Terry Gordy

Infobox Wrestler
name=Terry Gordy


names=Terry Mecca
Terry Gordy
The Executioner
Terry Bam Bam Gordy
height=6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
weight=286 lb (130 kg)
birth_date=birth date|1961|4|23|mf=y
death_date=death date and age|2001|7|16|1961|4|23
birth_place=Chattanooga, Tennessee
death_place=Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee
resides=
billed=
trainer=Afa Anoai
debut=1978
retired=|

Terry 'Bam Bam' Gordy (April 23 1961 - July 16 2001) was a professional wrestler who was most famous in the United States 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 began wrestling under his real name and formed the Fabulous Freebirds with Michael Hayes. Buddy Roberts was later added to the group. In 1982, 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, losing the UWF Title via forfeit to The One Man Gang after an angle the same night where Gordy was injured at the hands of "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. In 1989, Gordy helped Hayes reform the Freebirds with Jimmy Garvin in Jim Crockett Promotions.

He soon left and started teaming with Williams as the "Miracle Violence Connection" in All Japan Pro Wrestling. During his time there, he held the AJPW Triple Crown Championship on two occasions. In 1993 Gordy, while traveling to Japan for a tour, overdosed on pain medication. He was brain damaged during the subsequent coma. 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 WCW World Tag Team Titles and won the NWA World Tag Team titles in a tournament at the Great American Bash card in Albany, Georgia in a matter of two weeks, unifying the titles; they 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, which led to Gordy's departure before Halloween Havoc and Williams' departure after Starrcade.

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. The Executioner would come to the ring under a mask and carry a plastic ax, and despite his concealment, many wrestling fans knew it was Gordy under the mask. The Executioner made his TV debut at the In Your House pay-per-view, ', where he hit The Undertaker with a shovel and proceeded to buried him with the help of several other wrestlers. However, at ', The Undertaker got away with an easy victory in an Armageddon Rules match, and Gordy left the promotion shortly afterwards.

Gordy died of a heart attack on July 16, 2001 due to a blood clot. His son Ray wrestles for WWE on its SmackDown! brand as Jesse.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**Belly to back brainbuster
**Powerbomb
**"Oriental Spike" (Thumb choke hold)
**Piledriver
**DDT
**Lariat
**Samoan drop
**Running powerslam
**Running leg drop
**Dropkick

*Managers
**Sunshine
**Paul Bearer
**Jim Cornette

Championships and accomplishments

*All Japan Pro Wrestling
**AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (2 times) [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/wtcaj.html Solie's Title Histories: AJPW - ALL JAPAN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING ] ]
**AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (7 times) - with Stan Hansen (2) and Steve Williams (5) [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/wtttajpw.html Solie's Title Histories: AJPW - ALL JAPAN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING ] ]
**World's Strongest Tag Team League (1990, 1991) – with Steve Williams
*Georgia Championship Wrestling
**NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michael Hayes [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/gttgcw.html Solie's Title Histories: GEORGIA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING (NWA) ] ]
**NWA National Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Michael Hayes (3 First) and Jimmy Snuka (1)
*Global Wrestling Federation
**GWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jimmy Garvin [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ttgwf.html Solie's Title Histories: GWF - GLOBAL WRESTLING FEDERATION ] ]
*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 (1)
**UWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) (First)
*NWA Mid-America
**NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Michael Hayes
*Southeastern Championship Wrestling
**NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/alahwnwa.html Solie's Title Histories: NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE ] ]
**NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship "(Northern Division)" (1 time) [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/sehwnwa.html Solie's Title Histories: NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE ] ]
*Smoky Mountain Wrestling
**SMW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/whtsmw.html Solie's Title Histories: SMW ] ]
*World Championship Wrestling
**WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Steve Williams [ [http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ttwcw.html Solie's Title Histories: WCW ] ]
*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 Texas Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
**NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship "(Texas version)" (6 times) - with Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts (5 First and Last) and Iceman Parsons & Buddy Roberts (1)
**WCWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts (First)²

*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
**Tag Team of the Year (1980) with Buddy Roberts as The Fabulous Freebirds
**Tag Team of the Year (1981) with Jimmy Snuka
**Tag Team of the Year (1992) with Steve Williams as Miracle Violence Connection
**Best Brawler (1986)

*"'Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**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 Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1986)

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.}

References

External links

* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/t/terry-gordy.html Terry Gordy at Online World of Wrestling]