Hack Meyers

Donald Haviland (December 7, 1973 – December 5, 2015), better known by his ring name Hack Meyers, was an American professional wrestler renowned for his contributions to the hardcore wrestling scene, particularly during his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) from 1993 to 1998.^[1] Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Meyers debuted in the ring on October 19, 1990, in Odenton, Maryland, teaming with Colt Starr against The Lords of Darkness.^[2] He adopted a brawling, high-impact style that aligned with ECW's emphasis on intense, weapon-filled matches, earning him the nickname "The Shah" for his distinctive in-ring calls and persona.^[3] Throughout his career, Meyers competed across multiple independent promotions, including Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW), Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), Independent Pro Wrestling (IPW-Hardcore), Future of Wrestling (FOW), and Hardcore Championship Wrestling (HCW).^[2] He achieved success as a champion in several of these promotions.^[2] Notable ECW appearances included bouts against prominent figures like Tommy Dreamer and involvement in events such as the June 24, 1994, match at ECW Television.^[2] Meyers also made a brief appearance in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later transitioned into training roles, mentoring wrestlers including Scoot Andrews and Travis Tomko.^[1] Meyers' in-ring career spanned over two decades, with his final match occurring in 2011.^[4] He passed away two days before his 42nd birthday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore due to complications following brain surgery, at the age of 41.^[3]

Biography

Early life and training

Donald Haviland, better known by his ring name Hack Meyers, was born on December 7, 1973, in Baltimore, Maryland.^[5] Little is publicly known about his childhood or family background, though he grew up in the Baltimore area before pursuing a career in professional wrestling.^[3] Haviland began his training under Axl Rotten.^[5] This mentorship was instrumental in shaping his early development, with influences leading to the adoption of ring names that included Admiral H. Oscar Meyers. Initially, Haviland performed under the persona of Bronco Billy, evoking a cowboy archetype that aligned with his rugged, early wrestling identity, before evolving into the hardcore-oriented Hack Meyers.^[5] His training emphasized a brawling style, prioritizing gritty, hard-hitting exchanges well-suited to the demands of independent circuits.^[5] Standing at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) and billed at 225 pounds (102 kg), Haviland's physical build supported the intense, physical nature of his training regimen, which focused on endurance and resilience for prolonged in-ring confrontations.^[6] He made his professional debut in 1990 following the completion of this preparatory phase.^[4]

Death

Donald Stephen Haviland, known professionally as Hack Meyers, died on December 5, 2015, at the age of 41 from complications following brain surgery.^[7]^[8] In mid-November 2015, following an announcement by fellow wrestler Axl Rotten on November 16 that he was awaiting brain surgery, Haviland underwent the procedure at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Post-operative complications caused a rapid decline in his health, leading to his death three weeks later while surrounded by family.^[7]^[8]^[9] He was survived by his father, Donald Stephen Haviland Sr., his sister Mary F. Williams and her husband Charles L. Williams Sr., and several nieces and nephews, along with close friend Gina Candora.^[7] The wrestling community mourned his passing, with ECW alumni offering tributes that highlighted his enduring underdog spirit and popularity as a resilient performer in the promotion.^[3]

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1990–1993)

Hack Meyers, born Donald Haviland, began his professional wrestling career under the ring name Bronco Billy, debuting on October 19, 1990, in Odenton, Maryland, in a tag team match alongside Colt Starr as The Texas Longhorns against The Lords of Darkness.^[7]^[2] This initial appearance marked the start of his efforts to build experience in the ring, following training under Axl Rotten.^[2] Throughout the early 1990s, Haviland secured bookings in various regional promotions across Florida and the Southeast, including Florida Championship Wrestling, Florida Wrestling Alliance, Independent Pro Wrestling Alliance (IPWA), and Pro Wrestling Federation South, where he primarily competed in tag team and singles undercard matches.^[3] These appearances allowed him to hone his skills against jobbers and emerging midcard talent, establishing a reputation for reliability and durability in the competitive independent scene.^[7] His matches often emphasized brawling techniques, laying the groundwork for the hardcore elements that would define his later style, as he engaged in physical, crowd-pleasing bouts that tested his resilience.^[3] By 1992–1993, Haviland transitioned from a tag team specialist to a solo competitor, adopting the ring name Hack Meyers and incorporating early elements of his distinctive "Hack" persona, such as vocal crowd interaction sounds to energize audiences during matches.^[4] This shift positioned him for greater opportunities beyond the regional circuit, culminating in his move to a national promotion the following year.^[7]

