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View Full Version : WWE Network Adds Stampede Wrestling & USWA Texas Shows



Kemo
12-03-2015, 04:36 PM
The parade of territory footage on WWE Network keeps rolling on this week with more additions tonight: Stampede Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation. Well, sort of.

Stampede Wrestling started in the ’50s in Calgary, Alberta, and was Stu Hart’s promotion that started all sorts of future stars: His sons, Junkyard Dog (as Big Daddy Ritter), Jake Roberts, the British Bulldogs (in North America at least), Brian Pillman, even Hiroshi Hase. A small territory with a lot of financial restrictions, they started shooting a lot of matches in progress, essentially editing the shows live.. As low-budget as it was, the wrestling was great, with a lot of “before they were stars” moments and all sorts of interesting matchups you couldn’t see elsewhere.

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Also tonight, WWE Network has added a new category for the Global Wrestling Federation, which only contains USWA shows so far. The whole thing is a bit confusing. WCCW in Dallas was renamed the USWA in 1989, though their video libraries split in two in 1988, when Jerry Jarrett came into the promotion. In 1991, the GWF started and took over the USWA’s TV deals, seemingly also getting the USWA library in the process, but the USWA name was used for Jarrett’s Memphis-based territory until it folder in 1997.

Anyway, so far they’ve been adding shows from 1990 to 1991, as well as three “GWF Presents the Best of the USWA” home videos that I believe were released in the United Kingdom. The key to these shows is probably the footage of Steve Austin as a rookie, especially his great feud with trainer Chris Adams. There’s plenty more, though, including some great Jeff Jarrett vs. Eddie Gilbert and Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk matches on Best of the USWA Vol. 1.

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