The FACTION Series: The Freebirds

[It's...Baylariat!]

With my new influx of gumption to post, I've decided to stir conversation about the factions from the past decades. There are quite a few factions and many will think that I'm addressing Tag Teams instead of factions. If you have three or more people or HAD three or more people at one time (DX), then you're considered a faction in my book. So here we go with the originators of the stable.

The Fabulous Freebirds

Many consider the Freebirds to be the original faction in wrestling. Michael P.S Hayes, Buddy Jack Roberts, and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy mostly raised hell in the southern indy scene before being put on the big stage in WCCW, Fritz Von Erich's promotion based out of Dallas, TX. Of course, the headliners were the Von Erich's (Kerry, Kevin, and David). But they didn't have that other faction to feud with them. Enter the Freebirds. They found a way to become the most hated team in the territory and it was easy...since anyone who decided to fight the Von Erich clan became heat magnets. Their rivalry was intense and was bloody also. It even had the Freebirds beating the Von Erich's for Tag Team gold. In doing that, a new invention was created called the "Freebird Rule". The Freebird Rule meant that any of the three members could be called upon to defend the Tag Team belts at any time. It was clever and innovative for their day.

After WCCW ceased, the Freebirds made their way to the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions. Buddy Jack Roberts and Gordy didn't go with Michael Hayes though. Gordy ended up in Japan and tagged with Dr. Death Steve Williams and also wrestled for the Triple Crown in Japan on numerous occasions. So WHO was Hayes going to hang with in the NWA. Enter Jimmy Jam Garvin. Originally 'Gorgeous' Jimmy Garvin, he decided to team with Hayes to form the second version of the Freebirds. This faction was more Tag Team based and had moderate success in the early 90's as NWA Tag Champions.

Their impact was seen for many years to come. It was now cool to have a group of wrestlers team together for common good, or bad. So as far as factions go, where does the Freebirds stand?

 

[travoltage]

LOVE the Freebirds (not much of a Jimmy Garvin fan although...beards and eyeshadow-ugh) I still maintain that with Ray Gordy workin for WWE, a modern Freebirds should form with Festus (been away long enough) and Jaime Noble

 

[PEP3]

First of all, this kind of watered down history of The Freebirds doesn't quite do the group justice. Growing up in the era that made them famous (I was very young when they first emerged, but kind of "grew up" on them), they were an incredibly interesting and dynamic group.

Of course, their days in World Class facing the Von Erichs are legendary. They would routinely fill the Dallas Sportatorium (I actually flew from Ohio to Dallas to attend one of the last shows in that building, just to say I'd been there) as well as stadiums throughout Texas. While many suggest the heat these guys could draw was primarily due to the popularity of the Von Erichs, which is unquestionable in their home state of Texas, doing so would completely under-estimate how amazing these men were as heels no matter where they wrestled.

Had it only been the Von Erichs who got these guys over, The Freebirds wouldn't have seen the kind of success they did in the old NWA Mid-Atlantic (Georgia) territories, the Mid-South/Bill Watts' UWF or the AWA. No, these men truly had a kind of chemistry that was special -- and you could feel it anywhere they went. They were so good, even WWF wanted to sign them ... and did, in fact, before the 'Birds flew the coup to go back South.

Michael Hayes had charisma to spare. Terry Gordy was a powerhouse capable of really going toe-to-toe with anyone of that generation. And Buddy Roberts, though he would routinely be the team's fall-guy, taking the pinfall whenever necessary, could also pull some sneaky $hit to get the victory in the big matches.

In Georgia, they dominated their tag team competition. In WCCW, Buddy Jack held some singles gold and they traded the tag titles and six-man championships with the Von Erichs and any number of other local favorites. In the Mid-South, Roberts held the TV title and Gordy went on to a reign as UWF Heavyweight Champion. In AWA, they were the most formidable opposition for The Road Warriors' tag titles. In fact, after The Freebirds failed to win the titles, it was interference by Michael Hayes that allowed long-time Freebird associate "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin and "Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal to upset the L.O.D. for the belts.

