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'{{short description|American professional wrestler}} {{Infobox professional wrestler |name =Billy Jack Haynes |image = Billy Jack Haynes 1984.jpg | birth_name = William Albert Haynes III |names =Billy Jack<br />Billy Jack Haynes<ref name="obsessed">{{cite web |url=http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/b/billy-jack-haynes.php |title=Billy Jack Haynes' Profile |publisher=obsessedwithwrestling.com |accessdate=2009-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506075834/http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/b/billy-jack-haynes.php |archive-date=2009-05-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />Billy Haynes<br />Black Blood |height =6 ft 3 in (191 cm)<ref name="obsessed" /> |weight =245 lb (112 kg)<ref name="obsessed" /> |birth_date ={{Birth date and age|1953|7|10|mf=y}} |birth_place =[[Portland, Oregon]]<ref name="obsessed" /> |death_date = |resides=[[Gaston, Oregon]] |spouse = {{marriage|[[Lady Blossom]]|1986|1989}}<br> |billed =[[Portland, Oregon]],<ref name="obsessed" /><br>A Little Town in [[France]] (as Black Blood)<br>Tucson, AZ (Stampede) |trainer =[[Stu Hart]] |debut =1982<ref name=Encyclopedia/> |retired =1996 }} '''William Albert Haynes III'''<ref name="obsessed" /> (born July 10, 1953)<ref name="obsessed" /> is a retired [[United States|American]] [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] better known as '''Billy Jack Haynes'''. ==Professional wrestling career== ===Early career (1982–1984)=== Haynes started wrestling in 1982 at the age of 28. He trained in [[Stu Hart]]'s Dungeon pro wrestling school and briefly wrestled in Hart's [[Stampede Wrestling]] under his given name, forming a tag team with [[Bruce Hart (wrestler)|Bruce Hart]]. He started wrestling as '''Billy Jack''' in the Pacific Northwest territory but had to change his name when [[Tom Laughlin]] (who starred in the movie ''[[Billy Jack]]'') threatened to sue him. He added his real last name to the gimmick and continued to work as a babyface. It is rumored that Haynes served time for manslaughter before becoming a pro wrestler.<ref>https://uproxx.com/prowrestling/midcard-faces-billy-jack-haynes/</ref> ===Championship Wrestling from Florida and Pacific Northwest Wrestling (1984–1986)=== He feuded heavily with Rip Oliver until 1984, when he had a run in [[Championship Wrestling from Florida]] where he feuded with [[Kendo Nagasaki]] for the [[NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship]] winning the title from him. They then had a brief run in [[World Class Championship Wrestling]] in 1985, managed by Sunshine. Due to internal conflict between Fritz Von Erich and Billy, he was written out of the organization, jobbing to Rip Oliver in a storyline where Rip bloodies and injured Billy. He rarely stayed put in any federation that he went to. During that time he faced off against the debuting [[Shawn Michaels]]. He started splitting his time between [[Pacific Northwest Wrestling|Portland Wrestling]] and CWF and wrestled with partner [[Wahoo McDaniel]] and won the [[NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship]] and in [[Jim Crockett Promotions]] where they feuded with [[Ole Anderson|Ole]] and [[Arn Anderson]]. He had just begun a feud with [[Sione Vailahi|The Barbarian]] over who was the strongest man in the territory when he abruptly left the company after a confrontation with Jim Crockett in his office which became physical. ===World Wrestling Federation (1986–1988)=== In 1986, Haynes went to the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] and feuded with [[Randy Savage]] over the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental Championship]]<ref name=Encyclopedia>{{cite book|title=WWE Encyclopedia|last1=Shields|first1=Brian|last2=Sullivan|first2=Kevin|page=[https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/32 32]|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley|DK]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7566-4190-0|url=https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/32}}</ref> and then with [[Hercules (wrestler)|Hercules Hernandez]] over who was stronger, more muscular, and who had a better version of the full nelson (their mutual finishing maneuver). Their feud in the WWF peaked with what was dubbed "The Battle of the Full Nelsons" at [[WrestleMania III]],<ref name=Encyclopedia/> where the two men battled to a double count-out. After the bell, Hercules' [[Manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] [[Bobby Heenan]] kneed Haynes in the back while he had Hercules in a full nelson out on the floor. Haynes chased Heenan into the ring where Hercules blindsided him with his trademark chain, hitting Haynes multiple times and ([[Kayfabe]]) cutting his forehead (in reality, Haynes had [[Blading (professional wrestling)|bladed]] himself with a small razor hidden in the tapes around his wrists after the first hit.