Former wrestler Billy Jack Haynes, charged in murder of 85-year-old wife, trained in Calgary in early 80s

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

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.