Career Hightlights

NWA Southwestern title (1979? in Malden, Missouri);
(Tri-State) United States Tag Team titles w/Tommy Gilbert defeating Siegfried Steinke & Steve Lawler (March 3, 1980);
Tri-State Tag Team titles w/Tommy Gilbert defeating Ron McFarlane & Doug Somers (March 1980);
Southern Tag Team titles w/Tommy Gilbert defeating Killer Karl Krupp & El Mongol (August 25, 1980);
Southern Tag Team titles w/Tommy Gilbert defeating Sonny King & The Angel (October 1980);
Tri-State Tag Team titles w/Ricky Morton defeating Ron McFarlane & Jerry Brown (June 1981);
Southern Tag Team titles w/Ricky Morton defeating Masa Fuchi & Mr. Onita (August 31, 1981 in Memphis);
NWA North American Tag Team titles w/Ricky Romero defeating Ron McFarlane & Jerry Brown (January 14, 1982 in Kansas City);
WWC North American Tag Team titles w/Tommy Gilbert defeating The Moondogs(June 5, 1982 in San Juan);
Southern Tag Team titles w/Tommy Rich defeating Norvell Austin & Koko Ware for the vacant belts (March 26, 1984 in Memphis);
CWA International title defeating Tommy Rich (August 27, 1984 in Memphis);
CWA International title defeating Dutch Mantel (September 23, 1984 in Memphis);
Southern Heavyweight title defeating Jerry Lawler (January 27, 1985 in Memphis);
Mid-South Wrestling Association Tag Team titles w/The Nightmare defeating Wendell Cooley & Al Perez (November 11, 1985);
UWF Tag Team titles w/Sting defeating The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) (July 20, 1986 in Tulsa);
UWF Tag Team titles w/Sting defeating The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) for the held-up titles (August 31, 1986);
UWF Television title defeating Savannah Jack (March 8, 1987 in Tulsa);
NWA United States Tag Team titles w/Rick Steiner defeating Steve Williams & Kevin Sullivan (February 28, 1989 in Columbia);
USWA Southern Heavyweight title defeating Jeff Jarrett (October 29, 1990 in Memphis);
GWF Television title defeating Handsome Stranger (Marcus Bagwell) in the Tournament final (October 4, 1991 in Dallas);
GWF Television title defeating Terry (Simms) Garvin for the held-up title (January 24, 1992 in Dallas);
GWF North American title defeating The Dark Patriot (Doug Gilbert) (March 27, 1992 in Dalla);
GWF World title Eddie returns to the USWA and claims the title (May 9, 1992 in Memphis);
USWA Unified World title defeating Jerry Lawler (June 15, 1992 in Memphis);
USWA Unified World title defeating Ricky Morton (July 20, 1992 in Memphis);
ECW Tag Team titles w/Dark Patriot (Doug Gilbert) defeating Super Destroyers for the vacant titles (August 7, 1993 in Philadelphia);
USWA Unified World title defeating Jerry Lawler (January 31, 1994 in Memphis);
USWA Unified World title defeating Jerry Lawler (February 14, 1994 in Memphis);
USWA Heavyweight title defeating Brian Christopher (March 14, 1994 in Memphis);
USWA Tag Team titles w/Brian Christopher defeating The Eliminators in the Tournament final (April 23, 1994 in Jonesboro, AR)

Real Life:

Eddie Gilbert is the brother of Doug Gilbert and they are both sons of Tommy Gilbert..
Eddie Gilbert was married to Madusa & Missy Hyatt (at different times of course)..

Getting into the Business:

February 10, 1979: Tommy Gilbert Jr. (debut) & Ricky Reed vs Jake Dalton & Haiti Charlie..
April 20, 1979: Wrestled his first match as Eddie Gilbert..
May 18, 1979: Eddie Gilbert graduated from High School and actually wrestled the next morning..
1981: Eddie Gilbert & Ricky Morton vs Mr. Onita & Mr. Fuchi in a "Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl"..

CWF: Memphis:

January 27, 1985: Eddie Gilbert defeated Jerry Lawler to win the Southern Heavyweight title in Memphis..

Mid-South Wrestling/Universal Wrestling Federation:

June 1, 1985--Superdome Extravaganza: Wendell Cooley defeated Eddie Gilbert by Disqualfication..
April 11, 1987--Superdome Extravaganza: Eddie Gilbert defeated Sam Houston by Count Out to retain the UWF Television title..
August 1, 1987--Superdome: Dusty Rhodes & Steve Williams beat E.Gilbert & Dick Murdoch in a "Double Bullrope" match..

