Gilbert Lee Hayes (October 20, 1939 – July 28, 2022) was a Canadian

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

who competed in North American promotions during the 1960s and 1970s including

All-Star Wrestling All Star Wrestling (ASW), also known as Super Slam Wrestling (SSW), is a British professional wrestling promotion founded by Brian Dixon in 1970 and based in Birkenhead, England. Founded as Wrestling Enterprises of Birkenhead in October 1970, i ...

and

Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...

where he remained a mainstay for the majority of his 17-year career. One of the first Canadian professional wrestlers to compete in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, he also frequently toured Japan with

International Wrestling Enterprise was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association in the United States and also had tie-ins with promotions in Canada and Europe. In 1972, it ...

during the mid-to-late 1970s. He was also the first man to simultaneously hold two Canadian wrestling championships, the Stampede North American Heavyweight and International Tag Team Championship, at one time.

Early life

Hayes was born in Fort Frances, Ontario on October 20, 1939. Growing up, he was a fan of professional wrestling (as was his mother) and was later involved in amateur wrestling and boxing during his teenage years.

Professional wrestling career

Early career

In 1966, after meeting

Gene Kiniski Eugene Nicholas Kiniski (November 23, 1928 – April 14, 2010) was a Canadian athlete who played football for the Edmonton Eskimos and then became a three-time professional wrestling world heavyweight champion. "Canada's Greatest Athlete", as he ...

following a wrestling event in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Hayes began training in the basement of a local church for almost a year before making his professional wrestling debut at the St. Boniface Club in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

Stampede Wrestling

Hayes spent two years wrestling in Winnipeg as well as a brief stint in

NWA Central States Heart of America Sports Attractions, Inc., operating as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebr ...

before moving to Calgary-based

during the late 1960s. Developing a following among fans as an egotistical

anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...

during the next several years, he teamed with Bill Dromo to defeat Jerry and Bobby Christy for the Stampede International Tag Team Championship on February 13, 1970. Successfully defending the titles against Gordon Ivey, Mighty Ursus and "Cowboy" Dan Kroffat, he and Dromo eventually lost the titles back to Jerry and Bobby Christy on March 6. Hayes continued facing Jerry and Bobby Christy in tag-team and single matches during the next weeks, as well as facing

Stu Hart Stewart Edward Hart (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian sport wrestling, amateur and professional wrestling, professional wrestler, wrestling Booker (professional wrestling), booker, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and ...

and Bob Lueck in a tag team match with

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milit ...

on March 24, before teaming with

Bob Sweetan Robert Carson (born Robert Beier; July 4, 1940 – February 10, 2017), better known by his ring name Bob Sweetan, was a Canadian professional wrestler. Sweetan was nicknamed "Bruiser" and "Mr. Piledriver", the latter in reference to his finishing ...

to recapture the titles from the Christy Brothers on July 3. Defeating Jerry and Bobby Christy in later rematches, Hayes and Sweetan held the tag team titles for over two months before losing them to Bud and Ray Osborne on September 4. Fighting to a time limit draw against Danny Babich on October 30, he also faced Paul Peller and Bob Prire later that year. In early 1971, Hayes faced Bob Sweetan in several matches in January and twice teamed with Jean Antone in a mixed tag team match against Betty Niccoli & Paul Peller in early February. Also teaming with Danny Babich against Joe Tommaso &

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

, Hayes also faced Buck Jones, The Stomper, the Quebec Giant, Dan Kroffat and Stampede North American Champion

Les Thornton Les Thornton (9 April 1934 – 1 February 2019) was a British professional wrestler who competed in Great Britain, Japan, European and North American regional promotions throughout the 1970s and 1980s including Joint Promotions, Stampede Wrestli ...

, losing to him on April 23. In September, he also faced Carlos Belafonte, Dick Medrano and Frank Butcher before teaming with Dick Medranto against Ed Sullivan & Frank Butcher on October 1. Fighting to a draw against Earl Black on October 9, he also teamed with John Anson against Earl Black & Joe Tomasso on October 23 only to face his tag team partner several days later teaming with Dick Medrano and Nick Pacchiano against Anson and Sterling Gaylord. He teamed with Danny Babich later during the year although they lost to Stampede International Tag Team Champions

Chin Lee Chin Lee ( zh, c=李振光, p=Lǐ Zhèngguāng) is a former Canadian city councillor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from Scarborough for Ward 41 Scarborough-Rouge River until his resignation in May 2018. Lee was elected to Toronto City Council in ...

