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The Not So Fabulous Freebirds Through the Years

The Not So Fabulous Freebirds Through the Years

Posted: Oct 2nd 2024 By: Brian Damage - RingTheDamnBell.Wordpress.com

Hailing from Badstreet USA, the Fabulous Freebirds are widely regarded as one of the finest groupings in wrestling history. Today we look at all the men that rode with the group as they made their way to the top, from hangers on to management and everything in-between.

The Fabulous Freebirds are arguably one of…if not the greatest factions in all of professional wrestling. Sure, the Four Horsemen are up at the top of the list as well…but no question that the boys from Badstreet USA are right up at the top with the Horsemen. Their longstanding feud with the Von Erich boys in World Class Championship Wrestling in the 1980’s was one of the hottest battles of that particular era. Each of the three member team had a purpose and gelled together perfectly.

There was the worker in Buddy Jack Roberts..the mouthpiece in Michael ‘PS’ Hayes and the power in Terry ‘Bam Bam’ Gordy. Individually they all had there strengths and weaknesses…but together as one unit they were nearly flawless. Oh sure, they were headache at times to the various promoters they worked for. Their bad boy image wasn’t really an image at all, as they wrestled hard and partied just as hard. The thing was, promoters would often overlook their transgressions outside the ring because they filled arenas and made lots of money where ever they went.

Gordy, Roberts and Hayes were “heat magnets” and whether it was feuding with the Von Erichs or winning titles in the Georgia or Mid-South/UWF territories…the Fabulous Freebirds were all about success. They are immediately the three best remembered as the Freebirds…but in wrestling…things change..sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. This piece will look at the other not so well regarded versions and members of this infamous faction. Some fit in quite nicely…while others…well…they were like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Jimmy Garvin

Let’s first start out with the individual often regarded as the fourth member of the team from almost the get go…’Gorgeous’ Jimmy Garvin. Garvin would often team with the ‘Birds in WCCW and other territories. He didn’t become a full fledged member until he and Hayes joined WCW back in 1989. Together, Garvin and Hayes won the WCW world tag team titles, the United States tag team titles and the WCW world Six man tag titles.

Badstreet

This member was originally nicknamed “Fantasia” until threats of legal action from Disney forced WCW to rename the masked character Badstreet. It was actually none other than Brad Armstrong under a mask. He was the third member of WCW’s version of the team and won the Six man tag titles with Garvin and Hayes.

The Angel of Death

The Angel of Death was the bodyguard to the Freebirds back in the mid 1980’s when the “boys from Badstreet” were competing in the old Mid South/ Universal Wrestling Federation run by Bill Watts. The Angel of Death turned on the Freebirds and joined Skandor Akbar’s Devastation Incorporated turning the Freebirds into babyfaces.

Diamond Dallas Page

Long before Diamond Dallas Page became an active wrestler…he was utilized as a manager and worked it as the manager of The Freebirds in WCW in 1991.

Big Daddy Dink

Sir Oliver Humperdink joined the Freebirds under the moniker of ‘Big Daddy Dink’ and was used as a co manager (along with DDP) and called a Road manager. In real life, Humperdink hated the gimmick citing that it never fit well with who he was as a pro manager and wound up quitting the company.

Steve Cox

Steve “Do It To It” Cox was a protege of Michael PS Hayes back in the mid 1980’s. He became a pseudo member of the group after that…often teaming with Hayes.

Iceman King Parsons

In 1987, Iceman King Parsons briefly replaced Michael Hayes as the mouthpiece of the trio while Hayes was in WCW. When Hayes returned to Texas…he began a feud with the “new” Freebirds.

Little Richard Marley

Little Richard Marley acted as a roadie/manager/valet to the Freebirds back in their WCW days. Marley was really WCW perennial jobber Rocky King who was repackaged in this new gimmick.

David Wolff

During the Freebirds extremely brief WWF run…they had David Wolff as their manager. Wolff was a real life manager of Cyndi Lauper and brought in along with Lauper during the WWF’s Rock N Wrestling era.

All in all, some of these choices if not all just didn’t compare to the original trio that wreaked havoc throughout professional wrestling from the late 1970’s to the 1980’s. As Michael Hayes eloquently stated in several promos…”Heaven don’t want us and Hell is afraid we’ll take over.”

 

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Spotlight in History

  • 2008 Jerry Bostic def. Joshua Smith for the 3DW Violent Division Title
  • 2008 Shane Rawls def. Ky-Ote for the 3DW Heavyweight Title
  • 2014 Buster Cherry def. Bud Barnes for the SWCW All-American Title
  • 2014 Chaz Sharpe def. Kevin James Sanchez for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
  • 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Warhammer for the SRPW Heavyweight Title
  • 2024 Miranda Gordy def. Sgt. Slice for the CPW Women’s Title
  • 2025 Deacon Hendrix became the RWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 2025 Family Affiliated (Athan Sorrow & Rika Wildlee) became the RWE Tag Team Champions
  • 2025 Gluttony became the RWE United States Champion
  • 2025 Bishop Simon became the RWE Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 2025 For God And Country (Pastor Brent & Corporal Punishment) def. The Main Characters (Sean Ryan & Daniel Aaron Michalles) for the WAH Tag Team Titles

