Depends what you mean by "Deathmatches" or "Hardcore"
In his day (70s Memphis) he was as violent as they could be in them days. He used 12-inch butcher knives to blade, threw chairs, used chains, barbwire and stuff.
He was the one who supposedly started using barbed wire and such. He aslo worked for FMW or Wing. And he jumped of a steel cage long before Jimmy Snuka did.