Assassins (professional wrestling)

Last updated
Assassins
Jody Hamilton and Randy Colley as The Masked Assassins 1980.png
Jody Hamilton and Randy Colley as The Assassins, circa 1980
Tag team
Members Jody Hamilton
Tom Renesto
Name(s)Assassins
The Masked Assassins
Bolo and the Great Bolo
Billed heightsHamilton:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Renesto:
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Former
member(s)		Roger Smith
Randy Colley
Kurt Von Hess
Hercules Hernandez
Ray Fambrough

The Assassins were a masked professional wrestling tag team from the 1960s to the 1980s. Jody Hamilton, the original Assassin, was a member throughout the various incarnations of the team, teaming with Tom Renesto, Roger Smith, Randy Colley, Hercules Hernandez and Ray Fambrough while donning the masks.

Contents

Career

The team had its origins in 1961 in the Georgia territory, when Hamilton, a five-year veteran, first began competing in Atlanta as the Assassin. Shortly afterward, Tom Renesto arrived in the area and began teaming with Hamilton to form the original Assassins team.

Hamilton and Renesto became a well-traveled heel tandem through the 1960s, competing in the Mid-Atlantic territory, Georgia, Florida, California, Arizona, the Pacific Northwest, Canada, Japan and Australia among other areas, and winning championship gold along the way. They returned to Georgia in 1968 and wrestled primarily in that state until 1974; they spent the majority of their time competing in Georgia Championship Wrestling during that time, but they also went to work for an independent group called the All-South Wrestling Alliance, with Hamilton going solo at first while Renesto worked behind the scenes, then facing off in opposite corners from each other, then reuniting as babyfaces before All-South closed in late 1974.

The Assassins double team Mr. Wrestling II during a tag match, circa 1980 The Assassins double team Mr. Wrestling II 1980.png
The Assassins double team Mr. Wrestling II during a tag match, circa 1980

After Renesto retired from the ring, Hamilton continued The Assassins with new partners in later years, teaming up with Roger Smith and then Randy Colley, before forming the 1980s version of the masked team with Hercules Hernandez in Jim Crockett Promotions, under the management of Paul Jones, who used them as part of his feud with the popular Jimmy Valiant. That version of the team lasted until Hernandez was unmasked after losing to Valiant in a mask vs. hair match at a JCP/Maple Leaf Wrestling show in Toronto, Ontario, on April 15, 1984. Barry Orton replaced Hernandez as Assassin #3 for a few months. Hamilton continued on solo after Barry left JCP, breaking his ties with Jones to turn babyface once again and feud with his former manager, which climaxed with Hamilton teaming with Buzz Tyler to beat Jones' Zambuie Express (Elijah Akeem and Kareem Muhammed) at Starrcade 1984 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Post-wrestling

Jody Hamilton wound down his in-ring career in the Alabama territory competing under a different identity as The Flame before starting up his own promotion in Georgia, Deep South Wrestling, in 1986, which he ran for about two years before selling the promotion. He then opened up the Power Plant as a training facility for World Championship Wrestling and was last seen reprising his Assassin role as the manager of Pretty Wonderful (Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma) in WCW in 1994. Hamilton reopened Deep South Wrestling in 2005 to serve as a developmental territory for World Wrestling Entertainment, but WWE severed its developmental deal with DSW on April 18, 2007, and Hamilton continued running the promotion on his own as an independent until he folded DSW shortly after its October 11, 2007, event.

Tom Renesto retired from wrestling in 1974. On April 25, 2000, Renesto died at 72 years old.

Randy Colley went on to form The Moondogs tag team (as Moondog Rex), which competed in the then-WWF and in the Memphis area, and he was also the original Demolition Smash. He also competed in Mid-South Wrestling as the masked Nightmare, wearing the same mask he had as one of the Assassins. He retired in 1996 and died on December 14, 2019, at age 69.

Roger Smith went on to fame in Memphis in the mid-1980s under the ring name Dirty Rhodes (for his resemblance to Dusty Rhodes in both appearance and mannerisms), both as a heel and a babyface. He has also since retired.

Hercules Hernandez went on to fame under that name in World Class Championship Wrestling, Florida, the WWF and Japan, as the masked Mr. Wrestling III in Mid-South, and as the masked Super Invader in WCW. He died in his sleep of a heart attack in Tampa, Florida, on March 6, 2004, at age 47.

Jim Ross stated that the Masked Assassins "were the greatest tag team that [he] ever saw." [1]

Championships and accomplishments

Hamilton and Renesto

Hamilton and Colley

Media

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Koloff</span> Canadian professional wrestler

Oreal Donald Perras was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "the Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, where he was billed from Russia He was the third wrestler to hold the WWWF Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hercules (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (1956–2004)

Raymond Constantine Fernandez Jr. was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Hercules Hernandez, or simply Hercules. Fernandez began his career in 1979, primarily wrestling in Florida and Texas before earning his greatest success by joining the World Wrestling Federation in 1985, where he was a member of The Heenan Family. He later split from the stable and feuded with Heenan and Ted DiBiase, afterwards turning heel in 1990, forming Power and Glory with Paul Roma, where they had a feud with The Rockers. Fernandez was also a featured bodybuilder, appearing in several muscle magazines. He is also known for his appearances in World Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, and New-Japan Pro Wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dusty Rhodes</span> American professional wrestler (1945–2015)

