Gary Hart (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
Gary Richard Williams, (January 24, 1942 – March 16, 2008) was a former professional wrestling
manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career, best known by his ring name
Gary Hart. Hart was one of the pivotal driving forces behind what is considered to be World Class Championship Wrestling
's "golden years" in the early 1980s.
and Wisconsin
territories. In the late 1960s, he became a manager called "Playboy" Gary Hart.
(WCCW; then known as Big Time Wrestling) in 1979, a position he held on and off until 1987. Hart is largely credited (alongside Bill Mercer, Fritz
and David Von Erich
) with the success of WCCW, as 1982-1985 are largely considered to be the "Golden Years" of the promotion. Hart created the classic feud between the Von Erichs
and the Fabulous Freebirds, as well as introducing memorable characters like the Great Kabuki, the Great Muta
, King Kong Bundy
, the One Man Gang and the Samoan Swat Team. Hart additionally managed talent such as the lates "Gorgeous" Gino Hernandez and "Gentleman" Chris Adams. Along with booking, he also managed Nord the Barbarian
, Abdullah The Butcher, Al Perez
and Jeep Swenson
under the stable "New Age Management", and always feuded with the top faces of the promotion. In 1984, Hart managed Gentleman Chris Adams, who turned heel and engaged in a major feud with Kevin
and Kerry Von Erich
. As a result, Adams was propelled to the top of the wrestling world and eventually won the NWA American title in 1985. Gary was part of a stipulation match between One Man Gang vs Kerry Von Erich in which if Kerry won Gary would have his head shaved, but if One Man Gang won Fritz would have to wrestle Gang. One Man Gang lost and Gary got shaved bald.
group; and featured most of the SCW wrestlers, as well as a handful of World Class names (including Chris Adams, Scott Casey and Bruiser Brody). He also worked for the ICW, first as the heel manager of Bruiser Brody, Kevin Sullivan
and Mark Lewin
. After a kayfabe falling out with Sullivan, Lewin attacked Hart with a sleeper hold. At the tail end of the ICW stint, Hart and Brody were babyfaces.
during the 1984 Cotton Bowl
event, he noticed blood coming out of Kevin's head. Hart immediately told Adams to exit the ring and return to the dressing room, and advised ring announcer Ralph Pulley that medical aid may be needed. During another bout in 1985, he revived Iceman King Parsons
following a sleeperhold applied on him by Mark Lewin
.
He also conducted a memorable interview on World Championship Wrestling in 1989, berating Dusty Rhodes and his family.
.
(NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions
in 1988, along with Larry Zbyszko
. In 1989, he managed the stable J-Tex Corporation
, which included Terry Funk
, Dick Slater
, Buzz Sawyer
, The Dragonmaster, and The Great Muta
. They feuded primarily with Ric Flair
and Sting
, but Ole
and Arn Anderson
later teamed up with Flair and Sting to even the sides up (and thus bringing back The Four Horseman briefly). J-Tex disbanded in early 1990.
During the 1990s, following the demise of the Global Wrestling Federation
, Hart and Chris Adams were involved in many Texas-based wrestling promotions, including an ill-fated attempt to revive World Class (billed as World Class II: The Next Generation) at the Dallas Sportatorium
. Hart retired in 1999, but made a surprise return in Major League Wrestling
, during the promotion's Reloaded Tour on January 9–10, 2004. Hart appeared following the main event (on January 9) pitting Low-Ki against Homicide, where the three laid out several wrestlers from the locker room, as well MLW president Court Bauer
.
During the tour, Hart's son Chad (who was trained by Chris Adams, Skandor Akbar and Gary Hart) debuted and wrestled on both events. On January 10, Chad Hart attacked Terry Funk immediately after his barbed-wire "I Quit" match with Steve Corino. It would prove to be MLW's final show, as the promotion folded in February of the same year.
On April 5, 2008, Peach State Pandemonium, an internet wrestling program, aired a two-hour tribute program in the memory of Gary Hart. "Cowboy" Bill Watts, Jack Brisco
, James Beard
, Abdullah The Butcher
, Michael "P.S." Hayes
, Kevin Sullivan
, George Steele
, Skandor Akbar, and Jim Ross
were among those who attended.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career, best known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Gary Hart. Hart was one of the pivotal driving forces behind what is considered to be World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
's "golden years" in the early 1980s.
