116-843: (Redirected from SMW Television Championship ) Professional wrestling championship SMW "Beat the Champ" Television Championship [REDACTED] Tracy Smothers was the first SMW "Beat the Champ" Television Champion Details Promotion Smoky Mountain Wrestling Date established December 12, 1992 Date retired May 20, 1995 Statistics First champion(s) Tracy Smothers Final champion(s) Bobby Blaze Most reigns Tim Horner/Kendo and Tracy Smothers (3 reign) Longest reign Tim Horner , Buddy Landell (63 days) Shortest reign The Nightstalker , Robert Gibson , Tracy Smothers ,
232-632: A World Championship Wrestling taping, where they defeated Kevin Sullivan and Cactus Jack via disqualification. The Southern Boys defeated The Fabulous Freebirds ( Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes ) on June 13 at Clash of the Champions XI . They gained revenge by defeating the Pistols on the June 16, 1990, episode of WCW Worldwide . Smothers and Armstrong started a feud with The Midnight Express, culminating in
348-452: A babyface . After joining The Midnight Express, he adopted the villainous persona of "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton. In the mid-1990s, upon teaming with Lord Steven Regal , Eaton became Earl Robert Eaton, a haughty supposed aristocrat. Eaton wrestled in a technical style. His principal finishing move was the Alabama Jam , a diving legdrop . During his stint as Earl Robert Eaton, he renamed it
464-510: A pacemaker inserted. On July 24, 2021, it was reported that Eaton suffered a fall at his home in Nashville, breaking several fingers and injuring his hip. On August 4, 2021, just over a month after his wife's death, and 10 days prior to his own 63rd birthday, Eaton died in his sleep at his home in Nashville, Tennessee. He was found dead by his daughter Taryn, who had recently moved in with him to monitor his health. A memorial service for Eaton
580-720: A six-man tag team match before leaving the company in August. Three months after departing World Championship Wrestling and following a very brief period in the United States Wrestling Association , Tracy Smothers resurfaced in Jim Cornette 's Smoky Mountain Wrestling promotion which was based out of Knoxville, Tennessee . It would be here that Smothers achieved his greatest singles success. Now billed as "The Wild Eyed Southern Boy" Tracy Smothers, he made his debut on
696-412: A "randomly drawn" opponent. For each successful defense of the belt, the wrestler won $ 1,000, and if the champion could win five title matches in a row, including the title win, then the title was vacated and the champion received a $ 5,000 bonus. In reality, the opponents were predetermined, and the winner never received the bonus. Moreover, the title was never represented by a belt. Because the championship
812-712: A considerable number of independent wrestling promotions over the years. He held a large number of championships , including the NWA/WCW World Tag Team Championship on three occasions. Eaton was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2019. Eaton grew up in Huntsville, Alabama , where he attended Chapman Middle School and Lee High School . As
928-568: A different wrestling promotion, the storyline maintained that Eaton was responsible for driving them out of NWA Mid-America. In 1978, Eaton teamed with Leapin' Lanny Poffo , and together they won the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship from Gypsy Joe and Leroy Rochester . It was Eaton's first title win, and he and Poffo held it for a little over a month. Eaton went on to form a team, known as The Jet Set, with George Gulas , Nick Gulas's son. Together, Eaton and Gulas held
1044-1141: A four-way elimination tournament final. Aired January 16, 1993 on SMW TV 2 The Nightstalker February 8, 1993 SMW Live event Jellico, Tennessee 1 <1 Aired February 20, 1993 on SMW TV 3 Tim Horner February 8, 1993 SMW Live event Jellico, Tennessee 1 21 Aired March 6, 1993 on SMW TV 4 Bobby Eaton March 1, 1993 SMW Live event Sevierville, Tennessee 1 49 Aired March 27, 1993 on SMW TV 5 Brian Lee April 19, 1993 SMW Live event Barbourville, Kentucky 1 55 Aired May 1 1993 on SMW TV — Vacated June 7, 1993 — — — — Lee won five consecutive matches. 6 Bobby Blaze June 7, 1993 SMW Live event Cumberland, Kentucky 1 21 Defeated The Dirty White Boy. Aired June 26, 1993 on SMW TV 7 The Dirty White Boy June 28, 1993 SMW Live event Buchanan County, Virginia 1 49 Won
1160-768: A match between the two teams on July 13 at the Great American Bash , which the Midnight Express won. It was considered the best match in the U.S. of that year and one of the all-time classic tag team matches of the era; it was also high in virtually every match of the year poll. On September 5, they defeated Hayes and Garvin at Clash of the Champions XII . On February 24, 1991, at WrestleWar , they defeated The Royal Family ( Jack Victory and Rip Morgan ). A few days earlier, they were renamed The Young Pistols . On May 19, they lost to The Freebirds at SuperBrawl I in
1276-554: A match for the vacated United States Tag Team Championship after "Badstreet" (a masked Brad Armstrong ) interfered. On June 12, The Young Pistols and Tom Zenk defeated Hayes, Garvin, and Badstreet at Clash of the Champions XV . The Young Pistols soon turned heel, and on the December 15 episode of WCW Main Event , they defeated The Patriots ( Todd Champion and Firebreaker Chip ) to win
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#17329028801481392-530: A new version of The Fabulous Freebirds . Eaton and Lane were defeated by the Freebirds in the finals of a tournament for the vacated World Tag Team Titles. Following this loss, the Midnight Express teamed with their former enemies The Road Warriors and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams to defeat the SST and the Freebirds in a WarGames match at The Great American Bash . Following this feud, Lane and Eaton began having issues with
1508-525: A new version of the Midnight Express with Rikki Nelson, whom he previously teamed with in 2000. This Midnight Express version was very short-lived, and Eaton instead began touring with Dennis Condrey (and sometimes Stan Lane) as the Midnight Express in 2004. This version of the Midnight Express performed together on select independent wrestling cards in the United States until 2011 when Condrey worked his last match. On October 23, 2015, Eaton wrestled one of
1624-456: A number of other WCW regulars in a cost-cutting measure. When Eaton found himself without a job, he reached out to former manager Jim Cornette. Cornette had started his own wrestling promotion, Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW), and welcomed Eaton with open arms. Eaton joined up with the Heavenly Bodies (Stan Lane and Tom Prichard ), and the three were booked as the company's top heels for
1740-502: A number of other lawsuits against WWE. US District Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed the case in September 2018. Smothers announced on his Facebook page in December 2019 that he was diagnosed with lymphoma after he visited a doctor the month prior and had suffered a heart attack without realizing. Despite this, he died from the illness at 4:30 am on October 28, 2020, at the age of 58. A day before his death, he posted that he
