| D. C. Drake | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Don Clyde Drake[1][2] |
| Born | (1957-09-16)September 16, 1957 (age 67) Phillipsburg, New Jersey, United States[3] |
| Spouse(s) | Lydia[2] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | D. C. Drake[1][2] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Billed weight | 256 lb (116 kg)[4] |
| Trained by | Tito Torres[5] |
| Debut | 1980[4] |
| Retired | 1995[5] |
Don Clyde Drake (born September 16, 1957) is an American addictions counselor, retiredprofessional wrestler and formerpromoter. He is best known for his appearances on thenortheasternindependent circuit under thering nameD. C. Drake.[1][2][5]
The eldest of four children, Drake was born inPhillipsburg, New Jersey.[5] He attendedPhillipsburg High School.[3] While growing up, he competed inamateur wrestling andAmerican Legion Baseball. After his father suffered a severe back injury, Drake began working in afilling station to supplement his family's income.[5]
After graduating from Phillipsburg High School in 1974, Drake attended college. He initially majored in criminal justice before moving to psychology and mental health.[5]
In 1977, Drake began working for theNew Jersey Department of Corrections as acorrections officer at the Mountainview Correctional Facility inAnnandale, New Jersey.[2] He left the Department of Corrections in 1987 to focus on his wrestling career.[5]
Drake was a fan of professional wrestling while growing up, running abackyard wrestling promotion during his teenage years.[5] While working as a corrections officer, he trained as a professional wrestler under Tito Torres.[3] He made his debut in 1980, facing The Hangman inJersey City, New Jersey.[4] He went on to wrestle on theindependent circuit inNew Jersey andNew York.
In 1982, Drake founded theAllentown, Pennsylvania-based Continental Wrestling Alliance (CWA).[4][5] The CWA had a roster of approximately 50 wrestlers and aired shows oncable television.[4] In addition to running the promotion, Drake was the promotion's mainbabyface.[4] He was managed by Uncle Bob, a local radio personality.
In 1986, Drake sold the CWA to Robert Raskin, who renamed the promotion the National Wrestling Federation. Drake became the promotion'sbooker andtelevision producer and continued to wrestle, adopting ahardcore wrestling style.[5] He developed the character of D. C. "Mad Dog" Drake, a frenzied wrestler. As part of the character, Drakefoamed from the mouth (usingAlka-Seltzer to create the effect), darkened his eyes withmascara, and was led to the ring on a chain by hismanager Johnny Angel.[3]
On June 7, 1986, Drake won a tournament for the newly created NWF Heavyweight Championship, defeating Rocky Jones in the final. His first reign ended on March 27, 1987 when he lost toSgt. Slaughter. Drake held the title on two further occasions, feuding with wrestlers such asJules Strongbow,Larry Winters andBruiser Brody.
In 1988, Drake left the NWF after sustaining a series of injuries and becoming frustrated with the promotion's management.[5]
In 1988, Drake founded another professional wrestling promotion, ProStar Championship Wrestling. The promotion, which staged shows at county fairs, featured multiple NWF wrestlers including Drake, Jules Strongbow, Sgt. Slaughter and Larry Winters.[6] The promotion closed in 1989.[5]
In 1990, Drake was contacted by Joel Goodhart to wrestle for his newly formed promotion, thePhiladelphia,Pennsylvania-basedTri-State Wrestling Alliance (TWA). The feud between Drake and Larry Winters was reignited in TWA, with the two facing one another in a series of stipulation matches includingdog collar matches andstretcher matches. In one bout in theMcGonigle Hall, Drake was thrown from the second floor balcony to the floor below.
On September 15, 1990, Drake won the vacant TWA Heavyweight Championship in a bout withRockin' Rebel at the "Autumn Armageddon"supercard, breaking his ankle during the match.[5] He lost the title toJ.T. Smith on August 3, 1991.
In 1992, Goodhart sold his stake in TWA toTod Gordon, who renamed the promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW). Drake wrestled on the first two ECW cards before retiring due to injuries.
Drake made a one-off return to Eastern Championship Wrestling - since renamedExtreme Championship Wrestling - on February 25, 1995 at theReturn of the Funkersupercard. Drake was introduced as a mystery opponent forCactus Jack byWoman as a continuation of Cactus Jack'sfeud with Woman andThe Sandman. After Cactus Jack defeated Drake, The Sandman, Drake andTerry Funk attacked Cactus Jack until being driven off byTommy Dreamer andShane Douglas.[7] After the match, ECW promoterPaul Heyman invited Drake to return for a series of matches with Dreamer but he declined and returned to retirement.[5]
In 1996, Drake began training for a return to professional wrestling. After an intensive session at the gym, Drake suffered aheart attack and was diagnosed withdiffuse coronary artery disease, causing him to abort his comeback plans.[5]
Drake made a one-night return to the ring with Top Rope Promotions on May 26, 2005, teaming withSpike Dudley in a loss to Chris Venom andMike Bennett. He made a second return to the ring on August 27, 2005 atWrestleReunion, teaming with Amy Love andGary Royal in a loss to George South, Jr,The Patriot andWendi Richter.
Drake studied for amaster's degree inpsychological counseling and was certified as an addictions counselor. He went on to run the Living and Recovering Community (LARC) program, anot-for-profitsubstance abuse treatment program for individuals withHIV atLemuel Shattuck Hospital inBoston,Massachusetts.[1][2]
Drake's first wife, with whom he had several children, contractedHIV from ablood transfusion. The couple divorced after Drake's wife developedAIDS andprogressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, causing behavioral changes. She later died from AIDS. Drake and his children did not contract HIV.[2] Drake later remarried to Lydia.[2][3]
Drake suffers fromcardiovascular disease as a result ofgenetic disorders andanabolic steroid use, taking bothmetandienone andtestosterone during his career. He has suffered a number ofheart attacks since the age of 38 and has undergonecoronary artery bypass surgery andpercutaneous coronary interventions.[2][3]
In the 1980s, Drake launched an anti-drug program aimed at schoolchildren called "Beyond No".
In December 2012, Drake was incorrectly reported as having died.[1][3]
