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Global Wrestling Federation was an American
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
promotion based in
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas. It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994. At one time its shows were presented on the
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
television network. Often the promotion provided programming five days a week, airing at 4 p.m. Eastern. The GWF was the last pro wrestling promotion to be seen on ESPN regularly. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the network began to emphasize
talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
s in the mid-afternoon hours, supplanting pro wrestling. It was announced that
ESPN Classic ESPN Classic was an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns 20%). The channel was originally l ...
would start showing re-runs on August 5, 2013. Episodes are available on the
WWE Network WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television and ...
.


History

Max Andrews and 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 Delbert Alexander "Del" Wilkes, Jr. (December 21, 1961 – June 30, 2021) was an American professional wrestler and college football player, better known by his ring names, The Trooper and The Patriot. Over the course of his nine-year career, W ...
), Scott Levy ( Raven of
ECW ECW may refer to: Professional wrestling * Extreme Championship Wrestling (originally Eastern Championship Wrestling), a professional wrestling promotion that operated from 1992 to 2001 * The Alliance (professional wrestling) (originally the WCW/E ...
,
WCW World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nationa ...
,
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
and TNA), the Handsome Stranger (
Marcus Bagwell Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a fi ...
of WCW) and Cactus Jack. 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 (an evil version of the Patriot played by his brother,
Doug Gilbert Douglas Gilbert (born February 5, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with regional professional wrestling promotions throughout the Southern United States, as well as for Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
), John Hawk (
John Bradshaw Layfield John Charles Layfield (born November 29, 1966), better known by the ring name John "Bradshaw" Layfield (abbreviated to JBL), is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on t ...
),
Jerry Lynn Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. He has worked for promotions such as World Championship ...
, and the Winner
Barry Horowitz Barry Horowitz (born March 24, 1959) is an American professional wrestler, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Early life Horowitz attended Florida State University, where he studied sports nutrition and wrestled ...
(a character created by Gilbert and announcer Craig Johnson.)
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 1944) ...
and
Stevie Ray Lash Steven Huffman (born August 22, 1958) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Stevie Ray. Stevie Ray is best known for his seven-year tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1993 to 200 ...
also wrestled in the promotion as did the Lightning Kid (later known as the 1-2-3 Kid, Syxx, and X-Pac in WCW and WWE)


Weekly shows from "The GlobalDome"

The GWF began airing weekly shows in the local Dallas and
Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
metroplex television market from the
Dallas Sportatorium The Sportatorium, located in downtown Dallas, Texas, was a barn-like arena used primarily for professional wrestling events. The building, which stood at 1000 S. Industrial Blvd, or the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and Cadiz Street (near ...
, which was billed for a short time as ''The GlobalDome''. Although their main weekly show's name was ''Major League Wrestling'' (not to be confused with the future promotion of the same name), as it was often referred to as, the GWF had also used other names for it, such as ''Supercard'' (also used by the USWA at one point) and ''Main Events''. The promotion's announcers were Jon Horton (as Craig Johnson), Scott Hudson, Steven Prazak (as "Steven DeTruth"), and Joe Pedicino, with
Boni Blackstone Bonnie "Boni" Blackstone (born November 8, 1965) is a retired American professional wrestling announcer, commentator, model, television and radio producer. She was a popular on-air personality in regional territories of the Southern United States ...
as ringside interviewer. Scott Hudson left the announcer's table and in his place was "The Expert"
Bruce Prichard Bruce Prichard (born March 7, 1963) is an American professional wrestling executive, booker, and producer and a former manager, commentator, and occasional professional wrestler. In addition to his corporate roles with WWE, Prichard has also a ...
(Brother Love of WWF/WWE). In one storyline, Prichard and Horton argued in an expletive filled exchange only to reveal that Prichard was orchestrating many of the nefarious activities of the heels.


The Cartel

The Cartel was the first stable formed in the GWF and was the top heel stable in 1991. It consisted of Cactus Jack, Scotty Anthony,
Rip Rogers Mark Sciarra (born February 7, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rip Rogers. Early life Sciarra was born in Seymour, Indiana on February 7, 1954. He graduated from Seymour High School in 1972 an ...
and Makhan Singh. They feuded with the top baby-faces at the time in Steve Simpson, Chris Walker and the Patriot. They never won any titles but their presence was always felt at each event. Rogers was the spokesperson for the group and did most of their interviews, but Foley and Levy were allowed to shine occasionally on the mic. They talked of having a "boss" but would not name him. After a few months of this, they named the boss as GWF Commissioner Max Andrews and then the stable disbanded.


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 were departures of wrestlers to other promotions. The promotion also aired behind-the-scenes footage and news segments with features from around the sport.


Massive cutbacks in budget

Following a massive cutback of budget, Pedicino and Johnson left the promotion. Due to a pay dispute, booker Eddie Gilbert and his brother Doug (working under a mask as the Dark Patriot), left the GWF in 1992. Eddie Gilbert took with him the
GWF North American Heavyweight Championship The GWF North American Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN ...
belt. He made a few defenses of the title in the
United States Wrestling Association The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrestlin ...
as the GWF World Heavyweight champion, despite being stripped of the belt and not being recognized as such by the GWF.


