Gary Hart, the Playboy Career
Gary Hart is a former professional wrestling manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career. Gary Hart was one of the pivotal driving forces behind what is considered to be World Class Championship Wrestling's "golden years" in the early 1980s.
Career
Gary Hart (born Gary Williams) started out as a wrestler in 1963 in the Illinois and Wisconsin territories. In the late 1960's, he became a manager called "Playboy" Gary Hart. Gary Hart became the booker for World Class Championship Wrestling in 1979, a
position he would hold until 1987. Gary Hart is largely credited (alongside Bill Mercer, Fritz and David Von Erich) with the success of WCCW, as 1982-1985 are largely considered to be the "Golden Years" of the promotion.
Hart created the classic feud between the Von Erichs and the Fabulous Freebirds, as well as introducing memorable characters like the Great Kabuki, Great Muta, King Kong Bundy, the One Man Gang and the Samoan Swat Team. Hart additionally discovered talent such as Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams. Along with booking, he also managed Nord the Barbarian, Abdullah The Butcher, Al Perez and Jeep Swenson under the stable "New Age Management", and always feuded with the top faces of the promotion. In 1984, Hart managed Gentleman Chris Adams, who turned heel and engaged in a major feud with Kevin and Kerry Von Erich. As a result, Adams was propeled to the top of the wrestling world and eventually won the NWA American title in 1985.
RIP GARY HART
(January 24, 1942 - March 16, 2008)
Died Sunday March 16, 2008
During the 1990s, following the demise of the Global Wrestling Federation, Hart and Chris Adams were involved in many Texas-based
wrestling promotions, including an ill-fated attempt to revive World Class (billed as World Class II: The Next Generation) at the Dallas Sportatorium. Hart retired in 1999, but made a surprise return in Major League Wrestling, during the promotion's Reloaded Tour on January 9-10, 2004. He appeared following the main event (on January 9th) pitting Low-Ki against Homicide, where the three laid out several wrestlers from the locker room, as well as MLW president (and nephew of Hart's) Court Bauer. Also during the tour, Hart's son Chad (who was trained by Chris Adams, Skandor Akbar and Gary Hart) debuted and wrestled on both events.
On January 10, Hart attacked Terry Funk immediately after his barbed-wire "I Quit" match with Steve Corino. It would prove to be
MLW's final show, as the promotion folded in February of the same year.
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