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1993–1998)

Hack Meyers made his debut in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) on November 14, 1993, at a joint event with the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation, where he defeated Trent Young in a singles match, retaining his ASWA Heavyweight Championship in the process.^[2] This appearance marked the beginning of his full-time association with ECW, where he quickly established himself as a reliable undercard performer, often serving as an enhancement talent to elevate emerging stars while showcasing his resilience in hardcore-style bouts.^[3] Early in his tenure, Meyers competed in several television tapings and house shows, including a loss to Mr. Hughes on the February 15, 1994, episode of ECW Hardcore TV, highlighting his role in building momentum for dominant heels.^[2] Throughout 1994 and 1995, Meyers participated in notable pay-per-view events, solidifying his position on the midcard. At Hostile City Showdown on June 24, 1994, he faced Tommy Dreamer in a competitive singles match, losing via pinfall after a top-rope splash in 6:49, which helped propel Dreamer's rise as a fan favorite. He achieved victories against larger opponents later, defeating Big Malley (Val Puccio) at Hardcore Heaven on July 1, 1995, by capitalizing on a missed elbow drop for the pin at 7:37, and again beating Puccio at Heat Wave on July 15, 1995, in 6:15.^[10] By early 1996, Meyers lost to Taz at House Party on January 5, submitting to the Tazmission in a match that underscored Taz's technical dominance.^[11] These encounters exemplified Meyers' contributions to ECW's event atmosphere, blending underdog appeal with hardcore elements without pursuing main-event status. Meyers developed his signature "Shah of ECW" persona during this period, characterized by a distinctive "shah" taunt delivered with each strike, which prompted enthusiastic crowd chants and positioned him as a resilient babyface in feuds emphasizing endurance.^[3] This gimmick, embraced by ECW's passionate audience, amplified his undercard presence and added to the promotion's interactive, rowdy vibe.^[12] Meyers made sporadic returns to ECW in 1997 and 1998 amid his independent circuit work, including a six-man tag team match at Born to Be Wired on August 9, 1997, where he teamed with Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney against the Dudley Boyz, taking the loss in a chaotic brawl.^[2] His final ECW appearance occurred on November 27, 1998, during an episode of ECW Hardcore TV in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, teaming once more with Mahoney and Masato Tanaka against Buh Buh Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, and Big Dick Dudley; Meyers absorbed the pinfall following a 3D from the Dudley Boyz, concluding his six-year stint as a foundational undercard figure.^[13]

Later career (1997–2011)