National Wrestling Alliance:

November 26, 1987 - Starrcade: Sting & Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin vs E.Gilbert & Rick Steiner & Larry Zbyzsko (NO CONTEST)..
January 1989: Eddie Gilbert & Rick Steamboat (Mystery Partner) defeated Four Horsemen (Ric Flair & Barry Windham)..
May 7, 1989 - NWA Music City Showdown: Eddie Gilbert & Rick Steiner beat Kevin Sullivan & Dan Spivey in Nashville..
1989: Eddie Gilbert engaged in a feud with The Great Muta and had many great matches together..
1989 - WrestleWar: Eddie Gilbert & Rick Steiner beat Kevin Sullivan & Dan Spivey to retain the United States Tag Team titles..
April 28, 1990: Eddie Gilbert battled Kevin Sullivan to a Double Count-Out in a match which saw them fight into the crowd..

Tri-State Wrestling:

September 15, 1990 - Autumn Armaggedon: Eddie Gilbert defeated Cactus Jack in Philadelphia, PA..
May 18, 1991 - Spring Spectacular II: Eddie Gilbert battled Cactus Jack to a NO CONTEST in a bloody Barbed Wire match..
August 3, 1991 - Summer Sizzler II: Eddie Gilbert wrestled Cactus Jack in 3 Separate matches at Tri-State's in Philadelphia..
~~~Cactus Jack defeated Eddie Gilbert in a "Falls Count Anywhere" match..
~~~Eddie Gilbert defeated Cactus Jack in a "Stretcher" match when Gilbert smashed him with a Wine bottle!
~~~Eddie Gilbert battled Cactus Jack to a Double-DQ in a "Steel Cage" match..
This match was voted 3rd runner-up for Match of the Year in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's 1991 Achievement Awards..

Global Wrestling Federation:

March 27, 1992: Eddie Gilbert defeated The Dark Patriot to win the GWF North American Heavyweight title in Dallas..

United States Wrestling Association:

June 15, 1992: Eddie Gilbert defeated Jerry Lawler to win the USWA Unified Heavyweight title in Memphis..
November 14, 1992: Terry Funk defeated Eddie Gilbert in a brutal Texas Death match at a WWA event in Wayne, NJ
March 8, 1993: Defeated his brother Doug Gilbert in a "loser-leaves-town" match in Memphis, TN

Eastern Championship Wrestling:

June 19, 1993--Super Summer Sizzler: Eddie Gilbert defeated Terry Funk in a "Texas Chain Massacre" match
August 7, 1993: Eddie Gilbert & The Dark Patriot defeated The Super Destroyers for the vacant ECW Tag Team titles..
Eddie Gilbert was booking for ECW until Paul Heyman pushed him out..

United States Wrestling Association:

February 14, 1994: Eddie Gilbert defeated Jerry Lawler to win the USWA Unified Heavyweight title..
April 23, 1994: Eddie Gilbert & Brian Christopher defeated The Eliminators in the Tag Title tournament final..

Miscellaneous:

August 6, 1994 - 21st Anniversary Show: Eddie Gilbert defeated Jesus "Hurricane" Castillo in a "fire" match..
January 2, 1995: Eddie Gilbert defeated Ricky Morton and co-won a "Smokey Mountain Rumble" with Unibomb..

The Death of Eddie Gilbert:

June 10, 1995--Memphis Memories II: Eddie Gilbert was inducted into the Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame..

June 10, 2005 - Hardcore Homecoming: Johnny Grunge, Gary Wolfe & Tammy Sytch participated in a tribute to wrestlers who died..
~~~RIP: Louie Spicolli, Road Warrior Hawk, Rocco Rock, Big Dick Dudley, Pitbull #2, Eddie Gilbert and Chris Candido.

Wow, I'm torn about Eddie Gilbert here. He deserves a mention simply because of the fact that he was a super badass heel and that he had one hell of a mind for booking.

I give him a yes, but he's not a "I can't think of a reason why not" case.

No. Perrenial mid-carder, just to be honest. I loved the guy, but he's just not cutting it.

That's what is holding me back. And he wasn't in many top promotions for long, but L would like to say yes because he's was a great heel...probably one of the best.

After going over it a few times since this thread was started, I had to vote NO. Although he was a great heel and had a great mind for booking, he never held a position with a major promotion for a decent amount of time. He was never held a World title of significance and from the era that he came from.................most of those things are a must to be a HOFer.

