Jody Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Jody" Hamilton (born August 28, 1938) is an American retired professional wrestler
and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team
The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1". When the Assassins ended Hamilton wrestled as "The Assassin" and "The Flame" both while wearing a mask.
Jody Hamilton teamed up with Tom Renesto in late 1961 to form the masked heel
(bad guy) team known as "The Assassins" and for over a decade Hamilton and Renesto wrestled all over the world with great success. Once Renesto retired, Hamilton kept the Assassins team alive by partnering with wrestlers such as Randy Colley
and "Hercules" Hernandez
under the tradmark gold and black masks of the Assassins.
In the late 1980s Hamilton founded Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he also wrestled until a back injury forced him to retire in 1988. After Deep South Wrestling closed Hamilton worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling
both on the booking team and later on as a trainer at WCW's Power Plant
training facility. In 2005 Hamilton reopened Deep South Wrestling, this time as an affiliate of World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE), to train wrestlers the WWE had signed to developmental contracts. In 2007, WWE abruptly ended their contract with DSW and the promotion suspended operations later in the year.
, Missouri
. Before turning professional Hamilton was a promising amateur boxer, but instead of continuing his training he decided that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Larry Hamilton
. Larry was a professional wrestler billed as "The Missouri Mauler". Hamilton started working for "Gus Karras Promotions", a professional wrestling promotion
based in St. Louis, Missouri
, where he made his debut against Rip Hawk in a 40 minute match. By 1957 Hamilton had started teaming with his brother Larry and worked as a full time professional wrestler. The Hamilton Brothers worked for the New York, NY based Capitol Wrestling (the precursor to World Wrestling Entertainement) where they were put in a storyline with the top tag team of the promotion Antonino Rocca
and Miguel Pérez
. In May 1958 the Hamilton Brothers faced Rocca and Pérez in the main event of a Madison Square Garden
show, making Jody, age 19 at the time, the youngest man to ever costar in a main event at Madison Square Garden.
After the Hamilton Brothers time in New York Jody Hamilton decided to strike out on his own, working as a singles wrestler. As a singles wrestler Jody Hamilton first got a promotional push
by "NWA Western States" booker Doc Sarpolis, who billed him as "Silent" Joe Hamilton. Hamilton has revealed in recent years that the "Silent" moniker was because he was not a very good at interviews and promos. After working in Texas Hamliton would work in Oklahoma and then in Florida. When Hamilton left Florida in 1961 he intended to return to Oklahoma, but an offer came in from Georgia Championship Wrestling
(GCW) that would change the direction of Hamilton’s career for good.
" (Renesto) and "The Mighty Bolo" (Hamilton) because Renesto had worked for Jim Crockett Promotions
as The Great Bolo
before teaming up with Hamilton, and was more known in that region under the Bolo name.
The Assassins longest stay with one promotion was from 1968 to 1972 where they worked for Georgia Championship Wrestling and held the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
a record breaking 12 times. While in Georgia the team worked storylines with teams such as ”the Torres Brothers” (Ramon and Alberto), Terry
and Dory Funk
and the team of Ray Gunkel and Buddy Fuller. Their most successful and profitable feud came against the team of ”Tiny” Smith
and Luke Brown known as "The Kentuckians". the matches between the Assassins and the Kentuckians drew sell out crowds up the east coast of the United States from Florida to the Carolinas. At times the Assassins would be backed up by Jody’s brother the Missouri Mauler to take on the Kentuckians and their "fellow hillbilly" Haystacks Calhoun
.
