Buddy Wayne

Professional wrestling career Finley was trained by Buddy Rose and Ole Olson in Portland, Oregon. He began his wrestling career in 1985 with NWA All-Star Wrestling based in Vancouver, Canada. At one point in the 1980s, he wrestled around the Canadian Maritimes in Grand Prix Wrestling for promoter Emile Duprée using the ring name Wayne Gillis. He also worked under the names the Atomic Kid in the U.S. and Canada and King Cobra while wrestling in Mexico, among others.

Legacy After his son Nick signed for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2023, Wayne's death became a central topic of a storyline involving Nick, Wayne's student Darby Allin, Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and his wife Shayna, with Cage disparaging Wayne's wrestling career while claiming to be Nick's new "father figure."

Training career Finley ran the Buddy Wayne School of Wrestling in his hometown of Everett, Washington. He claimed that he loved training other wrestlers even more than performing.

Personal life and death Finley was married to Shayna Edwards from 1985 until his death in 2017. They have one son, Nick, who is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and performs under the ring name Nick Wayne.

Finley is often confused with another wrestler using the ring name of Buddy Wayne. That wrestler, who faced the likes of Jerry Lawler, was active in the 1960s to 1980s and was famous in the Memphis territory.

Death Finley died at his wrestling school from a heart attack at age 50 on June 15, 2017.

Championships and accomplishments Championship Wrestling USA CW USA Television Championship (5 times) International Championship Wrestling ICW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) ICW Tag Team Championship (7 times) - with Thunder Warrior, Sumito (2), Ed Moretti, Ken Johnson and Ritchie Magnett (2) Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI ranked him # 213 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1993 PWI ranked him # 394 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 1994 Universal Independent Wrestling UIW Heavyweight Championship (3 times) Universal Wrestling Alliance UWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with The Frog