Ray Gordy

Last updated
Ray Gordy
Raygordy.jpg
Gordy in 2007
Birth nameTerry Ray Gordy Jr.
Born (1979-03-23) March 23, 1979 (age 45) [1]
Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. [2]
Family Terry Gordy
(father)
Miranda Gordy
(sister)
Richard Slinger (cousin)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Jesse [2]
Jesse Dalton [2]
Ray Geezy [2]
Ray Gordy [2]
T-Ray [1]
Terry Gordy Jr. [2]
Slam Master J [3]
Billed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) [2]
Billed weight220 lb (100 kg) [3]
Billed fromChattanooga, Tennessee
The ATL [4]
Trained by Terry Gordy [2]
Pro Wrestling Noah
Debut2000 [2]
RetiredApril 22, 2010 [5]

Terry Ray Gordy Jr. [2] [6] (born March 23, 1979) [2] [1] is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) between 2005 and 2010, where he performed on its SmackDown brand under the ring names Jesse and Slam Master J. [3]

Contents

Professional wrestling career

Early career (2000–2005)

After receiving training from his father Terry, Gordy began performing for several promotions, most notably NWA Georgia and North American Wrestling Association (NAWA), where he found championship success in both promotions.

In 2001, Gordy went to Japan to wrestle for Pro Wrestling Noah. [6] There he stayed and wrestled until 2002 where he joined NAWA Ring Champions based out of Rome, Georgia. There he formed a brief team with Nick Rampage and Jayson Phoenix known as the New Varsity Club. Early 2003 saw Gordy form a new union with Iceberg Slim and Tank Norton known as the Extreme Freebirds. During this time he had a string of matches against his former partners Phoenix and Rampage, along with matches against A.J. Styles.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2005–2010)

Developmental territories (2005–2006)

In August 2005, Gordy signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He made his televised debut for the company on the December 9, 2005 episode of SmackDown! , where he lost to The Boogeyman in just over a minute. [7] Following this, Gordy was assigned to Deep South Wrestling (DSW) in early 2006 under the ring name Ray Geezy, a white rapper gimmick based on Young Jeezy. He teamed with Damian Steele, who contrasted Geezy by being African American, preppy and well-spoken. In November 2006, Gordy dropped the gangsta gimmick, was renamed to Cousin Ray and adopted a hillbilly gimmick as he began teaming with Henry Godwinn at SmackDown! house shows.

Jesse and Festus (2007–2009)

On the May 11, 2007 edition of SmackDown!, a vignette aired with Gordy as Jesse Dalton alongside fellow WWE developmental talent Drew Hankinson as Festus Dalton. [8] It was reported on June 2, 2007 that the Dalton Boys gimmick was being changed by WWE. Jesse and Festus were put in traditional wrestling gear and transformed their gimmick to be a little less country. On the June 29, 2007 edition of SmackDown!, vignettes hyping the team of Jesse and Festus began to air.

Jesse and Festus made their official televised in-ring debut on the October 5, 2007 edition of SmackDown!, defeating Mike Tolar and Chad Collyer. [9] Their secondary gimmick was that when the opening bell rang, Festus's persona changed into a very focused, aggressive competitor as compared to the aloof, absent-minded character he had been portrayed as. When the bell rang signifying the end of the match, Festus returned to his "normal" self. [10]

Jesse with his former tag team partner Festus Jesse Festus Oshkosh WI 030808.jpg
Jesse with his former tag team partner Festus

On the October 16, 2007 edition of ECW , Jesse and Festus made their debut for the ECW brand in conjunction with a "Talent Exchange" discussed between ECW General Manager Armando Estrada and acting SmackDown! General Manager Vickie Guerrero. Jesse and Festus defeated their first notable opponents, the team of Elijah Burke and Nunzio. [11]

On the November 9 episode of SmackDown!, Jesse and Festus suffered their first WWE loss in a 10-Man Tag Team Battle Royal to determine the number one contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championship that also involved Deuce 'n Domino, The Major Brothers, Shannon Moore and Jimmy Wang Yang, and William Regal and Dave Taylor. [12] Jesse and Festus suffered their second loss in the WWE when they were defeated by the WWE Tag Team Champions John Morrison and the Miz on the November 27 edition of ECW, and lost to them again on the December 7 episode of SmackDown!. [13] [14]

After a brief hiatus, more vignettes aired that featured Jesse explaining Festus' condition and spoke of a cure for it. [15] [16] The team returned on February 8, 2008, on SmackDown, defeating Deuce 'n Domino. [17] Festus appeared to be unchanged, aside from perhaps being more aggressive than ever. [17] This success continued as they once again defeated Morrison and Miz in another non-title match on the February 29 edition of SmackDown. [18] When they received a title match on the March 21 edition, however, they failed to win. [19]

They continued in a sporadic feud with Miz and Morrison for the rest of 2008, but also underwent a gimmick change which began on the September 12 edition of SmackDown. [20] Jesse and Festus made their way to the ring, dressed in moving attire, and with a hand truck, large cardboard box and moving supplies. [20] After an attack from Kenny Dykstra the duo proceeded to package Dykstra up and roll him away. [20] The next week they did the same thing to Ryan Braddock and later the set of Carlito's Cabana. [21] [22] The gimmick highlighted SmackDown's move to MyNetworkTV, complete with overalls bearing the parodic company title of "MyMoving Company". After the show's move, however, they reverted to their previous gimmick.

