Doug Gilbert

Doug Gilbert debuted for Continental Wrestling Association in 1986 at the age of seventeen. In 1987, he wrestled for Jim Crockett Promotions as the masked Enforcer. In 1988, Gilbert went to Continental Wrestling Federation, under a masked alter-ego Nightmare Freddie, siding with Nightmare Ken Wayne in his rivalry with Nightmare Danny Davis. In March 1989, he wrestled for World Championship Wrestling, where he remained until October. In December 1989, Gilbert won his first championship, the ICW Tag Team Championship with Dennis Condrey.

Upon his return to Memphis, Gilbert won two USWA Tag Team Championships with Tony Anthony, before leaving for Dallas in 1992 to join the Global Wrestling Federation. While in the GWF, he donned a mask and went under the name The Dark Patriot, and engaged in a rivalry with The Patriot, as well as winning the GWF North American Heavyweight Championship in January 1992.

In September 1992, Gilbert began touring Japan for W*ING, where he went under the Freddy Krueger alter-ego. By 1993, he returned to the USWA, splitting his time between USWA and W*ING. He'd also wrestled matches for Eastern Championship Wrestling as The Dark Patriot, winning the ECW Tag Team Championship with his brother Eddie. After his brother had a falling out with Tod Gordon, Gilbert left ECW. After quitting W*ING after shooting on the promotion, Gilbert returned to the USWA as The Dark Patriot and feuded with Brian Christopher, and after losing a match to Brian Christopher by disqualification, Christopher unmasked him revealing his identity. He then wrestled Christopher for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship, which was traded between the two several times between February 1994 and May 1995.

In October 1994 he revived the Dark Patriot persona in IWA Japan. In the USWA, he began teaming with Tommy Rich, with whom he held four USWA Tag Team titles with within over a year, feuding with PG-13. In January 1996, Gilbert won a USWA battle royal to earn himself a spot in WWE's 1996 Royal Rumble match later that month.

By 1996, Gilbert expanded beyond USWA. The following year, he worked for a Memphis-based promotion, Power Pro Wrestling, now doubling as a WWE developmental territory, where he feuded again with Brian Christopher, but was fired after a televised promo which turned into a shoot on Christopher, Jerry Lawler (Christopher's real-life father), and Power Pro booker Randy Hales. In the shoot that took place in October 1999, Gilbert revealed to the audience that Lawler was Christopher's father (something that was forbidden to mention on TV), accused Hale of smoking crack, and accused Lawler of raping a 13-year-old girl; a reference to claims made against Lawler in 1993 that were dismissed. Gilbert was fired from the promotion immediately. In 2000, Gilbert won the NWA Mississippi Heavyweight Championship; he would not win another title again until he defeated Bam Bam Bundy for the USA Championship Wrestling's USA Heavyweight Championship in Jackson, Tennessee in 2018.