The Fabulous Freebirds in the WWF

The Fabulous Freebirds are one of the greatest wrestling tag teams of all time.  There were a few incarnations during their run from 1979 to 1994 with the primary players being Michael P.S. Hayes, Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, and Buddy Jack Roberts and later in WCW with Jimmy "Jam" Garvin, Badstreet, and others.

In this post we are going to look at the short time that Hayes, Gordy, & Roberts spent in the WWF.  Originally brought in to be part of the Rock n' Wrestling Connection in fact David Wolff is the one that announced that they were coming in.

David Wolff was the manger of boyfriend of Cyndi Lauper when she and was instrumental in her coming to the WWF eventually managing Wendi Richter.  The Freebirds were to expand this connection and Wolff even appeared at ringside with the Birds.

On The August 4, 1984 episode of Georgia Championship Wrestling taped July 31st at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY David Wolff joined the commentary team of Vince McMahon & Tony Garea where he announced that the Fabulous Freebirds were coming to the WWF

August 4, 1984 Philadelphia Spectrum - Aired 8/19 on GCW
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts with David Wolff & Cyndi Lauper defeated Ron Shaw, Rene Goulet, & Charlie Fulton when Gordy pinned Fulton with a powerbomb

August 10, 1984 Kiel Auditorium, St Louis, MO - Aired 8/18 on GCW
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts with David Wolff defeated Jerry Valiant, Alexis Smirnoff, & Max Blue when Gordy pinned Valiant

August 25, 1984 Madison Square Garden - Aired 9/8 on GCW
Best 2 out of 3 Falls: The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts with David Wolff defeated Butcher Vachon, Shaw, & Pete Doherty.  Gordy pinned Vachon with a cross body, Robert pinned Doherty with an elbow drop

August 29, 1984 Brantford, Ontario, Canada - Aired 9/29 on Maple Leaf Wrestling
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs & Brian Mackney when Gordy pinned Mackney with a piledriver

September 8, 1984 Boston Garden
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs

September 9, 1984 Manchester, NH
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy defeated The Moondogs

September 10, 1984 Baltimore, MD
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy defeated The Moondogs

September 11, 1984 Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY
Aired 9/22 on Championship Wresting
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts with David Wolff & Cyndi Lauper defeated Aldo Marino, Rusty Brooks, & "Iron" Mike Sharpe when Gordy pinned Marino with a piledriver

Aired 10/6 on Championship Wrestling
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts with David Wolff defeated Steve Lombardi, Carl Fury, & Bob Orton Jr when Hayes pinned Fury

September 16, 1984 New Haven, Connecticut
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs

September 17, 1984 Columbus, OH
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs

September 18, 1984 Struthers, OH
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs

September 19, 1984 Erie, PA
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs

September 22, 1984 Miami, FL
Michael Hayes defeated Rene Goulet

September 23, 1984 Minneapolis, Minnesota
Michael Hayes & Pat Patterson defeated The Moondogs
This match was advertised as The Freebirds vs. The Moondogs and The Spoiler

September 24, 1984 London, Ontario, Canada - Aired 10/13 on All Star Wrestling
Michael Hayes pinned Dave Barbie

September 28, 1984 Kiel Auditorium, St Louis, MO
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs by count-out

September 29, 1984 Kansas City, MO
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs by disqualification

September 30, 1984 Chicago, IL
The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, & Buddy Roberts defeated The Moondogs by count-out

The Freebirds lasted 57 days in the WWF wrestling 16 matches a unit including debuting at Madison Square Garden.  They appeared on four televisions show for the promotion, All Star Wrestling, Championship Wrestling, Maple Leaf Wrestling, and Georgia Championship Wrestling.

Rumor has it that the Freebirds left the promotion after Andre "fired" them for showing up late for a show and that Vince McMahon wanted to break the group up.  Whatever the reason the Birds didn't last long.

Michael Hayes returned to the WWF in 1995 as Dok Hendrix commentator and backstage interviewer.  He eventually started working behind the scenes in various roles still to this day.

Terry Gordy returned to the WWF in November 1996 for a two month run as the masked Executioner including wrestling The Undertaker at In Your House 12 "It's Time" in an Armageddon Rules Match.

On April 2, 2016 The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael Hayes, Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts, & Jimmy Garvin were inducted in the WWE Hall of Fame.