1856-536: A rematch on the July 13 episode of Superstars . His first Monday Night RAW appearance came on July 22, when he was defeated by Mankind . Initially used primarily for television tapings, Floyd rebounded to defeat Uncle Zebekiah on the August 3 episode of WWF Superstars . Smothers made his first Madison Square Garden appearance when he faced Hunter Hearst Helmsley on September 29, winning by countout due to Mr. Perfect distracting Helmsley (and inadvertently becoming
1972-495: A series of promos in which he insulted the company, the owners ( Insane Clown Posse ), and the Juggalo fanbase. Tracy quickly became the company's main villain by defeating much of their roster and ending most of his matches by choking out his opponents. He attacked hero 2 Tuff Tony in the sixth episode of the internet wrestling show SlamTV! , causing Tony to be knocked out of action for several weeks. Per storyline, Smothers
2088-453: A series of singles matches against Dennis Condrey , a man he would later team up with to gain worldwide fame. At the end of 1979, Eaton turned heel (bad guy) for the first time in his career by joining Tojo Yamamoto's group of wrestlers, whom the fans hated. Although Eaton is now thought of mainly as a heel, his fans were surprised at the time. Eaton's heel run did not last long before he rescued his former Jet Set partner, George Gulas, from
2204-712: A six-man tag team match. On the following edition of Impact! , the ECW alumni, known collectively as Extreme, Version 2.0 (EV 2.0) , were assaulted by A.J. Styles , Kazarian , Robert Roode , James Storm , Douglas Williams and Matt Morgan of Ric Flair 's Fourtune stable, who thought they didn't deserve to be in TNA. The following week TNA president Dixie Carter gave each member of EV 2.0 TNA contracts in order for them to settle their score with Fourtune. Tracy Smothers debuted in Juggalo Championship Wrestling by cutting
2320-546: A six-year hiatus. On October 6 at IWA Mid-South's Mid-South 20th Anniversary Show, Smother defeated JJ Garrett to win the IWA Mid-South Championship but lost it to Mitch Page on December 22 at the IWA Mid-South Winter Tryout Show. On February 28, 2019, he attempted to regain the IWA Mid-South Championship but was defeated by Aaron Williams at The Heartbreak Ends event. Now more than twenty years
2436-414: A two-on-one attack by The Blond Bombers ( Larry Latham and Wayne Ferris ) to return to the fan-favorite side once more. After reuniting the team, Eaton and Gulas had one final run with tag team champions and worked an intense feud with Latham and Ferris. When Nick Gulas' wrestling promotion closed due to dwindling ticket sales, Eaton briefly wrestled for Georgia Championship Wrestling , even capturing
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#17329028801482552-538: A very successful team. The New Wave held the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship three times (twice with manager Jimmy Hart in their corner). After achieving success as a tag team, it was decided that Eaton and Sugar should split up and feud with each other. This storyline resulted in Eaton "forcing" Sugar out of the promotion via a Loser Leaves Town match . Sugar's disappearance was soon followed by
2668-712: A veteran of the industry, Smothers had become a universally well-regarded figure to the crop of young wrestlers growing up around him, passing on wisdom in car trips and finding places for them to stay. In late 2005 and early 2006, Smothers worked a full-time schedule at various independent promotions in Tennessee and around the midwest and eastern United States, including the IWC ( International Wrestling Cartel ), SSW ( Southern States Wrestling ), WOW (Wrestlers of West Virginia), VCW (Vanguard Championship Wrestling), NWA Wrestle Birmingham and NWA Midwest . On August 25, 2005, Southern Comfort won
2784-769: A while. Eaton also won the SMW version of the TV title, known as the SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship . Eaton first toured through Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling in May 1993 during their Explosion Tour , teaming with Tony Halme and in various tag team matches, facing teams such as Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh , Manabu Nakanishi and Masa Saito , Shinya Hashimoto and Michiyoshi Ohara , Riki Choshu and Takayuki Iizuka and even Hawk Warrior and Power Warrior , known as
2900-588: A young new team in the NWA known as "the Dynamic Dudes" ( Shane Douglas and Johnny Ace ). The Dudes admitted that the Midnight Express was one of their favorite teams and asked if Cornette would be their manager as well. Cornette agreed to manage the young team, to the displeasure of the Midnight Express. After arguing with the Express, Jim Cornette stopped accompanying Eaton and Lane to the ring, choosing to only actively manage
3016-523: A youth, he was a fan of professional wrestling, especially the NWA Mid-America promotion . This promotion was operated by Nick Gulas , who staged wrestling shows in the Alabama and Tennessee region. Eaton's first involvement in the sport came at the age of 13 when he helped set up wrestling rings in his hometown. He later trained under Tojo Yamamoto to become a professional wrestler. In May 1976, at
3132-408: Is a professional wrestling championship, it is not won or lost competitively but instead by the decision of the bookers of a wrestling promotion. The championship is awarded after the chosen team "wins" a match to maintain the illusion that professional wrestling is a competitive sport. Title history [ edit ] Key No. Overall reign number Reign Reign number for
3248-734: The National Television Championship . Before long Eaton returned closer to home, working for promoter Jerry Jarrett 's Continental Wrestling Association (CWA), which was centered in Memphis, Tennessee . During his early days in the promotion, Eaton faced Stan Lane several times in tag team competition. Eaton's most successful partnership in the CWA, in terms of title wins, was with Sweet Brown Sugar , named "the New Wave". The two wrestlers blended their athleticism and high flying abilities to form
3364-577: The Tower of London . His signature moves included a spinning neckbreaker and an armbar DDT known as the Divorce Court for its purported ability to cause a shoulder separation. Eaton was highly regarded for his psychology and timing. Former tag team partner William Regal noted Eaton's "incredible precision to everything he did", timing, control, and ability to improvise. Writing in 2006, ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta described Eaton as "one of
3480-701: The WCW United States Tag Team Championship . On December 29 at Starrcade , Smothers and Hayes lost to Marcus Bagwell and Garvin in a Lethal Lottery tag team match. On the February 16, 1992, episode of WCW Pro , they lost the titles to Ron Simmons and Big Josh . In April, Armstrong left WCW, leaving Tracy to soldier on as a singles competitor. He remained as a heel, and on May 17 at WrestleWar , he lost to Johnny B. Badd . At Beach Blast on June 20, he, Ricky Morton , and Diamond Dallas Page lost to Junkyard Dog , Big Josh, and Tom Zenk in
