Terry Gordy
Encyclopedia
Terry Ray 'Bam Bam' Gordy, Sr. (April 23, 1961 - July 16, 2001) was a professional wrestler who was best known in North America for being a member of the Fabulous Freebirds
Fabulous Freebirds
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team that 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.-History:The Fabulous...

.

Career

Terry Gordy started wrestling in 1975 at the age of 14 as Terry Mecca for the I.W.A.
In early 1979, he began wrestling under his real name and formed the Fabulous Freebirds
Fabulous Freebirds
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team that 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.-History:The Fabulous...

 with Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...

. Buddy Roberts
Dale Hey
Dale Hey is a retired professional wrestler better known as Buddy Roberts.-Professional wrestling career:Dale Hey grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He started wrestling in 1965 as Dale Valentine, the "brother" of Johnny Valentine...

 was later added to the group. In 1982, the Freebirds went to World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional 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...

 and had a heated and memorable feud with the Von Erichs (David
David Von Erich
David Alan Adkisson was an American professional wrestler who competed as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich...

, Kevin
Kevin Von Erich
Kevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in...

, Kerry
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Gene Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring names Kerry Von Erich, The Modern Day Warrior, and The Texas Tornado and was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers...

 and Mike
Mike Von Erich
Michael Brett Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Mike Von Erich. His four brothers, David, Kerry, Kevin and Chris, also wrestled...

).

The Freebirds spent some time in the NWA
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...

's Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...

 where they split to feud briefly, but later reunited. They also spent a very brief time in the WWF
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

, but left after management suggested splitting them up.

In 1986, when the Freebirds were in the Universal Wrestling Federation, Gordy won the UWF Heavyweight title and held it for 6 months, before losing it via forfeit to The One Man Gang
George Gray (wrestler)
George Gray is an American professional wrestler best known as One Man Gang and Akeem "the African Dream".-Early years:...

, after an angle the same night which saw Gordy injured at the hands of "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. During this time, Gordy and the Freebirds had an ongoing feud with UWF fan favorite Hacksaw Jim Duggan, which saw Duggan and Gordy frequently squaring off, usually ending in a disqualification due to outside interference.

In 1989, Gordy helped Hayes reform the Freebirds, with Jimmy Garvin
Jimmy Garvin
James Williams is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name "Gorgeous" Jimmy "Jam" Garvin and as a member of the legendary Fabulous Freebirds....

, in Jim Crockett Promotions (which would become World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...

 in 1991.

After leaving JCP, Gordy teamed with Steve Williams as the "Miracle Violence Connection
Miracle Violence Connection
The Miracle Violence Connection was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy.-All Japan Pro Wrestling :...

" in All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...

. During his time there, he also held the AJPW Triple Crown Championship
AJPW Triple Crown Championship
The AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling. The championship is a unification of the NWA United National Championship, the PWF Heavyweight Championship and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship....

 on two occasions.

Gordy and Williams came to WCW
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...

 in 1992 and won the WCW World Tag Team Titles. They would also win the NWA World Tag Team titles in a tournament at the Great American Bash card in Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...

 one week later, and unified the titles. They feuded with Rick
Rick Steiner
Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...

 and Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner
Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...

, which, in Japan, was hyped as a feud between the best foreign teams of the two top Japanese promotions (the Steiners were competing for rival New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...

 at the time). Despite advances by New Japan, Gordy and Williams, out of loyalty to AJPW founder and promoter, Giant Baba
Shohei Baba
was a professional wrestler and co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was also known as Giant Baba. Baba, along with Antonio Inoki, became one of the most famous Japanese wrestlers of his era, with a popularity in Japan comparable to Hulk Hogan's in the United States of America...

, refused to compete for the promotion (which had business ties with WCW at the time), leading to Gordy's departure from WCW before Halloween Havoc and Williams' departure after Starrcade.

In 1993 Gordy, while traveling from the United States to Japan for a tour, overdosed on pain medication and slipped into a coma, as well as suffering permanent brain damage. He returned to action later that year, but never received a shot at the Triple Crown again.

In 1994, Gordy had a small reunion with Hayes and Garvin as the Freebirds in the Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...

 where he won the GWF Tag Team Titles with Garvin.