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The Last Match: The Fabulous Freebirds

The Fabulous Freebirds are one of the greatest and most revolutionary tag teams of all time.  They were unique in that they were a three man team who won the tag team championships and originated what would become known as the Freebird Rule as any two of the three members could defend the titles.

The teamed formed in Mid South Wrestling in 1979 and continued until they disbanded in 1994.  They had success all around the territories including the AWA, WWF, WCW, NWA, Memphis, Florida and more.  They are perhaps best known for the amazing feud in World Class with the Von Erich family.

The Freebirds were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.

Michael P.S. Hayes
Last Match: July 25, 1999 WWF Fully Loaded 1999 Buffalo, New York
with The Hardy Boys: Matt & Jeff lost the Tag Team Championships to The Acolytes: Bradshaw & Faarooq in a no disqualification match

Hayes was pinned in the match that cost the Hardys their titles.  Hayes would go on to compete in the WrestleMania X-7 Gimmick Battle Royal.  Hayes was no doubt the leader of the Freebirds and also was with the team for its entire run.  One of the most colorful and flamboyant men in wrestling.

"Bam Bam" Terry Gordy
Last Match: June 10, 1999 NWA Southwest, Dallas, Texas
defeated The New Dr. X

One of if not the best big man in wrestling Gordy began wrestling in 1975 at the age of 14.  After his run with the Birds Gordy had a successful tag team with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams in All Japan Pro Wrestling and WCW from 1990 - 1993.  Gordy is also a two time AJPW Triple Crown Champion, the promotions top championship.

Gordy passed away on July 16, 2001 from a heart attack.

Buddy Jack Roberts
Last Match: April 2, 1993 GWF Dallas, Texas
with Michael P.S. Hayes was defeated by Chris Adams & Kevin Von Erich

Debuting in 1965 after being trained by Ivan Koloff he joined up with the Freebirds becoming the third member in 1979.  He stayed with the Birds through their major run in World Class leaving them in 1987.  Retiring in 1989 he came out of retirement for his final match teaming with Hayes.

He battled throat cancer but died from pneumonia November 26, 2012 at the age of 65.
 

Jimmy "Jam" Garvin
Last Match: August 2, 2000 Lutte 2000 Verdun, Quebec, Canada
with Ronnie Garvin was defeated by The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers: Jacques & Raymond to win the Johnny Rougeau Tag Team Title

Jimmy Garvin began wrestling in 1968 traveling the independents winding up in World Class in 1983.  He began a loose association with the Freebirds during this run.  On June 14, 1989 he returned to WCW as a official member of the Freebirds teaming with Hayes at Clash of the Champions VII winning the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championships.

He teamed with Hayes until 1992 when he left WCW.  He rejoined Hayes and Gordy in Global Wrestling Federation in 1994 as The Fabulous Freebirds until the promotion folded later that year.

Freebirds Match
Last Match: May 28, 1999 Power Pro Wrestling, Memphis, TN
Michael P.S. Hayes & Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy wrestled Glen Kulka & JR Smooth to a no contest

This is the last match of record that I can find involving members of the Freebirds.  It's only fitting that it's the two original members in Hayes & Gordy that have the final official match of The Fabulous Freebirds.

Badstreet: Brad Armstrong 

Last Match: February 12, 2011 A Nightmare to Remember Villa Rica, GA

defeated by Kyle Matthews

During the Freebirds run in WCW Brad Armstrong donned a masked competing as the mysterious Badstreet.  His association with them was short but I felt should be included.

Sadly Armstrong passed away on November 1, 2012 at the age of 50.

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AWA Wrestlerock 1986

I recently was looking through the vault section of WWE Network in the AWA and found four of their supershows, including the only AWA PPV just listed in the TV section.  The shows are this one here, Super Sunday and Superclash II & III.

April 20, 1986 

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Hubert H. Humprey Metrodome

Commentary: Rod Trongard & Larry Nelson
Interviewer: Ken Resnick
Ring Announcer: Gary Michael Capetta
Duration: 3 hours 42 minutes

At the beginning of the show there were so many empty seats on the floor and in the stands, it did fill in by the end of the show.  It was interesting that Rod Trongard called the first eight matches by himself before Larry Nelson joined him.  The faces and heels came from separate sides of the ring.  Also there were several guest ring announcers in the evening.

