Eddie Gilbert (wrestler)

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Eddie Gilbert
Heart attack
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 1989)​
​
​
(m. 1990; div. 1990)​
FamilyTommy Gilbert (father)[1]
Doug Gilbert (brother)[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Eddie Gilbert[2]
Tommy Gilbert Jr.[2]
Billed height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1]
Billed weight222 lb (101 kg)[1]
Billed from"Every girl's dream"
Lexington, Tennessee
Trained byTommy Gilbert
Debut1977[1]

Thomas Edward Gilbert Jr.

booker
.

Gilbert started his wrestling career for the

stable
“Hot Stuff International, Inc.”

In addition, Gilbert also worked as a booker in promotions like the

Eastern Championship Wrestling (later known as Extreme Championship Wrestling), while continuing to wrestle in various promotions including Jim Crockett Promotions and the United States Wrestling Association
.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1977-1982)

Gilbert wanted to become a professional wrestler by the second grade,[3] and wrote articles and took photographs for newsstand and ringside magazines as a way to become involved in the business.[3][4] He was once rumored to have missed his own high school graduation so he could make it to Memphis to lose in the first match on the undercard at the Mid-South Coliseum.[5] After graduating from high school,[4] he made his debut in 1977 in the Memphis, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association as "Tommy Gilbert Jr." in honor of his father, Tommy Gilbert.[3][2] On February 10, 1979, he and Ricky Reed defeated Jake Dalton and Haiti Charlie.[4] In 1980, he and his father won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.[1][5]

World Wrestling Federation (1982-1984)

Gilbert debuted in the

World Wrestling Federation in October 1982.[6] After spending some time an enhancement talent, he was promoted to mid-card status.[1][4] During this time period, he was touted as the protégé of then WWF Champion Bob Backlund.[7]

In May 1983, Gilbert was seriously injured in a car accident, suffering severe injuries to his neck, arms, chest, and back.[3][4] Some doctors told him he would never be able to wrestle again.[5] His injuries were so severe that he needed plastic surgery, which Gilbert disguised by growing a beard.[4]

Gilbert returned to the ring in August 1983. Upon his return, he stated on television that Bob Backlund had been a tremendous inspiration to him. At a September 1983 TV taping, Gilbert's neck was (in storyline) reinjured by the

Masked Superstar who executed two neckbreakers to Gilbert in the ring to win a match and a third on the floor ringside afterwards, resulting in Gilbert being stretchered from the ring and taken away in an ambulance.[5] Gilbert continued wrestling for the WWF until March 1984.[1]

Continental Wrestling Association (1984–1986)

Later, he began making a name for himself as Eddie Gilbert for the CWA in Memphis, Tennessee.[3][1] He teamed with his father and Ricky Morton over the following years.[1] In addition, he formed a team with Tommy Rich as "Fargo's Fabulous Ones", an attempt by CWA (Memphis) to bury and still cash in on the fame attained by the previous incarnation of the Fabulous Ones, Steve Keirn and Stan Lane, who walked out of the territory after a dispute.[1][3] They held the AWA Southern Tag Team titles in 1984 until dropping them to Phil Hickerson and the Spoiler (Frank Morrell).[1] The duo would break up soon after, with Gilbert turning heel in the process.[3] The two had a brief but intense feud, which memorably began on television when the two were presented with a "Tag Team of the Year" award by announcer Lance Russell and two guests. Gilbert, unaware his former partner was at the taping, badmouthed Rich, then the International Heavyweight Champion, until Rich came out to confront him. Rich immediately got the upper hand, running Gibert into the steel ringpost several times, bloodying him in the process before the cameras went to a commercial. After the commercial break, Gilbert told Russell he wanted Rich to come back out so he could apologize to him in person, stating he was wrong for still being bitter about the break-up of the team, and was fueled by jealousy of Rich's championship title reign and newfound star status. When Rich accepted Gilbert's apology, Gilbert suddenly turned on him and, in front of a stunned audience and a speechless Russell, rammed Rich's head into the ringpost, just as Rich had done to him moments earlier.[5]

Universal Wrestling Federation (1985-1987)

In 1985, Gilbert went to work for Bill Watts at the

Best Booker of 1988 by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He would stay with the UWF until its purchase by Jim Crockett Promotions in April 1987.[2]

Jim Crockett Promotions / NWA World Championship Wrestling (1987–1990)

In May 1987, Gilbert began wrestling for

Varsity Club. He also became involved in a feud with Ric Flair and Barry Windham in which he teamed with Ricky Steamboat and Lex Luger. Gilbert was told at one point that he would be a member of the Four Horsemen, which he considered the pinnacle of his career, but this did not happen.[5] Near the end of his stint there, JCP was renamed World Championship Wrestling (WCW).[1] Gilbert left WCW in April 1990.[9]

Continental Wrestling Federation (1988)

Gilbert (top) wrestling Jerry Lawler, c. 1988

In May 1988, Gilbert began working for Alabama's

Continental Wrestling Federation (CWF), where he reformed Hot Stuff Inc.[5] Gilbert also served as booker, with Paul Heyman as his assistant.[3][2] The CWF was broadcast nationally on the Financial News Network, and Gilbert's creative work was widely praised by wrestling journalists.[4] Gilbert left the CWF in September 1988 due to conflicts with management.[4][2]

Various promotions (1990–1993)

Eddie left WCW in April 1990 and also divorced Hyatt. He went back to

selling his "injuries") sooner than intended out of concern that Gilbert would have been legitimately arrested if he did not show on TV that he was all right.[1][3][5]

Gilbert quit the USWA in January 1991.