3596-522: The World Heavyweight Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair at Clash of the Champions XV in a two-out-of-three falls match . Eaton pinned Flair in the first fall, but ultimately lost to Flair two falls to one. His World Television Championship reign was short-lived losing the title to newcomer "Stunning" Steve Austin , who leveraged his manager and Eaton's tights to get the pinfall victory. The match aired on tape delay on June 29, 1991, though
SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
3712-514: The World Wrestling Federation as a trainer for their developmental territories. In February 2001, he went to the WWF's Memphis developmental system, Power Pro Wrestling , where he aligned himself with Brandon Baxter and Victoria against Bill Dundee , Jerry Lawler and The Kat . However, the intense feud was cut short, as a month later, WWF cut ties with Power Pro, due to Lawler quitting
3828-597: The Wrestling Observer Newsletter . In the aftermath of the War Games match, Zbyszko was kicked out of the Alliance for causing the Alliance loss. Soon after the Alliance disintegrated, Paul E. Dangerously left WCW. Eaton and Anderson continued to team after the Alliance fell apart, now managed by Michael Hayes. Eaton and Anderson worked in the tag team division until new WCW booker Bill Watts fired Eaton along with
3944-504: The "Earl Robert Eaton" character, toured with New Japan for the last time, wrestling only two tag team matches in two days, teaming with Johnny B. Badd (the announcers mistakenly and constantly referred him as Bobby instead of Robert) in a losing effort against the Ookami Gundan ( Masahiro Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan ) and another losing effort alongside Lord Steven Regal against Kensuke Sasaki and Osamu Nishimura . When Bill Watts
4060-556: The #1 contender to the USWA World Heavyweight Championship by winning a tournament, he would face the champion Jerry Lawler for the title, but lost. Faced with an expanding WCW and their own limited talent pool, Jim Cornette suggested that a number of unsigned wrestlers be brought in to flesh out the WWF roster. This ultimately led to the signing of Smothers, Tony Anthony, Bill Irwin , Tom Brandi , and Alex Porteau . All but Porteau were given new names, and Smothers
4176-791: The Beat the Champ Championship to Chris Candido on the January 8, 1994, episode of SMW television. On the June 18 episode of SMW, he defeated Kendo the Samurai to win the Beat the Champ Championship for the third time. He would vacate the championship in July and transitioned into a feud with Jim Cornette's charge Bruiser Bedlam . At Night of the Legends on August 4, Smothers, Road Warrior Hawk , and Bob Armstrong defeated Bruiser Bedlam, Terry Funk , and Dory Funk Jr. That month, he began to frequently team with
4292-481: The Beat the Champ Championship to The Nightstalker on February 8. At Bluegrass Brawl on April 2, Smothers defeated DWB in a chain match to win the SMW Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title on July 17 to "Prime Time" Brian Lee . Smothers won his second (vacant) Beat the Champ Championship for the second time on December 11, after he defeated Jim Cornette's henchman Jimmy Del Ray . Smothers lost
4408-732: The Brad Armstrong Memorial Event, Smothers teamed with old partner Steve Armstrong for the first time in over twenty one years. The reunited Southern Boys teamed with Doug Gilbert to defeat Paul Lee, The Storm Trooper & Vordell Walker . Smothers soon captured the D1W Heavyweight Championship, but lost it to Mad Man Pondo while splitting his time with D1W and IWA Mid South. In March 2016, Smothers appeared in HLW (Heroes And Legends Wrestling), where he teamed with Bobby Fulton and defeated Jake Omen & Scotty Young to with
4524-1196: The Champ" Television Champions Tracy Smothers The Nightstalker Tim Horner / Kendo the Samurai Bobby Eaton Brian Lee Bobby Blaze The Dirty White Boy Jimmy Del Ray Robert Gibson Chris Candido Robbie Eagle The Hornet Killer Kyle Mike Furnas Bruiser Bedlam Lance Storm Boo Bradley Scott Studd Bryant Anderson Buddy Landel Billy Black Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SMW_Beat_the_Champ_Television_Championship&oldid=1213553535 " Categories : Smoky Mountain Wrestling championships Television wrestling championships Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Articles with hCards Tracy Smothers Tracy Stanton Smothers (September 2, 1962 – October 28, 2020)
4640-549: The Champions XIV ), but it was not until he turned face during the early parts of 1991 that he started to move up the rankings. Per a Wrestling Observer Newsletter report, Eaton signed a two-year contract worth $ 170,000 a year in January 1991. At SuperBrawl I , Eaton defeated Arn Anderson to win the World Television Championship . Eaton's highest profile match as a singles wrestler came when he faced off against
4756-464: The Dudes. At Clash of Champions IX , the two teams met with Jim Cornette appearing in a neutral corner, forced to choose between the teams. The Express started out very aggressively, especially for a team that was supposed to be fan favorites, and when the night was over, the Midnight Express had once again established themselves as heels with Jim Cornette in their corner; Cornette had never stopped siding with
SMW Beat the Champ Television Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-651: The ECW Tag Team Championship. As the year wound down, they successfully defended their titles against Mahoney & Rotten, as well as New Jack and Kronus. Their reign however came to an end on December 5, 1997, when they were beaten for the titles by Doug Furnas and Phil Lafon . On February 21, 1998, he wrestled former SMW opponent Al Snow at CyberSlam in a losing effort. On March 1 at Living Dangerously , he and Guido lost to Jerry Lynn & Chris Chetti. At Wrestlepalooza on May 3, Guido and Smothers lost to Super Nova and The Blue Meanie . On May 16
4988-519: The Express. After returning to their cheating ways, the Midnight Express started a storyline with the up-and-coming team of Flyin' Brian and "Z-Man" Tom Zenk over the United States Tag team title. The Express won the title from the young team in early 1990, but lost the belts to The Steiner Brothers ( Rick and Scott ) three months later. After a loss at the WCW pay-per-view Halloween Havoc 1990 ,
5104-444: The F.B.I. attacked Nova and Meanie, coming to the ring to the strains of Frank Sinatra 's "New York, New York" (Sinatra had died two days earlier). At Guilty as Charged on January 10, 1999. the F.B.I. (Guido and Smothers) faced Rotten & Mahoney and Roadkill and Doring in an elimination match but were defeated. Smothers wrestled at both of the ECW reunion shows, defeating The Blue Meanie at Hardcore Homecoming on June 10 with
5220-642: The Fabulous Ones. Bad Attitude's single noteworthy moment together came when they were present as Arn Anderson turned on tag team partner Dustin Rhodes. Otherwise, the team did not get much exposure. During this time, Eaton also made a couple of appearances in ECW due to a talent trade arrangement between WCW and ECW. At the When Worlds Collide show on May 14, 1994, he teamed with Sabu to beat Arn Anderson and Terry Funk . After Bad Attitude quietly ended, Eaton
