Helen Hild

Helen Hild
Promotional photograph of Helen Hild
Birth nameGladys Helen Nevins
Born(1926-02-26)February 26, 1926[1]
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.[2]
DiedMarch 4, 1984(1984-03-04) (aged 58)[2]
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1958; died 1969)​
ChildrenTed DiBiase
FamilyTed DiBiase Jr. (grandson)
Mike DiBiase (grandson)
Brett DiBiase (grandson)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Betty Hild
Gladys Galento
Gladys Hild
Gladys Wills
Helen Held
Helen Hild[2]
Billed height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[3]
Billed weight128 lb (58 kg)[3]
Debut1946
Retired1971

Gladys Helen Nevins (February 26, 1926 – March 4, 1984), better known by her ring name Helen Hild, was an American female professional wrestler and model.[4] She wrestled for extended periods of time for various wrestling promotions: All-Star Wrestling, Big Time Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Central States Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club, NWA Mid-America[5] and the World Wide Wrestling Federation.[5][2][1]

Early life

Nevins was born in Omaha, Nebraska and had a brother named Marv who played football for University of Nebraska Omaha.[6]

Professional wrestling career

Hild wrestled through the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.[7][8][9] One of the top female wrestling stars in the U.S. during the 1940s and 50s,[10] she challenged Mildred Burke for the NWA World Women's Championship several times between 1948 and 1951. Hild was often a rival to The Fabulous Moolah.[11][12][13][14][15] Their encounter in Seattle, Washington on August 9, 1957, was the first woman's wrestling match to be held in the city in 12 years.[16]

Personal life

Nevins gave birth to a son named Theodore Marvin, later known as wrestler Ted DiBiase, in 1954, fathered by Ted Wills, an entertainer and singer.[17][18] She later married fellow wrestler "Iron" Mike DiBiase, who adopted Theodore.[19][20][21][22][23][24] After Mike's death during a 1969 wrestling match, she became depressed and began to abuse alcohol.[4]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b "Helen Hild". Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "Helen Hild". wrestlingdata.com.
  3. ^ a b "Helen Hild". cagematch.net.
  4. ^ a b "WRESTLER FROM Dl". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, IL: newspapers.com. May 14, 2009. p. 32.(subscription required)
  5. ^ a b "Helen Hild: Matches". cagematch.net.
  6. ^ Darren, Ivy (2015). University of Nebraska-Omaha Football. Arcadia Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-4671-1461-5.
  7. ^ "Hanson Meets Red Devil: Mae Young Wrestles Helen Hild". news.google.com. The Deseret News. April 15, 1948.
  8. ^ "Hild Decisions Dotson In Wrestling Feature". news.google.com. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. January 7, 1953.
  9. ^ "Hild, Wright Take Girls' Wrestle Royal". news.google.com. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. February 4, 1958.
  10. ^ a b Melby, James C. (1996). "The 50 Greatest Woman Wrestlers of All-Time". Pro Wrestling Illustrated Presents: The Women of Wrestling. 1 (1). London Publishing Co.: 29.
  11. ^ Jesse Collings (January 9, 2016). "Introducing A New WINC Feature: The 50 Greatest Wrestlers Of The Last 50 Years". wrestlinginc.com.
  12. ^ "Stojack Winner In Feature Bout". news.google.com. Spokane Daily Chronicle. August 2, 1957.
  13. ^ "Frank Stojack Risks Mat Time". news.google.com. The Spokesman-Review. August 1, 1957.
  14. ^ "The Fabulous Moolah to Wrestle Again". news.google.com. The Spokesman-Review. July 28, 1957.
  15. ^ "Big Crowd Sees Women Graplers". news.google.com. The Spokesman-Review. July 25, 1957.
  16. ^ "WHOOPS, MY DEAR". Owensboro Messenger. Owensboro, Kentucky. August 9, 1957.
  17. ^ DiBiase, Ted (2008). Ted DiBiase: The Million Dollar Man. Pocket Books. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-4165-5890-3.
  18. ^ DiBiase, Ted (1997). Every Man Has His Price. Multnomah Publishers, Inc. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-57673-175-8.
  19. ^ DiBiase, Ted (1997). Every Man Has His Price. Multnomah Publishers, Inc. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-57673-175-8.
  20. ^ DiBiase, Ted (2008). Ted DiBiase: The Million Dollar Man. Pocket Books. p. 21. ISBN 978-1-4165-5890-3.
  21. ^ Steven Johnson; Greg Oliver (2007). The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels. ECW Press. p. 253 pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-759-8.
  22. ^ Greg Klein (2012). The King of New Orleans: How the Junkyard Dog Became Professional Wrestling's First Black Superhero. ECWPress. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-77041-030-5.
  23. ^ Slamthology: Collected Wrestling Writings 1991–2004. jnlister. 2005. p. 253 pp. ISBN 1-4116-5329-7.
  24. ^ Harris M Lentz III (2003). Biographical Dictionary of Professional Wrestling, 2d ed. McFarland & Company. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7864-1754-4.

Further reading