Before turning professional, he was a promising amateur boxer, but instead of continuing his training, he decided that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Larry Hamilton.

As a singles wrestler, he first got a promotional push by NWA Western States booker, Doc Sarpolis, who billed him as "Silent" Joe Hamilton.

When he left Florida in 1961 he intended to return to Oklahoma but an offer from Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW) would change the direction of Hamilton's career.

At times the Assassins would be backed up by Jody's brother the Missouri Mauler to take on the Kentuckians and their "fellow hillbilly" Haystacks Calhoun.

With his backstage responsibilities expanded Renesto cut back on his wrestling dates as Hamilton was pushed as a singles wrestler.

Renesto retired from the ring and focused more on the booking aspects of GCW while Hamilton started to work as a singles wrestler billed simply as "The Assassin".

One night in 1988, he was thrown from the top rope during a match and landed wrong, the fall caused him to break the lumbar vertebrae in his back.

[6] Once Hamilton recovered from his back injury, he opened the official training center for World Championship Wrestling, the Power Plant.

[9] With Hamilton as director of the school it produced talent such as Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, Bill Goldberg, and the Big Show over the years.

The company ran shows on a regular basis featuring WWE-contracted talent until April 18, 2007, when WWE ended its relationship with DSW.

In February 2009, Hamilton officially returned to the business, joining Rampage Pro Wrestling, an independent promotion based out of Warner Robins, Georgia.

Hamilton and Patrick became heavily involved in producing the company's weekly television show that aired in the Middle Georgia area on the local FOX affiliate.

In April 2009, Hamilton filed a lawsuit against WWE in Fulton County, GA over how the working agreement with his promotion, Deep South Wrestling, was terminated.

His attorney claimed that WWE "fraudulently contrived a reason to end the agreement" without giving the 90-days notice that the contract required.

The suit also claimed that WWE illegally entered the Deep South building in McDonough, GA and took property belonging to Hamilton.

It also claimed the WWE Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, warned wrestlers who continued to work with Deep South or Hamilton would be blackballed in the wrestling business.

Two unnamed professional wrestlers who were under WWE contract at the time confirmed Hamilton's claim that Laurinaitis made the threatening speech.