During their time in GCW Renesto became more and move involved in the booking of the promotion in the hopes of turning a decline in attendance around. Renesto is credited with turning the territory around with a series of hotly contested angles that brought the fans back. In 1972 after GCW owner Ray Gunkel died Gunkel’s widow Ann Gunkel split off from the National Wrestling Alliance
associated GCW and started her own company "All-South Wrestling" with Tom Renesto as the head booker. With his backstage responsibilities expanded Renesto cut back on his wrestling dates as Hamilton was pushed as a singles wrestler. In October 1972 Renesto unmasked on television, rumor has it that GCW was going to publish pictures of the Assassins without their masks on and Renesto wanted to beat them to the punch. After the unmasking Renesto would still occasionally team with Hamilton both with and without the mask but the glory days of the Assassins ended when Renesto took off the mask.
that would become the longest running storyline in Georgia wrestling history. Over the following years the Assassin would enlist several other "Assassins" to team with him as he fought against Mr. Wrestling II and various face partners. One of these partners was Randy Colley
, who would go on to greater success as one of The Moondogs
in the 1980s. Together Hamilton and Colley would hold the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Colley and Roger Smith would team together as the Assassins in Memphis
.
While GCW was Hamilton’s "home promotion" he also competed for other promoters all over the south east especially in Florida and Alabama working for promotions such as Championship Wrestling from Florida, NWA Mid-America and Southeast Championship Wrestling
. Hamilton used his “Assassin” gimmick but did not find another partner to recreate the Assassins, instead he would team with local stars such as Ron Fuller
and Don Carson. By the beginning of the 1980s Hamiltion decided to return to his roots in Oklahoma, after having worked more or less exclusively in the south east for ten years or more. First he worked for Central States Wrestling
where he teamed with both Ernie Ladd
and Angel to win the local version of the NWA United States Tag Team title. He would also hold the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
, which was the main title for the promotion. After working for Central States Hamilton switched to Bill Watts
’ Mid-South Wrestling promotion. In Mid-South Hamilton teamed up with yet another “Assassin #3”, this time it was ”Hercules” Hernandez
under the gold and black mask. Hernandez run under the golden mask ended when he was unmasked by Jimmy Valiant
after a match in Toronto, Ontario as part of Valiant’s lengthy feud with Paul Jones’
army.
In the mid 1980s Hamilton retired the golden mask and adopted a new ring identity: "The Flame", together with another masked man going by the name “Fire”, he won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
in 1986. He would also hold the NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Championship
on four occasions.
called Deep South Championship Wrestling. Hamilton would work both backstage and in the ring under his “Flame” ring persona. One night in 1988 Hamilton was thrown from the top rope during a match and landed wrong, the fall caused him to break the lumbar vertebrae
in his back. Because Hamilton was in no shape to run a wrestling promotion he sold it to someone else, only to see that person go out of business without ever putting on a wrestling show.
, the Power Plant
. With Hamilton as director of the school it produced talent such as Kevin Nash
, Diamond Dallas Page
, Bill Goldberg
, and the Big Show
over the years.
As well as working at the Power Plant Hamilton was also used as a manager in 1993, mainly managing Paul Orndorff
, in addition to Orndorff’s tag team partners The Equalizer
and Paul Roma
. Hamilton's last on-screen appearance in WCW was at WCW Starrcade '93
on December 27, 1993, as The Assassin and managing Pretty Wonderful
("Pretty" Paul Roma
and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
) to the WCW World Tag Team Championship
. Hamilton was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame
as part of the 1994 class on May 22, 1994 at The Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
When WCW was bought out by the WWF in March 2001 the Power Plant was closed but Hamilton continued to train wrestlers.
. He was the director of their television show that airs locally on multiple channels in the middle Georgia area. His son, Nick Patrick
, also joined the promotion, though only in the on-camera commissioner role. In April 2009, the promotion released Hamilton, citing that they needed to cut costs. Nick stayed on with the promotion and took over his father's job as the television show director. The company brought Hamilton back later in the year in October. Hamilton and Patrick became heavily involved in producing the company's weekly television show.
In June 2010, the promotion cut their ties with Hamilton and Patrick due to internal conflicts.
.
On January 22, 2010, Hamilton's attorney announced that his client had settled with WWE out of court. His attorney claimed that WWE "fraudulently contrived a reason to end the agreement" without giving the 90-days notice that was required in the contract. The suit also claimed that WWE illegally entered the Deep South building and took property that belonged to Hamilton. It also claims that the WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis
, warned that any wrestlers who continued to work with Deep South or Hamilton would never work in the wrestling business ever again. Two unnamed professional wrestlers who were under WWE contract at the time confirmed Hamilton's claim that Laurinaitis made the threatening speech. WWE attempted to get the lawsuit dismissed before it went to trial but were not successful. The settlement was not disclosed.
