Wrestler: Chad 'Flame' Young

Wrestler Name: Chad 'Flame' Young
Real Name: Chad Young
Birthday: August 9, 1954
Hometown: Tupelo, MS
Billed From: Memphis, TN
Marital Status: Married
Alignment: Heel
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 274
Theme Music: "Fire on High" by ELO (single); “In the Ghetto” by Elvis Presley (tag)
Debut: September 3, 1978
Debut Opp: 'Disco' Dominic Donovan
Last Match: December 26, 1996
Last Opp: Friends in Low Places
PriDistrict: MidAmerica
Style: Technical Flyer
Finishing Move: Down in Flames (powerbomb off middle rope)
Weapon: fireball
Notable Feuds: every other tag team
Image: Shaun White

His Story:

Chad was born to Cooper and Deborah (Hyde) Young on August 9, 1954 in Tupelo, MS. His father was a journeyman electrician. His mother taught fourth grade at Lawndale Elementary School. Chad was an average student throughout school. He never made studying a priority. College wasn't a goal for him. He was going to become an electrician like his father. He was very skilled with his hands. His best class at Tupelo High School was shop.

After graduation, he was dropped from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in his second year of his apprenticeship. His Master Electrician trainer refused to work with him. He claimed the young man was too hot-headed to become a good electrician. After a couple months, he was picked up for another apprenticeship with a Master HVAC technician belonging to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). His Master HVAC technician was Joseph Fierros. During his apprenticeship, he became good friends with Joseph's son Wesley (Joe Blow). Wesley was undergoing an apprenticeship as a plumber.

After both men became journeymen in 1975, they pooled their resources to begin CW's Plumbing and HVAC. They met Arnold when they came to fix the furnace system at the MVW Headquarters in Tupelo. Arnold asked the two if they might have any aspirations of becoming wrestlers. They thought it over during the job. They agreed to a six-month contract to try it out. They wanted just matches around the Tupelo area so that they were still able to keep their day jobs.

When the MVW expanded into Tennessee, Chad and Wesley tried to keep up, but the long drives back to Tupelo made their mornings come extra early. They finally invoked their “local” contract clause after giving up the Tennessee State Tag Titles to Mississippi's Most Wanted on December 6, 1980. When asked by Arnold why they did it that way, they replied that they didn't like the way the match was supposed to end. It created more of a rivalry with the Ghetto Gang's ending. The rivalry never happened as Mississippi's Most Wanted continued to be primarily entangled against Sensational Excellence.

Chad made up his mind to quit wrestling during the summer of 1996. It took some doing to convince Wesley, who had family in the MVW as well, but they decided to make an end of it at the end of 1996. They worked themselves up through October and November into a quick feud with the Friends in Low Places. The feud ended when Ghetto Gang lost a Loser Leaves MVW match on December 26.

As of 2010, Chad was still married to his wife Maria. They had one son, Christopher, who would debut in the MVW as The Nightmare in 1998. Chad and Wesley still run CW's Plumbing and HVAC. Plans are in the works for the Youngs to retire by 2014 and move to Panama City, FL.