Jim Cornette on The Freebirds
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2021
- From Episode 212 of Jim Cornette's Drive Thru
Guest Artist: Coyote Duran (www.coyoteduranart.com/ & / coyoteduran )
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You can listen to Brian each week on the 6:05 Superpodcast at 605pod.com. - Фільми й анімація
Always loved watching the Freebirds. The intro to the Movie Highlander with the Freebirds strutting into the Arena is cinema gold!
Even Connor McLeod wanted to watch The Freebird.
YES! Amazing.
People in Mid South wanted to kill the Freebirds. So how did Connor McLeod smuggle a sword into the stadium???
Different part of the country I know...
Thanks for saying that. I though i was the only one who noticed 😂
As a thirteen-year-old I remember getting cable for the first time and getting to find Georgia championship wrestling wow what a day that was!
With Gordon Solie on WTBS!
Some of my first wrestling memories (other than Ric and Dusty) were the Freebirds and Von Erich fueds. Loved watching them!!!
Yesssssss sirrrrree
I’m 45 and remember those days. Plus I later got Smokey Mtn. Wrestling
Only the dude that left the first comment is telling the truth the other two of you are tag alongs of him cornette
@@mikescott8903 what bro
@@CertifiedHuSTLer were not bros but you're the only one who makes sense around here
Incredible time. The Fabulous Freebirds, The Von Erichs, Ronnie Garvin ‘Hands of Stone’, and so many great wrestlers. I could listen to these stories all day.
Hands of Stone*
Were they great wrestlers or just great characters?
@@BUPMY1 both
Garvin couldn't wrestle his way out of a wet paper bag.
@@Rockhound6165 Speaking of Wet, whatever happened to RG's valet Precious?
The Freebirds were like the Road Warriors- an original concept that has been copied but never duplicated. Gordy was damn impressive, Hayes was magic on the promos, and Roberts was so hate-able that he could take the fall and get his heat back 5 minutes later. People rooted for Hayes and Gordy, (against anyone not a Von Erich) but I never saw anyone root for Buddy Roberts...great memories.
that is all true but even as heels they were so damn cool you could not help but like them.
Agreed 💯
The Road Warriors loved Terry Gordon, he said it was like getting in the ring with Andrea The Giant but was like wrestling Rey Mysterio
@@stevemtc1 Wait who said that? Terry said that about the Road Warriors?
@@soulofanerd9364 Animal im pretty sure it was a night off but it could have been Hawk but I’m pretty sure it was Animal
The Freebirds vs Von Erichs was one of the greatest and most entertaining feuds in the history of wrestling. Watching it as a kid back in the early/mid-80s was everything to me. Just awesome.
Gordy was awesome. I loved him as a single in 1989, I would have loved to see him get a good single push. And him and Doc as a team were friggin beasts.
Steiners vs. Gordy/Death were the type of matches that if modern teams like the Bucks watched, they'd be very happy they'd never have to wrestle either team because they'd get their asses kicked (quite literally).
@@manuelper it's sad that modern teams want to be demolition knockoffs now.
@@SAM-ru4vx what’s wrong with demolition tho
@@countof3everybodyOD mace, tbar, Kross isn't over in 2021.
I got to see Gordy v. Dr Death live when I was like 10 years old. Really cool experience for a kid.
Please! THIS NEEEDS to be a regular segment! Feature a talent to educate fans. Looved this! I am older fan and I saw some of this as it happened but I still learned something! Wow one of my favorite episodes, soo good!
Yeah. I love the stories. I wasn't born til Hulkamania so I eat this up.
This used to be what the show was, I think the modern wrestling reviews are funny but I'd rather hear the wrestling history.
that is a great idea!
When I think of World Class Championship Wrestling,I think of the Von Erich brothers and The Freebirds…..
The Fabulous Freebirds were absolutely awesome! The greatest three man team ever, in my opinion.
1000X more interesting than EVERYBODY put togehter...
Originally just gordy/hayes
Not an opinion, Great Sir, a fact!
Absolute Legends
I could listen to Jim tell stories all day long
Grew up a huge Freebird fan, went to school with Ray Gordy, Terry’s son. Great guy.
Did Ray Gordy ever consider following in his dad's footsteps? That would've been awesome.
@@dagokolloff7999 ...Ray was in the WWE system for like 6 years and was all over their TV 2007-2009. They gave him a hillbilly gimmick and paired him with the big goofy guy from the bullet club.
@@douglaspatrick868JESSE?!?! FROM JESSE & FESTUS?!?! PLEASE TELL ME JESSE IS A FUCKING FREEBABY 😂😂
@@player1connected Yep, that's Bam bam's kid!
