|
The Fabulous Freebirds
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team who attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed under the Freebirds name. The Freebird lineup of Hayes, Roberts, and Gordy was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015, and members Hayes, Roberts, Gordy, and Garvin were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016. History The Fabulous Freebirds started performing together in 1979 when Mid South Wrestling promoter Bill Watts put together the duo of Michael "P.S." Hayes and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy. Though originally meant to be a tag team, he soon added former Hollywood Blond Buddy "Jack" Roberts into the mix, and they became a "three man gang" type of tag-team—an unusual concept at the time. They invented a concept that is now called the "Freebird Rule" in their honor, in which any two of three members can defend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz (born March 29, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." ("Purely Sexy") Hayes and for his role as an announcer under the name "Handsome" Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He is employed with WWE as Vice President, Creative Writing & Booking and is also a senior producer. Professional wrestling career Early career (1977–1982) Hayes started wrestling in 1977 in the Tennessee regional promotions. In 1978, he wrestled his first tour overseas in Germany for Catch Wrestling Association. In 1979, wrestling for Mid South Wrestling, Hayes made the suggestion to Bill Watts that he form a tag team with Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy winning the Mid South Tag Team Championship 3 times and became the wrestling faction called The Fabulous Freebirds. Hayes became Michael "P.S." Hayes, and they strutted their way to many tag team titles al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "the King" Lawler, is an American retired color commentator and professional wrestler signed to WWE under a Legends contract. Prior to joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in 1992, he wrestled in numerous territories, winning many championships, including multiple World Heavyweight Championships, throughout his career. Lawler is a one-time AWA World Heavyweight Champion and a three-time WCWA World Heavyweight Champion: he unified the titles by defeating Kerry Von Erich at Superclash III, forming the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, a championship which he held 28 times. He is also known for his feud with comedian Andy Kaufman, and for portraying himself in the 1999 Jim Carrey film about Kaufman, '' Man on the Moon''. In 2007, Lawler was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Early life Lawler was born November 29, 1949, in Memphis, Tennessee, where he graduated from Trea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Mike Von Erich
Michael Brett Adkisson (March 2, 1964 – April 12, 1987) was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Mike Von Erich. His four brothers, David, Kerry, Kevin and Chris, also wrestled. He was the son of longtime Texas wrestler and wrestling promoter Fritz Von Erich and a member of the Von Erich family. Early life Mike had five brothers: David, Kerry, Kevin, Jack and Chris. His father, longtime Texas wrestler and wrestling promoter, Fritz Von Erich, trained all his sons in professional wrestling. Several wrestlers associated with Mike, such as his brother Kevin, King Kong Bundy, "Gentleman" Chris Adams, Gary Hart and Jake Roberts, have all stated that he never wanted to be a wrestler. Instead, he wanted to work for his father's company, World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), as a cameraman. He played the guitar and wanted to be a guitarist. Professional wrestling career World Class Championship Wrestling (1983–1987) Mike made his debut on November ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Chris Von Erich
Christopher Barton Adkisson (September 30, 1969 – September 12, 1991) was an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Chris Von Erich of the Von Erich family. Early life The smallest and youngest of the Von Erich family at 5'5" and 175 pounds, Chris aspired to be a wrestler. He was the youngest son of wrestler and wrestling promoter Fritz Von Erich. His brothers, Mike, David, Kerry and Kevin all had success as wrestlers. Chris was raised with his brothers on 500 acres in Texas. He grew up working cameras and doing other odd jobs backstage for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). He won his first amateur wrestling match at the age of six. Professional wrestling career Chris had minor involvement in angles in the 1980s. He performed run-ins to aid his brothers against The Fabulous Freebirds. Then Chris appeared at ringside when Kerry Von Erich won the NWA World Championship in May 1984. Chris also smashed Buddy Roberts across the back with a chair ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Gene Adkisson (February 3, 1960 – February 18, 1993), better known by his ring name Kerry Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler. He was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers. He is best known for his time with his father's promotion World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), where he spent the first 11 years of his career, and his time in World Wrestling Federation (WWF), under the ring name Texas Tornado. Adkisson held forty championships in various promotions during his career. Among other accolades, he was a one-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, four-time WCWA World Heavyweight Champion, and one-time WWF Intercontinental Champion. Early life Kerry was born on February 3, 1960, the son of wrestler and wrestling promoter Fritz Von Erich. His brothers, David Von Erich, David, Kevin Von Erich, Kevin, Mike Von Erich, Mike, and Chris Von Erich, Chris, were also wrestlers. Kerry was also a standout in high school track and field and recorded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Kevin Von Erich
