Louis, Big Time Wrestling in Detroit, and All-Star Wrestling in Montreal.
In 1966, Brower got a call from Vincent J. McMahon to be a heel in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He enjoyed a lengthy feud with WWWF Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino, whom he main evented shows with over the next few years. [7] [9] He also feuded with Bob Backlund, who, in his book Backlund: From All-American Boy to Professional Wrestling's World Champion, described Brower as the least favorite man he ever had to wrestle for the championship. [10]
Brower also wrestled for the National Wrestling Federation (NWF), where he won the NWF North American Heavyweight Championship in 1970. [11] He went on to wrestle for World Championship Wrestling in Australia, where he won the NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship in 1972, [12] as well as the short-lived International Wrestling Association in the New York City area. [5]
Brower returned to the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1979 to 1982, where he was managed by Lou Albano. [4] [7] He then traveled to Puerto Rico, where he competed for the World Wrestling Council (WWC). He and Luke Graham won their version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, [13] before Brower retired from professional wrestling in 1988. [3] [2] [7]
While with his son Richie, Gland fell and broke a hip, and was later found to have an infection in his chest. [5] After living with diabetes and going into a coma, Gland died on September 15, 1997, at the age of 63. [5] [3] [1] At the time of his death, Gland was divorced from Susan and had two daughters and a son, as well as four grandchildren. [1] [6]
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Bulldog Brower | |
---|---|
Birth name | Richard T. Gland [1] |
Born | [2] Delaware, U.S. [3] | September 17, 1933
Died | September 15, 1997[3] | (aged 63)
Spouse(s) | Susan Gland (his death) [1] |
Children | 3 [1] |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Bulldog Brower Delaware Destroyer Dick Brower The Gestapo |
Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
Billed weight | 270 lb (120 kg; 19 st) |
Debut | 1958 [3] |
Retired | 1988 [3] |
Richard T. Gland (September 17, 1933 – September 15, 1997), better known by his ring name Dick "Bulldog" Brower, was an American professional wrestler.
Gland served in the U.S. Marines and frequently visited his local YMCA. [4] [5] He got into powerlifting after graduating from Wilmington High School in 1952. [1] However, Gland dropped out of chiropractic school to pursue a career as a professional wrestler. [3]
Gland started his career in the Delaware territory in 1958 under the ring name the Delaware Destroyer, [3] [6] however, other sources state that his debut was in 1960. [4] [7] Brower, at one point, wrestled Terrible Ted and hit Haystacks Calhoun with a body slam. [7] In 1961, Brower traveled to Canada to wrestle for Stu Hart in his promotion Stampede Wrestling. [3] [6] Hart claimed that Brower wrestled Whipper Billy Watson over 500 times. [5] After his run in Stampede, Brower wrestled for Frank Tunney in Toronto from 1961 to 1974. [2] There, Brower won the NWA International Tag Team Championship five times, [8] including with Sweet Daddy Siki in 1962, and Johnny Valentine in February 1963. [4] He also worked for other promotions including the American Wrestling Association, NWA St. Louis, Big Time Wrestling in Detroit, and All-Star Wrestling in Montreal.
In 1966, Brower got a call from Vincent J. McMahon to be a heel in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. He enjoyed a lengthy feud with WWWF Heavyweight Champion Bruno Sammartino, whom he main evented shows with over the next few years. [7] [9] He also feuded with Bob Backlund, who, in his book Backlund: From All-American Boy to Professional Wrestling's World Champion, described Brower as the least favorite man he ever had to wrestle for the championship. [10]
Brower also wrestled for the National Wrestling Federation (NWF), where he won the NWF North American Heavyweight Championship in 1970. [11] He went on to wrestle for World Championship Wrestling in Australia, where he won the NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship in 1972, [12] as well as the short-lived International Wrestling Association in the New York City area. [5]
Brower returned to the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1979 to 1982, where he was managed by Lou Albano. [4] [7] He then traveled to Puerto Rico, where he competed for the World Wrestling Council (WWC). He and Luke Graham won their version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, [13] before Brower retired from professional wrestling in 1988. [3] [2] [7]
While with his son Richie, Gland fell and broke a hip, and was later found to have an infection in his chest. [5] After living with diabetes and going into a coma, Gland died on September 15, 1997, at the age of 63. [5] [3] [1] At the time of his death, Gland was divorced from Susan and had two daughters and a son, as well as four grandchildren. [1] [6]
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cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
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{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)