Merry Christmas pro wrestling fans. Before the WWE took over the world, territorial pro wrestling dominated the United States. Christmas was one of the biggest days of the year to run events and these territories would script angles to coincide with the big holiday. Portland and Texas specifically booked some of the hottest and greatest wrestling angles of all time. Check out this collection of videos featuring some of pro wrestling’s most memorable Christmas moments.

A Rowdy Roddy Piper Christmas – Portland Wrestling 1979

Santa must have known about what Billy Jack Haynes was really up to – Portland 1985

Fritz Von Erich “collapses” on Christmas night 1987

There are many other great Christmas pro wrestling moments in addition to these angles.

- In World Class Championship Wrestling, Michael Hayes dressed as Santa Claus after losing a Loser Leaves Town Match and sneak attacked Kerry Von Erich.
- In Florida Championship Wrestling, Dusty Rhodes was banished from Florida after losing a Loser Leaves Town Match to Kevin Sullivan on Christmas night in 1982. Jake “The Snake” Roberts dressed up as Santa Claus and interfered on Sullivan’s behalf giving him the win.
- The first time Jimmy Snuka ever did his splash off of a steel cage was in a Christmas match in the late 1970s against Buddy Rose in Portland, Or.
- Austin Idol won his first of many AWA Southern titles beating Jerry Lawler in Memphis, TN on Christmas night 1979.
- On Christmas night 1985 the “Cosmic Cowboys” surprised Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams when the Cowboys turned out to be Kevin and Kerry Von Erich under masks.
- Christmas 1979, Mr. Wrestling #2 beats Mr. Wrestling in a Mask vs. Mask match, where Mr. Wrestling turns out to be an imposter.
- Finally, arguably one of the most profitable angles of all time took place on Christmas night 1982 in World Class Championship Wrestling. Michael Hayes slammed the steel cage door on the head of Kerry Von Erich costing him the NWA world title in a match with Ric Flair. This was the start of one of the biggest feuds in territorial pro wrestling history between the Von Erichs and Ric Flair.

Own the match and other ECW classics on the Bloodsport : ECW’s Most Violent Matches DVD by clicking here.

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Read – Terry Funk: More Than Just Hardcore book by clicking here.

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Growing up in the 1980s, I became a huge fan of World Class Championship Wrestling. I was hooked the first time I saw WCCW and the Von Erichs on television. Like most fans, I had no idea of what was going on behind the scenes. Who knew that the legacy of this great company would be what happened outside of the ring and not inside of it?

I recently received a copy of the Gentleman’s Choice DVD. The DVD is a documentary about the turbulent life and times of Chris Adams. Adams was one of World Class wrestling’s biggest stars. Like his biggest foes and greatest tag team partner, Adams would live a life of debauchery, chaos, and madness that took his life early at 46.

This production had been in the works for several years. I remember having Gary Hart on my radio show four years ago. Hart had mentioned the project back then. Legendary WCCW television producer Mickey Grant is the brains behind this one, and kept the project rolling after Hart’s untimely passing.

The DVD starts with the early life of Adams in England. Adams background as a judo champion is well documented. I think if MMA hit big during his prime, he would have been a prime candidate for it. Adams did dabble a bit in promoting a worked MMA company later in his career. Adams entrance into pro wrestling is discussed. Adams parents and brother are interviewed throughout the DVD.

Adams’ decision to come wrestle in America is covered. An interesting point is made early on by one Adams’ fellow English wrestlers. He says that he worried for Chris after he heard the news. He goes on to say that it has never turned out well for any wrestler he has known that went to America.

Adams successful career in WCCW is discussed at length. The DVD features fantastic WCCW footage throughout the movie. Kevin Von Erich, Killer Brooks, Gary Hart, Skandor Akbar, David Manning, and Bill Mercer are among some of the WCCW alumni interviewed. Everyone seemed candid and provided great insight on Chris in and out of the ring. Adams’ best friend William “Boo Ray” Brent Parnell also gives great insight on Chris out of the ring throughout the movie.

Adams was a very troubled man. Adams had a problem early on with alcohol. A legendary incident on an airplane is discussed by everyone. A drunken Adams was arrested and jailed for hitting flight personnel. The story is retold by several people who were on the plane. It is a fascinating story, including Kevin Von Erich’s “plan” to get Adams out of it. That story alone is worth the price of the DVD.

