Terry Taylor Paul Worden Taylor III ( August 12 , 1955 ) is an American former professional wrestler better known by his ring name Terry Taylor and for his time in National Wrestling Alliance , World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation . From 2003 until 2011 , Taylor was the Director of Talent Relations in Total Nonstop Action . He is currently signed to WWE , working as a trainer in its developmental territory NXT . Career . Early career . Terry Taylor was a popular fan favorite for much of his early career in the Mid - South region , as well as the Mid - Atlantic in the 1980s . Taylor was originally selected to be part of The Fabulous Ones tag team with Stan Lane , but that role went to Florida wrestler , Steve Keirn . Taylor then formed a tag team with Bobby Fulton called the Fantastic Ones . After they split up , Fulton teamed with Tommy Rogers to form The Fantastics . National Wrestling Alliance . Taylor made his way to Mid - South in January 1984 and feuded with the team of Nikolai Volkoff and Krusher Darsow . Darsow changed his name to Krusher Khruschev , and he and Taylor met in the finals of a May tournament to crown the first ever Mid - South TV champion , which Khruschev won . 45 days later , Taylor defeated Khruschev in New Orleans to begin his first of four TV title reigns . Taylor feuded with " Nature Boy " Buddy Landel over the NWA National Heavyweight Championship in 1985 . On March 13 of that year , he defeated Ted DiBiase for the North American Heavyweight Championship , the Mid South region ' s top title at the time . Universal Wrestling Federation . Moving back to the Mid - South region in 1986 ( which had since broken away from the NWA and been renamed the Universal Wrestling Federation { UWF ) , Taylor became one of the promotion ' s biggest stars and defeated Buzz Sawyer for the UWF Television Championship in May . He won the UWF Tag Team Championship with " Gentleman " Chris Adams in early 1987 , before breaking up their " Dream Team " to begin a heated rivalry . After Jim Crockett Promotions took over the UWF later that year , Taylor ( then the UWF Television Champion ) initiated a dispute with Nikita Koloff over the NWA World Television Championship by stealing Koloff ' s belt , which led to a unification match of the two titles at Starrcade 1987 , which Taylor would lose before abruptly leaving the promotion . World Class Championship Wrestling . In early 1988 , Taylor debuted in World Class Championship Wrestling , where he and Adams continued their feud until early June . Taylor won the Texas Heavyweight Championship from Matt Borne and defended it against Adams , Kevin Von Erich , and others . Terry also held the tag team title with Iceman King Parsons for a short time . Taylor eventually departed WCCW . World Wrestling Federation . In 1988 , Taylor signed with the World Wrestling Federation . Debuting as babyface Scary Terry Taylor , he teamed with Sam Houston against The Conquistadors in his television debut on the August 1 , 1988 airing of " Prime Time Wrestling " . After Houston was pinned , Taylor got on the mic and berated him for losing the match , before attacking him and turning heel . Taylor soon acquired Bobby " The Brain " Heenan as his manager and was rebranded " The Red Rooster " , a gimmick which saw him don red tights and ring coat and , later as a babyface , style his hair like a rooster ' s comb and strut like a rooster . Early in his Red Rooster stint , the heel Taylor was portrayed as a novice wrestler who could not navigate his way through matches without constant instructions from Heenan . The Rooster made his pay - per - view debut in the main event of Survivor Series ' 88 , where he was the first wrestler eliminated from the match . On the January 7 , 1989 episode of " Saturday Night ' s Main Event " , the Rooster lost a match to Tito Santana due to being distracted by an argument with Heenan . Following the loss , Heenan slapped Taylor . Taylor , tired of Heenan ' s demeaning style of coaching , turned against his manager and attacked him . He became a face as a result , though he retained the Red Rooster gimmick . Heenan feigned wanting to make amends with Taylor on " Prime Time Wrestling " , but it was a set - up for Taylor to be ambushed by Heenan ' s new protege , long - time enhancement talent Steve Lombardi , who Heenan reinvented as The Brooklyn Brawler . The two feuded , leading to the Rooster defeating the Brawler on the March 11 , 1989 episode