One of the original Freebirds, Michael “P.S.” Hayes has been a fixture in professional
wrestling since the 1970s.  He is a master of the DDT and introduced a new range of
musical talent on the sport.  He broke into wrestling as a teen and met another
youngster, Terry Gordy. The two traveled through several regions and formed the
legendary Fabulous Freebirds.  Buddy Roberts joined the group and the trio
revolutionized professional wrestling by introducing music to their ring entrances.  Lynyrd
Skynyrd played overhead as the Freebirds “rocked out” and dominated the tag team
scene.

   In 1981, the group went their own ways, but reformed in Dallas.  Hayes was named as
the special referee of an NWA World Title match between Ric Flair and Kerry Von Erich
in Dallas on December 25, 1982.  Hayes attempted to help Von Erich win by punching
Flair.  When the challenger decided not to take the easy win, Hayes left the cage.  The
battle continued.  Von Erich’s head landed near the cage doorway, and Terry Gordy
slammed it shut.  Von Erich suffered a concussion and the match was halted by the
referee.  The Freebird-Von Erich war was growing to new heights.  Magazines and
newsletters covered the hatred between the two groups as it flowed through Texas.

   On January 28, 1984, promoters awarded the NWA United National Heavyweight Title
to Hayes.  Six days later in Dallas, David Von Erich won the belt.  On February 10th,
David died during a tour of Japan.  The news destroyed the wrestling community.  Hayes
continued to wrestle in both singles and tag team matches. In June 1985, Hayes upset
Rick Martel to capture the AWA World Heavyweight Title and was handed the belt.  
Officials on the scene reviewed the actions of Hayes’ Freebird allies and returned the title
to Martel after finding that there had been an interference.

   The March 4, 1988 World Class Card at the Dallas Sportatorium would be
remembered for one specific reason.  Michael Hayes would be performing as a member
of the Freebirds, the song “Badstreet USA.” Buddy Roberts exited the crowd to join
Hayes on stage to sing with him.  When Roberts left the stage after the song, Hayes told
the crowd that he was going to dedicate a song to David Von Erich.  It was going to be
Willie Nelson’s “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.” Hayes proceeded to invite
Kerry and Kevin Von Erich onto the stage with him.  Seeing this action, Roberts and
Iceman Parsons returned to the scene.  A brawl ensued.  Roberts picked up a guitar and
headed towards Kerry with it.  Hayes ended up being knocked out with the weapon.  The
brother duo assisted the wrestler back to the dressing room where he was identified as
having a concussion.  The injury caused Hayes miss a title shot two days later against
WCCW World Champion, Al Perez.  Kerry substituted for him and won the title.

   On March 25, 1988, Hayes accompanied Kerry to a defense of his World Class World
Heavyweight Title in Dallas against Iceman Parsons.  The lights went out during the
match and when they returned to their full brightness, Hayes was knocked out outside
the ring and Parsons was pinning Von Erich.  The title did change hands and Terry
Gordy and Buddy Roberts were the guilty party.

   On May 7th in Nashville, Hayes beat Lex Luger for the NWA United States Heavyweight
Title during the WrestleWar pay-per-view.  Gordy joined Hayes in the Alliance and helped
him with the victory.  The Freebirds seemed to be reformed as Jimmy “Jam” Garvin joined
the fold.  Hayes and Garvin had previously teamed together in the AWA several years
earlier.  Hayes was the top contender to the NWA World Title.  On May 22nd in Bluefield,
Luger regained the U.S. Title.

   Hayes and Garvin beat The Midnight Express at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on June
14, 1989 in a tournament final to capture the NWA World Tag Title.  Gordy also left the
promotion to return to All-Japan.  The Freebirds gave the brother tag team, The
Steiners, a tag team title shot on November 1st in Atlanta and paid for it.  Rick and Scott
won the match and the NWA Crown.  The Freebirds were determined to regain the
championship.  They defeated The Southern Boys in Jacksonville on November 20, 1990
when Hayes pinned Smothers after Little Richard Marley, The ‘Birds Roadie, tripped their
opponent into a DDT.  The bout was originally scheduled to be a six-man contest with
Bobby Eaton and The Freebirds against The Southern Boys and El Gigante.  But
Gigante failed to show.  The referee sent Eaton back to the dressing room and the bout
was a regular tag bout.  Hayes told the crowd that Gigante was at the Jacksonville
International Airport, in the biggest package going back to Argentina.

   Hayes and Garvin regained the NWA-WCW World Tag Team Title on February 24,
1991 in Phoenix from the members of Doom.  They lost the belts in March at a television
taping in Montgomery, Alabama.  Hayes retired from the sport later in the 1990s and
became a television commentator for the World Wrestling Federation as Doc Hendrix.  
Into 2000-’01, Hayes continued to work for the WWF as a road agent.

   In July 2001, Terry Gordy died in Tennessee, devasting pro-wrestling fans
everywhere.  Hayes lost a dear friend and a person who he had grown in the sport with.  
Michael Hayes is responsible for changing wrestling.  He was a world champion many
times over, and his interviews were always memorable, both comedic and professional at
the same time.  The Freebird legacy remains.

TITLE HISTORY:
   -A two-time co-holder of the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Title
           w/ Terry Gordy (1979) defeated Bobby Eaton and George Gulas
           w/ Terry Gordy (1979) defeated Bobby Eaton and The Mexican Angel
   -Co-holder of the NWA American Tag Team Title (1982-’83) w/ Terry Gordy
   -A six-time co-holder of the NWA/ WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Title (TX)
           w/ Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts (1982-’83) defeated Ben Sharpe, Mike
            Sharpe
           and Tom Steele
           w/ Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts (1983) defeated The Von Erichs
           w/ Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts (1984) defeated The Von Erichs
           w/ Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts (1984) defeated The Von Erichs
           w/ Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts (1986) defeated Kerry and Mike Von Erich
           and Brian Adias
           w/ Kerry Von Erich and Kevin Von Erich (1988) defeated The Fabulous
           Freebirds
   -NWA United National Heavyweight Title (1984) was awarded
   -A two-time co-holder of the WCCW World Tag Team Title
           w/ Steve Cox (1988) defeated The Samoan Swat Team
           w/ Steve Cox (1988) defeated The Samoan Swat Team
   -NWA United States Heavyweight Title (1989) defeated Lex Luger
   -A two-time co-holder of the NWA/ WCW World Tag Team Title
           w/ Jim Garvin (1989) defeated The Midnight Express, tournament final
           w/ Jim Garvin (1991) defeated Doom
   -Co-holder of the WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Title (1991) w/ Badstreet and Jim
           Garvin
   -Co-holder of the WCW United States Tag Team Title (1992) w/ Jim Garvin


Research by Tim Hornbaker
Michael Hayes Wrestling History
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