DC Drake

DC Drake
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) DC Drake
Billed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Billed weight 255 lb (116 kg)
Billed from Mad Dog
Retired 1995

DC Drake is a former American professional wrestler. He became the Heavyweight Champion for the National Wrestling Federation and Tri-State Wrestling Alliance which was the precursor to Extreme Championship Wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

National Wrestling Federation (1989–1991)

A tournament was held for the newly created NWF Heavyweight Championship featuring such wrestling stars as the Wild Samoans, the Tonga Kid, Sgt. Slaughter, Jules Strongbow, and Bruiser Brody which Drake managed to emerge victorious from to became the first NWF Champion. The organization moved from the Allentown area to offices in the Philadelphia and New York City area.

Drake, who was the NWF Heavyweight Champion, battled the top talent that the organization's promoters threw at him. Along with his manager Damien Kane, Drake managed to hold onto his title for nearly two years. Along the way, he engaged in a long and bloody feud with Jules Strongbow. The war culminated in a dog collar match in a New Jersey venue where both wrestlers lost a tremendous amount of blood. A prominent angle of this feud featured Bob Raskin and his promotion team refusing to sanction any additional matches between the two for one year, fearing a serious injury to one of the men.

Drake injured his back during a match in Shippensburg, PA when he was tossed off a set of bleachers crashing to the floor. After being out for several months, Drake was defeated by Sgt. Slaughter who became the champion briefly before the organization closed.

Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling (1991–1995)

After several months off from the wrestling circuit, he was contacted by Joel Goodhart about picking up some matches for a new organization operating out of Philadelphia called the Tri State Wrestling Alliance (TWA). Drake was happy to return to the ring but wanted to do so sparingly. As the TWA grew, Goodhart and his partner Tod Gordon, decided to have a tournament for the vacant title. Nancy "Woman" Benoit entered to organization and contacted Drake, convincing him to enter the contest. At the Civic Center in Philadelphia, Drake captured the title from the Rockin' Rebel and went on to hold the gold for nearly a year.

It was with the TWA that Drake began the hardcore style that overtook Goodhart's promotion via his participation in many dog collar, stretcher, and steel cage matches, as well as other "concept: matches. In a match with Larry Winters in McGonicle Hall in Philadelphia, Drake was tossed off the second floor balcony of the arena to the hard concrete floor below. In a rematch, both worked their way up into the third level of the arena and battled in the rafters where both men nearly lost their footing 40 feet above the arena floor. This set off a series of matches between the two and for nearly six months, the TWA ring was soaked in blood. The battles occurred in TWA rings as well as other independent organizations around the country. One national wrestling magazine called the feud brutal and editorialized that what they were seeing would change the wrestling world forever. After months of hardcore title defenses against Winters and other challengers, the beatings had taken a toll on Drake. He lost his title to J.T. Smith, a young wrestler from Philadelphia. In a rematch for the title at the Sports Bar in Philadelphia, Drake suffered a serious neck and shoulder injury which forced his retirement.

After Drake left active competition in 1995, he worked at times as both a booker and TV producer for cable television shows involved in wrestling.

However, Drake would return for one final match, on February 25, 1995 at ECW's Return of the Funker PPV in the main event facing Cactus Jack (Mick Foley). For this match, Drake was brought to the ring in a wooden box by former manager and friend Woman (Nancy Benoit), from which he emerged to surprise attack Foley. As Foley turned the tables on Drake and pinned him, the Sandman and Terry Funk entered the ring and beat Foley. Drake regained his senses and joined in the massacre. Several other wrestlers assisted Foley and Drake and Tommy Dreamer fought their way back to the dressing room. After the match, ECW President Paul Heyman offered Drake a contract to take on Dreamer in a series of matches. Drake, no longer in condition to face the rigors of the ring, thanked Heyman for the offer but returned to retirement.

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  2. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 – 1991". Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved 2008-07-14.

External links