Global Wrestling Federation Global Wrestling Federation was a professional wrestling promotion based in Dallas , Texas . It started in June 1991 and folded in September 1994 . At one time its shows were presented on the ESPN television network . On many weeks , the promotion provided programming five days a week airing at 4 p . m . Eastern with current matches . The GWF was the last pro wrestling promotion to be seen on ESPN regularly . Beginning in the mid - 1990s , the network began to emphasize talk shows in the mid - afternoon hours , supplanting pro wrestling . Brief history . Max Andrews and Joe Pedicino were the original GWF promoters . The organization was a mix of established names and newcomers , many of whom would launch their national careers after appearances on the daily ESPN show . The original stars included The Patriot ( Del Wilkes ) , Stan Lane , Scott Anthony ( Raven of ECW , WCW , WWE and TNA ) , The Handsome Stranger ( Marcus Bagwell of WCW ) and Cactus Jack . In late 1991 , " Hot Stuff " Eddie Gilbert entered the promotion and took over much of the creative direction of the show introducing The Dark Patriot ( his brother , Doug Gilbert ) , John Hawk ( John Bradshaw Layfield ) , Jerry Lynn , and " The Winner " Barry Horowitz ( a character created by Gilbert and announcer Craig Johnson . ) Booker T and Stevie Ray also wrestled in the promotion as well as the Lightning Kid ( later known as the 1 - 2 - 3 Kid , Syxx , and X - Pac in WCW and WWE ) Weekly shows from " The GlobalDome " . The GWF began airing weekly shows in the local Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex television market from the Dallas Sportatorium , which was billed for a short time as " The GlobalDome " . The promotion ' s announcers were Jon Horton ( as Craig Johnson ) , Scott Hudson , Steven Prazak ( as " Steven DeTruth " ) , and Joe Pedicino , with Boni Blackstone as ringside interviewer . Scott Hudson left the announcer ' s table and in his place was " The Expert " Bruce Prichard ( Brother Love of WWF / WWE ) . In one storyline , Prichard and Horton argued in an expletive filled exchange only to reveal that Prichard was orchestrating many of the nefarious activities of the heels . The Cartel . The Cartel was the first stable formed in the GWF and was the top heel stable in 1991 . It consisted of Mick Foley as Cactus Jack , Raven as Scotty Anthony , Rip Rogers and Makhan Singh . They feuded with the top baby - faces at the time in Steve Simpson , Chris Walker and The Patriot . They never won any titles but their presence was always felt at each event . Rogers was the talker for the group and did most of their interviews , but Foley and Levy were allowed to shine occasionally on the mic . They talked of having a " boss " but would not name him . After a few months of this , they finally named the boss as GWF Commissioner Max Andrews and then the stable disbanded . Broadcast innovations . The original GWF was notable for many of its wrestling broadcast innovations , most importantly , the acknowledgement of other promotions within the broadcast ( including past promotions such as World Class Championship Wrestling ) . Competitors ' former championships were mentioned , as well as departures of wrestlers to other promotions . The promotion also aired behind - the - scenes footage and news segments with features from around the sport . In 1994 , however , the company would fold . Massive cutbacks in budget . Following a massive cutback of budget , Pedicino and Johnson left the promotion , and shortly thereafter , so did Eddie Gilbert . Due to a pay dispute booker Eddie Gilbert , along with his brother Doug ( working under a mask as the Dark Patriot ) left the GWF in 1992 . Eddie Gilbert took with him the GWF North American Heavyweight Championship belt . He made a few defenses of the title in the United States Wrestling Association as the GWF World Heavyweight champion , despite being stripped of the belt and not being recognized as such by the GWF . It was around this time that Grey Pierson and Joe Pedicino had their falling out , with Pierson taking over promoting duties for the GWF and cutting back to a roster featuring mostly Texas mainstays , and bringing in older Texas stars , mostly those from the World Class era . Enter Grey Pierson and WCCW alumni arrive . In the wake of this temporary fold , the GWF was purchased by Grey Pierson , and many former World Class Championship Wrestling stars began appearing , including Chris Adams , Kerry Von Erich and Iceman Parsons , among others . Doyle King , David Webb , and other guest announcers ( including former World Class announcers Bill Mercer and Marc Lowrance ) were brought introduced as the show became more of a theatrical presentation . Mercer , a veteran of Sportatorium wrestling since the 1950s , hosted a weekly segment on many memorable events that took place in the venerable Dallas arena . Kerry Von Erich ' s return to the Sportatorium , along with Chris Adams ' debut with the GWF , was so significant that the arena once again began filling up to see Kerry - however , the renewed round of glory would be short - lived . The local television shows boasted that it was also being