, was a referee for WCW from 1988–2001 and a referee for WWE from 2001-2008.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and current wrestling promoter and trainer. In his active days Hamiltion was best known as known as one half of the tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1". When the Assassins ended Hamilton wrestled as "The Assassin" and "The Flame" both while wearing a mask.
Jody Hamilton teamed up with Tom Renesto in late 1961 to form the masked heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
(bad guy) team known as "The Assassins" and for over a decade Hamilton and Renesto wrestled all over the world with great success. Once Renesto retired, Hamilton kept the Assassins team alive by partnering with wrestlers such as Randy Colley
Randy Colley
Randy Colley is a retired professional wrestler better known as Moondog Rex.-Professional wrestlling career:Colley competed in the World Wrestling Federation, where in 1981 he won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Moondog King as the Moondogs...
and "Hercules" Hernandez
Ray Fernandez
Raymond Fernandez was a professional wrestler who primarily wrestled in Florida and Texas before joining the World Wrestling Federation. He was best known by the ring name Hercules Hernandez or simply Hercules...
under the tradmark gold and black masks of the Assassins.
In the late 1980s Hamilton founded Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he also wrestled until a back injury forced him to retire in 1988. After Deep South Wrestling closed Hamilton worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
both on the booking team and later on as a trainer at WCW's Power Plant
WCW Power Plant
The WCW Power Plant was a professional wrestling school located in Atlanta, Georgia and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton, was in operation throughout the 1990s...
training facility. In 2005 Hamilton reopened Deep South Wrestling, this time as an affiliate of World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE), to train wrestlers the WWE had signed to developmental contracts. In 2007, WWE abruptly ended their contract with DSW and the promotion suspended operations later in the year.
Biography
Hamilton was born in St. JosephSaint Joseph, Missouri
Saint Joseph is the second largest city in northwest Missouri, only second to Kansas City in size, serving as the county seat for Buchanan County. As of the 2010 census, Saint Joseph had a total population of 76,780, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Before turning professional Hamilton was a promising amateur boxer, but instead of continuing his training he decided that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Larry Hamilton
Larry Hamilton
Larry "Rocky" Hamilton , known by his ringname The Missouri Mauler, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance as well as Florida Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions, becoming a mainstay of the latter promotion throughout the 1960s.One of...
. Larry was a professional wrestler billed as "The Missouri Mauler". Hamilton started working for "Gus Karras Promotions", a professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
based in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, where he made his debut against Rip Hawk in a 40 minute match. By 1957 Hamilton had started teaming with his brother Larry and worked as a full time professional wrestler. The Hamilton Brothers worked for the New York, NY based Capitol Wrestling (the precursor to World Wrestling Entertainement) where they were put in a storyline with the top tag team of the promotion Antonino Rocca
Antonino Rocca
Antonino Rocca was an Italian-born Argentine professional wrestler. Rocca was a popular face and in some cities with both Italian-American and especially Hispanic audiences, his following was exceptionally large and loyal.He had a love for opera and was apparently described as having an excellent...
and Miguel Pérez
Miguel Pérez (wrestler)
Miguel Jose Perez was an Puerto Rican professional wrestler who was best known for his tag team with Antonino Rocca.- Montreal Athletic Commission :...
. In May 1958 the Hamilton Brothers faced Rocca and Pérez in the main event of a Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
show, making Jody, age 19 at the time, the youngest man to ever costar in a main event at Madison Square Garden.
After the Hamilton Brothers time in New York Jody Hamilton decided to strike out on his own, working as a singles wrestler. As a singles wrestler Jody Hamilton first got a promotional push
Push (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a push is an attempt by the booker to make the wrestler win more matches and become more popular or more reviled with the fans depending on whether they are a heel or a face...
by "NWA Western States" booker Doc Sarpolis, who billed him as "Silent" Joe Hamilton. Hamilton has revealed in recent years that the "Silent" moniker was because he was not a very good at interviews and promos. After working in Texas Hamliton would work in Oklahoma and then in Florida. When Hamilton left Florida in 1961 he intended to return to Oklahoma, but an offer came in from Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
(GCW) that would change the direction of Hamilton’s career for good.
