Steve Gower (January 24, 1965 – September 2, 2021), better known by his ring name Steve "The Brawler" Lawler, was an American professional wrestler and trainer. He was a mainstay of regional and independent promotions in the Southern United States since the early 1980s, especially in Georgia and the Carolinas, having wrestled for Deep South Wrestling, Southern Championship Wrestling, Georgia All-Star Wrestling, North Georgia Wrestling Association, Peach State Wrestling and Dusty Rhodes' Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. In later years, he appeared with other NWA veterans for the revived Georgia Championship Wrestling.
A noted tag team specialist, he was a member of the original Bad Company with John Michaels and The Nightmare, a popular "heel" group in the mid-to late 1980s, as well as successful runs with Dennis Gale, Dino Minelli, Bulldog Raines and younger brother Terry Lawler. One of the first students ever trained by Glenn Holbrook, Gower became a trainer himself and served as an instructor for the Masked Superstar's wrestling school and the Global Wrestling Federation's training facility. Among his students include Buff Bagwell, Disco Inferno, Murder One, and Terry Lawler.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1984–1986) A native of Buford, Georgia, Steve Gower was a lifelong fan of professional wrestling and had wanted to become a wrestler as early as 13 years old. As a teenager, he entered and won several toughman contests in Dothan, Alabama. In 1984, a local wrestler out of Macon offered to train him as a professional wrestler, however, Gower later claimed that the veteran wrestler "took my money" and "taught me everything to do wrong." It was after his initial match in Griffin, Georgia, which he later referred to as "a complete disaster", that he was approached by Glenn Holbrook in the dressing room after the show. Seeing potential in the 19-year-old, he invited Gower to train with him. He spent every day for the next 15 weeks working out with Holbrook before he went on the road.
Gower briefly toured Florida, where he wrestled on television as "Adrian Steele", and where he was first given the name Steve "The Brawler" Lawler. Gower would also fill in for masked wrestlers, most notably The Flame. He soon formed a tag team with "Cowboy" Dennis Gale and traveled to various NWA territories and "outlaw" promotions in the South and East Coast. He later claimed that many opponents would refuse to wrestle them, or not show up at all, because of their stiff wrestling style. Charlie Smith, a popular Georgia wrestler in the 1960s and 1970s, once told him he was "the only man he'd ever known who would go to jail for the business." Meeting with Buddy Landell in Atlanta during the mid-1980s, Landell offered to bring him in to WCW, but Gower declined, not willing to be under contract to the organization.
Around this time, Steve Kyle (the original "Steve "The Brawler" Lawler"), was wrestling in the Gulf Coast and Memphis territories though the two should not be confused.
Deep South Wrestling (1986–1988) In 1986, Gower began wrestling for Jody Hamilton's Deep South Wrestling where he feuded with Crazy Luke Graham over the promotion's "brass knuckles" championship. Though a fan favorite while wrestling against Graham, he turned "heel" shortly after defeating him for the title. It was also around this time that he joined the original Bad Company, a three-man tag team similar to The Fabulous Freebirds, with John Michaels and The Nightmare and were successful in the region during the mid-to late 1980s. On April 28, 1987, he and The Nightmare wrestled the Rock n' Roll Rebels (Greg Evans & Richard Sartain) at a benefit show for Ware County High School in Waycross, Georgia. The trio also battled "Wildfire" Tommy Rich, Johnny Rich, and Ricky Morton in the spring of 1988, their matches later being aired on the nationally syndicated program "Pro Wrestling This Week." One of his matches against Tommy Rich was later featured on "Blood Battles of the South" highlighting the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion's "bloodiest grudge matches."
Southern Championship Wrestling (1988–1990) While working for Hamilton, Gower also started competing in Southern Championship Wrestling and began competing there full-time following the close of DSW. During his time in the promotion, he formed a popular tag team with Dino Minelli known as "Thunder and Lightning" and twice won the promotion's tag team championship. Their first reign began after defeating Ranger Ross and Joey Maggs for the belts in Alpharetta, Georgia on October 23, 1988, and held the titles for two months before being defeated by Ross and Mr. Wrestling II in Atlanta on December 30, 1988. In their second and final championship reign, with manager Sir Samuel F. Kent, a feud with Georgia Power (Nightmare Ted Allen & Jimmy Powell) would end with their losing the titles to them in 1989. The two were compared to the Rock 'n' Roll Express and similar teams at one time for their "chemistry and ability in the ring", however, their partnership ended in a bitter break up.
Independent circuit (1991–1999) Gower continued wrestling throughout the Southern independent circuit, where he built a reputation through memorable performances and gaining invaluable in-ring experience. During this period, he faced a number of respected veterans and notable competitors, including Ray Candy, Randy Rose, Mr. Wrestling II, Dick Slater, Ken Timbs, Mike Golden, Abdullah the Butcher, The Bullet, and Scott Studd, among others.
One of the top stars for Joe Pedicino's Georgia All-Star Wrestling, Gower won the GASW Heavyweight Championship from Nick Busick in Carrollton on December 2, 1990, and held the title for over four months before dropping the title to Joel Deaton in Canton, Georgia on April 21, 1991. He also ran a wrestling school during this period for the Masked Superstar, and later the Global Wrestling Federation's training facility, where he trained a number of wrestlers including Marcus Alexander Bagwell, Disco Inferno, Murder One and his younger brother, Terry Lawler. Bagwell, wrestling under the name "The Fabulous Fabian", defeated Gower for the GASW (North Georgia) Television Championship in his first professional match.Symkus, Ed and Vinnie Carolan. Wrestle Radio U.S.A.: Grapplers Speak. Toronto: ECW Press, 2004. (pg. 134)
On September 15, 1991, Gower faced his former student a second time at an interpromotional show in Marietta, Georgia between the Global Wrestling Federation, where Bagwell was now wrestling as "The Handsome Stranger", and Georgia All-Star Wrestling which he lost to Bagwell via disqualification.