On April 15, 2009, Festus was drafted to the Raw brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft and, as a result, was separated from his tag team partner Jesse who remained on SmackDown. [23]

Slam Master J (2009–2010)

Jesse appeared on the June 26 edition of SmackDown, during the first televised edition of Cryme Tyme's Word Up internet show. During this segment, Jesse reprised his thug-wannabe mannerisms from his Ray Geezy gimmick. On the July 24 episode of SmackDown, Jesse was officially renamed Slam Master J; his first match with this moniker was on the August 7 episode of SmackDown, defeating Charlie Haas. He then formed a tag team with Jimmy Wang Yang and faced The Hart Dynasty on two occasions and lost. They picked up their first win as a team against Charlie Haas and Mike Knox. Gordy was soon taken off television until he reappeared at WrestleMania XXVI, where he took part in the 26-man Battle Royal that also involved his former partner Festus, now known as Luke Gallows, but both were unsuccessful as the match was won by Yoshi Tatsu.

Gordy was released from his WWE contract on April 22, 2010 along with several other talents. [24] Following his departure from WWE, Gordy retired from professional wrestling and began working as a police officer in Atlanta, Georgia. [5]

Personal life

Gordy is the son of professional wrestler Terry Gordy (1961–2001), the brother of professional wrestler Miranda Gordy, and the cousin of professional wrestler Richard Slinger.

On April 2, 2016, Gordy made an appearance at the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony during his father Terry's induction as part of The Fabulous Freebirds, accepting the award on his behalf.

Championships and accomplishments

See also

Related Research Articles

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

James Carson Yun is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is best known for his tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment from 1999 to 2010, under the ring names Jimmy Yang, Akio and Jimmy Wang Yang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Burchill</span> English professional wrestler

Paul Birchall, better known by his ring name Paul Burchill, is an English professional wrestler, currently making appearances for the National Wrestling Alliance under the ring name Burchill. He is best known for his time with WWE. Prior to joining WWE, Burchill wrestled for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance and other promotions in Europe.

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

Robert Bradley "Brad" James was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Brad Armstrong. He is best known for his appearances with the promotion World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s. He was the son of wrestler "Bullet Bob" Armstrong and brother to professional wrestlers Steve, Scott and Brian.

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

Michael Seitz is an American retired professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as an announcer under the name "Handsome" Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He is currently employed with WWE as Vice President, Creative Writing & Booking and is also a senior producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabulous Freebirds</span> Professional wrestling stable

The Fabulous Freebirds were a professional wrestling tag team who attained fame in the 1980s, performing into the 1990s. The team usually consisted of three wrestlers, although in different situations and points in its history, just two performed under the Freebirds name. The Freebird lineup of Hayes, Roberts, and Gordy was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015, and members Hayes, Roberts, Gordy, and Garvin were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Gordy</span> American professional wrestler

Terry Ray Gordy Sr. was an American professional wrestler. Gordy appeared in the United States with promotions such as Mid-South Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling and the Universal Wrestling Federation as a member of The Fabulous Freebirds. He also appeared in Japan with All Japan Pro Wrestling as one-half of The Miracle Violence Connection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Roberts</span> American-Canadian professional wrestler

Dale Hey was a Canadian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Buddy "Jack" Roberts. Primarily a tag team wrestler, Roberts is known for his appearances as one of The Hollywood Blonds in the 1970s and as one of The Fabulous Freebirds in the 1980s. He was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 as part of The Fabulous Freebirds.

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

Martin Wright, better known by the ring name The Boogeyman, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE under a legends contract, and is an aerobics instructor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Knox</span> American professional wrestler

Michael Shawn Hettinga is an American professional wrestler best known under the ring name Mike Knox. He currently performs for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Hettinga is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and also performed in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) under the ring name Knux.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uncle Elmer</span> American professional wrestler

Stanley C. Fraizer, also known as Plowboy Frazier, was an American professional wrestler. He was primarily a regional gimmick wrestler, employed for his massive size and unique personality. He is best known as Uncle Elmer in the World Wrestling Federation from 1985 to 1986. He married Joyce Stazko on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event II, which was a major media event at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doc Gallows</span> American professional wrestler and promoter

Andrew William Hankinson is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Luke Gallows. He is a member of The O.C..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliff Compton</span> American professional wrestler

Cliff Treiber is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names Domino and Cliff Compton. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deuce 'n Domino</span> Professional wrestling tag team

