On the talent side, the 1987 UWF had a talented roster of proven headliners, solid veterans, and future stars. The established stars the promotion had were quite impressive. Ted DiBiase was in his prime. Few have the physical talents and the intuitive knowledge of the wrestling game that DiBiase possessed. Forget about Lex Luger-I would call T.D. the real Total Package. Bob Jinkerson has done a fine job detailing Ted’s career at the Pick a Wrestler section here.

DiBiase was born into a wrestling family and gathered every bit of knowledge he could. He translated this knowledge into the ability that made him one of wrestling’s best workers. Ted had a title history with Mid-South dating back to 1976, when he briefly held the North American belt. He captured Mid-South’s North American strap-the promotion’s top title-a total of 5 times, tying DiBiase with Ernie Ladd for most title reigns. DiBiase was also a multiple-time holder of Mid-South’s Tag Team titles, winning the belt on 5 different occasions. He first won the titles as the head of the infamous Rat Pack with Matt Borne in 1982 and he went on to team with Mr. Olympia, Hercules Hernandez, and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams twice to win the belts. During DiBiase and Williams’ second title reign, the promotion underwent the name change from Mid-South to the UWF.

DiBiase has been credited by no less than Arn Anderson as being a mentor. When Arn was wrestling as Marty Lunde in Mid-South, DiBiase and he would ride to the shows together, and Ted would share his knowledge with the young Enforcer, much like Mid-South vets such as Bill Watt, Ernie Ladd, and Dick Murdoch would share their knowledge with him. At in-ring characterization, DiBiase was excellent. No one could be a more vicious heel, as evidenced by his aforementioned Rat Pack days. In contrast, he also made a terrific, even heroic, face. His bloody beat-down by Dick Murdoch and the subsequent NWA World Title match with Ric Flair is one of the single most compelling wrestling television shows ever. It resulted in transforming DiBiase from despised bad guy to instant super face.

In addition to DiBiase and his established status within the promotion, Bill Watts had a bona-fide crowd-pleaser in Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Duggan first gained notoriety as a defensive lineman at Southern Methodist. Hailing from Glens Falls, N.Y., Duggan was known around the Southwest Conference as one of the wildest, hardest hitting players in the league. After his NFL career failed to take off, Duggan began wrestling. He made an initial impression in Mid-South as a member of the Rat Pack. During one program, a man in a gorilla suit stood ringside watching Andre the Giant wrestle during one of his trips through the territory. In a truly memorable moment, the man removed the head from the suit and revealed himself to be Duggan. A massive Rat Pack beat-down occurred on Andre. That’s my first wrestling memory of Jim Duggan.

Duggan spent some more time as a heel before eventually turning face. He was arguably Mid-South’s top face after Junkyard Dog. His good-natured All-American rants fit in perfectly with the times, the region and with Watts’ own ultra-patriotic views. It may be hard to believe watching him saddled with the always hackneyed traitor gimmick in WCW’s lame team Canada (what a waste of Lance Storm), but in Mid-South Duggan could work a crowd with anybody this side of Flair and Hogan.

Duggan was the last North American titleholder, defeating Buzz Sawyer in Oklahoma City in March 1986. In a classic bit of Watts booking, the crafty Cowboy tricked defending North American champ Dick Slater into signing a contract requiring Sawyer to defend the title against Duggan. As a result, Slater lost the belt without wrestling. Duggan held the title until it was abandoned in May 1986, when the UWF came into existence with its own Heavyweight championship. Duggan and Magnum T.A. won the Mid-South tag team belts in the summer of 1983. He and Terry Taylor were co-holders of the UWF tag team titles going into January 1987.

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams was, like DiBiase and Duggan, a football player in college. However, Williams’ was by far the most notable of the three in terms of gridiron accomplishments. Dr. Death was a 4-year starter on the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive line during the ‘80s when OU was one of the top 5 programs in the country. As a result, Williams was instantly well known in the Mid-South territory. Williams also played professionally for the USFL’s New Jersey Generals, the Donald Trump-owned team that featured Doug Flutie and Herschel Walker. How do I know all this stuff? Jim Ross, former football/pro wrestling referee turned Mid-South color commentator, was an avid pigskin fan. Good old’ JR put Williams over at every opportunity.

Watts, a former football player himself, saw gold in Williams. Ironically, Dr. Death first made a mark as a heel (sorry about the pun). Well, he was a truly scary looking guy. With his knitted brow and tank-like build, Dr. Death was always an imposing figure. Williams captured the Mid-South tag team titles along with Ted DiBiase at the Sam Houston Coliseum on May 3, 1985. He and DiBiase would regain the belts in Biloxi on the day after Christmas in 1985. He and DiBiase would remain the champs until they were defeated for the then-UWF titles by the Bushwhackers in March 1986. Doc and DiBiase were one of the truly awesome tag teams of the ‘80s, combining Ted’s excellent skills with Steve’s pure power.

Well, that’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into were the UWF at the beginning of 1987. 

NEXT MONTH:

We will look at bad guys and "role players." Stop by the UWF Message Board here sometime.