CAGEMATCH » Promotions Database » Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF)

Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF)

Inactive promotion in the North America region

General Data

Current name:

Universal Wrestling Federation

Current abbreviation:

UWF

Status:

Inactive

Location:

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

Active Time:

1953 - 1987

WWW:

https://universalwrestling.com

Details

Names:

Universal Wrestling Federation (16.03.1986 - xx.12.1987)
Mid-South Wrestling (xx.08.1979 - 15.03.1986)
National Wrestling Alliance Tri-State (1953 - xx.07.1979)

Abbreviations:

UWF, MSW, NWA Tri-State

Owners:

Jim Crockett Jr. (09.04.1987)
Bill Watts (xx.04.1979 - 09.04.1987)
Leroy McGuirk (1953 - xx.04.1979)

Popular events:

Superdome Extravaganza

TV & Online:

Mid-South Wrestling TV, MSW TV, UWF TV

Logos:

(16.03.1986 - 1987)

(08.1979 - 15.03.1986)

Introduction

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Der ehemalige Pro-Wrestler Leroy McGuirk übernahm in den 50er Jahren die Promotion von Wrestling-Shows in den NWA-Territorien Oklahoma, Louisiana und Mississippi und gründete NWA Tri-State. Einer seiner größten Babyface-Stars war Bill Watts, der nach einem kleinen Zwischenstopp bei Championship Wrestling From Florida Mitte der 70er an Einfluss gewann und McGuirk die Rechte im Jahr 1979 abkaufte. Watts benannte die Liga in Mid-South Wrestling um und stieg aus der National Wrestling Alliance aus, obgleich er den jeweiligen NWA World Heavyweight Champion weiterhin anerkannte und ihn bei den MSW-Shows regelmäßig einsetzte.

Eine Kooperation mit Houston-Promoter Paul Boesch verschaffte Watts die Gelegenheit, seine Stars im Süden von Texas berühmt zu machen, währenddessen seine wöchentlichen TV-Sendungen in den Tri-State-Staaten sowie in Arkansas gute Quoten einfuhren. Die MSW-Shows waren geprägt durch intensive, sport-orientierte Matches mit Charakteren, die alle Facetten zwischen Gut und Böse ausnutzten und sich nicht auf einen Blick durchschauen ließen. Das Episodenformat der Shows kam beim Publikum an, so dass Mid-South Wrestling in den frühen 80er Jahren regelmäßig vor mehreren Tausend oder gar Zehntausend Zuschauern veranstalten konnte.

Mitte der 80er Jahre versuchte Watts, die Liga auch national zu etablieren. Ein von der WWF ge- und enttäuschter Ted Turner (siehe auch: Der schwarze Samstag der WWF) ließ Mid-South Wrestling als Alternative zum WWF-Programm auf seinem Sender SuperStation TBS ausstrahlen, wodurch sich die Liga schnell auf nationaler Bühne einen Namen machte. Als jedoch Jim Crockett Jr. die Rechte am WWF-Timeslot kaufte, beinhaltete der Vertrag das Recht auf exklusive Wrestling-Präsenz auf TBS, was für Mid-South Wrestling das Ende im nationalen TV bedeutete.

Ein angeschlagener Watts machte 1986 einen letzten Versuch, seine Liga auf nationaler Ebene zu etablieren, um nicht alle seine Talente an die stärker und größer werdenden Konkurrenten zu verlieren. Die Universal Wrestling Federation verzeichnete Erfolge, doch eine Wirtschaftskrise in Oklahoma und der noch größere Erfolg der Konkurrenz (WWF hatte gerade Wrestlemania III veranstaltet und Crockett Jr.'s Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling schrieb ebenfalls schwarze Zahlen) zwangen Watts schließlich dazu, die Rechte an seiner Liga an Jim Crockett Jr. abzutreten. Dieser versprach ihm zwar, sich weiterhin um die Liga zu kümmern, doch letzten Endes ließ er die UWF-Stars lediglich für seine eigenen Stars jobben (für neuere Fans: gleiches Szenario wie bei dem Aufkauf der WCW durch die WWF), so dass die UWF noch im Dezember 1987 aufhörte zu existieren.

9.12

Current Total Rating (?)

Valid votes: 16

Number of comments: 7

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Average rating: 9.31 [16]

Average rating in 2026: 9.33 [3]

Average rating in 2025: 10.00 [1]

Average rating in 2024: 8.60 [5]

Average rating in 2023: 10.00 [1]

Average rating in 2022: 9.67 [3]

Average rating in 2019: 10.00 [1]

Average rating in 2013: 9.00 [1]

Average rating in 2007: 10.00 [1]

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Latest comments of the CAGEMATCH inmates

Jonny Dubya wrote on 02.07.2026:

[10.0] "Oh my God, where do I start with this AWESOME promotion? First of all, many future legends came through the hallowed doors of Mid-South/UWF and made legends elsewhere too. Second of all, the promotion was run by one of the best promoters of all time, Bill Watts. Incredible story telling. Legendary matches. The best wrestling announcer of all time, Jim Ross, etc."

