Billy Jack Haynes

In October 2014, the Portland Tribune reported that Haynes filed a lawsuit in federal court against WWE, alleging "egregious mistreatment of its wrestlers for its own benefit, as well as its concealment and denial of medical research and evidence concerning traumatic brain injuries suffered by WWE wrestlers." This litigation was taken after research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which was attributed to causing the deaths of Chris Benoit in 2007 and Andrew Martin in 2009. Haynes also sought for the court to grant class action status for hundreds of former wrestlers and to force WWE to establish a medical trust fund to pay for wrestlers who suffer from injuries that took place in a WWE ring. Former WWE stars Vito LoGrasso and Adam Mercer filed a class action lawsuit against WWE in January 2015 while being represented by the same lawyer as Haynes, Konstantine Kyros. In March 2016, the suit was dismissed by Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant. At the time of dismissal, dozens of former WWE wrestlers had joined a class action lawsuit under Kyros's counsel. On July 8, 2019, Kyros and the wrestlers (now totaling 67 wrestlers and estates of deceased wrestlers) filed their latest appeal in the class-action lawsuit known as Haynes, Laurinatis, et. al., v. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., et. al..

On March 16, 2013, Haynes was hospitalized because he was suffering from an aortic aneurysm, and liver and kidney issues.

Haynes went back to Oregon in 1988 and wrestled in their independents, including forming his own promotion, Oregon Wrestling Federation. In the early 1990s he did several shows for Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation, where they built up another strongman feud between Haynes and Ken Patera. Haynes returned to the major promotions when he appeared under a mask in World Championship Wrestling as Black Blood in Kevin Sullivan's stable. Soon after The Great American Bash, he was fired in July 1991, due to a pay dispute. At the time he was fired, he suffered a severe knee injury. After a year and a half of rehabbing, he went back to Portland, where he was a heel this time and feuded with top babyface Steve Doll. He showed up next in the United States Wrestling Association in 1995 and retired in early 1996.

In 1986, Haynes went to the World Wrestling Federation and feuded with Randy Savage over the Intercontinental Championship and then with Hercules Hernandez over who was stronger, more muscular, and who had a better version of the full nelson (their mutual finishing maneuver). Their feud in the WWF peaked with what was dubbed "The Battle of the Full Nelsons" at WrestleMania III, where the two men battled to a double count-out. After the bell, Hercules' manager Bobby Heenan kneed Haynes in the back while he had Hercules in a full nelson out on the floor. Haynes chased Heenan into the ring where Hercules blindsided him with his trademark chain, hitting Haynes multiple times and (Kayfabe) cutting his forehead (in reality, Haynes had bladed himself with a small razor hidden in the tapes around his wrists after the first hit. He was actually seen on camera taking the razor out of his wrist tapes while chasing Heenan around the ring).

He feuded heavily with Rip Oliver until 1984, when he had a run in Championship Wrestling from Florida where he feuded with Kendo Nagasaki for the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship winning the title from him. They then had a brief run in World Class Championship Wrestling in 1985, managed by Sunshine. Due to internal conflict between Fritz Von Erich and Billy, he was written out of the organization, jobbing to Rip Oliver in a storyline where Rip bloodies and injured Billy. He rarely stayed put in any federation that he went to. During that time he faced off against the debuting Shawn Michaels. He started splitting his time between Portland Wrestling and CWF and wrestled with partner Wahoo McDaniel and won the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship and in Jim Crockett Promotions where they feuded with Ole and Arn Anderson. He had just begun a feud with The Barbarian over who was the strongest man in the territory when he abruptly left the company after a confrontation with Jim Crockett in his office which became physical.

Haynes started wrestling in 1982 at the age of 28. He trained in Stu Hart's Dungeon pro wrestling school and briefly wrestled in Hart's Stampede Wrestling under his given name, forming a tag team with Bruce Hart. He started wrestling as Billy Jack in the Pacific Northwest territory but had to change his name when Tom Laughlin (who starred in the movie Billy Jack) threatened to sue him. He added his real last name to the gimmick and continued to work as a babyface. It is rumored that Haynes served time for manslaughter before becoming a pro wrestler.

William Albert Haynes III (born July 10, 1953) is a retired American professional wrestler better known as Billy Jack Haynes.