Years later, in NWA/WCW, Hayes and Garvin brought a new incarnation of The Freebirds to the fore-front. They were a great pairing, one of my favorites at the time, but more of a "pretty boy" due than past combinations. They were briefly joined by the masked Brad Armstrong as "Badstreet" (a gimmick I didn't care much for, especially since he was basically a jobber). In addition to a couple of World Tag Team Title reigns, a U.S. title run and once with the 6-Man titles, they kind of got buried. It was an anti-climactic ending to anotherwise impressive dynasty.

Just talking about The Freebirds puts a smile on my face. This group/faction truly etched a history in this industry which is legendary. It goes to show exactly how much of an impact a person/group can have without ever actually winning a World Title (since the original trio of Roberts/Gordy/Hayes never did). With Hayes currently working with WWE creative, and Gordy's son wrestling for the E, I'd personally LOVE to see Hayes jump on-board as the manager for a 2009 incarnation of the Freebirds. That would be an incredible footnote to The Freebirds' already amazing legacy.

Too bad this wasn't introduced as an "Over- or Under-Rated" thread. This one would be one of the few times when I think the party in question is genuinely UNDER-RATED.

 

[smalltownfan]

I absolutely loved The Freebirds. They were entertaining and they had the best of all parts that made a faction successful. They had the obvious leader and the mouthpiece in Michael Hayes, the great technician and speed guy in Buddy Roberts and the power guy in Terry Gordy. Their feud with the Von Erichs is legendary and in my mind is one of the top 5 feuds of all time. They were also largely responsible for bringing ring entrance music to the forefront of a wrestling show. Without the Freebirds, a lot of things would not exist today.

 

[Badstreet]

I guess it would make sense for me to weigh in on this topic. A lot of people like to place the Horseman at the top of the factions list and while I am a huge fan of them, The Freebirds made factions what they were.

The Freebirds were every bit a part of the success of WCCW as were the Von Erichs. They were the perfect foils for them. The Dallas crowd was tough and blue collar so the Von Erichs appealed to that sensibility. The Freebirds were glitz and glam, but still in a southern type of way. From the entrance music to the music videos, they were pioneers.

Some people forget that the Freebirds were faces in WCCW in the beginning. If you want to see wrestlers getting real heat, watch the cage match where they turn on Kerry Von Erich. That place was ready to riot.

So even though this isn't an over/under rated thread, I'm going to go ahead and say the 'Birds were very underrated.

 

[fwill3]

I THINK FREEBIRDS WAS ONE OF THE BEST TRIO EVER. I WISH TERRY GORDY WAS STILL LIVING,HE NEVER GOT THE BIG PUSH IN THE USA THAT HER DISERVED. MICHAEL HAYES WAS ONE OF THE BEST Entertainer EVER,I WISH HIS RUN WITH THE WCW U.S. HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE RAN LONGER. JIMMY GARVIN SUCKS

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I thought the Freebirds were great and just had a really unique vibe about them. The original trio was the prime group line up in my view and all of them brought something to the group.

Hayes was the best overall worker in my view. He was pretty good in the ring but I always loved the guy on the mic. He was just a great, charismatic talker that drew great heat or whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Buddy "Jack" Roberts was kind of the wild card of the group I think, just something of a jack of all trades type of guy. You could hate him one minute and be laughing your ass off at the guy the next minute. Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy was the muscle of the group, but he wasn't really just your one dimensional dumb big guy. He was pretty good on the mic himself and pretty decent in the ring. In my opinion, the Freebirds took WCCW from just being another NWA territory to a company that could have probably gone national every bit as much as the Von Erichs did.

From about 1982 until probably around late '85, they were hands down the best faction in wrestling. I think that it's possible that the Freebirds could have been every bit as big as the Four Horsemen potentially, but the Horsemen were in the right company at just the right time. Never underestimate the factor of timing when it comes to building a worker, team or faction and leaving a legacy.

 

[Terry'sGordy]

I loved the Birds and would put them right at the top with the Horsemen as far as factions go ! The feud with the Von Erich's was my favorite of the 80's and I'd have it as one of the top 3 I've ever seen !

Long forgotten was the feud between Hayes-Gordy late in 1981 in Georgia. Hayes went face and Gordy teamed up with Jimmy Snuka and formed a great tag team. Hayes would team with the likes of Andre the Giant and a young Kevin Von Erich just to name 2 in going after Gordy and Snuka.