Sugi Sito Francisco Javier Mar Hernández (December 4, 1926 – May 4, 2000) was a Mexican professional wrestler and Promoter (entertainment), promoter, known by the ring name "El Orgullo de Oriente" ("The pride of the Orient") Sugi Sito. He was born in Gua ...

on November 19. He and Babich continued teaming together against Sterling Gaylord & Bob Pirie and also defeated Karl Krupp by disqualification on December 4, 1971. He also teamed with Bob Pringle and Gordon Ivey in a 6-man tag team match losing to Eddie Sullivan, Joe Tomasso and Paul Peller later that month. Fighting to a time limit draw against Danny Babich on February 2, later that month he teamed with Bob Pringle to defeat Frank Butcher & Eddie Sullivan and also challenged Stampede International Tag Team Champions Chin Lee & Sugi Sito fighting them to a double disqualification with Carlos Belafonte on February 19. He later had a falling out with Pringle however, defeating him on April 15. After winning the tag team titles with Sonny Rogers, Hayes also faced Pringle in several tag team matches with

Tiger Joe Tomasso Joseph DiTomasso (1922 – April 30, 1988) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tiger Joe Tomasso. He is most known from his matches in Stampede Wrestling and American Wrestling Association. Early life DiTomasso w ...

during the next few weeks. On June 24, he and Tomasso also teamed with Beautiful Bruce in a 6-man tag team match losing to

Dave Ruhl Dave Ruhl (August 12, 1920 – December 21, 1988) was a Canadian professional wrestler who during his near 30-year career competed in North American regional promotions in Western Canada and the Canadian Prairies as well as in Japan and other int ...

, Geoff Portz and Les Thornton.

All-Star Wrestling

During the summer of 1972, Hayes began wrestling in the Vancouver-area for promoter Sandor Kovacs. Fighting to a draw against Buck Ramstead on July 31, he also faced Jack Bence and Eddie Morrow in early August, also fighting to a draw with Morrow on August 14. A week later, Hayes lost a 6-man tag team match with

John Quinn John or Jack Quinn may refer to: Politicians and lawyers *John Quinn (advocate) (1954–2022), Attorney General of the Isle of Man *John Quinn (collector) (1870–1924), lawyer, collector of manuscripts and paintings, friend of T. S. Eliot and Ezr ...

and "Bulldog" Bob Brown against Buck Ramstead,

Dutch Savage Frank Stewart (June 9, 1935 – August 3, 2013) was an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter, best known for his time spent competing in Pacific Northwest Wrestling under the ring name Dutch Savage. Career Savage made his pro d ...

and Dean Higuchi on August 21. Facing Buck Ramstead, Dean Higuchi and Tito Montez in singles matches during late August and early September, later that month Hayes also teamed with John Quinn to defeat Duncan McTavish & Eddie Morrow on September 18. Defeating

Fred Barron Fred Barron (born 7 June 1879 – 18 August 1939) was an English professional footballer who played primarily as a wing half. He made exactly 400 Football League appearances in thirteen seasons with Burnley. Born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Du ...

on September 25, he and Ray Glenn lost to Buck Ramstead & Steven Little Bear on October 2. Teaming with Ray Glenn and Dan Morgan over the next several weeks, he wrestled his last match in the promotion losing to Buck Ramstead on October 16.

Return to Calgary

By early November, he had returned to Stampede Wrestling and soon began teaming once again with Tiger Joe Tomasso winning the tag team titles from "Cowboy" Dan Kroffat & Lennie Hurst later that month. Facing Carlos Belafonte, Geoff Portz and Gino Caruso in a 6-man tag team with Tomasso and

Tor Kamata McRonald Kamaka (March 9, 1937 – July 23, 2007) was an American-Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring name Tor Kamata. He won several heavyweight and tag team championships, most notably the PWF World Heavyweight Championship in ...

