Hayes started wrestling in 1977 in the Tennessee regional promotions. In 1978, he wrestled his first tour overseas in Germany for Catch Wrestling Association. In 1979, wrestling for Mid South Wrestling at the suggestion of Bill Watts he formed a tag team with Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy winning the Mid South Tag Team Championship 3 times and became the wrestling faction called The Fabulous Freebirds. Hayes became Michael "P.S." Hayes, and they strutted their way to many tag team titles along with Buddy "Jack" Roberts. Hayes also started moonwalking in the ring like Michael Jackson used to do in concert. The Freebirds spent 1980 through 1982 in the NWA's Georgia Championship Wrestling area, where they won the NWA National Tag Team Championship a few times, split and feuded, then mended fences.
In 1982, they left for World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), where they had one of their most famous feuds. Hayes was chosen by the fans to be the special guest referee during the Ric Flair-Kerry Von Erich NWA World Heavyweight Championship steel cage match at Christmas Star Wars. Hayes at one point knocked Flair out so Von Erich could get the pin and the title. Von Erich refused to pin him after the dirty deed which ultimately led to Gordy slamming the cage door on Von Erich's head. As this later cost him the title, it triggered the legendary feud between The Fabulous Freebirds and The Von Erichs and ended a good respectful friendship between both groups. The Freebird-Von Erich feud ended for good in 1993 during a memorial card in tribute to Kerry Von Erich. Hayes was always the leader of the group with his exceptional mic skills and he recorded the team's new theme song, Badstreet USA, in 1983. The video to the song features all three of The Fabulous Freebirds as well as Jimmy Garvin, who was often considered the fourth Freebird. They had used the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Free Bird" and Willie Nelson's version of "Georgia on My Mind" up to that point and would on occasion in the future.
In 1984, The Freebirds had a brief stint in the WWF but left when management wanted to split them up. The Freebirds then spent a few months in the AWA in 1985, feuding with The Road Warriors over the AWA World Tag Team Championship, winning the belts temporarily at the inaugural SuperClash event before the AWA overturned the decision. The Freebirds interfered in the match where the Warriors lost the belts to Jimmy Garvin and Steve Regal, and subsequently returned to Texas. In 1986, Hayes appeared in the opening credits of Highlander alongside The Fabulous Freebirds, working his Purely Sexy gimmick on the turnbuckle while writhing free of his ring robe.
The Freebirds also spent several months in the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986 and early 1987 with Sunshine as their manager. There they feuded with The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) and with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams. In 1986, Hayes' partner in the Freebirds, Terry Gordy, became the first holder of the UWF heavyweight title. After losing the title by default to One Man Gang, the Freebirds engaged in a major heel vs heel feud with Skandor Akbar's Devastation Inc. group. The feud continued even after Akbar double-crossed Gang and helped Big Bubba Rogers win the title from him, and saw the Freebirds form an alliance with their former enemy Williams against Devastation Inc.
After the breakup of the Freebirds, Hayes became a full-fledged babyface and remained in the UWF, which was later sold to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) on April 9, 1987. At the JCP/UWF co-promoted pay-per-view event Starrcade '87, Hayes teamed with Jimmy Garvin (also now a babyface after reconciling with kayfabe brother Ron Garvin) and Sting to face the team of Eddie Gilbert, Rick Steiner and Larry Zbyszko whom they wrestled to a time-limit draw. He later challenged NWA World Champion Ric Flair and frequently teamed with Jimmy Garvin.
FABULOUS FREEBIRDS
The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team who attained fame in the 1980's, performing into the 1990's. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed under the Freebirds name. The Freebird version of Hayes, Roberts, and Gordy was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015, and members Hayes, Roberts, Gordy, and Garvin were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.
The Fabulous Freebirds started performing together in 1979 when Mid South Wrestling promoter Bill Watts put together the duo of Michael "P.S." Hayes and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy. Though originally meant to be a tag team, he soon added Buddy "Jack" Roberts into the mix, and they became a "three man gang" type of tag-team—an unusual concept at the time. They invented a concept that is now called "The Freebird Rule" in their honor, in which any two of three members can defend the team's championships. They usually worked as heels, but also had several face runs as well. After wrestling for Watts in Mid South, they worked for Memphis based Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) where they feuded with Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee.
The group next wrestled in the Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) territory, where they had a legendary feud with the Von Erichs (David, Kevin, Kerry, Chris and Mike). This feud was ignited by an infamous incident in which Terry Gordy slammed Kerry Von Erich's head in a steel cage door, inciting a riot. During this feud, as the Von Erichs would wave the flag of Texas, the Freebirds started using the flag of Georgia, which contained the Confederate battle flag, as a group symbol to counter it.
