Don Clyde Drake (born September 16, 1957) is an American addictions counselor, retired

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

and former promoter. He is best known for his appearances on the

northeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...

under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projectin ...

D. C. Drake.

Early life

The eldest of four children, Drake was born in

Phillipsburg, New Jersey Phillipsburg is a town located along the Delaware River in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located across the river directly east from Easton, Pennsylvania. Phillipsburg is the most populous municipality in Warren County ...

. He attended Phillipsburg High School. While growing up, he competed in

amateur wrestling Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced in collegiate, school, or other amateur level competitions. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games: freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both styles are under the ...

and American Legion Baseball. After his father suffered a severe back injury, Drake began working in a

filling station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasol ...

to supplement his family's income. After graduating from Phillipsburg High School in 1974, Drake attended college. He initially majored in criminal justice before moving to psychology and mental health. In 1977, Drake began working for the

New Jersey Department of Corrections The New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) is responsible for operations and management of prison facilities in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The department operates 13 major institutions—seven adult male correctional facilities, three ...

as a

corrections officer A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...

at the Mountainview Correctional Facility in

Annandale, New Jersey Annandale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Clinton Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 1,695.

. He left the Department of Corrections in 1987 to focus on his wrestling career.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1980–1982)

Drake was a fan of professional wrestling while growing up, running a

backyard wrestling Backyard wrestling (BYW), also referred to as yarding or backyarding, is an underground hobby and sport involving untrained practices of professional-style wrestling, typically in a low-budget environment, such as a backyard. Although not legit ...

promotion during his teenage years. While working as a corrections officer, he trained as a professional wrestler under Tito Torres. He made his debut in 1980, facing The Hangman in Jersey City, New Jersey. He went on to wrestle on the

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Continental Wrestling Alliance/National Wrestling Federation (1982–1988)

In 1982, Drake founded the Allentown, Pennsylvania-based Continental Wrestling Alliance (CWA). The CWA had a roster of approximately 50 wrestlers and aired shows on

cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...

. In addition to running the promotion, Drake was the promotion's main

babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

. 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's booker and

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon a ...

and continued to wrestle, adopting a

hardcore wrestling Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling where disqualifications, count-outs, and all other different rules do not apply. Taking place in usual or unusual environments, hardcore wrestling matches allow the use of numerous items, inclu ...

style. He developed the character of D. C. "Mad Dog" Drake, a frenzied wrestler. As part of the character, Drake foamed from the mouth (using

Alka-Seltzer Alka-Seltzer is an effervescent antacid and pain reliever first marketed by the Dr. Miles Medicine Company of Elkhart, Indiana, United States. Alka-Seltzer contains three active ingredients: aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) (ASA), sodium bicarbon ...

to create the effect), darkened his eyes with

mascara Mascara is a cosmetic commonly used to enhance the upper and lower eyelashes. It is used to darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes. Normally in one of three forms—liquid, powder, or cream—the modern mascara product has vari ...

, and was led to the ring on a chain by his

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

Johnny Angel. 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 to

Sgt. Slaughter Robert Rudolph Remus (born August 27, 1948), best known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is a voice actor and retired American professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE in the ambassador program. From the late 1970s to the early 19 ...

. Drake held the title on two further occasions, feuding with wrestlers such as

Jules Strongbow Francis Huntington (born November 29, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1980s under the ring name Jules Strongbow, where he held the WWF Worl ...

Larry Winters Larry Winters (April 14, 1956 – January 27, 2015) was an American professional wrestler and trainer who competed in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit during the 1980s and 90s. He has wrestled in the American Wrestlin ...

and

Bruiser Brody Frank Donald Goodish (June 18, 1946 – July 17, 1988) was an American professional wrestler who earned his greatest fame under the ring name Bruiser Brody. He also worked as King Kong Brody, The Masked Marauder, and Red River Jack. Over the year ...

. In 1988, Drake left the NWF after sustaining a series of injuries and becoming frustrated with the promotion's management.

ProStar Championship Wrestling (1988–1989)

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. The promotion closed in 1989.

Tri-State Wrestling Alliance/Eastern Championship Wrestling (1990–1992)

In 1990, Drake was contacted by Joel Goodhart to wrestle for his newly formed promotion, the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

-based

Tri-State Wrestling Alliance HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...

(TWA). The feud between Drake and Larry Winters was reignited in TWA, with the two facing one another in a series of stipulation matches including

dog collar match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

es and

stretcher match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

es. In one bout in the

McGonigle Hall McGonigle Hall is an athletic facility that is located on the campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Temple women's basketball splits games between McGonigle Hall and the Liacouras Center. The gym is also home to Temple wome ...

, 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 with

Rockin' Rebel Charles Williams (January 13, 1966 – June 1, 2018) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rockin' Rebel. He was best known for his appearances on the U.S. independent circuit with promotions such as Eastern Ch ...

at the "Autumn Armageddon"

supercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to t ...

, breaking his ankle during the match. He lost the title to J.T. Smith on August 3, 1991. In 1992, Goodhart sold his stake in TWA to

Tod Gordon Tod Gordon (born June 19, 1955, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American businessman. Gordon is the president of Carver W. Reed Co. Inc, a Philadelphia jewelry store and loan office that was established in 1860. He is also the founder of defu ...