5336-486: The Fabulous Ones. During the match, one of the Moondogs accidentally hit Eaton with their trademark bone, costing their side the match. After the match ended, the Moondogs, as well as Jimmy Hart, turned on Eaton, beating him down until he was saved by Stagger Lee. Soon after Eaton joined Mid-South Wrestling under promoter Bill Watts , he became part of the Midnight Express. Eaton teamed with former rival Dennis Condrey under
5452-689: The HLW Tag Team Championship. Smothers continued to wrestle frequently in 2017, making appearances in the PWA (Pure Wrestling Association) in Canada, as well as RCCW (Rocket City Championship Wrestling), ZERO-1 USA, and IWA Mid-South. He began to wind down appearances on the independent circuit in 2018, and continued to wrestle shows the following year despite health issues; he had a quick temper due to concussions, and believed he had suffered more than two dozen concussions during his career and suffered greatly from
5568-558: The Hellraisers, with the latter putting their IWGP Tag Team Championships on the line on June 14, in which Eaton and Halme lost. In January 1994, Eaton went back to Japan during their Fighting Spirit tour, wrestling only in tag team matches (with the exception of a singles match against Black Cat and another against Power Warrior) teaming with Rambo and Mike Enos . In November 1995 during their NJPW/WCW World in Japan tour, Eaton, now under
5684-523: The Hornet, Scott Studd , Boo Bradley (0 days) The SMW "Beat the Champ" Television Championship was the secondary singles championship for the Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) professional wrestling promotion. The title was created in 1992 and was active until SMW closed on November 26, 1995. The storyline concept of the title was that the champion would defend his title every week against
5800-669: The IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title at Night The Lights Went Out In Charlestown. Smothers then reunited with a former tag team partner, Chris Hambrick, as Southern Comfort, defeating The Second City Saints (CM Punk & Colt Cabana ) in the finals of a tournament to win the IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship, but their reign only lasted a day. He participated at the Ted Petty Invitational in September 2008, where he lost to Dave Taylor in
5916-558: The IWC Tag Team Championship in a ladder match at IWC Summer Sizzler 2; they would hold the belts until November 25 when they lost them to The Gambino Brothers Moving Company (Marshall Gambino & Mickey Gambino). Smothers journeyed to CCW (Coliseum Championship Wrestling), where on January 11, 2006, he defeated Chuck Taylor in the main event to win the CCW Heavyweight Championship. On February 26, Smothers
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#17329028801486032-524: The Midnight Express needed a new team to defend their newly won title against. They began a long series of matches against The Rock 'n' Roll Express ( Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson ) which ran well into the 1990s and spanned several wrestling promotions. The two teams feuded throughout 1984 in Mid-South Wrestling before the Midnight Express left the promotion. The Midnight Express versus Rock 'n' Roll Express series of matches were so well received by
6148-634: The Midnight Express reignited their feud with the Rock 'n' Roll Express and won the NWA World Tag team title from them in February 1986 during Superstars on the Superstation . During the course of their heated angle, Eaton and Condrey re-lost the title to the Rock 'n' Roll Express six months later. Eaton and Condrey also had long running feuds with The New Breed ( Chris Champion and Sean Royal ) as well as The Road Warriors ( Animal and Hawk ). The feud with
6264-525: The Midnight Express split up, as Jim Cornette and Stan Lane left the federation, while Eaton chose to remain in WCW. For the first time in almost a decade, there was no Midnight Express. For the first time since 1979, Eaton was a singles competitor, and he faced an uphill struggle to establish himself. He wrestled his former opponents in tag team competition such as Brad Armstrong (whom he defeated at WrestleWar '91 ), Ricky Morton and "Z-Man" Tom Zenk (whom he defeated at Starrcade '90 , but lost to at Clash of
6380-459: The October 31, 1992, episode of SMW television, defeating Paul Lee. Competing as a top babyface , he remained undefeated for the remainder of the year, defeating Robbie Eagle , Dutch Mantell , Jimmy Golden , Killer Kyle , and The Nightstalker . In December, he won a tournament to be crowned the inaugural SMW Beat the Champ Television Champion . In 1993, he began a feud with SMW Heavyweight Champion "Dirty White Boy" Tony Anthony . He lost
6496-462: The Road Warriors included a Scaffold match at Starrcade 1986 , which the Midnight Express lost. In early 1987, Condrey left JCP for undisclosed reasons, and "Sweet" Stan Lane took his place as part of the Midnight Express. In May 1987, after teaming for only a few months, Eaton and Lane became champions when they won the NWA United States Tag team title for the first time, a title they would win three times during their time together. A year later
6612-2897: The Samurai May 2, 1994 SMW Live event Harriman, Tennessee 3 36 Defeated Chris Hamrick in a tournament final. Aired June 6, 1994 on SMW TV 20 Tracy Smothers June 7, 1994 SMW Live event Loudon, Tennessee 3 28 Bobby Blaze, not Tim Horner, played Kendo the Samurai in this match. Aired June 18, 1994 on SMW TV — Vacated July 5, 1994 — — — — Smothers won five consecutive title matches. 21 Chris Candido July 5, 1994 SMW Live event Ashe County, North Carolina 2 34 Defeated Scott Studd. Aired July 23, 1994 on SMW TV 22 Lance Storm August 8, 1994 SMW Live event Saltville, Virginia 1 28 Aired August 27, 1994 on SMW TV 23 Boo Bradley September 5, 1994 SMW Live event Cumberland, Kentucky 1 28 Aired September 24, 1994 on SMW TV 24 Scott Studd October 3, 1994 SMW Live event Morganton, North Carolina 1 <1 Aired October 15, 1994 on SMW TV 25 Bryant Anderson October 3, 1994 SMW Live event Morganton, North Carolina 1 35 Aired October 29, 1994 on SMW TV — Vacated November 7, 1994 — — — — Anderson won five consecutive title matches. 26 Brian Lee November 8, 1994 SMW Live event Oakwood, Virginia 2 27 Defeated The Nightmare (Ted Allen). Aired December 10, 1994 on SMW TV 27 Buddy Landel December 5, 1994 SMW Live event Princeton, West Virginia 1 63 Aired December 31, 1994 on SMW TV — Vacated February 6, 1995 — — — — Landel won five consecutive title matches. 28 Boo Bradley February 6, 1995 SMW Live event Lenoir, North Carolina 2 <1 Defeated The Wolfman. Aired February 18, 1995 on SMW TV 29 Billy Black February 6, 1995 SMW Live event Lenoir, North Carolina 1 28 Aired March 4, 1995 on SMW TV — Vacated March 6, 1995 — — — — Championship vacated when Black left SMW. 30 Killer Kyle March 6, 1995 SMW Live event Lenoir, North Carolina 2 38 Defeated Boo Bradley. Aired March 25, 1995 on SMW TV 31 Bobby Blaze April 13, 1995 SMW Live event Warrensville, North Carolina 2 37 Aired April 29, 1995 on SMW TV — Deactivated May 20, 1995 — — — — Blaze last defended
