WCCW: A 1980s Hotbed of Action Quiz

Answer: "Devastation Inc."

Jim Wehba aka General Skandor Akbar, with his turban and his cigar, was a fixture on weekly WCCW cards and telecasts. His stable of wrestlers was named "Devastation Inc" and included the likes of Kamala, Killer Khan, Abdullah the Butcher, The Super Destroyers, King Kong Bundy, and Nord the Barbarian among others. Aside from a brief stint in the UWF, Akbar remained loyal to The Von Erich family right up until WCCW was renamed the USWA in the summer of 1989.

Answer: All of these

After wrestling as a jobber for various promotions, Christopher Pallies aka King Kong Bundy got his big push in WCCW in 1981. Originally called "Big Daddy Bundy" he wore overalls, was bare foot, had a thick mop of black hair and was brought in as a friend of The Von Erichs. Eventually he turned heel and hired Skandor Akbar as a manager and started wearing his trademark black boots and singlet.

By the following year Bundy had won the WCCW American Heavyweight Title, the highest title in the promotion and as a result of losing a "Hair vs Hair Match" was as bald as a cue ball.

In June 1982 Bundy was the opponent for Fritz Von Erich in his retirement match. Apparently Bundy liked the shaved head as he has kept it for over thirty years.

Answer: He was the guest referee

On December 25, 1982, NWA Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair battled Kerry Von Erich in a "Steel Cage Match" where Michael Hayes served as the special guest referee. Late in the match Hayes got into an argument with Flair and knocked him out cold with a stiff punch. Hayes then grew livid when Von Erich refused to pin Flair and win the title because it would have been a "tainted victory".

As Kerry attempted to leave the ring, Freebird Terry Gordy slammed the cage door into his head knocking him unconscious and allowing Flair to get the win.

This single act ignited The Freebird/Von Erich war which was the centerpiece of the promotion for several years.

Answer: The Freebirds had a Special Hair Removal Cream

In 1983 the already hated Fabulous Freebirds began to really irk fans and faces in the company by using a special hair removal cream on defeated opponents. After defeating opposing wrestlers one of the Freebirds would slather some cream on their head and the next time that wrestler appeared they would be bald. Whether or not the cream actually removed the hair or the wrestler had their locks taken off by other means is unknown. What is known and well known is that The Freebirds abandoned the gimmick when Iceman King Parsons put some of the stuff on the head of Buddy Roberts thus making him lose his hair. Embarrassed Roberts competed for weeks wearing a wig and an amateur head gear until his hair grew in.

Answer: "Hacksaw" Butch Reed

A standout college football star while attending The University of Missouri, Bruce Reed played just one season in the NFL for The Kansas City Chiefs in 1977. In 1978 Reed began a career as a pro wrestler and took the name "Hacksaw" Butch Reed. After some great success for Bill Watts in The Mid South Territory Reed arrived in WCCW in early 1984.

He briefly feuded with both The Von Erichs and The Junkyard Dog, an old rival from Mid South. After another brief stint in the AWA, Reed returned to Mid South before arriving in the WWF in the fall of 1986. Managed by Slick, Reed called himself "The Nautral" and dyed his hair blonde for the his entire run.

In 1989 Reed teamed with Ron Simmons as "Doom" and in 1990 they defeated Rick & Scott Steiner for the WCW Tag Team Titles.

Answer: 18 days

The third son of Fritz Von Erich, many considered David the most talented and charismatic of the entire family. The wheels were already in motion for David to have a run as NWA Heavyweight Champion when he died in February 1984 at the age of 25. Just under three months later brother Kerry fulfilled the family destiny by defeating Ric Flair in Texas Stadium in a card dedicated to the memory of his late brother. Unfortunately Von Erich's title run lasted only a mere eighteen days as Flair regained the the title on May 24, 1984 in Japan. Ironically brother David was touring in Japan when he met his untimely demise.

Answer: Billy Jack Haynes vs. Gino Hernandez

The main event for the card saw Kerry Von Erich challenge and defeat Ric Flair for the NWA Heavyweight Title. The under card featured some exciting matches which saw The Junkyard Dog defeat The Missing Link by disqualification, Butch Reed pin Chick Donovan and Kamala fight to a draw with The Great Kabuki in a rare double heel match. Gino Hernnadez would be one of the companies main stars but he was not on this card and Billy Jack Haynes did not arrive until January 1985.

As usual Haynes got a big push and lived up to his reputation by bolting after just a few weeks.

Answer: "Ravishing" Rick Rude

In January 1986, Fritz Von Erich decided to break off from the NWA and thus the late Rick Rude, the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion at that time, was declared the very first WCCW Heavyweight Champion. Rude would hold the title until July 4, 1986 when he was defeated by "Gentleman" Chris Adams.

