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Earlier this week I was watching some old George Gulas Mid-American wrestling videos and stumbled across the Lou Thesz UWF.
I had totally forgotten about it but watching just a few seconds reminded me. I actually saw these shows as a kid.
What I had not recalled was why was Lou Thesz running an opposition group to NWA member Nick Gulas?
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The UWA was based out of Nashville,TN where it ran weekly and ran shows in Georgetown, Franklin and Owensboro, KY. As well as Jackson, Chattanooga, and Kingsport, TN, and Dalton, GA.
Thesz was getting older, and was trying to get out of ring competition, and apparently found financial backing in Nashville, from legendary musician Danny Davis as well as Nasville music agent, and former wrestler himself, Buddy Lee.
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In 1976 Thesz tried to unseat Gulas's Mid American wrestling with his group of talent.
His roster featured tag teams (much in the tradition of the area)
The Islanders (known to us today as The Wild Samoans) Afa and Sika were his main event babyfaces. They were managed by long time area mainstay Dr Saul Weingeroff. Their main adversaries were another local legendary trio, The Interns with Dr. Ken Ramey. The Islanders also feuded with The Spoiler (Frank Morrell) and Cowboy Parker.
Eric "The Red", Mike Boyette (The Hippie Boy, and Apokolypse), Mr Moto (Tor Kamata) and Tommy Seigler, were all used as well known mid card talent.
A 15 year old Terry Gordy would wrestle as Mr Wrestling as fans in the area already knew the teenager. He would also wrestle as Terry Meeker. Buzz Sawyer was not much older appearing for Thesz, And Troy Graham the future Dream Machine would get his first wins in UWA.
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A young Pez Whatley would get some of his earliest wins here, and many older vets would be winding their careers down like, Loranzo Parente, Steve Kovaks, Nelson Royal, Wild Bull Curry, Al Costello and Don Green.
Dale Mann also appears for Thesz here. If you have not heard of wrestler Dale Mann. His is a very interesting story which I have covered here before...
Obscure Wrestler of the Month | Wrestling Forum
He was actually accused of murder.
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Eventually Gulas would hold off Thesz's group. The war only lasted 9 months. The question I have always wondered is why Thesz came after Gulas an NWA member? Gulas was known as a stingy promoter who only paid what he could get away with. His shows were never lauded as wrestling masterpieces. One could read into the Thesz invasion as Thesz seeing an easy target. Regardless Thesz folded up shop by September and was wrestling again in Toronto a month later.
The problem is that 1976 was probably the best year Gulas ever had in the business. He was riding high with Dennis Condrey, Tojo Yammamoto, Phil Hickerson, Jackie Fargo, Jerry Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Tommy Rich,,etc... literally the best year Gulas ever had.
This past December someone posted 5 complete episodes of the UWA on you tube. If you are a fan of 70's wrestling, Terry Gordy, the Samoans, or just wrestling history, check these out...
The ultimate irony is that when Gulas tried to come back in the mid 80's against Jarrett, he used the UWA banner complete with the same graphics Thesz used.
I had totally forgotten about it but watching just a few seconds reminded me. I actually saw these shows as a kid.
What I had not recalled was why was Lou Thesz running an opposition group to NWA member Nick Gulas?
The UWA was based out of Nashville,TN where it ran weekly and ran shows in Georgetown, Franklin and Owensboro, KY. As well as Jackson, Chattanooga, and Kingsport, TN, and Dalton, GA.
Thesz was getting older, and was trying to get out of ring competition, and apparently found financial backing in Nashville, from legendary musician Danny Davis as well as Nasville music agent, and former wrestler himself, Buddy Lee.
In 1976 Thesz tried to unseat Gulas's Mid American wrestling with his group of talent.
His roster featured tag teams (much in the tradition of the area)
The Islanders (known to us today as The Wild Samoans) Afa and Sika were his main event babyfaces. They were managed by long time area mainstay Dr Saul Weingeroff. Their main adversaries were another local legendary trio, The Interns with Dr. Ken Ramey. The Islanders also feuded with The Spoiler (Frank Morrell) and Cowboy Parker.
Eric "The Red", Mike Boyette (The Hippie Boy, and Apokolypse), Mr Moto (Tor Kamata) and Tommy Seigler, were all used as well known mid card talent.
A 15 year old Terry Gordy would wrestle as Mr Wrestling as fans in the area already knew the teenager. He would also wrestle as Terry Meeker. Buzz Sawyer was not much older appearing for Thesz, And Troy Graham the future Dream Machine would get his first wins in UWA.
A young Pez Whatley would get some of his earliest wins here, and many older vets would be winding their careers down like, Loranzo Parente, Steve Kovaks, Nelson Royal, Wild Bull Curry, Al Costello and Don Green.
Dale Mann also appears for Thesz here. If you have not heard of wrestler Dale Mann. His is a very interesting story which I have covered here before...
Obscure Wrestler of the Month | Wrestling Forum
He was actually accused of murder.
Eventually Gulas would hold off Thesz's group. The war only lasted 9 months. The question I have always wondered is why Thesz came after Gulas an NWA member? Gulas was known as a stingy promoter who only paid what he could get away with. His shows were never lauded as wrestling masterpieces. One could read into the Thesz invasion as Thesz seeing an easy target. Regardless Thesz folded up shop by September and was wrestling again in Toronto a month later.
The problem is that 1976 was probably the best year Gulas ever had in the business. He was riding high with Dennis Condrey, Tojo Yammamoto, Phil Hickerson, Jackie Fargo, Jerry Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Tommy Rich,,etc... literally the best year Gulas ever had.
This past December someone posted 5 complete episodes of the UWA on you tube. If you are a fan of 70's wrestling, Terry Gordy, the Samoans, or just wrestling history, check these out...
The ultimate irony is that when Gulas tried to come back in the mid 80's against Jarrett, he used the UWA banner complete with the same graphics Thesz used.