<ref name=WWF6389Book>{{cite book | first=Graham | last=Cawthon | title=the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 1: WWF 1963 - 1989 | publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | year= 2013 | isbn=1492825972}}</ref> He was actually seen on camera taking the razor out of his wrist tapes while chasing Heenan around the ring). In the months to follow, the two had a series of "chain matches," where they were attached at the wrist by a foot long chain which could also be used as a weapon during the match. Haynes later teamed with fellow Oregon native [[Ken Patera]] who had returned to the WWF.<ref name=WWF6389Book/> Haynes saved Patera from a beating at the hands of Hercules and [[Harley Race]] after Patera's return match.<ref name=WWF6389Book/> The pair would later feud with [[Demolition (professional wrestling)|Demolition]] after a television match where Demolition left Haynes, Patera, and [[Dean Peters|Brady Boone]] (who played Haynes' cousin) beaten and lying in the ring.<ref name=WWF6389Book/> Haynes' departure from the WWF has been a subject of controversy considering dramatic changes in the story as Haynes repeated it. In one version, he says he quit the WWF after refusing to do a [[Job (professional wrestling)|job]] in his hometown of Portland, Oregon.<ref>http://www.rfvideo.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=204</ref> Another account of the same incident reported that he actually wrestled the match with the finish reworked and then was fired afterwards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id%3D33924 |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2006-06-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060323232740/http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=33924 |archivedate=2006-03-23 }}</ref> ===Later career (1988–1996)=== Haynes went back to [[Oregon]] in 1988 and wrestled in their independents, including forming his own promotion, Oregon Wrestling Federation. In the summer of 1989, he returned to Portland and immediately feuded with [[Len Denton|The Grappler]]. By the end of the year, he would form an alliance with former rival [[Rip Oliver]] and his son Larry. On April 14, 1990, he turned on the Olivers during a match with The Grappler, [[Bill Dannenhauer|The Equalizer]], and [[Brian Adams (wrestler)|Brian Adams]], turning heel for the first time in his career. As a heel, he feuded with the Olivers, [[Scott Norton]], and [[Raven (wrestler)|Scotty the Body]]. In October 1990, he did several shows for [[Herb Abrams]]' Universal Wrestling Federation, where they built up another strongman feud between Haynes and [[Ken Patera]]. In May 1991, Haynes returned to the major promotions when he appeared under a mask in [[World Championship Wrestling]] as Black Blood in [[Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)|Kevin Sullivan]]'s stable.<ref name=WCW8994Book>{{cite book | first=Graham | last=Cawthon | title=the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 4: World Championship Wrestling 1989-1994 | publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | year= 2014 | isbn=1499656343}}</ref> Soon after [[The Great American Bash (1991)|The Great American Bash]], he was fired in July 1991, due to a pay dispute.<ref name=WCW8994Book/> At the time he was fired, he suffered a severe knee injury. Instead of recuperating, he went back to Portland, where he feuded with top babyface [[Steve Doll]] and Demolition Crush. After PNW shut down in 1992, Haynes took time off to recover from his knee injury he suffered in WCW, which took eighteen months to fully recover from. His first matches back was in June 1994, where he wrestled shows that were co-promoted by PNW's successor Championship Wrestling USA and Mexico's [[Asistencia Asesoría y Administración]] in Vancouver, Washington. He showed up next in the [[United States Wrestling Association]] in 1995 and retired in early 1996. ==Personal life== On March 16, 2013, Haynes was hospitalized because he was suffering from an [[aortic aneurysm]], and liver and kidney issues.<ref name=port>{{cite web|url=http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/238233-104497-billy-jack-haynes-wrestles-wwe-into-federal-court|title=Billy Jack Haynes wrestles WWE into federal court|author=Harden, Kevin|publisher=Portland Tribune|accessdate=June 21, 2015|date=October 25, 2014}}</ref> In October 2014, the ''[[Portland Tribune]]'' reported that Haynes filed a lawsuit in federal court against WWE, alleging "egregious mistreatment of its wrestlers for its own benefit, as well as its concealment and denial of medical research and evidence concerning traumatic brain injuries suffered by WWE wrestlers." This litigation was taken after research into [[chronic traumatic encephalopathy]] (CTE), which was attributed to causing the deaths of [[Chris Benoit double-murder and suicide|Chris Benoit in 2007]] and [[Test (wrestler)|Andrew Martin]] in 2009. Haynes also sought for the court to grant [[class action]] status for hundreds of former wrestlers and to force WWE to establish a medical trust fund to pay for wrestlers who suffer from injuries that took place in a WWE ring.