Kevin Ross Adkisson (born May 15, 1957) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kevin Von Erich. A member of the Von Erich family, Adkisson is best known for his appearances with Fritz Von Erich, his father's World Class Championship Wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion. He is a former Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world champion in professional wrestling, having once held the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship. Football career Adkisson played football at University of North Texas, North Texas State University as a fullback until an injury ended his football career and dream of playing in the National Football League. Professional wrestling career World Class Championship Wrestling (1976–1990) Early career (1976–1981) Adkisson started wrestling as Kevin Von Erich in 1976. He spent most of his career wrestling for his father's Dallas, Texas-based promotion, World Class Championship Wre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
David Von Erich
David Alan Adkisson (July 22, 1958 – February 10, 1984) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name David Von Erich. A member of the Von Erich family, Von Erich is best known for his appearances with World Class Championship Wrestling, the Dallas, Texas-based professional wrestling promotion owned by his father, Fritz Von Erich. Early life David was named after his mother Doris' brother David (real name Eugene David Smith), who at 14 had died of a brain tumor only months before David Von Erich was born in 1958. David, along with brothers Kevin and Kerry, loved to hunt and fish with their father; Fritz. Hunting on the Von Erich ranch was quite an event. Many of their relatives and friends would join in and sometimes the hunting group would be 20 or more. WCCW Referee David Manning and WCCW Announcer Bill Mercer were quite often among the group. David's first love in life was raising horses, which turned out to be very profitable for him. He raised and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Von Erich Family
The Von Erich family is an American professional wrestling family. Originally from Texas, their actual surname is Adkisson, but every member working in wrestling has used the ring name "Von Erich" after family patriarch Fritz Von Erich (real name Jack Adkisson), who used a German-sounding name as part of his original wrestling gimmick (i.e. in-ring persona) of a Nazi heel (professional wrestling), heel. In total, ten members of the family have been professional wrestlers since Fritz' debut in 1953, with two still active today. In the 20th century, the family primarily wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and in their own World Class Championship Wrestling (WCWA) promotion, the latter featuring them as central heroic characters. Fritz and his wife Doris had six children between 1952 and 1969, all sons. Their firstborn Jack Jr., died at age six; all their surviving sons grew up to become professional wrestlers. By the time Fritz died of cancer in 1997 at age 68, five o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA), was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich.Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.129) Beginning as a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), it went independent in 1986 in a bid to become a major national promotion, but was unsuccessful in its attempts and eventually went out of business in 1990. Rights to the pre-1989 WCCW tape library belong to WWE (the post-1988 rights are owned by International World Class Championship Wrestling) and select episodes from 1982 to 1988 are available on the WWE Network. World Class Championship Wrestling experienced tremendous success from 1981–1985, shattering attendance records and ac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Stan Hansen
John Stanley Hansen II (born August 29, 1949), best known as Stan "the Lariat" Hansen, is an American retired professional wrestler. Hansen is known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributed to his poor eyesight, and for his gimmick as a loud, violent cowboy who wanted to fight everybody, which he further emphasized by appearing in interviews with a cowboy hat, leather vest and bullrope while often chewing on tobacco. Considered one of the most successful and popular gaijin in Japanese professional wrestling history, he became more well-known and revered in Japan than in his native United States. In Japan's AJPW promotion, he held seven different championships. Overall he is a ten-time world champion. Outside of wrestling Hansen played a small role in the movie ''No Holds Barred'' in 1989 and in 2011 he released his co-written biography, ''The Last Outlaw''. Football career Hansen played college football for the West Texas State Buffaloes. Professional wrest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski (September 22, 1942 – February 26, 2024), better known by the ring name Ole Anderson (), was an American professional wrestler, booker, and promoter. Following a stint in the U.S. Army, Rogowski made his professional wrestling debut in his native Minnesota in 1967, wrestling for the American Wrestling Association (AWA) as Al "the Rock" Rogowski or simply Rock Rogowski. The following year, he joined the Carolinas-based Jim Crockett Promotions, where he adopted the ring name Ole Anderson and began teaming with his kayfabe brother Gene Anderson as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Following a further stint with the AWA and appearances with Championship Wrestling from Florida, in 1972 Anderson settled into wrestling primarily for Jim Crockett Promotions and Georgia Championship Wrestling. By the mid-1980s, Anderson was a part-owner of, and the booker for, Georgia Championship Wrestling. After Georgia Championship Wrestling was acquired by Vince McMahon in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (; born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator. He is signed to WWE as of 2024, where he works in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship success in a number of wrestling promotions, holding thirty titles during his professional wrestling career. He is best recalled by mainstream audiences for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where he wrestled as "the Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. He has been named as one of the best technical wrestlers, and greatest villains in pro wrestling history. Among other accolades in the WWF/E, DiBiase was the first WWF North American Heavyweight Champion, a three-time WWF Tag Team Champion (with Irwin R. Schyster), a one-time WWE 24/7 Champion, and winner of the 1988 King of the Ring tournament. DiBiase purchased the WWF World Heavyweight Championship from André the Giant. DiBiase also awarded himself the Million Dollar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