Masked Assassins
The original plan for Hamilton was that he was going to wrestle under a mask as "The Iron Russian", but once Hamilton got to Atlanta the plans had changed and instead he became “The Assassin”. After working as a singles competitor Hamilton was given a partner in late 1961, another masked Assassin, Tom Renesto. Renesto had teamed with Hamilton’s older brother Larry but the two did not know each other before stepping into the ring in December 1961. The team worked well together from the onset and soon moved up the card towards the main events. For over a dozen years Hamilton and Renesto teamed together as the "vile" Assassins, a team hated for their "rulebreaking ways" wherever they wrestled. The Assassins, or the Masked Assassins as they were sometimes billed, worked all over the world for promotions in Georgia, California, Australia, the Far East, Japan and Canada. The only place the duo did not work as the Assassins was in the Carolinas where they were billed as "The Great BoloThe Great Bolo
The Great Bolo was the ring name of professional wrestler Al Lovelock, who wore a mask when he wrestled as the Great Bolo. Lovelock was active in the 1950s and 1960s and was primarily known for his work in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida...
" (Renesto) and "The Mighty Bolo" (Hamilton) because Renesto had worked for Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
as The Great Bolo
The Great Bolo
The Great Bolo was the ring name of professional wrestler Al Lovelock, who wore a mask when he wrestled as the Great Bolo. Lovelock was active in the 1950s and 1960s and was primarily known for his work in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida...
before teaming up with Hamilton, and was more known in that region under the Bolo name.
The Assassins longest stay with one promotion was from 1968 to 1972 where they worked for Georgia Championship Wrestling and held the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship
The NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
a record breaking 12 times. While in Georgia the team worked storylines with teams such as ”the Torres Brothers” (Ramon and Alberto), Terry
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and Dory Funk
Dory Funk
Dorrance Wilhelm "Dory" Funk was a professional wrestler. He is the father of wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk.-Career:...
and the team of Ray Gunkel and Buddy Fuller. Their most successful and profitable feud came against the team of ”Tiny” Smith
Aurelian Smith
Aurelian Smith was an American professional wrestler better known as Grizzly Smith. He was the father of professional wrestlers Aurelian, Jr...
and Luke Brown known as "The Kentuckians". the matches between the Assassins and the Kentuckians drew sell out crowds up the east coast of the United States from Florida to the Carolinas. At times the Assassins would be backed up by Jody’s brother the Missouri Mauler to take on the Kentuckians and their "fellow hillbilly" Haystacks Calhoun
William Calhoun
William Dee Calhoun was a professional wrestler, who used the professional name "Haystack" or "Haystacks" Calhoun. The gargantuan wrestler was one of the foremost drawing cards during the industry’s “Golden Age” of the 1950s and 1960s while sporting his trademark white T-shirt, blue overalls, and...
.
During their time in GCW Renesto became more and move involved in the booking of the promotion in the hopes of turning a decline in attendance around. Renesto is credited with turning the territory around with a series of hotly contested angles that brought the fans back. In 1972 after GCW owner Ray Gunkel died Gunkel’s widow Ann Gunkel split off from the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
associated GCW and started her own company "All-South Wrestling" with Tom Renesto as the head booker. With his backstage responsibilities expanded Renesto cut back on his wrestling dates as Hamilton was pushed as a singles wrestler. In October 1972 Renesto unmasked on television, rumor has it that GCW was going to publish pictures of the Assassins without their masks on and Renesto wanted to beat them to the punch. After the unmasking Renesto would still occasionally team with Hamilton both with and without the mask but the glory days of the Assassins ended when Renesto took off the mask.