of " Saturday Night ' s Main Event " and then defeating Heenan in a 30 - second squash at WrestleMania V . Taylor would then primarily be used to put over other talent . While he still earned victories against enhancement talent , he was usually on the losing end against established stars . He worked a program with Mr . Perfect , losing to him at SummerSlam ' 89 and again on the November 25 , 1989 episode of " Saturday Night ' s Main Event " . At Survivor Series ' 89 , he was part of Dusty Rhodes ' s " Dream Team . " Though Taylor was eliminated from the match , the Dream Team was victorious . The Rooster ' s last pay - per - view appearance was as a participant in the 1990 Royal Rumble match ( replacing The Widow Maker ) , where he lasted only two minutes before being eliminated by André the Giant . Taylor left the Federation in June 1990 . World Championship Wrestling . Taylor received a lesser push in World Championship Wrestling in late 1990 . He debuted as " Terry Taylor " and unsuccessfully challenged Arn Anderson for the WCW World Television Championship on several occasions , with most of the matches ending in time - limit draws . Taylor then began a short feud with Michael Wallstreet , which ended abruptly after Wallstreet jumped to the WWF . Taylor took Wallstreet ' s place in The York Foundation and was renamed Terrence Taylor ( It was customary for York Foundation members to use formalized versions of their first names and wear suits as part of the " business " gimmick ) . He feuded with Tom Zenk , Dustin Rhodes and Bobby Eaton , and won the WCW World Six - Man Tag Team Championship s with Richard Morton and Thomas Rich . Taylor was the senior wrestling member of the York Foundation throughout its existence . For a time in late 1991 - early 1992 , Taylor teased a face turn by arguing with manager Alexandra York and the rest of the group . After the York Foundation disbanded , Taylor ( billed as ' The Taylor Made Man ' ) remained heel and formed a tag team with Greg Valentine in 1992 . They held the WCW United States Tag Team Championship for three months . Return to WWF and WCW . In September 1992 , Taylor returned to the WWF as " Terrific " Terry Taylor . He continued wrestling as a heel and was primarily used to put over other talent . He appeared in the 1993 Royal Rumble match , but was eliminated in 24 seconds by Ted DiBiase . Taylor then became a broadcaster before he left the company in August 1993 and then turned up in WCW again soon after , wrestling as a face . He was featured in mid - card feuds for about a year . American Wrestling Federation . Taylor became an announcer for the American Wrestling Federation ( AWF ) in 1994 . A fan of wrestling announcer Gordon Solie , Taylor would often use Solie ' s famous phrases , pronouncing a suplex as a " soo - play " and a clothesline as a " lariat . " Second return to WWF and WCW . Taylor spent several years in WCW working backstage , as a road agent and a writer . Along with Annette Yother , Craig Leathers , Eric Bischoff and Kevin Sullivan , he wrote content for " Nitro " and WCW pay - per - view s . Third return to WWF and WCW . Taylor returned to the WWF in 1998 , doing interviews backstage . He lasted in this capacity for about a year , before leaving for WCW yet again . During this run in WCW , Taylor co - hosted and provided commentary for " WCW Saturday Night " with Larry Zbyszko . He remained with the company until WWF bought it out in March 2001 . Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . Taylor began working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2003 . Prior to becoming Head of Talent Relations , he also worked as a road agent , trainer , and interviewer . On May 20 , 2011 , Taylor was fired from the promotion . Fourth return to WWE ( 2012 – present ) . In 2012 , Taylor was re - signed by WWE to work as a trainer in its developmental territory NXT . Personal life . On April 12 , 2004 , Taylor had three vertebrae in his neck fused together . Two years later , on April 3 , 2006 , Taylor underwent a three hour cervical fusion surgery in which his sixth and seventh vertebrae were joined . Following the second operation , Taylor announced his retirement from the ring . Taylor is a born - again Christian and has appeared on some of the wrestling and religion shows that Ted DiBiase produces . Taylor played college football at Guilford College in Greensboro , NC . Taylor has two sons . His wife Trudy died of cancer on July 14 , 2011 .