Jeff Gaylord

Jeff Gaylord (October 15, 1958 – March 15, 2023) was an American professional wrestler who competed in North American regional and independent promotions including Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation, World Class Championship Wrestling and the United States Wrestling Association during the late 1980s and 1990s, most notably as a frequent tag team partner of Jeff Jarrett.

Wrestling for World Class Championship Wrestling as the masked wrestler "The Hood" during the late 1980s, he would become a mainstay in the area and briefly feuded with Jeff Jarrett and Bill Dundee later teaming with "Stunning" Steve Austin, Gary Young and Skandor Akbar in an 8-man Texas Tornado match losing to Jeff Jarrett, Bill Dundee, Eric Embry and Percy Pringle in early 1990.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Gaylord played as a defensive lineman for the Missouri Tigers while attending the University of Missouri and eventually became an All-American in 1981.

He later borrowed the team name for his wrestling nickname.

Gaylord played high school football at Shawnee Mission South in Overland Park, Kansas before embarking on a college career at the University of Missouri.

He went on to be a 4th round draft pick (88th overall) of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams in 1982.

After being cut by the Rams in camp later that summer, Gaylord spent part of the 1982 season with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts playing just four games before being released.

In 1983, he was signed as a free agent by the Boston Breakers of the United States Football League (USFL) and played in 14 games during the 1983 season becoming the team's starting nose tackle.

When the Breakers' franchise transferred to New Orleans in the fall of 1983, Gaylord played in 13 games with the Breakers in 1984 before being suspended for the last three games of the season.

Later that fall, the Breakers relocated once again to Portland, Oregon, for the 1985 season, however Gaylord was traded to the San Antonio Gunslingers where he was a starting defensive tackle for the first seven games before ending his season on April 8.

Making his professional debut in 1985, he began wrestling in the Mid-South area for the Universal Wrestling Federation facing Timothy Flowers, Tarzan Goto and Kevin the Magnificent in February 1986.

During the summer, he also feuded with The Russian Team facing Ivan and Nikita Koloff and Korstia Korchenko in a 6-man tag team match with Ken Massey and Perry Jackson as well as with Perry Jackson and Brett Wayne Sawyer against Korchenko and The Blade Runners on June 8.

The USFL folded in the summer of 1986.

Facing Buddy Landell and The Angel of Death during the next few months, he later appeared on the UWF's Superdome Extravaganza supercard defeating Art Crews at The Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 27, 1986.

He would later lose to One Man Gang in the opening rounds of the UWF/PWI Tournament the following month.

During the next year, he would face Eli the Eliminator and, with Jeff Raitz, against Sting and Rick Steiner.

He also teamed with Ken Massey against Rick Steiner and Jack Victory at the Tulsa Convention Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma on August 17, 1987.

He would later lose to Rick Steiner in a singles match at the Sam Houston Coliseum on January 23, 1987.

During 1989, Gaylord would also appear on WWF Wrestling Challenge teaming with Tim Horner against The Fabulous Rougeaus on April 16, before returning to World Class Championship Wrestling facing veterans such as Jimmy Jack Funk and Kerry Von Erich.

During the late 1990s, he was a member of "Psycho" Sid Vicious' The Psychos and, as Akeem Hassain, the USWA-faction of the Nation of Domination.

However, he would soon begin teaming his former rival and defeated Brian Lee and Chuck Casey for the USWA Tag Team Championship on September 3, 1990.

Feuding with Brian Lee and Don Harris over the titles, they would trade the tag team titles twice with Lee and Harris before finally losing the titles to Tony Anthony and Doug Gilbert on October 6.

Participating in the USWA Heavyweight Championship Tournament two days later, he defeated Doug Gilbert in the opening rounds before losing to "Dirty" Dick Slater in the semi-finals on October 8.

Defeating Matt Borne and King Cobra in January 1991, Gaylord briefly appeared in the Global Wrestling Federation.

He participated in the GWF World Television Championship Tournament losing to Rasta the Voodoo Man in June 1991.

During the next two months, he would team with the Blue Avenger in the GWF World Tag Team Championship Tournament being eliminated by Bill Irwin and Johnny Ace and, during the GWF North American Championship Tournament, lost to John Tatum in the opening rounds.

During this time, he was involved in an altercation with Eddie Gilbert at a Dallas wrestling event in which Gaylord allegedly "sucker-punched" Gilbert during an argument in Gilbert's dressing room at the Dallas Sportatorium.

The two began fighting, until it was broken up by Doug Gilbert who assaulted Gaylord with a Coke bottle.

Although Gaylord had been speaking to Gilbert regarding the possibility of being booked in Gilbert's promotion, Gilbert claimed in a later shoot interview that Gaylord was paid $1,000 by a Northeastern promoter to assault him after Gilbert had failed to show up for an event.

Returning to the Memphis area later that year, he lost to USWA Heavyweight Champion Jerry "The King" Lawler by disqualification on November 4 and the following week, teamed with The Big O fighting to a double disqualification against Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee on November 11.

After losing to Bill Dundee and The Spirit of America on November 18, Gaylord was absent from the promotion for several weeks before returning to face Jerry Lawler, fighting him several times during an event on December 28, 1991.

Defeating The Candyman on January 6, he spent several months in the Puerto Rico-based Americas Wrestling Federation winning the AWF International Tag Team titles with Sunny Beach before returning later that year teaming with Mr. Hughes to defeat Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett on September 21 and against Tony Williams and Robert Gibson on October 5.

Returning to singles competition, he also defeated Tony Falk and Randy Rhodes before losing to Bill Dundee on October 26, 1992.

After he defeated Tony Williams in a rematch on November 2, he wrestled two matches in one night defeating Bart Sawyer and later teamed with USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Brian Christopher losing to The American Eagles (Bill Dundee and Danny Davis) on November 9, 1992.

Suffering several losses to The American Eagles during the next few weeks, Gaylord teamed with Brian Christopher and The Masters of Terror (Ken Wayne and Ken Raper) in an 8-man tag-team match defeating The American Eagles, Danny Davis and Bill Dundee and later the USWA Tag Team Champions The Moondogs (Moondog Spot and Moondog Spike) by disqualification on November 30.

Losing to The Moondogs in a tag team match with The Star Rider, he also lost to Tony DeNucci by disqualification on December 14.

Gaylord also made a one-time appearance in the World Wrestling Federation as The Black Knight at the 1993 Survivor Series.

In January 1993, he lost singles matches to Tony DeNucci, Danny Davis and Scott Campione.

Although defeating Danny Davis in a rematch on February 1, he later teamed with Doink the Clown in a losing effort against USWA Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lawler and USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Jeff Jarrett on February 8.

He would appear on several house shows for the World Wrestling Federation wrestling Jerry Lawler at several house shows in early 1993.