Deuce 'n Domino is an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Deuce Shade and Dice Domino, who were managed for the majority of their run by Cherry and briefly by Maryse. The pair teamed together in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) from 2006 through 2008, capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship on one occasion and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship on three occasions. In addition, they also won the Deep South Wrestling Tag Team Championship on one occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse and Festus</span> Professional wrestling tag team

Jesse and Festus, also once known as The Dalton Boys, were an American professional wrestling tag team in the WWE made up of Ray Gordy (Jesse) and Drew Hankinson (Festus).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major Players</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The Major Players are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Brian Myers and Matt Cardona. They are best known for their time in WWE as Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, where they are former two-time WWE Raw Tag Team Champions. Myers and Cardona also wrestled for Impact Wrestling, in which they are both former Impact Digital Media Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judgment Day (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 Judgment Day was the 10th Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on May 18, 2008, at the Qwest Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bam Neely</span> American former professional wrestler

Justin Bruce Rocheleau is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its ECW brand under the ring name Bam Neely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and 19th Great American Bash event overall. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on July 20, 2008, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. It was the final Great American Bash PPV to be held under the full name of "The Great American Bash", as in 2009, the event's title was truncated to The Bash. It was the final PPV of the Ruthless Aggression Era, as WWE programming became PG two days after the event. As such, it was also the final WWE PPV to have a TV Parental Guidelines rating of TV-14 until The Horror Show at Extreme Rules in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caprice Coleman</span> American professional wrestler

Caprice Coleman is an American professional wrestler who has competed in Mid-Atlantic and Southern independent promotions including Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, NWA Wildside, Ring of Honor and, in recent years, Live Action Wrestling and the Christian Wrestling Federation. He has also made several appearances in WWE wrestling on WWE Heat and WWE Velocity.

The 2009 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft was the seventh WWE draft, produced by the American professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment. The draft had two parts: the first part was televised live for three hours on April 13; the second part, the "supplemental draft", was held the same day immediately following the televised portion. The first part was broadcast on WWE's program Raw on the USA Network in the United States, and the supplemental draft was available on the Internet, at WWE's official website. The televised portion was held in Atlanta, Georgia, at Philips Arena. The 2009 WWE draft marked the third time that the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands were featured in the draft; wrestlers, general managers and commentators were all eligible to be drafted from the company's roster. For the televised half, matches determined which brand received a random draft selection. During the supplemental draft, brand and employee selections were made at random. Due to draft regulations, drafted champions took their titles to their new brands, and tag teams were not exempt from being selected. As a result, the draft impacted championships and split tag teams.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Jesse Dalton". accelerator3359.com. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "OWOW Profile: Jesse". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  3. 1 2 3 "Slam Master J Bio". WWE. Archived from the original on October 5, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  4. "Parks' WWE Smackdown Report 8/7: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of the show, including C.M. Punk vs. Jeff Hardy for the World Title".
  5. 1 2 "WWE News: New Gimmick For Husky Harris, WWE Sells Out, AM Raw Rating, More posted by Larry Csonka on 03.23.2012".
  6. 1 2 Renwick, Meredith. "Ray Gordy's a Freebird too". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved 2008-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. "Keller's Smackdown Report 12/9: JBL & Jordan vs. Rey & Batista, Undertaker plays mind games".
  8. Noah Starr (May 11, 2007). "In with the new". WWE. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  9. Dee, Louie (2007-10-05). "Down-home debut". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  10. "Festus Bio". WWE. Archived from the original on 2008-03-11. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
  11. Rote, Andrew (2007-10-16). "Setting the night on fire". WWE. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  12. DiFino, Lennie. "Finding the way". WWE. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  13. Medalis, Kara A. (2007-10-27). "Beauties and Beasts". WWE. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  14. Dee, Louis (2007-10-27). "M&M make it happen again". WWE. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  15. Passero, Mitch (2008-01-24). "On their way to Madison Square Garden". WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  16. DFino, Lennie (2008-02-01). "Chamber mates". WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  17. 1 2 DiFino, Lennie (2008-02-08). "No looking back". WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  18. DiFino, Lennie (2008-02-29). "Big Show, big impact". WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  19. Passero, Mitch (2008-03-21). "Full Moon Con-Chair-To". WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  20. 1 2 3 Burdick, Michael (2008-09-12). "Power behind the throne". WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  21. Burdick, Michael (2008-09-16). "Attack of the Moscow Mauler". WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  22. Passero, Mitch (2008-09-26). "Keeping your enemies close". WWE. Retrieved 2009-02-04.
  23. "2009 WWE Supplemental Draft results". World Wrestling Entertainment. 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  24. Gerweck, Steve (2010-04-22). "WWE releases six talents". WrestleView. Archived from the original on 2010-04-24. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
  25. "NWA Georgia Junior Heavyweight Championship history".
  26. "NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship".
  27. "Slam Master J".
  28. "Complete PWI 500 list for 2008". Wrestling Inc. Archived from the original on 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2008-08-27.