Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Earl Caddock 1888
George Zaharias 1908
Dave Levin 1913
Eddie Creatchman 1928
Bill White 1945
Happy Birthday:
Toshiyo Yamada (56)
RIP Memorial: We stop & remember those who have passed on this day and gave themselves to the business for us, the fans. We salute you and thank you.
Kola Kwariani 2-27-1980 at the age of 77
Billy Robinson 2-27-2014 at the age of 75
The Life & Career of Helen Hild
Active from the mid-1940s through the early 1970s, Hild carved out a notable career as one of the top female wrestlers in the United States, challenging world champions and captivating audiences with her skill, strength, and charisma. Her life story intertwines athletic prowess, personal triumphs, and tragedies, including her role as the mother of WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase and her marriage to fellow wrestler “Iron” Mike DiBiase.
Gladys Helen Nevins was born on February 26, 1926, in Omaha, Nebraska. Growing up in a Midwestern family, she had a brother named Marv Nevins, who played football for the University of Nebraska Omaha, suggesting an early exposure to athletic environments. By her early twenties, Nevins had entered the glamorous world of modeling. She reportedly worked as a model contracted with MGM, appearing in promotional materials and advertisements, which highlighted her striking beauty—a trait that would later become part of her wrestling persona. However, the cutthroat nature of the modeling industry led to her being phased out as she aged, prompting a bold career pivot into professional wrestling. It seems ironic as I wrote that line that modeling in this era was more cutthroat than women’s wrestling.
This transition was groundbreaking; Hild is often remembered as one of the first models to successfully cross over into the rough-and-tumble world of wrestling, bringing a unique blend of elegance and toughness to the ring. She began training seriously in the mid-1940s, debuting in 1946 under various ring names, including Betty Hild, Gladys Galento, Gladys Hild, Gladys Wills, Helen Held, and Helen Hilde, before settling on Helen Hild. Billed at 5 feet 6 inches tall and 128 pounds, she was nicknamed the “Slave Girl,” a moniker that evoked a mix of exotic allure and fierce independence.
Hild’s wrestling career spanned over two decades, from her debut on February 4, 1947, to her retirement around May 21, 1970, though some records extend her activity to 1971. She competed primarily as a face (heroic character), performing for numerous promotions affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), including All-Star Wrestling, Big Time Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF), Central States Wrestling (CSW), Georgia Championship Wrestling (GAC), Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Minneapolis Boxing & Wrestling Club (MBWC), NWA Mid-America, Southwest Sports (SWS TX), World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, precursor to WWE), and others.
During the 1940s and 1950s, Hild emerged as one of the premier female stars in the U.S., known for her ability to handle both technical grappling and brawling styles without resorting to theatrics like crying or screaming, which set her apart in an era when women’s matches were often sensationalized. She challenged the dominant NWA World Women’s Champion Mildred Burke multiple times between 1948 and 1951, though she never captured the title. These high-profile bouts elevated her status and showcased her as a legitimate contender.
Pictured: The Fabulous Moolah pulls the hair of Helen Hild in one of their rough matches
Hild’s rivalry with The Fabulous Moolah (Lillian Ellison) was particularly legendary. One notable encounter occurred on July 24, 1957, at Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla, Washington, where Hild faced Moolah in a grueling match. Another historic bout took place on August 9, 1957, in Seattle, Washington, marking the first women’s wrestling match in the city in 12 years (or 11, per some accounts). Hild’s feisty in-ring style and physical prowess earned her admiration from audiences, who appreciated her as a strong, beautiful competitor thriving in a male-dominated sport.
Throughout her career, Hild wrestled across the country, from Texas to Florida to the Northeast, adapting to various regional styles and crowds. While she did not win major championships listed in records, her contributions were recognized posthumously: she was ranked #37 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s list of the top 50 female wrestlers in 1996 and #38 in their 2002 “100 Hottest Women of Wrestling.” In 2019, she was inducted into the Nebraska Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, cementing her status as a pioneer.
Pictured: Helen Hild in the 1950s
Hild’s personal life was as eventful as her professional one. She was reportedly married to wrestler Al Galento early in her career. In 1954, she gave birth to her son, Theodore Marvin DiBiase (later known as Ted DiBiase Sr., the “Million Dollar Man”), fathered by entertainer and singer Ted Wills. Hild occasionally allowed her young son to watch her matches from the audience, exposing him early to the wrestling world that he would later dominate. In 1958, she married fellow wrestler “Iron” Mike DiBiase, who adopted Theodore and raised him as his own. The couple shared a passion for wrestling, but tragedy struck on July 2, 1969, when Mike suffered a fatal heart attack during a match in Lubbock, Texas, at age 45. This loss devastated Hild, leading to depression and alcohol abuse.
Through her family, Hild’s influence extended generations. Ted DiBiase Sr. became a WWE superstar, and she was the grandmother to his sons: Mike DiBiase Jr., Ted DiBiase Jr., and Brett DiBiase, all of whom pursued wrestling careers. Her story highlights a rare instance in wrestling history where a prominent female wrestler mothered a famous male wrestler, reversing the typical generational pattern.
In her later years, Hild largely retired from wrestling, though she made sporadic appearances into the early 1970s. The death of her husband exacerbated her struggles with substance abuse, and she passed away on March 4, 1984, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the age of 58. Her gravesite, shared with Mike DiBiase, has become a point of pilgrimage for wrestling fans, as noted in tributes and videos. She broke barriers for women in sports entertainment, proving that beauty and brawn could coexist in the ring. Her career paved the way for future generations of female wrestlers, and her family’s continued involvement in the industry ensures her influence persists.
One Thing I Learned About Buddy Austin
During a tour in Australia in December 1968, he was shot in the stomach with a handgun at a chaotic New Year’s Eve party in Sydney’s Kings Cross district, while fellow wrestler Pedro Morales was slashed across the face with a broken beer bottle, leaving a permanent scar. The incident, which may have involved local crime figures or a setup, led to emergency surgery for Austin and canceled matches, but no one was ever convicted for the shooting.
Thank You for Reading
I’m Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share it with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
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