Universal Wrestling Archives, Inc.

Presents:

The story of Mid-South, Power Pro, and the UWF

In the late 1960's through the late 1980's, a Professional Wrestling promotion was built by wrestling great Cowboy Bill Watts. The promotion spanned many of the Mid-Southern states in the U.S.: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Eastern Texas and Southern Missouri. The promotion was appropriately named Mid-South Wrestling.

The Mid-South Wrestling broadcasts enjoyed exceptional ratings success. In fact, they were in the top three of syndicated programming nationwide at the time. Because of its success, Mid-South spawned a second set of syndicated broadcasts, called Power Pro Wrestling.

Although the promotion covered a small area of the United States, wrestling followers all over the world became fans of Mid-South. The matches weren't glitzy or fancy. They were no-nonsense, get down to business REAL wrestling.

The promotion eventually grew to nationwide syndication, and was renamed The Universal Wrestling Federation. The UWF featured the same great athletes and matches. Only the name changed to reflect the wide distribution of the program.

The ownership again changed in 1990 when Ene Sooro Watts acquired the sole rights to the three promotions and their by products. Ms. Watts has other media interests as well, therefore naming the distribution company, Universal Wrestling Archives, Inc. a.k.a. UWA.

If you are accustomed to the lights and pyrotechnics of today's wrestling, you might not know what to think of these matches at first. But after you see the quality of what goes on inside the ring, you'll be hooked. These shows are legendary for their outstanding matches and wild antics.

You will notice too that even though it's a "no-holds barred" atmosphere, the wrestlers kept their body language and their spoken language clean. You won't see the innuendo and filth that accompany most of today's wrestling.

The promotion was fertile ground for wrestling stars. Many of wrestling’s greatest names either got their start in the Mid-South or appeared on the broadcasts. Browse our on-line catalog and find out!

We are in the process of compiling an ever growing list of the talent that we had the pleasure of working with...here it is:

Cowboy Bill Watts, Rock and Roll Express, Midnight Express, The Junkyard Dog, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Nature Boy Ric Flair, Magnum TA, Terry Taylor, Jim Cornett, Hacksaw Butch Reed, Steve Williams, Dr. Death, Kerry Von Erik, Kevin Von Erik, David Von Erik, Fritz Von Erik, Rick Steiner, The Blade Runners, Rock, Sting, Dusty Rhodes, The American Dream, The Samoans, Afa, Sika, The Great Kabuki, Ted Dibiase, Jim Garvin, Mike George, The Polish Prince, Ed Wiskowski, Brian Blair, Brad Armstrong, Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert, Missy Hyatt, Dick Murdock, Dirty Dutch Mantell, Superstar Bill Dundee, The Iron Sheik, Jake The Snake Roberts, Krusher Darsow, Krusher Kruschev, Mr. Olympia, King Cobra, Ernie The Big Cat Ladd, Rick Rude, The Midnite Rider, Barbie Doll, Diamond Lil, Ricky Ferrara, Paul Orndorff, Terry Orndorff, Bob Roop, Bob Orton Jr., JYD, PYT, Pretty Young Things, Zapata, Jesse Barr, Tom Renesto, Skandar Akbar, Frank Monte, Kamala, The Zambouie Express, Private Terry Daniels, Billy Ash, Al Perez, The Grappler, Bruiser Bob Sweetan, Tony Torres, Ron Chatham, Coco Somoa, Porkchops Cash, Coco B. Ware, The Bruise Brothers, Killer Karl Kox, Iron Mike Sharp, Jesse Tanner, Nature Boy Buddy Landell, Mohammed Ali, Tully Blanchard, Don Serrano, Boyd Pierce, Jim Ross, Joel Watts, The Fabulous Freebirds, Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts, The Hollywood Blondes, Jerry Brown, Buddy Roberts, Harley Race, Mike Boyer, Micah Watts, Adrian Street, Miss Linda, Mike Hudspeth, Billy Star, One Man Gang, Precious Paul Ellering, Killer Kahn, The Mongolian, Rick The Hangman Harris, Buddy Nichols, Rip Rogers, Tim Horner, Tony Zane, Tito Santana, Mike Vachon, Super Destroyer, King Kong Bundy, The Assassin, Denny Alberts, Craig Carson, Charley Cook, Johnny Rich, Boris Zurkoff, Steve Benson, Master Gee, Brickhouse Brown, The Iceman, The Iceman King Parsons, Sonny King, Hercules Hernandez, Sheik Hercules Hernandez, Rick McCord, Dale Veasey, Jack Victory, Dale Burnett, Chavo Guerrero, Hector Guerrero, Shawn Michaels, Terry Faulk, Terry Funk, Ricky Morton, Robert Gibson, The Fantastics, Tommy Rogers, Bobby Fulton, Dennis Condry, Bobby Eaton, Terry Ellis, Randy Barber, Mike Jackson, Jimmy Powell, Cowboy Lang, Little Tokyo, Peewee Anderson, Mike Starbuck, The Ugandan Warrior, Bob Owens, Mark Hill, Rick Oliver, Rocky Young, The Dirty White Boys, Mark Cooper, Edcar Boo Thomas, Mr. Olympia, The Missing Link, Dark Journey, The Snowman, Mark Ragin, Steve Casey, Ken Glover, Jerry Grey, Wendell Cooley, The Nightmare, The Champion, Jerry Backlund, Tommy Pritchard, Humongous, Karl Stiles, Scott Muns, Gentleman Chris Adams, The Road Warriors, Hawk, Animal, The Barbarian, The Sheep Herders, The Bushwackers, Mr. Wrestling, Mr. Wrestling II, Grizzly Smith, Bobo Brazil, Nicolai Volkoff, Sam Houston, The Bulls, Savannah Jack, The Superdome, The Astrodome, The Coliseum, Terry Gibb, Larry Higgins, Kelly Wayne, Brett Wayne, Kim Duk, Jim Starr, The Turk, Ali Bay, Randy Base, Tom Jones, David Price, Big John Studd, Jeff Sword, Doug Vines, Colonel Buck Robley, Vinnie Romeo, Mike Bond, Joe Stark, Tommy Saxon, Tug Taylor, Tony Anthony, Kelly Kiniski, Larry Clark, The Mongolian Stomper, Nick Bockwinkle, Mr. USA Tony Atlas, Gran Marcus, Bob Stabler, Kenji Kemura, Ted Allen, Marty Lunde, Vlasic Smirnoff, Matt Borne, Gorgeous Gino Hernandez, Hiro Matsuda, Yoshi Yatsu, Stagger Lee, Tony Anthony, Joe Gaines, Tiger Conway Jr., El Silencio, Rick Davison, John Davison, Bobby Jaggers, LeLani Kai, Princess Victoria, Paul Boesch, Lester Parks, Art Crews, Bruno Sanmartino Jr., Don Bass, Sonny Rogers, The Black Ninja, Jerry Caldwell, Ron Ellis, Ron Kessler, John Davidson, Frank Lavert, Wild Bill Irwin, Lone Eagle, Cowboy Lang, Ivan The Terrible, Don Clark, Ken Woodby, Tommy Wildfire Rich, George Weingroff, Boris Zurkhov, Mil Mascares, Bill Mercer, Arn Anderson, Big Bob Williams, Ron Ellis, Bill Rathke, Bill Rose, Larry Hare, Joe Savaldi, Tommy Heggie, Mike McGhee, Josh Stroud, Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer, Jim The Anvil Neidhart, Tom Stanton, Denny Alberts, Debbie Combs, Donna Day, Marty Oates, Jerry Oates, Sam Hall, Frank Calvert, Leaping Lanny Poffo, Paul Garner, Tonga, Karl Fergee, Paul Vine, Savage, Ralston, Mickey Henry, Brian Addidas, John King, Tony Lentz, Obie Davis, The Russian Invader, Jeff Young, Mitch Gaylord, Bobby Brown, Jason Wackler, Jay Youngblood, Steve Brinson, The Shadow, Stella Mae, Buddy West, Pete Martin, Velvet McIntyre, Wendy Richter, Ed Seagle, Hans Schroeder, Don Sanders, Robert Christy, Johnny Mantell, Steve Glover, Don Saunders, Shane Michaels, Bad Bob Owens, Thomas Ivy, Tommy Falk, Lord Little Brook, Mark Cooper, Lee Ramsey, David Eddy, The Golden Terror, Richard Dye, Stoney Montana, Paul Brown, The Masked Marvel, Thor, The Brute, Vern Denton, Larry Clarke, Mike Nichols, Allen Martin, Glen Holbrook, Mike Graham, Sir Oliver Humperdink, Lou Albano, The Red Raider, Mark Hawk, Arbar Bar, Little Coco, The Bounty Hunters, Bagan, Wayne Lavinger, Kareem Mohammed, Len Hawkins, Steve Constance, Jimmy Backlund, Tim Ashley, Dirty Dick Slater, Broadway Joe Malcolm, Rick Dunn, Bad Bob Brown, Gypsy Joe Rosario, Don Turner, Nick Patrick, Steve Doll, Shawn O'Reilly, Tommy Wright, Ricky Starr, Perry Jackson, Bob Wayne, Rob Ricksteiner, Brad Ringo, Mike Scott, Erik Watts, Ene Sooro Watts, Ene Watts, Joel Armstrong, Joel Armstrong Watts, Andre The Giant.