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 Wrestling Association.
Randy Mario Poffo, better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American retired professional wrestler, rapper and former professional baseball player. He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Angelo John Poffo was an American professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. He ran International Championship Wrestling for a number of years, holding cards in Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas. He was the father of "Macho Man" Randy Savage and "The Genius" Lanny Poffo and the father-in-law of Miss Elizabeth.
Lanny Mark Poffo better known by his ring names "Leaping" Lanny Poffo and the Genius, was a Canadian-American professional wrestler, motivational speaker, poet, and actor. Poffo was a second generation professional wrestler, his father being Angelo Poffo. His brother Macho Man Randy Savage was also a professional wrestler.
James W. Ware, Jr., better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware, is an American retired professional wrestler. He debuted in 1978 and became widely popular in 1986. He later went on to the World Wrestling Federation, where he went from strong mid-carder to jobber to the stars. "The Birdman" came to the ring with a blue-and-yellow macaw named Frankie, both flapping and dancing before and after his matches. Before joining the WWF, he was in several tag teams, most notably with Bobby Eaton in Memphis and with Norvell Austin in several promotions. In 1993, during the premiere episode, he lost the first Monday Night Raw match to Yokozuna. In 2009 he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
Roger Barnes is a Canadian former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin. He is best known for his appearances with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Championships held by Garvin over his career include the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He headlined the Starrcade 1987 pay-per-view event.
Pezavan Whatley was an American professional wrestler best known for his time with NWA Mid-America.
Mark Sciarra, better known by his ring name Rip Rogers, is an American retired professional wrestler.
The First Family was the name of three professional wrestling stables led by Jimmy Hart, first in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association, then in the late 1980s in World Wrestling Federation, and finally in the late 1990s in World Championship Wrestling.
Larry Wayne Booker, better known by his ring names Moondog Spot and Larry Latham, was an American professional wrestler.
The ICW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship of International Championship Wrestling. Many title defenses featured matches between Randy Savage and his real-life brother Lanny Poffo. After the original ICW shut down in 1984, Paul Christy started his own ICW promotion. The title history in 1979 is not clear. It is possible that Randy Savage won the title in July rather than on March 13. In addition, one source does not recognize the title changes between Savage and Poffo between this reign and 1982, as it claims that Savage won the title in 1979 and held it for over four years before dropping it to Christy. Because the championship is a professional wrestling championship, it is not won or lost competitively but instead by the decision of the bookers of a wrestling promotion. The championship is awarded after the chosen team "wins" a match to maintain the illusion that professional wrestling is a competitive sport.
Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling or the Memphis territory. This promotion was a chief NWA territory during the 1970s and early 1980s while operating out of Tennessee and Kentucky. The CWA was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance until 1986 and affiliated with the American Wrestling Association until 1989. In 1989, the CWA merged with the World Class Wrestling Association to form the United States Wrestling Association thus ceasing to exist as a separate entity. Lance Russell and Dave Brown were the television commentators and hosts for the Memphis territory, including the Continental Wrestling Association.
International World Class Championship Wrestling was an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was promoted by Angelo Savoldi and his sons Mario, Tom, and Joseph Savoldi.
Solomon "Saul" Weingeroff was an American professional wrestling manager, known by his ringname "Gentleman" Saul Weingeroff, who led several tag teams to the NWA World Tag Team Championship during the 1960s and 70s such as The Islanders and Kurt and Karl Von Brauner.
Richard Link is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, trainer and promoter. He wrestled throughout Canada and the United States for the National Wrestling Alliance during the 1970s and 80s under a number of ringnames, most notably, as M.E.B. in NWA Central States and as Man Mountain Link in the Continental Wrestling Association where he was among the "monster heels" who challenged AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Jerry "The King" Lawler and was involved in the ongoing feud between Lawler and Andy Kaufman. Other promotions Link competed in included Georgia Championship Wrestling, International Championship Wrestling, the International Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions, and Stampede Wrestling. He was also part of the NWA's 1983 visit to New Zealand, frequently appearing on the country's long-running wrestling programme On the Mat, and remained undefeated throughout the tour.
The Batten Twins were a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of twin brothers Bart and Brad Batten. They performed under the "Batten Twins" name in Central States Wrestling, Continental Wrestling Association, International Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, Southern Championship Wrestling, Texas All-Star Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Council, and the name U.S. Express in World Class Championship Wrestling. The team also appeared in various independent promotions during the 1990s including, most notably, Atlantic Coast Championship Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, Smoky Mountain Wrestling and Southern States Wrestling.
Jeff Smith, better known as Izzy Slapawitz, was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator, best known for his time with International Championship Wrestling.
All-Star Championship Wrestling (ASCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Knoxville, Tennessee by Ron Wright, Ronnie Garvin, Bob Roop, Bob Orton, Jr. and Boris Malenko in 1979. The group, informally known as "The Knoxville 5", broke away from Southeastern Championship Wrestling (SECW) and fought a six-month war against National Wrestling Alliance promoter Ron Fuller over control of the NWA's Knoxville territory. Although the "outlaw" group was successful in its efforts to oust Fuller, the promotional war is blamed for "killing" pro wrestling in Knoxville for several years during the 1980s wrestling boom.
Erich L. Sbraccia, also known as Eric Sbraccia, is an American retired professional wrestler. He began his career in International Championship Wrestling at age 14 as a "junior member" for manager "Boston Bad Boy" Tony Rumble and debuted as a wrestler two years later. He emerged as one of the promotion's top heel performers during the late 1980s, while feuding with "Jumping" Joe Savoldi, and was part of The Dynamic Duo with "Fabulous" Phil Apollo. He is a former ICW Light Heavyweight Champion and two-time ICW Tag Team Champion with Apollo.
Manny Saine is a retired American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Terry Gibbs. He wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s, American Wrestling Association, World Wrestling Council, and the National Wrestling Alliance.
