User:MadMax/Billy Firehawk

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William J. Hawkins III


Statistics
Ring name(s)	"Big Poppa" Billy Firehawk The Black Sultan The Sultan Faboulus Firehawk
Billed height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Billed weight	349 lb (158 kg)
Born	January 13, 1966(1966-01-13) Calgary, Albreta, Canada
Died	July 17, 2006 (aged 40)
Trained by	Bobby Bold Eagle
Debut	1991 vs. Jason
Retired	2004

William J. Hawkins (January 13, 1966-July 17, 2006), known by his ringname Billy Firehawk, was a Canadian professional wrestler and wrestling promoter who competed in North American regional promotions such as International World Class Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling as well as for international promotions in Puerto Rico and Japan. He later founded NWA Shockwave, a Mid-Atlantic regional territory of the National Wrestling Alliance, shortly before his retirement which he promoted until his death in 2006.

During his career, he was featured on the Maury Povich Show and Jerry Springer Show as well as appearing as a sumo wrestler during a Saturday Night Live skit with Val Kilmer in 2001. He also had a brief cameo in the 2003 action comedy film The Black Ninja.

1 Early life and career
2 The Sultan
3 CyberSpace Wrestling & the National Wrestling Alliance
4 Retirement and later years
5 Championships and accomplishments
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Early life and career

Born in Calgary, Alberta, Firehawk became interested in wrestling at a young age later wrestled in high school. Throughout his teenage years and following graduation, he frequently attended live wrestling events by the World Wrestling Federation at Madison Square Garden and was in attendance at the first WrestleMania in 1985.

Eventually deciding to pursue a career in professional wrestling, he later met "Freebird" Michael Hayes at an independent wrestling event. Hayes eventually introduced him to Bobby Bold Eagle who would become his trainer for the next two years.

Making his professional debut in late 1991 against Jason, during the next four years he would wrestle extensivly in the northeastern United States as the Faboulus Firehawk in promotions including International World Class Championship Wrestling, Eastern Championship Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance.

[edit] The Sultan

During the mid 1990s, Firehawk began wrestling in Puerto Rico and became aquanted with S.D. Jones while touring. Based on his advice to change his ringname to a more "marketable" one, Firehawk began wrestling as The Sultan. Finding much success with this specific in ring persona, Firehawk began wrestling thoughout the eastern seaboard from southern Florida to the East Coast and later traveled to Germany and Australia.

However, when Solofa Fatu began wrestling as The Sultan in the World Wrestling Federation, he was pressured to drop the gimmick amidst accusations he had stolen the idea given the similarity of the characters. Although no legal action came about as a result of this, Firehawk changed his ringname to The Black Sultan.

Signing with the United States Wrestling Federation, he debuted as part of the heel stable "Foreign Exchange" which included The Iron Sheik, The Mountie, Larry Winters and Abunia managed by Miss Asia.

Shortly after the break up of the stable, he was defeated in a retirement match against Kid USA and wrestled his last match for the promotion against H.C. Loc in Elmira, New York on what would be the last card fre the promotions close.

[edit] CyberSpace Wrestling & the National Wrestling Alliance

After a brief stint in the Las Vegas-based BWF, he began his own promotion appearing at the debut show held by the CyberSpace Wrestling Federation as "Big Poppa" Billy Firehawk. Shortly after his debut, he became the first CSWF Internet Champion at the supercard Holloween Horror in October 2002 after eliminating the Mad Russian in a battle royal. After nearly half a year, Firehawk finally lost the title to "The Alpha Male" Justin Powers at Summer Bash 03'. He briefly teamed with Smokey M as Fire & Smoke enjoying a brief reign after defeating The United Nations (Prince Nana & Sonjay Dutt) although they were defeated later that night by The Youngbloodz (Matt Stryker & Rob Eckos).

[edit] Retirement and later years

Retiring shortly thereafter, he began concentrating on running the promotion on a full time basis as the promotion soon became a regional territory of the National Wrestling Alliance as NWA: Cyberspace and then as NWA: Shockwave.

However, while visting his parents-in-law while vacationing in Canada, he became ill and had to be hospitalized where he died from compliations of diabetes on July 17, 2006. A longtime cast member of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, a memorial was held for him shortly after his death on August 5, 2006.