Opens with the national anthem sung live

Brad Rheingans vs. Boris Zhukov with Skandor Akbar
1 Fall 15 minute time limit
American Olympian vs. Evil Soviet Communist to a hilt.  Rheingans gets an interview on the way to the ring.  Rheingans took a beating for the majority of the match before making his comeback with a powerslam for the pinfall.  8 min 31 seconds.  Decent very formulaic for that time frame.

Midget Tag Team Match
Lord Littlebrook & Little Tokyo vs. Little Mr. T & Cowboy Lang
1 Fall 15 minute time limit
At the beginning of the match Trongard busted out this gem "Big or small short or tall the AWA has it all" and later "Coast to coast and border to border we go all over."  Not going to lie, I love it!
Not your typical comedy filled spotfest.  This match was actually a physical seriously contended match with what I would call only one comedy spot.  Lang and Mr. T got the win when Lang pinned Littlebrook with a scissor roll.  10 min 1 second.

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Col. Debeers
1 Fall 15 minute time limit
Short match, basically punch, kick, and chops with Wahoo getting disqualified for throwing DeBeers out over the top rope.  Post match McDaniels and DeBeers had a better match/fight on the floor before officials separated them.

Tiger Mask vs. "Rock n' Roll" Buck Zumhofe
1 Fall 15 minute time limt
Pre-match promo with Zumhofe while Tiger Mask made his entrance.  There was so much feedback you couldn't understand Zumhofe.  Mitsuharu Misawa was under the hood as Tiger Mask in thsi match.  This was no Dynamite Kid classic, in fact Zumhofe was outclassed by Tiger Mask who seemed not impressed to be there.  Tiger Mask gets the win when he does a front flip off the top rope and crashes into a standing Zumhofe.

Ken Resnick interviews Mike Rotundo & Barry Windham calling them former WWF Tag Team Champions.

Mike Rotundo & Barry Windham vs. The Fabulous Ones: Stan Lane & Steve Keirn 
I was never a fan of the Fabulous Ones, I always preferred Lane in the Midnight Express.  Really great tag team match with four guys that really know what they are doing.  Lane had Rotundo set up for a piledriver when Windham came off the top rope with a elbow to the back of the had and scored the three count.  Classic 80's good guy doing what the bad guy does and getting cheered for it.

Giant Baba vs. "Bulldog" Bob Brown
1 Fall 20 minute time limit
Terrible, just terrible.  Baba wins with a kick in the chest

Harley Race vs. Rick Martel
1 Fall 20 minute time limit
Interview with Race on the way the ring. I've never seen these two wrestle each other before.  This match started a bit slow but after a few minutes they turned it on and just went for it battling to a double count-out.  I'm not even angry about it, it was truly a fantastic match!  After the match they kept at it on the floor until it was broken up by officials.

Ten Women Battle Royal
Sherri Martel won last eliminating AWA Women's Champion: Candi Devine.  Other competitors: Joyce Grable, Kat LeRoux, Luna Vachon, Rose Devine, Taylor Thomas, Destina Montagus, Misty Blue Simmes, Debbie Combs. Near the end of the match Tongard confused Debbie Combs and Champion Devine calling one the other.

The only lady in match I had never heard of was Despina Montagas and I was very impressed with her in the match especially her strength.

Sgt. Slaughter vs. Kamala the Ugandan Giant with Skandor Akbar
Slaughter is in GI Joe ring gear.  Bad match, fans were popping big time for Slaughter though, who won by disqualification when Akbar interfered.  Larry Nelson conducted a post match promo with Sgt. Slaughter, he gathered up a few kids to say the pledge of allegiance.

AWA Tag Team Championship
Champions: "Big" Scott Hall & Curt Hennig vs. The Long Riders: "Wild" Bill & Scott "Hog" Irwin
1 Fall 60 minute time limit
 Hall is awarded a trophy from Pro Wrestling Report for being voted Most Popular Wrestler.  This match wasn't very good at all.  For some reason Hennig and Wild Bill were in the match 95% of the time.  Hennig pinned Wild Bill with a missile dropkick.

Larry Nelson conducted a post match promo with the champs.