6728-438: The USWA Tag Team Championship on December 11, 1995, at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee. Smothers and Armstrong would hold the belts until January 3, 1996, when they would lose them to Doug Gilbert and Tommy Rich . In January 1997, he joined the USWA branch of the Nation of Domination , changing his name to Shaquille Ali (a take off of NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and legendary boxer Muhammad Ali ). After becoming
6844-414: The United States, but returned once more to Japan to appear at an XWF event, teaming with Raven and Super Leather in a match against Kintaro Kanemura, Masato Tanaka & Tetsuhiro Kuroda. After returning from Japan, Smothers reformed his FBI partnership with Little Guido and appearing in JAPW ( Jersey All Pro Wrestling ), where they won the JAPW Tag Team Championship on November 15. The FBI would hold
6960-437: The WCW World Title, which was held by their main opponent and arch enemy Sting . The war between the Dangerous Alliance and Sting and friends escalated until it was decided to settle it in a double-ring War Games match at WrestleWar 1992 . Sting's team won when Sting forced Eaton to give up after Larry Zbyszko accidentally struck Eaton in the arm with a metal rod. This match would be given a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer of
7076-458: The WWF was on June 20, 2000 in a dark match for Sunday Night Heat losing to Scott Vick . Later that year he worked for WWF's developmental territory Memphis Championship Wrestling until November 2000. Smother made a one night return to WCW on January 5, 2000 losing to The Barbarian on WCW Worldwide which aired on January 29. Smothers would spend most of his career in IWA Mid-South starting in 1996. His appearances remained sporadic over
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#17329028801487192-452: The World Tag Team Championship, but never took the belts. In all of 1996 the team members made only one pay-per-view (PPV) appearance, as individuals in the "Lethal Lottery" during May's Slamboree . Later that year, Regal won the World Television Championship. Not long after, Eaton was moved out of the group, turning on his partners, and wrestled Regal for the television championship on two occasions. The Blue Bloods storyline represented
7308-408: The age of 17, Eaton made his debut in NWA Mid-America . He entered his first match, a loss to Bearcat Wright , as a last-minute substitute for Wright's absent opponent. He quickly became a regular in Mid-America and continued to train with the more experienced wrestlers. Before long, fans, as well as promoter Nick Gulas, noticed Eaton's athleticism and showmanship. Gulas decided to "promote" Eaton up
7424-554: The appearance of a masked man called Stagger Lee, who was virtually identically to Sugar. Eaton, along with the rest of Jimmy Hart's stable "the First Family", tried in vain to unmask Stagger Lee. Eaton turned face when Lee saved him from an attack by The Moondogs , and the team reunited, although Sugar continued to use the Stagger Lee gimmick. The team regained the tag team title before losing it to The Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane and Steve Keirn ). Afterward, Eaton teamed up with The Moondogs ( Rex and Spot ) to face Jerry Lawler and
7540-447: The bear to the mat several times. The bear, incapable of understanding the situation, thought they were playing. Smothers joined Championship Wrestling from Florida in February 1987 and immediately formed a tag team with Steve Armstrong as "The Wild-Eyed Southern Boys". On February 21, The Southern Boys defeated The New Breed to gain their first ever championship, the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship . Smothers and Armstrong held
7656-484: The belts until March 15, when they were defeated by The MOD Squad . In June, they unsuccessfully challenged for the NWA United States Tag Team Championship , losing to The Midnight Express ( Stan Lane & Bobby Eaton ). The Southern Boys (originally without Armstrong) also spent time in Japan to work for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Afterwards, he returned to CWA, which was now the renamed United States Wrestling Association . Smothers teamed with John Paul to win
7772-400: The belts with Zbyszko earlier in the year. Eaton and Anderson quickly won the WCW World Tag Team Championship by defeating Ricky Steamboat and Dustin Rhodes , the team to whom Anderson and Zbyszko lost the belts, for the championship and held on to the belts for five months before they lost them to the Steiner Brothers. At one point during 1992, the Dangerous Alliance held every title except
7888-1676: The championship, claiming he did not want to wrestle anyone except for Brian Lee. 11 Tim Horner October 4, 1993 SMW Live event Jellico, Tennessee 2 63 Defeated Juicy Johnny. Aired November 6, 1993 on SMW TV — Vacated December 6, 1993 — — — — Horner injured by Prince Kharis 12 Tracy Smothers December 6, 1993 SMW Live event Jefferson, North Carolina 2 <1 Defeated Jimmy Del Ray. Aired December 11, 1993 on SMW TV 13 Chris Candido December 6, 1993 SMW Live event Jefferson, North Carolina 1 35 Aired January 8, 1994 on SMW TV 14 Robbie Eagle January 10, 1994 SMW Live event Chilhowie, Virginia 1 28 Aired February 5, 1994 on SMW TV 15 The Hornet February 7, 1994 SMW Live event Jellico, Tennessee 1 <1 Aired February 26, 1994 on SMW TV 16 Killer Kyle February 7, 1994 SMW Live event Jellico, Tennessee 1 28 Aired March 12, 1994 on SMW TV 17 Mike Furnas March 7, 1994 SMW Live event Dungannon, Virginia 1 28 Aired March 19, 1994 on SMW TV 18 Bruiser Bedlam April 4, 1994 SMW Live event Clinton, Tennessee 1 28 Aired April 16, 1994 on SMW TV — Vacated May 2, 1994 — — — — Bedlam won five consecutive title matches. 19 Kendo
8004-429: The concrete floor, making it appear Eaton had been seriously injured. Eaton suffered no injuries, however. At that time, the piledriver was banned in most federations and treated as a move that could potentially paralyze a wrestler. This was done to give the move more "shock value". Eaton conclusively defeated Colt, earning a place as one of the top faces (good guys) in NWA Mid-America. During 1979 and 1980, Eaton worked
8120-456: The course of his career, which lasted from 1976 to 2015, Eaton wrestled for extended periods of time for various wrestling promotions: NWA Mid-America , Continental Wrestling Association , Mid-South Wrestling , World Class Championship Wrestling , Jim Crockett Promotions , World Championship Wrestling , and Smoky Mountain Wrestling . He also made brief guest appearances for Extreme Championship Wrestling , Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , and
8236-487: The crowd with chants of "Freddy Joe!" regarding his WWF stint. Smothers became an ECW regular, frequently teaming with Little Guido that spring in matches against The Pitbulls . On June 7, they lost to the Pitbulls at Wrestlepalooza . Smothers and Guido faced numerous opponents that summer, including Balls Mahoney & Axl Rotten . On October 17, they defeated Mahoney and Rotten on ECW television. A day later, Smothers and Guido upset John Kronus and New Jack to win