Conquistador37 wrote on 20.01.2024:

[8.0] "EDIT/Preface: I will first review Mid South, rate it and will then add additional commentary about the UWF, rate it and then average the two results} MID SOUTH WRESTLING: Bill Watts leaves me constantly upset at his commentary and politics. I completely loathe his incessant misspelling and/or mispronunciation of names over the years - it all becomes so overwhelmingly nauseating that I can't get past it. If you like racism and football you would give this territory a 10 but I am in neither of those camps. That being said: the in ring action was mostly unparalleled and consistently so. The stories were usually hot, the angles usually fun. The talent that passed through or helped anchor the ship lists as a true who's who of 80's talent and in many ways: MidSouth was the WWF before the WWF was the WWF. Bucket list wrestling is the Mid South careers of Junkyard Dog, Butch Reed, Ted DiBiase, Hercules Hernandez and others - lest we forget the rise of Jim Duggan and Magnum TA, the birth (& rise) of the Eaton/Condrey Midnight Express. Mid South brought us the peak of Buddy Landel, gave the wrestling world Barry Darsow, contained some superb stuff via Mr. Olympia and there was always another new star around the corner. But when he's on commentary; I want to punch Bill Watts in the testicles, brain and throat simultaneously. Also, you need to watch this stuff if just to see what Boyd Pierce is wearing. 7.75 (shows with no Bill Watts on commentary are always the better shows). THE UNIVERSAL WRESTLING FEDERATION: Even the brightest of stars will always fade out. In the beginning this was THE place for wrestling, 1986 was a banner year for American Professional Wrestling and the UWF was the leader if the pack with little struggle. By 1987 the wheels fell off and the racist TRASH was more heavy handed than ever before. Bill Watts is a deplorable human. The UWF in 1986 was beyond words awesome but 1987 was a toilet flushing. another 7.75... which makes the math part of this easy. The great is godly - the bad is overtly racist garbage that deserves to be chastised, that's this territory in a nutshell."

TheWrasslinHardcore wrote on 23.12.2022:

[10.0] "UWF/MSW was one of the best promotions in history with good in ring product and innovative TV. Bill Watts is an excellent Booker. Ted DiBiase executed easily the best work of his career with Jim Duggan and JYD. Paul Orndorff got his career off to a great start here. It even started the careers of Sting and The Ultimate Warrior. The storylines were excellent and the TV development only enhanced it. Magnum TA even got his career a boost here."

comewhatmay927 wrote on 31.08.2022:

[9.0] "Midsouth/UWF was the birthplace of episodic wrestling television. Despite Bill Watt's ruinous WCW run, he was a true genious in this territory/promotion. The shows still hold up great all these decades since."

uofmtailgtr wrote on 15.05.2022:

"The UWF and its predecessor Mid-South Wrestling was in my opinion the best territory in the United States. Growing up in the midwest I read about how great the promotion was. Now with the advent of YouTube and the WWE Network I have been able to watch almost every TV show from this territory and I must admit it was better than I read about growing up. Mid-South produced some of the best talent in the 80s and 90s a few examples are Jim Ross, Junkyard Dog, Ted DiBiase Sr. (The Million Dollar Man), Jake "The Snake" Roberts, The Rock N Roll Express and the Midnight Express with Jim Cornette. Bill Watts ran the territory in an old school manner, if a wrestler went out to a bar at night and got beat up in a fight they were fired, the reason for this was if a wrestler was portrayed as a tough guy he was no longer believable as a tough guy if someone off the street could beat him up. The Heels and Babyfaces traveled separately and stayed in separate hotels, they were not to socialize with the other group. In the buildings they had separate locker rooms and sometimes they did two shows in one day on the weekends and the heels and babyfaces would go in separate vans to the next town. The stories above were directly from Jim Cornette's and Jim Ross' podcasts when they talked about their Mid-South days, they also said the territory prepared you for the big time and is why they produced so many stars. Jim also mentioned that it was more travel than any other territory, he went through a typical two week stretch in Mid-South as he kept logs that he still has to this day and he and the Midnight Express put over 4, 000 miles on their car in just the two weeks. They would have to get a new car almost every year! I am so glad I have been able to finally watch the territory and now hear some of the background stories from Jim's as well as Jim Ross' podcast, it gives me an even greater appreciation of what Mid-South and it's talent went through to earn a living and give entertainment to its fans."