Dark Patriot) left the GWF in 1992.[11][5]

NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling (1993)

In 1993, Gilbert wrestled for NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling, where he again teamed with Doug. He also served as head booker for nearly six months, but gave up his position in September 1993 to Paul Heyman.[3][11] At one point, Gilbert owned 49% of the company.[11] Heyman would take the company in an even more extreme direction, and under the name Extreme Championship Wrestling just 11 months later which saw the company depart the NWA in controversial fashion. Due to ECW's notoriety under Heyman, the company quickly became the third biggest wrestling company in North America behind the WWF and WCW.[5]

Late career (1993–1995)

Eddie Gilbert took with him the GWF North American Heavyweight Championship belt. He made a few defenses of the title in the USWA as the GWF World Heavyweight champion, despite being stripped of the belt and not being recognized as such by the GWF.[1] Gilbert returned to the USWA until early 1995 when he worked one night for Smoky Mountain Wrestling before traveling to World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico to wrestle and book.[1] His last wrestling match was against a bear.[5][11]

Personal life

Gilbert, c. 1988

Gilbert's first marriage was to a woman named Terrie Bardwell Dykes.[

Debrah "Madusa" Miceli in 1990, but the marriage only lasted four months.[1][11]

In early 1994, Gilbert sat down with Bob Barnett and conducted a filmed

shoot interview titled "Looking For Mr. Gilbert." Gilbert spoke openly about his life and career at a time when professional wrestlers rarely appeared on film out of character and almost never spoke publicly about the behind-the-scenes machinations of the wrestling business. The footage from the interview was later marketed on home video and sold through wrestling newsletters, as well as at independent wrestling shows, the first of its kind. "Looking For Mr. Gilbert" is now considered the first professional wrestling "shoot video", and in the decades since, countless professional wrestlers have conducted sit-down shoot interviews, most notably in RF Video's Shoot Interview series and Kayfabe Commentaries' YouShoot interview series.[11]

Death

On February 18, 1995, Gilbert died of a massive heart attack in his sleep at his apartment in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico.[1][3] His body was found by Ken Wayne.[5] Gilbert's father, Tommy Gilbert, stated that injuries to Eddie's chest and heart muscle had occurred in a serious car crash in 1983 and could have been a factor; Eddie's alleged use of painkillers since the accident could also have contributed to his heart condition.[11] The Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawl was held in his memory from 1996 to 1999.[12][13][14][15]

Championships and accomplishments

Gilbert's Hardcore Hall of Fame banner in the former ECW Arena.

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4766-0505-0
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4165-1312-4
    .
  3. ^
    Canadian Online Explorer
    . Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i S. Dills, Tim. "Eddie Gilbert profile part 1". EddieGilbert.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "A Tribute to Eddie Gilbert". EddieGilbert.com. The Wrestling Tribune. March 4, 1995. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  6. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Eddie Gilbert - matches - World Wrestling Federation". Cagematch.net. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0
    .
  8. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Eddie Gilbert - matches - Jim Crockett Promotions". Cagematch.net. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Eddie Gilbert - matches - World Championship Wrestling". Cagematch.net. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
  10. ^ "January 21, 1991 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Ric Flair defeats Sting for his 7th World title win, more". F4WOnline.com. Wrestling Observer Newsletter. January 21, 1991. Retrieved September 4, 2019. (subscription required)
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h S. Dills, Tim. "Eddie Gilbert profile part 2". EddieGilbert.com. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  12. ^ "1st Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawl". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  13. ^ "2nd Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawl". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  14. ^ "3rd Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawl". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  15. ^ "4th Annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawl". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  16. Canadian Online Explorer
    . Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  17. ^ "NWA Central States Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  18. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4
    .
  19. ^ "Southern Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  20. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "AWA International Heavyweight Championship". Cagematch. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  21. ^ a b "ECW World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  22. ^ Hoops, Brian (January 24, 2020). "Pro wrestling history (01/24): WWF Royal Rumble 1999". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  23. ^ "Legends of the Arena Results 6.27.09".
  24. ^ "Next Official Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony". Memphis Wrestling. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  25. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  26. ^ "Memphis Hall of Fame". Wrestling-Titles.com. Puroresu Dojo. 2003. Retrieved April 15, 2012.

External links

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