Week of Sun 04-26 to Sat: 05-02

  • 04-26 2008 Jerry Bostic def. Joshua Smith for the 3DW Violent Division Title
  • 04-26 2008 Shane Rawls def. Ky-Ote for the 3DW Heavyweight Title
  • 04-26 2014 Buster Cherry def. Bud Barnes for the SWCW All-American Title
  • 04-26 2014 Chaz Sharpe def. Kevin James Sanchez for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
  • 04-26 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Warhammer for the SRPW Heavyweight Title
  • 04-26 2024 Miranda Gordy def. Sgt. Slice for the CPW Women’s Title
  • 04-26 2025 Deacon Hendrix became the RWE Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-26 2025 Family Affiliated (Athan Sorrow & Rika Wildlee) became the RWE Tag Team Champions
  • 04-26 2025 Gluttony became the RWE United States Champion
  • 04-26 2025 Bishop Simon became the RWE Light Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-26 2025 For God And Country (Pastor Brent & Corporal Punishment) def. The Main Characters (Sean Ryan & Daniel Aaron Michalles) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
  • 04-27 1978 The Assassin became the TSW Louisiana Champion
  • 04-27 1981 Junkyard Dog & Dick Murdoch def. The Grappler & The Super Destroyer for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 04-27 2003 The Sharpe Brothers (Chaz Sharpe & Rich Sharpe) def. John O'Malley & All-American Aaron for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 04-27 2003 Se7en def. Aaron Neil for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 04-27 2008 Tyrone def. Jerry Bostic for the 3DW Violent Division Title
  • 04-27 2019 Brandon Groom def. Brian Dixon for the BPW Lion Heart Title
  • 04-27 2019 Doc Black became the BCW Heritage Rivalry Champion
  • 04-28 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Title
  • 04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
  • 04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Titles
  • 04-28 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Title
  • 04-28 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 04-28 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Title
  • 04-28 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
  • 04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Title
  • 04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Title
  • 04-29 2006 AWOL def. Michael York for the TPW Heavyweight Title
  • 04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 04-29 2006 Carnage def. Rexx Reed for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 04-29 2007 Aaron Neil def. Tyler Bateman for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
  • 04-29 2007 Brad Michaels def. Ryan Davidson for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
  • 04-29 2007 Bad Boy & Outlaw became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Titles
  • 04-29 2011 Mr. Big became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Prophet for the BYEW Heavyweight Title
  • 04-29 2012 Rage Logan became the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Damon Windsor) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2017 Aaron Anders became the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 1971 Toru Tanaka def. Johnny Valentine for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 04-30 2004 Shadow of Death def. Terry Montana for the TPW Hardcore Title
  • 04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Title
  • 04-30 2011 Ray Martinez def. Ryan Reed for the UWE United States Title
  • 04-30 2016 Ray Martinez became the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Title
  • 04-30 2023 El Gallardo/El Vaquero def. Cappuccino Jones for the BPW Lion Heart Title
  • 04-30 2023 Heavyweight Grappling (Dan Webber & Morrison) def. Subject To Death (Cade Fite & Leo Fox) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
  • 05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Title
  • 05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Title
  • 05-01 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 05-02 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 05-02 1975 Mad Dog Vachon def. Billy Graham for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Title
  • 05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
  • 05-02 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 05-02 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Title
  • 05-02 2015 Gail Kim became the IWR Diamonds Champion
  • 05-02 2015 Kareem Sadat became the BCW Independent Hardcore Champion
  • 05-02 2021 Drake Gallows def. Blade [2nd] for the AIWF National Title
04-26
  • Justin Dynamic Apr 26th Today!
  • Karl Kox Apr 26th Today!
  • Havoc Apr 26th Today!
  • Yasu Fuji Apr 27th
  • Siva Afi Apr 28th
  • Chance Snodgrass Apr 28th
  • Ichiban [2nd] Apr 28th
  • Sunshine Apr 29th
  • Dustin Tibbs Apr 30th
  • Joe McCarthy Apr 30th
  • Billie the Kiid Apr 30th
  • Anarchy [2nd] Apr 30th
  • Prince Maivia May 1st
  • Barrett Brown May 2nd
  • Americos May 2nd
  • Nightmare [1st] May 2nd
  • Big Bossman May 2nd
  • Kari Wright May 2nd
  • Don Fields May 2nd
  • Lester Welch May 3rd
  • Johnny Humble May 3rd
  • Lily McKenzie May 3rd
  • Malik Mayfield May 4th
  • Dory Funk May 4th
  • El Hijo del Mascara Sagrada May 4th
  • Jay Hazzard May 4th
  • Bull Schmitt May 4th
  • Princess Victoria May 5th
  • Maria Brigitte May 5th
  • Pat O'Dowdy May 5th
  • Miss Diss Lexia May 5th
  • Olivier Vegos May 5th
  • El Gallardo May 5th
  • El Matador Dos May 5th
  • Zane Morris May 5th
  • Bill Watts May 5th
  • Claire Watson May 6th
  • Hercules May 7th
  • Richie Adams May 8th
  • Jake Danielsson May 9th

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