World Class Championship Wrestling

World Class Championship Wrestling was a popular professional wrestling promotion based out of Dallas, Texas. The organization, originally called Big Time Wrestling until 1982, was promoted by Jack B. Adkisson, also known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich, and his family from 1966 until 1990.

Opening Spiel

• "Welcome to World Class Championship Wrestling, from the world-famous Sportatorium in Downtown Dallas, Texas; hi everybody, I'm Bill Mercer, and we've got a great card for you."
  -- Bill Mercer on an opening broadcast of the syndicated WCCW

Opening match introductions

• "Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the Sportatorium in Dallas for World Class Championship Wrestling. All matches are sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance. Your referees for this card are Bronco Lubich, David Manning and Rick Hazzard.
  -- Marc Lowrance.

Famous match quotes

• "The Devil has emerged at Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium; the Fabulous Freebirds, have hit the ring!"
  --Marc Lowrance, late-1985 during a commercial break when the Freebirds emerged to attack the Von Erichs.

• "A thrust kick...HEY, that looks like...here it is; 1, 2, 3...a superkick! And the (Masked) Avenger has beaten Jimmy Garvin. He's taking off his mask....HE IS CHRIS ADAMS!!!"
  --Bill Mercer, during the October 21, 1983 match between the Masked Avenger and Jimmy Garvin.

• "This match is now X-Rated!"
  --Marc Lowrance, during a 1984 bout between Adams and Garvin.

• "HEY! Santa Claus just decked Mike Von Erich!! What will the children think? But wait...I don't think that's Santa Claus...it's MICHAEL HAYES!!"
  --Bill Mercer during the infamous Santa Claus attack on Mike Von Erich, December 1983.

• "Kerry's got him, here's a nelson pin...two...THREE!!!! A dream come true! YES! It has happened!!! Kerry Von Erich is the new World Heavyweight Champion! No doubt about it!"
  --Marc Lowrance, May 6, 1984 during Kerry Von Erich's NWA World Title win over Ric Flair at Texas Stadium.

• "Woodshed City...HOLY COW, look at (Michael) Hayes go!"
  --Marc Lowrance, during the Von Erich-Freebirds 6-man tag match at Texas Stadium, May 6, 1984.

• "Why don't you sit down, you foreigner?!!"
  --Chris Adams while heckling a Latin American fan during a match in 1985.

• "Gino is thrown into David MANNING...MY GOD HE'S CHOKING!!!!"
  --Marc Lowrance losing his voice as referee David Manning is hung between the ropes after taking a bump from Gino Hernandez; July 1985.

• "Here we go with danger city piledriver action...BOOM! Down goes Gino with the Chris Adams piledriver"
  --Marc Lowrance during the January 27, 1986 bout between Adams and Gino Hernandez

• "Gino's got the bottle, look out! We may see some hair...OH NO!!!"
  --Lowrance when Hernandez throws black substance into Adams face during that same bout

• "Al Perez keeps the title by the hair of his chinny chin-chin"
  --Lowrance during a title defense by then-champion Al Perez in 1987.

• "Fritz Von Erich, is a hero to these fans...at Reunion Aren...WAIT! WAIT! Fritz Von Erich has collapsed! Here right in front of me...Kerry wants everybody back...GET THE PEOPLE BACK for crying out loud! Move 'em back!"
  --Marc Lowrance following the four-on-one gang up on Fritz Von Erich; December 25, 1987.

• "Here comes more individuals...Matt Borne, Shaun Simpson, Jeff Raitz, Jason Sterling, the Cat Man, referees...EVERYBODY'S COMING OUT! THERE'S GONNA BE TWENTY MEN IN THIS RING!! Oh what a mess! There is no way we'll ever get order out of this!
  --Marc Lowrance during what was going to be an Adams-Parsons match escalating into a battle royale.

• "Look out, here's Terry with the piledriver...OH MY! I hope Kevin's alright. Look at Gordy laughing with pleasure, on a move that is so dangerous, the dreaded piledriver."
  --Marc Lowrance during a Freebirds-Von Erich match, early-1988.

• "This feud evidently dates back to previous days in another organization, and (Terry) Taylor came in here and pulled a wool over me and everybody else...another piledriver on Gentleman Chris Adams, who's going to be in dangerous shape I'm afraid."
  --Marc Lowrance during a surprise attack on Adams by Taylor.

• "Here's Cactus Jack Manson from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, a guy wio's really way out of here; the moon is the first stop for him"
  --Marc Lowrance commenting on Mick Foley during his bout with Chris Adams, late-1988.