Swift Current Swift Current is the sixth-largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is situated along the Trans-Canada Highway west of Moose Jaw, and east of Medicine Hat, Alberta. As of 2024, Swift Current has an estimated population of ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

on November 30, they defended their titles in rematches against Dan Kroffat & Lennie Hurst as well as George Gordienko & Lindy Calder before losing the titles to

Michel Martel Michel Vigneault (October 4, 1944 – June 30, 1978) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Michel "Mad Dog" Martel. Martel is best known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotion such as Atlantic Gra ...

& Danny Babich on December 15, 1972. The following year, he faced Dan Kroffat once again defeating Kroffat & Bill Cody for the Stampede International Tag Team titles with Benny Ramirez in July and, the following month, defeated him for the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship in

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

on August 27. Three days later however, he and Ramirez lost the tag team titles to The Samoans ( Afa & Sika) on August 31. Feuding over the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship with Dan Kroffat throughout the fall, he briefly lost the title to Kroffat on October 13 before regaining it several weeks later. He eventually lost the title to

Omar Atlas Omar Mijares (born April 22, 1938) is a Venezuelan retired professional wrestler, best known by his ring name Omar Atlas, who competed in North American and international promotions including the National Wrestling Alliance, Stampede Wrestling an ...

on November 9, 1973.

World Wrestling Council

From Calgary, he also began to compete outside of Canada during the mid-1970s and became one of the first Canadians to wrestle in

with the

World Wrestling Council The World Wrestling Council (WWC; Spanish: "Consejo Mundial de Lucha") is a professional wrestling promotion based in Puerto Rico. It was originally established as Capitol Sports Promotions in 1973 by Carlos Colón, Victor Jovica, and Goril ...

later becoming the first WWC North American Heavyweight Champion in April 1974. During the next several months, with the promotion in financial trouble, Hayes suggested bringing in a trained bear as an opponent to defend his title against. Agreeing to the idea, the match received considerable press coverage and was later aired on television with Hayes defeating Victor, the Wrestling Bear in the main event on June 29, 1974. Hayes wrestled on and off for WWC during the next several years and eventually defeated Jose Rivera for the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship in

Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón (, ) is a Bayamón barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain, it is bounded by Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Guaynabo to the east, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, Toa A ...

on October 21. After losing the title to Chief War Cloud on November 25, he eventually parted with the company on bad terms. Losing the WWC North American Heavyweight title to

Carlos Colon Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhe ...

Caguas, Puerto Rico Caguas (, ) is a Caguas barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Cordillera Central (Puer ...

the following month, he enjoyed a short stay in

Championship Wrestling from Florida Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida professional wrestling promotion, wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it close ...

fighting to a time limit draw against

Johnny Gray John Lee Gray Jr. (born June 19, 1960) is a retired American world-class 800 meter runner from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s and the holder of the 600m world best. A four-time Olympian (1984-1996), in 1985 he set the United States records in t ...

Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean ...

on August 21. During the next several months, he faced Vic Rosettani, Tony Parisi and

Dominic DeNucci Domenico A. Nucciarone (January 23, 1932 – August 12, 2021) was an Italian-American professional wrestler and trainer better known by the ring name Dominic DeNucci. He held over a dozen championships around the world in the 1960s and 1970s. H ...

before leaving the area by late November, before returning to Stampede Wrestling in late 1974. Failing to defeat Stampede International Tag Team Champions Pat and Mike Kelly with Gordon Ivey on December 27, he briefly feuded with Ivey facing him in a singles match on January 24, 1975. Also facing former tag team partner Benny Ramirez the following week, he began teaming with

Mr. Hito (April 25, 1942 – April 21, 2010), better known as Mr. Hito, was a Japanese professional wrestler who competed in North American and Japanese regional promotions from the 1950s until the mid-1980s. Most notably, he was the tag team partner of ...

facing Lindy Calder &

Roy Callender Roy Callender (born October 31, 1944) is a Barbadian Canadian IFBB Hall of Famer retired professional bodybuilder, professional wrestler and actor. Early life and career Callender was born in Barbados to an academician couple. His interest in bod ...

on February 7, he and Mr. Hito lost to Callender and

Wayne Bridges William Woodbridge (5 July 1936 – 8 March 2020) known professionally as Wayne Bridges was a British professional wrestler who was most well known for wrestling for Joint Promotions in the 1960s-80 and All Star Wrestling in the 1980s. He held t ...

