Phil Hickerson (born October 4, 1946) is an American retired
professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
-based
NWA Mid-America
NWA Mid-America was a professional wrestling promotion territory under the umbrella of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that promoted shows in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama from 1940 until 1981. The company was founded in 1940 by Nick Gulas ...
and
Continental Wrestling Association
Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ...
promotions.
Professional wrestling career
Hickerson debuted in 1974 in the
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
-based
NWA Mid America promotion. In July 1974, he formed a
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...
with Al Greene known as the "Sherman Tanks", with whom he won the
NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' three times that year, trading the titles with
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 Federati ...
and
Tojo Yamamoto. In December 1974, Hickerson formed a short-lived new tag team with Doug Patton.
In mid-1975, Hickerson formed a tag team with
Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey (born February 1, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling ...
known as the "Bicentennial Kings" (in reference to the then-upcoming
United States Bicentennial). In 1975, they teamed with Al Greene to win the
NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship
The NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and originally promoted in Chicago as the NWA World Three-Man Tag Team Championship. The NWA Mid-America terr ...
. Between 1976 and 1978, the Bicentennial Kings won the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' / AWA Southern Tag Team Championship nine times. They also won the NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' five times and the
NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship twice.
In 1977, Hickerson left
NWA Mid America to join
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 Federati ...
's
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
-based
Continental Wrestling Association
Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ...
. In 1985, he won the
AWA International Heavyweight Championship three times. In 1988, he won the
CWA Heavyweight Championship.
In November and December 1988, Hickerson toured Japan with
All-Japan Pro Wrestling, competing in the
1988 World's Strongest Tag Determination League alongside
Jerry Blackwell.
In February 1989, Hickerson began wrestling for the
United States Wrestling Association, where he portrayed a faux-Japanese character and was managed by
Tojo Yamamoto. He adopted the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...
"PY Chu-hi" (a pun based on Yamamoto's former ring name, "PY Chung", and the alcoholic drink
Chu-hi).
In July 1989, he defeated
Eric Embry for the
WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship; he lost the title back to Embry the following month.
In 1995, Hickerson was inducted into the
Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Retirement
After retiring from wrestling, Hickerson has worked as a radio DJ for
WYN 106.9 in
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis and 130 Miles Southwest of Nashville, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population wa ...
. In the latter part of his wrestling career Hickerson managed Tremors Nightclub in Jackson TN from 1981-1987.
Championships and accomplishments
*
Continental Wrestling Association
Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ...
/
NWA Mid-America
NWA Mid-America was a professional wrestling promotion territory under the umbrella of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that promoted shows in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama from 1940 until 1981. The company was founded in 1940 by Nick Gulas ...
/
United States Wrestling Association
**
AWA International Heavyweight Championship (
3 times)
**
CWA Heavyweight Championship (
1 time)
**
NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (
2 times) – with
Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey (born February 1, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling ...
**
NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' / AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (
14 times) – with Al Greene (3 times),
Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey (born February 1, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling ...
(9 times), and The Spoiler (2 times)
[
** NWA United States Tag Team Championship (''Mid-America version'') ( 5 times) - with Dennis Condrey][
**]NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship
The NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and originally promoted in Chicago as the NWA World Three-Man Tag Team Championship. The NWA Mid-America terr ...
( 2 times) - with Al Greene and Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey (born February 1, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling ...
* Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame
**Class of 2017
*Southeastern Championship Wrestling
Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Dothan, Alabama, from 1985 until 1989, owned by Ron Fuller. The promotion evolved out of the NWA-affiliated Southeastern Championship W ...
** NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship ( 3 times) – with Dennis Condrey
Dennis Condrey (born February 1, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling ...
* World Class Wrestling Association
** WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hickerson, Phil
1946 births
American male professional wrestlers
Faux Japanese professional wrestlers
Living people
People from Jackson, Tennessee
Professional wrestlers from Tennessee
20th-century male professional wrestlers
20th-century American professional wrestlers
AWA International Heavyweight Champions
Stud Stable members
NWA Texas Heavyweight Champions