| Global Wrestling Federation | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Acronym | GWF |
| Established | 1991 |
| Style | American Wrestling |
| Location | Dallas, Texas (2005-current) |
| Founder(s) | Max Andrews and Joe Pedicino |
| Owner(s) | Max Andrews (1991-1994) Joe Pedicino (1991-1992) Grey Pierson (1992-1994) |
Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. 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) At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p. m. Eastern with current matches.
The GWF was the last pro wrestling promotion to be seen on ESPN regularly. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the network would begin to emphasize talk shows in the mid-afternoon hours, supplanting pro wrestling. A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to
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Brief history
Max Andrews & Joe Pedicino were the original GWF promoters. The organization was a mix of established names and newcomers, many of whom would launch their national careers after appearances on the daily ESPN show. The original stars included The Patriot (Del Wilkes, who was the Trooper in the AWA), Stan Lane, Scott Anthony (Raven of TNA), The Handsome Stranger (Marcus Bagwell of WCW) and Cactus Jack. Del Wilkes (born December 21, 1961 in Columbia South Carolina) is an American former Professional wrestler. The American Wrestling Association (AWA was an American Professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis Minnesota that ran from 1960 Wallace Stanfield "Sweet Stan" Lane (born August 5, 1953 in Greensboro North Carolina) is a Professional wrestler, trained by Scott Anthony Levy (born September 8 1964 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) better known by his Ring name Raven, is an American Professional Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ( TNA) is an American Professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and his father Jerry Jarrett Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10 1970) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his Ring name, Buff Michael Francis "Mick" Foley Sr Early life Foley was born in Bloomington Indiana. In late 1991, "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert entered the promotion and took over much of the creative direction of the show introducing The Dark Patriot (his brother, Doug Gilbert) and "The Winner" Barry Horowitz (a character created by Gilbert and announcer Craig Johnson. Thomas Edward (Eddie Gilbert Jr ( August 14, 1961 &ndash February 18, 1995) was an American professional wrestler Doug Gilbert (born January 5, 1969) is a Professional wrestler from Memphis Tennessee who wrestles the Independent circuit. Barry Horowitz (born on March 24, 1960 in St Petersburg Florida) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint )
Weekly shows from "The GlobalDome"
The GWF began airing weekly shows in the local Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex television market from the Dallas Sportatorium, which was billed for a short time as The GlobalDome. Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventeenth-largest city in the United States. The Sportatorium, located in downtown Dallas Texas (not to be confused with the Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood Florida or the Tampa Sportatorium The promotion's announcers were Craig Johnson, Scott Hudson, Steven Prazak (as "Steven DeTruth"), and Joe Pedicino, with Boni Blackstone as ringside interviewer. Scott Hudson (born September 21, 1964 in Tifton Georgia) is a Professional wrestling Play-by-play announcer as well as Scott Hudson left the announcer's table and in his place was "The Expert" Bruce Pritchard (Brother Love of WWF/WWE). In one of the stranger angles in wrestling, during a commercial break, Pritchard and Johnson argued in an expletive filled exchange only to reveal that Pritchard was orchestrating many of the nefarious activities of the heels.
Broadcast innovations
The original GWF was notable for many of its wrestling broadcast innovations, most importantly, the acknowledgement of other promotions within the broadcast (including past promotions such as World Class Championship Wrestling). Competitors' former championships were mentioned, as well as departures of wrestlers to other promotions. The promotion also aired behind-the-scenes footage and news segments with features from around the sport. In 1992, however, the company would fold. [1]
Massive cutbacks in budget
Following a massive cutback of budget, Pedicino and Johnson left the promotion, and shortly thereafter, so did Eddie Gilbert.
Due to a pay dispute, "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert, along with his brother Doug Gilbert (working under a mask as the Dark Patriot) left the GWF in 1992. Doug Gilbert (born January 5, 1969) is a Professional wrestler from Memphis Tennessee who wrestles the Independent circuit. Eddie Gilbert took with him the GWF North American Heavyweight Championship belt. The GWF North American Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. He made a few defenses of the title in the United States Wrestling Association as the GWF World Heavyweight champion, despite being stripped of the belt and not being recognized as such by the GWF. The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a Professional wrestling promotional organization based in Memphis Tennessee. It was around this time that Grey Pierson and Joe Pedicino had their falling out, with Pierson taking over promoting duties for the GWF and cutting back to a roster featuring mostly Texas mainstays, and bringing in older Texas stars, mostly those from the World Class era.
