Helen Hild

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] In her career, Nevins 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]

Helen Hild
Promotional photograph of Helen Hild
Birth nameGladys Helen Nevins
Born(1926-02-26)February 26, 1926[1]
Omaha, Nebraska, United States[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

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. "Helen Hild". Online World Of Wrestling. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  2. "Helen Hild". wrestlingdata.com.
  3. "Helen Hild". cagematch.net.
  4. "WRESTLER FROM Dl". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, IL: newspapers.com. May 14, 2009. p. 32.(subscription required)
  5. "Helen Hild: Matches". cagematch.net.
  6. Darren, Ivy (2015). University of Nebraska-Omaha Football. Arcadia Publishing. p. 45. ISBN 978-1467114615.
  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. Melby, James C. (1996). "The 50 Greatest Woman Wrestlers of All-Time". Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: The Women of Wrestling. London Publishing Co. 1 (1): 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. Aug 1, 1957.
  14. "The Fabulous Moolah to Wrestle Again". news.google.com. The Spokesman-Review. Jul 28, 1957.
  15. "Big Crowd Sees Women Graplers". news.google.com. The Spokesman-Review. Jul 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 978-1550227598.
  22. Greg Klein (2012). The King of New Orleans: How the Junkyard Dog Became Professional Wrestling's First Black Superhero. ECWPress. p. 89. ISBN 1770410309.
  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 978-0786417544.

Further reading
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