r/oldschoolwrestling

Arguably Missy Hyatt's most notorious storyline, the Eddie Gilbert Vs John Tatum feud merged real life friction. Aswell as being an on screen item, Hyatt and John Tatum were an item away from the ring as well. When they came to the UWF in 1986 after a successful year in WCCW, Hyatt and Eddie Gilbert had began an affair behind the scenes. All parties agreed to turn the situation into a storyline and a good one at that.

Usually it's hard to do love triangle storylines in wrestling and they can come off as fake or corny, but this one in my opinion was one of the best storylines in 1986 (there's so many contenders for this great year in wrestling tbf) and probably the UWF's best storyline of the year.

Missy Hyatt had come into the UWF as the valet for the team of 'Hollywood' John Tatum and Jack Victory, including being Tatum's lover. Many fans in Mid South had already seen the pairing of Tatum & Hyatt as the two were an item on WCCW TV where Hyatt got her first break in a big feud against Sunshine.

Once coming to the UWF, Missy had started a feud with babyface valet Dark Journey after Jack Victory had called Tatum and Hyatt to help him take care off Journeys wrestler The Missing Link. Tatum & Hyatt would debut, running out alongside Jack Victory between a match of Kamala and The Missing Link and attacking The Missing Link. As Dark Journey gets in the ring to protect The Link, the two men would grab Journey so Hyatt could hit her in the stomach with her famous Gucci bag.

A few weeks later, Hyatt & Eddie Gilbert had confirmed that they were aligning their two corporations and making Hyatt & Hot Stuff International. Hyatt however had assured John Tatum that the partnership was strictly business and Tatum was still number one. However, tension would slowly emerge between Gilbert and Tatum as Hyatt would accompany Gilbert to the ring, including helping Gilbert & Sting win the UWF Tag Team Championships from The Fantastics. Eddie, Missy and Tatum would hold a press conference declaring the rumours of tension are false and Tatum is still number one for Missy, dispelling any rumours of a potential love triangle.

Over the coming weeks however this seemed to not be the case, as Hyatt would kiss Gilbert on the cheek during matches and even be found sharing a limo with 'Hot Stuff' when she was meant to be going for lunch with Tatum. Meanwhile, Tatum would constantly fumble the ball for the team, including being the cause for the UWF World Tag Titles to be held up after throwing powder in the face of Bobby Fulton when Sting & Gilbert were defending their Tag Championships.

Most importantly to Missy, Tatum would lose to The Missing Link in a Valet for the Day match, where the losers woman would have be the maid for their rival for a day, in this case meaning Missy would have to be the maid for Dark Journey. Things would come to blows between Hyatt's two love interests after Tatum lost this match, with Tatum blaming Gilbert for the loss after Gilbert fell from the top rope onto Tatum when running in to take out The Missing Link. Both companies, Hot Stuff International of Eddie Gilbert, Sting & Rick Steiner would come to blows with Hyatt's men John Tatum and Jack Victory, with Missy getting on the microphone and telling Gilbert to stop as Gilbert pummeled Tatum with punches. At this point, it was hard to know which way Missy would swing.

The two factions after this would break up, with Tatum and Gilbert both saying they refuse to work with each other, to Hyatt's annoyance as she would constantly blame Tatum for losing the Valet For a Day Match and say she wishes Eddie was here. Gilbert over the coming weeks as an apology would come out with presents for the 'First Lady of Wrestling' and despite Hyatt's words that she was loyal to Tatum, she would take these gifts.

This eventually would all come to blows as Tatum & Victory would lose a UWF Tag Team Title match against The Fantastics when Tatum would be distracted by Gilbert giving Missy flowers. Tatum & Victory after the match would trap Gilbert in the ring and beat on him and Tatum would grab Hyatt and snatch the flowers out of her hands. Sting & Rick Steiner run out and Hot Stuff International get the numbers game on Tatum & Victory. This is where Gilbert insists to Hyatt that she has to choose now, Hollywood or Hot Stuff? Missy would choose Hot Stuff and wallop Tatum over the head with her Gucci Bag, causing Tatum to bleed.

Tatum and Gilbert would then fight all over the territory in grudge matches until Tatum would eventually leave the territory at the end of the year after suffering a car crash. Hyatt & Hot Stuff however would become one of the iconic couples of wrestling and Hot Stuff International would become a legendary faction in giving a spotlight to Sting & Rick Steiner.

Been watching a fair bit of Rollerball Mark Rocco's work over the past few weeks. Mark was the original Black Tiger in NJPW. He has a great series of matches in the World of Sport UK style against Dynamite Kid, that still stand up today.

In this match, Dynamite was home from Stampede for Xmas and both guys really go at it. It's a real shame we didn't get to see Mark in some of the bigger US promotions, he could have been a huge star. His heel work is magnificent. Check it out!