The Sportatorium, located in downtown Dallas, Texas (not to be confused with the Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood, Florida or the Tampa Sportatorium in Tampa, Florida), was a barnlike arena used primarily for professional wrestling events. The Hollywood Sportatorium was a large events facility for South Florida in the 1970s and 1980's and during its existence Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. An arena is an enclosed area often circular or oval-shaped designed to showcase Theater, musical performances or sporting events Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff The building, which stood at 1000 S Industrial Blvd, or the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and Cadiz Street (near the I-30/I-35E Interchange), had a seating capacity of approximately 4,000. Seating capacity refers to the number
Early history
Built in 1934 by the Cox Fence Company, the original Dallas Sportatorium was constructed in the shape of an octagon, and seated approximately 10,000. Regular octagons A regular octagon is an octagon whose sides are all the same length and whose internal angles are all the same size Its inaugural wrestling event, promoted by Burt Willoughby, took place on December 9, 1935. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Willoughby promoted wrestling at the Sportatorium until 1940, when the company was bought out by its former concessions manager, Ed McLemore. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
From 1948 until 1966, the Sportatorium was also the site of the Big D Jamboree, a weekly country music showcase similar in format to the Grand Ole Opry and Louisiana Hayride; portions of the Jamboree were broadcast nationally on the CBS Radio Network. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The Big D Jamboree was an American Radio program transmitted by KRLD. The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly Country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee The Louisiana Hayride was a radio (later television broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport Louisiana, that during its heyday from CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network.
The Sportatorium was partially destroyed by fire on May 1, 1953, in what was rumored to be an act of arson by a rival wrestling promoter. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was quickly rebuilt at the same location as a rectangular venue (with a modified octagonal seating configuration similar to the original), and reopened on September 22 of that year, billed at the time as The Million-Dollar Sportatorium. Events 66 - Emperor Nero creates the Legion I Italica. 1236 - The Lithuanians The arena also held boxing events and concerts featuring up-and-coming rock stars over the years, very much in the same manner as its Los Angeles counterpart, the Grand Olympic Auditorium, did during this time frame. The Grand Olympic Auditorium is the former name of a sports venue in Los Angeles California, United States.
In late 1966, McLemore formed a partnership with wrestler Jack Adkisson, who was known in the ring as Fritz Von Erich and bought the Dallas/Fort Worth Wrestling Office, breaking away from Paul Boesch and the Houston Wrestling Office. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Jack Barton Adkisson ( August 16 1929 - September 10 1997) was an American Professional wrestler under the Ring name Paul Boesch ( October 2, 1912 - March 7, 1989) was a Professional wrestling promoter most famous for his work as an announcer and promoter In January 1968, McLemore started suffering a series of heart attacks and was no longer able to attend to the company's day-to-day business; he died on January 9, 1969, leaving Adkisson in charge. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Adkisson's promotion, which became known in the early 1980s as World Class Championship Wrestling and featured his sons as its top stars, was the most famous and successful wrestling federation to run regularly at the Dallas Sportatorium. World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW was a popular regional Professional wrestling promotion run out of Dallas and Fort Worth Texas.
The arena was configured with several ring aisles with the majority of the seats set up on the east, south and west portions of the building. The north side of the building, best known as "Section D", was used mostly for a small stage and media area for cameras and reporters, but at least 10 rows of seats were also set up between the main stage/ring and the wall.
During wresthing matches, the heel wrestlers came out of the northwest aisle, between sections B & C, while the babyfaces came out of the aisle on the southwest corner, or sections J & A. A broadcast studio was set up adjacent to the heel's locker room area; and an overhead section was later added for wrestling announcers to call the match.
On the Industrial Blvd side of the arena was the offices of Big Time Wrestling/World Class Championship Wrestling. Jack Adkisson and his sons each shared office space in the arena. Others like David Manning, Gary Hart, Ken Mantell, Percy Pringle, Skandor Akbar, and Chris Adams would also occupy the front offices of the arena.
It has also been said that Eric Embry, who was the Sportatorium's lead booker, lived inside the arena for a time in 1989. Douglas Eric Embry is a retired Professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the United States Wrestling Association and World Class Championship
Decline
After WCCW folded in 1990 due to dwindling attendance, fundamental changes in the wrestling industry and tragedies involving a number of its top stars (including all but one of the Von Erichs, Gino Hernandez, and Bruiser Brody), the Sportatorium served as home base for the Global Wrestling Federation from 1991 to 1994 (billing itself for a time as the GlobalDome). Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Charles Wolfe ( August 14, 1957 - February 1, 1986) was a Professional wrestler better known by his ring name Gino Hernandez Global Wrestling Federation was a Professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas Texas. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Following the GWF's demise, a succession of smaller promotions (including the NWA between 1995 and 1996) attempted to hold shows in the building, each of them running out of money and closing their doors after only a short time.
However, it did gain one last bit of notoriety when Dallas-based Southwest Airlines held an arm-wrestling match between chairman Herb Kelleher and the president of Stevens Aviation, resulting from controversy over Southwest's use of the slogan "Just Plane Smart" (Stevens claimed that it infringed on its own "Plane Smart" slogan). Southwest Airlines Co ( is an American low-cost Airline based in Dallas Texas, with its largest focus city at Las Vegas ' McCarran Herbert D Kelleher (born March 12, 1931) is the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines (based in the The match was a publicity stunt designed to raise funds for charity.
The Sportatorium fell into disuse in the late 1990s when local independent wrestling promotions, by now drawing crowds only in the low hundreds, elected to run their shows in dance halls and other smaller venues instead. In addition, the aging arena was seriously dilapidated by this time, was out of compliance with local building codes, and was often used as a shelter by homeless people who entered the building illegally.
In late December 2001 some of these individuals, apparently seeking respite from sub-freezing temperatures, started a fire inside the building; the flames quickly spread and caused major damage to the arena's upstairs offices. December 2001: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - The fire proved to be the coup de grâce for the Sportatorium, its long-rumored demolition finally taking place in the spring of 2003. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Before its implosion, Kevin Von Erich took off a bench-seat and a few items from the Sportatorium as souvenirs, which he still owns today. Kevin Ross Adkisson (born May 15 1957) is a retired Professional wrestler under the Ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Kevin took one final tour of the historic arena, which was featured in its famed DVD documentary Heroes of World Class, released in 2006.
Although it had a reputation for being notoriously uncomfortable and unsanitary (having woefully inadequate heating and cooling facilities, and severe rodent infestation problems), the Dallas Sportatorium is nonetheless still remembered fondly for its intimate atmosphere, and is considered one of pro wrestling's most legendary venues. Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must
The land that occupied the now-defunct arena is slated to be a part of the new Trinity River Project, which also includes the renaming of Industrial Blvd.
External links
- Percy Pringle's Sportatorium tribute
- Rockabilly Hall of Fame's Sportatorium/Big D Jamboree page (includes article on demolition)
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