Michael Hayes (wrestler)

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Michael Seitz
Statistics
Ring name(s) Dok Hendrix
Michael Hayes
Screaming Eagle
Billed height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Billed weight 270 lb (122 kg)
Born March 29, 1959
Marietta, Georgia
Billed from Badstreet, Atlanta, Georgia
Trained by Afa Anoai
Debut 1977
Retired 2001

Michael Seitz (born March 29, 1959) is a retired American professional wrestler. Seitz is best known for leading the Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." ("Purely Sexy") Hayes and for the World Wrestling Federation as the announcer Dok Hendrix. He is currently working for WWE as the head creative writer for the SmackDown! brand.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Early career

Hayes started wrestling in 1977 in the Tennessee regional promotions. In 1979, he formed a tag team with Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy called The Fabulous Freebirds. They used entrance music to come to the ring and started that trend in the United States.

Hayes became Michael "P.S." Hayes, P.S. meaning "Purely Sexy," and they strutted their way to many tag team titles along with Buddy "Jack" Roberts. Hayes also started moonwalking in the ring like Michael Jackson used to do in concert.

The Freebirds spent 1980 through 1982 in the NWA's Georgia Championship Wrestling area, where they won the National Tag Team Titles a few times, split and feuded, then mended fences.

[edit] World Class Championship Wrestling

In 1982, they left for WCCW, where they would have one of their most famous feuds. During Christmas night in 1982, Hayes was chosen by the fans to be the special guest referee during the Ric Flair and Kerry Von Erich NWA world title match in a steel cage. Hayes at one point decked Flair and knocked him out so Kerry Von Erich could get the pin and the title, but Von Erich refused to pin him after the dirty deed. So it eventually led to Terry Gordy slamming the cage door on Kerry Von Erich's head which later on cost him winning the title, thus trigerring the legendary feud between The Fabulous Freebirds and The Von Erichs and ending a good respectful friendship between both groups. The Freebird-Von Erich feud ended for good in 1994 during a memorial card in tribute to Kerry Von Erich.

Hayes was always the leader of the group with his exceptional mic skills and he recorded the team's new theme song, Badstreet USA, in 1984. (The video to the song features all three of the Fabulous Freebirds as well as Jim Garvin, who was often considered the fourth Freebird.) They had used the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Free Bird" up to that point and would on occasion in the future.

In 1984, The Freebirds had a brief stint in the WWF but left when management wanted to split them up.

The Freebirds spent a few months in the AWA in 1985, feuding with The Road Warriors over the AWA World Tag Team Titles. They interfered in the match that the Warriors finally lost the titles in and went back to Texas.

They also spent several months in the Universal Wrestling Federation in 1986 and early 1987 with Sunshine as their manager. They feuded with "The Fantastics" (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) and with "Dr. Death" Steve Williams.

Michael Seitz from the 1986 movie Highlander
Michael Seitz from the 1986 movie Highlander

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 ringrobe.

Their final run in WCCW was in 1988 and Roberts and Gordy left the group forcing Hayes to team with the Von Erichs against them and Iceman Parsons.

[edit] National Wrestling Alliance

In 1989, Hayes went back to Jim Crockett Promotions, where he wrestled as a face. He turned on U.S. Champ Lex Luger during a match with Hiro Matsuda's "Yamasaki Corporation" and joined them. This stable included Ric Flair, Barry & Kendall Windham and Butch Reed. Hayes feuded with Luger and won the U.S. Title from him after Terry Gordy surprised everybody and interfered in the match. Hayes soon lost the title back to Luger and the Freebirds entered the tournament to crown new NWA World Tag Team Champions.

At Clash of Champions 7, on June 14, 1989, Jimmy Garvin showed up as the newest Freebird and he and Hayes won the tournament. They immediately feuded with "The Midnight Express", Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane. Gordy left in late 1989 and Hayes and Garvin feuded with Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson (The Rock 'N Roll Express).

