Posted on by bdamage1
Brian Damage
If you became a WWF fan in the mid 1990’s, I’m sure you’re familiar with the color commentator/host/backstage interviewer known as ‘Dok Hendrix.’ This clean cut, squeaky clean man behind the microphone hyped upcoming WWF events and interviewed some of the biggest stars the company had at the time. Unbeknownst to many of those fans of that era, Dok Hendrix had a bit of a sorted past with the promotion years earlier. This is the story of how a whiskey drinking, rock star bad man from Bad Street became something completely opposite.
This story began in 1994, when Michael ‘P.S.’ Hayes was fired by Eric Bischoff and WCW while in the middle of a program with Johnny B. Badd. Hayes said he felt blindsided by his release due to the fact that he thought he was good friends with Bischoff and had a secure job with WCW as a result. That led to bad blood and heat between Hayes and Bischoff for a number of years afterwards.
With no job and the territories all but gone…Michael Hayes did not have many options. He began calling his friends who were working for the WWF which included Jim Ross and Bruce Prichard hoping to get brought in. This, despite Hayes knowing he was on bad terms with Vince McMahon due to the way he walked away from the company a decade earlier. When Ross and Prichard suggested Hayes’ name for a possible return to the WWF, McMahon was quick to say no.
If anything, Hayes was persistent and kept calling his WWF connections to get himself brought back in. In February of 1995, Hayes was allowed to wrestle a WWF dark match in Augusta, Georgia against enhancement worker Ken Raper. Vince was not all that impressed and passed on any further matches involving the former Freebird. When it looked like Hayes’ wrestling career was all but done…an opportunity opened itself up in the company.
Jerry Lawler was being moved from the syndicated Superstars show to the Monday Night Raw broadcast team. That left an opening for a new color man to work alongside Vince on Superstars. Jim Ross who worked with Michael Hayes on commentary in both the UWF and WCW suggested giving him a shot. Vince McMahon was not all that impressed by the suggestion feeling that with his long hair and beard….Hayes looked dirty and unprofessional. Ross and Prichard assured Vince that Hayes could be a great color commentator and if Hayes was willing to clean himself up and change his look…would Vince give him a shot? Vince agreed, but only if they told Hayes upfront that he would have to have a complete makeover.
Prichard went back to Hayes with the try out offer and Hayes agreed to do whatever Vince asked of him. When Hayes showed up at Titan Towers aka WWF Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut…Prichard said he was surprised to see Hayes still have his long blonde hair and scruffy beard. Hayes sat down with Vince and chatted for a bit and then did a mock broadcast where Prichard said that Hayes fit in perfectly. There was an instant chemistry with McMahon and Vince agreed to give Hayes a shot at the commentator role….but as agreed…had to change his appearance. Bruce sent Hayes up to visit a hairstylist who was on the premises and received a haircut and shave.
Vince approved of the new look for Hayes, but still wasn’t completely satisfied. He wanted Hayes to change his name and had him work with Bruce Prichard on a new moniker. According to Prichard, the two sat and talked about what Hayes liked outside of pro wrestling and Hayes mentioned he was a big Jimi Hendrix fan. So Hendrix was chosen as his new last name. Prichard claimed that the name “Dok” was selected as a homage to Doc Severinsen who was the band leader of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Hayes later claimed he chose Dok as a homage to the metal band Dokken. Whatever the case…that is how the name Dok Hendrix was born.
Dok Hendrix made his WWF debut on Superstars in April of 1995 alongside Vince McMahon. Hendrix would go on to do commentary on Wrestling Challenge, Monday Night Raw, In Your House pay per views as well as host ‘Slam Jam’ where Dok would hype upcoming WWF shows. He was the man that interviewed Stone Cold Steve Austin at the King of the Ring pay per view where Austin infamously uttered the phrase “Austin 3:16 just whooped your ass.” Michael Hayes as Dok Hendrix became the perfect corporate poster boy appearing all over the place for the company.
Michael Hayes remained under the guise of Dok Hendrix until an episode of WWF Livewire on October 5, 1996. On that day, Vic ‘Venom’ Russo revealed to viewers that his real name was Michael Hayes of the infamous Freebirds thus ending the run as Dok. It was done during the change in attitude by the company as they were completely transitioning themselves into the ‘Attitude Era.’ Hayes went on to manage the Hardy Boyz and become a producer behind the scenes where Hayes remains to this very day. For nearly 30 years, Hayes has been employed by the company through good times and bad. Pretty impressive considering that Vince McMahon did not want to bother with him at the start.