Melville, Saskatchewan Melville is a city in the east-central portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. The city is about northeast of the provincial capital of Regina and southwest of Yorkton. Melville is bordered by the rural municipalities of Cana No. 214 and Stanley ...

on April 22. Splitting from Mr. Hito for a time, he faced

Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer and songwriter whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performa ...

, Keith Hart and Bill Cody before teaming with Jack Pesek against Bill Cody & Nick Pacchiano on May 23. He teamed once more with Pesek against Bill Cody & Keith Hart on May 30. He and Mr. Hito eventually began teaming together facing Larry Lane & Alo Leilani on August 8. With

, he and Mr. Hito also faced Larry Lane, Bob Pringle and Keith Hart in a 6-man tag team match on September 20. Later that year, he won the vacant Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team titles with

in a championship tournament on December 12, 1975. Losing the titles to Ed & Jerry Morrow later that month, he and Mr. Hito regained the titles once more defeating Keith Hart & Bob Pringle in Calgary on April 10.

Japan

Appearing at an event for the

World Wide Wrestling Federation Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was an American sports promotion company. Run by Vincent J. McMahon from the 1950s until the 1980s, the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing promotion and later became the holding company ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

on April 25, he also began touring Japan with International Wrestling Enterprise later that year as he and

Gypsy Joe Gilberto Meléndez (December 2, 1933 – June 15, 2016) was a Puerto Rican professional wrestler better known under the ring name Gypsy Joe. While attaining much of his United States success in the Tennessee area, Meléndez also gained a followi ...

lost to the Great Kusatsu &

Mighty Inoue Sueo Inoue (April 12, 1949 – November 27, 2024), better known by the ring names Mighty Inoue () and All Mighty Inoue, was a Japanese professional wrestler and referee. He is best known for his appearances with International Wrestling Enterprise ...

in a 2-of-3 match for the IWA World Tag Team Championship at the Yamato Shatai-kogyo Gym in

Kanagawa, Japan is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...

on December 4, 1976. Although Gypsy Joe scored the first fall over the Mighty Inoue, he and Gypsy Joe forfeited the second fall via disqualification with Hayes being pinned by Inoue to take the third fall. While in Japan, he became close friends with fellow Canadian wrestler

Archie Gouldie Archibald Edward Gouldie (November 22, 1936 – January 23, 2016) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He wrestled for Stampede Wrestling for decades as Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie, with the nickname coming from the wrestler's reputation o ...

Later career and retirement

Returning to Stampede Wrestling in late 1976, he began feuding with his former tag team partner Mr. Hito facing him on December 26. Facing him several times during the next month, he also faced him in a no countout/disqualification match on January 2. Fighting him to a no contest at the Victoria Pavilion in Calgary several days later, he also participated in battle royal later that night which included

Leo Burke Léonce Cormier (June 29, 1948 – July 24, 2024) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was born in Dorchester, New Brunswick. He competed across Canada, in several American promotions, and wrestled internationally for Puerto Rico's Worl ...

, John Foley,

Gama Singh Gadowar Singh Sahota ( Punjabi: ਗਦੋਵਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਹੋਤਾ); born December 8, 1954) is an Indo-Canadian retired professional wrestler known as Gama Singh ( Punjabi: ਗਾਮਾ ਸਿੰਘ) and Great Gama Sahota was a villa ...

, Gypsy Joe, Mr. Hito, Ed & Jerry Morrow, the Cuban Assassins ( Cuban Assassin &

Bad News Allen Allen James Coage (October 22, 1943 – March 6, 2007) was an American judoka and professional wrestler. He won medals for the United States at several international judo competitions, including the heavyweight bronze medal at the 1976 Summer O ...

