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Born | April 23 1961 Chattanooga, Tennessee |
Died | July 16 2001 |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Terry Mecca Terry Gordy The Executioner |
Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
Billed weight | 286 lb (130 kg) |
Trained by | Afa Anoai |
Debut | 1978 |
Terry ' Bam Bam' Gordy (April 23 1961 - July 16 2001) was a professional wrestler who was most famous for being a member of the Fabulous Freebirds.
Career
Terry Gordy started wrestling in 1978 at the age of 16 as Terry Mecca. In early 1979, he changed his ring name to his real name of Terry Gordy and he formed the Fabulous Freebirds with Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts was later added to the group. They were great heels and won titles everywhere they went. In 1984, the Freebirds went to World Class Championship Wrestling and had a legendary feud with the Von Erichs (David, Kevin, Kerry and Mike). They spent some time in the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions where they split to feud briefly but then reunited. They also spent a very brief time in the WWF but left when management tried to split them up.
In 1986, when the Freebirds were in the Universal Wrestling Federation, Gordy won their title and held it for 6 months. In 1989, Gordy helped Hayes reform the Freebirds with Jimmy Garvin in Jim Crockett Promotions.
He soon left and started teaming with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams as the "Miracle Violence Combination" in All Japan Pro Wrestling. During his time there, he held the AJPW Triple Crown Championship on two occasions. In 1993 Gordy, while travelling to Japan for a tour, overdosed on pain medication . He received brain damage during the coma following the overdose. He returned to action later that year, but never received a shot at the Triple Crown again.
Gordy and Williams came to WCW in 1992 and won the World Tag Team Titles and had a feud with Rick and Scott Steiner. In Japan, this was played as a feud between the best foreign teams of their respective promotions (the Steiners were competing for rival New Japan Pro Wrestling at the time). Despite advances by New Japan, Gordy and Williams, out of loyalty to Baba, refused to compete for the promotion.
In 1994, Gordy had a small reunion with Hayes and Garvin as the Freebirds in the Global Wrestling Federation where he won the Tag Team Titles with Garvin. In 1996, Gordy showed up in Extreme Championship Wrestling to challenge Raven for the ECW World Heavyweight Title, as the "Internationally recognized #1 Contender." He had been working for the IWA promotion in Japan, wrestling deathmatches. He lost, but went on to team with Tommy Dreamer and would later reunite with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams to wrestle against The Eliminators.
He had a brief run in the WWF as The Executioner in 1996. He teamed with Mankind under a mask for manager Paul Bearer and feuded with The Undertaker. He appeared in the "Buried Alive" and "It's Time" PPV as "The Executioner". He would come to the ring under a mask and would carry a plastic ax. Even with the mask on, many wrestling fans knew it was Gordy under the mask. He faced The Undertaker at "It's Time," which was basically a squash match with The Undertaker getting an easy victory. He disappeared weeks after.
Gordy died of a heart attack on July 16, 2001 due to a blood clot. He was 40 years old. His son Ray wrestles in DSW.
In wrestling
Finishing and signature moves
- Powerbomb
- Backdrop Driver (High angle belly to back suplex)
- Asiatic Spike (Thumb choke hold)
- DDT
- Lariat
- Short-arm lariat
- Piledriver
- Chokeslam
Managers
Championships and accomplishments
- APCW
- APCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jason Gibson
- AJPW Triple Crown Championship (2 times)
- AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (7 times) - with Stan Hansen (2) and Steve Williams (5)
- GWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jimmy Garvin
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Steve Williams
- National
- NWA National Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Michael Hayes (3) and Jimmy Snuka (1)
- Regional
- NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michael Hayes
- NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Michael Hayes
- NWA Southeast Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Southeast Alabama Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- PWI ranked him # 36 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
- PWI ranked him # 3 of the best tag teams of the PWI Years, with Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts, in 2003.
- PWI ranked him # 16 of the best tag teams of the PWI Years, with Steve Williams, in 2003.
- PWI ranked him # 34 of the best tag teams of the PWI Years, with Stan Hansen, in 2003.
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler Award (1986)
- PWI Tag Team of the Year Award, with Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts (1981)
- PWI Tag Team of the Year Award, with Steve Williams (1992)
- SMW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- UWF Heavyweight Championship (1time)
- Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Mid-South Louisiana Championship (1 time)
- Mid-South Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Michael Hayes (1) and Buddy Roberts (1)
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Steve Williams
- WCCW American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
- WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship (6 times) - with Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts (5) and Iceman Parsons & Buddy Rogerts (1)
- WCCW American Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michael Hayes
- He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 2005 as part of the Fabulous Freebirds)
- 1980 Tag Team of the Year (with Buddy Roberts)
- 1981 Tag Team of the Year (with Jimmy Snuka)
- 1983 Feud of the Year (with Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts vs The Von Erichs)
- 1984 Feud of the Year (with Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts vs The Von Erichs)
- 1984 Match of the Year (with Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts vs The Von Erichs)
- 1986 Best Brawler
- 1992 Tag Team of the Year (with Steve Williams)