, who renamed the promotion Eastern Championship Wrestling (ECW). Drake wrestled on the first two ECW cards before retiring due to injuries.

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1995)

Drake made a one-off return to Eastern Championship Wrestling - since renamed

Extreme Championship Wrestling HHG Corporation, doing business as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), was a professional wrestling promotion and media company that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as National Wrest ...

- on February 25, 1995 at the

Return of the Funker Return of the Funker was a professional wrestling supercard event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). It took place on February 25, 1995 from the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. The commentator for the ...

. Drake was introduced as a mystery opponent for

Cactus Jack Cactus Jack may refer to: People with the nickname * Mick Foley (born 1965), American actor, writer, professional wrestler, and color commentator * John Nance Garner (1868–1967), American politician * Jack Wells (sportscaster) (1911–1999), Ca ...

Woman A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regard ...

as a continuation of Cactus Jack's

feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one pa ...

with Woman and

The Sandman The Sandman is a mythical character in European folklore who puts people to sleep and encourages and inspires beautiful dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto their eyes. Representation in traditional folklore The Sandman is a traditional charac ...

. After Cactus Jack defeated Drake, The Sandman, Drake and

Terry Funk Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – a ...

attacked Cactus Jack until being driven off by

Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) pro ...

and

Shane Douglas Troy Allan Martin (born November 21, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name Shane Douglas. He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling ( ...

. After the match, ECW promoter

Paul Heyman Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavywei ...

invited Drake to return for a series of matches with Dreamer but he declined and returned to retirement.

Retirement (1995–present)

In 1996, Drake began training for a return to professional wrestling. After an intensive session at the gym, Drake suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

and was diagnosed with diffuse coronary artery disease, causing him to abort his comeback plans. Drake made a one-night return to the ring with Top Rope Promotions on May 26, 2005, teaming with

Spike Dudley Matthew Jonathan Hyson (born August 13, 1970) is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as Spike Dudley. Prior to WWE, Hyson began performing as Spike Dudley in the 1990s with E ...

in a loss to Chris Venom and Mike Bennett. He made a second return to the ring on August 27, 2005 at

WrestleReunion WrestleReunion (or Wrestle Reunion) is a professional wrestling event, and fan convention, founded by Sal Corrente in 2005. WrestleReunion 1 The first WrestleReunion event occurred January 29, 2005, at Doubletree Hotel in Tampa, Florida. The ...

, teaming with Amy Love and

Gary Royal Gary Rowell, known as "Gorgeous" Gary Royal, is an American professional wrestler. In the early part of his career, he was a member of the Convertible Blonds, a heel stable with Rip Rogers and Pistol Pez Whatley. Championships and accomplishmen ...

in a loss to George South, Jr, The Patriot and

Wendi Richter Victoria "Wendi" Richter (born September 8, 1961) is an American retired professional wrestler. She began her professional wrestling career in companies such as the National Wrestling Alliance, where she teamed with Joyce Grable, with whom she ...

Addictions counseling career

Drake studied for a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

psychological counseling Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome prob ...

and was certified as an addictions counselor. He went on to run the Living and Recovering Community (LARC) program, a

not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

treatment program for individuals with

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immu ...

at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Personal life

Drake's first wife, with whom he had several children, contracted

from a

blood transfusion Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but m ...

. The couple divorced after Drake's wife developed AIDS and

progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare and often fatal viral disease characterized by progressive damage (''-pathy'') or inflammation of the white matter (''leuko-'') of the brain (''-encephalo-'') at multiple locations (''mul ...

, causing behavioral changes. She later died from AIDS. Drake and his children did not contract HIV. Drake later remarried to Lydia. Drake suffers from

cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, ...

as a result of

genetic disorder A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorde ...

s and anabolic steroid use, taking both

metandienone Metandienone, also known as methandienone or methandrostenolone and sold under the brand name Dianabol (D-Bol) among others, is an androgen and anabolic steroid (AAS) medication which is still quite often used because of its affordability and eff ...

and

testosterone Testosterone is the primary sex hormone and anabolic steroid in males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as testes and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteris ...

during his career. He has suffered a number of

heart attacks A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

since the age of 38 and has undergone

coronary artery bypass surgery Coronary artery bypass surgery, also known as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, pronounced "cabbage") is a surgical procedure to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), the buildup of plaques in the arteries of the heart. It can relieve chest pai ...

and

percutaneous coronary intervention Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a non-surgical procedure used to treat narrowing of the coronary arteries of the heart found in coronary artery disease. The process involves combining coronary angioplasty with stenting, which is th ...

s. 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.

Championships and accomplishments

*East Coast Wrestling Federation **ECWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

National Wrestling Federation The original National Wrestling Federation (NWF) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Buffalo, New York and owned by promoter Pedro Martínez. It ran from 1970 to 1974. The promotion was then revived in 1986 by Robert Raskin. The revive ...

**NWF Heavyweight Championship (3 times, first) *

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...

**PWI ranked him #178 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publis ...

in 1991 *

**TWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

References

External links

* *
The Living and Recovering Community program
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, D. C. 1957 births American male professional wrestlers Living people People from Phillipsburg, New Jersey Phillipsburg High School (New Jersey) alumni Professional wrestlers from New Jersey Professional wrestling promoters Sportspeople from Morris County, New Jersey