Few details are available in the death of Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy, a man who was considered the best big man in the sport before a series of drug overdoses ruined a promising career in his prime.
Gordy was found dead by his girlfriend at his home in Rossville, GA, near Chattanooga, on the morning on 7/16 from a heart attack. One of the 1980s biggest stars, had it not been for his career at the top ending at the age of 32 so abruptly, Gordy would have been a sure Hall of Famer and considered right at the top of any list of the best working big men in the history of the business. He was only 40 at the time of his death. The cause of the heart attack was not released pending an autopsy.
Gordy, best known in the United States for his days with the Freebirds, but also had a second more lucrative career as one of the main event regulars spanning two glory eras over a ten year period for All Japan Pro Wrestling, from the era of the Funks and Bruiser Brody, to the Jumbo Tsuruta and Tenryu era, and finally, being one of the two top foreign wrestlers in Japan when Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi and Toshiaki Kawada elevated in-ring wrestling to new levels.