European Rules Match
Scott LeDoux vs. Larry Zbyszko with Go the Ninja
10 two minute rounds with 1 minute rest breaks
Ken Resnick conducted a pre-match promo with Ledoux.  Special Referee Larry "The Axe" Hennig.  This match was basically a hot mess.  Both men wore four ounce karate gloves, but it was never made clear how you can win the match.  At the end of the first round the bell rang and Larry Nelson asked what that bell was all about.  Midway through the second round Trongard said this could end many ways.  It was basically punches, kicks, and take downs with then awkward ground grappling.  At the beginning of the 5th round Zbyszko throws LeDoux to the floor and posts him drawing the disqualification.  Larry Nelson conducted a post match interview with LeDoux.

AWA World Champion: Stan "The Lariat" Hansen vs. Nick Bockwinkel
1 Fall with a 60 minute time limit
On his way to the ring Hansen beat up Larry Nelson.  As you can imagine this was a wild and crazy Hansen style brawl.  I've never seen Bockwinkel in a match like this before, he didn't have a choice though, it was survival!  Also the perennial heel Bockwinkel was getting baby face reactions.  After several minutes of these guys beating the tar out of each other we get a ref bump and Bockwinkel gets several pin falls that the ref doesn't see.

Of course he comes too in time to see Hansen back body drop Bockwinkel over the top rope drawing the disqualification and giving Bockwinkel the win and Hansen retaining the title.  Of course after the match they keep fighting.  10 minutes 8 seconds, felt longer, in a good way.  Larry Nelson conducted a post-match interview with Bockwinkel.

Main Event Steel Cage
Greag Gagne & "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka w/ Verne Gagne vs. King Kong Brody & The Barbarian w/ Shiek Adnan Al-Kaissie 
1 Fall to a finish no time limit
If Greg & Snuka win Verne gets Al-Kaissie in the cage for 10 minutes.  This was contested under standard tag team rules, just in a cage.  Brody wasn't the typical wildman that we are used to.  Gagne and Brody got busted open well, Barbarian just has a cat scratch,  Oh my god, the pin fall came when Gagne was down on all fours, Barbarian and Snuka were both standing with Barbarian holding Snuka open for a shot from Brody who threw a dropkick knocking Barbarian backwards over Gagne tripping Barbarian and Snuka falling onto him for the pin...seriously.

All four men battle to the back and Vern grabs Al-Kaissie ramming him into the cage twice before throwing him in the ring where Al-Kaissie was bleeding profusely.   This wasn't your typical "10 minutes in the ring" this was a match! So yes Verne actually Main Evented the card.  Verne gets the pin with a small package. 3 minutes 49 seconds.  Larry Nelson conducted a post match interview with Verne who stated that, that was his last match.  Verne would wrestle three more matches after this before ending his in ring career.

Steel Cage
The Road Warriors: Hawk & Animal vs. The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael PS Hayes & "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin
In the first minutes Hayes eats the cage and is busted open.  Standard match with the Warriors dominating and getting a quick win after a few minutes when Hayes accidentally hit Garvin with a foreign object and Animal getting the pin on Garvin.  7 minutes 18 seconds.

Even though the previous match was announced at the Main Event the Warrior vs. Freebirds was the last match on the tape.  Checking a couple websites also shows that this match happened prior to Gagne & Snuka vs. Brody & Barbarian.

Also checking those same websites show that a match on the card appears to have been cut from this broadcast on the WWE Network.  The Rocker vs. Playboy Buddy Rose & Doug Somers.  Now before any says anything here is a video capture I found on the internet of the match with the WWE logo on the screen.

I wonder why it was cut.

Also cut from this version, and I'm not upset about it, was a concert performed by Waylon Jennings, to which I question about Waylon Jennings qualifies as rock music

This would be the last dome show for the AWA with an announced recorded attendance of 23,300 but inside the 65 thousand seat dome it looked sparse.  If I didn't list the time limit it was because it wasn't mentioned same with the time of the match.

Rod Trongard

Rod Trongard just has one of those amazing voices that I just love from wrestling's past.

I've never seen this show before and was surprised to see some guys on the show like Giant Baba, Rotundo and Windham.

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The Fabulous Freebirds unique WCW Championship reign

Recently while researching my blog post One Day Champions I came across a very odd match listing and I just had to share it here.

On February 18, 1991 in Montgomery, Alabama The Fabulous Freebirds: Michael PS Hayes and Jimmy "Jam" Garvin lost the WCW World Tag Team Championships to Rick and Scott The Steiner Brothers.

I know what you are thinking, one team losing tag titles to another team isn't that unusual, in fact it has happened several times.  What makes this unique is the next entry in the title lineage.