After Renesto
When All-South Wrestling folded in 1974 both Hamilton and Renesto returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling, deciding to bury any past animosity. Renesto retired from the ring and focused more on the booking aspects of GCW while Hamilton started to work as a singles wrestler billed simply as "The Assassin". When he joined GCW Hamilton started a storyline with Mr. Wrestling IIMr. Wrestling II
John "Johnny" Walker , better known as Mr. Wrestling II, is a retired American professional wrestler. As Mr...
that would become the longest running storyline in Georgia wrestling history. Over the following years the Assassin would enlist several other "Assassins" to team with him as he fought against Mr. Wrestling II and various face partners. One of these partners was Randy Colley
Randy Colley
Randy Colley is a retired professional wrestler better known as Moondog Rex.-Professional wrestlling career:Colley competed in the World Wrestling Federation, where in 1981 he won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Moondog King as the Moondogs...
, who would go on to greater success as one of The Moondogs
Moondogs
The Moondogs were a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation and in two Memphis promotions: the Continental Wrestling Association and the United States Wrestling Association...
in the 1980s. Together Hamilton and Colley would hold the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Colley and Roger Smith would team together as the Assassins in Memphis
Continental Wrestling Association
The Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
.
While GCW was Hamilton’s "home promotion" he also competed for other promoters all over the south east especially in Florida and Alabama working for promotions such as Championship Wrestling from Florida, NWA Mid-America and Southeast Championship Wrestling
Continental Championship Wrestling
Continental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...
. Hamilton used his “Assassin” gimmick but did not find another partner to recreate the Assassins, instead he would team with local stars such as Ron Fuller
Ron Fuller (wrestler)
Ronald Welch is a retired professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Ron Fuller and Tennessee Stud. He is the elder brother of Robert Fuller...
and Don Carson. By the beginning of the 1980s Hamiltion decided to return to his roots in Oklahoma, after having worked more or less exclusively in the south east for ten years or more. First he worked for Central States Wrestling
Heart of America Sports Attractions
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
where he teamed with both Ernie Ladd
Ernie Ladd
Ernest "Ernie" Ladd , nicknamed "The Big Cat" was an American collegiate and professional football player and a professional wrestler.-Pro Football career:...
and Angel to win the local version of the NWA United States Tag Team title. He would also hold the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
, which was the main title for the promotion. After working for Central States Hamilton switched to Bill Watts
Bill Watts
William F. "Bill" Watts is a former American professional wrestler and promoter. Watts was famous under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a tough, no-nonsense promoter in the Mid-South area of the United States, which grew to become the UWF.In 1992, he was the Executive...
’ Mid-South Wrestling promotion. In Mid-South Hamilton teamed up with yet another “Assassin #3”, this time it was ”Hercules” Hernandez
Ray Fernandez
Raymond Fernandez was a professional wrestler who primarily wrestled in Florida and Texas before joining the World Wrestling Federation. He was best known by the ring name Hercules Hernandez or simply Hercules...
under the gold and black mask. Hernandez run under the golden mask ended when he was unmasked by Jimmy Valiant
Jimmy Valiant
James Harold Fanning is a former professional wrestler and author better known as Jimmy Valiant.-Personal life:...
after a match in Toronto, Ontario as part of Valiant’s lengthy feud with Paul Jones’
Paul Jones (wrestler)
Paul Jones is a retired professional wrestler and manager. He had success in the National Wrestling Alliance 's Mid-Atlantic region, including an NWA World Tag Team title reign with Ricky Steamboat.-Career:...
army.
In the mid 1980s Hamilton retired the golden mask and adopted a new ring identity: "The Flame", together with another masked man going by the name “Fire”, he won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
AWA Southern Tag Team Championship
The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship from its inception through 1977, when it was renamed the AWA Southern...
in 1986. He would also hold the NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Championship
NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Continental Heavyweight Championship was a major title in the National Wrestling Alliance's Alabama territory called Southeastern Championship Wrestling. It existed from 1984 until 1988 when CCW became the Continental Wrestling Federation. The title continued on as the CWF Heavyweight...
on four occasions.
