When one thinks about the great families that have dominated professional wrestling, few can compare with The Von Erichs. Starting with the patriarch Fritz, his sons dutifully followed in his footsteps, with varying degrees of success. The arrival of Kevin, followed by David and Kerry set Fritz’s World Class Championship Wrestling on fire, especially when they began their legendary feud […]
By the end of the 1980s, the WWF were the undisputed kings of professional wrestling in the United States. At the time of the new decade, WCW was barely two years into their existence, and far from serious competition; the AWA was on their last legs. Since the national expansion had been so successful, why not go further afield? In […]
Ever since the debacle that occurred at December 1997’s Starrcade (which we covered in our “Starrcade Shutdown” article), the status of who should be the rightful World Heavyweight champion had been up for debate. More screwiness ensued with no clear-cut result, and then at the January pay-per-view Souled Out, new commissioner Roddy Piper announced the Superbrawl main event to be […]
Wrestling promoters have often used ‘foreigners’ to build heat and tension, which originated from past conflicts. For example, Rikidozan – who despite being Korean was presented as Japanese – built his legacy and the foundation of Japanese pro wrestling by defeating American heels in the 1950s and 1960s. Conversely, in the United States, German and Japanese heels flooded promotions across […]
The Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling – also known later as the World Class Wrestling Association – began to hit their stride in 1981, with an influx of new, exciting talent. Ushered in by the booking of Gary Hart, the new arrivals included owner Fritz Von Erich’s son’s David, Kevin and Kerry. The Von Erich’s dominated, as all three showcased […]
By 1985, it was do-or-die time for companies like the American Wrestling Association. Vince McMahon made several big moves throughout 1984, and then on March 31, 1985, produced the first Wrestlemania. It was a commercial success for the company, with its combination of in-ring action and a bevy of celebrity involvement from the likes of pop star Cyndi Lauper and […]