8352-436: The daughter of Scottish-Australian professional wrestler Bill Dundee . When they first started dating, they had to keep the relationship secret from her father as he had forbidden her from dating the wrestlers he was booking; however, when he found out she was dating Eaton, he relented because Eaton was such a nice man. The couple had four children: Jason (born 1982), Dustin (born 1984), Taryn (born 1986), and Dylan (born 1988),
8468-486: The effects. His final match came at HLW Heroes And Legends XIII on October 5, 2019, dropping the HLW Legends title to Dru Skillz. In July 2016, Smothers was named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in
8584-729: The fans that independent promoters continued to book them over a span of three decades and concluded with them wrestling the final match of the feud; Eaton against Ricky Morton. Morton won the match. From December 1984 to June 1985, The Midnight Express had a short stay in World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas , where they feuded mainly with The Fantastics ( Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers ). In 1985, Eaton, Condrey and Cornette signed with Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) and were given national exposure on JCP's televised programs on SuperStation TBS . Shortly after joining JCP,
8700-466: The final matches of his nearly 40-year career, losing to Ricky Morton, also ending the 30-plus year feud between The Rock 'n' Roll Express and The Midnight Express. Eaton wrestled his last match on March 19, 2016 of his nearly 40-year career, competed in a 15 man battle royal won by PoPo Da Klown at RWC Seek 2 Destroy Cancer in Fayetteville, North Carolina. At the outset of his career, Eaton wrestled as
8816-752: The first person to kick out of the Pedigree). He challenged Helmsley for the Intercontinental Championship on the January 5, 1997, episode of Superstars , but lost. His last match as Freddy Joe Floyd came on June 2, where he defeated T.L. Hopper . While still a part of the WWF, Floyd joined Extreme Championship Wrestling on February 22, 1997, as "The Main Man" Tracy Smothers. On March 15 at Hostile City Showdown he teamed with "The Rookie" Chris Chetti against The Full Blooded Italians (FBI), Little Guido and former SMW rival "The Big Don" Tommy Rich. During
8932-548: The first round. On October 19, during the Double Death Tag Team Tournament, Smothers and Corporal Robinson faced Cult Fiction 's Vulgar Display of Power , Brain Damage and Deranged, managed by Halfbreed Billy Gram . Smothers turned on his partner and joined Cult Fiction . Smothers' appearances became infrequent, but he continued to wrestle for IWA until 2010. In 2016, Smothers returned to IWA Mid-South after
9048-459: The first time in his nascent career, Smothers, a natural babyface, began to receive a noticeable push, gaining wins over the likes of Danny Davis, Gypsy Joe , Ron Sexton, and David Haskins . Smothers would become a two-time NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Champion during his time with the company. While in Continental, Smothers wrestled an unmuzzled bear that was announced as 550 lbs; Tracy took
9164-615: The group, Eaton became allies with Rude, Larry Zbyszko , and his two former rivals for the World Television Championship in Arn Anderson and Steve Austin. Shortly after the group was formed, Anderson and Eaton became its tag team specialists as both men had been successful tag team wrestlers in their careers; Anderson himself had been a two-time world champion teaming with Tully Blanchard in the Four Horsemen and had also won
9280-523: The heel Road Warriors brutalize the now-popular Midnight Express. Now the fan favorites, the Midnight Express had to contend with a team thought to be disbanded forever: the Original Midnight Express, which consisted of Condrey and Randy Rose, who joined JCP after a brief run in the AWA . The duo was led by long-time Jim Cornette nemesis Paul E. Dangerously , in a storyline that saw them trying to prove
9396-512: The help of J.T. Smith , and accompanying Little Guido to ringside for his match with Yoshihiro Tajiri and Super Crazy two days later at ECW One Night Stand 2005 . On July 11, 1999, Smothers returned to the WWF using his real name as he lost to former Freebird Michael Hayes on Shotgun Saturday Night aired July 17. This time he worked as a jobber losing to the likes of Rikishi , Chaz , Tazz and Val Venis on Shotgun Saturday Night, Sunday Night Heat and Jakked . His final match in
9512-405: The independents, returning to NWA Mid-Atlantic and also wrestled for IWA Mid-South . Eaton made a one-night only appearance for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) on August 13, 2003, as a part of a Kid Kash storyline where Kash faced off against a series of 1980s wrestling stars such as Larry Zbyszko and Ricky Morton. Eaton lost to Kid Kash in his only TNA appearance. In 2003, Eaton formed
9628-506: The last serious push that Eaton was given by the WCW booking team. After the run with Regal and Taylor ended, Eaton was simply known as Bobby Eaton and wrestled mainly on WCW Saturday Night and WCW WorldWide and at house shows , occasionally winning against wrestlers lower on the card and losing to wrestlers above him. Eaton helped train wrestlers at the WCW Power Plant . In early-1999, Eaton carried out motion capture work for
9744-564: The latter of whom is also a professional wrestler. Donna died from breast cancer at the age of 57 on June 26, 2021. In September 2006, it was reported that Eaton was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack . Eaton later released a statement saying that he did not have a heart attack, but was instead diagnosed with high blood pressure with "a hint of" diabetes. After that, he suffered with several health issues, especially cardiac problems which saw him hospitalized on several occasions. In June 2013, Eaton underwent successful surgery to have
9860-482: The management of Jim Cornette to form a new version of the tag team. The Express had previously been a group of wrestlers consisting of Condrey, Randy Rose and Norvell Austin , but with Eaton's arrival, the Midnight Express worked exclusively as a two-man team. To complement the nickname "Lover Boy" Dennis, Eaton was nicknamed "Beautiful" Bobby (a reference to the phrase "Alabama the Beautiful"). At first, The Express
9976-408: The match, Smothers turned on Chetti and joined The FBI (despite not being Italian). Smothers, long associated with being a stereotypical southern wrestler, was billed as being from "Nashville, Italy " or "Southern Italy" during this time. He began doing a goofy dance, that ECW announcer Joey Styles often commented on by saying "what the hell is with that awful dance." Smothers was often mocked by
10092-475: The most flawless workers still active in the business". Fellow wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin described wrestling Eaton as "a night off" due to Eaton's in-ring offense that looked convincing but did not hurt his opponents. For much of his career, Eaton was a tag team wrestler. As one-half of The Midnight Express, he utilized "quick tags" and "innovative double-team maneuvers". Missy Hyatt described The Midnight Express as being able to "go forty-five minutes in