In 1996, Gordy showed up in Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...

 to challenge Raven for the ECW World Heavyweight Title, as the "internationally recognized #1 contender." He had been working for the IWA
International Wrestling Association of Japan
International Wrestling Association of Japan, more commonly known as IWA Japan, was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion operating from 1994 to 1996....

 promotion in Japan, wrestling deathmatches
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...

. He lost, but went on to team with Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...

 and later reunite with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams to wrestle The Eliminators
The Eliminators
The Eliminators were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Perry Saturn and John Kronus who were best known for their time in Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1995 and 1997.-History:...

.

He had a brief run in the WWF as The Executioner in 1996. He teamed with Mankind
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...

, both managed by Paul Bearer, and feuded with The Undertaker. The Executioner would come to the ring under a mask and carry a plastic axe. The Executioner made his TV debut at the In Your House
In Your House
In Your House was a pay-per-view series created by the World Wrestling Federation . The original concept was that, in months when the WWF was not holding one of its major PPV events , they would offer a two-hour PPV, priced at $14.95...

pay-per-view, Buried Alive
In Your House 11: Buried Alive
In Your House 11: Buried Alive was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on October 20, 1996 at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana...

, where he interfered in The Undertaker's Buried Alive match with Mankind, hitting him with a shovel and burying him with the help of several other wrestlers. However, at It's Time
In Your House 12: It's Time
In Your House 12: It's Time was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on December 15, 1996 at the West Palm Beach Auditorium in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Background:...

, The Undertaker made short work of The Executioner in an Armageddon Rules match, and Gordy left the promotion shortly afterwards.

Gordy died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...

, caused by a blood clot
Thrombus
A thrombus , or blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. It is achieved via the aggregation of platelets that form a platelet plug, and the activation of the humoral coagulation system...

 on July 16, 2001. He was 40 years old.

His son Ray
Ray Gordy
Terry Ray Gordy, Jr. is an American professional wrestler best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment appearing on its SmackDown brand under the ring names Jesse and Slam Master J...

 has wrestled for WWE on the SmackDown! brand as Jesse and Slam Master J before being released in 2010.

In wrestling

  • Finishing moves
    • High angle belly to back suplex
    • Powerbomb
      Powerbomb
      A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...


  • Signature moves
    • Big boot
    • DDT
      DDT (professional wrestling)
      In professional wrestling a DDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in a front facelock, and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat...

    • Dropkick
      Dropkick
      A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as he or she jumps so that when the feet connect with the opponent one foot is raised higher than...

    • Lariat
    • Asiatic Spike (Thumb choke hold)
    • Piledriver
    • Running leg drop
    • Running powerslam
    • Samoan drop

  • Manager
    Manager (professional wrestling)
    In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...

    s
    • Sunshine
    • Paul Bearer
    • Jim Cornette
      Jim Cornette
      James Mark "Jim" Cornette is an American professional wrestling manager, commentator, promoter, and booker. As a manager, he has worked for Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation and from 1991 to 1995, was the owner of Smoky Mountain Wrestling...


Championships and accomplishments

  • All Japan Pro Wrestling
    All Japan Pro Wrestling
    is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...

    • AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
    • AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship
      AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship
      The All Japan Pro Wrestling Unified World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling...

       (7 times) - with Stan Hansen
      Stan Hansen
      John Stanley Hansen, Jr. is an American former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Stan Hansen. As a wrestler, Hansen was well known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributes to poor eyesight, as he is nearly blind without glasses...

       (2) and Steve Williams (5)
    • World's Strongest Tag Team League
      World's Strongest Tag Team League
      The , more commonly known in the West as the Real World Tag League, is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by All Japan Pro Wrestling since 1977, usually run on the first weeks of December...

       (1988, 1990, 1991) – with Stan Hansen (1988) and Steve Williams (1990 and 1991)
  • Georgia Championship Wrestling
    Georgia Championship Wrestling
    Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...

    • NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
      NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
      The NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....

       (1 time) - with Michael Hayes
      Michael Hayes (wrestler)
      Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...

    • NWA National Tag Team Championship
      NWA National Tag Team Championship
      The NWA National Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1980 until 1986.The championship was introduced in November 1980 when Georgia Tag Team Champions the Fabulous Freebirds won a tournament to determine the first champions,...

       (4 times) - with Michael Hayes (3) and Jimmy Snuka
      Jimmy Snuka
      James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...

       (1)
  • Global Wrestling Federation
    Global Wrestling Federation
    Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...