[edit] World Championship Wrestling

In 1991, Jim Crockett Promotions became WCW and the Freebirds feuded with "The Young Pistols", Steve Armstrong and Tracy Smothers. They soon added another Freebird, Badstreet. He helped them win the U.S. Tag Team Titles and they all three won the Six-Man Titles. They also had two managers briefly, Big Daddy Dink and Diamond Dallas Page.

In late 1991, Badstreet was gone and they really had no direction. The Freebirds turned face, and Garvin's wife Precious became their offscreen manager and they won the U.S. Tag Titles again but The Freebirds disbanded by late 1992.

Hayes then turned heel again and started managing Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton, who were still members of the Dangerous Alliance. He became a member of sorts and even helped Paul E. Dangerously in his feud with Madusa.

In 1993, Hayes became a fan favorite again and feuded with Paul Orndorff over the TV Title and then briefly teamed with Johnny B. Badd and also did some commentating before leaving WCW in 1994. He went to the Global Wrestling Federation and reunited with Garvin and Gordy as the Freebirds.

[edit] World Wrestling Entertainment

In 1995, he retired from active competition due to an injury. He became Dok Hendrix, WWF Action Zone co-host with Todd Pettengill.

He returned to active competition in 1999 for Power Pro Wrestling, where he won the title. He soon came back to WWF TV as the manager for The Hardy Boyz, Matt & Jeff Hardy. He was fired by them in August and became a backstage road agent for the WWF.

Hayes became a color commentator on Sunday Night HEAT alongside Michael Cole and Kevin Kelly from 2000 - 2001 although he was mostly used on the international broadcasts of that show.

At WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1, 2001, he competed in the gimmick Battle Royal.

In 2002 Hayes hit the wrestling headlines after an incident took place during a UK tour which was dubbed the Plane Ride from Hell. Among other things Hayes's hair was cut by drunken wrestlers and then glued on the wall of an arena the WWF was performing at the next day. Incidents that took place on that flight also resulted in Curt Hennig being fired.

Today, Hayes is a creative staff writer and a producer for World Wrestling Entertainment and can sometimes be spotted breaking up brawls.

Hayes received some attention when it became known that, prior to the November 13, 2003 episode of SmackDown! he had canvassed for John Cena (then a face) to attack his tag team partner Chris Benoit (also a face) after they had won their match. Hayes believed that adding an "edge" to Cena's character could recreate the popularity of Stone Cold Steve Austin. After the live crowd reacted badly to the storyline, it was cut from the SmackDown! broadcast.

A common misconception is that Hayes invented the "Stone Cold Stunner" for Stone Cold Steve Austin. The move (originally called the Ace Crusher) was invented by WWE road agent/Director of Talent Relations Johnny Ace. However, Hayes did show Austin how to perform the move, as Austin detailed in his book, The Stone Cold Truth.

At Armageddon 2004, held in Atlanta, Georgia, which is Hayes' hometown, Hayes, dressed as Santa Claus,[citation needed] lost to Kurt Angle in the "Angle Invitational". Angle applied the Ankle Lock to Hayes who tapped out straightaway. Although many mistakenly identified Santa Claus as Vito LoGrasso, Vito was not employed with WWE at that time.

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.

[edit] Wrestling facts

[edit] Finishing and signature moves

[edit] Managers

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • National
  • Regional
  • Power Pro Wrestling
  • PPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • PWI ranked him # 71 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
  • PWI ranked him # 3 of the best tag teams of the PWI Years, with Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, in 2003
  • PWI Tag Team of the Year Award, with Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts (1981)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • He is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (inducted in 2005 as a part of The Fabulous Freebirds)
  • 1981 Most Charismatic Wrestler
  • 1983 Best Heel
  • 1983 Feud of the Year (with Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, versus the Von Erichs)
  • 1984 Feud of the Year (with Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, versus the Von Erichs)
  • 1984 Match of the Year (with Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts, versus the Von Erichs)
  • 1986 Best Heel

[edit] External links

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