Billy Jack Haynes

Florida and Pacific Northwest (1984–1986) Haynes feuded heavily with Rip Oliver until 1984 when he had a run in Championship Wrestling from Florida where he feuded with Kendo Nagasaki for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship winning the title from him. They then had a brief run in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1985, managed by Sunshine. Due to internal conflict between Fritz Von Erich and Billy, he was written out of the organization, jobbing to Rip Oliver in a plot where Rip bloodied and injured Billy. During this time, he faced the debuting Shawn Michaels.

Haynes started splitting his time between Portland Wrestling and CWF, and he wrestled with partner Wahoo McDaniel. They won the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship and they feuded with Ole Anderson and Arn Anderson in Jim Crockett Promotions. He had just begun a feud with The Barbarian over who was the strongest man in the territory when he abruptly left the company after a confrontation with Jim Crockett in his office which became physical.

World Wrestling Federation (1986–1988) In June 1986, Haynes went to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and feuded with Randy Savage over the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

Haynes later feuded with Hercules Hernandez over who was stronger, more muscular, and who had a better version of the full nelson (their mutual finishing maneuver). Their feud in the WWF peaked with what was dubbed "The Battle of the Full Nelsons" at WrestleMania III, He was actually seen on camera taking the razor out of his wrist tapes while chasing Heenan around the ring). In the months to follow, the two had a series of "chain matches," where they were attached at the wrist by a foot long chain which could also be used as a weapon during the match.

Haynes later teamed with fellow Oregon native Ken Patera who had returned to the WWF. Another account of the same incident reported that he actually wrestled the match with the finish reworked and then was fired afterwards. The May 7, 2025 episode of Dark Side of the Ring revealed that the true reason for his release was that he overdosed on pills during a flight, and the company did not want to risk keeping him and dealing with the negative publicity he might bring. Soon after The Great American Bash, he was fired due to a pay dispute.

In October 2014, the Portland Tribune reported that Haynes filed a lawsuit in federal court against WWE, alleging "egregious mistreatment of its wrestlers for its own benefit, as well as its concealment and denial of medical research and evidence concerning traumatic brain injuries suffered by WWE wrestlers." This litigation was taken after research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which was attributed to causing the deaths of Chris Benoit in 2007 and Andrew Martin in 2009. Haynes also sought for the court to grant class action status for hundreds of former wrestlers and to force WWE to establish a medical trust fund to pay for wrestlers who suffer from injuries that took place in a WWE ring. Bryant dismissed the other lawsuits in 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected subsequent appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear the case in 2021.

2024 arrest and murder charge On February 8, 2024, Haynes was arrested in Portland, Oregon following a two-hour standoff with police after a shooting. He was questioned by police regarding the death of his wife, Janette Becraft, who was 85 years old at the time of her death and suffering from dementia. and made his first court appearance the following day. His trial was initially set to begin on April 11, In May 2025, the judge determined that Haynes was "mentally unfit" to proceed with the case. After the ruling, Becraft's estate filed a lawsuit against Haynes for alleged elder abuse.

Haynes was found fit to stand trial in February 2026, with his trial date set for April 26, 2027, through May 7, 2027.

Championships and accomplishments

Championship Wrestling from Florida NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) - with Wahoo McDaniel Oregon Wrestling Federation OWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times) Pacific Northwest Wrestling NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (5 times) NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Stan Stasiak (2 times) and Ricky Vaughn (1 time) Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (1984) PWI ranked him #143 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003 United States Wrestling Association USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (2 times) World Class Championship Wrestling WCCW Television Championship (1 time)