This was a very bold decision at the time and ultimately proved to be the wrong move as the company was beginning to decline and did not have any help from the NWA anymore.

Answer: Steve Simpson

Very often in the wrestling business a popular angle will be to have a face be betrayed by one of his closest allies out of jealousy and ignite a feud. In 1982 King Kong Bundy betrayed The Von Erich clan when Skandor Akbar told him that the family would mock his "simple appearance'.

In the fall of 1984 "Gentleman" Chris Adams, who had been one of the promotion's top faces since his 1982 debut, turned on Kevin Von Erich in a tag team match. In the fall of 1986 Brian Adidas, who actually was a real life childhood friend of the family, turned on Kevin.

Although Adams eventually reconciled with Kevin and Kerry, Adidas was never able to mend the broken bonds of friendship, at least on television.

Answer: One of his feet was amputated

As a result of the motorcycle accident one of Kerry's feet was literally almost severed. It took a team of surgeons hours of microsurgery to reset all the small bones in his foot. Hard headed and stubborn like his father, Fritz, Kerry's impatience proved to be his undoing.

He attempted to walk too soon on the foot and as a result crushed the bones that had been repaired thus forcing the amputation. I said an indirect result because the original surgery was a success and Kerry probably would have been back much faster.

The absence of Kerry really hurt WCCW as they had just broken off on their own, brother Mike was already ailing and they were left without their premiere star. This was one of the things which started the downfall of the promotion.

Answer: William Kevin Vaughan

In one of the worst moves ever, usually the very shrewd business man and wrestling savvy Fritz Von Erich brought William Kevin Vaughan in as Lance Von Erich in the fall of 1985. Lance was billed as being the son of Fritz's storyline brother Waldo, with whom he had teamed with in the 1960s and 1970s.

This was terrible because Vaughan was well known in Texas as he was a standout High School Football star and known not to be related to The Von Erichs. In early 1987 Lance bolted over money issues and to make a bad situation worse, Fritz publicly announced that he was not related to the family.

This was before the "sports entertainment" era and many promoters were still trying to pass the business off as a legitimate sport, so the lie of Fritz further hurt his fans. All Fritz had to do was pick a wrestler not from Texas!

Answer: He suffered a heart attack

The main event of the final WCCW "Holiday Star Wars" saw Kerry Von Erich challenge WCCW Heavyweight Champion Al Perez in a "Steel Cage Match". In addition Fritz Von Erich was to be handcuffed to longtime rival and Perez's manager Gary Hart at ringside. Before the bout could take place Fritz was jumped by Buddy Roberts, Iceman Parsons and The Angel of Death. Moments later, aided by his sons Fritz collapsed in the locker room, suffering a staged "heart attack" and was taken to a local hospital. Local News telecasts not knowing it was fake, broadcast this as a leading story thus prompting many fans not in attendance to flock to the hospital.

This also served to further alienate the promotion from its fans.

Answer: Jeep Swenson

Robert Swenson aka Jeep Swenson wrestled in WCCW from 1986-1988 where he was managed by the late Gary Hart. Swenson not only challenged Kevin Von Erich for The WCCW Heavyweight Title in 1987 he also had a feud with the late Bruiser Brody. Swenson then dabbled in the acting business with his biggest role being as the hulking Bane in 1997's "Batman and Robin".

In a very sad irony the film was still playing in the movies when Swenson died at age 40 in August 1997 of a massive coronary.

Answer: Triple H

Believe it or not some of the most prominent stars of the WWF's "Attitude Era" actually appeared in WCCW in its declining months. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was actually trained by longtime WCCW star "Gentleman" Chris Adams. Originally Adams protege, Austin not only turned on his mentor but also succeeded in taking away his real life wife in 1990.

In late 1988 Mick Foley had a run as a member of General Skandor Akbar's "Devastation Inc" where he was known as Cactus Jack Manson. Finally Mark Callaway aka The Undertaker, got his start in WCCW in 1986 also being managed by the late Akbar as "Red Jack". Callaway's highlight was without a doubt a brief feud with the late Bruiser Brody.

Answer: The Dallas Sportatorium

When WCCW was in its prime monthly cards at The Dallas Sportatorium were jammed packed with loyal fans of the promotion. This is really a tribute to just how popular the promotion and its talented stars were as the building had no air conditioning! The temperature in the ring while performing in the middle of the summer sometimes peaked at a sweltering 110 degrees.

When WCCW folded Kevin Von Erich and many loyal fans lobbied for years to get landmark status for the venue. Ultimately they were unsuccessful and The Sportatorium was demolished in 2003. Kevin Von Erich, Gary Hart and General Skandor Akbar all took actual physical pieces of the structure for souvenirs.