    • GWF Tag Team Championship
      GWF Tag Team Championship
      The GWF Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN...

       (1 time) - with Jimmy Garvin
      Jimmy Garvin
      James Williams is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name "Gorgeous" Jimmy "Jam" Garvin and as a member of the legendary Fabulous Freebirds....

  • Mid-South Wrestling Association | Universal Wrestling Federation
    • Mid-South Louisiana Championship
      Mid-South Louisiana Championship
      The Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship was a secondary professional wrestling championship that was used and defended from 1964 though 1983. Initially, the championship originated in the NWA affiliated Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. During this time, it was referred to as the NWA Gulf...

       (1 time)
    • Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
    • Mid-South Tag Team Championship
      UWF Tag Team Championship
      The UWF Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Universal Wrestling Federation from 1986 until the promotion closed in 1987. It was formerly known as the Mid-South Tag Team Championship from 1979 until 1986 when Mid-South Wrestling became the UWF.-Title history:...

       (2 times) - with Michael Hayes (1) and Buddy Roberts (1)
    • UWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Mid-America
    Continental Wrestling Association
    The Continental 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 referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...

    • NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship
      NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship
      The NWA Mid-America tag-team championship was a tag-team title promoted by the NWA Mid America promotion that ran more or less exclusively in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky from the 1940ties until 1980...

       (2 times) - with Michael Hayes
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated
    Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...

    • PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1986)
    • PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1981 - with Michael Hayes
    • PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1992 - with Steve Williams
    • PWI ranked him #36 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
  • Southeastern Championship Wrestling
    Continental Championship Wrestling
    Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...

    • NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship
      NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship
      The NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship was created in October, 1962. Since its creation, the championship has been defended in a number of NWA territories throughout the decades....

       (1 time)
    • NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (1 time)
  • Smoky Mountain Wrestling
    Smoky Mountain Wrestling
    Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Appalachian area of the United States from October 1991 to December 1995, when it was run by Jim Cornette...

    • SMW Heavyweight Championship
      SMW Heavyweight Championship
      The SMW Heavyweight Championship was the major singles title in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. It existed from 1992 until 1996 when SMW folded. "Dirty White Boy" Tony Anthony held the title the most times with three reigns. The United States Wrestling Association briefly recognized the SMW Heavyweight...

       (1 time)
  • World Championship Wrestling
    World Championship Wrestling
    World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...

    • WCW World Tag Team Championship
      WCW World Tag Team Championship
      The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...

       (1 time) - with Steve Williams
    • NWA World Tag Team Championship
      NWA World Tag Team Championship
      The National Wrestling Alliance World Tag Team Championship is the professional wrestling world tag team championship within the NWA framework.-History:...

       (1 time) - with Steve Williams
  • World Class Championship Wrestling
    World Class Championship Wrestling
    World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional 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...

     | World Class Wrestling Association
    World Class Championship Wrestling
    World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional 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...

    • NWA American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
    • NWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michael Hayes
    • NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Texas version) (1 time)
    • NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Texas version) (6 times) - with Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts (5) and Iceman Parsons & Buddy Roberts (1)
    • WCWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts 2

  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
    • Best Brawler (1986)
    • Match of the Year (1984) with Buddy Roberts and Michael Hayes vs. the Von Erichs (Kerry
      Kerry Von Erich
      Kerry Gene Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring names Kerry Von Erich, The Modern Day Warrior, and The Texas Tornado and was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers...

      , Kevin
      Kevin Von Erich
      Kevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in...

      , and Mike
      Mike Von Erich
      Michael Brett Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Mike Von Erich. His four brothers, David, Kerry, Kevin and Chris, also wrestled...

      ) in an Anything Goes match on July 4
    • Tag Team of the Year (1980) with Buddy Roberts as The Fabulous Freebirds
      Fabulous Freebirds
      The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team that 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.-History:The Fabulous...

    • Tag Team of the Year (1981) with Jimmy Snuka
    • Tag Team of the Year (1992) with Steve Williams as Miracle Violence Connection
      Miracle Violence Connection
      The Miracle Violence Connection was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy.-All Japan Pro Wrestling :...


1Won while WCW was still affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance and prior to the NWA and WCW World Tag Team Championships being briefly unified.
2The Freebirds' 5th reign carried over after the title's name was changed to the WCWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship since they were the champions at the time the title was renamed.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK