Eddie Gilbert

Thomas Edward Gilbert Jr. (August 14, 1961 – February 18, 1995) better known by his ring name "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert, was an American professional wrestler and booker.

Gilbert started his wrestling career for the Continental Wrestling Association in 1977, using the ring name Tommy Gilbert Jr. and winning the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship with his father in 1980.

After graduating from high school, he made his debut in 1977 in the Memphis, Tennessee-based Continental Wrestling Association as "Tommy Gilbert Jr."

in honor of his father, Tommy Gilbert.

On February 10, 1979, he and Ricky Reed defeated Jake Dalton and Haiti Charlie.

In 1980, he and his father won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.

He later moved to the World Wrestling Federation in 1982, working a storyline as the protégé of Bob Backlund until leaving the company in 1984.

He found his greatest success in Memphis, teaming with Tommy Rich to form “Fargo’s Fabulous Ones” and winning the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.

Gilbert eventually turned heel and feuded with Rich as well as Jerry Lawler.

Gilbert debuted in the World Wrestling Federation in October 1982.

After spending some time an enhancement talent, he was promoted to mid-card status.

During this time period, he was touted as the protégé of then WWF Champion Bob Backlund.

In May 1983, Gilbert was seriously injured in a car accident, suffering severe injuries to his neck, arms, chest, and back.

Some doctors told him he would never be able to wrestle again.

His injuries were so severe that he needed plastic surgery, which Gilbert disguised by growing a beard.

Gilbert returned to the ring in August 1983.

Upon his return, he stated on television that Bob Backlund had been a tremendous inspiration to him.

At a September 1983 TV taping, Gilbert's neck was (in storyline) reinjured by the Masked Superstar who executed two neckbreakers to Gilbert in the ring to win a match and a third on the floor ringside afterwards, resulting in Gilbert being stretchered from the ring and taken away in an ambulance.

Gilbert continued wrestling for the WWF until March 1984.

Later, he began making a name for himself as Eddie Gilbert for the CWA in Memphis, Tennessee.

He teamed with his father and Ricky Morton over the following years.

In addition, he formed a team with Tommy Rich as "Fargo's Fabulous Ones", an attempt by CWA (Memphis) to bury and still cash in on the fame attained by the previous incarnation of the Fabulous Ones, Steve Keirn and Stan Lane, who walked out of the territory after a dispute.

They held the AWA Southern Tag Team titles in 1984 until dropping them to Phil Hickerson and the Spoiler (Frank Morrell).

The duo would break up soon after, with Gilbert turning heel in the process.

The two had a brief but intense feud, which memorably began on television when the two were presented with a "Tag Team of the Year" award by announcer Lance Russell and two guests.

Gilbert, unaware his former partner was at the taping, badmouthed Rich, then the International Heavyweight Champion, until Rich came out to confront him.

Rich immediately got the upper hand, running Gibert into the steel ringpost several times, bloodying him in the process before the cameras went to a commercial.

After the commercial break, Gilbert told Russell he wanted Rich to come back out so he could apologize to him in person, stating he was wrong for still being bitter about the break-up of the team, and was fueled by jealousy of Rich's championship title reign and newfound star status.

When Rich accepted Gilbert's apology, Gilbert suddenly turned on him and, in front of a stunned audience and a speechless Russell, rammed Rich's head into the ringpost, just as Rich had done to him moments earlier.

He moved to Mid-South Wrestling (later the Universal Wrestling Federation) in 1985, where he wrestled and worked as a manager, forming the villainous stable “Hot Stuff International, Inc.”

In addition, Gilbert also worked as a booker in promotions like the Global Wrestling Federation and Eastern Championship Wrestling (later known as Extreme Championship Wrestling), while continuing to wrestle in various promotions including Jim Crockett Promotions and the United States Wrestling Association.

Gilbert wanted to become a professional wrestler by the second grade, and wrote articles and took photographs for newsstand and ringside magazines as a way to become involved in the business.

He was once rumored to have missed his own high school graduation so he could make it to Memphis to lose in the first match on the undercard at the Mid-South Coliseum.

In 1985, Gilbert went to work for Bill Watts at the Universal Wrestling Federation (then known as Mid-South Wrestling), and adopted the nickname "Hot Stuff".

He started a heel stable of wrestlers called "Hot Stuff International, Inc.", consisting of Sting (Blade Runner Sting), Ultimate Warrior (Blade Runner Rock) and Rick Steiner.

He stole Missy Hyatt from John Tatum in 1986, with his stable being renamed "H & H International, Inc."

Iceman Parsons and Dick Murdoch would also join his stable later on at different times as well.

Sting would eventually leave the stable upon turning face and feud with them.

Eddie also worked as a booker, who came up with the famous Battle of New Orleans angle in late-1987 involving Chris Adams, Terry Taylor, Sting, and himself.

Following a match in which Taylor defeated Shane Douglas due to interference by both Gilbert and Rick Steiner, Adams told referee Randy Anderson of the interference.