Former Sheriff Can't Shake Pro Wrestling Bug

SEBRING - This Saturday night, former Highlands County Sheriff Howie Godwin doesn't have to worry about coming down to the ring and being heckled by the fans.

Godwin, a former four-term sheriff, and his manager, Sebring Police Chief Tom Dettman, do, however, want to keep the location of their Avon Park training facility secret from their evil opponents, the Syrian Slasher and American Taliban.

"I like to finish my opponents with different moves," said Godwin. "Sometimes I like to use a bulldog, or DDT. Sometimes I use just a plain choke-hold on 'em."

Godwin will be representing the Florida Heartland for a charitable cause on Saturday, as his Coastal Championship Wrestling match at the Highlands County Fairgrounds will take place in front of 25 residents from Avon Park Youth Academy.

It's not the first time Godwin has entered the ring. He's fought some of the biggest stars in professional wrestling over the last 26 years. It was a dream he had as a child and a love he's maintained throughout his adulthood.

"You're talking about a guy that served four consecutive terms as a popular sheriff and has over 30 years of public service," said Dettman, who serves as Godwin's mouthpiece. "He has a natural ability to draw people."

Wrasslin' Roots

Godwin started his professional wrestling career in 1981, after years of watching it on television with his family.

As Godwin entered his early 20s and started to focus on his law enforcement career, his love for sports entertainment never left him. In fact, he eventually bought a wrestling ring from a man in Lakeland, and went into full-time training mode.

He worked with some of the best wrestlers in the business, guys like Eddie Graham and "Macho Man" Randy Savage's father Angelo Poffo. He started out as a heel, or a bad guy.

"My ability wasn't as great early on," he said. "I needed more training and more experience in front of
people. It's easier being a bad guy in the sport early in your career, because you don't have to draw people into rooting for your character."

Godwin went on to wrestle for the Professional Wrestling Association championship belt from 1984-87. The PWA was based out of Plant City and had shows all over the state.

"I worked a lot of midnight shifts so that I could drive around to the events," said Godwin. "I was doing two to three events per week until 1988. I loved it."

"In about December1988, I realized that I was going to have to cut back on my wrestling career because I had been elected to the sheriff's position and was going to take office in January (1989)," said Godwin.

Before he became the sheriff, Godwin did get to live out a dream of his. He was asked to wrestle in two shows for World Wrestling Entertainment, then known as the World Wrestling Federation, in Florida. He wrestled One Man Gang, a 6-foot, 9-inch, 450 pound wrestler. Parts of the show were taped and shown on national television.

"I went from entertaining hundreds of people on a card to wrestling in front of 12,000 people," said Godwin. "When I wrestled (One Man Gang), he did this move called the avalanche were he picked me up and dropped me straight on my knees. I didn't know how to take the fall, and my body weight went straight into my legs. I thought I broke them."

Godwin also had a run-in with Jake "The Snake" Roberts, one of the pro-wrestling's most enduring characters. As part of his moniker, Roberts brought a live python, known as Damian, into the ring.

"I was wandering around in the locker room looking for a place to sit my gym bag," said Godwin. "I couldn't find a place to throw my stuff so I just put it on top of someone else's. A few moments later I heard Jake Roberts start screaming, 'who's bag is this?'"

Godwin had accidentally thrown his bag onto one of Roberts's snake-filled bags.

"I will always remember that," said Godwin. "It's really great that a guy can go to work and live a normal life, then go out on a Saturday night and wrestle somebody in front of a packed house."

Life After Wrestling

Godwin, who has been in semi-retirement since leaving the sheriff's office in 2005, said that he spends most of his free time looking over his citrus business and family.

He has wrestled on independent cards "between four to a dozen times per year" with Dettman serving as his manager for the last five years.

"Wrestling has helped my physical ability and my strength big-time," said Godwin. "It's been great for me."

Dettman said that Godwin's wrestling career probably helped him professionally.

"I think it makes you seem more approachable and down-to-earth," said Dettman.

"People have told me that I am nuts or crazy for being involved in it, but I really feel like I've been blessed. I have met some great people," said Godwin. "I took my wrestling career as far as I could take it, but if I can still use it to generate money to help people, I will, which is great."