10208-463: The next few years, but he wrestled and defeated such opponents as Flash Flanagan , J. C. Ice , and Bull Pain . On September 11, 1997, he defeated Pain to win the IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title, but would lose it the following day to fellow WWF roster member Salvatore Sincere . After wrestling a handful of shows in 1998 and 1999 for IWA Mid-South, Smothers became a full-time regular, and on August 18, 2001, he unsuccessfully challenged Trent Baker for
10324-506: The originals were better than the new version. The surprise appearance of the Original Midnight Express gave Dangerously's team the initial momentum in the feud, but soon after, Condrey left the promotion once more. This forced the bookers to bring in Jack Victory as a replacement as Condrey's disappearance cut the promising feud short. The Midnight Express then turned their attention to Paul E.'s new team, The Samoan S.W.A.T. Team as well as
10440-547: The promotion over the Kat's firing in late February. Power Pro would eventually fold and Eaton moved on to Louisville for Ohio Valley Wrestling . He would also go to Cincinnati for Heartland Wrestling Association , most notably appearing on the 2001 Brian Pillman Memorial Show . Accompanied by Cornette, he wrestled Terry Taylor in a Legends match with Ricky Steamboat as the special guest referee . Eventually, Eaton would be released in 2002. After his WWF release, Eaton returned to
10556-477: The ranks of NWA Mid-America, giving him matches later in the show, closer to the main event. The angle that helped elevate Eaton's name up the card in the promotion took place after the introduction of the tag team The Hollywood Blonds (Jerry Brown and Buddy Roberts ). Eaton fought the Blonds with a variety of partners, including his old trainer Yamamoto and "Pistol" Pez Whatley . When the Blonds decided to move to
10672-535: The rapper who sings 2 Tuff Tony's entrance music. The following week, 2 Tuff Tony attacked Tracy after his match. Tracy later caught Isabella engaging in sexual actions with Boondox, through storyline, and assaulted him. Tracy and Isabella Smothers were then scheduled to face Boondox and 2 Tuff Tony on August 10, 2008, at Bloodymania II . However, Isabella was replaced by Bull Pain after she injured her leg, and Smothers and Pain lost to Tony and Boondox. At Bloodymania IV on August 15, 2010, he lost to Booker T , who
10788-798: The ring and never repeat a move". Eaton was often regarded as one of the nicest people in the wrestling business, even though he wrestled as a heel for a majority of his career. In his 1999 book Have a Nice Day , Mick Foley praised Eaton as being one of the most underrated superstars in the business, and its nicest, commenting: "It was damn near impossible to pay for anything with Bobby around, though I will confess to not trying that hard." Jim Cornette and Sean Waltman noted that Eaton would regularly travel with an extra suitcase filled with toiletries, socks, and other oft-forgotten items that he would give to anyone who needed them, which Steve Austin recalled in his 2003 autobiography The Stone Cold Truth . In 1981, Eaton married Donna Cruickshanks (1963–2021),
10904-444: The specific champion Days Number of days held <1 Reign lasted less than a day No. Champion Championship change Reign statistics Notes Ref. Date Event Location Reign Days 1 Tracy Smothers December 12, 1992 SMW Live event Morristown, Tennessee 1 58 Defeated Jimmy Golden , The Dirty White Boy and Killer Kyle in
11020-651: The spring, but did not get a win until April 13. The war between them continued until June, when the Gangstas departed for Extreme Championship Wrestling . That summer. an interpromotional war broke out between SMW and the USWA; on June 16, the Thugs defeated USWA Tag Team Champions PG-13 in a non-title match. On July 6, the duo upended Al Snow and Unabomb to win the SMW Tag Team Championship . They successfully retained
11136-588: The state championship in wrestling. Smothers started his career in 1982 after being trained by Steve Keirn and Stan Lane . He later appeared in the combined promotional effort Pro Wrestling USA , making his televised debut at a taping on September 18, 1984, that was held in Memphis. A month later, Smothers traveled to the Continental Wrestling Association , spending 1985 as an enhancement talent appearing on Saturday morning television. For
11252-462: The tag team title three times. During their time as a team, the two were involved in a storyline feud with Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes before Gordy and Hayes became famous under the name The Fabulous Freebirds . In the spring of 1979, Eaton started a feud with Chris Colt , designed to establish Eaton as more than just a good tag team competitor. The feud between the two was so heated that it saw Colt suspended for piledriving Eaton on
11368-544: The team was cheered on despite being heels, as the Midnight Express won the NWA World Tag Team Title from Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard on September 10, 1988. This feud was cut short when Anderson & Blanchard signed with the WWF over money issues. The Midnight Express' run with the title lasted a little over a month and a half before the Road Warriors took the gold from them in a brutal match up, which saw
11484-1611: The title that same night, defeating Al Snow , after which the title was never mentioned again. References [ edit ] ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4 . ^ "SMW Title Histories" . ProWrestlingHistory.com . Retrieved 2007-07-14 . ^ Ed Grabianowski (13 January 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works" . How Stuff Works . Retrieved April 5, 2009 . ^ Hoops, Brian (March 7, 2020). "Daily Pro Wrestling history (03/07): Bruno Sammartino vs. Giant Baba" . Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Retrieved March 8, 2020 . v t e Smoky Mountain Wrestling Championships Heavyweight "Beat The Champ" Television United States Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Talent Former personnel Venues Grady Cole Center Knoxville Civic Coliseum Stanton Hall Independent revivals Curtis Comes Home Mark Curtis Memorial Reunion NWA Smoky Mountain Partnerships United States Wrestling Association World Wrestling Federation Related Jim Cornette Volunteer Slam v t e SMW "Beat
11600-860: The title under a mask as The Mighty Yankee. Aired July 17, 1993 on SMW TV — Vacated August 16, 1993 — — — — The Dirty White Boy won five consecutive title matches. 8 Jimmy Del Ray August 16, 1993 SMW Live event Clinton, Tennessee 1 28 Defeated Ricky Morton . Aired September 4, 1993 on SMW TV 9 Robert Gibson September 13, 1993 SMW Live event Oakwood, Virginia 1 <1 Aired September 18, 1993 on SMW TV 10 The Dirty White Boy September 13, 1993 SMW Live event Oakwood, Virginia 2 18 Aired September 25, 1993 on SMW TV — Vacated October 1, 1993 — — — — The Dirty White Boy voluntarily surrendered
11716-404: The titles against Snow and Unabomb, as well as The Headbangers . before losing the titles at SuperBowl of Wrestling on August 4 to The Heavenly Bodies . Eight days later, the Thugs defeated Snow and Unabomb in a loser leaves town match . After SMW folded, Smothers continued to work for the USWA. Now teaming with Steve's youngest brother Jesse James Armstrong , the new duo defeated PG-13 to win
