MISSY HYATT

Melissa Ann Hyatt was a life long wrestling fan. One Saturday afternoon, she stumbled on to Georgia Championship Wrestling. A Michael Hayes promo would change her life forever. The rock star charisma, evil persona, and the back drop of wrestling had instantly hooked her for life.  Melissa would start following Championship Wrestling From Florida and add South Eastern Wrestling to her wrestling fix as a fan. When most teenagers were planning their Rock N Roll weekends in going to concerts, Melissa would instead be taking road trips to see Georgia Championship Wrestling taped at Techwood Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Melissa was eager to find anyway to break in to wrestling. She got her initial break by working the merchandise table for Championship Wrestling From Florida when they ran in Tallahassee, Florida. She even considered being trained by Fabulous Moolah, since there were few job openings for a woman in wrestling.

Melissa’s pro wrestling career began in 1985 in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), where she managed her boyfriend at the time, “Hollywood” John Tatum.  David Manning was not impressed with Tatum’s ability on the mic for promos.  Melissa being the master manipulator took this opening to get her foot in the door by being Tatum’s valet and by handling the promo’s to his act.  To say Melissa got her foot in the door would be an understatement, she kicked it wide open. Missy Hyatt was officially born. “Every Boys Fantasy and Every Mother’s Nightmare”.

Missy feuded with fellow valet Sunshine and in 1986 participated in the famous “mud wrestling” match at the David VonErich Memorial show in the Texas Stadium.

Missy and John left WCCW for Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and teamed up with Eddie Gilbert to form Hyatt and Hot Stuff International, which also included Sting and Rick Steiner.

The Missy Hyatt-Eddie Gilbert-John Tatum would create one of the most revolutionary soap opera story lines for its time. It kept the viewer and even wrestling insiders in trying to guess on how it would turn out.  Even in 2014 in an era of crash and burn story lines, their love triangle still holds up.

Missy Hyatt would move on to managing Eddie Gilbert. They were married in 1987. Missy briefly left UWF for World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to host “Missy’s Manor”, an interview segment that was designed to replace Piper’s Pit on WWF television. Missy took the WWF role as an opportunity to work for the industry leader and took it as a major compliment that they wanted her to replace Roddy Piper [Missy was a fan from his Georgia Championship Wrestling days].

Unfortunately Missy Hyatt’s, “Missy’s Manor” segments were a creative disaster. Missy would return to UWF and Jim Crockett Promotions in order to conduct interview segments. Missy was able to live her childhood dream by conducting interview segment on World Championship Wrestling in the very same studio in which she attended as a fan.

Eventually Missy would move on to CWA with Eddie Gilbert in a feud with Jerry Lawler. Her appearance would bring genuine emotion out of Lance Russell, since he never knew when Missy and Eddie were harassing him in character or not. She would also move on to Continental Wrestling Federation, based out of Birmingham, Alabama as an announcer.

Missy would join World Championship Wrestling in 1989. Missy would start her WCW career by managing Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner and eventually The Steiner Brothers. By February 1990, Missy would finally branch out on her own abilities by co hosting Sunday Night Main Event with Jim Ross, have a weekly segment on WCW Power Hour called Missy Does The Mail, conduct interviews on the Saturday Night, Pay Per Views, & Clash Of Champions.  By the end of Missy’s WCW career, she was managing The Nasty Boys.

Missy briefly would work for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) where she managed The Sandman. She would later leave ECW to work as an interviewer for the ill fated AWF. Missy would still ply her craft as an announcer, manager, and other roles on indy shows.

Missy currently lives in Tallahassee, Florida with her two Jack Russell Terriers, and volunteers as a “foster mom” for RussellRescue.com, a non-profit group that rescues Jack Russells that have been abandoned or abused.

Missy considers her work as a foster mom and dog owner to unwanted Jack Russell Terriers to be more rewarding than wrestling, fame, and fortune. She considers everyday that she haves her beloved “Moondogs” to be the most rewarding part of her life.

Order the DVDs here and watch Missy’s speech and see her as part of the special VIP Women in Wrestling Q&A panel!