This should have been a wakeup call to Adams. Adams spent time in jail following the incident. Adams came out clean and focused. Adams returned to pro wrestling and also returned to his partying ways. Adams would begin experimenting with drugs. Adams fondness for GHB otherwise known as the date-rape drug ultimately changed his life forever.

Adams seemed to really struggle with his personal life after WCCW closed. Like most successful territorial wrestlers, Adams was left unemployed and broke. Adams’ personal life was in constant turmoil with several unsuccessful marriages. I remember hearing a rumor about Chris and his wife Toni in Memphis many years ago. I was disappointed that it wasn’t addressed. Otherwise, everything seems covered in great detail.

Chris took it hard when Steve Austin hit it big in 1997. Adams trained Austin. Austin also wound up with Adams wife, who later became Austin’s wife. This was something that Adams was never able to recover from. Austin’s success was a source of constant anger in Adams’ life.

Adams would later get a WCW contract in 1998. Adams didn’t get much of a push in WCW and became something of a preliminary wrestler. Some wrestlers can accept this, but Adams could not. Adams asked and was granted a release. Adams WCW career was never covered in the documentary.

Adams was a habitual GHB user. Friends recalled a broke Adams asking for $20 so he could get his fix. Adams’ fondness for GHB caught up with him in 2000. Adams and his girlfriend overdosed on GHB. Unfortunately, his girlfriend never woke up and died. Initially, Adams was initially found to have no fault in the death. However, Adams’ former friends would make a call that would change his life forever.

Adams had a falling out with another wrestler and his valet/manager during his foray into MMA. This was a very bitter breakup between the three. The valet contacted authorities and told them that they needed to look closer at Adams’ role in the death. An investigation opened and Adams was indicted on a manslaughter charge.

Adams’ final days are discussed by everyone on the DVD. Adams’ life came to an end on October 7, 2001. Adams and Parnell got into a heated argument in Parnell’s home. Parnell recalls the entire evening in the DVD’s most interesting segment. The night would end with Parnell shooting an enraged Adams in self-defense. Curiously Parnell’s mother who was in the home said she heard nothing. Adams died from the gunshot wounds.

Adams is remembered today more for his GHB troubles than as a wrestler. Adams’ influence as a wrestler continues to this day. It can be argued that without Chris Adams there would be no Steve Austin. Also, Adams was the innovator of the superkick maneuver. It is no coincidence that self-admitted WCCW fan Shawn Michaels would later use the move and the same name years later in the WWE.

The DVD is fantastic and one of the best wrestling documentaries that I have ever watched. Anyone who watched any of the WCCW documentaries needs to see this movie. The focus on someone other than a Von Erich will provide new insight into one of wrestling’s most infamous territories. Mickey Rourke played the Wrestler, but Chris Adams lived the Wrestler.

For more information on the movie check out the website at http://www.gentlemanschoice.tv.

Order Gentlemans Choice on DVD by clicking here. 

To see more on World Class Championship Wrestling, order a copy of The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling on DVD click here.

Order the non-WWE World Class documentary, Heroes of World Class Wrestling on DVD by clicking here.

The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling is a controversial release from WWE Home Video. As a fan of WCCW growing up, I couldn’t watch this DVD fast enough. The documentary was so good that by the time I finished, I felt that it should have been released as a major motion picture.

Jim Ross says something very interesting towards the end of the DVD. Ross comments that he hopes that fans remember World Class for the exciting, action-packed, ground-breaking company that it once was, rather than the numerous tragedies. I think up until this DVD, anyone under the age of 25 only knew World Class for the tragedies and had no idea about how great this company really was.

The story of World Class is told through several key and not so key performers in World Class history. Kevin Von Erich, Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin, Skandor Akbar, Buddy Roberts, Bill Irwin, Gary Hart, are among the key personalities who give their version of World Class history on the DVD. Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Jerry Lawler, Ric Flair, Jim Ross, and Mick Foley are also interviewed but not as extensively as the others mentioned above.

Gary Hart was probably the most real when telling his version of World Class history. I have talked to Gary about World Class and he has always been consistent with his stories. Gary gave a unique version of history behind the scenes, dealing directly with Fritz Von Erich and booker Ken Mantell. Gary didn’t sugarcoat anything and was candid and opinionated on a variety of subjects.