Gower continued his long-running feud against Tommy Rich in GASW, helped by manager Dave Prazak, where the two had several wild brawls. Prazak later claimed that during one of their encounters, in which Rich put Prazak in a piledriver, "both he and Steve Lawler were roaring drunk for that match." They would eventually meet in a "lights out" match at Douglasville, Georgia with the loser being forced to retire. Gower himself later said the greatest matches he ever had were against Rich calling them "some of the bloodiest, they were some of the hardest, and I have a lot of respect for Rich to this day."
With the end of the NWA territory system, Gower remained in Georgia working for independent promotions such as Peach State Wrestling (1991–95), shortly after it began bringing in SCW stars for its televised matches, and the North Georgia Wrestling Association (1992–97). Shortly before the latter promotion's close, he and Bubba Humphries won the NGWA Tag Team Championship from Kenny and John Arden and held them for less than a month before dropping the belts back to the Ardens in Rome on April 19, 1996. He also wrestled and lost to Kenny Arden in a singles match on May 18, 1996. A year later, Gower won the NGWA Heavyweight Championship and remained champion until the promotion's close at the end of the year. He also spent some time in the North American Wrestling Alliance and appeared at its supercard "The Crime in College Park" where he faced his old ally, "The Nightmare" Ted Allen on February 12, 1999.
Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling (2000–2001) In 2000, he joined Dusty Rhodes' short-lived Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling. He was one of its few major stars not affiliated with either Extreme Championship Wrestling or World Championship Wrestling. He appeared as "Desperado" Liberty McCall on "Halloween Horror Slam 1", its first television taping, against Jason Holton though negative fan reaction caused the promotion to change it back to his old "Brawler" ring name. On February 18, 2001, at its "TCW vs. ECW" supercard, Gower teamed with Erik Watts in the main event to wrestle Rhodes and a mystery partner. The match was one of several on "Best of Dusty Rhodes - Living The American Dream" released by RF Video on VHS. He met Rhodes again three months later, this time with partner Scott Hall, in a tag team match in Dothan, Alabama with Larry Zbyszko which they lost. He was also on the losing end of a 6-man tag team match with Ron Studd and Barry Windham at TCW's "Woodstock Show", on December 7, 2001, when they were disqualified in their match to Dusty Rhodes, Bob Armstrong and Larry Zbyzsko.
Semi-retirement (2001–2004) Gower eventually left pro wrestling to work for a building supply company, and later with a major motorcycle distributor, Greg and Lori Becker's Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson, though he continued to make occasional appearances on the Georgia "indy circuit" for a number of years. On November 29, 2002, he and his old tag team partner Dennis Gale reunited for a Peach State Wrestling reunion show, held at the Lions Club Fairgrounds in Cordele, Georgia, where they wrestled "Wildfire" Tommy Rich and Mr. Hughes in the main event. "Bullet" Bob Armstrong was originally scheduled to serve as the special guest referee however he was forced to drop out after being injured in an attack by Erik Watts earlier in the show. Other wrestlers on the card included Vordell Walker, Scott Armstrong, Marty Jannetty, Bambi, Leilani Kai, Jorge Estrada, Sonny Siaki, Ray Lloyd, Scotty Riggs, and Thunderbolt Patterson. He also made a brief appearance for NAWA Ring Champions. On April 17, 2004, he was scheduled to wrestle Tommy Rich but instead tricked the younger Seth Cruise into taking his place. He returned for two more appearances defeating Johnny Grunge on May 15 and, at its "Spring Stampede" supercard, his brother Terry Lawler in a Rome Street Fight on May 29, 2004. All three shows were held at Dillard's Music Park in Rome, Georgia.
Return to the Georgia "indy circuit" (2008–2009) After an absence of several years, Gower came out of retirement losing over thirty pounds to get in shape for his return. By 2008, he was wrestling for both NAWA Ring Champions, for which he served as booker at times, and Southern Extreme Championship Wrestling. On January 6, 2008, at SECW's "Bill Dromo Appreciation Night" in Carrollton, he wrestled in a 6-man tag team match with Chick Donovan and Bulldog Raines against Bob Armstrong, Tommy Rich, and Buff Bagwell, losing when his team was disqualified. On February 7, a tag team match with Bulldog Raines against Tommy Rich and Jimmy Powell in Rome for NAWA Ring Champions ended in a double-disqualification. He and Raines lost a match in SECW against Bull Buchanan and Buff Bagwell three days later."Georgia Wrestling News, Notes, And Nostalgia: 01/31/2008." DeclarationofIndependents.net. Ed. Sean McCaffrey. N.p., 31 Jan. 2008. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <www.declarationofindependents.net/doi/pages/ga131pp.html>.
The two split up after their most recent loss and were on opposing sides the following week when he and his new partner, The Super Destroyer, beat Bull Buchanan and Bulldog Raines via disqualification. In SECW, Gower later challenged Raines for the SECW Heavyweight Championship.