A noted tag team specialist, he was a member of the original Bad Company with John Michaels and The Nightmare, a popular "heel" group in the mid-to late 1980s, as well as successful runs with Dennis Gale, Dino Minelli, Bulldog Raines and younger brother Terry Lawler.
[1] 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.
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.
He also spent some time in the North American Wrestling Alliance and appeared at its supercard "The Crime in College Park" where he faced his old ally, "The Nightmare" Ted Allen on February 12, 1999.
He appeared as "Desperado" Liberty McCall on "Halloween Horror Slam 1", its first television taping, against Jason Holton[19] though negative fan reaction caused the promotion to change it back to his old "Brawler" ring name.
[1] On February 18, 2001, at its "TCW vs. ECW" supercard, Gower teamed with Erik Watts in the main event to wrestle Rhodes and a mystery partner.
[24] He met Rhodes again three months later, this time with partner Scott Hall, in a tag team match in Dothan, Alabama with Larry Zbyszko which they lost.
Gower eventually left pro wrestling to work for a building supply company, and later with a major motorcycle distributor, Greg and Lori Becker's Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson, though he continued to make occasional appearances on the Georgia "indy circuit" for a number of years.
"Bullet" Bob Armstrong was originally scheduled to serve as the special guest referee however he was forced to drop out after being injured in an attack by Erik Watts earlier in the show.
Other wrestlers on the card included Vordell Walker, Scott Armstrong, Marty Jannetty, Bambi, Leilani Kai, Jorge Estrada, Sonny Siaki, Ray Lloyd, Scotty Riggs, and Thunderbolt Patterson.
He returned for two more appearances defeating Johnny Grunge on May 15 and, at its "Spring Stampede" supercard, his brother Terry Lawler in a Rome Street Fight on May 29, 2004.
[28][29][30] On February 7, a tag team match with Bulldog Raines against Tommy Rich and Jimmy Powell in Rome for NAWA Ring Champions ended in a double-disqualification.
[32][33][34] The two split up after their most recent loss and were on opposing sides the following week when he and his new partner, The Super Destroyer, beat Bull Buchanan and Bulldog Raines via disqualification.
[37] At another NAWA house show, headlined by Bambi versus Peggy Lee Leather, in Cedarsburg on April 4 he appeared with Ricky Morton, Bobby Eaton, and Chick Donovan.
The event also included the AWA's Larry Zbyszko and Jake Milliman & Frankie DeFalco, as well as younger independent wrestlers Ricky Landell, Kirby Mack, Chasyn Rance, Brian Logan, Ron Niemi, and The Heartbreak Express (Sean and Phil Davis).
Despite his poor health, and disregarding advice that he cancel the event, Cantrell provided the card for the upcoming show in Woodstock direct from his bed at Northside Cherokee Hospital.
Masked Superstar, Tommy Rich, Cru Jones, Terry Lawler and Gower all left before their matches and Murder One was forced to rebook the show at the last minute with the remaining wrestlers.
[46] On June 1, 2010, Gower was a guest on the internet radio program "The Dave & Danger Show" with Dave Wills and Mark Danger during which he discussed his training and early career, friendships with many Southern wrestlers (including road stories with Tommy Rich), and promoted an upcoming benefit show, "Legends of Wrestling", to raise money for Breast Cancer Network of Strength.
[1] The "Legends of Wrestling" show took place three days later at an outdoor concert held at the Granite Mountain Harley-Davidson dealership, celebrating its 6th anniversary, in Conyers, Georgia.
[48] On February 12, 2011, Gower reunited with his old Bad Company tag team partner, Jon Michaels, at A Nightmare To Remember, to take on Joel Deaton and Mr. Atlanta Villa Rica Street Fight in the main event.
On its June 30 show in Phenix City, he appeared alongside Abdullah the Butcher, Joel Deaton, Ricky Morton, and Bob & Brad Armstrong, where he wrestled Vordell Walker.
[49] He was scheduled to meet Walker two months later at GCW's "Invasion" supercard in Macon, Georgia[50] but this was later changed to a tag team match between him and Billy Black against Tony Atlas and Tommy Rich.
[citation needed] The Brawler's retirement kicked off in late 2012 and was set to run up to the third annual Nightmare to Remember event taking place in Villa Rica, Georgia on February 16, 2013, in which Steve Lawler would wrestle in his final match.
Later in the evening on February 2 while set to compete at NSCW in Covington, Georgia, Steve Lawler was presented with an award for three decades of service in the wrestling business.