aired over a fictitious global television network as Pierson persuaded many of his friends and associates to don the garb of equally fictitious and bizarre characters . In one of its more interesting angles , GWF hired a " psychiatrist " as a valet – the " psychiatrist " was actually Dr . Allan Saxe , a political science professor at the nearby University of Texas at Arlington . One strange angle at that time included a " Bungee " match in which Steven Dane wrestled against Chaz Taylor in a scaffold match outside the Sportatorium . After the match , " Maniac " Mike Davis attached himself to the bungee cord and jumped off of the scaffolding . When he landed back on the ground , he claimed he had launched himself to the Moon and had returned to Earth with a " moon rock . " Another weird angle in which announcer David Webb , having " amnesia " following an attack by Manny Fernandez , believed that he was Elvis Presley ( who performed at the Sportatorium in the late - 1950s during the " Big D Jamboree " days ) . Another strange angle was when Cecil Fielder made an appearance and was billed as the first two sport athlete in baseball and wrestling . He didn ' t wrestle , he was " observing " other wrestlers . The shows were also presented in an abbreviated and more serious format for a brief time over the ESPN television network . 1992 lawsuit by the World Wrestling Federation . In 1992 , the Global Wrestling Federation was sued by then World Wrestling Federation because they felt the use of the word " Global " was in the same definition as the word " World . " Kerry Von Erich tribute show . In 1993 , a memorial wrestling card was held in memory of Kerry Von Erich , who committed suicide on February 18 . Von Erich previously was to have faced the Angel of Death , David Sheldon , that day . Instead , a memorial service was held at the Sportatorium prior to the matches , with former World Class announcer Marc Lowrance making a special appearance to pay his tributes to Kerry ( Lowrance was the ring announcer who called Von Erich ' s NWA World title victory over Ric Flair in 1984 ) . The following April , a memorial tribute card was held at the Dallas Sportatorium , featuring many former World Class wrestlers , referees and other officials . In that card , the main event was the official last match between the Freebirds and the Von Erichs . Kevin Von Erich and Chris Adams ( who wore Kerry ' s ring jacket in his memory ) faced Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts , with Skandor Akbar in Hayes and Roberts ' corner , and Fritz Von Erich in Chris and Kevin ' s corner ( his last appearance in a professional wrestling match ) . The match ended with Kevin applying the claw on Roberts for the win , while Fritz applied the iron claw on Skandor Akbar . Adams meanwhile was ganged up by Hayes and Rod Price when David Sheldon came in to save Adams . Sid Vicious and Booker T also competed on the memorial card . The Ultimate Warrior , who competed in Dallas as " The Dingo Warrior " , was scheduled to wrestle , but no - showed . Bill Mercer , Marc Lowrance , David Manning and Bronco Lubich were among the many WCCW officials and personalities whom appeared on the memorial card . Manning officiated Kerry ' s 1984 NWA World title - clinching match against Ric Flair at Texas Stadium nearly 9 years earlier . Proceeds of this card went to a trust fund established for Kerry ' s daughters Hollie Adkisson and Lacey Adkisson ( who is now a model and third - generation pro wrestler competing in Total Non - Stop Action ) . In 1994 , the GWF paid tribute to Kerry again in a month - long series of past matches Kerry was involved in , including some from World Class . Chris Adams as the focus . Afterwards , the federation centered mostly on Adams , who again ran his wrestling school and was working a feud with both Price and Iceman Parsons ; as well as assist in booking various matches . During one 1993 match , Adams accidentally tore the hair weave off the hair of Price , resulting in stitches on his head . Chris ' former second wife Toni Adams , whom he brought in to the storyline , was also involved , siding with Price and Parsons ; and during one match , she attempted to rub " Freebird Hair Cream " into Chris ' eyes . The former couple also was wrestling in Memphis ' USWA promotion , where Toni was billed as Nanny Simpson . Chris and Toni ' s son Chris Jr . , then about 5 , also made a few appearances in the ring . A renewed feud between Adams and Jimmy Garvin took place , but the closing of the GWF on September 21 , 1994 , ended any prospects of a long angle between the two former rivals . Despite all of these angles , Adams managed to win the GWF North American title twice , defeating King Parsons on December 25 , 1993 ; then beating Rod Price on July 1 , 1994 to regain the title he lost three months earlier to Price . It would be Adams ' last championship glory , as he would never win another major title again . Life after the GWF . After the GWF folded , promoter Jim Crockett brought the NWA back to the Sportatorium for a tenure lasting less than a year . After several other attempts to keep wrestling going , the Sportatorium was demolished in 2003 .