Introduction
Terry Ray Gordy (April 23, 1961 – July 16, 2001) was an American professional wrestler. Gordy is best known for his appearances in the United States with promotions such as World Class Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling and the Universal Wrestling Federation as a member of The Fabulous Freebirds, as well as his appearances in Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling as one-half of The Miracle Violence Connection.
Championships held by Gordy over the course of his career include the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, AJPW World Tag Team Championship, WCW World Tag Team Championship, NWA World Tag Team Championship, UWF Heavyweight Championship and SMW Heavyweight Championship.
He has been posthumously inducted into the Wrestling Observer, Professional Wrestling, and WWE Hall of Fame.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1975–1979)
Gordy started wrestling in 1975 at the age of 14 as Terry Mecca for the International Wrestling Association. In early 1979, he began wrestling under his real name and formed The Fabulous Freebirds with Michael Hayes. Buddy Roberts was later added to the group.
Memphis CWA Wrestling and Mid South Wrestling (1979–1985)
The Freebirds came to Memphis the first time in 1979 and feuded mainly with Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee. When in mid South Wrestling, he formed The Fabulous Freebirds as the suggestion by Bill Watts with Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts. They returned in 1984 to feud with Lawler & Austin Idol and later with Lawler & Phil Hickerson.
Universal Wrestling Federation (1986)
In 1986, when the Freebirds were in the Universal Wrestling Federation, the former Mid South Wrestling, Gordy won the UWF Heavyweight Championshiptitle and held it for six months, before losing it via forfeit to The One Man Gang, after an angle the same night in which Gordy was injured by "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. During this time, Gordy and the Freebirds had an ongoing feud with the UWF fan favorite Hacksaw Jim Duggan, in which Duggan and Gordy frequently squared off, usually ending in a disqualification because of outside interference.
World Class Championship Wrestling (1982–1988)
In 1982, the Freebirds went to World Class Championship Wrestling and had a heated and memorable feud with the Von Erichs (David, Kevin, Kerry and Mike) that was famously kicked off when Gordy slammed the Cage door on Kerry during his Cage Match at WCCW Star Wars (1982) against Ric Flair where Michael Hayes was the special guest Referee inciting a riot among fans attending. They traded the six man title back and forth a few times over the years. Gordy was also at one time one half of the WCCW American Tag Team champions. While in WCCW, Killer Khan taught Gordy how to perform the Oriental Spike
All Japan Pro Wrestling (1987–1994)
Gordy teamed with Stan Hansen beginning in 1987 in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Gordy later teamed with Steve Williams as The Miracle Violence Connection. During his time there, he also held the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship on two occasions.
World Wrestling Federation (1984)
The Freebirds spent a very brief time in the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, but were fired after missing a show and showing up, many times, late and drunk.
Jim Crockett Promotions/NWA World Championship Wrestling (1987, 1989, 1992)
The Freebirds spent some time in the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions where they split to feud briefly, but later reunited.
In 1989, Gordy helped Hayes to reform the Freebirds, with Jimmy Garvin, in Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), which became World Championship Wrestling in 1991. Later he alongside of Dr. Death Steve Williams defeated the Steiners to become World Tag Team Champions.
Gordy and Williams returned to World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1992 and won the WCW World Tag Team titles. They also won the NWA World Tag Team titles in a tournament at the Great American Bash card in Albany, Georgia, one week later, and unified the titles. Their feud with Rick and Scott Steiner; in Japan, this 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 at the time). Despite advances by New Japan, Gordy and Williams, out of loyalty to the AJPW founder and promoter, Giant Baba, 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, took an overdose of pain medication and slipped into a coma, ultimately 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 where he and Garvin won the GWF Tag Team titles.