Early career
Gary Hart started out as a wrestler in 1963 in the IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
territories. In the late 1960s, he became a manager called "Playboy" Gary Hart.
World Class Championship Wrestling (1979–1987)
Gary Hart became the booker for World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
(WCCW; then known as Big Time Wrestling) in 1979, a position he held on and off until 1987. Hart is largely credited (alongside Bill Mercer, Fritz
Fritz Von Erich
Jack Barton Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the Von Erich family...
and David Von Erich
David Von Erich
David Alan Adkisson was an American professional wrestler who competed as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" David Von Erich...
) with the success of WCCW, as 1982-1985 are largely considered to be the "Golden Years" of the promotion. Hart created the classic feud between the Von Erichs
Von Erich family
The Von Erich family is a professional wrestling family. Their actual birth names are "Adkisson", but every member of the family who went into the wrestling business used the ring name "Von Erich", after the family patriarch, Fritz ....
and the Fabulous Freebirds, as well as introducing memorable characters like the Great Kabuki, the Great Muta
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
, King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
, the One Man Gang and the Samoan Swat Team. Hart additionally managed talent such as the lates "Gorgeous" Gino Hernandez and "Gentleman" Chris Adams. Along with booking, he also managed Nord the Barbarian
John Nord
John Nord is a retired American professional wrestler. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.-Career:John Nord started wrestling in late 1984 as "The Barbarian" for Mid-South Wrestling under manager Skandor Akbar...
, Abdullah The Butcher, Al Perez
Al Perez
Al Perez is a retired American professional wrestler.-Professional wrestling career:Perez began wrestling as an amateur in high school and was one of the top athletes in his home state of Florida. He started professional wrestling in 1982.He formed a team in ICW with Joe Savoldi known as the "New...
and Jeep Swenson
Robert Swenson
Robert Alexander Swenson, Jr. , was an American professional wrestler, stuntman, and actor.-Career:Swenson wrestled for World Class Championship Wrestling in 1987 and 1988 for manager Gary Hart. His main feud was with Bruiser Brody, who was wrestling as the masked "Red River Jack"...
under the stable "New Age Management", and always feuded with the top faces of the promotion. In 1984, Hart managed Gentleman Chris Adams, who turned heel and engaged in a major feud with Kevin
Kevin Von Erich
Kevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in...
and Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Von Erich
Kerry Gene Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring names Kerry Von Erich, The Modern Day Warrior, and The Texas Tornado and was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers...
. As a result, Adams was propelled to the top of the wrestling world and eventually won the NWA American title in 1985. Gary was part of a stipulation match between One Man Gang vs Kerry Von Erich in which if Kerry won Gary would have his head shaved, but if One Man Gang won Fritz would have to wrestle Gang. One Man Gang lost and Gary got shaved bald.
Hart in the Georgia and Mid-Atlantic regions of the NWA
During World Class' golden era, Hart was also a manager in the Georgia and Mid-Atlantic regions of the NWA; joining these two areas exclusively in 1983 shortly after the start of the Freebirds-Von Erichs feud, when he left World Class due to a pay dispute. Hart returned to Texas in the summer of 1984 and following a short hiatus in 1986; stayed with the federation until 1988. Hart was also a promoter and manager in San Antonio for Texas All-Star Wrestling, the successor of Joe Blanchard's Southwest Championship WrestlingSouthwest Championship Wrestling
Southwest Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was owned by Joseph Blanchard and based in San Antonio, Texas, from 1978 to 1985, when it was purchased by Texas All-Star Wrestling and absorbed into that company.-Venues:...
group; and featured most of the SCW wrestlers, as well as a handful of World Class names (including Chris Adams, Scott Casey and Bruiser Brody). He also worked for the ICW, first as the heel manager of Bruiser Brody, Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)
Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...
and Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
. After a kayfabe falling out with Sullivan, Lewin attacked Hart with a sleeper hold. At the tail end of the ICW stint, Hart and Brody were babyfaces.