Enter Grey Pierson and WCCW alumni arrive
In the wake of this temporary fold, the GWF was purchased by Grey Pierson,[2] and many former World Class Championship Wrestling stars began appearing, including Chris Adams, Kerry Von Erich and Iceman Parsons, among others. World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW was a popular regional Professional wrestling promotion run out of Dallas and Fort Worth Texas. Kerry Gene Adkisson ( February 3 1960 &ndash February 18, 1993) He is best known for his time with his father's promotion World Class Doyle King, David Webb, and other guest announcers (including former World Class announcers Bill Mercer and Marc Lowrance) were brought introduced as the show became more of a theatrical presentation. Doyle King is a noted radio personality in Dallas TX He currently serves as the substitute traffic director at SportsRadio 1310 The Ticket as well as an occasional "Plus Bill Mercer (born February 1926 is an American Sportscaster, educator and author originally from Muskogee Oklahoma, who now lives in Richardson Marc Lowrance, (born circa 1959 is a United Methodist minister who has previously worked as a former sports anchor and professional wrestling announcer best known as one of the Mercer, a veteran of Sportatorium wrestling since the 1950s, hosted a weekly segment on many memorable events that took place in the venerable Dallas arena.
The local television shows boasted that it was also being aired over a fictitious global television network as Pierson persuaded many of his friends and associates to don the garb of equally fictitious and bizarre characters. In one of its more interesting angles, GWF hired a "psychiatrist" as a valet. In Geometry and Trigonometry, an angle (in full plane angle) is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common Endpoint, called A psychiatrist (also archaically called an alienist) is a Physician who specializes in Psychiatry and is certified in treating Mental disorders Valet and Varlet are terms for Male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer The "psychiatrist" was actually Dr. Allan Saxe, a political science professor at the nearby University of Texas at Arlington. Dr Allan Saxe is a Political scientist, author lecturer Radio commentator, and Philanthropist, and university professor The University of Texas at Arlington, often referred to as UT Arlington or UTA, is a nationally recognized comprehensive doctoral/research university in
One strange angle at that time included a "Bungee" match in which Steven Dane wrestled against Chaz Taylor in a scaffold match outside the Sportatorium. After the match, "Maniac" Mike Davis attached himself to the bungee cord and jumped off of the scaffolding. When he landed back on the ground, he claimed he had launched himself to the Moon and had returned to Earth with a "moon rock. " Another weird angle in which announcer David Webb, having "amnesia" following an attack by Manny Fernandez, believed that he was Elvis Presley (who performed at the Sportatorium in the late-1950s during the Big D Jamboree days). Emanuel "Manny" Fernandez (born July 27 1954 in Lovelady, Texas) is an American Professional wrestler currently wrestling for different
The shows were also presented in an abbreviated and more serious format for a brief time over the ESPN television network. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to
1992 lawsuit by the World Wrestling Federation
In 1992, the Global Wrestling Federation was sued by then World Wrestling Federation because they felt the use of the word "Global" was in the same definition as the word "World". World Wrestling Entertainment Inc ( WWE) is a publicly traded privately controlled integrated media (focusing in Television, Internet, [3]
Kerry Von Erich tribute show
In 1993, a memorial wrestling card was held in memory of Kerry Von Erich, who committed suicide on February 18. Kerry Gene Adkisson ( February 3 1960 &ndash February 18, 1993) He is best known for his time with his father's promotion World Class Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy Von Erich previously was to have faced the Angel of Death that day. Instead, a memorial service was held at the Sportatorium prior to the matches, with former World Class announcer Marc Lowrance making a special appearance to pay his tributes to Kerry (Lowrance was the ring announcer who called Von Erich's NWA World title victory over Ric Flair in 1984). Marc Lowrance, (born circa 1959 is a United Methodist minister who has previously worked as a former sports anchor and professional wrestling announcer