Former wrestler Billy Jack Haynes, charged in murder of 85-year-old wife, trained in Calgary in early 80s
![Billy Jack Haynes Ex-wrestler Billy Jack Haynes was charged Feb.29 with second-degree murder in the death of his 85-year-old wife. Haynes made his pro wrestling debut with Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling in 1982. (Photo: X@Billy](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/3/10/billy-jack-haynes-1-6801892-1710091486139.jpg)
A former pro wrestler facing second-degree murder charges in the death of his wife got his start in the grappling game in Calgary, studying at Stampede Wrestling.
At the end of February, 70-year-old Billy Jack Haynes was charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon in relation to the shooting death of his 85-year-old wife Janette Becraft, on Feb. 8, 2024.
According to an Entertainment Weekly article on ew.com, police arrested Haynes on scene, where he was transported to hospital “for a medical condition unrelated to the homicide or his contact with law enforcement.”
Haynes wrestled in the 1980s and spent two years wrestling in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) before retiring in 1996.
Numerous wrestling fan sites tell the story of how Haynes decided in the early 80s to switch from a struggling boxing career to wrestling and how he was advised by Portland promoter Dutch Savage to travel from Portland to Calgary to train with the Hart family in “The Dungeon”, the family’s legendary wrestling compound.
Wrestler Billy Jack Haynes in action in the 1990s. (Photo: X@WrestlingKing)
“Billy Jack Haynes trained with my brothers.” Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart said, in a 2015 interview with Joey Styles on the WWE website. “I think my dad did train with him a little bit. My dad would bring in a lot of guys with a little experience and they’d get schooled a little bit by my dad, my brothers, me and Dynamite [Kid]. We would get them ready for the tour. He became a full-time wrestler for my dad and got the name Billy Jack Haynes up here.”
Haynes said in one YouTube interview that he only spent a month training in Calgary with the Harts in the summer of 1982 and that he made his professional wrestling debut with Stampede Wrestling in Regina. He said he drove with Bruce Hart to Regina and back, and was paid C$25 for the fight.
He left Calgary shortly thereafter, returning to Portland where he wrestled professionally for many years.
In 2014, he filed a lawsuit along with dozens of other former wrestlers against the WWE for mistreatment of its wrestlers, particularly with relation to traumatic brain injuries suffered by wrestlers. Haynes said he suffered at least 15 concussions, suffered from depression and showed signs of dementia.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
DEVELOPING Alberta's request for federal assistance approved after fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Loblaw, George Weston to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500-million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.
EXCLUSIVE One address, 76 foreign currency dealers: Inside Canada's money service business 'clusters'
An IJF and CTV News investigation has found dozens of cases across Canada where multiple money services businesses (MSBs) are incorporated at the same address, sometimes without the knowledge or consent of the location's actual occupant. One money laundering expert calls it an 'abuse of the system.'
A slight temperature drop makes Tuesday the world's second-hottest day
Global temperatures dropped a minuscule amount after two days of record highs, making Tuesday only the world's second-hottest day ever.
U.K. police officer suspended after video appears to show a man being kicked in head
A British police officer was suspended from all duties Thursday after a video was posted on social media that appeared to show an officer kicking and stamping on the head of a man lying on the floor of a terminal at Manchester Airport.