A big part of the story centers on the Von Erich-Freebird feud. The feud is profiled as being a key turning point in the success and later failure of the company. Michael Hayes tells a great story about how the feud almost never materialized when Gary Hart quit World Class the day after the angle started. Imagine how history would have changed if the Freebirds left World Class the day after Terry Gordy slammed the cage door on Kerry’s head. Fritz probably would have gotten on television and told the fans that it never happened and we were all just dreaming.

It was interesting to listen to various people recount Fritz’s decision not to go national with the company. Quite a few of the wrestlers wished that Fritz would have taken the company national and toured the country. I remember being about twelve-years-old and seeing World Class on syndication while on vacation in New York. Fritz never followed it up his syndication with national touring due to his old-school ways. It is amazing in hindsight to think how differently the history of pro wrestling could have turned out if Fritz had taken the company and his boys around the country. I wonder if the real reason Fritz didn’t tour was because he knew his boys couldn’t handle a national touring schedule.

It is always curious when talking about World Class how the subject of the numerous deaths would be handled. David’s death in particular has been told about twenty different ways since he passed away in 1984. Bill Irwin talked about being the last to see David alive which is the first that I ever heard of that. Irwin’s story about David purging and eating too much left a lot to be desired in my opinion.

Kevin is fairly open about the deaths of all of his brothers. I got to know Kevin pretty well a few years ago and I can tell you that he believes everything that he says on the DVD. Kevin does talk about David taking pills, but says it was a combination of the pills, alcohol, and stomach problems that caused David to die in Japan. The cause of David’s death has been debated for years within wrestling and will probably never be 100% defined.

It is hard to listen to Kevin talk about the deaths of all of his brothers. You have to have a heart of stone not to empathize with a guy who can’t sit down with any of his brothers to share a beer and relive the great times. Kevin said some very strong words against suicide when talking about Kerry’s death. Kevin readily admits that he never fully got over David’s death back in 1984.

I wish some of the wrestlers would have talked more about working with the Von Erichs. I can’t tell you how many crazy stories I have heard from wrestlers who worked with the Von Erichs in Texas. Jerry Lawler briefly touches upon the infamous story of Kerry cutting himself prior to their Superclash match. Unfortunately, Lawler leaves out most of the interesting parts of the story.

All in all I would say the actual story told on the DVD was fascinating. For someone like me who grew up watching World Class and has heard all of the stories, I still found it interesting to hear the stories told from various perspectives. The production, presentation, and story of the DVD could hold up with anything released in the movies. The DVD held my attention the second I turned it on until the credits started to roll.

As always with WWE DVDs, a ton of matches are included on both of the DVDs. Personally, I would have been fine with an entire DVD of nothing but Von Erich-Freebird matches. The highlight of the matches has to be the Von Erich-Freebird Bad Street Match from the first David Von Erich Memorial Show.

Another gem is the Fantastics vs. Midnight Express from one of the Texas Stadium shows. The match is Texas Tornado rules, which means there is no tagging and constant action. The match is held in two rings with a member of each team wrestling at the same time in the different ring. This was very unique for this time period, very interesting, and a great match.

The most fun part about watching any of the matches involving a Von Erich or a Freebird is the crowd. The crowd is nuts and on their feet for most of the matches. The Von Erichs were treated like genuine rock stars in Texas. Girls scream, guys cheer, and the building shakes every time a Von Erich enters the arena. The crowds really make the matches a lot of fun to watch. Iceman Parsons vs. Buddy Roberts, Kevin Von Erich vs. Chris Adams, and David Von Erich and Sunshine vs. Precious and Jimmy Garvin are all great due to the enthusiasm of the crowd.

I hope most wrestling fans get a chance to sit down and watch these two DVDs. You will get a real good idea of why fans like me have such a love affair with the wrestling that we grew up with. World Class for all of its tragedies really did revolutionize a lot of how we watch pro wrestling today. It is amazing to think that so much history came out of a regional territory. The story is a story that needed to be heard and I hope that people take the opportunity to watch, listen, and learn.

To purchase a copy of The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling on DVD click here.

Order the non-WWE World Class documentary, Heroes of World Class Wrestling on DVD by clicking here.

Check out more World Class footage and a documentary on WCCW star Chris Adams on the Gentleman’s Choice DVD by clicking here.