Northstar Promotions and WCCW alumni arrive

In the wake of this temporary fold, the promotional rights to the GWF were purchased by Northstar Promotions, which was formed by Grey Pierson, Robert Keeler, and Wayne Whitworth. Soon after, many former
World Class Championship Wrestling World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA) (1986–1991) was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed ...
stars began appearing, including Chris Adams,
Kerry Von Erich Kerry Gene Adkisson (February 3, 1960 – February 18, 1993), better known by his ring name Kerry Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler. He was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers. He is best known for his time with ...
and Iceman Parsons, among others. Doyle King, David Webb, and other guest announcers (including former World Class announcers
Bill Mercer William A. Mercer (born February 13, 1926) is an American sportscaster, educator and author. Originally from Muskogee, Oklahoma, he has retired to Durham, North Carolina after a long residence in Richardson, Texas. In 2002, he was inducted in ...
and
Marc Lowrance Rev. Marc H Lowrance III, (July 5, 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 voices of World Class Championship Wrestling, a Dallas, Texa ...
) were brought in as the show became more of a theatrical presentation. 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. In late 1991, shortly after the Bungee Match, Keeler and Whitworth left Northstar and Pierson took the reins. The local television shows boasted that it was also being aired over a fictitious global television network as Northstar introduced many interesting and bizarre characters. In one of its more interesting angles, GWF hired a "
psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...
" for the wrestlers who was actually Dr.
Allan Saxe Allan Saxe is an American political scientist, author, lecturer, radio commentator, philanthropist, and professor. A emeritus of political science at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he has been a faculty member since 1965, Saxe has sin ...
, a political science professor at the nearby
University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of Te ...
. One angle at that time included the world's first "Bungee" match in which Steven Dane wrestled against Chaz Taylor 150 feet in the air in a cage. The winner was Chaz Taylor who knocked Steven Dane out of the cage. After the match, "Maniac" Mike Davis attached himself to the bungee cord and was launched into the night sky. 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 angle in which announcer David Webb, having "amnesia" following an attack by Manny Fernandez, believed that he was
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
(who performed at the Sportatorium in the late-1950s during the ''Big D Jamboree'' days). Another storyline involved
Cecil Fielder Cecil Grant Fielder (; born September 21, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Fielder was a power hitter in the 1980s and 1990s. He attended college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV ...
, who was billed as the first two sport athlete in baseball and wrestling. He didn't wrestle, he was "observing" other wrestlers. The GWF was shown weekdays on ESPN as well as a one-hour weekly syndicated show presented in 130 markets. One of the main reasons Northstar was successful was the separately edited and broadcast weekly syndicated show for the Dallas market which eliminated the two-week lag time between taping and airing. This allowed the Dallas audience to see the matches live on Friday night and view them 24 hours later on the local Dallas station. The local attendance rose from a low of 94 people to a packed house of over 5,000 within 6 weeks.


1992 lawsuit by the World Wrestling Federation

In 1992, the Global Wrestling Federation was sued by then
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
(WWF), because they felt the use of the word "Global" was too close to the word "World."


Kerry Von Erich tribute show

In February 1993, a memorial wrestling card was held in memory of
Kerry Von Erich Kerry Gene Adkisson (February 3, 1960 – February 18, 1993), better known by his ring name Kerry Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler. He was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers. He is best known for his time with ...
, who committed suicide on February 18. Von Erich was to have faced the Angel of Death, David Sheldon, that day. Instead, a memorial service was held at the Sportatorium prior to the matches, with former World Class announcer
Marc Lowrance Rev. Marc H Lowrance III, (July 5, 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 voices of World Class Championship Wrestling, a Dallas, Texa ...
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). 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 Kevin Ross Adkisson (born May 15, 1957) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kevin Von Erich. A member of the Von Erich family, Von Erich is best known for his appearances with his father's World Class Ch ...
and Chris Adams (who wore Kerry's ring jacket in his memory) faced Michael Hayes and
Buddy Roberts Dale Hey (June 16, 1947 – November 26, 2012) was a Canadian-American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Buddy Roberts. Primarily a tag team wrestler, Roberts is known for his appearances as one of The H ...
, with
Skandor Akbar Jimmy Saied Wehba (September 29, 1934 – August 19, 2010) was an American professional wrestler and manager better known by his ring name Skandor Akbar, which translates as "Alexander the Great". Akbar led the villainous stable Devastation, Inc. ...
in Hayes and Roberts' corner, and
Fritz Von Erich Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. (August 16, 1929 – September 10, 1997), better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the Von Erich family. He was a 3-time world champio ...
in Chris and Kevin's corner (his last appearance in a professional wrestling match). 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 came in to save Adams.
Sid Vicious John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in 1979 at age 21, he remains an icon of the ...
and
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 1944) ...
also competed on the memorial card.
The Ultimate Warrior Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 – April 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. Best known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from 198 ...
, who competed in Dallas as ''The Dingo Warrior'', was scheduled to wrestle, but no-showed.
Bill Mercer William A. Mercer (born February 13, 1926) is an American sportscaster, educator and author. Originally from Muskogee, Oklahoma, he has retired to Durham, North Carolina after a long residence in Richardson, Texas. In 2002, he was inducted in ...
,
Marc Lowrance Rev. Marc H Lowrance III, (July 5, 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 voices of World Class Championship Wrestling, a Dallas, Texa ...
, David Manning and Bronco Lubich were among the many WCCW officials and personalities who appeared on the memorial card. Manning officiated Kerry's 1984 NWA World title-clinching match against Ric Flair at
Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...
nearly 9 years earlier. Proceeds of this card went to a trust fund established for Kerry's daughters Hollie Adkisson and Lacey Adkisson (who is now a model and third-generation pro wrestler known for her time in
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...
). 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

