Tommy Rich
After an absence of several years, Gower came out of retirement losing over thirty pounds to get in shape for his return. By 2008, he was wrestling for both NAWA Ring Champions, for which he served as booker at times, and Southern Extreme Championship Wrestling. On January 6, 2008, at SECW's "Bill Dromo Appreciation Night" in Carrollton, he wrestled in a 6-man tag team match with Chick Donovan and Bulldog Raines against Bob Armstrong, Tommy Rich, and Buff Bagwell, losing when his team was disqualified. 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. He and Raines lost a match in SECW against Bull Buchanan and Buff Bagwell three days later.