<ref name=port/> Former WWE stars [[Vito Lograsso]] and Adam Mercer filed a class action lawsuit against WWE in January 2015 while being represented by the same lawyer as Haynes, Konstantine Kyros.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/40796-sat-update-big-vito-a-adam-mercer-sue-wwe-more-on-daniel-bryans-recovery-lots-of-tv-notes-and-more |title=SAT. UPDATE: Big Vito & Adam Mercer sue WWE, More on Daniel Bryan's Recovery, Lots of TV Notes, and More|date=January 17, 2015 |accessdate=January 18, 2015 |publisher=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]}}</ref> In March 2016, the suit was dismissed by Judge [[Vanessa Lynne Bryant]]. At the time of dismissal, dozens of former WWE wrestlers had joined a class action lawsuit under Kyros's counsel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-wwe-cte-lawsuit-20160719-story.html|title=Dozens of wrestlers sue WWE over CTE, effects of traumatic brain injuries|last=Bieler|first=Des|work=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=July 20, 2016|date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> On July 8, 2019, Kyros and the wrestlers (now totaling 67 wrestlers and estates of deceased wrestlers) filed their latest appeal in the class-action lawsuit known as ''Haynes, Laurinatis, et. al., v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., et. al.''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wweconcussionlawsuitnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/WWE-Appeal-Brief-July-8-2019.pdf |title=Joint Brief and Special Index to Appellants to the United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, in the case of William Albert Haynes, III, et. al., v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., et al |author=Kyros Law Firm |publisher=United States Court of Appeals |accessdate=August 14, 2019 | date=July 2, 2019}}</ref> ==Championships and accomplishments== *'''[[Championship Wrestling from Florida]]''' ** [[NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]]) ** [[NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version)|NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Florida version)'']] ([[NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version)#Title history|1 time]]) - with [[Wahoo McDaniel]] *'''Oregon Wrestling Federation''' **OWF Heavyweight Championship (2 times)<ref name="Titles">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2000|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}</ref> *'''[[Pacific Northwest Wrestling]]''' ** [[NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship#Title history|5 times]]) ** [[NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship#Title history|3 times]]) - with [[Stan Stasiak]] (2) and [[Lance Von Erich|Ricky Vaughn]] (1)<ref name=F4WMay11>{{cite web | url=https://www.f4wonline.com/other-wrestling/day-pro-wrestling-history-may-11-von-erichs-vs-verne-don-leo-jonathan-shane-douglas | title=On this day in pro wrestling history (May 11): Von Erichs vs. Verne & Don Leo Jonathan, Shane Douglas vs 2 Cold Scorpio | date=May 11, 2015 | accessdate=March 21, 2020 | work=[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]] | first=Brian | last=Hoops}}</ref> *'''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]''' **[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards|PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year]] (1984) **PWI ranked him #'''143''' of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "[[PWI Years]]" in 2003 *'''[[United States Wrestling Association]]''' ** [[Memphis Wrestling Southern Heavyweight Championship|USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship]] ([[Memphis Wrestling Southern Heavyweight Championship|2 times]]) *'''[[World Class Championship Wrestling]]''' **[[WCWA Television Championship|WCCW Television Championship]] ([[WCWA Television Championship|1 time]])<ref name=WCCWTV>{{cite book |author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will |title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications |chapter = Texas: WCWA Television Title | page = 396 |year= 2000 |isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref><ref name=WCCWTVWeb>{{cite web | url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/wccw/am-tv.html | title=World Class Television Title | accessdate=November 19, 2016 | publisher=Wrestling-titles.com}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== {{DEFAULTSORT:Haynes, Billy Jack}} [[Category:1953 births]] [[Category:American male professional wrestlers]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Professional wrestlers from Oregon]] [[Category:Professional wrestling promoters]] [[Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni]]'