I saw him and his sister on the Gordy episode of Dark Side of the Ring episode. Sad what happened to Terry
loved them in Highlander
Same!
The WCW version with Jimmy Garvin & Bradstreet was pretty cool but nothing beats the original 😎🤼🤼💪
Thank you, Jim, for an accurate timeline! I've met too many people who don't know they weren't originally a 3 man team with Roberts. Hayes and Gordy were a regular 2 man team at first.
They had incredible chemistry and everybody knew their role and was perfectly fine playing it. What many younger fans don't realize is that Michael Hayes is a top-5 ever on the mic. And in many senses, I would prefer him working on the mic than somebody like The Rock because he could put over the opponent and talk on the mic as a heel or face and you completely bought into it. Terry Gordy was more or less 'the enforcer' who was one of the greatest big men ever. And Buddy Roberts was there to provide the viciousness in beatdowns, bu t look the fool and do the job when they lost.
They were the perfect foil for The Von Erichs, consisting at that time of David, Kerry and Kevin. This led to creating the 6 man tag team belt which really meant something. And because it was a 6 man tag match, it was much easier to create great, exciting matches than if you were doing just singles matches. And that's perhaps one of the greatest legacy of the Von Erichs and Freebirds...nowhere else could you get a feud that revolved around 6 man tag matches.
Quite a few groups have tried to replicate The Freebirds, but none of them have been successful in doing so.
Lived in Fort Worth from 1967-1999 and remember well the Von Erich DYNASTY and the Freebirds wars......I went to ONE match in my life in FW and saw all six wrestle....it was awesome. RIP Von Erichs and Bam Bam.......
My favorite Freebird era was 1986/87 UWF Bill Watts. Man they were in their prime.
Terry Gordy was at his best in 1981 when he split from Michael Hayes and started teaming with Jimmy Snuka. There is a classic promo where Snuka smashes three cinder blocks over the chest of Ken Patera using a sledgehammer. Terry Gordy proceeds to tell everyone watching at home to "go get a twelve pound sledgehammer and try it on yourselves, maybe put it on your heads and knock a little sense into you, and recognize some class when you see it". Gordon Solie deadpans his response by saying "no, no, Terry Gordy's comments are not well taken, and you sir are excused". It is my all time favorite promo and can be found on UA-cam by searching (GCW August 1-2 1981). Edit: also search UA-cam (Bob Roop explains his version of the sleeper hold to Gordon Solie. WCW February 1983) Gordon tells everyone at home to not try the sleeper hold yourselves. Bob Roop interrupts and says "unless it's on someone you don't like, like your sister or somebody". Gordon looks horrified. Classic.
That's what I tell people now if you never got a chance to see the late great Gordon solie UA-cam is a wonderful thing because his commentary his interviews and his calling the matches were so spot-on that there will never be another
Corny's told that story about the o-z in the boot a few times and it makes me laugh every time.
"And the crowd popped for it!"
I was an east coast kid but thanks to TBS and syndication, I grew up in Georgia Championship Wrestling and also World Class… the Freebirds, Von Erichs, Tommy Rich, Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer. Those are the guys I grew up on. I loved this segment Jim!
I remember seeing Michael Hayes and Kerry Von Erich wrestle in Kerrville Texas. Afterwards we went to Dairy Queen and ran into Kerry. He ended up signing autographs for us kids. Great memories!
Mid-South’ Is All-World ‘
Wonder if Kinky Friedman was at the show. He’s from Kerrville.
And then they went to the original HEB and bought 4 cases of beer and a gram of cocaine.
RIP Kerry Von Erich
That’s Awesome
The "Freebird Rule" was so great for a heel team. You get Buddy Roberts the bump guy who can work, Michael P.S. Hayes, the mic guy, and showboat, and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy who was that muscle. Great heel team/stable no actual manager but the Freebird Rule was such a great tag team hiccup never knowing which two you'd get on any night.
Richard castle kisses kate
It worked pretty well for The New Day as well, so you can't say it only worked for Heels.
I wouldn't really call Gordy "The Muscle".
@@littlesebastian4389 he was totally the bruiser tho, which is essentially the same thing. Big guy. Hurts people.
@@littlesebastian4389 He was the one member of The Freebirds that could go toe to toe with some of the biggest Wrestlers in Professional Wrestling during that time.
One of my favorite Freebird promos was the one they did in World Class where Terry Gordy was rolling around on the ground outside 😂
dont touch Terry's van.. its his.. and if he wants to spit out some stuff... he will!!
Mine was the van in the parkinglot.
Heaven help the person who touched Terry Gordy's van.
