Gary Richard Williams was an American professional wrestling manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career, best known by his ring nameGary Hart. Hart was one of the pivotal driving forces behind what is considered to be World Class Championship Wrestling's "golden years" in the early 1980s.
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1960–1979)
Gary Hart started out as a wrestler in 1960 in Chicago at the Marigold Arena. His uncle, Billy Gates, was a booking agent for Chicago promoter Fred Kohler. After Chicago, he worked in Detroit until 1964. He then worked on and off in Australia under Jim Barnett until 1974 when he relocated with Barnett to Atlanta becoming involved in Georgia Championship Wrestling. After Georgia, he worked in Florida in 1975 managing Pak Song Nam. In the late 1960s, he became a manager called "Playboy" Gary Hart. During the late 1960s, he managed The Spoiler, as well as the tag team duo The Spoilers, which consisted of Spoilers #1 and #2. They won several tag team titles in 1968 and 1969 under Hart's guidance. On February 20, 1975, Hart and wrestlers Austin Idol and Bobby Shane were passengers on a Cessna 182 flown by wrestler Buddy Colt, which crashed into Tampa Bay in Florida, killing Shane.
Hart became the booker for World Class Championship Wrestling in 1976, a position he held until January 1983, then again from 1986-1988. The years between 1982 and 1985 are considered to be the "Golden Years" of the promotion. Hart created the classic feud between the Von Erichs and the Fabulous Freebirds, as well as forming The Stable of H. & H. Ltd in 1982 with Arman Hussian that introduced characters, he also managed The Great Kabuki, the One Man Gang and the Samoan Swat Team. Hart additionally managed talent such as "Gorgeous" Gino Hernandez and Gentleman Chris Adams. Along with booking, he also managed Nord the Barbarian, Abdullah The Butcher, Al Perez and Jeep Swenson under the stable "New Age Management".
Georgia and Mid-Atlantic (1983–1988)
During World Class' golden era, Hart was also a manager in the Georgia and Mid-Atlantic regions of the NWA; joining these two areas exclusively in 1983 shortly after the start of the Freebirds-Von Erichs feud, when he left World Class due to a pay dispute. Hart returned to Texas in the summer of 1984 and following a short hiatus in 1986; stayed with the promotion until 1988. Hart was also a promoter and manager in San Antonio for Texas All-Star Wrestling, the successor of Joe Blanchard's Southwest Championship Wrestling group. He also worked for the ICW, first as the heel manager of Bruiser Brody, Kevin Sullivan and Mark Lewin. During one storyline, Hart had a falling out with Sullivan, after which Lewin attacked Hart with a sleeper hold.
After leaving WCW, Hart returned to Texas and began a new wrestling promotion in North Dallas, the Texas Wrestling Federation, which showcased many former stars of World Class and those who are competing in the USWA/World Class promotion. During the 1990s, following the demise of the Global Wrestling Federation, Hart and Chris Adams were involved in many Texas-based wrestling promotions, including an ill-fated attempt to revive World Class at the Dallas Sportatorium. Hart retired in 1999, but made a surprise return in Major League Wrestling, during the promotion's Reloaded Tour on January 9–10, 2004. Hart appeared following the main event pitting Low Ki against Homicide, where the three laid out several wrestlers from the locker room, as well MLW president Court Bauer.
