Biography
Hamilton was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri, St. Joseph, Missouri. Before turning professional, he was a promising amateur boxer, but instead of continuing his training, he decided that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Larry Hamilton. Larry was a professional wrestler billed as "The Missouri Mauler". Hamilton started working for "Gust Karras Promotions", a professional wrestling promotion based in Kansas City, Missouri, where he made his debut against Rip Hawk in a 40-minute match. By 1957, he had started teaming with his brother Larry and worked as a full-time professional wrestler. The Hamilton Brothers worked for the New York, NY, based World Wrestling Entertainment#Capitol Wrestling, Capitol Wrestling, (the precursor to World Wrestling Entertainment), where they were put in a Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Angle, storyline with the top tag team of the promotion Antonino Rocca and Miguel Pérez (wrestler), Miguel Pérez. In May 1958, the Hamilton Brothers faced Rocca and Pérez in the main event of a Madison Square Garden show making Jody, age 19 at the time, the youngest man to ever co-star in a main event at Madison Square Garden. After the Hamilton brothers time in New York, Jody Hamilton decided to strike out on his own working as a singles wrestler. As a singles wrestler, he first got a Push (professional wrestling), promotional push by NWA Western States Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Book, booker, Doc Sarpolis, who billed him as "Silent" Joe Hamilton. Hamilton has revealed in recent years that the "Silent" moniker was because he was not very good at interviews and promos. After working in Texas, he worked in Oklahoma and Florida. When he left Florida in 1961 he intended to return to Oklahoma but an offer from Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) would change the direction of Hamilton's career.Masked Assassins
The original plan for Hamilton was that he was going to wrestle under a mask as "The Iron Russian", but once he got to Atlanta the plans had changed and instead he became “The Assassin”. After working as a singles competitor Hamilton was given a partner in late 1961, another masked Assassin, Tom Renesto. Renesto had teamed with Hamilton's older brother Larry but the two did not know each other before stepping into the ring in December 1961. The team worked well together from the onset and soon moved up the card towards the main events. For over a dozen years Hamilton and Renesto teamed together as the "vile" Assassins, a team hated for their "rulebreaking ways" wherever they wrestled. The Assassins, or the Masked Assassins as they were sometimes billed, worked all over the world for promotions in Georgia, California, Australia, the Far East, Japan and Canada. The only place the duo did not work as the Assassins was in the Carolinas where they were billed as "The Great Bolo" (Renesto) and "The Mighty Bolo" (Hamilton) because Renesto had worked for Jim Crockett Promotions as The Great Bolo before teaming up with Hamilton, and was more known in that region under the Bolo name. The Assassins longest stay with one promotion was from 1968 to 1972 where they worked for Georgia Championship Wrestling and held the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship a record-breaking 12 times. While in Georgia the team worked storylines with teams such as ”the Torres Brothers” (Ramon and Alberto), Terry Funk, Terry and Dory Funk and the team of Ray Gunkel and Buddy Fuller. Their most successful and profitable feud came against the team of Aurelian Smith, ”Tiny” Smith and Luke Brown known as "The Kentuckians". The matches between the Assassins and the Kentuckians drew sell out crowds up the east coast of the United States from Florida to the Carolinas. At times the Assassins would be backed up by Jody's brother the Missouri Mauler to take on the Kentuckians and their "fellow hillbilly" Haystack Calhoun, Haystacks Calhoun. During their time in GCW Renesto became more and more involved in the booking of the promotion in the hopes of turning a decline in attendance around. Renesto is credited with turning the territory around with a series of hotly contested angles that brought the fans back. In 1972 after GCW owner Ray Gunkel died Gunkel's widow Ann Gunkel split off from the National Wrestling Alliance associated GCW and started her own company, called "All-South Wrestling", with Tom Renesto as the head booker. With his backstage responsibilities expanded Renesto cut back on his wrestling dates as Hamilton was pushed as a singles wrestler. In October 1972 Renesto unmasked on television, rumor had it that GCW was going to publish pictures of the Assassins without their masks on and Renesto wanted to beat them to the punch. After the unmasking Renesto would still occasionally team with Hamilton both with and without the mask but the glory days of the Assassins ended when Renesto took off the mask.After Renesto
When All-South Wrestling folded in 1974 both Hamilton and Renesto returned to Georgia Championship Wrestling, deciding to bury any past animosity. Renesto retired from the ring and focused more on the booking aspects of GCW while Hamilton started to work as a singles wrestler billed simply as "The Assassin". When he joined GCW Hamilton started a storyline with Mr. Wrestling II that would become the longest running storyline in Georgia wrestling history. Over the following years the Assassin would enlist several other "Assassins" to team with him as he fought against Mr. Wrestling II and various face partners. One of these partners was Randy Colley, who would go on to greater success as one of The Moondogs (professional wrestling), The Moondogs in the 1980s. Together Hamilton and Colley would hold the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship on two occasions. Colley and Roger Smith would team together as the Assassins in Continental Wrestling Association, Memphis. While GCW was Hamilton's "home promotion" he also competed for other promoters all over the south east especially in Florida and Alabama working for promotions such as Championship Wrestling from Florida, NWA Mid-America and Continental Championship Wrestling, Southeast Championship