I do not think many people now will get what you are talking about but I love that promo!
Poor Bill..lol.Theyll never be another great 3 man tag team like The Fabulous Freebirds.ua-cam.com/video/Fo9MGFg-4Ys/v-deo.html
That Georgia Championship Wrestling with the Freebirds and Austin Idol, was the first time I had ever watched pro wrestling back in 1980. So freakin cool.
I remember DDP and Johnny B Badd doing the 4 flat tires gimmick on WCW Saturday Night in 95 lol.
I was at that huge Superdome show w The Freebirds taking on - as I recall - a blind JYD, Bill Watts and Dusty Rhodes inside a cage w bullwhips. I remember local media being stunned that there were so many people at that Superdome show. The Freebirds generated serious heat.
Wasn't it Rhodes/Col Buck Robley in the double bullrope cage vs Gordy/Roberts ? Also Andre/Hogan on that card if it's the same one I attended. We had floor bleacher seats on the babyface entrance side, Andre & P Orndorff came out next to us to watch Paul's brother Terry's match. Andre even 'chatted' a bit with us.
I hated the Freebirds when they were in Mid-South, back when it was just Lord Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy. Their main rivalry was Cowboy Bill Watts, Colonel Buck Robley, and Junkyard Dog. Then they added Buddy Roberts. I was young!
By the time I was able to catch World Class a few years later. My mindset changed, I rooted for the Freebirds.
I grew up on watching the Freebirds vs the Von Erichs. Those were the days!
When I was little, I watched Georgia Championship Wrestling in Ottawa, Canada in 1980 on TBS. Freaking fantastic! Made me a life-long wrestling fan.
We had to spin the antenna to get Memphis wrestling, the freebirds drew a crowd.
I begged my parents to get the cable package that had TBS in it, in 1981 so I could see Georgia Championship Wrestling. I lived in Maine then, so we had only WWF matches on TV.
I didn't like the Freebirds version with Hayes, Jimmy Garvin & Gordy. That version stayed beating the Midnight Express & Dr. Death Steve Williams a lot back in 1989. Cornette talked about it in his past episodes especially when he talked about Dr. Death beating the shit out of Jimmy Garvin with a wooden chair
was Gordy still with them then, memory is fuzzy but I thought it was down to just Hayes and Garvin
Happened at Boston garden . I was there and Gordy would have kicked dr deaths ass
Gordy was splitting his time with the Freebirds and WCW and All Japan. He eventually showed up in USWA/Dallas by the end of the year and early 1990 to feud with Lawler.
I was there that night in July of 89 in Boston when Doc and Garvin went at it with chairs. I was 14 at the time and I remember thinking to myself, what kind of drugs Garvin was on trying to go at it with Doc. It clearly turned into a shoot and Garvin wasn’t a big man even on steroids.
@@philipclarke9696
From what Corny was saying in the clip, Garvin was on the supplements & he was trying to wrestle like the Road Warriors. He didn't want to sell anything for Doc, so Doc took a wooden chair, hit Garvin so hard with it, Garvin shouted "FUCK!!!" Doc retorted: "FUCK WITH ME!!!" & hit him again.
The Midnights from Fall 1988-Winter 1989 were getting over as babyfaces. I was 10 years old & marked the hell out when they teamed with the Road Warriors in that War Games match against the Freebirds & the Samoan SWAT team. Also the Freebirds not putting the Midnights over for the NWA World Tag Team titles along with some shitty booking (I forgot who Corny said was screwing with the ME's booking as faces) really killed them
I would buy a Freebirds BLU-Ray as soon as I saw it. They were great against everyone- especially the Von Erich’s.
For real though, has anyone had a better post in ring career in the business than Michael Hayes?
Despite how wild the dude seems to be, he must be an absolute wrestling genius to hold onto the position he has all these years.
I would say Pat Patterson had a pretty good career in the ring. Then he was Vince right hand man.
@@nathangilmore7698 emphasis on hand
Triple H
Ive been watching wccw shows and the freebirds were legit heals..The crowd was insane and every episode Kerry comes out tornado punch half the show lol..Great matched and real heat..Freebirds are legendary..
The freebirds \ von Erich feud was one of the greatest of all time. I watch world class championship wrestling when I was a kid on Saturday and Sunday along with NWA world wide . That was fond memories.
Hell yeah brother didn't see any of the von Erics fued..but seen some of the there epic battles with the midnight express in the NWA
Good stuff
As a fan in the 80's, who witnessed the Freebirds and the Von Erichs first hand, Mr. Cornette is 100% correct in his assessment.