Following his time in Extreme Championship Wrestling, Meyers briefly appeared in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1997, primarily serving as enhancement talent to showcase established stars. On July 5, 1997, he teamed with The Punisher in a handicap match against The Giant on WCW Worldwide, where they were quickly defeated, highlighting Meyers' role in elevating larger opponents through jobbing performances.^[2] His WCW stint was limited to a handful of syndicated TV appearances that spring and summer, without any significant push or storyline involvement.^[4] In 1999, Meyers received a one-off opportunity in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), teaming with Chris Nelson against the Hardy Boyz on the May 15 episode of WWF Shotgun Saturday Night. The match, taped in New York, ended in a loss for Meyers and Nelson, providing brief national television exposure but no further bookings in the promotion.^[2] This appearance underscored his versatility as a reliable opponent for up-and-coming tag teams during WWF's Attitude Era expansion. Meyers returned to the Florida independent scene as a mainstay after these national excursions, competing regularly in promotions such as Future of Wrestling (FOW), Independent Pro Wrestling (IPW), NWA Florida, and later Coastal Championship Wrestling (CCW). In these circuits, he adopted veteran roles, often facing local talent in singles and tag matches while contributing to the development of the regional wrestling community. For instance, on October 21, 2000, he defeated Bobby Brooks in FOW, and on May 15, 2004, he bested Shane McLane in NWA Florida, demonstrating his continued reliability in mid-card bouts.^[2] Meyers also trained emerging wrestlers, including Scoot Andrews, sharing his experience from hardcore and territorial styles to mentor the next generation in Florida's indie landscape.^[2] By the early 2000s, Meyers' in-ring schedule gradually diminished, shifting toward sporadic appearances that emphasized his evolved style as a mentor figure rather than a featured competitor. He participated in occasional hardcore matches, such as a 2000 four-way bout in IPW against Chaos, O.D.D., and Rick Thames, but without pursuing major storylines or titles.^[2] This phase included events in promotions like Maximum Xtreme Pro Wrestling, where he defeated Darron Rees on October 7, 2006, maintaining a presence in Florida's indie circuit.^[2] His final match came on August 13, 2011, in CCW, where he defeated Johnny Vandal, marking his retirement from active competition at age 37.^[2]

Championships and accomplishments

Major titles

Throughout his career, Hack Meyers captured several championships in independent promotions, particularly in Maryland, Florida, and other regional circuits, highlighting his versatility as a tag team and singles competitor while reinforcing his reputation as a reliable journeyman wrestler. Meyers won the FSPWA Tag Team Championship once, partnering with Scoot Andrews during his time on the Florida independent scene.^[14] He won the MCW Heavyweight Championship once on March 12, 1994, by defeating Axl Rotten in Maryland Championship Wrestling.^[2] Meyers secured the FCW Heavyweight Championship once on July 17, 1998, in Florida Championship Wrestling.^[2] Reflecting his ECW-influenced hardcore background, Meyers captured the IPW Hardcore Championship once from November 14, 1998, to April 27, 1999, a 164-day reign in Independent Pro Wrestling.^[15]^[2] Meyers won the FOW Tag Team Championship once with Dave Johnson on December 1, 2001, in Future of Wrestling.^[2] Meyers held the HCW Hardcore Championship on three occasions—once on October 12, 2002, for less than a day, and twice on February 4, 2006, also for a short duration—titles that aligned with his brawling, no-holds-barred style in Hardcore Championship Wrestling.^[15] In 2006, Meyers won the ACW Combat Championship, holding it until September 16, 2006.^[15]

Other achievements

Meyers earned recognition as an "ECW original" for his foundational role in the promotion's early years, contributing to its undercard consistency through reliable performances that engaged fans with his energetic style.^[3] He became affectionately known as the "Shah of ECW," a moniker stemming from the crowd's rhythmic "Shah!" chants during his strikes, which highlighted his popularity as a fan favorite in hardcore matches.^[16] In the late 1990s and 2000s, Meyers served as a mainstay in Florida's independent wrestling scene, where he mentored emerging talent and helped shape the local hardcore wrestling environment through his involvement in promotions like Future of Wrestling.^[16] His guidance emphasized practical ring skills and resilience, influencing a generation of wrestlers navigating the indie circuit. Meyers made brief appearances in major promotions such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), primarily as enhancement talent to elevate established stars and advance storylines, providing him valuable exposure in larger arenas.^[5] Following his death in 2015, peers and fans paid tribute to Meyers for his clean lifestyle, noting his avoidance of substance abuse and the industry's common pitfalls, which allowed him to maintain a positive reputation and serve as a role model amid wrestling's challenges.^[17] These remembrances underscored his lasting contributions to the camaraderie and integrity of the profession.