) and

Bruce The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...

& Keith Hart. The winner was to receive a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. During the next few weeks, Hayes faced

Killer Tim Brooks Timothy Paul Brooks (December 4, 1946 – June 30, 2020), better known by his ring name "Killer" Tim Brooks, was an American professional wrestler. He competed in North American regional promotions, including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA ...

, Higo Hamaguchi, Gypsy Joe, Don Gagne and, teaming with Frenchy LaMonte, defeated Don Gagne & Wee Willie Wilson on March 11. Later that month, he also defeated Mr. Hito and The Royal Kangaroos (

Jonathan Boyd Jonathan Barry Boyle (21 October 1944 – 7 August 1999) was an Australian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "Lord" Jonathan Boyd. Initially Boyd competed both in North American and international promotions as part of the Ro ...

Norman Frederick Charles III Norman Frederick Charles III (25 July 1941 22 August 2019) was an English professional wrestler who was known worldwide under the name Murphy the Surfie. Initially Charles competed both in North American and international promotions as part of ...

) in a 6-man tag team match with Keith Hart and Alo Leilani on March 27. Failing to win the Stampede International Tag Team titles from The Fabulous Kangaroos with Keith Hart and Larry Lane in April, he also faced Mr. Hito and

U.F.O. An unidentified flying object (UFO) is an object or phenomenon seen in the sky but not yet identified or explained. The term was coined when United States Air Force (USAF) investigations into flying saucers found too broad a range of shapes ...

in single and tag team matches later that month. In October, he also faced Oki Shikuna and Kasavubu. Back in Calgary by the end of the year, Hayes defeated Louis Laurence on December 29, 1978. Two days later, he participated in a 20-man battle royal involving Big Daddy Ritter, Mr. Hito,

Dynamite Kid Thomas Wilton Billington (5 December 1958 – 5 December 2018), best known by the ring name the Dynamite Kid, was a British professional wrestler. Trained by former wrestler "Dr Death" Ted Betley, he competed in the World Wrestling Federatio ...

, Mr. Sakurada,

, Louis Laurence, John Foley,

Sandy Scott Angus Mackay Scott (May 27, 1934 – March 11, 2010), better known by his ring name Sandy Scott, was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked with his older brother George from the 1950s until the 1970s as The Flying Scotts in North American ...

and the Hart brothers Keith, Bruce and

Bret Hart Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal U ...

. Defeating Norman Frederick Charles III on January 6, he faced Stampede North American Heavyweight Champion Big Daddy Ritter in several close matches and defeating Ritter by disqualification on January 26. Teaming with Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, he also defeated Ritter and

Hercules Ayala Ruben Cruz (July 14, 1950 – January 22, 2020) was a Puerto Rican professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Hercules Ayala. He competed in Canadian and international wrestling promotions including the eastern Canadian Grand Prix Wre ...

in a tag team match on February 9. Facing Ritter in a 6-man tag team match with Keith Hart and

Jake "The Snake" Roberts Aurelian Smith Jr. (born May 30, 1955) better known by the ring name Jake "the Snake" Roberts, is an American actor, podcaster and retired professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs as the on-screen man ...

against Ritter, Mr. Hito & Mr. Sakurada on March 3, he was unable to defeat Ritter for the championship eventually losing to Ritter in a no disqualification match on March 9. He and Jim Neidhart lost to Mr. Hito & Mr. Sakurada on March 16 and, facing The Cuban Assassin over the next several weeks, he eventually faced him in his last match in the promotion losing to The Cuban Assassin in Calgary on March 23, 1979. Less active during the next several years, he finally retired from active competition in 1981 after blowing out both of his knees while touring

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. He made occasional appearances until late 1985, fighting Dan Kroffat to a no contest on December 25 and, two days later, losing to Bruce Hart by disqualification on December 29, 1985.

Recent years

Hayes later worked as a city official for Edmonton involved in the streets department following his retirement as well as becoming an amateur

woodworker Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by ea ...

producing wooden toys such as trains and puzzles later sold on

consignment Consignment is a process whereby a person gives permission to another party to take care of their property while retaining full ownership of the property until the item is sold to the final buyer. It is generally done during auctions, shipping, ...

