Michael Hayes

Championship Wrestling from Florida (1984–1985)

In December 1984, Hayes joined the Florida-based NWA territory Championship Wrestling from Florida, where he initially formed a tag team with Dutch Mantel before reuniting with Gordy and Roberts. The Fabulous Freebirds initially feuded with Boris Zhukov, Jim Neidhart, Krusher Kruschev, and The Saint, then feuded with the Assassins. In January 1985, Hayes unsuccessfully challenged NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair in Fort Lauderdale. The Freebirds joined the JCP roster in May 1987. Throughout mid-1987, they repeatedly challenged NWA United States Tag Team Champions The Midnight Express. At Starrcade '87: Chi-Town Heat in November 1987, Hayes teamed with Jimmy Garvin and Sting to face Eddie Gilbert, Larry Zbyszko, and Rick Steiner, with the match ending in a time-limit draw. In December 1987 and January 1988, Hayes had a series of matches against NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, including a time limit draw that aired on NWA World Championship Wrestling. Hayes left JCP in January 1988 to return to Texas. However he retired from active competition due to a serious back injury he suffered while in WCW and after the NWA's Dallas promotion ended, and debuted on April 14 on WWF Superstars, he suggested the name "Dok Hendrix" after Doc Severinsen and Jimi Hendrix. Hayes served as a heel announcer and was a color commentator alongside Vince McMahon and Hayes also joined McMahon on a few pay-per-view events in 1995. Hayes was also co-host of WWF Action Zone with Todd Pettengill. He was fired by them in August. During the December 5, 2005 episode of RAW, he became involved in verbal sparring with Edge in which Hayes attacked Edge's lack of main event experience and the details of his love life (with regard to Matt Hardy and Lita). Hayes was later attacked by Edge.

In October 2006, Hayes became the head creative writer for the SmackDown brand after Alex Greenfield's departure from the company. He can be seen on the second season of WWE Classics on Demand series Legends of Wrestling. Hayes made occasional appearances on WWE programs: on the December 7, 2007 episode of SmackDown, Hayes was a guest of MVP's VIP Lounge. Hayes promoted the new Triumph and Tragedy of WCCW DVD and reinforced its anti-drug message. However, Hayes ended up being attacked by MVP before being saved by Rey Mysterio Jr. On the June 28, 2010 episode of Raw, Hayes was one of several Legends who accompanied Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, who was out to promote his new DVD. Hayes and the other legends were later attacked by the NXT season 1 graduates, collectively known as The Nexus. On the May 12, 2011 episode of WWE Superstars, Hayes accompanied Tyson Kidd to the ring but turned on him a week later after Kidd lost his match to Yoshi Tatsu. Hayes hit Kidd, stating he had better things to do than hang around losers.

In October 2013, Hayes took a leave of absence from WWE for personal reasons, but he returned to work on December 2, 2013. On August 1, 2014, Hayes appeared in a short segment on the online series JBL and Cole Show in which he stared at a "Free Birds, call to enquire" flier. In February 2015, Hayes partook in a WWE.com interview alongside Arn Anderson with Michael Cole to discuss Triple H and Sting's match at WrestleMania 31. On April 2, 2016, Hayes was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame with the Fabulous Freebirds. Hayes accepted the award alongside Jimmy Garvin.

Hayes took a hiatus from his position on the creative team in November 2024 reportedly for personal reasons, until he was named in an amended lawsuit in January 2025 involving McMahon and a former female WWE employee, Janel Grant who alleged that McMahon ordered her to create explicit content for Hayes and backstage personnel in September 2020.

Independent circuit (1998–2000) In 1998, Hayes returned to the ring for the first time in four years working in the independents reuniting with Terry Gordy at Bad Boys of Wrestling in Wyoming. In 1999, he competed for Power Pro Wrestling, where he won the promotion's title. He defeated The Honky Tonk Man on May 8, 1999, at Superstars of Wrestling. On January 21, 2000, Gordy and Hayes wrestled for Oklahoma Pro Wrestling when they lost to the Hardy Boyz.

Music career In 1987, on the back of the popularity of the "Badstreet USA" theme, Hayes recorded and released an album, Off The Streets. He also performed live concerts to promote the album with his backing band, the Badstreet Band. The July 1988 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated (written circa March 1988) contained a (possibly kayfabed) column by writer Dave Rosenbaum in which he visited the box office for a Badstreet Band show and surveyed what sort of people would actually go to Hayes' concerts. In 1992, Hayes performed a duet with music producer Darwin Conort called "Freebird Forever" on the WCW album, Slam Jam 1.

During his WWE tenure, he recorded a couple of songs too, most famously "Big", Big Show's theme from 1999 to 2006, and "Bald Headed Blues" which is played during Vince McMahon's head-shaving segment at WrestleMania 23.

In 2011, Hayes paid tribute to his Freebird brother Terry Gordy, who died of a heart attack caused by a blood clot in 2001, with a song entitled "Freebird Road" produced with Darwin Conort, based on Johnny VanZant's "Brickyard Road" (with permission). His music video was an emotional and stirring trip down memory lane as a Freebird and shows shots of him at Gordy's grave.

Other media In 1986, Hayes appeared in the opening credits of Highlander alongside The Fabulous Freebirds, working his Purely Sexy gimmick on the turnbuckle while writhing free of his ring robe. Georgia Championship Wrestling NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Terry Gordy NWA National Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Terry Gordy (3 times) and Otis Sistrunk (1 time) NWA United National Championship (1 time) Mid-South Wrestling Mid-South Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Terry Gordy NWA Mid-America NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Terry Gordy Power Pro Wrestling Power Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2015 as a member of the Fabulous Freebirds Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI Tag Team of the Year award in 1981 – with Terry Gordy PWI ranked him #56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992 PWI ranked him #71 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003 PWI ranked him #3 of the top 100 tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Terry Gordy in 2003 NWA (Mid-Atlantic)/WCW World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Jimmy Garvin WCW United States Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Jimmy Garvin WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jimmy Garvin and Badstreet World Class Championship Wrestling / World Class Wrestling Association NWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Terry Gordy WCWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts (6 times) and Kerry Von Erich and Kevin Von Erich (1 time) WCWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Steve Cox WWE WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2016) as a member of The Fabulous Freebirds Wrestling Observer Newsletter Most Charismatic (1981) Best Three-Man Team (1984) with Buddy Roberts and Terry Gordy Best Heel (1983,1986) Feud of the Year (1983, 1984) with Buddy Roberts and Terry Gordy vs. the Von Erichs Match of the Year (1984) with Buddy Roberts and Terry Gordy vs. the Von Erichs on July 4 Best Color Commentator (1986) Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2005) – as part of the Fabulous Freebirds

Discography

Single Badstreet USA Grand Theft Records 1984

Album Off The Streets – Grand Theft Records 1987 Track list: "Everything Is Alright" (4:00) "When The Love Comes Down" (3:55) "The Night You Can't Remember" (4:14) "Ain't Superstitious" (3:46) "Touch My Level" (3:32) "I Gotta Have It" (3:35) "The Boys Are Back In Town" (4:49) "You Made Me The Way I Am" (4:49) "Blue Jean Queen" (5:25) "Heartbeat Away" (4:42) "Badstreet USA" (4:21)