Deep South Championship Wrestling
In 1986 Hamilton started a small independent promotion in GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
called Deep South Championship Wrestling. Hamilton would work both backstage and in the ring under his “Flame” ring persona. One night in 1988 Hamilton was thrown from the top rope during a match and landed wrong, the fall caused him to break the lumbar vertebrae
Lumbar vertebrae
The lumbar vertebrae are the largest segments of the movable part of the vertebral column, and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse process, and by the absence of facets on the sides of the body...
in his back. Because Hamilton was in no shape to run a wrestling promotion he sold it to someone else, only to see that person go out of business without ever putting on a wrestling show.
Retirement from the ring
Once Hamilton recovered from his back injury he opened the official training center for World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
, the Power Plant
WCW Power Plant
The WCW Power Plant was a professional wrestling school located in Atlanta, Georgia and owned and operated by World Championship Wrestling. The Power Plant, which was developed from a school operated by Jody Hamilton, was in operation throughout the 1990s...
. With Hamilton as director of the school it produced talent such as Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash
Kevin Scott Nash is an American professional wrestler and actor. As of 2011, Nash is signed to a five year contract with WWE under their WWE Legends program and appears as part of their Raw brand roster...
, Diamond Dallas Page
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page , better known by his ring name "Diamond" Dallas Page , is an American retired professional wrestler, fitness instructor and actor...
, Bill Goldberg
Bill Goldberg
Goldberg earned a scholarship to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team where he served as a defensive tackle. He was taken in the 11th round, with the 302nd overall selection, in the 1990 NFL Draft....
, and the Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
over the years.
As well as working at the Power Plant Hamilton was also used as a manager in 1993, mainly managing Paul Orndorff
Paul Orndorff
Paul Parlette Orndorff, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff...
, in addition to Orndorff’s tag team partners The Equalizer
Bill Dannenhauser
Bill Dannenhauer is a retired American professional wrestler better known as Dave Sullivan or The Equalizer.-Career:Bill Danenhauer started out in college football as the Offensive Coordinator at Washburn University...
and Paul Roma
Paul Roma
Paul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
. Hamilton's last on-screen appearance in WCW was at WCW Starrcade '93
Starrcade
Starrcade was an annual professional wrestling event held from 1983 to 2000 by the National Wrestling Alliance and later World Championship Wrestling as their flagship event equal to WWE's WrestleMania , and featured the largest feuds of the promotion...
on December 27, 1993, as The Assassin and managing Pretty Wonderful
Pretty Wonderful
Pretty Wonderful was a professional wrestling tag team composed of "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and "Pretty" Paul Roma who competed in World Championship Wrestling in 1993 and 1994-The making of the team:...
("Pretty" Paul Roma
Paul Roma
Paul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
Paul Orndorff
Paul Parlette Orndorff, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff...
) to the WCW World Tag Team Championship
WCW World Tag Team Championship
The World Championship Wrestling Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in World Championship Wrestling...
. Hamilton was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame
WCW Hall of Fame
The World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame was an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by World Championship Wrestling . It was established in 1993 to honor wrestlers who began their careers long before the 1990s, mostly alumni of the National Wrestling Alliance and Jim...
as part of the 1994 class on May 22, 1994 at The Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
When WCW was bought out by the WWF in March 2001 the Power Plant was closed but Hamilton continued to train wrestlers.
Deep South Wrestling
In 2005, World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly World Wrestling Federation) reached an agreement with Hamilton wherein Hamilton would open a new version of Deep South Wrestling for WWE to use as a training ground. The company ran shows on a regular basis featuring WWE-contracted talent until April 18, 2007, when WWE ended its relationship with DSW. DSW ceased operations the next day , 2007, although DSW held its final event on April 12.Rampage Pro Wrestling
In February 2009, Hamilton officially returned to the business, joining Rampage Pro Wrestling, an independent promotion based out of Warner Robins, GeorgiaWarner Robins, Georgia
Warner Robins is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located primarily in Houston County with a small portion in Peach County. The city has its own metropolitan statistical area . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 48,804...
. He was the director of their television show that airs locally on multiple channels in the middle Georgia area. His son, Nick Patrick
Nick Hamilton
Joseph Nicholas "Nick" Patrick Hamilton Jr. , better known by his ring name Nick Patrick, is a professional wrestling referee. He is a former referee for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
, also joined the promotion, though only in the on-camera commissioner role. In April 2009, the promotion released Hamilton, citing that they needed to cut costs. Nick stayed on with the promotion and took over his father's job as the television show director. The company brought Hamilton back later in the year in October. Hamilton and Patrick became heavily involved in producing the company's weekly television show.
