Eddie Gilbert

At 33 years old, Eddie Gilbert has this physical status:

Thomas Edward "Eddie" Gilbert Jr. (August 14, 1961 - February 18, 1995) was an American professional wrestler and booker better known by his nickname, "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert.

Personal life

Terrie Bardwell Dykes, Gilbert's first marriage, was to a woman named Terrie Bardwell Dykes. Gilbert and Judith Hyatt divorced in 1987, and Gilbert and Missy Hyatt married wrestling valet Missy Hyatt in October 1987, but the two divorced in 1989. Gilbert was also married to Debrah "Madusa" Miceli for a short time in 1990.

Gilbert sat down with Bob Barnett and conducted a film shoot interview titled "Looking For Mr. " Gilbert is a Gilbert. Gilbert spoke openly about his personal life and work at a time when professional wrestlers barely appeared on film and barely never spoke openly about the wrestling company's behind-the-scenes machinations. The video from the interview was later released on home television and sold through wrestling magazines, as well as at independent wrestling shows, marking the first of its kind. In the decades since, "Looking For Mr. Gilbert" is now regarded as the first professional wrestling "shoot video," and countless professional wrestlers have conducted sit-down shoot interviews, most notably in RF Video's Shoot Interview series and Kayfabe Commentaries' YouShoot interview series.

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Professional wrestling career

Gilbert first wrestled in 1977, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association, as "Tommy Gilbert Jr." in honor of his father, Tommy Gilbert. He and his father won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship in 1980.

He spent a little while wrestling in the World Wrestling Federation as an improvement talent in 1982 before being promoted to mid-card status. Gilbert was dubbed the protege of then WWF Champion Bob Backlund during this time period. He continued to work his way up the chart until he was critically injured in a car crash in 1983. Backlund had been a huge inspiration to him for several months before returning to the ring; on his return, he said he had been a huge inspiration to him. Gilbert's neck was (in storyline) revived by the Masked Superstar who struck 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. Gilbert didn't fight for the WWF until 1984.

Eddie Gilbert, a freelance writer in Memphis, Tennessee, began making a name for himself as Eddie Gilbert. In those years, he worked with his father and Ricky Morton. In addition,, he formed "Fargo's Fabulous Ones" with Tommy Rich, a CWA (Memphis) effort to bury and still cash in on the authority earned by the Fabulous Ones' previous incarnation, Steve Keirn and Stan Lane, who walked out of the territory after a controversy. In 1984, they won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championships before losing them to Phil Hickerson and the Spoiler (Frank Morrell). With Gilbert's heel turned heel, the pair will break up soon after. The two characters had a brief but tense feud that began on television when announcer Lance Russell and two guests were given an "Tag Team of the Year" award. Poormouth Rich, then the International Heavyweight Champion, was unaware his former partner was at the taping, then refused to confront him until Rich came out to confront him. Rich immediately got the upper hand, smashing Gibert into the steel ringpost several times, bloodying him in the process right before the cameras were switched to a commercial. Gilbert pleaded with Russell to come back out so he could apologize to him in person, despite being angry over Rich's championship reign and newfound fame. Gilbert reacted angrily when Rich accepted Gilbert's forgiveness, rambling Rich's head into the ringpost as Rich did, as Rich had done to him moments before. Gilbert then made his way to Bill Watts' Mid-South territory.

Eddie Gilbert came to work with Bill Watts at the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1985, adding the word "Hot Stuff" to his name. He founded "Hot Stuff International, Inc." and wrestled. Sting (Blade Runner Sting), Ultimate Warrior (Blade Runner Rock), and Rick Steiner were among his stable members. He was always a ladies' man, and he took Missy Hyatt from John Tatum in 1987, renamed "H & H International, Inc." Parsons and Dick Murdoch would be able to return to their stable at other times later in the year. Sting would eventually leave "Hot Stuff International, Inc." and feud with them. Eddie spent time as a booker who was involved in the famous Battle of New Orleans in late-1987, which involved Chris Adams, Terry Taylor, Sting, and himself. Adams informed referee Randy Anderson of the interference after a match in which Taylor defeated Shane Douglas due to interference by both Gilbert and Rick Steiner. Adams pleaded his case with Anderson, Gilbert, and Taylor, and Sting finally joined the two sides. The angle eventually extended outside the ring to the stands and the concession area, which featured a massive brawl involving beer kegs, chairs, garbage cans, popcorn machines, and other items. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter named Gilbert the Best Booker of 1988. He will remain with the Universal Wrestling Federation until Jim Crockett Promotions buys him.

Gilbert served in the Continental Wrestling Federation (CWF), where he reformed Hot Stuff Inc. Gilbert also served as booker, with Paul Heyman as his assistant. The CWF was broadcast nationally on the Financial News Network, and wrestling journalists lauded Gilbert's innovative work. Gilbert, on the other hand, was forced to resign due to internal struggles with leadership.

Gilbert went to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) in the Northwest Area, where the UWF had purchased the UWF, but Hyatt, Heyman, and his brother Doug Gilbert were with him. Eddie teamed up with Rick Steiner to feud with Kevin Sullivan and his Varsity Club. He was also involved in a feud with Ric Flair and Barry Windham in which he collaborated with Ricky Steamboat and Lex Luger. JCP was renamed World Championship Wrestling, and Gilbert was featured in the first WCW video game near the end of his time there.

Eddie left WCW in April 1990 and also divorced Hyatt. He went back to the independents, where he could book again. He served with the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) in Memphis (where he clashed with Jerry Lawler) and the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF), as well as Philadelphia's Tri-State Wrestling Alliance promotion. Gilbert married Madusa at this time after having clashed with Madusa on TWA's radio show, but the engagement was brief. In September 1990, Gilbert's most famous feud in the Memphis area involved an angle between himself and Lawler. Eddie and his brother Doug were "fired" from the company, and in revenge, they assaulted Lawler with their car and fled the scene. Several home viewers who were anxious for Lawler pressed the police to announce what they had just seen as a legitimate vehicular assault. If Gilbert didn't appear on TV that he was correct, the officer had to warn the police what was going on and Lawler was obliged to appear on television (while selling his "injuries") sooner than anticipated.

Gilbert joined the United StatesWA in January 1991. He had chosen to leave the service rather than being hurt by Jim Cornette and the Fabulous Ones, according to the on air story. Gilbert and his brother Doug (who competed under a mask as the Dark Patriot) and his brother Doug left the GWF in 1992 due to a salary dispute. Eddie Gilbert carried the GWF North American Heavyweight Championship belt with him. Despite being stripped of the belt and not being recognized as such by the GWF, he made a few defenses of the GWF World Heavyweight champion in the USWA. He wrestled in and booked his replacement for Tri-State Wrestling. Gilbert then returned to the United StatesWrestling Council in Puerto Rico to wrestle and read until early 1995.

Gilbert competed for NWA Eastern Championship Wrestling in 1993, where he teamed with Doug for a match. He served as the head booker for nearly six months before he resigned in September 1993 to Paul Heyman. Heyman's career will take the company in a new direction, and the organization will move away from the NWA in a turbulent fashion just 11 months later. Due to ECW's notoriety under Heyman, the company quickly became the third largest wrestling company in North America after WWF and WCW.

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