I met Michael Hayes (and Shane McMahon and young Cena) working at PNC Arena in Raleigh NC. Hayes was nice as was Shane. They were brief encounters but I'll always remember. This would have been around 2003.
That picture of Cornette looks like Herman Munster
🤣 wonder what Jim's thought of Rob Zombie rebooting the Munsters?
Georgia Championship wrestling was awesome! My favorite show on TV when cable was in it's infancy.
Freebirds vs Von Erichs was great the rest was watered down version of group. Gordy was heart of Freebirds.
I first seen the 'Birds on GA CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, very early 80's, piledriving DiBiase, blinding JYD, Robert Fuller losing his Cadillac to the 'Birds. The Freebirds at the time was the best ever.
2 and the Freebirds were my first fave wrastlers. I was 10. To this day Terry's Piledriver is one of the all time great finishers. Poor Million Dollar Teddie when he took 6 lmao
Bam Bam was one of my top Five wrestlers. Loved when him and Kerry Von Erich would fight. Sooo cool when Terry would do promos & be spitting and jumping around.🤣🤣
Gordy also wrestled in New Japan and had some epic matches with Bruiser Brody. Brody was not one to like other wrestlers much, but he said that he loved working with Gordy.
Freebirds vs. Von Erichs... I saw it as a kid.. classic shit!
Free Birds Express VS Von Ericks was as epic as RNR Express VS Midnight Express
The Freebirds were featured in the greatest movie ever made.
What movie devils rejects?
The Highlander
@@goodfellas2994 DR comes in 3rd after Highlander and Red Dawn.
4th is Die Hard. 5th is Predator. 6th is My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!
@@z216ghost My first five were serious. I just threw MLP in there so I would have something that wasn't blood and guts.
When Jim said everybody who was a wrestling fan got cable to watch Georgia championship wrestling he is 1,000,000,000% spot on
I remember Jim Cornette back in the day when he carried around the tennis racket in Mid South Wrestling, if I remember correctly he managed the midnight express and they had a lot of battles with the Rock n Roll Express here in my hometown at the Alexandria Coliseum in Alexandria Louisiana.
I grew up in Abilene Tx was in the world class championship wrestling and freebirds vs von erichs were the best feuds ever.
Bad street
The Freebirds were and are iconic! I give Jim his due ...he is putting aside his personal dislike for them to recognize their value.
Jim this is by far your best take. Kudos
not for all of them just michael hayes
The irony is that each Von Erich took more drugs than the three Freebirds combined.
What awesome team the Freebirds were it would've been cool to see them battle against Hart Foundation when everyone was in their prime. Rest In Peace Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts
Great breakdown on the Freebirds they are definitely wrestling royalty in my book
Don't forget the Freebirds had a part in the movie the Highlander
Freebirds...greatest team ever. Hayes still #1 personality
People that wasn't around when the Freebirds vs JYD was happening, it's hard to describe just how hot that feud was at that time. I was lucky enough to see that feud from start to finish in Mid-South. I haven't seen any feud since that was white hot.
Where JYD was blinded and had to wear goggles in a steel cage against Hayes.. Great.
I remember watching Georgia Championship Wrestling on Channel 29 out of Philadelphia in 1981, when the Freebirds were split up, with Michael Hayes calling Terry Gordy "Baby Huey." On one show, Gordy's with Gordon Solie cutting a promo, and Michael and Kevin Von Erich come out, tie a bonnet and bib on Gordy, and stuck a baby bottle in his mouth! Great stuff!
Oh my God the way that you describe the feud between the Van Eric's and the freebirds I wish we could see wrestling like this on a weekly basis on cable TV today i wish we could see wrestling that means something to our hearts to our souls to our spirit, I mean I grew up as a 40 year old man at 19 years old watching the war between WWE and WCW at war but the kind of heat you describe in this video blows me away
People forget Freebirds had some great runs with the Road Warriors, AWA and NWA
On Terry Gordy: "He was a wildass f'n country boy who didn't know his own strength and would kill you playing with you." He makes him sound just like Lennie from "Of Mice and Men". 😂
In a way, he was.
I was a 100 percent Free bird fan. Loved them Michael Terry and Buddy and then Jimmie
Good stuff guys. I grew up on the freebirds. Amazing tv at the time. Incredible. Memories. 👍
I just thing that Buddy Roberts is so underrated. He was the glue that held it together.
At the expense of my hometown Favs the Von Erichs, I Loved me some Freebirds. Terry Gordy was my favorite.
The free birds one of the great stables. I member seeing Gordy and dr death being a completely dominant tag team. The heat generated back then was unreal just crazy.
love the history segments.
