Helen Hild | |
---|---|
Birth name | Gladys Helen Nevins |
Born | [1] Omaha, Nebraska, United States[2] | February 26, 1926
Died | March 4, 1984[2] | (aged 58)
Spouse(s) | |
Children | Ted DiBiase |
Family | Ted 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 height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[3] |
Billed weight | 128 lb (58 kg)[3] |
Debut | 1946 |
Retired | 1971 |
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]
Nevins was born in Omaha, Nebraska and had a brother named Marv who played football for University of Nebraska Omaha.[6]
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]
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]