Eric Tovey

Infobox Wrestler|name= Eric Tovey


names= Lord Littlebrookcite web|title=Wrestler Profiles: Lord Littlebrook|work=Online World of Wrestling|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/midgets/lord-littlebrook.html|accessdate=2008-02-13]
Roger Littlebrook
height=4 ft 4 incite web|title=SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Lord Littlebrook|work=SLAM! Wrestling|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBios/littlebrook.html|accessdate=2008-02-13|last=Oliver|first=Greg]
weight=108 lb
birth_date = Birth date and age|1929|1|3|mf=y
birth_place = England
resides= St. Joseph, Missouri
billed=
trainer= Edouard CarpentierFact|date=February 2008
debut= 1959Fact|date=February 2008
death_date =
retired=|

Eric Tovey (born January 3, 1929) is a British midget wrestler best known as Lord Littlebrook. He enjoyed his greatest success during the 1970s, when he held the NWA World Midget's Championship.

Career

Tovey was born in England and grew up with six siblings.cite book|title=The Lives of Dwarfs: Their Journey from Public Curiosity toward Social Liberation|last=Adelson|first=Betty M.|date=2005|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=0813535484|pages=361] He began performing in front of audiences in the circus at the age of 14 serving as an acrobatic midget clown. Tovey traveled to the United States with the circus in 1949 but lost his job when the circus went out of business. He was then convinced by a friend that he would be an ideal midget wrestler.cite news | author = Teal, Scott | title = Whatever happened to... Lord Littlebrook | work = The Wrestler/Inside Wrestling | publisher = Kappa Publications | id = Volume 15, 2007 | pages = 20-21 | date = June, 2007 | accessdate = 2007-07-08] After three months of training, Tovey made his debut as Lord Littlebrook against Major Tom Thumb. Although from a plebeian background, Tovey took a nobility gimmick in line with the general American stereotype of Britishers.

He is credited as being one of the first wrestlers to use aerial assaults on his opponents, paving the way for high wire acts such as Jimmy Snuka, The Rockers, and Koko B. Ware. However, he has gone on record expressing his distaste for modern wrestling's thickened plotlines and lack of traditional ground moves.Fact|date=February 2007

As Littlebrook, Tovey enjoyed great success in places such as Australia, Japan and Thailand. From 1956 to 1958, he wrestled in New York state. He faced other midget wrestlers, including several who he would later wrestle in the World Wrestling Federation. He won most of his matches, although he was booked to lose several tag team matches. [cite web|title=Buffalo: 1956|work=Steel Belt Wrestling|url=http://www.steelbeltwrestling.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=45|accessdate=2008-02-13] [cite web|title=Buffalo: 1957|work=Steel Belt Wrestling|url=http://www.steelbeltwrestling.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=45|accessdate=2008-02-13] [cite web|title=Buffalo: 1958|work=Steel Belt Wrestling|url=http://www.steelbeltwrestling.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=45|accessdate=2008-02-13] In the late 1960s, he competed regularly for Georgia Championship Wrestling. Again, he wrestled in matches against other midget wrestlers and was victorious in the majority of his matches. [cite web|title=Who's Who: Lord Littlebrook|work=Georgia Wrestling History|url=http://www.georgiawrestlinghistory.com/whoswho/l/lord_littlebrook/01.html|accessdate=2008-02-13]

In 1979, Littlebrook began wrestling with the American Wrestling Association (AWA). He was brought in to team with The Crusher in a feud with Lord Alfed Hayes and Super Destroyer Mark II. [cite web|title=AWA #23: Page 2|work=Kayfabe Memories|url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/awa/awa23-2.htm|accessdate=2008-02-13] In 1986, he competed in a tag team match at the AWA's WrestleRock event, teaming with Little Tokyo. The pair lost to Little Mr. T and Cowboy Lang. [cite web|title=WrestleRock|work=Pro Wrestling History|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/misc/awa/stadium.html#rock|accessdate=2008-02-13] He also competed in WrestleMania III in a mixed tag-team match with Little Tokyo and King Kong Bundy against Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver and Haiti Kid. Littlebrook's team was disqualified when Bundy powerslammed Little Beaver. [cite web|title=WrestleMania III|work=Pro Wrestling History|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/mania.html#III|accessdate=2008-02-13] [cite book|title=Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s|last=Shields|first=Brian|pages=81|publisher=Simon and Schuster|date=2006|isbn=1416532579]

Tovey was involved in the wrestling business for 47 years as a wrestler, manger and a trainer. He trained Colonel DeBeers, [cite web|title=Pro Wrestling School|work=Playboy Buddy Rose|url=http://www.playboybuddyrose.com/school.html|accessdate=2008-02-13] as well as Butch Reed and Mike George. In the late 1980s, Tovey, as Lord Littlebrook, was brought in to World Championship Wrestling to manage Jack Victory and Rip Morgan, who teamed as The Royal Family. Tovey has also been enshrined into the Canadian Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. [cite web|title=Lord Littlebrook|work=Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame|url=http://www.pwhf.org/halloffamers/bios/littlebrook.asp|accessdate=2008-02-13]

Personal life

Tovey currently lives in Saint Joseph, Missouri with his daughter, Lucky.cite web|title=WWE helps one of its own|last=Hall|first=Jennifer|url=http://www.stjoenews-press.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=98159&SectionID=81&SubSectionID=272|work=St. Joseph News-Press|date=2007-10-20|accessdate=2008-02-13] He also has two sons, Chris and Bobby, both of whom have competed as professional wrestlers, and 28 grandchildren. Since retiring from wrestling, Tovey has been diagnosed with dementia and has lost the use of both of his legs.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**Giant swing

Championships and accomplishments

*National Wrestling Alliance
**NWA World Midget's Championship (1 time)cite web|title=NWA World Midgets' Title|work=Wrestling Titles|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-mg.html|accessdate=2008-02-13]
*Awards
**Canadian Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (19??)
**Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (2004) [cite web|title=Hall of Fame grows some more|date=2004-05-09|work=SLAM! Wrestling|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/05/09/453302.html|last=Oliver|first=Greg|accessdate=2008-02-13]

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI Midget Wrestler of the Year (1976)

References

External links

* [http://slam.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBios/littlebrook.html SlamWrestlingBios]