Bulldog Brower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bulldog Brower |
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Gland, circa 1979
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| Birth name | Richard T. Gland |
| Born | September 17, 1933 Delaware, U.S. |
| Died | September 15, 1997 (aged 63) |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Gland (his death) |
| Children | 3 |
| 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 |
| Retired | 1988 |
Richard T. Gland (born September 17, 1933 – died September 15, 1997) was a famous American professional wrestler. Many people knew him by his wrestling name, Dick "Bulldog" Brower.
Contents
Early Life
Richard Gland was born in Delaware, USA. After finishing high school in 1952, he joined the U.S. Marines. He also spent a lot of time at his local YMCA, where he got into powerlifting. Powerlifting is a sport where people lift very heavy weights. Richard even started chiropractic school, but he decided to leave to become a professional wrestler instead.
Professional Wrestling Adventures
Bulldog Brower began his wrestling journey in 1958 in Delaware. He first used the wrestling name "the Delaware Destroyer." Some reports say he started in 1960. Early in his career, he even wrestled a bear named Terrible Ted! He also managed to perform a body slam on the huge wrestler Haystacks Calhoun.
Wrestling in Canada
In 1961, Brower traveled to Canada to wrestle for Stu Hart's wrestling company, Stampede Wrestling. Stu Hart once said that Brower wrestled Whipper Billy Watson over 500 times. After his time in Stampede, Brower moved to Toronto. There, he wrestled for Frank Tunney in Maple Leaf Wrestling from 1961 to 1974.
During this time, Brower won the NWA International Tag Team Championship five times. He won it with partners like Sweet Daddy Siki in 1962 and Johnny Valentine in 1963. He also wrestled for other wrestling companies, including the American Wrestling Association and NWA St. Louis.
Big Matches in the WWWF
In 1966, Brower got a call from Vincent J. McMahon. He was asked to join the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) as a "heel." A heel is a wrestling character who acts like a bad guy to make the crowd cheer for the good guys.
Brower had a long-running rivalry with the WWWF Heavyweight Champion, Bruno Sammartino. They were the main event in many shows over several years. He also had a feud with Bob Backlund. Backlund later wrote in his book that Brower was his least favorite person to wrestle for the championship.
More Championships and Travels
Brower also wrestled for the National Wrestling Federation (NWF). He won the NWF North American Heavyweight Championship in 1970. He then traveled all the way to Australia to wrestle for World Championship Wrestling (Australia). There, he won the NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship in 1972. He also wrestled in the New York City area for the International Wrestling Association.
Brower returned to the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1979 to 1982. During this time, he was managed by the famous Lou Albano. After that, he went to Puerto Rico. He competed for the World Wrestling Council (WWC). He and Luke Graham won the NWA North American Tag Team Championship. Bulldog Brower retired from professional wrestling in 1988.
Later Life and Passing
In 1997, while with his son Richie, Richard Gland had a fall and broke his hip. Doctors later found he had an infection in his chest. He had also been living with diabetes. Richard Gland passed away on September 15, 1997, at the age of 63. He had two daughters and a son, and four grandchildren.
Championships and Accomplishments
- International Wrestling Association
- IWA North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IWA Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Mighty Igor (1) and Johnny Powers (1)
- Maple Leaf Wrestling
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (Toronto version) (5 times) – with Sweet Daddy Siki (1), Johnny Valentine (1), Dr. Jerry Graham (1), and Whipper Billy Watson (2)
- National Wrestling Federation
- NWF North American Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- NWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Mighty Igor (1) and Johnny Powers (1)
- World Class Championship Wrestling
- NWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Roddy Piper
- World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
- NWA Austra-Asian Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- World Brass Knuckles Championship
- World Wrestling Council
- NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Puerto Rico/WWC version) (1 time) – with Luke Graham
