Joseph Hamilton (August 28, 1938 – August 3, 2021) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer. He was best known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1". When the Assassins ended, He wrestled as "The Assassin" and "The Flame" both while wearing a mask.
Hamilton teamed up with Tom Renesto in late 1961 to form the masked heel (bad guy) team known as "The Assassins" and, for over a decade, he and Renesto wrestled all over the world with great success. Once Renesto retired, Hamilton kept the Assassins team alive by partnering with wrestlers such as Randy Colley and "Hercules" Hernandez under the trademark gold and black masks of the Assassins.
In the late 1980s, Hamilton founded Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he also wrestled until a back injury forced him to retire in 1988. After Deep South Wrestling closed, he worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling both on the booking team and later on as a trainer at WCW's Power Plant training facility. In 2005, he reopened Deep South Wrestling, this time as an affiliate of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to train wrestlers the WWE had signed to developmental contracts. In 2007, WWE abruptly ended their contract with DSW and the promotion suspended operations later in the year.
Hamilton died on August 3, 2021, after being placed in hospice care. News of his death was broken via social media by his son, Nick.∼Joseph Nicholas "Jody" Hamilton, Sr., 82, of Griffin, husband of Rosemary Davis Hamilton, died Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at Eternal Hope Hospice.
Born in St. Joseph, MO, August 28, 1938, he was a son of the late Joseph Zwaduk and Augusta Faye Blevins Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton had a career as a professional wrestler that spanned over six decades. A tag-team partnership with his brother started his career as the "Hamilton Brothers". In the 1960's he and Tom Renesto formed the tag-team "The Assassins" and later became world champion wrestlers. He had a solo career having been "The Assassin" and "The Flame". Mr. Hamilton later went to work with WCW and Ted Turner training new talent. He retired after having traveled the world wrestling so he could come home to the love of his life and childhood sweetheart he met in high school at age 15, his "Rosie Girl".
Surviving in addition to his wife of sixty-one years are a son, Joseph Nicholas Hamilton, Jr. and wife Cheryl of Stockbridge; a daughter, Christine Hamilton Standish of Griffin; grandchildren, Joseph Nicholas "Nick" Hamilton, III and Anthony Lawrence "Tony" Hamilton, both of Stockbridge, Hannah Standish Witman and husband, Joseph and Christian Edward Standish, both of Milner; a great-grandchild, Harper Riley Witman; sister-in-law, Donna Bennett and husband Craig of St. Joseph, MO and her daughter, Billie Jo Davis.
A memorial service will be planned for a later date.
Hamilton teamed up with Tom Renesto in late 1961 to form the masked heel (bad guy) team known as "The Assassins" and, for over a decade, he and Renesto wrestled all over the world with great success. Once Renesto retired, Hamilton kept the Assassins team alive by partnering with wrestlers such as Randy Colley and "Hercules" Hernandez under the trademark gold and black masks of the Assassins.
In the late 1980s, Hamilton founded Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he also wrestled until a back injury forced him to retire in 1988. After Deep South Wrestling closed, he worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling both on the booking team and later on as a trainer at WCW's Power Plant training facility. In 2005, he reopened Deep South Wrestling, this time as an affiliate of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to train wrestlers the WWE had signed to developmental contracts. In 2007, WWE abruptly ended their contract with DSW and the promotion suspended operations later in the year.
Hamilton died on August 3, 2021, after being placed in hospice care. News of his death was broken via social media by his son, Nick.∼Joseph Nicholas "Jody" Hamilton, Sr., 82, of Griffin, husband of Rosemary Davis Hamilton, died Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at Eternal Hope Hospice.
Born in St. Joseph, MO, August 28, 1938, he was a son of the late Joseph Zwaduk and Augusta Faye Blevins Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton had a career as a professional wrestler that spanned over six decades. A tag-team partnership with his brother started his career as the "Hamilton Brothers". In the 1960's he and Tom Renesto formed the tag-team "The Assassins" and later became world champion wrestlers. He had a solo career having been "The Assassin" and "The Flame". Mr. Hamilton later went to work with WCW and Ted Turner training new talent. He retired after having traveled the world wrestling so he could come home to the love of his life and childhood sweetheart he met in high school at age 15, his "Rosie Girl".
Surviving in addition to his wife of sixty-one years are a son, Joseph Nicholas Hamilton, Jr. and wife Cheryl of Stockbridge; a daughter, Christine Hamilton Standish of Griffin; grandchildren, Joseph Nicholas "Nick" Hamilton, III and Anthony Lawrence "Tony" Hamilton, both of Stockbridge, Hannah Standish Witman and husband, Joseph and Christian Edward Standish, both of Milner; a great-grandchild, Harper Riley Witman; sister-in-law, Donna Bennett and husband Craig of St. Joseph, MO and her daughter, Billie Jo Davis.
A memorial service will be planned for a later date.