• "(Skandor) Akbar's got a chair! HE'S GIVING THE CHAIR TO HAROLD HARRIS!! OH NO!!! And he cold-cock's Frank (Dusek) across the head! OHHH this is absolutely sickening, and I've been told never to use that word!"
  --Marc Lowrance, following a four-on-one attack by Devastation Inc. on WCCW matchmaker Frank Dusek, early-June 1989.

• "General Skandor Akbar can kiss my ass!"
  --Lowrance shortly after the gangup on Dusek during a bout between Kerry Von Erich & Jeff Jarrett against Cactus Jack & Gary Young.

• "Down goes Percy (Pringle), down goes (Bronco) Lubich, and this is a disgrace! This is an absolute disgrace!" Yamamoto is making a mockery of the sport of wrestling; I think this is horrible! There he hits his own referee! Yamamoto hit his own referee! It's a new low!!!
  --Marc Lowrance, during another Devastation Inc. attack; with Tojo Yamamoto involved; June 1989.

• "All right, ladies and gentleman; I think I can speak for you, when I say that not only was that the worst disgrace and abortion I've ever seen; you're a disgrace to wrestling and to yourself!
  --Marc Lowrance in an interview directed at Tojo Yamamoto, June 1989.

• "Weighing in at 260 pounds...most of which in the head! From Denton County, Texas...ha! The Modern Day Warrior, Kerry Von Erich."
  --Terry Simms (as Terrance Garvin) introducing Kerry Von Erich during a match against Mark Calaway, known as "The Punisher".

• "Is this your first day with a new brain, Lowrance?"
  --Terrance Garvin, doing ringside commentary alongside Marc Lowrance during a 1990 bout between Billy Travis and Johnny Rand.

• "If I had a swingset like that, I'd never leave my back yard."
  --Marc Lowrance, referring to valet/manager Tessa during a match between John Tatum and Kevin Von Erich.

• "Nord the Norwegian...he's from Norwegia!" - Bill Mercer, ca. 1986, commenting on John Nord.

Announcement of Gino Hernandez's death

• "We had scheduled a bout, with Gino Hernandez. However, we've reach a milestone, a sad moment in World Class Championship Wrestling. Gino Hernandez...is dead. He was found this past week in his apartment."
  --Bill Mercer announcing Hernandez's death during the February 14, 1986 broadcast of WCCW.

• "We open things up tonight, somewhat differently, following the unfortunate and untimely death of World Class Wrestling star Gino Hernandez. As you have read in the papers by now, Gino of course was found dead in his North Dallas apartment earlier this week."
  --Marc Lowrance on Championship Sports; February 8, 1986.

Wrestler's Quotes

• "This war is not between Texas and Georgia; it's between decency and filth!"
  --Kevin Von Erich in a pre-match remark towards the Freebirds; early-1983.

• "Howdy partna!"
  --Jimmy Garvin prior to wrestling The Masked Avenger, October 21, 1983.

• "I can't think of a better evening to end your career, Kerry! And after we're finished with you it's David, Kevin and that young snot-nosed punk Mike, 'cause I haven't forgotten you either!"
  --Skandor Akbar prior to a match between Kerry Von Erich & Kamala, late-1983.

• "Me and my brothers have done some thinkin', and we've eliminated it down to three people who it could be: Bruiser Brody, who Kamala ran outta here, and everybody knows we beat Kamala up -- Brian Adias, family flunkie -- or that nephew of yours, Lance Von Erich. Now, right now, face to face, you tell me which one of them it's gonna be."
  --Michael Hayes prior to the six man badstreet match between the Freebirds and Von Erichs; May 1984 - with a rare mention of Lance Von Erich's name over a year before Kevin Vaughn joins WCCW as Lance Von Erich.

• "Let me get this in before you say something, Gary; because I am fed up of living in the shadow of the Von Erichs, and the only thing to do is to beat them!"
  --Chris Adams following his heel turn on Kevin Von Erich; October 1984.

• "Let me tell you something, Iceman...keep your comments, and your lousy...whatever it is to yourself, OK? I don't want to know; I just don't want to know; just keep it to yourself."
  --Adams on the same interview advising his longtime nemesis Iceman King Parsons to stay out of his business.

• "Like I say, Chris Adams is a very bright young boy. He got with a moron by the name of Gino Hernandez, a young punk that is nothing in the wrestling business. And listen to his ga-ga, that he could do more for him than Gary Hart. Who got him the American champion? Who got him a shot at the World Title? Not the punk Hernandez, but Gary Hart!"
  --Gary Hart during a memorable 1985 interview with announcer Bill Mercer, following his rift with Chris Adams.

• "ARRRGHHH I'll kill ya, I'll kill ya! Everybody I'm gonna kill ya! Aaarrghhh!! Q-102, I'll kill ya! Bronko Lubich....I'll kill ya!"
  --Chris Adams, October 6, 1985 as he was getting his hair cut by Kevin and Kerry Von Erich at the Cotton Bowl.

• "I'M GONNA KILL 'EM!!! That's what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna kill 'em"
  --Chris Adams after being attacked by Gino Hernandez, January 1986. This statement nearly got Adams in trouble, as Gino was found dead less than a month later.

• "You ain't gonna get rid of (Abdullah the) Butcher; today, tomorrow or ever! Pigs get fat; suabs get slaughtered!"
  --Gary Hart, issuing a challenge towards Kevin Vaughn, aka Lance Von Erich; June 1986.

• "When I get through with you, Mr. Rude; you're going to spell my name in your own puke,"
  --Jim Hellwig (Dingo Warrior), 1986.

• "Like mama says, it bees that ways sometimes, have mercy"
  --Iceman King Parsons on many of his interviews.

• "You might me big, you might be bad, and you may've gone all over the World. But to do something like you did, to a legend in his own lifetime...and I'm talking about Fritz Von Erich...makes me PUKE!"
  --Chris Adams to Terry Gordy during a pre-match war of words before a match between Al Perez and Solomon Grundy in 1988.

• "Blackbird, cuckoo bird, whatever, I know you as Iceman!"
  --Michael Hayes during an interview with Buddy Roberts, Angel of Death and King Parsons in the ring watching.

• "But now this one here...I know him, and he's nothing but a no good son of a bitch!"
  --Hayes in the same interview, directing his attention at his former UWF rival the Angel of Death.

• "It takes all the self-control that this English Gentleman right here, can muster up...not to lose it every time I think...or SEE YOUR FACE, TAYLOR!! YOU MAKE ME SICK!!!
  --Chris Adams during an in-studio interview vowing revenge against Terry Taylor after his attack that resulted in Adams fracturing his left hand.

• "Hey Akbar, it could be at McDonald's! It could be at Ronald McDonald's, when you're walking out the door with your milkshake and your bag of burgers!"
  --Eric Embry while issuing a challenge to Skandor Akbar in 1989.

• "I can't believe Percy Pringle...CAPTAIN MISFIT HIMSELF, who instigated 'Bring Back Eric!'"
  --Skandor Akbar, early-1989.

• "When someone turns on their own kind, Marc Lowrance; people of the United States who are watching this; I consider that the WORST...the worst most despicable type"
  --Chris Adams following Brickhouse Brown's heel turn; May 1989.

• "Well I want to tell you that it's not your business, it's my business, because I own this World Class....SHUT UP YOU! I own this World Class, and I'm the president of this World Class, and it's up for me to make a decision."
  --Tojo Yamamoto during a 1989 interview while the crowd heckles him.

• "Hey you shut up because I know you're not from England; you're from Biloxi! Yeah that's right, Buddy Roberts told me a long time ago, this guy is from Biloxi Mississippi!"
  --General Skandor Akbar doing ringside commentary.

• "Will the lady who left her eleven children at Texas Stadium, please pick 'em up! They're beating Dallas 14 to nothing! HA HA HA HA! How does it feel to be the city of losers?"
  --Jerry Lawler while heckling the crowd prior to facing Terry Gordy in late-1989.

• "I want to tell you something about this guy; he is the biggest nothing since the invention of the zero, and I'm fixin' to show you that he is not of championship calibur like The King. Just keep your eyes open and watch carefully."
  --Jerry Lawler, again directed toawrds Gordy.

• "I have some photos that you may be interested in! And when you see them, you're going to want divorce number two!"
  --Jeanie Clarke during her feud with Toni Adams in 1990.

• "Come get him, Fritz!"
  --Percy Pringle while attacking Chris Von Erich during a 1990 match.

• "Jean(ie) Clarke! Percy Pringle! This is war!!!"
  --Toni Adams during an August 1990 interview segment.

• "On the downside of perhaps the...darker side of World Class; I know of 18 young men that have perished and died since 1982"
  --Skandor Akbar in a 2002 interview.

• "You're lowlife nine to fivers!"
  --Jeanie Clarke during a May 1990 ringside interview.

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