In June 2010, the promotion cut their ties with Hamilton and Patrick due to internal conflicts.
Lawsuit against WWE
On April 30, 2009, Hamilton announced that he had filed a lawsuit against WWE in regards to how they ended their relationship with Deep South. The lawsuit claims WWE committed breach of contract and intentional interference with contractual & business relations. The suit was filed on April 20 in Fulton County, GeorgiaFulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
.
On January 22, 2010, Hamilton's attorney announced that his client had settled with WWE out of court. His attorney claimed that WWE "fraudulently contrived a reason to end the agreement" without giving the 90-days notice that was required in the contract. The suit also claimed that WWE illegally entered the Deep South building and took property that belonged to Hamilton. It also claims that the WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis
John Laurinaitis
John Joseph Laurinaitis is the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and appears on WWE's Raw Brand as interim General Manager. He was previously a professional wrestler under the ring name Johnny Ace, and wrestled for such promotions as the National Wrestling Alliance and All...
, warned that any wrestlers who continued to work with Deep South or Hamilton would never work in the wrestling business ever again. Two unnamed professional wrestlers who were under WWE contract at the time confirmed Hamilton's claim that Laurinaitis made the threatening speech. WWE attempted to get the lawsuit dismissed before it went to trial but were not successful. The settlement was not disclosed.
Personal life
Hamilton's son, Nick PatrickNick Hamilton
Joseph Nicholas "Nick" Patrick Hamilton Jr. , better known by his ring name Nick Patrick, is a professional wrestling referee. He is a former referee for World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
, was a referee for WCW from 1988–2001 and a referee for WWE from 2001-2008.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Assassin Lock (Lifting hammerlock submission)
- Signature moves
- Diving elbow drop
- Missile dropkick from the second rope
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Downtown Bruno
- Rock Hunter
- Wrestlers managed
- Paul OrndorffPaul OrndorffPaul Parlette Orndorff, Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling as "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff...
- Paul RomaPaul RomaPaul Roma is a professional wrestler who is known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling primarily as a tag-team wrestler alongside such partners as Jim Powers, Hercules, Arn Anderson and Paul Orndorff.-World Wrestling Federation :Paul Roma entered...
- The EqualizerBill DannenhauserBill Dannenhauer is a retired American professional wrestler better known as Dave Sullivan or The Equalizer.-Career:Bill Danenhauer started out in college football as the Offensive Coordinator at Washburn University...
- Paul Orndorff
Championships and accomplishments
- Central States WrestlingHeart of America Sports AttractionsHeart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa...
- NWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Central States Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship a professional wrestling championship that currently serves as the main title for the National Wrestling Alliance promotion, NWA Midwest. For most of its existence, however, the title was defended in the NWA affiliate Central States Wrestling from...
(1 time)
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Television ChampionshipNWA Florida Television ChampionshipThe NWA Florida Television Championship was a secondary title in Championship Wrestling from Florida. It existed from 1970 until 1987.-Title history:The NWA Florida Television Championship was a secondary title in Championship Wrestling from Florida...
(1 time) - NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) (1 time)
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) – with Assassin #1
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version)The Florida version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1961 until 1969.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance*NWA World Tag Team Championship*Florida Championship Wrestling...
(1 time) – with Assassin #2
- Continental Wrestling AssociationContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
- AWA Southern Tag Team ChampionshipAWA Southern Tag Team ChampionshipThe AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship from its inception through 1977, when it was renamed the AWA Southern...
(4 times) – with Assassin #2
- Mid-South Sports/Georgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
- NWA Georgia Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Georgia Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Georgia Championship Wrestling professional wrestling promotion. It started in 1964 and was unified in 1981 with the NWA National Heavyweight Championship....
(1 time) - NWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
(14 times) – with Assassin #1 (12), Assassin #3Randy ColleyRandy Colley is a retired professional wrestler better known as Moondog Rex.-Professional wrestlling career:Colley competed in the World Wrestling Federation, where in 1981 he won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Moondog King as the Moondogs...
(2) - NWA Macon Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Macon Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Macon Tag Team Championship was a tag team professional wrestling championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling, defended exclusively on events held at the Macon City Auditorium and Macon Coliseum in Macon, Georgia. The title lasted from 1969 to 1975....
(2 times) – with Assassin #1 - NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (4 times) – with Assassin #1
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Georgia version) (1 time) – with Assassin #1
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)The Georgia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1954 until 1969.-Title history:-See also:*National Wrestling Alliance*NWA World Tag Team Championship*Georgia Championship Wrestling...
(2 times) – with Assassin #1
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship was established in 1962 as the top tag team title in NWA All-Star Wrestling. The title held that status until late summer 1985, when the title was renamed the UWA Tag Team Championship upon All-Star Wrestling's departure as a member of...
(2 times) – with Assassin #1 - NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver, British Columbia version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1966 to 1967, and was the top tag team title in Vancouver-based NWA All Star Wrestling during that period.-History:-External links:* *...
(1 time) – with Assassin #1
- NWA Hollywood WrestlingNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA Americas Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Americas Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California....
(1 time) – with John TolosJohn TolosJohn Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager.-Canadian Wrecking Crew:... - NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (1 time)
- NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles/Japan version)NWA North American Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA North American Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship that is currently used and defended in various territories throughout the National Wrestling Alliance. This is the fifth NWA sanctioned championship to bear this name...
(2 times) – with Assassin #1
- NWA Mid-AmericaContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)The Mid-America version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1957 until 1977. It was defended primarily in Tennessee and Alabama.-Title history:...
(1 time) – with Assassin # 1
- NWA Tri-State
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)The NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship was a tag team title created in 1962, and contested in the National Wrestling Alliance's Tri-State territory, which was promoted by Leroy McGuirk and Jack Curtis and Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
(4 times) – with Assassin #1 (2), Ernie LaddErnie LaddErnest "Ernie" Ladd , nicknamed "The Big Cat" was an American collegiate and professional football player and a professional wrestler.-Pro Football career:...
(1), Angel (1)
- Southeastern Championship Wrestling - Continental Championship WrestlingContinental Championship WrestlingContinental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...
- NWA Alabama Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Alabama Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship was created in October, 1962. Since its creation, the championship has been defended in a number of NWA territories throughout the decades....
(1 time) - NWA Louisiana Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- NWA Louisiana Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Assassin #1 (1), Angel (1)
- NWA Southeastern Continental Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (1 time)
- NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship 1 time – with Don Carson
- NWA Southern Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Gulf Coast Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship was the main tag team championship in Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling or NWA Gulf Coast. The Gulf Coast tag team championship is the successor for GCCW's version of the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship that was promoted in the Tennessee, Alabama, Florida...
(Gulf Coast version) (3 times) – with Assassin #1 (1), Don Carson (1), Billy Spears (1) - NWA Tennessee Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Tennessee Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship was a secondary tag team title promoted as the name indeicates mainly in the Tennessee region from 1967 until 1977, first by Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling from 1967 to 1974 then by its successor Southeast Championship Wrestling from 1974 to 1977 when it...
(1 time) – with Ron FullerRon Fuller (wrestler)Ronald Welch is a retired professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring names Ron Fuller and Tennessee Stud. He is the elder brother of Robert Fuller...
- World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
- WCW Hall of FameWCW Hall of FameThe World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame was an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by World Championship Wrestling . It was established in 1993 to honor wrestlers who began their careers long before the 1990s, mostly alumni of the National Wrestling Alliance and Jim...
(Class of 1994)
- World Championship Wrestling (Australia)
- IWA World Tag Team ChampionshipIWA World Tag Team Championship (WCW Australia)The IWA World Tag Team Championship was the top tag team professional wrestling title in the Australian World Championship Wrestling promotion from 1966 through 1971....
(1 time) – with Assassin #1
- Georgia Wrestling
- Georgia Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Assassins