J-Tex Corporation
Encyclopedia
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
. Their name was possibly a reference to the fact that many of its members had performed extensively in the Japan
and Texas
territories.
primarily with NWA World Champion
Ric Flair
and Sting and then with the Four Horsemen
after their surprise reformation later that year.
Prior to the Horsemen's reformation, Flair and Sting defeated Slater and Muta by disqualification at Clash of the Champions VIII on September 12, 1989. Post-match, Funk tried to suffocate Flair by putting a plastic bag over his head. This led to their highly acclaimed, non-title "I Quit" match at Clash of the Champions IX on November 15, in which Flair defeated Funk.
During this time, Muta faced Sting in one of the year's greatest feuds, eventually winning his NWA World Television Championship
. The title had been vacated after a controversial match at The Great American Bash pay-per-view in July 1989, but eventually Muta won the title in a no disqualification match in September after using a blackjack. He held the title for four months before losing to Arn Anderson in January 1990.
Also at the 1989 Great American Bash, Ric Flair faced Terry Funk
in the main event. After retaining his NWA title, Flair was attacked by Muta post-match. Sting came to Flair's rescue which, given their fierce rivalry the year prior, was an amazing surprise to fans. Sting and Flair feuded with Funk and Muta for the rest of the year in one of the NWA's most memorable battles, including a Thunderdome match called by Bruno Sammartino
at Halloween Havoc. When Flair reformed the Four Horsemen
in December 1989, Sting was quick to join him along with Arn
and Ole Anderson
.
The culmination of this feud took place on February 6, 1990 at Clash of the Champions X, where the two stables faced off in the main event Six man tag team steel cage match. During the event, however, the Horsemen returned to their heel nature; after demanding an NWA World Heavyweight title shot from Flair, Sting was effectively thrown out of the Horsemen, thus restarting their rivalry. This attributed to shifting the heat
away from their feud with J-Tex Corporation, and despite their impressive roster, J-Tex ultimately disbanded shortly after the event. Muta subsequently returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling
, while Terry Funk briefly retired from wrestling to become a color commentator with Chris Cruise on World Wide Wrestling.
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
professional wrestling
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...
stable in World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. The group was managed by Gary Hart
Gary Hart (wrestler)
Gary Richard Williams, was a former professional wrestling manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career, best known by his ring name Gary Hart...
and consisted of several popular wrestlers including 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...
, 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...
, The Dragonmaster
Kazuo Sakurada
, better known as Mr. Sakurada and as the Japanese version of , is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known, under various monikers, for his work in Stampede Wrestling, National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling. Sakurada is also highly regarded by Bret Hart as...
, and 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...
. Their name was possibly a reference to the fact that many of its members had performed extensively in the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
territories.
History
The group was conceived in July 1989, feudingFeud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
primarily with NWA World Champion
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
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 and then with the Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)
The Four Horsemen were a professional wrestling stable in the National Wrestling Alliance and later World Championship Wrestling that was disbanded in 1999. The original group featured Ric Flair, Arn and Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard...
after their surprise reformation later that year.
Prior to the Horsemen's reformation, Flair and Sting defeated Slater and Muta by disqualification at Clash of the Champions VIII on September 12, 1989. Post-match, Funk tried to suffocate Flair by putting a plastic bag over his head. This led to their highly acclaimed, non-title "I Quit" match at Clash of the Champions IX on November 15, in which Flair defeated Funk.
During this time, Muta faced Sting in one of the year's greatest feuds, eventually winning his NWA World Television Championship
WCW World Television Championship
The World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
. The title had been vacated after a controversial match at The Great American Bash pay-per-view in July 1989, but eventually Muta won the title in a no disqualification match in September after using a blackjack. He held the title for four months before losing to Arn Anderson in January 1990.
Also at the 1989 Great American Bash, Ric Flair faced 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...
in the main event. After retaining his NWA title, Flair was attacked by Muta post-match. Sting came to Flair's rescue which, given their fierce rivalry the year prior, was an amazing surprise to fans. Sting and Flair feuded with Funk and Muta for the rest of the year in one of the NWA's most memorable battles, including a Thunderdome match called by Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
at Halloween Havoc. When Flair reformed the Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen (professional wrestling)
The Four Horsemen were a professional wrestling stable in the National Wrestling Alliance and later World Championship Wrestling that was disbanded in 1999. The original group featured Ric Flair, Arn and Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard...
in December 1989, Sting was quick to join him along with Arn
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...
and Ole Anderson
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...
.
The culmination of this feud took place on February 6, 1990 at Clash of the Champions X, where the two stables faced off in the main event Six man tag team steel cage match. During the event, however, the Horsemen returned to their heel nature; after demanding an NWA World Heavyweight title shot from Flair, Sting was effectively thrown out of the Horsemen, thus restarting their rivalry. This attributed to shifting the heat
Heat (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, heat refers to both crowd reaction and real-life animosity between those involved in the professional wrestling business. In terms of crowd reaction, heat is usually either cheers for a babyface or boos for a heel...
away from their feud with J-Tex Corporation, and despite their impressive roster, J-Tex ultimately disbanded shortly after the event. Muta subsequently returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
, while Terry Funk briefly retired from wrestling to become a color commentator with Chris Cruise on World Wide Wrestling.
Members
- Gary HartGary Hart (wrestler)Gary Richard Williams, was a former professional wrestling manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career, best known by his ring name Gary Hart...
(managerManager (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...
) - Terry FunkTerry FunkTerrence "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 SlaterDick SlaterRichard 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...
- The Great MutaKeiji Mutohis 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...
- The Dragonmaster/Mr JKazuo Sakurada, better known as Mr. Sakurada and as the Japanese version of , is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known, under various monikers, for his work in Stampede Wrestling, National Wrestling Alliance, and World Championship Wrestling. Sakurada is also highly regarded by Bret Hart as...
- Buzz SawyerBuzz SawyerBruce 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...
Championships and accomplishments
- Jim Crockett PromotionsJim Crockett PromotionsJim 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:...
- NWA World Television ChampionshipWCW World Television ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling World Television Championship was a professional wrestling championship in World Championship Wrestling....
(1 time) – The Great Muta
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Feud of the Year (1989) – Terry Funk vs. Ric Flair