Hart looking after all of the wrestlers, face or heel
Despite being a heel manager, Hart always looked after all of the wrestlers, face or heel. During one instance, when Adams smashed a wooden chair onto the head of Kevin Von ErichKevin Von Erich
Kevin Ross Adkisson is a retired professional wrestler under the ring name Kevin Von Erich of the Von Erich Family. He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers that wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, Jr., who died in...
during the 1984 Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
event, he noticed blood coming out of Kevin's head. Hart immediately told Adams to exit the ring and return to the dressing room, and advised ring announcer Ralph Pulley that medical aid may be needed. During another bout in 1985, he revived Iceman King Parsons
King Parsons
King Parsons is a former professional wrestler better know by his ringname Iceman King Parsons. King was called the Iceman from Jimmy Valiant after he saw him lying on a ice machine at a hotel.-Professional wrestling career:...
following a sleeperhold applied on him by Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
.
Noteworthy interviews
Hart, who was known for delivering excellent ringside interviews, participated in one of World Class' most famous outside the ring interviews, when he sat down with Bill Mercer in a 1985 interview outside of Hart's home to talk about his rift with Chris Adams. The interview, which was done on one take, featured Hart pounding the glass table continuously with his fist, calling Adams an egotistical maniac but a very bright young boy, then berating Gino Hernandez calling him a moron and a young punk that is nothing in the wrestling business. As the interview wound down, Hart went on a tirade, vowing revenge against Adams while shoving the tableware and ice tea away and then throwing the table in disgust.He also conducted a memorable interview on World Championship Wrestling in 1989, berating Dusty Rhodes and his family.
Feuds with fellow heel managers
During his time in World Class, Hart was involved in feuds with fellow heel managers Skandor Akbar and Percy PringlePercy Pringle
William Alvin "Bill" Moody , better known by his ring name Paul Bearer, is a professional wrestling manager and former wrestler best known for his time in World Class Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation, later known as the WWE.-Early career:He entered the wrestling business in...
.
Jim Crockett Promotions
Shortly after the folding of WCCW, Hart continued to manage Al Perez in the National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA)'s Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
in 1988, along with Larry Zbyszko
Larry Zbyszko
Lawrence "Larry" Whistler is a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko is perhaps best known for his feud with his mentor, wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino during the early 1980s....
. In 1989, he managed the stable J-Tex Corporation
J-Tex Corporation
J-Tex Corporation, also known as Gary Hart International, was a heel professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling. The group was managed by Gary Hart and consisted of several popular wrestlers including Terry Funk, Dick Slater, The Great Muta, The Dragonmaster, and Buzz Sawyer...
, which included Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
, Dick Slater
Dick Slater
Richard Van Slater , better known by his ring name "Dirty" Dick Slater, is a retired American professional wrestler who wrestled in the 1970s, 1980s, and mid 1990s for various promotions including Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling .Slater began wrestling with Mike...
, Buzz Sawyer
Buzz Sawyer
Bruce Woyan was a professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Buzz Sawyer. Throughout his career, he was also known by the nickname "Mad Dog". He was characterized by his crazy antics inside the ring and out.-Career:Sawyer started wrestling in 1979 in the National Wrestling Alliance 's...
, The Dragonmaster, and The Great Muta
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
. They feuded primarily with Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
and Sting
Sting (wrestler)
Steven James "Steve" Borden , better known by his ring name Sting, is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, but Ole
Ole Anderson
Alan Robert Rogowski , better known by his ring name of Ole Anderson, is a retired professional wrestler and a promoter. He held numerous NWA World Tag Team Championships with Gene Anderson, who was portrayed as his brother...
and Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson
Martin Anthony Lunde better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is a former American professional wrestler and author. His career has been highlighted by his alliances with Ric Flair and various members of the wrestling stable, The Four Horsemen, in the NWA/WCW...
later teamed up with Flair and Sting to even the sides up (and thus bringing back The Four Horseman briefly). J-Tex disbanded in early 1990.
Later career
After leaving WCW, Hart returned to Texas and began a new wrestling promotion in North Dallas, Texas Wrestling Federation, which showcased many former stars of World Class and those who are competing in the USWA/World Class promotion.During the 1990s, following the demise of the Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation
Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network. On many weeks, the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p.m...
, Hart and Chris Adams were involved in many Texas-based wrestling promotions, including an ill-fated attempt to revive World Class (billed as World Class II: The Next Generation) at the Dallas Sportatorium
Dallas Sportatorium
The Sportatorium, located in downtown Dallas, Texas , was a barn-like arena used primarily for professional wrestling events...
. Hart retired in 1999, but made a surprise return in Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling
Major League Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion that markets its presentation around hybrid wrestling, which encompasses and showcases many different forms of wrestling. MLW's mission is to present itself as an alternative to sports entertainment...
, during the promotion's Reloaded Tour on January 9–10, 2004. Hart appeared following the main event (on January 9) pitting Low-Ki against Homicide, where the three laid out several wrestlers from the locker room, as well MLW president Court Bauer
Court Bauer
Court Bauer is an American TV producer and entertainment executive. Bauer serves as an Executive Producer on "Frank Shamrock: UNGLOVED," a reality TV series spotlighting Shamrock's life in and out of the MMA game...
.
During the tour, Hart's son Chad (who was trained by Chris Adams, Skandor Akbar and Gary Hart) debuted and wrestled on both events. On January 10, Chad Hart attacked Terry Funk immediately after his barbed-wire "I Quit" match with Steve Corino. It would prove to be MLW's final show, as the promotion folded in February of the same year.
Personal relationship with Chris Adams and Gino Hernandez
Hart was close to both Adams and Gino Hernandez; and was very strong in encouraging wrestlers and fellow fans alike not to use controlled substances such as cocaine, GHB,and alcohol; substances that resulted in the deaths of both Adams in 2001 and Hernandez in 1986. Regarding Hernandez, Hart was not able to place a picture of Gino on the wall alongside other wrestlers he managed, due to the failure in encouraging Hernandez to kick the habit. Hart was also despondent over the death of Adams (the victim of a shooting incident during a drunken fight with a former roommate) for a short time as he revealed during the Heroes of World Class DVD that Hart didn't return one of Adams' calls days prior to his death.Death
Hart died on March 16, 2008, following a heart attack at his home in Euless, TX, after returning from an autograph session in Pennsylvania.On April 5, 2008, Peach State Pandemonium, an internet wrestling program, aired a two-hour tribute program in the memory of Gary Hart. "Cowboy" Bill Watts, Jack Brisco
Jack Brisco
Freddie Joe Brisco was an American professional wrestler, better known as Jack Brisco or Uvalde Slim. He performed for various territories of the National Wrestling Alliance , becoming a two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA Tag Team Champion with his brother Gerald Brisco...
, James Beard
James Beard
James Andrew Beard was an American chef and food writer. The central figure in the story of the establishment of a gourmet American food identity, Beard was an eccentric personality who brought French cooking to the American middle and upper classes in the 1950s...
, Abdullah The Butcher
Abdullah the Butcher
Lawrence Robert "Larry" Shreve best known as Abdullah the Butcher, and also at times The Madman from the Sudan, is a semi-retired Canadian professional wrestler known as one of the most brutal or "hardcore" professional wrestlers of all-time...
, Michael "P.S." Hayes
Michael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
, Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)
Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...
, George Steele
George Steele
William James Myers , better known by his ring name George "The Animal" Steele is a former American professional wrestler and actor...
, Skandor Akbar, and Jim Ross
Jim Ross
James William "Jim" Ross is a professional wrestling commentator, former professional wrestling referee, restaurateur, occasional wrestler, and former company executive of WWE, where he currently works as a commentator on the WWE Raw brand...
were among those who attended.
Autobiography
His autobiography, entitled "My Life In Wrestling...With A Little Help From My Friends," was released in 2009.In wrestling
- Wrestlers managedManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "Playboy" Gary Hart
Championships and accomplishments
- Big Time WrestlingWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- NWA American Tag Team ChampionshipWCWA Tag Team ChampionshipThe WCWA World Tag Team Championship was the major tag team title in World Class Championship Wrestling. It started out as the NWA American Tag Team Championship in 1966 when the promotion was known as NWA Big Time Wrestling...
(3 times) – with The SpoilerDon JardineDon Jardine was a Canadian professional wrestler best known for his masked gimmick as "The Spoiler".-Career:Jardine began wrestling in the mid-1950s,making his wrestling debut in 1955 at the age of 15...
External links
- Official "Playboy" Gary Hart website
- Notice of Hart's death
- Tribute page for Playboy Gary Hart
- Podcast interview with Gary Hart
- "Gentleman's Choice" a 2008 Documentary on The Life of Gentleman Chris Adams-Features Interviews with Gary Hart
- December 12, 2008 Audio Interview with WCCW's Mickey Grant regarding World Class, Gary Hart, and "Gentleman's Choice" a 2008 Documentary on The Life of Gentleman Chris Adams