. Hayes has two children: a daughter, Toni Wynne, born in 1964; and a son, James Craig (Jim), born in 1968. After Bruce and Ross Hart reopened Stampede Wrestling in 1999, Hayes appeared in the promotion as a referee, although his involvement was limited following the Hart brothers limiting their involvement in Stampede Wrestling in 2005. In April 2007, he and several other Stampede Wrestling alumni—including John Cozman, Bob Leonard, Bret and

Ross Hart Ross Lindsay Hart (born January 3, 1960) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, promoter, trainer, booker, TV producer, coach and actor. Hart is a member of the Hart wrestling family and the second youngest son of Stu and Helen ...

—were honored at a special banquet held in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

by the

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...

, hosted by

Scott D'Amore Scott Francis D'Amore (born August 8, 1974) is a Canadian professional wrestling manager, promoter, booker and retired professional wrestler, best known for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he served as the president an ...

and

Greg Oliver Greg Oliver (born February 2, 1971, in Kitchener, Ontario) is a Canadian sports writer. He currently resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Early life and education He earned a Bachelor of Applied Arts in journalism, newspaper major, in 1993 from ...

. Other Canadian honorees included Maurice and

Paul Vachon Paul Vachon (October 7, 1937 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He was a member of the Vachon family, Vachon wrestling family. He is perhaps best known by his ring name Butcher Vachon. Professio ...

Killer Kowalski Wladek Kowalski (born Edward Władysław Spulnik; October 13, 1926 – August 30, 2008) was a Canadian professional wrestler, known by his ring name Killer Kowalski. Kowalski wrestled for numerous promotions during his career, including the ...

Don Leo Jonathan Don Heaton (April 29, 1931 – October 13, 2018), also known as Don Leo Jonathan, was an American-Canadian professional wrestler. Professional wrestling career Jonathan, nicknamed "The Mormon Giant" was a second generation star (his father was ...

Angelo Mosca Angelo Valentino Mosca (February 13, 1937 – November 6, 2021) was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a wrestler, Mosca was known by the nick ...

Pepper Martin Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin (February 29, 1904 – March 5, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He was known as the "Wild Horse of the Osage" because of his daring, aggressive baserunning. M ...

, Michelle Starr, Jack Laskin,

Billy Two Rivers Billy Two Rivers ( Mohawk name ''Kaientaronkwen'', May 5, 1935 – February 12, 2023) was a Canadian Mohawk professional wrestler, actor, and a leader of the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke. He began wrestling professionally in 1953 and retired in 19 ...

, "Beautiful" Bruce Swayze, Pat Patterson, and Nick and Jerry Kozak. Hayes died from a heart attack on July 28, 2022, while visiting his family in

Fort Frances, Ontario Fort Frances is a town in, and the seat of, Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The population as of the 2021 census was 7,466 Fort Frances is a popular fishing destination. It hosts the annual Fort Frances Canadian Bass Cham ...

. Gil Hayes was posthumously honored at the 50th anniversary show of the

.Stampede legend Gil Hayes dies
/ref>

Championships and accomplishments

:* NWA International Tag Team Championship ''(Calgary version)'' ( 6 times) – with Bill Dromo (1),

(1),

(1), Benny Ramirez (1) and

(2) :*

Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship The Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, be ...

(

2 times "2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...

) :*

Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...

WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship The WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship is a secondary title contested for in the Puerto Rican professional wrestling promotion, the World Wrestling Council (WWC). The title has been in use since 1975. Prior to being defended in the WWC, it wa ...

( 1 time) :*

WWC North American Heavyweight Championship The WWC North American Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship defended in the Puerto Rican promotion, the World Wrestling Council. Created in 1974, it was the primary singles championship of the promotion until the cre ...

( 1 time)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Gil 1939 births 2022 deaths 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century Canadian professional wrestlers Canadian male professional wrestlers Professional wrestlers from Ontario Stampede Wrestling alumni Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Champions Stampede Wrestling North American Heavyweight Champions 20th-century Canadian sportsmen WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Champions