up at all, because of their stiff wrestling style. Charlie Smith, a popular Georgia wrestler in the 1960s and 1970s, once told him he was "the only man he'd ever known who would go to jail for the business." Meeting with Buddy Landell in Atlanta during the mid-1980s, Landell offered to bring him in to WCW but Gower declined not willing to be under contract to the organization. Around this time, Steve Kyle (the original "Steve "The Brawler" Lawler"), was wrestling in the Gulf Coast and Memphis territories though the two should not be confused. Deep South Wrestling (1986–1988) In 1986, Gower began wrestling for Jody Hamilton's Deep South Wrestling where he feuded with Crazy Luke Graham over the promotion's "brass knuckles" championship. Though a fan favorite while wrestling against Graham, he turned "heel" shortly after defeating him for the title. It was also around this time that he joined the original Bad Company, a three-man tag team similar to The Fabulous Freebirds, with John Michaels and The Nightmare and were successful in the region during the mid-to late 1980s. On April 28, 1987, he and The Nightmare wrestled the Rock n' Roll Rebels (Greg Evans & Richard Sartain) at a benefit show for Ware County High School in Waycross, Georgia. The trio also battled "Wildfire" Tommy Rich, Johnny Rich, and Ricky Morton in the spring of 1988, their matches later being aired on the nationally syndicated program "Pro Wrestling This Week." One of his matches against Tommy Rich was later featured on "Blood Battles of the South" highlighting the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion's "bloodiest grudge matches." Southern Championship Wrestling (1988–1990) While working for Hamilton, Gower also started competing in Southern Championship Wrestling and began competing there full-time following the close of DSW. During his time in the promotion, he formed a popular tag team with Dino Minelli known as "Thunder and Lightning" and twice won the promotion's tag team championship. Their first reign began after defeating Ranger Ross and Joey Maggs for the belts in Alpharetta, Georgia on October 23, 1988, and held the titles for two months before being defeated by Ross and Mr. Wrestling II in Atlanta on December 30, 1988. In their second and final championship reign, with manager Sir Samuel F. Kent, a feud with Georgia Power (Nightmare Ted Allen & Jimmy Powell) would end with their losing the titles to them in 1989.