The Fabulous Freebirds had a very brief run in WWE back in 1984, with claims that they left suddenly due to creative differences and backstage issues, including a feud with Andre the Giant. Years later, Michael P.S. Hayes will return to WWE in a prominent backstage role, and the entire group was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.
Looking back on what went wrong during the interview “What is your story? With Steph McMahon“Hayes set the record straight about what really happened between the Freebirds and WWE in the ’80s.
“What’s really happened is there are really loose edges,” he said. “We actually went out. Buddy (Roberts) and (I) came back and then Vince (McMahon) and (I) were going to talk because I don’t think Vince ever really wanted all the Freebirds. I think he just wanted (me) to do Rock ‘N Roll.
Hayes recalled how he got a deal with Electric Records when Vince McMahon was interested in the Freebirds, but he had a philosophy of leaving the place as soon as it came up, but things got complicated when Terry Gordy fell in love with the woman he would eventually marry. “I remember we were at the Vero Moda Inn over there by Madison Square Garden, having a few drinks, and he said to me, “I don’t think I like this Michael…”
Michael P.S. Hayes confirmed the story about his affection for Andre the Giant
Later, the men were to be at Pittsburgh Airport, where they changed flights because of Terry Gordy, where Michael P.S. It was Hayes. admits that the situation with Andre the Giant is over.
“And here comes Andre. And it didn’t last long. All three of us were hiding behind the pillars. “I hope he doesn’t see us, please don’t see us,” Hayes recalled. “I was already in trouble for getting in trouble when he was the first time as an agent, he was an agent, he was running the show in Youngstown, Ohio, and we were staying in Columbus, and I thought we were out. So I drank, I don’t know, ten/twelve beers and took some Valium.”
Shortly after, Hayes and the Freebirds went to the school where their next show was to take place, where he discovered that he was actually on duty.
“And I come in and I’m literally like the cartoons you see, they’re both holding me, and Andre’s there, playing Cribbage or something and sipping his wine and he’s like, ‘Hey! “Did he drink?” and they go. “No, he’s not.” and they let me go, wow! Facial plant.”
Hayes explained that Andre had a hand in bringing them to WWE, and with his actions, he ruined anything that could have happened. In the end, because of what happened between them and Andre, the Freebirds decided to leave instead.
A final match with Vince McMahon ended what could have been salvaged for Michael P.S. Hayes’ WWE run.
Even though the Fabulous Freebirds quit WWE before going down, Vince McMahon just won’t let them off the hook, as Michael PS claims. McMahon continued to call after them for them to reconsiderwhile he just ignored her for a week.
“I tried to explain that we weren’t doing what (he) said we were going to do right before and this and that, but ‘sorry’ and ‘we’ll come back and film’ and ‘I’d like to stay,'” he recalled. The Freebirds were already booked in Japan at the time, and when Hayes flew in to meet McMahon, the final nail in their relationship with WWE took place. “This is the infamous meeting where I fell asleep…”
“And I come to the meeting with beer,” he chuckled. Even after passing out, Hayes didn’t think anything was wrong or that McMahon would be upset, but when he called WWE booking, he quickly discovered that he had lost McMahon’s trust. “I didn’t realize at the time, because we’re the Freebirds, that’s what we do (…) Terry went back to Dallas and Buddy was just kind of purging, and I went and picked up the book in Florida.”
Hayes was eventually brought over to WWE, but had to work for the promotion as “Doc Hendrix,” ditching his signature Freebirds look to become an interviewer, something he briefly commented on. “I didn’t like Doc Hendrix, but I knew it was what Vince wanted,” he explained, noting that it unfortunately didn’t go over well with him. “I knew it was sink or swim.”
If you use any quotation from this article, please write “What’s Your Story?” With Steph McMahon” and credit ah/t Wrestling Inc. for the transcript.
