Steve Lawler (wrestler)

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.