[3][4] In early 1979, Gordy began wrestling under his real name and formed the Fabulous Freebirds with Michael Hayes, with Buddy Roberts later added to the group.
Terry and Michael eventually put their differences aside and reformed the Freebirds as a duo in 1982, and they feuded with Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen.
[7] In late-1982, the Freebirds went to the Dallas, Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling promotion and feuded with the Von Erichs (David, Kevin, Kerry and Mike).
Two months later, Gordy received a chance to win the PWF Heavyweight title, then held by Riki Choshu, but he lost by disqualification.
In August 1986, he began teaming with Killer Khan, who had taught him the Asiatic Spike a couple years earlier, while both were in WCCW.
By November 1987, Gordy had reunited with Hansen for the 1987 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, where they placed second in a four-way tie with three different teams.
He took Bill Irwin as his partner for the 1989 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, but the pairing didn't work, as they placed seventh with six points.
A month later, they won the World Tag Team Championship, defeating Gordy's former partner Stan Hansen and Genichiro Tenryu.
Gordy rebounded a month later, defeating Hansen to regain the Triple Crown for the second time, but two days later, he and Williams lost the World Tag Team titles to Tsuruta and The Great Kabuki.
On July 26, 1990, after returning to Tokyo from a show in Isesaki, where he and Williams defeated Stan Hansen and Terry Taylor, Gordy collapsed while drinking at a bar and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
Five months later, they regained the titles and won the 1991 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, defeating Misawa and Kawada in the finals.
In January 1993, he and Williams won their final World Tag Team title together, defeating Mitsuharu Misawa and Toshiaki Kawada.
On August 18, 1993, while traveling from the United States to Japan to take part in another AJPW tour, Gordy took an overdose (from which he almost died of three years earlier)[5] of pain medication and slipped into a five-day coma, ultimately suffering permanent brain damage.
[6] The Freebirds spent some time in the National Wrestling Alliance's Jim Crockett Promotions where they split to feud briefly but later reunited.
[4] In February 1992, Gordy debuted for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, defeating Tommy Angel, but by the time the match aired, he had left for WCW.
He would not return until August 1994 at the Night of the Legends, where he unsuccessfully challenged Tony Anthony for the SMW Heavyweight Championship by getting himself disqualified.
After a brief feud with Boo Bradley over the summer, Gordy set his sights on the SMW Heavyweight Championship, then held by Brad Armstrong.
In 1996, Gordy appeared in Extreme Championship Wrestling to challenge Raven for the ECW World Heavyweight title, as the "internationally recognized #1 contender".
[17] However, at In Your House 12: It's Time on December 15, The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in an Armageddon Rules match, and Gordy left the promotion in January 1997.
Gordy would reunite with Hayes as they fought Glen Kulka and JR Smooth to a no contest for Power Pro Wrestling on May 28, 1999.
He wrestled his last match, returning to IWA Japan on February 4, 2001, with Shoichi Ichimiya, Tomohiro Ishii, Yukihide Ueno, and Yuji Kito, defeating Doug Gilbert, TJ Shinjuku, Ultra Sebun, Takashi Uwano and Keizo Mastuda.
[3] Gordy was found dead in his home in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee on July 16, 2001, after suffering a heart attack caused by a blood clot.
[5] Various wrestlers including Fabulous Freebirds cohort Michael Hayes and former tag team partner Stan Hansen praised Gordy for being one of the best workers they ever worked with.