Fabulous Freebird Buddy Roberts Passes Away

[Shockage]

Source: wwe.com


Buddy Roberts, one-third of the legendary Fabulous Freebirds, passed away at age 65.

Roberts first made an impact on wrestling in the 1970s, working his way through the territories as one-half of a tag team called The Hollywood Blonds with Jerry Brown. The duo racked up championships across the United States before parting ways late in the decade.

As the 1980s began, so did The Fabulous Freebirds. The technically sound Roberts joined forces with the charismatic Michael "P.S." Hayes and the hard-hitting Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, and Southern wrestling was never the same. The trio ran roughshod over the South before landing in Dallas and World Class Championship Wrestling.

On Christmas night 1982, The Freebirds made history — not only for becoming the first WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Champions, but also more notoriously for turning against Kerry Von Erich, setting off a rivalry that is remembered as one of the greatest in history. The battles between The Freebirds and The Von Erich family are legendary for their sheer brutality and the passion they inspired in Texans.

In the midst of the Freebirds–Von Erichs war, Roberts developed a rivalry with Iceman King Parsons. It began when Roberts cut off Iceman's signature braids, ultimately culminating with a Hair vs. Hair Match at Reunion Arena in June 1983. Leading into the bout, Roberts taunted Parsons with a Nair-like substance he called "Freebird Hair Cream," claiming he would take the rest of Parsons' hair with it.

Roberts used nefarious tactics to win the match, only for the official to restart the bout, during which Parsons smeared the cream over his cranium. The Freebird writhed around the mat, clutching what was left of his once-luxurious blond hair, to the fans' delight. Over the next few weeks, fans giggled as Buddy Roberts appeared on television wearing a blond wig held in place by boxing headgear, claiming his hair had grown back immediately.

After stints in WWE, AWA and Cowboy Bill Watts' UWF, Roberts returned to WCCW, this time as the manager for the animalistic Samoan Swat Team. Buddy Roberts left the industry shortly after WCCW's closing in the late 1980s.

In the years since he left the ring, Roberts survived a battle with throat cancer. Buddy Roberts will always be remembered as a tenacious competitor.

[chaoskid]

so sad the now 2 out of the 3 orginal freebirds have now passed away, I think they will be always remembered as one of the best trio in the history of this sport. Its such a shame that Buddy Roberts never got that limelight as much as Michaels ps Hayes or Terry Gordy, but truly a sad loss to the wrestling world

[nbdynprtcular]

I may be wrong, but if I remember correctly, the "Freebird Hair Cream" was also what was used to "blind" Junkyard Dog in Mid-South.

[Shockage]

Source: WrestleView.com


From the Office of NWA President R. Bruce Tharpe:

The National Wrestling Alliance is saddened to learn of the death of Buddy Roberts, a legendary journeyman who wrestled in probably every territory in the world during his career. Starting his career in Hamilton, Ontario under his real name, Dale Hey, he trained and became close friends with Red McNulty, who later morphed into "the Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff. Getting booked in Calgary for Stu Hart through Koloff's recommendation, Buddy Roberts' career was off to a great start.

Roberts initially formed a phenomenal tag-team with Jerry Brown in the Tri-States area called the "Hollywood Blondes," then took the team on the road to Montreal, Canada where they teamed for the Grand Prix Wrestling Promotion headed by the Vachons. It was in Montreal where the Hollywood Blondes acquired Sir Oliver Humperdink as a manager and the partnership was box office magic.

Sir Oliver Humperdink and the Hollywood Blondes won titles and headlined territories all over, from Montreal to Florida to Los Angeles to Texas.

After the Blondes went their separate ways, Buddy worked as Dale Valentine for awhile in Texas with Johnny Valentine as his manager, before Bill Watts had the idea to put him with a green tag-team comprised of Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes called "the Fabulous Freebirds." It was as a member of the Feebirds, in the twilight of his career, where Roberts achieved his greatest fame and most likely made the most money.

Buddy Roberts was an icon of the wrestling profession and it was an honor to meet him and Jerry Brown, along with my longtime friend the late-Sir Oliver Humperdink. All of us at the National Wrestling Alliance will miss Buddy Roberts and we wish to respectfully extend to his family our deepest condolences.