Wrestling. Hamilton used his “Assassin” gimmick but did not find another partner to recreate the Assassins, instead he would team with local stars such as Ron Fuller (wrestler), Ron Fuller and Don Carson. By the beginning of the 1980s he decided to return to his roots in Oklahoma, after having worked more or less exclusively in the south east for ten years or more. First he worked for Heart of America Sports Attractions, Central States Wrestling where he teamed with both Ernie Ladd and Angel to win the local version of the NWA United States Tag Team title. He would also hold the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship, which was the main title for the promotion. After working for Central States Hamilton switched to Bill Watts’ Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts), Mid-South Wrestling promotion. In Mid-South he teamed up with yet another “Assassin #3”, this time it was Hercules (wrestler), ”Hercules” Hernandez under the gold and black mask. Hernandez's run under the golden mask ended when he was unmasked by Jimmy Valiant after a match in Toronto, Toronto, Ontario as part of Valiant's lengthy feud with Paul Jones (wrestler), Paul Jones’ army. In the mid 1980s Hamilton retired the golden mask and adopted a new ring identity: "The Flame", together with another masked man going by the name “Fire”, he won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship in 1986. He would also hold the NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight Championship on four occasions.Deep South Championship Wrestling
In 1986 Hamilton started a small independent promotion in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia called Deep South Championship Wrestling. He worked both backstage and in the ring under his “Flame” ring persona. One night in 1988 he was thrown from the top rope during a match and landed wrong, the fall caused him to break the lumbar vertebrae in his back. Because Hamilton was in no shape to run a wrestling promotion he sold it to someone else, only to see that person go out of business without ever putting on a wrestling show.Retirement from the ring
Once Hamilton recovered from his back injury he opened the official training center for World Championship Wrestling, the WCW Power Plant, Power Plant. With Hamilton as director of the school it produced talent such as Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, Bill Goldberg, and Paul Wight, the Big Show over the years. As well as working at the Power Plant Hamilton was also used as a manager in 1993, mainly managing Paul Orndorff, in addition to Orndorff's tag team partners Dave Sullivan (wrestler), The Equalizer and Paul Roma. He was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame as part of the 1994 class on May 22, 1994 at The Civic Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When WCW was bought out by the WWF in March 2001 the Power Plant was closed but Hamilton continued to train wrestlers.Deep South Wrestling
In 2005, World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly World Wrestling Federation) reached an agreement with Hamilton wherein Hamilton would open a new version of Deep South Wrestling for WWE to use as a training ground. The company ran shows on a regular basis featuring WWE-contracted talent until April 18, 2007, when WWE ended its relationship with DSW. DSW ceased operations the next day in 2007, although DSW held its final event on April 12.Rampage Pro Wrestling
In February 2009, Hamilton officially returned to the business, joining Rampage Pro Wrestling, an independent promotion based out of Warner Robins, Georgia. He was the director of their television show that airs locally on multiple channels in the middle Georgia area. His son, Nick Hamilton, Nick Patrick, also joined the promotion, though only in the on-camera commissioner role. In April 2009, the promotion released Hamilton, citing that they needed to cut costs. Nick stayed on with the promotion and took over his father's job as the television show director. The company brought Hamilton back later in the year in October. Hamilton and Patrick became heavily involved in producing the company's weekly television show that aired in the Middle Georgia area on the local FOX affiliate.Lawsuit against WWE
In April 2009, Hamilton filed a lawsuit against WWE in Fulton County, GA over how the working agreement with his promotion, Deep South Wrestling, was terminated. His attorney claimed that WWE "fraudulently contrived a reason to end the agreement" without giving the 90-days notice that was required in the contract. The suit also claimed that WWE illegally entered the Deep South building in McDonough, Georgia, and took property belonging to Hamilton. It also claims the WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, warned that any wrestlers who continued to work with Deep South or Hamilton would never work in the wrestling business ever again. Two unnamed professional wrestlers who were under WWE contract at the time confirmed Hamilton's claim that Laurinaitis made the threatening speech. WWE attempted to get the lawsuit dismissed before it went to trial but were not successful. On January 22, 2010, Hamilton settled with WWE out of court. The settlement was not disclosed.Personal life
Hamilton's son, Nick Patrick (referee), Nick Patrick, was a referee for Georgia Championship Wrestling/Championship Wrestling from Georgia from 1980 to 1985, WCW from 1988 to 2001, and WWE from 2001 to 2008.Death
Hamilton died in hospice care on August 3, 2021, at the age of 82. News of Hamilton's death was broken over social media by his son, Nick.Championships and accomplishments