Gilbert was never a huge star in the "big leagues" (didja' know he was in the WWF in the early 80's?), but he was definitely a wrestling star. Different age, where alot of guys didn't have the weekly TV exposure, but that didn't mean that they weren't "big league" capable (see also: Adrian Street).

I sorta' felt that, if not for Steamboat's NWA return in early 89, that Gilbert could've carried the ball as their main babyface. He was convincing as both a heel and a face, I thought. He's creditted with alot of modern booking ideas, as well.

Of course...if his amount of time in the GWF, CWA, UWF, etc was replaced with stints in Japan...people wouldn't be doubting him as an HoF'er. And YES, I'm comparing that to recent inductee Steve Williams. :)

It's true that wrestlers during that era didn't need TV exposure or be in a major promotion, but I'm not sure how majors these smaller promotions were back then.

Most of them were fairly known locally, since they were more like territorial promotions, but globally, WWF held all the cards.

Agreed. Not to be harsh, I love Eddie, but this is a no from me also.

I think Gilbert is a great wrestler. Criminally overlooked and underrated for his entire career. But I can't vote for the guy. No one ever gave the guy a chance with the ball and while I think he could've run with it that's not the issue. When your top career accomplishments are holding the USWA Heavyweight belt, the NWA U.S. Tag Titles and the ECW (before it was ECW) tag titles it's hard to justify voting for the guy.

Well, with Mad Dog's vote that pretty much makes it a no-win situation. And now, for our regularly scheduled program.

Good explaination. That's the same way I feel about it but you worded it much better than I did.

I'm going with no. Definitely good in a lot of ways, but I wouldn't say great at any point.

Ouch... Rowe, you better not make this a Hall of Shame scenario!

I certainly don't think that Eddie Gilbert would fit into the HOS group......

I totally agree.

Gilbert will be an honorable mention because everyone admits that they like him. I'll reserve the Hall of Shame for those who the majority of the board spits on (ie, Ultimate Warrior).


And occasionally, I'll nominate someone for the HOS (ie, Vince Russo).

(sigh of relief)

So, I guess I can assume the collective opinion is "he was very good at what he did, but didn't have much of a shot at any of the big 2, so he has limited accomplishments that qualify for the HoF."

Not even the big two. He wrestled before that was the standard, but he held no world titles in NWA/WWF/AWA, he wasn't big in japan, and he wasn't the head of a territory like Harley Race or Jerry Lawler.

I'm sure that's what you meant Scrooge, but I figured I would expand a bit.

Yeah, that's what I meant, except in lesser words. For the big 2, he seemed to be very little more than a job boy for the WWF during the early 80's, and his run in the NWA was rather forgetable, outside of a few PPV matches in 1989.

To sum it up in a single sentence, he has a good cult following, but I'm sure the general wrestling audience has very little knowledge of Gilbert.

Especially because Gilbert died way to early into his life and would have probably made a bigger impact had he not died so young.

Back when I was a mark reading PWI 500, I thought he was much older when reading about his death (he was listed in the "Why they aren't in the 500 section" under deceased). OK, not much older, but how young was he wehn he died, 32?

I think he was 33 when he died of a heart attack.

WOW, this one certainly got closer out of nowhere.

BOO! Last I checked it was 7-3 this morning. Close only counts in horse-shoes and hand grenades.

Edit: DK quoted my original post before I edited it. I'd rather have a massacre than a 50/50.

I was thinking the same thing.

I'll give another unpopular opinion here, since this is still going. Gilbert was nothing special in the ring.

DK quoted my post before I could add more. :( Someone probably voted yes to make it less pathetic looking.

Judging from the rest of the polls, everyone has voted (well, sometimes 13 vote, but this one isn't winning), so on to the next choice... Bruce Hart! :D

To be fair, a lot of the people nominated/inducted (OK, some) weren't that great in the ring either.


Edit: Just incase I'm accused, I'm not dumb enough (but dumb enough to not know how) to make several "yes" votes, since it would look pretty darn obvious. I'd just like to hear who else voted yes, since most of the out-spoken votes were "no."

I voted "yes" a couple days ago, but that was originally to keep away from HoS. I was also thinking he was a fairly beg enough name in the South during the territories, and he wrestled in a timewhere you didn't have to be in a major promotion like the WWF to be popular. I also voted for him because he isl well recognized heel.

:) Hmm... my only guess then is that there was a glitch when someone made their vote for the 4th yes and made it 5, because there wasn't nearly enough time between the first time I checked today and the last where 2 people would, considering only 3 had done so all week.

Okay, this poll is officially closed. Gilbert will be added to the Honorable Mention list whenever I feel like it.