Speaking of re-doing "four flat tires"...we just re-did it in our local promotion here in St. Louis a couple of weeks ago. Some angles are just timeless.
Loved the free birds it was normal to see Terry Gordy in stores here in Soddy daisy TN just North of Chattanooga great guy
That bread truck callback...chefs kiss.
My introduction to wrestling was Mid-South Wrestling…Junkyard Dog, etc
I low key want that PS Hayes art as a tat
Excellent matches. i recall on netflix interview with Hayes and Roberts. Roberts had a throat problem. Interview was awesome. WOuld love to hear more stories, scandar agbar awesome interview. agbar had a piece of the dallas sportsatorium memorabilia. incredible talent. wwe will never do that. so sad. thank you for the memories.
As a little kid watching this feud I was a total mark even my grandma would be cussing when Michael Hayes came on TV
It was Sullivan teaming with job guy Mike Davis. Davis won his first match the week prior against Rocket Monroe. The Freebirds picked Davis as Sullivan's partner. That was part of the angle in order to get a shot at the tag titles. The Freebirds would pick Sullivan's partner and Idol was the supposed to be the referee. I remember seeing it when it first aired.
My most memorable promo is from Georgia Wrestling is when my Brother, Terry tore off his white t-shirt and “ dirty white boy “ had been written on his chest.
DDP and Johnny B Badd also did the four flat tires thing on WCW
Cornette's promos for the sponsors are gold!
I wasn't alive for their wrestling but the opening scene of the first Highlander movie was where I first knew them from, matched up against The Hi-Flyers and Tonga Kid.
I use to watch them in person at East Park Recreation Center in Houma, LA. Back then the Freebirds traveled in a Green LTD Ford four door. I remember them being jacked with all the way to their car after the match.
My favorite tag team of all time, well them and of course the 4 horsemen with Ole and Arn!
I never ever missed an episode of G C R. Loved that show.
The freebirds/von Erich feud seemed to be ubiquitous in wrestling for a time due to all the coverage in the Apter mags.
The Austin Idol flat tire thing was redone in Mid South with Terry Taylor. Part of his heal turn.
"Do it in the ear, folks!" -Jim Cornette
Terry Gordy was a beast...him and Dr. Death...the Miracle Violence Connection...but yeah the Freebirds in Dallas...with "Freebird" playing and those confederate flag robes...that was a great gimmick and a great entrance.
If you tried that now the snowflakes would lose their collective minds. They were fabulous draws & heat magnets.
@@mikepurvis4339 Or maybe we've come to understand that times change and what was acceptable in times past isn't anymore.
@@jimbrown5091 I wasn't talking about the rebel flag stuff. When they did the angle where they blinded the jyd. A guy pulled a gun on Hayes. The cops had to drive them to the arena cos fans would cut there tires. Then they were cutting the cops tires who brought them. Trying to shoot bleach in there eyes. You can't get heat like that cancel culture would try & get them fired. Again wasn't talking about the flag.
@@mikepurvis4339 🤔 not the typical people one would call ❄
I'm so glad I was around to watch the epic freebird/von erich feed from the beginning. I hates the freebies with a passion! But I am older now and respect the work they did
Thanks Jim for giving props to LYNYRD SKYNYRD & RONNIE VAN ZANT
I got hooked on wrestling when I flicked through channels and seen Gordy n Kevin vonerich fighting .i said to my older brother look at these guys. I had seen Andre n snuka before that .Angelo mosca . But the birds caught my interest n Gordy became my favorite
I was a big fan of the Freebirds. I was like 4-5 during their awa run and thought they were so cool.
Georgia Championship Wrestling with Gordon Solie was IT back then
The promo at the end is amazing...
Freebirds were ahead of their time!
Saw them in 1980. Awesome.
Most promos were better when cocaine was involved
Most things are better with cocaine involved.
@@natebaxter9551 couple bumps
Not really. You'd be unintelligible like the Ultimate Warrior if you were hopped up on coke.
@@eiephants Maybe, but this one is an all time classic :)
ua-cam.com/video/2v7HLzYVWF0/v-deo.html
The key. ...... They were real . That's the problem now. They all think they are actors..
That initial letter was signed Michael Hayes
Buddy went to high school with my aunt in Surrey BC. She had a few stories about him back then.
My first exposure to the Freebirds was when they were in the AWA and it's a part of their career that isn't talked about a whole lot but boy they really knew how to Garner heat among the fans when they would come through Milwaukee. I thought their Feud with Jerry Blackwell was really really good.
They had some moments in AWA. I wonder where they really made more money: World Class or AWA?
@@sr7312 Probably World Class if I had to guess, but in 1985 the AWA was still doing well for itself.