Virgil Riley Runnels Jr., better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who worked for the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation, later known as WWE. Rhodes was considered a star wrestler and presented the persona of an American everyman, the American Dream personified. Rhodes is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Mosca</span> American-Canadian football player and professional wrestler (1937–2021)

Angelo Valentino Mosca was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a wrestler, Mosca was known by the nicknames King Kong Mosca and the Mighty Hercules. He had a son, Angelo Jr., who also wrestled. Mosca was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1987, the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Armstrong</span> American professional wrestler (1939–2020)

Joseph Melton James was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. In the course of his career, which spanned five decades, Armstrong held numerous championships throughout the Southeastern United States. His four sons, Joseph Scott, Robert Bradley, Steve and Brian Girard, all became wrestlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Jones (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler and manager

Paul Frederick was an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling manager, better known by his ring name, Paul Jones. He is best known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotions in the Southeastern United States, in particular with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling – where he had 23 championship reigns and led the stable Paul Jones' Army – and Championship Wrestling from Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Valiant</span> American professional wrestler

James Harold Fanning is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Handsome" Jimmy Valiant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ax (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

William Reid "Bill" Eadie is an American retired professional wrestler who has competed under the names of Ax as part of Demolition and The Masked Superstar. He was a high school teacher and coach at Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Ohio, and at East Liverpool, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Vachon</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1937–2024)

Paul Vachon was a Canadian professional wrestler. He was a member of the Vachon wrestling family. He is perhaps best known by his ring name Butcher Vachon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Lewin</span> American professional wrestler

Mark Lewin is an American retired professional wrestler.

Luke Joseph Scarpa was an American professional wrestler and WWE Hall of Famer who was best known by the ring name Chief Jay Strongbow. Much like his contemporary Wahoo McDaniel, he portrayed a Native American wrestler, who wore a war bonnet to the ring and would "go on the warpath" when the fans started cheering him against an opponent. In reality, Scarpa was an Italian-American who much like actor Iron Eyes Cody portrayed an Indian to stand out more. His best accomplishments are in WWWF where he was a 4-time World Tag-Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Keirn</span> American professional wrestler

Stephen Paul Keirn is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in multiple National Wrestling Alliance territories as Steve Keirn as one-half of the tag team The Fabulous Ones, as well as his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Skinner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Watts</span> American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter

William F. Watts Jr. is a retired American professional wrestler, promoter and former American football player. Watts garnered fame under his "Cowboy" gimmick in his wrestling career, and then as a promoter in the Mid-South United States, which grew to become the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Brisco</span> American professional wrestler and amateur wrestler (1941–2010)

Freddie Joe "Jack" Brisco was an American amateur wrestler and professional wrestler. As an amateur for Oklahoma State, Brisco was two-time All-American and won the NCAA Division I national championship. He turned pro shortly after and performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA World Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jody Hamilton</span> American professional wrestler (1938–2021)

Joseph Hamilton was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer. He was best known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1". When the Assassins ended, He wrestled as "The Assassin" and "The Flame" both while wearing a mask.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Spoiler (wrestler)</span> Canadian professional wrestler (1940–2006)

Donald Delbert Jardine was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as The Spoiler. Jardine was a major star in various wrestling promotions. He worked in the World Wrestling Federation, first in 1974 and again from 1984 to 1986. However Jardine had his greatest successes in the National Wrestling Alliance-affiliated territories of Florida, Georgia and Texas, from the early 1960s through the mid-1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugsy McGraw</span> American professional wrestler (born 1945)

Michael Davis, best known by the ring names Bugsy McGraw and The Skull, is an American retired professional wrestler. McGraw is known for his long beard and for his philosophical, crazed rants during wrestling interviews. He was a major star in significant territories during the 1970s and 1980s, including major runs in Vancouver, Australia, Florida, Dallas and Memphis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Wrestling II</span> American professional wrestler (1934–2020)

John Francis Walker, better known by the ring name Mr. Wrestling II, was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Championship Wrestling from Florida and Georgia Championship Wrestling in the 1970s and early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Missouri Mauler</span> American professional wrestler (1931–1996)

Larry Edward "Rocky" Hamilton, better known by his ring name the Missouri Mauler, was an American professional wrestler who competed in the National Wrestling Alliance, becoming a mainstay of the latter promotion throughout the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great Bolo</span> American professional wrestler

Alexander Charles Newman was a Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring names Al Lovelock and The Great Bolo. Lovelock was born in Windsor, Ontario and was active in the 1950s and 1960s and was primarily known for his work in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. Lovelock was the first to use the name "the Great Bolo" but would later allow Tom Renesto to use the name as well. He is the younger brother of politician Bernard Newman.

References

  1. ↑ Ross, Jimm. "Heyman in MSG..MSG Memory for JR..@MichaelCole..Fav Tag Team..Best All Around Star Ever..WWE Hall of Fame..Order JR's Products". Archived from the original on 2013-03-10. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  2. ↑ Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2000). "United States: Louisiana". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 233. ISBN   0-9698161-5-4.
  3. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (2012-12-10). "Mon. update: Major Spike announcement tomorrow, Aces & 8s identity, TNA injury updates, Hall of Fame inductions announced, WWE two PPVs this weekend, Jericho schedule, Amateur wrestling hits MSG first time ever". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  4. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (November 9, 2015). "November 9, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2015 Hall of Fame Issue". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Campbell, California: 1. ISSN   1083-9593.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.