Phil Hickerson

Phil Hickerson was a towering figure — literally and figuratively — in American professional wrestling and Tennessee broadcasting. Born on October 4, 1946, in Jackson, Tennessee, he stood 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighed 308 pounds, a physical presence he turned into an art form inside the ring. Known as one of wrestling's true tough men, Phil had a rare quality: he was a genuinely nice guy who could make an entire arena despise him the moment the bell rang. He debuted in 1974 with the NWA Mid-America promotion under Nick Gulas and Roy Welch, and wasted no time establishing himself as a dominant heel across Tennessee and the surrounding region. Alongside Al Greene, he formed the Sherman Tanks, capturing the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship three times. Then came the partnership that defined his career: teaming with Dennis Condrey as the Bicentennial Kings from 1975 to 1978, the duo seized the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship nine times and ruled the Mid-South territory with an iron grip. Across his 21-year career, Phil accumulated an extraordinary 14 NWA Southern Tag Team Championship reigns and titles across half a dozen promotions, including the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship, the NWA United States Tag Team Championship, and ultimately the CWA Heavyweight Championship in 1988. A career-threatening knee injury in 1980 would have stopped most men. Not Phil. He returned in 1984 and kept competing until 1991, with final matches in 1995 for the USWA. That same year, he was inducted into the Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame — a recognition long overdue by those who had watched him command every room he entered. He also toured Japan in 1988, competing in the World's Strongest Tag Determination League at All-Japan Pro Wrestling. After hanging up his boots, Phil reinvented himself as a beloved radio personality, co-hosting the "Shane & Phil" morning drive-time show on WYN 106.9 FM in Jackson for 18 years. From Evansville to Tupelo, listeners tuned in for his warmth, wit, and that unmistakable Jackson charm. He retired from broadcasting on March 31, 2016, choosing to spend his remaining years fishing and surrounded by the family he loved. Phil Hickerson passed away on May 20, 2026, at the age of 79. He leaves behind a legacy as a regional icon — a wrestler who commanded respect with his size and his craft, and a radio man who earned it with his heart.