Extreme Championship Wrestling (1996)
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 International Wrestling Association of Japan promotion in Japan, wrestling deathmatches. He lost, but went on to team up with Tommy Dreamer and later to reunite with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams to wrestle The Eliminators. He also wrestled Bam Bam Bigelow in what wasthe second ever "Battle Of The Bam Bams"(The first one happened on a Windy City Wrestling show). Gordy lost the match because of outside interference from The Eliminators.
World Wrestling Federation (1996–1997)
Gordy had a brief run in the WWF as The Executioner in 1996 and 1997. He teamed up with Mankind, both managed by Paul Bearer, and feuded with The Undertaker. The Executioner came to the ring under a mask and carrying an axe. He made his TV debut at the In Your House pay-per-view, Buried Alive, where he interfered in The Undertaker's Buried Alive match with Mankind, hitting Undertaker with a shovel and burying him with the help of Mankind and several other wrestlers. However, at In Your House 12: It's Time, The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in an Armageddon Rules match, and Gordy left the promotion shortly afterwards. His final televised appearance was on the January 12, 1997 episode of WWF Superstars, where he lost to Goldust, after which Paul Bearer turned on him by hitting him with his urn. He was advertised to be one of the 30 participants in the 1997 Royal Rumble match, but did not make an appearance.
On an episode of Something to Wrestle With, Bruce Prichard claimed that the Executioner gimmick was given to Gordy because McMahon had doubts that Gordy could still compete effectively and the use of a mask was intended to protect Gordy so that if that were the case, Gordy's legacy would not be tainted. Had Gordy been able to compete at a high level then there would have been the opportunity later for Gordy to unmask. It was mentioned that the hiring was mostly done as a favor for Michael Hayes.
Personal life
Gordy left behind 2 young daughters, Amber and Miranda Gordy, and a son, Ray Gordy. Ray Gordy wrestled for WWE as "Jesse" and "Slam Master J" before being released in 2010. His nephew is Richard Aslinger, who competed for All Japan Pro Wrestling as Richard Slinger.
Death
Gordy died of a heart attack caused by a blood clot on July 16, 2001. He was 40.
In 2014, he was posthumously inducted into the Southern Wrestling Hall of Fame. A year later, he was also posthumously inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.
On April 2, 2016, Gordy was posthumously inducted by his son into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of The Fabulous Freebirds.
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- World Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with Stan Hansen (2) and Steve Williams (5)
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League (1988, 1990, 1991) – with Stan Hansen (1988) and Steve Williams (1990 and 1991)
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League Fighting Spirit Award (1989) – with Bill Irwin
- Georgia Championship Wrestling
- NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Michael Hayes
- NWA National Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Michael Hayes (3) and Jimmy Snuka (1)
- Global Wrestling Federation
- GWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jimmy Garvin
- Mid-South Wrestling Association | Universal Wrestling Federation
- Mid-South Louisiana Championship (1 time)
- Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Mid-South Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Michael Hayes (1) and Buddy Roberts
- UWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- UWF Heavyweight Championship Tournament (1986)
- NWA Mid-America
- NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Michael Hayes
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2015
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1986)
- Tag Team of the Year (1981) – with Michael Hayes
- Tag Team of the Year (1992) – with Steve Williams
- Ranked No. 31 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
- Ranked No. 36 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
- Ranked No. 3, 16, and 34 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Michael Hayes, Steve Williams, and Stan Hansen, respectively, in 2003
- Southeastern Championship Wrestling
- NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (1 time)
- Smoky Mountain Wrestling
- SMW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Texas Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Class of 2014
- World Championship Wrestling
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Steve Williams
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Steve Williams
- NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament (1992) – Steve Williams
- World Class Championship Wrestling | World Class Wrestling Association
- 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
- WWE
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2016) – as a member of The Fabulous Freebirds
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Brawler (1986)
- Match of the Year (1984)
- Best Three-Man Team (1983) with Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts
- Tag Team of the Year (1980)
- Tag Team of the Year (1981)
- Tag Team of the Year (1992)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2005) – as part of The Fabulous Freebirds