best known as one of the The following April, a memorial tribute card was held at the Dallas Sportatorium, featuring many former World Class wrestlers, referees and other officials. In that card, the main event was the official last match between the Freebirds and the Von Erichs. Kevin Von Erich and Chris Adams faced Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts, with Skandor Akbar in Hayes and Roberts' corner, and Fritz Von Erich in Chris and Kevin's corner (his last appearance in a professional wrestling match). Kevin Ross Adkisson (born May 15 1957) is a retired Professional wrestler under the Ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von This article is about the Wrestler, for the Cricketer, see Christopher Adams (cricketer Christopher Adams ( February 10 Michael Seitz In 2002 Hayes hit the wrestling headlines after an incident took place during a UK tour which was dubbed the "plane ride from hell Dale Hey (born May 16, 1945) is a retired Professional wrestler better known as Buddy Roberts Jim Whebbe (born September 29 1934) is a former Professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring name Skandor Akbar which translated Jack Barton Adkisson ( August 16 1929 - September 10 1997) was an American Professional wrestler under the Ring name The match ended with Kevin applying the claw on Roberts for the win, while Fritz applied the iron claw on Skandor Akbar. Adams meanwhile was ganged up by Hayes and Rod Price when David Sheldon, aka The Angel of Death, came in to save Adams. Sid Vicious and Booker T also competed on the memorial card. Sidney Raymond Eudy (born July 4, 1960 in West Memphis Arkansas) is an American professional wrestler better known as Sid Vicious Robert Booker Tio Huffman (born March 1 1965 better known by his wrestling persona Booker T, is an American professional wrestler. The Ultimate Warrior was scheduled to wrestle, but no-showed. For the South Korean film Ultimate Warrior see Musa (film. For other uses see Warrior (disambiguation.
Bill Mercer, Marc Lowrance, David Manning and Bronco Lubich were among the many WCCW officials and personalities whom appeared on the memorial card. Bill Mercer (born February 1926 is an American Sportscaster, educator and author originally from Muskogee Oklahoma, who now lives in Richardson Manning officiated Kerry's 1984 NWA World title-clinching match against Ric Flair at Texas Stadium nearly 9 years earlier. Texas Stadium is a football Stadium in Irving Texas, a Suburb of Dallas.
Proceeds of this card went to a trust fund established for Kerry's daughters Hollie Adkisson and Lacey Adkisson (who is now an up-and-coming model under the name Lacey Von Erich and recently signed a developmental deal with WWE, but has since been released). In 1994, the GWF paid tribute to Kerry again in a month-long series of past matches Kerry was involved in, including some from World Class.
Chris Adams as the focus
Afterwards, the federation centered mostly on Adams, who again ran his wrestling school and was working a feud with both Price and Iceman Parsons. During one match, Adams accidentally tore the hair weave off the hair of Price, resulting in stitches on his head. Chris' former second wife Toni Adams was also involved, siding with Price and Parsons; and during one match, she attempted to rub Freebird Hair Cream into Chris' eyes. Toni Leah Adams is a retired American professional wrestling manager and valet who appeared in several North American regional promotions during the 1980s including the Universal The former couple also was wrestling in Memphis' USWA promotion, where Toni was billed as Nanny Simpson. The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a Professional wrestling promotional organization based in Memphis Tennessee.
A renewed feud between Adams and Jimmy Garvin took place, but the closing of the GWF on September 21, 1994, ended any prospects of a long angle between the two former rivals. James Williams (born September 25, 1952 in Tampa Florida) is a retired American Professional wrestler. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)
Life after the GWF
After the GWF folded, promoter Jim Crockett brought the NWA back to the Sportatorium for a tenure lasting less than a year. James Allen Crockett (born June 2, 1909 in Bristol Virginia - died April 1, 1973) was a Professional wrestling promoter After several other attempts to keep wrestling going, the Sportatorium was demolished in 2003.
GWF wrestlers and personalities
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GWF titles
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