February 24, 1991 Wrestle War 91 Phoenix, AZ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin (w/ Big Daddy Dink) defeated WCW Tag Team Champions Doom (w/ Teddy Long) to win the titles at 6:57 when Garvin pinned Simmons after Reed accidentally hit his partner with a foreign object thrown in the ring by Long, with Dink then shoving Garvin onto Simmons for the win; prior to the bout, the challengers were escorted to the ring by Diamond Dallas Page who then introduced Dink as the Freebirds' "road boss" before leaving ringside; after the match, DDP and the Diamond Dolls returned ringside and celebrated with the new champions as Reed assaulted Simmons with the weapon and left the ring with Long

Yes you read that correctly they lost the titles 6 days before they won them making the Fabulous Freebirds that only Champions whose title run was negative days.  It was literally over before it began!

I realize that the match that was held on February 18th was taped for television and didn't air until March 9th, however they still technically lost the titles before even winning them.

This incident is a result of WCW and they odd televisions taping schedule for their syndicated shows which they taped several weeks in advance.  I recall reading in Mick Foley's book about how he watched the team of Pretty Wonderful: Paul Roma & Paul Orndorff cutting a promo about beating Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan for the tag team championships before Cactus and Sullivan had even won them.

What's even more interesting to me is that according to The History of WWE Doom would defend the titles at house shows between the 18th & 24th while The Freebirds were billed as tag team champions at house shows between the February 24th and March 9th.

At the end of the day though,officially the Fabulous Freebirds were Tag Team Champions for negative six days.

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The entire television taping held on February 18, 1991 thanks to www.thehistoryofwwe.com

WCW @ Montgomery, AL - Civic Center - February 18, 1991 (1,500)
TV taping:
Included the debut segments of the Diamond Mine, Larry's Legends, and the first appearance of Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong as the Young Pistols
Bobby Eaton defeated Buddy Landel via disqualification when Terry Taylor interfered; after the bout, Tom Zenk made the save only to be knocked down by Eaton
Tom Zenk & Bobby Eaton defeated Terry Taylor & Buddy Landel
Sting & WCW US Champion Lex Luger defeated two unknowns; the bout didn't air due to a blown spot in which Luger was to have press slammed Sting onto the opponents outside the ring; Sting hit the apron on the way down and the two opponents were out of position to make the catch
Worldwide - 3/9/91:
Sting & El Gigante vs. Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker & Lt. James Earl Wright
Dan Spivey vs. Tim Parker
Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong vs. Jim Boss & Pat Rose
Sid Vicious vs. David Isley
Bobby Eaton vs. Terrence Taylor
Barry Windham vs. Brad Armstrong
WCW World Champion Ric Flair vs. Tim Horner
Pro - 3/9/91 - featured Tony Schiavone & Larry Zbyzsko on commentary:
Rick & Scott Steiner defeated WCW Tag Team Champions Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin to win the titles at 4:06 when Scott pinned Garvin with the Frankensteiner after Rick hit a clothesline on Garvin, knocking Garvin backwards into Hayes on the top, causing Hayes to crotch himself; Hayes & Garvin did not win the titles until 2/24
Worldwide - 3/16/91:
Bobby Eaton & Tom Zenk vs. Terrence Taylor & Buddy Landel
WCW Tag Team & US Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner vs. Rob Morgan & John Peterson
Big Josh, & WCW Six-Man Tag Team Champions Ricky Morton, Tommy Rich, & the Junkyard Dog vs. Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker, Lt. James Earl Wright, & Magnum Force
Ron Simmons vs. Joe Bruce
Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong vs. Doug Vines & Jeff Sword
Sid Vicious vs. Larry Santo
El Gigante vs. Joe Cruz
3/91 - featured Lance Russell & Diamond Dallas Page on commentary:
Brian Pillman defeated WCW TV Champion Arn Anderson via disqualification in a non-title match at 3:04 when Barry Windham and Sid Vicious interfered after Pillman hit a clothesline off the top; Pillman's shoulder was taped as a result of his injury sustained by the Horsemen; after the bout, Pillman fought off Anderson and Vicious, and avoided Vicious' powerbomb, but was eventually beaten down
Dark match: Barry Windham & WCW TV Champion Arn Anderson defeated Doom in a streetfight after Butch Reed accidentally hit Ron Simmons with a shoulderblock; after the bout, the two partners brawled around ringside