Chris Adams not only played big part in GWF he was also in WCCW as a performer and a trainer. His most known student now a WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin. There was many others he trained over the years two in particular was a masked tag team that looked identical and was only known as Unknown Wrestler 1 & 2. One of the two was hurt in the ring ending his wrestling career late in 91 and the other quit not long after never revealing their identity's. Chris had commented about the injured wrestler, that's its great loss to the wrestling world the young man had more heart and love for the business that he as seen in a long time. Afterwards, the federation centered mostly on Adams, who again ran his wrestling school and was working a feud with both Price and Iceman Parsons; as well as assist in booking various matches. During one 1993 match, Adams accidentally tore the hair weave off the hair of Price, resulting in stitches on his head. Chris' former second wife
Toni Adams Toni Leah Adams (née Collins) (August 19, 1964 – June 24, 2010) was an American professional wrestling valet, who appeared in several North American regional promotions during the 1980s including the Universal Wrestling Federation and the Uni ...
, whom he brought in to the storyline, was also involved, siding with Price and Parsons; and during one match, she attempted to rub ''Freebird Hair Cream'' into Chris' eyes. The former couple also was wrestling in Memphis'
United States Wrestling Association The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Wrestlin ...
promotion, where Toni was billed as Nanny Simpson. Chris and Toni's son Chris Jr., then about 5, also made a few appearances in the ring. A renewed feud between Adams and
Jimmy Garvin James Williams (born September 25, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring names "Gorgeous Jimmy" Garvin and Jimmy "Jam" Garvin. A member of The Fabulous Freebirds, Garvin is best known for his appearances wit ...
took place, but the closing of the GWF on September 21, 1994, ended any prospects of a long angle between the two former rivals, and Garvin retired shortly thereafter. Despite all of these angles, Adams won the GWF North American title twice, defeating King Parsons on December 25, 1993; then beating Rod Price on July 1, 1994, to regain the title he lost three months earlier to Price. It would be Adams' last championship glory, as he would never win another major title again. In 1994, however, the company would fold. Their last show aired on September 25.


Life after the GWF

After the GWF folded, promoter
Jim Crockett Jr. James Allen Crockett Jr. (August 10, 1944 – March 3, 2021) was an American professional wrestling promoter. From 1973 to 1989, he was part owner of Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), a wrestling company affiliated with the National Wrestling Allian ...
brought the NWA back to the Sportatorium for a tenure lasting less than a year. After several other attempts to keep wrestling going, the Sportatorium was demolished in 2003. ESPN still holds the rights to the GWF library and airs episodes on
ESPN Classic ESPN Classic was an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns 20%). The channel was originally l ...
. The
WWE Video Library WWE Libraries Inc. (branded as WWE Legacy Department) is a WWE-owned subsidiary that consists of the largest collection of professional wrestling videos and copyrights in the world. It comprises not only past and current works by WWE (formerly ...
also gained access to GWF content in 2013.


Former personnel


Championships

*
GWF North American Heavyweight Championship The GWF North American Heavyweight Championship was the major title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN ...
*
GWF Television Championship The GWF Television Championship was a secondary title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1993, when it was abandoned. The title was defended on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN. Title ...
*GWF Texas Heavyweight Championship * GWF Brass Knuckles Championship * GWF Light Heavyweight Championship *
GWF Tag Team Championship The GWF Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in the Global Wrestling Federation in Texas. The title existed from 1991 until 1994, when GWF closed. The title was featured on the promotion's show that aired nationally on ESPN. It is known a ...
*GWF World Heavyweight Championship :In 1991, the GWF announced a fictitious world champion named 'Baron Von Steiger' *GWF Commonwealth Championship :When the GWF launched,
Axl Rotten Brian Knighton (April 21, 1971 – February 4, 2016), better known by the ring name Axl Rotten, was an American professional wrestler. In the early 1990s, he was a part of the tag team The Bad Breed with Ian Rotten. He had a short stint with Wor ...
was announced as being the GWF Commonwealth Champion. He was said on the first episode of GWF television to have held the belt for nearly a year. * GWF tournaments


References


External links


GWF Title HistoriesWWF's trademark decision against GWF
{{authority control 1991 establishments in Texas Entertainment companies established in 1991 Entertainment companies disestablished in 1994 ESPN original programming Independent professional wrestling promotions based in Texas Sports in Dallas WWE