11832-871: The titles for a month, losing them on December 13 to Azrieal & Dixie. Tracy Smothers began to wind down his schedule in 2009. He would not wrestle again until April 17, 2010, where he and Chris Hamrick challenged PWF Tag Team Champions Jay Shaft & JD Hogg for the titles in a losing effort. He wrestled frequently for the remainder of the year, appearing in NWA Main Event , IWA Mid-South, BWF, and MECW ( Main Event Championship Wrestling ). On August 8, 2010, Smothers took part in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling 's ECW reunion show, Hardcore Justice , where he, Little Guido and Tony Luke defeated Kid Kash , Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger in
11948-615: The vacated CWA Tag Team Championship from Action Jackson and Robert Fuller . Armstrong eventually joined up with Smothers and reformed the Southern Boys, and they became embroiled in a feud with The Stud Stable . Smothers reunited with Steve Armstrong and made their debuts for World Championship Wrestling on April 23, 1990, in a dark match at a Main Event / WCW WorldWide taping in Marietta . Wrestling as " The Wild-Eyed Southern Boys ", their first television appearance came on May 12 at
12064-460: The veteran Bob Armstrong and defeated Bruiser Bedlam, Killer Kyle, and Jim Cornette in numerous handicap matches. After winning his feud with Anderson in early 1995, he formed a team with Scott Armstrong , beginning a feud with the newly arrived Gangstas in which they were winless. Smothers then formed a team with the Dirty White Boy as the Thugs . The Thugs feuded with The Gangstas during
12180-490: The video game WCW Mayhem . Eaton was released from WCW in March 2000, ending a 15-year run with the company, just before the regime under Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo kicked in. After his release from WCW, Eaton began working in the independent circuit. In July 2000, he made a brief return to ECW. By November 2000, he mainly wrestled for NWA Mid-Atlantic where he feuded with Ricky Morton. In January 2001, Eaton signed with
12296-447: Was accompanied by Boondox. In the summer of 2011 he lost to former ECW star Rhyno on July 28 and former F.B.I. teammate Tommy Rich on August 16, 2011. Tracy Smothers continued to wrestle on the independent circuit after finishing his work with JCW in 2011. He jumped to Ohio Valley Wrestling on August 31, where he and his daughter Jessie Belle Smothers won a mixed tag team match against CJ Lane & Mysterie. On June 16, 2013, at
12412-443: Was an American professional wrestler best known as "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton . He was most famous for his work in tag teams , especially as one-half of The Midnight Express . Under the management of Jim Cornette , he originally teamed with Dennis Condrey and, later on, with Stan Lane . He also worked with a number of other tag team partners, including Arn Anderson , Koko B. Ware , Steve Keirn , and Lord Steven Regal . Over
12528-566: Was an American professional wrestler , best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling , Smoky Mountain Wrestling , the World Wrestling Federation , and Extreme Championship Wrestling . Smothers was born in Springfield, Tennessee , on September 2, 1962, and graduated from Springfield High School , where he played football, golf, and wrestled. Smothers was the first person in Springfield High School history to go to
12644-487: Was arrested just days before Tony's return on the eighth episode, leaving Tony with no way to seek revenge. At Bloodymania on August 12, 2007, Smothers lost to Ron Killings . Tracy and 2 Tuff Tony continued their rivalry into season two. In the first episode, both men faced off in a match which saw Tracy win after a fast count by the referee, who was later revealed as Tracy's illegitimate daughter, Isabella . Two weeks later, Tracy caught Isabella listening to Boondox ,
12760-604: Was back in the hospital after hernia surgery aggravated his condition. Smothers was survived by his three sons, Tony Shook, Kyle Smothers, and Austin Elliott, and his daughter Jessie Belle McCoy , who wrestles as Jessie Belle. Many wrestlers paid tribute to Smothers following his death, including Jim Cornette , CM Punk , Edge , Frankie Kazarian , Taz , Jeff Jarrett , Ricky Morton , Bobby Fulton and Tom Prichard . World Wrestling Alliance World Champion 1× Bobby Eaton Bobby Lee Eaton (August 14, 1958 – August 4, 2021)
12876-545: Was booked in an angle with the Mid-South Tag Team Champions Magnum T. A. and Mr. Wrestling II . The highlight of the angle saw Eaton and Condrey tarring and feathering Magnum T. A. in the middle of the ring. The Express first won the tag team title when Mr. Wrestling II turned on Magnum T. A., attacking him during the title match and allowing Eaton and Condrey to win the title without much opposition. With Mr. Wrestling II and Magnum T. A. splitting up,
12992-566: Was declared the inaugural OPW (Omni Wrestling Promotions) Heavyweight Champion; he lost the title the same night to Taylor. Smothers traveled to CAPW (Cleveland All Pro Wrestling), where at CAPW Seasons Beatings on December 3, he defeated champion Claudio Castagnoli and Jason Bane to win the CAPW Heavyweight Championship. He remained the champion until he was defeated for the title by The Blue Meanie on June 3, 2007. Smothers competed in various independent promotions in 2008 in
13108-472: Was given the moniker "Freddie Joe Floyd". The name was a rib on WWF agents Jack Brisco , whose birth name was “Freddie Joe”, and his brother Jerry , whose actual first name is “Floyd”. Both Briscos came from Bowlegs, Oklahoma , the same home town Freddie Joe Floyd was billed as being from. He made his debut on the June 29, 1996, episode of WWF Superstars , defeating Justin Hawk Bradshaw , but lost in
13224-497: Was ousted from his position in WCW in favor of Eric Bischoff in 1993, Eaton was rehired. Once back on the roster, Eaton teamed up with a young Chris Benoit in Benoit's first stint with WCW. Together they were mainly used to help establish rising teams or give established teams opposition. After Benoit left to return to Japan, in Eaton's next venture in tag teaming, under the name "Bad Attitude", he teamed up with Steve Keirn, formerly of
13340-547: Was placed with British snob Lord Steven Regal . A series of vignettes followed, in which Regal educated Eaton on how to be a man of class and sophistication. Eaton became "Earl Robert Eaton" and along with Regal and "Squire" David Taylor , formed The Blue Bloods. The team initially feuded with the Nasty Boys ( Brian Knobs and Jerry Sags ), their complete opposites in terms of "sophistication" and presentation. They also feuded with Harlem Heat ( Booker T and Stevie Ray ) over
13456-633: Was taped on June 3, nine days before the Clash, so Eaton was only mentioned as champion during the Top 10 rankings segment at that event. Late in 1991, Paul E. Dangerously formed the faction the Dangerous Alliance . Eaton joined the group when he assisted Rick Rude , with the storyline being that Dangerously had brought Rude to WCW, in defeating Sting for the United States Championship. In joining
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