Joseph Hamilton (August 28, 1938 – August 3, 2021) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer. He was best known as one half of the tag team The Assassins where he was called "Assassin #1". When the Assassins ended, He wrestled as "The Assassin" and "The Flame" both while wearing a mask.
Hamilton teamed up with Tom Renesto in late 1961 to form the masked heel (bad guy) team known as "The Assassins" and, for over a decade, he and Renesto wrestled all over the world with great success. Once Renesto retired, Hamilton kept the Assassins team alive by partnering with wrestlers such as Randy Colley and "Hercules" Hernandez under the trademark gold and black masks of the Assassins.
In the late 1980s, Hamilton founded Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he also wrestled until a back injury forced him to retire in 1988. After Deep South Wrestling closed, he worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling both on the booking team and later on as a trainer at WCW's Power Plant training facility. In 2005, he reopened Deep South Wrestling, this time as an affiliate of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to train wrestlers the WWE had signed to developmental contracts. In 2007, WWE abruptly ended their contract with DSW and the promotion suspended operations later in the year.
Hamilton died on August 3, 2021, after being placed in hospice care. News of his death was broken via social media by his son, Nick.∼Joseph Nicholas "Jody" Hamilton, Sr., 82, of Griffin, husband of Rosemary Davis Hamilton, died Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at Eternal Hope Hospice.
Born in St. Joseph, MO, August 28, 1938, he was a son of the late Joseph Zwaduk and Augusta Faye Blevins Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton had a career as a professional wrestler that spanned over six decades. A tag-team partnership with his brother started his career as the "Hamilton Brothers". In the 1960's he and Tom Renesto formed the tag-team "The Assassins" and later became world champion wrestlers. He had a solo career having been "The Assassin" and "The Flame". Mr. Hamilton later went to work with WCW and Ted Turner training new talent. He retired after having traveled the world wrestling so he could come home to the love of his life and childhood sweetheart he met in high school at age 15, his "Rosie Girl".
Surviving in addition to his wife of sixty-one years are a son, Joseph Nicholas Hamilton, Jr. and wife Cheryl of Stockbridge; a daughter, Christine Hamilton Standish of Griffin; grandchildren, Joseph Nicholas "Nick" Hamilton, III and Anthony Lawrence "Tony" Hamilton, both of Stockbridge, Hannah Standish Witman and husband, Joseph and Christian Edward Standish, both of Milner; a great-grandchild, Harper Riley Witman; sister-in-law, Donna Bennett and husband Craig of St. Joseph, MO and her daughter, Billie Jo Davis.
A memorial service will be planned for a later date.
Hamilton teamed up with Tom Renesto in late 1961 to form the masked heel (bad guy) team known as "The Assassins" and, for over a decade, he and Renesto wrestled all over the world with great success. Once Renesto retired, Hamilton kept the Assassins team alive by partnering with wrestlers such as Randy Colley and "Hercules" Hernandez under the trademark gold and black masks of the Assassins.
In the late 1980s, Hamilton founded Deep South Wrestling (DSW), where he also wrestled until a back injury forced him to retire in 1988. After Deep South Wrestling closed, he worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling both on the booking team and later on as a trainer at WCW's Power Plant training facility. In 2005, he reopened Deep South Wrestling, this time as an affiliate of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), to train wrestlers the WWE had signed to developmental contracts. In 2007, WWE abruptly ended their contract with DSW and the promotion suspended operations later in the year.
Hamilton died on August 3, 2021, after being placed in hospice care. News of his death was broken via social media by his son, Nick.∼Joseph Nicholas "Jody" Hamilton, Sr., 82, of Griffin, husband of Rosemary Davis Hamilton, died Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at Eternal Hope Hospice.
Born in St. Joseph, MO, August 28, 1938, he was a son of the late Joseph Zwaduk and Augusta Faye Blevins Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton had a career as a professional wrestler that spanned over six decades. A tag-team partnership with his brother started his career as the "Hamilton Brothers". In the 1960's he and Tom Renesto formed the tag-team "The Assassins" and later became world champion wrestlers. He had a solo career having been "The Assassin" and "The Flame". Mr. Hamilton later went to work with WCW and Ted Turner training new talent. He retired after having traveled the world wrestling so he could come home to the love of his life and childhood sweetheart he met in high school at age 15, his "Rosie Girl".
Surviving in addition to his wife of sixty-one years are a son, Joseph Nicholas Hamilton, Jr. and wife Cheryl of Stockbridge; a daughter, Christine Hamilton Standish of Griffin; grandchildren, Joseph Nicholas "Nick" Hamilton, III and Anthony Lawrence "Tony" Hamilton, both of Stockbridge, Hannah Standish Witman and husband, Joseph and Christian Edward Standish, both of Milner; a great-grandchild, Harper Riley Witman; sister-in-law, Donna Bennett and husband Craig of St. Joseph, MO and her daughter, Billie Jo Davis.
A memorial service will be planned for a later date.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