*Heart of America Sports Attractions, Central States Wrestling :*NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship (NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time) *Championship Wrestling from Florida :*NWA Florida Television Championship (NWA Florida Television Championship#Title history, 1 time) :*NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version), NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship ''(Florida version)'' (NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version)#Title history, 2 times) :*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 Assassin #2 :*NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version), NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Florida version)'' (NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida version)#Title history, 1 time) – with Assassin #2 *Continental Wrestling Association :*AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (AWA Southern Tag Team Championship#Title history, 4 times) – with Assassin #2 *Deep South Wrestling :*Deep South Heavyweight Championship (Deep South Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 3 times) *Georgia Wrestling :*Georgia Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Assassins *Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Sports/Georgia Championship Wrestling :*NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship (NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time) :*NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship#Title history, 14 times) – with Assassin #2 (12), Randy Colley, Assassin #2 (2) :*NWA Macon Tag Team Championship (NWA Macon Tag Team Championship#Title history, 2 times) – with Assassin #2 :*NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship ''(Georgia version)'' (4 times) – with Assassin #2 :*NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Georgia version)'' (1 time) – with Assassin #2 :*NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version), NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Georgia version)'' (NWA World Tag Team Championship (Georgia version)#Title history, 2 times) – with Assassin #2 *NWA All-Star Wrestling :*NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version), NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship ''(Vancouver version)'' (NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)#Title history, 2 times) – with Assassin #2 :*NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version), NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Vancouver version)'' (NWA World Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)#Title history, 1 time) – with Assassin #2 *Worldwide Wrestling Associates, NWA Hollywood Wrestling :*NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (NWA Americas Tag Team Championship#Title history, 2 times) – with Tom Renesto (1), John Tolos, John Tolos (1) :*NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (1 time) :*NWA North American Tag Team Championship, NWA North American Tag Team Championship ''(Los Angeles/Japan version)'' (NWA North American Tag Team Championship#Title history, 2 times) – with Assassin #2 *Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame :*Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame#2013, Class of 2013 - Inducted as a member of The Assassins (wrestling), The Assassins *NWA Mid-America :*NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version), NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' (NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America version)#Title history, 1 time) – with Assassin # 2 *Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts), NWA Tri-State :*NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version), NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Tri-State version)'' (NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)#Title history, 4 times) – with Assassin #2 (2), Ernie Ladd (1), Angel (1) *Continental Championship Wrestling, Southeastern Championship Wrestling - Continental Championship Wrestling :*NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship (NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 1 time) :*NWA Louisiana Heavyweight Championship (2 times) :*NWA Louisiana Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Assassin #2 (1), Angel (1) :*CWF Heavyweight Championship, NWA Southeastern Continental Heavyweight Championship (CWF Heavyweight Championship#Title history, 4 times) :*NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division), NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship ''(Northern Division)'' (NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division)#Title history, 1 time) :*CWF Tag Team Championship, NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship CWF Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time – with Don Carson :*NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship, NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Gulf Coast version)'' (NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship#NWA Gulf Coast Tag Team Championship, 3 times) – with Assassin #2 (1), Don Carson (1), Billy Spears (1) :*NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship (NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship#Title history, 1 time) – with Ron Fuller (wrestler), Ron Fuller *World Championship Wrestling :*WCW Hall of Fame (WCW Hall of Fame#Inductees, Class of 1994) *World Championship Wrestling (Australia) :*IWA World Tag Team Championship (WCW Australia), IWA World Tag Team Championship (IWA World Heavyweight Championship (WCW Australia)#Title history, 1 time) – with Assassin #2 *''List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards, Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' :*Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2015) – with Tom RenestoBibliography
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External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Jody 1938 births 2021 deaths 20th-century professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers Masked wrestlers Professional wrestlers from Missouri Professional wrestling managers and valets Professional wrestling trainers Professional wrestling promoters Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum Sportspeople from St. Joseph, Missouri NWA Florida Television Champions NWA North American Tag Team Champions (Florida version) NWA Southern Heavyweight Champions (Florida version) NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Champions NWA World Tag Team Champions (Florida version) NWA United States Tag Team Champions (Florida version) NWA Americas Tag Team Champions IWA World Tag Team Champions (Australia) NWA Macon Tag Team Champions NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champions NWA Georgia Tag Team Champions