They also performed in the NWA-affiliated Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), and the Oklahoma-based Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF). While in the AWA they feuded primarily with The Road Warriors, costing them the World Tag Team Titles in a match against long time Freebird ally Jimmy Garvin and his partner Steve Regal.
They had a very brief run in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1984, where they were a part of the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection period. In the WWF, they wrestled under the guidance of Cyndi Lauper's manager David Wolff, but soon left the promotion after an altercation with André the Giant, who was upset when the Freebirds arrived late to a show.
The group then moved on to their AWA run, returned to World Class, and then started a stint in the UWF where Gordy became the promotion's champion, Roberts held its TV title, and Hayes usually acted as their manager or served as a heel commentator on television broadcasts. After JCP purchased UWF in 1987, Hayes wrestled in World Class and several independent promotions, sometimes with Gordy, who began spending most of his time in Japan, and Roberts began to wind down his career.
Hayes and Garvin were paired as the Freebirds in WCW in 1989, enjoying several reigns as World and United States tag-team champions, and were joined by Gordy for a while as well. They later employed the services of masked third partner Brad Armstrong (under the name Badstreet) and managers Diamond Dallas Page, Big Daddy Dink, Little Richard Marley and Precious (Garvin's real-life wife and longtime valet). The Freebirds were last together when Hayes, Gordy, and Garvin worked for the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF) in 1994, ending the group after 15 years.
In 1999, Gordy and Hayes reunited as they fought Glen Kulka and JR Smooth to a no contest for Power Pro Wrestling on May 28, 1999. On January 21, 2000 Gordy and Hayes wrestled for Oklahoma Pro Wrestling when they lost to The Hardy Boyz.
Gordy died of a heart attack, caused by a blood clot on July 16, 2001, at age 40 while Roberts died on November 29, 2012, at the age of 67, of pneumonia and on November 1, 2012, Armstrong died of a suspected heart attack making Hayes and Garvin the only living members of the Freebirds. Hayes (who retired from in-ring competition shortly after the Freebirds disbanded) is currently the head of the road agents/producers within WWE, while Garvin retired from wrestling shortly after disbanding and has become an Airline Transport Pilot.
On April 2, 2016, The Fabulous Freebirds (excluding Brad Armstrong) were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by The New Day.
Many times in wrestling you hear the term "real heat". You may not know what that is watching wrestling today. But back in the early 80's in the Texas territory called WORLD CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING (WCCW)...Michael Hayes and the Fabulous Freebirds had "real heat". "Real Heat" is when the fans literally want to kill the heels (bad guys). Like....really kill them. When the Freebirds turned their backs on Texas' favorite sons The Von Erichs on Christmas night,1982.....holy hell broke out in Texas. And when the leader of that heel faction is an arrogant guy like Hayes...and they constantly did everything in their power to hurt the beloved Von Erichs...it was a feud made in wrestling heaven. That rivalry printed money. You could book a match with the Freebirds vs The Von Erichs anywhere in the world and it would sell out. But you can only fight the same guys soo many times. The Freebirds went to other territories in the late 80's and early 90's but it was difficult to duplicate what they did in Texas.
The Freebirds were such a great heel team. TERRY GORDY was so good. For a big man he was so agile and he was so intimidating in the ring. BUDDY ROBERTS was the ring technician....he usually started the matches. And MICHAEL HAYES was the ring master of it all. He could talk the people into the arenas. And let's not forget about the music. The Freebirds were the FIRST wrestlers to have music during their introductions. In the early days it was "FREEBIRD" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, but they eventually recorded their own intro...the super awesome "BADSTREET, USA"...sung by Hayes. Hayes even recorded a full record. What a time it must have been back then!
But enough about that...you're here to get this awesome action figure!!
This figure memorializes Michael P.S. Hayes' time as a Fabulous Freebird. He is dressed in his red wrestling trunks, with black knee pads, and red Freebird boots! And YES....he does have his flowing blonde hair....just the way them girls who love bad boys like it!! This figure also comes with an amazing "BADSTREET USA" shirt...just like the one Hayes would wear going out to the ring!! This figure also comes with a super cool pair of shades!!! It also comes with an extra set of hands.
So go back to the days when you could go down to Badstreet, Atlanta G.A., where the further down the block you went...the badder it got!!!
The detailing on this is superb.....it really looks like Michael Hayes back in 1982!!!!
This is a RARE COLLECTOR'S EDITION....it will not be around for long!!
This figure is BRAND NEW...NEVER OPENED...STILL SEALED!!!!!
Will be shipped VERY SECURELY!!
PAYMENT THRU PAYPAL
THANKS FOR LOOKING!!!!
I want to tell you a story
about a place you don't wanna be.